An engagement can happen at any time, day or night. With this in mind, learning low-light shooting basics is imperative to have an upper hand in lethal-force encounters.
Unless you lock yourself in your linen closet once the sun goes down, likely your risk profile includes low-light environments. You know what? Felonious thugs tend to operate in these settings, using darkness to cloak their misdeeds. If you have grasped where this is going, it means that if you value your safety you better sharpen up your low-light shooting skills.
Jamey Caldwell, an instructor at 1-Minute Out and former special operator, sheds some light on the topic in the above video. Which, at its most fundamental, is less daunting than it sounds.
What Low-Light Shooting Entails Equipment and darkness add challenges to engaging a threat, but getting your gun into the fight remains the same at midnight as it does mid-day. This means, you’ll still draw, present, prep the trigger, build a sight picture and break a shot adhering to the fundamentals. That’s the good news. The bad, the two added variables—low light and equipment—are doozies.
Unfortunately, a 4-minute video isn’t enough to give a full grasp of all theories and tactics for conquering the dark. Hours could be spent on weapons lights theory and technique, let alone adding in actual shooting. Suffice to say, like anything self-defense, the only way to become proficient is through training and practice. Which, in and of itself is a challenge. Gun ranges generally don’t let you dim the lights for this kind of training.
Unless you have access to land where you can safely shoot when the sun is over the horizon, expect to enroll in a low-light shooting course. Even if you’re experienced with a handgun, it’s a worthwhile investment when lead by a qualified instructor. Plus, it comes in a setting in which you can send live rounds downrange, which is indispensable.
Importance Of Learning Your Equipment This isn’t to say you can’t get some experience without burning powder. Becoming familiar with your equipment, be it a flashlight or a direct attach weapons light is as imperative as solid marksmanship. Dryfire practice in the confines of your home makes an excellent venue to educate yourself on your illumination equipment.
It’s valuable time spent. Lethal-force encounters happen within a blink of an eye, adding another piece of gear to the equation only slows down your response further. You do the math. It only makes sense you know your torch as well as you do your gun, lest you fumble what might be your only chance to defend yourself from the things that lurk in the shadows.
Contrary to popular belief, there's no one right way to aim a defensive handgun. The dynamic situation requires multiple techniques to quickly get on target.
When it comes to the practical application of aiming and shooting a defensive handgun, there’s endless arguments about which technique is best. The reality is that if you only practice or use one technique, you’re limiting your ability to deliver peak performance. There is, however, a difference between a beginner learning to shoot a defensive handgun and an experienced shooter wanting to enhance their abilities.
The truth of the matter is that without a specific definition of “aiming,” it’s hard to classify any handgun shooting technique applied to an intended target as “unaimed” fire. Aim is, after all, your intent to hit.
Aim is also a topic often discussed by clinical psychologist Jordon Peterson—not “aim” as it relates to shooting, but aim as it relates to life. As it turns out, both are similar. When it comes to aiming a handgun, if you think you’re going to do a bad job, that you don’t have enough time, or that you’re going to have to do it perfectly, the end result is the same as an aim you might have with any other goal you might want to achieve—it’ll never happen or it’ll happen too late to matter. Peterson’s advice is to do it, if nothing else, haphazardly. At least then you’ve taken a shot.
So, comparatively, aiming is anything between and including taking a precise sight picture and, as some would suggest, haphazardly, point shooting. In both cases you’re attempting to hit—aiming at—a target, whether you’re actually using the sights to do it or not. Starting with what is generally considered the technique that’ll produce the best results on target, let’s examine that technique and others, all the way through to the one that’ll generally give the best results on a clock. As you’ll see, as with most things in life, the best answer for most problems lies somewhere in the middle.
Precision Sight Picture
With the precision sight picture, the front sight is in clear focus, is perfectly centered in the rear notch, and is directly over the spot on the target or threat that you wish to hit.
What is it? If you want your bullets to arrive at the target as close as possible to where you’re aiming, you need to hold a precision sight picture as the trigger is pressed. A precision sight picture is one where the front sight is perfectly centered in the rear sight and remains unwaveringly on target as the trigger is pressed. This obviously will take the most time of any technique.
When do you use it? It’s best used when time allows or distance demands to ensure a vital zone hit. For some shooters, this could be 10 yards; for others, it could be 20, depending on skill level and size of the available vital zone there is to shoot at. Furthermore, if you’re shooting to stop the threat, you’re shooting at a vital zone, not a shirt button; for most real-world defensive shootings, a precision sight picture isn’t necessary.
A flash sight picture doesn’t necessarily require the perfect alignment of the front sight in the middle of the rear notch, or that the front sight be in perfect focus. In fact, at common defensive handgun distances, as long as the front sight is in the rear notch you can achieve vital zone hits.
What is it? Jeff Cooper talked about the flash sight picture as being part of his Modern Technique. As described in the book, The Modern Technique of the Pistol by Gregory Boyce Morrison to which Jeff Cooper served as an editorial advisor, “The flash sight-picture involves a glimpse of the sight picture sufficient to confirm alignment.” Let’s try to define it another way. The flash sight picture is confirmed with a focus on the front sight, and instantaneous verification is within the rear notch and covering the vital zone.
When do you use it? The use of the flash sight picture is driven by time: The less you have, the more it’s needed. How close or how far away should the flash sight picture be used? At any distance where you need to focus on the front sight to get a vital zone hit.
Target Focus Shooting
Target focus shooting works best with a highly visible front sight like this XS Big Dot Sight. The shooter’s focus in on the target.
What is it? Shooting with a target focus is very similar to shooting with a flash sight picture. The difference is that your eyes are focused on the target as opposed to the front sight. The similarity is that you can still see the front sight over the vital zone. Essentially, it’s the introduction of the handgun sights—properly or very near properly aligned—between you and the target or threat zone you’re focused on.
When do you use it? For most shooters of at least moderate skill, target focus shooting can be applied in and around three to five yards. More practiced shooters might stretch it to seven yards. Here’s a good way to look at it. It can and should be used until the distance to the target and the available or exposed threat zone requires you to focus on the front sight to get a hit.
Gun Indexing
Indexing the gun over the target isn’t a means of precision shooting. However, at close range, it’s very fast and can be very effective.
What is it? Gun indexing is very similar to target focus shooting; you introduce the handgun between you and the target/threat zone you’re focused on. The difference is that instead of attempting to see sights that are lined up but out of focus between you and the target, you’re just looking for a gun between you and the target.
When do you use it? For novice shooters, they may have to be no more than a couple yards from the target to apply this technique. It’s very fast because the action is essentially no more than shoving the gun between you and the target. As you become more experienced you might be able to stretch this distance to as far as five yards.
Hip/Point/Retention Shooting
With point/hip/retention shooting, you have no visual reference of the gun or the gun’s sights as they relate to the target. It’s a close-range technique and a very fast technique, but it requires a tremendous amount of practice.
What is it? The best way to explain this method is to describe it as cowboy shooting, at least the cowboy shooting you see in movies where the gun clears leather, is rotated toward the target, and fired from the hip or near the hip in the retention position. This is a very hard skill to master, because the gun is being aimed by body position without a visual reference of its relationship to the target.
When do you use it? Obviously, this technique should be used when your target/attacker is very close—inside three yards—because with the gun closer to your body, it’s more difficult for the attacker to grab hold of. It’s a very fast technique, but it takes an experienced shooter to be able to hit a target—much less a vital zone—with this method at any distance at all. Most will max out at about three yards.
Making the Call On Aiming Technique
Which is best? What might surprise you is that none of these techniques are better than the other. They’re all equally important, because from a tactical standpoint they should all be applied based on the situation. If you’re three yards from the target and take the time to establish a precision sight picture, you might get your gun taken away from you or pull the trigger too late to save your life. Conversely, if you’re at 15 yards and try to shoot from the retention position, you could incapacitate your adversary with laughter because he’ll be cackling at your inability to hit anything. The key is to know your limitations with each technique and apply them accordingly.
An experienced shooter will move between these techniques subconsciously as the situation dictates. Practice has taught them what they need to see or feel given the range, target size, and perceived available time. If you’re five yards from a threat and you think you need to point shoot in order to incapacitate the threat before it reaches or shoots you, that’s a noble goal. However, the reality might be that you must shoot with a target focus or at least a flash sight picture in order to get the hits you need as soon as they’re needed.
To try to put some numbers to this and after the expenditure of a lot of ammunition, I found that I could keep five shots inside a 5-inch circle at 25 yards using the precision sight picture. Problem was, it took me about 15 seconds to do it. I also found that between one and three yards I could shoot from the retention position and keep five shots inside a 5-inch circle—about half the time—in less than 2.5 seconds.
With the gun indexing method, most of the time I could keep five shots inside a 5-inch circle out to about four yards and within about 3 seconds. By using the flash sight picture, I could stretch that distance to about 12 yards, but it took me about 5 seconds at that distance. As for the target focus technique, for me it worked about as well as the flash sight picture; however, I had to switch to a different handgun with a very bold XS Sights’ Big Dot Sight for the best results.
Interestingly, with all the techniques where the handgun was being fired out in front of my face, I sometimes found I’d use multiple techniques for individual shots within the five-shot string. This was possible and happened because of conditioning/practice. My brain recognized when the gun was indexed properly, when the front sight was positioned properly, and when I had the correct flash or even precision sight picture, and it made my finger pull the trigger.
How Do You Train and Practice Aiming?
The best way to train or practice is the crawl, walk, run, method. Pick a reasonable distance—something between three and seven yards—and become proficient with the precision sight picture. When you get to where you can put five shots inside a 5-inch circle in less than 5 seconds, you’ll very likely be using the flash sight picture but not realize it. Then, you can try to do the same with a target focus, and ultimately—hopefully—progress with the same results by doing nothing but indexing the gun.
As for effective hip/point/retention shooting where you can reliably hit the vital zone, that takes a hellacious amount of time on the range and lots and lots of ammo. I was once conducting a torture test with a Remington R51 and after about 250 rounds became bored. So, I started hip shooting/quick drawing. At first, I could hardly hit a silhouette target at 10 yards. But after the remaining 750 rounds and another two days on the range, I was getting hits from the holster in about a second. Even now, and after a lot more practice, I need to be inside five yards to reliably get vital zone hits with this technique.
So, which technique should you use? All of them, but more specifically, the one that’ll allow you to get vital zone hits as fast as possible, given the situation.
The 5.56 NATO is a medium-range master and the .300 Blackout is lights out when quarters are close. However, until recently reaching out with your AR-15 was a shaky proposition. Then the age of the .224 Valkyrie dawned.
Specifically designed to reach out past 1,000 yards, the small-bore cartridge has won its share of advocates. Not only thanks to its ballistic talents but also its firearms compatibility. The small-fry is the only long-range cartridge designed with the AR-15 in mind.
To some, this is a small detail, after all, jumping up to the AR-10 unlocks nearly limitless country-mile options. There are, however, advantages with sticking to America’s favorite rifle. The biggest plus, if you already own one and want to pitch the .224 Valkyrie, you simply invest in a .224 Valkyrie upper without a worry of compatibility. No fuss, no muss. Not to mention, a heck of a lot cheaper than investing in a brand new iron—especially if you’re just dabbling with the cartridge.
Why Go .224 Valkyrie?
The answer to this is fairly self-evident—long-range shooting. Essentially, the Federal-designed cartridge was concocted to accept heavier-for-caliber bullets, thus improve the ballistic profile of the .224-inch diameter projectiles. The company did so by necking down the 6.8 SPC case (derived from the .30 Remington), thus providing a system that would seat the bullet without compromising case capacity. Overall, it wildly succeeded.
By Federal’s telling, from a 24-inch barrel, the .224 Valkyrie remains supersonic out to 1,300 yards. Results vary depending on a number of factors, but get pretty darn close to that mark with most appropriate loads out of most rifle-length setups. Which is to say, it bests nearly anything else spit out of an AR-15.
Along with improving range, the cartridge also enhances the hunting potential of the rifle, particularly in terms of deer-sized game. Not that the .223 Remington/5.56 NATO hasn’t harvested its share of backstraps. However, heavy-for-caliber bullets offer more peace of mind of a one-shot kill given their longer profile boosts their penetration potential.
New King Of ARs … Not So Fast
Despite its long-range and hunting prowess, the .224 Valkyrie isn’t a replacement for standby AR options. Not by a long shot. At medium range, the .223 Remington/5.56 NATO shoots flatter and hits harder, in turn, the newer cartridge won’t dethrone the king anytime soon. That said, investing in a .224 Valkyrie upper adds a ponent arrow to a rifle’s quiver, giving an AR-15 and its shooter the tools to truly reach out.
Get More .224 Valkyrie Info:
Does The .224 Valkyrie Make Sense For Most Shooters?
Our .224 Valkyrie upper selections are the complete variety. That is, the upper is completely assembled and factory head spaced. They’re practically ready to shoot when they reach your doorstep. That said, some of the builds are not so complete as the term implies, shipping sans charging handle, bolt and carrier group. In those cases, you’ll have to supply your own, which deserves a word.
The .224 Valkyrie does not use the same bolt as the 5.56 NATO or .300 Blackout. The parent case for latter two cartridges is the .223 Remington, which has a head diameter of .378. The .224 Valkyrie, on the other hand, is a derivative—reaching all the way back—of the .30 Remington, a case with a head diameter of .422. In turn, when you go shopping for this part you’ll need to shop specifically for .224 Valkyrie/6.8 SPC bolts. Don’t get the right one, guess what … your rifle won’t run.
Best .224 Valkyrie Upper Options
Savage MSR Long Range
Best known for its bolt actions, Savage Arms in recent years has proven an adept AR-15 manufacturer. No more so than when it comes to the Valkyrie. When the cartridge was introduced in 2017, the gunmaker and Federal were owned by the same company. Thus Savage was in at the ground floor of its development and understands the Valkyrie inside out.
The company offers two .224 Valkyrie upper options, but we tend toward the longer barrel Long Ranger, especially for a precision build. Outfitted with a 22-inch stainless-steel heavy barrel, the system offers more than enough bore to ensure top ballistic performance with most loads. It being Savage, the barrel is button rifled. The company has used this process for years, and is among the best, producing extremely smooth and consistent rifling, thus reducing friction and bullet deformation. As for the twist, it’s 1:7”—fairly standard and versatile.
The upper is complete with a bolt, bolt carrier group (BCG) and charging handle. Savage doesn’t skimp here, particularly on the BCG, which is a self-lubricating nickel-boron affair. As to the handguard, it certainly tends more to precision shooting than tactical, given its sparse M-Lok slots—situated fore and aft. The assumption is, if you are looking for a more “tactical” .224 Valkyrie, you’ll opt for the 18-inch Recon upper, which has much more real estate for accessories. MSRP: $899; https://www.savagearms.com/
Aero Precision M4E1
Among the largest selection of .224 Valkyrie uppers, the M4E1 series is a variable candy store for Valk enthusiasts. They’re affordable to boot. Generally speaking, Aero offers one of the best price points of any manufacturer on this list, making it a logical starting point for someone just getting into the cartridge. That said, don’t think you're getting the AR equivalent to a Sizzler's steak—Aero turns out quality components and backs them up.
As for different models, don’t get too amped up. Mainly we’re talking different barrel lengths (18, 20 and 22 inches) and handguards here. Though, it's difficult not to prefer the models with Aero’s Atlas S-One handguard. Slim as a fleeting second and extremely lightweight, due to the elimination of a full-length rail, the handguard helps keep the rifle-length uppers more manageable and nimble. Definitely a plus if you’re aiming yours at hunting.
As to the brass tacks, the receiver itself is forged, yet Aero machines them to a billet appearance. No matter length, the barrel is bead-blasted stainless-steel and heavy profile, an aspect that sloughs heat and maintains optimal harmonics. Though it’s worth noting, this upper does not come with bolt, BCG or charging handle—Aero, however, sells all of those. MSRP: Starting at $524; aeroprecisionusa.com
Atheris Rifle Co. A15-M
Like betting the horses without a racing form, you don’t quite know what you’re putting your money on with many small manufacturers. It could be a nag, it could be a winner. Atheris Rifle Company falls into the latter category, especially with a thoroughbred .224 Valkyrie upper at a decidedly affordable price.
A few of the A15-M highlights include in-house manufactured nickel-boron BCG, heavy-contour stainless-steel barrel and lightweight M-Lok compatible handguard. As for receivers, the company offers both forged and billet, with the latter running a touch more, but not so much to dissuade a motivated buyer. What Atheris doesn’t make—charging handle and dust cover—it turns to a top-end supplier, namely Strike industries.
Nice package, but certainly tailored more for a dedicated long-range shooter. The choice is between a 22- and 24-inch barrel, sizable on both counts. Furthermore, Atheris uses a very faster 1:6” twist, good for 90-plus-grain bullets, but a tough on lighter, thin-jacket options.
About the only nit to pick is the handguard length, which at 15 inches does tend short for the build. However, Atheris is more than willing to swap them out with an option more fitting to your style simply by contacting them. MSRP: Forged Receiver $749; Billet Receiver $649; atherisrifle.com
CMMG Endeavor
Given the Banshee blitz of the past few years, it's easy to lose sight CMMG still turns out a top-notch rifle. It’s not all shorties coming out of Missouri! The gunmaker was an early adopter of the .224 Valkyrie, embracing the cartridge within a year of its release and now offers it in its outstanding long-range Endeavor series of complete uppers.
Don’t let the fact it’s part of CMMG’s long-range catalog scare you off if you have a field gun in mind. There are three Endeavor variations of the .224 Valkyrie, the 100 and 200 sporting more hunting-friendly 20-inch barrels. The 300—with 24 inches of pipe—is perhaps better fit ringing distant steel.
Regardless of iteration, the guts of the build are the same—medium taper stainless-steel barrel, CMMG’s proven forged Mk4 receiver and chrome-lined phosphate finished BCG (9310 steel bolt). But each one comes with different accouterments. Perhaps the most notable, the 100 is capped with an A2 comp, while the 200 and 300 come with CMMG’s SV compensator brake. Furthermore, the 300 comes with an ambi charging handle and choice of 10 Cerakote finishes—if you need a dash of flare.
No matter where you land, you’ll end up with a solid and versatile upper. CMMG goes with the standard 1:7” twist, making them compatible with most off-the-shelf ammo. And the Endeavor can shoot, easily falling in the sub-MOA category. MSRP: Starting at $674; cmmg.com
Palmetto State Armory 20″ Valkyrie
Honestly, when talking AR parts or builds, you knew Palmetto State Armory would crop up sooner or later. Prolific supplier of everything black rifle, the company isn’t prohibitive on coin spilled, yet washes out as a solid option, even against high-tier names. Not a bad starting point for those looking to invest in their first .224 Valkyrie upper.
The company offers fourteen options in this corner of the market, though really, you’re only selecting between handguards and barrel lengths. The meat of the builds is the same, the matting of PSA’s A3 forged receiver and a 18- or 20-inch heavy stainless-steel barrel. In any case, the real feel of the catalog is to hit the middle ground, a flexible system at home tracking deer or pitching copper-jacked lead to the next zip code.
As to the handguard, since that’s the choice to be made, we tend to prefer the lightweight cross-cut model on a 20-inch barrel. M-Lok compatible, the system does away with much of the optics rail—there are sections fore and aft—cutting weight and making for a much more comfortable system.
PSA outfits its uppers with BCG and charging handle, so you can slap it on and start shooing once you receive it. As to twist, this being a jack-of-all-trades option, it should surprise no one Palmetto opted 1:7”. MSRP: $539; palmettostatearmory.com
Follow these guidelines reloading revolver cartridges for maximum performance, reliability and safety.
Keys To Reloading Revolver Cartridges:
Style of bullet dictates style of crimp.
Research your revolver–make, model, date of manufacturer–to build a clear idea of its limitations.
Don't exceed these limits hot-rodding, thus potentially damage the cylinder and frame.
I’ve been a wheelgun guy since I was a kid. My dad taught me how to shoot with that Ruger Single Six he wore on his gun belt each night he’d take the ’coon hounds out in the fall. How many raccoons fell to that pistol even he can’t estimate.
As my friends and I got older and began to acquire our own handguns (they were primarily wheelguns) and subsequently began to handload for them, we learned an awful lot about what to do and what not to do.
When it comes to reloading for revolvers, there are a few guidelines that’ll help keep you—and your gun—healthy and running properly.
Revolver Cartridges And Crimp
Most revolver cartridges are rimmed cartridges. That’s important, because it gives the handloader some flexibility in their approach, especially regarding different crimp styles. Where the straight-walled pistol cartridges that work so well in the auto-loading handguns require a good, clean and square case mouth for proper headspacing, the rim of revolver cartridges handles the headspacing duties. This leaves some options for the case mouth: Depending on the bullet you’ve chosen, you can work it a few ways, but you’ll certainly need to use a crimp of some type for all revolver ammunition.
The most popular means of keeping things put is the roll crimp, for which the mouth of the case is physically rolled into a crimping groove, or “cannelure.” I like this method and prefer it over any other for fast, hard-kicking cartridges. If you were to skip the crimp on a .454 Casull or .44 Remington Magnum, for example, you run the risk of having your bullets “pull” or “pull crimp,” extending outward from their original seating depth under recoil. Should this happen, the projectiles can (and will) move so far outward that they’ll prevent the cylinder from rotating, thereby creating quite a mess.
The Roll Crimp
A roll crimp is obtained from the seating die, because there’s a small shelf located inside the die body. When the die is set low enough, the cartridge case mouth is pressed against this shelf, rolling the mouth inward into the groove in the bullet and locking the two components together.
Various stages of attaining the balance of seating depth and roll crimp: The two cartridges on the left are no good, while the cartridge on the right has the proper balance. The seating depth allows the roll crimp to fall right into the cannelure of the .480 Ruger bullet.
Don’t worry: Upon ignition, that crimp (and, for that matter, the case walls) will be blown out immediately, being expanded to the chamber dimension. A roll crimp will not only prevent the projectile from moving, it’ll also help even out your velocities.
However, too much crimp can actually damage a bullet, so it’s one of those “Goldilocks” situations: You need just enough crimp to do the job, but not too much; it needs to be just right. The most important thing to remember is to start with a uniform case length. If you don’t have a consistent case length, the amount of crimp will vary accordingly.
I like the RCBS Case Prep Station for its trimmer, which can easily be dialed in to give a precise case length. Redding makes a great crimp die—the Profile Crimp Die—which is designed to put a more uniform crimp than a seating die will and is to be used after the bullet is seated. Pick a case length (some like the SAAMI spec; some like it a bit shorter in order to be able to trim new cases) and then set your seating die for a proper roll crimp … unless you’re using a bullet with no cannelure.
The Taper Crimp
On a bullet with no groove, you’ll have to use a taper crimp, which squeezes the sides of the case body tightly against the bullet to give proper pressure. It’s almost like neck tension for a case with no neck. There’s nothing wrong with this method; in fact, I know folks who use it in conjunction with a stiff roll crimp—as long as it keeps your projectiles where they need to be.
You’ll need to flare your case mouths before seating a bullet. And, to extend case life, I don’t try to over flare. Just open that mouth enough to seat your bullet without crumpling the case wall. You’ll see a longer case life, because the brass isn’t being overworked.
If you can’t use a roll crimp on your ammo, a profile or taper crimp will give the proper tension to prevent the projectile from moving.
Because we aren’t concerned with the way the cartridge will feed from a magazine, the bullet profile and the way it interacts with the feed ramp become non-issues. Wadcutters, semi-wadcutters, flat nose, round nose, hollow point—all will perform wonderfully in a revolver.
We can also abandon the concern of whether or not the ammunition will cycle an action: Because the cylinder is manually rotated, either by cocking the hammer of a single-action or via the trigger squeeze of a double-action, the lightest loads will perform safely.
I can load my Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colt to run with the lightest 180- and 200-grain lead bullets. Yet, the same gun will handle a 300-grain Hornady XTP Mag or 325-grain Swift A-Frame heavy handgun and can run the spectrum of powder—from TiteGroup and Lil’ Gun to H110 and BlueDot. The heavier loads will certainly provide some substantial muzzle jump. But, as long as you hang onto it, the handgun will perform.
Revolver Cartridge Load Development
And maybe now is a good time to talk about load development, because I’ve seen some guys try to turn a .44 Special into a .44 Magnum or a .38 Special into a .357 Magnum. Beating the snot out of a handgun, trying to get it to be something it isn’t, is a lousy idea.
I have a little Smith & Wesson Model 36—a classic .38 Special snub-nose—and the temptation to run it into the red when I first got it was certainly there. However, the beauty of the little gun is in its size and the ability to conceal it. It isn’t a .357 Magnum, and it’s not even a +P .38 Special. And when I load for it as it’s supposed to be (the gun loves the 158-grain Hornady XTPs at a suitable velocity), it’s a pleasure to shoot. Trying to make a “silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” as my late mother would say, can result in cracked cylinders, stuck cases, jammed-up actions, and other catastrophic results.
These .44 Remington Magnums are loaded with Barnes XPB lead-free hollow-points, and the crimp is set perfectly.
Before you begin reloading revolver cartridges do a bit of research about its make, model, and even its date of manufacture, because all of these can play a role in the pressure limits that particular gun can handle. Reloading for your revolver will invariably allow you to shoot it more. As a result, you’ll become more proficient with that gun.
Roll your own for hunting season, and you might just find a new passion.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
An offshoot of Christensen's Modern Precision Rifle, the Modern Precision Pistol offers extreme accuracy in a backpack-sized gun.
How The Modern Precision Pistol Offers Convenient Accuracy:
Outfitted with Christensen's carbon-fiber wrapped barrel.
Utilized the MPR's aluminum chassis with V-block bedding.
Smallest Configuration weights 4.4 pounds.
Features folding SB Tactical brace; folds down to roughly 14 inches.
We’re all familiar with AR-pistols. Light, nimble and kind of cute, the shrunken down configuration has more than earned its chops as a hard-hitting option for close medium-range and CQ applications But what if a particular circumstance calls for a bit more reach or surgical precision than the popular semi-auto offers? This was clearly a question batted around Christensen Arms HQ, one in which the cutting-edge manufacturer came up with a fairly elegant answer.
Meet the Modern Precision Pistol. Essentially an offshoot of the company’s bolt-action Modern Precision Rifle, the chassis system sports an abbreviated barrel and folding pistol brace for an eminently compact firearm. At the same tick, it employs the same features of its big-brother predecessor to milk as much accuracy as possible out a particularly cartridge. Not a bad combination, particularly for deep wilderness hunters who weigh every ounce of their gear or backcountry campers who want a little more punch in their insurance gun.
So, exactly how light and small are we talking? In its tiniest configuration—with a 7.5-inch carbon-fiber wrapped barrel, chambered 300 Blackout—the Modern Precision Pistol tips the scales as 4.4 pounds. In context, that roughly less than two Government sized 1911s. Additionally, this particular variant shrinks down to roughly 14 inches with its brace folded, legitimately making it rucksack friendly. A rare asset outside of takedown rifles. Though there are larger configurations, a 10.5-inch barreled .223 Remington model and a 12.5-inch barreled 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester options.
No matter the size, the gun comes fairly well decked out. In addition to Christensen’s carbon-fiber barrels, the Modern Precision Pistol utilizes the company’s billet-aluminum chassis—the same one found in the Modern Precision Rifle. The system is solid, with a V-block that tightly mates to the company’s Remington 700 action and proves rigid enough for repeatable accuracy. To this, the company adds a folding SB Tactical FS1913A brace and lightweight carbon-fiber handguard. This last feature adds to the gun's utility, featuring a wide-flat base that takes to a support well. Though, it’s M-Lok compatible and has a forward mount Picatinny rail, if a bipod is preferred.
As to other notables, the Modern Precision Pistol is outfitted with a Trigger Tech flat-faced trigger, skeletonized bolt handle, adjustable side-baffle brake, 20 MOA Picatinny optics rail, 2 flush cup QD mounts and paddle magazine release. Speaking of magazines, the system is AICS compatible, making stocking up relatively painless and inexpensive. Which is good, given the pistol doesn’t come cheap. The starting MSRP on the Modern Precision Pistol is $2,200.
For more information on the Modern Precision Pistol, please visit christensenarms.com.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these seven new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Granted, most of you out there aren’t frisking perps. In turn, you don’t need to sweat a jab by a dirty needle. Nevertheless, the puncture-proof protection utilized by police and military isn’t a bad line of defense, and Hatch provides this in spades. Max gloves are made of resilient materials impervious to most sharp and pointy objects. To give you a baseline, they’re rated to ANSI Cut Resistance A9, which means that in 20mm of blade travel 6,000 grams of weight is required to penetrate the material. At the same time, the Friskmaster gloves allow complete dexterity, thus don’t stand in the way of completing fine-motor tasks. MSRP: $49
Sig Sauer Zulu6 Image Stabilized Binoculars
Sig Sauer Zulu6 Image Stabilized Binoculars
It’s difficult enough to discern elk from shadows, so the last thing you need is unsteady optics. This is why Sig Sauer’s latest addition to its Electro-Optics division is a godsend for hunters or anyone else glassing in less-than-ideal conditions. Featuring the company’s Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) technology, Zulu6 Binoculars electronically cancel vibrations to deliver rich and unhampered images. It doesn’t matter if the movement is buffeting wind, chop and waves on the water, washboard ranch roads, heartbeat, heavy breathing or shaking. The secret sauce is a two-axis gimbal system that deletes any shutter—environmental or man-made. Available in 10x30mm and 16x42mm, Sig offers options fit for nearly any outdoor application. MSRP: 10x30mm, $799; 16x42mm, $899
CZ USA 557 Eclipse Rifle
CZ USA 557 Eclipse Rifle
In the arena of bolt-action rifles, the CZ 557 is a hands-down classic. Now more hunters and shooters should get a crack at owning one. The 557 Eclipse delivers the accuracy and ruggedness of the original, but at a price within nearly anyone’s budget. The twist to wringing the extra savings is the stock, a polymer stick instead of hardwood. Never fear, all the good stuff that makes the 557 a gem are there in the Eclipse, including CZ’s cold-hammer-forged barrel and silk smooth push-feed action. Chambered in 308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield and 6.5 Creedmoor, the rifle certainly has a hunting flavor. But with a threaded 20-inch barrel, the Eclipse holds its own, pitching a country mile. MSRP: $659
DPx HEAT/F Milspec Knife
DPx HEAT/F Milspec Knife
Practically perfect as your EDC go-to knife? If it isn’t, DPx Heat/F mil-spec is close enough until perfect shows up. Its 1.24-inch blade is enough to manage any job you pitch at it, while keeping the entire pack so compact it’s a second thought in a hip or back pocket. And it’s long on extras that endear it to discerning users. Rugged titanium alloy frame lock, beefy G10 handle, low-ride “combat” style clip, tungsten-carbide glass breaker … the Heat/F is a Cadillac. Additionally, with a Rockwell hardness rating of 59, the blade is tough enough to hold a razor’s edge, but still shows resilience in the face of tough use. MSRP: $190
Savage 110 Timberline Backcountry Xtreme Rifle
Savage 110 Timberline Backcountry Xtreme Rifle
As they say in the military, “Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.” Hunters know this firsthand. This is why Savage’s dedication to the “mountain rifle” concept is much appreciated. The gunmaker’s latest entrant in this category is the 110 Timberline, a streamlined model engineered to make the long-shot come in. Built to maximize accuracy, the rifle boasts a fluted barrel, overmold surfaces, target crown, and omni-port muzzle brake. Of course, it’s also outfitted with all of Savage’s “Accu” enhancement—adjustable AccuTrigger, AccuStock internal chassis system and AccuFit adjustable stock. With the choice of nine calibers, the Timberline is ready for your next wilderness adventure, whatever it might be. MSRP: $1,129
Federal Ammunition Swift Scirocco II Cartridges
Federal Ammunition Swift Scirocco II Cartridges
Federal is out to make certain that’s no boundary to punching your tag. Teaming up with Swift, the ammunition maker is tackling long-range hunting with the introduction of Scirocco II loads. For those who don’t reload, let’s just say this is a big deal. Scirocco II polymer-tip bullets offer industry-best ballistic coefficients and concentricity, arming you with a projectile born to fly and hit the mark. Once there, they live up to Swift’s legendary toughness standards, with the bonded-core bullets retaining more than 80 percent of their original weight. Flies straight and punches deep, big holes … that adds up to success in the field. Available in nine popular hunting calibers: .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .270 WSM, 7mm Remington Magnum, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 Winchester Magnum and .300 WSM. MSRP: Starting at $52.99 (box of 20)
Athlon Ares ETR 1-10×24 UHD
Athlon Ares ETR 1-10×24 UHD
AR-15s and other tactical rifles put extreme demands on optics. Athlon’s Ares is up to the challenge. Paired with a reticle designed to duplicate the speed of a red dot on 1x and the extended range capabilities of a precision reticle on 10x, the scope is the definition of versatility. Featuring either an FFP MIL-based reticle or an FFP BDC MOA-based reticle designed for .223/5.56mm 68-69gr BTHP cartridges, the scope is suited to a wide range of applications. Furthermore, it produces spotless images for increased precision. This is thanks to ultra-high-definition ED-Glass, engineered for greater light transmission and boarder to boarder clarity. A highlight of the system is Ares’ fool-proof turret design, complete with capped windage, and a locking elevation turret with Athlon’s Precision Zero Stop System. MSRP: $1,139
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2021 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Easy as sending an email and shipping a package, Guns.com streamlines selling your guns online.
Pick a gun, almost any gun, and try to find one in stock. Chances are you’ll come up short—brick and mortar shops, and digital alike. Hot as blue blazes, the gun market is enjoying perhaps the biggest upswing of its history. Existing gun owners are adding to their collections and new buyers are flooding in for their first firearms. We needn’t dissect motivation. Unless you’ve had your head in the sand since New Year’s Eve 2019, the reasons are evident.
Guns.com offers you a hassle-free way to turn your guns into cash.
Times are tough for gun buyers. But sell guns … now there’s a position worth considering.
Given the state of the gun market, now is the time to unleash the financial potential of the seldom-used guns cluttering up your safe. You know you have a couple, the ones that looked good on the store rack, but haven’t been fired in more than a year. Chances are there’s a better home for it. For your efforts, you’ll either have money for more desirable firearms or at least more ammunition. What’s holding you back?
Ready to turn your guns into cash?
Guns.com makes the process quick, painless and lucrative! Sell Your Guns Now!
Likely, the trouble is getting your money’s worth. Whatever way you cut it, haggling with the local gun store guy for a fair price is never a walk in the park. Selling guns at auction websites seems shaky; somebody walks away with a deal, while you’re left with pennies on the dollar. This is why Guns.com online firearms purchase program is a godsend in terms of convenience and a square deal when you’re ready to sell guns you don’t need any longer.
What Is Guns.com
If you’re unfamiliar with Guns.com, it might be worth a moment of discussion. As those who’ve surfed the web for a long period might remember, Guns.com at one time was a firearms news site, and a fairly extensive one at that. While they still produce articles, its main thrust shifted to gun sales, becoming one of the largest firearms retailers on the Internet. Part of the company’s success is due to its extensive catalog of competitively-priced new and used guns. The other is making the somewhat complicated process of buying a gun online a breeze.
You find the gun of your dreams, you add it to your cart, you fill out your payment information, then you pick a local FFL. From there Guns.com takes care of the rest. This is a markedly simpler gun buying process compared to many retailers who require you to make contact with an FFL and have them send in their information. If you have a preferred FFL and they aren’t listed on the site, no big shakes. A quick email to Guns.com and they add them, plus acquire their paperwork. Selling a gun with them is equally as painless.
At one time, selling a gun was as simple as talking to your buddies. Find out who was on the hunt for a new heater, politely haggle over price and exchange the gun for the money. A raft of onerous legislation has pretty much done away with that in most corners of the country. However, Guns.com gets pretty close to replicating this comfortable and painless way of doing business.
It’s a four-step process to sell guns to the online retailer:
You describe and submit photos of the gun for sale to Guns.com.
The site makes you an offer.
You ship your gun to Guns.com with a pre-paid shipping label they provide.
You get paid via direct deposit or check.
Now, there is a bit more to selling a gun than that, as you may well have guessed. The company inspects and evaluates the firearm once it’s at their end to ensure it matches your description before they pay. They don’t want to get burned. Outside of that, those steps pretty much sum up the process. You’re selling your gun directly to the company and, in turn, you don’t have to worry about finding a buyer.
Turn your old pistol, rifle or shotgun into cash now! Guns.com is the hassle-free way to sell your gun online!
Sure you can trust this guy to give you a fair price at your local pawn shop. And that AR he’s selling is totally worth $5K.
What about the offer? Guns.com’s appraisers are on the level and have years of experience buying guns. The site aims to serve all its customers—gun buyers and gun sellers—and in turn they’ll come up with a fair offer. Guns.com’s main goal is to ensure a lasting business relationship. Besides, if you don’t approve of the number Guns.com comes up with, you simply reject the offer within 10 business days and go on your merry way.
“Each day our highly experienced buying team carefully reviews the provided photos and descriptions of each submission, properly identifying the gun and determining condition. We then apply our industry knowledge and research current market conditions in order to make the most fair and accurate offers possible,” Digital Marketing Manager William Altherr said. “Keep in mind we also cover the cost of all shipping materials, including insurance. Guns.com is by far the safest, easiest, and most convenient method available for selling a firearm.”
What Guns Move?
As any astute gun buyer knows, interest in particular styles of firearms and makes and models follow trends. This might lead you to wonder if that old double-barrel shotgun or well-worn .357 Magnum revolver will pique Guns.com’s interest. It’s a worthy question, but one with a rudimentary answer. Yes, the site is interested.
Given the large customer base, there aren’t many guns the company shies away from—as long as they’re in working order. Additionally, the company is also interested in buying guns in bulk. Conveniently, Guns.com runs a program to purchase entire collections, if you have that sort of volume to move or are party to an estate looking to liquidate a large volume of firearms.
If you’re ready to sell guns you no longer need, a quick word on shipping firearms might be warranted. Many have never engaged in the process, so it seems daunting. Far from a Byzantine process, getting your firearms to Guns.com is as painless as packaging them up and slapping the pre-paid shipping label on. This is because the company is an FFL. Whether you realized it or not, it is completely legal for a private citizen to ship a firearm to an FFL without any further paperwork or background checks. If this was a point of contention in selling guns online, don’t let it be—you’re in the clear.
Parting Shot
We all have firearms that just don’t tickle our fancy any longer and take up space. It might be an old hunting rifle that hasn’t seen the field in decades or a defensive handgun that’s been replaced by the latest and greatest iron. Whatever the case, it might be high time to part ways, sell guns that no longer have a place in your collection and reinvest that money in a gem you’ll use and enjoy.
Guns.com makes unlocking the value of these firearms easier than ever. Certainly, you could roll the dice with the local pawn shop in that shady strip mall or go through all the trouble and risk of putting them up at an online auction. Maybe you’ll make out like a bandit, but there’s a lot of ducks to put in a row to ensure a return. Why take the chance when Guns.com makes selling guns online as simple as shipping a package?
Take the stress out of buying and selling guns, checkout Guns.com no-hassle online services.
I don't know when or why the idea struck me. But somehow, a DIY mule deer hunt in Montana suddenly seemed like a good idea. Like many hunters, I focused all my attention on the rifle, optics, and ammo — the fun stuff. This reaction is natural. After all, these things play prominently when the moment of truth comes, and you have game in your sights. It's the moment that captures your daydreams and compels you to expend time, energy, and money planning the massive undertaking of western hunting.
Sako sent me a Finnlight II in .270 Win. and Swarovski provided a Z8i 1-8x24mm scope for the rifle. With high-end tools such as these, it didn't take long to find a tack-accurate load, and I soon had my dope to 400 yards scribbled on a napkin and committed firmly to memory (see my full review in the Gun Digest 2022 annual book).
But this is where the real adventure begins. For as I would come to learn, the rifle turned out to be the least of my worries for this western adventure. What kept me up at night was whether I adequately prepared myself to deal with Montana's extreme weather and desolate environs. The state's “gumbo” roads have claimed many a flatlander victim. These roads — a term that seems generous — can turn from solid gravel to clay-grease-from-hell so fast it'll make your head spin. Some men fear going bald; me, I fear sliding off thousand-foot rocky cliffs and dying in a fireball of mangled steel. Thus, outfitting my hunting truck demanded most of my time leading into the fall season.
If you think about it, your hunting truck is as critical as an accurate rifle: It can mean the difference between being at the right time and place to get a shot or getting mired in a muck hole and wasting your precious vacation days trying to get unstuck. That's especially true when much of the American West is beyond cell phone service, and you can drive all day and not happen upon one good Samaritan, let alone see a human. The last thing you want is to get stuck, lost, or stranded on some lonely backcountry trail. While all shooters and hunters have their favorite truck brands and models, here's why the Gun Digest team took a 2018 Toyota Tundra SR5 Off-road for a spin on the slick two tracks of Eastern Montana in pursuit of the mule deer, aka the gray ghost.
‘Yota Tundra Basics
The Tundra's 5.7L V-8 engine cranks 381 HP (401 lb-ft torque @ 3,600 rpm), and its 4.30 gear ratio puts serious power to the wheels, particularly when you turn off traction control and activate tow/haul mode.
The Tundra's sizeable 38-gallon fuel tank carries you farther, a bonus when the nearest gas station is hundreds of miles away. Toyota's legendary reliability made good sense to us when venturing into the unknown wilds. And it sports one of the tightest turning radiuses in the industry — 22 ft. — essential for such a massive trail rig.
While we didn't go overboard on overland upgrades, here's a snapshot of the additions that gave us the confidence to take the Tundra far off the road. Note: This is all stuff we trust and have purchased. None of it, not even the hunting truck, were provided to us for review.
Recovery Equipment
No matter how well a truck performs off-road, there is always a limit, and you should plan on eventually getting stuck. Some basic recovery gear can prove to be money well-spent and will provide peace of mind when you're deep in the backcountry.
MaxTrax: Traction boards (technically “Vehicle Recovery Devices”) are indestructible polymer boards with studded traction features. You place them under the tires of your hunting truck if you get caught in snow, mud, or sand. MaxTrax is the best. Don't mess around; buy it. maxtraxus.com
The 48-inch Hi-Lift Jack enables you to jack your hunting truck on uneven and rutted-up two-track roads, plus it doubles as a simple machine: You can winch your rig out with it! The author recommends the Step 22 Gear Jack Cover to keep grime from the Hi-Lift's mechanism and accessories such as the ORB Off Road Base, HK-B Black Handle-Keeper, and LM-100 Lift-Mate. The jack attaches to the Tundra's bed rails using the Rago Fabrication Hi-Lift Mount.
Hi-Lift Jack: The 48-inch Hi-Lift jack is not like the little “car jack” stowed under the rear seat of your hunting truck: This thing is long enough to jack your vehicle on the most uneven of ground, and you can even use it as a manual winch if you're really in a bind. Be sure to get the ORB Off-Road Base, HK-B Black Handle-Keeper (so the handle doesn't rattle around when you're dodging cows), and the LM-100 Lift-Mate. hi-lift.com
Rago Fabrication Mounts: We attached the MaxTrax and Hi-Lift Jack securely to the Toyota's Bed Rail System with Rago Fabrication mounts. Installation was simple, and performance off-road was solid, with no wiggle and no noises. Serious off-roaders use this stuff, and you should too. ragofabrication.com
Step 22 Gear Jack Cover for Hi-Lift Jack: You need to keep dust and road grit from clogging up the works on your Hi-Lift jack. I like the Step 22 Gear cover, custom-designed for the Hi-Lift. step22gear.com
MaxTrax recovery boards are essential gear when traveling in the backcountry. You wedge them under your tires when you get stuck in snow or mud, and it's instant traction.
Big Red Torin Steel Jack Stands: These 3-Ton jack stands are critical to keeping your rig up in the air for tire changes or when you need to crawl under your rig to dislodge a pine tree jammed into your transfer case. torin-jack.com
Bond Fiberglass Round Point Shovel: It's a shovel. To dig yourself out when your big plans blow up in your face. The Bond model, popular with off-roaders, is short at 42 inches and fits perfectly along the back of the truck's bed. We used End of the Road's Original Quick Fist Clamp to mount it to a Rago Fab plate. bondmfg.com
Glacier V-Bar Snow Tire Chains with Cam Tighteners: Tire chains are required kit in most of the West, and the Glacier V-Bars are some heavy-duty chains. They feature welded v-bars, spikes that dig into the worst snow and ice. glacierchain.com
RotopaX Gas Canister: While we liked the Tundra's voluminous 38-gal. gas tank, a 2-gal. RotopaX canister mounted to the Bed Rail made it 40 gallons for an extra measure of comfort. The RotopaX is the industry standard in off-road fuel carrying; be sure you practice with it before the season. It uses a locking cap mechanism to dispense the fuel. Don't wait to figure this out when you're on E in the middle of nowhere. RotopaX sells a mount for the Toyota Bed Rail System. rotopax.com
Hunting Truck Navigation & Comms
Long gone are the days when you held a compass and gazed at the stars, tracing lines across a parchment map. Today's GPS satellites might keep conspiracy theorists up late at night, but they also make navigation much simpler. Here's a look at our setup.
Simple, effective navigation. A Samsung Tab S7 5G tablet loaded with OnX and Gaia GPS mapping apps. You preload the tablet with detailed area maps before leaving on your trip, and then, setting the device to Airplane mode, disable the Internet. The unit's internal GPS tracks you in real-time, providing you with super-detailed topographic and forest service maps, even trails! The author powers the tablet via a Dewalt 140w Power Inverter, which plugs into the cigarette lighter and converts 12V DC to 120V AC, giving you a power outlet and two 3.1A USB ports.
Samsung Tab S7 5G Tablet: The new Samsung tablet has enough juice to power all the nav apps you'll need, and by default, it stays on when running said apps (it doesn't annoyingly power down every few minutes). Most importantly, it has an internal GPS for use with the nav apps (below). We mounted it to the dash using the Ram Mounts Ram X-Grip, and 3M two-sided automotive-strength tape. samsung.com
OnX Hunt and OnX Off-road: The OnX app gives you instant landowner map data and boundary lines and is feature-rich with overlays ideal for hunters seeking access to hunting areas. You can switch it into Airplane mode (Internet off), and it will use your phone or tablet's GPS to track you in real-time. Requires subscription. onxmaps.com
Gaia GPS: Gaia Maps is another app that features almost limitless nav possibilities. It shows roads and trails and features route-creation tools that make planning a day trip into an unknown wilderness area a snap. Like OnX, you turn off the Internet, and it uses the tablet's internal GPS to track you in real-time. Requires subscription, well worth the cost. gaiagps.com
Onboard amateur radio provides local, regional, and global communications where cell phones can't reach. The Yeasu FTM line of dual-band FM/C4FM transceivers covers VHF/UHF on analog and digital plus APRS (Automated Packet Reporting System), which uses the transceiver’s internal GPS to transmit your location and data beacons to monitoring stations on 144.390 MHz. Not only that, you get access to NOAA Weather Radio anywhere in the country for real-time weather updates. Requires a Technician-class amateur radio license from the FCC.
Yaesu FTM-100DR Transceiver: When your cell phone's bars disappear, and you must reach someone for help, nothing beats ham radio. I mounted a Yaesu FTM-100DR dual-band FM/C4FM transceiver in the Tundra, with an external dual-band antenna from Diamond. The 50-watt transceiver handles two-way comms in analog and digital modes on the UHF (70cm) and VHF (2m) bands.
If I have any elevation at all, a 50-mile radius range is easy, and several hundred miles are possible depending on your height and atmospheric propagation. Using its digital capability, I can access the worldwide System Fusion radio over the Internet and talk with my friends in Germany or Okinawa with crystal clear audio. I should be capable of calling for a tow truck.
And I can get real-time NOAA weather radio updates anywhere in the country. (Yaesu discontinued the FTM-100DR and has since replaced it with the FTM-300.) To operate, you’ll need a Technician-class amateur radio license from the FCC. yaesu.com
Meat Care
RTIC Hard Cooler 65 QT.: After you've poured all your work and effort into taking game, you need some way to keep your meat cool. That's even true when hunting in a cold place like Montana, where the daytime highs can hit 60 degrees in mid-November.
We gave the RTIC 65 Cooler a test run, and it was as good as any other high-end brand we've tried — at two-thirds the cost. Freeze water in a few orange juice bottles for ice during the off-season, and this bank-vault-tight cooler will stay cold for two weeks, at least. rticoutdoors.com
Needs Improvement
What didn't we like about the 2018 Toyota Tundra? Not much. It performed way above expectations. Our complaints mirror those you'll hear coming from many off-roaders, namely the Tundra's previously mentioned lack of locking rear diff and crawl control features, which are standard fare on the Tacoma TRD Off-road and 4Runner models and peculiarly absent on the Tundra.
The “Off-road” Tundra models could also use more aggressive tires with Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls. Toyota has been teasing a Tundra redesign for its 2022 year, so time will tell if the tight-lipped automaker listens to its core off-road users and corrects these injustices.
Hunting Truck Lessons
No truck project is ever complete, and hindsight is 20/20. If I could do it again, I'd bring a backup rifle (I had no issues with the Sako, it's just good practice) and have a more organized gun storage solution to securely lock rifle and ammo in the hunting truck while we are hunting or scouting.
One intriguing solution is the new Pelican Cargo line, which Pelican developed for the overlanding market. The Pelican BX85S Case is 51.7 inches long, and you can attach it above your bedsides via the Toyota's bed rail system — and of course, it is lockable. It would be ideal for a padded gun case and to hold an extra rifle.
Also, check out the Pelican BX80 Cargo Case at 20.75 x 12.25 x 13.25-inch interior size, which would be the ticket to keep tire chains, jacks, and recovery gear organized in the bed. It, too, attaches to the bed rail system of the Toyota line. Organization and consistency are keys to happiness.
To upgrade my extraction options, the Yankum Rope is the thing to have so passersby can yank you out of a tough spot. The Yankum Ropes Rattler Series (1 inch by 30 feet) handles a static 18,500 lbs. The Yankum is not a “tow strap.” Yankum designed it to stretch, to take momentum, allowing smaller vehicles to extract much larger ones by getting a running start.
Lastly, one trick all off-roaders use to improve traction is to air down tires. If you don't have bead lockers, you can safely air down to 20-25 psi, which will dramatically improve traction on mud and snow. It won't turn your SUV into a rock crawler, but it will improve handling and control on rocks and smoothen your ride. An excellent portable solution is the ARB 12V High-Performance Portable Air Compressor and ARB E-Z Deflator Kit 10-60 PSI. You can keep these in the bed of your truck, air down with the ARB E-Z Deflator when you hit the trail, and air back up with the ARB compressor when you reach the highway.
Tipping the scales at 1/2-pound, the Roam R-10 Upper keeps things light.
How The R-10 Upper Stacks Up:
Made of lightweight magnesium alloy.
Receiver features 1 7/16″-16 barrel-nut threads.
Brass deflector and dust cover both made of polymer to cut weight.
Finished with rugged Cerakote.
Nothing new under the sun when it comes to AR-style rifles or, at least, that’s the popular opinion. Scratch the surface of the throngs of off-the-rack, mil-spec irons and there’s quite a different story percolating. Custom manufacturers around the country continue innovating and advancing the versatile designing milking efficiencies and perform from the standby iron once unimaginable. One of the most intriguing is Roam Rifles.
Situated in the wide-open spaces of North Dakota, the rifle-make made its niche in ultra-lightweight AR-10 options aimed at hunting. Then again, we’re a little biased here, given we were so impressed with the accuracy of Roam’s R-10 Great Plains we recommend it as one of the best 6.5 Creedmoor rifles. But we digress. The news out of the Peace Garden State lately is as intriguing, with Roam rifles moving from complete builds to components with the release of a lightweight upper receiver.
Dubbed the Roam R-10 Upper, the DPMS Gen 1-compatible receiver is the ideal starting point in a weight-saving build. At this point, we should spill the beans on Roam’s not-so-secret angle to weight savings—magnesium alloys. For those clutching pearls over the potential inflammability of the lightweight material, you can get away from your fainting couch. Yes, magnesium does have a lower ignition point than, say, aluminum in its pure state or certain alloys. According to Roam, its alloys will not catch fire until they melt—essentially breaking down the alloy’s matrix—which is at 1,100 degrees. Essentially, a shooter would have to set out to push a rifle or component to this point.
Roam offers two variations of the R-10 upper, with and without forward assist. The receiver features 1 7/16″-16 barrel-nut threads, a removable polymer brass deflector and a quick detach polymer dust cover. With the company’s forward assist system, the upper weighs in at 8.1 ounces, which Roam boasts makes for the lightest forward assist AR-10 upper on the market. Finally, the receiver is finished with Cerakote over Tagnite (anodic coating for magnesium alloys). As to cost, lightweight doesn’t come cheap. The MSRP on Roam’s R-10 Upper with forward assist is $280, its smooth side $260.
For more information on the R-10 Upper, please visit roamrifles.com.
Optics ready and capable in many roles, the FN 509 LS Edge proves itself a tactical jack-of-all-trades.
How The LS Edge Outdoes Other Practical-Tactical Pistols:
Lightening the felt recoil, FN has slotted the side reducing its mass.
Featuring a new flat-faced trigger, the pistol promotes a linar pull and breaks at a crisp 4 to 5 pounds.
Grip texturing is extemely aggressive, assuring the pistol won't go anywhere.
Slide is cut to accept a wide variety of optics.
Every version of the FN 509 that we’ve seen so far has been designed with the personal protection and the duty user in mind. The new FN 509 LS Edge takes a very different path, addressing the needs of a competitive shooter as well as the tactically minded.
The LS Edge’s new slide stop looks identical to the Tactical’s, except it’s a touch longer.
FN’s long-awaited practical/tactical optics-ready gun is the brainchild of Tim Kennedy of Sheepdog Response and 253-time champion shooter Dave Sevigny working with FN America’s team of engineers. With Kennedy’s focus on defensive tactics and Sevigny’s impressive competitive background, the task of melding the two thought processes was undoubtedly an engineering challenge.
Not only did FN’s engineers manage to pull it off, the new pistol is exactly what I had wished for in last year’s article on the FN 509’s history.
Evolution Breeds Perfection
Before diving into what sets the FN 509 LS Edge apart from the rest of FN’s pistols, we really should touch on the 509’s roots. We covered the development on the FN 509 previously, but here’s a brief rundown.
The 509 LS Edge’s Graphite PVD finish is tough, but it also looks fantastic.
The FN 509 platform has a much longer history than you might think given how recent the pistol is to the market. When the 509 hit store shelves in 2016, it was already well tested in the military’s XM17 pistol trials, nearly winning the contract when it made it into the final round before selecting the P320 as winner.
The gun’s design goes even further back than that; there’s over 15 years of research and development packed into the 509 platform. When you look at the new LS Edge, you can still see the designs roots in the FNP, which became the FNX and then the FNS and FNS-C, the 509’s closest relative.
Sexy Slides Sell
Even though FN has produced a long slide before, they haven’t done anything quite like the LS Edge to date. It’s not just a churched-up 509 with some window dressing like you normally see on premium versions of an existing pistol; it’s obvious a lot of research drove every aspect of the new gun.
The new super aggressive grip texture is going to keep your gun planted in your hands during recoil.
That isn’t to say that the pistol isn’t going to make you want to press your face against the gun case glass—this thing is sexy. The new optics-ready long slide is coated in graphite PVD, the same type of coating on the 509 Tactical. To give you an idea how tough PVD is, my 509 Tactical has been used hard with somewhere north of 14,000 rounds through it with only very minor finish wear. Not only is it tough, but the graphite finish highlights the lightning cuts and brings the contours of the new slide alive.
Sure, the LS Edge gets an all-new optics-ready long slide with some fancy window cuts and a fiber-optic front sight, but there’s more going on inside the pistol that could be overlooked easily. Between the obvious slots in the serrations and the much less obvious milled slots around the striker, the new LS Edge’s slide is only one-fifth of an ounce heavier than the Tactical’s slide.
That might sound trivial but slide mass plays an important role in how flat shooting a pistol is. Slide mass is one of the biggest contributors to felt recoil and muzzle flip, not bore axis, which is probably the reason why I paused for a second when I pressed the trigger for the first time and felt the pistol cycle in a satisfyingly soft manner while tracking about as flat as my compensated 509s.
Crispy Controls
The improvements to the platform don’t stop there; the LS Edge has a brand-new flat-faced trigger that’s sure to wow even the most critical of FN’s traditional hinge-style trigger. Our test example’s trigger broke cleanly at 4 pounds, 5 ounces. FN says to expect a 4- to 5-pound trigger, thanks to the new trigger shoe and a redesigned striker—a claim that held true when my example measured out to 4 pounds, 5 ounces on a Lyman digital trigger gauge.
Shooting on the move at a high rate of speed isn’t as hard with a soft recoiling gun.
It isn’t all about a lighter trigger pull; the new trigger shoe was carefully designed to break at 90 degrees and has very minimal over-travel, which makes it feel like the trigger is moving straight back similar to a 1911. Additionally, the striker’s new shape should perform better in water submersion tests than the original striker, thanks to cutouts in the striker’s bearing surface that’ll prevent the striker from hydro locking.
The LS Edge also gets an extended magazine release and all-new slide release that’s easier to reach without breaking your grip, but that also means it’s easier to pin under your grip and prevent a slide to lock open. The slide stop on my own example will likely get swapped out for the smaller one on the Tactical to prevent that. To be clear: This is a problem with my grip and not the gun.
Get a Grip
As you might expect at this point, FN turned the frame to 11 as well. I can’t think of another pistol on the market that uses a grip quite like the LS Edge. FN started with the midsize frame and designed a metal magwell that transforms it into a full-size frame. Since the end result is a magwell that reminds me of the one Glock used on the Gen 5, I suspect that practical shooting associations will allow shooters to use the 509 LS Edge in Production and Carry Optics divisions.
While unconventional, really all FN did was use a more robust material to improve the pistol’s longevity. I wouldn’t recommend removing yours though; the pistol really isn’t intended to be shot without it.
You also might notice that the frame no longer has the pyramid-style texture that has become synonymous with FN, now we get an ultra aggressive skateboard grip tape-style texture that’s a significant improvement over the older texture. Some shooters might find it too aggressive, but that goes away once you grip the gun harder. Personally, I’m a fan of aggressive grips, and the LS Edge is just about perfect for a factory pistol.
Once you grip the gun with purpose, the aggressive texture assures the pistol isn’t going to wiggle around in your hands. Less wiggle in recoil means faster follow-up shots; faster follow-up shots means more wins against paper or flesh advisories.
Range Time
Currently, I have about 1,300 failure-free rounds through my 509 LS Edge and counting with roughly 750 of those in an eight-hour period during the launch event. In fact, the pistol got so hot that one of the FN engineers noticed heat mirage coming off the slide of my gun and liberally applied some oil to the barrel and slide to help cool it down before we cased the guns for the day.
With the impressive accuracy that we saw out of the 509 Compact MRD last year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the LS Edge performed well during accuracy testing. With ammo a bit scarce, I was sad when I saw the best results out of my preferred practice load, American Eagle 147-grain FMJ, with a 0.406-inch five-shot group at 10 yards and a 1.912-inch five-shot group at 25 yards. For defensive ammo, the 147-grain Federal HST did extremely well with a 1.632-inch five-shot group at 25 yards.
Not once in over a thousand rounds did I find the LS Edge to be lacking in any way. Recoil was pleasant, the pistol shot flat, and even when heat-soaked, it still was every bit as reliable as I’ve come to expect of the 509 platform.
Holsters
One of the largest challenges with a non-Glock pistol is finding a holster that’ll fill the role you have for the gun. Thankfully, that isn’t so much an issue with the 509 LS Edge. For concealment with a weapon light, the PHLster Floodlight has allowed me to comfortably conceal the pistol with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and Streamlight TLR-1 HL mounted to the gun. On the rare occasion that I decide to take the light off the pistol, a JM Custom Kydex AIWB holster does the trick.
To get the most out of the LS Edge, choose a large windowed MRDS like the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro or Trijicon’s SRO.
As for the range holster that we used during the event, the ANR Design race holster was fast and retained the gun well enough. Since then, I’ve modified a Safariland ALS retention holster for a P320 to fit the LS Edge, and it has become my go-to range holster. Eventually, Safariland will release a purpose-built fitment for the LS Edge, which I’ll likely replace my rigged holster with as soon as I can.
Nothing is Perfect
Even though the LS Edge is as close to perfect for an out-of-the-box pistol under $1,500 that I’ve seen, it isn’t perfect. The gun is priced a bit higher than I’d like to see, with competing pistols like the Glock 34 and Walther Q5 Match coming in at roughly $600 less (but that may be less of a concern when dealers start getting them on the shelf and we see if the real-world street price is remotely close to my predicted street price of roughly $1,200). Should street pricing be close to that figure, the superior optics mounting, more robust metal magwell and flat-face trigger add enough value for me to justify the extra spend.
(Clockwise From Top Right) PHLster Floodlight, ANR Designs Race Holster, JM Custom Kydex IWB and Safariland 6390 RDS.
My real gripe lies with the magazines. I’m a bit disappointed that FN launched a pistol competition shooters should love without 140mm magazines with baseplates designed for the new pistol. Yes, the 17 rounders that ship with the gun are nice, but if you intend on shooting a stage with it, more bullets in a reload are always welcome.
Not common, but a keeper
While the 509 isn’t as common as I feel it should be, you shouldn’t look over the 509 LS Edge when shopping for an optics-ready pistol. Simply put, I feel the new pistol is nearly perfect right out of the box. That’s a heck of a statement from someone who modifies just about every firearm in his safe.
I have to give kudos to Kennedy, Sevigny and the FN America team; just when I thought the FN 509 was about as good as it was going to get, they raised the bar yet again.
Given most of us spend the better part of our days with duffs firmly planted, learning to draw from a seated position is a key self-defense skill.
We all have a stereotype of how a self-defense scenario plays out. Take a moment and think about it. Was it dark? We’re you in familiar surroundings? Did you see the attack coming? How about this, were you sitting or standing?
It’s a safe guess that most folks pictured themselves drawing their handgun while standing. Perfectly casting aside a covering garment, a textbook stance, eye drilling into the threat. Fair enough, given most of us train and hone our handgun skills with our legs firmly planted beneath us. However, is this how most of us spend our days? Likely not. Tally up the time and chances are a greater percent our waking hours are spent with our duff firmly planted on a seat—car, office or otherwise. Given this, it becomes clear why learning to draw from a seat becomes a vital arrow in our handgun-skills quiver.
Jamey Caldwell, an instructor at 1-Minute Out and former special operator, goes over the basics of this unorthodox self-defense position in the above video. Rest assured, many of the fundamentals you’ve already learned in a proper draw and presentation apply when sitting. The rub, they become more challenging, given there are tighter quarters to work within and more obstacles to overcome. Just sitting on the tail of your jacket or sit almost locks you out from accessing your handgun.
It goes without saying, the only way around the impediments inherent to drawing from seated is practice, practice and more practice. And no, you don’t need to drag a folding chair to the range (though it might not hurt). A prime candidate for dryfire practice, it’s a skill easily honed at home.
Already known for their mounts, American Defense Manufacturing has gone the whole hog with the Spek red-dot.
How The ADM Spek Is On Target:
1X magnification facilitates shooting with both eyes open.
2 MOA dot makes for quick target transition and more precise shots.
Weighs in at a scant 3.9 ounce.
Runs 5 years off a single AAA battery.
American Defense Manufacturing (ADM) has been making optics mounts for some years now. I’ve got red-dot and magnifying optics mounts on rifles, and I’ve always been pleased with their performance.
The system uses a throw lever with a built-in locking tab, so you aren’t depending solely on friction or the cam geometry of the lever to keep it closed. And, the lever tightness can readily be adjusted. All of this can be done without tools—no Allen wrenches or tiny socket wrenches to adjust this or that. The company even manages to shave off a bit more weight by using titanium in the construction of some of the mounts. However, titanium costs, and you don’t save weight by saving money. That’s life, folks.
The Spek, with the throw lever and its locking button in view—and all from one source, pre-assembled!
But now, ADM is also offering ADM-branded red-dots to go with its mounts.
ADM Spek Specs
The ADM Spek is a 1X red-dot that comes with a 2 MOA dot. There are the expected 10 power settings, and it runs on a single AAA battery. Now, the current standard is either an AA or a lithium 123 battery, but the AAA has its advantages—mainly, weight and size. If you’re crafting a red-dot optic that weighs 3.9 ounces with an AAA battery, how much more weight will it have if you jump up to an AA or a 123? It isn’t just the battery; it’s also the extra weight of the larger housing.
The rated life of the AAA battery in the Spek with the power setting at “5” is five years. So basically, if you install the battery and leave it set at 5, you can change the battery during each presidential election cycle and not have to worry about it running out on you. (Five years? I’ll lose the package that has the other three or seven AAA batteries before then!)
Because ADM makes mounts, you can order your Spek already installed in a mount; and, you have choices. You can have a low mount, a lower-third co-witness or a co-witness. Additionally, you have all three choices in both aluminum or titanium-upgraded mounts. As I mentioned, titanium is extra, adding a whopping $56 to the cost.
Zero In On Aiming Solutions:
Best Concealed Carry Optics: Red Dot, Green Dot Or Iron Sights?
I had a chance to give a Spek-equipped rifle a test run at the 2020 SHOT Show (as it turned out, maybe five minutes before COVID-19 overran the Las Vegas area), and I was pleasantly entertained. The dot was crisp, and I could dial it up enough for it to be seen in the bright desert sun, even against the sandy background.
Mounting is easy: There’s a button on the throw lever. Press the button (once you get a feel for it, it becomes second nature. The first few times, you might have to actually pay attention) and rotate the lever forward.
With the jaws open, place the mount over the rail of your AR (or other firearm). You might have to tip it a bit to get the jaws to clear. That’s normal.
The ADM Spek, mounted on a rifle, showing the adjustable lock nut on the far side from the throw lever.
Then, rotate the lever back, and you’ll feel it cam tightly against the rail. Once the lever comes down flush, the lock button will cam itself into position and keep the throw lever from opening.
Spek Mount Adjustment
If you find that your rifle has an out-of-spec rail, here’s how to adjust the mount:
Do you see the nut on the far side of the mount—the eight-sided nut? If your mount is too tight or too loose, open the throw lever all the way and then press it in toward the base. When you do this, you’ll see the lock nut on the other side get pushed out of its seat. You can now hand-turn (no need for tools) to tighten or loosen the fit. Clockwise tightens; counter-clockwise loosens.
Adjust it a flat or two and then check the fit on the rail. There’s no need to hurry here. Get it so that it’s hand-tight on the rail. Too tight, and you’ll need a pry bar to open it (once you press the lock button, of course). Too loose risks adding vibration, which means a wandering zero, battered parts … and a short service life for your optic.
There you have it: a ready-to-go red-dot optic, complete in its own base—one that doesn’t require any tools to mount or adjust.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2021 Long-Range Shooting issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Rimfire ammunition tailored for self-defense? Federal is shooting for it with .22 LR Punch ammo.
How Federal Tailors .22LR Punch For Self-Defense:
It's 29-grain bullet is engineered to leave a 2-inch barrel at 1,070 fps.
Bullet's profiel and composition designed for maximum penetration and minimal deformation.
Nickel-plated case ensures smooth feeding in nearly any handgun or rifle.
Passions run high discussing the merits of the little .22 LR for self-defense. One side contends the rimfire is too small and too weak to reliably neutralize the threat. While the other claims, despite its shortcomings the caliber is one any person can master to deliver accuracy and deadly fire. (If you’re interested in more on this debate, Richard Mann wrote an in-depth article on .22 LR for self-defense.) While it certainly won’t end the debate, one of the nation’s largest ammunition manufacturers is siding with the latter group, introducing a .22 LR load specially tailored for defensive use.
Federal Premium recently unveiled .22 LR Punch ammunition, an option the company calls the first viable self-defense option in the caliber.
“Self-defense isn’t one size fits all. So, whether shooters want to carry a .22 LR handgun as a backup gun, do not feel comfortable with centerfire pistols, or simply want to get more versatility from a rimfire handgun,” said Federal’s Rimfire Product Manager, Dan Compton, “Punch makes the .22 LR cartridge a viable defensive choice for the first time ever.”
Federal Punch Ammo Basics
Most ammo geeks are familiar with the Federal’s Punch line. Released in 2020, the defensive handgun ammunition was specifically designed for the commercial market, a break from the past. Previously, all Federal’s defensive ammo was developed with law enforcement in mind. The difference, other lines are engineered to pass FBI barrier tests, while Punch was optimized for the FBI bare gel and covered gel penetration tests. Two factors spurred this move: cost per round and likely scenarios faced by average armed citizens. The thought is, every day CCW holders don’t often shoot through car doors.
Among the main changes found in Punch ammo is the use of a softer lead core that didn’t need to hold together through plywood, windshields and sheet metal. Though it’s not downloaded. Velocities are what you’d expect for defensive ammo. Only, it has gone through rigorous laboratory testing required for law enforcement fodder.
22 LR Punch Features & Performance
As to the .22 LR Punch, it’s pretty unique, particularly it's projectile. It utilizes a 29-grain nickel-plated lead-core bullet, with a flat nose and a heavy jacket. Essentially, the bullet is designed to hang together and minimally expand, thus increasing penetration depth. As to ensuring the bullet bores an appropriate distance, Federal soups up .22 LR Punch, with the ammo listed at 1,070 fps from a 2-inch barrel. Even if for those who don’t subscribe to the rimfire as an appropriate self-defense option, the offering is intriguing nonetheless.
What does it cost? Federal lists the full retail price of .22 LR Punch at $9.99 for a box of 50. Pretty cheap to upgrade a rimfire for a self-defense role.
For more information on Federal .22 LR Punch, please visit federalpremium.com.
With a history pre-dating the founding of the country, Alexander Hamilton's pistols are expected to draw a record-breaking price.
Why Alexander Hamilton's Pistols Are Nearly Priceless:
Pistols are described as 9-inch barreled .58-caliber flintlocks with a bright blue finish and walnut stocks.
Expected to sell for between $1 and $3.5 million.
Pistols were a honeymoon gift to then Colonel Hamilton by his father-in-law General Philip Schuyler.
Were Hamilton's personal sidearms during the Revolutionary War.
More so than the guns themselves, their provenance drives the price. Prove a heater was once in some historical person’s hand and it goes from mere specimen to peerless artifact faster than you can say John Hancock. Or in this case, Alexander Hamilton.
A pair of the Founding Father’s flintlock pistols are set for the block at the Rock Island Auction Company’s May 14-16 Premier sale. And already, the renowned marketplace for some of the world’s rarest firearms anticipates a blockbuster take for the first Tresurary Secratary's muzzleloaders. In a press release, Rock Island foresees the pistols raking in between $1 million and $3.5 million, putting the guns in the running for a world record for highest priced firearms ever publicly sold. Not surprising given the legacy of the flintlocks and the renewed interest in Hamilton, since the popular musical bearing his name.
As expected, the guns have an enthralling history. The pistols were a honeymoon gift to then Colonel Hamilton by his father-in-law General Philip Schuyler during the Revolutionary War, sometime after the Battle of Saratoga. According to the company, the flintlocks were Schuyler's personal arms and saw action with the officer and the eventual United States Senator in the French and Indian War that preceded the American Revolution. Though not officially documented, there is a likelihood the guns were with Hamilton in his triumph at the Siege of Yorktown, where his battalion of light infantry played a key role in forcing the British to surrender, thus leading to the end of the war.
“These pistols represent Hamilton’s physical ability to wage war on the enemy. They are his physical ability to achieve revolution and start the republic,” RIAC President Kevin Hogan said. “However, they also transcend arms-specific collecting. They are an American institution in and of themselves and an intimate way to be a part of the past.”
The pistols were passed down through four generations of the Hamilton family until in 1942 they were sold to pioneering firearms collector Robert Abels. Rock Island does not list the present cosigner, though he provides affidavits of ownership through the Hamilton family to contemporary owners, one of which happened to be former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon. Auctioned alongside the pistols are the epaulettes Hamilton wore as an officer.
As for the pistols themselves, they are described as 9-inch barreled .58-caliber flintlocks with a bright blue finish and walnut stocks. As pointed out in Rock Island’s write-up, the guns are incredibly austere with very sparse ornamentation. Logical, given the pistols were not presented to Hamilton as a mark of achievement or rank, but to wage war. In short, they are a fighting man’s guns.
This is not the first historically significant firearm to pass through Rock Island Auction Company. Previously, the auction house sold very desirable guns owned by former United States Presidents, including John F. Kennedy’s M1 Garand, Ronald Ragan’s Colt revolvers and Theodore Roosevelt’s factory-engraved Colt Single-Action Army. The last set a world record price for a public-sale firearm, when in 2020 it sold for an unprecedented $1.46-million. Impressive as that is, there’s a fair chance it won’t hold a candle to what Hamilton’s flintlocks will draw when the gavel drops.
Does your gun oil bring out the best in your firearms?
When was the last time you gave as much attention to your gun oil as your ammunition, magazines, optics or lights? Because lube can’t attach to a Picatinny rail, get laser-etched or dipped in the latest absolute invisibility camo pattern, probably very little.
When was the last time you considered what’s in your lubricant and how that impacts the performance of your firearm? Probably the same answer.
100-Year-Old Lubricant
Sadly, many American firearm owners lubricate their guns with “what they’ve always used” and live with its shortcomings. In fact, the top-selling gun oil in the United States was introduced in 1913—before World War I! It was designed first and foremost to prevent rust; lubrication was a distant second, and cleaning only happened with aggressive scraping and additional harsh chemicals.
Used more broadly today than at any time in history, a suppressor’s downsides comprise the extra gases and heat channeled back through the action. How does your typical lubricant hold up when you’re running a can?
However, this historical “blindness” isn’t without cause: Until the end of the 20th century, the single greatest enemy to carbon-steel and wood firearms was rust. The cleaning process for firearms of this era required harsh chemicals and often hours of scraping that put excessive wear on internal components. But, it had to be done: Rust was every gun’s “public enemy number one.”
Worse, neither the firearm’s function nor its reliability was materially improved by this method or lubrication. Not only were gun owners fighting a losing war against the ravages of rust, but also against heat, friction and chemistry.
Modern Performance and Reliability Enemies
Today, rust isn’t the threat it once was. Most modern firearms are made from a combination of synthetic materials, stainless steel or coated metals. But, along with modern materials come gas-operated designs with smaller, faster-moving parts and tight tolerances. Today, friction, heat and compounded contamination are the modern enemies to reliability and performance.
Why? The same gases used to propel the bullets and cycle actions carry contaminants around—and into—every angle and crevice of your firearm. Driven by heat and pressure, these gases bake layer after layer of carbon onto moving parts and into gas ports. Eventually, the layers build up and change the parts’ geometry. The contaminated parts can no longer move within or past one another, and function slows … or ceases outright.
For the modern firearm powered by its own gases, staying lubricated under heat, pressure and friction—and fighting carbon buildup—is critical. More importantly, how quickly can you remove the unavoidable contamination from the parts and get your AR reliably back into action?
The historical solution, often sold as a “character-builder” by generations of drill sergeants, is to scrape parts with metal tools, chemicals, picks and brushes to remove every visible fragment of carbon. This approach damages the parts with each cleaning, often to the point of failure—or, if an armorer is lucky, deemed “out of spec”—and replaced.
This self-defeating process is separate from the excessive time wasted for such a laborious process that just about any reasonable person would rather spend doing something else … such as shooting.
So, if modern firearms require a different lubricant solution to support their unique functional requirements and materials, what should it contain?
A high-quality synthetic lubricant base capable of enduring the high heat and pressures of modern firearms without breaking down, being displaced by water or gelling in low temperatures, along with a rust-prevention additive.
A penetrant to reach the micro-crevices between small parts that can become clogged with contamination.
A detergent to clean the moving parts and bearing surfaces while the weapon functions, yet is still safe on synthetic materials and finishes.
A dispersant to prevent the contamination from re-adhering to the metal, particularly under heat and pressure.
Functionally, a modern gun oil should also speed cleaning and lengthen the amount of time between required cleanings. This element is particularly important if you’re serving in an austere environment in which a reliably functioning firearm could determine your ability to defend yourself from harm.Today, while rust is a factor any quality lubricant should inhibit, the contamination buildup in the bolt carrier group can change the geometry of the parts and lead to failure.
Ask yourself: If you had two identical firearms you carried and utilized daily, wouldn’t the more reliable of the two be the one with a lubricant that functioned consistently and for more extended periods under heavy use, yet was easier to clean? Viewed in a military context, isn’t the ability to stay in the fight longer and be cleaned quickly also a significant tactical advantage?
Modern Gun Oil
One recent entrant to the market—born on a poncho at Fort Benning, Georgia, amidst an array of AR parts, picks, brushes, patches and issued chemicals—might’ve cracked the code.
Created with modern firearms and their needs in mind, EDC-CLP’s patented chemical components not only continue to clean and lubricate for extended periods under excessive heat and pressure, they also reach into the micro-crevices contaminated with baked-on carbon that picks and brushes cannot reach.
One key addition to the formulation is a “high-pressure additive” with positively charged molecules that adhere to the metal. In other words: It keeps the product in and on the parts—cleaning and lubricating—during use, rather than being forced off by friction and gases. The high-pressure additive also provides the added benefit of suspending the contamination in the lubricant that the dispersant and detergent elements slough loose from the parts.
How does it perform outside the chemistry lab?
EDC-CLP’s positive impact on your gun’s function is both immediate and gradual. After a single application, a user will feel an instant improvement in lubricity (slipperiness). In most cases, follow-up cleaning requires little more than a wipe-down and reapplication.
EDC-CLP doesn’t require special preparation of the weapon’s parts in a sterile environment in order to work. It can be applied on top of existing gun oils or lubricants if necessary.
So, ask yourself, Which “war” is your lubricant fighting?
For more information on ELC-CLP Lubricant, please visit edcclp.com.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2021 Long-Range Shooting issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
A tweaked throwback Colt Open-Top, the Taylor & Company Hickok is as dashing as its namesake.
What Makes The Hickok A Unique Open-Top Replica:
Maintains a similar frame and open-top design, but with a 3.5-inch barrel.
Chambered for modern .38 Special and .45 Colt cartridges.
Features case-hardened forged steel frame and walnut grip give the pistol great appeal.
A pair of Colt 1851 Navy Model cap-and-ball revolvers were supposedly “Wild” Bill Hickok’s most prized guns. And when he was gunned down by Jack McCall in a Deadwood, SD saloon he was wearing a Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Army revolver. So how exactly Taylor & Company ended up naming its new Colt Model 1871-72 Open Top after the “deadliest pistoleer” in the west isn’t exactly clear. But the abbreviated rendition certainly appears as dashing as its namesake.
The Colt Open Top is a unique design and has a certain appeal to aficionados of Old West guns. In particular, it’s desirable given it’s considered the parent of the famed Colt Single-Action Army revolver, the acme of the handguns of the era. In essence, it’s a bridge between the SAA and the cap-and-ball conversions that preceded it, maintaining many of the Colt Navy’s design points, but specifically designed for metallic cartridges.
Don’t expect a dead ringer to the original with the Taylor & Company Hickock. While it maintains a similar frame and open-top design of the original, the gun company has tweaked it in several ways to make it more appealing to modern shooters. At least the ones that aren’t wed to historical accuracy in replicas.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Hickok’s barrel, which comes in at an abbreviated 3.5 inches. For reference, the original Open-Top was a monster, with 7.5-inches of barrel with which to pitch .44 Henry rimfire. What it lacks in authenticity, the revolver is certain to more than make up for in agility, with the near snub-nose likely to prove much more widely than the six-shooter its base on.
Chambering is another break from the past. Since .44 Henry isn’t exactly spilling out of retailers’ ammunition departments, Taylor opted for two much more accessible options—.38 Special and .45 Colt. The .38 option seems especially fitting for the configuration, given its mild recoil and inherent accuracy out of short-barreled pistols. Though, in recreations from this era, it’s difficult to go wrong with .45, even if it might make the Hickok a bit more bucky in the hand.
As to the gun’s aesthetics, Taylor seems to hit the nail on the head, delivering the look of the Old West. The Hickok comes from an 1860 army snub nose revolver made with modern shooters in mind. It features a large Army-size grip for increased comfort and stability. Blued parts with a case-hardened forged steel frame and walnut grip give the pistol great appeal. Other features include a front blade sight and rear sight on the back of the barrel.
As to price, the Taylor & Company Hickok has an MSRP of $616.14.
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.
