Advanced Armament Company has just launched the Ranger 5 and Ranger 7 suppressors, two new cans designed for 5.56 and 7.62 NATO AR-pattern rifles.
Advanced Armament Company has been known to make some pretty nice cans, and the two models just added to the new Ranger line appear to follow in that trend. Designed specifically to function well with AR-pattern rifles, the AAC Ranger 5 and Ranger 7 are rated for 5.56x45mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO respectively.
AAC Ranger 5.
The AAC Ranger suppressors were made to be compact and lightweight while still providing ample sound suppression. Constructed using Inconel 718 high-strength nickel alloy and stainless steel, the Ranger 5 weighs 15.2 ounces and is 5.825 inches long while the Ranger 7 weighs 17.2 ounces and is 6.75 inches in length. Finished with a high-temp Cerakote, both AAC Ranger suppressors are rugged and ready for harsh environments and high volumes of full-auto fire. The Ranger 5 has an advertised 32dB of sound reduction with M193 5.56 NATO ammo, and the Ranger 7 offers 30dB when using M80 .308 Winchester (or 24 dB with .300 Winchester Magnum).
AAC Ranger 7.
Both cans come standard with a direct-thread mount (1/2×28 for the Ranger 5 and 5/8×24 for the Ranger 7) but are compatible with HUB adaptors as well. They also both feature a built-in muzzle brake and have a removable end cap for easier maintenance and cleaning. MSRP for both AAC Ranger suppressor models is $899.99 and they’re available now.
Wilson Combat has just released several new front and rear sights for 2020 Colt Python and Anaconda revolvers.
Wilson Combat is well known for its handgun upgrades, offering several different accessories for everything from 1911s to Berettas to Sigs. The company’s newest handgun-enhancing products include several models of front and rear sights for 2020 Colt Python and Anaconda revolvers.
Because Colt’s 2020 rerelease models of the Python and the Anaconda both use the same dovetail sight pattern, all six new models of Wilson Combat sights will fit them. There are two rear sights and four front sights to choose from.
Made of hardened chromoly steel with a black oxide finish, the Wilson Combat rear sights are rugged. Both models are also click-adjustable for windage and elevation. The two versions differ only in their sight pictures, with the square-notch option advertised as the target model and the U-notch option designed for tactical use. Both models are also partially serrated and have radiused edges to help fight glare. The rear sights share an MSRP of $109.95 and Wilson Combat also promises that they are easy to install.
Of the front sight options, there are two fiber optic versions and two gold bead versions. The fiber optic models are available in either red or green and have an MSRP of $39.95. The bead sight models are available with either a gold or a white gold bead and have an MSRP of $75.95. All four have also been designed to be snag-free.
Installation instructions are available on Wilson Combat’s website and all six sights are 100 percent American-made and available now.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Best known for its offerings in the hunting end of the market, German Precision Optics has plied its expertise in the realm of red-dots … and the results are impressive. The SpectraDot proves to be a tough little optic with features that make it competitive with the best red-dots have to offer. What really catches the eye on the 3-MOA aiming solution is its extremely efficient power management system, which milks out 50,000 hours of run time from a battery. Additionally, it offers up six-day and five-night brightness settings and sensitive 0.5-MOA per click adjustments for windage and elevation. Complete with a Picatinny mount, the SpectraDot is ready to rock out of the box and is certain to please. MSRP: $421
EOTech EFLX
A master of holographic sights, EOTech broadened its horizons in 2022 with its first red-dot. Perfect as a primary pistol sight or a backup on your carbine—and everything in between—the EFLX is a dandy addition to the company’s catalog. And the American-assembled red-dot is priced where most shooters can afford to add one to their arsenal. The mini reflex sight is built to the Leupold DeltaPoint’s footprint; in turn, it fits plenty of slide cuts … although you can order it Picatinny rail compatible, too. Additionally, the red-dot, available in 3 and 6 MOA, comes with a litany of assets any shooter will appreciate: 20,000 hours of battery life, night vision friendly, large window and lightweight (1.4 ounces). MSRP: $389
Fenix HM60R Rechargeable Headlamp
Flashlights are vital gear, as are weapon lights. But in certain circumstances—say dressing a deer or troubleshooting a broken-down car at night—it’s best to have both hands at your disposal. Fenix more than delivers on this with its well-thought-out HM60R headlamp. In addition to a rechargeable power source, the headlamp delivers enough light for any task, kicking out 1,200 lumens on its highest setting. Furthermore, it boasts a spotlight for long-distance illumination, a floodlight with neutral white light for better color rendering, and a red light to preserve your night vision and use for up-close tasks. Perhaps best of all, the headband system is engineered to stay on your noggin and keep the light where you need it. MSRP: $106
Crimson Trace RIG (Rapid Illumination Grip)
Honestly, this is one of the most clever accessories to hit the market in a spell. Instead of bogging your carbine down with a load of necessities, Crimson Trace condensed a few into one handy add-on. The RIG is essentially a forward hand stop dolled up with a 500-peak lumen flashlight. Pretty slick and very intuitive. Compatible with M-Lok systems, the RIG is wicked simple to install and comes with an optional pressure switch—if you happen to roll that way. Best of all, it de-clutters your carbine in one fell swoop. MSRP: $205
Sightron S6 1-6x24mm IR4A
Not exactly a bargain-basement pick for LPVO—but one that certainly is a value—Sightron’s S6 way over-delivers in performance, features and options. The most noteworthy is the Japanese glass that the scope sports, giving it an absolute crystalline field of view and making intermediate work as precise as if it were close quarters. The scope’s low profile is also a plus, keeping your carbine nimble and manageable. Also, the choice of first- and second-focal plane reticles—with drop compensation and lead marks on the FFP—offers an aiming solution for nearly any shooter. Finally, waterproof and shockproof, Sightron has made the S6 ready for the long haul. MSRP: Starting at $1,300
Aimpoint Duty RDS
Budget and Aimpoint—rarely are those words uttered in the same sentence. That changed this year with the introduction of the Duty RDS … sort of. Face it, the 2 MOA sight is still spendy relative to the rest of the market but is priced right for those willing to shell out for a genuine Aimpoint. Overall, the investment is worth it, as the red-dot is as battle tough as any other of the company’s offerings and dead-on target. The regular Aimpoint rigmarole applies to the duty—30,000 hours of battery life, 10 brightness settings (four of which are night vision compatible), crystal-clear glass and more rugged than most require. Plus, Aimpoint throws in a mount and spacer. Nice. MSRP: $499
Leica 32mm Geovid Rangefinding Binocular
Truth be told, the Geovid binos do about everything except kill and dress your deer. In addition to delivering absolutely knockout images, the optic is also a first-rate rangefinder and includes geo-tracking technology. That’s a lot of data, all served up each time you survey the field. A few notes on these features: The rangefinder makes readings out to 2,500 yards and the GPS capabilities communicate via Bluetooth to Leica’s ballistic app as well as integrate with third-party mapping apps. Perhaps best of all, the entire Geovid system weighs a scant 28 ounces, making it no trouble in the field. MSRP: $2,900
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
MDT has just released the TIMBR Frontier stock, featuring two models made for Remington 700 SA rifles.
MDT is known for its long-range shooting accessories, offering rifle upgrades ranging from bipods to magazines to full chassis systems. The newest product to be added to the company’s catalog is the MDT TIMBR Frontier stock, a laminate wood/aluminum micro-chassis made for rifles with a Remington 700 short action.
Developed over the course of a 24-month period, the MDT TIMBR Frontier stock was designed to pack your rifle full of modern features and ensure a perfectly rigid platform. The stock is made from Birch hardwood laminate and features an aluminum micro-chassis at its core. The wood is available with either a Charcoal or a Green Mountain Camo finish.
The entire TIMBR Frontier stock system weighs only 4 pounds, helping to keep your setup lightweight. The length of pull and cheek riser height can both be adjusted without the use of tools, and each stock also includes two sets of interchangeable rubber grips. The internal aluminum V-block micro-chassis free-floats your barrel while keeping everything solidly in place, and the stock’s bottom metal, forend and buttstock all feature M-LOK for adding accessories. The TIMBR Frontier stock also uses AICS-pattern magazines and features a large, ambidextrous mag latch.
Both versions of the Remington 700 SA TIMBR Frontier stock are available now and have a shared MSRP of $899.95, but MDT promises to release a model compatible with the Tikka T3x SA soon as well.
There’s a wide variety of .270 Winchester ammo out there, contributing to the cartridge’s reputation for versatility, but it’s only useful if you know how to pick the right load.
There are only a few cartridges as common or as versatile as .270 Winchester. It can be found virtually anywhere, has bagged game all over the world and remains a top seller amongst the full-power rifle cartridges … for good reason.
Today we’ll be going over just what makes this cartridge so great, its best applications and a few top-notch loads of factory .270 Winchester ammo.
.270 Winchester Development
The .270 Winchester, or under its original name .270 Winchester Center Fire or WCF, was first released in 1925 with the (then) new Winchester Model 54 bolt-action rifle, in the time-honored industry tradition of inventing a new gun and a new bullet to shoot with it.
The cartridge was devised by necking down the .30-03 Springfield (not .30-06, although .30-03 is the parent case of both) to accept a .277-inch diameter (6.8mm) bullet.
The original factory load was a 130-grain bullet at 3,140 feet per second (around 3,060 fps is more common now) and it was soon noted for kicking less and dropping a little less at longer range (especially between 300 to 500 yards) as the more popular .30-06.
Those qualities endeared it to the hunting gun writers of the day such as Townsend Whelen and most certainly Jack O'Connor.
The buying public took a little while to catch on, but eventually, rifle hunters in the U.S. (especially in the western states) and elsewhere noted its qualities. O'Connor's tireless advocation for the cartridge and for the Winchester Model 70 rifle (which replaced the Model 54) certainly helped as well.
Today, it's still one of the most common hunting cartridges worldwide. It's found on every continent besides Antarctica and has harvested pretty much every game species you can name.
What's So Great About .270 Winchester?
The only real ding against .270 Winchester is that it has poor (almost zero) support in semi-autos. Primarily used in bolt-actions, however, the cartridge is great at doing bolt-action things.
Even when zeroed at 100 yards, it drops less from 100 to 400 yards than .30-caliber stalwarts like .308, .30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum.
Some common “all-around” cartridges (left to right): the .30-’06 Springfield (still the king), .308 Win., .280 Rem., .270 Win., .300 WSM, 7mm Rem. Mag., .300 Win. Mag and .338 Win. Mag.
The 130-grain loads of .270 Winchester ammo (historically the most popular) produce about 16.5 foot-pounds of recoil in an 8-pound rifle, marginally less than a 150-grain .30-06 bullet fired from a rifle of the same weight. Although it’s also about 4 foot-pounds less than the 165- and 180-grain loads of .30-06.
The difference is enough to notice, but not dramatic.
The bullet shape (long and thin, but just substantial enough) gives the bullet a slightly higher sectional density and ballistic coefficient compared to a larger diameter bullet of the same grain weight. For instance, a 150-grain Sierra Game King in .277 caliber has a G1 BC of .483 and sectional density of 0.279, compared to 0.226 and .368 (respectively) in .308 caliber.
Four different styles of .270 Winchester bullets. From left to right: 100-grain HP, 115-grain FMJBT, 130-grain SP, 150-grain RN. Photo: Wikipedia.
However, modern heavy-for-caliber bullets can provide an even higher BC for .270 Winchester ammo. Examples include Sierra's Tipped Game King 175-grain bullet with a nominal G1 BC of 0.560, Nosler Accubond LR 150-grain bullets with a G1 BC of .625 and Berger's 170-grain EOL bullet with a G1 BC of 0.662.
In other words, it overcomes air resistance better compared to .30-caliber bullets of the same grain weight. This results in a greater potential for penetration into vital areas.
While .270 Winchester ammo excels at distance, the 6.5mm and 6mm cartridge families still rule long-range shooting and high-power rifle events. While modern, high-BC heavy bullets can narrow the gap considerably, match .270 Winchester ammo doesn’t exist unless you load it yourself.
So, it may be one of the best medium-game cartridges ever made…but it’s not necessarily the best at everything.
Hunting With A .270 Winchester
There are arguably few finer cartridges for game hunting in open spaces. Besides a reputation for excellent accuracy and tolerable recoil, the other benefit .270 Winchester brings to the table is its only moderate drop at distance.
For the eastern U.S., where shot opportunities are usually well within 200 yards and game is smaller-bodied, it's a bit much. In the West, where shot opportunities can very easily be upwards of 400 yards, that's where .270 shines.
The cartridge has long-held a stellar reputation for accuracy.
Add manageable recoil, broad factory support (lots of companies make ammo) and favorable ballistics for medium to long-range shot opportunities, and it’s no wonder that .270 Winchester is still a go-to choice everywhere from the plains and mountains of the Western U.S. to the African savannah.
.270 Winchester Ballistics
To gain a better understanding of how .270 Winchester ammo actually performs, we compared the ballistics and trajectories of two loads to those of similar bullets in other calibers. Made using ShootersCalculator.com, all the following tables and graphs were calculated using a 200-yard zero, a 1.5-inch sight height, a 10-mph crosswind and no corrections for atmosphere. Keep in mind that elevation, temperature, humidity and pressure can all impact true performance in the field.
First, here are the ballistic charts comparing Remington’s 130-grain Scirocco II load of .270 Winchester with the 150-grain Scirocco II load of .30-06.
As you can see, the .270 Winchester load begins with a higher muzzle velocity than the .30-06 and retains its lead at 800 yards. The data also shows that .270 Winchester has less drop, is less affected by wind and reaches its target faster than .30-06 at every range listed.
When comparing modern, heavy-for-caliber, high-BC bullets, the equation starts to change. Here’s a comparison between Winchester's Expedition 150-grain Nosler AccuBond LR load of .270 Winchester and Remington’s 150-grain .300 Win. Mag. Core-Lokt load.
These tables show that while the two cartridges experience a similar amount of drop out to 500 yards, beyond that .300 Win. Mag. starts to sink like a stone in comparison. .300 Win. Mag. is significantly more affected by wind as well, and that starts happening much sooner than the difference in drop rate.
As you can see, some loads of .270 Winchester ammo are capable of doing everything that .300 Win Mag can…and more.
It shows that when using good quality bullets, even smaller caliber projectiles can hit as hard if not harder than average ones of bigger calibers.
So, let's say you already had a .270 Winchester rifle and wanted to shop for some ammo. What are the best loads to get?
5 Outstanding Choices Of .270 Winchester Ammo
Federal Premium Nosler Partition 130-Grain
Classics become classics because they just work too darn well.
Jack O'Connor's favorite handload was a 130-grain Nosler Partition loaded to 3,100 fps, and he harvested game all over the world with it. This load is a game-getter without question and will do what you need it to do as long as you do your job as a marksman. Perhaps a little light for elk, moose or black bear, but easily one of the finest deer, sheep and pronghorn loads ever made.
Bullet type: Jacketed soft point
Grain weight: 130
Muzzle velocity: 3,060 fps
Muzzle energy: 2,703 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.416
SD: 0.242
MSRP: $58.99 per box of 20
Hornady 145-Grain ELD-X
The ELD (Extremely Low Drag) bullet is a modern, aerodynamic bullet designed for longer-range hunting. The 145-grain load in .270 Winchester is a good choice for a do-it-all hunting load. While on the light side for moose or black bears, you will have no issues with good placement.
Bullet type: Tipped hollow point
Grain weight: 145
Muzzle velocity: 2,970 fps
Muzzle energy: 2,840 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.536
SD: 0.270
MSRP: ~$50 per box of 20
Remington Core-Lokt 130-Grain
Good ol' Core-Lokt is about as cheap as .270 Winchester gets. Cheap range ammunition is few and far between in this caliber unless you roll your own. It may not be the best long-range cartridge out there, but inside of 400 yards, Core-Lokt has always performed admirably.
Bullet type: Jacketed soft point
Grain weight: 130
Muzzle velocity: 3,060 fps
Muzzle energy: 2,702 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.336
SD: Unadvertised
MSRP: $35.99 per box of 20
Winchester Expedition Big Game Long Range 150-Gr Nosler AccuBond LR
Another modern hunting bullet that makes a good case for itself as a do-it-all load with serious legs is Winchester's Expedition Big Game Long Range (could they use more superlatives?!) load. It's loaded with 150-grain Nosler AccuBond LR bullets, with an insane G1 BC of .625. If you wanted a long-range hunting load for everything short of grizzly bears…this is it.
Bullet type: Tipped hollow point
Grain weight: 150
Muzzle velocity: 2,900 fps
Muzzle energy: 2,801 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.625
SD: 0.279
MSRP: ~$52.00 per box of 20
Federal Fusion 150-Grain Bonded Soft Point
If you wanted a more premium bullet without as premium a price tag, Federal Fusion is a good candidate. The 150-grain bonded soft point load will provide good expansion, making it a good pick for most types of game.
A relatively simple accessory, a suppressor cover goes a long way to shooting more accurately with a can, while protecting the muzzle device. Find out the top choices.
After dropping a few hundred dollars on a suppressor, a couple hundred more on a tax stamp, filling out a mountain of paperwork and waiting months for it to get processed, you finally get your can. Alleluia, pass the ammo! You're now free to shoot away in quieter and more accuracy bliss. Almost.
True enough, as long as you have a suppressor and a rifle properly threaded to accept it, you’re set for reduced-decibel marksmanship. Though, if you’re serious and dedicated to the popular muzzle device you’ll most likely find out you need one more piece of gear to complete your kit—a suppressor cover.
I hear some of you out there: What exactly? And why?
Yup, outside of dyed-in-the-wool suppressor aficionados ‘can wrap’ is a bit of mystery or bordering on frivolous. Yet, get to popping away without one and you’ll wish you’d investigated the accessory sooner. They’re not there for looks, suppressor covers are vital to safe and effective shooting with the noise reduction device.
Why A Suppressor Cover
You needn’t have a suppressor to understand the need for a suppressor cover. To illustrate I’ll pose a simple question: What happens to your barrel after a few shots? If you brushed up against it after a string, you know that bugger gets hot Depending on its profile and its caliber, scalding in many cases. And that’s a relatively thick tube of metal, even with a sporter profile and especially measured against a suppressor tube (or baffles, if it’s tubeless). Aluminum, stainless steel or titanium, cans heat up and quickly, causing a couple of major issues.
First off, hot suppressors are an outright menace to your person. Not an issue if you’re the type of shooter who never takes his or her rifle off the bench. But if you’re more dynamic behind the trigger you and those around you run a chance of receiving a blistering kiss. Like motorcycle and dirt bike enthusiasts, legs are particularly susceptible to getting burned.
Uncomfortable as singed flesh might sound, there’s a more undesirable outcome to a suppressor hovering around blow-touch temperatures—accuracy deterioration. No, it has nothing to do with barrel harmonics or any finite issue you generally deal with when a gun runs hot. Its heat mirage, and plenty of it. Downrange, the thermal phenomenon is downright handy—allowing you to read wind direction and magnitude; up close, it’s an entirely different story. Cooking off a can, heat mirage makes the image through a scope about as clear as the back of a cataract.
Finally, get a suppressor too hot by shooting too many rounds in too short a space of time you can damage your precious device. It’s a rarity, but not unheard of and less than desirable. They're not exactly cheap and, besides, who wants to go through the same song and dance to replace a damaged one.
When made correctly, with the proper material, a suppressor cover mitigates these issues. But you’ve got to know what you’re looking for, because not all wraps are equal.
What To Look For In A Suppressor Cover
The polar opposite to the device they enhance, suppressor covers are a simple affair—to evaluate and purchase. Uncomplicated as they are, they still have a little nuance worth considering so you get the right jacket for your can.
For the most part, suppressor covers consist of two parts: inner core and outer jacket. Each is important. The inner core is made of a fire-proof material, such as Nomex or Kevlar, that absorbs and dissipates heat. The jacket is generally a synthetic fabric that secures the core to the suppressor and, in some cases, provides camouflage for the device and further heat protection. There are some recent twists to this formula—such as MagPul’s coreless cover and the silicon grippable covers—but for the most part, a great deal of the market consists of the aforementioned configuration.
The important factors to consider when shopping for a suppressor cover are heat rating and fit. The latter first.
Suppressors come in all shapes and sizes, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all cover. You’ll need to know the length and diameter of your can to get the right system, and you need to read how manufacturers measure their suppressor covers. There isn’t a lot of uniformity in this, so it’s worth your time to understand what dimensions are important.
As to the core, heat rating is what is important. Some of the extreme covers are rated for 3000-degrees Fahrenheit, which covers some pretty radical use. But before you go, That’s the one for me! you need to consider what such a model entails. Material and plenty of it. The short and the quick of it, that’s how suppressor covers operate, relying on core bulk for heat resistance. In turn, the higher the rating, generally the larger the cover and the more weight you’re attaching to your pistol or rifle.
For someone running hot on the range or the like, the extra weight might not be that big a deal and even an advantage. The more insulation potentially means longer strings. But if you’re moderate in fire volume and need to maintain your firearm’s balance, a lighter, thinner option might make more sense.
Top Suppressor Cover Options
Burn Proof Gear Suppressor Cover
A traditional jacket-core configuration, Burn Proof Gear’s suppressor cover is straightforward and effective. Available in three configurations, Heavy for rifles, Medium for pistols and rifles and Custom for anything not covered by the first two. Across the board, the base units—made of Nomex and Kevlar—handle up to 1000-degrees Fahrenheit of heat, which translated means a fairly large volume of fire in a short amount of time. You also have the option to beef any of them up to 2000-degree rating with an optional fiberglass insert. There are five cover color options to choose from as well MSRP: $150-200
Magpul Suppressor Cover
Arguably, Magpul’s offering is one of the most unique in this corner of the market. Consisting of a heat-resistant sleeve and a raised stainless steel heat shield, the unit keeps exterior temperatures up to 1000-degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the suppressor’s surface. It’s pretty ingenious in execution, clamping directly onto a can to provide ample airflow to cool the muzzle device. A bit heavy at 9.6 ounces, nonetheless, the suppressor cover is the ideal addition to any AR you happen to run suppressed. MSRP: $100
Cole-Tac HTP Suppressor Cover
If you’re searching for the most heat suppression with the least hassle, it’s difficult to do better than Cole-Tac’s High-Temperature Python (HTP). The suppressor cover uses a three-layer system, the inner tube rated for 3,000-degrees Fahrenheit, middle layer 1,800-degrees and Denier Cordura Nylon 600-degrees. Cole-Tac even uses Kevlar thread for stitching. What you get is an incredibly resilient system, perfect for maintaining your rifle's accuracy no matter how many rounds you put down range. The suppressor cover is also incredibly simple to use thanks to its highly intuitive Velcro locking system. The exact length and weight can vary because these covers are made-to-order, offering a lot of protection with little impact on your rifle or silencer regardless of what model you're using. When purchasing, users have a choice between 12 cover colors, 9 strap colors and 3 buckle colors, and they can also input their suppressor's exact dimensions to ensure a perfect fit. MSRP: $95
Rifles Only HAD Suppressor Cover
Rifles Only MAD cover is a strong option, but is outdone by the HAD for overall performance. The difference, a heat-abatement outer jacket that ups the overall performance of the suppressor cover system. The inner core is rated for 3,000-degrees Fahrenheit and the shell 2,500—that’s a lot of protection and all but eliminates any mirage. Rifles Only offers a wide selection of shells for the suppressor cover, letting you match your operational environment. The only drawback, its traditional lace-up system doesn’t make switching the fastest procedure known to man. MSRP: $95
Armageddon Gear Mirage Cover
This system has been around for a spell and remains one of the top choices for mirage mitigation. One of the great features is Armageddon Gear makes the suppressor cover for more cans than perhaps any other company. Even if you can’t find yours in the chart, they’ll make a custom model if you send in your spec. However, this isn’t the choice for running your rifle (or pistol) suppressor red hot. Armageddon Gear had precision shooters in mind, thus it’s rating is a bit more pedestrian than some of the more extreme example—around 800-degrees Fahrenheit on its hi-temp model. MSRP: $87
Manta Defense Suppressor Cover
There’s more than one super simple silicon option out there, but Manta Defense offers a great option with some of the best features. Manta’s suppressor cover is ribbed, which helps increase surface area to disperse heat more efficiently while also being easy to grab. The one advantage or drawback, depending on what type of suppressor you run, it’s only sized for 1.5-inch diameter cans. Basically, you get a 7-inch suppressor cover you carve down to length. Great if you have a can that fits those dimensions, but it leaves everyone else out in the cold. MSRP: $78
Mossberg has just added two new Patriot Predator models to its bolt-action rifle lineup, both chambered for Hornady’s new 7mm PRC.
Answering the call for rifles ready to shoot Hornady’s newest cartridge, Mossberg has just announced two Patriot Predator models chambered for 7mm PRC. The rifles differ only in their stocks, finishes and prices.
The 7mm PRC Patriot Predator features a free-floated and fluted carbon steel barrel that’s 24-inches long, has a 1:8 twist and an 11-degree match crown. The barrels are also suppressor-ready, sporting 5/8×24 threaded muzzles and included protective caps. Other features include the standard receiver-mounted Picatinny rail for optics, the oversized bolt handle/spiral-fluted bolt and Mossberg’s adjustable Lightning Bolt Action trigger.
Like previous Patriot Predator models, the new 7mm PRC variants use Mossberg’s reliable twin-lug push-feed action and are fed from flush-fitting polymer magazines. The 7mm PRC models have a 3-round capacity. Including their 6.5-pound weights, the two new models are identical except for their stock patterns and the finish on the metal. The standard 7mm PRC Patriot Predator has an FDE synthetic stock and a matte blue metal finish, whereas the fancier model has a TrueTimber Strata camouflage synthetic stock and a Patriot Brown Cerakote job.
MSRP for the standard model is $519, and MSRP for the camo model is $616. Both 7mm PRC Patriot Predator rifles are available now.
It might be time to get a new shotgun for home defense, because your grandpa’s bird gun is not the ideal home defense shotgun setup.
If you grew up in a home with firearms, chances are good there was a trusty pump-action shotgun somewhere in the house, likely leaning up behind a door. Versatile, powerful and easier to shoot than a pistol, the scattergun was a natural choice during a time when AR-15s weren’t nearly as common.
Grandpa’s old Remington 1100 dove gun isn’t great for clearing your home, but it can be devastating if you’re defending a barricaded position. Don’t forget to put the plug back in before next season!
As a direct result of the shotgun prevalence, there’s no shortage of misunderstandings and gun shop lore when “The Gauge” comes up. Many misconceptions about shotguns stem from how shot performs when hunting birds. Don’t buy into lore like, “you don’t even need to aim it, just point it down the hall,” that so often echoes off gun store walls.
Shotguns seem reasonably straightforward compared to a handgun, but the reality is they need to be practiced with just as often as any other firearm. Learning to keep the gun’s limited ammo capacity topped off—or managing the hefty recoil—takes range time.
Scattergun Misconceptions
You Don’t Need To Aim
The misunderstanding that pointing the barrel in the general direction of a threat almost certainly has roots in bird hunting, where hundreds of pellets are launched at a target 25 yards away. At that distance with general sporting loads, the pattern has a sizable spread. Take that range down to typical home distances of feet rather than yards—with a limited pellet count of 00 buckshot—and your shot pattern is going to be significantly tighter. You absolutely need to aim with a shotgun; they aren’t magic.
As Soon As They Hear It Rack, They Run Away
Quit watching so much TV. Plus, a legally armed civilian should never use a firearm to intimidate through sight or sound; the act of displaying the fact you’re armed is often a legal issue. Could the sound of a shotgun being racked send someone running? Maybe. Retired law enforcement officer Darryl Bolke of Hardwired Tactical has shared, on multiple occasions, that in his first on-the-job shooting, both of the carjackers clearly heard him rack his 870 when he got out of the car. Did that stop the carjackers? They clearly didn’t scare easily.
Anyone Can Use A Shotgun
Yes … but also, no. Between the substantial recoil and ergonomic issues, handing a shotgun to someone who hasn’t put in some range time can be a recipe for disaster. Most shotguns on the wall at your local gun store are fitted with a stock that’s better suited for hunting than in a defensive role. They seem to work fine on a square range, but the second you shoot from an odd position, that reach to rack the gun might be too long and result in a short stroke.
Choose A Platform
Do you need the latest tactical shotgun to effectively defend your home? Nope, but the ability to add things that make using the gun easier sure is nice. Plenty of folks have successfully used a hunting shotgun of the pump, semi-auto or even break-action type to defend those they love.
Even a competition shotgun, like the new Mossberg 940 JM Pro, is a step up from granddad’s 28-inch dove gun in a defensive role. The 22- to 24-inch barrel that you find on most competitive shotguns makes moving inside a structure harder, should you be forced to leave the safety of your barricaded position.
Competitive shotguns like the Mossberg 940 JM Pro might not be ideal for defensive use but can be very effective.
Most home defense shotguns on the market come with an 18- to 20-inch barrel, which is ideal for a non-NFA gun. Another option to strongly consider is a Mossberg 590 Shockwave or something similar, which is designed specifically for a defensive role.
Gauging Your Options
The first step in figuring out what shotgun you want to use for defensive reasons is to choose what it’ll be chambered in. I’d narrow it down to a 12- or 20-gauge to make finding a good defensive load easy on yourself. Forget the off-gauges the bird hunters love.
A 12 gauge is generally the right call here because ammunition, parts and even the guns themselves are more widely available. That isn’t to say that a 20 gauge can’t serve you well, but don’t expect the recoil to be substantially lighter; a lighter gun that’s easier to hold is also going to soak up less recoil.
Semi-Auto Or Pump Action?
Although obvious action choices are semi-auto and pump-action, there are also lever-action shotguns as well as the very simple break-actions to consider. Break-action shotguns are less than ideal when you realize that most home invasions involve two or three people, and lever-action shotguns are finicky at best. That leaves us with the good ol’ pump and the semi-auto, but each have their own unique pros and cons.
A pump-action is the most common choice due to overall cost and availability. Accessories are easy to find, and getting a nice used police trade-in can net you a bargain. If you choose a pump, make sure you practice with it often, learn to manage the recoil and get in the habit of racking that action every time you pull the trigger.
Beretta’s 1301 Tactical is the most developed defensive semi-auto on the market today.
A semi-auto is going to shoot softer and be easier for those who don’t practice with a shotgun often, but it’s also a lot easier to outrun your headlights with one or have it go dry on you unexpectedly. Often, the largest objections to a semi-auto are that they can be finicky with ammo, and they’re significantly more expensive than the manually operated pump action.
Home Defense Shotgun Enhancements
Adding some doodads to the shotgun is going to make it easier to use under high stress levels, but make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. A defensive gun should be purposeful; you can leave the fancy parts to your range toys.
Replace The Stock
Shorter-than-average humans like myself are well-served by replacing the stock on a shotgun intended for defensive. Being able to run the action with room to spare, in any odd position I might find myself, hinges on the stock’s length of pull. A nice byproduct of the need for a shorter stock is that the Magpul SGA stock, which I put on nearly every shotgun, adds a sling attachment point as well as the ability to fit different cheek risers.
On more than one occasion, I’ve short-stroked the gun when running it quickly because the stock was too long—the last thing I want is for that to happen when defending against an aggressor. Switching to a stock with a reduced length isn’t going to remove the possibility of a short-stroked action, but it happens far less often.
Shed Some Light On Things
Seeing things clearly is mandatory, because statistics prove that most home-invasions happen at night. There are a ton of options for adding some illumination to your gun, ranging from a cheap flashlight mount, on up to purpose-built forends with a built-in light.
Mossberg’s 590A1 holds the distinction of being the only shotgun to pass military testing and is lefty-friendly.
I generally prefer a forend with an integrated light like the Streamlight TL-Racker or SureFire’s DSF weapon light. The Streamlight offering is significantly brighter with 1,000 lumens to the SureFire’s 600 while remaining cheaper, but there’s a slight build quality trade-off.
There are even forend replacements, like the Magpul M-Lok forend, that allow you to mount a more traditional light without clamping something to your barrel or mag tube. If you have an oddball shotgun, your only option for a light may be a barrel clamp and a high-quality 1-inch flashlight.
Bead, Ghost Ring, Rifle Or Red-Dot?
It might not be a bad idea to upgrade that bead sight on your gun to something a bit easier to see in low light. The best bang for your buck is going to be adding a tritium XS Sights DXT Big Dot sight to your gun. Want to go further than that? Adding a ghost ring rear, or even stepping up to a red-dot sight, is possible.
Aimpoint Micro H-2 red dot sight.
Many of the shotguns on the shelf today have the ability to slap a rail section to the top of the receiver, which will work in a pinch but is far from ideal. Purpose-built products, like the Aridus Industries CROM mount or the Scalarworks Sync, are great options if you want a rugged optic mount for your shotty.
Slings, Safeties And Small Enhancements
Do you need a sling for a home-defense shotgun? Maybe. It really depends on your needs. No sling is preferable; the fewer things to get snagged the better. I might suggest a single-point sling if there’s a possibility I might need to pick a child up or use both hands.
To round out the mods, small parts like enlarged safeties and enhanced followers are a good place to finish. Since I prefer a cruiser-ready configuration, an enlarged safety isn’t as important for me as it may be for those who keep a shell chambered.
Feeding The Gun
One of the largest downsides to using a home defense shotgun is the greatly reduced capacity over modern semi-auto pistols or mag-fed rifles. Adding some form of onboard ammunition carrier, such as a side-saddle ammo carrier, is a must.
A fancy side saddle with interchangeable cards makes changing ammo types a snap, but in a pinch, a cheap buttstock ammo carrier is better than a pocket full of shells.
Cumbersome ammunition bandoleers and slings with shell loops aren’t as fast to load from, and they oftentimes don’t retain the shells well, making them less than ideal. Besides that, they tangle easily and catch on things … especially in the dark. If you feel you need more ammo than a side-saddle holds, Velcro cards or an Aridus Industries quick-detach carrier are good options to replenish your onboard ammunition.
Home Defense Shotgun Storage
Should you keep a shell chambered or is it better to keep the shotgun with a full mag tube, empty chamber and the hammer down? That’s personal preference. You might be influenced by the fact that most shotguns don’t have a firing pin block and instead rely on a spring to keep the firing pin retracted—I know I was.
While I’m generally a round-in-the-chamber kinda dude with rifles and pistols, I’ve heard enough horror stories from folks who teach shotgun classes—as well as buddies in law enforcement—to sway me toward keeping an empty chamber when the gun is stowed.
Lock It Up!
It should go without saying that putting the gun on a top shelf with an empty chamber isn’t enough. Find a way to lock up your home defense shotgun that’s easy to access. Tons of options out there will make gaining access to the gun much harder for a kid or a thief.
A bracket-type wall lock will run you a couple hundred dollars, but this design presents some challenges if you have optics or a side saddle. Hornady’s Rapid RFID wall lock is worth a look, as is the cheaper from ShotLock that doesn’t rely on newfangled RFID tags to unlock it.
Don’t discount an under-bed safe like the one from SnapSafe … or even a very small gun locker in your bedroom closet.
If I Could Have Only One
The shotgun is a wonderful defensive tool that can also put meat on the table in a pinch. If I was forced to get rid of all my guns with the exception of only one, a 12 gauge of some type is likely the one that makes the cut. It might suck as a concealed firearm, but in regard to everything else you could want from a defensive firearm—a 12 gauge will do well … and then some.
A shotgun is going to treat you right … as long as you don’t buy into the myths. Set your gun up right, choose the right ammo and verify it patterns well.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Hornady has just announced several new and expanded ammunition lines for 2023, ranging from 7.62x39mm subsonics to the company’s new 7mm PRC cartridge.
Whether your goal is long-range precision or maximum effect on target, Hornady makes some of the best ammo out there. Now the company has announced expansions to several of its existing ammunition lines, including three loads for the new 7mm PRC cartridge.
7mm PRC
Described by Hornady as something designed to fill the gap between 6.5 PRC and 300 PRC, the new 7mm PRC cartridge can launch 160- to 180-grain bullets at 3,000 fps. PRC stands for “Precision Rifle Cartridge,” and Hornady calls 7mm PRC the “first truly modern 7mm magnum cartridge.” Its qualities make it poised to become very popular with long-range shooters and hunters alike, and as a bonus, the new cartridge can be fired out of a 7mm Rem. Mag. or 300 Win. Mag. rifle with nothing more than a barrel swap.
Hornady will be initially offerring 7mm PRC as a 160-grain CX Outfitter load, a 175-grain ELD-X Precision Hunter load and a 180-grain ELD Match load.
Outfitter
Outfitter is Hornady’s line of rugged, watertight ammunition that’s designed to survive rough conditions on backcountry hunts. The line already featured a wide variety of calibers and bullet weights, but three more have just been added. Skipping over the aforementioned 7mm PRC, the Outfitter line now also includes a 150-grain load for both .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. These two cartridges were only previously available with 165- and 180-grain loads, respectively. All ammunition in the Outfitter line is loaded with Hornady’s monolithic copper, expanding CX bullets.
Superformance
Like the Outfitter line, Hornady also expanded the number of Superformance offerings by adding 150-grain CX loads of both .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. Unlike the Outfitter line, the Superformance line is instead designed to provide your ammo with a boost in muzzle velocity without increased chamber pressure or recoil. The line also now features a 50-grain CX load of .223 Remington.
Critical Defense
Hornady’s famous Critical Defense line of self-defense ammo received some love too, now featuring the new 30 Super Carry cartridge. It’s loaded with a 100-grain FTX handgun bullet and has an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,250 fps. Marketed as the newest cartridge for concealed carry, it’s a good sign for 30 SC’s longevity that it’s now available in Hornady’s top defensive ammo line.
Handgun Hunter
This ammunition line, obviously designed for handgun hunting, is only receiving a single new addition. It is, however, a very big one—500 S&W Magnum. Loaded with a 300-grain Monoflex bullet, this is now the heaviest option in the lineup. For those with an affinity for hand cannons, this will provide them with a very powerful new choice.
Hornady BLACK
The Hornady BLACK line is designed for optimal performance from America’s favorite firearms, which is why the line’s newest caliber is a bit surprising—4.6x30mm. While there may not be an abundance of guns chambered for the cartridge, there are some out there, and shooters will now have a very reliable Hornady BLACK load to choose from as well. It’s loaded with a 38-grain V-Max bullet.
Subsonic
The final addition to Hornady’s 2023 ammunition expansion is to the Subsonic line, now featuring a 255-grain Sub-X 7.62x39mm load. This is excellent news for anyone who enjoyed shooting this caliber suppressed, as the Russian ammo ban has ensured that subsonic Brown Bear ammo will soon disappear from American store shelves forever. Predicting a sizable void in the market in need of filling, Hornady wasted no time in producing an alternative. The only thing that could make this new option any better would be if it can cycle suppressed Kalashnikovs more reliably than previously available loads.
Rifle trigger upgrades are one of the easiest ways to improve performance, so here we cover some of the best bolt-action and semi-auto triggers on the market.
There are more options out there than ever before when it comes to trigger upgrades. There’s so much variety, in fact, that it’s easy to get lost in the minutia of just what you’re getting for the money. To make things easier and less triggering, let’s take a look at just what you get for your hard-earned dollars these days.
Trigger Basics
The gun, as we know it, is a tube that launches a projectile. The rest is essentially human interface with said pipe. The earliest notions of a gun were just that: a metal pipe or tube attached to a stock ignited by a lit piece of fuse. That fuse was originally carried separately, but eventually more advanced means of ignition were used; arguably, the earliest was the matchlock.
This simple device was state-of-the-art at its inception, and with the pull of a trigger—which, in those days, resembled the long lever trigger of a medieval crossbow—the lit match was lowered into a pan of powder. This mechanical action later evolved into the flintlock, then the percussion lock and then the metallic cartridge.
Heavier bolt guns are usually best with single-stage triggers that offer a clean break without the anticipation of a second stage. As a rule, the author treats a gun he walks and hunts with a two-stage, and a stationary or positional shooting rifle with a single-stage.
Triggers have come a long way from a smoldering piece of string; however, the creation of newer and better triggers didn’t stop with the advent of modern guns. Luckily for us, in our modern era, we can look back at our history of invention, take what we’ve learned and apply it to new things.
The thing is, trigger design today is limited to what’s selling … as far as guns go. There are very few, if any, guns designed around the trigger; instead, triggers and their advancements center around upgrading popular designs and are often drop-in. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find gunsmith-only triggers, wherein just a generation prior it was the norm to have your trigger worked over by a professional.
Modularity has its advantage, though. I’d say that virtually all the advancements in triggers are happening in three platforms: the AR-15 family, the Remington 700 and clones, and rimfire rifles like the 10/22. The reason here is that these are arguably the most popular base guns in the country, and they all have easily-installed trigger upgrades. These guns are truly plug-and-play when it comes to making upgrades, and there’s little, if any, gunsmithing involved.
Factory triggers today are usually heavier than they need to be, and this plagued them for decades as a liability concern. Savage Arms remedied this in the early 2000s with the AccuTrigger, a user-adjustable precision trigger that featured a blade safety. This trigger was, for many people, the thing that put Savage on the map in their eyes. Plus, in a Remington world, it was refreshing to go with something user-serviceable.
In those days, many guns with light triggers were dangerous in that they could fire when dropped or mishandled in the field. To solve this, the AccuTrigger was able to be adjusted to just a few ounces and, unless the shooter’s finger was on the trigger, it wouldn’t fire. This trigger design was similar to that of the Glock pistol in many ways, and I still love it—even when compared to “better” options.
The AccuTrigger is still available today, and I’ve been shooting one in a Savage since I was 16. It hasn’t changed at all since I originally adjusted it, and it remains one of the best triggers a kid could’ve grown up on.
The BestFactory Triggers Of 2021:
Production Bolt-Action Trigger
The best factory bolt gun trigger on the market, as far as production bolt-action rifles go, is one featured in detail here in this issue of Gun Digest. The Q Fix has a completely unique trigger and bolt arrangement that has never been done before.
The Fix by Q has probably the best bolt-action trigger made today on a production rifle. It’s a two-stage, making it very appropriate for hunting.
It shares more with a striker-fired pistol than a traditional Mauser-style sear assembly and it is, in my extensive experience with triggers, the best out there in terms of how it breaks, feels on the finger and for precision shot placement. The Q Fix is an expensive rifle, however, but it’s not one that you’ll need to upgrade in the sense of a base model factory gun. It has it all already and, in the world of factory designed and assembled triggers, it puts many others to shame.
Production Semi-Auto Trigger
The Savage MSR10 6.5 Creedmoor. This is a full-featured AR-10-size rifle that holds up at 1,000 yards while being light and reliable. It has a great trigger and is a clear stand-out in the factory rifle lineup. I tried out this two-stage trigger at a range and was blown away that it was a factory Savage. It was like a custom-built rifle in terms of quality. The trigger was just amazing for a factory job.
Production Rimfire Trigger
The CZ 457 rimfire rifles take the cake for me when it comes to triggers in the factory rimfire category. They’re light, crisp and have the feel of a full-size rifle trigger when handling. I really appreciate the detail that went into this little action and just how functional it is. Many rimfire triggers feel like an afterthought and are too heavy for such light guns, but CZ executed this one quite well. It’s a single-stage trigger but breaks like the proverbial glass rod: a small glass rod, that is.
The CZ 457 Scout .22 LR is a compact, lightweight rimfire that boasts an incredibly crisp single-stage trigger and is just about perfect for snapping game on the ground.
Drop-In Trigger Roundup:
Talking about rifle triggers ensures healthy debates. I own and use both single- and two-stage models, and I select these for a given rifle based on my expected usage. In general, I prefer a single-stage trigger on a heavy precision rifle and a two-stage on a semi-auto or lightweight bolt gun. To make things more streamlined here, I’ll be looking at what’s out there for the AR family and the REM 700 and clones, as well as some rimfire with a caveat that there’s substantial crossover now between rimfire and 700-based actions.
Two-Stage Remington 700 Triggers
There are two triggers that immediately come to mind for the 700 and actions. Two-stage triggers find their homes on my lightweight bolt-actions, in this case both 700 factory short actions.
The Geissele Remington 700 trigger is two-stage and easily user adjustable. This trigger has appeared in some of my previous articles here in Gun Digest, and it’s very reliable and easy to configure. I currently have it in a garage-build precision rifle, consisting of an X-Caliber 6.5mm carbon-fiber barrel, carbon-fiber stock and Leupold LRP scope. I did some hack-job gunsmithing to it: I installed a Brownells bolt knob using an angle grinder and hand-cut the threads, a Marine Tex bedding attempt and then gave it a rattle-can finish. For being a build made out of leftover parts, it shoots 1-inch groups at 200 meters.
Remington 700 triggers make up the bulk of the bolt-gun market. Other types are available, but if you’re planning a custom build, the Remington action and clones are the most widely supported.
Another hard-use Remington 2-stage is the Timney Calvin Elite. This has been at home on my .450 Bushmaster for years and is a perfect field-use trigger. The rifle has an AG Composites carbon-fiber stock and a Triad Tactical forend wrap to prevent slippage in wet conditions. I’ve got it decked out in Hill People Gear and Short Action Precision gear as well. The Calvin Elite is a wonderful, simple and reliable trigger for the worst conditions.
Single-Stage Remington 700 Trigger
This one has to go to TriggerTech. These guys don’t have a huge catalog, but what they do offer is superb. I have two of their triggers, one on a KRG-chassis build with a Mesa Precision Arms titanium action and Proof Research carbon-fiber barrel. I use the Sig Sauer 5-30x Tango6 on this bad boy and the TriggerTech product allows me to just point and click past 1,000 yards. TriggerTech triggers are the choice for some of the best rifle builders out there, and I completely understand why. I’ve done lots of long-range shooting with this brand: They’re awesome if you want that single-stage pull.
TriggerTech makes some great bolt-gun triggers. They’re easily adjusted for pull and offer several variants depending on end use.
Rimfire Bolt-Action Trigger
This was a tough one, and I mentioned earlier the caveat about the 700-clone crossover. I’ve been using the Timney HIT flat trigger on my Tuebor Precision 6.5 Creedmoor, but it was my experience with a .22 LR rifle using a Bergara action in 700 footprint that made it catch my attention. This trigger features a flat face and is excellent in the growing and popular rimfire precision sports. While it’s technically a centerfire trigger in that it was designed for the 700, it’s at one on any of the new generation of rimfire bolt-action and can be adjusted down to just 8 ounces.
A thousand-yard rifle, like this custom build on a Tuebor Precision action, strongly benefits from a flat trigger such as the Timney. The pull is amazing and allows for extreme control at long range.
Drop-In Two-Stage Semi-Auto Trigger
Geissele has a strong command of the trigger game, and I use their products quite a bit across my rifles. While it’s fair to say that they’re arguably the best out there as far as ruggedness and precision, they’re not the only makers of fine triggers for the AR platform. My choice for their lineup is still just about impossible to beat: the Hi-Speed National Match. This is really the trigger to measure the rest against and is emblematic of the disciplined, difficult skills necessary to succeed at Camp Perry.
Single-Stage Semi-Auto Trigger
I shoot carbines at many distances, and I like to have something rugged and simple. Fitting the bill here is the Velocity Classic AR Trigger. This is a more affordable unit at an MSRP of $159.95, but it performs like a much more costly unit. It’s a drop-in cassette type, meaning that the trigger is self-contained and installs without having to mess with springs or trying to fuss with pins. I ended up popping one in my BRN-180 carbine, and it really improved the overall handling characteristics, especially when snap-shooting with irons and the Trijicon Reflex sight in place.
This cassette-style trigger from Velocity Triggers is a single-stage unit.
Rimfire Semi-Auto Trigger
The most popular semi-auto .22 LR out there is the Ruger 10/22. Timney again makes it on this list with the 10/22 Drop In Trigger Assembly. This is a great trigger and really brings the 10/22 up a notch. Plus, it includes an extended magazine release.
It should be noted that Ruger also makes a replacement trigger for their own guns and it, too, is excellent.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Whether you already carry a concealed weapon or are thinking about starting, here are some bulletproof reasons supporting why it’s a good idea.
For many of us, the question of “why you should carry a gun” seems silly, given the current state of affairs in the United States early in the 21st century. Carrying a concealed weapon allows one, regardless of gender, age or physical ability, to control his or her own immediate environment and thereby have options in various emergencies that unarmed people simply do not enjoy.
Carrying a gun is simply part of recognizing and accepting responsibility for one’s own actions, one’s own safety and the security of one’s own family. Indeed, with the level of lawlessness evident in today’s society, it might be the social duty of decent, intelligent people to arm themselves.
A cursory review of recent statistics is all the justification we need:
1. The No. 1 cause of on-the-job deaths in the United States is homicide.
2. One of every six on-the-job deaths is a homicide.
3. Each year in the U.S., there are about 15,000 reported murders. This figure does not include homicides not reported, including persons who just vanished without a trace. The true figure is thought to be closer to 30,000 to 40,000 persons.
4. Advances in trauma care mean fewer than one in 10 people who are shot with a firearm actually dies from that injury. In 2017, there were almost 1 million people shot, stabbed or bludgeoned seriously in the U.S. Although these did not become homicide statistics, thousands of them were left blind, paralyzed or otherwise crippled for life.
5. In Memphis, Tennessee, for instance, in 2013, there were 154 homicides. There were, however, 9,165 incidences in which someone tried to kill someone else; they just were not successful. The main trauma center there, for instance, which is only one hospital out of 20 in the metropolitan area, treated 3,100 people for gunshot wounds that year alone.
6. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), almost 6 million people a year in the U.S. are victims of some violent crime each year. Therefore, this is not some arcane, esoteric threat that occasionally happens. Violence and violent crime are an everyday fact of life in modern U.S. cities.
07. The annual BJS report for 2017 showed the following numbers, for just that one year: total violent crimes, 5,612,670; rapes, female victim, 393,980; robbery, 613,840; aggravated assault, 993,170; serious violent crime involving injury to the victim, 643,760; stranger violence (victim and offender unknown to each other), 2,034,100.
Daily Threats
According to the BJS, you have a 1-in-49 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in a single year, not your lifetime. So, the odds are not “one in a million,” they are “one in a few dozen.”
As of 2014, all 50 states in the U.S. have at least a theoretical system for private citizens to acquire a permit or license to carry a handgun on their person for self-defense.
If we only consider aggravated assault and no other violent crimes, there were an average of 2,721 aggravated assaults per day in 2017. The FBI’s definition of aggravated assault is “an unlawful attack involving serious bodily injury to the victim, or the use of a deadly weapon or other means likely to cause death or serious injury.” In other words, that’s almost 3,000 times each day someone tries to injure someone else in the United States. Taking sensible precautions against something that common is not being paranoid, it’s being smart.
Each year, fewer than a dozen people die from snake bites in the United States, and around 50 are killed by lightning. Almost everyone takes precautions against snake bites and lightning strikes, although statistically the threat is insignificant. Criminal violence, on the other hand, takes place every day, in every sort of place, all over the nation, and effects one in every 50 people every year.
Why then doesn’t everyone carry a gun? Everyone likes to think, “Violent crime only happens to someone else.” Well, to everyone else on the planet, you are someone else!
Consider this data from the FBI uniform crime report for 2017, a sadly typical year. In that one year, there were 1,247,321 violent, interpersonal crimes reported by police agencies to the FBI. These are murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and assault. Please note that this is a voluntary reporting system, and many police agencies do not report totals to the FBI, so this number is actually much lower than the true total. According to the FBI, aggravated assault accounted for 65 percent of these violent crimes, while robbery accounted for 25.6 percent.
These are the crimes that require us to go armed.
Many people are what I call “willfully ignorant.” Not only do they not know the actual level of crime indicated by these statistics, they don’t want to know. If they knew, they might actually have to do something about it.
The author sees nothing wrong with wearing his concealed pistol to church. Anywhere there are people gathered, there’s a potential for lethal violence.
Throughout most of this past century, as the population became more urbanized and government began playing a larger role in everyone’s daily life, more and more cities/states adopted laws against the carrying of weapons in a misguided attempt to prevent violence. It hasn’t worked very well, has it?
In addition, the populace has been taught for several generations now to depend on the government for everything, including education, social mores and personal security. The problem is, the government cannot and will not guarantee your personal safety. The police, except in extremely rare cases, will only come along after the fact to make a report. Your personal safety is, as it always has been, your responsibility.
You’re Not Helpless
Over the past decade or so, a number of states have recognized that a disarmed citizenry is at the nonexistent mercy of sociopathic criminals who often engage in mindless violence even after the victims have submitted. The proliferation of drugs, youth gangs and highly disturbed persons has created a call from citizens that they be allowed the means to protect themselves and their families; and this call has been answered in every state.
Throughout most of this past century, as the population became more urbanized and government began playing a larger role in everyone’s daily life, more and more cities/states adopted laws against the carrying of weapons in a misguided attempt to prevent violence. It hasn’t worked very well, has it? In Chicago (pictured) alone, more than 530 people were murdered in 2018.
As of 2014, all 50 states in the U.S. have at least a theoretical system for private citizens to acquire a permit or license to carry a handgun on their person for self-defense. Illinois, the last holdout, was forced to come online in 2014. In fact, states that have enacted reasonable carry permit laws have since seen a decline in the rate of homicide and other violent crimes. It should be obvious that citizens who go to considerable time, paperwork, and expense to legally carry a firearm will not be a problem. The problem is the population of thugs who ignore laws against murder, rape, robbery, drug peddling, etc., and who should not then be expected to obey laws against carrying guns.
One thing I would like you to consider: In our culture, there is always a lot of media-generated noise about civil rights and human rights. What do you suppose the most basic human right or civil right is? It is the right to self-defense. Without the right to self-preservation all of the other rights are meaningless.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports 1,000 workplace homicides per year, but that does not include a huge number committed at businesses too small to come under OSHA reporting guidelines. More Americans are murdered at work than die from any other on-the-job cause.
You have a right to be alive, and to live without being killed, crippled or raped in an unlawful, immoral attack by a sociopath. Telling you that you have the right to self-defense, but that you may not possess a weapon is ludicrous. It is just like telling you that you have the right to a free press, but that you may not possess ink or paper.
If you have the right to self-defense, you have the right to be armed.
RECOIL magazine and Silencer Shop are excited to put on the first CANCON this Veteran's Day weekend, November 11-13th, 2022, at the 17 South Rod and Gun Club near Savannah, in the great state of Georgia!
This is a big event with a lot to talk about, so we thought a guide to visiting might help some of you out.
WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN IS CANCON?!
What:
CANCON is a gun show and fully suppressed range day brought to you by RECOIL and Gun Digest Magazines.
With over two dozen sponsors we’ll have hundreds of guns, suppressors, and optics for you to try out hands-on and on the range!
Ammo will be provided, all you need to bring is your shooting finger.
It’s not very often people get access to this many suppressors, guns, and accessories all in one place to actually try themselves. Don’t settle for just looking at them through glass, get yourself to CANCON and shoot them!
With over 50 lanes and acres of space, 17 South Rod & Gun Club is a wonderful venue for this event. If you’re not from the area, Fleming is about 30 miles south of Savannah, GA.
When:
November Friday the 11th, Saturday the 12th, and Sunday the 13th! Tickets are day specific, but you’re welcome to get multiple tickets for multiple days!
Veterans get in FREE on Friday!
THINGS TO DO!
The highlight of the range day will be guns. Lots of guns.
There will be a ton of sponsors with truckloads of guns and suppressors to try out!
From new releases like the Springfield Armory HELLION to classics like a Heckler & Koch MP5, there is going to be a lot of cool stuff to get your hands on.
CANCON 2022 Sponsors!
THINGS TO BRING!
Ammo is provided and refreshments are available for purchase. We recommend bringing some water and other supplies for a warm day in the sun. Hat, sunscreen, etc. Your own eye and ear protection are recommended but will be available on-site.
Personally, I like to bring a pair of shooting gloves to events like this just in case. Guns can get hot!
Entry tickets for a specific day include a certain amount of Lane Tickets together in a package.
Entry-Only Tickets
Provide entry into the event only. Visitors with Entry-Only tickets will need to purchase Lane Tickets at the event if they wish to shoot at one of the lanes.
Lane Tickets
One Lane Ticket can be exchanged at a shooting lane for one test shooting experience at a shooting lane. The amount of ammunition per experience is determined by the lane operator. Visitors must queue at each lane to get a turn for their experience and surrender a Lane Ticket to the lane operator. Lane tickets or turns cannot be combined to increase the amount of ammunition per experience.
Daniel Defense will have their new SoundGuard line of suppressors at CANCON!
BRING THE FAMILY!
In addition to entry-only tickets for visiters who might not want to shoot, kids under age 12 get in FREE! Children are permitted to shoot with parental supervision, but tickets must be purchased for any children who would like to shoot. There will be kid activities available at the event!
COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN?
17 Rod & Gun Club is located in Flemming, GA but Richmond Hill is less than 10 miles away and a larger town with lots of accommodations. There are over 80 hotels with 20 miles of CANCON, so you have tons of options!
Welcome to CANCON A Fully Suppressed RECOIL Range Day!
Save the date and make your plans to come down on Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 11-13 to the 17 South Rod and Gun Club in Savannah, Georgia.
Hundreds of the newest and best suppressors, firearms, and optics will be on the firing line for you to get hands-on trigger time.
All ammo will be provided, just bring your trigger finger!
Veterans get in FREE Friday, so come spend your Veterans Day weekend with us at CANCON!
SATURDAY NIGHT VIPs will have the opportunity to shoot suppressed with night vision goggles, clip-on night vision optics, IR lasers, tracers, and more.
CANCON will even have activities for kids, making this a completely family-friendly event.
Expect to see hundreds of firearms and suppressors, every one of them available to shoot. Don’t forget your eyes and ears for safety!
Not every day you get to shoot cool stuff like this!
Great food will be available on-site for when you need to recharge between shooting bays.
More information and ticket pre-sales coming soon!
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Holosun, a leading manufacturer of electronic optics, has just launched the P.ID weaponlight series.
Until now, Holosun was entirely focused on aiming solutions. The company’s catalog was mostly comprised of electronic optics, but it also included various mounts, magnifiers and lasers. With the launch of the P.ID weaponlight series, however, visible-light illuminators are now officially part of the lineup as well.
The weaponlight series’ name stands for “Positive Identification,” and Holosun described four different models in the original announcement. However, at the time of writing, only the standard P.ID model is visible on the company’s website. The P.ID HC, PI.D Plus and PI.D Dual models will presumably be listed in the near future. Regardless of the model in question, all PI.D weaponlights are built tough, featuring housings made of waterproof and shock resistant 7075 aluminum. All models will also include interchangeable Picatinny rail interface keys for optimization with different styles of firearm, and they’ve been designed to be compatible with most common light-bearing duty holsters as well.
The standard Holosun PI.D light is advertised as being powerful and compact, capable of at least two levels of intensity. On high mode, it can produce a 1,000-lumen and 23,000-candela output, and while on low mode it has an advertised 60-minute battery life. The battery life on the highest setting is not currently known. All PI.D light models are powered by a single 18350 flat-top battery, and while the battery can be replaced, it’s also rechargeable with the provided magnetic USB charging cable.
The standard Holosun PI.D has an MSRP of $135.28 and is shipping now. The remaining three models are slated to release between the end of this year and early 2023. All models will also include Holosun’s limited lifetime warranty.
Concealed carry is about praying for the best while prepping for the worst, so why not improve your preparedness by considering covert rifle carry?
All it takes to be reminded of the rapid cultural changes in America is to flip on a TV. Not long ago, the only place that you’d hear about protests and riots was in a history book; now they’ve become commonplace with politically driven tensions at an all-time high. Maybe it was time to rethink my approach to defending my family.
It seems the days of a five-shot .38 Special tucked in a pocket holster might be coming to an end; after all, those are at best case a two-bad-guy gun with great shot placement. Many concealed carriers move to a 15-round polymer pistol like the FN 509 Midsize MRD or Glock 19; now we’ve a five- or six-bad-guy gun, if your shot placement is damn near perfect.
But what if you find yourself in the middle of a “peaceful” protest? Even that six-bad-guy gun isn’t going to stop dozens, potentially even more than that.
It seems that the concept of a modern “truck gun” has more relevancy than ever before. In years past that might’ve referred to a beater ranch rifle used to dispatch the odd coyote or other rural pest; but the last decade has seen a shift from those old bolt actions to modern semi-auto rifles.
Out of Sight, Out Of Mind
Not long ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see a rifle rack in the back window of a pickup. Concerns of theft have made that a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that folks don’t have a rifle tucked away in their vehicle. Keeping a rifle hidden from view has a downside, though: You probably can’t access it quickly and, if you can, it probably isn’t hidden all that well.
That’s where a discrete rifle bag comes into play. Clever designs like the Tuff Products Sentinel Concepts Elite Revelation II backpack, Elite Survival Systems Stealth backpack and Vertx’s Gamut series of backpacks bring new options to the table when trying to keep a rifle from prying eyes. While they look like a standard backpack, they’ve been designed to look like a run-of-the-mill bag and not raise any eyebrows.
Checking into a hotel with Tuff’s Revelation II has never once raised an eyebrow. Open the Sentinel Concepts Elite Revelation II and pull the concealment panel away for easy access to an AR with up to a 10.5-inch barrel and a LAW folder.
If you aren’t interested in a backpack design, there are plenty of other bags on the market that no one would suspect carried a long-gun. Your bag choice will ultimately be driven by your rifle and how you wish to conceal that bag in your car.
Your Car Isn’t a Gun Safe
Do you need a high-speed bag to hide a rifle in your vehicle? No, but it isn’t until you get out of the car that the covert bag really shines. While many “truck guns” only leave the truck when the rifle is being used or cleaned, the reality is that’s a terrible idea—your door locks don’t make your vehicle a gun safe.
The ability to discretely take my rifle inside at night without the thought of “gun” entering an onlooker’s mind has been the single biggest benefit to the covert bags I own. It wasn’t until I went on a nine-day road trip with my 14.5-inch do-all AR-15 that I truly appreciated the ability to take my overnight bag and the Tuff Products Sentinel Concepts CARB bag into a hotel without anyone even raising an eyebrow. In fact, on more than one occasion I was asked if I played keyboard due to the CARB bag’s resemblance to a nylon keyboard case.
Open the CARB Bag and you find a 14.5-inch AR-15 fitted with a LAW Tactical Folder, electronic muffs and eye protection.
It Isn’t Just For ‘Truck Guns’
A discrete rifle bag isn’t just limited for transport to and from your vehicle: It also makes a ton of sense if you’re at a training class or live in an area that isn’t overly fond of guns. The last thing you want to happen while armed with something that a news reporter would undoubtedly label as “fully semi-automatic assault clipazine-fed soul snatcher” is an uncomfortable conversation with someone who realizes you have a rifle.
It’s far better to play it cool as though you tickle the ivories in the church band, are headed off for a hike or any number of other things that don’t include the .308 Winchester bolt-action that’s actually in your bag.
Not All Covert Bags Are Equal
Be prepared to spend a few dollars on a high-quality bag; you don’t want to deal with a torn bag when you’re checking out of that swanky hotel. When it comes to backpacks and bags, quality costs a few bucks.
Sure, you could maybe get away with any number of bags and cases designed for other things but those might not protect your firearm like you hope. Depending on your rifle, you might want to take care when putting a magnified optic-equipped rifle into a bag. It wouldn’t be the first time that a quality optic met its demise in a bag that someone thought would protect their several-thousand-dollar scope.
The new Sentinel Concepts Elite Board Bag from Tuff Products is large enough to hide just about any long-gun … in plain sight. The Alamo Precision Rifles .308 Win precision rifle tucks neatly into the bag while the other pocket holds needed to take a long- range training course.
Your bag choice needs to be centered around the rifle or AR pistol you intend on carrying. You aren’t going to be able to shoehorn that 16-inch Smith & Wesson M&P15 that you’ve had for years into a backpack that looks like a regular backpack.
My personal go-to bags are all from Tuff Products because they’re well thought out, built well and blend in extraordinarily well. The fact that the brains behind all three of my Tuff Products bags happens to be a great friend, who spends more time behind a windshield than anyone else I know, is a side benefit.
Setting a Rifle Up For Covert Bags
Once you’ve identified your base rifle and made the decision as to what bag you want to use, get your rifle setup for stowing in the bag. That means figuring out how to hold mags, mag pouches and slings in the bag—without making the rifle impossible to get out of the bag quickly. Figuring out a place to stow some eye and ear protection is also a great idea.
As far as the rifle itself is concerned, the first thing I recommend looking at is a LAW Tactical folder … if your chosen rifle is an AR-15. Bolt-actions can use any number of folding stock chassis, and if you have something like an under-folder AK, your work is pretty much already done for you. Double-check that your optic and lights are securely mounted to the rifle or AR pistol, and strap that bad boy into your bag. Tuck the rest of your kit (mags, pouches, etc.) in the bag as you can, but don’t over stuff the thing. The goal is to blend in while carrying enough gun to get you out of nearly every situation, not invade a small country.
This 8-inch .300 Blackout SBR with a LAW folder is compact to stow in just about any discrete rifle bag on the market.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Now that you have the bag and it’s all setup, practice with it. Spend some time doing dry runs getting the gun out of the bag to have an idea of how long it’ll take you to go from identifying a threat to getting that long-gun into the fight. While a rifle is a superior defensive tool, you might not have the time to get to it—and your concealed-carry pistol might be a far better option.
Practicing how to efficiently employ the gun will not only give you a realistic expectation of how long it takes, but you’ll also likely find different ways to stage your kit in the bag to make it a touch easier to get the rifle out of the bag and on target.
It’s Not For Everyone
Don’t think that I’m saying everyone should carry a long-gun everywhere they go. The truth is, 99 percent of Americans will never need a setup like this and would be best served with a concealed-carry pistol.
That said, no one should chastise someone for deciding to keep a long-gun close at hand. The Second Amendment gives me the freedom to toss a rifle on my back, should I feel a justification to do so. I just prefer to do it in a way that doesn’t result in a photo of me, holding the world’s cringiest SKS in a Chipotle, going viral.
Chastising gun owners with poor taste, like Chipotle SKS guy Flakoo Decampo, is perfectly acceptable though.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2021 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Anderson Manufacturing has just announced its first handgun, the Kiger-9c compact polymer 9mm concealed carry pistol.
Anderson Manufacturing has recently expanded its catalog to include the company’s first handgun, the Kiger-9c. Completely made in America, this new pistol is a fairly standard polymer-framed striker-fire 9mm designed for concealed carry.
Anderson describes the Kiger-9c as having an original frame, and while it does bear Anderson’s logo, it appears to be otherwise identical to the SCT 19 frame made by SCT Manufacturing. Considering that builders have been giving these frames generally positive reviews since it was released, however, that’s not an issue. The frame features aggressive texturing throughout, covering everything from the grip to the trigger guard to the thumb and forefinger rests. It also features an extended beavertail, an undercut trigger guard, front and rear slide serrations and of course a standard Picatinny rail for accessories. The magazine well is also beveled to assist with reloads.
Essentially another Gen3 Glock 19 clone, the Kiger-9c is compatible with most Gen3 G19 components and accessories. That certainly includes magazines, and the standard Kiger ships with one 15-rounder standard with a 10-round option also available for states with restrictions. Anderson doesn’t specify whether the new pistol will be compatible with existing Gen3 Glock 19 holsters, but if it isn’t, UM Tactical already offers a Kydex IWB/OWB option specifically molded for the Kiger.
Anderson Manufacturing VP, Charles Anderson, said this about the Kiger-9c:
For almost 70 years, Anderson Manufacturing has been a leader in precision manufacturing and innovation…While known for our lower receivers and rifles, we saw an opportunity to apply our unrivaled engineering and technology to a new design and deliver a high-quality, ultra-reliable and value-priced handgun to the market. The Kiger is the next step in our continued commitment to developing exceptional firearms at an affordable price, and we’re proud to offer gun owners a handgun that is 100% American made and 100% Anderson.
The Kiger-9c has an MSRP of $429, and while less expensive and arguably more feature-rich than a real Gen3 Glock, it appears that it will have some stiff competition from Palmetto State Armory. The PSA Dagger has already been on the market for some time and fills the same niche as the Kiger-9c, the major differences being that the standard Dagger has an MSRP of $299 and that PSA offers Dagger variants with threaded barrels and optics-ready slides. On its face, it appears that PSA’s take on the Glock provides more for less than Anderson’s, but time will tell which proves more popular with concealed carriers.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
