Looking for a little gun with a big bite? The new Bond Arms Cyclops chambered for .45-70 Gov’t might be just for you.
Bond Arms is well-known for its derringer-style handguns, but the newest model released by the company may be worth a look even if they’re not usually your cup of tea. That’s because this little single-shot pistol is chambered for .45-70 Gov’t.
First announced at SHOT Show 2023, there was plenty of buzz about the Bond Arms Cyclops amongst those in attendance simply because of how novel the concept is. The company already pushed the limits of firepower-to-gun ratio with its 2-shot .357 Magnum designs, but a .45-70 Gov’t derringer almost sounds like a joke. To accommodate all that power, the concession of the Cyclops is that it’s a single-shot firearm. Despite still being very small, it also may be a bit bigger than you’d normally expect of Bond Arms' guns. It has a barrel length of 4.25 inches, an overall length of 6.75 inches and a weight of 28 ounces.
Other features of the Bond Arms Cyclops include its extended B6 resin grips to provide a more pleasant shooting experience, its unique cyclops-themed markings and its single-action trigger with a 7-pound pull. While the Cyclops isn’t compatible with any existing Bond Arms pistol components like some of the company’s other designs are, it will be compatible with future big-bore barrel offerings. Bond Arms plans on releasing barrels for .44 Magnum, .454 Casull and .50 AE that should be compatible with the Cyclops .45-70 Gov’t frame.
The Bond Arms Cyclops is available now and has an MSRP of $699.
EAA has just announced the Girsan MC 14T, a new .380 ACP pistol import with a tip-up barrel design.
The European American Armory Corporation, or EAA, has just announced an exciting new Turkish pistol import. Called the Girsan MC 14T, it’s chambered for .380 ACP and looks to be inspired primarily by the Beretta Model 86. The defining feature that makes it reminiscent of the Model 86 specifically, and what differentiates it from other Beretta Cheetah Series clones, is the inclusion of a tip-up barrel.
While clearly influenced by the Beretta Model 86, the Girsan MC 14T is not a direct clone and has plenty of features that set it apart and arguably improve upon the original design. Firstly, while the Model 86 featured a single-stack 8-round magazine, the MC 14T instead has a double-stack 13-round mag similar to other .380 ACP Beretta Cheetah models. Other features such as its accessory rail, checkered composite grips and ambidextrous manual thumb safety help bring Girsan’s new pistol into the 21st century. The rest of the MC 14T should be pretty familiar to anyone who’s handled a Beretta Cheetah variant before, including its DA/SA trigger and fixed iron sights.
The tip-up barrel feature is primarily being marketed toward those who have difficulties operating the slide on traditional semi-auto handguns. Other companies have attempted to address this issue in the past with slides that were easier to manipulate, but for those who don’t want to mess with a slide at all, the MC 14T could be a very attractive option. To load a round into the chamber, all one has to do is press the lever on the right side of the frame down to release the barrel, pop a cartridge in, and snap the barrel closed.
The Girsan MC 14T will begin shipping in April, will have six color finish options and will have an MSRP of $498.
Looking to roll your own ammo on the cheap? Here are the best reloading kits you can buy to get started.
Don’t want to jinx anything, but it seems that components are slowly becoming available again. Ammunition is appearing on shelves—though I doubt shelves will ever be full again in my lifetime. And I’m seeing bullets and powder available for sale and for order and—believe it or not—I’ve seen some primers for sale. Yes, everything is priced at a premium, and yes, people are going to gobble up those components, but sooner or later supply will meet demand.
And, due to the fact that we’re in the midst of the greatest ammunition drought in living memory, I feel pretty confident there’ll be an influx of new reloaders in the near future. Whether that new reloader is you or whether you’re considering a purchase for the prospective reloader in your life, buying all the tools necessary to go from zero to reloader can be daunting.
I started with minimalistic gear, acquired piecemeal between my father and me, over the course of a year or so. We both shot .308 Winchesters at the time, and once we’d covered the bases, we began to cook up a deer hunting load. We had a Lee press, RCBS scale, Lyman dies, a nondescript plastic dial caliper, R.E. Wilson chamfer/deburring tool, just a hodgepodge of stuff, but it worked well.
And for those of you who are just getting into reloading, I’ll answer the oft-asked question: Yes, you can mix and match brands of gear. RCBS dies will work with a Hornady shellholder in a Redding press, and so on and so forth.
But setting out to outfit yourself from scratch can be confusing, especially when you overlook certain crucial pieces of gear. For this reason, several reloading gear companies offer complete reloading kits, giving the new reloader all he or she would need with the exception of the components themselves, dies and shellholders. I picked five popular reloading kits, ranging in street prices from $180 to $600, to illustrate some differences in content, quality and value.
The 5 Best Reloading Kits:
Lee Challenger Kit
Starting at the most affordable—the Lee Challenger Kit with a street price of $180—you get an aluminum O-frame press, the Lee Safety balance beam scale and the Lee Perfect Powder Measure, in addition to the powder funnel, priming tools, primer pocket cleaner, chamfer/deburring tool and case trimmer. Lee has earned the reputation of providing excellent value, and many of their designs are aimed at budget-minded customers. While some of their tools may lack the bells and whistles of other companies, I do know you can make good ammunition with Lee tools.
Included In Kit:
Lee Breech Lock Challenger Single Stage Press
1 Breech Lock Quick Change Die Bushing
Lee Auto Prime XR
Lee Auto Prime Shellholders (2,4 and 19)
Value Quick Trim Case Trimmer
Lee Cutter and Lock Stud
Lee Perfect Powder Measure
Lee Chamfer Tool
Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
Lee Safety Powder Scale
Lee Powder funnel
2 Ounces Tube Lee Resizing Case Lube
Redding Big Boss II Pro Pak
Hailing from my home state of New York, Redding Reloading offers their Big Boss II Pro Pak reloading kit. Redding is known for its precision tools, as well as some very innovative designs. With a street price of $400, this reloading kit is a good value, though certain tools will need to be added afterward. You get the Big Boss II O-frame press—this is a beefy design, with a spent primer tube and steel linkage—as well as the Model No. 2 balance beam scale, powder trickler, case lube and pad, chamfer/deburring tool, Model 18 case prep kit (a screwdriver handle-type tool with removable screw-in attachments) and a copy of the Hodgdon Annual Reloading Manual, but there’s no case trimmer or powder thrower, so you’ll have to grab those tools on your own.
Still, for Redding tools, this is a great value. Having had the pleasure of using Redding’s tools for over a decade, they’re among my favorites. As far as value goes, you get what you pay for, and Redding’s tools are worth the price.
Included In Kit:
Big Boss II Reloading Press
Model 2 Powder and Bullet Scale
Powder Trickler
Pad Style Case Lube Kit
Deburring Tool
Model 18 Case Preparation Kit
Powder Funnel
Hodgdon Annual Reloading Manual
Hornady Lock-N-Load Classic Kit
Hornady’s Lock-N-Load Classic reloading kit comes with a price tag of $420 and gives the shooter their rock-solid O-frame press complete with the Lock-N-Load bushing system—allowing for quick die changes—Hornady’s compact digital scale, Lock-N-Load Powder Measure, three Lock-N-Load bushings, hand primer, powder trickler and funnel, chamfer/deburring tool and the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, OneShot aerosol case lube and a case block.
This kit doesn’t have a case trimmer either, so you’ll need to grab one of those elsewhere. I might say a balance beam scale is a better choice for the beginner—as gravity never wears out—but the recent digital scale designs have been so good that it might no longer matter.
Included In Kit:
Lock-N-Load Classic
Reloading Handbook
Lock-N-Load Powder Measure
Digital Scale
3 Lock-N-Load Die Bushings
Primer Catcher
Positive Priming System
Handheld Priming Tool
Universal Reloading Block
Chamfer & Deburr Tool
Powder Trickler
Powder Funnel
One Shot Case Lube
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit
The RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Kit comes in at $500 and offers quite a bit to the new reloader. The Rock Chucker IV O-frame press heads the list, and the M500 balance beam scale will measure powder, cases, bullets and more, up to 500 grains. The Uniflow-III powder measure will dispense accurate, reliable and repeatable powder charges, and RCBS includes their sister company Speer’s Reloading Manual in the package. A hex key set is included, to properly adjust a number of different reloading tools, as well as a powder funnel, case block, powder funnel, chamfer/deburring tool, hand priming tool and accessory handle with a couple of case brushes for cleaning case necks.
Again, we’re missing a case trimmer—seems to be a common scheme— but this is certainly a kit that’ll last a lifetime. The Rock Chucker IV has a threaded bushing which can be removed, changing the threaded die hole from 7/8:14 thread (for common dies) to the huge 1¼:12 pitch, and you can buy a replacement bushing to fit the 1:14 thread for the larger die bodies needed for the big safari cartridges like the .500 Jeffery and .505 Gibbs.
Included In Kit:
Rock Chucker Supreme Press
.17-.60 Debur Tool
Two Accessory Handles with two case neck brushes
M500 Mechanical Scale
Uniflow-III Powder Measure
Hand Priming Tool
Universal Case Loading Block
Hex Key Set
Case Lube Kit
Powder Funnel
Speer Reloading Manual
Lyman Ultimate Reloading System
Lastly, with a street price of $600, the Lyman Ultimate Reloading System gives perhaps the most complete system of all, with all sorts of flexibility. Lyman includes their eight-turret Brass Smith turret press, Gen 6 digital powder dispenser and scale, Universal trimmer, the excellent EZEE-Prime hand priming tool, the Pro 1200 Turbo Tumbler for polishing your cases, a case prep multi-tool, inertia bullet puller (everyone needs an eraser for their mistakes), case lube, a plastic loading block and the excellent Lyman Reloading Manual. Hell, Lyman even throws a stainless steel dial caliper in the mix, for accurate measuring of both case and cartridge length.
Included In Kit:
Brass Smith Reloading press
Gen 6 Powder System
Universal Trimmer
Pro 1200 Turbo Tumbler
50th Edition Lyman Reloading Handbook
Universal Loading Block
Case Prep Multi Tool
Bench Wrench
E-ZEE Prime Hand Priming Tool
Quick Slick Case Lube
Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller
Stainless Steel Calipers
A Place To Start
So, there truly is a kit for all customers, and depending on the level of investment you want to make, you can buy a simple kit or a more complex kit. Invariably, you’ll end up changing, upgrading or simply adding different tools along the reloading journey, depending on the cartridges you intend to load for and the applications for which those cartridges will be used.
But, if you’re new to the entire world of reloading, any of these choices will certainly get you on your way. Let’s all hope the components become readily available again really soon so we can get back to the benches—both reloading and shooting benches, that is.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2022 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Is .22 Hornet an obsolete cartridge? Or does it still have its sting?
The .22 Hornet is an older, somewhat languishing small game rifle cartridge that's slowly heading towards going out with a whimper. However, it has a certain niche that has allowed it to hang on, and for very good reason.
Originally developed as a varmint cartridge, it excels at that role as well as small-game shooting and some other sporting uses.
Its virtues include inherently impressive accuracy, almost nonexistent recoil and enough potency to take bigger game than you might expect. Despite these qualities, it's still not enough to vault the .22 Hornet to best-seller in today's crowded marketplace.
So, what should you know about .22 Hornet? Let's dive in…
From left to right: .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle, .22 Magnum and .22 Hornet. Photo: Wikipedia.
What Is The .22 Hornet, Anyway?
The roots of .22 Hornet lay in .22 Harwood Hornet, a black powder wildcat cartridge devised by a late 19th-century gun writer named Reuben Harwood. Harwood necked .25-20 down to .22 caliber, and that lineage—a rimmed case with tapered neck—is still very visible.
In the 1920s, Townsend Whelen and G.L. Wotkyns began experimenting with hot-rodding the .22 Winchester Centerfire at the Springfield Armory. Their experimental cartridge had outstanding velocity for a small powder load, barely any recoil to speak of and excellent accuracy potential.
Winchester liked the idea so much it created a new centerfire rifle case and started cataloging the cartridge in 1930 (and named it .22 Hornet to honor Harwood) with the first commercial rifles appearing in 1932.
Right away, it was beloved by varmint and small game hunters and target shooters, though it was noted right away to be nearly useless on larger game.
The US Army and Air Force took note, issuing a number of survival rifles (such as the M4, M6 and AR-5/M1) chambered in .22 Hornet and issued with 35-grain ball or 45-grain soft-points for hunting small game. The issued boxes of the day were thusly labeled to ensure compliance with the Hague Convention.
An old box of Winchester .22 Hornet soft-point rounds. Photo: Wikipedia.
Outside the US, it still sees some use in Australia and in Europe as a small game or target cartridge. In sporting use, it sees some action in metallic silhouette shooting, though not in overwhelming numbers.
.22 Hornet Ballistics: Practical Range And Trajectory
Conventionally, the best range for .22 Hornet is roughly 150 yards and in, but it could be taken out to 300 yards with the right load…and possibly a bit further with handloading.
Any .224-caliber projectile can be loaded, but 35- and 45-grain loads are the most common factory options. The typical factory velocity of a 35-grain .22 Hornet is close to 3,000 feet per second with around 730 foot-pounds of energy from a 24-inch barrel.
Here, for instance, is a trajectory table for Remington's Premier AccuTip 35-grain loading. All tables were made using ShootersCalculator with a 100-yard zero, a 1.5-inch sight height, a 10 mph 90-degree crosswind and zero corrections for atmosphere.
AccuTip's specifications (G1 of .109, velocity of 3,100 fps) are representative of most of the 35-grain loads. As you can see, it loses velocity quickly.
However, if you were to handload a Hornady 55-grain projectile (G1 BC of .243) to around 2,650 fps…the story changes.
That 55-grain handload would have no issues dispatching coyotes out to 300 yards and would even be serviceable for small-bodied whitetails or other smaller game animals at modest ranges, so long as one used a soft-point bullet rather than an FMJ.
So, the sad truth of .22 Hornet is that it suffers from a lack of optimization that frankly wouldn't take much to achieve…but it's also the case that there's almost no point. Why bother when .223 Remington rifles are so much cheaper and more available?
What Is The .22 Hornet Good For?
Based on most factory load data, .22 Hornet is theoretically usable for deer at short ranges (inside 100 yards) where it is legal.
As mentioned, you can handload and get better results (to the point where it's usable on small game at modest ranges), but .223 Remington is still going to be better and cheaper.
Its best use is as a small-game and varmint cartridge for squirrels (arboreal and terrestrial), raccoons, coyotes, prairie dogs, rabbits and other pests (or small, edible critters) almost anywhere except the open spaces of the western states.
.22 Hornet Wildcats: .22 K-Hornet And .22 Ackley Hornet?
A couple of wildcats using .22 Hornet as a parent case have emerged over the years, including .22 K-Hornet (developed by Lysle Kilbourn) and .22 Ackley Improved Hornet, both of which blow out the shoulder to hold more powder.
.22 K-Hornet and .22 Ackley Improved Hornet add up to (roughly) 200 fps of additional velocity, which isn't trivial, and does modestly extend the effective range of .22 Hornet. The conversion is simple, as all that's required is reaming the chamber, but the issue is ammunition.
Getting .22 Hornet factory ammunition is already difficult; .22 K-Hornet and .22 Ackley Improved Hornet are strictly for handloading, and factory brass is not the most common. Cases can, of course, be fire-formed, and these chamberings are known for having longer-lived brass than other wildcats.
Is The .22 Hornet Obsolete?
Frankly, its days are numbered. The niches it occupies are so small that there are hardly any new production guns chambered for it, and little ammunition made for it. It's primarily a cartridge still shot by those who already own .22 Hornet firearms, not something most people today are seeking out.
To get the absolute best of it, you need to handload…but, again, .223 Remington does everything it does, does it better, and for much less money.
It is the case that .223/5.56 does have more recoil; .22 Hornet produces less than 2 foot-pounds of recoil, but .223 usually produces around 4 foot-pounds in a rifle of the same weight. There aren't too many people who can't handle 4 foot-pounds of recoil, so how much does that really matter?
A now-discontinued Taurus Raging Hornet revolver chambered for .22 Hornet. Photo: Wikipedia.
What is of much greater concern than the recoil is the current availability of .22 Hornet arms and ammunition. New-production firearms chambered for it are practically non-existent, so you’ll most likely have to go to the used market to find the one you want. Retailers that do have some available appear to have a limited selection of models and very little stock. Of the firearms that were made for the cartridge, most are hunting-style or survival rifles, but a few revolvers have been chambered for it as well.
Ammunition availability is a similar story. At the time of writing, AmmoSeek has less than a page of results for .22 Hornet, and of those listings, there are only four load varieties between the various retailers. The cheapest is still over $1.50 per round.
While it’s fair to say that the availability of .22 Hornet ammo is lacking, it is still obtainable. Presuming that you already have a firearm chambered for it, what are the best loads to buy?
The 6 Best .22 Hornet Loads
Winchester Super-X 46-Grain JHP
Winchester Super-X gives you an (relatively) affordable varmint and predator round, but more importantly, it’s currently the most available factory load. Beggars can’t be choosers after all, and if you want to shoot .22 Hornet, this will be the easiest to find in stock.
Bullet Weight: 46 grains
Projectile Ttype: Jacketed hollow point
Muzzle Velocity: 2,690 fps
Muzzle Energy: 739 foot-pounds
G1 BC: Unpublished
MSRP: ~$90 per box of 50
Sellier & Bellot 45-Grain Soft-Point
When in stock, S&B's 45-grain soft-point load is one of the most affordable .22 Hornet loads available. S&B also offers a 45-grain ball load, but it's (oddly enough) more expensive. If you wanted inexpensive range ammo, this is about as good as it gets.
A quality high-velocity load for prairie dogs and other small critters that can hit hard enough to put them down out to 300 yards. It's also one of the most commonly available at the time of writing.
Bullet Weight: 35 grains
Projectile Type: Tipped boattail hollow point
Muzzle Velocity: 3,100 fps
Muzzle Energy: 747 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.109
MSRP: $30 to $50 per box of 25
Prvi Partizan 45-Grain Soft-Point
Another inexpensive do-it-all load, Prvi Partizan's 45-grain soft-point load is almost identical to S&B's, but it comes in boxes of 50 instead of 20.
Bullet Weight: 45 grains
Projectile Type: Jacketed soft-point
Muzzle Velocity: 2,427 fps
Muzzle Energy: 589 foot-pounds
G1 BC: Unpublished
MSRP: ~$40 per box of 50
Federal Premium Green Hollow Point 30-Grain Speer TNT
Featuring a projectile with a thin copper jacket around a compressed metal core, this is a high-velocity varmint load for jurisdictions (or if you're just conscientious about these things) where hunting ammo must be lead-free.
Bullet weight: 30 grains
Projectile type: Lead-free copper-jacketed hollow point
Muzzle velocity: 3,150 fps
Muzzle energy: 661 foot-pounds
G1 BC: 0.091
MSRP: ~$75 per box of 50
Nosler Custom 40-Grain Ballistic Tip
If you wanted a .22 Hornet load with longer legs, Nosler Custom's 40-grain BT load is the best candidate. However, it is expensive and hard to find, so it’s not the best choice for everyday shooting.
The Marlin Model 336 Classic lever-action rifle in .30-30 Winchester is available once again, only now made by Ruger.
Ever since Ruger acquired Marlin, the company has been releasing updated versions of old Marlin lever-action rifle models. Until now, the focus has been on the .45-70 Gov’t models, but .30-30 Winchester is now on the table once again thanks to the recent release of the Marlin Model 336 Classic.
The new Marlin Model 336 Classic features a steel alloy receiver, a 20.25-inch cold hammer-forged barrel and a six-round magazine tube. All metal parts are richly blued, and the forend and stock are made of checkered American black walnut. Just like the original Marlin model, the new Ruger-made version features a gold trigger as well.
Other noteworthy features of the Model 336 include its adjustable semi-buckhorn sights, its standard-size lever loop and its soft rubber recoil pad. The rifle also has a push-button, cross-bolt manual safety, a polished bolt for smooth cycling and swing swivel studs on the forend and stock.
Ruger President and CEO Chris Killoy said this about the new lever-action:
The legendary Model 336 helped to build Marlin Firearms into the iconic American brand that it is today…We have worked for many months on every detail to ensure that Ruger’s reintroduction of this iconic rifle lives up to its stellar reputation…Our focus continues to be on quality…We remain committed to making firearms that are rugged, reliable and can proudly be handed down for many generations. The Model 336 is no exception.
Availability is currently limited but the Ruger-made Marlin Model 336 Classic is shipping now. MSRP is $1,239.
When it comes to solving ballistic problems quickly, which is better, using holdover reticles or dialing your scope?
Long-range shooting has certainly grown in popularity over the past decade, and as shots get longer, the gear gets more specialized. Just a quarter-century ago, the 1,000-yard shot seemed all but impossible to the average shooter, with tales of snipers like Carlos Hathcock causing most guys to cock an eyebrow and listen, rather than talk. But as the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, 1,000 yards isn’t as faraway as it used to be.
While attending some shooting schools, I’ve seen folks who’ve never fired a rifle past 100 yards make the 1,000-yard shot routinely after two days of proper training. While the gear—rifle, optics and ammunition—is better than it has ever been, the technique needs to be on point. Ballistic calculators can provide precise information regarding trajectory, wind deflection, spin drift, aerodynamic jump and even the Coriolis effect, but you’ll need a means of applying that data.
The modern riflescope is more than just a magnified image with a single point of aim; it has become a highly sophisticated aiming device, capable of taking both trajectory and wind deflection into account.
Modern riflescopes offer a number of different yet effective aiming solutions. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
But not all riflescopes are created the same, and for those shooters who need to make some sort of adjustment for their bullet’s trajectory, there are few options available, including sophisticated holdover reticles, precise elevation and windage turrets and, quite often, a combination of both. All the information in the world won’t help you if you can’t put it into action, so let’s look at the differences between dialing for windage and elevation and using a reticle to make those adjustments.
Learning to Stretch
If your rifle’s barrel were held perfectly level—perpendicular to the effects of gravity—the projectile would immediately begin to drop down upon leaving the barrel, away from the line of sight. In order for our projectile to hit a distant target, the barrel must be elevated at the muzzle. I’ve had people swear until they were blue in the face that bullets rise once fired; this is not the case, unless the barrel is elevated.
The bullet will begin dropping, until at some certain distance it will come down across the line of sight again; that distance is referred to as “zero” and can change depending on your needs. Most popular zero distances are 100, 200 and 250 yards. Hunters will tend to use a longer zero—to minimize the need for holdover—while target shooters will tend to prefer a 100-yard zero, making scope adjustments for every shot past that distance.
The author’s Tikka T3X Lite, in 7mm-08 Remington, wears a Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40mm. Though it has a simple duplex reticle, it can easily be dialed for elevation adjustments—though a turret marked in yardage would be even better. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Whichever zero distance you choose, if you hunt or shoot outside of that distance, you’ll need some means of compensating for the drop of your bullet. Once upon a time, a shooter would have a homemade dope chart, based upon real-world experiences—and unless it was a target scenario in which the distance to the target was known, the distance was estimated. In the hunting world, there were reticles that had marks used much like the stadia hairs in a surveying transit, where a game animal would be bracketed between those hairs to help estimate distance.
In those pre-rangefinder days, I remember spending minutes deliberating—and sometimes arguing—with a guide or professional hunter about how far away the animal was to use the proper amount of holdover. Thank goodness for the availability of modern rangefinders.
If—due to those excellent rangefinders—we can accurately observe the distance to the target, a good ballistic chart will provide the information necessary to hit the target at that distance. However, correlating the prescribed amount of holdover to the adjustments on your riflescope can be a daunting task, unless you choose a system that makes the most sense for you. I can hear folks already, “Just get closer and don’t worry about it.” Well, there are times when getting inside of 250 yards on a Coues deer, bull elk or mountain goat simply isn’t feasible. In the hunting world, I surely want to get as close as possible, but switch over to the target world, and farther is fun.
Swarovski’s BRX-1 reticle gives 0.5-mil increments between the dots and lower crosshairs, as well as additional hash marks for making wind adjustments. It’s designed to be used at maximum magnification in a second-focal plane scope. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Long-Range Lingo
Looking at common ballistic charts, you’ll find trajectory adjustments marked in inches, MOA (minutes of angle) or in mils (milliradians). All are simply measuring systems to get that bullet where it needs to be.
Inches might be the easiest to comprehend, but that measurement is just the distance that the arc subtends, while the other two measurements are of the actual angle itself. Minutes of angle is exactly what you studied in geometry class, with a minute being an arc, 1/60th of a degree. There are 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes in a degree and 60 seconds in a minute.
Milliradians are 1/1000th of a radian, with a radian being an arc where the radius is equal to the arc length. There are 2xπ radians in a circle; if you divide one of those radians into 1,000 pieces, you’ve got a milliradian. Where 1 MOA subtends just over 1 inch at 100 yards (actually 1.047 inches), 1 milliradian subtends 3.6 inches. Many popular riflescopes will have adjustments in ¼ MOA or 0.1 mil, with the MOA scopes having the finer adjustment value.
Whichever way you measure it, with many of the most popular cartridges, there’ll be a need for holdover outside of 250 yards unless you’re really stretching the zero. Adjusting the elevation turret—or “dialing”—to compensate for trajectory and even windage is becoming increasingly popular, even among older hunters who traditionally don’t want anything to move.
A zero-stop indicator—the Leupold silver button—can quickly tell you whether your scope is set back to zero. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
There are scopes offering up to three revolutions on the elevation turret, depending on the size of the scope tube and the amount of elevation available in the scope. If I’m going to commit to dialing for elevation, I want a turret with big, bold markings. And I’m a big fan of the scopes with zero-stop turrets, so I can make absolutely sure I return to my 100-yard zero after each shot or shot opportunity.
For example, you might be all set up and in position for that 420-yard shot on a big muley buck … only to have him duck into cover. Pulling up stakes, you might bump another deer at 150 yards, only to shoot clear over his back because you’re still dialed to 420. This happens more often than folks would care to admit.
You’ll need a chart to correlate the trajectory of your chosen load to the amount of holdover, and the routine goes like this: range your target (steel plate, game animal, etc.) to establish the distance, raise the elevation turret the proper amount of MOA or mils for that distance, and squeeze the trigger. Practice is paramount when it comes to dialing, as there will be some sort of interruption of sight picture between identifying the target, ranging the distance, dialing the prescribed amount of holdover and then getting on the target.
Swarovski’s Z5 3.5-18x scope has a capped turret but offers an easy-to-use holdover reticle. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
A holdover reticle—one that has some sort of graduations for establishing the proper amount of holdover on the reticle—is another means of accurately correcting for trajectory. You’ll find all sorts of different reticles, from the simplest with 1-MOA or ½-mil graduations on the main hairs, to very complex designs with more precise graduations for both trajectory and for wind drift.
First-focal-plane scopes, which have a reticle that gets bigger or smaller according to changes in magnification, can work at any magnification range. Second-focal-plane scopes, in which the reticle appears to be the same size, will only give the proper values at a prescribed magnification range—and that’s usually at maximum. Using a reticle for holdover can be simple and accurate if you’re a hunter who rarely exceeds 400 or 500 yards, but it can get a bit complex when using it exclusively for true long-range target shooting.
Serious target scopes—like the Leupold Mark 5 shown here—can offer three full rotations on the elevation dial. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Making Up Your Mind
When comparing and contrasting dialing and holdover, it’s important to note that both have their place in today’s shooting environment. I can see why some shooters who rarely need to adjust for trajectory would want the simpler reticle and lack of exposed turrets. I can also see why a shooter would want the flexibility of a scope that can accurately be dialed for a precise amount of holdover, especially with a rifle that might be asked to cover both hunting and target scenarios. Or perhaps you might opt for both, having an exposed target turret with a zero stop and yet a graduated reticle for quick (and often smaller) changes.
At a recent long-range shoot in Barksdale, Texas—at FTW Ranch’s SAAM course—we were using a magnum cartridge with a very good B.C., topped with a Swarovski 3.5-28x scope. This scope had an exposed turret and the BRX-1 reticle in tube. At 1,800 yards, we definitely maxed out the 7 mils of turret elevation, and at full 28x magnification, we needed more than what the holdover reticle could give us. Cutting the magnification down to 14x, we doubled the values of what the reticle would subtend, and that gave us enough to tackle the steel plate at more than a mile.
One of the instructors at the SAAM Shooting School in Barksdale, Texas, helping to make scope adjustments for distant shots. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
On my hunting rifles, I generally prefer a simple reticle on a scope that has a top end of somewhere between 9x and 18x, depending on application. I did find that Swarovski’s top end of 28x was a bit too much for my liking, in spite of the excellent glass, and I’d have opted for something in the 15x-18x range, even for the long-range application.
I can understand if you want that level of magnification on a target rifle, but trying to use the holdover reticle at 28x, on a target (deer, elk or steel plate) can be a challenge. If you opt for a first-focal-plane reticle, which can offer a simple crosshair at lower magnification, yet a detailed holdover reticle at higher magnifications, I shall not argue. The values that reticle will subtend—once memorized by the shooter—will not change. If you’re serious about having the utmost flexibility in a reticle, for both trajectory and wind deflection, a first focal plane reticle might be the best choice for you.
Leupold’s Illuminated TMOA reticle offers 1-MOA hashmarks on the thinner part of the crosshairs, changing to 5-MOA on the thicker sections. It’s a simple but effective means of holdover, especially for hunters who tend to stay inside of 500 yards. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
On a long-range rifle, I’ve gravitated toward a scope that allows me to dial for longer shots—yet have some form of graduated crosshair for wind adjustments; I don’t like dialing for wind at all. In fact, I absolutely adore the Leupold CDS system. You provide those excellent folks in Oregon with the pertinent data for your chosen load—including bullet weight, ballistic coefficient and muzzle velocity—and they’ll prepare a dial turret marked in yardage. This eliminates the mathematical conversion from distance to arc, and allows the shooter to range the target, dial that number and concern his or herself with whatever wind issues are at hand.
For their CDS system, Leupold can make you a custom turret, specifically calibrated and marked for your particular load. The author has found this to work wonderfully. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
I’ve used this turret both at the bench and in the field, and it works wonderfully. Couple that dial with Leupold’s TMOA reticle (that gives me 1-MOA graduations on the horizontal and vertical hairs), and I’ve got a system I feel comfortable taking anywhere. This setup is in a Leupold VX-6HD 3-18x44mm, atop my Browning X-Bolt in 6.8 Western, and is wonderfully convenient for so many hunting situations.
The author’s 6.8 Western rifle has a custom Leupold turret, calibrated (perfectly) for the 175-grain Browning load. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
There are many good scopes on the market. Brand and model are as personal a choice as is the make and model of the rifle, but the concept of so many of them are the same. Try and find the system that makes the most sense for you and devote your energy to practicing with that rig; I’m sure you’ll quickly see the results on the target board.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Long-Range Shooting:
Mils vs. MOA: Which Is The Best Long-Range Language?
Looking for an easy and legal way to increase your weapon’s fire rate? A binary trigger may be what you want. Here are some of the best.
Compared to a standard trigger, a binary trigger will (literally) give you more bang for your buck. How? Binary triggers have an extra step in the trigger mechanism that drops the hammer not only when the trigger is pulled, but also when it’s released. This means that every time your booger hook actuates a binary bang switch, twice as many bullets are sent down range.
Some consider them gimmicks, some take them seriously. Regardless, many people like them. If you were to become interested…what would be a good one to buy? Should you even bother?
Let's go over what binary triggers are, why they're perfectly legal (for now!), what redeeming features they might have, and finally four binary triggers that are actually worth buying.
A 9mm AK equipped with a Fostech AK binary trigger. Photo: Fostech.
What's A Binary Trigger?
The first binary triggers were developed, released and popularized by Franklin Armory, and the company still dominates the market today.
How a normal trigger mechanism works is that the hammer is caught by the disconnector and the sear lever, holding it in place until the trigger is pulled. You pull the trigger, the hammer drops, and a pew happens. For the next shot, the trigger must be released to reset the sear so the cycle can repeat.
A binary trigger adds a second sear into the equation, catching the hammer again after the first shot and holding it before the trigger is released. As you release the trigger, the second sear lever disengages, the hammer falls, and the cycle repeats.
This is the general principle behind how all binary triggers operate, but of course there are some differences in form between triggers designed for different weapons. Some kinds only allow for firing in binary mode once installed, but others come with a selector and can be toggled between binary and standard modes.
Are Binary Triggers Legal?
According to federal law, binary triggers are completely legal and are not restricted NFA items. That said, do not construe any of the following as legal advice (I am not a lawyer). Do look into your local laws before trying to buy one. As we’ll get to later, binary triggers are prohibited in some states.
The definition of a machine gun, per the NFA and the BATFE, is:
Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
Because binary triggers reset the hammer before the trigger is released, but do not drop the hammer until it is released, it distinguishes each function as a separate action. The key part is, because only one bullet is fired per function of the trigger, it does not meet the ATF’s definition of a machine gun.
As a result, the ATF currently considers most binary trigger designs as in compliance with federal regulation. Other triggers with different designs but similar results are not, however. For example, Rare Breed is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the ATF over its Forced Reset Trigger.
It bears mentioning that forced reset triggers are mechanically distinct from binary triggers, so it's not quite apples to apples. However, both devices increase a gun’s practical fire rate, and it goes to show that just like bump stocks, lightning links and similar devices, the ATF will come for them if it feels like it can get away with it.
Further, despite being federally legal, a number of states explicitly or implicitly prohibit binary triggers. Residents of CA, CT, DC, FL, HI, IA, MD, NJ, NY, RI, and WA may be prohibited from possessing or selling one, so take care to research your state’s laws carefully and thoroughly before buying one.
Are Binary Triggers Actually Worth Buying?
So, let's get it out of the way: is a binary trigger a mere range toy or is there any sort of practical advantage to having one?
On paper, a binary trigger lets you shoot fast double taps. If you can press the trigger very quickly, it might be able to give you a faster rate of fire than you would have with a standard trigger. Some may even argue that it gets you as close to full-auto as possible without having to get a tax stamp.
In the real world, it's mostly a gimmick for mag dumping into the berm, but there's nothing wrong with that if it makes you happy and you're honest about it.
Binary triggers aren't allowed in most shooting sports, they aren't allowed by some ranges and they won't help your splits nearly as much as good training, hard work and practice will.
Jerry Miculek emptying the magazine of an AR equipped with a Fostech binary trigger in about three seconds. Watch his full video here.
Jerry Miculek tried running a Fostech binary trigger against a standard one in a mag-dump race, and he was able to empty his magazine about two seconds faster in binary fire mode than with a standard trigger. An improvement, sure, but spread between 30 rounds, two seconds isn't much. Granted, most of us are not Jerry Miculek, but even if binary triggers provided a greater advantage, that is A. achievable by other means and B. rarely the difference between life and death.
It should also be noted these triggers are incredibly expensive. You aren't getting out the door for less than $300 in most instances.
Is there a situation where a binary trigger will be the difference between saving your life and getting killed in the streets? Not really, no. If you want to shoot a rifle more effectively in a defensive situation, optics are a better use of those dollars. Training from a good instructor is better still.
While certainly fun, these “upgrades” don't bring much to the party in terms of real-world benefits. Like bump stocks, binary triggers are range toys and should be treated as such. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, just don’t mistake them for practical upgrades or as a substitute for training.
Before You Buy A Binary Trigger
If you’re considering buying a binary trigger, it’s important that you know that you will likely have to modify your rifle slightly. For AR-pattern rifles, you will need a full auto bolt carrier group (the good news is that most of them come with one anyway) and an H2 buffer. For AK-pattern rifles, you may need to upgrade your recoil spring.
If you want a binary trigger for cheap fun at the range, this is the one to get. The BFSIII 22-C1 is made for the Ruger 10-22, and it drops into most (though not necessarily all) Ruger 10-22 rifles.
The BFSIII 22-C1 is a three-position trigger, with the first position being safe, the second being semi-auto and the third position being for binary operation. If you're going to use it as a range toy, you might as well put it in what is probably the ultimate fun gun. The BFSIII is also available for the Ruger PC.
MSRP is $299.99, but street prices can be as low as $250 in some cases.
The Fostech Echo is a competing design against Franklin Armory’s AK binary trigger, achieving the same effect but with a slightly more complicated design. However, the company has also established itself as a manufacturer of high-quality parts, so you'll get what you pay for.
The Echo AK trigger drops into most Kalashnikov rifles from most manufacturers, and although it was designed for use with stamped receivers it can work with milled receiver AKs with some fitting and patient installation.
MSRP is $547.99, but street prices are often just below $500.
The Franklin Armory BFSIII AR-S1 is a modern, flat-face AR binary trigger for those who prefer a flat blade instead of the traditional curved trigger blade. Believe it or not, you can get Glock knuckle from shooting ARs too (dragging on the trigger guard) and flat triggers help prevent this.
The BFSIII AR-S1 comes with a three-position selector and drops into nearly any AR variant of any caliber without issue. The third position is binary mode, with the first two positions being the expected safe and semi.
MSRP is $429.99, but it can be found for less than $400.
The Fostech Echo Sport is an AR binary trigger that's a little more economical given its slightly more affordable MSRP. It's still more expensive than some Geissele triggers, but then again, most binary triggers are.
The Fostech Echo Sport has a simplified mechanism compared to the standard Echo, with a dual disconnector/sear assembly and included three-position safety selector assembly as well.
MSRP is $329.99, but street prices are usually under $300.
German Precision Optics has just announced the Spectra 6X 4.5-27x50i SFP, and the company is calling it the ultimate long-range hunting riflescope.
German Precision Optics, or GPO, has just announced the Spectra 6X 4.5-27x50i SFP. The company is calling it the ultimate long-range hunting riflescope and claims that it is at least on par with, if not better than, similar scopes that have a much higher price tag.
The Spectra 6X 4.5-27x50i SFP features a 50mm objective lens with a GPObright coating to ensure maximum light transmission. Built on an aluminum, nitrogen-filled 30mm tube, the scope features a 4.5-27X variable magnification range and an illuminated MOA reticle on the second focal plane. These features allow the scope to be used to accurately engage everything from the smallest North American game up to elk. The illuminated reticle also shuts itself off after three hours of inactivity and alerts users when battery life drops below 15 percent.
Michael Jensen, owner and CEO of GPO USA, said this about the new scope:
It has every bell and whistle the most discerning shooter and hunter desires in a second focal plane design. And while the quality and features meet or exceed that of more expensive brands, it’s offered at a very affordable price.
Other noteworthy features of the Spectra 6X 4.5-27x50i SFP include its reliable, zero-stop locking adjustment turrets that provide +/-30 MOA at 100 yards (.25-MOA click adjustments at 100-yards), its hydrophobic lens coatings and its removable magnification throw lever. Each Spectra 6X 4.5-27x50i SFP comes with a battery, a lens cloth and a see-through scope cover. MSRP is $1,249.99 and it will be available in the spring of this year.
For more on German Precision Optics, please visit gpo-usa.com.
Lighter bullets result in higher velocities, and here’s how speed can improve your long-range shooting game.
Growing up, they always told me things would get smaller and lighter as we—as in society and technology—moved forward. Today, “we” see it in a variety of industries, but the shooting community has been slow to respond. There lacks a balance, and the shooting world is subject to wild swings of the pendulum in an effort to find and incorporate those modern advancements in technology.
One of the first areas we ventured into was barrels. We started wrapping steel in carbon fiber to save weight. Then, we questioned the technology to the point where people invented reasons not to use carbon-fiber barrels.
The modern carbon-fiber barrel is outstanding in every way. Yes, if you overheat it, the mirage directly in front of your magnified optic will shift the point-of-impact, but we knew this. Mirage shields aren’t new; we used mirage bands on stainless steel barrels, so when target shooting with a carbon-fiber one, it only makes sense to include it.
Packs are another area where we’re slow to follow. We like big, heavy, military-style packs; the most popular include a gun bearer feature to haul the rifle together with your gear. The problem is, they’re copying military gear from the ’80s. Modern packs weigh in the ounces versus the most popular shooting packs, which come in around 8 pounds empty. It’s that heavy Cordura we covet that adds pounds to our equipment. If you shaved 4 pounds from the pack and added 2 pounds to the rifle, the improvements made are highly noticeable. You gain performance across the board.
See what I mean? As a shooting community, we evolve … but we’re also very set in our ways.
Unbalanced Bullets
All this brings to me to bullets and rifles: I believe we’re missing a balance in our choices. I see a lot of people who run immediately to too big and heavy. They want to shoot a .338 Lapua Magnum with 300-grain bullets, when the 250-grainers work so much better … and 6.5 Creedmoor will do the same job.
Now, we know rifle weight is stability, and bullet weight helps carry the round farther. That said, I still feel speed wins, and when you look at the balance between the two, regaining speed is the smarter side of the equation.
Recently, I had a real eye-opener when two cartridges for the AR platform were introduced. See, I’m a bolt-action, precision rifle guy. I do shoot a lot of large-frame ARs, which drive very differently from the smaller-frame AR-15s. Each one must be addressed from a slightly different place if you want to be successful downrange. This fact created an accuracy problem; people were doing great with an AR-15 and shooting poorly in an AR-10. It happens. I see it all the time. It’s a training issue, but training takes time to correct.
So, we want to address 600- to 800-yard targets without carrying a bigger gun or having to build a better marksman. How about a cartridge to bridge the gap?
Don’t’ be afraid to try the smaller offerings out there. You might find the ballistics to be very close with a lot less recoil.
Enter the Valkyrie … or now, the 6mm ARC. I could focus on the 6.5 Creedmoor, but I want to focus on these two offerings, because we see 6mm in precision rifle competition and the Valkyrie because of the “misfire” in the release.
The 6mm Craze
The 6mm Creed is a great round; it’s fast, light, accurate and has it all but barrel life. It’s Grandpa’s .243 Winchester, only with a long-range twist-rate and huge bullet library. Guys went from the .308 Win. in precision rifle competition to the 6.5 Creedmoor, and once they fell into the 6mm world, they never looked back.
What’s its greatest advantage? Speed. Because precision rifle competitions have a speed limit of 3,200 fps, the 6mm Creedmoor—at 3,175 fps—was perfect. Except it killed barrels, had recoil and didn’t really do anything over the 6.5 Creedmoor. Enter the 6mm Dasher with less recoil; it dropped the speed from 3,175 fps to 2,850 fps. It has all the performance, less recoil and a bit more barrel life. The Dasher led to host of other 6mm cartridges, finally settling with the 6 GT.
Today, many 6mm rounds hover between 2,850 and 2,950 fps in muzzle velocity. It’s a nice balance of weight and speed. The competition crowd usually stays over 100 grains in bullet weight, topping out around 115 grains. When you combine these values, the drop and drift are outstanding. My personal load, with a 108-grain factory ammo, is 6.8 mils to 1,000 yards, which is great.
A precision rifle student using the lightweight Valkyrie bolt-action rifle to engage targets to 1,200 yards with much success.
Lighter bullets offer up less recoil, and less recoil translates into better accuracy for the shooter. The marksmanship advantages come into play through recoil management. Recoil management tells the bullet where the barrel is upon release. All 6mm bullets, being light and fast, will exit the barrel quickly and with less disruption to the shooter. By adding this bullet to a small-frame AR-15, the weight and speed equations balance very nicely.
What am I really working toward by going lighter and what system is being affected by the increase in speed from reducing the bullet’s weight?
Time
The time it takes for the bullet to leave the barrel is less, so shooter actions behind the bolt are minimized. The time it takes for the bullet to reach the target is reduced, which means less drop. It also means less wind interruption. Time of flight is a major factor.
Sure, I can take a big, heavy bullet and float it like a softball in the air and absolutely hit the target repeatedly. But I’m increasing my chances of a miss from an errant wind gust—not to mention the higher the bullet goes, the more the wind increases and becomes less predictable.
The .22-Caliber Option
I have a confession to make: I love the .224 Valkyrie, but I strongly believe it “misfired” upon release. I feel like my grandchildren might never know the Valkyrie, because it might not survive. If it does, it’ll be due to sheer willpower. The bright side? The .224 Valk has reintroduced .22-caliber centerfires as a viable, long-range cartridge.
The JP SR chambered in . 224 Valk is a proven winner. This was the initial thinking with these smaller long-range cartridges to use the semi-auto platform.
When the Valkyrie first hit the market, I got a JP SR15. Exactly one week after Hornady released 88-grain ammo for it, I shot a Guardian match and landed in the Top 15. I loved it; in my mind, it performed as advertised. Sure, spotting impacts beyond 800 yards was tough, but overall, I thought it was perfect for an entry-level precision-rifle cartridge.
These small-frame ARs with long-range cartridges had revolutionized the game. I want to own 600 to 800 yards, and if I can do it in a smaller caliber, I’m all for it. But, at those distances, consistency can be a struggle with the light factory loads. The 90-grain stuff is hit or miss in most semi-auto rifles and, while the 88-grain Hornady Ammo is working, that can be hard to find. At 400 yards, the .224 Valkyrie is a laser beam. Consistent performance to 600 yards is expected but, at 800, things can start to fall apart. The balance of weight and speed was just slightly off.
How do I balance this equation and figure out the sweet spot? A .224 Valkyrie bolt gun.
I went with a Zermatt Bighorn Origin action, one of the least expensive custom actions on the market. The Bighorn Origin has a replaceable bolt head, so it’s easy to pair it with the 6.8 bolt face.
Next is my secret weapon: a left-hand gain-twist Bartlein Barrel. Gain-twist barrels don’t care about bullet weight, the recoil pulse is better, and the speeds and pressures are exactly where they need to be. And to clarify a myth—the bullets aren’t running over the lands and grooves multiple times. It’s not putting any extra scoring the bullet.
The Bartlein gain-twist barrel let me shoot the 90-grain load from Federal at speed and to distance more accurately and effectively than through a gas gun. A box of 90-grain Federal was running 2,750 fps with single-digit SD numbers.
Here’s the end of a Bartlein gain twist barrel. This 6mm barrel goes from 7.75 to 7.0.
This isn’t the case of the gas gun being less effective due to movement; it seemed that the Valkyrie liked the extra speed. We know it wasn’t the 1:7 twist rate of the semi-autos that caused many of the issues: It’s the speed needed to get the performance. This same principle applies the 6mm ARC. The 6mm is a bit easier to load, but it still wants speed. If a setup is running 200- to 400-fps slower than performance would like, you can’t expect the same results.
The bolt-action rifles in. 224 Valkyrie were performing. In fact, the instructors at CR2 Shooting Solutions followed my lead and used a bolt-action version as a student rifle. With this setup, I’ve seen second-round hits in 12-mph winds at 1,200 yards, and impacts out to 1 mile.
All this points to how effective the right .22-caliber can be at long distances: There’s now a .22 Creedmoor and a .22 GT, which is very similar to a 6.5×47 necked-down .22 caliber, but with a slightly different case. And remember, the smaller bullets like speed.
Shooting the Valkyrie at Cameo in Colorado, this rifle is light and effective. Weighs less than 12 pounds and, up at elevation, is capable of hits beyond 1,000 yards.
Weigh Your Options
Don’t overlook the smaller calibers and smaller bullets when trying to shoot long distance. And, when paired with ballistic software, shooters can read results quickly and move to a more effective load to increase performance.
Balancing bullet weight and speed might mean going lighter. Don’t be afraid to try it.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
More On Long-Range Shooting
Mils vs. MOA: Which Is The Best Long-Range Language?
Aftermarket handgun grips can help improve your shooting, and LOK Grips are some of the best available.
Within the past decade, there’s been a significant trend toward both modularity and ergonomics—not just in relation to rifles, but all the way down to pocket pistols. The ability of the individual to quickly fit a gun to their hand—in the comfort of their home—is a relatively new field; until recently, it was the territory of custom houses and gunsmiths.
The science of grip making is on the upswing, and every day there are new materials being tested and new means of manufacture.
A Grip On History
Historically, there were only a few common types of grip materials. The most common of these was wood, the second being hard rubber. Of course, throughout the years, there were always grips made out of materials like ivory, bone and various early plastics, but for the most part, walnut was the go-to material. Wood grips are still, of course, very valid today, and it could be argued that they’re still the most attractive type of grip. They are, however, not exceptionally durable and are usually the first thing to break given enough time and wear.
The interesting thing about pistols is that, for much of history, there wasn’t a particular emphasis placed on how people interfaced with them. In previous issues of Gun Digest, I’ve talked about the fact that, despite the insistence of some individuals and supposed common knowledge, most pistols weren’t designed with the human hand in mind. Many guns, even ones such as the famous single-action army revolver, weren’t inherently designed to have the properties that were later assigned to them.
I’ll bet you’ve never seen a set of machined copper grips. LOK can make these from a solid piece of copper stock. Yes, it’s heavy, and yes, it’ll make your gun stand out.
You’ve likely heard the whole “it rolls under recoil,” but this isn’t something that it was designed for as much as something it did spontaneously with powerful cartridges. Historically speaking, that grip shape is an evolution of Colt’s designs across decades—in a sense, it’s a highly refined appendix. It wasn’t until much later when the Bisley-style grip came out that significant emphasis was placed on how the gun fit in the hand.
Most of the designs that existed up until quite recently focused on the firing mechanism of the gun itself. This is why you see such a random disparity in grip shapes and the placement of those grips across the past 150 years. There have, of course, been very successful designs, such as the C96 “Broomhandle,” but you can’t really call that design a complete ergonomic masterpiece.
Really, what you see with these designs is an intentionally created feeding and firing mechanism that then has to be adapted to work in practicality … meaning that a person has to hold onto it and fire it. Sometimes, it appears that the designers simply added whatever grip they could onto their mechanism as opposed to designing a gun from the ground up around the hand.
LOK keeps a library of guns on-hand so they can ensure fit is as precise as possible.
Popular designs, such as the 1911, have always lent themselves to a bit more customization. However, because the frame is a relatively static set of dimensions, some people have a hard time with the size front-to-back, as opposed to just its width. These fixed dimensions essentially preclude a large amount of the population from being able to comfortably use this everyday firearm. I’ve heard it many times: “I shoot a 1911 well because I have large hands.”
Likewise, many service members I’ve known over the years have expressed disdain for the Beretta M9 due to its relatively large grip area. As women have become a major share of the gun market, we’ve seen a wide-reaching set of characteristic changes corresponding to the uptick in them carrying concealed, and their increased presence at the range and in competitions.
Brass parts on polymer guns? You bet. These Canik and Walther pistols benefit from added lower weight and certainly look as cool as can be.
I’ve been paying close attention to this subset for more than 15 years, and I’ve noticed that not only are modular options increasing, but they’re also becoming much more common in far smaller guns. As a male-dominated industry for almost its entire existence, it cannot be coincidence that this change has come at the time when women are carrying guns in greater numbers than ever. In short, there are more hands than ever on more guns than ever, and those hands aren’t fond of one-size-fits-all solutions.
The advent of the “chassis pistol” has had a significant impact on handgun ergonomics. Sig Sauer has led the way on this type of gun; it could be described as a serialized internal module that can accept un-serialized grip frames. Without this, we wouldn’t be seeing what we have today. Not only can you change the grip size, but you can also change the entire shape of the lower half of the gun. You can also do it inexpensively and immediately. Guns like the P320 and P365 can be instantly modified with a few tools and no gunsmithing experience. It’s a drop-in proposition to change out the entire group module.
Materials might seem similar, but they’re apples and oranges. The black G10 panels on the Mischief Machine P365 grip module are a totally different material than the black canvas laminate on the Winkler Combat Axe. Despite some of these materials being referred to by the same names quite often, they’re far apart in terms of internal structure and other properties.
I recall when Sig released the metal AXG module. This design didn’t just have a metal construction, it had interchangeable parts on the module itself. This meant that not only could you swap it out instantly, but you could also swap out the parts on it to change the texture and thickness. This wasn’t just an attempt to make a crossover between the old P226 and P229 lines; it changed the game. The P320 is the most user-friendly pistol ever made, and lots of companies capitalize on that, surprisingly with Sig’s up-front support.
Kicking It Old School
Companies like Hogue and Pachmayr are the category mainstays of production gun grips. As polymers and rubbers became more feasible, the late 1970s and into the 1980s saw a widespread adoption of these materials. The first gun to benefit from rubber grips were models that had a large degree of recoil … especially the popular double-action revolvers of the day chambered in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull and .41 Magnum. These groups featured a hard plastic core that rubber was molded over. Because the rubber had a degree of cushion, it could absorb some of the sharpness of recoil.
While various types of early plastics have been used for grips for decades, the 1980s saw this material reach a level of maturity and take over wood on virtually all military handguns. While not the first American military weapon to feature synthetic furniture, the Beretta M9 was the first pistol in widespread military use stateside without wood grips.
The 1980s would also see the explosion in popularity of guns that had one-piece frames, such as Glock and HK. Guns like the G17 and USP set the stage for virtually all pistols released from then on, and it’s only today that we’re seeing a return to metal frames.
Companies like Hogue have introduced many modern materials into their lineup, but they’re still one of the prominent makers of rubber-coated aftermarket grips. I’ve never cared for the cosmetics of rubber grips, though I do admit that whenever I’ve fired a big-bore revolver, I’m reminded that looks aren’t everything. There’s something to be said about the end-use of a gun, and while I probably wouldn’t make a point to show it off the same way I would fancy hardwood, I’d very much prefer a set of Hogue rubber grips on a field revolver.
LOK Grips And The New Frontier of Grip-Making
Started as a small, part-time shop making 1911 grips, LOK Grips has since grown into one of the industry’s premier grip makers and now boasts a sprawling production floor running two shifts to feed more than 100 dealers worldwide. They work closely with companies such as Sig Sauer, Kimber, Walther and more, as well as supporting grip production for smaller companies like Live Free Armory and Mischief Machine. They make grips for a massive number of guns and individual models including various IWI, Beretta, CZ, Laugo Arms and Taurus pistols, as well as mainstays like the 1911.
Anodized aluminum grips start life as bar stock, and after removing some chips, they become a comfortable and functional addition to your comp gun.
What separates LOK Grips from many others is that they employ a full design team, as well as a full inventory of the actual firearms they make grips for. Because of this, they’re able to quickly address the market and shooter demand, nearly in real time. The marketing and design team at LOK is constantly in touch with hundreds of competition shooters, industry professionals and influencers. It’s an ingenious strategy, and one that has played out well for them given that their products are in use by some of the best shooters in the world.
A pre-packaging area at LOK’s factory gives a little taste as to how much variety they can produce.
Because of how modular different types of guns are nowadays, the engineers at LOK are able to design various sizes of not just grip panels, but specific individual parts on the modular setups, meaning that you can custom order different shapes and swells that will allow your pistol of choice to conform closely to your hand. If you’re shooting competition, having a grip matched to your hand is of utmost importance, as you need to know exactly where it’s pointing without having to fight its rotation or torque under recoil.
G10 is the primary material used by LOK. Contrary to popular belief, this material isn’t plastic; rather, it’s an extremely strong form of layered fiberglass. It’s much stronger than simple polymer or Micarta, which itself is a tightly packed set of layers comprised of epoxy and cloth fabric. In regard to durability, G10 is far superior to wood or any of the other listed materials. It doesn’t swell or take on moisture, nor does it become tacky or easily rip or crack like rubber. Guns equipped with G10 grips will maintain their texture and feel, even in rain and mud. Because they’re not painted, the G10 colors last much longer and will not wear like wood or scuff like plastic.
G10 comes into the factory in large sheets.
In addition to making grips from the excellent G10 material, LOK also makes some very interesting and advanced metal grips. Of particular interest are their grips made of machined brass. A rather unique product, LOK introduced these in 2020. As a testament to their ability to quickly react to changes in the market when the USPSA guidelines changed the upper weight limit to 59 ounces for competition, LOK ordered brass that day and had prototypes ready almost immediately.
The extra weight of these metal grips has been a game changer for competitors, and the company has begun making brass grip parts for a large number of guns. In theory, if you were trying to stay within the weight limit, you could combine the brass elements with LOK’s aluminum parts to perfectly balance the gun and fit the grip to your hand. The possibilities are endless.
LOK Grips makes some unique stuff, including brass grips with G10 inlays.
Adding to their portfolio is their hybridized grips that feature metal construction with G10 inlay, as well as a custom shop that allows you to design your own grips that can include anything from logos, pop-culture icons and text. The sky and your imagination are the limit on what you can do.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
In the face of HB 1240, Washington’s proposed assault weapons ban, some retailers like Stag Arms have stepped up to prioritize shipping orders to the state.
The state of Washington unfortunately appears to be on the brink of a new assault weapons ban being passed into law. Called HB 1240, it’s slated to ban over 60 firearms by name as well as “scary assault weapon” features such as telescoping stocks, threaded barrels, muzzle breaks and pistol grips.
While this is an unfortunate development for the rights of Washington residents, they still thankfully have a chance to stock up before the law takes effect, and the effort is being supported by several pro-2A companies. These companies, such as Stag Arms, are providing a great service by expediting the processing and shipping of orders to the state of Washington. If you live there and are worried about the availability of these soon-to-be banned items, now is the time to order from one of these retailers to ensure that you have what you need or want. The following companies are doing everything they can to ensure that you receive them before the legal cutoff date.
Pro-2A Retailers Expediting Orders Heading To Washington:
Wojtek Weaponry (plus get 10% off with code “ftgfyg” on orders over $65)
Washington residents who want to help preserve their Second Amendment rights by voicing their opposition to this proposed law can do so by contacting The Washington State Legislature Office at 1.800.562.6000 or [email protected].
Safariland has just started shipping its new SafariVault line of retention duty holsters, featuring increased crush resistance and other improvements.
Duty-style holsters aren’t just for law enforcement anymore, as many civilian shooters have been using them for competition, training and other activities for years now. This style of holster offers fast access, solid retention and the ability to easily carry full-sized and accessorized handguns. Safariland has been the go-to manufacturer of duty holsters for years now, but the company’s new SafariVault line is poised to bring the concept to the next level.
Safariland claims that the SafariVault line features “the strongest holster body” of any holster the company has produced. The increased structural integrity of the design reduces flex and improves their impact and crush resistance capabilities. For the latter, it was tested up to 300 pounds. The holster is also rated from -50F to 150F, allowing it to remain functional in nearly any terrestrial temperature.
Besides toughness, the SafariVault line has plenty of other appealing features. It’s compatible with weapon lights, muzzle devices (thanks to its open-muzzle design) and red dot sights (both open- and closed-emitter designs). They feature a removable and self-clearing optics cover as well. The holsters also have a magnetic slide guide to aid with holstering, an auto-tension device to remove rattle and a more easily accessible ALS release mechanism. All SafariVault holsters use the Safariland 3-hole mounting pattern and are compatible with existing holster attachment accessories.
Eric Gasvoda, GM of Duty Gear for Safariland, said this about the new holsters:
SafariVault offers uncompromising strength and incorporates the adaptability required for use with an ever-expanding array of lights and optics, without sacrificing peak performance.
SafariVault holsters are shipping now, and current handgun fits include the most popular Glock and Shadow Systems models. MSRP starts at $190.
Curious about alternate carry methods and strategies for regular people? Look no further than the concealed carry fanny pack.
Recent years have seen a massive influx of people exercising their right to carry. Not only is the market growing exponentially, it has also spawned some interesting and creative means to make sure you have your gun at the ready. This has consequently spawned many schools of thought regarding just how to carry and what readiness is, and what self-defense looks like.
The Hill People Gear Snubby Belt Pack is large enough to comfortably carry a Glock 19 with a compact light, here a Streamlight with pressure switch.
The Training Echo Chamber
I’ve studied up on many philosophies regarding guns, defense and situational preparedness. What I can say is that, despite the adamant assurances of a slew of popular authorities, there remains no one way to be 100 percent equipped for 100 percent of situations. You just never really know what will happen.
As you read these words, where is your nearest firearm? Can you get to it in the time it takes you to finish reading this sentence? What about the end of this paragraph? Is it loaded? In a drawer or in your belt? Are you in public or at home? I can go on, but I think you get the picture. The feasibility of having a loaded gun ready to draw isn’t a guarantee, and in most cases, it’s best to just have a plan of escape.
I’m sure plenty of you are armed around the clock, but everyone has to sleep at some point. Vulnerability is just part of the human condition. What we see in the training community is what I’d largely call playing make-believe. Classes I’ve attended want outside-the-waistband holsters, mag carriers and sometimes even plates and rifles … for a home defense course. Once, I was at an event and the instructor flat-out said he kept night vision goggles in his drawer and a carbine next to the bed—a statement that has become my favorite example of this type of thinking.
I fail to see how this is realistic or relevant, as I seriously doubt he has the main power beaker to his home in the nightstand as well. I’m at a loss as to how he expected to clean house when the power was still on. Moreover, what would happen if a bad guy simply flipped on the lights and washed his NVDs out? There’s such thing as being over prepared to the point of absurdity, and much of this has to do with how people perceive readiness and threat level. Some of the tactical guys I know, while honest and well meaning, are simply unaware of how the average gun owner perceives this level of prep.
The HPG Snubby Belt Pack has a great deal of usable space considering how small it is. The great part is that the PALS webbing and hook-and-loop surfaces make it so that your gear won’t move around inside.
Much of the breakdown in carry methods comes down to the fact that there’s a large rift between people who carry reluctantly and those who carry enthusiastically. I’m a reluctant carrier these days. I often don’t wear a belt on my pants. I prefer to have my guns available to me, but I’m not usually in the mood to carry in a holster, which I find to be uncomfortable and bulky.
There was a quote, I forget what personality said it or if it can even be attributed to one, that went something like “carrying a gun is the comfort, and it may not be comfortable.” I just don’t agree. If a gun is heavy or hurts to carry, people just start leaving them at home to avoid the inconvenience. I’m one of those people. If I can’t carry in comfort, I don’t like to do it.
Yet, there’s a prevailing group of enthusiastic carriers who expect people to carry a gun with dot sight, light, holster, two mags, a backup light and occasionally more lest they be unprepared—that’s often comparable to the weight of, if not heavier than, a full two-gun cowboy rig. I now glaze over when I get asked what “retention system” I’m “running.” I’m not sure one can “run” a pocket holster or a fanny pack, but hey, it’s a brave new world.
You don’t need to be a member of a SEAL team to carry. It’s not an all-or-nothing game, and having a firearm is substantially better than not.
Super tiny guns, like the Sig P238 in .380 ACP, are great for carry in this method, but, in the author’s opinion, are best reserved for pocket carry. The fanny pack is large enough that it can support a bigger carry gun; you may as well use the space you have available to you … and the magazine capacity.
Off-Body Types, Strategies And Awareness
Depending on where I go, I may want extra discretion. This usually means trying to hide the gun in plain sight rather than altering my wardrobe around a holster setup. I rarely, if ever, “kit up” to just go pick up some dinner or hit the hardware store, but I do have a gun on me. It’s usually carried in what I call “near off-body,” meaning in a discreet fashion but still not in a holster directly on my body.
Off-body carry is usually defined as having your firearm in a completely separate bag or pack, usually not directly attached to one’s body. Concealment purses have been common for a very long time now and, for the most part, reached a point of perfection in terms of construction and draw speed. I don’t know a single super tactical trainer who likes them, and none that allow training with them at classes.
This has to do with the fact that these purses are essentially cross-draw setups in that they’re carried under the weak arm and drawn across the body, technically resulting in a sweep of the instructor or rest of the class. This is a valid concern, but I want to see more out there in terms of practice since it’s a common carry method. It’s arguably one of the most popular methods among women, with virtually all armed women I know carrying in a purse at least part-time.
Tactical backpacks that men often carry can easily mark you as the guy with the gun, especially if you cover it in patches denoting your blood type or other obvious meme moral patches. I’d rather carry openly than carry something everyone knows has a gun in it that will be slow to draw.
But how does a person carry their AR pistol if not in a backpack? Easy. Carry it back to your house and leave it there. Generating liabilities for yourself isn’t a particularly wise thing to do, and while you may feel vulnerable in public, I repeat myself by saying that it’s fully possible to be overdoing it.
When I go into public, my favorite method of carry is in a fanny pack. I’m a young father and dress in flexible athletic materials; the fanny pack doesn’t look out of place with a stroller, diaper bag and look of exhaustion. I never wear a Molon Labe shirt or put those awful Punisher stickers on my car. I don’t want to be noticed in public or be seen making a statement or taking a stance; I never want anyone to suspect I’m armed.
Guns like the Sig Sauer P365, here with a manual safety, 12-round grip module and True Precision barrel, are just about ideal for fanny pack carry. Not only is it light, but it also has most of the capacity of the G19 and is just as easy to shoot.
The cool guys call this being a “gray man,” but even then, there’s a certain flavor to that sort of individual. I can often tell if I see an off-duty cop or a former high-speed guy, usually due to their mannerisms. A preceptive person is always looking for rip-stop pants and that baggy look common to people trying too hard to blend in as regular Joes. Cop, operator or wannabe, I’m avoiding you immediately if you appear to be armed or give off that vibe. Even if you’re a good guy, I still want nothing to do with you because I don’t want to be noticed.
An important note, as mentioned above with carry purses, is to practice your draw from off-body or near off-body. Knowing how to draw under stress is the most important thing, and I do this regularly at the range. It’s different than from a holster, but if it’s the way you carry 99 percent of the time, you need to master it knowing you won’t be as fast as Doc Holliday.
Speed of draw is really quite irrelevant if you’re not actively being shot at, and even then, you should be focused on getting yourself and loved ones to cover—not trying to play catch up from second place in the surprise quick-draw contest. I certainly think that there’s a time and place for the stand-and-fight mindset, but getting away and actively creating distance between you and an attacker is a substantially better bet. I don’t want to be drawing fire when I have my kids with me; I’m not looking to be a hero and save everyone at the price of risk to my own family.
I’m a huge fan of the fanny pack for near off-body carry. I like it because it’s on my person, and I know which direction the pistol is secured. Gen Z has popularized this accessory again, and they’re now in every store at the mall.
Surprisingly, the generic fanny pack you get at places like Zumiez or Hot Topic are completely functional in this role so long as you find one with a robust zipper. I need to stress the zipper thing here. The zipper is absolutely critical for your draw. I strongly recommend against a fanny pack that screams “tactical” or is covered in webbing, but there’s nothing out of place with a hiking or recreational variety.
The fanny pack I use regularly is the Hill People Gear (HPG) Snubby Belt Pack. This little guy is small enough that it’s almost unnoticeable on the body but roomy enough to fit a Glock 19. If you carry guns like the G19, P365, a 2- to 3-inch 357 or 38, and other small guns, it’s a dream come true. Unlike a carry backpack, this item is always on me but easily removed if I need to and has no risk of being accidentally left on a bench or at a restaurant. Because I’m wearing it, it’s far less likely to be swiped like a purse.
The nice part of the HPG Belt Pack is that it’s available in bright, sporty colors that don’t look tactical. Mine is in a rather basic elk brown, as I intended it to not be a feature item of my wardrobe but rather a part of a somewhat generic look where no particular part of what I’m wearing stands out. I’ve worn this pack for thousands of hours so far, and it has been my most common carry method for 2021.
The main problem with conventional fashion fanny packs is that they’re not as good with smaller guns, such as a little J-frame or P238. These tiny guns just tend to float around in there, and you don’t want that. The HPG product has a dedicated gun pocket with a hook-and-loop backer, allowing for a holster to be added.
Guns like the G19 take up the whole pocket, and I don’t use an internal holster if carrying one that size. The pocket is the rearmost one, so it sits closest to the body and is the most supported. I like this because it keeps the gun tight up against the torso and prevents the pack from sagging forward. There are two other zippered pouches ahead of the gun pouch, allowing for carrying regular items like your phone, wallet, keys and other daily items.
Revolvers, like the S&W 340, are perfect for the jogger or trail hiker and will be reliable, while taking up minimal space inside a fanny pack if you’re trying to prioritize other outdoor gear. The gun is ready when you need it, but things like a knife, compact water filter, and signaling gear can be stowed alongside it with ease.
Have Gun, Will Travel
If your gun is too heavy or over accessorized to the point where you stop carrying it, you really should look for a way to make sure you’re armed, even if it’s at the cost of draw speed or looking a bit dorky with a fanny pack. The first rule of a gun fight is to have a gun, and your fully kitted-out pistol does you no good sitting back home in your safe.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2022 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The pros and cons of ultra-subcompact, subcompact, compact and full-sized handguns for concealed carry.
I grew up immersed in the car culture. Brands, models and trim packages were all background information to me, as well as the relative sizes of the models. When I got old enough to drive, that information was important, because it gave me a clue as to what I could fit into. At 6 feet 4 inches, some were simply impossible. (A friend once offered to give me a lift. I took one look at the Karmann Ghia he drove and said, “Got something in a 42 long?” He didn’t get the joke until I tried to get in.)
Well, handguns come the same way, if in a different direction. There might be something too big to carry concealed. Let’s take a stroll through the racks and see what sizes we can cover, and give you a quick idea of their pros and cons.
Big revolvers used to be common. Now, they are really big, and don’t hold as many rounds as big pistols. But they can still do the job.
Ultra-Subcompact Handguns
Here reside the ultra-small guns. In the old days, that meant .22s and .25s, but today no one would risk the man-card deductions, and we see only .32s (rarely) and .380s (more common).
The examples here are the Beretta Pico and the KelTec P32 or P380. The Pico is a .380 and holds 6+1 rounds, and the KelTec is (obviously) a .32, and holds 7+1. Both are flat, light, easy to pack and meant for deep concealment. While some might use it as a main gun (often only because anything bigger would be noticed, and they work and live someplace where they absolutely cannot be found out), both of these are usually backup guns.
I view the ultra-subcompact pistols as tertiary blasters, not the second one. Well, I did when I was packing daily at the gun shops. Now I’d be like most of you: It’s the backup when something bigger just won’t fit the daily routine.
The pros are obvious: ease of carry and ease of keeping concealed. The cons? They don’t hold much ammo, aren’t hard-hitters … and they’re tough to shoot, with small grips, tiny sights and short sight radii.
Subcompact Handguns
The difference between the ultra-subcompact and the subcompact is caliber. Subcompacts are all 9mm or .38 Special, not .380 or .32. A subcompact would be something like a Taurus GX4, and not only do you get something more in caliber, but you also get more in capacity. Subcompacts often now have 10- to 11-round magazines, where only a few years ago they would have single-stack 7-round magazines. An example there would be the Walther CCP, with eight shots but a single-stack magazine.
The Walther CCP in .380 is a single-stack carry gun that can be an ultra-subcompact or a subcompact, depending on your needs and clothing ensemble. It’s a single stack, however, so you’ll be giving up a few rounds to the wide-body subcompacts.
The modern one here, and one I have kept around, is the Springfield Armory Hellcat. They call it a micro-compact, but it’s the size I have always thought of as a subcompact pistol at 6 inches in overall length. The magazine holds 11 rounds, and you can, if your clothing choices permit, use a 13-round magazine in place of the 11-shot version.
The pros here are the bigger caliber, but subcompacts can be tough to shoot. The fatter grips of the double-stack mags make it easier, but if you’re using defensive 9mm ammo out of a pistol that tips the scales at 17 ounces, it’ll be work.
Compact Handguns
The compact category is perhaps the most commonly seen (or not seen, this is for concealed carry, after all) pistol because it offers the goldilocks option: enough size to be shootable, but not so big that it’s a hassle. It has enough rounds to be useful, but again, not so big that it makes life difficult. And it’s big enough—but not too big.
OK, let’s just get this right out front: The example of compact carry pistols is, and has been for a long time, the Glock G19. There, I said it. That they were the first does not mean they are the best, as you have to put up with the Glock trigger, but a lot of people seem to not have a problem with that. If you want a better trigger, then the Sig P365 is the same size with a better trigger. If you’re looking to get more value for money and put the savings into ammo, then the Taurus G3 is your choice here. For accuracy, nice trigger, price and availability, the Springfield Armory XDm in its compact size should be one of your top choices.
The sleeper here is the S&W M&P Compact. It’s the same more-or-less 7 inches overall, with a 15-round capacity like the others, a nice trigger and interchangeable backstraps that you can build to suit your hands.
A S&W M&P M2.0 Compact.
Since this is a popular size, the offerings make for a crowded field. And this is a historically popular category, so there have been choices since, well, pretty much forever.
One is the Colt Lightweight Commander, an alloy-framed 1911 with the slide and barrel shortened by three-quarters of an inch. The trick here, if trick there be, is that the 1911, as is the next pistol, a single-action design, and thus must be carried “cocked and locked.” That is, with the hammer back and the safety on. Holding 7+1 in .45 ACP, and 9+1 in 9mm, it was the mainstay of carry for pistoleros in the pre-Glock days. The other is the Browning Hi-Power, a 9mm holding 13+1 rounds, which has been brought into the 21st century by Springfield Armory, among others.
The pros of the compact pistols are many. They are a lot easier to shoot than the smaller guns, and many now can be had with optical sights … or be ready for one. They hold a more than useful amount of ammunition, and their slightly longer barrels (generally 3.5 inches to the sub-compacts 3-inch bore) gains you a bit more velocity. The cons are that they start to become a bit more difficult to conceal and keep concealed.
Full-Size Handguns
Now we’re up to the G17, the XDm in its full size, the Taurus G3, the Beretta (pick one, from the original 92 to the present day) and the Sig P320. All of these offer big magazines, with 16, 17 and 18 rounds or more. If you thought you were spoiled for choice in the compact category, you have an overwhelming set of options here. Because everyone who made a 9mm pistol (or 40, back in the days when that was cool) made one that was full-sized.
If you want big, then Glock can do that. This is a G21SF, and despite the “small frame” designation, it’s a big gun.
Also called “duty” sized, these have barrels more than 4.5 inches long, full-sized grips, are easy to shoot well and soft in recoil. They’re also a real bear to carry concealed. Well, the concealing part isn’t so hard; you just have to use the correct holster. What makes them hard is their weight and size, which can wear on you in the course of a day. If your comfort starts to flag, you’ll move differently, start adjusting the fit and location without realizing it … and a sharp observer will notice.
You can go even bigger, and pack a Glock, a G20 or G21, or an XDm in 10mm or .45 ACP, if you want both big bores and lots of bullets.
In the classic, this is where the 1911 enters the picture. Even if you find a model with an aluminum frame, the government-sized 1911 is going to be big and bulky. We carried them in the old days, but it was because there weren’t many other choices.
I was at the range recently, testing some firearms and doing video work, when one of the members of that club came by. In the course of talking, and within the first few minutes, he adjusted what he was wearing several times. The second time he did so I realized he was test-wearing a hard armor rig under his winter coat. That’s the sort of thing that attracts the attention of those who know, and those whom you don’t wish to know.
The classic carry gun in the compact size is a Browning Hi-Power. This—in a good holster, with a spare mag and a tactical folder—is easy to carry all day long.
So, if you’re going to pack a full-sized pistol, the first thing is to have a proper holster, and the second thing is to have a proper holster that’s comfortable to wear.
The pros are obvious: They hold lotsa bullets, they’re easy to shoot … and easy to shoot well. The cons are just as obvious, as they’re the biggest options to be had in an EDC pistol.
Revolvers for CCW
Wheelguns don’t have ultra-subcompacts, because the smallest to be had, the S&W J frame and the Taurus 605 or 856, are subcompact handguns. The J and the 605 hold five rounds, while the 856 holds six. The example here is the S&W 442, a hammerless .38 holding five shots.
Small- and medium-sized revolvers are a lot easier to carry than big revolvers. But for the size you don’t get as many rounds as a similar-package 9mm pistol holds.
If you move up to the compact, you’re in the region populated by S&W K-frames, the .357 M-19 and the Taurus 65 and 66. These hold six rounds and are the smallest you’d want to shoot in .357 Magnum. Oh, you can get smaller ones in .357, but you won’t enjoy shooting them. If you want more, you can opt for the Taurus 608, holding eight rounds of .38/.357.
And finally, the full-sized, or duty sized: that’s the S&W N-frame, in .357, .44 and .45. While I know of people who in the old days carried those, and even carried those in the 6-inch barrel versions, can we get real? You have to be dedicated to packing an EDC revolver, to manage an N-frame. Yes, it can be done. Will it be easy? Hardly.
Oh, and if you want to go light, be careful. The most obnoxious firearm I ever shot was an airweight .44 Magnum—easy to carry, but murder to shoot.
The worst range experience was shooting an airweight .44 Magnum. Yes, it carries easily and shoot small groups, but boy was it work to shoot.
You Gotta Know You
You must always keep in mind that, when it comes to EDC, it’s not simply a matter of “what size can I carry?” That depends on where you live, how hot or cold it is, what socioeconomic level you are dressing to and how “permissive” the environment might be. An ER doctor, working in scrubs, in an inner-city hospital where getting caught means finding a new job, might decide that, despite all the shortcomings, an ultra-subcompact is the only choice.
Someone working a mostly rural area, who might have to deal with not just people but wildlife, livestock and sturdy intermediate barriers could pack a 4-inch .44, and since most people wouldn’t care, not worry as much about keeping it absolutely concealed.
The Browning Hi-Power is all steel, and that seems a bit quaint in today’s world of polymer, but with magazine options from 10 to 20 rounds, you won’t lack for ammo capacity.
The rest of us are somewhere in-between and have to make choices. What worked on a cool October day might not pass on a steamy, humid August evening.
You might not—and you probably won’t—find a “one choice fits all” handgun, holster and wardrobe. Welcome to the real world.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2023 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Vortex Optics has just released the Defender CCW, a new micro red dot sight for concealed carry pistols.
Vortex Optics has just released the Defender CCW micro red dot sight, a new pistol optic designed for small concealed carry handguns. The optic is loaded with all the features that shooters have come to expect of modern pistol red dots, and it has some new tricks up its sleeve too.
The Defender CCW is available with two reticle options—either 3-MOA or 6-MOA—and it mounts via the common Shield RMS footprint. The optic is small enough to be used with micro-compact handguns (as well as full-size pistols), but Vortex claims that it features “the biggest sight window in its class” to help users shoot with both eyes open and maintain superior peripheral vision and spatial awareness. The unit is 1.6 inches long, has a weight of only 0.95 ounces and was designed to have a slim profile for a snag-free draw.
Modern carry optic features found on the Defender CCW include a large, aspherical lens for a distortion-free image, a SHOCKSHIELD polymer insert for added durability, a motion-activated reticle and auto-shutoff to save battery life when not in use (14-hour timer). The Defender CCW also has a manually adjustable brightness setting and the battery can be replaced without removing the optic from the weapon (takes one CR1632).
A new feature on the Defender CCW, and the most visually distinctive, is what Vortex is calling Fast-Rack. Simply put, it’s texturing on the front face of the red dot that allows for easier one-handed racking off of unorthodox surfaces. This is a great idea for a self-defense pistol red dot, as one can never count on having both hands available in an emergency situation. The texturing helps contribute to the optic’s rugged aesthetics as well.
Each Vortex Defender CCW will ship with a 1-inch shim plate, a Picatinny mount, a protective rubber cover, a lens cloth, a battery, a tool and multiple sets of the most common mounting screws. It’s available now and has an MSRP of $349.99.
Now that Enduron has been discontinued, what are some good substitute powder options for reloading?
Following my professional hunter through the acacia thorn and scrub brush of South Africa’s Waterberg district, the long, spiraling horns of the kudu bull made me forget all about the blistering heat. The late October temperatures had soared to more than 110 degrees, and though the morning hunt had been thirsty work, that bull made it all worthwhile, especially when the tape stretched to just over 55 inches.
For that safari, I loaded my .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition with IMR 4451—from the then-new Enduron line—in the event of just such a heat wave in late-season Africa. Engineered for temperature insensitivity, the Enduron powders made a considerable splash when they came onto the market; they possess a burn rate correlative (yet not interchangeable) with many of the popular IMR powders dating back to the 1950s, including IMR 4064, IMR 4350, IMR 4831 and more.
Powder availability seems to change from week to week; we reloaders must make do with what we can obtain. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
These powders have been very good to me, and I've used them in cartridges ranging from .22-250 Remington to .300 Winchester Magnum, up to the .375 H&H Magnum, .404 Jeffery and .470 Nitro Express. However, late last summer, Hodgdon (owners of IMR Powder) announced this powder line would be discontinued, much to my chagrin.
As reloaders, we tend to hang onto our proven ammunition recipes like heirloom spaghetti sauce recipes. And once we’ve repeatedly demonstrated that the bullet/primer/powder combination will deliver the goods, we tend to try and stock up on those particular components … or at least we should.
The author used IMR 4451—from the Enduron line—to combat the effects of the heat of South Africa at the end of the season. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Changing Tides
The past few years seem to have been a never-ending challenge for the reloaders. Whether it’s a favorite bullet (I know the availability of Sierra bullets has been diminished, to say the least), a proven primer (if you can find any at all) or any powder, prices have assuredly risen significantly and availability has fallen. Regarding powder, what exactly is going on? Why would a company as big and successful as Hodgdon discontinue an apparently successful product line like their Enduron powders?
To best understand the situation, we need to understand exactly where our smokeless powders come from. Hodgdon—longtime purveyors of smokeless powders—as well as Alliant, Ramshot, Accurate, IMR and Winchester, use several different manufacturers around the globe. Some of our favorites are made here in the USA (primarily, ball powders), like H380, H414, StaBALL 6.5, Unique, Herco, Bullseye and TiteGroup, while others are made in Australia, including popular choices like Varget, H4350, H1000 and H4831SC.
Three of Hodgdon’s most popular powders—H4831SC, Varget and H4350—are all manufactured in Australia and were unobtain-able during the COVID lockdown. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Considering the impact of the COVID-19 shutdowns, you can understand why that quartet of Aussie powders have been so difficult to obtain. Now that Australia is up and running again, we’re seeing those powders again, even if in small quantities.
Europe provides many different smokeless powders, with almost all the Ramshot lineup—including TAC, Hunter, BigGame and Zip—coming out of Belgium, and the majority of Alliant’s Reloder rifle powders being manufactured in either Sweden or Switzerland. Many of our favorite IMR powders—both the classics and the Enduron line—are produced in Quebec, Canada. Hodgdon manufactures the bulk of blackpowder substitutes here in the U.S.
Whether it may be supply chain issues, labor challenges, governmental restrictions or raw component availability, the bottom line is that those who design, market and distribute the powder often cannot get it to the masses. Such is the case with the Enduron powders; yet I guarantee that Hodgdon would love nothing more than to sell as much of this product as possible. Bottom line: They can’t sell what they can’t have manufactured.
Four good choices for fueling the .308 Winchester. IMR4320 has been discontinued, Ramshot TAC is from Belgium, H380 is made in the U.S., and IMR4064 is made in Canada. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
I reached out to Hodgdon’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Aaron Oelger, for further insight into the market conditions right now. Considering that Hodgdon has their own brand—IMR, Winchester, Ramshot and Accurate powders—under their roof, I figured he’d have the proper insight:
“We’ve seen a lot of rumor and conjecture about the state of the reloading components market, and my response to consumers is to be skeptical unless you see news directly from the company or brand in question,” said Oelger. “Specific to gun powder and Hodgdon, I can tell you we continue to ship record amounts of powder to our dealers and wholesalers. While we experienced challenges with manufacturing and transportation specific to our Hodgdon Extreme line of powders several years ago, most of those challenges have been resolved. Most of our other brands like IMR, Accurate and Ramshot have also seen record shipments. And in Winchester Powder, the addition of StaBALL 6.5 has provided an additional alternative to powders like H4350.
“Demand for our powders continues to be strong, especially for those loading for precision rifle shooting,” added Oelger. “As shipping and raw-material costs have increased, we have been forced to take targeted price increases. Some of our powders may be more difficult or time-consuming to make, so we have chosen to prioritize other powders to maximize our shipments to our customers. We continue to prioritize high-demand powders, so we recognize consumers will not always be able to find the powder they want … and may be forced to use a substitute.”
So long, Enduron powders; you’ve been very good to me. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
I remember my sadness when it was announced that IMR had discontinued their 4320 powder; it was a staple on my bench for cartridges from .22-250 Remington, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .250-3000 Savage and .300 Savage. Like the load data I've developed with the Enduron powders, I’ll just have to start again, perhaps with something similar or with whatever is available.
Being honest, I’m saddened that the Enduron line is being discontinued, but I am happy that Varget, H4350 and H4831SC are available again. Now, if those prices could drop, I’m sure we’d smile a bit more. In comparison to the rest of the economy, however, it’s no surprise that the costs are what they are. We’ll all have to be more flexible in the years to come, and hopefully each of us can find an adequate supply of the pistol or rifle powder we need.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
