As many Americans prepare to fill their freezers during the upcoming hunting season, Remington just made the job easier with their new Core-Lokt Tipped bullets.
Currently Available Core-Lokt Tipped Calibers:
.243 Winchester
6.5 Creedmoor
.270 Winchester
.280 Remington
7mm Remington Magnum
.308 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
.300 WSM
.300 Winchester Magnum
Remington’s classic Core-Lokt bullets have been a top choice for hunters for decades, but sometimes even great things have room for improvement. The updated Remington Core-Lokt Tipped bullets boast improved in-flight accuracy, a higher ballistic coefficient and greater expansion over the original design, making them ideal for bagging game at any distance.
A Better Bullet
The magic of the new Core-Lokt Tipped bullets is all in the tip as the name might suggest. Made of green polymer, the new tip simultaneously improves the bullet’s accuracy and lethality. The improved ballistic coefficient that it provides increases accuracy, especially at longer ranges, while the polymer tip was designed to rapidly expand after hitting its target. Original Core-Lokt marketing from 1939 called it the “deadliest mushroom in the woods” due to its gnarly expansion. This new variety of Remington fungi is even more devastating, creating larger wound channels and imparting more energy when compared to the older design. The same lead core and copper jacket were retained from the original Core-Lokt bullets to ensure the same reliable weight retention and deep penetration that they were known for.
Core-Lokt classic (left) Vs. new Core-Lokt Tipped (right).
Pick Your Poison
The new Remington Core-Lokt Tipped bullets are available in nine different calibers with two of them available in three different loadings, making a grand total of thirteen different varieties to choose from. This spread enables Core-Lokt Tipped bullets to be viable for hunting a wide variety of game with a variety of rifles. All Core-Lokt Tipped calibers come in 20-round boxes and have MSRPs ranging from $41.99 to $61.99.
If you’re one of the many Americans counting the days until deer season, consider stepping your game up with Remington’s new Core-Lokt Tipped hunting bullets.
For more info on Remington ammunition, please visit remington.com.
In response to customer feedback, Riton Optics has upgraded their MPRD and PRD pistol red dots with several modern, competitive features.
3 Tactix MPRD 2 And 3 Tactix PRD 2 New Features:
Shake-Awake
Auto-Brightness Adjustment
Auto-Shutoff
Low Battery Indicator
Two of Riton Optics’ popular pistol red dots have just been upgraded. In danger of getting outpaced by competing designs, Riton has listened to customer feedback and implemented the relevant changes in their newest generation of pistol red dots, the 3 Tactix MPRD 2 and the 3 Tactix PRD 2. The durability and affordability of Riton’s first-generation MPRD and PRD optics are what helped make them a popular choice in the first place, so naturally, the updated versions have retained those attributes as well.
New Features
In the interest of battery life and convenience of use, all good modern pistol red dots feature auto-on and auto-off technology. This is because if you ever need to draw your pistol in a defensive situation, your attacker likely won’t have the patience for you to turn on or adjust your optic. That’s why the updated MPRD 2 and PRD 2 have the technology to automatically turn on after sensing motion, turn off after prolonged rest and automatically adjust dot brightness based on the surrounding light level. These features combined make for optics that are not only easier to use but can potentially go for 40-50,000 hours depending on the model. Both the MPRD 2 and PRD 2 now also indicate when the battery is running low. Whenever it comes time to draw, either of the new Riton sights should be ready to put quick and accurate hits downrange with the help of their 3-MOA dots.
Still Tough
While upgrading their pistol red dot designs, Riton made sure to not compromise on durability. Still constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum, they are water, fog and shockproof. The lenses have also been coated to help protect against water and scratches and to allow for maximum light transmission.
The two optics are very similar but differ in a few key ways. The 3 Tactix MPRD 2 mounts via a Shield footprint and is powered by a single CR2032 battery. The 3 Tactix PRD 2 instead mounts via an RMR footprint and is powered by a CR1632 battery. The MPRD 2 also has a slightly longer potential battery life and was tested to withstand a higher amount of shock. Both optics still share the same price as their first-generation counterparts with a listed MSRP of $299.99. Either model would make an excellent addition to a defensive pistol or AR-15.
Following the recent Russian ammo ban, let’s look back at how a similar situation in the early 1990s led to smuggling, sting operations and the end of Norinco in the United States.
On August 20th, the Biden administration announced new sanctions to be placed on Russia, banning the importation of Russian-made arms and ammunition into the United States. The official reason given for the new sanctions was that they were in response to the Russian government’s alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny. President Biden’s critics were quick to point out that his recent move to waive sanctions on the Russian company responsible for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will help the Russian economy far more than this ammo ban could ever hinder it. This has led many to believe that the true reasoning behind the ban was to punish law-abiding American gun owners and not the Russian government.
This would be consistent with promises made since President Biden’s campaign first began. He reaffirmed his position in a June 23rd speech where he said that his administration would be encouraging Congress to pass more gun control but would be pursuing their goals in any way they can, implying the use of means besides legislation. This is not the first time an administration has sidestepped Congress to pursue a gun-control agenda, however. Similar measures were taken by President Clinton in the early 1990s against Chinese arms companies, creating a situation very similar to the one we see today.
Norinco Ban
In 1994 President Clinton decided to extend China’s Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status, with the notable exception of most arms and ammunition produced by leading Chinese defense conglomerates Norinco and Polytech. Much like Biden’s recent sanctions on Russian arms and ammo, Clinton’s critics pointed out that the harm imposed by the sanctions on the Chinese economy will pale in comparison to the benefits they’ll feel from renewing their MFN status. Unlike Biden’s recent sanctions, President Clinton was at least more transparent about the decision, claiming that it was made not only to punish China’s human rights abuses but also to combat growing crime rates in the United States. Cheap Chinese arms and ammo were reportedly very commonly found in the hands of criminals in this time period, a concern that was present since at least President Bush Sr. banned the importation of “assault rifles” in 1989.
Despite barely receiving a footnote mention in their respective news stories, the effects that these bans had on American gun owners were greater than the impact either had on the Chinese or Russian economies. Even supporters of Clinton’s 1994 decision claimed that it would be a net positive for the Chinese economy and that only Norinco had anything to be worried about. Apparently, many of them were worried, because the ban led some Norinco employees to take drastic measures.
Fallout From The Ban
In December of 1994, a U.S. Customs Agent informed the ATF that a man named Hammond Ku had thousands of Chinese weapons stored in his warehouse in the San Francisco area. This led the ATF to launch what they called Operation Dragonfire, a sting that was ongoing for 18 months and resulted in arrests, weapon seizures and the indictment of Norinco due to their alleged knowledge and participation in the weapons smuggling. Undercover agents posing as organized crime representatives successfully arranged the purchase of 2,000 fully automatic AK rifles, and further deals were in the works to smuggle in rocket launchers and even armored vehicles. Upon Ku’s arrest, he claimed that key Norinco and Chinese government officials were aware of and complicit in the deal, and were apparently only concerned with countering profits lost following Clinton’s sanctions. If there were any chances of Norinco returning to the American market before this, their reckless Hollywoodesque smuggling attempt guaranteed their ban was permanent.
It was China’s massive industrial scale which made the AK a viable and popular platform in the U.S. in the first place. While not the first AK rifles to be imported, they were certainly the cheapest. Through low prices, high availability and abundant and cheap ammunition, Norinco was able to single-handedly raise the AK out of niche commie obscurity and make it a mainstream option for American shooters everywhere. The ban on Chinese rifles was certainly devastating too, but much like today it was the removal of their cheap and plentiful ammunition from the market that had the biggest effect on shooters. Millions of Chinese AKs and SKSs were imported between about 1984 and 1994, leaving many Americans with rifles and nothing to shoot. Thankfully, life finds a way, and shortly after China’s removal from the American arms market the void began to be filled by Russia. Cheap and plentiful Soviet calibers once again lined American store shelves for decades until the most recent round of sanctions were announced, putting us right back at square one.
Disturbing Pattern
If this pattern continues, the ammo void will slowly but surely begin to get filled by a new country like Turkey, only for their arms companies to be sanctioned as well in another decade or two for dishonest political reasons. This all goes to show that Executive Orders and Actions have far too much sway over American gun owners. Many of the things which affect the gun community the greatest are not laws that were voted on and passed by Congress but were decisions made on the Executive level with almost zero chance of being repealed. If this continues, Second Amendment rights and the ability to freely exercise them will continue to be eroded. At least legislation like Clinton’s 1994 Assault Weapons Ban had a sunset which was reached in 2004, but sanctions placed on Chinese and Russian defense conglomerates are in effect permanent. So, it's time to take your last box of Tulammo and place it on the shelf next to your last box of Norinco, let them serve as reminders of what gun owners still have to lose.
Ready for 9mm pistols to .45-70 rifles, the Dead Air Primal may be the new best choice for the one-can-man.
Primal Suppressor Specs:
Rating: .458 Caliber, Energies Up to .338 Lapua
Length: 7.9 Inches
Weight: 16.5 Ounces
Diameter: 1.618 Inches
Mounting Options: Direct Thread, Keymo, Xeno, Pistol Boosters, Tri-Lug
MSRP: $929
For those who already have expansive and diverse arsenals but haven’t dabbled in the world of NFA items yet, it may be difficult to choose which gun you want to suppress first. Dead Air’s answer? Why not all of them. The newly released Dead Air Primal is a .46 caliber suppressor that was optimized for high-pressure rifle cartridges but designed to run on everything down to 9mm pistols. Add in the vast array of mounting possibilities with the Primal, and this may be the only suppressor you'll ever need.
Omnivorous
From 9mm to .45 ACP, and 45-70 to .338 Lapua, like a rabid beast the Primal will eat just about anything you give it.
Versatility was clearly the goal with the Dead Air Primal, not just between calibers but between platforms as well. By giving the suppressor plenty of internal volume, the Primal can suppress calibers much smaller than its bore size. While optimized for big-bore, high-pressure rounds like .45-70 Gov’t, this suppressor will still get the job done on an AR-15. Because the can utilizes the HUB mounting system, it can be configured to attach to almost all common suppressor mounts. From different direct-thread pitches to flash hider mounts, tri-lugs and pistol boosters, it’s this system that enables the Dead Air Primal to work with so many different weapon platforms. Long gun or pistol, automatic or manual action, big bore or small, the Primal can do it all.
Trade-Offs
Nothing in this world is free, unfortunately, especially when it comes to physics. While the Dead Air Primal certainly can suppress a wide variety of calibers, it only excels with some of them. If your only aim is to make your gun as quiet as possible, for most calibers you can find a more efficient suppressor than the Primal. It was also made of stainless steel to contain large rifle cartridges, so while it can work with a handgun, it will be larger and heavier than most dedicated pistol suppressors need to be.
The Dead Air Primal seems like the perfect fit for someone who has ARs, AKs and HKs in calibers ranging from 9mm to .308, and wants to suppress them all as cheaply and quickly as possible. It may not be the very best at any particular role, but for the cost and hassle of a single tax stamp, it can do quite a lot for its price.
Designed to be used on air rifles to slug guns from up-close or far away, the new Meopta Optika 5 is one versatile package.
Meopta Optika5 2-10×42 PA Features:
2-10 Power Magnification
42mm Objective Lens
Adjustable Parallax From 10 Yards To Infinity
Second Focal Plane Reticle
Two Reticle Options
Good quality riflescopes are often expensive and designed to excel in a very specific role. For those who are not dedicated to a single discipline of long-range shooting, it can be hard to justify purchasing a scope that may only excel in certain specific roles. This is what makes jack-of-all-trade scopes like the new Meopta Optika5 so appealing, with versatility being one of its main selling points. Designed to be used on everything from air rifles and rimfires to muzzleloaders and slug guns at distances ranging from 10 yards to infinity, the Meopta Optika5 is suited for a variety of different jobs.
Nearly Any Task
Optics obviously need to be able to withstand the recoil impulse of whatever firearm they are mounted to, but not every recoil impulse is the same. It’s not just about the raw amount of energy or the caliber of the projectile, but the direction of the impulse as well. That’s why the Meopta Optika5 was designed to not only handle muzzleloaders, slug guns and large-bore centerfires, but spring-piston air rifles with bi-directional recoil as well. This combined with the scope’s 10-yard to infinity parallax means that it could excel at everything from hunting small or large game to winning precision rimfire competitions.
The scope’s single-piece construction from aircraft-grade aluminum should help to ensure that the Meopta Optika5 is durable enough to survive the abuse of a serious hunting expedition, and its hydrophobic lens coatings help protect it from moisture, grease or dirt. The coating also protects against abrasion and allows for maximum light transmission while reducing glare and reflection.
The Meopta Optika5 comes with a choice of two second focal plane reticles, either the Z-Plex or the Z-Plus. MSRP is $349.99 and each scope comes with Meopta’s lifetime warranty.
The Zastava M70 pistol is a bit hefty for a pocket gun, but at their current prices, this little .32 is still a solid option.
Zastava M70 Pistol Specs:
Single-Action
.32 ACP
8-Round Magazine
Similar Size To Walther PPK/s
The nature of pocket pistols relegates them to the role of backup guns, something to have on you more for peace of mind and emergency situations than full-time CCW duty. Because of this, many are hesitant to spend money on something they hardly intend to shoot or only occasionally carry. Many of these guns can tend on the higher side of the price spectrum and collectability, but most people looking to add a pocket pistol to their collection today would prefer to spend as little as possible. For those individuals, there may not be a better option on the market right now than the Zastava M70 pistol.
Production of the M70 pistol began in 1970 at the famous Zastava Arms plant in what was then Yugoslavia. Used by the Yugoslavian police as well as military officers, it was intended to be lighter and more comfortable to carry than the standard service pistol-sized M57s. It stayed in service with these groups for about twenty years until it was replaced by the CZ 99, Zastava’s Sig P226 clone. As with every gun that could be readily found at the time, plenty of Zastava M70 pistols saw use during the conflicts in the Balkans as well.
Design And Features
The Zastava M70 pistol is essentially a scaled-down version of their M57 Tokarev clone. Chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge, it is able to utilize a straight blowback action rather than the Tokarev’s traditional Browning tilting-barrel system. It features a 3.7-inch barrel and a proportionally shorter grip that is just barely large enough to fill an average man’s hand. Like the Tokarev, it is single-action only.
Unlike many other imported Commbloc pistols, the Zastava M70 was originally designed with a manual safety. This means that there is no need for one to be haphazardly added for legal importation into the United States like is necessary with most standard Tokarev designs. While the safety’s two positions have quite a bit of travel distance between them, they are oriented in the ideal way so that flicking it forward readies it to fire. It feeds from 8-round magazines but can be carried cocked and locked with a ninth in the chamber.
The Zastava M70 is very similar in size to the Walther PPK/s, only having a slightly longer barrel and weighing a few ounces more. The extra weight and bulk certainly aren’t ideal traits for a pocket pistol, but the added weight and all-steel construction should make for a very durable piece with little felt recoil—an advantage if you ever actually need to use it.
Zastava M70 Pistol Vs Walther PPK/s. Photo: HandgunHero
Something to keep in mind about the M70 while shopping for one is that many of the imported versions come with a non-original rear sight. From the factory, these pistols have a very basic rear notch sight, but for importation reasons many are brought in with a ridiculous and unusable “sporter” sight. Made of black plastic and about twice as high as they should be, if the pistol you buy has one of these it should immediately be replaced. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find original surplus M70 pistol sights for sale, but there are other options. Guides can be found online showing how to modify a standard M57 rear sight to fit an M70, and there are also aftermarket 3-dot fiber optic sights available from Optik Arms in Bosnia. Considering that the latter of those costs about 25% as much as the pistol itself, ideally you should try and buy an M70 that still has its original irons.
Zastava M70 pistols can still easily be found for less than $200, making them an excellent choice for those on a budget. For the money, they are pretty nice guns. While a bit on the chunkier side, M70s are still small enough to be comfortably carried in a jacket pocket, and the extra heft should make them more enjoyable to shoot than most other pocket pistols of this size. For those who have been hunting for a cheap backup gun that offers much of the utility of a Walther PPK at less than a quarter of the price, the Zastava M70 pistol is still a solid option.
Not all rimfire ammo is created equal. We test and evaluate .22 LR, .22 Magnum, .17 HMR and .17 Winchester Super Mag factory ammunition so you can pick the right load for your needs.
With regard to the terminal performance of centerfire rifle and handgun ammunition, the written word has probably used up enough paper to deforest a national park. Not only is it a favorite topic for gun writers to pontificate on, it fuels a lot of gun counter conversations and campfire arguments. Why isn’t there the same interest in the terminal performance of rimfire ammunition?
I think this is partly because a lot of critters shot with rimfire ammunition are relatively small, not life threatening or not considered a trophy, at least in the same sense a mature mule deer buck might be. Proportionally and for what it’s worth, the power-to-game-weight ratio is very similar between centerfire and rimfire cartridges, with a maximum practical limit of about 2 to 2.5 ft-lb of energy for every pound of game weight. Put another way and in the vaguest of terms, if a 1,000-pound animal—a moose—is considered the maximum practical limit for the .308 Winchester, then a 40-pound animal—a large coyote—would be a reasonable maximum limit for a .22 LR.
The point is that if the terminal performance of a bullet matters with a 308 Winchester, then it matters just as much with a .22 LR. And, it matters whether you’re shooting a fox squirrel for supper, a raccoon in your trash can or a coyote in your chicken coop. What might surprise you is how different various rimfire loads perform. It’s a good idea to know what the bullet you’re shooting will do when it hits a bobcat or a bad guy.
.22 Long Rifle
Used most often for plinking and target shooting, the .22 LR is the premier small-game cartridge. It has fed families and made marksmen. Benchrest shooting legend Walt Berger told me about growing up and hunting groundhogs on a neighbor’s farm. The farmer would pay him 10 cents for every groundhog he killed. Walt would save half the money and buy a few rounds of .22 LR with the rest. In those days, you could buy .22 LR ammo by the single cartridge.
Shockingly, Remington’s CBee22 load expands very well, even though velocities are subsonic. Accuracy can be good to poor, depending on your rifle. Don’t expect 100 percent reliability in semi-automatics.
The .22 LR can be effective on larger critters like coyotes and some even rely on it for personal protection. Poachers even use the .22 LR on game animals as large as deer. I don’t support poaching, and I don’t think the cartridge is ideal for coyotes or bad guys, but regardless of what you plan to do with a .22, you should choose a load that’ll amplify your chances for success.
In my opinion, the best all-around .22 LR load is the 40-grain CCI Velocitor. Out of a rifle, it’ll penetrate deeper than a foot and expand to almost 1.4 times the original bullet diameter. It’s death on small game, works well on groundhogs and similar-sized critters, and if I was going to shoot a coyote or a criminal with a .22 LR, it’d be my load of choice. Surprisingly, this bullet will even expand when fired from handguns. If you cannot find the Velocitor load, the 40-grain Winchester HyperSpeed Hollow-Point is almost as good.
Though with the recent acquisition of the Remington Ammunition by Vista/Federal, we’re unsure what munitions will remain cataloged. Two Remington loads of note are the CBee22 and the Yellow Jacket. What makes the CBee22 unique is its subsonic velocity, low report, and the bullet’s ability to still expand. For vermin control around the home or small game at close range, it’s an interesting option. Because of its high velocity and fragmentation, the Yellow Jacket load is ideal for ground squirrels, prairie dogs and even critters like rock chucks, raccoons and such.
Though a rimfire, the .22 Magnum is in a different category than the .22 LR because velocities can be as much as 50 percent faster with the same weight bullet. For smaller edible game like squirrels and rabbits, some .22 Magnum loads can be devastating and damage a lot of meat. For critters like foxes and raccoons, the .22 Magnum might be the ultimate cartridge. With the right loads, it can even be very effective on larger animals like coyotes and badgers. And, if someone is of the mind to use a rimfire cartridge for self-defense, the .22 Magnum is the best option.
Though the expansion is limited, the Speer Gold Dot load for the .22 Magnum is a good option for handguns with barrels as short as 1 inch.
If you’re looking to blast prairie dogs, the explosive .22 Magnum loads like the Federal and CCI Speer 30-grain TNT offerings are best. For edible small game more conventional loads like the 40-grain JHP and TMJ loads from CCI are lethal without a lot of meat damage. Because of their ability to penetrate deep, these loads also work well on larger critters like coyotes. Another great coyote load is the 40-grain CCI Game Point, which will expand to about double diameter and penetrate deeper than 16 inches.
For an all-around .22 Magnum load, I like the Remington 33-grain AccuTip. It offers decent penetration and dynamic expansion. Another load that performs very similar to the AccuTip is the 30-grain Hornady V-Max load. Both have proven to be very accurate out of a variety of .22 Magnum rifles they’ve been tested in, and they’re my go-to loads for the .22 Magnum.
For self-defense, the Hornady Critical Defense and Speer Gold Dot loads are the best options. They’ll both expand well, even from barrels as short as an inch, and penetration in 10 percent ordnance gelatin hovers around the FBI’s minimum of 12 inches. Though these loads are intended for handguns, if they shoot with precision from your rifle they can also serve as general-purpose loads for just about anything.
.17 HMR
Shortly after it was introduced, the .17 HMR seemed like it was going to put an end to the .22 Magnum. It was faster and incredibly accurate. However, hunters soon began to realize that the .17 didn’t offer the versatility of the .22 Magnum. While it explodes prairie dogs and tree squirrels, it didn’t have the bullet weight or penetration needed to anchor larger critters without ideal shot placement. Almost all of the .17 HMR loads—at least of the 17-grain variety—create massive wound cavities by rimfire standards, but penetration is limited to less than 6 inches.
All three of these .17 HMR loads perform identically, mostly because they all use the same bullet; they just have a different color tip based on the brand.
If you’re looking for a rimfire for prairie dogs or ground squirrels at distance, the .17 is the ideal cartridge. It’ll also work well on rock chucks and groundhogs out beyond 200 yards as well. And yes, you can take a coyote or a badger with the .17, but you best take a head shot or a good broadside shot; those explosive bullets will just not drive deep enough to shoot through the paunch or a lot of muscle tissue. The FMJ and Game Point loads from CCI are much better at penetrating, and if the larger of the small game is what you’re after, the Game Point load from CCI seems to be the best all-around option.
The .17 HMR is a fantastic cartridge, and I’ve used it a lot on prairie dog towns and even for groundhogs. I once killed a prairie dog a few yards past 500 with the .17 HMR. No, I didn’t hit it on the first shot, and the critter didn’t die straight away. Regardless, the ability to hit a Coke bottle-sized target at 500 yards with a rimfire rifle is notable, even if it did take a half-box of ammunition to do it.
.17 Winchester Super Magnum
Winchester’s .17 Super Magnum shoots flatter and hits harder than the .17 HMR. However, from a terminal performance standpoint, penetration is only marginally increased. Unless you’re trying to drastically extend your range, it’s questionable if the cartridge is worth the extra cost. In fact, .17 Winchester Super Magnum ammunition costs about 25 percent more than .17 HMR ammunition. Both the 20- and 25-grain loads perform similarly but surprisingly, in the penetration category, the lighter bullet has the edge.
Winchester’s .17 Super Magnum is a high- velocity rimfire cartridge that’ll deliver voluminous but moderately shallow wound cavities.
The old saying that “velocity kills,” does have some truth to it. When lightweight bullets are driven at high speed, they tend to create massive wound cavities, though in some case these wound cavities are shallow. That’s pretty much the case with the .17 Winchester Super Magnum. Because of the higher-impact velocities, the bullets will damage lots of tissue and should deliver fast incapacitation for anything up to about 20 to 25 pounds. However, if a large coyote is the target, a hunter would be wise to take care to place the bullet in the engine room and avoid raking shots if they want a clean and quick kill.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Experienced manufacturers of custom pistol parts, Adams Arms has decided to release their first complete handgun, the AA19.
AA19 Features:
Polymer-Framed, Striker-Fired 9mm
Optics-Cut Slide
Ameriglo Defoor EDC Sights
Vickers Tactical Carry Trigger
Threaded Barrel
Known for their aftermarket Glock and AR-15 components, Adams Arms has decided to expand their wheelhouse to include complete pistols starting with their new AA19. Already familiar with the Glock platform and how to improve upon it, it served as an obvious starting point for the AA19’s development. The result is nothing revolutionary for 2021, but attention to detail and high-quality manufacturing can go a long way when it comes to performance and reliability.
Steve Green, Adams Arms’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing had this to say on the AA19:
“Our customers have been asking for an Adams Arms handgun for years, and now it is ready. The new AA19 incorporates design elements that refine its ergonomics and performance. Every detail on the new AA19 adds upgrades that maximize its potential for both EDC and competition.”
For a pistol to truly be considered tactical today it must be ready to mount a red dot sight and a suppressor right out of the box, both of which are possible with the AA19. Mounting plates are available for most common optic footprints and the barrel is threaded ½ x 28 TPI. Enhanced grip texturing on the frame helps improve ergonomics and a Picatinny rail allows for the addition of a light or laser. The gun’s match-grade barrel and Vickers Tactical Carry Trigger should help to increase both mechanical and practical accuracy when on and off the range. Made in America using cutting-edge technology, the AA19’s slide is machined from solid stainless steel billet and finished with a black nitride coating to ensure its durability.
Included with the gun are two 15-round Magpul G19 magazines, a hardcase and a cable lock, as well as Adams Arms’ lifetime warranty. MSRP for the AA19 is $999.
Looking for a new iron or piece of gear to upgrade the one you already own? Check out these 14 pieces of American-Made guns and gear that will enhance your kit or level up your arsenal.
Winchester M70 Long Range
Still cherished among the all-time best rifle designs, Winchester recently aimed the classic Model 70 at precision shooters. As the Long-Range model suggests, the rifle is decked out to maximize its range. To that end, it all begins with Bell and Carlson composite stock. Boasting an internal aluminum bedding block, the stock has an air-tight mate-up with the receiver and has a few little enhancements to milk the most out of the system—including lower vents to aid barrel cooling and a wide, flat fore to stabilize on a rest. While precision is the Model 70’s focus, the rifle is still field-ready—coming in at less than 8 pounds, making it ideal for long-range hunts. Available in eight calibers, the revamped 70 hits the mark. MSRP: Starting at $1,550
Mystery Ranch Hands-Free Rifle Sling
Refining its innovative design, Mystery Ranch has built a better mousetrap when it comes to hunting convenience. The Hands-Free Rifle Sling does what it says, giving hunters use of both hands in rugged backcountry terrain. But, through a handy system, gives up a long gun at a moment’s notice. The secret, a magnetic locking system that holds fast when on the move, but easily disengages when a target of opportunity presents itself. Also nice, it’s quiet as a mountain breeze. Comes with the sling and sternum strap proper, stock dock. Compatible with most pack systems. MSRP: $99
N8 Tactical Pro-Lock Holster
Extremely comfortable and arguably more efficient—at least on the draw—outside the waistband carry is well worth consideration. If it fits your lifestyle, N8 Tactical has the rig for you. Known as its Pro-Lock holster, the system provides enhanced passive retention not found in a typical Level I retention holster. N8 calls it their “Secure Twist Release” system, quite simply it’s a slight modification to the polycarbonate shell’s trigger pocket that requires a slight twist to release the gun. Clever. Also, comfortable. An all-leather backing keeps your iron off your side and helps your body breathe, at the same protecting your gun from body moisture. MSRP: $49.95
Sig Sauer M400 Tread Predator AR
When it comes to entry-level ARs, few hold a candle to Sig’s TREAD line. Now, hunters have a reason to look in Sig’s direction, with the introduction of the M400 TREAD Predator. Chambered 5.56 NATO, the rifle sticks to the line formula for success but offers a few upgrades that make it a perfect addition. In particular, the carbine boasts a fully adjustable stock, allowing users to tailor the cheek rise and length of pull at a mere twist of knobs. Additionally, the handguard—Sig’s Predator model—not only offers plenty of M-Lok real estate, but also a wide flat bottom, perfect for drawing a steady rest on a fence post or other support. Outfitted with a snappy single-stage trigger, the TREAD Predator is just the ticket to get coyotes howling. MSRP: $1,100
CCI Clean-22 Realtree Ammo
Less fouling, more stealthy … what’s not to love about CCI’s Clean-22 Realtree. The rimfire ammo has been around for a while, utilizing Federal/CCI’s polymer jacketing to keep lead from clogging up a rifle’s bore. But partnering with Realtree, the ammo-maker has upped its game in the batches you can buy. The plastic jug ships with 400 rounds of clean ammo, which should keep even the most ambitious shooters busy for a couple of hours. As to its performance, it kicks a 40-grain bullet 1,235 fps at the muzzle; that’s enough for any brushy or cottontail that crosses your path. MSRP: $43.99, jug of 400
Federal Premium 10mm Punch Ammo
Federal’s first line specifically developed for civilian defensive use, PUNCH ammunition fills a unique niche in the ammo giant’s catalog. And it’s grown to fit more shooters in recent times. Federal unveiled a new 200-grain 10mm load in the PUNCH line, certain to give armed citizens an edge in life-and-death situations. Engineered to meet or exceed FBI penetration standards, leaving the muzzle at 1,100 fps, the hollow-point loads deliver the peace of mind it can get the job done. This isn’t exclusive to the terminal end of things. Utilizing nickel-plated brass and sealed primers, shooters can expect flawless function in any handgun in which it’s run. MSRP: $30.99, box of 20
M&P Shield Plus 9mm
Little double, the M&P Shield is among the most popular concealed-carry pistols to come down the pike. Easy to keep under wraps, intuitive in control and chambered to stop threats, there were few knocks on the pistol, outside of capacity. Now, that’s a thing of the past. Upping the capacity of the demure heater, the Shield Plus brings the pistol in line with other micro-compacts currently on the market. With 13+1 on board, the 9mm has more than enough firepower to handle most lethal-force encounter—outside a full-fledged Hunnic invasion. The best part, Smith & Wesson didn’t compromise the pistol’s very manageable size to squeeze in the extra round, with the gun measuring 6.1 inches in length, 1.1 inches in width and 20 ounces in weight. MSRP: $553
OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 Suppressors
A significant advancement in pistol suppressors, the OSS RAD 9 and RAD 45 bring flexibility and improved shooting experience to the table. The heart of the suppressor is what OSS calls its Flow-Baffle technology, which essentially eliminates any blow-back. The secret sauce: radial baffles that route the expanding gases to the perimeter of the device, and then out the front. Modular, the suppressor also adapts to the situation with two configurations. The RAD 9 goes from 7.7 inches at full length down to 5.15 inches, while the RAD 45 is modifiable from 8.6 to 6.4 inches. In any setup, the cans make for long and very enjoyable shooting sessions. MSRP: RAD 9 $849; RAD 45 $999
Hornady Bore Driver FTX
Hunt with sabot rounds during muzzleloader season and you know their drawback. Yeah, they’re lights-out accurate, but, boy howdy, are they a pain to wrangle down a bore. If there was only a better system. Known as the Bore Driver FTX, the system is designed for sabot-like performance, but not loading. The key here is Hornady opting for a polymer base, which provides the same sealing properties as a sabot but doesn’t require throwing your back out to ram home. Sitting atop the base is Hornady’s legendary FlexTip (FTX) bullet, which serves up class-best ballistic coefficients and downrange performance. Translated, that means the .50-calibers shoot to your muzzleloader’s limits. MSRP: $29.99 box of 20
Galco Classic Lite 2.0 Speedloader Carrier
Reloading a revolver … it’s a hurdle armed citizens are well aware of. Less considered is how to keep those reloads on-hand and under wraps until they’re needed. Galco has the answer in its speedloader carrier tailored to its shoulder holster rigs. Keeping two speedloaders at hand under the support-hand armpit in a horizontal position, the system allows for fast and efficient reloads conducive to the most popular techniques taught today. And the ambidextrous system is tough as cut nails. Constructed of 100-percent premium center-cut steerhide and rugged steel snaps, the carrier is made for years of use and with any caliber. MSRP: $39
Luth-AR MBA-5 AR Upgrade Stock
Stocks usually pull up the tail end of an AR upgrade, but few enhancements—outside a snappy new trigger—do more to improve a rifle’s comfort and performance. Luth-AR is a master at tweaking this particular part of a build. Outfitted with the company’s Anti-Rattle set screw found in the MBA-3 and MBA-4, the MBA-5 stock eliminates that annoying shimmy common on lesser options. Additionally, Luth-AR includes a wide, flared cheek rest for an intuitive and comfortable weld, a convenient paddle-style adjustment lever for rapid positioning (six positions). To finish it all up, the parts maker integrates a Picatinny rail on the lower rear of the stock, perfect if you’re a precision shooter who has to have a monopod to steady everything up. Complete with QD attachment points and righty and lefty friendly, the very affordable stock brings out the best in an AR. MSRP: $49.95
Ruger MAX-9
Ruger is no stranger to carry-ready handguns, though traditionally they stuck to more non-traditional niches. Now, it’s set to tackle the fastest-growing segment of self-defense arms—the micro-compact—with the MAX-9. As to how the pistol measures out, it’s 6 inches long, 1 inch in width, boasts a 3.2-inch barrel and weighs in at 18.4 ounces unloaded. Along with its overall demure size, it offers spot-on capacity, feeding on both a 10-round flush-fit magazine and a 12-round extended capacity. Finally, it’s optic ready—yes, you heard that right. Compatible with a wide swath of red-dot optics, there are few other pistols in its class that compete with what the MAX-9 brought to the table at its price. MSRP: $499
Wilson Combat X-TAC Supergrade
Arkansas is the heart of American custom gun-making, and it’s also the home of Wilson Combat. Renowned for its custom creations, the popular purveyor of top-shelf 1911s might have outdone itself in the enhancement of one of its popular lines. The X-TAC Supergrade isn’t brand-new, but its release is still worth mention, given it takes Wilson’s “one gun at a time” ethos to its maximum. The company’s most experienced gunsmiths build these John Browning classics, meaning only a few are turned out each month. Exclusivity is an asset, given the carbon-steel beast’s fit and finish are unparalleled … as is its performance. Some of the fine points include bidirectional, X-TAC frontstrap and slide treatment for enhanced grip, rear battle sight and front fiber optic, bull barrel and choice of 9mm, .38 Super and .45 ACP chamberings. MSRP: $4,795
Colt Anaconda
Few things are quite as American as the .44 Magnum and Colt “Snake Guns.” Thankfully, this potent combination returns to the iconic gunmaker’s catalog in 2021 with the release of the highly anticipated Colt Anaconda. The six-round .44 Mag. isn’t a one-on-one clone of the original, instead sharing more with the recently rebooted Python. But the super-sized snake has everything to squeeze every lick of power from the cartridge, including the choice of 8- and 6-inch barrel, redesigned non-stacking double-action trigger, fully adjustable rear sight, Hogue over-molded grips and target-crowned barrel. A brilliant semi-bright finish pulls the whole stainless steel revolver together and makes the Anaconda as appealing as ever. MSRP: $1,499
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2021 American Made issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Even rarer than the standard versions, the HK P7K3 pocket pistol variant may be this gun’s best iteration.
HK P7K3 Dimensions:
Overall Length: 6.3-Inches
Height: 4.92-Inches
Width: 1.14-Inches
Weight (Unloaded): ~1.8-Pounds
Any variant of the H&K P7 commands a high price in the United States. In fact, it even commanded a high price in Germany when it was first released in the late 1970s. Its sparse importation into the U.S. combined with its original marketing slogan of “the most expensive handgun in the world” make the P7 more of a collectible for most people than a shooter. In practical terms, the P7 is inaccessible to most, but its unique and innovative design features have kept it in the public consciousness all these years later. The P7 has been lauded as a carry pistol by the few who are lucky enough to use one as such. But of all the variants which were imported, it seems that the exceedingly rare HK P7K3 may fill this role better than any other.
The smallest member of the P7 family, the HK P7K3 is quite a bit different than any of its bigger brothers. Because of the smaller calibers it's chambered for, the P7K3 does not need the gas-delaying mechanism found in the standard variants, instead of utilizing a direct blowback action with a hydraulic buffer. This difference in operation allows the P7K3 to use a non-fixed barrel as well, making changing calibers a possibility that didn’t exist with the other fixed-barrel models. The barrel, slide and magazines can be swapped out to shoot either .380 ACP, .32 ACP or .22LR. Because part of the reason the P7K3 was developed was for use as a training gun, the ability to use smaller and cheaper calibers is a logical addition. Regardless of caliber, every P7K3 magazine has an 8-round capacity.
The squeeze-cocker mechanism which lies at the heart of the P7 family is of course still present on the HK P7K3, and it may be even more at home in the smaller variant. Unlike on a traditional striker-fired gun which is primed by pulling the trigger, P7 strikers are primed by grabbing them by the squeeze-cocker. By removing the mechanical burden of priming the striker from the trigger, P7s are able to have very nice single-stage triggers with very little take-up.
HK P7K3 Squeeze-cocker as depicted in the gun's owner's manual.
The squeeze-cocker is also what enables the HK P7K3 to sit comfortably within the category of “pocket pistol” despite being larger than most others. This is because the nature of the squeeze-cocking mechanism requires it to be firmly grasped in a shooting position to render it usable. If the grip safety on something like a 1911 were to fail, the cocked hammer still stores enough potential energy to detonate the round if it were to fall. The striker on the P7 family is only cocked when the squeeze-cocker is depressed, meaning if it were to fail for some reason a chambered round would be unable to fire. It's this detail that makes the HK P7K3 ideal for pocket carry, as it is one of the few guns which can be confidently carried outside of a holster with a round in the chamber. Because of the amount of force needed to cock the P7’s striker, it would be virtually impossible for it to both be accidentally depressed within one’s pocket and for the trigger to be pulled. Intent is needed to make this gun fire, making it an extremely safe carry piece.
Smaller But Better
When the standard HK P7 was first launched in Germany some of the promotional material described it as “the best combat handgun in the world.” While certainly nice pistols, they have one glaring flaw that stops them from truly being a “combat handgun.” The squeeze cocker mechanism which gives the P7 its excellent trigger and superior safety is also what limits this gun’s utility in a prolonged firefight, as the gas-delayed blowback action will eventually make the grip too hot to handle. While it may seem counterintuitive, this is exactly what makes the HK P7K3 a potentially better combat pistol than any of its full-sized counterparts.
The smaller caliber of the HK P7K3 enables it to utilize its straight blowback action, resulting in less hot gas building up inside the gun than does within the gas-delayed blowbacks of other P7s. While I have not had the chance to directly test a P7K3 against a standard P7, it stands to reason that because of these different operating systems that the P7K3 would tolerate many more rounds downrange before it overheated.
Its increased resistance to overheating combined with its smaller size helps make the P7K3 the superior model both for carrying and for prolonged shooting.
HK P7K3 with caliber conversion parts. Photo: Wikipedia
The HK P7K3 may exist as a footnote in a family of already fairly obscure firearms, but for those in the market for a high-quality carry piece that can be safely shoved in a pocket, there might not be a better option available than this.
Mostly known for their high-quality 1911s and revolvers, Kimber has decided to take on the modern CCW pistol with their new R7 Mako.
Kimber R7 Mako Features:
Polymer-Framed, Striker-Fired
9mm With an 11+1 Or 13+1 Capacity
Performance, Flat-Faced Trigger
Optics Cut Slide
Included Tritium Night Sights
Fully Ambidextrous Controls
Kimber is no stranger to the concealed carry market. Their compact 1911s, Micro 9s and Evos have been many individual’s CCW gun of choice for quite some time. While all fine pistols, due to their 1911 design origins they were subject to certain limitations. Now as micro-compact polymer-framed 9mms continue to dominate the CCW market, Kimber has decided to follow suit with the release of their R7 Mako pistol.
Performance Carry Trigger
The R7 Mako began its development after Kimber asked concealed carriers what qualities they prioritized in their carry pistols. The top two responses were a good trigger and a large magazine capacity, laying down the framework that would become the R7 Mako. Kimber decided that the best way to achieve this in a striker-fired gun would be with their flat-faced Performance Carry Trigger. From the factory the pull weight should be between 5 and 6.75 pounds, but special attention was given to ensure it has consistent travel and a crisp break. The flat face, short pull and clean break should all assist in making accurate hits under stress, exactly what the R7 was designed for.
The issue of capacity was addressed with double-stack magazines, something that Kimber isn’t overly familiar with coming from a 1911 background. Each R7 Mako ships with two magazines, a flush-fitting 11-round mag and one 13-round extended mag. In terms of capacity, this brings it on par with the Springfield Hellcat which is likely the R7’s main competitor. Kimber claims that a 15-round mag will be available soon as well.
Optics Ready Or Optics Installed
Both available models of Kimber R7 Mako come optics ready right from the box, but only one comes with an optic pre-installed. The slides are cut for a Shield-pattern RMSc footprint and can mount any compatible optic, but the Optics Installed (OI) model includes a Crimson Trace CTS-1500. Both models also include tritium night-sights which are designed to be co-witnessed with your optic of choice. As red dot sighted CCW pistols increase in popularity, it’s good to see companies like Kimber adapt to the trend by making an optics cut slide the standard configuration for their new carry piece.
As a micro-compact, achieving good ergonomics on the R7 wasn’t easy. Kimber addressed this issue with aggressive, wrap-around grip texturing as well as fully ambidextrous controls. This means that despite its small size it should be easy to maintain a solid grip while shooting and can be operated with either hand. The OR model R7 Mako has an MSRP of $599 and the OI model with a Crimson Trace has an MSRP of $799.
For more information on the R7 Mako, please visit kimberamerica.com.
Knife vs Gun — when is the armed citizen on solid legal footing when using lethal force against an attacker with a blade weapon.
On October 26, 2020, Philadelphia Police shot and killed a man with a knife, 27-year-old Walter Wallace. YouTube videos show the shooting, and to this observer, the two police officers who fired a total of 10 shots were likely justified in the shooting.
Have you considered under what circumstances you’d shoot someone threatening you with a knife?
What Is The 21-Foot Rule?
Just about everyone who has ever attended a training course on lawful use of force has heard of the Tueller drill, referred in some circles as the 21-foot rule.
To bring everyone up to speed, in 1983, Salt Lake Police Sgt. Dennis Tueller, a firearms instructor for his police department, one day timed his officers on how quickly they could draw and hit a man-sized target with two shots from their service revolvers. The distance was 7 yards, and the times averaged 1.5 seconds.
He then timed the officers on how quickly they could run the same 7 yards, and found it also averaged 1.5 seconds. The conclusion was that an officer should have their gun drawn when facing a knife-wielding suspect if that suspect was within 21 feet, or the officer would have no chance to draw and get shots off before being stabbed. This fact does not, though, automatically guarantee the legal system will validate your shooting of someone threatening with a knife from less than 7 yards.
What The Jury Will Consider
All the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident will need to be analyzed, with the results of that analysis being filtered through the reasonable person doctrine. What would a reasonable and prudent person have done in the same circumstances, knowing what you knew at the time?
Did the person display obvious overt threatening acts? Were they verbally threatening to use the knife against you? Was there a past history of violence on the part of the suspect? Was there any other criminal activity being engaged in by the suspect? For example, a person who pulls a knife on you outside the convenience store and states he will kill you if you don’t give him your money, is a different threat than someone who simply is carrying a knife open, exposed and acting erratically.
I worked on a case where an individual (according to the defendant) had previously threatened the use of a K-bar knife, and then moments later, threatened him again and started toward the defendant. The defendant shot and killed the attacker, but the attacker never drew the knife—just had it in its sheath on his hip. There were other extenuating circumstances, which ultimately led the jury to convict (like the drunkenness of the defendant and the fact he fled the scene) and worked against his credibility. My analysis of the scene and testimony in court wasn’t enough to overcome these facts, although I do believe he was justified in taking the suspect’s life.
Knife Vs Gun: Is There An Advantage?
There’s still a tendency for some to discount a knife as being as dangerous as a gun. The old adage that a gun is more lethal than a knife is simply wrong, as a well-aimed and executed knife cut can disable and kill as quick or quicker than a similar wound inflicted with a gun. The phrase in the reasonable person doctrine “knowing what you knew at the time” will be extremely important when you’re looking into the jury box and trying to convince them you had a reasonable belief your life was in danger. That’s where documented knowledge and training will be your ace in the hole.
When I was a young rookie police officer, our tactical and legal training surrounding lethal threats didn’t sufficiently cover knife lethality, in my opinion. It was generally accepted that the officer, if he or she had a baton, should use that baton to disarm the individual with the knife. It was only later, after Tueller’s earlier work and the production and distribution of the 1988 officer survival video Surviving Edged Weapons by Calibre Press, that the current training in knife lethality became widespread. If you carry a gun and haven’t seen this video, you really need to see it.
Training As A Legal Aid
Additionally, receiving hands-on, documented training from a reputable instructor or school might be invaluable if you ever have to justify your actions in court. Under most circumstances, your instructor could be introduced to validate the concepts and training he taught you.
The concept of documented training is what allows most police officers who use deadly force against knife-wielding suspects to avoid prosecution or civil liability. And the same documented training could very well be used by your attorney to convince the prosecutor’s office not to press charges against you, even if the suspect “only had a knife.”
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A long-feared nightmare of American firearm owners just became a reality, what does this ban on Russian ammo mean for us in the long run?
Promises made, promises kept. Of the millions of first-time gun buyers last year, a sizeable amount of them helped to vote in the current administration and are now surprised that this aggressively anti-gun president is doing exactly as he said he would. Unable to attack the 2nd Amendment through legislation, he has decided to do so through sanctions against Russian ammo manufacturers. They were levied in response to the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny. This story is brought to you by the same mainstream media that lied for over four years about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. election as well as the “Kremlin is putting bounties on American soldiers” headline that was widely believed and subsequently debunked earlier this year. Whether you choose to believe that the poisoning of Navalny was a legitimate event or not, it is clear to all sides that the real purpose of these sanctions is to punish law-abiding American gun owners and not the Russian government.
Following September 7th, no new importation licenses will be granted for Russian-manufactured firearms, ammunition or nuclear or missile-related technology. This will be in effect for at least 12 months but may be lifted after this period if the Russian Federation satisfies certain criteria.
Since Russian firearms were already effectively banned in prior sanctions and missile-related products are not available for civilian purchase anyway, the only real effect on the American public here is the ammunition ban. While it can theoretically be lifted following Russia’s cooperation with America’s demands, because the Russian government denies the allegations in the first place it is safe to say they will never capitulate, effectively making these bans permanent. Overnight the once plentiful and cheap Russian ammo that lined store shelves across the country went the way of Chinese arms and ammunition back in ’93—virtually unobtainable.
Importation licenses are valid until either one year past the date of issue or whenever the allocated number of approved items has been imported, whichever comes first. This means that previously approved importers will still be able to import Russian ammo until their current licenses are no longer valid, so Russian ammo in the States will at least be dying a slow death rather than the swift execution many believed it had received on August 20th when the sanctions were first announced.
This has not stopped many from panic-buying as much Russian ammo as they were able. Shortly after the sanctions were first posted the popular deal-finder website Ammoseek crashed from too much traffic. Gun shops the morning after opened to lines of people waiting to get inside to clear out their entire stocks of steel-cased goodness despite the already present markup. 7.62x39mm ammo was priced at about 27 CPR the morning of the 20th and had already shot up to over 50 CPR by the evening. To say that people are worried about the future of ammo availability right now would be an understatement, and the reasons are obvious.
The effects of this ban will not only be felt by AK-aficionados and frugal shooters who only buy steel-cased, even those who only buy premium, brass-cased ammo will likely begin to see prices rise. This is because Russian-made ammo comprised 30-40% of all ammunition purchased in the United States, and its cost was always low enough to force other brands to stay competitive. By pulling the rug out from under the U.S. ammo market, other manufacturers will have less incentive to keep prices low. Unfortunately, it is likely true that no other nation can produce as much ammunition as cheaply as Russia was able to, as no other nation has the pre-existing infrastructure to produce at the same scale. When it still existed, the Soviet Union was the largest country in the world with one of the strongest and largest militaries. With so much of the USSR’s economy centered around arms production both for themselves as well as for export to friendly nations, it is only logical that they would have invested a great deal into domestic ammunition production. Modern-day Russia inherited this production capability and it remains unmatched by any other nation on Earth. It is because of this that Russia was able to provide, for so much of the American ammo market, and keep prices so low. I fear that no amount of increased production volume from Turkey, Romania, Ukraine or the Czech Republic will ever be able to completely fill the void being left by Russia’s disappearance from the market. I hope that I’m wrong about this, but I’m not holding my breath. We will likely never see any ammo as cheap as it was before the Covid panic and these most recent sanctions.
Not all calibers will be as affected as others, however. While it’s true that Russian ammo supplemented the U.S. supply of virtually all common calibers, there are many other sources for .223, .308 and other NATO rounds. Russian calibers like 7.62×39, 9×18 Makarov and 5.45×39 will not be as lucky. 7.62×39 is still one of the most popular cartridges in the world, including with American shooters. There are several factories still producing this caliber outside of Russia, and while they will never be able to fully match the volume of Russia’s output, given time they will likely eventually increase production enough to somewhat offset the difference. The AK-74’s cartridge, 5.45×39, is almost certainly the caliber that will suffer the most from these sanctions. Russia was by far the number one producer of this round and it now appears that the only possible source for it in the future is Romania. Here’s to hoping that they are able to produce enough to keep the AK-74 market kicking. AKs chambered in 5.56 are undoubtedly about to become more popular than ever before in response to this.
With the stroke of a pen, President Biden was able to deal a major blow to the hobby which is intrinsically tied to one of this country’s most important founding principles. Overnight these sanctions managed to raise the economic barrier of entry to own and practice with a firearm. Needless to say, this will have a bigger impact on this country’s impoverished than anyone else. Unfortunately, it seems that all there is to do now is wait and see how the market recovers in the years to come.
DRG has just acquired Saltwater Arms and are now manufacturing complete, corrosion-resistant AR-style rifles designed for maritime environments.
Saltwater Arms Rifle Advantages:
Utilize stainless steel components.
Parts coated in corrosion-resistant material.
Made in America using cutting-edge technology.
Each product is examined in-house by their quality-control lab.
Based out of Illinois, DRG is a leading U.S. manufacturer of firearm components, primarily for AR-style rifles chambered for 5.56, 9mm and .308. DRG products were already well regarded for their precision manufacturing and high durability, but following their acquisition of Saltwater Arms their catalog just got a lot more interesting. Made to withstand the harsh, corrosive environments commonly found near oceans, the Saltwater Arms-designed rifles now benefit from DRG’s manufacturing process and quality-control facilities.
DRG Manufacturing CEO and avid fisherman Chris Gosell had this to say about the new products:
“We set out to offer distinctive solutions to our customers and choosing to manufacture a new line of fully assembled rifles and pistols seemed to be the natural direction. Saltwater Arms rifles met our high standards and unique “out-of-the-box thinking” and we’re excited to add our expertise to the production. The firearm’s key components are made from stainless steel with highly durable corrosion-resistant coatings to provide users the utmost strength and longevity in the harshest of marine environments as well as worry-free relief for the prepper community.”
They currently have two new rifles for sale with two minor variants of each. Both new rifles are chambered for 5.56, have 16-inch barrels and are available with either 13-inch or 15-inch MLOK handguards. The Barracuda features a Tungsten Cerakote finish and has an MSRP of $1,395.95, while the Blackfin is hard coat anodized black and has an MSRP of $1,049.95.
Whether you live by the sea, are prepping for the apocalypse or just appreciate incredibly durable guns, this new line of Saltwater Arms rifles from DRG are worth looking at.
With the fall of the Afghan National Army, the Taliban has gained a trove of U.S. Military Weapons. Here's some of what's in their hands.
Difficult to miss, the ensuing chaos as the U.S. Military departs Afghanistan fills YouTube videos and nightly newscasts. Dramatic scenes of Afghan nationals attempting to escape the approach of Taliban fighters are dramatic and marks among the most turbulent chapters in American history. Less apparent, the trove of military weapons now in the hands of the insurgent forces presently in near-total control of the country.
Fleeing the Taliban onslaught, Afghan National Army (ANA) forces have abandoned or outright surrendered their arms to the insurgents. Almost to the gun, these weapons come from the U.S. Military. The situation is dire enough that Reuters reports the White House is considering launching an airstrike against some of the larger equipment. Even if this comes to pass, the Taliban comes out of the U.S. departure well-armed.
American Investment In Taliban Arms
According to a 2016 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, the Department of Defense had outfitted the ANA with some 884,311 pieces of military equipment since 2003. This includes nearly 600,000 weapons, 208 aircraft, and 76,000 vehicles of various types. In all, according to the Wall Street Journal, more than $80 billion over 20 years has been spent on the Afghan forces. Presumably, given the collapse of the country, most of this equipment is now in the Taliban's hands. But what exactly do they have?
Taliban fighters August 2021 in Kabul.
Gun Digest compiled a list of the likely small arms, vehicles, aircraft and equipment left behind in Afghanistan. By no means is our research definitive, given even the U.S. Military has had difficulty keeping tabs on exactly its supplies to the ANA. According to the Wall Street Journal, a December 2020 report found “[T]he Pentagon didn’t meet U.S. inspection requirements for weapons, inventorying only 40% of applicable military items from May 2019 to April 2020. However, there has been some records of what the U.S. has equipped the ANA with over the course of two decades and more than $80 billion of military spending. Here's what we found are the likely U.S. Military Arms now in the Taliban's possession.
U.S. Military Equipment Sent To Afghanistan
Beretta M9
Beretta M9
Recently replaced by the Sig Sauer P320 (designated the M17), the M9 was the standard-issue sidearm of the U.S. Military since 1985. The DA/SA 9mm replaced the iconic M1911A1 as the military’s go-to pistol, but never endeared itself to soldiers the same way as its predecessor. A 2006 report by the Center For Naval Analysis found of the soldiers who engaged the enemy with the pistol, only 58-percent were satisfied with the weapon—the lowest of any on the survey.
Sig Sauer M17/M18
Sig M17
Duty and compact variants of the P320 the U.S. Military recently adopted as its new sidearm. The striker-fired, double-stack 9mm pistols are manufactured by Sig Sauer and a known for their modular design, incorporating an internal chassis that is separate from the frame. This allows multiple configurations of the handgun, improved longevity. The pistols feed from both 17-round and 21-round magazines and have been praised for their accuracy and ergonomics compared to its predecessor the M9.
M16A2 Rifle
M16A2
Likely the most abundant American weapon supplied to the ANA is the M16A2. This rifle was first adopted by U.S. Marines in the early 1980s, eventually seeing use by every branch until it began getting phased out in favor of M4 carbines in the late 1990s. Some are still in service with rear-echelon units like the Reserves and the National Guard. Like its predecessor, the M16A2 is chambered for 5.56 NATO but the barrel was appropriately rifled for the new SS109 or M855 62-grain projectile. Further changes included a more adjustable rear sight, the addition of a brass deflector and new furniture of a modified design using improved materials. The sheer volume of M16A2s sitting in American stockpiles by the early 2000s made them a prime candidate for equipping the new Afghan army.
M4 Carbine
M4 Carbine
The M4 is what effectively replaced the M16A2 in common U.S. military service. Derived from the CAR-15 which was originally developed for special forces in Vietnam, the M4 carbine is essentially a shortened and modified M16A4. The M4 features a 14.5-inch barrel with an external profile that allows the mounting of an M203 under-barrel grenade launcher. They also have a proportionally shorter gas system and handguard as well as a telescoping buttstock similar to the one designed for the CAR-15. The most substantial change on the M4 is the replacement of the carry handle rear iron sight with a Picatinny rail segment for mounting modern optics. The United States sold M4 carbines to the ANA on a few separate occasions for use with Afghani commandos and special forces, but these were not issued to standard ANA infantry like the M16A2.
M24 Sniper System
M24 Sniper System
The primary sniper rifle of the U.S. Army for the past 30 years, the M24 is well regarded for its accuracy and performance in the field. Based on the push-feed, bolt-action Remington 700 the rifle was, by and large, chambered 7.62x51mm NATO (M24 and M24A2), however, in more recent times the rifle was modified to accept .338 Lapua Magnum, extending its range. Comparably, the 7.62 has an effective range of 875 yards, the .338 Lapua 1,640 yards. For the better part of its service, the 5-round rifle utilized the Leupold Ultra M3A 10×42mm fixed power scope or Leupold Mk 4 LR/T M3 10×40mm fixed power scope to get on target. H-S Precision provided many of the stocks, which at minimum were adjustable for length of pull, and some coming with a fixed cheekpiece.
M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon)
M249 SAW
Designed to provide infantry squads with a high volume of fire, the M249 combines a high rate of fire with accuracy and portability. The light machine gun was adopted in 1984 and has been a mainstay in nearly every U.S. conflict involving ground combat since. Chambered 5.56x45mm NATO, the FN Herstel-manufactured machine gun is operated by a gas-actuated long-stroke piston and is air-cooled. Its feed mechanism is also versatile, capable of grazing off 30-round ATANG magazines or M27 disintegrating belts. At 18 pounds, the gun is easily transported to nearly any fight.
M240B Machine Gun
M240B Medium Machine Gun
A general-purpose machine gun, the weapon is meant to bring heavier firepower to bear on the enemy than the smaller-caliber M249 SAW. Manufactured by FN Herstel, other variations of the 7.62x51mm NATO machine gun are often mounted on vehicles and aircraft, but the M240B is primarily an infantry weapon operate off an integral bipod or mounted on a tripod. A spare barrel is issued with each M240B, allowing barrel swaps to keep the air-cooled weapon in the fight. With a maximum rate of fire of 950 rpm, the machine generally feeds from a 100-round bandoleer containing a disintegrating metallic split-link belt.
M2 Browning Machine Gun
Browning M2
Among the longest-serving weapons in the U.S. Military’s arsenal, the .50-caliber heavy machine gun is also among the most versatile. The M2 or “Ma Deuce” has been mounted on vehicles, in aircraft, on ships and used off tripods. It’s overwhelming firepower on a target as both an anti-personnel and anti-material machine gun. In service since World War I, the John M. Browning-designed weapon doles out a lot of punishment, with an effective range of 2,000 yards and a cyclical rat up to 575 rpm. It is recoil-operated, air-cooled and belt-fed.
M134 Minigun
M134 Minigun
The six-barrel rotary machine gun has become among the most iconic U.S. Military weapons since it entered service in the early 1960s. The externally powered machine gun is best known for its extreme rate of fire, capable of delivering 2,000 to 6,000 rpm downrange. Generally, the M134 is mounted to vehicles and aircraft with its 41- to 85-pound weight making it prohibitive for infantry use. Chambered 7.62x51mm NATO, weapon feed from disintegrating M13 linked belt or linkless feeds. Dependent on its installation it utilizes 500- to 5,000-round belts.
M203 Grenade Launcher
M203 Grenade Launcher
The single-shot 40mm grenade launcher was adopted in 1969 and has been an infantry staple ever since. Originally, the under-the-barrel launcher was designed for use on the M16A1 but has been modified for use on the M4 carbine in modern conflicts. With an effective firing range of roughly 400 yards, its intended use is close fire support, mainly to reach enemies that cannot be hit by direct fire. The launcher fires several different rounds, from high-explosive to illumination and buckshot. Manufactured by several different companies, the M203 adds around 3-pound to a rifle.
Artillery
M114 Howitzer
M114 Howitzer
The medium artillery piece has seen service since World War II and is widely used by U.S. allies around the world. A versatile artillery piece, the 155mm howitzer is capable of shooting high explosive, smoke, chemical, nuclear and illumination rounds.
Vehicles
Up-armored HUMVEEs (M1151/M1152)
M1151 Humvee
Essentially the traditional Humvee, armored to provide ballistic and mine protection. A variety of weaponry can be mounted on its turret.
M113 APC
M113 APC
A fully-tracked armored personnel carrier, the M113 has 28mm to 44mm of 5083 aircraft-grade aluminum for armor. Provides all-around 7.62x51mm protection.
M577 Command Vehicle
M577 Command Vehicle
A variant on APCs, the M577 was designed to function on the battlefield as a mobile command post, typically at the battalion level. In service since the Vietnam War.
M1117 ASV
M1117 ASV
A wheeled, turreted and armored all-wheel vehicle is generally used to support police missions. The hull is mine-resistant and it features composite Modular Expandable Armor System (MEXAS) armor. Depending on its level, MEXAS can protect against small-arms fire, up to RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Typically armed with Mk19 Grenade Launcher, M2 Machine Gun or M240 Machine Gun.
Aircraft
U-60 Black Hawk
U-60 Black Hawk
A front-line utility helicopter, the Black Hawk can ferry up 11 combat-loaded troops at a time and is capable of moving large pieces of artillery. Manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft, the Black Hawk has four blades, a service ceiling of nearly 20,000 feet and a cruising speed of 152 to 159 knots.
A-29 Super Tucano
A-29 Super Tucano
Brazilian-made (Embraer Defense and Security), the Super Tucano is a turboprop light attack aircraft. Capable of carrying a variety of weapons, from laser-guided munitions, the aircraft was used extensively in counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan.
Other Equipment
AN/PVS 7b Night Vision Goggles (Generation Unknown)
3 Million Rounds of Ammunition (Estimated)
100,000 2.75-inch Rockets (Likely Hydra 70)
Anti-Tank Missiles (Likely FGM-148 Javelin and BGM-71 TOW)
Not every ANA troop was issued an American-supplied weapon, as especially in the earlier years of the conflict there weren’t enough to go around. Much of the ANA force’s equipment was Soviet in origin, some of it dating back to the ‘60s and ‘70s from when the USSR was assisting the Shah and then Daoud governments. Even more, weapons are likely leftover from the Soviet-Afghan War which saw Eastern Bloc weapons brought into the country by both the USSR themselves as well as the CIA during their support of the Mujahadeen. While Soviet forces primarily used AK-74s chambered for 5.45, these are no longer in common usage anywhere in Afghanistan. The prevalence of 7.62×39 ammunition, magazines and rifles ensured that AKMs and older AK-47s were what stayed in common usage. A random sample of Afghani AKs would likely feature examples not only manufactured in Russia but all other major AK-producing countries as well. A good amount of the famous reliability and longevity of the AK’s reputation stems from their prevalence in this region where they have been heavily used and poorly maintained for literal decades of fighting, with most still working just fine. Some contemporarily produced AKs were also supplied to the ANA by the United States as a supplement.
PK/PKM Machine Guns
Hungarian PKM
PKM machine guns are another Soviet weapon that were still commonly used by ANA forces before their surrender. Like the AK, many PKMs were left over from previous conflicts in the region, but more still were supplied by the U.S. and NATO later on. The PKM is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun chambered for the full-powered 7.62x54R cartridge. The original PK version entered Soviet service in 1961 and a modernized version is still used by the Russian army today. It is also still used by dozens of armed groups, both state and non-state, across the globe. Lightweight for a machine gun and extremely reliable, it is not an uncommon opinion to regard the PKM as the best general-purpose machine gun ever made. Both the Taliban and ANA used these extensively for ground troops as well as vehicle-mounted weapons.
RPG-7
RPG-7
Perhaps the most iconic shoulder-mounted rocket launcher of all time, this Soviet-designed weapon has been used in most major conflicts since Vietnam. Produced not only by the USSR/Russia but several Warsaw Pact nations as well as China, it would be an understatement to say that the RPG-7 gets around. It fires unguided, rocket-propelled grenades of several different varieties, with warheads designed to do everything from penetrating armor to engaging groups of enemy personnel. Again, these have been prevalently used by both sides of the Afghan conflict since before America’s involvement in the region, so the ANA’s stockpile of RPG-7s and rockets will merely supplement the Taliban’s existing collection. Despite being unguided, in the hands of a skilled user, the RPG can be a very serious threat to helicopters.
Elwood Shelton and Adam Borisenko contributed to this report.
Few shoulder-fired .50-calibers have proven more adept at long-range precision than the McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle.
What Sets The TAC-50 Apart From Other .50-Calibers:
Owns the longest confirmed kill.
As opposed to many other shoulder-fired .50-caliber rifles, the TAC-50 is a bolt-action.
Despite its size, the rifle is a relatively light 26 pounds.
Fairly widely utilized by militaries around the world.
The shot and the sniper who delivered it are shrouded in mystery. Tight-lipped, the Canadian military has never released the soldier’s name, nor the circumstances under which he pulled the trigger. What is known, the marksman from the Joint Task Force 2 connected at 3,871 yards (3,540 meters) in Iraq during the country’s 2017 civil war. Also established, what was on the sniper’s shoulder—the C15 Anti-Material Sniper Rifle. You might know it as the McMillan Tac-50.
Canadian Forces MacMillan Tac-50 (C15) with a Leupold Mark 4-16x40mm LR/T M1 Riflescope
Outside of military gearheads and ultra-long-range aficionados, the rifle is somewhat undeservedly mired in obscurity. Blame another shoulder-fired .50-caliber rifle for this—the Barrett M82—given in the realm of improbable sniper shots, it sucks the air out of the room. But the staple of Canadian and a rash of other nation’s sharpshooters, the Tac-50 has more than squared itself away as a legend. It is death from beyond incarnate.
McMillan TAC-50 Development
For the most part, when the McMillan Tac-50 was being designed in the late 1980s, the concept of an anti-material rifle was out of style. It wasn’t World War II and longer and a TOW missile was a better bet against approaching armor than any shoulder-fired weapon. Then a funny thing happened. Heavy heads in the upper brass figure what was formally known as an anti-tank rifle might have a second life taking shots at something else.
Turns out thin-skinned aircraft on the ground, radar installations and communications equipment don’t fare well when poked through with .50-caliber bullets—particularly the explosive kind. As an added benefit, putting this high-priced equipment out of service sowed chaos in the enemy, perhaps even more so than taking out any single soldier or even a platoon. Thus was born the anti-material rifle (AMR).
At the vanguard was the Barrett M82, in particular the M82A1, which first entered U.S. Military service as the M107 in 1990. Just in time for the first Gulf War.
While the semi-automatic .50-caliber rifle could shoot a country mile—actually, a couple of them—it did suffer from accuracy issues. Loaded with match-grade ammo (often it’s not), the M82 is maybe a 1.5 MOA rifle; plain old ball it’s a very loose 3 MOA weapon. Not the stuff tack drivers are made of, or that was the take of McMillan Firearms.
The offshoot of stock maker McMillan USA and now owned by Strategic Armory Corp. (Armalite’s Parent), set out to take the AMR to the next level. The answer was the Tac-50, and it was a much different take on the system than what Barrett brought to the table.
TAC-50 Specs
The main break the McMillan TAC-50 makes with its AMR predecessor is it's a bolt-action rifle. Logical, given the gunmaker was aiming at accuracy and turn-bolts have that down pat.
The rifle has a large bolt with dual front locking lugs and a safety rear, which works in massive enclosed action. To this is mated a heavy match-grade, stainless-steel barrel made by Lilja Barrels out of Great Plains, Mont. The company has a solid reputation, with its fire tubes accounting for numerous world records and championship titles. In the case of the TAC-50, the barrel maker supplied a 29-inch tube with flutes to reduce weight and improve heat dispersion. This is topped off with a massive muzzle brake, necessary to tame the .50-calibers excessive recoil.
A massive action and bolt, there's nothing small about the TAC-50
As far as user interface, the stock is—logically—supplied by McMillan, a fiberglass model specifically designed for the rifle and for exclusive use with a bipod. Unsurprisingly for a precision rifle, the buttstock is adjustable for length of pull with rubber spacers that can be removed to cut down the firearm’s size. Furthermore, the integral cheekpiece is adjustable for height.
Given the rifle isn’t a gallery gun, it comes sans iron sights of any kind. Instead, it has a McBros 30 MOA (1/2 deg) scope base for mounting an optical sight. Preferably a high-power scope, given the effective range of the rifle. Canada—one of the TAC-50 most famous users—both the Leupold Mark 4-16x40mm LR/T M1 Riflescope and the Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 PMII telescopic sight have been used. McMillan also endorses the Nightforce NXS 8–32×56 Mil-dot telescopic sight for the Tac-50.
As for magazines, the rifle feeds off 5-round detachable box mags. It’s trigger is a Remington-style single-stage, adjustable from 3.5 to 4.5 pounds. Despite all these bells and whistles, the TAC-50’s most impressive aspect is its overall weight, which for the class of rifle is light at 26 pounds.
Rifle Variants
Since the McMillan TAC-50’s introduction, the company has come up with several variants of the original design. Most notable, the TAC-50 A1 and the TAC-50 A1-R2, and more recently the TAC-50C. Both were released in 2002, but have some notable differences.
TAC-50 A1
McMillan TAC-50 A1
The A1 defining feature is the rifle’s take-down fiberglass stock with a longer fore-end than the original model. Extending the fore moves the balance point of the bipod forward, thus creating a steadier overall shooting base. Additionally, the stock includes an integral cheekpiece, buttstock monopod, smaller pistol grip and repositioned magazine-release lever (in front of the trigger).
TAC-50 A1-R2
McMillan TAC-50 A1 R2
Essentially, this TAC-50 variant is identical to the A1 but includes a proprietary hydraulic recoil mitigation system. Situated in the buttstock, recoil compresses a piston to vastly reduce the amount of recoil a shooter must endure.
TAC-50C
McMillan TAC-50C
The 50C version of the rifle somewhat veers from previous iterations. The twist here is it’s a chassis rifle (hence the “C”), with a Cadex Dual Strike chassis. In addition to the rigidity the design brings—thus improving shot-to-shot consistency—the unit also boasts a fully adjustable buttstock and full-length Picatinny rail.
Given its success with the rifle, the Canadian military is the best-known user of the McMillan TAC-50. However, the rifle has shone for several armed forces around the world, including the French Navy, Israeli Special Forces, Jordanian SRR-61 and the United States. Yes, you heard that correctly, the U.S. While the U.S. Military as a whole never came to adopt the precise .50-caliber bolt-action—it didn’t see the need for one when aiming at targets the size of the side of a barn—the Navy SEALs deemed it a worthy addition to its arsenal where it’s designated the MK15.
Effective Range
So given all of the McMillan TAC-50’s assets, how accurate and how far can the rifle shoot? That, in some respects, is difficult to answer. The company boasts a ½ MOA guarantee with match-grade ammunition and pegs its effective range at 1,970 yards (1,800 meters). These are under ideal conditions mind you. How about real life? Well, there it seems it outperforms its sales-sheet specs.
U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mate assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eleven (EODMU-11), shoots a McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle during weapons training at a range in Iraq.
Dandy as the unnamed Canadian soldier’s confirmed kill at 2.2 miles was, it’s been backed up by nearly equally impressive shots by Canuk snipers.
In one month in 2002 in Afghanistan, Master Corporal Arron Perry and Corporal Rob Furlong recorded two of the all-time longest confirmed kills, each behind the TAC-50. Perry connected at 2,526 yards (2,310 meters) and Furlong at 2,657 yards (2,430 meters). Incidentally, those are the fourth and fifth longest shots in history, which means the McMillan TAC-50 owns three of the top five all-time longest shots.
Yeah, it’s not lab data with all variables controlled for, but it speaks volumes about the rifle's potential. Enough so, it backs up many contentions the TAC-50 a legitimate anti-personnel sniper rifle, in addition to an AMR.
Parting Shot
Certainly, the McMillan TAC-50 isn’t as well-known as some of its .50-caliber counterparts, but it’s more than staked its claim as one of the best. It’s one of the few AMR’s designed to bring precision to the battlefield. While that’s a questionable asset when aiming a 30-foot by 30-foot radar, it more than has proven an advantage. With a motivated sniper behind the trigger, the rifle delivers death from afar and is among the deadliest small arms in use today.
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.
