From all across the web, we’ve searched high and low for some of the best deals we can find! From tactical gear to firearms, from ammo to footwear, we’ve dug down deep to deliver some delicious discounts!
Take a scroll and see the best Black Friday & Cyber Monday Gun Deals!
Check back often because we’re updating this article LIVE throughout the week!
Welcome to CANCON A Fully Suppressed RECOIL Range Day!
Save the date and make your plans to come down on Veterans Day weekend, Nov. 11-13 to the 17 South Rod and Gun Club in Savannah, Georgia.
Hundreds of the newest and best suppressors, firearms, and optics will be on the firing line for you to get hands-on trigger time.
All ammo will be provided, just bring your trigger finger!
Veterans get in FREE Friday, so come spend your Veterans Day weekend with us at CANCON!
SATURDAY NIGHT VIPs will have the opportunity to shoot suppressed with night vision goggles, clip-on night vision optics, IR lasers, tracers, and more.
CANCON will even have activities for kids, making this a completely family-friendly event.
Expect to see hundreds of firearms and suppressors, every one of them available to shoot. Don’t forget your eyes and ears for safety!
Not every day you get to shoot cool stuff like this!
Great food will be available on-site for when you need to recharge between shooting bays.
More information and ticket pre-sales coming soon!
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Designed Machined and assembled in Leupold Optic’s Oregon factory, the Mark 5HD scope keeps the company roots firmly planted in its home.
Crafted to redefine accuracy, precision, and optical performance for long-range shooters, Leupold’s award-winning Mark 5HD is a testament to domestic manufacturing. It’s proudly designed, machined, and assembled in the company’s Beaverton, Oregon factory, where Leupold employs over 650 hardworking Americans.
In designing the Mark 5HD line, Leupold’s product specialists asked elite shooters what they needed to put accurate fire downrange faster, and used that input to design a riflescope that provides all the tools necessary — in both quality and features — without the unnecessary extras that add weight and cost for consumers. Combining relentless optical performance, rugged reliability, and user-friendly features in a package that could only be produced by leveraging the 70-plus years of optics manufacturing Leupold possesses, the Mark 5HD has wowed end-users throughout the industry.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Pick up a Mark 5HD and you’ll feel the difference; it’s up to 20 ounces lighter than other scopes in its class. Get behind one and you’ll see the difference, from its superior edge-to-edge clarity to its extreme low-light performance. With three revolutions of elevation adjustment, the Mark 5HD was built to max out the performance of the latest long-range rifles and ammo.
The heart of the Mark 5HD is in its ZeroLock adjustments, which provide precise, repeatable tracking with a dead-on return to zero. The M5C3 elevation dial delivers over 30-mils of adjustment in three turns. Visual and tactile revolution indicators are in place to ensure you don’t get lost in the travel, and the auto-lock at zero eliminates the risk of accidentally moving the dial. The windage adjustment is capped and the zero indicator mark has been relocated on the riflescope’s main tube so you can see it without moving your head off the stock of the rifle.
In short, it’s the most dominant long-range, precision riflescope on the market. Best yet, it’s backed by Leupold’s legendary lifetime guarantee, which guarantees performance where other companies warranty failure.
For more information on Leupold Optics, please visit leupold.com.
Top-tier, battle-proven products, Radian Weapons turns out rifles and accessories in which you can trust your life.
At Radian Weapons, we think American gun companies should make or source their parts from right here in the USA. That’s why 100-percent of the firearms products we sell are manufactured in America, by Americans.
We machine the majority of our rifle and accessory components in Redmond, Oregon, using state of the art CNC equipment. At Radian, we’ve prioritized vertical integration of our manufacturing processes over product development to ensure that whenever we deliver goods to the consumer, it’s of the highest quality and reliability standards.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
The temptation in most industries is to rush new products to market. At Radian, we actively choose not to release “me too” products or rely on sourcing major components for new products from third party vendors. This helps protect our brand integrity, and hopefully gives consumers peace of mind when they purchase Radian products.
Our flagship products are the Model 1 rifle and related receiver sets, Talon ambidextrous safeties, and Raptor charging handles. Featured here:
MODEL 1 – 17.5-INCH 223 WYLDE
Clandestine Desert™ Cerakote Finish (Cerakoted by our finishing business, High Desert Coatings—www.highdesertcoatings.com)
RAPTOR CHARGING HANDLE FOR A15/M4
The original all-billet design with Cerakoted FDE handles.
TALON 45/90 AMBIDEXTROUS SAFETY
The screwless safety design ensures your levers won’t come loose and gives you two throw degree options to choose from. Finished with FDE Cerakote.
Buy with confidence, as all Radian products are backed with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects.
For more information on Radian Weapons, please visit radianweapons.com.
Best known for body armor, Blue Force Gear also offers the everyday carry essential Micro Trauma Kit.
The Micro Trauma Kit NOW!, or Micro TKN, is our smallest version of the Trauma Kit NOW! yet. It was designed to hold essential lifesaving gear with minimal size in mind. The Micro TKNTM is designed to be worn horizontally with minimal bulk—perfect for everyday carry, for law enforcement professionals, prepared citizens, or in low-profile mission sets. The inner carrier can be deployed with one hand or one finger from either the left or right side by pulling the BLIP featured pull tabs. The Micro TKN consists of two main components – the outer MOLLE or Belt mounted pouch utilizing the Ten-Speed® technology, and a removable insert that keeps medical supplies organized.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Supplies
Hemostatic dressing for wound packing/clotting (1 included)
4” Emergency Trauma Dressing (1 included)
9” Medical Grade Easy Tape (6 included)
Tourni-Kwik Compression Tourniquet (1 included)
Heavy Duty Medical Gloves (1 pair of Large sized gloves)
For more information on Blue Force Gear, please visit blueforcegear.com.
Unrelenting in design and execution, the new Berger Bullets Long Range Hybrid Target bullets are engineered for hair-splitting accuracy.
Berger’s new Long Range Hybrid Target bullets™ (LRHT) are 100% Made in the USA and feature a high Ballistic Coefficient (BC), jump-tolerant ogive profile that is Doppler verified with less than 1-percent BC variation.
Long-range target shooters and extreme accuracy enthusiasts endlessly seek a competitive advantage, using sophisticated ballistic solvers, custom drag models, complex optics, and twist-rate calculators, among others. All of these tools are rendered meaningless if the projectile exiting their favorite target, hunting, or Mil/LE tactical rifle is inconsistent and unpredictable. Using advanced proprietary manufacturing processes, Berger’s innovative Meplat Reduction Technology™ (MRT) applies controlled pressure along the nose of each LRHT bullet, producing a homogeneous and repeatable profile for the industry’s most consistent BCs. While a high BC is desirable, shot-to-shot BC consistency is most critical when engaging targets at 1,000 yards and beyond. When you absolutely need to maximize hit probability, never settle for a bullet other than Berger.
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
The story behind the construction of Berger Bullets is simple. We start with virgin copper and lead wire products with the tightest specifications. Then, we manufacture our own signature J4 Berger bullet jackets to unmatched tolerances of less than 0.0003 inches of total indicated runout. What does this mean? A better bullet begins with a concentric jacket! Lastly, we merge the materials into finished projectiles — all within the confines of our Mesa, Arizona manufacturing facility.
Berger Bullets are highly sought after by the leading shooters in the world’s most demanding competitive shooting disciplines, such as PRS, F-Class, Fullbore, long range, and ELR to name a few. New Long Range Hybrid Target bullets are available in .22 caliber, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .30 caliber offerings.
New for NRA Show is our line of LRHT Ammunition offerings in 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 300 Norma Magnum.
For more information on Berger Bullets, please visit bergerbullets.com.
Improving the safety, performance and comfort of soldiers and safety professionals, Oakley Standard Issue has become a trusted first line of defense.
For over 20 years, Oakley Standard Issue has manufactured all ballistic products at their factory in Foothill Ranch, California. Products are designed, materials are sourced, and products are tested right here in America.
The Oakley SI Ballistic M Frame Alpha is our latest flagship product. Alpha is an eco-system; the product contains a frame, goggle, and helo-gasket with a lens interchangeable between all three. No matter the mission, the user can configure the product to his or her needs. Range work, close quarters battle, mobility, and even freefall are many of the environments applicable. Oakley Prizm Technology within the lens brings high contrast and definition. Specifically, Prizm Shooting was developed with the Army Marksmanship Unit and gives greater clarity to targets in different light conditions.
Designed with extensive input from our military and first responder community, Alpha is now authorized for wear on the Special Operations Eyewear Program (SOEP). SOEP, regarded as the highest standard for protective eyewear, certifies that all components are made in the USA and offer the highest level of protection. Available in multiple lens and frame color configurations.
Oakley Standard Issue was formally established in 2000. Committed to serving our military and first responders, Oakley SI offers exclusive pricing for products for active-duty military, government, first responders, and veterans.
A passionate gun parts and accessories company, Overwatch Precision has the kit to make you pistol run like a top.
The OP TAC Trigger System is a patent-pending seven-piece upgrade for your Smith & Wesson MP 2.0 that reduces total travel and pre-travel by 50 percent. Engineered by us from the ground up, this kit provides the unmatched performance you have come to expect from all OP products.
Through state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, our trigger bar is held to industry-leading tolerances using a progressive die manufacturing process, a metal forming technique used in aerospace manufacturing that guarantees the most consistent performance and highest quality parts. This process, coupled with a space-age NP3 coating, provides the end user with the highest quality trigger bar ever offered.
TAC Trigger
Our proven TAC trigger is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with features immediately identifiable as Overwatch Precision’s intellectual property. The overall design has been the go-to for Glock pistols since we released it in 2016, and its overall shape and function have been refined to excel in this new platform. With pre-travel reduction and a flat face, this self-correcting contact point aids in a linear rearward pull and increases accuracy. The indexing lip helps the shooter consistently place their finger on the trigger in the exact same spot every time, helping muscle memory and overall consistency.
The Sear
At the heart of this system is our NP3 coated sear. With a proprietary sear angle and large radius, this sear allows for a light and consistent break that can be tuned to the shooter’s preference with the two trigger return springs provided.
The Plunger
This product has a proprietary radius that replaces the OEM chamfer and creates a measurable “hump” in the trigger pull. This Swiss CNC’d part, coupled with NP3, creates a smooth pull to the wall. The plunger spring provides constancy and safe operation of this part, as intended by S&W.
The Trigger Springs
We offer two different trigger return springs with this kit. Standing by our ethos of serious-use defensive weapon components, we include a 4.5-pound return spring for duty or carry use for a dependable, predictable break. With the growth of USPSA popularity and participation in and amongst firearm enthusiasts, we also offer a 3.2-pound spring. Please note, this spring is not suitable for carry.
North Carolina based G-Code produces solutions for ever gun and tactical carry situation under the sun.
At G-Code, we don’t have a flagship product; what we have is a flagship philosophy and an unyielding commitment to excellence in everything we do. We don’t see ourselves as a company of products — we’re far more than that. G-Code is a solutions company.
Our purpose has always been to solve problems for our customers. We do this with design and innovation, and although our efforts manifest in products, we never sit back and feel like “we have arrived.”
Be sure to enter our American Made giveaway, with great gear from great American companies. Click the tab at the bottom right of page to enter.
Likewise, execution in our workmanship is paramount in its importance to us and to our customers. Our fit, finish, and function must always be unquestionably second to none.
To this end, G-Code products have always been, and will always be, 100-percent American made using only U.S.-sourced raw materials and components. At G-Code, we count it our privilege to provide tactical carry solutions to the men and women who serve in our military, law enforcement, and the civilian concealed carry communities.
This is why when you buy G-Code, you buy American, you buy quality … because we simply will not sell anything else!
The bipod has long been a tool used by shooters to obtain a more steady firing position in the field or on the range. However, in its many years of use, the fundamental design and function of a lot of traditional “stiff” bipods have not changed all that much.
Swagger Bipods, a Nebraska-based manufacturer, has developed a couple of bipods that offer the shooter a ton of flexibility and functionality, all while remaining incredibly lightweight. Using what the company calls Crazy Legs Technology, these bipods afford the shooter a wide array of shooting positions. The flexible, hyper-extending Crazy Legs are shock-corded and are easily adjustable with a simple twist motion.
Gun Digest Editor in Chief Eric Conn had the opportunity to experiment with a Swagger bipod this winter while sighting in for an upcoming predator hunt and came away very impressed with the bipod’s flexibility and ease of use.
For more information on these great shooting aids, check out the video above, or visit the Swagger Bipods website.
Looking for a new iron or piece of kit to enhance the one you already own? Check out these 7 new bits of guns and gear to grow your firearms wish list.
Chiappa is giving a classic revolver a modern makeover with the 1873 Black Thunder. At its core, it’s still an M1873 Single Action Army, but it’s been given a bunch of practical upgrades to help bring it into the 21st century. Chambered for .44 Magnum and available with either a 5.5- or 7.5-inch barrel, the most notable modern features on the Black Thunder include its top-mounted Picatinny rail for optics, its fiber- optic front and rear iron sights and its oversized Hogue rubber grip to help tame recoil. Other changes include its tensioned steel inner barrel/aluminum outer sleeve barrel system and the geometry of its fluted cylinder, both designed to reduce weight. The trigger guard has been enlarged as well for easier use with gloves. MSRP: 5.5-inch $1,135 // 7.5-inch $1,155
Primary Arms PLx 1.5-12×36 Compact
If you need a scope with big capability in a small package, you need to check out Primary Arms’ new PLx 1.5-12×36 FFP RDB. Built with top-tier extra-low dispersion Japanese ED glass, the scope combines a 1.5-12 magnification range with Red Dot Bright diffractive reticle technology, allowing you to take effective shots across a wide spread of ranges. The 36mm objective lenses are multi-coated to reduce chromatic aberration, enhance light gathering in low-light conditions and improve the eye box at every magnification. The parallax can be adjusted from 10 yards to infinity, and it has 100 MOA of elevation adjustment and 50 MOA of windage adjustment. The new scope is available with either an ACSS Raptor 5.56 Yard G2 reticle or an ACSS Griffin MIL G2 reticle with a MIL-based grid for more precise shooting at higher magnification. MSRP: $2,000
Proof Research is calling their new PXT barrels “a new era of rifle barrel technology,” and it’s hard to disagree. PXT stands for Proof Exponential Twist, because unlike traditional barrels that use constant-twist rifling, PXT barrels feature a progressively changing twist profile that’s designed to reduce initial bullet stress, maintain rotational stability and meet the demands of modern, high-pressure rifle ammo. Proof says the new barrels will also increase barrel life, improve consistency and enhance performance. The new PXT barrels are being offered as bolt action blanks, AR barrels and select pre-fit offerings with more options on the way. You can also get a PXT barrel in a factory-built Proof Elevation FDX or MTR rifle in a variety of chambering options. MSRP: Bolt action blanks $1,200 // AR $1,350 // Pre-fit $1,350
Q Tall Boy
When it comes to a suppressor’s efficacy, bigger is better, and there’s no way around that. For most use cases, shooters prefer their cans to be small and lightweight, with only as much noise reduction as can be physically squeezed out of them. Other times, the only thing that matters is how quiet a can is. That’s what Q made the Tall Boy for. The Tall Boy is a .30-caliber can designed to maximally reduce noise, and it was specifically engineered with subsonic .300 Blackout in mind. Measuring 10.25 inches long with a weight of 19 ounces, the Tall Boy features extended internal architecture designed to slow, cool and manage gas extremely efficiently to achieve maximum sound suppression. It’s built tough with a solid-steel construction, and it uses a Cherry Bomb for its mounting solution. It’s also full-auto rated and has no barrel restrictions. MSRP: $950
The CZ 75 truly is a legendary pistol. One of the original Wonder Nines, it’s been shamelessly copied countless times and inspired just as many other handgun designs since its introduction in the 1970s. While it’s always been relatively easy to acquire the updated CZ 75B variant, the same can’t be said about the original model. Until now, that is, as CZ has brought back the first iteration of the pistol with the CZ 75 Legend. Now built on modern machinery, the Legend perfectly mimics the classic aesthetics of the original CZ 75, from its slide and frame geometry to its hammer, trigger guard and grips. Internally, the most notable difference is that the Legend lacks the firing pin block drop safety added to the B variants and beyond. The result? A superb, crisp DA/SA trigger straight from the factory. Besides those changes, it’s still the same all-steel, soft-shooting, high-capacity CZ 75 that you know and love. MSRP: $1,400
Ruger is offering a quick, easy and inexpensive way to upgrade your LCP MAX’s shootability with a new ReadyDot model. This micro-reflex sight uses a fiber-illuminated reticle, so no batteries are needed. While that helps keep things nice and simple, it also means that it won’t work in complete darkness. Everything’s a tradeoff when it comes to design, but for most daylight or indoor lighting conditions, the ReadyDot will definitely help you make better hits with a gun as small as the LCP MAX. One important sidenote is that this ReadyDot is not compatible with LCP MAX models that feature a loaded chamber indicator. MSRP: $130
Ruger LCP Max .380 Tritium Front ReadyDot Reflex Rear Sight Holste
Ideally, we’d all train with the same ammo that we carried in our defensive handguns, but that would be very expensive. The next best way to get a relatively similar recoil impulse between your training and defensive ammo is to use the same bullet weight, but defensive 9mm ammo is often 124-grain or heavier. Many of us train with the cheapest ammo we can buy, and in 9mm, that usually means 115-grain. Solution? Good 115-grain defensive ammo. And that’s exactly what Federal has brought to the table with its new 115-grain JHP addition to the Punch line. Despite being on the lighter side, it’s been designed to provide good expansion, good penetration through common barriers and balanced performance across different platforms. It has an advertised muzzle velocity of 1,180 fps and is made using high-quality brass and sealed primers for reliable feeding and ignition. MSRP: $25, per 20-round box
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program has just announced that it will be selling true military surplus M14 rifles to the public.
In a surprising but exciting twist, the Civilian Marksmanship Program has just announced that the organization has received special authorization to begin selling surplus military M14 rifles. Why is it surprising? Because the ATF has long held the position that any receiver that was once a machine gun is always a machine gun. Because original military M14s were built as select-fire rifles, most people never expected that they’d be able to be legally sold on the civilian market. Seemingly, at least for this specific case of surplus M14s, the ATF has made an exception. Whether that decision will have downstream effects on other surplus firearms is yet to be seen.
According to the CMP, the surplus M14s will be “modified to be permanently and irreversibly semi-automatic rifles. The modified semi-automatic M14s will be fully compliant with CMP enabling legislation authorizing the transfer and sale of military surplus .30 caliber rifles.”
The CMP says that it will begin fulfilling surplus M14 orders sometime between late 2026 and early 2027. No prices have been announced yet, but the word around the campfire is that they could be anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000. That’s steep. Hopefully the rumors are wrong and there will at least be some lower-grade options available at more reasonable prices. Either way, serious military collectors will definitely be grabbing these up as soon as they can, and it’s very cool to see happen whether you can afford one yourself or not. For those of us who can’t, I guess we’ll have to stick with the commercial reproductions.
Federal just gave Creedmoor its man card with 6.5 Creedmoor +PEAK. Here’s what you should know about it.
In June of this year, Federal introduced one of the most significant advancements we’ve seen in metallic cartridges since maybe … well, forever. Their new +PEAK loads for the 6.5 Creedmoor have given that cartridge somewhere between a 250- to 300-fps velocity boost. Granted, we’ve seen what are commonly called “+P, Superformance, or Lite Magnum” ammunition advancements before, and all those loads offered a slight velocity advantage by virtue of the use of more or different powders.
However, +PEAK ammo not only provides a velocity advantage, but it also allows for a pressure increase. In truth, this ammo tech might forever change the way we look at ammunition.
If you’ve seen this ammo, you’ve probably seen a lot of discussion about it on social media, and it’s almost certain a lot of what you have seen has not been factual. Some like to speculate without facts, and others just don’t know what they’re talking about.
So, here are the facts and what you really need to know about Federal’s new +PEAK ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor.
1: What advantage does the new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition offer?
Simply put: more velocity. If you have been hunting or shooting with a 6.5 Creedmoor, you’re probably familiar with its capabilities, but let’s look at some numbers.
The standard 130-grain Terminal Ascent load from Federal for the 6.5 Creedmoor has an advertised muzzle velocity of 2,800 fps. I tested it out of a 24-inch barreled rifle and the load averaged 2,841 fps. I tested the new +PEAK 130-grain Terminal Ascent load from the same rifle, and it had an average velocity of 3,108 fps. That’s a velocity increase of 267 fps, or 9.3 percent.
The new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor 130- and 150-grain ammo can duplicate the performance of the 130-grain 270 Winchester and 150-grain 30-06 Springfield.
Now, let’s look at how that velocity increase assists you.
If your rifle is zeroed at 100 yards, the bullet will drop 11.85 inches at 300 yards if you’re using the standard load. With the +PEAK load, it will only drop 9.24 inches or 2.61 inches less. At that same distance, the +PEAK load will also drift about a half-inch less in a 90-degree, 10-mph crosswind, and it will retain 39 percent more energy.
But, for hunters, there is another consideration. Let’s assume the bullet you’re shooting needs to impact at a velocity of 2,000 fps or faster to deform/expand as designed. With the +PEAK load, you extend that range by about 150 yards. This means your bullet will be terminally effective about 28 percent farther down range.
2: How does it work?
The 6.5 Creedmoor +PEAK ammo works just like the 7mm Backcountry rifle cartridge. It uses the new PEAK alloy case instead of brass. The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s Institute (SAAMI) limits the maximum average pressure of 6.5 Creedmoor factory ammunition to 62,000 psi. They feel that’s the safe pressure level for the brass cases and the rifles chambered for that cartridge. At the same time, proof loads for the 6.5 Creedmoor exceed 80,000 psi. With the PEAK alloy cases, 80,000 psi is considered a safe pressure level.
But there’s more to the story.
Federal meets this higher pressure threshold by also using faster-burning powders. The faster-burning powders work better in shorter barrels, and this makes the new +PEAK ammo more compatible with rifles that are more suppressor friendly because of their shorter barrels.
For example, the same 130-grain Terminal Ascent load referenced above was also tested from an 18-inch barreled Wilson Combat NULA rifle, and it had an average velocity of 2,721 fps. But the +PEAK 130-grain Terminal Ascent load squirted out of the same barrel at 2,963 fps, which is faster than the standard load’s velocity from a 24-inch barrel.
3: What 6.5 Creedmoor +PEAK loads will Federal be offering?
Federal is offering five new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor loads with bullets ranging in weight from 127 to 156 grains.
Federal has announced five new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor loads, and they should be on dealer’s shelves by the time you read this. These loads include the following:
127-grain Barnes LRX bullet at 3,100 fps
130-grain Federal Terminal Ascent bullet at 3,100 fps
153-grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing bullet at 2,900 fps
155-grain Tipped Fusion bullet at 2,900 fps
156-grain Berger Elite Hunter bullet at 2,900 fps.
4: Do I need a new rifle?
Out of a Wilson Combat NULA rifle with an 18-inch barrel, the new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor ammo averaged 2,963 fps—242-fps faster than the standard 130-grain Terminal Ascent load.
No. The new +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor loads from Federal are dimensionally identical to standard 6.5 Creedmoor loads. That means if you have a 6.5 Creedmoor, these new +PEAK loads will fit in your chamber. However, Federal cautions that you should consult your rifle’s manufacturer to make sure they support the use of +PEAK ammo in the rifle you have. I called several rifle manufacturers and asked that question and they all said yes, but you should verify on your own. Here are a couple of Federal’s warnings:
Consult your rifle manufacturer for recommendations on compatibility with high-pressure ammunition.
6.5 Creedmoor + Peak ammunition is not recommended for use in CVA Scout rifles.
Using any ammunition, including ammunition with Peak Alloy cases, in heavily lubed chambers may damage your rifle.
5: Are the PEAK Alloy cases reloadable?
There’s been a lot of crap talked on the Internet by folks who think these PEAK alloy cases are just regular old steel cases. They’re not, and they can be reloaded multiple times. It just requires some special tools, and you can expect to see these soon, along with the +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor cases for handloaders Federal says they will soon offer.
A factory 6.5 Creedmoor load pushing a 130-grain bullet beyond 3,100 fps out of a 24-inch barrel is better performance than you get with factory .270 Winchester ammo.
But from a practical standpoint, I see little reason for most 6.5 Creedmoor owners to worry about reloading these cases too much. With the factory ammo options, you have five +PEAK loads to choose from. If it were me, when I wanted the advantages the +PEAK ammo offered, I’d buy factory ammo and then use factory or handloaded standard pressure loads for everything else. For many applications, standard 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is quite capable.
6: What are the drawbacks?
When it comes to ballistics, there is always a tradeoff. More velocity and muzzle energy equals more recoil, and more pressure equates to faster throat erosion. Essentially, the +PEAK 130 grain loads duplicate or slightly exceed factory .270 Winchester loads. They do recoil more than standard 6.5 Creedmoor loads, but it’s hardly noticeable. This might seem impossible, but because the +PEAK ammo uses less gun powder, there is less ejecta when the cartridge is fired, and they will actually recoil less than .270 Winchester loads using the same bullet weight at the same velocity.
The new 130-grain Terminal Ascent +PEAK 6.5 Creedmoor load from Federal was tested in rifles with 16-, 18- and 24-inch barrels.
As for throat erosion, Federal says the new +PEAK 6.54 Creedmoor loads are “comparable” to standard 6.5 Creedmoor loads, but “comparable” does not mean the same. It is almost a given that more pressure will equate to faster throat erosion, but it would still take more than 1,000 rounds to start wearing your barrel out. And, too, few shooters would have the need to shoot +PEAK ammo all the time. There are lots of applications where standard 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is more than sufficient, especially when practicing.
7: The most important thing is …
I think the best way to look at Federal’s new +PEAK ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor is the same way you look at a .357 Magnum revolver. A .357 Magnum revolver will also chamber and fire .38 Special ammunition, which of course is less powerful. For most shooters, a lot of the revolver shooting they will do with a .357 Magnum revolver can be very effectively done with .38 Special ammunition. This includes training, practice and, even in some instances, carry for personal protection.
However, there can be instances where a shooter might want and feel they need the added performance they can get from .357 Magnum ammunition.
The same is true with the 6.5 Creedmoor. If you’re doing some long-range shooting for recreation or even competition, there are a lot of great standard-pressure 6.5 Creedmoor loads that will work very well. You might even have a favorite handload you use for long-range shooting.
The +PEAK ammo that was evaluated was pre-production samples but still shot near MOA from an incredibly light 4.8-pound Wilson Combat NULA rifle with an 18-inch barrel.
At the same time, there might be a long-range situation where one of the new +PEAK loads would give you a substantial advantage—like possibly with the 2,900-fps 156-grain Berger bullet that has a 0.679 ballistic coefficient.
The same is true for hunters. For most of the deer hunters in North America, standard 6.5 Creedmoor ammunition is more than sufficient. However, if you need extra reach or want extra assurance when using your 6.5 Creedmoor on larger game, there are more powerful +PEAK options you can use.
Clearly, if all you’re interested in is a cartridge with more power than the 6.5 Creedmoor, you should buy one, and there are several great cartridges like that to choose from.
Yes, Federal has substantially increased the ballistic performance of the 6.5 Creedmoor, but I think more importantly what they have done is increase the versatility of the cartridge. Now you can do things with the 6.5 Creedmoor that are ballistically very similar to what you can do with a 130-grain .270 Winchester or a 150-grain 30-06 Springfield.
If you already have a 6.5 Creedmoor, it just got better, and if you are thinking of buying a new centerfire rifle, the 6.5 Creedmoor just becomes more appealing.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
What are the odds that you’ll ever need to use a gun for self-defense? Here we break down the data.
A few months ago, John Correia of Active Self Protection was confronted by a burglar in his own home. The man fled, no shot was fired, and Correia walked away thinking about a question many armed citizens eventually ask. Realistically, what are the odds I will ever need my gun? In a video on his channel, he ran the numbers from two major firearms surveys and arrived at a startlingly large lifetime probability. This article borrows his framework and pushes further into the underlying data.
The starting point is the 2021 National Firearms Survey, conducted by Georgetown professor William English. English polled more than 54,000 Americans, identified nearly 16,700 gun owners, and asked them in detail about defensive gun use. His headline estimate was that civilians use firearms defensively about 1.67 million times a year, and in 81.9 percent of those incidents no shot is fired, since the mere presence or display of the firearm is enough to end the threat. Handguns account for two-thirds of defensive uses, and the large majority happen on the owner’s own property rather than in public. A quarter occur inside the home itself, and more than half take place elsewhere on the property. Just over half of all defensive incidents, English found, involved more than one assailant.
Compare that to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, the federal government’s primary measure of crime. For 2021, BJS estimated 326,890 violent victimizations in which the offender possessed, displayed or used a firearm, about 7 percent of all violent victimizations that year, with nearly three-quarters reported to police. Set the two figures side by side and defensive gun uses outnumber criminal firearm victimizations by more than five to one.
That comparison alone is provocative, but the more interesting exercise is converting it into personal odds. English’s survey found that 31.9 percent of U.S. adults personally own a firearm, a figure that lines up closely with Gallup’s most recent polling, which showed 30 percent personal ownership and 42 percent household ownership in late 2025, numbers that have stayed within a fairly narrow band for the better part of two decades. Apply roughly 32 percent personal ownership and 40 percent household ownership to a U.S. adult population of about 268 million, and the result is something like 86 million personal owners and 107 million adults living in a gun-owning household.
Small Numbers Add Up
Divide English’s 1.67 million annual defensive gun uses across those populations and the annual odds look modest, about 1.9 percent for a personal owner and about 1.6 percent for someone in a gun-owning household. Small annual numbers compound, though. Assume a 60-year span of ownership, from age 20 to 80, and treat the annual risk as constant. Run that through the standard formula for cumulative probability, and the personal-owner figure becomes a roughly 70 percent lifetime chance of a defensive gun use. For gun households, it works out to about 61 percent. Restrict the calculation to incidents where a shot is actually fired, which English puts at roughly 300,000 a year, and the lifetime odds fall into the high teens, about 19 percent for personal owners and about 15 percent for gun households. Either way, the arithmetic says a defensive gun use, broadly defined, is more likely than not to touch a lifelong owner’s household at some point.
None of this is uncontested. English’s survey drew serious scrutiny in a 2024 critique from a group of Harvard and Duke researchers led by Deborah Azrael, who challenged his methodology on several fronts, including how the survey defined “assault weapon” ownership and an odd age distribution among reported defensive gun users. Firearms researcher David Kopel refereed that exchange for the Volokh Conspiracy in 2025, and after working through both sides point by point, concluded that English’s defensive-gun-use estimate “is credible, if one believes that DGUs can be measured at all,” a fair summary of where the broader research landscape sits.
The 1.67 million figure also falls comfortably within the range established by earlier work from criminologists Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz, which estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million annual defensive gun uses back in 1995, when violent crime rates were considerably higher than today’s. The NCVS, by contrast, was never designed to measure defensive gun use directly. It only captures the behavior when someone who has already identified as a crime victim volunteers it in an open-ended follow-up question, which is the chief reason it produces such a different number than purpose-built surveys do.
Both Sides of the Coin
A complete accounting of firearm risk must include the other side of the ledger: suicide. According to the CDC, as compiled by Pew Research Center, 44,447 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2024, the fifth-highest annual total on record. Sixty-two percent of those deaths, 27,593, were suicides, a near-record rate, while 35 percent, 15,364, were homicides, down 27 percent from the pandemic-era peak in 2021.
Measured against the same gun-household population used above, the annual probability of a firearm suicide works out to roughly 0.026 percent, meaning the annual odds of a defensive gun use in that same household run on the order of 60 times higher than the odds of a completed firearm suicide. That ratio does not make any individual suicide less tragic, and it does not substitute for responsible gun ownership: secure storage, removing firearm access for anyone showing warning signs, and treating “no unauthorized access” as a non-negotiable rule of ownership. But it does put the relative scale of the two risks into perspective.
None of this is offered as a test of whether the right to keep and bear arms depends on probability. It does not. The Second Amendment does not condition an individual’s right to self-defense on a government survey or an actuarial table showing the need is “likely enough.” Rights are not privileges granted by the state or validated by social-science data. They are recognized as already existing. The figures above answer a narrower, practical question. How often does real-world experience show a firearm actually gets called on in defense, and how does that compare with the other risks of ownership? Readers remain free to weigh that calculus, or set it aside entirely, when deciding what role armed self-defense plays in their own life. The right itself rests on separate grounds.
Whether to own a firearm at all is a separate question from the ones examined here, and the figures above don’t answer it. That calculation depends on training, discipline, household composition, and individual risk tolerance, not a probability table, and it sits alongside other reasons people own guns, from hunting and competition to simple recreation. What the data does support is Correia’s underlying point. Framed across a lifetime rather than a single year, the likelihood that a trained, responsible gun owner will eventually need that firearm for defense is not a fringe scenario. It is closer to a coin flip than a longshot.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Palmetto State Armory has just launched the PSA 570 series, a modular, pump-action, 12-gauge shotgun system.
After teasing it for the past couple of SHOT Shows, Palmetto State Armory has just launched the PSA 570. This 12-gauge shotgun system takes inspiration from both the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500 and combines it with plenty of PSA’s original ideas. The PSA 570 was designed to be a modular system, and previous information about the concept included the ability to convert the shotguns to semi-auto, but we haven’t heard anything new about that yet. At least for this initial launch, the 570 is just a pump-action, but PSA says that more components and configurations will be released in the future, so keep an eye out for further developments.
The initial PSA 570 launch features four models. Two come sporting PSA’s own furniture, and two come wearing Magpul MOE furniture, with each type available in either black or FDE. The furniture is also 870-pattern, so you can replace it with any aftermarket option that you want. Besides the furniture, the rest of these initial 570 models are the same. They’re 12-gauge, compatible with 3-inch shells, have 7-round magazine tubes and 18.5-inch barrels (fixed cylinder chokes). Central to the shotguns’ modularity is their unique free-float hanger system. It can be moved anywhere independently of the barrel or magazine tube, and the tube locks into the receiver at the rear. That will make it very easy to change barrel and mag tube lengths at home. The hanger also features QD sling cups on both sides and a Glock-style front sight that can presumably be swapped for any compatible aftermarket option.
Other features of the PSA 570 include its rear tang safety and its factory milled optics-ready receiver (RMR footprint). As for the furniture options, both the PSA and Magpul forends feature M-LOK slots for accessories, and both stocks have a spacer system for adjusting length of pull. However, PSA’s buttstock comes with integrated QD sling cups on each side, while Magpul’s requires additional hardware to install a QD sling.
All in all, the PSA 570 seems like a cool concept with a lot of potential. While these initial launch models are pretty basic, if PSA starts releasing other variants like SBS models and individual components for builders to use, things could get a lot more interesting. MSRP for the PSA furniture models is $450, and MSRP for the Magpul furniture models is $550.
If you could go back and duel Wild Bill Hickock, are your handgun skills good enough that you would walk away alive?
Legend has it that Wild Bill Hickock was a “very good” pistol shot, but what does that mean, exactly? I don’t think we will ever know, but legend also tells us that during a gunfight with Davis Tutt in Springfield, Missouri, in 1865, Wild Bill shot Tutt through the heart at 75 yards with either a 0.36-caliber Navy Colt or a 0.44-caliber Colt’s Dragoon. The gun he used is not that important, but most anyone would agree hitting a target smaller than a soft ball at that distance with a cap and ball revolver would require some fine marksmanship. Of course, we have no idea what Wild Bill was aiming at (maybe he was aiming at Tutt’s head?).
We of course lack evidence—provenanced evidence—but we do have a story from the October 1937 issue of the American Mercury magazine. The following quote is from the article, “The Myth of the Two-Gun Man,” written by Charles B. Roth:
“The best Marksman of the Old West was a mild little soldier you have probably never met in your readings for the good reason he doesn’t appear there. He was too busy with his job to talk to newspaper correspondents. But the annals of Nebraska history write him large. Major Frank North was his name, and he was commanding officer of the Pawnee Scouts, a body of Indian soldiers that served during the Indian campaigns. His brother, Luther North, was associated with him. Often I have queried Luther North about frontier marksmanship.”
“Did you ever see Wild Bill Hickock shoot?”
“Many times.”
“Was he pretty good?”
“Yes. But Frank [Frank North] was better. Even Bill said so.”
“Just how well could they shoot?”
“About as well as anyone, with the guns they had. They both could live up to the test of good marksmanship. Frank better than Bill. You put an envelope 10 paces away, and if you could keep all six shots in the envelope you were counted good. One of the shots had to be in the stamp, which was pasted on the back of the envelope in the center.”
“How big were the envelopes?”
“Five inches square. And the stamp an inch square.”
This Old West Challenge is still a great drill for precision practice with your strong hand only.
The article goes on to say that Luther never witnessed Frank fail to out-shoot Hickock, who always took the losses good-naturedly. But according to Luther, Wild Bill once said, “Frank, you can sure beat me when it comes to shootin’ at these little black dots, but I can beat you when it comes to hitting men.” The author goes on to theorize that it was nerve more than marksmanship that kept men like Hickock, Jesse James and Bat Masterson alive.
Measuring Handgun Marksmanship
The reason I share this article is that the practice of shooting a 5-inch square with a 1-inch hidden square on the middle of the backside of the target has evolved into what is known as the Old West’s Shootist’s Challenge. You place that target at 25 feet and shoot with your strong hand only with no time limit. The goal is to get all six shots inside the 5-inch square, and one must hit the 1-inch square—stamp—on the back side.
The Old West Challenge is intended to be shot strong-hand only, the same way a lot of the shooting back in the day was done.
This is not a terribly difficult test, and it’s a drill I do on occasion to make me focus on accuracy more than speed. After all, you cannot miss fast enough to win a gunfight. I emailed the challenge to another Bill—Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat—and less than 30 minutes later he sent me back a photo of his target shot with one of his 4-inch 1911 compact pistols. All six shots were in the 5-inch square—envelope—and four hit the 1-inch square. Of course, Hickock never saw a Wilson Combat 1911, and Wilson is a fantastic pistol shot. A little humbled, I didn’t bother to send Wilson a photo of the target I shot with my Single Action Army revolver with all five shots in the square but only one in the stamp.
In another blast from the past, I have in my archives a photograph of a playing card shot in 1894 by William G. Baldwin, who was the founder of the Baldwin Felts Detective Agency. It shows 10 hits from 52 feet—17.3 yards—with a S&W revolver, and the note says, “When I was a shootist.”
The playing card challenge at 17 yards—shooting both hands—is a great precision practice drill. Shooting with the strong hand only, it’s a supreme test of marksmanship.
Baldwin survived multiple gunfights during his career, put numerous bad guys in the ground, and died of old age in 1936. However, we have no way of knowing the conditions in which he fired those 10 shots. At that time, shooting with the strong hand only was common practice, but did Baldwin use one hand or two?
Either way, it was good shooting; try it.
We will never know the factual truth regarding the marksmanship abilities of those legendary gunfighters, but maybe the most poignant evidence of their skill is that they survived the gunfights they were in. Well, mostly. Wild Bill was playing poker in Deadwood on August 2, 1876, when Jack McCall shot him in the back of the head with a Colt Single Action Army chambered in .45 Long Colt. I suppose McCall lacked the courage, or, just as likely, he had enough sense not to face Wild Bill and try to kill him. Regardless, situational awareness might be as much if not more important than marksmanship skill. I imagine if we could dig him up from his South Dakota grave and ask him, Wild Bill would probably agree.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Smith & Wesson has just expanded its M&P15 line with the .300 BLK AXE pistol and SBR.
Suppressed, short-barrel AR-15s and .300 Blackout are a match made in heaven, and that’s exactly what Smith & Wesson is offering with its new M&P15 AXE models. They’re available as either a factory SBR or as a braced pistol, but both versions feature 8-inch barrels and are optimized for use with suppressors.
That suppressor optimization is thanks to the built-in Gemtech GVAC technology. It adds an expansion chamber that allows excess gas to vent forward out of the muzzle, significantly reducing the gas blowback your face will receive while shooting with a can. Other features of the M&P15 AXE .300 BLK firearms include 7-inch Midwest Industries Combat M-LOK free-floated handguards, enhanced bolt carrier groups, Radian Raptor ambidextrous charging handles, ambidextrous controls, and M&P pistol grips. The pistol version comes equipped with a Magpul BTR arm brace, and the SBR version comes with a Magpul CTR adjustable stock and Williams folding adjustable sights. As for barrels, both feature 8-inch 5R-rifled barrels with a 1:7.5-inch twist rate and 5/8×24 threaded muzzles.
The Smith & Wesson M&P15 .300 BLK AXE pistol has an MSRP of $1,480 and the SBR version has an MSRP of $1,500, and both ship with a 30-round magazine.
The Midwest Industries Combat Rail will free-float your AR’s barrel and give you plenty of M-LOK space for accessories.
Long ago, we discovered that barrels shoot best when nothing is touching them. That took some work on the AR-15, but now we have many options, and one excellent one is the Midwest Industries Combat Rail.
This rail is an extruded tube of 6061 aluminum that has been extensively machined to provide you with all the things you want.
M-LOK slots? Check—and plenty of them.
Top rail aligned with the flat-top of your receiver? You bet.
Extra holes for cooling and to lighten the load? Of course.
Easy to install? Really, you have to ask? Of course it is; it’s from Midwest Industries. It even comes with the wrench you need to tighten the barrel nut.
The rear of the handguard has anti-tilt tabs built-in, so you don’t have to worry about banging your rifle on a barrier and finding the handguard tilted and your sights no longer aligned. The tabs are made to fit up correctly to a forged upper. Those of you with a billet upper will have to ask the upper maker if their upper will play well with the MI Combat Rail.
And, as an extra, the top sides of the handguard have a QD sling swivel socket, one on each side. This is a steel-lined socket, so if you favor attaching a sling there you will be happy as all get out. And it will be a solid lockup.
As mentioned above, the Combat Rail comes with its own barrel nut and wrench to tighten it. The barrel nut is its own design, not a USGI one, and it is made out of 4140 steel. The clamping screws to hold the handguard on the barrel nut go crossways through a bottom rib of the handguard and nestle through grooves in the barrel nut, so there’s no way the handguard can move—not front to back, not rotate, not up and down.
You can have it in one of three lengths: 9.25, 10.5 and 13.5 inches.
Even the best product is going to have some shortfall or overlook something someone wants. The anti-rotation tabs not working with all uppers is simply a matter of billet not being forged and differently shaped.
The other shortcoming to some will be that the Combat Rail does not work with piston systems. This isn’t because Midwest can’t make a handguard that fits piston systems. The problem is the upper receiver. The top rail on a piston-ready Combat Rail would have to be higher to clear the piston. There is no common standard for such a rail height, and until someone sets it, any piston-ready handguard is a one-off, proprietary handguard.
Midwest makes gear for those of us who are not looking to be “special,” so the Combat Rail will fit up properly to any proper forged upper receiver, free-float any not-idiotic barrel and give you years of service even under hard use. As with most things in life, function is more important than fancy here.
And with seven of the eight sides of the handguard holding M-LOK slots, if you can’t find a place to locate all the gear you want bolted onto your rail, perhaps you are asking for too much gear?
It does all this while still being trim in your hands, not like the quad-rails of the past.
The price? From $260 to $275, depending on length.
How Larry Kelly and Mag-na-port revolutionized recoil reduction and changed the handgun industry forever.
There will never be another Larry Kelly. His life was truly an example of the rags-to-riches American Dream fairytale, proving that you can succeed with a sharp mind. While necessity is the mother of all invention, you need an innovative idea to follow-up on. Larry’s business success allowed him to hunt around the world. With improvements in transportation, his keen abilities to make friends wherever he hunted and generous bag limits of the day, no one will ever be able to duplicate the number of trophy animals he killed with a handgun.
Larry was constantly invited back to various hunting camps and to game depredation operations by heads of African game control. To say Larry lived a charmed life would be an understatement in the largest sense, because before his successes, he lived a meager life, barely getting by.
Humble Beginnings
Larry loved to hunt. He spent as much time in the Michigan woods as humanly possible as a kid. His hunting obsession grew to include trapping and firearms. So much so, he dropped out of school in the eighth grade to pursue his life’s calling. As time passed, he worked any odd jobs he could find, including guiding hunters. Along the way, he met his wife, Barbara, and before you know it, they had three children. The family lived in a cinder block A-frame garage Larry built on an acre of property he owned. The garage was without running water or heat, making it cold, damp and wet for much of Michigan’s long, tough, cold winter. Barbara and the kids were sick much of the time from exposure to the elements.
Shades of success. A young Larry Kelly has a car and some fancy duds. Things are looking up.
A few years later, Larry had the opportunity to improve his meager living when guiding a recently transferred businessman from the New England area. The man wanted a local guide to take him rabbit hunting. Larry’s name kept popping up. The hunt was a huge success, and Larry impressed the businessman with his work ethic, friendly demeanor and hunting skills. When asked what he did for a living, Larry told him pretty much what they did today, as well as any odd jobs he could find.
Larry explained he didn’t have the education or training to really do anything else. The businessman offered Larry a job at his plant, where he’d eventually be trained as a machinist, and later, in Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). This was probably the most significant break Larry ever received.
Spark of Genius
In its simplest form, EDM is defined as electrical spark erosion, where interrupted supercharged electrical pulses are directed from a piece of carbon graphite, which has been machined to the desired shape, to make a hole or indentation, and through basic machining skills, is stopped at the proper depth or until it goes entirely through the given object. The process doesn’t disturb the metal’s finish up to the edge of the hole, nor does it leave burrs. It’s a more precise process than regular machining.
Larry’s skills continued to improve, and he eventually worked on rocket-fuel control-valve technology for the Redstone missile and the Apollo Space Program. He eventually realized that EDM technology might work on gun barrels, creating “ports” that could redirect the muzzle blast, reducing felt recoil and muzzle flip. He started experimenting.
You can’t say Mag-na-port isn’t rocket science, because that’s where the very idea of barrel porting stemmed from. The first gun Larry ever ported was a Ruger Blackhawk .44 Magnum that he bought for $89. He didn’t know what to expect when test-firing it, wondering if the barrel would break in two or blow up. But he would have nothing to worry about. The experiment was a huge success, and he began porting barrels part-time.
Larry Kelly’s Ruger flattop Blackhawk .44 Magnum, the first gun to ever be Mag-na-ported. In front are some fuel valves from the Redstone missile and the Apollo Space Program.
As business picked up, he eventually ported barrels full-time in 1971. Mag-na-port International was up and running and continued to grow not only by reducing recoil on handgun, rifle and shotgun barrels, but also by building custom guns that highlighted its porting, as well as limited-run guns for Mag-na-port collectors.
Mag-na-port International headquarters in Mount Clemens, Michigan.
It Works!
Mag-na-port has been tested many times since its inception. In fact, H.P. White Laboratories’ findings confirmed a reduction of 20.8 percent in measured free recoil. Shooters say it feels more like 40 percent. Basically, the more gases there are to vent out, the more those same gases work with the ports to reduce recoil and muzzle flip.
Larry Kelly with an African cape buffalo taken with a Freedom Arms 454 Casull.
Now remember, Larry’s life obsession was hunting. What better way to market his Mag-na-port recoil reduction porting and custom guns than by hunting worldwide with them? And that’s precisely what he did. He spent months in Africa hunting big game. In fact, he was in Africa so often that the local game control officials invited him on cull hunts to help with the work. Obviously, Larry was happy to help as he continued testing his guns with different bullets and factory ammunition. He was a big fan of Ruger, Freedom Arms and Thompson Center firearms, and of his best friend JD Jones’s business, SSK Industries, which produced custom barrels and cartridges. Larry was particularly a fan of the .375 and 6.5 JDJ cartridges.
His African trips allowed him to take cape buffalo, elephants, lions, kudus, hippopotamuses, crocodiles and several species of plains game, all with a handgun. Besides Africa, Larry hunted in Alaska and the Rocky Mountains, taking grizzly bears, mountain sheep and lions, as well as whitetail and mule deer. Larry hunted hard, and often, always using his Mag-na-ported custom handguns. As his hunting pictures appeared in magazine ads and articles, everyone wanted to be like Larry. His hunting accomplishments were the best advertisement for his growing business.
Larry Kelly and his Mag-na-port Ruger Super Blackhawk Stalker made short work of this caribou.
Telling Tidbits
During his younger years, while living in the garage with his wife and three children, Larry saved enough money to buy a car. On his way to the dealership, he ran into a friend who had two guns for sale. Larry bought the guns with the car money, at a bargain price, but Barbara was less than impressed. She made Larry sell one of the guns so they could buy the car. Larry ended up with the gun he really wanted, though.
Alaskan Ailments?
With his worldwide hunting trips, Larry was constantly exposed to many different local diseases. This is evident from one of his stories: “Closing the tent door with worrisome care, I reached for a bottle of medication, chuckling under my breath that I had to be the only guy in Alaska taking anti-malaria pills.” Larry had spent July and half of August in Zimbabwe, East Africa, and returned home for a quick change of clothes before heading to Alaska for Dall’s ram and caribou.
“Since you start your anti-malarial medicine two weeks before entering an infected area, you must keep taking the pills for six weeks, for possible exposure. Here I was in the frigid Arctic, still munching my weekly pill.”
Stent Stalk
On another hunt, Larry was stalking a critter and started popping nitroglycerin pills. His young guide worriedly said, “Hey, I know what those are, my grandma takes those!”
“Don’t worry, kid, I only took four so far,” Larry responded. When I get up to six, you can start worrying.” Larry took a beautiful antelope on the hunt and was fine. He had over a dozen stents in his heart at the time.
Unruly Bear
One of Larry’s biggest adventures occurred while hunting caribou in Alaska. Poor weather forced him and his guide to hole up in an abandoned cabin. Larry went outside to relieve himself. I’ll let him tell the tale in his own words. “As the bear neared our shack, he ran up the embankment right at us. I pulled my M-29 44 Magnum out of my cross-draw holster. Bob readied his .375 H&H rifle. Both of us were screaming at the bear as Bob shot over his head.
“At the shot, the brown bear then came full-bore right at us. Bob fired a second shot in the sand in front of him as we backed into the shack. He kept telling me not to shoot. We backed into the shack, and when the bear was in the doorway, head and shoulders inside the shack, I shot.
“Bob was having trouble with his gun and had backed up into the table, knocking everything over. I had backed into the stove, knocking it over. I pointed the .44 at the bear’s chest from 3 feet away and fired. I expected the mighty .44 to blow the bear right out of the doorway, or at least to do a little more than get his attention. He only turned his head and looked directly at me as if the muzzle blast had bothered him.
“Bob fired, then I fired again. The bear turned, and I fired two more shots in his shoulder. Bob fired at his shoulder again. I put my last two in his rear as he turned around and started running. Bob stepped out of the door and fired as the bear went bellowing down the beach. My Model 29 was empty, and so was Bob’s .375 H&H. I ran to my cot and quickly grabbed my T/C .375 JDJ and fired my last shot into the bear. He went down.
“Bob reloaded his rifle, and I reloaded both handguns. We approached the bear cautiously to make sure that he was dead, then ran back to the shack to get out of the wind and rain. I have heard many stories about similar problems with bears but have never experienced any until this time.”
A brown bear taken with Kelly’s Stalker.
Never Give Up
During his last few years, Ken, his son, had a trailer built for his dad. It had windows and a shooting bench. They would tow Larry to a good spot and leave him to hunt, as he would stay out all day in the comfort of the trailer. Larry hunted up until a few weeks before he died.
Family Affair
When asking Ken when he and his sisters, Doreen and Donna, took over the family business, Ken chuckles and says, “Heck, we were running things since the early ’80s when dad was out hunting around the world.” The close-knit siblings gradually took over the business, with dad periodically checking in and making himself available when needed. No matter where Larry hunted, he always sent notes or made phone calls to his family whenever possible.
The sincere warmth of this family-run business is evident and a great tribute to the way Larry raised his family. Family members of the canine variety roam freely during the shop’s daily operations. Doreen and Donna run the front end with friendly smiles and warm demeanors while Ken rolls up his sleeves and takes care of all the shop work. Ken has worked in the shop since age 12, Doreen since age 15. They basically grew up in the shop and take pride in their business.
Ken explains that, in addition to custom work on personal guns, Mag-na-port also performs extensive contract work for Smith & Wesson and Colt, and for several distributors of guns from Sig Sauer, Glock, Kahr, and other manufacturers too numerous to name. Walking around the shop, on any given day, you’ll see rows and rows of factory guns waiting to be ported. Ken was voted Gunsmith of the Year in 1974 by the Pistolsmith Guild.
First Trip
My first trip to Mag-na-port International was indeed memorable. Traveling together with Doc Barranti, we arrived at the shop late in the morning. Walking inside, we were in total awe, seeing all of Larry’s trophies proudly displayed in the main lobby. There are hundreds, ranging from elephants, cape buffalo, kudu, wildebeest, leopards, elk, whitetails, bears, you name it, all taken by Larry with a handgun. There are also photographs, pictures, trophies and awards, as Mag-na-port is also home to the Handgunner Hall of Fame. Skeeter Skelton’s American Handgunner of the Year trophy is on display there.
The author sitting behind Larry Kelly’s desk, holding the “Stalker” that son Ken Kelly built for him.
The front lobby is one of the most impressive rooms I have seen. It’s loaded with history and is a who’s who of the handgunner world. Pictures of Elmer Keith, Skelton, Hal Swiggett, John Taffin and others adorn the walls. It’s a mecca for the most serious aficionado to the beginning handgunner.
Then, we headed into the shop for a tour. Oh, boy! There’s nothing better than hanging around another man’s shop, especially when it’s full of gun stuff. The atmosphere was laid back and warm. The aroma of EDM oil mixed with a hint of burnt metal, solvents, greases and hours-old coffee wafted through the air, as Ken’s poodle, the notorious Jesse James, scampered around, looking for treats and pats on the head.
Ken Kelly is always lurking in the background of the shop, running as many as five machines at once.
Ken’s shop is a “gun guy” dream come true, with overflowing bins, boxes, jars and various containers of old new-stock gun parts, reloading supplies, ammunition, magazines and other paraphernalia. Plus, there’s the “On-Deck” pile of factory guns awaiting their ministrations, along with a mountain of muzzle brakes Ken has machined, and Holly de-burrs.
While drinking coffee, we talk, joke and enjoy ourselves, as Ken takes the rare break from his day to visit with us. We know we’re fortunate to have Ken give us the full tour of both his and his dad’s “stuff.” There is no way of telling you how many memorable things the two Kelly men have accumulated over the years. It’s a treasure trove for gun gurus. We got to dig, dive and devour the history and making of both Ken and Larry’s cache.
The Builds
The first gun I ever had Ken customize for me was a 4-inch S&W Model 29-2. I wanted a Combat Mini conversion consisting of cutting and Mag-na-porting the barrel to 3 inches and round-butting the grip frame for easier, more comfortable concealment. It’s finished in a high-luster, deep blue that Mag-na-port is famous for. Ken knows his way around a double-action (DA) S&W, too. His DA work is the smoothest I ever felt, yet the hammer drops with enough authority to pop the hardest primers. Single-action mode is just as good. Ken also adds a double-ball detent locking system to the gun for tighter lock-up.
The second gun Ken customized for me was a tired 6.5-inch Ruger 3-screw Flattop in need of some sprucing up. Its barrel is ported the Mag-na-port way after being chopped to 4 inches, with a matching ejector rod housing. Its front sight received a See-More orange insert, milled into the original front sight blade for faster target acquisition and contrast, while the whole works got the “high-luster” bluing and the aluminum frame blackened.
I call the conversion “Skeeterito,” as I have a 7.5-inch Ruger FT “Skeeter” gun and a 5-inch FT I call “Little Skeet.” My Skelton clan is now complete by Ken’s handiwork.
Larry Kelly Tribute Gun
A few years back, Ken showed me the work he completed on a Guild Gun he did for auction. A Ruger Bisley Hunter was used, and I really liked what I saw, wanting the same treatment for my Tribute Gun to Larry. First, Ken turned the Hunter barrel down on the lathe until just a hint of rib remained, leaving a classic profile.
Keeping the barrel length to 7.5 inches preserved the nifty Ruger front-sight plunger system and the long sight radius. For sights, a white fiber-optic front sight with a flattop cage was used, maintaining a traditional sight picture with the square-notch rear-sight blade that Ken’s mom hand-painted 20 years ago.
Motor City, home of Cadillacs, chrome bumpers, and high polish, is integral to this culture. It’s only natural for the “Cadillac” of guns to display the same qualities. Highly polished stripes, pins, screws and components, partnered with jeweled trigger, hammer, and cylinder, stylishly accent the gun. Of course, the barrel is Mag-na-ported.
Ken machined his dad’s signature onto the barrel, giving the gun another extra-personal touch. The same polishing on the outside parts was applied to the innards, providing an ultra-smooth action/trigger job for which Ken is known. The trigger broke at a crisp, creep-free 2¾ pounds. The muzzle has an inverted crown, and the whole works was velvet-honed for a beautifully subdued finish.
The Stalker
I had Mag-na-port build me a Stalker, another Mag-na-port option, which starts as a .44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 10.5-inch barrel. The barrels are cut down to 8⅜ inches and ported to reduce felt recoil. They are then given an inverted crown job. Sling studs are added to the barrel and grip frame so that the Stalker can be conveniently carried with a sling. The cylinder chambers are numbered, so tuning and tracking each chamber’s performance is easier.
Ken had an old SSK T’SOB base lying around the shop and recycled it for my Stalker. A black Leupold 2x fixed-power scope was mounted using four Leupold rings. Yes, four! This provides both function and style in the Mag-na-port way. You can’t appreciate the inertia a magnum handgun produces on the scope until you shoot it. This scope isn’t going anywhere.
The hammer, trigger and basepin head were highly polished, along with accent stripes on the muzzle and cylinder. The rest of the gun was velvet-honed to a satin finish. Ken timed and tuned the gun to perfection, giving it a creep-free 2½-pound trigger break.
I had some handloads using 300-grain RFNHPGC (radiused flat-nose hollowpoint, gas-check) bullets loaded over 21.5 grains of H110, fired with CCI 350 large magnum pistol primers. Velocity ran over 1,200 fps, and the Stalker printed them into 1.5 inches at 50 yards with ease, shooting off a sandbag rest. Recoil and barrel flip were noticeably less with the Mag-na-port porting. Simply stated, it works.
The Tanker
Another gun I had built started as the original 5-inch GP100 Lipsey’s Exclusive with a half-lug barrel, which was cut down to 3 inches, leaving a nice, radiused curve from the muzzle to the tip of the ejector rod. Ken EDM’d a pocket for pinning a front-sight blade, in case I ever need to swap it for one with a different height. The blade has a red insert, which my eyes pick up quickly for fast target acquisition.
The rear-sight blade was changed to one with a narrower notch and a heavier, painted white outline, making sight alignment picture-perfect. Ken’s mom hand-painted the sight blades at home years ago while watching TV at night. What a Mag-na-port memory and honor to have one on my gun!
Ken outdoes himself with his EDM work. Carbon pieces are machined into shape for transfer to the metal surface. Electrical current machines the metal away in a burr-free process, not harming the finish up to the edgework. Ken machined three slots in the rib, giving my gun a Colt Python, King Custom look, as well as machining five diamonds into the trigger guard.
The hammer and trigger are highly polished and jeweled, and the hammer spur was trimmed back to improve concealment. The cylinder release, ejector rod, trigger pin, crane pin, and rear sight pin are highly polished and deep-blued for a tasteful contrast with the matte blue finish.
“Mag-Na-Port Custom” is EDM’d into the barrel, as well as the barrel being ported, providing reduced recoil and muzzle flip. Ken states they’re running 7 to 10 days for porting upon shipment, and same-day porting can be arranged by appointment.
Altamont’s “Baby Ropers” grips look perfect on the 5-inch Lipsey’s Exclusive, but the 3-inch Tanker screams for round-butting. Searching numerous sources was futile. I wondered, how hard could it be? The recess inside the grip frame leaves plenty of wood to trim away. A few pencil marks, a little cutting, filing and sanding were all it took. I think they came out pretty good.
The Mongoose
Buster gifted the gun to me years ago, but it had the bad habit of shooting over 2 inches to the left of the point of aim. It would make a perfect project gun, especially with one of Fermin Garza’s new dovetailed front sights. Ken lopped the 4⅝-inch barrel down to 3½ inches, just before the fixed blade sight. He then milled a dovetail for the Garza dovetail front sight. The blade is intentionally high so I can file it down until the point of impact coincides with the point of aim at 25 yards.
Ken removed the factory warning from the barrel and polished the whole works; the bluing gives it that deep, dark look sixgunners love. The trigger and hammer are given the Mag-na-port trademarked high-polish jeweling, providing just enough “bling” to tastefully accent it. Ken also trimmed the ejector rod housing and base-pin knob so that complete case extraction would be possible when working the ejector rod. He milled a small fingernail notch to make it easier to remove the base pin. Lastly, he tuned and timed the action, finishing the works with a creep-free trigger job, breaking right at 2.5 pounds.
Givers
Mag-na-port is very supportive of the Second Amendment. Ken has donated significant time, work and money to various projects with Friends of the NRA, Whitetails Unlimited, The Pistol Smith Guild and numerous other organizations, as well as to smaller local gun clubs. When you support Mag-na-port, you also support these organizations.
Larry was a pioneer in reducing firearm recoil, and his family continues the tradition, doing so in a way he would be proud of. Isn’t it amazing what can be accomplished when all someone wanted to do was hunt with a handgun? Imagine making your living by doing what you love. That’s just what Larry Kelly did as he hunted around the world, taking big game trophies with his custom-ported handguns. I was so excited taking in the whole atmosphere of the shop, showroom, and Handgunner Hall of Fame, all under one roof. And it gave me a newfound appreciation of Larry Kelly.
We take a deep dive into the .370 Sako Magnum, an excellent, hard-hitting big game cartridge from Finland.
The list of metric cartridges popular in America is short but sweet. Several, such as the 7×57 and 8×57 Mausers, plus the new and justifiably popular 6.5 Creedmoor, can be called classics. But the larger calibers have been mostly absent. Enter the .370 Sako Magnum.
The .370 Sako is actually a 9.3mm, a caliber popular in Europe. I was originally infected by the 9.3mm bug in 2001 when I got a 9.3×62 Mauser. The .370 Sako was just more of the same. I don’t remember exactly where I first read about the .370 Sako, but in 2011, fate smiled upon me. I was invited on a moose hunt—in Finland.
Upon arrival in this Nordic country (to refer to Finland as a “Scandinavian” country is an insult), I was greeted by representatives of Sako and briefed on the traditional driven moose hunt of this region. Before you can hunt moose in Finland, you must pass the “running moose” shooting test. As a skeet shooter, I figured this would be a snap. I was issued a Sako Model 85 Black Bear chambered in .370 Sako. The Sako ammo was loaded with Nosler 250-grain Ballistic Tip bullets. Sako lists it at 840m/s, which is 2,756 fps. The muzzle energy of this load was a bone-crushing 4,217 ft-lb.
At the range test, I readied my rifle. The full-size moose target was, as I remember, at 90 meters. It “ran” first from right to left, then back to the left. Five shots were required. My first shot was a 9; piece of cake, says I. My next shot was a 3, but I ended up with an average score of 6.5, so I passed.
After the test, I talked to Pentti Louhisola, a senior Sako Product Advisor coordinating the upcoming hunt. I told him how impressed I was with the .370 round, and he asked if I would like to meet the man who designed it. Pentti introduced me to Erkki Kauppi, then Sako’s Cartridge Development Director. Kauppi described in great detail the development of the new round. He was obviously proud of his creation.
Essentially, the 9.3×62 Mauser case is lengthened by 4mm, but with some significant changes. First, the case was strengthened, and a “high-energy” powder gave it its prodigious power. The initial case was 68mm long, but was shortened to 66mm so that loaded cartridges would fit in bolt-action magazines. The overall cartridge length is 85mm (3.35 inches). The round was initially called the “9,3×66 EK,” for Erkki Kauppi. Three loads for the .370 are still listed in the Federal catalog, but its distribution is limited.
Case Type
Rimless Bottleneck
Bullet diameter (in.)
.366
Case neck diameter
.363
Shoulder diameter
.450
Case base diameter
.477
Rim diameter
.468
Case length
2.598
Cartridge length
3.350
Shoulder angle
17½ degrees
The next day, it was off to the hunt. In Finland, hunting is more about the process than the actual harvest. Hunters are placed in elevated stands at strategic locations several hundred yards apart in a line. Then beaters, some with their “moose dogs,” start toward the stands, making as much noise as possible. Hunters can’t shoot just any moose. There was a point system. Bulls and cows without a calf were each “one point.” A cow with a calf was on the ”no shoot” list, and a calf was one-half point. The “limit” for our group was one point.
The driven hunt was quite an experience. I had a good vantage point from my stand, and soon a cow and a half-grown calf started across the field from my right in front of the stands. Suddenly, the cow skidded to a stop and scrutinized the blaze-orange-clad hunters in the stands. After thinking it over, she did a 180-degree turn and ran. In her frenzy to flee, she literally ran over the calf, flattening it. However, the calf quickly gathered itself, and soon both were out of sight.
Later, a bull appeared from my left. A legal one-pointer! I shouldered my rifle, chambered a cartridge, and launched an offhand barrage of lead. After three shots, the bull hit the ground. My guide, Max, soon appeared, and said that the shot was about 140 meters. He covered my three bullet holes with the palm of his hand. Hey, that “running moose” test paid off.
The author used this Sako Model 85 Black Bear in 370 Sako to fell this 1,000-pound bull moose in Finland.
I asked Max what we would do next. He said he’d call the “moose processing people,” and they’d remove the moose and process it. Moose are another farm product that is sold. Moose and reindeer are on the menus of most restaurants in Finland.
.370 Sako Up Close
The .370 Sako has an interesting history that will be familiar to seasoned American hunters. It is reminiscent of John A. Nolser’s 1946 experience, hunting moose in British Columbia. The bullet from his .300 H&H Magnum failed to bring down a moose, so Nosler designed a “better bullet.” The result was the famous Nosler Partition.
On the other hand, Kauppi—the .370 Sako’s developer—has been a civil engineer employed by the Sako Cartridge Department in Riihimäki, Finland, since 1971. He is an avid hunter and a serious shooter. In 1989, he was hunting moose during a typical weekend party hunt. The beaters kept nearing his stand, and suddenly, a nice bull appeared in front of him. Kauppi put a 180-grain 30-06 bullet behind the bull’s heart when it ran past him. Even though the bullet was well-placed, the big bull continued almost 300 yards, when another hunter in the party shot it again. The bull collapsed, and that shooter claimed Kauppi’s moose.
Kauppi wanted a better caliber that would not allow a “dead moose” to run hundreds of yards after a solid hit. He could have purchased a .338 Win. Mag. or .375 H&H Mag., but he wanted something with a smaller action. Both of these calibers were in Sako’s production, but he did not like what he called the “bulkiness” of the magnum action.
The 370 Sako is right at home in this lineup of popular big game cartridges (from left): 30-06 Springfield, 35 Whelen, 9.3×62 Mauser, 370 Sako Magnum and 375 H&H Magnum.
The Sako L61R/IV action has a fixed magazine that can handle a maximum cartridge OAL of 85mm (3.346 inches). Kauppi made a beltless and rimless case 4mm longer than 9.3×62 but maintained the other dimensions. However, he redesigned the case to handle higher chamber pressures.
Kauppi’s design was first called 9,3×66 E.K., but since he worked as Sako’s Cartridge Department Director, it was decided in 2002 that the factory would introduce and catalog the cartridge as the “9,3×66 Sako Magnum,” and the dimensions, pressures, etc., were taken to the CIP (Commission International Permanente) for approval.
In 2002, Sako introduced four factory loads: 250-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 286-grain Sako Hammerhead RN (Bonded), 286-grain Barnes Triple Shock-X and the 286-grain Barnes Solid. The cartridge’s energy and penetration levels are practically equal to the famous .375 H&H Magnum, but the beauty is in the smaller-sized action.
The 9.3×66 Sako case cannot be made from other existing cases but is of conventional design. The dimensions in inches are as follows:
Drew L. Goodlin, Director of Technology, Strategic Product Development at ATK Civil Ammunition (Federal), wanted the name to be “Americanized” since stateside hunters are not familiar with metric. Thus, in 2006, Federal adopted the 9.3×66 and called it the .370 Sako Magnum for the American market. Federal’s Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the round is 60,000 psi, somewhat higher than for the 9.3×62 Mauser (55,000 psi).
The Test Rifle
Since 2001, I had owned a CZ Model 550 American in 9.3×62 but didn’t want to modify it, so shortly after returning from Finland, I bought another one in 9.3×62 and had it rechambered to .370. The result is an accurate powerhouse. For example, in his book Africa’s Most Dangerous, Kevin Robinson rates the 9.3×66 Sako a bit higher in killing ability than the .375 H&H. Craig Boddington used a .370 on Cape buffalo and noted the round’s effectiveness on bulls—and its reduced recoil. He stated that the .370 is similar to the 375 H&H in power, but more like the .35 Whelen in recoil. What’s not to like?
Loading and Shooting
I had a good supply of 0.366-inch bullets on hand and several suitable powders, but cases were another matter. I could either shoot up some expensive factory loads, or contact Quality Cartridge, which makes top-notch brass for a multitude of rounds, including the .370 Sako. I did some of both. I also stumbled across a large stash of Federal .370 factory loads in a little gun shop, and the owner wanted rid of them, so we made a deal.
Federal factory loads for the .370 Sako Magnum.
Preparing handloads for the .370 is as simple as falling off a log. If you can hand-load a .270, or .30-06, you’re set. Caution: Make sure the load data are for the .370, not the older 9.3×62. Often, data for the two cartridges are listed back-to-back, and a mix-up could be dangerous. The VihtaVuori loading manual has a good variety of load data for the .370. Set the sizer to move the shoulder back only about 0.002 to 0.003 inch for easy chambering and longer case life.
I tested 24 handloads and three factory loads in my rechambered CZ M550 at 50 yards from a benchrest in my indoor shooting building. The overall accuracy was 0.91 inch, with several loads printing groups under an inch. This precision is certainly within minute-of–buffalo.
Bullet weights ranged from 232 to 325 grains, but if I had to choose, I’d pick the Nosler 250-grain AccuBond or Ballistic Tip, and the 270-grain Speer Semi-Spitzer. Top powders for either include LeverEvoluton (LVR), VihtaVuorti N540 and N550, Ball-C(2), and CFE 223.
Velocities run at 2,500 fps for most game loads, producing a muzzle energy close to 4,000 ft-lb. The recoil is an attention-getter. In my 9-pound rifle, a 250-grain bullet at 2,500 fps produces 30.6 ft-lb of recoil. On that note, I developed two reduced loads that were uniform, accurate and did not loosen my bridgework. The Norma 325-grain Oryx Bonded over 56.0 grains of VihtaVuorti N550 or 57.0 grains of VihtaVuori N540 registered 2,123 and 2,063 fps, respectively. Accuracy was A-OK, and the recoil was noticeably reduced. If one wanted to hunt deer and similar-sized game with their 370, either of these loads ought to be suitable. Of course, one can never go wrong with a Nosler Partition, and with 66.0 grains of the new CFE 223 powder, velocity was 2,547 fps, and it grouped into .48 inch at 50 yards.
And we can’t overlook the Federal factory loads. All have 286-grain bullets. The two Barnes bullets clocked right at 2,500 fps, and the Swift A-Frame registered 2,381 fps. And there is the bonus of the once-fired, nickel-plated Federal cases for reloading.
Most makers of reloading equipment produce dies for the 370 Sako, such as these from RCBS.
The Bottom Line
There are many excellent cartridges for big game hunting. But for the hunter who wants something a bit different, the .370 Sako Magnum combines plenty of power, game-getting accuracy, reduced recoil, and flexible handloading potential. All in all, it’s a viable choice for the globetrotting hunter.
370 Sako Magnum Accuracy & Velocity
Bullet
Powder Type
(Grs.)
Case
Primer
Col (in.)
Bullet Jump (in.)
Vel. (fps)
Sd (fps)
Me (ft-lb)
50-Yd. Acc.
Norma 232-grain Oryx Bonded
Viht. N540
68.0
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.270
0.223
2,711
10
3,787
1.32
Norma 232-grain Oryx Bonded
CFE-223
68.0
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.270
0.223
2,664
16
3,657
0.71
Norma 232-grain Oryx Bonded
Reloder 15
66.5
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.270
0.223
2,642
6
3,597
0.55
Barnes 250-grain Triple-Shock-X Flat Base
CFE-223
65.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.574
0.169
2,595
12
3,739
1.30
Barnes 250-grain Triple-Shock-X Flat Base
Ball-C(2)
65.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.574
0.169
2,586
9
3,713
0.90
Barnes 250-grain Triple-Shock-X Flat Base
LVR
64.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.574
0.169
2,581
12
3,699
0.76
Nosler 250-grain Accu-Bond
CFE-223
67.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.128
2,701
10
4,051
0.55
Nosler 250-grain Accu-Bond
LVR
66.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.128
2,687
6
4,009
1.08
Nosler 250-grain Accu-Bond
Viht. N540
67.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.128
2,684
11
3,999
1.12
Speer 270-grain Semi-Spitzer
CFE-223
66.5
Federal
Fed. 210
3.360
0.010
2,578
4
3,986
1.30
Speer 270-grain Semi-Spitzer
Viht. N540
66.5
Federal
Fed. 210
3.360
0.010
2,571
28
3,964
1.18
Speer 270-grain Semi-Spitzer
LVR
66.5
Federal
Fed. 210
3.360
0.010
2,544
11
3,881
0.51
Hornady 286-grain InterLock RP
LVR
64.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.032
2,538
17
4,092
0.96
Hornady 286-grain InterLock RP
Viht. N550
65.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.032
2,530
5
4,066
0.68
Hornady 286-grain InterLock RP
PP 2000MR
66.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.032
2,519
11
4,031
0.76
Nosler 286-grain Partition
LVR
64.5
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.155
2,548
11
4,124
0.55
Nosler 286-grain Partition
CFE-223
66.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.155
2,547
7
4,121
0.48
Nosler 286-grain Partition
Viht. N540
66.0
Federal
Fed. 210
3.455
0.155
2,523
10
4,043
1.12
Norma 325-grain Oryx Bonded
Viht. N550
64.0
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.455
0.095
2,233
11
3,599
0.76
Norma 325-grain Oryx Bonded
Viht. N540
57.0
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.455
0.095
2,123
10
3,253
0.73
Norma 325-grain Oryx Bonded
LVR
56.0
Q.C.
Fed. 210
3.455
0.095
2,063
6
3,072
0.75
Federal 286-grain Barnes Tripple-Shock-X
Factory Load
3.323
2,498
6
3,964
0.83
Federal 286-grain Barnes Solid
Factory Load
3.295
2,516
22
4,021
1.46
Federal 286-grain Swift A-Frame
Factory Load
3.307
2,381
7
3,601
1.50
AVERAGE ACCURACY:
0.91
Notes: A custom CZ Model 550 American in .370 Sako Magnum with a 23.6-inch barrel and a 1:14-inch twist was used for all testing. The sight was a Bresser 30mm True View 3-9×56 scope set at 8x. The velocities were measured at 10 feet. The accuracy is the average of three, three-shot groups from an indoor benchrest at 50 yards. The range temperatures were 52 to 70 degrees F (outside). Abbreviations: RP (Recoil Proof), Q.C. (Quality Cartridge), COL (Cartridge Overall Length).
Charter Arms has just launched the ultra-compact rimfire Walker revolver series.
Not everyone who carries a gun for defense wants to lug a big pistol around, and many people can’t handle the recoil of larger calibers. For those who need a simple, easy-to-shoot defensive handgun that’s small enough to fit in a pocket, Charter Arms’ new Walker series is worth taking a look at. These are ultra-compact 8-shot rimfire revolvers, and they’re available in .22 LR and .22 WMR in a variety of finish options.
The Charter Arms Walker revolvers feature an aluminum frame and a weight of just 15 ounces. They also have concealed hammers for a snag-free draw. Of course, that also means that these are double-action-only. For their sights, they have a fixed front ramp and rear notch in the top strap of the frame, and they come standard with compact rubber grips. Whichever caliber you choose, each Walker revolver is available with either a black, pink, or blue anodized frame.
Nick Ecker, Owner, President and CEO of Charter Arms, said this about the Walker revolvers:
We couldn’t be happier to offer this .22 caliber revolver series … Customers have praised its concealability, accuracy, and design. This new series offers the ultimate in dependable performance.
MSRPs for the Charter Arms Walker revolvers range between $461.72 and $486.16.
Auto-Ordnance has just announced the M1 Carbine SBR, featuring a short barrel and a threaded muzzle.
What’s cooler than an M1 Carbine? An M1 Carbine with a short barrel and a suppressor, and that’s exactly what Auto-Ordnance is bringing with its M1 Carbine SBR. Not only is the barrel chopped down to 12 inches, but its muzzle is threaded 1/2×28 for easy suppressor installation.
Chambered for the original .30 Carbine cartridge, the M1 Carbine SBR is available with either a 15- or 10-round magazine. It features a flip-style rear sight and an American walnut stock and handguard. The short barrel and threaded muzzle aren’t the only modernized additions, either, as it has 3 integrated M-LOK slots on the bottom of the forend for attaching accessories.
This is what Auto-Ordnance said about its new M1 Carbine SBR:
While the new SBR model incorporates contemporary tactical enhancements, it remains anchored in the classic DNA that solidified the M1 Carbine’s reputation. Like its predecessors, which are produced using newly manufactured parts on high-precision computerized machinery at our Greeley, PA facility, this SBR features the timeless aesthetics of a walnut stock and matching walnut handguard.
The Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine SBR has an MSRP of $1,870.
Leupold has just launched the long-awaited LCO Pro F2 carbine red dot sight.
Leupold is best known for its rifle scopes, but that doesn’t mean that the company doesn’t know how to make excellent red dot sights. The DeltaPoint Pro, a longtime staple among pistol optics, is proof of that, but Leupold wanted to bring shooters an excellent carbine red dot option as well. Hence, the new LCO Pro F2.
The Leupold LCO Pro F2 has a lot going for it, but its most standout feature is probably its viewing window. It’s very large and features a premium aspheric lens that provides a crystal-clear, distortion-free sight picture from edge to edge. The red dot also features a super crisp and bright reticle, and you have four options that you can swap between: a simple 1-MOA dot, a dot with compass points, a dot with a 65-MOA ring, and a dot with a 65-MOA ring and compass points.
The LCO Pro F2 also offers unprecedented levels of brightness adjustment with 20 daylight and 10 night vision settings. A protected night vision button also allows you to easily switch between modes, and the rapid illumination dial can instantly cycle through all 20 daylight brightness settings with a quick half-turn spin in either direction. Other features of the new Leupold Carbine Optic include its Motion Sensor Technology to preserve battery life and its super-rugged one-piece aluminum machined housing that’s waterproof, fogproof, and shockproof.
I actually had the chance to do some shooting with the LCO Pro F2 at the Leupold & Hornady Carbine Shoot event this past June, and it left me very impressed. Between the glass clarity, large viewing window, and super crisp reticle, it proved to be a very nice red dot for our training class and mini competition. I’ll be doing a full, in-depth review of it soon, so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested.
The Leupold LCO Pro F2 is priced at $900 and it will be available with either a black or FDE finish.
Vortex Optics has just launched the new and improved Crossfire II red dot line.
The original Crossfire was one of Vortex Optics’ most popular red dots, and the company has just updated the line with four new Crossfire II models. This new generation of optics now has motion activation technology, solar capabilities and other enhanced features not available on its predecessor.
The Vortex Crossfire II is available with either a 2-MOA red dot or a 2-MOA green dot, and either with or without solar capabilities. The solar models draw power from either the sun or the battery as needed via Auto D-Tec technology. Other features include motion activation with a 10-minute auto-shutoff, new flush, snag-free buttons for illumination control, and night vision compatibility thanks to its 12 brightness settings (2 for night vision). It’s also compatible with magnifiers and comes with Vortex’s famous VIP warranty.
Each Vortex Crossfire II will ship with a lower 1/3 co-witness mount, a low mount, a custom tool, a rubber cover, a lens cloth, and a CR2032 battery. MSRPs range from $220 to $250, and the solar red dot option is available in both tan and black. The non-solar red dot and the solar green dot are only available with a black finish.
We take a look at some very high-end, expensive European revolvers from companies like Korth, Manurhin and Spohr.
There was a time here in the States when most firearms underwent substantial hand-fitting by artisans skilled in the gunsmithing trade. The quality of many of these guns was even unsurpassed by some of today’s standards. Over time, however, advances in machining processes negated the need for substantial man-hours to turn out good products in some cases.
That’s a good thing, but, unfortunately, something was lost along the way.
I won’t pretend to be a business expert, but it seems as though today’s bottom-line profits dictate large-sales volume. And, at times, that volume of sales can supersede maintaining stringent quality control measures. Or, maybe some folks aren’t as dedicated to the art of revolver manufacturing these days as they used to be—or maybe some employees aren’t paying attention to detail.
I don’t know the causes, and I’m sure there are many, but I have experienced issues and witnessed others struggling to make a new gun operate as it was intended. Some of our revolvers today are not immune to these anomalies.
Often, a few minutes of work by a gunsmith can eliminate the gremlin, and simply swapping out a spring or a bit of careful filing and polishing can put the wheelgun back in the race. Those techniques should be applied to each revolver before they leave the factory, and when that’s not done … well, bad news travels at the speed of light in our cyber world.
Don’t misunderstand my intentions here: I’m not bashing U.S. gun manufacturers. Most are doing a good job, but we’re fooling ourselves if we think some of today’s revolvers are made better than they were in decades past. The fact that many revolvers manufactured 50 years ago bring a premium when compared to those same models turned out today is telling. Liken it to ordering a hamburger at a fast-food joint versus sitting down to enjoy a well-constructed burger at a restaurant. They are similar, but they are not the same.
What some manufacturers fail to recognize is that a lot of hardworking folks are willing to pay extra for quality that looks good and functions as designed. A couple of U.S. revolver manufacturers understand this concept, and I don’t mind naming them. It has been my experience that single-action revolvers made by Freedom Arms and Magnum Research’s Biggest Finest Revolvers (BFRs) put quality over quantity, and I applaud them for this. I’ll add that some manufacturers seem to be tightening up their quality control issues. That’s a needed, and welcome, strategy.
Social media is often rampant with complaints highlighting problems of inferiority—some justifiably and some not. We can all agree that anytime an orchestration of moving parts provides a function, things can go wrong. Parts can wear or break over time with extensive use. We all understand that, but revolvers should function correctly out of the box.
Mitigating misfortunes with quality is the key to success—quality of machining, fitting and parts. Some manufacturers strive to do it right from the beginning, and three of them are highlighted here in this article.
During recent months I have had the privilege to examine and shoot some excellent double-action (DA) revolvers from abroad. The fit of the metal work and finishes applied to these guns are impeccable. The actions are strong and timing is exact. Double-action triggers are smooth, and single-action pulls are crisp. Tolerances of these revolvers are tight, and hours of handwork by knowledgeable experts go into each one. The accuracy of these revolvers likely surpasses my ability to shoot them with the precision of which they are capable.
These fine revolvers I am referring to are made by Korth, Manurhin and Spohr. No, they are not made in the great U.S. of A. However, they are imported here for sale, and they are worthy of consideration by shooters who recognize quality and want to own the best of the best.
Korth: Handsome Yet Hardcore
Nighthawk Custom is synonymous with quality. Their philosophy of “One Gun, One Gunsmith” places them at the top of the world’s finest autoloaders. When they partner with a company, you know you are dealing with high-quality firearms. They deal with excellence, and they are good folks.
So, it’s no surprise to find that the German revolvers of Korth imported and distributed by Nighthawk are of utmost worth.
Korth revolvers are offered in several configurations that will please the eye of traditionalists as well as those who want a bit more tactical flair for their wheelgun. I currently have one of each of these categories on hand. The excellent German-engineered Mongoose refines classic lines comparable to a combination of Smith & Wesson’s (S&W) classic L-frame and the vented rib of a Colt Python. Composed of hammer-forged 416 R stainless-steel, adjustable main springs and high-speed hammers, the Mongoose is tricked out and ready for action.
This author has found all these high-end revolvers shoot well. Here’s a couple of examples of Korth accuracy at 10 paces.
This revolver comes with interchangeable cylinders chambered for 9mm and .357 Magnum. No tools are required for swapping cylinders, just a push of a button located above the front of the trigger guard releases the crane. Open the cylinder, depress the button, push the cylinder forward and you’re ready to go from one cartridge to another … in seconds.
Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) provides a tough, no-nonsense finish to this revolver. The 14K gold bead front sight is quick to acquire and gives a little boost for my eyes as shooting light fades. The adjustable rear sight is serrated on its face. The combination makes a great sight picture. This gun arrived wearing Hogue’s slick Pau Ferro stocks with finger grooves. If they aren’t to your liking, Nighthawk sells several grip options of wood, laminate and rubber on their website. I find these Hogues to fit me well.
Moving into the racier version of the Korth line, we have the NXR .44 Magnum. This wheelgun has a lot going on. This beefed-up revolver maintains the quality and refinement of the Mongoose with additional accoutrements of a vented barrel, barrel weight and Picatinny rails. The NXR is also coated in DLC. It wears hand-filling Turkish walnut stocks with shallow finger grooves. These stocks cover the backstrap of the grip frame, and I find they take the bite out of the recoil of DA revolvers often felt in the web of my hand near the base of my thumb. Plus, they are belled near the bottom—this is a common theme found in stock options on all these European revolvers.
Korth’s NXR shot exceptionally well at 15 yards with a variety of ammunition. Accuracy capabilities are forged into each of these European revolvers from Korth, Manurhin and Spohr. They all shoot well.
The NXR is at home for competition, hunting and home defense revolver that allows easy installation of a flashlight and optic. I set this one up with a Trijicon RMR adjustable red-dot.
Manurhin: Classy and Capable
Manurhin’s MR73 Sport has an easy-packing 3-inch barrel and Patridge front sight. Don’t let the short barrel fool you; it will shoot as accurately as its long-barreled siblings.
The French firearms manufacturer, Manurhin, designed their fine revolvers to fit the needs of the elite Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) counterterrorism unit in the early 1970s. Similar in size to our S&W Combat Magnum, the Manurhin MR73 revolvers are forged from ordnance-grade steel, and each gun undergoes hours of hand-fitting. The deep blue finish of these revolvers is spectacular.
Additionally, these wheelguns were constructed to withstand 150 rounds of .357 Magnum ammunition fired per day as required for training by the GIGN. Reports state these guns will withstand many years of high-volume round counts with magnum ammunition. The MR73 allows for easy adjustments of trigger pull for both single- and double-action work, as well as hammer fall weight. You will see these adjustment options are another common theme with these European revolvers.
The 4-inch MR73 allows for good sight radius and comfortable carry. The Gendarmerie version has a ramped front sight.
The ergonomic rubber target stocks worn by these guns might look a bit unconventional, but they are well thought out, providing a positive grip and good distribution of recoil in the hand. Barrel lengths range from 3 to 8 inches, with several offerings in between. The sturdy adjustable rear sight can be paired with a black ramp of the Gendarmerie model or Patridge style of the Sport model.
I found these revolvers to be exceptional in every way. The fit, function, looks and accuracy of the Manurhin MR73 is excellent, and in case you were not yet aware, they are imported by Beretta USA.
Spohr
Spohr’s 4-inch Club Edition in .357 Magnum covers a lot of bases for anyone looking for an accurate top-shelf revolver.
Another herd of revolvers oozing with German engineering is Spohr’s extensive line of wheelguns chambered in .22 LR, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. With multiple options of barrel lengths and configurations, Spohr also can fill the bill to fit any handgunning needs. I stumbled across their booth a few years ago at SHOT Show. A quick glance told me these guns were something worth seeing.
A thorough explanation of their qualities from Thomas Spohr that day left me intrigued with shooting these guns. I shot them at range day the following year and again at SHOT Show 2026. During these interludes, Chris Rhodes’ Precision Shooting Supply stepped in to be the U.S. distributor of Spohr revolvers.
Rhodes recently sent me the brand-new N643 eight-shot .357 Magnum for review. The matte stainless finish of the gun is augmented by a polished strip encircling the rear portion of the cylinder. The entire gun is machined from bar stock. The match barrel is cold hammer forged.
Spohr’s N643 holds eight rounds of .357 Magnum. This hefty revolver is built on an N-frame, comes with moon clips and is range-ready.
Having seen the excellent groups Rhodes frequently shoots, I knew what to expect, and this revolver does not disappoint: Initial groups over a bag rest at about 15 steps indicate it will chew ragged holes with everything it’s fed. I’ll install an optic in the future to reduce human error and let this revolver shine in all its glory.
The German-engineered Spohr shoots a variety of ammunition well.
The Nill Phil Hemphill walnut stocks on this revolver are similar in style to those found on Korth’s NXR. These have fine checkering that looks good—and feels good—in the hand. The checkering allows just a bit of extra hand-to-stock traction without being too aggressive.
The sales prices these revolvers command are not cheap by most standards. They start out around $4K and go up—some way up, depending on which model and variation you choose. Often, when someone sees me with one of these guns at the range, they will ask, “Is it worth the money?” My answer is, “Yes.”
These revolvers are an investment in heirloom quality. Revisiting my food analogy, that drive-through burger is going to cost less than the one served with a cloth napkin and neatly compartmentalized condiments. These guns are the gourmet burger your wife photographs before you make a mess of it.
For the hefty investment price, we get a DA revolver that will not only last our lifetime, but the lifetimes of enthusiasts down the road after we’ve journeyed over to the happy hunting ground. The quality and craftsmanship poured into these revolvers makes them ready to go out of the box. No need for additional sights, action work, etcetera.
Buy Once, Cry Once
Oftentimes, we need to have work done on some guns to get the most potential out of them. These revolvers are made right from the beginning. When owning any of them, it’s highly unlikely you will need the services of a gunsmith to make them operate to their fullest potential. They arrive ready to go. Anything you swap out is purely necessary to exhibit personal style and preference.
Now, to answer the question many of you are asking: Of these three precision revolver manufacturers from across the pond, which one is the best? Sorry, I can’t pick one. Having handled, shot, carried and inspected revolvers from Korth, Manurhin and Spohr, all I can say is that you won’t be disappointed, no matter which make and model you choose. They’re all that good. More correctly, my experience has shown they are exceptional. Each of these manufacturers have slight differences in appearance and feel, and they are all great options for shooters wanting to own revolvers of the highest order.
These wheelguns are offered in configurations to suit daily carry, range competition, target shooting and hunting. They are showcase pieces with purpose. They’re made to look good, function flawlessly and punch holes with precision.
It’s no surprise there is a rising trend of interest in revolvers of this quality among savvy shooters. Let’s hope our U.S. companies are paying attention. They can learn a thing or two from the French and Germans when it comes to building fine revolvers. This brief look at Korth, Manurhin and Spohr just scratches the surface of additional options offered to us by these manufacturers. Each has a little different look and feel that lends it to tailoring to the needs and preferences of the shooter.
And the one thing they all have in common is top-shelf quality and accuracy.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the August 2026 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
We put ForgeLine Solutions Performance Fieldwear to the test.
Those who have served—particularly in the SOF community—look upon ForgeLine Solutions fondly. The apparel born of Patagonia’s Lost Arrow Project served with recognition from Kabal to Kandahar and Baghdad to Balad.
Whether deployed for firefights, room clearings or intelligence-gathering operations, the clothing proved to be a durable, engineered asset that worked seamlessly to help high-risk missions come to fruition. That’s a hell of a pedigree, one that the company aims to carry on now in a civilian role.
Launched earlier this year, the ForgeLine Performance Fieldwear aims to extend high performance to Joes—the everyday variety, not G.I. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the duds at the 2026 SHOT Show and was even luckier to get a set of the series recently to test in my very mission-possible day-to-day life.
Certainly, hauling lumber, stacking slash piles, enjoying some range time and getting a little shore fishing in didn’t push the Performance line to its brink. But it was more than enough to convince me ForgeLine is on to something with what they’ve stitched up for the consumer market.
Initial Impression
Similar to hunting clothes, the ForgeLine Performance apparel wasn’t conceived as standalone garments. Certainly, you could buy one piece and be good, but the entire line is a system designed to cover your hide—thus your rear—for nearly any field conditions.
The company begins with a base layer and builds outward with shell options, helping you adapt to the conditions at hand—be they sultry El Niño winds or a freezing autumn rain. Furthermore, the company achieves this with piston-ring-tight construction. No joke, there wasn’t a single strand or stray thread hanging off any of the clothing sent to me. Outside of the one tailored suit I’ve had in my life, I can’t recollect any other clothing where I can make this claim.
While tactical in application, the clothing is decidedly domestic in appearance, which I appreciate. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a bit of a “don’t tread on me” look to clothing, but taken to the mall-ninja extreme and, face it, you beclown yourself. This isn’t the case with any of the Performance garments, which are more rugged, ready and damn sporting in form.
Heritage Solution
Undoubtedly, most have noticed a trend in hard-use apparel material—it’s synthetic. I’ll be the last to bash what polymers have brought to garb, but it does have limitations. Traditional natural fibers like canvas can still hold a distinct advantage when it comes to quiet movement, campfire spark resistance and structural body in the brush.
ForgeLine breaks from the herd with most of its Performance garb, turning to the same proven cloth it used for its military wear—cotton. But not just any cotton; they use an ultra-dry waxed cotton from British Millerain. The textile company is more than 140 years old and has perfected cotton cloth, offering users something that’s not only water-resistant, but lightweight and breathable. Additionally, the fabric is nearly snag-proof, and stacking slash piles in the pants, I tried my darndest to put a chink in this armor.
Improving the durability of the clothing, ForgeLine reinforces the garments with hex ripstop at high-wear zones. Quite simply, these are more reinforced areas where damage is expected, boasting a textile that halts a rip before it expands to the entire piece of clothing. Clever.
There is one note about the material: it does require some upkeep. Every so often, you’ll have to re-wax the cloth with dry wax to keep it impervious to the elements. ForgeLine sells rewaxing spray, and it is a fairly painless process that only has to be done upon occasion.
Grass Valley Jacket
Color me surprised, but this lightweight windbreak has turned out to be my favorite in ForgeLine’s initial series. When I saw the samples and got the gear, I didn’t see this coming. The jacket handles hard use and fills the light-shell role better than anything I’ve encountered. This isn’t an easy hole to fill, given that a single-layer shell is generally somewhat fragile.
Having taken the jacket out for mid-spring lumberjacking and as a cover at the range, I walked away impressed with its resilience to abuse. Seriously, the jacket is spookily impervious to snags and is the perfect “what if” cover for anytime but deep winter. I find I throw the Grass Valley Jacket into my day ruck before anything else. I certainly feel the waxing is enough to make it back to my vehicle with a dry torso if the skies open on a fishing trip. But if I don’t need it, it doesn’t take up much space and is light enough to forget.
I think this jacket could fill many roles, but it best fits as an everyday option—no matter the task. It also might fill the role of a mid-layer with the Oak Camp or a thicker outer shell. The collar zips all the way up to keep cold winds off your neck, elastic cuffs seal the arms from the elements, ample pockets give room for possibles and an interplacket behind the zipper cuts any drafts.
The jacket nails classy, yet functional.
Oak Camp Jacket
Pegging the Grass Valley Jacket as my favorite was tough, because had ForgeLine only created the Oak Camp, it likely would have been a weighty accomplishment. I’ve only had a few days this spring to truly put the cover through the wringer, because—despite being cotton—I think I could push it much further in the elements.
A few of the highlights of the Oak Camp jacket are a polyester liner, adjustable hood, ripstop reinforcements at the hood, shoulders and sleeves and ample pocket space. One of the most well-thought-out aspects is the adjustable hems with captured toggles. This is a big deal, because if you carry, you don’t have to worry about the toggles getting caught in your trigger guard—an event with very negative consequences.
In bad weather, you can really batten down the jacket and keep the drizzle or sleet out. And while feeling nearly tailored, it’s designed to incorporate a mid-layer.
Where I believe this jacket would excel in the field is mid-fall to early winter, before thermometers bottom out. I think it’d make a great scouting jacket or something light, yet warm to march through corn stubble in pheasant season. In town, the Oak Camp might get you all the way through the coldest month without blinking an eye. Maybe not in Minot, North Dakota, but about everywhere else.
Oak Camp Pants
If there is a No. 2 on my personal ForgeLine hit list, it’s the company’s pants. My guess would be these will likely be the big sellers of the entire line. Once again, the slacks provide all the assets of the jackets—waxed Millerain cotton, ripstop in the right places and as abrasion resistant as the rest of the gear. But where they win me over is their wearability. That’s a fairly vague term; let me expound.
The pants seem to adapt to their circumstances. If it’s muggy and the sun is beating down on you, the fabric proves extremely breathable and facilitates the evaporation of sweat from your legs. In these conditions, the pants seem cool and a natural choice if you’re fighting brambles or scratchy stuff in hot weather.
Conversely, if you’re in inclement weather, the dried wax sloughs off moisture and keeps your skin dry, thus warmer. Additionally, the tight-knit fabric does a good job of blocking wind. So, they’re adequately comfortable when there’s a chill in the air.
Add to this, the cut—at least the pair I tested—seems tailored to my lower regions. Thus, they move as and where I move without a snag. Add on ample, but not ridiculous, storage options and you have a set of britches fit for nearly any outdoor task from hiking to a job site.
Sespe River Rain Jacket
Honesty before anything, I’ve not had a true opportunity to put this jacket through the wringer. One of the downsides of residing in the semi-arid Rocky Mountain foothills. That said, against the scant spring precipitation I’ve pitted the Sespe against, it’s proven stalwart.
It’s somewhat the black sheep of the line, because it’s the only one not tailored from Millerain waxed cotton. A solid choice on Forgeline’s part, because the aim of the jacket is waterproof, not resistant. To this end, it’s created from a four-layer PFAS-free, silicone-coated fabric. You’d likely have to hit typhoon conditions to get water through it. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like you’ve wrapped yourself in a trash bag to stay dry; it allows freedom of movement and permits your body to breathe.
Aside from keeping you dry, the great advantage of the Sespe is its substantial yet lightweight nature. That is, when you have the garment on, it feels like you’re wearing clothing—not rain gear. However, it’s light enough to stuff into a day pack and still have room for all of your kit. Much like the Grass Valley Jacket, the raingear is designed for convenience, to remain out of sight and mind when it’s dry, but at hand when the heavens open.
Cozy Dell Merino Base Layer
Important as they are, base layers don’t really inspire excitement. The same can be said of ForgeLine’s Cozy Dell. Given that its aim was an entire clothing system, this article was obligatory. That said, they did a good job. Anyone who’s dealt with Merino wool knows the big issue is the material stretching, which is only counteracted by blending it with another fiber—generally synthetic. In this case, the layer is 52 percent wool and 48 percent polyester. And it does what you expect a base layer to do: wick moisture from your skin and keep you comfortable and dry.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
