A quick look at Safariland’s new Gravity OWB holster, a lightweight retention holster for everyday carry.
For those with a preference for outside-the-waistband carry, Safariland has just released a new OWB holster called the Gravity. Featuring a streamlined, lightweight design, the Gravity holster was made to offer another comfortable everyday carry option for popular concealed carry pistol models.
The Gravity is a retention holster made from Safarilaminate with a Cordura exterior, and it comes mounted on Safariland’s 568BL injection-molded paddle. The Cordura wrap is also available in 8 different colors and camo patterns. The holster’s tension and carry angle cant are both adjustable and it features Safariland’s 3-hole pattern mount so it can be adapted for other carry methods as well. It can be ordered with an optics cutout and is available for several popular handgun models from Glock, Springfield Armory, Shadow Systems, Taurus, Wilson and Sig Sauer.
Eric Gasvoda, Vice President and General Manager of Duty Gear for Safariland, said this about the new holster:
With the Gravity, we wanted to offer more than just function … This holster delivers the trusted security and comfort our users expect—but with Cordura wrap options, it also allows them to express their own style without sacrificing comfort or performance.
The Safariland Gravity holster is available now in right-hand configuration only and it has an MSRP of $65.
Want to ensure that your EDC knife keeps its edge? Here we check out the DMT Glide-Pro pocket-size knife sharpener.
Knives are hazardous … and dull knives are particularly hazardous because you have to use more force to cut, and that means any error can lead to gashes.
The solution?
DMT, the maker of diamond-sharpening tools, has a pocket-sized sharpener so compact that you might lose it in your gear bag or toolbag: the Glide-Pro.
It has four angled pull-through sharpeners, a carbide and ceramic 20-degree, and a carbide and ceramic 30-degree sharpener. There are medium and coarse flat sharpeners, a carbide plate that lets you free-hand the angle you need, two stones on the bottom and the two ends feature one each of flat-blade and Phillips-head screwdriver.
So, if you have a pistol grip or such that is a tad loose, the Glide-Pro can tighten it for the next job. The flat-blade screwdriver end is also a lanyard loop, so you can keep it attached to the bag it rides in, and it won’t get lost. That could happen, as the Glide-Pro is only a bit over 5 inches long, and 0.5 inch by 1.25 inches in size. Yes, it fits into a pocket.
Now, if you’re resurrecting a dulled edge on a knife or an axe, this clearly isn’t the tool for the job. Oh, you can get it done, but DMT offers much better tools for those tasks. No, the Glide-Pro is the tool you have handy in your toolbag for when you realize the knife, axe or whatever you’re using is getting dull and needs a bit of tuning up.
The Glide-Pro is compact at just over 5 inches long. It’s small and inexpensive enough to keep in your gear bag for when needed.
While DMT makes a whole series of bench-mount and much larger tools, I can see the Glide-Pro being a lot more useful in the workshop. Yes, it’s a “hold with one hand, sharpen with the other” design, but it’s tough enough that you could gently clamp it in a bench vise and then use it to sharpen with.
A word about technique: pull.
You do not sharpen with a setup like this by sawing the knife blade back and forth across the V-gap. Set the cutting edge closest to the handle in the V. Draw it back in one smooth motion. As you do so, listen to the rasp of the cutting. (You can even use a Sharpie to darken the edge, and after the first pull, look at where the ink has been rubbed off.) You can hear the change in tone of the rasp as you cut more steel on each pass. When the tone doesn’t change, you have gotten to an equal edge along the blade.
You can also see sharpness. No, I’m not kidding. If you’re in good light (and have good eyesight), hold the blade point up with the edge pointing directly at you (not the point—the edge). You’ll then be able to see a flat on the edge where it’s dull. Where it’s still sharp (blades get dull where used and are still sharp where less used), you won’t see an edge. As you sharpen the blade, the flat will get shorter and shorter, or narrower and narrower.
The DMT Glide-Pro has multiple angles and options for sharpening up whatever it is you cut with.
To use the Glide-Pro, look at the edge before you start and then after each pull. With a bit of experience, you’ll be able to see the progression and know when it is sharp. None of this licking a thumb and rubbing it across the edge Hollywood nonsense. Use your eyes. Use the Glide-Pro.
And … you can get this for a list price of 18 bucks (and I’ve seen them online for $15). It’s inexpensive enough that when you lose the first one (or one of your buddies heists it), it isn’t a big deal to buy the replacement.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Enjoy military thrillers? Check out this excerpt from Close and Destroy, Gun Digest’s first feature-length fiction novel.
Earlier this year, Gun Digest’s parent publisher Caribou Media, LLC released its debut foray into commercial fiction, penned by former staff editor Tom Marshall. Some of you may know his byline from his Vets Vices column in RECOIL, or from his time as editor of RECOIL OFFGRID, but he’s also been harboring a lifelong passion for military thriller fiction that has manifested in his first full-length novel: Close and Destroy.
Close and Destroy follows the men and women of Windsor Kraft Strategies, a well-heeled private military company combating a thriving insurgency in the (mostly) fictitious failing nation state of Daristan. If the premise sounds ripped-from-the-headlines, that’s because it’s informed directly by Tom’s own experience in Iraq and Afghanistan where he logged 14 separate deployments between the two theaters as both a U.S. Army officer and a private military contractor.
What follows are two separate excerpts from the novel, as well as photos depicting the real-world guns and gear featured throughout. Stay tuned for more detailed coverage of the top-notch kit shown here.
Hilton Pierce
Callsign “Alley Cat” Recce Troop – Windsor Kraft Strategies Tarkent International Airport Tarkent, Daristan 1540 hours, local
Through the darkness, Hilton felt the afternoon sun against his face, bright and brutal. The sour, peaty stench of unwashed people—punctuated by the sweet chemical tinge of burnt explosives—filled the front of his skull. It wasn’t until someone stepped on his ankle that his eyes snapped open in a bolt of pain. That’s when he realized his ears were ringing—again—and the world was sideways. All he could see were smears of pasty gray muck and brown, sandal-clad feet.
Still in the fetal position, Hilton’s hands clawed for the hem of his button-down, plaid shirt. In a motion rehearsed thousands of times over the last decade, his left hand hiked the shirt up as his right snatched a Staccato HD pistol out of the holster tucked into his jeans just behind the zipper. A chorus of screams and the intermittent popping of AK-47 fire overtook the ringing in his ears.
Close and Destroy follows the men and women of Windsor Kraft Strategies, a well-heeled private military company combating a thriving insurgency in the (mostly) fictitious failing nation state of Daristan.
Holding the pistol tight to his chest, Hilton rolled to all fours, then reared back on his heels before clamoring to his feet in a low crouch. He craned his head to look over one shoulder. Behind him was the airport’s pedestrian gate—an earthen wall interrupted by chain-link fence, shielded by a line of American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne. A herd of Daristani civilians crashed against their riot line like waves on the shore. Already desperate to flee their collapsing country, the explosion in the crowd rocked them forward en masse against the group of young soldiers. On the walls above them, more paratroopers huddled behind their M4 carbines and M240 machine guns. Some fired short strings over top of the crowd while others swept their muzzles frantically back and forth, unable to shoot without killing innocents.
Hilton’s head whipped forward, following the gunfire. At the back edge of the crowd was a shallow, scorched crater where the suicide bomber had detonated. A macabre confetti of blood and viscera scattered around the charred cement. Further back, across the street, a squad of black-clad insurgents with AKs fired wildly toward the gate.
Hilton pushed his way through the crowd, stepping over fallen bodies shot or trampled in the panic. Once he was on the edge of the chaos, Hilton leveled the Staccato, placing its red-dot sight over an insurgent fumbling to reload his AK. He let out a slow breath and pressed the trigger four times in a row. Just as the insurgent started to collapse, someone burst out of the crowd and grabbed Hilton’s pistol, wrenching it out of his grip. As Hilton scrambled to put space between them, the man raised a large screwdriver, its slotted head sharpened to a crude point. Hilton shoved the man away from him and backpedaled, hands digging under his shirt once more. The man regained his balance and charged Hilton with the screwdriver, but Hilton’s hand came back up with a double-edged Contingency dagger just as the two collided like linebackers. Hilton went down on his back, and the insurgent plunged the screwdriver down into his chest. The point of the screwdriver skipped off the front plate of Hilton’s body armor—hidden under his shirt—and sank an inch deep into the edge of his pectoral muscle.
Hilton rolled into the stab wound, then back the other way, burying his knife deep into the man’s armpit in a backhanded stabbing motion. The angled point of Hilton’s dagger severed the man’s brachial artery. Hilton pulled the knife out and stabbed again, this time slamming his blade into the side of the man’s neck. Instinctively, the man grabbed Hilton’s forearm with both hands and pushed the blade out. A pulse of bright, red blood sprayed across Hilton’s face as the man collapsed on top of him, gurgling and wheezing frantically as blood from the severed vessels poured into his lungs. Hilton bear-hugged the man and rolled them both over.
Now on top of his attacker, Hilton stabbed him directly through one eye, dropping his full bodyweight onto the pommel of the knife. The man let out a feral wet scream. Hilton heaved downward again, using his armor plate to hammer the knife through the man’s orbital socket. The scream stopped short, like shutting off a light switch.
Hilton leaned back, placed a knee on the man’s chest, and pried the knife free. He sheathed the blade on his belt and climbed off the corpse, scrabbling around on all fours to find his handgun as more bullets snapped overhead …
Jimmy Tooms
Callsign “Jameson” Combat Advisory Troop – Windsor Kraft Strategies Hafiza, Daristan (350KM west of Tarkent) 0618 hours, local
Jimmy chugged half the lukewarm water bottle, then poured the rest over his head, blowing out a long breath as the water cascaded over his nose and mouth. Tossing the bottle into the dirt behind him, he picked up the garden hose draped over the Hilux’s tailgate. He squeezed the pistol grip in a quick double-tap to test water pressure. Then, he put one foot on the truck’s back tire and hoisted himself over the sidewall into the truck bed. He squatted down on his heels and started spraying.
Swirling eddies of water, the color and consistency of grapefruit juice, sluiced back and forth across the truck bed, and the tops of Jimmy’s boots. He angled the hose nozzle, using water pressure to push bits of flesh and fragments of bone off the tailgate, onto the dirt behind the truck. Several skull fragments still had hair stuck to them.
Four dead, out of his 15-man team of Daristani commandos. The locals called them Owls, because they were cunning, moved quietly and hunted at night. Also, the night-vision goggles they wore gave them the appearance of unnaturally large, owl-like eyes. It didn’t sound as fearsome as other indigenous guerrilla units he’d worked with in the past—who always wanted to name themselves after tigers or panthers or some other big cat. But he liked it.
Jimmy wagged the hose nozzle back and forth, using the water jet like a push broom to sweep human remains out of the truck bed. When the water in the bed finally dripped clear, he hopped off the truck, slammed the tailgate closed, and used the same wagging motion to rinse a trail of bloody handprints off the tailgate itself, as well as off the rear quarter panels and cab doors.
The trail of prints told a very clear story; a gaggle of men—bleeding and fleeing—ripping open the doors or pulling themselves over the quarters, seeking shelter from hundreds of incoming AK and PKM rounds. One side of the truck had a torso-width smear of blood where two of the survivors had pulled their comrade’s corpse into the truck bed before speeding off. It was the only body of four recovered off the objective. Jimmy wouldn’t be able to wash off the multiple strings of bullet holes, but those were far less shocking to the psyche than the dozens of smeared bloody handprints.
“Hey brother, I’ll give you a hand with that.”
Jimmy turned around to Ben Gordon, callsign “Flash.” Ben was a former SARC—Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman—who ran another 15-man Owl team alongside Jimmy the night before. He dressed identically to Jimmy: 5.11 combat pants and matching shirt, drop-leg holster slung off one hip. Streaks of dried blood, now the color of bricks, ran down both of Ben’s sleeves and one whole pant leg. As a former recon medic, he’d spent most of the night performing first aid on wounded Owls. He’d only lost one, but nine of his 15 had been shot over the course of the two-hour firefight with Al Badari’s insurgents.
Jimmy shook his head, shrugging off the help. “I got it,” he said.
One corner of Ben’s mouth turned up. He understood the reluctance. But he persisted. “C’mon, Jameson. You don’t clean up your own dead.”
Jimmy turned back to the truck and started spraying again. Ben put a hand on his shoulder. Jimmy tensed for a moment but stopped spraying. He looked over his shoulder at Ben. “I don’t need a hug, doc.”
“Good, ’cause I’m out of those. What I do have is empty mags. You pull ammo out of the connex, I’ll finish cleaning the trucks.”
“I know what you’re doing,” Jimmy said.
“While you’re at it, we need 40 mike-mike, flash-bangs, and two thermite grenades. I tossed both of mine in the police station.”
“On it,” Jimmy said, holding out the hose. Ben took it, and Jimmy walked away to the half-dozen shipping containers full of ordnance a hundred meters behind them.
Al Badari’s forces had overrun the Hafiza regional police precinct. Ben and Jimmy, with their Owl commando teams, had helped local police officers repel the initial assault. But Al Badari returned with a larger wave of attackers, this time using trucks, RPGs, recoilless rifles and one mortar. When it became clear they couldn’t hold the ground, Ben set the precinct on fire with incendiary grenades and left the compound burning behind them as they broke contact.
When Jimmy was out of sight, Ben looked over the truck, front to back. Under the rear bumper was a mud puddle, mired with thick strings of red runoff and ivory-colored flecks. Ben clenched his teeth and punched the side of the Hilux hard enough to dent the door panel. After two deep, sucking breaths, he wiggled his fingers to check for broken bones. Then, he went back to spraying …
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Springfield Armory just launched the Kuna, a roller-delayed 9mm PDW built for fast handling and rock-solid performance. Named after Croatia’s fierce pine marten, this pint-sized powerhouse features a rugged monolithic aluminum upper, a fixed 6-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel and fully ambidextrous controls. The roller-delayed system cuts recoil and muzzle rise for smooth, flat shooting. Add translucent 30-round mags, flip-up hybrid sights and AR-style ergonomics, and you’ve got a seriously capable personal defense tool. Available with a Pic rail end plate or with a Strike Industries folding brace. Compact, smartly built and ready for anything—the Kuna delivers. MSRP: Starting at $999
Caldwell Velociradar
The Caldwell Velociradar is a feature-packed chronograph that’s built like a tank and smart as a whip. Designed for shooters who dabble in everything from rifle to archery, this full-figured unit skips the fragile touchscreens for big, glove-friendly buttons—perfect for cold-weather range days. It uses Chirp Radar tech to calculate DOPE charts from a single shot and syncs with a slick, glitch-free app to track profiles and sessions. While slug and pellet readings can be finicky, its rifle performance shines. The Velociradar is a worthy tool for serious shooters who want reliable data and versatile functionality. MSRP: $550
Defiance Deviant CRF Action
Defiance Machine just dropped its new Deviant Controlled Round Feed (CRF) action—a modern take on the time-tested Mauser-style design. Beloved by dangerous game hunters, CRF actions maintain control of the cartridge from mag to chamber, reducing feeding errors and preventing double feeds. Unlike legacy CRFs, the Deviant CRF is single-load safe, letting the extractor snap over the rim without damage. It also features a Winchester-style three-position safety. Offered in short, medium and long actions with standard or magnum bolt faces, the Defiance CRF is certain to be on target for a certain segment of shooters. MSRP: $2,995
CCI Uppercut .22 WMR 40-grain
CCI just upped the rimfire self-defense game with its all-new Uppercut 22 WMR. Loaded with a 40-grain jacketed hollow-point featuring precision nose skiving, this round delivers consistent, reliable expansion and the penetration needed to stop threats. It’s the first defensive rimfire load in CCI’s history—yet it performs like a veteran. From revolvers to semi-autos, Uppercut performs across platforms with the accuracy and ignition reliability CCI is known for. Whether you’re carrying for personal protection or building a backup kit, Uppercut 22 WMR brings serious punch to the rimfire world. MSRP: $25.99 per box of 50
Heckler & Koch G36 .22LR
Heckler & Koch just dropped a rimfire twist on a modern military classic—the HK G36 .22LR. Built-in collaboration with Umarex, this scaled-down version of the iconic German service rifle is ideal for low-cost training or just pure plinking fun. With an 18.125-inch barrel, skeletonized folding stock and ambidextrous controls, it’s got the looks and feel of the original … but it shoots the affordable .22 LR. Choose between 10- or 20-round mags and start customizing—the G36 .22 is compatible with existing G36 accessories. Expect smooth shooting, full function and a whole lot of range-day grins. MSRP: $679
Hornady 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer
Hornady’s new 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer is a game-changer for high-volume reloaders. With its 2,000-plus-rpm motor, this bench beast trims, chamfers and deburrs in a single, seamless step—saving time without skimping on precision. It handles cases from 22- to .0-caliber and lengths from 1.450 inches to 3.5 inches, with micro-adjustments down to 0.001 inch for dead-on accuracy. Built-in carbide blades and a click-adjustable dial ensure every piece of brass is consistent and clean. Quiet, powerful and ergonomic, this is the tool reloaders have been waiting for. Fast brass prep just got way more precise. MSRP: $775
JK Armament 155 RPX .30CAL
JK Armament’s new 155 RPX .30CAL might just be the most versatile suppressor on the market. This featherweight, mission-configurable can is built for everything from 9mm pistols to .300 Win. Mag.—with just a quick endcap swap. Featuring a Grade 5 titanium blast baffle and seven modular aluminum baffles, it’s tough enough for full-auto and light enough for hunting. The .36-cal bore and HUB threading mean it fits your entire arsenal, and it runs whisper-quiet on both rifles and pistols. Oh, and it’s backed by an unlimited lifetime warranty. What’s not to like? MSRP: $849
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
How do self-loading rifles function? There are different ways, but here I break down the major types of rifle gas systems.
It’s fair to assume that most shooters have at least a general understanding of how their guns work on a technical level. The ins and outs of specific designs can be a fairly specialized knowledge set, but I’d wager that most people using common semi-autos know they are, in large part, gas operated.
However, there is quite a bit of nuance that we’re going to dive into here talking about the various gas systems and how they work, especially with suppressors and how things like gas flow and bleed-offs work. This is a technical topic, but I’ll spare the jargon and try to relay as much of this as possible in layman’s terms so everyone ends on the same page.
Gas System Types
For what we’re talking about here, we’re going to be discounting such rifles as bolt actions and anything manually operated. There are, of course, ways that gas interacts with these guns and suppressors, but those are their own topic. Specifically, we’re going to look at direct gas and piston-operated rifles, each with its own problems and advantages.
A PWS gas system against a standard direct gas carrier. In this case, the DI carrier by SA has interior chrome lining and is far and above easier to keep clean … with all the gas being blowing directly into it.
The baseline situation with these guns is that the rifle operates using a port in the barrel that acts as an avenue for gas pressure to be directed. If you are new to this topic, yes, there is in fact a hole in the barrel that is drilled through into the bore itself. This hole is typically called the gas port. A gas block is mounted to this—a fixture that is the interaction point between the barrel and whatever gas system is in use. The shape and style of the gas block varies depending on what is being asked of it, but for our purposes we’re going to look at it as a very important piece of this equation.
These two Ballistic Advantage barrels demonstrate different gas port locations. Depending on your cartridge and barrel length, you’ll want to pay attention to this.
Before we go too far into gas blocks, we need to look at operating systems. At a point, their function is well-established, and I’ll only go into a brief discussion on their designs to save space here. The two basic forms mentioned above are both in common use, with direct gas being the more common today in the AR platform.
Direct-gas guns take the gas pressure from the firing cycle and vent it through the gas block into a thin metal tube, of course called a gas tube. This little tube takes the gas pressure built up in it and blasts it directly into the gas key, a hollow structure atop the bolt carrier group. This gas pressure forces the bolt carrier group rearward, thus unlocking the bolt, ejecting the spent cartridge, and then, by spring power, travels forward to strip a fresh round off the magazine, thus starting the cycle again.
The downside of this otherwise reliable method of gas operation is that it is, comparatively, very dirty. When firing suppressed, the average AR becomes a mess very quickly. I have been firing all my AR rifles suppressed now for years, and fouling in the guns is about 10 times worse than firing unsuppressed. Your mileage may vary … but be prepared to do a lot of cleaning. I’m not above just blasting out an AR with a hose and Dawn soap in the backyard.
Piston rifles, by design, are much cleaner in operation. There are endless debates about the reliability of piston guns over direct-gas guns. But the jury is permanently out, as the entire world uses variations of both systems with many nations, including our own, using both in various capacities.
Piston rifles vary a lot in terms of design; some use a fixed piston, such as the AK series rifles, and others have a push rod system where the bolt group is separate from the piston. A rod in the gas tube will push the carrier back. Some argue this is better from the standpoint of maintenance and reduced bolt carrier mass for softer cycling, but again, the jury is out.
There are too many successful designs out there that use fixed pistons or push rods, and all of them are pretty good … just different. In either case, the vented gas is used to actuate the piston in what amounts to a closed system, thus keeping propellant gas out of the receiver. Wisdom says that this is more ideal for suppressor use in that it keeps the interior of the gun very clean. In my personal experience, I have found this to be largely true and have come to enjoy the lack of cleaning piston guns offer.
Staying In Tune
The commonality among these systems, aside from being gas operated, is how we can alter the flow of this gas to change the internal pressure in the gun. It works in largely the same way regardless of a rifle being direct gas or piston.
That said, piston guns are somewhat less flexible in how they interact with the gas cycle. While not the rule entirely, rare is a single piston system that’s as modular as the direct gas system on the AR platform. Most piston guns are designed to work only as their set specs allow and are often from a single manufacturer.
The Brownells BRN180 is in its third generation; it’s a very reliable design.
For instance, the BRN 180 is a piston gun, and so is the FN SCAR. They are in no way compatible, and there isn’t anything that can be done on a real level to affect the way these guns work in terms of reliable cycling. You pretty much get what you get; you can regulate the system by reducing the amount of gas … and therefore pressure in the system.
The AR series is quite the opposite. There are many distinct gas system lengths that are quite modular, and you can select the type of gas system you need for your individual build. The shorter the gas system, the higher the initial operating pressure. This is why many shorty builds feel snappy compared to a 20-inch barrel with a rifle-length gas system, a combination most regard as very smooth and easy to shoot.
The AR can also be adjusted by using a lightweight bolt carrier and various weights of buffer to achieve the desired balance in the gun. Depending on the cartridge you’re using, you will want to pick a gas system based on what kind of pressure it uses, such as .300 Blackout, which is best with a very short gas system due to its sometimes very minimal powder charges in subsonic form. It often won’t generate enough pressure to cycle the action without a suppressor to help.
A problem that can exist in some cases is over-gassing, especially with suppressor use. What we don’t want is to take a rifle that has a gas system regulated for unsuppressed use and then create a situation where the gun is beating the hell out of itself. Bleeding off gas is the way to solve this, and in some cases with more modular platforms like the AR, you can select different internal parts to help slow the bolt travel, making it less violent.
While most guns won’t be horribly damaged by over-gassing, it isn’t a great idea and can pretty easily result in parts wearing out quickly. Now, of note if you are using a suppressor, this means that in some cases your rifle will need the suppressor installed to cycle properly. Ideally, your adjusted gas system will kick all your brass out nicely in the same spot. A symptom of over-gassing is erratic brass ejection. When I tune my gas systems, I can expect the rifle to be very gentle in the firing cycle and drop brass consistently in the same area.
It’s surprising how little gas you need to cycle a suppressed semi-auto. Some of my rifles will still cycle unsuppressed, but ejections are weak, and the bolt may not lock back. Many rifles have a factory installed gas selector that lets you switch essentially between “suppressed” and “unsuppressed.” In reality, this is a basic gas bleed-off that keeps it simple for the causal shooter.
The PWS rifle and BRN180 both have factory-standard adjustable gas systems.
If you are a dedicated suppressor shooter, you’ll want a more finely adjustable gas block that allows you to really dial in your pressure curve inside the gun for best handling and therefore function. A suppressed semi-auto rifle with a properly adjusted gas system should feel smooth and run like a sewing machine with no “thumping” as the bolt moves. In calibers like 5.56 NATO, you can work this to make your rifle have virtually no felt recoil, sometimes to the point of it not moving at all. This is especially great when hunting smaller game at longer ranges and with thermal optics.
Tuning gas systems on unsuppressed rifles can offer a number of benefits—not so much on direct gas rifles, but on piston guns especially. Many piston rifles are almost over-gassed from the factory and could do for a calming down. Military-based piston rifles are known to cycle hard and for good reason, they are often asked to work with whatever 5.56 or 7.62 NATO is laying around, and it’s better to err on the side of function.
The M14 rifle is one that strongly benefits from an adjustable gas plug (note that the M14 has a separate screw-in plug that caps off its gas system), and it can be regulated to be very smooth, especially for match shooting. On these types of rifles, you can really extend the life of parts by smoothing out the system pressure. In the M14 especially, which can be an extremely accurate rifle in defiance of many known accuracy trends, a smoother cycling action just makes it that much more able to compete and shoot with.
Detail of the M14 gas system. Note the “push rod” is extended rearward.
My own M14 is a Fulton Armory rifle. They recently sent me their brand-new muzzle thread adapter and an adjustable gas plug to allow suppressed use with the rifle, itself featured in many of my Gun Digest topics. When I started to use the rifle suppressed, I was immediately impressed with the difference the upgrades made. The M14 is already soft-recoiling for a .308/7.62 rifle, but with the suppressor and FA adjustable plug, it was easy to get it down to nearly unnoticeable levels of recoil. Having shot CMP sports for most of my life locally and at Camp Perry, I can’t imagine a better match-shooting machine than this.
Notable Aftermarket Gas System Parts
I have a lot of miles on the suppressed SCAR system. The SCAR has a reputation for being hard on optics, and a good amount of this lore comes from the early days it was in use. A cursory internet search shows hundreds of forum posts about SCAR owners breaking scopes. The SCAR 20S that has appeared on these pages boasts a small but necessary part—an adjustable gas plug called the SCARburator from Mototech Engineering. This little part absolutely changes the SCAR for the better and is arguably a must for shooting the SCAR suppressed.
The SCARburator adjustable plug is visible inside the window above the handguard. Rail system by KDG, night vision clip-on by Armasight.
The SCAR is a very modular platform but isn’t widely owned by comparison to the AR-15 and AR-10 class rifles. I really like it in general … if I can adapt the lower for SR25 mags in .308. This single part is a must for any SCAR owner in my opinion, on the merit of how these guns handle their gas pressure. While not exactly cheap at $149, these aren’t cheap guns anyway. Just get one.
Superlative Arms might be the biggest player on the block when it comes to blocks … of the gas variety. When I get guns from the factory, I typically don’t mess with them much, but most guns you see in my photography on these pages I put together myself. I not only build them for photos, but I really do also use them in the field. Range use only does so much, and I believe in only featuring parts and guns that I would personally trust if I was in adverse conditions.
Superlative gas blocks are very easy to use and install, and they come in a variety of finishes. All my direct-gas guns, aside from historical and military builds, have them installed. They operate simply and have a “click” adjustable plug that allows you to repeatably tune your gas system. When bottomed out, the gas is off, and basically you’d have a straight-pull bolt action.
I typically bottom them out as a starting point, and then I open it five clicks to start. You can go one at a time, but in my use of these blocks, five is the minimum to cycle with a rifle-length gas tube and suppressor.
Of note is that Superlative also makes some very smart parts. Their bolt carrier has an internal chrome lining, which is incredible for suppressed use. I hate cleaning my bolt carriers, but it’s a must for good operation, and the fact that they hard chromed the inside of it makes my work so much faster and easier. It’s honestly a great feature across the board that I don’t know why it isn’t standard.
Gassed Out
As we march forward in terms of technology and knowledge in our industry, the pioneers will always be somewhat alone on the frontier … waiting for the rest to catch up. We are in a good place now when it comes to our understanding of gas-operated rifles, but the future will undoubtedly hold a much higher degree of standardization for use to perfect and then continue to expand upon.
The products in this article are decidedly aftermarket and will need to be worked on by you, the home builder. The sheer number of products out there, combined with the endless variety of suppressors and ammunition types, makes it so that this discussion is somewhat personal and truly up to you for the time being. Your mileage will vary depending on your chosen end use, but if you are in the business of playing with suppressors and getting your rifles cycling smooth, you need the ability to alter your gas flow—that much is certain.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
We take a quick look at .450 Marlin, a big and nasty capable performer for any task.
Hornady and Marlin announced the .450 Marlin at the 2000 SHOT Show. This was the first new chambering from Marlin since the introduction of the .444 Marlin, in mid-1964. The motivation for this cartridge is simple: Handloaders had been souping up .45-70 loads for use in Marlin’s modern 1895 since the day that gun was introduced. Owing to the many weaker .45-70 rifles still in use, Marlin could not condone this practice, nor could the company stop it.
Some have asked why Marlin didn’t simply lengthen the .45-70 case and standardize a new higher-pressure cartridge. That alternative wasn’t tenable, because such a cartridge would have chambered in older (potentially weaker) rifles designed for the .45-90, .45-110, etc.
General Comments
When one considers a simple approach that could have been taken, this cartridge design is a poor, second-best choice for chambering in the M-1895 Marlin. The simple adoption of an Ackley Improved version of the .45-70 would have provided a superior case design with a cartridge that would function better through the Marlin rifle and would not chamber in any older factory firearm.
In any case, the .450 Marlin offers lever-action fans a factory chambering with significant ballistic potential. Shooters in this country have a long history of fascination with large-bore lever-action rifles. Except for caliber, Marlin’s cartridge recalls Winchester’s circa-1903 .50-110 Winchester High Velocity load, which originated for the same reason; muzzle energy is essentially identical. This cartridge and rifle make a fine and versatile combination for those who hunt dangerous game under the worst possible conditions.
Given correct bullet choice and shot placement, this is a capable performer for any task.
Interestingly, Lewis Potter, proprietor of Potter & Walker (Evasham, Worcestershire, UK), reports that, around the time the .450 Marlin was being introduced, he—quite coincidentally—successfully shortened and reformed .375 H&H Magnum cases to something quite similar to the new Marlin number, for use in a client’s modified Ruger No. 1. Potter’s wildcat, the performance of which fell somewhere between that of a high-end .45-70 and the .450 Marlin, was playfully christened the .45-70 Nitro Express.
Springfield Armory has just released the Model 2020 Heatseeker, a compact chassis rifle with AR modularity and bolt-action precision.
Springfield Armory’s latest addition to its Model 2020 line is the Heatseeker. Unlike previous Model 2020 rifles, the Heatseeker is chassis-based and more of a tactical or competition gun than a traditional hunting rifle.
At its core, the Heatseeker features the same Model 2020 action as its cousins. It comes sporting a Coyote Brown Cerakote finish and is available in 6.5 Creedmoor .308 Winchester. Where it differs is its Sharps Bros. chassis. Made of a single piece of high-strength 6061-T6 aluminum, it features plenty of M-LOK slots and QD cups on its forend for accessories and the action housing can accept AR-15 buffer tubes/stocks and AR-pattern pistol grips. The rifles ship with a B5 Systems CPS stock and a B5 Systems P-Grip 23 grip. The Heatseeker also uses AICS-pattern magazines (ships with one 5-round mag) and has a threaded barrel (thread protector included).
The Heatseeker also comes with a .75-MOA accuracy guarantee (for a three-shot group at 100 yards with quality match-grade factory ammunition, in the hands of a skilled shooter), no doubt partly due to its free-floated 16-inch BSF barrel jacketed in a roll-wrapped carbon fiber sleeve and its adjustable TriggerTech Field Trigger.
Steve Kramer, Vice President of Marketing for Springfield Armory, said this about the new rifle:
The Model 2020 line of bolt-action rifles has established a solid reputation for uncompromising performance and quality … This new Model 2020 Heatseeker adds a new dimension to the line, one that is as equally at home in the field as it is on the range.
The Model 2020 Heatseeker is available now, ships with a rifle case and has an MSRP of $2,355.
Not every design ends up being successful. Here we discuss dead or dying cartridges of the modern era.
A little more than a decade ago, I edited Gun Digest’s 13th Edition of Cartridges of the World. If you’re unfamiliar with that book, it’s essentially an encyclopedia of metallic cartridges. I’m not sure how many cartridges the latest volume covers, but the 13th Edition contained the history and specifics for more than 800. Some of those cartridges were, by at least some measure, failures.
In one way or another, these five handgun cartridges are failures, too. (Left to right: .32 H&R Magnum, .45 Super, .356 TSW, .45 GAP and .30 Super Carry.)
What makes a metallic cartridge a failure? It could be because shooters failed to grasp the cartridge’s intended application, or it could be that the manufacturer failed to effectively convey that message. Sometimes manufacturers fail to divine what the shooting public really wants, or they gambled on past successes with a similar cartridge. On occasion, a cartridge might be too much of a good thing or possibly competitive rules change and neutralize an edge a new cartridge might have had. There are a lot of reasons for a cartridge to be a commercial failure, but that alone does not mean they are a ballistic failure.
Many rifle cartridges have failed to gain mainstream acceptance, and here are five that failed to make the cut.
Here’s a look at 10 cartridges that, for various reasons, failed to become popular. It does not mean these are bad cartridges, so if your favorite is on the list, don’t waste your time sending hate mail. The truth is that all these cartridges are very good at their intended purpose; it’s just that most folks could care less.
.307 Winchester
Even though the .307 Winchester essentially duplicates the original ballistics of the .30-06 from a traditional lever-action rifle, it failed to catch on.
The .307 Winchester is just a .308 Winchester with a rim to better work in Winchester’s 1894 lever-action rifle. Winchester created a special Angle Eject version of their 94 to house the .307, and with it you could mount a riflescope directly over the action. I bought the first one I saw, hunted with it and handloaded for it. The .307 will push a 150-grain bullet to 2,700 equaling the ballistics of the original 30-06 Springfield load. The problem was that as good as these ballistics are, they were still from a traditional lever-action rifle. Most of what everyone wants to do with a traditional lever-action rifle, you can do with the 30-30 Winchester.
Year of Introduction: 1982
Reason for Failure: Ballistically outperformed the practical application of the rifle Winchester created it for.
.45 Super
The .45 Super pistol cartridge might have just been too much of a good thing.
Gun World magazine editor Dean Grennell developed the .45 Super as a more powerful version of the .45 Auto. Because it’s loaded to a maximum pressure that’s 5,000 psi more than .45 Auto +P ammunition, it has about a 250-fps velocity advantage. You can convert most .45 Auto pistols to .45 Super with a new barrel that has a fully supported chamber and a stiffer recoil spring. But the additional velocity comes with about 40 percent more recoil. Buffalo Bore and Underwood Ammunition still load for the .45 Super. Interestingly, it is a shortened 451 Detonics case, which was based on the .45 Winchester Magnum case, which is almost identical to the .45 NAACO cartridge case. North American Arms Corporation’s created the .45 NAACO for the Brigadier pistol they designed to meet Canadian service handgun requirements. Talk about a family of failures.
Year of Introduction: 1988
Reason for Failure: Too much of a good thing.
.356 Winchester
As a companion to their .307, Winchester introduced the .356 Winchester, which offered ballistics almost identical to the .358 Winchester. I thought it would become fantastically popular. After all, it’s suitable for anything walking around in North America. But, apparently, hunters looking for a large-caliber traditional lever action with more power than a .35 Remington, wanted larger caliber bullets too. The .356 could never compete with the .444 Marlin, .45-70 Government or even the much older and ballistically similar .348 Winchester.
Year of Introduction: 1982
Reason for Failure: Hunters wanted a larger caliber to hunt big critters with a traditional lever gun.
.32 H&R Magnum
With some help from Federal, Harrington & Richards introduced the .32 H&R Magnum, which is a .32 Smith & Wesson Long with a slightly longer case that’s loaded to a slightly higher pressure. It was marketed as a lighter-recoiling replacement for the .38 Special. It recoiled less, but its terminal performance did not measure up. In truth, the .32 H&R is a great trail/hunting cartridge for revolvers, with more umph than a .22 Magnum but less recoil than the .38 Special. I’ve owned at least one .32 H&R revolver since 1984, and I’ve used them a lot. The cartridge has always had a cult following and is probably the most successful cartridge on this list. Fortunately, Federal has not forgotten it; they just introduced two new loads for it. If you love this failure as much as I do, understand it’s just hanging on by its cartridge rim.
Year of Introduction: 1984
Reason for Failure: Initial bad marketing and niche application.
.356 TSW
The .356 TSW was created for competition but was ruled into obscurity
Smith & Wesson designed this cartridge for IPSC competition. It’s really nothing more than a 9mm Luger cartridge loaded in a stronger case that is 21.5mm long as opposed to 19mm. The .356 TSW is also loaded to 50,000 psi, but since the cartridge has an overall length similar to the 9mm Luger, it will still work in 9mm magazines. IPSC changed their rules, arguably because of the .356 TSW, and this threw a wrench in the works. Smith & Wesson then tried to rebrand it for personal protection, sort of changing the meaning of TSW from “Team Smith & Wesson” to “Tactical Smith & Wesson.” It didn’t work. Regardless, this cartridge is a screamer, and you can still get ammo from Underwood Ammunition.
Year of Introduction: 1994
Reason for Failure: Ruled out of contention.
.45 GAP
The .45 GAP was a great idea that no one seemed to care about.
The Glock pistol changed everything. It took some time for shooters to trust a plastic pistol, but with almost coast to coast adoption by law enforcement, it rose to stardom. With law enforcement being a large portion of Glock sales and a tremendous part of their marketing, Glock thought it a great idea to offer their own cartridge—one that would provide .45 Auto performance from a pistol with a smaller grip, so more cops could properly interface with it. Initially, the 45 GAP—Glock Automatic Pistol—received tremendous fanfare. A year later, hardly anyone cared, and a decade later, no one did. Oddly, Glock still offers three pistols in .45 GAP, possibly only because they do not want to admit it was a mistake.
Year of Introduction: 2003
Reason for Failure: Apparently, shooters and cops with little hands did not want to shoot a .45.
.17 Mach 2
The .17 Mach 2 is a very cute and zippy little rimfire cartridge, but it was not fast enough to outrun its lack of appeal.
In 2002, Hornady introduced the .17 HMR cartridge, which was based on the .22 Magnum cartridge case. It was an instant success and so popular that two years later Hornady introduced the .17 Mach 2 rimfire cartridge based on of the .22 Long Rifle case. Ballistically, the 17 Mach 2 fell right between the .22 LR and the .17 HMR/22 Magnum, and while compromising ballistics can sometimes be a good thing, apparently this was a level of performance no one wanted. Currently, a major online retailer only lists two loads for the .17 Mach 2, and no one cares unless you were silly enough to buy one back in the day.
Year of Introduction: 2004
Reason for Failure: Too much and too little in the same package.
.25-45 Sharps
The .25-45 Sharps is an AR compatible cartridge that’s ideally adapted for deer hunting, but it never found really got off the ground.
There have been many attempts to create an AR-15 compatible cartridge that offered a ballistic advantage over the .223 Remington for deer hunting. That’s why the .25-45 Sharps was created, and it uses a .223 Remington case necked up to accept a 0.257-caliber bullet. The goal was to duplicate the ballistics of the .250 Savage, and the .25-45 Sharps would do that with 87-grain bullets. However, the case was too long to work with the heavier-more-popular 0.257-caliber bullets most deer hunters preferred. I worked with the cartridge a good bit and even took it to Africa. But limited bullet options combined with the fact most modern shooters did not give a damn about the .250 Savage, doomed its success.
Year of Introduction: 2008
Reason for Failure: Had to compete with the .300 Blackout and was not supported by ammo and firearms manufacturers.
.30 Remington AR
The .30 Remington AR is a fantastic cartridge for big-game hunting with an AR-15 or a micro bolt action rifle, but it is quickly passing into obsolescence.
At a time when the media was crucifying the AR-15 rifle for not being suitable for big-game hunting, Remington countered that argument with the .30 Remington AR. It would push a 125-grain bullet to 2,800 fps and a 150-grain bullet to almost 2,600 fps. However, Remington screwed up the introduction of this cartridge so bad it looked like it was intentional. It took two years to get guns to market, and during that time Remington introduced the .300 AAC Blackout with a much better marketing campaign. Additionally, Remington published a widely circulated advertisement showing .30 Remington AR ballistics. The problem was they listed the 300-yard velocities and energies as the performance from the muzzle.
Year of Introduction: 2008
Reason for Failure: Timing and marketing mistakes.
.30 Super Carry
The .30 Super Carry (left) is just as terminally effective as the 9mm Luger (right), but gun manufacturers have not supported it.
This may be the most misunderstood pistol cartridge. It makes perfect sense because it offers 9mm performance with a 20 percent increase in capacity. Its ballistics are so good because Federal created great bullets for it, and they loaded it to 52,000 psi, which is 20 percent more than 9mm Luger +P ammo is loaded to. When tested in 10 percent ordnance gelatin, the .30 Super Carry performs almost identically to the 9mm. So, why is it not the most popular self-defense pistol cartridge in the world? One reason really: Glock. The .30 Super Carry has been around for three years, but Glock has yet to offer a pistol chambered for it. In fact, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory and Ruger haven’t either. Why? Maybe 52,000 psi is just too much pressure for those guns.
The .30 Super Carry is a far better cartridge than sales suggest, partly because shooters don’t understand it, but mostly because of lack of support from gun manufacturers.
Year of Introduction: 2022
Reason for Failure: No Glock, Ruger or Springfield Armory pistols and consumer misunderstanding.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Ammunition Depot and Rattlesnake Tactical have partnered to design a 34-round extended magazine for double-stack 9mm Glock-pattern firearms.
What’s better than a 33-round Glock mag? A 34-round Glock mag, especially when it’s reliable. That’s why Ammunition Depot and Rattlesnake Tactical put their heads together and designed this 34-round mag for any firearm that accepts double-stack 9mm Glock-pattern magazines. Whether the gun in question is a tiny Glock 26, a pistol caliber carbine or a 9mm Glock clone like the PSA Dagger featured here, the Rattlesnake Tactical mag is ready to increase its capacity.
Of course, a magazine’s capacity is irrelevant unless it’s reliable, but thankfully the Rattlesnake Tactical mag has that going for it too. Confirmed by third-party testing, the new 34-rounder proved to be more reliable than the two competitors it was pitted against. Drop testing also revealed that the impact-resistant polymer Rattlesnake mag “held up equally or better” than the competitors after corner and side drops.
To top it all off, the Rattlesnake Tactical mag is made in the U.S. and features a cool snake scale pattern on its body to provide some extra grip. This mag may be less than ideal for concealed carry, but as a spare mag in your backpack, glovebox or just for running your PCC, you won’t find a higher capacity, more reliable stick for your 9mm Glock-pattern firearms.
I tested out Silencer Central’s new Banish 9K to see just how quiet this super compact, lightweight suppressor can really be.
Just a few months ago I discussed pistol suppressors in this column, and I said that short of employment as an assassin, suppressors for pistols are best suited to enhancing the enjoyment of recreational and competitive range sessions or for hunting. This is mostly because, given the compact nature of a pistol, adding a suppressor mostly removes the handgun from practical self-defense application.
For the most part, my opinion has not changed … but I’ll admit that, because of a new pistol suppressor from Silencer Central, I’ve had to rethink it.
Silencer Central Banish 9K Specs:
Length: 4.1 Inches Diameter: 1.3 Inches Baffles: 8 Weight: 2.7 Ounces Material: Titanium Caliber: 9mm Caliber Cartridge Range: 9mm, .380 Auto, 5.7x28mm, .300 Blackout Finish: Cerakote Sound Reduction: 26 dB Mount Style: Direct Thread (1/2×28 or 13.5x1LH) Full-Auto Rated: 9mm subsonic and .300 Blackout subsonic Warranty: Lifetime Price: $699
Baby Banish
The new Banish 9K is, as far as I know, the smallest and lightest suppressor available for a 9mm pistol. Unlike most suppressors that manufacturers piece together with internal baffles fitted inside a welded tube, the Banish 9K is 3D printed in 100 percent high-grade titanium. Now, 3D printing is a rather new concept, and many firearms manufacturers use the process when creating prototypes. But the ability to 3D-print a complete titanium muzzle device—with a lifetime warranty—that can withstand the pressure of escaping gases—long term—is bordering on high-level sorcery. It’s like something you would see in a science fiction movie.
The truth is, of course, there’s no magic in play at all. In fact, 3D-printing in titanium utilizes a process called laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). With LPBF, layers of titanium powder are melted together using a high-intensity laser to create solid parts. What makes this applicable in suppressor manufacturing is that you can create extremely complex and very lightweight shapes that are not only strong but also corrosion resistant.
The Silencer Central Banish 9K suppressor as it compares in size to a Bear Creek Arsenal G17 clone.
As for the Banish 9K, it’s only 4.1 inches long and has a diameter of 1.3 inches. Any way you measure it, that’s a very compact suppressor. But just as important as the compactness of this suppressor is its weight. The Banish 9K is unbelievably light—it weighs in at only 2.7 ounces.
How light is 2.7 ounces? Well, here’s one way to look at it: A single 9mm cartridge weighs about 183 grains, so the Banish 9K weighs less than seven rounds of 9mm ammunition. That means you could screw a Banish 9K on your pistol and download the magazine by seven rounds and the gun’s overall weight would not change.
Less is Way More
One of the things that allows the Banish 9K to be so compact and light is that, because it is so light, it does not need a Nielsen device for proper functioning. Pistols work by transferring energy from the fired cartridge to cycle the slide. With the short recoil systems of most handguns, the barrel moves, too, and the added weight of the suppressor is usually enough to prevent the gun from properly cycling.
A Nielsen Device, also known as a muzzle booster, helps suppressors work with pistols. Some refer to these devices as pistons, and most handgun suppressors are designed to work with a piston the suppressor mounts to.
Unlike most pistol suppressors, the Silencer Central Banish 9K does not need a piston to work. This is the key to its compactness and lightweight.
Now, this is not a 100 percent guarantee that the Banish 9K will work with your pistol, especially if your pistol is a 1911 with a linked barrel. For example, the Banish 9K worked perfectly on a Bear Creek Arsenal Glock clone, but I had to reduce the recoil spring weight in a Wilson Combat EDC X9 2.0 for reliable functioning. With the heavier recoil spring, the slide would not cycle far enough to the rear for the empty case to engage the ejector.
But, How’s It Sound?
The next thing you’re probably wondering is if a suppressor this small can reduce the sound to a hearing safe level. With the 9mm Luger, the Banish 9K reduces the sound level to 132 decibels at the ear. But this suppressor is not just for 9mm pistols. It will also work with a .380 auto pistol, an FN 5.7x28mm, 9mm carbines … and in 300 Blackout with subsonic rounds it’s even rated for full auto.
Could you everyday carry a 9mm pistol with a Banish 9K attached? Um, maybe. It would depend on how you carried, and I highly doubt you will be able to find a holster that will accept a pistol with a Banish 9K attached. However, aside from everyday carry, a pistol with a Banish 9K would clearly be practical for home defense and even for vehicle carry.
I know some folks advise against vehicle carry, but whether it makes sense or not has a great deal to do with the areas you operate in and what you use your vehicle for. The Banish 9K would be great on a pistol you keep in your ranch truck or maybe in the side-by-side you use on the farm.
For the most part, my opinion on suppressed pistols has not changed: I believe they’re best suited to enhance the enjoyment of recreational and competitive range sessions, for hunting, and for training new shooters who are recoil and noise sensitive. But the new Banish 9K substantially increases the practical application of a suppressor on a personal protection pistol.
I still don’t think it’s optimum for concealed, everyday carry, unless maybe you wear a trench coat—you know, like a hit man.
Pros
Short and compact
Very lightweight
Some pistols can cycle with it sans Nielsen Device
Cons
Not as quiet as larger suppressors
Silencer Central Banish 9K Deals:
Sportsman's Warehouse
$699
Silencer Central
$699
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
What’s the right way to interact with law enforcement while carrying a concealed firearm? Here we look at lessons from two experts.
At the 2025 NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, the intersection of armed citizenship and law enforcement took center stage in several thought-provoking conversations. Two voices stood out for their unique insights: Jacob Paulsen, president of ConcealedCarry.com, and Glen Hoyer, director of the NRA’s Law Enforcement Division. Together, they offered a compelling look at how armed citizens can better navigate encounters with law enforcement—rooted in data and training.
Paulsen’s perspective is grounded in hard numbers. His recent article, “What Over 1,600 Armed Traffic Stops Reveal About Law Enforcement Interactions,” dives into a dataset from 560 survey participants who collectively reported over 1,600 armed traffic stops. What the data revealed was as surprising as it was instructive.
First Key Finding: Disarmament Is Rare
Contrary to popular belief—and Paulsen’s own frequent experiences in Utah—most traffic stops involving legally armed citizens do not result in the officer disarming the individual. In fact, disarmament occurred in only about 10 percent of the stops reported. This suggests that most law enforcement officers are comfortable leaving an armed citizen’s firearm in its holster—so long as the interaction is calm, professional and safe.
Interestingly, in nearly 20 percent of those rare disarmament cases, officers asked the citizen to hand over the firearm—an approach both Paulsen and law enforcement experts strongly discourage. “The safest thing you can do,” Paulsen advises, “is refuse politely and say, ‘Officer, I’m not comfortable handling my gun in front of you. You’re welcome to retrieve it if needed.’” It’s advice echoed by tactical trainers and police alike, who understand how easily such a request could escalate into a deadly misunderstanding.
Second Key Finding: Know Your Duty to Inform—And When Not To
Another critical area of confusion involves whether an armed citizen is legally required to inform the officer that they are carrying. Paulsen’s survey revealed that about 21 percent of respondents were incorrect about their state’s laws on this matter—sometimes believing they had no duty to inform when, in fact, they did, which can carry legal consequences.
Paulsen’s takeaway: Know your state’s laws cold. But beyond legal requirements, there’s also a tactical consideration. Does the officer already know? In some states, running a driver’s license automatically reveals whether the person has a concealed carry permit. In such cases, failing to disclose may appear deceptive. “If the computer is going to tell them,” Paulsen said, “you want it to come from you, not the screen.”
Third Key Finding: Be Smart About How You Inform
If you do choose—or are required—to inform an officer that you’re armed, Paulsen and Hoyer both stress the importance of how you do it. Reaching into your glovebox or pockets as the officer approaches is a surefire way to raise alarm. Instead, roll down your window, keep your hands on the wheel and clearly state, “Officer, I have a concealed carry permit, and I am armed. How would you like me to proceed?”
This kind of approach, Paulsen argues, is especially important because traffic stops are high-stress situations—for both parties. “Practice what you’ll say before it happens,” he advised. “And be very specific if asked where your firearm is—say, ‘It’s in a holster at my 4 o’clock position on my belt,’ not ‘It’s back here somewhere.’”
Glen Hoyer’s Law Enforcement Perspective
From the other side of the badge, Glen Hoyer emphasized the same principles—but added context from decades of police experience. His message was clear: law enforcement officers don’t know who you are during a stop. Whether you’re a good guy or not, you’re a potential threat until proven otherwise.
In fact, Hoyer opens his discussion by pointing out how even uniformed officers sometimes mistakenly shoot undercover or off-duty cops. “If we can’t always identify our own,” he noted, “we certainly can’t assume that a civilian with a gun is a good guy.”
That’s why body language and demeanor matter. Hoyer recommends turning on your dome light during nighttime stops, keeping your hands palm-up on the steering wheel, and ensuring that passengers do the same. “It communicates cooperation. You’re showing us, before we even say a word, that you mean no harm.”
Training, Scripting and Recording
Both experts also addressed a topic often overlooked: what to do if things start going sideways. If you’re being asked to do something that raises red flags—like handing over your gun—Hoyer and Paulsen agree: Ask for a supervisor. “Every patrol shift has one,” Paulsen noted. “Don’t be afraid to make that request if you feel unsafe or uncertain.”
Recording the encounter is also fair game. In most states, single-party consent laws allow you to legally record interactions with law enforcement. “You don’t need to announce it,” Paulsen said, “but having a record could be invaluable if something goes wrong.”
Final Takeaway: It’s Not About Winning the Encounter
Perhaps the most important lesson is this: your goal during a traffic stop—or any interaction with police—is not to “win.” It’s to make sure everyone goes home safe. That means thinking ahead, knowing your rights and responsibilities, and approaching the moment with humility and clarity.
As both Paulsen and Hoyer made clear at the NRA Annual Meeting, being an armed citizen comes with weighty responsibility. But with the right mindset, training and preparation, these interactions don’t have to be tense or dangerous—they can be just another example of what respectful civic engagement looks like.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Premier Body Armor has just released an enhanced version of its armored shirt called the Everyday Armor T-Shirt 360.
We already did a hands-on review of Premier Body Armor’s Everyday Armor T-Shirt, but the company has just released an upgraded version of the defensive garment. Called the Everyday Armor T-Shirt 360, it’s essentially the same as the original but now features side armor panels as well.
The new version still offers comfortable, concealable IIIA protection, only now it provides it for your sides as well as your front and back. The combined weight of all four American-made soft armor panels and the T-shirt that carries them is only 2.5 pounds, and the carrier keeps everything snug to the body to provide maximum concealment and protection.
Alex Stewart, President of Premier Body Armor, said this about the new Everyday Armor T-Shirt 360:
Concealment shouldn’t come at the cost of complete protection … Our new 360 model wraps the cardiac box and critical side anatomy in the same slim profile trusted by off-duty officers, church security teams, and responsible citizens nationwide. It’s the closest thing to everyday peace of mind you can pull on like a base layer.
Available in either white or black and in sizes XS to 4XL, the 360 model is available now and has an MSRP of $380. Or, if you already own a standard (front and back only) Everyday Armor T-Shirt, you can order an upgrade kit for $140 that includes two side armor panels and the new shirt with side pockets to accommodate them.
I headed across the pond with a Savage 110 PPR to test its practical precision in the hunting fields.
I enjoy all sorts of big game hunting, both here in the U.S. and Canada—as well as more exotic locations such as Africa and Australia. But I must report that the United Kingdom has a different allure; it has deep-rooted traditions and a different approach to the sport than much of the rest of the world.
Having experienced a traditional stalking hunt for Scottish red stag, I jumped at the opportunity to hunt the Cotswolds, a beautiful, forested region in the southwest of England, for fallow deer and roe deer. In addition to a great hunting opportunity, my host would be world-renowned chef Mike Robinson, whose fallow deer culling operation provides a good percentage of the venison to England’s restaurants.
Upon arriving, Mike and his guides took us to the larder—the hunt headquarters, if you will—where the shooting range was also situated. Mike’s face was beaming as he and Savage’s Beth Shimanski unveiled the Model 110 PPR rifle. Designed for the rigors of stalking and culling in England’s wet, heavy vegetation, while delivering the precision needed for the head shots taken on those game animals destined for the public, the 110 PPR—the Professional Pursuit Rifle—had input from Robinson, drawing on his vast experience in the Cotswolds.
Savage’s 110 PPR is a sensible and serviceable design. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Holding History
The famous Savage 110 action has been relied upon for being a part of the company’s accuracy equation, and on the Professional Pursuit Rifle, it houses a fluted bolt, and a bolt face with dual plunger ejectors and a larger extractor. Atop the 110’s receiver is mounted a 20-MOA Picatinny rail, to extend the long-range capabilities of the rifle. The safety remains on the tang, under the thumb, and the bolt release remains in its traditional location.
The PPR—Precision Pursuit Rifle—is a variant built on the proven and well-loved Savage 110 action. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The bolt handle features an oversized ball, so that even with wet hands the action can be cycled. The Savage 110 PPR features a carbon-fiber-wrapped Proof Research barrel—20 inches long in all calibers—that’s threaded for the use of a suppressor, which was used on our hunt in England, or the use of a muzzle brake that’s shipped with the rifle.
Coming from the factory with a 20-MOA Picatinny rail, the 110 PPR will give plenty of elevation adjustment for long-range shooting. The author mounted the new Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18x44mm scope on board for testing. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Savage has equipped the 110 PPR with the AccuTrigger; though fully user-adjustable, my test rifle broke consistently at 2 pounds, 4 ounces, allowing the shooter to accurately place shots. In my time in England, I had the opportunity to use three different examples of the 110 PPR—two in 6.5 Creedmoor and one in 6.5 PRC—and I was impressed by the uniformity of the rifle. Taking precision headshots in field positions, though we had the excellent ViperFlex quad sticks, is not the easiest of tasks, but the accuracy of the Savage rifle laid the blame of any mishaps on the shooter.
I took three spike fallow deer—known locally as a “pricket,” as their small, under-developed antlers aren’t desirable for a healthy gene pool—without issue, as well as a roe buck at the end of his days. A crisp trigger is integral to accurate shooting, and I don’t think it’s any surprise that Savage has a winner with their AccuTrigger design.
Different, But Good
The most interesting and unique features of the Savage Model 110 PPR is the stock they’ve chosen: the Grayboe Phoenix 2. This is a sophisticated, well-thought-out and well-engineered rifle stock, even if it is radically different from the classic figured walnut stocks I am so personally fond of.
While it may not have the appearance of a traditional hunting rifle, the Grayboe Phoenix 2 is all business, offering options that a hunter and precision shooter will appreciate. The stock is adjustable for both comb height and length-of-pull. The test rifle I was sent had a length of pull that measured 13¼ inches, with the addition or removal of spacers at the butt of the rifle, just ahead of the recoil pad. The comb height is adjustable via a large set screw on the right stock of the stock, allowing the cheek piece to raise or lower when loosened, being secured when the screw is tightened. The cheek piece is adjustable with just one hand.
The Phoenix 2’s grip is nearly vertical, with an ergonomic palm swell that allows the shooter to afford a solid grip on the rifle, while still being able to comfortably engage and disengage the tang-mounted safety, and without introducing additional heartbeat shake by having the trigger-hand thumb over the tang. At the front end of the trigger guard is the spring-loaded lever, which releases the polymer magazine; a gentle push sees the magazine drop from the well.
Savage equips the Model 110 PPR with the familiar three-position tang safety but features an oversize bolt knob for easy manipulation with bare hands or gloves. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The forend of the Phoenix 2 is rather square—perfect for the use of a shooting cradle on a tripod—and the bottom of the forend is equipped with a 9-inch section of M-Lok rail for attaching a shooting aid. Both sides of the Grayboe stock are equipped with a flush cup sling attachment point at the front of the forend and at the rear of the buttstock. The barrel is completely free floated.
Despite the traditional English weather—if you don’t like it, please wait 10 minutes—where we experienced the transition from bright sunshine to pouring rain to a gentle mist, the design of the Grayboe stock allowed the rifle to stay on the shoulder while walking/stalking, comfortably in the hands while closing in on a croaking fallow buck, or safely across the back while helping to transport a roe buck or fallow buck.
Painted in a camo pattern based on green and earth tones interspersed with a thin black web, the Grayboe stock has a flat finish, so there’s no worry about glare scaring off the game. And unlike many polymer stocks, the Phoenix 2 isn’t “loud” stalking through the brush and limbs don’t make a loud noise when rubbing against the stock. Frankly, it isn’t hard to see why Mike Robinson & Co. took a shine to this design, as it checks all the boxes in the area they hunt.
Set Up to Shine
To prepare the 110 PPR for the range, I mounted the new Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 3-18×44 scope in Leupold rings. This scope is similar in size, shape and weight to the original version, but Leupold has made some interesting tweaks to improve performance. The lens coating seems to lend a bit more clarity, especially in low-light situations, and they’ve moved to a smaller and more ergonomic power level throw knob, but the feature I like best is the new turret design.
Instead of using a tiny Allen wrench (which I lose more often than not) to reset or slip the elevation and windage turrets, Leupold now uses a spring-loaded set screw. Depress the screw, pull up on the tab and you can quickly and easily reset the turrets to zero without the use of tools—I am absolutely a fan. The same left-side focal knob is still there, as is the illuminated reticle (my test scope featured the excellent FireDot).
The Leupold VX-6HD Gen 2 scope has the new Speedset dials that are simple to reset yet stay put no matter the conditions. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Add up all these features and you’ve got one of the best scopes on the market, giving an excellent balance of price, features, and sheer reliability, all in a lightweight package. The 110 PPR rifle and Leupold scope combination tipped the scales at 8 pounds, 4 ounces unloaded. The 30mm main tube gives plenty of elevation adjustment, especially when used in conjunction with the PPR’s 20-MOA rail, in addition to providing a bright image. And Leupold offers an additional CDS turret marked out in yardage, correlating to your chosen load and elevation, free of charge.
Additional Testing
Having proved itself across three different rifles in England, so far as functionality goes—I didn’t have a single feeding or extraction issue, nor any failures to fire—I grabbed a quartet of different types of 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition to test at my little backyard range. In the mix was the Hornady Precision Hunter ammo, using the 143-grain ELD-X bullet, the Hornady Outfitter ammo featuring the 120-grain monometal CX bullet (we used this with great effect in England), the Federal Fusion Tipped ammo at 140 grains and the Federal 130-grain Barnes TSX load. I also had the opportunity to measure velocities with the Garmin Xero C1 Pro and was impressed with this unit.
All four of the 6.5 Creedmoor hunting loads the author tested gave sub-MOA three-shot groups, with the rifle showing a preference for the monometal bullets. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
Using three-shot groups for testing, the Savage 110 PPR I tested showed a preference for the monometal projectiles, with the best groups being delivered by the Federal Barnes TSX load and the Hornady CX load. Both averaged 0.6-inch groups at 100 yards, with the Federal load giving just a slightly more even velocity reading. The Hornady Precision Hunter load printed three-shot groups averaging 0.72 inch, with the Federal Tipped Fusion load coming in at an even 0.8 inch.
During the bench testing, there were no feeding issues at all, nor any problems with extraction. The bottom line is that the test rifle, much like the guns I had the opportunity to shoot in England, was wonderfully accurate for a rifle of this length and weight.
Savage Model 110 PPR 20-inch barrel
LOAD
CARTRIDGE
BULLET WEIGHT
ADVERTISED VEL.
OBSERVED AVG. VEL.
SMALLEST GROUP
AVERAGE GROUP
LARGEST GROUP
Hornady Outfitter
6.5 Creedmoor
120 grain CX
2,700 fps
2,586 fps
0.52”
0.60”
0.81”
Hornady Precision Hunter
6.5 Creedmoor
143 grain ELD-X
2,700 fps
2,586 fps
0.65”
0.72”
0.89”
140-grain Fusion Tipped
6.5 Creedmoor
140 grain Fusion Tipped
2,175 fps
2,604 fps
0.70”
0.80”
0.98”
Federal Premium
6.5 Creedmoor
130 grain Barnes TSX
2,825 fps
2,705 fps
0.48”
0.61”
0.78”
NOTES: Three shot groups at 100 yards. Velocities measured on Garmin Xero C1 Pro.
A Tradition Continued
Savage’s Model 110 Professional Pursuit Rifle might not look like Grandpa’s fetchin’ iron, but it surely makes an ergonomic and effective hunting tool. What you have is a well-balanced rifle, capable of fine accuracy, with a practical stock constructed of weatherproof material. All the metalwork is coated in a black Cerakote, and the Proof Research carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel both reduces weight and dissipates heat very well. The shorter barrel makes perfect sense for those who spend time in the confines of a deer or bear blind yet offers the capability of making shots on the longer side of the spectrum, without a huge loss in velocity.
The author used the Savage Model 110 PPR in the Cotswolds area of southwestern England to take this young fallow buck, called a “pricket”; the rifle performed very well. Photo: Massaro Media Group.
The rifle balances well, and with the muzzle brake onboard, measures just 41½ inches from stem to stern. You get the famous Savage AccuTrigger, as well as the barrel nut and floating bolt head, which greatly help to enhance the rifle’s accuracy potential, as well as that impressive Grayboe composite stock. With an MSRP of $2,399 and a street price of right around $2,000 at the time of this writing, you could spend more and still not have all the features wrapped up in the 110 Pro Pursuit Rifle.
Available in right-hand configurations, it’s chambered for the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .270 Winchester, .28 Nosler, 7mm PRC, 7mm Backcountry, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Short Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Want to buy an AK-47? I brought in a few of the best AK rifles chambered for 7.62×39 and ran them through their paces to help you make your choice.
AK-47s are probably more popular in the U.S. now than they’ve ever been. Surprising, since the cost of the rifles and their ammunition is also at their zenith. Once viewed as the poor man’s alternative to the AR-15, that is no longer the case. Today, you can get an AR for $400, and the cheapest .223 Remington ammo is less expensive than the cheapest 7.62×39.
No, the AK is no longer the budget option it once was. The AK has become a rifle purchased by historical enthusiasts, collectors and shooters just interested in owning the exotic weapon of the enemy. Given their inflated prices, however, you want to spend your money wisely and choose the best AK that you can for your needs and desires. So, I brought some in for hands-on testing and evaluation to help you make that decision.
How I Made My Picks
The very first gun that I shot was an AK, and it’s the firearm that sparked a lifelong interest in this hobby and led to my eventual career. Consequently, I’ve spent more time researching Kalashnikovs than any other firearm platform and own more of them than I can shake a stick at. It’s fair to say that I had some preexisting notions before starting this project, but it didn’t stop me from testing and assessing the guns as objectively as possible. Many of my biases were confirmed, but there were a couple of surprises as well.
Ultimately, the goal of the testing was simply to identify any problems if they exist, ensure their reliability and juxtapose the shooting experiences of each AK side-by-side. Testing them like this allowed for some hair-splitting and revealed some nuanced differences between them. Based on criteria like their fit and finish, their cost, the feel of their recoil impulse and the included furniture, I determined what each model does best.
The AK-47 Review Process And Notes
First things first, I should clarify that this buyer’s guide is only discussing 7.62×39 AK rifles that are currently available new, colloquially referred to as AK-47s .
To test each AK, I headed to the range with a duffel bag full of loaded mags and a couple of additional cases of ammo to top them off. 2,000 rounds of Wolf Polyformance 123gr HP were provided by AmmoToGo and an additional 500 rounds of Grom 124gr FMJ were provided by Atlantic Firearms. That comes to a grand total of 2,500 rounds or 500 rounds per gun.
For an AK, or any rifle worth its salt for that matter, 500 rounds is not a lot. It is, however, enough that any possible issues should rear their head. The good, and unsurprising, news is that not a single malfunction occurred. That means for all intents and purposes, you should expect all of these rifles to be equally reliable out of the box.
A wide variety of magazines were used to see if any combinations of AK and mag didn’t like each other. Between my surplus steel mags, various polymer mags (Bulgarian, PMAG, Tapco, and US Palm) and the mags included with each rifle, I didn’t experience any issues, but that said AK mags sometimes require a bit of filing to properly fit. The AKs with tighter magwells needed some convincing to seat some polymer mags, but all worked fine.
As for accuracy, I tested out to 200 yards with a steel half-size silhouette. Every rifle hit the target with ease. At the very least, they’re all minute-of-man accurate.
The rest of the differences I gleaned from the testing process will be discussed in the buyer’s guide portion.
A WASR-10 sporting replacement wood furniture and a surplus sling.
Country of Origin: Romania Pattern: AKM Barrel: Cold Hammer Forged, Chrome-lined Weight: 7.5 Pounds Furniture: Wood or polymer Muzzle Device: Slant brake Muzzle Threads: 14×1 LH Side Scope Rail: Yes, AKM-pattern Bayonet Lug: Yes MSRP: $1,070
Pros
Rugged, reputation for excellent reliability
Chrome-lined hammer forged military barrel
AKM-pattern, good host for modifications
Enjoys being abused
Cons
Included furniture is garbage
Rough, grayish finish isn't attractive
No magwell dimples (purely aesthetic)
Comes With: One 30-round mag, no cleaning rod OtherAvailable Variants: WASR-10 UF (underfolder stock), WASR Paratrooper (side-folding stock, combo gas block/front sight)
The WASR-10 that was tested is my personal rifle, and I stand by my decision to put it at the top of my list. Why? It embodies the rough, rugged reliability that AKs are known for. In terms of provenance, it’s the closest to a “true military AKM” of anything on the list.
Long story short, these are made in Cugir, Romania, at the same factory that’s been pumping out AKs since the early 1960s. Millions of select-fire models have been exported and spread throughout the world since then, and starting in the late 90s, semi-auto variants became available on the U.S. civilian market. They quickly gained a reputation for being workhorses and offered some of the best value you could find at the time.
They’re not as cheap as they once were, but they’re not as expensive as many comparable models either. For someone looking for a basic, no-frills AK-47 at a middle-shelf price (it's frequently priced below MSRP), you couldn’t go wrong with a WASR.
As far as shooting one goes, it feels like an AK should. It’s such a standard, true-to-form AK in fact that it served as the baseline for which all the other test guns were compared.
The only real downsides in my mind are that WASRs sport a rough utilitarian finish on their metal parts and ship with low-quality polymer or wood furniture designed to be replaced (as has already been done on the example featured here).
The best parts of the WASR include its production at a legacy factory—initially set up by the Soviets—its use of quality military-grade parts like a cold hammer forged chrome-lined barrel and its widespread compatibility with all standard AKM components and accessories. It's roughness is also a quality in my eyes, because you'll never feel bad about throwing it around and scratching it up, and that's what AKs are meant for.
One final note is that the rifle featured in this review is an original WASR-10, but a few years ago Century Arms began importing a model called the WASR-10 V2. The only noteworthy difference is its gas block does not feature a bayonet lug. If having a bayo lug is important to you, just track down one of the plentiful original WASR-10s instead.
WASR-10 Deals
Midway USA
WASR-10
$930
Midway USA
WASR-10 Underfolder
$1,100
Best Budget AK: PSA GF3
The PSA GF3 and its included PSA magazine.
Country of Origin:U.S. Pattern:AKM Barrel: Gas Nitride 4150 steel treated Weight: 6.5 Pounds Furniture: Polymer Muzzle Device: Slant brake Muzzle Threads: 14X1 LH Side Scope Rail: Yes, AKM Bayonet Lug: Yes MSRP: $700
Pros
Very affordable
Impressively soft recoil
Nice finish
Enhanced safety lever
Cons
Barrel is not chrome-lined
Not overgassed, won't be as reliable in adverse conditions
Comes With: One 30-round PSA mag, cable lock, no cleaning rod OtherAvailable Variants: PSA offers the GF3 in dozens of configurations with polymer, wood and railed furniture in several colors
If you’re looking to get into AKs while spending little money, look at Palmetto State Armory.
The company’s first couple of generations of AK-47s had some kinks, but it’s widely accepted that the current-generation GF3 rifles are absolutely rock solid. Like every imported AK on the list, this domestically manufactured rifle features a hammer-forged bolt, carrier, and front trunnion. When it comes to those parts, you should accept no substitute.
Besides the attractive price tag, the GF3 has a lot going for it. In fact, it even does quite a few things better than some of the others. First off, it has a nice black finish and its polymer furniture is good enough quality to keep installed if you like the way it looks. It also ships with an enhanced safety lever installed that features a shelf for quicker actuation. Another note on the safety is that while most AKs feature rather tight levers that often need to be broken in a bit, the GF3’s was the smoothest, best AK safety I’ve ever felt right out of the box.
I was shocked by how soft-shooting PSA's AK is.
As for how it shot, the GF3 had the lowest recoil impulse of the standard AKM-pattern rifles tested (WASR, GF3 and WBP). PSA clearly dialed the gas on this gun very carefully to be just enough to keep it reliably cycling. While this made it a dream to shoot, it could also be considered a drawback depending on how you look at it. If you had to pick an AK to trust your life with on some muddy battlefield, the GF3 isn’t the one. Harsh conditions are why AKs were designed to be overgassed and it’s partly what made them so reliable—it keeps the gun running in the face of excessive fouling or debris in the action.
Another potential downside is the barrel is not chrome-lined, but unless you plan on shooting corrosive ammo through it that shouldn't be an issue.
That all said, thankfully, most of us aren’t planning on going to war and are simply buying an AK as a range toy. If that’s all you want it for, the PSA GF3 is an excellent option that shoots surprisingly softly and spits less gas in your face than anything else on this list.
PSA GF3 Deals
Palmetto State Armory
PSA GF3 Gray
$650
Palmetto State Armory
PSA GF3 FDE
$700
Best Looking AK: WBP 762SC Jack Classic
The WBP Jack wearing its included sling.
Country of Origin: Poland Pattern: AKM Barrel:FB Radom Hammer Forged, Chrome-lined Weight: 7.2 Pounds Furniture: Wood Muzzle Device: Slant brake Muzzle Threads: 14X1 LH Side Scope Rail: Yes, AKM Bayonet Lug: Yes MSRP: $1,100
Pros
Gorgeous finish
Handsome furniture
Barrel is chrome-lined and made by FB Radom
Reliable, faithful AKM clone
Cons
A bit pricey
Finish and wood look so nice, you'll be scared to properly abuse it
Comes With: One 30-round magazine, NcSTAR VISM 2-point sling, front sight adjustment tool, cable lock, cleaning rod OtherAvailable Variants: WBP offers its rifles with several colors of wood, polymer and tactical furniture, as well as a DIY configuration that includes no furniture
In many ways, the WBP 762SC Jack Classic is just a higher-end WASR. Like the WASR, it’s made in an ex-communist country with a history of producing excellent guns, it’s a very faithful copy of the AKM (including its hammer-forged chrome-lined barrel made by FB Radom) and its recoil impulse suggests its gas is tuned to military specifications, so it's plenty reliable. What it does better than a WASR are all aesthetic improvements—a gorgeous glossy black finish and handsome, original-looking laminate wood furniture. It may not come across through the photos, but the finish really looks better and of higher quality than any other rifle on this list.
That said, one angle to consider before you choose the best AK for you is how you plan on treating it. Yes, the WBP is a beautiful rifle, but that could easily result in you babying it and worrying about every ding and scratch like it's a new car. If you want to shoot your AK and treat it as roughly as it deserves, you won't feel nearly as bad about doing that to a WASR.
Unsurprisingly, shooting the WBP felt the same as the WASR since both are essentially AKM clones. There isn’t much more to say about it than that. Simply put, if you’re after classic AK aesthetics and are willing to pay a bit more for it to look beautiful right out of its box, the WBP Jack Classic is your ticket.
Milled receiver limits aftermarket parts compatibility
Subpar finish, prone to flaking
Comes With: One 10-round mag, Arsenal 2-point sling, buttstock cleaning kit, oiler bottle, cleaning rod OtherAvailable Variants: SAM7SF (side-folder stock), SAM7UF (underfolder stock) ; all offered in several colors of polymer furniture and with various muzzle device options
While most AK-producing countries completely abandoned milled receivers as soon as they had the technology to manufacture stamped receivers instead, Bulgaria is the exception. Once importation began, Arsenal became the gold standard for shooters in the U.S. who wanted a milled AK-47.
The question then is why does anyone want an AK with a milled receiver? The manufacturing process not only results in heavier guns, but more expensive ones too. Militaries don’t want to pay more for guns than they have to, and soldiers prefer lightweight rifles since they carry them far more than shoot them, but that doesn’t apply to those of us looking to have fun on the range.
The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up an Arsenal SAM7R-62 is its weight. While you wouldn’t want to hump it over a mountain, that weight also makes for one very nice shooter. Further aided by the included compensator and the wonderfully crisp flat trigger, the Arsenal was by far the best AK to shoot on this list. It really tames 7.62×39 and makes it feel more like a 5.56. Another benefit of the milled receiver is that the action feels much smoother than any of the stamped AKs.
So, why not go with an Arsenal if it shot and felt the best of them all? It mostly comes down to price and parts compatibility. Quality comes at a cost and Arsenal rifles have price tags significantly higher than any other AK on this list. Even if you have the money for it, a milled AK may not be the direction you want to go. The vast majority of aftermarket AK furniture is designed for stamped receiver AKs. This means that parts like buttstocks, handguards and some internal components won’t fit an Arsenal. If you plan on tricking your AK out, whether that be tactical or with classic wood, you’re going to have far fewer options to choose from.
It's also worth noting that for the price, Arsenals have a surprisingly rough-looking painted finish. This finish is also known to be prone to flaking, especially when cleaned with certain chemicals, although I didn't experience this on the test rifle.
That all said, if you just want the softest shooting AK out of the box that money can buy, Arsenal is undoubtedly the way to go.
Arsenal SAM7R-62 Deals
Atlantic Firearms
Arsenal SAM7R-62 Black
$1,840
Atlantic Firearms
Arsenal SAM7R-62 Green
$1,880
Wildcard Option: Zastava ZPAP M70
The ZPAP M70 with a TangoDown grip, aftermarket sling and “Serbian Red” wood furniture.
Country of Origin: Serbia Pattern: Yugo Barrel: Cold Hammer Forged, Chrome-lined Weight: 7.9 Pounds Furniture: Wood Muzzle Device: Slant brake Muzzle Threads: 14×1 LH Side Scope Rail: Yes, Yugo Bayonet Lug: Yes MSRP: $1,063
Pros
Soft shooter
Nice finish
Good hardwood furniture
Safety features bolt hold open notch
Cons
Heavy
Yugo-pattern design limits aftermarket parts compatibility
No cleaning kit trap door in buttstock
Comes With: One 30-round magazine, cleaning rod Available Variants: ZR7762UFSR (underfolder stock), ZR7762RTF (side-folder triangle stock), ZR7762RT (fixed triangle stock); other combinations of wood (various types), polymer and tactical furniture offered as well
Zastava’s ZPAP M70 has become one of the most popular AK options in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. The company is offering some very high-quality rifles at middle-of-the-road prices, and their fit, finish and hardwood furniture make them attractive to many.
What makes this the wildcard option is, like Arsenal's AKs, ZPAPs are not the standard AKM-pattern. They are Yugoslavian or “Yugo” pattern, and that means they use a thicker gauge of metal for their stamped steel receivers and have bulged front trunnions. These features were added by the Yugoslavians to ensure the guns were strong enough to handle firing rifle grenades, but that’s irrelevant in a civilian context. For us, the extra weight merely helps dampen the recoil and makes for a slightly more pleasant shooting experience than with the standard AKM-pattern rifles.
The downside of this difference is again similar to Arsenal’s—parts compatibility. Buttstocks, handguards and some internal parts will need to be specifically designed for Yugo-pattern AKs. The aftermarket for this has grown substantially, but it’s nowhere near as big as that for AKM parts. The optics rail is different as well, which further limits scope and mount options. The ZPAP also loses a point in my book for not having a trapdoor in its buttstock for a cleaning kit, but it earns the point back for coming with a safety lever that has a bolt hold-open notch.
If the parts' compatibility and higher weight don’t bother you, a ZPAP will make for a very nice shooter.
Zastava ZPAP M70 Deals
Battlehawk Armory
ZPAP M70 Dark Walnut
$1,063
Battlehawk Armory
ZPAP M70 Underfolder
$1,220
AK-47 FAQ:
What does the A and K stand for in AK-47?
The A and K stand for Автоматы and Калашникова, respectively, which translate to Automatic and Kalashnikov in English. Kalashnikov is the last name of the rifle's inventor.
What is an AK-47? What is an AKM?
Technically speaking, there has never been a rifle to ever be officially designated as AK-47. If anything can be called an AK-47 it's the first three patterns of Kalashnikov rifle developed in the Soviet Union between the late 1940s and mid-1950s. In the West, AK-47 is a catch-all colloquialism used to refer to any Kalashnikov rifle chambered for 7.62x39mm, even though the rifles in question are typically AKMs. The “M” in AKM stands for модернизированный meaning modernized. The primary difference is the AKM features a stamped steel receiver. This is the version that's been made in the tens of millions across the globe making it so prolific and well-known.
Why is the AK-47 so famous?
The exact production numbers are debated, but many believe that over 100 million Kalashnikov-type firearms have been manufactured since its invention. The rifles were (and in some cases still are) made in Russia, Romania, Yugoslavia/Serbia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany, Finland, Bulgaria, Albania, Iraq, North Korea and other nations. Many of these countries provided Kalashnikovs as military aid to politically friendly nations and non-state actors, resulting in massive global proliferation. The AK is almost certainly the most recognizable firearm in the world, and it's the only gun to be featured on a country's flag (Mozambique).
Should I get an AK-47 or AK-74?
This question is really asking whether one should get an AK chambered for 7.62×39 or for 5.45×39. Both are excellent cartridges, but which is best for you depends on what you want it for. If for some reason you really want your AK to have ballistics similar to 5.56x45mm NATO, then 5.45 offers comparable performance. However, 5.45×39 ammo and magazines are far less common in the United States than 7.62×39 ammo and mags. For most American shooters, the abundance and commonality of 7.62 AKs makes them the better option. A third path to consider is an AK chambered for .223/5.56. These have gained popularity in recent years and besides 5.56 AK mags not being as common as 7.62 ones, these are an excellent option as well.
Want to speed up your reloading process? Here we take a look at Hornady’s new 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer.
Prepping brass to be reloaded can be a tedious task, and any method that can expedite the process without sacrificing accuracy is appreciated. Hornady’s new 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer does just that. In a single step, it allows you to trim, chamfer and debur simultaneously, all while saving precious reloading bench space.
The Hornady 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer is compatible with .22 caliber up to .30 caliber and lengths from 1.450 inches to 3.5 inches. Its motor is not only quiet, but it's capable of rotating at over 2,000 RPMs. The trim length can be set easily, quickly and precisely thanks to the click‑adjustable micrometer. The 3-in-1 Power Case Trimmer has a macro adjustment dial as well, so not every click needs to be .001 inches.
Each trimmer comes with .22 caliber, 6mm, 6.5mm and .30 caliber pilots, as well as two collets that can accommodate .223, PPC, standard and magnum head sizes. The cutter housing is also transparent and features a removable shavings tray to keep your workbench tidy. An attachable cartridge bin is included as well for high-volume reloaders.
We take a quick look at the 6mm GT cartridge, the “Glorious Tiger” of 6mm chamberings.
The 6mm GT is a 2019 collaboration between George Gardner (GA Precision) and Tom Jacobs (Vapor Trail Bullets). Designed with competition shooting in mind, they wished to create a 6mm cartridge that could use forgiving propellants and feed reliably from AICS magazines. They also wanted the round to extend barrel life yet still provide high muzzle velocities with tight rifling twists to stabilize long, high-BC 6mm bullets.
Accordingly, the 6mm GT has a 35-degree shoulder angle for easy feeding, an optimized case nearing 100 percent capacity with about 35 grains of Varget and develops 3,020 to 3,080 fps with 103- to 105-grain bullets.
The 6mm GT works very well on deer, pronghorn and sheep as a hunting round. The 6mm GT can also be chambered in AR-type semi-autos, though it’s used primarily in bolt guns.
General Comments
Known jokingly as the “Glorious Tiger,” the 6mm GT took off in the PRS and NRL match scene from 2019 onward. From the base to the shoulder junction, the 6 GT case is 0.100-inch longer than the 6mm Dasher, and it has a 35-degree shoulder versus the Dasher’s 40-degree design. Gardner and Jacobs also increased the neck length by 0.050 inch compared to the Dasher, making the brass 0.150-inch longer overall. Both dimensional changes help the 6 GT feed well from unmodified .308-size magazines, unlike the 6mm Dasher. Because it uses less propellant, the 6mm GT marginally increases barrel life compared to the 6mm Creedmoor.
Hornady 6GT brass is available from GA Precision. According to Gardner, the 6mm GT cartridge was specifically developed to use Varget powder, but Hodgdon H4350 is also a good choice. The 6mm GT shoots 107-grain Sierra Match Kings at around 3,015 fps MV with 37.8 grains of H4350. Berger 105-grain Hybrid bullets generate 3,015 fps muzzle velocity with 34.2 grains of Varget. Brass is available from Hornady and Alpha Munitions. GA Precision and Clays Cartridge Co. supply loaded ammunition.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
