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The AK Red Dot Mount Buyer’s Guide

By
Adam Borisenko
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2

If you’re looking to add a 21st-century optic to your Kalashnikov, here are some of the best AK red dot mounts to get the job done.

There was a time when Kalashnikovs were derided for their lack of modularity. Today, that’s no longer the case. While the rifles still aren’t as supremely customizable as ARs, aftermarket support for attaching modern accessories has never been stronger.

There are now several rock-solid methods for attaching optics to your Kalash. Regardless of your exact model or how tactical or classic you want the final setup to look, there’s an AK red dot mount out there that will fit your needs.

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AK Red Dot Mount Methods

When looking to mount a red dot on an AR-15, the location has mostly been determined for you thanks to the generous segment of Picatinny rail found on nearly all modern upper receivers. Whether you prefer your optic farther forward or closer to your eye, it’s going to be mounted on the receiver rail.

When it comes to AKs, things aren’t as simple. Interestingly, this provides the user with more options. Depending on the method you choose, your optic could be mounted as far rearward as the back of the receiver or as far forward as the front of the gas tube. This equates to roughly 11 inches more total real estate (7 inches for the AR, 18 inches for the AK).

This stems from the fact there are four primary styles of AK red dot mount, and each type places the optic along different areas of the aforementioned 18-inches of real estate. Those four methods are side rail mounts, railed dustcover mounts, gas tube mounts and rear sight leaf mounts. Each comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Side Rail Mounts

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An AKS-74UN with a NSPU night scope. Photo: Modernfirearms.

The AK was never originally designed to accept optics. But after the Soviets developed night vision scopes, they also devised a way to mount them to Kalashnikovs. This first model capable of doing this was designated as the AKN, with the N indicating it accepts a night vision scope via the rail on the left side of the receiver. The concept continued throughout the Kalashnikov’s development, existing as the AKMN for the AKM and as the AK-74N for the AK-74.

Today, most AKs sold in the U.S. come from the factory with one of these now-standardized side rail mounts, and they can be used to attach far more than original Soviet 1PN34 scopes. Several styles and brands of side rail optic mounts are now available for attaching anything from red dots to LPVOs, and this method has the additional benefit of quick-attach/detach while still retaining zero. One potential downside, however, is that these systems prevent left-side and underfolding stocks from closing when an optic is mounted. Stocks that fold to the right are still an option though.

Railed Dustcover Mounts

Zenitco-B33
An AK equipped with a Zenitco B-33 railed dust cover and optic. Photo: AR15.com.

When AKs first started becoming popular in the U.S. in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there was a slew of poorly conceived aftermarket accessories. Some of the most egregious examples were dust covers with Picatinny rails welded to the top.

If you aren’t familiar with AK dustcovers, the problem with this method is the component is held in place with nothing more than the rear tab of the recoil spring. While perfectly acceptable for just holding the cover in place (as was originally intended), it was a fool’s errand to use this shaky base to mount an optic. Taking the dust cover off, the recoil from firing or even just being bumped were all enough to throw off a zero.

Thankfully, people have seemed to learn in the meantime. It’s likely that the only Americans who still use this method bought their AK in 1989 and still don’t have internet access. Optic mounts need repeatability in their lockup to retain zero, something already understood by the Soviets when they put rear iron sights on the dust cover of the AKS-74U (Krinkov). For this, they added a front hinge to the dust cover, and it’s this concept that makes modern railed dust cover mounts viable.

There are a few different styles and brands on the market, but all simply add a hinge to the dust cover to ensure repeatable lockup and therefore a retained zero when an optic is attached.

Railed Gas Tube Mounts

Ultimak-Gas-Tube-Operators
Americans armed with AKs equipped with Ultimak railed gas tubes and red dot sights. Photo: Ultimak.

This method’s origins trace back to some of the earliest attempts to mount modern optics to AKs and were used by some American special forces and contractors who carried AKs in the early GWOT (Global War On Terror) days. Railed gas tube mounts simply replace the AK’s gas tube with one sporting a Picatinny rail on top.

For those who like their red dots mounted as far forward as possible, this method enables that, but it comes with some downsides as well. Firstly, the gas tube gets hot, and not all optics are cut out to handle the heat. This style also prevents you from fully grasping the handguard as the optic is generally placed where many like to rest their thumb. Additionally, some models don’t allow you to co-witness the iron sights.

This style’s popularity is dwindling, as most prefer red dots mounted farther back. Still, it's a viable method.

Rear Sight Leaf Mounts

Attero-Arms-Bravo-Mount-closeup
An Attero Arms Bravo Mount with a Holosun HS503CU.

This is one of the more recent and increasingly popular AK red dot mount methods, and it’s easy to see why. This style replaces the rear sight leaf with a mount that sports either a specific red dot footprint or a more universal Picatinny rail.

The primary advantage of this style is how streamlined it keeps the rifle. Of all the methods, these tend to add the least amount of width, bulk or weight.

One potential downside is unlike some railed dustcovers or side rail mounts, there isn’t a good way to attach a magnifier. Though, if you just want to add a small red dot to your AK while retaining a clean profile, a rear sight leaf mount is an elegant way to accomplish it.

Because this mount type replaces the rear sight, some models have another built-in to the mount itself retaining co-witness capabilities. Other models, however, do not. These are also a great option for those who own an AK that doesn’t have a side rail and are typically much more affordable than railed dust covers and good side rail mounts.

Attero-Arms-Bravo-Mount-shooting

The 5 Best AK Red Dot Mount Options

RS Regulate Side Rail Mounts

RS-Regulate-AK-Red-Dot-Mount

RS Regulate is widely considered the cream of the crop when it comes to AK side rail mounts. All the company's models are made of aircraft-grade aluminum and titanium, both incredibly light and strong materials. Unlike most other brands’ side rail mounts, RS Regulate’s are two-piece designs. This honestly makes the mounts more modular than AKs themselves.

The two-piece design enables the user to mount just about any optic to nearly any pattern of Kalashnikov. You first select the lower half of the mount compatible with your rifle—either the standard Warsaw Pact-pattern or Yugo-pattern side rail. You then choose the upper half which either features a Picatinny rail, a footprint for a specific red dot pattern such as a Trijicon RMR or a 30mm scope ring. The upper is then fastened using screws and a center bolt for additional rigidity.

Once your optic is installed on the mount, it is attached to the rifle’s side rail. The mount suspends the optic millimeters above the dust cover. This keeps the bore offset as low as possible and enables one to easily co-witness the iron sights. The mount and optic can then be quickly removed or attached without affecting the zero.

The only real downsides to RS Regulate mounts are price and availability. The company seems to manufacture its products in small batches, and the popularity means they usually sell out fast. There’s a good chance you will have to wait months before the exact models you want are in stock, and when they are, expect to pay over $200 for the whole setup.

MSRP: Upper Mounts: $78-$85; Lower Mounts: $146 // rsregulate.com

Texas Weapon Systems Dog Leg Rail Gen III

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This hinged and railed dust cover was inspired by the original Russian Zenitco B-33, but it has one major advantage over it (besides the much lower cost and greater availability). The Zenitco requires the installation of a new handguard, as it is what supports the hinge system. The TWS Dog Leg Gen III instead replaces the rear sight leaf with a hinge mechanism.

A downside of this model is it removes the rear sight, making co-witness impossible, but it otherwise provides a reliable method of mounting optics with generous rail space. TWS has a few different models available that are compatible with most patterns of AKs.

MSRP: $174-$185 // texasweaponsystems.com

Ultimak Railed Gas Tube

Ultimak-Railed-Gas-Tube-AK-Red-Dot-Mount

For those who really want to mount an optic to their AK’s gas tube, this is considered your best option. As alluded to previously, however, this is probably the worst of all existing methods.

Ultimak’s is the best because its design attaches more securely than any other tube mount system. But at the end of the day, AK gas tubes were never designed to accommodate an optic. If your red dot of choice can withstand the heat without damage or shifting zero, the Ultimak railed gas tube shouldn’t give you any issues.

It's capable of co-witnessing iron sights with some optics and Ultimak has variants compatible with most patterns of AK.

MSRP: $104-$121 // ultimak.com

Attero Arms Rear Sight Mounts

Attero-Arms-Bravo-Mount-Holosun-closeup

Rear sight leaf AK red dot mounts are only made by a handful of companies, but the ones from Attero Arms are generally regarded as the best. Installation is quick and easy, and Attero Arms has variants available compatible with the most popular red dot footprints. The company offers Picatinny rail model as well. Most also feature a built-in rear iron sight to retain co-witness capabilities despite replacing the original rear sight.

MSRP: $74.99 // atteroarms.com

Original Soviet/Russian Red Dots

PKA-Venezuela-Belomo
BelOMO PK-A Venezuela.

While admittedly an objectively poor option compared to modern optics in terms of practicality, some people want their AKs to retain as much original style as possible. If that’s you, you could consider an original red dot from the Eastern Bloc that comes from the factory with a side rail mount, just like the classic PSO scopes.

Compared to Western and Chinese electronic optics, those made by companies like the Belarussian BelOMO typically feature poor-quality glass, mediocre battery life and fewer modern features. Despite this, they do work fine for most purposes and are generally pretty durable due to their bulkier and heavier construction. If nothing else, they at least look pretty damn cool.

There are several different models available, but two of the best are the PK-A Venezuela and the PK01-VS, both by BelOMO. Prices and availability vary.

More AK Stuff:

Best 7mm Rem. Mag. Ammo: Elk, Deer And Everything Else

By
Sam Hoober
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1

Whether you’re after elk, deer or any other similar game, here’s the best 7mm Rem. Mag. ammo to do it with.

7mm Remington Magnum is one of the most popular and enduring hunting cartridges in existence. As such, 7mm Rem. Mag. ammo is among the most produced and available. 

As a result, you can specialize, finding 7mm Rem. Mag. loads tailored to everything from heavy-framed elk and well-muscled hogs, to demure critters such as pronghorn.

There are long-range loads, medium-range loads, and even do-it-all loads that work well for darn near everything. 

So what are the best ones to get? 

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The History Of 7mm Remington Magnum

The story goes that Les Bowman, a writer for Guns and Ammo and a hunting guide in Wyoming, took Jack O'Connor on a hunt in the area. Bowman had noticed during his guiding career hunters who shot moderate calibers tended to do so more accurately, a sentiment of which O'Connor agreed. But Bowman wanted a moderate cartridge with a bit more oomph than .270 Winchester. 

O'Connor sent him a rifle chambered in .275 H&H Magnum, a British hunting cartridge that in effect was a hot-rodded 7x57mm Mauser, which more or less fit the bill. 

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.275 H&H Magnum. Photo: Wikipedia.

Ammunition for the .275 H&H was hard to come by, so Bowman worked up a wildcat in an attempt to duplicate the British cartridge. He did so by necking down .338 Win. Mag. brass to 7mm. Then he had a Pfeifer barrel rechambered by Fred Huntington of RCBS for the cartridge. Finally, Bowman installed it in a Remington Model 721.  

The gun and the cartridge proved eminently shootable and wickedly effective on all species from pronghorn to grizzlies, and Bowman's clients loved it. It was dubbed .280 Remington Magnum.

Where Remington themselves entered the picture was when Mike Walker and Wayne Leek—Remington employees—hired Bowman as a guide, became friends and tried his rifle. 

They got the idea for a new hot 7mm cartridge to sell with the rifle that they were developing. Leek and Walker flew Bowman to HQ to talk with the board, which proved successful. 

Remington's recipe was to trim .375 H&H Magnum brass to standard action length and neck it down to .284 caliber. The original factory loads were 150-grain CoreLokt at 3,260 fps and 175-grain CoreLokt at 3,020 fps. 

While some other hot 7mms were around at the time (7mm Mashburn and 7mm Weatherby Magnum), Bowman's original .284-338 was a tad milder with a 160-grain bullet at 3,050 fps. 

The cartridge debuted with the Model 700 rifle and was instantly successful. Today, the two are almost inseparable, much as the Model 70 is inseparable from the .270 Winchester cartridge. With the relatively mild recoil (on par with .30-06) but the reasonably flat trajectory and a track record on game animals par excellence, it's remained a best-seller ever since.  

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A Remington Model 700 chambered for 7mm Rem. Mag. Photo: Rock Island Auction Company.

7mm Rem. Mag. Ballistics

The 7mm Remington Magnum can be found with lighter (and heavier) bullets, but the 140-, 150-, and 160-grain loads are the most common. Plenty of 175-grain bullets are made in .284 caliber, but these are more frequently loaded in the hotter 7mm cartridges such as 7mm Weatherby and 7mm Remington Ultra. 

The most common factory load today is a 150-grain jacketed soft point, loaded to around 3,100 fps and around 3,200 foot-pounds of energy. For a rote JSP 150-grain load, typical G1 ballistic coefficients are around .340. 

Here's a 500-yard trajectory table for such a load, 150-grain Remington CoreLokt (G1 BC of .346 and advertised muzzle velocity of 3,110 fps). This table was calculated using ShootersCalculator with a 200-yard zero, a 1.5-inch sight height, a 90-degree 10 mph crosswind and zero corrections for atmosphere.

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This and other classic 150-grain loads of 7mm Rem. Mag. ammo doesn't become subsonic until about 975 yards. In fact, these old 150-grain pills at 700 yards are moving faster and carrying more energy than a 125-grain .357 Magnum at the muzzle. 

Another area where 7mm Rem. Mag. shines is in maximum point-blank range. If you define MPBR as 4 inches above or below the point of aim, MPBR is roughly 320 yards, and the bullet has only dropped 3.28 MOA (scope reticle hash marks are usually 2 MOA) at 400 yards and just over 6 MOA at 500. As you might guess, this makes even cheap JSP easy to place at considerable distances. 

Here's a table for the same 150-grain load but with a 25-yard zero range to demonstrate this.

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However, modern high-BC loads give the 7mm Remington Magnum even longer legs. Hornady's Precision Hunter load, for instance, with ELD-X bullets offers astonishing long-range capability. Here's a 1000-yard trajectory for the 162-grain loading (2,940 fps, G1 BC of .613). This table again uses a 200-yard zero.

Table-3-7mm-Rem-Mag-Ammo-Hornady-162gr-fixed

The bullet is still supersonic at 1,000 yards, with, again, greater velocity and energy than a .357 Magnum at the muzzle. While a formidable cartridge to 500 yards with older bullets and an MPBR zero (the old-school method!), it's a long-range hunter's dream in modern loadings. 

Is 7mm Rem. Mag. Too Big For Deer? What's It Good For? 

No, 7mm Rem. Mag. is not too big for deer, nor too powerful, and is one of the most popular Western game cartridges in existence. Some would argue it's the best medium- to medium-large game cartridge in the balance of things. 

The benefit of 7mm Remington Magnum has always been a smaller bullet at a higher velocity, giving the bullet a bit more oomph than medium velocity 6mm to 7mm bullets and just as much (if not more) velocity as .30 caliber cartridges. 

The recoil is not pedestrian but can certainly be lived with (the classic 150-grain loading produces roughly 19 foot-pounds) as it’s about the same as .30-06. 

The smaller (and longer) projectiles also give 7mm Rem. Mag. a marginal advantage in sectional density and, in the heavier grain weights, a better ballistic coefficient compared to .30-caliber bullets of the same grain weight. This means it tends to drop a little less compared to .308 and .30-06. 

Classically, 7mm Remington Magnum shooters got the best of it from 100 to 500 yards. It excels at taking any North American game short of grizzly bears and African plains game up to the elands. 

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A ballistic gel test demonstrating the capabilities of 7mm Rem. Mag. This makes it easy to see why the cartridge can take nearly any game save for the very largest. Photo: Black Hills Ammunition.

Modern heavy-for-caliber/high-BC loads can push the useful range even further, however, and it is absolutely a solid choice for longer-range backcountry hunts for bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, caribou and black bear. 

While more than capable of taking whitetail and hogs at shorter ranges, its virtues will go mostly unappreciated inside of 200 yards because of the recoil, report and weight of most rifles. It's also foolish to chamber it in a compact rifle as any velocity advantage is negated. 

While 7mm calibers are capable benchrest and F-Class rifle cartridges, the recoil is more than match shooters are liable to tolerate. Its milder cousin, the 7mm-08, was at one point ridiculously common in NRA rifle competitions, but 7mm Remington Magnum never has been. 

Its first, best destiny is as a hunting cartridge for everything short of the great bears and large African game at medium to long distances. 

So…what are the best loads to get? 

The Best 7mm Rem. Mag. Ammo:

150-Grain Remington CoreLokt

Remington-150gr-CoreLokt-7mm-Rem-Mag

It's old, it's kind of cheap, but it works. This is the original load, one of the most affordable and most distributed as well. Perfect for the hunting of any North American game inside about 400 yards short of the great bears. 

  • Bullet Weight: 150 grains
  • Bullet Type: Soft point
  • Muzzle Velocity: 3,110 fps
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,221 foot-pounds
  • G1 BC: 0.346
  • MSRP/Street Price: $40

162-Grain Hornady Precision Hunter

Hornady-Precision-Hunter-7mm-Rem-Mag

The ELD-X bullet used in Hornady's Precision Hunter Load gives 7mm Remington Magnum absurdly long legs and is a perfect do-it-all modern hunting load. It’s not too heavy for medium game at closer range and retains energy downrange for long shots on elk, moose or black bears. 

  • Bullet Weight: 162 grains
  • Bullet Type: Tipped boat-tail hollow-point
  • Muzzle Velocity: 2,940 fps
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,109 ft-lbs
  • G1 BC: 0.613
  • MSRP/Street Price: $60

150-Grain Federal Premium Nosler Ballistic Tip

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Nosler Ballistic Tip is what you might consider a “budget-friendly premium,” with a premium bullet at a price tag that won't make your eyes water too badly. Nosler BT is a fast-opening tipped bullet, making this an ideal medium-game load for hunters taking long-distance shots at smaller-bodied game but want a better bullet than the legacy soft point loads. 

  • Bullet Weight: 150 grains
  • Bullet Type: Tipped flat-base hollow-point
  • Muzzle Velocity: 3,025 fps
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,047 foot-pounds
  • G1 BC: 0.495
  • MSRP/Street Price: $50

Winchester Expedition Big Game 168-Grain AccuBond LR

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Winchester's Expedition loads are some of the best long-range hunting loads commonly available. It’s loaded with Nosler's AccuBond LR bullets (high-BC and bonded) for aerodynamic efficiency as well as efficacy on target far beyond what classic soft point bullets provide. If you wanted a long-range load capable of taking everything from ibex to bears at half a mile (or more), this is the one for you. 

  • Bullet Weight: 168 grains
  • Bullet Type: Tipped boat-tail bonded hollow-point
  • Muzzle Velocity: 2,900 fps
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,137 foot-pounds
  • G1 BC: 0.652
  • MSRP/Street Price: $60

Raise Your Ammo IQ:

Nosler Model 21 Review: Testing The Carbon Chassis Hunter

By
Philip Massaro
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0

The author takes a look at the new Nosler Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter, a dual-purpose tack driver featuring the MDT HNT26 carbon-fiber chassis system.

Nosler is a company living in two eras simultaneously. It has its roots in the very dawn of the premium bullet market, with John Nosler’s development of the famous Partition bullet back in the 1940s, as well as the Ballistic Tip, which helped usher in the era of the polymer-tipped bullets we take for granted today.

At the same time, Nosler has become a company that looks forward, in their line of proprietary cartridges and modern long-range projectiles as well as their rifle division. Both ends of the equation are equally valuable, as a company that doesn’t grow will invariably wither.

Nosler has had much success with their M48 rifle—a unique push-feed design that has proven to be very accurate—and followed that rifle up with the M21. Using a receiver designed in conjunction with the Mack Brothers of South Dakota, the heart of the Nosler Model 21 is, in essence, a modified EVO action, with some customized features from Nosler.

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While the lines and silhouette of the Nosler Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter may not be what come to mind when thinking of a hunting rifle, it certainly checks all the boxes. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

The push-feed design uses dual-locking lugs and a beefy extractor with a plunger ejector, in a design that’s smooth as glass right out of the box. I had the opportunity to take the Nosler M21—chambered in the speedy .27 Nosler—on an axis deer hunt on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, and after using it for five days and taking three does and a buck, that rifle surely proved to be both accurate and reliable. The smooth trigger, slick action and well-fitting stock culminated in a great hunting rifle.

I must admit that after spending time with that M21, I wasn’t exactly shocked to hear from Jeff Sipe, senior marketing manager for the Nosler Rifle division, that they had adapted that M21 action to a chassis platform. The opportunities to shoot competitively have increased exponentially during the past decade, and despite the shortages of ammunition and reloading components, folks are shooting more, or at least as much as they can.

A chassis rifle—one that uses a barreled action set in a chassis with a full-length aluminum bedding block—makes a great choice for competitive shooting. However, I was surprised about which chassis they decided to cradle that Model 21 in, as well as the barrel Nosler has chosen to complete the package.

M21-AICS-Magazine
The magazine release is integrated into the trigger guard and can be easily operated, even with gloves. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

Nosler has installed their M21 in the wicked-cool MDT HNT26 carbon-fiber chassis and mated the action with a Proof Research carbon-fiber barrel, making a highly versatile chassis system that’s both ergonomic and lightweight. My test rifle was chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor—not exactly known for vicious recoil, even in light rifles—but Nosler has included an efficient muzzle brake to remove a healthy amount what recoil there is.

Starting with the action, let’s look at what makes the Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter tick.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The Nosler Model 21 is best described with one word: smooth. Its dual-lug bolt face has the heavy-duty M16-style extractor located at the 11 o’clock position and the plunger ejector at the classic 3 o’clock position. An attractive spiral-fluted one-piece chrome moly bolt body is nitride-coated, and the bolt handle is threaded for ease of change and customization. An octagonal bolt shroud houses a chrome cocking indicator, and the entire bolt is field strippable without tools.

Nosler-M21-bolt
Photo: Massaro Media Group.

A Trigger Tech Field model trigger runs the operation and is user-adjustable; my test rifle’s trigger broke consistently at 3 pounds, 3 ounces, with virtually no creep or overtravel. A two-position rocker safety is located at the rear right of the receiver, in a forward to fire configuration, and the bolt release is located on the opposite side. The M21 uses a 90-degree bolt throw, but the bolt configuration allows a scope to be mounted low without interference. For the test, I mounted a Leupold VX6-HD 4-24x52mm scope, with its 34mm main tube, in Leupold rings.

Talking Stock

The MDT HNT26 carbon-fiber chassis system weighs in a mere 26 ounces, making it an absolutely perfect choice for the backcountry hunter, as well as for a shooter who wants to move their gun into the innumerable positions required for competition shooting. A nice square, vented forend will sit perfect in the cradle of a tripod-mounted rest yet sits nicely in the off hand or in a set of conventional shooting sticks. The protruding pistol grip has a nice swell to it, and it fit my right hand perfectly. It narrows near the top to allow the thumb to give a positive grip, and the swell lets the pad of my index finger rest naturally in the proper position on the trigger.

MDT-Chassis-folded
Weighing a mere 26 ounces, the MDT HNT26 stock will fold to make for a compact, packable rifle. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

The buttstock of the HNT26 is very interesting, in that it’s adjustable for both comb height and overall length, and in that it folds 180 degrees to make a rifle that’s easy to pack into the back country. The toe is square and sits nicely on a rear bag—for those accustomed to using one—and while the entire package has a modernistic, angular look, it fits very well in the hands. The buttstock is filled with foam to both reduce noise (I’m often amazed at how “loud” some stocks can be in a hunting situation) and dissipated recoil. When the MDT HTN26’s butt is folded, it reduces the rifle’s overall length from 45¼ inches to a hair over 37 inches.

The polymer AICS detachable single-stack magazine is held in a well, just ahead of the trigger guard. The magazine release is cleverly integrated into the trigger guard and will not catch on clothing or brush, dumping your magazine at the worst possible moment (ask me how I know about that). Sling swivel studs are provided at the forend and butt. The MDT HNT26 comes with a length of pull measuring 12½ inches, though four ¼-inch spacers are provided that can extend the length of pull an additional inch. There’s a foam “cheek piece,” which gives a bit rougher surface for the shooter’s face and is adjustable for height. Simply loosen the two set screws on the right side of the butt, position the comb where it feels best and lock it back down with those screws.

Nosler-M21-magwell
Photo: Massaro Media Group.

I’m generally a traditionalist when it comes to my rifles, preferring blued steel and walnut over Cerakote and synthetic and holding a serious torch for classic cartridges, but the Model 21 Carbon Chassis Rifle’s stock is so different from what I choose to hunt with I found it refreshing. Well done, MDT, and good choice on the part of Nosler.

Over A Barrel

Rounding out the lightweight theme, a 24-inch Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel is attached to the Nosler Model 21 receiver. A thin steel barrel is wrapped in rigid carbon fiber, resulting in a barrel that’s lighter than a full steel barrel, yet maintains the rigidity so desirable in a target barrel. Carbon-fiber barrels are also known for their ability to effectively dissipate heat, so for a rifle designed for competitive use, this makes all sorts of sense. The Proof barrel on my test rifle started at just over an inch in diameter, ending just under an inch in diameter, and featured Nosler’s proprietary muzzle brake.

Nosler-Model-21-tripod
The Leupold VX6-HD 4-24x52mm scope paired well with the M21 Carbon Chassis Hunter; it could be mounted low enough for good cheek weld on the stock and gave plenty of flexibility for hunting and competition shooting alike. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

The barrel was clean, without iron sights of any sort, as the M21 Carbon Chassis Hunter is assuredly designed for use with a riflescope. That brake is threaded in order to double as an adapter for a suppressor for those who prefer things quiet; sadly, here in the People’s Republic of New York, I’m not afforded such luxuries. One might think that a rifle with a carbon chassis would be a bit nose-heavy, but the Proof barrel actually keeps the Carbon Chassis Hunter a bit on the butt-heavy side, though I like the overall balance of this rifle much more than any of the modern designs I’ve spent time with.

Put It All Together, And The Results Impress

The Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter weighs in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces, when unloaded and unscoped; add that Leupold and a set of 34mm rings, the weight bumps up to 8 pounds, 5 ounces. This gives a good balance to the rifle and allows it to be carried comfortably.

I heard those groans you all emitted when I mentioned that the rifle was chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor, and while I have to admit that the cartridge does feel like it’s been overplayed lately, it does make a good test medium. It used to be that a rifle was usually shipped for testing in .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield or .300 Winchester Magnum … but these days that trio has been supplanted by the Creedmoor. Let’s face it: It’s easy on the shoulder, plenty of gun for deer, sheep and pronghorn, makes a good target cartridge and, most of all, it’s plentiful. I grabbed a good cross-section of hunting and target ammunition and brought the Carbon Chassis Hunter to the range.

That big Leupold VX6-HD let me hold this rifle precisely and confidently; glass of this quality allows the shooter to dial in a crisp, clear image, even with eyes a half-century old. During the test firing, I had no issues with feeding or extraction, with any of the ammunition. And let me say this out of the gate: The Carbon Chassis Hunter is a shooter.

Nosler-Ammunition
Nosler’s Trophy Grade 140-grain AccuBond load printed very tight groups; all the ammunition tested performed very well at the range. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

For ammunition, I chose Hornady’s Precision Hunter with the 143-grain ELD-X bullet, their Match ammo with the 140-grain ELD Match, Nosler’s own ammo with the 140-grain AccuBond and RDF match bullet of the same weight, Norma’s 130-grain Match load, and Federal’s 140-grain Fusion bonded-core softpoint load.

After zeroing the scope with a half-dozen shots, I evaluated group size, with the rifle showing a preference for the 140-grain slugs. The Norma stuff gave the widest groups—with five shots averaging exactly 1 MOA—and the Nosler AccuBond load giving the tightest, with five shots hanging in a cluster measuring 0.65 MOA at 100 yards. Bottom line is that I wouldn’t hesitate to take any one of these loads hunting or to the range—speaking of softpoints and match ammo, respectively—if they were to be loaded in the Carbon Chassis Hunter.

Recoil was at a level manageable by just about any shooter, thanks primarily to that big ol’ Nosler brake, and despite the appearance of the chassis design, I became comfortable with this rifle quickly.

Nosler Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter Overview

Having spent decades in pursuit of classic rifles (or at least classic designs) chambered in nostalgic cartridges—yes, I’m the nerd who gets ridiculously excited over the .300 H&H Magnum, .318 Westley Richards and .404 Jeffery—the 14-year-old side of me immediately fell for the futuristic-looking rifle. The carbon-fiber construction gives it a unique look but being completely honest, I found the ability to quickly and easily customize the lightweight rifle the most appealing feature. I added three spacers to the length of pull to make it comfortable for me with a fall jacket and raised the cheekpiece slightly for proper scope alignment.

Nosler-logo
Left side of the Carbon Chassis Hunter and the bold Nosler logo. Photo: Massaro Media Group.

Just to see how quickly and easily I could customize the rifle, a couple minutes with the Allen wrenches had the rifle setup so that my wife was very comfortable behind the trigger, as I shortened the length of pull and raised the cheekpiece higher to best fit the female frame.

Is the Carbon Chassis Hunter the rifle that comes to my mind when I’m planning that backcountry hunt? Well, no. Or maybe I should say “not yet.” But maybe I’m coming around. In spite of the fact that the rifle has what some will refer to as a “tactical” look (and I despise that label), when your eyes are closed it runs like almost any other bolt action rifle.

The era of the walnut stock is certainly not over, but I will admit it’s probably waning. The polymer stocks, styled in the fashion of the traditional walnut stocks, are fine, but there’s an obvious advantage in weight, rigidity and customization when it comes to a chassis design like the MDT HNT26. Couple that stock with Nosler’s M21 action and a Proof Research barrel, and you’ve got a winning combination.

The Nosler Model 21 Carbon Chassis Hunter is available in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC (both sort action), and .28 Nosler and .300 Winchester Magnum (both long action). MSRP is $5,295 for short action and $5,395 for long action.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More Hunting Rifles:

Rossi Announces Three New Revolvers: The RP63, RM66 And RM64

By
Adam Borisenko
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2

Rossi has recently announced three new .357 Magnum revolvers, including the RP63, the RM66 and the RM64.

Rossi is a Brazilian firearm manufacturer best known in the U.S. for its lever-action rifles and revolvers. It’s been a hot minute since any of the latter were imported, but the company recently announced three new .357 Magnum Rossi revolver models for 2023.

The Rossi RP63 is the concealed carry option of the lineup, sporting a 3-inch barrel, round-butt rubber grips and fixed rear/ramped front sights for a snag-free draw. The steel frame, full underlug barrel and 6-shot cylinder contribute to the revolver’s hefty weight of 27.3 ounces (unloaded) but should also make it a pleasant shooter even when loaded with .357 Magnum. Further aiding the RP63’s viability as a concealed carry gun is that Rossi claims it is compatible with existing holsters and speedloaders designed for similar medium-frame revolvers.

Rossi-revolver-RP63

The RM66 was designed with target shooting and competition in mind instead of concealed carry, but is otherwise very similar to the RP63. It features a 6-inch barrel, adjustable sights and a larger rubber grip to help absorb recoil. It weighs 34.4 ounces unloaded, and like the RP63, should be compatible with accessories designed for similar revolvers.

Rossi-RM66

There have been no images released of the upcoming RM64 yet, but from the description, it sounds like it will be very similar to the other two models but with a 4-inch barrel instead.

All of the new Rossi revolver models are made of stainless steel with a satin stainless finish, have a hammer-mounted firing pin for improved reliability and feature Rossi’s crisp DA/SA trigger. The RP63 (MSRP: $460.99) and RM66 (MSRP: $620.99) are available now and the RM64 will be released later in 2023.

For more information, please visit rossiusa.com.

More On Revolvers:

An Empty Gun Is Useless: Mastering Speed Reloads

By
Richard A. Mann
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0

If you don’t want to be caught with an empty gun, it’s time to master the administrative, tactical and speed reloads.

The reloading of a defensive handgun is generally considered a baseline skill. It’s something that every defensive handgun training course I’ve taken spends a good bit of time teaching. This makes sense because an empty gun is mostly useless. Most doctrine separates reloading into three techniques. These include the administrative reload, the tactical reload and the speed reload. Although all three serve the same purpose of keeping your handgun full of ammunition, they have different application.

Speed-Reloads
It’s suggested that when reloading the handgun that it be conducted within your workspace and between your eyes and the threat. It’s better to handle an empty handgun when you’re either moving or utilizing cover.

Administrative Reloads

Administrative reloading is something that has no tactical value. It’s nothing but the administrative steps you take when you’re readying your pistol for carry, or when you get to the range and are readying your pistol for training … though you do often see it used during handgun training courses when students step off the line to load magazines and take a break. Often, shooters will remove the magazine from a holstered handgun and top it off and reinsert it. Or, they’ll be standing on the line and adjusting ammunition within magazines and the magazine within the pistol to prepare for a specific exercise or drill.

With the understanding that sometimes, for specific drills, you need a certain round count in one or more magazines, I’m not a fan of the administrative reload. When you complete an exercise or drill on the range and are going to take a break to rest or load magazines, you should first conduct a tactical reload so that the handgun in your holster is fully loaded. The conduct of an administrative reload should only be done to establish some drill, training or safety requirement.

Speed-Reloads-feature
The primary objective when conducting a reload is to fill the pistol with as much ammunition as possible.

Tactical Reloads

This reloading technique is one that’s conducted when you have time. Often, it’s suggested that you conduct a tactical reload during a lull in the action. I’m not sure how to precisely define “a lull in the action,” but I am sure of two things: 1) the more ammunition you have in your gun, the better off you are; and 2) you should never holster a handgun that’s not fully loaded, because if you need it—really need it—it needs to be fully loaded.

With the tactical reload, you retain the magazine you eject from your handgun because you haven’t fully expended the ammunition that’s in it, and you understand that you might need to use that ammunition latter on.

When is a tactical reload applicable? It’s nearly impossible to offer any hard and fast rules because the chaos that surrounds a self-defense shooting doesn’t lend itself to absolutes. So, look at it this way: If you need to conduct a reload because you’ve depleted your ammunition supply, and you have time to retain the magazine that is in the gun, then do so. Otherwise, a speed reload is more appropriate.

More practically and most assuredly, the tactical reload should be conducted after an engagement, but before holstering. You’ve solved the immediate problem and have the time to retain any unexpended ammo in the current magazine—while at the same time making sure that you holster a fully loaded pistol.

Tactical-Reload-1911
Empty guns are mostly worthless; learn how to efficiently keep them topped off.

Speed Reloads

This reloading technique is used when you need to get more ammunition in your gun as swiftly as possible. It could be that you’ve expended a large portion of your on-board ammunition and want to be fully loaded for the impending doom that’s quickly approaching you. It could be conducted because you’ve expended all the ammunition in your gun and need more ammo immediately. And the speed reload could also be conducted because your handgun has stopped working, either because it’s out of ammo or has maybe experienced a stoppage.

With the speed reload, the magazine in your gun is ejected and allowed to drop free without concern of where it lands or if you’ll ever see it again. It’s often taught that when conducting a speed reload, you should pull the handgun back into your workspace, hold it up high where you can look through it and still see the threat, and peripherally see the insertion of the new magazine. This makes sense if you’re standing in front of a threat while trying to reload—but standing in front of a threat while trying to reload makes no sense.

Conducting a speed reload while moving or utilizing cover does make sense.

Regardless of the particulars associated with the speed reload, the primary directive is to get the gun reloaded as fast as possible.

Reload-Training-magazine-dummy-round
Reloading can be practiced with dummy rounds at times when you can’t go to the range and utilize live ammo.

Additional Considerations

Ideally, when you utilize any method to reload a pistol, you should take the time to verify that the reload was conducted properly. This means you should conduct a press check and either visually or tactilely confirm a cartridge was inserted into the chamber … and that the magazine is fully seated. Granted, if you’re conducting a speed reload, there might not be time to do this, but it’s something that there should always be time for if you’re conducting an administrative or tactical reload.

If you’ve conducted an administrative or tactical reload, the placement of the partially loaded magazine that was removed from the handgun is important. It shouldn’t be placed in your primary ammunition pouch or storage location unless it’s the only remaining magazine that you have. Otherwise, you might be reaching for what you think is a full magazine, only to grasp the partially expended magazine. The partially expensed magazine should be placed in an alternate location that can be easily accessed by your support hand in case you need it.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the April 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More On Handgun Skills And Training:

Best Biometric Gun Safe: Swift And Secure

By
Sam Hoober
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0

There’s a fine line between secure storage and quick retrieval, but a biometric gun safe can offer the best of both worlds.

When it comes to electronic firearm safes, there are two major types. The first is RFID, and these are usually unlocked via some sort of keycard. The second type is the biometric gun safe, and these ostensibly offer an even higher level of security as they require the correct fingerprints to be unlocked. While someone can steal or spoof an RFID card, it’s much harder for them to acquire your fingerprints.

We're going to discuss what they are, how they work, their strengths and weaknesses compared to other types of gun safes and a few biometric gun safe models that we consider to be the best.

So, let's get started. 

What Is A Biometric Gun Safe? 

Biometric gun safes use a digital—usually battery-powered—lock that takes a reading of your fingerprints, usually the thumb and index finger, and stores them in onboard memory. The pads on the safe read fingerprint impressions, and if they match, unlock the safe. 

Biometric-Gun-Safe-feature-Barska

Typically, the lock mechanism is controlled via a small electric motor that operates the locking mechanism. In some cases, the door of the safe may be assisted with a pneumatic arm. 

Early biometric safes were great in theory, but poor in practice. The print reader would either take forever to get a clean pull or took several attempts to get one and had horrendous lag time. As the years have gone on (Moore's Law is a thing) the technology has gotten better, faster and more reliable. 

Types Of Biometric Gun Safes 

Biometric safes come in a few different styles. 

There are some cabinet-style safes for long guns, but pistol safes are far more common. Since biometric safes are electronic, they require power. Some have a battery pack (which you’ll have to remember to periodically change) and others can be plugged into a wall outlet. 

One of the most common is the top-loading style, with the door opening vertically. 

Vault/lockbox-style safes, with the door opening outwards, are also common. These typically have the combination/reader pad on the door or the top of the safe. 

There are also a few wall-mounted pistol safes that you must mount to the studs in your wall. When opened, they drop down and release a pistol or two. 

You'll also find a number of portable biometric gun safes, similar to any other portable safe only with a more advanced locking system.

Portable-Gun-Safe-with-handle-OSPON
A portable biometric gun safe with carry handle from OSPON.

Drop-style safes are also out there, though a little less common. They have a hinged floor that drops down when the lock is activated. 

Obviously, the benefit to a biometric safe is that you can—ostensibly—keep anyone out of it that isn't you or a person whose fingerprints you also programmed into the safe. 

Each design has some advantages and disadvantages. Top-loader safes are perfect for hiding in a drawer but don't work very well elsewhere. Vault-style safes, depending on the dimensions, may be too large or heavy for more discrete locations (such as atop a closet shelf) and wall-mount safes are a no-go if you're a renter and you want to keep your deposit. 

Vehicle safes are a Gordian Knot. They either have to be conspicuously mounted in the vehicle (such as those that mount next to a car seat) or they're the small portable variety that anchors to the seat frame. The former is easily seen and can therefore be targeted for theft. The latter is easily stolen if discovered. 

Almost all biometric safes have a backup, typically a barrel lock with a key that is supplied to you. Some also include an RFID tag or dongle if they have both systems onboard. 

Safe-backup-lock
The backup lock on a Viking VS-12BL.

Features, of course, all depend on the safe, but what you must determine is how any gun safe fits your lifestyle. 

Is A Biometric Safe Worth It? What Are Their Weaknesses? 

Every type of gun safe has a weakness, the question is whether it can be used in a manner that renders them moot or mitigates them to a point of acceptable risk. The most secure safes of any kind are vault-style safes with mechanical combination locks, but they are heavy, expensive and slow to open. 

Some biometric gun safes are glorified lock boxes. Thin sheet metal walls can be broken into and the door possibly pried open with a crowbar if it were to be taken in the event of a burglary. 

Further, many of them also have cheap barrel locks little better than a common bicycle lock. Easily picked with as little as a paperclip, or simply opened if an unauthorized person gets a hold of the key. 

These are all failings common to many different kinds of gun safes. These issues are by no means endemic to biometric gun safes only. Therefore, it's imperative that you select one that has a pry-proof or heavily pry-resistant door design, and a strong mechanical key lock. 

Another potential downside is the biometric technology itself.

How often does the fingerprint scanner fail on your phone? Can you guarantee a perfect print if you need to get the safe open in a hurry? 

Granted, modern biometric safes are leaps and bounds more reliable than they were a decade or two ago. As software and the reader hardware have improved, error rates have dropped and the quality models have gotten less touchy. 

RFID safes can lack those issues and so can digital combination safes, but even those have lag time. 

Then we come to the issue of hacking. Biometrics can be easily hacked, and an RFID system can be easily hacked as well. Any electronic system has a way to exploit it. 

Hacking-biometric-gun-safe-lockpicking-lawyer
A poorly designed biometric gun safe being broken into with nothing but a fork. Source: LockPickingLawyer on YouTube.

You need to consider what kind of safe best fits your needs. Biometric safes are just one option. Even affordable models of today can work well, but they have weaknesses like any mechanical or electrical system. Understand them and make your choice accordingly. 

What To Look For? 

The ability to quickly retrieve a firearm is paramount for many interested in a biometric gun safe. For fast access, the top-loader style is best and it can be easily concealed. The wall-mount pistol safe and drop-down styles are also a good fit, so long as you can install one (again, renters may not be able to) or you can have a safe that drops open, meaning you need to mount it under something. 

Also, look for the read time. You'll usually find the time to unlock advertised by the manufacturer. Less than 3 seconds is good, less than 2 is better. 

Look for safes that have at least one backup access type. A simple barrel lock is not the most secure thing in the world, but it's better than having to rely on human memory.

Look for the strongest possible locking mechanism. Vault-style safes with solid steel locking bars are more secure than lockboxes with simply barrel locks or hook locks, as they are far harder to break. 

Interior illumination is a good feature to look for too, and for obvious reasons! So is the ability to run on a power supply rather than batteries. 

What you want to find is a safe that offers the greatest amount of security that you can get, balanced with the potential speed of access.

So, what are some good biometric safes to look at? 

The 5 Best Biometric Gun Safes

Barska Biometric Security Safe 

Barska-Biometric-Gun-Safe

This safe is a compact front-facing safe with dual steel locking bars, 2mm steel walls and a 5mm steel door. Interior dimensions are 16.4 inches wide, 12.25 inches deep and 6.8 inches tall, which is enough to accommodate up to two pistols. 

The time to open is 2.5 seconds, and the lock is powered by 4 AAA batteries with an anticipated runtime of 1 year. The secondary lock is a hexagonal key, of which two are included. The safe has additional holes if you wish to mount it to a shelf or nightstand. 

This would be a good pick for a nightstand or shelf top safe for one or two handguns, with a good mix of speed and security. Street prices are just under $200. 

SecuRam ScanLogic By Liberty Safes 

Liberty-Safes-Biometric-Gun-Safe-upgrade

One of the best, most trusted and most popular gun safe manufacturers in the US is Liberty Safes. Any one of their gun safes can be upgraded by adding the company’s SecuRam ScanLogic lock, which includes both a digital keypad and a top-mounted fingerprint scanner. 

The SecuRam lock by ScanLogic processes prints in as little as 1 second, and can be added to any Liberty-brand safe that has an electronic lock system. You can either have a safe upgraded by Liberty when you order it, or have a factory dealer technician upgrade your existing Liberty safe. 

The lock is an extra $275 and runs off of either a 9V battery or AC power.

OSPON Portable Gun Safe 

OSPON-Portable-fingerprint-gun-safe

The OSPON Portable Gun Safe is, as the name states, portable. It’s essentially a high-tech lockbox that can serve as a vehicle safe. It's compact, so it can slide under a car seat, and includes a steel tether cable. 

It has an onboard thumbprint reader, powered by a rechargeable battery cell that charges via USB-C, and a mechanical combination lock as a backup. The shell is 16-gauge steel. 

It can accommodate one full-size pistol, or possibly two micros, and will stow easily and can be tethered under a car seat. Prices are usually around $50. 

Viking VS-12BL Biometric Wall-Mounted Safe

Viking-VS-12BL

The VS-12BL is a good pick for a wall-mounted safe that will fit one to two pistols and some valuables. It has a solid feature set and a reasonable price tag. While not designed to be set in the wall, it could be. 

The safe is 14.5 by 11.75 by 5 inches, with a recessed 5mm steel door and a removable interior shelf. The interior is carpeted and has an integrated LED light. The biometric lock uses an optical sensor rather than a semiconductor for more reliable reads, and a digital combination pad and key lock (with keys included) are also on the safe as backup access methods. 

The VS-12BL is powered by four AAA batteries and registers prints in less than 1 second for fast access. Prices start around $200. 

Vaultek RS 

VaulTek-RS200i

The Vaultek RS series are biometric rifle safes, with storage space for long guns and modular storage racks for storing magazines, ammunition and handguns. 

The steel door (which is spring-assisted for fast opening) has four steel deadbolts, operated by the biometric scanner. A digital PIN pad is also included as is an emergency access key. Interior LED lighting and proximity-sensing lighting for the access pad are also included, as is WiFi connection for remote monitoring. 

An RFID SmartKey can be added, as can other accessories. Power can come from an 18650 battery or the safe can be plugged into an outlet. The two-gun model starts at $1,299, but five- and eight-gun models are available as well.

Secure More Gun Safe Knowledge:

Glock 17 Review: How The Full-Sized Striker-Fired Set The Standard

By
Robb Manning
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0

The iconic Glock 17 transformed the modern handgun world and continues to exert its influence today.

Why the Glock 17 is among the most popular pistols made:

  • Developed for the Austrian Army to replace their P-38.
  • From 1986 capture around 70 percent of the US law enforcement market.
  • Used in an official military or government capacity in over 42 countries
  • The G17 is still Glock’s most popular model.
  • The low barrel sits above the shooter's hand resulting in less muzzle rise.
  • Due to its weight and balance it is known as a smooth-shooting pistol.

This is the first model Glock brought to market. The original. The one that started it all. The Glock 17 is the most innovative handgun design since John M Browning’s 1911, and when you add to that the way that Glock revolutionized handgun manufacture, the G17 is probably most innovative handgun ever.

Glock 17 Development

Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.
Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.

The Glock 17 was developed by Glock for the Austrian Army to replace their P-38, a gun that had been in use since World War II. Word quickly got around about this new upstart that beat out established gunmakers. By 1985 Glock had a contract with the Norwegian Army and suitors by the dozen vying to import the G17 into the US.

Glock decided to go their own route, however, and Glock USA opened its doors in 1986. From there, Glock would capture around 70 percent of the US law enforcement market, and become one of the (if not the) most popular handguns in the US civilian market. No other handgun brand is as recognizable by shooters and non-shooters alike. Today Glock is used in an official military or government capacity in over 42 countries. This does not include non-national police forces.

Why The Glock 17?

In the early days there was confusion and incorrect information as to why the first model was called the 17. To this day some of the confusion still exists amongst new Glock owners. Some sources said the reason was that the Austrian army laid out 17 requirements that must be met by the potential service pistol to be considered for adoption. Other sources stated it was due to the 17-round capacity of the Glock magazine. Both make sense, but neither is correct. Popular fiction perpetuated these myths.

Glock Reviews You Need To Read

In the novel Killing Floor, by Lee Child, the protagonist, one Jack Reacher, is confronted with a Glock 17. In his mind he goes over everything he knows about the weapon, which he says he knows well, with one of those things being, “Seventeen rounds to a magazine, hence the name.” Reacher got a lot right about the Glock, but this wasn’t one of them. The true reason the first Glock is named the 17 is because it was the 17th patent filed by Gaston Glock.

A G17 first generation. Incidentally, the two clips on the web belt…those are made by Glock, too.
A G17 first generation. Incidentally, the two clips on the web belt…those are made by Glock, too.

Still, it’s interesting to watch movies and read articles from that era and read the various theories as to the origin of the name. The other thing he got wrong was that Reacher recommended rejection of the Glock for the US Army, and instead recommended the Beretta 92F. In reality, the G17 was never entered into the official army trials. The US Department of Defense did receive from Glock four samples for unofficial testing and evaluation, but when they invited Glock for an official submission, Glock declined. It would have required extensive retooling of manufacturing equipment, which was something Glock wasn’t going to do at that time.

In another famous and hilarious Hollywood moment that was indicative of the perception of Glock pistols at the time, in Die Hard 2, John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) said of the Glock, “That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me. You know what that is? It’s a porcelain gun made in Germany. Doesn’t show up on your airport X-ray machines here, and it costs more than you make in a month.” Sure, this was before the age of the Internet and Wikipedia, but that is just lazy script writing.

Glock Talk: Discover More Tips & Reviews

The Glock 17 Enduring Legacy

Amazingly, after all these years, the G17 is still Glock’s most popular model. I’ve gone back and read books and magazine articles written at the time of the introduction of the .40 S&W G22 and the .45 ACP G21, and at the time some writers discussed the demise of the 9mm G17 and G19 because of the introduction of these other calibers, especially the .45 ACP — we are a .45 ACP nation, after all.

How often have you heard someone say, “if it doesn’t have a ‘4’ in front of it, it’s not big enough for self-defense.” But the G17 and the G19 didn’t become obsolete, and they weren’t replaced by the .40 S&W or .45 ACP. In fact, their popularity has only increased right along with the Glock itself.

A G17 is a great handgun for beginners, it’s soft on recoil, and the lack of a manual safety makes the shooter especially mindful of finger awareness.
A G17 is a great handgun for beginners, it’s soft on recoil, and the lack of a manual safety makes the shooter especially mindful of finger awareness.

There have been spikes in popularity of other models, especially when they are first introduced, but after the hoopla is over the Glock 17 9mm charges on. This is particularly amazing, given the popularity of the G22 among law enforcement agencies, and the numbers of those sold. It’s really quite remarkable how well the G17 still sells, and is a testament to the handgun.

I personally think the 9mm cartridge is just starting to come into its own in America. It’s kind of a curiosity that it took so long, but over a century after it was introduced, we’re just starting to appreciate it. I believe we’re in the Golden Age of the 9mm in America.

How The G17 Measures Up

A Gen4 G17 is 7.95 inches in length, 5.43 inches in height and 1.18 inches in width. It weighs 25.06 ounces unloaded and 32.13 ounces loaded. The barrel height is 1.26 inches, which is low, and has a lot to do with the minimal muzzle flip compared to other handguns. The lower a barrel sits above the shooter’s hand (bore axis), the less it will rise as a bullet is fired. The Gen3 is identical in dimension, with the exception that it is 8.03 inches in length, which is .08 inches longer.

All of the standard-frame, full-size Glocks (G17, G22, G31, and G37) are nearly identical in dimensions, with one minor exception; the G37 has a slightly wider slide, and the height is 5.51 inches, which is .08 inches higher. There is also a difference in weight, though not significant. Unloaded, the G22 weighs 25.59 ounces, the G31 weighs 26.12 ounces, and the G37 weighs 28.95 ounces.

Shooting The Glock 17

I’ve gotten to shoot a lot of Glocks in a lot of calibers and a lot of sizes. All of them, in fact. The very first two I fired for the book were the G17 Gen1 and Gen2. Then I shot everything else, with the very last two pistols I fired being the G17 Gen3 and Gen4. I’ve shot them before, but it’s been awhile.

Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.
Some would argue that this is the best Glock ever made; the third generation G17.

After shooting everything else, I forgot how nicely the G17 shoots. The recoil is handled very well — much more so than 9mm guns from competitors, and it shoots as smooth as butter. It’s just a great gun, one of the all-time classics. I got to fire some American Eagle 115-grain FJM, as well as American Eagle 124-grain non-toxic primer TMJ (Total Metal Jacket). Then I finished it off with some Federal Premium 124-grain Hydra-Shok JHP.

Early Glock 17 Models

With Gen3 and Gen4 and Gen5 models, it’s simple to get them — they are all on the shelf of almost every gun store you walk into. The first two generations are not so easy to find — none of my friends or acquaintances had them, and it’s not like you can check them out on loan. I knew my only course of action would be to track them down and buy them. With a lot of research and a little work, I did just that.

A field-stripped third generation G17. The Flat Dark Earth frame is a special run that is made periodically.
A field-stripped third generation G17. The Flat Dark Earth frame is a special run that is made periodically.

Those two Glocks — which are both becoming very collectable — are still just as good as they were when they were released. They could be placed against any competitor’s guns on the market and still fare well. They are timeless designs, and built to be a workhorse. I have since decided to collect the G17 generations, since this is the only model that spans all four generations.

Learn More About Glock Options

5 Best AR-10 Options You Can Actually Afford

By
Elwood Shelton
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7

The AR-10 is many things, cheap isn't usually one of them. But we dig up the best AR-10 choices that won't put you in the poorhouse.

Nothing beats the AR-15. Well, almost nothing beats what’s become America’s favorite rifle. Talking long distance and large cartridges, the vastly popular rifle pales, not quite living up to its reputation for utmost versatility.

Sure enough, there are exceptions—there always are. The 6.5 Grendel reaches out and cartridges don’t get much larger than the .450 Bushmaster. Despite these allowances, there’s a more stalwart choice when it comes to hard-hitting, reach-out-and-get-them heavy metal.

In this arena, few long guns hold a candle to the AR-10.

How We Made Our Picks

AR-10s have made a bit of a comeback in recent years, so the market is currently awash with quality models at various price points. For this article, a few of us AR-10 enthusiasts on the Gun Digest team put our heads together, discussed our experiences behind the triggers of many different models and weighed each of their advantages and disadvantages. At the end, based on everything we know about the AR-10, these are the five rifles that we believe provide the best bang for their buck.

Best AR-10 Options For The Buck:

Specs Comparison Of The Best Affordable AR-10s

ModelCaliberBarrel Length (In.)Overall Length (In.)Weight (lbs.)CapacityMuzzle ThreadsSightsMSRP
Ruger SFAR.308 Win.16.1346.8205/8×24None$1,329
PSA Gen3 PA10.308 Win.1836.75~8205/8×24None$1,100
Diamondback DB10.308 Win.1631.138.2205/8×24None$1,146
S&W M&P10 Sport.308 Win.16348205/8×24None$1,249
Springfield Armory Saint Victor.308 Win.1634.57.69205/8×24Flip-up irons$1,497

Ruger SFAR

ruger sfar ar10

Pros

  • Super lightweight
  • Very accurate cold-hammer forged barrel
  • Comes with railed handguard
  • Included brake helps keep recoil managable

Cons

  • Some users report issues with gas block

Specs

Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel Length: 16.1 Inches
Overall Length: 34 Inches
Weight: 6.8 Pounds
Capacity: 20
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Sights: None
MSRP: $1,329
Website: ruger.com

At the top of our list of AR-10s is the Ruger SFAR, a rifle that some purists would probably argue isn't technically an AR-10. That's because SFAR stands for Small-Frame Autoloading Rifle, and it's named that due to the rifle having a receiver that's the same size as a standard AR-15. While it may not use one of the legacy AR-10 receiver patterns, the gun is definitely worth your consideration if you're after an AR chambered for 7.62 NATO.

The main appeal of the SFAR is how light it is. The smaller receiver size allowed for the shedding of a lot of extra weight, and the result is a 7.62 NATO AR that comes in at only 6.8 pounds. That's almost an entire pound less than the next lightest rifle on our list. Whether you're looking to run-and-gun in a competition or stalk game in the mountains, your arms will thank you for choosing an SFAR.

Despite its light weight, the 7.62 Ruger manages to keep recoil light thanks to its Boomer 2-port muzzle brake and adjustable 4-position gas block. Be aware, however, that if the SFAR has one weak spot it's the gas block. The example we shot didn't have any issues, but we've heard of several users having to replace theirs. Besides that, it seems to be perfectly solid. To top it all off, the rifles ship with 15-inch railed M-LOK handguards, Magpul furniture and Ruger Elite 452 2-stage triggers, and all for a reasonable price.

Ruger SFAR Deals

Sportsman's Warehouse$1,075PngItem_4588935
Palmetto State Armory$1,000PngItem_4588935

Palmetto State Armory Gen 3 PA10

PSA GEN3 PA10

Pros

  • Very affordable
  • Ships with PSA's enhanced trigger
  • 18-inch barrel provides improved ballistics

Cons

  • Longer barrel also adds weight and bulk

Specs

Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel Length: 18 Inches
Overall Length: 36.75
Weight: ~8 Pounds
Capacity: 20
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Sights: None
MSRP: $1,100
Website: palmettostatearmory.com

Price alone makes the PA10 one of the best AR-10 choices on the market today. Yet, Palmetto State Armory doesn’t leave shooters out in the cold when it comes to a quality build. Long considered one of the best values in ARs, the gunmaker offers a litany of features plum rare for the price point. Forged receiver, stainless steel heavy barrel, and adjustable gas block (on certain models) are all standard fare on these economical shooters. So is choice.

Beyond simple trigger and handguard upgrades, the PA10 catalog serves up an impressive selection of specialized models. In addition to the stock .308 Winchester PA10, Palmetto State also fields the 6.5 Creedmoor PA65 and lightweight PX10. Up the scale, the rifles run a bit more, but not so much as to prove exclusionary.

Standard across all models is the choice of 18- or 20-inch barrel length and 6-position adjustable buttstock—both PSA and Magpul. Outside of the base PA10 mode, with a polymer handguard, the rifles come with either Keymod or M-LOK compatible free-floated handguards.

Palmetto State Armory Gen 3 PA10 Deals

Palmetto State Armory$850PngItem_4588935

Diamondback DB10

diamondback db10 ar10

Pros

  • Ships with upgraded furniture including M-LOK rail for accessories
  • Second-most affordable model behind PSA

Cons

  • Mil-spec trigger leaves much to be desired

Specs

Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel Length: 16 Inches
Overall Length: 31.13 Inches
Weight: 8.2 Pounds
Capacity: 20
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Sights: None
MSRP: $1,146
Website: diamondbackfirearms.com

Much like Palmetto State, Diamondback earns big marks not only for quality but also options. At the time of writing, the Florida gunmaker has 15 AR-10 rifles and four pistols in its catalog. This includes a choice of .308 Winchester and 6.5 Creedmoor chamberings, favoring the latter in selection. And like PSA, across the board the guns come in at a price nearly any shooter can afford.

Even with a wealth of choice, we think it’s difficult to go wrong with the company’s entry-level DB10CCMLB. A Spartan, if not tidy build, the gun runs reliably and proves agile in practical use. Much of this is thanks to the gun’s 16-inch chrome-moly barrel, a point that might turn off dedicated long-range shooters.

Lightening the .308 Winchester’s load considerably, hunters and others who require a fast-handling hard hitter will find it a boon. The one knock that keeps it from ‘best AR-10’ status, is the mil-spec trigger, which is exactly as it sounds—gritty and creepy.

Never fear, going up the ladder at Diamondback is a painless process and generally worth the extra money. Stainless steel barrels and CMC single-stage triggers are the reward for opening your wallet further.

Diamondback DB10 Deals

Sportsman's Warehouse$960PngItem_4588935
Guns.comStarts At $902PngItem_4588935

Smith & Wesson M&P10 Sport

Best AR-10 1

Pros

  • Excellent build quality and performance from one of the most trusted AR manufacturers
  • Still relatively affordable

Cons

  • Ships with standard M4-style furniture, no provisions for attaching accessories
  • Mil-spec trigger leaves much to be desired

Specs

Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel Length: 16 Inches
Overall Length: 34 Inches
Weight: 8 Pounds
Capacity: 20
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Sights: None
MSRP: $1,249
Website: smith-wesson.com

Savvy gun buyers have been wise to the M&P15 Sport for some time. The M&P10 Sport, not so much or at least it seems that way. Gun shows aren’t exactly bristling with them nor are the review sections of gun magazines. A loss on both counts.

Smith & Wesson knows AR-style rifles, and it shows in arguably one of the best AR-10 options on the market regardless of price. You heard that right. Built like a tank and capable of pin-point accuracy, the .308 Winchester has chops enough to hang with many of the big boys. Well, not the furniture or trigger—but you were going to upgrade those anyway, right?

At once the rifle is unassuming and impressive, more the latter once you see it print. A steady MOA-producing machine, the 16-inch barreled M&P10 is likely all most shooters would ever need out of the brutish end of ARs. If they did, S&W has them covered with a Performance Center 6.5 Creedmoor rendition. Suffice to say, the iteration drifts away from affordable. But for those who put a premium on long-range accuracy still proves a value.

Smith & Wesson M&P10 Sport Deals

Sportsman's Warehouse$1,200PngItem_4588935
Palmetto State Armory$1,230PngItem_4588935

Springfield Armory SAINT Victor

springfield saint victor 308

Pros

  • Ships with muzzle brake, upgraded furniture including M-LOK rail for accessories
  • Excellent trigger
  • Adjustable gas block

Cons

  • At the high end of what we consider affordable

Specs

Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel Length: 16 Inches
Overall Length: 34.5 Inches
Weight: 7.69 Pounds
Capacity: 20
Muzzle Threads: 5/8×24
Sights: Flip-up irons, low-profile, adjustable
MSRP: $1,497
Website: springfield-armory.com

Springfield Armory offers shooters a top-notch selection of AR-style rifles, but its SAINT Victor AR-10 really shines through.

Lightweight, great fit and finish and everything else that goes into making a quality rifle certainly places it among the best in this class of firearms. If there is any nit to pick over the rifle, it’s the price tag. It’s at the upper end of entry-level.

Available exclusively in .308 Winchester, the AR-10 does give shooters plenty of reasons to spend the extra money.

Boasting a 16-inch barrel, the carbine is highly maneuverable if you’re looking for a convenient hunter or a hard-hitting defensive option.

Springfield doesn’t skimp on the furniture, a M-LOK compatible handguard adds appeal. Not only does it free-float the barrel, but also gives you real estate for all your doodads.

However, the trigger is what turns heads. A nickel-boron-coated switch bests most out-of-the-box triggers in other guns. This, generally speaking, is worth the price of admission alone.

Springfield Armory SAINT Victor Deals

Sportsman's Warehouse$1,400PngItem_4588935
Palmetto State Armory$1,440PngItem_4588935

Why An AR-10?

The older and truly bigger brother to the AR-15 in many respects defines semi-automatic rifle power, precision and versatility. Found in some of the most renowned medium-bore cartridges—.308 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem., and many more—the rifle is much more adept at precision and long-range applications. In nearly every chambering, the AR-10 is a legitimate 1,000-yard rifle, if quality built and manned by a shooter of steady nerves.

AR-10-Hist-7
The AR-10 harkens back to the earliest days of the rifle system. Left side view of “Hollywood” AR-10 prototype. Note the gas tube situated on the left of the barrel. Photo: Imgur

Furthermore, the rifle can engage much more substantial targets. Whitetails are the ceiling for the AR-15, while the AR-10 more than happily tangles with the likes of elk and moose.

Range and muscle aside, the best part of the AR-10 is its made a roaring comeback in recent decades. Once an afterthought, the market now bristles with these brute, tailored for every application under the sun. From hunting to home defense and target shooting, there’s a rifle for you.

Helping you weed your way through the suddenly saturated market, we’ve gathered up what we consider five of the best AR-10 options you can actually afford.

Brief Note About Price

Forewarning is merited concerning the affordability of these rifles. It’s relative. AR-10s are much more expensive platforms than AR-15. Less in demand and more proprietary than its little brother, the beasts command top dollar in comparison.

That said, there are opportunities to get into a well-built AR-10.

The ceiling we’re setting for this buyer’s guide is $1,500, which opens the doors to a great many shooters and arms them with a quality rifle. Just keep in mind, power and range come at a premium.

Money to burn? Lucky you. We’ll delve into top-shelf AR-10 options in an upcoming post.

Know Thy AR-10

Despite both emanating from Eugene Stoner’s brain, in their present iterations, the AR-15 and AR-10 share few similarities. Many already know and understand this, but for those that don’t, it’s worth the effort to educate yourself on the particulars of the rifle.

Patterns matter with AR-10s. An upper made for the top receiver won't work with the lower. Neither will many other components. You need to understand what works with what.
Patterns matter with AR-10s. An upper made for the top lower receiver won't work with the bottom lower. Neither will many other components. You need to understand what's compatible with what.

We won’t bog you down here with the minutia, instead point you to several articles we have dealing with just these topics:

The AR-10 is not a mil-spec platform, which means it’s not as simple to modify as the AR-15. Heck, depending on its pattern, it doesn’t play nice with other AR-10s.

Even though we’re dealing with complete rifles here, you might look to upgrade someday or even replace a simple component. Building a knowledge base now saves you headaches later.

AR-10 FAQ

Is The AR-10 Better Than The AR-15?

That's like asking whether a pickup truck is better than a sports car, both are great for different reasons. The AR-10 with its 7.62 NATO cartridge excels at long-range shooting, delivering stopping power and defeating barriers, but it comes at the cost of a heavier rifle, heavier ammo and more recoil. The AR-15, chambered for 5.56 NATO, is much lighter, handier, easier to shoot quickly and uses very light ammo so you can carry a lot more of it, but it can't reach out as far or hit as hard as an AR-10.

What's The Point Of An AR-10?

In today's world, AR-15s chambered for 5.56 NATO is the standard, general-purpose rifle to own. That said, it can't do everything. Whether you find yourself needing to shoot farther in competition, in the field hunting or for any other reason, an AR-10 equipped with a good scope can do a lot that an AR-15 can't.

Why Did The AR-10 Fail?

It's not accurate to say that the AR-10 failed, it merely got overshadowed by the AR-15. While the AR-10 was a revolutionary rifle that incorporated space-age features for its time, the era of the full-power cartridge was waning and the time of the intermediate cartridge was rising. While the AR-10 only initially saw a handful of military contracts with countries like Cuba and Portugal, it eventually found great popularity in the civilian sport shooting/hunting world as well as with military users in the form of rifles like the SR-25.

AR-10 Essentials: Hit the Bullseye Every Time

Armscor STK100 Review: Rock Island Rocks

By
Patrick Sweeney
-
1

There are a lot of Glock-like 9mm pistols out there, but among them, the all-metal Armscor STK100 stands out as something different.

The marketplace is full of 9mm pistols with capacious magazines. So, why Armscor? Why the STK100? Simple: no polymer. The STK100 not only looks like a Glock (let’s just get the “G word” right out there, shall we?), it uses Glock magazines and even has parts interchangeability with Glock pistols.

And why not?

On the subject of magazines alone, there are probably more Glock magazines extant, and made by a whole host of companies, than there are 1911 magazines. And that’s despite the 70-plus years and two World Wars head start the 1911 had.

Armscor-STK-with-holster-1
The STK100 looks at first glance like a G17, but there are major differences. And good ones, at that.

Similar, But Different

So, the STK100 doesn’t use polymer. What does it use, then? Aluminum. And steel. The frame is a pair of aluminum shells. The shells are crafted by milling out 7075 alloy aluminum blocks, and then the two halves are bolted together with six strong fasteners. You can see the screws/bolts holding them. There are two in the grip frame, back where the backstrap would be. There are two across the accessory rail, on the dust cover. And the other two are on the front and rear of the trigger guard.

The interior is steel, a one-piece steel chassis, and you can see that by the serial number poking through the aluminum shell on the right side. This means that the STK100 runs on actual rails, not the four stamped tabs that a Glock uses as bearing surfaces.

Armscor-STK100-left
The STK100 has all the same controls as on a Glock, so if you know how to run one of those, you’re all set here.

But Armscor didn’t simply clone the G17 in aluminum, because what’s the point? First, the grip is machined to be at the 1911 grip angle, not the Glock angle. Those who have spent time with 1911s will find that the Glock doesn’t point the same. Not that we should be indulging in point-shooting, but when you’re trying to groove in your index on the draw, different angles create problems in transitioning from one pistol to another.

Then, they aggressively machine in nonslip textures. The rear of the grip has diagonal and deep grooves to engage the fleshy part of your hand. The sides have checkerboard panels to give your fingertips purchase and the rest of your hand a grabby surface. The frontstrap has horizontal grooves, and the combination makes for an effective setup.

Armscor-STK100-right
The backstrap has diagonal grooves to grip into the fleshy part of your hand and resist recoil movement. They work.

Additionally, when machining the frame halves, Armscor also went and added an extended tang. The stubby little nub of polymer on Glocks doesn’t always do a lot to prevent muzzle lift. There’s just no leverage there for your hand to resist the roll. Well, with the lengthened tang, the STK100 does a much better job. And the greater density of aluminum, compared to polymer, also helps here.

The G17 (which the STK100 is the clone of) is listed as weighing 22 ounces. The STK100 tips the scales (OK, it flexes the torsion bar in my electronic scale) at 28 ounces. Now, 6 ounces may not seem like much, but it’s not in the reciprocating mass of the system, and therefore acts as dead weight to resist inertia. It helps.

Also helping is the slide. The block Glock slide has been improved by Armscor. First, they rounded the edges and corners, so it isn’t so blocky, and that shaves off some weight. Then, they machined clearance slots in the slide, forward of the chamber area, to take more weight out. The top and sides get some cosmetic sculpting, and the front gets some cocking serrations on the widest part. The reduced weight means there’s less reciprocating mass and less to slam to a halt at the rear end of the cycle. With less bottoming-out weight, there’s less impulse to drive the muzzle rise component of recoil. This was noticeable in test-firing.

The sights also get upgrades. The front is the now-standard (for Glocks, anyway) blade set in an oval socket and fastened by a hex-headed screw from underneath. Anyone who has spent any time with Glocks knows that you check this first before shooting your new pistol. The tiny threads (I swear there are something like 60-70 tpi in there) can’t muster a lot of torque to tighten, so Loctite is definitely your friend here. No slam on Armscor, that’s just the design we all have to use.

Armscor-STK-sights
The rear sight is also an optics mounting plate cover. Remove the screws, pry the plate off and you can put a Shield on the slide.

The rear sight is part of a removable plate that permits the installation of a red-dot optic. The plate, when removed, takes the rear sight with it, which to me is a small oversight, as there’s room to have the rear sight stay and still mount a red-dot. The footprint is set up for the Shield sights, and all the other red-dots that use the same screw pattern and base size and shape, which is a lot of them. I would’ve tested the STK100 with a red dot, but every single one of my red-dots of that pattern were already on something else being tested. But I did remove the plate and found the fit to be quite tight, which bodes well for having a red-dot fit and stay in place.

The sample STK100 came with a pair of KCI magazines, which are Glock clones made in Korea. I checked the fit with a fistful of Glock mags (they all fit) and Magpul and ETS mags as well. All fit, and all that were designed to drop free did so when required. I have some crusty old original Glock mags, back before American shooters made it clear they didn’t want “won’t drop” magazines. Those fit and functioned, but they wouldn’t drop free. They never were intended to, so I’m neither surprised nor disappointed.

How’s it Shoot?

Test-firing was … interesting. First up, the weight and its distribution, combined with the grip tang, does a great job of keeping muzzle rise under control. Even with the +P ammo, it wasn’t any big deal to just hammer the various steel plates, falling or otherwise.

STK100-with-magazine
Armscor sculpted the slide to remove weight, make it less bulky and look good. Points on all of those to Armscor. The sample gun came with two KCI made in Korea magazines, holding 17 rounds each. Standard Glock mags work because that was the plan from the start.

The STK100 right out of the box hit to the sights, and the white dot front with plain black rear worked just fine. The grip angle fit me well, but then I’ve done a lot of shooting of 1911s, so we’d expect that. In recoil, the front sight dropped right back down into the notch of the rear, so the nonslip grip texture is doing a good job of combating recoil squirm.

The one drawback, and this is something that may or may not be a problem for you, was the cold. My range days with the STK100 coincided with a cold snap (like 7 degrees overnight) and grabbing an all-aluminum grip when the temps moved up to 20 was … interesting. After a bit of handling and shooting, it warned up, but the first magazine out of the STK100 was informative.

My usual process is to do the chronograph work first, to get velocities and check basic function. Had I done the accuracy work first, the first few groups would’ve been pretty shabby. But by the time I was ready to shoot groups, the STK100 had warmed some, the sun was out and I knew what to expect. Accuracy? Really good.

Armscor-STK-Chrono-table
Accuracy results from four, five-shot groups fired at 25 yards with sandbags as a rest. Velocity derived with a Labradar chronograph, programmed to read velocity 15 feet from the muzzle. Velocity is an average of 10 shots, fired at 20 degrees F.

So, what’s the STK100 for? If you’re looking for a lightweight carry gun, it’s not the one. The extra weight puts it in second place to other pistols. If you want a heavier-than-polymer pistol for competition, again, not the one. You can easily get an all-steel competition pistol for USPSA or IDPA that runs 40 ounces or more.

Armscor-STK-with-holster-2
The frame is machined into a nonslip pattern, and how the pattern runs depends on where on the frame it is.

However, if you use competition as a means of staying in practice with your everyday carry gun, and you’re not necessarily a slave to “it has to be the lightest,” then the STK100 will fill the bill. A great trigger (a function of the stiffer frame assembly) and soft in recoil (weight and the tang) makes it fun to shoot in a match. And the extra ounces, while combating recoil, aren’t going to be noticed in a proper holster. And might I add, once again, if you’re not using a proper holster, you’re doing it wrong.

Disassembly? If you know how to do it to a Glock, you know how to do it to an STK100. If not, the process is easy to find.

Armscor has hit a home run with this one.

STK100-Specs

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2022 CCW special issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More Handgun Reviews:

Fiocchi Announces 5.7x28mm Subsonic Ammo

By
Adam Borisenko
-
0

Owners of suppressed 5.7 firearms can rejoice, as Fiocchi has just announced new 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo for the company’s Range Dynamics line.

A lot of shooters are starting to get interested in 5.7x28mm. With all the new guns coming on the market chambered for the hot little round, it only makes sense. Plenty of these firearms are being offered with threaded muzzles as well, making suppressors an obvious accessory pairing, but what about the ammunition? Thankfully, Fiocchi has just announced the addition of 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo to its Range Dynamics line.

Fiocchi-57

Packaged in 50-round boxes, Fiocchi’s 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo features 62-grain FMJ projectiles with an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,050 FPS. This is compared to the cartridge’s average bullet weight of 40 grains. Fiocchi does not specify the length of the test barrel used to determine the 1,050 FPS muzzle velocity, but hopefully it wasn’t a handgun. If a rifle-length barrel will raise this ammo’s velocity by only about 75 fps more, it will cease to be subsonic. Fiocchi’s press release also mentions the ammo’s use in carbines, however, so this should be a non-issue.

The Range Dynamics 5.7x28mm subsonic ammo is Fiocchi’s third load offered in this caliber, with 35-grain Hyperformance jacketed frangible ammo and Hyperformance 40-grain hollow points being the other two.

The new Fiocchi subsonic 5.7 load is available now, and although an official MSRP is not listed, it appears to currently be retailing for about $55 per box.

For more information, please visit fiocchiusa.com.

More 5.7 Stuff:

Korth Carry Special Review: Revolver Royalty

By
Richard A. Mann
-
4

For those who only trust their lives to the best, here’s a closer look at the 2.75-inch Korth Carry Special.

I was raised on revolvers. As a habit from his moonshining days, Grandpa kept a Smith & Wesson Model 10 close by most of the time; it was the first handgun I ever fired. My cousin either had a Ruger Single Six or Colt Frontier with us on all our adventures. We used them to shoot pop cans and to kill rats and snakes.

Of course, I found autoloaders soon enough, and my hands found a 1911 or a Browning Hi Power more to their liking. Still, when I became a police officer, I was issued a Smith & Wesson Model 686. I used it at the Academy to take top gun, while the rest of my class was shooting Glocks. However, in all my years of handgunning, I’ve never seen a revolver like the Korth Carry Special.

Korth-Carry-Special

The Korth Story

The Korth revolver is made in Lollar, Hesse, Germany. The company was founded in 1954 by former railroad engineer Willi Korth, who had a singular goal: to produce the finest revolver in the world.

Every part of a Korth revolver is machined from billet steel, and they’re fitted with a cold-hammer-forged barrel. The machine work is exquisite; you’ll find no milling marks. The fit is superb; tolerances are held to a minimum, and the cylinder locks up like a bank vault.

Korth-cylinder
The ability to quickly and easily convert the Korth from a .38 Special/.357 Magnum revolver to a 9mm Luger revolver is unique … and practical.

The trigger feels unlike any trigger you’ve every pulled on any gun. Yes, it’s a double-action trigger, but as the trigger progresses through its movement, it sort of feels like you’re dragging your finger through pudding. And in the single-action mode, the trigger is so good it’s like all you need to do is think when you want the gun to go bang.

There are some design elements that are a bit different from conventional revolvers you might be familiar with. The 416R stainless-steel barrel is shrouded with a steel jacket that also forms the extractor-rod shroud. The cylinder gap is so minimal you’ll struggle to slide a piece of paper between it and the barrel. And though the cylinder release is in the usual spot, you push it forward with your thumb as opposed to pulling it to the rear. The revolver isn’t blued; it’s expertly finished in DLC (diamond-like carbon coating), which gives it a business-like appearance.

When I first picked up a Korth, I thought, If Batman carried a revolver, this is the one.

However, what might be the most unique feature of the Korth is how easy is it to change from a .38 Special/.357 Magnum cylinder to a 9mm Luger cylinder. You can switch these cylinders in about 10 seconds without the aid of any tools. Simply open the cylinder and press a button on the right side of the revolver’s frame. This allows the cylinder and crane to slide out. Once one cylinder is removed, you just reverse the process and install the other. With the Korth, you have one revolver that’ll fire three different cartridges.

Korth-Carry-Special-feature-1
A revolver that can fire multiple cartridges is very practical and very versatile.

Korth revolvers are imported into America by Nighthawk Custom out of Berryville, Arkansas. I was first exposed to them during Gunsite Academy’s 40th Anniversary Alumni Shoot, where I helped Nighthawk run one of the shooting stages. The stage required competitors to step up to a table, and on the go signal they had to pick up a Korth revolver and engage some targets.

It was kind of thrilling to watch each shooter’s expression after they fired their six shots. Almost every competitor would turn and remark how amazing the Korth’s trigger was. That was in 2016, and Nighthawk has been importing these amazing German-made revolvers ever since.

Currently, Nighthawk Custom offers 10 models, with prices ranging from $3,699 to $8,999. The new Carry Special is the least expensive version offered.

The Carry Special

The Korth Carry Special is a short-barreled revolver, intended as the name suggests, for personal protection. It has a 2.75-inch barrel and weighs 33.6 ounces. It comes with a .38 Special/.357 Magnum cylinder and a clipless 9mm Luger cylinder—full moon clips aren’t required. It’s also fitted with a slimmed down and contoured rubber Hogue grip.

Korth-in-hand
During the testing of the Korth Carry Special, more than 400 rounds of .38 Special, .357 Magnum and 9mm Luger were fired through it.

The rear sight is shaped more like a rear sight you’d find on a semi-automatic self-defense handgun, but it’s fully adjustable. The front sight is supposed to be a square black blade with a gold bead that’s pinned to a rib that’s integral to the barrel shroud, but more on that later.

One concern with any imported firearm, especially a revolver, is holster availability and compatibility with speed loaders. Though you can for sure find holsters for Korth handguns, or you can have a guy like Rob Leahy at Simply Rugged make you a custom holster.

Korth-holsters
Holsters that fit the S&W 686 revolver, such as these two from Galco, work well with the Korth.

I found that the 2.75-inch Korth Carry Special worked well enough from a Galco Combat Master (Model #CM102B) designed for a 2.5-inch Smith & Wesson 686. If you prefer a thumb snap, the Korth also fits the Galco Silhouette High Ride (Model #SIL104B). As for speed loaders, Korth manufactures their own for the .38 Special/.357 Magnum and 9mm Luger. They, too, are available from Nighthawk Custom ($50).

Range Time

Though I don’t get wrapped around the axle when it comes to testing a defensive handgun from the bench, when you’re dealing with a handgun that costs this much, you want to know what it’ll do. The three-cartridge uniqueness of the Korth Carry Special necessitated the shooting of three different loads: one in 9mm, one in .38 Special and one in .357 Magnum. Obviously, the gun is hindered a bit by its short barrel, but after firing three, five-shot groups with each load from a sandbag rest at 10 yards, the average for all nine groups was only 1.64 inches.

Korth-with-target
Short-barrel handguns don’t lend themselves to precision shooting, but sub-inch groups at 10 yards were common with the Korth Carry Special.

How does that stack up against other common defensive handguns? Well, based on the defensive handguns I’ve tested, that’s better than average for that barrel length. As a comparison, I tested a 3-inch Colt Python with the same .38 Special and .357 Magnum loads, and it averaged 1.75 inches. It’s also more than sufficient for self-defense and should allow you to deliver a shot inside a 4-inch circle out to around 12 or 13 yards—and that’s if you shoot twice as bad off-hand and under stress as you do from a bench rest.

What I think is more important is how well a handgun allows you to perform practical defensive drills. After all, during an encounter where you must shoot to save your life, you’ll not have a bench rest and sandbags. I typically find my best performance on tactical drills with my Wilson Combat EDC X9. I ran both against the Korth Carry Special on three drills fired at distances of 5 and 10 yards. Using the same 9mm ammunition, on average I scored 10 percent better with the semi-auto.

Korth-ammo-table

I also had two other shooters run the same drills with both pistols, and the results were similar. On average, they performed 12 percent better with the Wilson Combat pistol. One obvious reason is that single-action semi-auto pistols can be fired faster than double-action revolvers. The other reason was that the plain black sight on the Korth Carry Special slowed down engagement times on the 10-yard drill. The low-profile matte black sight was just slower to pick up.

Wait a minute. What sight am I talking about? Yeah, good question. As previously mentioned, the Carry Special comes with a bladed front sight that has a gold bead. However, the revolver I was provided for evaluation was one of the early imports, and it was fitted with a plain black, ramped front sight. It worked just fine during accuracy testing, but during fast-paced drills at 10 yards, it was very hard to quickly pick up that plain black sight on the target.

On the other hand, on a three-shot speed drill fired at 5 yards, where we had to make two torso hits and then hit a swinging head plate as fast as possible, there was only a 5 percent difference in scores. The thing is, at this distance, we were just indexing the gun and not using the sights. On that drill where the sights weren’t that important, the only real difference in performance—speed—was working with the double-action revolver trigger as opposed to the single-action trigger on the Wilson Combat semi-automatic.

Korth-gunsite
Rugged, beautiful and reliable, the Korth Carry Special is a revolver you can trust your life with.

Is It Worth The Money?

Well, $3,699 is a lot of money to pay for a handgun—any handgun. However, if you look at the prices of high-end 1911 handguns, there’s not a lot of difference. Most of the custom 1911s sold by Nighthawk retail for more than $4,000. Also, when you compare the Korth Carry Special to other revolvers from Colt or Smith & Wesson, their actions aren’t as smooth, and the triggers aren’t even in the same league. A 3-inch Colt Python will set you back $1,500 … and a comparable 3-inch Smith & Wesson will run you between $900 and $1,300. Is the Korth Carry Special worth more than twice these other revolvers?

Korth-logo
The cylinder latch/release on the Korth revolver must be pushed forward to allow the cylinder to swing out from the frame.

From a save-your-life standpoint, probably not. But the same could be said for most full-custom 1911s. On the other hand, guns aren’t just about self-defense; if they were, everyone would probably just carry a damned old Glock. No, sometimes shooters, just as those who enjoy other sporting endeavors, want the best their money can buy. If that’s you, and if you want what’s arguably the best self-defense revolver available, and if you have $3,699 plus tax lying around, now you know where to spend it.

Nobody needs a Korth revolver. But, then again, nobody needs an $1,800 Honma golf club, a $1,500 Seigler fly reel or a BMW M8 either. If you can afford the BMW, you can damned sure afford the Korth. And, if you show up at the shooting range with both, you’ll be well armed and most likely the coolest guy there, maybe for a long time to come.

I’m not sure how long the BMW will last you, but the Korth comes with a lifetime warranty.

Korth-Carry-Special-specs

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More On Defensive Revolvers:

First Look: Henry Homesteader 9mm Carbine

By
Adam Borisenko
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5

Henry recently unveiled the Henry Homesteader, a 9mm semi-auto carbine that seamlessly blends classic looks with modern utility.

Pistol caliber carbines, or PCCs, have become incredibly popular in recent years. However, the designs have tended to be more tactical in nature. Henry Repefating Arms’ newest PCC, the 9mm Henry Homesteader, gives the concept a fresh look by going back in time instead.

Homesteader-10rd

The Henry Homesteader features a blued steel barrel, an anodized aluminum receiver and an American walnut stock and handguard. Despite its classic style, it functions like any other modern PCC. Semi-automatic, mag-fed and both optics- and suppressor-ready, the Homesteader appears to be capable of keeping up with anything else currently on the market. The receiver is drilled and tapped to accept a Weaver 63B base, and the muzzle is threaded 1/2×28.

Homesteader-9mm-lifestyle

There are three variants of the Henry Homesteader available based on which style of magazine the prospective purchaser would like to use. The base model uses proprietary Henry magazines, and each carbine will ship with one 5-rounder and one 10-rounder. The other two models additionally ship with a magwell adaptor that enables the use of other magazine patterns, either Glock or Sig Sauer/Smith & Wesson M&P. The versions that include a magwell are the same as the base model when the adaptor is not installed, allowing them to use the proprietary Henry mags as well.

Henry-Homesteader-feature-Glock-mag
Henry Homesteader with a Glock magazine well adaptor installed.

The standard Henry Homesteader has an MSRP of $928 and the magwell variants have an MSRP of $958.

For more information, please visit henryusa.com.

More On PCCs:

Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey & Tactical Review: Shotgun Shangri-La

By
Richard A. Mann
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0

Whether you're looking for a 12-gauge shotgun for hunting or home defense , Mossberg has you covered with the 940 Pro Turkey and 940 Pro Tactical.

One of my favorite quotes from classic American literature references shotguns: “… but if there is a law at all, it should be to keep people from the use of smooth-bores. A body never knows where his lead will fly, when he pulls the trigger of one of them uncertain firearms.” These words were spoken by James Fenimore Cooper’s fictional character Natty Bumppo, aka Hawkeye, from the Leatherstocking Tales.

For those who do not completely understand the shotgun, let me educate you: Shotguns throw a pattern of bullets—pellets—and those individual pellets never land in the same place. This causes shotgun shooters to spend hours doing something called “patterning.” This is arguably a waste of time because all they’re really doing is trying to predict the unpredictable.

I learned this at about age 5 when my father first took me squirrel hunting. He gave me a break-action shotgun, and one morning I fired a box of shells at squirrels. On the way back to camp, I asked if I could borrow Grandpa’s pump .22 LR rifle for our next squirrel hunt. I did, and I’ve hardly looked at a shotgun seriously since.

Mossberg-940-tactical-and-turkey
Twins—not identical—but twins nonetheless: Mossberg’s 18.5-inch, 940 Pro Tactical and Turkey, 12-gauge shotguns.

It’s not so much that I don’t like shotguns; I just don’t have a real need for a shotgun. Ironically, during my law enforcement days, I received a lot of tactical shotgun training. And while I think there are some excellent applications for a shotgun in law enforcement and in combat, those days are long behind me. I don’t wing shoot. If I turkey hunt, I do it in West Virginia where I can use anything I want—and for home defense, I feel the carbine is a better option. Moreover, until now, I’ve never seen a shotgun that I really liked.

With all that in mind, maybe you’ll take what I’m about to tell you with more than a grain of salt. I’ve found two shotguns I really like. They just happen to be the same shotgun wearing a different uniform. Now, before I go any further, let me say that this isn’t the common “they sent me a shotgun to test, it’s wonderful, and you should go buy it” kind of article.

This is more of a story of discovery.

Mossberg-shotguns
A father and son with different affections and opinions about shotguns, well-armed with Mossberg’s 940 Pro Tactical (left) and 940 Pro Turkey (right).

How it Happened

It started when my son became afflicted with the disease of turkey hunting. He’s an accomplished videographer, and he and a friend decided they were going to record their passion with a camera and share their exploits on social media. Like with many endeavors, life and work get in the way of grandiose ideas, and my son ended up with so many clients he could barely carve out enough time to just go turkey hunting, much less film it.

At any rate, for their endeavor to have added appeal, they reached out to Mossberg and requested the loan of one of their new 940 Pro Turkey shotguns. When it came in, my son brought it by and unboxed it. I was immediately smitten with its light heft and compactness. Not only that but this shotgun came from the factory with a neat little space carved out of the top of the receiver where a reflex sight could be mounted. This, of course, is a fantastic idea and makes you wonder why it took so long to happen.

Mossberg-940-Pro-Turkey
Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey 18.5-inch.

Shortly after opening day, a friend was visiting from New York. (Yes, I’m friends with some Yankees, if they don’t intend to stay when they come to visit.) My son and his buddy took him turkey hunting, and he used the new Mossberg to whack a big gobbler at about 35 yards. (My son did get that on film.) A few days later, my boy convinced me to go turkey hunting with him, and after way more walking than I thought was necessary, he snuck up on a big 3-year-old tom and shot him in the face with the Mossberg.

Mossberg-940-Pro-Turkey-results

Though I had little interest in turkey hunting with this shotgun, I began to lust for it as a home defense—tactical—weapon. It was, after all, a short, light, semi-automatic that came out of the box ready to go for a reflex sight. Then, I discovered that Mossberg offers a 940 Pro Tactical version of this shotgun. And, unusual for tactical shotguns, it accepts interchangeable choke tubes. I reached out to the media relations representative at Mossberg who knew my disdain for scatterguns and, to their astonishment, requested one to give it a try.

Mossberg-940-Pro-Tactical
Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical.

The Details

Both shotguns feature the unique Mossberg self-draining stock that comes with inserts that’ll allow you to adjust the stock’s length of pull, drop and cast. Both also have the receiver machined to accept any compact reflex sight that matches the J-point footprint. The receivers are also drilled and tapped, and a fiber-optic front sight is standard. The “Pro” designation means both shotguns have an updated, clean-running gas system with corrosion-resistant internal parts. An enlarged and beveled loading port, a quick-empty magazine release button, a cocked indicator, interchangeable chokes, and an oversized operating handle are all standard as well.

940-Pro-red-dot
The factory machined receiver on the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical and Turkey shotguns is precut to fit the Crimson Trace CTS-1550 and CT RAD Pro mini reflex sights.

Now for the differences. Just like the 940 Pro Tactical, the 940 Pro Turkey comes with an 18.5-inch barrel, but a 24-inch barreled version is also available. The 940 Pro Tactical comes in flat black and both 940 Pro Turkey shotguns have a Mossy Oak Greenleaf camo finish. The Turkey models also have a ventilated rib on the barrel and a 4+1 capacity. The 940 Pro Tactical has a 7+1 capacity and a barrel/magazine tube clamp that’s M-Lok compatible.

Mossberg-940-Pro-Turkey-long
Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey 24-inch.

Both have a rear sling swivel stud, and on the Tactical version, the front stud is integral to the barrel clamp. With the Turkey version, the front stud is part of the magazine tube cap. The Tactical version has a larger action release button and weighs 7.5 pounds. The 24-inch Turkey version weighs the same, but the 18.5-inch 940 Pro Turkey is noticeably lighter than both.

Shots Fired

In addition to the turkey slaying my son orchestrated with the 940 Pro Turkey, over the course of several months we’ve shot both shotguns a lot, with a lot of different loads. Everything we’ve fed both shotguns they digested without fail. In addition to testing a wide range of 2¾ and 3-inch loads, we did a lot of that “patterning” with five different choke tubes.

Mossberg-chokes
Both the 940 Pro Tactical and 18.5-inch 940 Pro Turkey shotguns were tested with four Mossberg Accu-Chokes and a Carlson Turkey choke. (Left to right: X-Factor XX Full, Full, Modified, Improved Cylinder and Cylinder Bore. Front: Carlson Long Beard XR choke.)

Since both shotguns had the same length barrel, their performance on target was as identical as two shotguns could be. I’m not one to count pellets; it’s relatively easy to just look at the patterns and make a reasonable conclusion about in the field performance. At 25 yards, Federal’s excellent Home Defense 00-buck load printed a pattern out of the 940 Pro Tactical with the cylinder bore choke that was about fist size. Off-hand, rifled slugs grouped similarly. At that same distance, Federal’s Force X2 00-buck load patterned at about 12 inches.

Mossberg-Tactical-patterns
(Left) Federal’s Home Defense buckshot load delivered a fantastic pattern from the cylinder bore choke tube in the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. (Middle) Because of a different wad, the Federal Force X2 buckshot load doesn’t pattern as tightly as the home defense load. But Force X2 pellets break in half creating twice the damage and limit over penetration. (Right) This three-shot group was fired—offhand—with Federal rifled slugs at a distance of 25 yards out of the 940 Pro Tactical with a cylinder bore choke.

Using a Federal #5 shot load, I tested the Mossberg full, modified and improved cylinder Accu-Choke tubes in the 940 Pro Tactical. At 25 yards, the full choke pattern was about 10 inches in diameter, the modified choke pattern was about 14 inches, and the improved cylinder choke patterned at about 16 inches. Keep in mind, this is all out of an 18.5-inch barrel.

Mossberg-940-Turkey-patterns
(Left) A 2 ¾-inch load of #5 shot fired out of the 940 Pro Tactical with a full choke at 25 yards. (Middle) The Carlson Long Beard XR choke delivered a very dense pattern at 25 yards. This choke also delivered two spring gobblers at around 35 yards. (Right) Mossberg’s X-Factor XX Full choke performed well with Federal’s #7-9 TSS load.

The Mossberg X-Factor XX full-choke tube and a Carlson Long Beard XR choke tube were tested at 25 yards using the 940 Pro Turkey shotgun and #7-9 Federal TSS loads. Both patterns were about 8 inches with good coverage … but with the Carlson choke, the pattern was a bit denser in the center.

The One Shotgun For Everything

Shotguns, just like rifles, can be very specialized. True shotgunners will have a different shotgun for every need they can imagine. I’m not a true shotgunner. My interest in shotguns is much more from the general-purpose angle. If I’m going to have a shotgun, I’m going to have one shotgun that I can use to effectively do the most things with.

Mossberg-940-Pro-aiming

I’ve been at this shooting thing for a long time, and to date, I’ve not seen a better general-purpose shotgun option than the 940 Pro Tactical. It’s best configured for self-defense, but with the interchangeable choke system, you can use it for damn near anything you want. If, on the other hand, you’re interested in what might be the ultimate, lightweight, compact and most versatile turkey shotgun available, the 940 Pro Turkey is the way to go. It seems to be doing its job nicely for my son, and soon you should be able to order the longer barrel and switch between them as needed.

Mossberg-940-specs

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2023 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

More On Shotguns:

Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm Review: Modern Hunting Glass

By
Elwood Shelton
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0

Offering up the tools to make nearly any reasonable shot come in, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm upgrades the modern hunter's game.

Hunters—particularly those from the wide-open Western lands—have gone through an evolution over the past decade or so. Optics and rifles, as affordable as they are accurate, are to thank for some pretty amazing things happening at the fringes of game-getting. The margins, where hunters once reluctantly dared to go, are now commonplace and ethical.

One of the players who has quietly made a name for itself in the rarefied air of precision hunting is Maven Outdoors. Hitting the scene nearly a decade ago, the Lander, Wyo., optics firm has punched a strong and lasting toehold in the specialized niche. Once in your hands and on a rifle, there’s little wonder why. For low- to mid-priced hunting glass, Maven is on target.

Profile Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm on rifle
Applied to an economical, yet accurate Interarms MarkX the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm proved a capable hunting optic.

At least that’s how I walked away from my first hunt with Maven this past fall. On the range and in the sage of Western Colorado, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm SHR-W scope proved an absolute ace on an old deer iron.

Maven Difference

For those unfamiliar with Maven, a slight introduction might be due.

The company is the purveyor of fairly over-engineered optics with a hunting bent. It’s solid glass at a good price—not cheap at the top end, but not out of reach for most hunters.

The company took a different tack to achieve the latter point. Instead of relying on big box stores to peddle their goods, Maven took consumer sales into its own hands with a relatively savvy media blitz and direct sales through its website. With the middlemen cut out, savings ensued.

Stand alone Maven FFP Scope.
Built in Japan with Japanese components, including glass, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm is a high-end option at a relatively affordable price.

For the most part, the company’s wares range from $470 for its fairly new second-focal plane CRS line, up to $1,800 for its premium RS lines of scopes. This hits the mark for a wide swath of shooters and hunters and is sweetened by the ability to customize your scope.

Admittedly, most of the customization features are superficial—adjustment ring color, turret color, etc. But for someone who wants a scope to feel like their own atop an absolute favorite rifle, it’s a nice touch—in many cases free. Along with this, the company offers a wider range of reticles (in your preferred angular measurement) than are typically found.

RS.1 Glass

At the heart of any scope worth its weight in venison is top-end glass. The Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm’s Japanese-manufactured glass does not disappoint in this end.

A large concern in any hunting scope is its light-gathering ability, given most shots are taken in the dim hours of dawn and dusk. A critter made to blend in with its environment becomes a dicey shot without something to ensure a sharp image in a scope. With a 44mm objective and a very generous 43.6mm eyepiece, the scope had the physical dimensions to make images pop when light was scarce. Furthermore, its extra-low dispersion (ED) glass—fully coated—further enhanced the overall quality of the image delivered.

Maven scope objective lens.
At 44mm, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm's objective is at once large enough to present a wide field of vision and gather plenty of light, but not prove burdensome on a hunting rifle.

We could parse the nitty-gritty of chromatic aberration and how ED glass defeats the distortion common to low-quality lenses. Instead, we’ll just point out that to 500 yards—tested at the range—the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm served up an image as crisp and clear as if the target was at 50 yards. This, to boot, in the flat light of a cloudy day.

SHR-W Reticle

Not that duplex reticles have gone the way of the dodo, but hunters have wised-up to the advantage of more elaborate crosshairs. Technology what it is today, why play the holdover guessing game?

In the case of the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm, it comes with two MOA reticle options—the MOA-2 and SHR-W, both etched on the first focal plane. I chose the latter. In addition to 1-MOA hashes for wind adjustment, the reticle also features bullet-drop compensation hashes at 5-, 10- and 20-MOA increments.

SHR-W reticle
Offering the best of both worlds, the SHR-W offers an MOA BDC and windage hashes, but at the same click is very uncluttered.

Overall, this matched up well with the hand-loaded 165-grain Hornady Interlock bullets I shoot out of an old .30-06 Springfield Interarms Mark X, on which I mounted the scope. The load has a muzzle velocity of 2,600 fps, which gave me near-dead-nuts holds at 300, 450 and 700 yards with the BDC.

There are two additional points worth mentioning about the reticle. First, it’s clean as a whistle, presenting an unencumbered view most hunters appreciate. Second, being an FFP reticle, its measurements were functional no matter the magnification. Both made the scope fast and intuitive to use—assets hunters should look for in any equipment.

Turrets

On the pro side of things, the RS.1’s turrets are extremely responsive and control a very precise erector system. Once zeroed, I tested and retested the turret’s tracking out to 500 yards and back again. The scope was right on in adjusting elevation to match the range, which was proof enough it could be dialed in for what I would consider my limit.

The 1/4-MOA per click adjustments were also very tactile and audible, making dialing—at least from the comfort of a benchrest—a piece of cake. In the field, that’s a bit of a different story.

RS. 1 Turrets
The turrets control an excellent erector set with dead-nuts tracking. However, capped–like most hunting scopes–and a bit on the small side, it's a stretch to employ them in more harried hunting circumstances

Presenting an issue—one common to all hunting scopes—are the turret caps.

I’ll dial all day long, given the opportunity, but getting to the turrets in a practical fashion when there is a limited window for a shot is a tall task to say the least. Moreover, the turrets are small enough that with gloved hands they might prove a bit precarious to deal with.

A deal breaker? No. But something to be aware of if you’re absolutely wed to dialing your shots.

Scope Construction

Tube size, particularly when it comes to image production and adjustment range, proves important. At 30mm, the RS.1 2.5-15X44mm offers more than enough for any hunter.

Composed of nicely machined aircraft-grade aluminum, Maven’s scope has a solid feel to match an impeccable finish. Little things, such as very aggressive knurling on the turret caps and magnification ring are also appreciated, making them much easier to manage in the often wet and harried conditions of the field.

Luckily, I didn’t test the scope’s overall wherewithal by banging it off a Poderosa or chunk of granite on my hunt. Had I, I suspect the scope would have shaken it off and continued hunting.

Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm In The Field

This is a scope review, not a hunting story, so I’ll turn my ego aside and keep this brief.

The second mule deer buck I saw in Western Colorado was the one I took. A high-desert hillside over, the loner was pestered by a coyote and while not at a trot, he wanted done with the impertinent canine. Suffice to say, the window was narrow between setting the RS.1’s crosshairs and watching the buck disappear over the knoll.

Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm Magnification Ring
Nice touches, such as aggressive knurling on the magnification ring and a tough exterior finish bumps the Maven scope up a peg verses other options at its price point.

By the reading on my rangefinder, when he settled and the shot came it was just a hair over 300 yards. This was the first BDC hash, which I placed just behind his scapula and struck the sweet spot. There’s little more to say than the scope functioned just as it had at the range—which was on the money.

To confess, I was a bit dissatisfied to start, because I desperately desired to dial in the shot. However, this wore off with time and an appreciation of the entire system Maven presents in the RS.1 took its place.

Hunting is full of wild cards, no two shots the same. A quiet morning might allow a hunter the chance to get to the turrets, make the right number of clicks and put a bullet in the vitals. Other days, with a coyote at a buck’s heels, putting meat in the freezer requires a hold over.

Either way, I walked away with supreme confidence that no matter the opportunity, Maven allows you to take advantage of it.

Parting Shot

Most hunters, even in big country, take their game close in—the average deer, regardless of species, is harvested at no further than 100 yards. In turn, the Maven RS.1 2.5-15X44mm might be overkill for most hunters. Then again…

I saw a ton of West Colorado deer on my hunt, only two were bucks. I might have come home empty handed had my rifle not had a scope I could rely on. Conversely, there’s the case of trophies—mine decidedly was not this. But when one happens around, you want the tools to take him.

With a Maven on top of your rifle, it seems you can be assured you certainly have one.

More Optics Reviews:

The Best Bore Sights: Zeroing Made Easy

By
Sam Hoober
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1

Looking to zero a firearm without expending too much time or ammo? Here are the five best bore sight models to get you on target.

Laser bore sights are a must for getting and maintaining an accurate zero. They enable you to adjust your optic's point of aim to be a lot closer to your gun's point of impact, all without firing a single shot.

You don't want to rely on guesswork, and eschewing the use of a bore sight often results in zeroing one’s pistol, rifle or shotgun to their rotten trigger press. Yes, that's why you're shooting low left. 

So, let's talk about laser bore sights, how to use them, and a few of the best models on the market.

Bore-Sight-feature
An EZshoot in-muzzle style Bore Sight installed on a rifle.

How Do Bore Sighters Work? 

A bore sighter is a laser that goes in the barrel. This projects a red dot out to whatever the maximum range is for the laser, which is typically 25 yards at the most. 

Generally, they come in two varieties: those you put in the chamber, and those you put in the muzzle. 

The chamber variety have a housing that's machined to the shape and dimensions of a specific cartridge, be it 9mm, .45 ACP, .30-06, .223 or anything else. You turn the device on and load it as you would a standard cartridge. 

Chamber-Boresighter-AK
A 7.62×39 bore sight laser partially inserted into the chamber of an AK.

The muzzled variety are basically a laser on a stick. It goes in the barrel, you turn it on, and it projects the dot. The stick will have a threaded end which accepts an adapter for the bore diameter, so after inserting it into the muzzle it will be held securely. 

With either style of bore sight, the laser gives you a projection of the supposed point of impact. You can then calibrate your optic or iron sights to it. 

Wheeler-Bore-Sight-on-gun
A Wheeler Professional Bore Sighter installed on a rifle's muzzle.

How To Zero With A Bore Sight

So, we know that some go in the chamber and other types of bore sights are affixed to the muzzle. What do you do from there? 

That depends, partially on what kind of distance you have to work with, what kind of gun you have and your specific load and caliber. 

You can bore sight outdoors or indoors. Indoors is better so you can get the best visibility, but you may find yourself having to do it outside to achieve greater distance.

Most people have at least one 10-yard linear distance inside their home. Some people may have up to 25 yards of linear distance in their yard. You have to figure out what you have access to. 

It’s a good idea to use a bullseye target of some kind, with a way to hang it and a rest for your gun to hold it as stable as possible. 

Bore sighting a pistol red dot is the easiest, especially for a 10-yard zero. You set up a target at 10 yards, turn on the bore sight and zero the optic to the laser. 

For long guns, it can get a little trickier. 

Ideally, you'd have a 25-yard linear distance available. What you'd do is get a trajectory table with your load, optic height and zero calculated—say a .223 with a 100-yard zero and a 1.93-inch height over bore—and find what the point of impact should be at 25 yards. 

What you want to do is zero your optic to whatever the point of impact should be relative to the point of aim at that known distance. For that load, it would be about 1 inch low. If you don't, then make sure to recalculate the trajectory table for 10-yard increments. That gives you a point of impact about 1.5 inches below point of aim. 

Put a piece of tape or a target pasty at the point of impact for the distance you're zeroing at. Turn on the bore sight and put the dot on the target pasty or piece of tape. Then adjust your reticle until it's in the bullseye above the laser. 

Relatively simple, right? You just calibrate the reticle—or iron sights—at a known distance in reference to a laser, without ammo and without needing to pull a trigger. But does that mean you're good to go? 

No. It does not. 

How Close Does Bore Sighting Get You? 

Bore sighting will get you in the ballpark, but it will never get you 100-percent perfectly zeroed. You will still have to fine-tune your zero with live ammo at the range. 

Here's why. 

Any amount of misalignment is an error of calibration. In shooting, one way we measure deviation from the desired point of impact is in minutes of angle or MOA. 

A 2-MOA error of alignment at 10 yards is 0.2 inches. At 25 yards, the maximum visible range for most bore sights, it’s 0.5 inches. How are you going to be able to tell if you haven't achieved a proper zero at those distances?

CCW Red Dot Pie MOA
This graphic helps visualize how a constant MOA value gets larger the farther the muzzle is from the target. This is why a small misalignment at close range can result in major deviations at distance.

How can you tell if it's the optic not being completely zeroed instead of the ammunition or you pushing the shot? You literally can't. There are too many potential variables to account for, not even including a shooter’s marksmanship skills.

At the distances most people will use and indeed even can use a boresight, you literally cannot tell whether or not you have precisely calibrated your gun and your sighting system. Because the only way to confirm just how close or far your laser zero is to the true point of impact, zeroing must be completed at the range with the ammunition you're going to use in the gun. That said, they can still save you a lot of headache by easily getting your shots on paper before even going to the range.

Which Bore Sight Is Best? 

Which style or brand of bore sight is best depends on your use-case. The average person can get a lot of use out of an inexpensive one, but the professional gunsmith or armorer will likely need to invest a little more. 

Additionally, there's the question of whether you should get the cartridge-style or the in-muzzle kind. 

If you have multiple firearms of just one or two calibers, it would be smart to get the cartridge bore sights for those chamberings. For example, if your guns are only 9mm and .223/5.56mm, that means you only need two devices to service all your guns. 

If you have guns chambered for multiple calibers, a multi-caliber bore sight is your best bet. 

For most people, a bore sight is only going to be an occasional use item. A professional-grade set is not strictly necessary. While there's certainly something to be said for buy-once-cry-once, you don't need to buy Snap-On tools to change your oil a few times per year. 

So…what are the best bore sights to buy? Let's have a look. 

The Top Five Bore Sights 

EZShoot Bore Sight Kit 

EZShoot-boresighter-kit

The EZShoot Bore Sight Kit is a muzzle-end bore sight laser kit. It comes with multiple muzzle attachments for different calibers, from .17 all the way up to .54 caliber. It's powered by a single CR2 battery and has up to 2.5 hours of battery life and a range of 15 to 100 yards.

It's low cost (the red version is often found online for about $20, and the green version a little more) and versatile enough for most casual users to keep a battery of guns properly calibrated. 

Wheeler Professional Boresighter 

Wheeler-Bore-Sight

Some would rather buy once and cry once. The Wheeler Professional uses a rare-earth magnet to securely attach to the muzzle, and a simple switch (on or off) to engage the laser. The aluminum housing is about 1-inch in diameter, large enough for any firearm. 

A simple tool, but ruggedly made for a lifetime of service. The red laser version has an MSRP of about $120, and the green laser’s is about $180. 

MidTen Bore Sight 

MidTen-Bore-Sight

There are several brands that these made-in-China bore sight laser cartridges are whitelabeled as, but MidTen just happens to be one of the most common. These are cartridge-style bore sights, made specifically for the most popular pistol, rifle and shotgun calibers. 

They're powered by onboard batteries (typically AG13) and the laser turns on as soon as you tighten the battery compartment. The red laser is typically visible to 100 yards. You can easily find them online for about $20 per. 

StrongTools BoreSighter 

StrongTools-Boresighter

The StrongTools BoreSighter is similar to the EZShoot kit, but has two principle differences. First, the barrel adapters go up to 12-gauge instead of merely .54-caliber (12-gauge is .85-caliber) and it's powered by CR2 3-volt batteries, which are far easier to deal with than watch batteries. 

Generally you'll find them (or the same product whitelabeled as a different brand) for about $30 to $40, depending on whether you want the red or green laser. 

SiteLite SL-100 Mag Laser 

SLite-Bore-Laser

SiteLite is one of the common brands trusted by professionals for frequent use, and they're found in police and military armories all over the world. The Mag Laser inserts into the muzzle, with adapters and sleeves to fit .17-caliber all the way up to 12-gauge, 

SiteLite lasers connect to software, which you can download from SiteLite's website, to create a unique trajectory table and zero for you. This takes all the guesswork out of the equation and provides the most precise calibration possible. 

The SL-100 is their entry level model and they can generally be found for about $100.

More Information On Sights:

First Look: RIA 5.0 Pistol

By
Adam Borisenko
-
1

Rock Island Armory has recently unveiled the RIA 5.0 pistol, a new American-made 9mm with an interesting combination of features.

Rock Island Armory has mostly been known for its imported handguns, but that may be about to change. At SHOT Show 2023, the company announced its first entirely American-made firearm, the RIA 5.0. It’s a full-size 9mm pistol that combines a few interesting elements from other handgun designs into a single pistol.

RIA-50-feature

Made at Rock Island’s brand-new facility in Cedar City, Utah, the most promising feature of the RIA 5.0 is its soft recoil impulse, and this is achieved through a combination of a few different design choices. Firstly, the pistol features what RIA is calling its patented RVS Recoil System. The company claims it helps reduce recoil by maximizing barrel mass and linear movement. Additionally, the slide rides inside the frame like on a CZ-75, lowering the bore axis and reducing muzzle flip. Finally, the frame is made out of aluminum rather than polymer, providing extra weight to help keep the pistol flat during firing (with a total weight of 2.47 pounds, the RIA 5.0 is pretty beefy).

RIA-50-iron-sights

The pistol’s shootability is further improved by a smooth, 4-pound trigger, a two-piece modular grip for increased control with differently-sized hands and good sights out of the box. The RIA 5.0 ships with a Dawson Precision fiber optic front sight and an LPA adjustable rear sight, and it can also be purchased with a pre-installed C-More RTS II red dot sight. Other notable details worth mentioning include its 17+1 magazine capacity, accessory rail and barrel length of 4.91 inches.

RIA-50-special-edition-red-dot

Martin Tuason, President and CEO of parent company Armscor/Rock Island Armory, said this about the new handgun:

The RIA 5.0 is really an engineering marvel…It’s an extremely shootable sporting pistol with a meticulously engineered trigger system. Best of all, we’re proud to say it’s made entirely in the U.S.A.

The standard RIA 5.0 has an MSRP of $998 and the Special Edition that includes a red dot has an MSRP of $1,298.

For more information, please visit armscor.com.

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