Wilson Combat gives their EDC X9 the subcompact treatment with the new 15-round SFX9.
Features:
9x19mm Para.
15-Round Capacity
Solid Aluminum Frame
3.25-Inch Match-Grade Barrel
Concealment Controls
Light Rail
Base Price: $2,895
Subcompact, high capacity 9mm handguns are the most recent trend in the CCW world. Guns like the Ruger MAX9 and the Sig P365XL have been pushing the limits of how small a gun can be while still having a large magazine and being comfortable to shoot. The new Wilson Combat 15-round SFX9 may not be a direct competitor to these other models, but its release was clearly inspired by some recent market trends.
Based on the classic 1911 design that Wilson Combat is known for, the SFX9 can never be quite as small, light or inexpensive as the striker-fired polymer-framed guns that are currently dominating the industry. While the SFX9 may not be the most concealable option available, it offers advantages in other areas that are sure to appeal to Wilson Combat’s target demographic. Expert manufacturing paired with innovative design changes have allowed Wilson Combat to bring the 1911 into the 21st century as a completely viable defense weapon for those who can afford one, and their new SFX9 is one of their most attractive options for concealed carry.
On The Belt
The SFX9 utilizes Wilson’s solid frame construction techniques, milling a single block of T6-7075 aluminum into a single, extra durable 1911 frame. The use of aluminum helps to bring the gun’s weight down to just a hair below 30 ounces unloaded, making it much more comfortable for prolonged carrying sessions. Additionally, the SFX9’s hammer, safety, mag release and rear sight have been streamlined to aid in concealment and enable a snag-free draw. These features paired with the 3.25-inch-long barrel make this 1911 about as comfortable to carry as is possible with a 100+ year-old design.
In The Hand
When Wilson Combat sets out to make a gun, even more thought is put into how it shoots than how it carries. Wilson Combat guns have a high expectation of accuracy, reliability and ergonomics, so the SFX9 had to be just as nice at the range as it is in the holster. To help balance the SFX9’s lightweight aluminum frame, its grip shape and angle were altered to help better control recoil. The grip also has Wilson Combat X-Tac tread pattern to help the shooter get solid purchase while firing. The famous accuracy of Wilson Combat 1911s should be easy to achieve with the available sight options for the SFX9. Tritium and fiber optics in various colors are available for the front sight, and the rear of the slide can be ordered cut to mount a red dot straight from the factory.
9mm 1911s have historically had worse reliability than their .45 ACP counterparts. For a long time, even the highest quality 9mm 1911s were notoriously picky about the kind of ammo fed to them. Wilson Combat has seemingly resolved this however with their Enhanced Reliability System or ERS. The rails, lock-up and even extractor have been modified to reliably cycle any power of 9mm load, regardless of how dry or dirty the gun is (within reason). The two 15-round mags that come in the box are made by Mec-Gar in Italy who seem to have a global monopoly on high-quality double-stack pistol magazines, even acting as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for several prominent companies. Their SFX9 mags have been designed with a special 9mm follower to ensure reliability.
The Wilson Combat SFX9 looks like an excellent new CCW piece for those looking for a small, high-capacity 9mm handgun. While it may not be as small as some of the other “deep concealment” options available today, the difference in shooting experiences will reveal where your extra money went.
PROOF Research and MDT have partnered to create the new precision PROOF MDT Chassis Rifle.
PROOF MDT Caliber Options:
.223 Rem.
.308 Win.
6 ARC
6 Dasher
6 Creedmoor
6.5 Creedmoor
PROOF Research, known for its bolt-action rifles, has partnered with MDT, Zermatt and others to bring a new rifle to market that combines each company’s respective strengths into a single platform. Available in six different calibers, the PROOF MDT Chassis Rifle is equipped to provide extreme precision wherever you may need it.
Precision Features
The rifle is built on an MDT ACC (Adjustable Core Competition) Chassis and finished in custom PROOF Research colors. The stock’s comb height and length of pull can be adjusted to accommodate a shooter of any size, and it is also compatible with MDT buttstock weights for added recoil reduction. A scope can be mounted via the ARCA rail on top of the action, which is a Zermatt Arms TL3. It uses a Triggertech Pro Curved Diamond trigger which can be adjusted from 4 to 32 ounces of pull. The chassis also includes M-LOK mounting points on the handguard for attaching bipods, weights, or any other accessory.
A 26-inch PROOF Research competition contour steel barrel ensures consistent precision regardless of caliber choice. The rifle is fed by MDT AICS-pattern detachable box magazines which were engineered to facilitate easier mag changes while shooting prone.
Ergonomics, mechanical accuracy and compatibility with aftermarket competition upgrades make this rifle a solid choice for anyone in need of serious precision. The PROOF MDT Chassis Rifle has an MSRP of $5,699 and comes with a custom hard case and PROOF’s accuracy guarantee.
Storied as the Barrett M82 is, its reputation as the ultimate .50-cal. sniper rifle is somewhat unlikely.
What Makes The M82 Rise As A Sniper Rifle Odd:
The rifle's original aim was as an anti-material rifle, with a limited anti-personnel role.
Its short-recoil operation makes the rifle considerably less accurate than most suppose.
Most .50 BMG ammunition until recent times was decidedly not match-grade.
Think of a football field with the end zones removed. Now lay 28 of them end to end. Not a football fan? How about the Houston Astro’s home, Minute Maid Park? Extend home plate to deep centerfield around 20 times.
Even with tangible and somewhat common reference points, getting a handle on exactly what 1.5 miles looks like is difficult. It’s easier to say it’s plum far. Now hit a man-sized target at this distance.
Barret's M82 has had a long, strange career in the military. With some of the longest recorded kills to its name, the rifle has become a legend. Though originally taking out enemy combatants was never its primary aim. Photo: Barrett Firearms
Nye impossible? In April of 2012, an unnamed soldier with Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment tallied up a kill from this mythological distance somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan. Technically, the second-longest recorded kill was a tick longer—2,815 yards. At these lengths, who’s counting? On his shoulder is what has come to epitomize small-unit long-range supremacy—the legendary M82A1 Barrett.
Unique and dominant, the semi-automatic has come to represent the quintessential .50-caliber sniper rifle in most people’s minds. Gun articles and movies have iconized the massive, large-caliber iron, spinning tales of death from afar, the rifle fatally biting enemies before they even hear its bark. It’s quite a reputation. One that is, in many respects, accidental.
Misunderstood Warrior
Wait … what did he say?
You heard correctly. Perhaps the most storied sniper rifle in the past 40 years fell into this role unintentionally. That’s not to say the M82—in particular the M82A1 variant (designated M107 when formally adopted in 2002)—hasn’t made hay out of the strike of serendipity. After all, the semi-automatic rifle has delivered five of the 20 longest sniper kills in history, more than any other weapon system. But picking off lone combatants and high-value, two-legged targets was never the shoulder artillery’s main aim.
U.S. Marine practices firiing a Barrett M82A1 rifle just outside of An-Numaniyah Airfield in Iraq, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Photo: Wikipedia
Much less sexy and certainly not headline fodder, the M82 was primarily adopted into the U.S. military to smash stuff, not people. Sniper rifle in the traditional sense is a misnomer, it’s an antimaterial rifle. What the U.S. military classifies as a Special Applications Scoped Rifle (SASR) makes its biggest impact on the battlefield by sowing chaos through material deprivation. Don’t scoff. Hard-target interdiction is a big deal.
A sniper knocking a radar array or a rocket launcher out of commission has greater strategic value than dispatching any single enemy combatant—short of the top brass. Take a fighter plane, for instance. Poke a .50-caliber hole into its engine and not only have you cost the enemy a couple million. You’ve also sent a score of techs scrambling to fix it and protected your comrades from its wrath. A $2 bullet for a multi-million dollar piece of equipment; the battlefield math works out.
The Barrett M82 is more than fit for this duty. Anti-personnel engagements, on paper, it’s a bit shakier.
8 Long Guns You Have to Know from the American Civil War
Not Quite So Accurate
Despite contrary data of its success in putting enemy combatants down for good and with authority, the .50-cal. rifle is ill-suited for this type of engagement. Quite simply, the Barrett M82 isn’t that accurate of a rifle, at least in terms of precision one-shot, one-kill attempts.
By most accounts, a stock M82 shooting M33 ball ammunition is a 3 MOA weapon. Go top-shelf on what you put into its chamber and load up match ammo, and you can expect to tighten groups to roughly 1 MOA. At 1.5 miles, this is a 55.3-inch group at the top end and an 18.4-inch group at the low end. Those numbers aren’t big shakes if your target is a 15×30-foot radar array on the back of a 40-foot truck. However, it’s less ideal when dialing in on a human target that’s a slim-nickel tall in your scope.
Along with heavy return spring on its reciprocating barrel and the rifle's heft, the M82's massive muzzle brake makes the .50-cal. very shootable. Photo: Barrett Firearms
Much of the Barrett M82 inherent inaccuracy has to do with what makes the rifle so successful as a small-unit arm in the first place—its short-recoil operation.
To digress for a moment, pitching a 645-grain bullet with a 233-grain powder charge, the .50 Browning Machine Gun (.50 BMG or 12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge has ample kick. When hosed out of the M2 machine gun, which without its tripod weighs in at 82 pounds, this issue isn’t so noticeable. Out of a shoulder-fired weapon, the marksman is a crash test dummy every time he pulls the trigger. Rifles chambered for similar cartridges—such as the .55 Boys Anti-Tank Rifle of World War II—were reputed to abuse shoulders and detach retinas. Battlefield usefulness demands some sort of system to dampen the recoil impulse, particularly if the rifle will engage targets at long range.
The M82’s reciprocating barrel and heavy twin return springs play a prominent role in mitigating the .50-caliber’s horrible kick. Combine that with the rifle’s nearly 30-pound weight and massive muzzle brake, and you get a shootable system. Poke around YouTube some time, and you can find soldiers standing, shooting the rifle from the hip. Important as this aspect is in making the semi-auto shootable, it doesn’t exactly foster shot-to-shot consistency.
The Barrett M82 suffers the same malady of every semi-auto—particularly recoil-operated—in that it’s a different rifle with every shot. Every time the rifle fires, cycles and goes back into battery—minute as it might be—its components are in a different position from the shot prior. Including, most importantly, the barrel. A fraction of an inch here or there might not seem like much, and it isn’t at intermediate ranges. Past a mile, it adds up.
Furthermore, until as of late, military .50-caliber ammo hasn’t exactly been up to tack-driving standards. Makes sense, it was mainly fodder for the Ma Duce and its loose chamber specs. Not exactly the recipe for a hair-splitting rifle.
How M82 Succeeds As A Sniper
Despite these drawbacks, the same snipers who use the .50-cal. rifle to knock out comm equipment and lightly armored vehicles also successfully use them to cut down enemy combatants. But how? There are a few things at play here.
It’s fair to assume military armorers have learned a thing or two about the rifle since the military began using it in the early 1990s. Thus, these skilled technicians likely have a few tricks up their sleeves to enhance the M82’s accuracy. At least, more so than when it came out of the crate.
Despite shortcomings as an ultra-precise sniper rifle, the fortitude and skill of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force snipers have ushered it into this role. Photo: Wikipedia
Additionally, particularly pertaining to Afghanistan, the terrain enhanced the sniper’s ability. The rifle really had the opportunity to show its best. Unopposed shooting lanes and the advantage of elevation are every sniper's dreams. Afghanistan’s mountains offered these in spades. Three of the five long shots from the Barrett came in that corner of the world.
Then there’s a little matter of ammunition. Four of the five long shots came with the rifle pitching the Raufoss Mk 211 round. The multipurpose, anti-material round has armor-piercing capabilities and high-explosive and incendiary elements. This wicked package ensures maximum damage on a hard target. However, it also vastly decreases the margin of error for a sniper seeking a kill.
For instance, Marine sniper Staff Sgt. Steve Richert took out three Iraqi insurgents through a brick wall at 1,765 yards utilizing the Mk 211 out of his M82. He still had to estimate where they were hidden, but he didn’t need to be dead nuts to make the shots count.
These are all important factors, improving the chances of the Barrett M82 as an anti-personnel sniper rifle. However, it overlooks perhaps the most important asset aiding the rifle’s success—the man behind the trigger. The soldier delivering these shots weren’t exactly novice marksmen. To the man, these were highly trained snipers with a full understanding of their profession, the tools of their trade and how to utilize them.
A nasty overall package, the Raufoss round makes a mess of enemy equipment and combatants alike. The M82A1 variant of the M82 was optimized for use with the .50-caliber round. Photo: Wikipedia
Army Spec. Nicholas Randstad, for example, shot boulders and other natural targets in his area of operation in Afghanistan. And he took meticulous notes in his dope book on exactly how his M82 performed in any given circumstance and in the face of any variable. When the Taliban set to attack the road crew he was providing overwatch, he was able the defuse the situation with a 2,288-yard kill. More so than the rifle’s reach, his knowledge is what put him on target.
On paper, the Barrett .50-caliber seems an improbable candidate to go down as one of the great sniper rifles. That doesn’t matter. Wars aren’t fought with rifle specs and engineering perimeters. When the rubber hit the road and life was in the balance, the M82 performed in the hands of a motivated sniper. That’s enough to cement it among the greats.
Barret M82 Variants
M82: .50 BMG recoil-operated semi-auto rifle, with a 10-round detachable box magazine and flip-up sights. M82A1: Improved variant with redesigned muzzle brake, designated M107 when formally adopted by the military in 2002. M82A1A: Optimized for the Raufoss Mk 211 round. M82A1M: Lengthened accessory rail, includes rear grip and monopod socket. M82A2: Shoulder-mounted bullpup variant. M82A3: New production rifles built to M82A1M specifications. Accessory rail is usually, but not always, raised higher up than the M82A1M/M107. It does not include a rear grip and monopod socket.
Faxon’s new modular Glock 19 mag extensions give you an edge without destroying your gear.
Faxon Glock 19 Mag Extension Options:
Black: +3, +5, Combo (+3 and +5)
Gray: +3, +5, Combo (+3 and +5)
Gold: Combo (+3 and +5)
Red: Combo (+3 and +5)
Blue: Combo (+3 and +5)
When concealability isn’t an issue more ammo is always better, and for home defense, competition or SHTF type pistol setup, extended magazines are a great way to keep your gun in action longer. Unfortunately, classic Glock “stendo” mags are cartoonishly long and cumbersome when inserted into a handgun and are much better suited for pistol-caliber carbines and rap music videos. This is why for the last few years several companies have been competing to make magazine extension devices that are as efficient as possible, attempting to fit the greatest capacity into the smallest size. Now, Faxon Firearms has announced their latest stab at this concept with their modular Glock 19 magazine extension kits.
Magazine extenders have generally been accepted as the preferred alternative to off-the-shelf extended magazines due to their higher reliability and smaller size. One of the biggest downsides to many of the existing kits on the market is that permanent alterations must be made to your magazine in order to install them. Faxon’s modular mag extensions can be installed on factory Glock mags without any modification necessary, and they even utilize many of the factory components in the extended configuration. Only the +5 extensions require a new spring, but they are included in the box.
Whether purchasing a single-size extension or one of Faxon’s combo options, all sets include the necessary Allen keys and screws required for installation. After the magazine extension adaptor has been installed, the modular nature of the design allows for quick and easy switching between the +3 and +5 baseplates. Made of aluminum, Faxon’s extensions are available anodized in a variety of colors. The black and gray kits for more serious setups are available individually as +3 or +5 models, while the flashier colors for competition shooters may only be purchased in the combo kits. MSRP for the different extension options ranges from $50 to $75 and all come backed by Faxon’s lifetime guarantee.
For more information on Faxon Firearms, please visit faxonfirearms.com.
We humans have it bad when it comes to assessing risk. It’s why we tie ourselves in knots over a relatively safe endeavor such as a commercial flight and never break a sweat over a relatively risky one like driving.
Gun owners aren’t immune, either. We'll wring our hands over an inconsequential menace, perhaps a grubby bore, while at the same tick never spend a second thought on a truly cataphoric threat to our guns, say fire and theft. Hate to break it to you, but both dangle over each and every collection like the sword of Damocles no matter where you live, your economic status or how careful you are smoking in bed.
Safeguarding your investment is simple and comes down to two words — gun safe. Of course, the thought of perusing the gun safe market to some holds the same thrill prospects as comparing insurance plans. But for serious shooters and diehard gun collectors, it's a labor of love well worth the time. But the question begs asking, who makes the best gun safe?
Dying to give you the answer, we collected the five top gun safes on the market today. These aren't the simple gun lockers or vehicle safes that crowd the market. Instead, they are the whole-hog editions — options that are more than satisfactory at thwarting fire and felon alike, hit almost every price point and most importantly will keep your guns safe for a lifetime and beyond.
Liberty Colonial
Perhaps the best gun safe when it comes to providing security at an economical price, the Colonial offers plenty for relatively little. Stripped down to the bones the line’s smallest model (25-gun capacity) starts at $1,849, and offers all of the important aspects that should top a shooter’s shopping list. The body is constructed of 12-gauge steel, it meets U.L. RSC-8M10 specifications and promises 75 minutes of fire protection against a 1,200-degree Fahrenheit fire. Both of these are a hair below the recommended 10-gauge steel and 1-hour at 1,300 degrees, but not far enough to make it a dealbreaker. The Colonial includes a backlit electronic lock for rapid access, eight locking bars, 3-spoke SureTight handle and fully upholstered interior. Additionally, as is the case with nearly every Liberty safe, the Colonial is fully customizable to whatever you desire and can afford.
Fort Knox Protector
Better known for their top-end models, Fort Knox produces top-notch gun safes in the mid-budget range. Given its rugged construction, the Protector more than lives up to its name and offers security far exceeding nearly anything in its class. A body built with rugged 7-gauge steel and ½-inch steel door, the gun safe is nearly impervious to the majority of attacks it will likely face. Additionally, Fort Knox has gone above and beyond in creating an excellent fireproof gun safe, rating the Protector impervious to a 1,680-degree external temperature for 90-minutes. If that’s not enough to sell you on it being the best gun safe for your money, a door organizer comes standard. Available in seven sizes from 40”x26”x20” to 72”x61”x27” and endless interior configurations, the protector can suit any gun owner’s collection. Starting at $2,625, the Protector ends up being money well spent.
AMSEC BF Series
If you have serious guns in your collection that require serious protection, the BF Series provides it lock, stock and barrel. Slipping into the high-end price range, American Security's legendary BF line is worth every cold nickel, given flame nor felon will touch your firearms. Just short of hardened bunkers, most models boast a ½-inch plate steel door and a total of ¼-inch of steel in the body construction. DryLight fill provides 2-hours of protection to a 1,200-degree external temperature while maintaining the safe’s relatively lightweight. Where the BF series shines is its highly flexible interior, which is configurable to fit nearly any gun collection. The door storage alone holds two long guns, along with an assortment of pistols. The series comes with five lock options (three combination and two electronic), an AC power outlet, mirrored interior back to improve visibility and pre-cut anchor holes. Starting in the $4,000 neighborhood, the BF series is a great value for its level of protection.
Browning is, of course, better known for their firearms, but the Utah company makes bang-up gun vaults as well. The Pinnacle line is at the top of the heap. For guarding a large firearms collection it might be the best gun safe out there. The smallest member of the Pro Series safes (Pinnacle 49) has a whopping 43 cubic feet of space, enough to lock up 49 guns. For the truly large arsenals, there is a 65-gun model. Browning hasn’t traded quality for capacity either, building the Pinnacle’s body from 7-gauge steel, outfitting it with 1 5/16-inch duo-formed door and eight active bolts. It's rated to endure external temperatures up to 1,750-degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. Now that's a fireproof gun safe! Furthermore, Browning has paid attention to the little touches with a highly-configurable interior, Grade VI Cedar paneling and simulated worn leather. However, this level of protection and luxury doesn’t come cheap, with the base model of the smallest Pinnacle running $7,299.
Graffunder Fortress
Perhaps your tastes run into the rare and expensive when it comes to firearms. Or guns (the priceless kind) are your bread and butter. When it comes to protecting this level of investment only the best gun safe will do. That means Graffunder. The name might be funny, but their produces are dead serious — the gold standard being the Fortress line. The Fortress' body is constructed of 2 ½-inches of total steel, 1-inch of A36 high-tensile on the outer shell and 14- and 16-gauge interior plates. Sandwiched in between is high-density cement-based composite material that thwarts fire damage for 1-hour in temperatures as high as 1,750-degrees Fahrenheit. And the door is no slouch, 1 1/2-inch of solid steel plate. Additionally, Graffunder's Fortress line boasts some of the most advanced anti-theft countermeasures available today. Ball-bearing anti-drill barriers, fully recessed door, hardened hinge pins and stainless steel locking bolts will have the savviest burglar pulling his hair out by the roots. Toss in Graffunder will custom build to your specs (including every gun safe accessory imaginable) and you’ve got a system that delivers peace of mind, albeit at a price. These 3,000-plus pound beasts start at around $11,400 and only go up from there.
Did we lock up the gun safe picks? Or did we leave the door wide open? What's the best gun safe in your book? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Rock Island brings the intimidation factor with the VRF14.
What The Box-Fed Semi-Auto Offers:
Similar control layout to an AR-15.
A terse 26-inch overall length.
Nimble 14-inch barrel.
Capability of handling 3-inch 12-gauge shells.
When it comes to box-magazine fed, semi-auto shotguns, AK-pattern guns have ruled the roost. Well, almost. A few years back, Armscor gave AR-style scatterguns a much-needed shot in the arm with the introduction of the VR80. Slim as a minute and able to run with the best of them, the 12-gauge, in some respects, set the standard at this end of the smoothbore market. Now its sister brand is jumping into the game with what can only be described as the VR80s very little brother.
While technically not classified as a shotgun, the Rock Island VRF14 is nevertheless a 12-gauge and like its older, bigger sibling is a gas-operated semi-automatic. However, it falls into that bizarre ATF category of “Firearm”, which essentially entails a shorter-than-average barrel and overall length, as well as a pistol grip. While it lacks some of the VR80's streamlining, the shorty still appears very wieldy and looks as intimidating as ever.
The 14 in VRF14 refers to the firearm's defining feature, its 14-inch barrel. Short in and of itself, combined with the clipped rear, where the buttstock has been removed, it creates an impressively compact package. Overall, the gun measures in at 26-inch, terse to say the least—ideal for a little something to slip behind the driver's seat in your truck or pitch into a pack. The VRF14 is fairly light, to boot. At 6.6 pounds, the gun should prove little burden to tote around, but remember there’s a tradeoff to this. Less heft equates to more recoil, per the laws of physics. Given the smoothbore’s 3-inch chamber, this is a concern.
Mercifully, Rock Island included an ample pistol-style grip to maintain the VRF14’s controllability, featuring rubberized finger grooves. Given the gun is laid out nearly identically to the VR80—that is like an AR—the wicked little shooter is also extremely familiar to operate. Upfront, the fore offers ample real estate to get a handle on the gun, with diagonal texturing to keep your mitts in place.
Other notables of the VRF14 include a sling adaptor on the butt, an aluminum alloy receiver, a side charging handle and half rails at 3 and 9 o’clock. The gun also has full-length rails up to and below, and ships with flip-up sight—in case you don’t want to throw on a red dot. And it’s compatible with Mobil Choke tubes. Some might be disappointed to hear, the VRF 14 only ships with a 5-round magazine. But buck up, it’s compatible with all VR magazines, so 9- and 19-round mags are available if you need to scale up.
Rock Island anticipates the VRF14 to hit store shelves after August 1. And while it hasn’t officially released an MSRP, various online retailers have pre-sale pages listing it in the $500 neighborhood.
No surprise, gun owners spend their money on guns and gear. A wiser investment is the development of a mindset, tactics and marksmanship that will save your life.
What Should Defensive Firearms Training Involve:
Ideal training involes a proper understanding of the applications of self-defense.
It turns an eye to developing the proper mindset to act in the face of a threat.
The tactics are applicable to everyday situations most will encounter.
Marksmanship, gun manipulation and safety are emphasized.
“Somewhere in your gun is the bullet that will solve your problem. It might be the first one, or it might be the last one,” says David “Boon” Benton.
There’s a lot of wisdom in that quote, and there are several lessons to be learned from it. I think many who carry a gun for personal protection often get too wrapped up in their gear. They’ll obsess about the gun they carry or the ammunition that’s inside it, but quite often they’ll overlook the fact that in most cases it won’t be the gun or the ammunition that saves their life. Mindset, tactics and marksmanship and gun handling tend to be the things that determine outcomes.
There’s nothing at all wrong with buying the best defensive handgun in the world. But if you’re serious about self-defense, you should learn how to use it.
Gun writers like me are often the reason the focus gets misplaced; for years, we’ve spent most of our time writing about guns and ammunition. This is partly because readers purchase gun magazines to read about guns and ammunition and partly because the manufacturers of guns and ammunition buy the advertisements that fund the magazines. Shooters spend way more money on guns and ammunition than they do on training and, as a result, trainers and shooting schools don’t have lots of money to spend on advertisements. This is, after all, a gun magazine not a firearms training magazine.
If you find yourself in a situation where you must shoot your handgun to save your life, the handgun you shoot and the ammunition inside it will be much less important than your drive to survive, your application of tactics and where your bullets land. Somewhere in your gun you have the bullet that’ll solve your problem; what you must do is have the mindset, tactics and marksmanship to properly deliver it.
So, given the importance of mindset, training and marksmanship, why do all three get much less attention than guns and ammunition? It’s mostly because of time and money. Time is our most valuable commodity, and humans are reluctant to devote their time to things that cost money; we don’t mind spending money, but when we do, we like to have something tangible to show for it. Most of us don’t mind a $500 monthly car payment, because we have that nice new car to drive around. By the same token, we’ll also spend hundreds of dollars on a defensive handgun with no buyer’s remorse, because we can have that cool gun to carry and show our friends.
It’s not all about gear; those serious about self-defense should focus on their mindset, tactics, marksmanship and gun-handling skills.
When it comes to demonstrating or showing off how you’ve trained to develop your mindset, tactics and marksmanship and gun handling to the point where you can simultaneously employ it all to save your life, well, we all hope that opportunity never comes. A man with an old Smith & Wesson Model 10, loaded with 38 Special hollow point ammunition, who can act tactically with a survival mindset and deliver good marksmanship, is much better equipped to survive than an untrained tactard who has a Glock loaded with the world’s most advanced ammunition.
The point of all this is that you should get some good training. There are a number of reputable schools like Gunsite Academy, but there are also other lesser-known options you may be overlooking. I spent a week participating in some local law enforcement training conducted by Dave “Boon” Benton, who operates Threat Management Solutions, which provides civilian and law enforcement training all over the United States.
Boon is best known for being one of the four contractors who held the line in Benghazi, but you won’t hear him talk about it; he’s laser focused on teaching you how to stay alive as opposed to regaling you with war stories. Essentially, what you get from Boon is a transfer of the knowledge he has gained from serving 25 years in specialized military and law enforcement teams and during high-threat security and intelligence operations.
(Below) David “Boon” Benton working on the range with a member of a police SWAT team. Boon travels all across the United States offering his training services.
What impressed me most about Boon and the instruction he provides is that he does an excellent job of setting the table with an understanding of what personal protection and self-defense is all about. He provides you with the theory and principles, and then teaches you the skills you need to develop a solid foundation to build your mindset, tactics and marksmanship and gun handling skills on. Some instructors tell you to do things a certain way without context; Boon shows you how to do things, explains why they should be done a certain way and then ties it all back to practical operational principles that kept him and other professionals alive when the sh*t hit the fan.
Somewhere in your gun is the bullet that’ll solve your problem. It might be the first one; it might be the last one. The thing is that without the proper training or a hell of a lot of luck, you may never find that bullet when you need it. During the week working with Boon, I learned a lot and I think—no, I believe—my magazine now has several bullets in it that’ll solve my problems. Maybe one day, with enough training, I’ll believe that every bullet in my gun is a problem solver. Spending your money on training might not seem as gratifying as buying that new, supercool handgun. But if you’re the last man standing, it’ll damn sure seem like money well spent.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Four new night sight options from XS Sights to make your M&P Shield Plus glow.
The New XS Sights:
DXT2, Dot-The-“i” Sight Picture, Front And Rear Tritium, Yellow Or Orange
R3D, 3-Dot Sight Picture, Front And Rear Tritium, Orange Or Green
F8, Figure-Eight Inline Sight Picture, Front And Rear Tritium, Orange
DXW2, Dot-The-“i” Sight Picture, Front Tritium, Yellow Or Orange
Despite what they’re called, night sights aren’t only for fighting in the dark. Their large, brightly colored and self-illuminating front posts enable quicker target acquisition in any light condition. After upgrading to night sights even most younger shooters with 20/20 vision notice an improvement in their results compared to using traditional iron sights. XS Sights’ night sights are even bigger and brighter than most competing models thanks to their proprietary Glow Dot which surrounds the tritium vial.
DXT2 Big Dot Night Sights, Yellow.
Another advantage of night sights that rarely gets discussed is that they allow you to more quickly arm yourself in the dark. Many people sleep with a pistol on their nightstand, but if the gun is as dark as its surroundings you may accidentally grab your TV remote when things start going bump in the night. Brightly glowing night sights on your pistol allow you to not only always see where your gun is, but know how it is oriented as well. This should allow you to not only find your gun faster if the need for it arose but also grab it with a more proper firing grip right off the bat. As long as the ghostly emanations of radioactive decay don’t contribute to your insomnia, this will be the attribute of night sights that you appreciate the most regularly.
DXT2 Sight Picture.
There are four new XS night sight models available for the increasingly popular Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus which was released earlier this year. Installation is easy and XS Sights has both written and video guides available online. XS Sights come with a 10-year warranty and the MSRP for the new M&P Shield Plus models range from $110 to $132.
For more information on XS Sights, please visit xssights.com.
Blaser R8 straight-pull rifles, already renowned for their versatility and customization options, have just added 6.5 PRC to their long list of possible chamberings.
The 6.5 PRC Blaser R8 Stock Options:
Synthetic Edition
Wooden Edition
Leather Edition
Ultimate Edition
Blaser’s rifles are exemplary of high-end German engineering. Their consistent accuracy and precision make them a favorite choice of hunters and long-range competition shooters around the globe. The Blaser R8 straight-pull rifle platform’s modularity allows it to quickly swap calibers and stocks to fulfill whatever role is necessary in the moment. From varmint-hunting to precision rifle competitions, the R8 can be made to be the right tool for the job. Jason Evans, CEO of Blaser Group, claims that between all available options over 47 million unique R8 configurations can be assembled. This ludicrous number was recently inflated by the addition of 6.5 PRC to the list of chambering options available for the Blaser R8.
Blaser R8 Ultimate Edition.
There is a plethora of 6.5mm calibers on the market today, but each one was designed with a different job in mind. 6.5 PRC was developed for use in precision rifle competitions, hence the PRC name. Precision rifle competitions have strict requirements surrounding the kinds of ammunition and gear which can be used, so 6.5 PRC was designed to deliver the maximum possible performance while still abiding by the rules. The result was a cartridge that has a higher velocity, a flatter trajectory and that is less susceptible to wind than 6.5 Creedmoor.
Blaser R8 Ultimate Leather Edition.
This cartridge seems like a wonderful match for the R8 platform, which has a ~1.98-pound trigger pull and can retain its .5 MOA even after swapping the barrel. The Blaser’s famed accuracy combined with the 6.5 PRC cartridge will surely make easy work of precision rifle shooting when put in the right hands.
For more information on Blaser, please visit blaser.de.
Model them at home, protect you at the range, Decibullz provides affordable custom hearing protection.
What Decibullz Offers:
Foam exterior molds to the outer ear.
Offers complete protection, rated 31 NRR.
Remoldable, if the perfect fit isn't accomplished the first time.
“Custom-molded earplugs, 31 NRR rated, for $30.” Standing at a booth on range day at the SHOT Show and hearing this, I was certain either my hearing was finally calling it quits after decades of shooting—or I was having a stroke. “You mean $300, right?” The answer, with a smile, was “No, $30. And you can custom fit them at home.”
OK, now I was hooked. “Tell me more.”
The custom-fitted ear protection is a clever product from Decibullz, and they’re a product of modern chemistry. The plugs start shape in a more-or-less earplug form. You drop them in boiling water and let them boil away for 5 minutes. You fish them out, let them cool and dry, and then press them into your ears. Obviously, you don’t want boiling-hot anything to be put into your ears. But when they’re cool enough to handle but not fully cooled off, they’re still pliable.
Decibullz come in various configurations: There’s the basic model, the Percussive Filter and the Professional High Fidelity plugs, each with various features and benefits.
So, you press them for a good, comfortable and secure fit and then let them finish cooling while in place. Once fully cool, they don’t change shape. You now have custom-fit hearing protection that provides up to 31 NRR protection.
Oh, and the best part? If you don’t get it right the first time, fire up the stove and boil some more water—you can repeat until you have it right. Yep, modern chemistry, a compound that can be shaped at the temperatures we can handle and does so repeatedly, not just a one-time thing.
They come in colors, so you can match your shooting protection to your shooting gear, should you wish.
Now, the basic ones for shooting protection aren’t the only option. There are upgrades: You can opt for the Percussive Filter, which dampens the peak impulse of sounds, but it permits the ambient levels to come through.
Then, there are the Professional High Fidelity plugs that use a special filter to lower all frequencies by the same amount, so you don’t have shifts in the sound itself. These are more the kind of plugs musicians would use to protect their hearing from amplifiers and such at concerts, but still permit accurate identification of sound quality.
The Percussive Filter and High Fidelity cost more, but even then they’re only $75 and $100, respectively. They are custom-moldable, just like the basic ones, and come in colors as well.
With $30, 5 minutes and a small pot of boiling water, Decibullz can be custom fit to the shape of your ear canal and offer high-dollar protection.
One of the tiring aspects of my job is lugging around a pile of gear. Each time I go to the range to test, there are guns, ammo, targets, tools, cameras, lights, chronograph, tripods … and lunch. It’s a pile of gun bags and boxes, and the only way I can be sure I have something so basic as hearing protection is to make sure there’s something in every bag I might grab.
Expensive hearing protection means a lot of cost to ensure I’m covered. With Decibullz, I can have a handful of hearing protection at a not-large outlay, and that means a set in a half-dozen different range bags, where they’re all custom-fit and deliver top protection.
Good stuff, and that’s no bullz.
For more information on Decibullz, please visit decibullz.com.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The Kbk wz. 96 Mini Beryl was adopted by Poland’s armed forces in 1997 alongside their new wz. 96 Beryl rifles. It was primarily developed to provide troops such as vehicle crews with a more substantial personal defense weapon than a pistol, similar in concept to the American M1/M2 Carbines of WWII and the Soviet AKS-74Us used in Afghanistan.
The Mini Beryl and the AKS-74U are quite similar in design, both being shortened AK carbines chambered in lightweight, velocity-dependent cartridges. The advantages of this design are mostly appreciated by those who carry their weapon more often than fight with it, with the compactness and lighter weight making them easier to transport. While it's fun to think of these short AKs as “Spetsnaz weapons”, the reality is that those who actually fight with their guns appreciate the increased range and lethality provided by longer barrels. Whether it's being fired from a “Krinkov”, a MK18 or a FB Mini Beryl, lightweight bullets just don’t perform very well out of short barrels. These weapons only shine in their original military configurations where they can be used as submachineguns in close quarters combat situations. The currently imported Mini Beryl pistols obviously lack select-fire capabilities, so their usefulness as a primary fighting weapon has been greatly reduced.
Despite there being several better-performing options available, the unique features and legendary quality of FB Radom AKs may still make the Mini Beryl pistol an attractive option to some shooters.
Semi-auto Mini Beryl in SBR configuration with Polish military telescopic buttstock and foregrip.
The M1 Mini Beryl Pistol
Legally classified as a pistol, the Mini Beryl is subject to different importation standards than rifles are. What this means is that, unlike the 5.56 Beryl rifles, the Mini Beryls are brought in unadulterated by U.S.-made 922 R compliance parts or conversions. Even the fire control group is the original Polish one, and it’s supposedly nicer than most stock military AK triggers. The only drawback of being a pistol import is that the muzzle device has been pinned in place, although the pins can be removed.
FB Mini Beryl Pistol, as imported.
The polymer handguards on the Mini Beryl are proprietary due to the shortened gas system and unique Beryl-style handguard retainer. The pistol grip is interchangeable with any AK grip on the market, but mounting a brace or stock may present some difficulty. Mini Beryls are imported with a pistol trunnion with a bar on the rear for attaching a sling. This bar would be in the way of most pistol brace options on the market and would need to be removed before the installation of one took place. For turning the pistol into an SBR, a rear trunnion swap is also necessary in order to mount a proper stock.
Like its bigger brother, the Mini Beryl also has an enhanced safety selector and magazine release. Unlike its bigger brother, however, the Mini is optics ready right out of the box. The Beryl rifles have provisions for mounting the unique FB rail system, but this must be purchased and installed separately. The Mini Beryl instead comes with a rail section pre-installed where the rear sight would normally be, providing a solid surface for mounting an optic. A new rear sight was added inside of this rail segment as well, so the Mini Beryl is still usable without an optic installed.
Polish soldier with Mini Beryl. Notice the rear sight integrated into the optics rail. Photo: Polish Ministry of National Defense.
Performance
As previously mentioned, the Mini Beryl’s short barrel in conjunction with the 5.56 round make it susceptible to the same issues described by AKS-74U users in Afghanistan. Both 5.45 and 5.56 depend on speed for accuracy, range as well as wounding capabilities. Spetsnaz in Afghanistan preferred using standard-length AK-74 rifles, and there has been much debate surrounding the effectiveness of 5.56 since the M16’s barrel started shrinking in Vietnam. There is a good amount of data available on the speed and effectiveness of 5.56 out of different barrel lengths, but the short of it is that the Mini Beryl’s 9.25-inch barrel just doesn’t quite cut it. FB Radom claims that the Mini Beryl has a muzzle velocity of about 2,500 FPS when using M855 ball ammo. According to a study done by the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Instructors & Armorer’s Association, the magic number for 5.56 to hit in order to rapidly incapacitate a human is 2,700 FPS.
The engineers at FB Radom understood this, which is why their 5.56 Beryl rifles were given extended 18-inch barrels to achieve greater accuracy at longer ranges as well as better lethality. Like the Krinkov, the reduced performance of the Mini Beryl was considered acceptable for the jobs it was designed to do: being carried by vehicle crews and being used as an SMG by door-kickers.
Polish soldiers exit an armored vehicle with Mini Beryls during a training exercise. Photo: Polish Ministry of National Defense.
While they’re very cool and very well made, unless you are a collector or have an affinity for Polish military arms, I see no reason to get an FB Mini Beryl when other options are available. If you want an AK in 5.56, one with a longer barrel will give you much better performance. If you want a short-barreled AK pistol or SBR, one chambered in 7.62×39 or even 9mm will suffer less performance loss than small diameter rifle cartridges do. If you want a short-barreled 5.56 gun despite the poor ballistic performance, you could build an AR pistol for about $1,000 less than what the Mini Beryl goes for.
As an expensive novelty or range toy there is nothing wrong with the FB Mini Beryl AK pistol, but if you’re shopping for a gun for the end of days, I’d look elsewhere.
For more information on the importer, please visit armsofamerica.com.
Monometal bullets are here to stay, because the technology has developed to be both reliably accurate and lethal.
“Whaddya mean there’s no lead in the bullet? That’s impossible!”
So proclaimed my father—Ol’ Grumpy Pants—when I first tried to explain the concept of the Barnes X bullet to him over two decades ago.
“Look, bullets are made either of all lead or a lead core with a copper jacket,” OGP instructed.
“No, Pop, these Barnes bullets are just copper—no lead core; they simply can’t separate, because it’s all one homogeneous piece of metal,” I retorted.
In his usual manner, he just looked at me and shook his head. In spite of his skepticism, I ordered the newfangled bullets anyway, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching me get more and more frustrated when they wouldn’t shoot from any of my rifles. Zero, zip, nada.
I ended up with a serious amount of copper in the barrels of my .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .375 H&H … and also on a set of targets (which I was embarrassed about).
I abandoned the idea and went running back to my tried-and-true lead-core bullets for a couple of seasons—until I saw the Barnes XLC bullets, coated in some funky, blue powder designed to reduce both friction and copper fouling. I eagerly placed my order for these new monometal hollow-points and went to the reloading bench—at that time, located in the surveying office my father and I share.
“Now, what?!” he inquired as he looked at the quirky, blue bullets. As I began to explain, he stopped me mid-sentence. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
Long story short, the XLCs didn’t shoot for me either, and I gave up on monometal bullets entirely for the better part of a decade … until I saw Barnes rework the bullet into the TSX (Triple Shock X), we all know and love. “The third time’s the charm,” as the saying goes, and it proved to be true in this instance.
The Barnes TSX had three grooves cut into the shank of the bullet in order to “reduce fouling and enhance accuracy.”
So, it wasn’t me after all! It seemed as if there were two camps: those hunters whose rifles absolutely loved the original Barnes X (not me) and those who couldn’t get them to shoot at all (definitely me). But, with the release of the TSX, I found a bullet my barrels liked; the deer didn’t like them so much though.
The accuracy was certainly there, and the terminal ballistics of these bullets were a force to be reckoned with. The hollow-point opened into four petals like a copper flower (the form of which was the inspiration for the “X’” designation), and these bullets offered both high weight retention and deep penetration. Many hunters actually dropped down in bullet weight, because they were getting the performance of a heavier cup-and-core bullet with a lighter monometal bullet. (We’ll get into that a bit more in just a minute.)
Properties Of A Monometal Bullet
Our most common hunting bullets use a lead core surrounded by a jacket, or cup, of copper. That jacket is soft enough to engage the barrel’s rifling to impart a proper spin on the bullet. Nevertheless, it’s much harder than lead, so the structural integrity is preserved, and the rapid and violent expansion of a lead bullet is mitigated … to a point.
The 500-grain Barnes TSX, as loaded by Choice Ammunition in the .470 Nitro Express. African professional hunters tend to smile when they see that a client brought Barnes TSX bullets.
As cartridge and powder technology advanced throughout the 20th century, hunters found the limits of the cup-and-core design.
John Nosler saw a bull moose soak up cup-and-core bullets from his .300 H&H. This led to the design of his innovative Nosler Partition bullet—a staple in the industry to this day. But, according to Randy Brooks, who had purchased Fred Barnes’ bullet company, he (Brooks) was glassing for brown bear in Alaska when the idea to do away altogether with the lead core came to him. Brooks admitted to me that the first iterations of his bullets were “finicky,” but both he and I agree that the TSX turned the corner and that the TTSX, LRX, and other subsequent offerings are much more consistent performers.
Copper is less dense than lead, so a 180-grain copper bullet of a specific diameter will be longer than a 180-grain cup-and-core bullet of the same conformation. This has a couple of effects of which the shooter and reloader should take note: First, it tends to move the center of gravity rearward. Second, the bullet will take up additional room inside the case when the same overall length is adhered to.
Regarding the rearward shift of the center of gravity: I’ve seen more than a few monometal spitzers change direction just after impact. In fact, sometimes, the wound channel has bent at nearly right angles. Round- or flat-nosed monometal bullets haven’t exhibited this phenomenon, even on the thick-skinned dangerous-game animals.
While those early Barnes X bullets loved to foul a rifle’s bore, almost all the monometal designs in use today use a series of bands cut into the shank of the bullet to reduce both fouling and bearing surface, alike, and that’s been a major help. For the reloaders, I’ve noticed that the Barnes TSX and similar designs seem to like powders on the faster side of the burn rate chart for a particular cartridge.
Some hunters experienced a lack of reliable expansion with the early monometals, with the hollow-point plugging up and failing to give proper expansion. The bullet would just whistle through an animal, much like a full metal jacket would. This has been resolved, and reports of expansion issues are at a minimum.
Are there drawbacks, ballistically speaking, to using monometal bullets? I find no fault with their terminal ballistics, because they offer some of the most devastating designs on the market. I put them on the same plane as a bonded-core soft-points, in that the controlled expansion makes for deep penetration and massive vital tissue destruction.
Nosler’s E-Tip bullet gives premium bullet performance without the lead core.
The internal ballistics are a different story altogether and, depending on the particular application, can be eye-opening.
For example, the 6.5mm cartridges, which all shine with a good, 140-grain, lead-core bullet, generally struggle with a monometal bullet heavier than 130 grains, with many factory loads using monometals between 120 and 127 grains. The heavier copper bullets are just too long for stable flight, at least in the 6.5mm bore with a common twist rate. Other bore diameters are seemingly unaffected. Most of the popular .30-calibers can use 180- and 200-grain monometals, and the .375s, .416s, and .458s can also use the 300-, 400-, and 500-grain monometals, respectively.
Is it a deal breaker if your cartridge/rifle/barrel won’t stabilize the bullets you wish to use? Well, in spite of the increase in terminal performance when compared to a standard cup-and-core bullet of equal weight, the ballistic coefficient of a 120-grain, 6.5mm bullet is simply not that of a 140-grain, 6.5mm bullet; and, in today’s world, that might pose an issue.
Furthermore, although the retained weight of the monometals is often excellent (90 percent and above), there are times where the reduction in weight isn’t a great idea. Brown bears, moose, and elk often require a certain weight of bullet to ensure a quick kill, and dropping to a lighter bullet at a higher velocity isn’t always the best idea.
All Hands On Deck
Barnes, while nearly synonymous with monometal expanding bullets, is not the only source. Many of the major manufacturers have at least one monometal offering, because the use of lead bullets has been legally prohibited in California. Besides the wide product line from Barnes, Federal’s Trophy Copper, Hornady’s GMX (Gilding Metal eXpanding), Norma’s EcoStrike, Nosler’s E-Tip, Ballistic Tip Varmint Lead Free and Solid, Lapua’s Naturalis, the Woodleigh Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid and Winchester’s Deer Season XP Copper comprise the major manufacturers. Then, there are boutique offerings such as the Lehigh bullets, the Raptor from Cutting Edge Bullets, North Fork’s Cup Solid, and, my particular favorite of the boutique companies: South Africa’s Peregrine Bullets, makers of the PlainsMaster and BushMaster bullets.
The 235-grain Cutting Edge Raptor in .375 H&H Magnum is a wonderful choice for all plains game species.
While most monometal bullets are designed to mimic the performance of their cup-and-core counterparts, some offer a unique means of getting the job done.
For example, the North Fork Cup Solid, which is once again being produced in Sweden, is designed not only for the deep, bone-crushing penetration of a solid, it’ll also give the slightest amount of expansion at the nose to increase tissue damage—and it does it well. The Cutting Edge Raptor is specifically designed to have the ogive section break apart, separating into little blades that cause a significant amount of tissue damage for the first portion of the wound channel, spinning in a star pattern, while the caliber-dimension base penetrates deeply, like a solid.
The 235-grain, .375-inch-caliber Raptor ranks among my favorite African plains game bullets. The Peregrine BushMaster bullets use a flat brass plunger over a hollow-point, and because the air in the cavity can’t be easily compressed, the sidewalls of the bullet are blown open for excellent expansion. Retained weight is well into the mid-90-percent range, and I’ve recovered a number of them against the offside skin of Cape buffalo bulls.
Woodleigh’s Hydrostatically Stabilized Solid is perhaps the most unique and revolutionary design. It uses a depression in the nose of the bullet to create a low-pressure cavitation bubble that clears the way for the bullet to penetrate. Aside from straight-line penetration, that cavitation bubble results in a cylinder of blood-shot tissue 8 to 12 inches in diameter, destroying the blood-rich vital tissue and causing a quick, humane death. They are accurate, and when they’re of suitable caliber and weight, they’re capable of taking any game animal on Earth.
Is There a Change In The Wind?
Are monometal bullets going to eventually replace the copper jacket/lead core formula? I don’t think you’ll see that happening anytime soon, although their popularity is most definitely gaining ground each year. Many African professional hunters rely on monometal soft-points and solids for their day-to-day work among the most dangerous animals on Earth and highly recommend them to their clients.
The monometals have also made their way into the target community, with both Cutting Edge Bullets and Peregrine Bullets making their presence known, especially among the extreme-long-range shooters. The Barnes XPB and Cutting Edge Handgun Raptor bring the lead-free bullets to the handgun market, and the Hornady NTX and Nosler BTLF (Ballistic Tip Lead Free) give varmint and predator hunters a lead-free option as well.
In contrast, the reduced cost of lead-core projectiles in comparison to lead-free projectiles plays a pivotal role in the choice of material, and I don’t feel the shooting public is willing to abandon such great designs as the Sierra MatchKing, Swift A-Frame, or Nosler Partition, not to mention the bulk ammunition available in .45 ACP, 9mm Luger, 5.56 NATO, and others.
Could I satisfy all my hunting needs with lead-free ammo? For big game, yes, but for small game, there’s a void, especially in the rimfire cartridges. And, although there are varmint/predator choices available, they’re lighter than I like to use for my rifles, especially on a big coyote at longer ranges.
California has mandated the use of lead-free ammunition, stating environmental reasons (such as the endangered carrion birds eating on gut piles and being poisoned by lead fragments). I can’t attest to the validity of this, nor am I willing to write off the possibility that prohibiting lead projectiles is just another means of exercising control over our firearms, but the law is in place, and hunters have to work around it.
Monometal bullets are assuredly here to stay, because the technology has developed to the point at which they’ve become both reliably accurate and lethal. Some are more finicky than others—showing sensitivity to seating depth and bullet jump—but I won’t say that there’s one design or another a hunter should avoid.
Bet on seeing more lead-free ammunition in the near future.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Classic aesthetics combined with modern features make the TC86 Takedown as handsome as it is handy.
TC86 Features:
Lever-Action Based On Winchester M1886
.45-70 Gov't
4+1 Capacity
16.5-Inch Barrel
MSRP: $1,839.59
Taylor’s & Company are all about the classics. With a primary focus on Old West designs, many of their guns are imported from Italy where an entire industry has been built around reproducing historical American firearms. The TC86 is the newest to be imported by Taylor’s & Company and was made by Chiappa.
Chiappa makes beautiful historical reproductions as well as functional hunting rifles, but the TC86 Takedown was designed to do both at the same time. Based on the famous Winchester 1886 designed by John Browning, the TC86 Takedown was built using modern machining and construction techniques to ensure it performs to modern standards despite being a nearly 150-year-old design.
With a case-hardened receiver, blued-metal finish and checkered walnut hardwood stock, the TC86 takedown is pretty enough to be a safe-queen, but that’s not what it was designed for. It was designed to be carried and shot, which is why it was given several practical features that are anachronistic to the rifle's 19th-century design. Rear peep sight and fiber-optic front post provide some of the best irons you can find on a lever-action, but if that isn’t good enough it also has a Weaver rail for mounting optics. Its muzzle has also been threaded 5/8×24 for mounting suppressors. Some old-school “tactical features” also found on the TC86 include a big loop lever and the ability to break the rifle down into two pieces for easier transport.
The Winchester 1886 was built tough from the start to accommodate the largest black powder cartridges of its day, but it was so durable that only small changes were required for it to handle the higher pressures of smokeless powder. The TC86 Takedown is similarly overbuilt, designed to handle any modern .45-70 gov’t load. With a TC86 you could be the classiest hunter on the trail, but with an MSRP of $1,839.86 hopefully, you aren’t afraid of scratching it.
These new SVIII 5-40×56 ED riflescopes from Sightron boast improved clarity and performance to make long-range precision as easy as possible.
SVIII 5-40×56 ED Specs:
FOV @ 100 Yards: 23.7-2.9 Ft.
Range Of Adj. Windage/Elevation @100 Meters: 20/40 MRAD
Eye Relief: 3.8-3.7”
Knob Style: Precision Tactical With Internal Zero Stop
Click Value @ 100 Meters: .1 MRAD
Tube Diameter: 40mm
Minute Per Revolution: 10 MRAD
MSRP: $3,099
Sightron, an established name in the precision optics world, has just released a new line of premium riflescopes that they call the SVIII 5-40×56 ED. The new line has two different illuminated first focal plane reticles to choose from, making them ideal for low light hunting, competition, or tactical applications. The SVIII 5-40×56 ED is Sightron’s first 40mm main tube rifle scope, and like all Sightron optics, it has been designed to deliver maximum, consistent precision and unwavering durability in the most serious of environments.
The SVIII 5-40×56 ED line features a new internal zero-stop mechanism in its turrets which provides positive, audible feedback when the zero has been reached. The tactical turrets are precision-tunable and work in conjunction with the first image focal plane (FFP) reticles to allow minute adjustments at any range. The close focus has also been improved to about 10 meters, adding to the versatility of the SVIII 5-40×56 ED scopes. Reticle options are between the LRM or MH-6. Both are illuminated and controlled by an external, 11-position dial and are powered by common CR2032 batteries.
Every air-to-glass surface within the scope has been coated with Sightron’s new MC-777 lens coating. This coating allows for more light transmission and even better clarity than what the scope's extra-low dispersion glass already provided. The SVIII 5-40×56 ED’s 40mm tube is also waterproof and shockproof, but if the scope fails to withstand your abuse Sightron also offers a lifetime warranty.
Besides the scope itself, in the box you will also find two wrenches for installing and adjusting the SVIII 5-40×56 ED, lens covers, a sunshade and even a battery. It also includes a high-quality set of 40mm rings for mounting to a Picatinny rail.
This new Sightron scope is professional quality and comes loaded with professional-level features, so it follows that it would have a professional price tag as well. MSRP for the SVIII 5-40×56 ED is set at $3,099 for either reticle option.
For more information on Sightron, please visit sightron.com.
As communism collapsed around Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, Poland said goodbye to Warsaw Pact cartridges but decided to hold on to their AKs. As eager as they were to embrace the West, one might have expected the Poles to cast aside their AKs with the rest of their socialist past, but their commitment to the Kalashnikov stayed true. The eventual result of their commitment was the wz. 96 Beryl, the first standard military issue AK to be chambered in a NATO cartridge. Prior to this, AKs chambered in .223 or 5.56 were made exclusively for the commercial market and suffered from some reliability issues, mainly due to their magazines. This reputation began to change when the Poles adopted the FB Beryl in 1997, demonstrating that 5.56 AKs were a viable platform when built to military specifications.
The wz. 96 Beryl is still Poland’s service rifle as of 2021. The same factory in Radom that tooled up to produce AKs for the first time in 1957 is still making them today, and not only for the Polish armed forces but for the global commercial market as well. They are undoubtedly high-quality guns, but is the FB Beryl the right AK for you?
FB Beryl M1-223S, import model.
The wz. 96 Beryl
Named after the element beryllium, the wz. 96 Beryl was designed in 1996 following the abolishment of socialism in Poland. The fall of the USSR led the Poles to abandon their development efforts on their new 5.45 Tantal rifles, switching instead to 5.56 NATO and the creation of the Beryl.
At its heart, the Beryl may just be an AK chambered for 5.56, but what really makes this rifle unique are the many small changes made to its design. While some of these changes are considered standard for an infantry rifle today, keep in mind that many of these ideas were still novel in the 1990s. The U.S. military was only just beginning to field M16s with flat-top receivers, and Russia’s AK-74s had hardly changed since they were in Afghanistan. When the Poles went to develop the Beryl, they were really undertaking an AK modernization project before it was cool.
The most obvious design change to the Beryl is its caliber. AKs had been chambered in .223 and 5.56 before the Beryl, but they were mostly developed for commercial export by companies like Valmet and Norinco. Besides some earlier experimenting done by the Yugoslavians, the wz. 96 Beryl was the first true military AK chambered in this caliber. The new caliber resulted in lengthening the barrel about two inches beyond that of a typical AKM, done to increase the performance of the lighter projectiles.
The Beryl’s gas block is angled at 90 degrees like the AK-74, and the barrel and handguards have been fitted to mount the Polish Pallad grenade launcher. The original design also had a metal, tubular folding stock which was replaced by a collapsible design in the Beryl’s 2004 update. Both stock styles attach to a standard AK fixed-stock rear trunnion, meaning Beryl stocks can be used in other fixed-stock trunnion AKs and vice versa. Some handguard styles also had Picatinny rail segments for mounting vertical foregrips as well.
The rear sight base and rear trunnion on the Beryl have also been cut to accommodate the FB Beryl rail system. This cleverly designed strut arches over the receiver and securely locks in place to provide rail segments for the mounting of optics. Many would consider this system to be an upgrade over the Russian’s AK optic solution—the side-mounted dovetail rail.
FB Beryl rail system on a 7.62 Beryl. Photo:Wikipedia
The wz. 96 Beryl in 5.56 has been used by Polish NATO coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. A typical modern military configuration for the Beryl utilizes an EOTech sight mounted to the FB rail system, the new collapsible buttstock and a railed handguard with a vertical grip.
Polish Special Forces soldier with Beryl in Iraq, 2005. Photo:Wikipedia
The FB Beryl M1-223S
This is Fabryka Broni’s semi-auto export version of the wz. 96 Beryl. It is imported into the U.S. in an import-compliant configuration and then converted into a traditional AK layout. To comply with 922 R regulations, the Beryls are sold with an American-made muzzle brake, pistol grip, buttstock and fire control group. Of the parts to select for compliance, these are good choices as they leave the stress-bearing guts of the rifle intact and 100% Polish in origin.
The included American-made muzzle brake looks identical to those found on Polish military Beryls, but it has been threaded on instead of pinned. This is one deviation from the military version that is beneficial, as it can now be swapped for something else by the user if so desired.
Two more small improvements on the commercial model not found on the military version are the enhanced safety selector and magazine release paddle. Both of these have been extended to make their manipulation faster and easier.
Beryl M1-223S enhanced safety selector and magazine release.
A batch of FB Beryl rifles was recently imported, but they sold out within the day despite costing $1,500. The only explanation for their popularity is that Americans like Polish guns, because other makes of 5.56 AK have had trouble selling here in the past. The next batch is expected to arrive in October (2021), so mark your calendar if you’re in the market for one.
The fit and finish on FB Beryls is excellent as well, and the iconic Fabryka Broni stamp on the receiver works as a cherry on top.
The FB Beryl is a great rifle, and the fact that it was born out of one of the original AK factories is a guarantee of quality construction. It doesn’t have the classic AK looks, but it does have classic AK roots, and those are much more important for a weapon you may someday have to rely on. Their unique Polish features and connection to modern military history make them even more interesting for practical shooters and collectors alike.
For more information on the importer, please visit armsofamerica.com.
The key points you need to know to add a quality handheld or weapon light to your arsenal.
Consideration When Buying A Handheld Or Weapon Light:
Physical Size
Lumens And Candela Rating
Power Source (Rechargable Barreries Are King)
Controls
With current events turning everyday life more unpredictable, making good decisions with your personal protection has never been more important. But how do we ensure that we make good decisions when our safety is on the line? Being an effective defender isn’t as simple as strapping a big iron on your hip and maintaining awareness.
Firearm proficiency and maintaining a high degree of vigilance is only a piece of the puzzle: You should have several options available—beyond harsh words but before switching to guns. Some of the popular less-lethal options include pepper spray, hand-to-hand training or Tasers. I’m an advocate for carrying at least a spicy treat (OC spray, such as Sabre Red), as well as getting some hand-to-hand training.
But there’s one non-lethal option that’s often overlooked: bright—really bright—flashlights.
Light Is Essential
With roughly half of every day being dark, it makes sense to practice shooting in low-light conditions as often as possible, since it presents unique challenges that are often made worse by low-output lights. Sadly, most gun owners don’t get an opportunity to hone this vital skill, leaving the importance of a good handheld or weapon light paired to a defensive firearm a mystery.
The majority of the blame for this giant gap in training lies with gun ranges that are forced to write range rules around the strict insurance policies available to them. That isn’t an excuse to not be proficient shooting your defensive firearms in the dark. There’s undoubtedly a training class in your area that should teach you some of the basics and give you some valuable time on a dark range.
Photonic Barriers
Positively identifying what someone is holding when they’re standing in front of or next to another light source at distances beyond 15 yards can be an eye- opening moment. Your 600-lumen light might be bright, but it might not mean “usable” depending on how those lumens are projected.
Even though most of my low-light students bring a light with 300 lumens or more, more than half quickly find that the light they brought to class won’t overcome the unique challenges faced when shooting in the dark. Photonic barriers like car headlights, bright windows, back lighting, side lighting and gun smoke affect a light’s effectiveness and can prevent you from getting enough information to make a good decision.
Try putting accurate shots on a target at 7 yards away in quick succession in low light and you’ll quickly realize that a 600-lumen Olight PL-MINI 2 lacks the candela needed to cut through that gun smoke.
Not All Lumens Are Equal
Comparing handheld and weapon light output is a lot easier than it used to be thanks to the ANSI FL1 standard introduced in 2009. Prior to the FL1 rating system, flashlights were marketed with claimed candlepower and LED power consumption ratings. ANSI’s FL1 rating means that when you’re shopping for a new light, you can compare apples to apples instead of trying to figure out how many watts an LED has to be rated for it to equal the candlepower rating of another flashlight.
Lumens
The number of lumens a light produces is a cumulative measure of all light being produced by your light. In the case of the ANSI FL1 standard, this is measured with an expensive testing apparatus called an integrating sphere.
Being convenient to carry, a handheld light relies on a good pocket clip.
While the quality of reflector and lens in your light has a small effect on the lumen rating, it’s almost entirely dependent on the amount of light generated by the LED emitter or bulb. Remember that lumen output is only part of the equation, it does not measure how effective the flashlight is at focusing those lumens.
Candela
In order to figure out how well those lumens are projected, you need to know what the candela rating of the light is. Candela is the measure of the amount of light at a particular point in the handheld or weapon light beam, which can be measured out to a distance rating.
Candela is most impacted by reflector shape, finish and the placement of the light source in relation to the reflector. At the risk of oversimplifying the complexities of reflector design, the larger in diameter and deeper that reflector is, the more potential it has to produce big candela numbers.
Light In The Hand
Having a weapon light on your gun is dandy, but don’t think that means a great handheld light is no longer something you should have. Not only does this mean that the temptation to use your weapon-mounted light as a task light is removed, but a high-output handheld light gives you a lot of flexibility when integrating it into your use of force continuum.
What Features Should It Have?
The single, most important aspect in selecting a handheld light is the physical size of the light. If it isn’t something you’re going to reliably put in your pocket or purse, that high-octane light saber isn’t much help.
When looking at output ratings, select a light rated to at least 500 lumens and 2,000 candela. While more candela is better, ideally the handheld will be paired with a weapon-mounted light, making its ability to cut through difficult photonic barriers less important for most cases.
Also, look for something that takes a rechargeable battery, because you’ll be using this light a lot. Some form of replaceable rechargeable like an 18350, 18650, or even some of the smaller replaceable cells are recommended. Avoid lights with an integrated battery, since rechargeable cells have a finite lifespan.
Compact Handhelds To Consider
If you prefer a more lightweight EDC, the Streamlight Macrostream USB is a fantastic light for reasonable money with few downsides. Make sure to keep the Macrostream charged; when the battery is discharged, the light shuts off entirely rather than giving you warning by stepping down brightness.
Weapon lights from left to right: Modlite Clicky Tailcap, Modlite Modbutton Lite, Streamlight Tape Switch, Modlite Modbutton, Cloud Defensive, Modlite Modbutton Lite and Streamlight Tape Switch.
Still want a small light but need more output? I’ve been most impressed with Modlite’s 18350 PLHv2 handheld. With 1,350 lumens and 54,000 candela, the Modlite handheld is a powerhouse. Make sure to have spare batteries on hand; this light has a 35-minute run time.
Full-Size Handhelds to Consider
Anything that takes a 18650 rechargeable is a good place to start when looking at a full-size tac light, since they generally have a solid runtime and output.
On the budget side, Streamlight’s PolytacX is a great light that’ll do almost anything you could ask it to do. For a bit more money, the Streamlight ProTac HL-X is a well-rounded light that accepts Thyrm’s excellent SwitchBack pocket clip.
In the over $200 category, you can get a SureFire Duel Fuel handheld or a Modlite PLHv2 handheld. Both are a good choice, but Modlite has significantly more output from the same size light.
Shooting with a light is a lot easier with both hands on the gun. You can use a handheld effectively with a pistol, but you need to practice the skill. Like the handheld light, we want at least 500 lumens and 5,000 candela for a weapon light. Ideally, you’ll buy one that’s 600 lumens or more and over 15,000 candela to help defeat those photonic barriers with greater ease.
Also, take into consideration the switches on the weapon light. Rotating switches, like the ones found on the SureFire X300 Ultra or Streamlight TLR-1 HL, are a good bet. Compact lights mean that we have to use a slightly different switch—the Streamlight TLR-7A is the current king in that realm.
And remember this: You’re going to need a holster capable of accommodating the gun and the light.
Full-Size Pistol-Mounted Lights
When looking for a full-sized pistol light, there are two options you should be seriously considering at the time this is being written, SureFire’s X300 Ultra and the Streamlight TLR-1 HL. No other lights on the market have been proven to the level that these have.
Streamlight’s TLR-7 and TLR-7A are the only compact weapon lights with enough candela to defeat a rapid string of fire.
Both weapon lights have 1,000 lumens, and both have great candela ratings as well, but they run on the CR123 batteries still. Modlite will be introducing a pistol light that’s powered by an 18350 battery, uses their modular head design and will have a good switching arrangement.
Compact Lights
Not down with the idea of shoving a giant light into your pants? There’s one compact weapon light on the market worth looking at that still meets the requirements for a usable pistol light: the Streamlight TLR-7 series. There are other lights on the market that hit the mark in lumen rating but fall flat when you look at the candela rating. Only one comes close—the Olight Baldr Mini—but since it has an integrated battery with a finite lifespan it might be ideal to stick to lights that allow you to maintain the power source.
Rifle-Mounted Lights
What does a good rifle light need to do? That really depends on your application. The needs of an armed professional are very different than the needs of a suburban homeowner.
Again, look for a light that uses a 18650 or 18350 rechargeable battery, since that’ll keep you in the output range we want to see out of a rifle light. It should have at least 1,000 lumens and a candela rating of 10,000 at the minimum. Preferably, get a light with 1,300 lumens or more and north of 25,000 candela to be able to take advantage of the rifle’s longer engagement range.
There are some outliers to what I consider to be the minimum, such as the Modlite OKW with only 680 lumens. Yes, that’s less than the 1,000-lumen requirement, but the 69,000 candela pairs well with a magnified optic.
Switching
Pressure pads are the most ergonomic and useful methods of activation, but what pressure pad should you choose? If you choose a Streamlight rifle light, you’re stuck with the OEM tape switch unless you convert it to take the SureFire plug with a tailcap adapter from Arisaka.
SureFire ecosystem lights have an advantage in that there are several great switch options in addition to the choice of plug only, or a plug and button combo tailcap. Opt for switch like the brand-new Modlite ModButton Lite, the original ModButton or the Unity Hot Button and get 10 to 15 percent more light output. Choose the option that works best with your rifle and use case.
Mounting
Generally, it’s recommended to mount the weapon light on the same side as your dominant hand, as close to the rifle as you possibly can. Mounting the light like this gives you the most real estate and prevents the light from getting tangles in a sling. Arisaka’s inline scout mount is a great option; also consider mounts from Railscales, Bobro, Impact Weapon Components and Magpul.
The PHLster ARC switches for SureFire X300, and Streamlight TLR-1 HL lights make activating the light a cinch.
Cable Management
Secure the pressure pad cable with something to prevent it from being pulled out of the endcap. Low-tech solutions like rubber bands or bicycle inner tube are great, or try a purpose-built solution like LaRue index clips.
Home Defense
Nearly every rifle-specific weapon light from most of the reputable manufacturers is going to do the trick with the exception of Streamlight’s TLR RM1, the rifle adaptation of the TLR-7A. Since we’re specifically talking about a gun built around short-range defensive uses, I might select a light with more of a flood-style beam pattern rather than the pinpoint beam of a Modlite OKW.
Even though the light had some teething issues, the Streamlight ProTac HLX Rail Mount appears to be bug-free now and is a solid budget option with impressive output numbers. Just a few more dollars and you can move to the SureFire Scout Light Pro Dual Fuel with the integrated M-lok mount.
Shotgun Lights
Putting a weapon light on your shotgun is a bit more challenging than other firearms, but it’s just as advantageous. Two good dedicated options for a shotgun are the Streamlight TL-Racker or the more expensive SureFire-dedicated forend lights. There are ways to mount handheld and rifle lights to a shotgun, but they don’t work as well as a dedicated forend light.
Streamlight and SureFire dedicated forend lights are best for a shotgun, but you can make a rifle light work.
Get A Dang Light
There’s no reason that you’re carrying a gun and not at least carrying a handheld light in 2021. There are just too many reasons that a high-quality flashlight can be a defensive tool.
Give me all the lumens, but remember that candela is king.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 excellent concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
