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Patrick Sweeney

Thumbs-Up To Ben’s Easy Magazine Loader

Big mags can be hard to load, but that’s not so with the BEML.
Big mags can be hard to load, but that’s not so with the BEML.

Ben’s Easy Magazine Loader it's exactly as it sounds.

Loading magazines is a hassle. Loading high-capacity magazines, with few exceptions, is even more of a hassle. There are now machines, some even electrically powered, that load magazines. But they take up space, and they cost money.

How to save your thumbs and not bust the bank? BEML to the rescue.

So Easy

The BEML, or Ben’s Easy Magazine Loader, is one of those “Why didn’t I think of that!” devices that I find fascinating. It’s dead simple: a handle with two parallel rods.

To use it, you place the magazine on the bench, base down. Put a loaded round on the two rods. Use the rods to push the follower or top round down until there is clearance, and then slide the round on the BEML under the feed lips. Repeat as necessary.

Now, on something such as a 1911 magazine, this might not be the tool you need. Some magazines have sharp edges or corners, and it’s just easier to use the BEML. Some double-stack 9mm magazines are easier to stuff than others. Some are a real pain. (You know which ones they are; no need for me to call out the offenders … Mr. Polymer.)

Ben's Easy Magazine Reloader And Pistol-Caliber Carbines

Where it becomes a real aid is when you are loading up a pistol-caliber carbine. Getting the last rounds into a 17-round magazine is hard. But getting the last dozen rounds into a 33-round magazine or an extended-capacity 50-round magazine can bring tears to your eyes (yes, Virginia, there are 50-round magazines for PCC. Competition shooters use them every weekend across America. God, I love this country!).

The BEML is not caliber-specific, because the rod spacing allows use in 9mm to .45. The designer/company owner says the BEML can go all the way down to .25 ACP. However, I’ve got to say that if you find loading the last of six rounds into your .25 ACP pistol to be a chore, you really need to be eating your Wheaties.

Use Ben's Easy Magazine Reloader's rods to depress the top cartridge. Then, slide the next one off the rods and under the feed lip.
Use Ben's Easy Magazine Reloader's rods to depress the top cartridge. Then, slide the next one off the rods and under the feed lip.

Once I had a chance to test the BEML in a few magazines, I found myself wondering where Ben’s Outdoor Design was when I was shooting PCC in the early days and used a carbine that required Sten gun magazines. That was a real monster to load—a double-stack magazine that fed from a single central point. I had an array of loading-assist devices to get those things filled up, and back in the “medium-old” days, none of them was very satisfactory.

A Word to the Wise

Fair warning: The BEML is small enough so that if you lose track of it at the range, it might not come home with you. It could easily “disappear” into someone else’s range bag if you’re at a range where such things are not dealt with via summary hangings! But there’s a convenient hole in the handle, so you can chain the BEML to your range bag.

The BEML costs only $12.95. As simple as it is, if your son or daughter has any shop skills (and their school still offers shop classes), they could make one once they had one to copy.

But why do that? This is America, where cleverness is supposed to be rewarded; and I can’t see saving a few bucks by ripping off someone’s clever idea. I’m going to buy a bunch more and chain one to each range bag I commonly use.

For more information on the BEML, please visit bensoutdoordesign.com

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Expand Your Gear IQ:


FN SCAR 20S: Out-Of-The-Box Precision

The gas system has two settings: “normal” and “suppressed.”
The gas system has two settings: “normal” and “suppressed.”

Over-engineered and made battle tough, the FN SCAR 20S offers a superb trigger and great accuracy, as well as a lot of fun.

What Makes The FN SCAR 20S So Accurate:

  • A Geissele Super SCAR two-stage trigger breaks like thin ice.
  • Stock is fully adjustable to fit the user.
  • 11-pound weight makes it somewhat milder mannered.
  • Cold hammer-forged barrel is chrome lined, making it stress-free barrel, accurate and wear-resistant.
  • Short-stroke piston operation is extremely reliable.

Back in the earlier years of the 21st century (geez, I’m referring to the 21st century! That still isn’t old), FN designed a set of rifles for the military. The military wanted it all—the sun, moon, stars … and a decaf, no-calorie latte.

The SCAR rifle series ended up being the SCAR-L (for a while, the SCAR 16) and the SCAR-H (for a while, the SCAR 17). The L/16 was an indestructible 5.56 rifle, but it was a bit chunky and heavy for 5.56. The other was an indestructible 7.62 NATO that was, well, a bit chunky and heavy, but not for a 7.62.

At the time, I predicted the end result, and time has proven me right: If you let the end users (the SOCOM heavy-hitters) pick and choose, they’d rather have the 7.62 than an indestructible 5.56.

Mile-Long Top Rail

FN didn’t stop there, so we now have the SCAR as a 7.62 precision rifle. The 17 is still there, but this is the 20S, a rifle built to be a long-range precision rifle … OK, a sniper rifle.

FN SCAR 6

And, to that end, FN didn’t leave anything to chance, as far as making it suitable for long-range precision use was concerned. The stock is adjustable in both length of pull and cheek height. The trigger is a two-stage trigger, with a pull weight that’s factory-set between 3½ and 4½ pounds.

The upper receiver (which is the firearm on the SCAR, unlike the various AR-15 and AR-10 rifles most readers are familiar with) has a top rail that runs the full length of the receiver.


Bone Up On FN Guns:

Weight Considerations

This provides plenty of “rail estate” (and yes, I did invent that term almost two decades ago) to mount optics, iron sights, and thermal and night vision optics. Now, the bare weight of the SCAR 20S is 11½ pounds. Ouch! Adding a full suite of optics can probably push that up close to 20 pounds. And, add on a bipod, laser targeting designator, suppressor, full magazine and a sling, and you’re up to the weight of some of the lighter belt-fed machine guns.

There’s also a rail at the 6 o’clock position on the handguard; so, you could, if you owned one, mount a grenade launcher there. The rest of us will simply use it as a generous length of rail to which we can attach a bipod.

Disassembly is easy: Push one pin across and then take the rest of it apart with your bare hands.
Disassembly is easy: Push one pin across and then take the rest of it apart with your bare hands.

For most of us, this is a heavy rifle. But, for the end users for whom the rifle is built (those hard, fit, 20-somethings who can do pushups until they’re tired of counting), this isn’t a problem.

But—and this especially in the 6.5 Creedmoor chambering—with the 20S you have pinpoint precision out as far as you can hit … or as far as the caliber reaches before the bullet goes subsonic. And, if I might be permitted an aside here: While the 7.62 NATO, with pretty much any loading, will go subsonic at a bit past 1,000 yards at most, the best loads of the 6.5 Creedmoor stay supersonic out to 1,600 yards, even 1,700, depending on atmospheric conditions.

More About the SCAR 20S

OK, back to the 20S details.

The gas system is a short-stroke piston setup, and the original users wanted reliability. To that end, FN made the working parts robust and ensured dimensional stability (that is, everything is made to very tight specs, even when there are generous tolerances for crud to blow out).

If the reciprocating charging handle is a problem, you can easily swap it out for an angled one from HDD Tactical.
If the reciprocating charging handle is a problem, you can easily swap it out for an angled one from HDD Tactical.

One detail I’ve heard about from those who’ve used their SCAR rifles hard is that the rifles are hard on optics. This is mostly the 7.62 crowd—the SCAR 17 users. The 17’s generous gas throttle, along with its robust cycling parts, means that on every shot, the operating system bottoms out in the rear of the receiver … with enthusiasm.

Now, for the shooter, that’s not a big deal. The SCAR is reasonably comfortable to shoot, and the stock, either standard or the 20S, is adjustable, so you can set it up to fit you. A side note here: The SCAR 17—the L—has a folding stock that’s adjustable for length of pull and cheek height. The 20S has adjustable length of pull and cheek height, but it doesn’t fold.
The recoil-and-bounce cycle of vibration acts not unlike that of some air rifles. The double-hit and vibration can rattle apart lesser scopes, so you should really make sure you use top-notch scope brands when kitting-out your SCAR.

The bolt and carrier are robust; that’s a lot of weight cycling back and forth. After shooting the 20S for a while, I installed the HDD Tactical buffer, which took a bunch of the sting out of the recoil. The recoil is “reasonable,” but for a 21st-century rifle of this weight, I was expecting more comfort. That I needed a shock buffer to “civilize” it indicates that the end users are a lot more interested in “always-reliable” than they are in “easy-to-shoot.”

The gas system is adjustable, but the adjustments extend to “normal” and “suppressed.” It isn’t as if you can dial down the gas flow until you get a softer recoil. (Hmmm, perhaps that’s something FN should look into.) The “suppressed” setting isn’t to ease up on felt recoil (remember that hard-chargers are the users in mind) but to keep the cyclic rate at normal levels when firing it with a suppressor on. Yes, the military models are select-fire, but we only have the option of one shot at a time. Still, setting it to “suppressed” when using a suppressor is the right thing to do.

On the SCAR, the upper is the firearm, not the lower.
On the SCAR, the upper is the firearm, not the lower.

The barrel is cold hammer-forged and then chrome lined. This gives a straight, smooth, stress-free barrel that’s both accurate and shrugs off use and wear.

The SCAR short-stroke piston system works the same way as on an M1 carbine (as compared to the long-stroke system of the M1 Garand, for example). The gas is vented out of the barrel and into the gas block, where it strikes the piston. The piston drives back and pushes the carrier assembly back. The piston stops but, having driven the carrier assembly, its job is done.
The carrier cycles back, rotating the bolt, then taking the bolt back, ejecting the empty and, on the return trip, stripping a round out of the magazine, rotating and locking.

One detail you must be aware of: the charging handle. It’s reversible to either side of the receiver and does reciprocate. That is, the handle cycles with the carrier, to which it is attached. If your thumb or hand happens to be up there in the path, you’ll get hurt, and the rifle will fail to cycle. (HDD Tactical also offers an angled charging handle to help keep it out of the way. It, too, is reversible.)

The magazines are modified FAL magazines, because FAL magazines were the starting point at which FN began. However, they’re not interchangeable in either direction (i.e., FAL to SCAR or SCAR to FAL).

The selector and mag catch are ambidextrous, while the bolt release isn’t. Not a big deal on the latter.
The selector and mag catch are ambidextrous, while the bolt release isn’t. Not a big deal on the latter.

The controls are where you’d expect them to be, with an ambidextrous magazine catch behind the magazine well, a bolt release only on the left and a safety selector (also ambidextrous) above the pistol grip.

Testing the SCAR 20S

The accuracy testing for the 20S involved installing a Leupold VX-3i LRP 8.5-25x50mm on top and in a Geissele Super Precision scope mount. Yes, this is pricey gear, but it provides a whole lot of performance for the money, and it’s not out of line with the cost of the rifle—or the ammo, per shot, really.

FN SCAR 20S Range Test

Shooting for groups with such a rig can be nerve-wracking. With a three-shot cloverleaf or a four-shot tight group, the thought, Don’t slap the trigger and ruin this group! looms large. In the course of testing, I was able to get to a private range at which there was steel out to 688 yards. Oh yes, that was fun! And even I, a hosing IPSC pistol shooter, could easily go nine out of 10 on the steel at 688 yards.

At no time did the SCAR 20S fail to function, and it was generous, but not excessive in its ejection.

The Good, the Bad, the Pricey

So, where does the SCAR 20S fit into the pantheon of rifles? Well, if you’re looking for a modern .308 thumper of the carbine and no-sniper variety (although still plenty accurate), you’d go with a SCAR 17. The M14 is long out of the military system, and the SCAR 17 fills the bill there. (There are AR-10 based rifles contesting the position of the SCAR 17. If and when that’s settled, we’ll all be the better for it.)

That’s a lot of mass reciprocating on every shot. That, and a generous flow of gas, is why you install a shock buffer in the rear of the receiver.
That’s a lot of mass reciprocating on every shot. That, and a generous flow of gas, is why you install a shock buffer in the rear of the receiver.

If you want a long-range, self-loading sniper rifle, you’d be hard-pressed to beat the SCAR 20S. However, you’ll have to deal with some issues.

First off, the bottom handguard assembly isn’t the same as that of the 17. So, what about all those accessory rails, handguards and add-ons for the SCAR 17? They won’t fit. Until aftermarket makers, or FN, makes lower handguards for the 20S, you’ll get what there is. The stock doesn’t fold—and the adjustments, while useful, don’t make the 20S any handier. In addition, you have to use the FN magazines. I don’t know of anyone else who’s currently making magazines for the SCAR, so you’ll have to stock up through FN or some other supplier … at almost $50 each.

A minor complaint: The flash hider rings like a tuning fork on every shot. Now, if you’re swapping it out for a muzzle device to mount your suppressor, it’s not a problem. But if you aren’t, you’re going to want to change that just as fast as you can, because it’s damned annoying.

And then, there’s the cost: $4,500. Now, to be fair to FN, you’d eat up a significant amount of that buying an AR-10-based rifle of the same or nearly the same quality—and then you’d have to change what you needed to change to make it the functional and detail equivalent of the SCAR 20S. So, you aren’t going to save much money by “almost equaling” it with some other rifle. Just be prepared for the sticker shock.

The annoying, pinging flash hider—a tuning fork on every shot.
The annoying, pinging flash hider—a tuning fork on every shot.

On the good side, there’s the plethora of rails. The full-length rail on top is almost too much. There are rails on the sides, and the bottom of the handguard offers plenty of space to mount whatever else you need. You have plenty of options, but they’re all Picatinny—no Keymod or M-lok.

For the bulk and weight, once you get the stock adjusted, the rifle fits like a glove. And then, there’s the trigger. FN is coy and understated on the trigger weight on its website, simply stating that it breaks crisply at 3.5 to 4.5 pounds (that’s like saying Sofia Vergara is a “nice-looking” lady).

I’m a spoiled gun writer. I usually consider any trigger installed in a factory-built firearm as a starting point; one that’ll be changed as soon as possible. The trigger on the 20S that FN sent to me doesn’t need changing. I don’t think you would, either. But then, you wouldn’t have to, because upon opening the action, what do I find? A Geissele Super SCAR two-stage trigger … which is what I would’ve put in had the trigger disappointed.

Fun’s fun, but I can’t pay the mortgage by trading guns to the bank. As a result, the 20S will have to go back to FN. If this one ends up in the commercial stream—and not to another gun writer—someone is going to find a superb trigger and cracking good accuracy, as well as a lot of fun, with this 20S. And, given the longevity of FN’s barrels, it’ll still be whacking steel at 700 yards, even after it has passed through the hands of a half-dozen gun writers.

FN SCAR 20S Specs
Type: Gas-operated, self-loading rifle
Caliber: .308 Winchester/7.62 NATO (also available in 6.5 Creedmoor)
Capacity: 20+1 rounds
Barrel: 20 in.
Length: 42.5 in.
Weight: 11 lb., 3 oz.
Trigger: 3 lb., 7 oz.
Finish: Anodized aluminum, black-oxide steel
MSRP: $4,499

For more information on the FN SCAR 20S, please visit fnamerica.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Modern-Day .30-30: Smith & Wesson M&P15 In .300 Blackout

The 21st century has arrived, and ARs are now hunting rifles. With the right load, the .300 Blackout is good to 200 yards.
The 21st century has arrived, and ARs are now hunting rifles. With the right load, the .300 Blackout is good to 200 yards.

A lightweight carbine, and one with soft recoil, the S&W M&P15 in .300 Blackout is a stellar tool.

What You Get With The M&P15 In .300 Blackout:

  • Bolt and carrier are mil-spec and are given a matte-black finish.
  • Medium-profile barrel is made of 4140 steel, and the barrel is given an Armornite finish.
  • Low-profile gas block has a section of Picatinny rail machined on top, also holds the front of the handguard.
  • Boasts mil-spec trigger parts, with a pull weight on the order of 5 pounds.
  • The carbine buffer tube has a mil-spec-shaped M4 carbine stock with six positions for length.
  • Stock and the gas block each have a sling swivel.
  • At 100 yards, capable of near MOA accuracy with the right load.

When I was learning guns and gunsmithing, Smith & Wesson was the handgun provider to law enforcement. Oh, it offered long guns from time to time, but not ones it actually made. The 21st century has brought us a lot of changes. S&W now makes revolvers, pistols and rifles. No shotguns, but this company would be crazy to try that … and S&W is not crazy.

Also, the .300 Blackout and its predecessor, the .300 Whisper, were once thought of as solely super-quiet, used-with-suppressors thumpers. Hurling 200-plus-grain bullets just under the speed of sound, they were essentially .45 ACP+P carbines that could be made the epitome of quiet.

Well, that also changed.

You can use anything from a five- to a 30-round magazine in your M&P15.
You can use anything from a five- to a 30-round magazine in your M&P15.

You see, the .300 BLK has just the right-sized case to get a 110- to 125-grain hunting-type bullet up to useful velocities. In fact, if you’re willing to go with a carbine or longer barrel, you can get those bullets up to pretty much equal the .30-30.

Handy Hunting Carbine

And S&W has the carbine for it, if not the rifle—the M&P15. Carbines are handier for hunting anyway. S&W starts with its excellent M&P receiver set—a pair of forgings that are machined to mil-spec dimensions. The flat-top receiver is ready for whatever optic or irons you select.

I see this as a good thing, because we all have different ideas as to what comprises the perfect setup for our own hunting situations. When gunsmithing, I had no end of customers who wanted a 3-9X scope on their .30-06 rifle for deer hunting. But where I hunted (and most of the state was the same, truth be told), 100 yards was a long shot, and 9X was more than I needed or wanted. So, “long” shots are most often at 100 yards, max, for most shooters and in most thick-cover situations.

However, S&W gives you the option of having more, if you want it. So, put the scope you want on top, using the rings you want, because S&W made that easy.

The gas block on the M&P15 is fixed and has a rail on top in case you want to mount back-up iron sights. Depending on how hard you are on optics, that might not be a bad idea.
The gas block on the M&P15 is fixed and has a rail on top in case you want to mount back-up iron sights. Depending on how hard you are on optics, that might not be a bad idea.

Inside, the the M&P15's bolt and carrier are mil-spec and are given a matte-black finish. They mate up with a medium-profile barrel that’s made of 4140 steel, and the barrel is given an Armornite finish. This is a surface-hardening and corrosion-resistance treatment that we’re now familiar with; it’s known as a “nitrocarburizing process.” The barrel has a twist of one turn in 7.5 inches—plenty fast enough to stabilize those heavyweights (should you wish to spend an afternoon of giggle-worthy plinking) while hurling 220- to 240-grain bullets downrange at leisurely velocities.


Get On Target With The AR:


Gas Block Details

The gas block isn’t a standard A1 triangle; rather, it’s a low-profile gas block with a section of Picatinny rail machined on top. This means that if you want iron sights on your S&W M&P15, you can do it. Just be sure to order a front sight that’s labeled as “gas block rail” height, not handguard height.

The gas block is also the part that holds the front handguard retaining ring in place. The M&P has standard carbine handguards—not a tacti-cool, free-float handguard. Some might see this as a step back. I don’t.

Free-float handguards are both an individual preference (in that regard, not unlike sights/optics) and more expensive than standard handguards. And, as with the optics, if you have a preference, and it matters that much to you, it’s easy enough to rebuild any AR-15 rifle or carbine.

M&P15: Trigger and More

The lower internals in the M&P15 are vanilla-plain, mil-spec trigger parts, which means it’s a single-stage trigger with a promise of something on the order of 5 pounds of pull weight. I know—we’re all accustomed to a clean, crisp, 3½-pound trigger, but that’s not always an option on an AR-15. And, when it is, it’s an expensive one. This one has a 4½-pound trigger with a short takeup and a relatively clean let-off. As mil-spec trigger parts sets go, this one’s pretty darned good.

The handguards are the standard, round, plastic ones. Even so, they also get the Mossy Oak treatment.
The handguards are the standard, round, plastic ones. Even so, they also get the Mossy Oak treatment.

If you’re still worried that the trigger isn’t “good enough,” fear not. I have, on regular occasions, dropped the small, computer-controlled popup targets on a National Guard range—the 300-meter ones—with a rack-grade trigger on an M4 and iron sights. If you have magnifying optics or a red-dot sight and a deer at 100 yards, a 5-pound trigger isn’t going to be a hindrance.

The pistol grip is a standard A2 with the finger hook on the front face. However, the M&P15's trigger guard is integral to the lower receiver. Even so, it does have a bit of extra room—more than enough for a gloved trigger finger. And, if you’re wearing gloves, the 5 pounds of trigger weight are now a good thing.

On the back end, the carbine buffer tube has a mil-spec-shaped M4 carbine stock with six positions for length of pull adjustment. And again, if you’re sighting-in on a nice summer day in shirtsleeves, you’ll find that the length of pull you’ll need while in a blind, all bundled up on a November morning, will differ from the length of pull you need on a pleasant summer’s day. So, you can easily make it shorter to account for the extra insulation. This is one area in which the AR-15, as the modern sporting rifle, has it all over the traditional rifles and carbines.

The M&P15's receiver set is a forged, mil-spec set. However, it gets a Mossy Oak camo coating before it leaves the factory.
The M&P15's receiver set is a forged, mil-spec set. However, it gets a Mossy Oak camo coating before it leaves the factory.

The stock and the gas block each have a sling swivel, so you can easily install a sling for the hike to your blind. In addition—and not that you need it for most uses—the barrel is threaded at the muzzle, and S&W has installed a flash hider. I don’t know of any load for the .300 Blackout that produces enough muzzle blast to need a flash hider, but the company put one there because, well, some of you are going to install a suppressor, and for that, you need threads.

Blackout-Specific Bullets

As previously mentioned, the .300 Blackout was developed to be a heavy-thumper subsonic cartridge. Nevertheless, to use it for hunting calls for a lighter bullet, and that’s where the 110- to 125-grain bullets come in—unlike bullets designed for other cartridges (the .30 Carbine and the 7.62 AK come to mind), for which a stubby projectile is needed or demanded.

Just to fit the action, the Blackout has different needs. In order to feed properly, bullets have to be longer than the Carbine or AK bullets would be, and this means a bullet meant for the AK round won’t be suitable for loading in the Blackout. As a result, the cartridge-and bullet-makers came up with Blackout-specific projectiles.

The trigger guard is integral to the lower receiver but has plenty of room for a gloved finger.
The trigger guard is integral to the lower receiver but has plenty of room for a gloved finger.

Another reason for the longer bullets, besides reliable feeding, is safety. It’s possible to mix up a .300 Blackout cartridge with .223/5.56 ammunition and not notice it while loading it into a magazine. A properly longer bullet in the .300 will wedge into the .223 chamber neck and prevent the bolt from closing (this situation is called a “clue”!). If that happens, you simply work the bolt to extract the improper cartridge, check the rest and continue.

A too-short bullet, in this instance, might allow the bolt to close. But, when you pull the trigger, bad things happen. Very bad things. So, don’t mix ammo; and, if the bolt won’t close, find out why. And don’t use a .300 cartridge loaded with a too-short bullet.

M&P15 Test Results

Testing the M&P15 was easy. I simply swept a suitable array of hunting loads off the shelf, carted the carbine to the range (along with a suitable scope) and had fun.

The lineup, left to right: Hornady 110 V-Max, Barnes 110 TAC-TX, Sig Sauer 120 HT and Remington 125 AccuTip.
The lineup, left to right: Hornady 110 V-Max, Barnes 110 TAC-TX, Sig Sauer 120 HT and Remington 125 AccuTip.

The scope I selected is a new one to me. It’s Primary Arms’ 1-6X24 ACSS-Raptor, which features a 30mm tube and an illuminated reticle. It’s a first focal plane optic, which means that the reticle apparently increases in size as you zoom up to 6X. For fast engagements, it has a reticle with a horseshoe loop, along with a chevron in the center with holdover bars for bullet drop compensation. Primary Arms is asking $400 for this scope—a smoking-good deal! It might sound like overkill, but I chose a Geissele Super Precision mount.

Considering the trajectory and range of the .300 Blackout, you simply (once zeroed) nestle the horseshoe behind the shoulder of the whitetail in question and cleanly press the trigger. As far as trajectory goes, if you sight-in dead on at 100 yards, your drop at 200 is going to be 5 inches. If you sight-in 1 inch high at 100 yards, you’ll be 3 inches low at 200. If you limit yourself to shots out to 180 yards, your bullet is never more than 1½ inches from your line of sight between 20 and 180 yards. Basically, you just point and click.

Those with sharp eyes can opt for a red-dot sight and use the 1X with the variable-power dot to aim with. Just for plinking fun, I parked an Aimpoint Micro m2 on top and had a merry time clanging the steel plates on my club’s 100-yard range.

Simply Stellar M&P15

Accuracy from the M&P15 and the various .300 loads was everything you’d need, and expect, for a hunting rifle. A lightweight carbine, and one with soft recoil, the S&W M&P15 is a stellar tool.

MP15 Range

OK, here’s a comparison—the classic Winchester M94 carbine in .30-30. Here, we have an iron-sighted carbine with no provision to mount a scope. At 6.8 pounds, it fires a .308-inch bullet weighing between 125 and 170 grains. The current standard is 150 grains. The “book” velocity on a 125-grain bullet is approximately 2,500 fps, but you can chronograph a lot of .30-30 ammunition and never see that. Mostly, your 125-grain bullet will be doing (big surprise) 2,400 fps or slightly fewer. Oh, and your .30-30 is always going to be a five-shot lever gun. But, the M&P15 can easily be fed from a five-shot magazine or can use 30-rounders for plinking.

The M&P15 in .300 Blackout gets a 125-grain bullet up to more than 2,300 fps. Sure, that isn’t the more-than-2,400 fps the .30-30 can allegedly do, but with the M&P15, you get a self-loading rifle of the same weight with easy optics mounting options and velocity that’s more than close enough. And really, I’m not sure the difference matters to any whitetail out there.

The bonus Mossy Oak camo pattern is something that comes with the M&P and saves you the work of trying to camo-paint your own flat-black MSR.

If you have a .30-30 and want to hunt with the same rifle your father, grandfather and perhaps even your great-grandfather used, don’t let me stop you. However, the S&W M&P15 Mossy Oak camo in .300 Blackout could be the start of a new tradition.

M&P15 in .300 Blackout Specs
Type: Gas-operated, self-loading rifle
Caliber: .300 Blackout
Capacity: 30+1 rounds
Barrel: 16 in.
Length: 35 in.
Weight: 6 lb., 9 oz.
Trigger: 4.5 lb.
Finish: Anodized aluminum, black oxide steel
MSRP: $ 1,119

For more information on the M&P15, please visit smith-wesson.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gun Maintenance On The Go With Wheeler Engineering

How do you face gun trouble on the go? The Wheeler Engineering Micro Precision Multi-Driver Tool Pen is one of the answers.

How Wheeler Engineering Equips You For Small Jobs:

  • Kit comes with 17 tips, including Phillips, slot, Allen and Torix.
  • Driver's handle is hollow and holds 5, the 12 others are held in a separate tray.
  • The handle also doubles as a wrench.
  • Comes with a handy spring clip to attach to a pocket or in a pack.

“My old man is a television repairman; he’s got the ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.”

That was the assurance Spicoli gave in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

He was wrong, of course, because it takes more than just tools to fix things. However, if you don’t have the tools, you’re out of luck—even if you have the skills.

And portable tools are more likely to be there than non-portable ones.

Long Name, Small Package, Lots of Options

Enter the Wheeler Engineering Micro Precision Multi-Driver Tool Pen, whose name is bigger than the package. This kit comprises a pen-shaped screwdriver handle that’s hollow and a set of 17 tips. Twelve of those are in a separate press-fit tray.

The screwdriver bits are your basics: a Phillips head (curse the man and the widespread adoption of his design!), slot, Allen and Torx tips. The handle/wrench holds five of them; the others will stay in the tray.

These aren’t large tips. You’re not going to be able to snug the action screws to their proper torque limits on a precision rifle. However, what you can do is check the tightness of some scope-mount and ring screws. You can adjust the point of impact of a red-dot sight and tighten smaller screws on various optics. You can adjust the smaller screws on iron sights. You can make sure your various electronics attachments are still tight—and even, if the screw slots are close enough in size, make sure the grip panels on your pistol are tight (you polymer-framed pistoleros: Please ignore that last part).

All of this is in the pen and the 12-pack press-fit holder.

Wheeler Engineering arms you with five bits stored in the handle. You can mix and match and leave the five you need most in the handle.
Wheeler Engineering arms you with five bits stored in the handle. You can mix and match and leave the five you need most in the handle.

The beauty of it is that it will fit into a gear bag, web gear pouch, a cleaning kit or other range essentials and not be noticed until it’s needed.

I don’t go to the range without camera gear (a side effect of being a gun writer), and so the best place for me to stash this tool is in my photo gear case—and also because there are a lot of photographic items that are held on with small screws; the Wheeler micro-set fits those as well.

The last use of the Wheeler micro-set is one some might view as abuse, but I have found that some battery compartment covers are too tight to remove with my bare hands. The smaller slot-head screw tips are good for “convincing” the recalcitrant covers to budge.


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Some Suggestions

If you wish, you can simply dump the five bits out of the handle and replace them with the five most commonly used ones for a given application. Then, put the pen with the bits in the gear for that application and stash the unused ones in the general toolkit box.

You can do this for several applications, with several kits stripped and rebuilt, because the list price for this set is all of $27.

It’s not uncommon to spend that much just establishing a basic zero for a rifle, so having invested three or four lattés-worth of cash for a tool you can keep on hand at all times is just prudent.

Now, a pen-like handle is not going to provide you with a whole lot of torque. But how much torque do you really want to be generating with bits this small? Do you really think a 1/8-inch Allen-head screw is going to stand up to more torque than you can generate with a pen handle?

Spicoli was wrong … but that doesn’t negate the usefulness of tools.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

The Stunning CZ 75 Guncrafter Industries Executive Series

Guncrafter Industries CZ Model 75 1

Improving on the CZ 75? Sounds farfetched, but Guncrafter Industries perfects the classic pistol as only they can.

How Guncrafter's Improves The CZ 75:

  • Each pistol is fully inspected.
  • It's frame is color case-hardened and given a clear Cerakote finish.
  • The slides have the flats polished and are given a hot salt blue finish.
  • The barrel is trimmed flush to the slide, and then it’s treated to a re-crowning.
  • All internals are inspected, tuned and polished.

The CZ-75 pistol came about because the Czechs were trying to do the right thing.

Working within the Warsaw Pact, they were using their experience as firearms designers and manufacturers to make what the Soviet system wanted. Alas, what the Russians wanted (which was what really mattered) were clones of their issue firearms, the AK-47 and Makarov. The Czechs couldn’t earn hard currency selling the same firearms the Russians were giving away, so they had to make different, market-desired firearms.

And that’s how the world got a high-capacity, double-stack 9mm pistol with a traditional double-action trigger … and the world’s sexiest grip.

No, really; the grip of the CZ-75 (first offered in that year, of course) was so ergonomic that no less than Jeff Cooper—of Gunsite and the 1911—liked it. He liked it enough to encourage the design and manufacture of the Bren Ten, which was a disaster of the first order but did give us the 10mm pistol cartridge. OK, so we’re square there.

The CZ-75 was not, however, available here, in the United States: Because the Czechs (and the Slovaks, with whom they had been combined into one country, later to amicably split) were Communists, we couldn’t buy their products.

The provided magazine with the SP-01 holds 19 rounds, and you can make that even more with a bigger baseplate.
The provided magazine with the SP-01 holds 19 rounds, and you can make that even more with a bigger baseplate.

Yes, we could buy Communist Chinese firearms, but not Czechoslovakian ones. Not until after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the split and the Czechs jumping in with both feet to a Western market economy.

OK, history lesson over.

Improvements by Guncrafter

The CZ-75 is now made in a dizzying array of models and features and has posted an impressive array of wins on the international competition circuit. The traditional double-action, decried by traditionalists as an impediment to good shooting? Not so much. In fact, in the international circles of competition—IPSC—the CZ action has it all over the various striker-fired pistols for match wins and titles.

Also, the Czech proclivity to use impressively strong steels in its firearms makes the CZ almost indestructible—so much so that when IPSC competitors were first testing the waters for a load known as 9mm Major (very impressive velocities), the CZ-75 platform was most often seen as the surviving pistol.

The Guncrafter upgrade to the classic CZ-75—in this instance, the SP-01.
The Guncrafter upgrade to the classic CZ-75—in this instance, the SP-01.

With all this goodness, how does one improve such a pistol? Simple: Hand it over to Guncrafter Industries.

The basic elements of the Executive Series (the name, “GI,” applies to Guncrafter’s custom CZ-75s) are impressive. Each pistol is fully inspected, because once you get started doing custom work at this level, there’s no going back. Not that the CZ firm would make a bad pistol, but if there’s something that doesn’t quite rise to the level that GI expects, it would be a bad day to find out halfway through the build. Once inspected, each frame is engraved with the GI logo.

All of them get the frame color case-hardened and are then given a clear Cerakote finish. The already-tough Czech steel gets a harder skin with the color case-hardening, and then the color is protected via the clear Cerakote. You’d really have to have acidic sweat (I’ve known a few individuals with this unhappy trait) or really work your ’75 hard to cause the Cerakote to wear enough to expose the color.

The slides have the flats polished and are then given a hot salt blue finish. The barrel is trimmed flush to the slide, and then it’s treated to a re-crowning to ensure the last thing the bore does is hand the bullet off to the atmosphere in a uniform manner.

To disassemble the GI CZ-75, unload and line up the two lines—one each on the slide and frame. Then, push the slide stop out.
To disassemble the GI CZ-75, unload and line up the two lines—one each on the slide and frame. Then, push the slide stop out.

After the internals are, of course, inspected, tuned and, if need be, polished for the best function and trigger pull, the barrel and the small internals are given a DLC finish. Then, each receives a set of Guncrafter industries’ Slim-Tac grips, made of G10.

Model Choices

You have your choice of three models: the Compact, the CZ-75B or the SP-01.

The Compact is just that: a ’75 on which the barrel and slide have been shortened from the standard 4.6 inches of the 75B to 3.75 inches. The magazine capacity is also decreased from the standard 16 to 14 rounds. As an all-steel pistol, it’s going to have soft recoil, and with the 14-round magazine (and frame trimmed to match), it’s going to be easy to conceal—even if its 33 ounces seem a bit heavy. A proper holster will take care of that.

The 75B is the original, with 16 shots in the magazine, a 4.6-inch barrel and slim forward profile that makes re-holstering quite easy (not that re-holstering should be a speed event, but it shouldn’t be a “not a hassle/struggle” event).

The SP-01 is the 75B—but with a frame that extends all the way to the muzzle and which also has an accessory rail machined into it. This model is all-steel, so this factor ups the empty weight of the SP-01 to 41 ounces from the 35 ounces of the 75B.

The CZ-75 frame on the SP-01 has an accessory rail and also adds mass where you want it—ahead of your hands and below the barrel.
The CZ-75 frame on the SP-01 has an accessory rail and also adds mass where you want it—ahead of your hands and below the barrel.

The sights on all three models are fixed, with the rear drift-adjustable and the front pinned into the slide.


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Trigger and Grip

The trigger work improves on the already-excellent CZ trigger design. In IPSC competition, the CZ-75, in various models, has accounted for an impressive number of world championships, as well as nationals in various countries. You can carry this pistol like a 1911, with the hammer cocked and the safety on. You can carry it with the hammer down and the safety off (it doesn’t have a de-cocking system/safety, so you’ll have to lower the hammer yourself).

Even un-tuned, the trigger on a CZ-75 is nice. But once Guncrafter is done with it, it’s superb! The single action is clean and light, and the double action is smooth. The DA stroke feels like a slicked-up revolver trigger, but without the “crunchy” feel a lot of striker-fired pistols have.

The felt recoil from an all-steel, high-capacity 9mm is as soft as you’d imagine. The ergonomic grip makes it even softer, because the ’75 seems to be made for your hand. Accuracy is what you’d expect from a tuned and known-for-accuracy pistol.

Exemplary and Classy

The question you are, no doubt, asking is, “What is this for?”

Well, you could easily use the Compact or 75B as daily carry guns. As I said, with a good holster, the weight isn’t a problem. In fact, the weights of the Compact and 75B are right in line with a lot of carry guns. A G17 weighs 32 ounces empty; a G19 weighs 30 ounces. So, the 75B and the Compact tip the scales at 3 ounces heavier than a comparable polymer pistol. I don’t think 3 ounces is going to be a burden, do you? As an added bonus, the extra 3 ounces, plus the ergonomic grip, will make the use of +P and even +P+ ammunition for defensive use not an ordeal.

Lower right The GI upgrade includes a color case-hardened frame that’s then given a clear Cerakote finish.
Lower right The GI upgrade includes a color case-hardened frame that’s then given a clear Cerakote finish.

Capacity? The flush-fit magazines hold 16 rounds in the full-sized pistol. An extended basepad gets you 19 rounds, and you can get a Taylor Freelance =5 basepad that bumps you up to 21 rounds per magazine.

Disassembly is easy: Unload and remove the magazine. Ease the slide back until the scribed lines on the frame and the slide match up, and press the slide stop pin out from the left side. Remove the slide assembly. Then pull the recoil spring, and then barrel, out of the slide. Hose, scrub, lube and reassemble.

The SP-01 is a superbly spec’d and classy competition gun. Shooting in Production Division, starting with the hammer down and shooting double-action for the first shot, you’ll be in the same company as World and National Champions Eric Grauffel, Angus Hobdell and Matthew Mink.

The 45 ounces of the SP-01 will dampen any recoil from 9mm loads making Minor, and the DA/SA trigger pull has clearly not stopped those competitors from trouncing striker-fire-equipped pistol shooters. For use as a nightstand gun, the SP-01, with its accessory rail, has a perfect place to mount a light or light/laser combo.

CZ 75 Range Results

And finally, unlike polymer-framed pistols, if you find that the GI Slim-Tac grips are just not quite to your liking, you can easily swap them from an embarrassingly large host of choices in color, shape, texture and materials.

As custom guns go, the price of these pistols is reasonable. Their performance is exemplary, and Guncrafter even had them in stock when I last checked.

It’s a sweet deal on a smoking-hot 9mm pistol; one that will, depending on your needs, provide defense or match victories. And it looks good as well.

So, what are you waiting for?

Guncrafter Industries CZ-75 Specs
Type: Locked-action, self-loading pistol
Caliber: 9x19mm
Capacity: 16+1 rounds
Barrel: 4.6 in.
Length: 7.75 in.
Weight: 41 oz.
Trigger: 5 lb.
Finish: Blued slide, color case-hardened frame
MSRP: $1,675 (Compact & 75B); $2,175 (SP-01)

For more information on the CZ 75 Guncrafter Industries Executive Series, please visit guncrafterindustries.com.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Gaining A Ballistic Data Edge With Labradar

The Labradar doesn’t use skyscreens, so there’s nothing to accidentally shoot. The readout gives you all the information you might need: average, high and low, and more.
The Labradar doesn’t use skyscreens, so there’s nothing to accidentally shoot. The readout gives you all the information you might need: average, high and low, and more.

Forget traditional chronographes and their potentially shaky readings. The cutting-edge Labradar makes collecting critical data easy.

What Is The Advantage Of Labradar:

  • Doesn't rely on light for readings.
  • Records data at different distances, giving you a more complete picture.
  • Capable of collecting the average velocity of a set, the high and low, the standard deviation, among other data.
  • Unlike most chronos, the radar can collect shotgun load data.

As a gun writer, I have to chronograph constantly. And, as a long-time shooter, reloader and competitor, every chrono I’ve ever owned, I’ve shot. Every. Single. One.

Until Labradar.

The difference is that the Labradar (also known as “Big Orange”) uses radar, not skyscreens. With multiple settings, there are several ways you can use it, but I find the simplest is triggered radar. That means the vibrations—on the casing—of the sound of the shot trigger the radar pulse that then reads the bullet.

When I was using skyscreens, life could be tough. My gun club ranges are down in pits, with the berms on all sides 20 to 60 feet high and with trees on top. In the winter, I had enough light to chrono—more or less—from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. With radar, I could chrono by the light of a full moon … or no moon at all.

Yes, It Has its Quirks

Now, the Labradar is not without its quirks. It uses six AA batteries, and they don’t last long. I keep a couple of cheap USB batteries in the chrono box. Those are the ones you can use to juice up your smartphone when the battery gets low. I routinely plug in one of these when I set up and run Big Orange off the USB battery (but you still have to have the AAs installed).

The radar beam is not wide. So, even after you’ve aimed Big Orange, you have to find the sweet spot. Once I find the spot on the backstop that works, I note where my feet are and make sure I’m always lined up the same way.
It takes a moment to read, so you can’t shoot any faster than a shot a second, if that. No big deal; I’m not trying to shoot fast when I’m chronoing.

What You Get

What you get is a system that lets you adjust many details. You can set the distance it reads from—that is, the distance of the bounce-back signal—so you’re always reading from the same point, I routinely use 15 feet at the read spot. You can also have it show you the velocity of the bullet at other distance, out to 100 yards or so, or until it loses the return signal. I’m sure others will find that useful; I just want the 15-foot number.


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You can also get the average velocity of a set, the high and low, the standard deviation—all the details you want or need. It’s also possible to save the data to a card and plug that into your computer later for saving, putting into a spreadsheet, etc.

There’s one more thing that makes the Labradar such a big deal: You can chrono shotgun loads. It isn’t easy for skyscreens to handle the shadows of a shotgun payload with the shot cup and maybe over-powder cards, etc. What really causes problems are the skyscreens being stripped off the rail by errant wads, cards, sabots and muzzle blast. The Labradar, like the honey badger, “don’t care.”

Storage and Tripod

I use an MTM storage box, the ACR5 Ammo Crate, to store the Labradar, batteries, tape, staple gun—you know, all the impedimenta of chronoing that you have to have (well, gun writers have to have). I also picked up a sturdy but inexpensive tripod and leave it on the shelf with the ammo crate.

In addition, I used a label-maker to mark “chrono” and “tripod” on the crate so that I know the chrono crate from the other crates (yes, I love MTM products) and as a reminder to bring the tripod.

A Clean Sweep

I walked by the Labradar booth at the SHOT show. As soon as I saw the chrono, I had to have one and asked the Labradar representative to send me one as soon as the company was sending writer’s samples. I told every gun writer I ran into that day to go find the Labradar booth.

In due time, my Big Orange arrived. I tested it, loved it and was determined to keep it (you might think that gun writers get lots of free stuff. Sometimes, we do. But some products, especially those from small makers, aren’t free).

So, when the Labradar folks named a price, I said, “Sure, I’ll send you a check.” The Labradar boss remarked, “Well, that makes it a clean sweep.” Clean sweep? Yes. You see, every gun writer Labradar had sent a sample to said they would rather pay and not send it back when they were told its price.

When a group of people—in this case, gun writers (who are universally cheap and accustomed to getting freebies)—all say, “I’ll pay,” you know it’s something worth having.

Since receiving the Labradar, I haven’t touched the skyscreen chronos, and I might just give all of them away—except one, just as an insurance policy.

The article originally appeared in the January 2020 issues of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Going Old School: Carrying The Browning Hi Power

Hi Power 4

The world is not yet all polymer. Classics, such as the Browning Hi Power, have tried and true place in concealed carry.

There was a time when blued steel and walnut ruled the planet; when “plastic” meant crappy things made in Japan; and when the FBI actually trusted its agents to carry personally owned firearms.

A Tale of ‘Disappointment’

I was at work one day at The Gun Room in the very early 1980s, a storefront gun shop on Telegraph Road just a major league ball throw from the Detroit border. A woman walked in, looked around and marched up to the counter.

“I went next door, and no one was there. I heard a man’s voice in the back room.”

Next door was a florist’s shop, run by women, most or all of whom had experienced messy separations from their ex-spouses. This was not good.

When the author was testing the Hi Power, he brought a box full of magazines he’d load for the range trip. They included early 13-round, a fistful of 20-round and even a few orphan 10-shot magazines. Hey, they all work, and they’re all good for practice—even the 10-shot mags.
When the author was testing the Hi Power, he brought a box full of magazines he’d load for the range trip. They included early 13-round, a fistful of 20-round and even a few orphan 10-shot magazines. Hey, they all work, and they’re all good for practice—even the 10-shot mags.

Mike, another Gun Room employee, got on the phone to call the police department, and Dave (another shop employee) and one of our customers—an FBI agent—headed out the front to see what was up. I went to the back door, grabbed the nearest shop gun on the way and cracked open the back door to take a peek. All I could see was that the back door of the florist shop was open.

What I did have time to grab was a Colt Detective Special—not exactly comforting, but I figured I’d have the drop if things went badly, and I could always yank the door shut, regroup with a shotgun and re-join the “festivities” if things went past six rounds.

I saw movement, and just as I was about to push the door open some more, I realized I was looking at a brown delivery uniform. The women had gotten a delivery and had forgotten to put up the counter sign that read, “In back; back in a minute.”

Dave and the FBI agent had gone in the front door, and when the women and UPS guy came out from the back, the look they gave Dave and the agent was priceless. This was Detroit, remember, back when it was wilder than the Wild, Wild West. Our neighbor was apparently a little put out—not at armed men, but that the armed men who had come to “rescue“ her hadn’t at least brought shotguns!

You can tell the MKIII from the others: The bottom of the frame is grooved to denote the MKIII model.
You can tell the MKIII from the others: The bottom of the frame is grooved to denote the MKIII model.

What the FBI agent did have was a Browning Hi Power (this was before the FBI Hostage Rescue Teams had adopted it).

The Browning Hi Power

The FBI Hostage Rescue Team Hi Powers were built by Wayne Novak, with Wayne’s sights, stippling, reliability work (not that the Hi Power needed much, even back then) and some judicious polishing where it made things run better.

Wayne still makes Hi Powers to this spec, if you want one; and if you do, the one to have built is the MKIII—not the earlier ones. (Wayne offers a package for the MKIIIs he has on hand.)

The MKIII differs from earlier P35s in a few ways. The main one is that the frame is no longer made from a forging. Forged steel can be strong, but when you have to machine away over 90 percent of the steel from a forged lump, you can’t get too enthusiastic about high-strength alloys. The tool wear becomes prohibitive. In fact, when FN decided to make .40 S&W models, it had to go with castings, which could be made of much stronger alloys.

5 Shot Leather’s LFA-1 holster the author had made for his Novak HRT Hi Power.
5 Shot Leather’s LFA-1 holster the author had made for his Novak HRT Hi Power.

You can tell an MKIII from earlier models by looking at the base of the frame, where the magazine well opening is. MKIII pistols have a series of scribed lines in the direction of the muzzle to indicate their provenance.

Now, this only matters if you plan on putting a lot of ammo through your BHP. Yep, this pistol has been around so long that it has a slew of monikers—BHP, P35, Hi Power—and that’s before we get to the really old ones, such as the World War II models (the Inglis, for example).

Wayne built mine on an MKIII, and in the course of testing it and writing about it for various articles, I ended up putting 23,000 rounds through it (well, that was the count some years ago. I stopped counting. Now, it could be a few thousand higher).

In all that time, I only experienced two malfunctions. One was cartridge-caused: I was putting 400 rounds per shooting session through it, and a lot of those consisted of lead bullet reloads. (The math is grim and, had I known, I might not have said “yes” to the project. Four hundred rounds a range trip, once a week, means 57.5 weeks of nonstop shooting. Yes, I spent a year shooting that pistol!) One reloaded round had a big glob of bullet lube on the side of the case, and that meant it would not fully chamber.

5 Shot Leather’s LFA-1 holster the author had made for his Novak HRT Hi Power.
5 Shot Leather’s LFA-1 holster the author had made for his Novak HRT Hi Power.

The other was magazine-related: A bunch of the magazines were 20-round mags. One of those was high mileage, and the spring in it finally decided to give up. A new spring, and it was back to new.

Takeaways

So, what did I learn in a year of shooting a BHP?

First, it still bites if you aren’t careful. Wayne trims the back of the hammer to almost eliminate the bite, but if your hand is big or fleshy or your grip is really high and tight (like mine), you might get nipped. You can adjust; it just takes a bit of practice.

Second, most of the sights are archaic. One glance at period-correct sights in a Hi Power, and you’ll happily have them changed to Novaks.

Novak’s installs night sights, because half the time, it’s dark outside.
Novak’s installs night sights, because half the time, it’s dark outside.

Third, the factory-equipped safety is as small as the sights. The P35 dates from (you guessed it) 1935, and back then, militaries were in the habit of packing pistols with the hammer down on an empty chamber. A thumb safety was almost superfluous to them.

The good news? Better safeties can be had. The Novak HRT model comes with a better safety. Cylinder & Slide makes better safeties—and even ambi safeties—for the Hi Power. It’s a bit more involved to install than the 1911 safety, so it would be prudent to have an experienced P38 pistol smith do the work.

Some feel the P35 is not up to a diet of 9mm+P ammo. Yes, the older ones, I’d agree. The MKIIIs are better-suited to such ammo, but most people find a +P load to be more work than it’s worth, even in other pistols.

BHP Care and Feeding

Taking care of the BHP is easy. Older guns might have what is called a “hump” or “angled” feed ramp. The BHP has one angle at the start, and then, it pitches over to a different angle on the approach to the chamber. Newer models have a single-angle ramp, and the old ones can be cut to the new (and better) shape.

This is the kind of accuracy you can expect from a Hi Power. Find what yours likes, feed it that, and life will be good.
This is the kind of accuracy you can expect from a Hi Power. Find what yours likes, feed it that, and life will be good.

Recoil springs are easy; Wolff has them, and you’ll want the standard 17-pound spring. The BHP is known to be hard on springs, but at $8 per spring, is it really an onerous cost to replace it every 5,000 rounds? (Realistically, that’s at least $900 in ammo costs … and your buddy whines about spring prices?!)

The original magazines were listed as 13 rounds per, and the old information had us believing the SAS only loaded 12 rounds for reliability. Mec-Gar makes two modern magazines for the Hi Power that hold either 13 or 15 rounds and fit flush to the frame. Every pistol is different, and your hold, ammo and who-knows-what could change things. So, test and know.

Holsters

Really—you have to ask? The beauty of classics such as the Browning Hi Power is that they’ve been around for so long and produced in such numbers that anyone who makes holsters offers a holster for them.

If you’re a fan of classic leather to go with your classic pistol, Galco has all the choices. When I had my HRT pistol built, I contacted John Ralston of 5 Shot Leather to build me a carry rig. I asked for an LFA-1 (a design pioneered by Lou Alessi) and a matching spare mag pouch.

The original thumb safety is small and not usable. Novak’s installs a proper one.
The original thumb safety is small and not usable. Novak’s installs a proper one.

If you’re not a fan of leather (those in seriously hot and damp climates might find leather to be suffering), Kydex is the answer. Blade Tech offers a classic OWB (outside the waistband) that will stand up to hard use better than you will. And, if you want a combination of leather for comfort and Kydex for durability, CrossBreed has a number of options for you.

Old-School Gets the Job Done

Do I carry my Novak HRT Hi Power? Not really. I like it too much! I’ve written about it and would hate to have it languishing in an evidence locker—with some officer’s initials scratched into it—for years until any case against me were settled. But I do have an MKII built to much the same specs; I have no such attachment to it.

Hi Power Range Results

A BHP, along with a spare magazine, gives you 27 to 31 rounds of 9mm problem-solving solutions. Old-school got the job done then; it’ll get the job done now.

Oh, and the HRT Hi Powers? As far as anyone knows (those who do aren’t saying much), when they were retired from active service, replaced by 1911s, the Clinton administration had them fed into choppers and smelters ( … just one of the lesser crimes committed by that tawdry group).

Browning Hi Power Specs
Type: Locked-action, self-loading pistol
Caliber: 9×19
Capacity: 13+1 rounds
Barrel: 4.6 in.
Length: 7.75 in.
Weight: 35 oz.
Trigger: 5 lb.
Finish: Blued steel or stainless
MSRP: Price varies
Maker: Browning/FN
Novak Custom: $2,995 package, complete with pistol

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the 2020 Concealed Carry issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


Bone Up On Browning:

Always Enough Ammo: Rock Island TAC Series 1911 Pistols

Rock Island Tac 2

Grazing off hi-cap Para magazines, the 9mm Rock Island TAC series keeps plenty on tap for anything that goes bump in the night.

Why The Rock Island TAC Series Is An Ideal Home-Defense Pistol:

  • Utilizing Para Ordinance magazines, the pistol can potentially 22-rounds of 9mm on tap.
  • A weighty 3-pounds, the all-steel 1911 is extremely mild to shoot, even with +P loads.
  • Its lightweight trigger is easy to manage and accurate to boot.
  • G10 grips keep your hands tightly in control.
  • Boasting a magazine funnel, the pistol is lightning fast to reload.
  • An accessories rail lets you tack on a light for nighttime work.

One of the “evergreen” tactical problems that some obsess over is how and when to do a proper reload. Entire book chapters have been devoted to this subject, as well as countless magazine articles.

After all, it would be most embarrassing to be standing at the pearly gates, trying to explain to Saint Peter, “Well, I would have done all right if I’d just had another round or two to use.” The mockery you’d receive from those behind you in line who “knew” they would have done better might be unbearable. (Do they issue halos with an asterisk in heaven?)

Here’s a solution: Have enough ammo in your pistol so that you don’t need to reload. Instead of six, seven or 10 rounds, how about 17 rounds—or even more—and in a pistol that holds a light, has enough heft so that recoil isn’t a problem and that will work and work and work? In other words, how about a steel, high-capacity 9mm 1911 … as in the Rock Island TAC series?

The Rock Island TAC Series

So, take a competition-bred hi-cap 9mm, make it tactical-adapted and have it on your nightstand ready to go. Does that sound like a deal? (Cost? We’ll get to that.)

You can start with the flush magazine for 17+1 rounds. Additionally, you can use, or add, an extended baseplate to gain a couple more rounds. This is a good start.
You can start with the flush magazine for 17+1 rounds. Additionally, you can use, or add, an extended baseplate to gain a couple more rounds. This is a good start.

The Rock Island TAC series on the hi-cap frames are built around the design of the Para Ordnance magazines and frame size (“built around?”—we’ll get into that). The Para is no more, but the established market of pistols means that magazines are readily available (assuming you live in a state that allows them), and they’ve been competition tested (that’s another thing we’ll discuss).

It was fashionable awhile ago to pooh-pooh competition guns as “range queens,” “maintenance hogs” or fussy, match-only guns that choked at the first sign of trouble. Well, that might have been the case when Ronald Reagan was in office, but it hasn’t been the case for decades. The guns you see on ranges these days are the most tested, proven and reliable guns to be had, because there’s a lot of loot, glory and status to be gained with reliability (not to mention personal safety), and those lessons have come down to production guns.

So, the Rock Island pistols are reliable and accurate.

The Rock Island TAC series use the hi-cap Para magazines, holding 17 rounds of 9mm per. If you want more (and who doesn’t?), you simply ring up or click on Taylor Freelance, and Robin and the crew will send you some magazine extensions. These will add four rounds to the count (a few magazines might add only three. That’s one of those quirks of the business beyond the control of anyone involved). That means you’ll be starting the “Bump-in-the-Night Olympics” with 22 rounds in the gun. When you do order extensions, be sure and specify in this case that you have a Rock Island pistol.

When it comes to 9mm ammunition, there are a lot of choices for practice and defense. Find what works for your situation and what your pistol likes.
When it comes to 9mm ammunition, there are a lot of choices for practice and defense. Find what works for your situation and what your pistol likes.

And a reload gets you 21 more, should you be that deep in trouble.

A full-sized 9mm TAC (you can have a commander-sized one if you want) will tip the scales at 3 pounds. That’s 48 ounces. And, if you find the recoil of 9mm ammo from a 48-ounce pistol is too much, you need to re-think your options. Because it’s all steel, the TAC is going to shrug off 9mm+P loads, and the recoil will still be mild.

So Many Subtleties

The frame has a dust cover with a full-length accessory rail, so there’s almost no option you can’t mount there. Any light that’s made-to-fit-a-Picatinny” rail will fit.

There’s a lightweight trigger and, because this is a 1911, the trigger pull will be a lot easier to handle than on a basic plastic striker-fired 9mm. On the back end is an ambidextrous thumb safety, along with a generous grip safety and beavertail tang, so you’ll have a solid grip, recoil control and ease of shooting.

Rock Island TAC Specs

Below all that is a set of aggressively textured G10 grips that are designed to keep your hands tightly in control of the pistol and recoil.

At the bottom of the frame there’s an accessory that comes to you courtesy of the competition lessons learned: a magazine funnel. Yes, a tapered-top, hi-cap magazine is easy to reload, but a funnel makes it even easier. And, if your hands are the right size, the lip of the funnel acts to lock your grip in place even tighter. If you want a bigger funnel, you can have one, but the competition-sized funnels can get to humongous proportions. And, here’s a plus: The bigger funnel acts even more to give your hand a bottom ledge to lock into and keep your grip secure.


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The slide has cocking serrations front and rear, which some shooters object to. They’ll often call the front serrations “holster shredders.” However, this pistol is meant for home defense, so it won’t be seeing a lot of holster use. And even if it does, the price of a shredded holster (which takes a lot of work to achieve) is a small price to pay for all these features.

The ejection port is lowered and sculpted at the rear, and there’s no way 9mm brass is going to fail to exit the scene after it’s been used to fire a round. The sights are also competition tested and proven. The fiber-optic front presents you with a red-dot in the blade—a dot that’s illuminated by ambient light. The rear sight is a low-profile, but adjustable, sight dovetailed into the slide, and it has paired white dots, one on each side of the notch. This is about as fast a setup as you’ll get (short of installing a red-dot optic).

The two white dots on the rear sight work well with the red fiber-optic front blade.
The two white dots on the rear sight work well with the red fiber-optic front blade.

Inside, the barrel has an integral feed ramp, so the cases are fully supported, offering even more support to +P ammunition. The 5-inch barrel is going to wring out just about all the velocity any 9mm load can produce … and, these days, some of them can really generate some energy. Keep in mind, however, that hi-cap 1911s are not all sunshine and roses—they can be a handful.

The mainspring housing is flat and checkered—flat to let you get a grip and checkered to make that grip non-slip. The front strap is smooth, except for a small set of grooves, top to bottom, along the centerline. Rock Island frames are made of ordnance steel—4140 alloy—that’s given a durable, parkerized finish.

Fully checkering the frame would be expensive, so if you really feel you need a surface that’s even more non-slip than the grooves provide, do what the competition shooters do: Put a strip or swathe of skateboard tape on the front strap (for the tightest bond, degrease the front strap first).

Lights and Ammo Choices

What about a light?

There’s no lack of tactical lights for pistols; and here, you’ll have to make a decision based on your situation: What’s the farthest distance you’ll need to light up? How wide an area? What’s the background? The first time I took a super-lumen tactical light to search inside a house that was for sale, the reflection off the newly painted Navaho white walls almost blinded me. So, consider where you’ll be using the light, your needs and what options you have. In this instance for sure, there’s no such thing as “one size fits all.”

Similarly, you’ll want to tailor your bullet penetration to the task at hand. No one else to worry about? Use FBI-compliant ammo for penetration. Family members in adjacent rooms? You might want to consider loads that are less penetrating. As always, pick tools for the task … such as the Rock Island hi-cap 9mm.

An accessory rail is a great place to put a light, because when you pick up the pistol, you also have a light at your disposal. No two-handed juggling will be involved.
An accessory rail is a great place to put a light, because when you pick up the pistol, you also have a light at your disposal. No two-handed juggling will be involved.

Testing the Rock Island TAC 9mm wasn’t any kind of an ordeal: It was a pleasant day at the range for me to generate chrono data, accuracy results and do a bunch of falling-plate drills.

Keeping In Mind … The Last Detail Is Price

Competition guns can be expensive. However, the TAC 9mm is a defensive gun with competition tuning. Its MSRP is just over $900.

Sure, you can get a plastic, striker-fired pistol for less than that, but you lose the nice trigger and the extra recoil-killing weight. Magazines are still readily available (I don’ foresee a time when you won’t be able to source a Para or Para-derived magazine), and they generally cost between $30 and $40 per. For instance, a Taylor Freelance magazine basepad that adds rounds will run you $35.

The Rock Island Armory TAC uses what the industry calls the “short-frame” magazine dimension. Consequently, you’ll want RIA-specific magazine extensions; and, if you order from a company other than Rock Island (but why would you?), make sure to buy magazines that are full length.

Rock Island Tac 3

I have a drawer full of Para and Para-derived magazines, so when it came time to set up the Rock Island TAC, it was easy to simply haul the drawer to the range, check what fit and then range-test them in order to build a set comprising the TAC 9mm pistol, a main magazine and one or two spares. You probably don’t have a drawer like that, so buy Rock Island Armory mags—or be absolutely clear when ordering from another vendor.

At Your Bedside

With a bit of diligence, you’ll have an ensemble that has 64 rounds of 9mm at your beck and call. And, just to be clear: My Rock Island TAC looks a bit different, because I’ve had it here, at “Gun Abuse Central,” for a few years now. Rock Island changed the markings, but the pistol you’ll find today is the same solidly built hi-cap.

So, there you have it: enough ammo so that a reload is now a very, very small likelihood. But, if you do, there’s plenty more in the next one or two. This, in a soft-recoiling, accurate pistol with a light attached, all ready to go on the nightstand (and locked in the safe when you go to work each day) for security where you live. All this for not a lot of money.
Is this still a great country, or what?

Rock Island Armory TAC Series Specs
Type: Locked-action, self-loading pistol
Caliber: 9x19mm
Capacity: 17+1 rounds
Barrel: 5 in.
Length: 8.75 in.
Weight: 48 oz.
Trigger: 5 lb.
Finish: Parkerized steel frame and slide
Grips: G10 tactical
MSRP: $906

The article originally appeared in the April 2020 issues of Gun Digest the Magazine.

The Godsend: The Delta Series Compact AR Tool

The Delta Series Compact AR Tool proves the ol’ cliche true: Big things often come in small packagets.
The Delta Series Compact AR Tool proves the ol’ cliche true: Big things often come in small packagets.

Wheeler Engineering offers that one little piece of gear you can’t live without in the Delta Series Compact AR Tool.

What The Delta Series Compact AR Tool Includes:

  • AR Carbon Multi-Scraper tool
  • 5/64″ HEX, 7/64″ HEX, 1/8″ HEX
  • Pivot and Takedown Punch
  • #2 Phillips
  • Bolt Waist Scraper
  • Interior BCG Scraper
  • T10 TORX, T15 TORX, T20 TORX
  • A2 Front Sight Tool
  • 3/16″ FLAT, 3/4″ WRENCH, 1/2″ WRENCH
  • Castle Nut Wrench

So, there you are at the range, having fun with your AR (or other firearm), and you realize something’s wrong: Something’s loose.

You can’t continue unless you tighten it. What—no toolkit? Your gun bag is sans tools?

With a few mutters, you check your car/truck/SUV. No tools. With louder muttering, you check the clubhouse at the gun club. Surely, someone has left a screwdriver lying around—something, anything. Nope; nothing.

Now, with vile curses, you load everything back into your vehicle and sullenly drive home … knowing that within five minutes of getting home, you’ll have the problem solved. If you’d just had a toolkit with you, you could’ve solved the problem there.

Well, how about a toolkit that sits in your gear bag or even your rifle case, ready, just in case?

Big Name, Great Tool

Enter Wheeler Engineering, a division of Caldwell. The tool in particular that is this month’s subject is the Delta Series Compact AR Tool, a name almost as big as the tool.

OK, what we’re looking at is a flat rectangle of stainless steel that will slide nicely into a pouch or compartment of your gun bag. An array of tools resides on its two axles. On one end are three sizes of Allen bits (5/64, 7/64 and 1/8 inch), a Phillips head screwdriver #2, and AR bolt and carrier scrapers.

The round-ended one is the bolt tail scraper for the inside of the carrier. The hole through it is for the bolt tail itself.

The other scraper has a lifting hook for the cotter pin, a cam pin scraper, bolt lug scraper, primer pin scraper and a bolt face scraper (and I’m pretty sure that in a pinch, one of these will work to lift the pull tab on a soda can!).

On the other axle are three sizes of torx drivers (T10, T15 and T20), a front sight adjustment tool and a straight-blade screwdriver with a 3/16-inch flat. In the middle of the assembly is a bar that has a ½-inch wrench opening, ¾-inch wrench opening and a castle nut wrench.

Lots and Lots of Uses

Basically, if there’s anything that comes loose on your gun—anything that can be screwed or wrenched—the Delta Series Compact AR Tool will tighten it; maybe not to the arsenal torque spec, but surely tight enough to get you through the day’s practice and back home again.

And while you’re tightening things, you can also be scraping the carbon off. (You haven’t done that recently, have you? Now’s the time.)


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If you don’t want the Delta Series Compact AR Tool floating around in a mag pouch or banging into other gear in your shooting bag, leave it in the pouch it came in. It’s a heavy-duty woven and formed nylon pouch with a snap. This pouch will ensure the AR Tool stays away from other tools or gear.

You can see the castle nut wrench on the right, along with the torx drivers, front sight tool and screwdriver.
You can see the Delta Series Compact AR Tool has a castle nut wrench on the right, along with the torx drivers, front sight tool and screwdriver.

Now, would I build an AR-15 using the Wheeler tool? No; I have tools much better suited to the assembly of a rifle than this one.

However, by the same token, I’m not going to haul that toolkit (which weighs about 15 pounds) out to the range every time I take an AR for practice, drills or testing. Heavens, no. In fact, I don’t take up trunk or cargo bed space with a hydraulic jack in case I need to change a tire. I have the emergency jack my vehicle came with, and I’ll make it work.

That’s what the Delta Series Compact AR Tool is for: If your scope gets loose or the castle nut gets loose (you should have staked it, I’m telling you), you can deal with the problem without having to drive home.

A Word to the Wise

The Delta Series Compact AR Tool doesn’t cost much: just over $30. It doesn’t weigh much or take up much room, so having one in your range bag, gear bag or rifle case—just in case—is prudent … because the tools left in the clubhouse or the work shed of your gun club just aren’t going to cut it (that is, if there are any).

The article originally appeared in the December 2019 issues of Gun Digest the Magazine.

AR-15 Brass Deflector: A Neat Solution From KET

The “cape,” or deflector, is attached to the cross piece—ready to deflect brass and drop it right at your feet.
The “cape,” or deflector, is attached to the cross piece—ready to deflect brass and drop it right at your feet.

So, picking up spent cases is a drag, particularly if your AR kicks them all over hell and high water. Which is what makes Kinetic Energy Tools brass deflector an out-and-out godsend.

How This Brass Deflector Cuts Clean-Up Time:

  • Attaches to a scope or Picatinny rail.
  • Deflects spent brass straight down in one spot.
  • Made of heavy-duty, heat-resistant nylon and is durable for thousands of rounds.
  • Folds up to fit in a range bag.

Some people fuss—even obsess—over AR-15 brass ejection direction and distance. I’m pretty easygoing about which way it goes and how far. Except.

Except when I have to pick it up. My gun club has a “you-shot-it-you-pick-it-up” policy. I know; I wrote the club’s rule book. Literally.

So, there’s your AR brass, strewn all over the range, even when you were standing in one spot. What to do?

Well, there’s the military or CMP gizmo, which is a plastic deflector that clips into the carry handle of your AR.

Oh, wait! No carry handle? And no desire to simply change the direction? And the CMP device is just there to keep from tossing brass on the guy next to you.

Kinetic Energy Tools To The Rescue

The Kinetic Energy Tools (KET) brass deflector is simplicity itself. You take one of the three plastic clips, and you attach the tongue to it. Then, slide the plastic stiffener into the tongue. Clip the assembly onto the top rail of your AR-15. Every AR has a top rail these days, right? Then, you attach the deflector cape onto the clip.

Voilà! Your brass is dropped at your feet. You could, if you were diligent enough, even put a cardboard box at your feet right where the brass drops and have the majority of it fall into the box and save you time.

If you have a scope attached where the clip would go, use one of the two scope clips (one clip is 1 inch; the other is 30mm). The three clips are necessary simply because some people, even though they have a top rail on their receiver, have the rail so crowded with optics that the only place left is on a scope.

The tongue has a length of hook-and-loop fastener on it, and you can adjust just where and at what angle the “cape” (deflector) sticks in place.

Here, you see the KET clip on the top rail, with the attachment panel standing out over the ejection port.
Here, you see the KET clip on the top rail, with the attachment panel standing out over the ejection port.

Now, someone will probably get the bright idea of “Let’s stick a bag on there and save the picking up.” Bad idea: The weight of the brass will hamper your aim, and you’ll build bad habits of swaying and compensating for the weight.

Light Bulb Moment

The deflector is made of heavy-duty fabric—what appears to be Cordura nylon—and you can have your brass deflector in any of six colors or color combinations.

There are also two hook-and-loop panels, so you can attach a morale patch, club patch or other extra if you wish to have that look.


Best-Brass-Deflector (1)

Keep Ejected Brass In One Spot

The KET Brass Deflector attaches to scopes and Picatinny rails dropping spent brass to the ground by the shooter’s feet. Clean up has never been easier. Get Yours Now


Because it’s lightweight and heat resistant (not that I expect to subject my brass deflector to any significant heat. But it’s nice to know that hot brass won’t be a problem), you can use it until it gets so grubby from powder residue, dirt, grime and mud from the range that you can’t stand to touch it. Remove any patches and just slosh it around in some soapy water, rinse, and leave it in the sun to dry—but don’t leave it where some light-fingered member of your gun club might see it.

When you’re done shooting, pop it off your rifle, fold or wad it up, and stuff it back into your range bag for the next time. The whole combo takes up less space—a lot less—than a 20-round AR-15 magazine.

This brass deflector is definitely one of those forehead-smacking, “why-didn’t-I-think-of-this?!” ideas. And, at the price ($33), you’d be wise to get two—not because it’s such a hassle to move it from one rifle to the next, but because you’re going to stuff it into a range bag or a rifle case at the end of the day and probably use a different bag or case for your next trip. In that case, what do you do? Why, you use your backup KET Brass Deflector, of course.

For more information on the Brass Deflector, please visit kineticenergytools.com.

The article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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Snap Safe TrekLite: Gun Security On The Go

Composed of rugged polycarbonate and securable nearly anywhere, the Snap Safe TrekLite keeps your gun under lock and key anywhere you roam.

The Snap Safe TrekLite is large enough to hold a Government model and a spare magazine or two.
The Snap Safe TrekLite is large enough to hold a Government model and a spare magazine or two.

OK, you have a CPL (and who doesn’t these days?), but there are still places you can’t go when you are carrying. If you are smart, you keep a laminated card in your car to remind you, Can I go into XYZ? while carrying.

And if you can’t?

Just leaving your sidearm tucked underneath the seat while you “only take a minute” to go into the post office, DMV office or bank is an invitation to disaster. If it’s gone upon your return, you have many headaches, possible liability and perhaps even revocation of your CPL … and that’s if nothing is done with your “missing” firearm.

So, lock it up.

TrekLite Safe

The TrekLite from Snap Safe is just the ticket for that. Instead of a heavy steel box, which can rust if left in the car, you have a rugged polycarbonate-made box that’s not only lockable, it can also be secured to the car.

The box is big enough to hold a 1911 Government model or similar-sized carry gun. So, there’s room for the pistol, the magazine or magazines, a knife and all the stuff you usually carry but isn’t allowed where you are going.

The lid locks with a key that you keep with you. The box is tightly fitted and tough enough so that someone isn’t going to be prying it open without “manly” tools (if someone can get it open bare handed, they probably don’t need a pistol).


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Anchoring Cable

A bonus is the anchoring cable. It’s really stout and vinyl coated, and the securing method to the box does not protrude into the box. As a result, you don’t have to worry about your anchor marring your blaster.

To anchor the TrekLite in place, loop the cable around or through something. Then, loop it through itself before attaching it to the TrekLite safe.
To anchor the TrekLite in place, loop the cable around or through something. Then, loop it through itself before attaching it to the TrekLite safe.

Loop the cable around a seat bolster in your car or truck and then through itself. Slip the end into the slot in the box, add your pistol and extras, and lock it. Tuck it out of sight, and it’ll be there when you return.

A quick aside here: Some will advise that you unload the pistol when storing it. Me? I figure the more you’re handling it—simultaneously trying to stay inconspicuous—the greater your chances are of having an accident.

So, my process is to get myself settled, get the box ready and then take a final look around. Then, in an easy, smooth, unremarkable motion, I draw and slide the pistol in and close the lid. When returning to my car, I look to make sure no one is paying attention (it’s remarkable how much you can “disappear” if you don’t draw attention to yourself), and then I unlock, remove and holster my firearm and get on with life.

The standard rule is that you don’t store a loaded firearm in a safe. However, we have to weigh competing harms here. While in a hotel room, at home or visiting friends or relatives, you have plenty of time—and privacy—to unload and store. With a vehicle, the more you’re moving and the more you’re handling, the greater the chances are of being observed … and the greater the chances of an AD/ND.

As a friend of mine is wont to say, “We each have to find our own salvation.”
I do it my way. If that doesn’t work for you, then do it your way. I won’t judge.

Speaking of hotel scenarios: The Snap Safe TrekLite works great—provided you make sure the metal thing you’re attaching it to can’t be lifted, moved or disassembled. It would really be too bad to attach it to the bed, only to discover later that simply lifting the box spring allowed the safe and its items to be taken.

The cable attaches to the TrekLite in such a way that it won’t scratch your sidearm.
The cable attaches to the TrekLite in such a way that it won’t scratch your sidearm.

The Snap Safe TrekLite is also TSA-approved. In this instance, you use the cable looped around the interior struts of your suitcase; that is, the ones for the trolly handle. You might have to make a couple of slices in the lining to gain access. So, lock your pistol in the safe and then secure it inside the suitcase. Proceed normally with airline rigamarole and TSA regulations. Leave it on top of your clothing, in case TSA wants to see it. And keep the key: The regulations require that if the firearm is unlocked for inspection, it must be done in your presence. Don’t hand over the keys.

The best part of the Snap Safe TrekLite—besides weighing only 25 ounces (less than your sidearm might weigh)? It has an MSRP of $28.

Really, you should buy one just because it’s inexpensive; so if you ever need one in the future, you’ll already have it.

For more information on the Snap Safe Treklite safe, please visit snapsafe.com.

The article originally appeared in the November 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

Sig P210: A Classic For The Ages, Made New

P210 18

Slick lines and even slicker accuracy, the Sig P210 proves an enduring piece of Swiss engineering.

If you hear the phrase “classic IPSC,” your thoughts will probably drift to a single-stack 1911, most likely a Colt, chambered in .45 ACP. It will not have a red dot sight, it won’t have a compensator, and, if you were active back then, it probably has some funky, hand-cut checkering.

The first IPSC World Shoot was held in 1975, in Zurich. The second and third were each a year later, then the three after that at two-year intervals, until, beginning in 1983, the schedule was changed to every three years. The inaugural World Shoot was won by Ray Chapman, using a 1911 in .45. However, the championships were not won with a .45 again until 1979. In between, in Salzburg, Austria, and Salisbury, Rhodesia, they were won with a 9mm. Heresy. Worse yet were the pistols that were used. In 1977, Dave Westerhout used a Browning Hi-Power, and, in 1976, Jan Foss had used a SIG P210. The IPSC world in the late 1970s was all abuzz, and people were fairly concerned. Not only had 9mms been used to win, but one of them had even been a single-stack!

This is a normal target for the P210, as long as the shooter pays attention and does their part.
This is a normal target for the P210, as long as the shooter pays attention and does their part.

Origin Of The Sig 210

The P210 began life before WWII, when the Swiss determined that the M-1900 Lugers they had been using were perhaps not the best military sidearm to be had. In 1900, the Luger was cutting edge, and the .30 Luger cartridge it was chambered in was a real hot number. But, by the late 1920s, it was clearly not up to snuff. So, the Swiss Army embarked on a replacement plan. They liked the technical designs of Charles Petter and licensed the principles of his M1935, which had been adopted by the French. The Swiss wisely adopted the idea, but not the actual French pistol, itself an under-powered little beast. The irony of a Swiss designer developing a French pistol that the Swiss then had to pay to license is a head-scratching one. But I guess Charles wasn’t the first one to find a warmer reception away from home.

Advancing plans for the new gun was slowed with the start of WWII, since the Swiss had bigger problems than replacing useable, albeit less than optimum, sidearms. But the advancement didn’t entirely stop, and, once the war was over, the Swiss proceeded to finish testing and adopting their new pistol. In Swiss service it was known as the Pistole 49, in 9mm Parabellum, .30 Luger, and .22LR. The first and last are obvious choices; the Swiss wanted the 9mm for its greater performance and common availability, while the rimfire made for an inexpensive practice pistol. But 7.65X21? Remember, in the Swiss defense system, every citizen is a member of the defense. Once through basic training, everyone goes home with a rifle and ammo and, when they retire, they generally retain the individual weapons. A family may have four or five generations of smallarms locked in the home armory. When adopted in 1949, the Swiss had a half-century of the .30 Luger ammunition existing as the established standard, and there was probably a large amount of it on hand. Since the difference was a new barrel and recoil spring, why not make it in 7.65?

The magazine well is now beveled, for faster magazine changes. Back in 1949, no one cared about fast mag changes. Now we do, so the P210 has been updated.
The magazine well is now beveled, for faster magazine changes. Back in 1949, no one cared about fast mag changes. Now we do, so the
P210 has been updated.

The P210 is a single-stack, all-steel 9mm, and the aspects of the Petter design that the Swiss adopted were worth it. The military pistols were clearly products of their time and place. The grips were wood or plastic, and there was a half-rectangle steel bracket on the left side of the frame, with the grip on that side cut away for clearance. Given that the lanyard loop, safety, and slide stop were all on the left side, convenient for right-handed shooters, I have to conclude that no one in the Swiss Confederation is born left-handed. If there was ever a lanyard clipped to the loop, I’m not sure you could comfortably shoot the P210 left-handed.

Below the lanyard loop was the heel clip, the typical European method of retaining magazines. I have long wondered what the horror or fear of magazines falling free is, such that it grips European firearms designers (or buyers) with the need for such a three-handed design. It also had a magazine disconnector, so, when the magazine was out, it was a steel club. The Swiss Army replaced the P210 with the SIG P220, in 1975, but production of the P210 continued until 2005. I can easily imagine that the P210/Pistole 49 continued to be made because people still wanted it.

The extractor is external, but set into the slide and protected from just about everything.
The extractor is external, but set into the slide and protected from just about everything.

P210-9 Redesign
One big reason for this is the gun’s accuracy. However, used P210s couldn’t satisfy the market for highly accurate, beautifully machined pistols, so, SIG Sauer undertook a slight redesign and began making them again. The one we have here is the P210-9, the modern version of the P210, and the improvements have all been for the good.

First up, one aspect of the original that was not all that satisfactory was the shape of the tang. Designed back when handguns were still being fired one-handed, the tang worked fine for a low-thumb, one-handed hold. But the moment you tried to fire it with anything like a modern grip, you would pay the price. I am particularly disadvantaged in this regard, and the original P210, along with a select few other pistols, is one I simply cannot shoot without assistance, as in I have to wear gloves or prepare my hand with duct tape before shooting. If I do not, I will bleed. Not an exaggeration, shooting a P210 can have me bleeding like a stuck pig, in less than a box of ammo. With a pristine P210 going for more than two grand, you can imagine the looks of horror that would create from the owner who so rashly loaned me one. The P210-9 variant, imported by the SIG Sauer folks in New Hampshire, has a re-designed tang. It is now in the same league as a beavertail safety on a custom 1911 and protects the hand from the hammer. I was able to spend a full day shooting the new 210 without fear of bleeding.

The grip screw is a torx type (as is the trigger package screw), so make sure you have one of these (a No.15, specifically), when it comes time to work on your P210.
The grip screw is a torx type (as is the trigger package screw), so make sure you have one of these (a No.15, specifically), when it comes time to work on your P210.

The new P210 has a proper, American-style magazine catch. Nestled right behind the trigger guard, it allows the magazine to drop free when pushed. And, yes, the magazine does drop free, there being no magazine disconnector in the new pistol.

The grips, since they do not have to accommodate a lanyard loop, are symmetrical, but not interchangeable. They are made of oiled hardwood, and the fit is such that you can remove the grip screw (a torx-headed screw, by the way) and still have little or no fear of losing the grips. In fact, if you aren’t careful, you risk damaging the grips, trying to take them off the frame.

The grip shape, under the grips, makes no concession to hand shape. The front strap is proportioned for your hand, but the rest of the frame is simply a place to hold the magazine. The grips are expected to make the grip fit your hand. That’s a proper bit of engineering.

The grips are tightly fitted, so, even after you remove the screw, you have to wrestle with them. They aren’t fragile, but, if you’re ham-handed, you can damage them.
The grips are tightly fitted, so, even after you remove the screw, you have to wrestle with them. They aren’t fragile, but, if you’re ham-handed, you can damage them.

The thumb safety is not what people will expect. Instead of being a lever at the back of the frame, like the 1911, it is a lever in front of the grip. Your thumb can reach it, but, if you haven’t practiced with it, it will be a bit awkward. On the -9, the safety is fitted so as to be easy to move back and forth (or up and down, if you will), and it is only the thickness of the grip panel that makes it a bit of a reach. If you really wanted to use the 210-9 as a competition gun and had to have ready access to the safety, you could carve on the grip to make that possible. You might want to consider doing so to a spare grip set, so you will have the original grips un-molested for the future.

The slide stop is big, hard to miss, and, for me, a bit in the way. My thumb is long enough to reach it in my firing grip, and the slide stop is big enough to bump, if I’m not careful. Of course, on reloads, being big and hard to miss is good, because dropping the slide via the “slingshot” method isn’t easy.

The tang has been raised, extended, and sculpted to protect your hand from the hammer.
The tang has been raised, extended, and sculpted to protect your hand from the hammer.

The slide on the -9 has fixed sights, with both the front and rear held in transverse dovetails. An interesting detail, laid out in the owner’s manual, is that both the front and rear come in a variety of sizes (denoted with numerical markings), so that, if a particular pistol is off the sights, the blades can be swapped, mixed, and matched until it is dead on. The brother P210 that SIG is importing is the P210 Legend Target, which has an adjustable rear sight.

The 210-9 lacks a barrel bushing; the Swiss are clearly comfortable with the idea of precision machining and keeping the tolerances close enough so that they can produce an accurate pistol without the need of a bushing. Disassembly is easy. Unload and then ease the slide back a quarter-inch or so. Press the slide stop out to the left and, once it’s clear, you can slide the upper assembly off the frame. The recoil spring is a captured unit, and it has an interesting attention to detail—the head of the recoil spring assembly has stamped on it the torque limits of the rod assembly. The “5 Nm” is newton-metres, a measure of torque, which translates to just over 44 pound-inches. In other words, it’s tightened down about the same as a scope mount screw and meant to stay there.

The magazine catch is now in the normal place, behind the trigger guard.
The magazine catch is now in the normal place, behind the trigger guard.

The recoil spring guide rod has a hole in the end, and it is part of what the slide stop shaft passes through. The barrel lugs are like the cam slot of other pistols that you may be more familiar with (no link here), but with a twist. The lugs are made as a pair and widely-spaced (as handgun parts go), so they provide a wide base for the barrel on the slide stop. I have to think that has something to do with the accuracy. The barrel locks into the slide the same way as every other Browning-derived pistol does, with lugs on the barrel engaging slots in the slide.

One aspect of the P210 is obviously contrary to the way things are now done. The rails on the frame are on the inside, while the rails on the slide are on its outside. The idea was to reduce wear and retain accuracy. It also increased potential accuracy, but not due to the inside-outside design. A secondary aspect of the design is that the contact between the slide and rails extends a lot further on the 210 than it does on other pistol designs. Think of it like sight radius: the further apart the sights are, the easier it is to notice aiming errors. On rail contact, the further apart the front and back contact points are, the more aligned the slide and frame will be. I love the 1911, but the P210 has twice the rail length as the Browning. That increases repeatability, which improves accuracy.

The P210 safety pivots under the grip, pushed by the tip of your thumb. It is there so the hammer/sear assembly can be removed as a single unit. Actually, very clever, even if it only blocks the trigger bar.
The P210 safety pivots under the grip, pushed by the tip of your thumb. It is there so the hammer/sear assembly can be removed as a single unit. Actually, very clever, even if
it only blocks the trigger bar.

One of the Petter details included was a hammer/sear assembly that went into or came out of the frame as one piece. No separate hammers, sears, etc. Now, I see this mostly as an organizational advantage. If you are the armorer of a police force or military unit, you can have a set of pistols that are issued to the troops, and you can have, in the armory, a selection of assembled, tested, and sealed units. If someone has a problem or a pistol shows wear, it is perhaps a minute to swap out the old, install a new, and send the owner on their way. No downtime for the officer or pistol, and now you, the armorer, can work on the recalcitrant assembly without someone hanging over your shoulder or having to deal with the paperwork of checking in the busted pistol, issuing a new one, and repeating all that when the repair is done.

But for that, it is a cracking good idea, and, had I a hat, off it would be to the Swiss for having adopted it. For us, however, it doesn’t matter much. The trigger assembly and its removal isn’t mentioned in the owner’s manual (SIG would be very happy if you just left it alone), and unlike the old design, where the assembly was held in with a pin, the -9 has the assembly locked in place by means of a screw up through the tang. Again, it’s a torx, and there’s no need to remove it. If you do, you’re on your own.

P210 9

The slide and frame are machined from steel billets, given a satin matte surface, and then treated to the SIG Nitron finish. The trigger, safety, hammer, and slide stop are left bright, but not polished to a mirror finish.

The interesting thing—as if all the above was of no interest—is the trigger. We are used to light and crisp, or “combat” and crisp, and the Swiss clearly have a different idea about these things. The trigger is light, but it has take-up, and then it has travel, which, if you aren’t slowly pressing, feeling as you go, feels the same. It’s almost as if it were the world’s shortest double-action PPC trigger. I first felt a trigger like this when test-firing an Stg90, the Swiss military rifle in 5.56. That trigger was light, but with enough travel that you know you’re pulling the trigger. On the -9, this took a bit of dry-firing to get used to, as I found transitioning from “regular” triggers to the P210 trigger to be too much in one range session. When I tried, I ended up nearly perforating my chronograph a few times, as I, too, up the slack on the P210 trigger and shot sooner than anticipated.

But, I’m glad I persisted. I’ve been mentioning accuracy all along, and the P210 is a scary-accurate kind of handgun, a one-inch-groups-at-25-yards kind of handgun. And, unlike some pistols, the P210 did not get picky about what it liked to shoot. Yes, it shot better with some, but the differences were almost immeasurable. I mean, if one ammo groups a quarter-inch larger or smaller than another, can we really say the pistol “prefers” it? That level of accuracy, and that small of a difference, requires several things. First, a Ransom rest, of which mine is on loan and for which I do not have a set of P210 holders. Second, you need a pile of ammo, all of it with the potential for gilt-edged accuracy. And you need the the time to shoot groups, and I mean statistically significant groups, not your basic five-shot groups and not even four consecutive five-shot groups, but real number-crunching efforts like five ten-shot groups with each brand and bullet-weight ammo. This is the kind of shooting that’s a full-time job by itself.

Here you can see the torque spec on the recoil spring assembly, as well as the wide cam lugs of the barrel feet.
Here you can see the torque spec on the recoil spring assembly, as well as the wide cam lugs of the barrel feet.

On The Range With the P210

So, once I had done the usual group-testing, I amused myself by plinking—on the 100-yard range. Pick an object, something safe to shoot at. Aim, press. OK, it got hit, now what? Pick something smaller. Same results. This handgun is almost scary to shoot, and a little intimidating to own. Imagine owning a handgun and knowing that, if you shoot it at the gun club, everyone knows that any miss, any shot that drops a point is your fault and not the gun’s. A P210 would be brilliant for shooting in a PPC league. Do some experimental reloading, find a load that shoots small groups (won’t be too difficult), hits to the sights, and prepare to have your average rise.

Sig P210 Range

One small obstacle might be magazines. With an MSRP of $72 each, you will want to take really good care of them and not let them get stepped on during the winter indoor leagues and tight range spaces. You certainly don’t want to drop them on concrete with the same abandon you’d jettison a $15 1911 magazine. But, if you can see your way to four or five of them, you’ll have a tack-driving 9mm to shoot.

You can see how long the rail engagement is between the slide and frme. This can only have a good effect on acuracy.
You can see how long the rail engagement is between the slide and frame. This can only have a good effect on accuracy.

Oh, and those early days of IPSC? After Ross Seyfried won the World Shoot in 1981 with a very plain, by today’s standards, .45 1911, the world changed. Starting with Robbie Leatham, in 1983, the .38 Super was king of the hill. Then, in 1990, the 9X21 gained glory, and that’s the way it has been. There will not be another World Shoot champion using a .45 ACP pistol until 2014. Maybe. Then, the new Single-Stack/Cassic Division will be contested, and the .45 has a chance again—unless someone wants to give it a try with a P210. This one is certainly up to it.

Sig P201 Specs:
Type: Hammer-fired semiauto
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Capacity: 8+1
Barrel: 4.7”
Overall length: 8.5”
Width: 1.3“
Height: 5.6”
Weight: 37.4 oz
Finish: Nitron
Grips: hardwood wrap-around
Sights: steel patridge
Trigger: single action
Price: $2,199
Manufacturer: Sig Sauer

For more information on the Sig P210, please visit sigsauer.com.

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the Gun Digest 2013, 67th Edition


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Colt Python: Is The Reboot Revolver A Plum Or Lemon?

The Colt Python is back—and it’s badder than ever! Well, in most respects, it’s actually “gooder” than ever.
The Colt Python is back—and it’s badder than ever! Well, in most respects, it’s actually “gooder” than ever.

The re-introduction of the Colt Python has been a rollercoaster of excitement and disappointment. So what's the story: is this the second coming or a troubled handgun?

How Does The New Python Differ From The Old:

  • Improved stainless steel used in the frame and barrel.
  • More cross-section at the rear of the frame for a more resiliant sight base.
  • Simplified internals with fewer parts.
  • Updated dual-action leaf spring.
  • Front sight is user replacable.

The Colt Python was lusted after by many. It was not, however, acquired by many. Part of that was due to the cost, because the Python typically cost twice as much as any other DA revolver of its time. It was first offered by Colt back in the mid-1950s, but the earliest movie reference I can find is from 1969. After that, it was quite the popular option.

Nevertheless, the price put off a lot of shooters; that, and the reputation for being a bit fragile. Even well into the IPSC competition era, not many people who owned .357 Magnums shot a steady diet of .357 magnum-level ammo through any handgun. Most shooters would put a box of magnums through their revolvers once a year. If they shot more, it was more likely that the revolver in question saw mostly .38 Special ammo. The .38s cost less and also hammered your hantds less.

Colt being Colt—that is, a wholly owned subsidiary of one mega-corporation or another—it simply kept on making Pythons and charging what it could … until it just couldn’t do it anymore. And then, Colt stopped making Pythons.

The reaction was immediate. Prices shot up. Unfired Pythons, new in the box, started selling for stupid-high prices. I mean, when you could sell a NIB Python for enough to purchase a well-equipped small car, the 21st century was not turning out the way I’d expected.

The new frame shape and rear sight: The sight has to be tougher than the old one, because that sight was fragile.
The new frame shape and rear sight: The sight has to be tougher than the old one, because that sight was fragile.

The next step was amazingly un-Colt. The company fired up the AutoCAD and set about making a new Python. I wish Colt had called it that—the “New Python,” I mean. We will, for a long time forward, have to go through the “Who’s on first?” routine of “a new Python or a New Python” to distinguish the new stainless ones made in the 21st century from an unfired one made “back in the day.”

The New Colt Python

Colt selected a new and improved stainless steel and took advantage of the advances in metallurgy since the Chevy Bel Air was the hottest thing from Detroit. It changed the frame at the rear sight to give it a bit more cross-section and to accommodate the new rear sight. That’s a very good thing, because the rear sight on Pythons (and also used in old Gold Cups) was known to be fragile. The new one looks tougher. The front is a red ramp, just like the old ones. However, you can change this one on your own.

The internals have been changed. Colt managed to keep the basics of the Python action, but it dropped the parts number of the lockwork by over a dozen. Fewer parts are usually a good thing. Colt kept the dual-action leaf spring, but it updated it.

One of the details of modern manufacturing is the 2D punch code. If they don’t have it yet, every firearm you buy soon will.
One of the details of modern manufacturing is the 2D punch code. If they don’t have it yet, every firearm you buy soon will.

The original used a “V” spring. Properly made, these will last almost forever. British Best shotguns customarily use V springs, and some of those shotguns have recorded hundreds of thousands of rounds without a fault. The problem is, they require skilled workmen to fabricate them, and people with those skills cost money to employ. Worse yet, the Python action required skilled workmen to assemble—and time. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The Python was designed at a time when steel was expensive and skilled labor was cheap. Today, those variables are flipped. As a result, the new Python uses a two-arm spring that isn’t a “V” but a “U” in shape.

Internals

Some of the internals show the hallmarks of MIM fabrication, which, in and of itself, is not a bad thing anymore. It used to be, but isn’t. The end result of the changes is a markedly improved double-action pull.

I had a chance to test the new Python against three classic Pythons, as well as my own 1936-made Official Police—the same frame the Python was built on. The DA on the new Python is much better: The old Pythons had a 9-pound DA (the OP was a bit heavier than that, but it’s also a .22LR and needs a bit more “oomph” to ensure ignition), and the new Python shows a 7-pound DA stroke. Back when I was shooting PPC, I would have put up with the Python cost (and fragile rear sight) to get an out-of-the-box DA of 7 pounds.

The muzzle on the Python has a recessed crown now. Back in the day, it was just a flat face with a slight bevel at the bore.
The muzzle on the Python has a recessed crown now. Back in the day, it was just a flat face with a slight bevel at the bore.

Alas, all is not sweetness and light. The single-action pull of the old Pythons and the OP was 3 pounds—clean, crisp and perfect for those wanting to shoot bullseye (which was pretty much the only competition to be found back in 1955, the first year of Python production). The new Python has a 5-pound trigger pull, and it isn’t clean and crisp. However, the bright side of this is that making a single-action trigger pull cleaner and lighter is a whole lot easier (especially with the Python) than doing the same to the DA. So, Colt has done the hard work for us here.

Externals

The externals are much the same, but there are a few improvements. The barrel is the same full, under-lugged design, with the vent rib on top. However, where the originals were just a flat face, the crown is recessed. The front sight on the originals was pinned in place. If you wanted it changed, you needed either a pistol smith or pistol-smithing skills and tools. Now, the front sight is user-changeable.

The ejector rod is the same (the too-short-to-fully-eject length) as the originals. I just have to shake my head. With all the extras Colt put in, couldn’t it have made the ejector rod longer enough to at least make sure .38 Special cases would clear the star?

This is the red ramp sight that was such a leap forward back in the 1950s. Now, we take it for granted or even view it as a bit “retro.”
This is the red ramp sight that was such a leap forward back in the 1950s. Now, we take it for granted or even view it as a bit “retro.”

The six-shot cylinder still has the locking slots cut off center to allow for the thickest possible chamber wall. The action is still timed so the instant the cylinder locks up, the hammer falls.

Colt also went with a set of walnut stocks; it calls them “target” stocks. They do look good, and they do feel good in the hand … at first, anyway, for me. There’s a sculpting line on the upper rear of the grips to make the lines clean, smooth and flowing. It’s also a line that puts an edge right at the heel of my thumb. My grip is not like most. I choke up on a revolver to the point that the hammer brushes my hand in DA shooting. That sculpting line hammers my hand on every shot. So, I have to either hold lower, wear gloves … or swap grips.

With .38s, the Python is a pussycat. Of course, with 42 ounces of steel behind it, how much recoil can a .38 Special produce? Even a +P one? And, as I mentioned before, that’s what most shooters would put through their Pythons back then—and most probably will today. We, of course, won’t.

The author contacted Colt to address Internet reports of the revolver’s cylinder failing to advance between shots. According to Colt, a very small number of new Pythons were returned to the factory for “functional issues.” Interpret that how you will, but the author fell in love with his new snake gun.
The author contacted Colt to address Internet reports of the revolver’s cylinder failing to advance between shots. According to Colt, a very small number of new Pythons were returned to the factory for “functional issues.” Interpret that how you will, but the author fell in love with his new snake gun.

Now, when the Python—the new Python—came out, there were a few people who promptly broke them. (For a change, that wasn’t me.) Word spread that the new Python had some dodgy part or parts, and they would break if you looked at them cross-eyed. Oh, really?

Becoming a Believer

After I did the expected testing and shooting, I dug into the ammo bunker and came up with a pile of .38 and .357 ammo. And a pair of gloves.

I figured that on a range trip, I’d shoot as much .357 as I could stand and then switch to .38s. I’d see if I could break the Python (hey, it was a loaner, so we needed to know, right?). Well, I failed. The Python shot just fine and perked right along through all the ammo I tested in it.

To find out what was up, I asked my source at Colt, Justin Baldini. Out of the 4,000-plus Pythons shipped to date, Colt has had fewer than 10 returned for a functional issue. So much for the pants-wetting hysteria of Internet “experts.” Additionally, the company’s had about 40 returned for cosmetics (mostly of them because some people were unhappy with the crowning treatment).

The new Python has one fault the old ones had: The ejector rod isn’t long enough to fully press out the cases.
The new Python has one fault the old ones had: The ejector rod isn’t long enough to fully press out the cases.

Now, the ammo I tested I grabbed off the shelf as a cross-section of likely ammo that end-users might choose. I chose the Hornady because it’s soft-shooting and accurate, and you could shoot it all day and not work up a sweat. The high-velocity crowd will be pleased with the Super Vel, because if you have to get a .357-inch bullet there as quickly as possible, this is the one. For those who want to practice for defensive, 125-grain JHPs, the Sig load will replicate the recoil and muzzle blast they produce. And for hunters? Yes—Hornady FTX LeveRevolution is “rifle” ammo. However, if you want to use a .357 Magnum for hunting, this load, in the Python, is going to work well.

Python

Sure, the corner on the grips pounded me, even through the gloves, but that’s what gloves are for. And were I to keep this Python, I’d find grips that fit me better. This one is going back to Colt in due time, because I got the “gotta-have-a-Python” bug out of my system a long time ago.

But that doesn’t mean you have to pass up one of them. Turn off the Internet video, go out and handle one at a gun shop near you. Once you stroke through the DA trigger pull, you’ll be a believer.

Colt Python Specs:
Type: Double-action revolver
Caliber: .357 Magnum
Capacity: 6 rounds
Barrel: 4.25-in. or 6-in.
Length: 9.75 in.
Weight: 42 oz.
Trigger: 5 lb. (SA); 7 lb. (DA)
Finish: Polished stainless steel
MSRP: $1,499

For more information on the Colt Python, please visit colt.com.

The article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.


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Reloading: The Art of Seating Primers by Hand

The RCBS hand-priming system does not come with a shell holder, so be sure you include one in your order.
The RCBS
hand-priming system does not come with a shell holder, so be sure you include one in your order.

Seating primers by hand is time consuming, sometimes arduous and a must for building those rounds that really matter.

There’s a phrase the British use: “Horses for courses.” This means you select the tool for the job and not figure out a way to make the (perhaps not entirely suitable) tool you already have do the work that needs be done.

When it comes to priming cases, every reloading press made comes with an adapter to seat primers. This is an interesting situation: You have a 2-foot steel handle onto which you can throw your entire body weight as a lever to seat a pressure-sensitive item that weighs the smallest fraction of an ounce. Those who use this method have to learn a particular sensitivity to the feedback the operation provides them—and put up with a few mangled and even detonated primers as they learn the limits.

Or, you can go with something that has less leverage and more sensitivity.

Here’s The Right Tool

The RCBS hand priming device is just such a tool. It has a tray onto which you can slide an entire sleeve of primers—100 in all—so you don’t risk handling them, dropping them and getting body oil and sweat onto them, possibly causing problems.

The process is simple: You assemble the primer system with either a large or small primer adapter and seating rod. You install a shell holder appropriate for the caliber you are seating. You then slide on the tray of primers, close the lid and get to work.

Tilting your hand allows you to slide one primer at a time into the feed system, install a case, seat and then repeat.

However, There Are Limits

First of all, you have to have a shell holder for each caliber you want to seat primers in. Luckily, this isn’t a big deal. Shell holders are $10 to $12 each, and one size fits many. If, for example, you buy the shell holder for a .30-06, it will work for any case that has the same rim diameter; you know—all the usual suspects. Second, your brass has to already be cleaned, sized, de-primed, trimmed (if it’s a caliber that needs trimming) and ready to load.

This isn’t much of a problem, because you’ll have to have done all this to your brass anyway for any other priming system. It’s a tad slow, but it’s precise and allows for great sensitivity in seating.


Load Up On Reloading Info:


OK, a bit of a confession here: I use this setup only for some reloading, not all. On my progressive presses, primer seating happens as part of the loading process. So, I feed clean brass in and let the press do the sizing, de-priming, seat primers as the case moves along and finish with powder, bullet and crimp. Most of my ammo for most of my shooting is loaded this way.

Great For Sensitive Seating

I did use the RCBS (and other, earlier systems) for sensitive primer seating—specifically, revolvers with tuned actions. When a DA revolver has the action slicked up and lightened to the point that factory primers become a bit uncertain to ignite, you have to go to extra lengths. Consequently, I would change the reloading process for my competition ammunition.

With just hand strength to seat primers, as well as poor leverage, you have great sensitivity about just how the task is going.
With just hand strength to seat primers, as well as poor leverage, you have great sensitivity about just how the task is going.

This was for .45 ACP, but the process would work fine for other calibers. I’d clean the brass as squeaky-clean as I could and then used a special toolhead setup to just resize and deprime. Then, I’d tumble the de-primed brass to clean out the primer pockets. Why? Because if I’m going to do all this work, I want to get as much benefit as possible, that’s why.

I’d inspect the cases after the second cleaning to make sure there were no primer flash holes with tumbling media caught in there (there was always some). Then, I’d hand-seat primers, making sure they were fully seated and at the optimal sensitivity.

Finally, they’d be run through another toolhead setup with a sizing die lacking a decapping pin and no primers in the primer feed system. They’d be sized (not that they needed it) and then get powder in the already-primed cases, bullet and crimp.

Yes, Yes … And Yes

Was it a lot of work? Did it take extra time? Was it worth it?

Well, the two team gold medals from IPSC World Shoots resting on the counter in my office would say, “Yes.”

All my practice ammo was loaded the regular way for most of the shooting. But when it came time to load the match ammo and the practice ammo with the match trigger-setting tune-up a couple of weeks before a Nationals or the World Shoot, that ammo was loaded the second way.

If you are loading experimental ammo and want to decrease the weight of variables, hand-seating primers will help there. To get the greatest sensitivity and consistency in match ammo, hand-seating works.

If you want volume, you have to settle for a certain amount of “common denominator” in primer seating consistency—a lot of time, but that’s just fine. For the rest of the time, there’s the RCBS hand priming tool.

The article originally appeared in the November 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

.300 Blackout Vs .300 Whisper: Is There A Difference?

300 blackout 5

Both kick out .30-caliber bullets, are pleasant shooters and can be kept quiet as a church mouse, so is there really any difference between the .300 Blackout and its predecessor the .300 Whisper?

Development Of The .300 Whisper

The beginning of the subsonic revolution in ARs came to us from J.D. Jones. To call him a prolific inventor is to use “prolific” lightly.

He has always endeavored to expand the borders of firearms performance, from the smallest to the largest. The .300 Whisper was his AR-15 cartridge for quiet shooting. The idea was simple: take a .223 case, expand the neck to hold a .30-caliber bullet, shorten it so the neck would hold the bullet at the proper place, and fit it all into an AR-15 magazine. A shortcut would be to take the .221 Fireball case, and neck it out to .30. The Fireball itself was essentially just a shortened .223, meant for use in single-shot bolt-action pistols, primarily the Remington XP100. It was the varminting answer to “How do I use a handgun to shoot varmints?”

J.D. was aided in this work by the continuing efforts of rifle target shooters. When I began shooting in the early 1970s, the bullets available for .30 rifles for target shooting were not many. You could find a 168-grain match boat tail. You could, if you were lucky and persistent, score a supply of 175-grain FMJ-BT bullets, which were used for decades before by the military.

Heavier than that, there were only hunting bullets. There were 180-grain soft points, and 220 FMJ or soft-point bullets, but they were round-nosed, and meant for use on large game. You’d have the 220s loaded in your .30-06 or .300 H&H, for use on bear, moose or elk on a hunt in Alaska or Canada.

But long-range target shooters wanted more. For long-distance shooting, the competitor has two problems: distance and wind. Distance is easy, as the targets are a known distance away, and that distance does not change. Wind, however, does.

The range of bullets the .300 Blackout and Whisper can digest is impressive. From a 110-grain soft point to a 240-grain match boat tail, you can load anything that will fit the chamber and throat.
The range of bullets the .300 Blackout and Whisper can digest is impressive. From a 110-grain soft point to a 240-grain match boat tail, you can load anything that will fit the chamber and throat.

If we assume a bullet design has the same ogive, and boat tail, then the only way to change weight is to make it longer. This is good, because a longer and heavier bullet will have a larger ballistic coefficient, or BC. BC is a measure of a bullet’s drag, compared to a theoretical object that is a standard. The higher the BC, the more efficiently a bullet passes through the air.

We’re getting a bit involved here, so stick with me. For any given cartridge, operating at a certain pressure, adding weight to a bullet means you have less velocity. You simply cannot push a (to use as an example) 168-grain .30 bullet and a 240-grain .30 bullet at the same speed. The 240, in any given cartridge, has to be going slower, simply because the pressure limit of the cartridge determines the maximum amount of energy you can use to push the bullet.

Target shooters don’t care. A bullet with a higher BC loses less velocity as it goes downrange, so the net is not to lose as much when it reaches to the target. The real boon for target shooters is that a higher-BC bullet is less affected by wind.


Get On Target With The AR:


  • A high-BC bullet is said to have less wind drift. So even with a lower starting velocity, the 240-grain .30 bullet will drift less than a 168-grain bullet in the same wind. In target shooting, riflemen must estimate the effect of wind drift in real time and adjust for it. The smaller the amount they have to adjust, the less effect an error, or change in wind, will have on their scores. They don’t care about trajectory differences, because the targets are always the same distances. Well, they were for NRA High Power. All that changed with the development of the Precision Rifle Series, where targets are at odd and differing distances. But we risk wandering, so back to it.

    OK, so from the early 1970s, to the late 1980s, the heaviest .30 bullets that could be had went from 168 grains to 220 grains. And those were pointed, match bullets.

    J.D. Jones was first, and he got his invention type-certified by CIP.
    J.D. Jones was first, and he got his invention type-certified by CIP.

    So, J.D. designed the cartridge, modified brass, trademarked it as the .300 Whisper, and began offering rifles and ammo. His work on modifying brass was a continual headache. The internal thickness of .223 and 5.56 brass is not a rigid specification once you get down past the case neck. So, he found that he had to ream some lots and brands of brass more than others. The reaming was required because the new neck was formed in the middle of the body of the original case. Differing wall thicknesses meant some rounds would not chamber unless the formed case was reamed.

    When the volume of ammunition produced required by customer orders got to be great enough, he simply went to an ammo maker, had the company get his ammunition type-certified by CIP, and then could have brass made.

    The ammo maker was Hornady, and I had the opportunity to be one of the first testers of factory ammo in a J.D. Jones-built upper for the AR-15. This was in 2011, and life was good.

    .300 Blackout Hits The Scene

    Then, controversy erupted. A new ammo maker burst onto the scene, in the form of the .300 Blackout. Developed by Advanced Armament Company, or AAC, the Blackout was brought into being because of AAC’s military customers. Those customers (or a certain subgroup of them) wanted a subsonic, heavy bullet, autoloading cartridge that would work with in their platform. That platform was the M4, so the new cartridge had to fit into AR-15 magazines, and work with AR-15 bolts.

    Remember earlier, when we discussed pressure testing, and certification agencies? AAC could not use CIP loading and certification, because the parent company of AAC, Remington, is a SAAMI member. So, the engineers at AAC had to start essentially from scratch, to design, refine, test and offer for certification, a new .30 cartridge to fit the bill.

    AAC makes rifles to go along with the cartridge it developed. And they are clearly marked, which is a very good thing.
    AAC makes rifles to go along with the cartridge it developed. And they are clearly marked, which is a very good thing.

    The end result was that the .300 Blackout and the .300 Whisper, for almost all concerned, were interchangeable.

    The .300 Blackout was type-certified by SAAMI, and Remington and everyone else began making ammo. The controversy? Some people think the design team at AAC just made a few minor changes in the dimensions to the .300 Whisper, and then handed it off to the acceptance committee. Well, they didn’t. I’ve talked to people involved, and they did their due diligence, and worked it up properly.

    The problem is, the design specifications are so narrowly defined, it is hard to be different. As an exercise in cartridge design, I dare you to design a cartridge that does what the Whisper and Blackout do, and doesn’t come so close to either that it would seem to be a duplication.

    Or, assuming you could find someone who didn’t already know about either, and who knew enough about cartridges, pose them this problem: a .30 bullet, as heavy as possible, in a parent .223 or .221 Fireball case, that has to fit an AR magazine, feed reliably and use an unmodified bolt. They will, just as you had, come up with a clone of the Whisper and Blackout.

    The positives of the .300 Blackout and Whisper are obvious.

    The .300 Blackout and Whisper can be loaded with many different bullets, but you have to be careful with overall length. They have to fit the magazine, regardless of bullet weight.
    The .300 Blackout and Whisper can be loaded with many different bullets, but you have to be careful with overall length. They have to fit the magazine, regardless of bullet weight.

    What They Have To Offer

    You can shoot subsonic ammo, and that makes the rifle or pistol very quiet. A subsonic 240-grain bullet is going to be going, at most, at 1,050 fps. That puts it squarely in the realm of a .45 ACP+P load. However, it does it with a carbine or pistol that holds 30-round magazines, and can be teamed with a red-dot or magnifying optic. There are even .300 Blackout and Whisper loads that offer expanding bullets. If you do not have one of the expanding bullets in your .300, do not fear. I tested the Hornady subsonic .300 Whisper load when this was all new. They use a 208-grain A-Max bullet for that load. It clocks in from just under supersonic out of a carbine-length barrel, to just over 1,000 fps from a stubby eight-inch pistol or SBR tube.

    Testing in ballistic gelatin uncovered some very interesting results. Each shot would travel about 10 inches into a gel block, and then the yawing bullet would veer to the top, bottom or sides of the block, and exit. In order to recover bullets, I had to wrap the block on all sides with Kevlar vests. You might not like that, and want deeper penetration, but I have to think that a 208-grain, .308 bullet, going sideways, is going to get a lot of the job done, if not all of it.

    There are now expanding bullets for the .300s, but for many applications a non-expanding one works just fine.
    There are now expanding bullets for the .300s, but for many applications a non-expanding one works just fine.

    All the heavyweights, fired at subsonic velocities, will do much the same. I’m not sure you can make a barrel with a twist rate fast enough to keep them point-on in ballistic gel. Or living targets.

    When fed subsonic ammo, the .300 Blackout and Whisper can use a compact and lightweight suppressor, to make them even quieter. Jumping up to supersonic loads is too much stress for the lighter, more-compact suppressors, so do be careful.

    Here you can see the difference bullet weight makes. These two dummy cartridges show the distance a heavy bullet protrudes back into the case. This takes up case capacity, but since we are looking for subsonic performance with heavyweight bullets, reduced case capacity is a good thing.
    Here you can see the difference bullet weight makes. These two dummy cartridges show the distance a heavy bullet protrudes back into the case. This takes up case capacity, but since we are looking for subsonic performance with heavyweight bullets, reduced case capacity is a good thing.

    If you want a different performance envelope, you can switch to .300 Blackout and Whisper loads using 110- to 125-grain bullets, which will be delivered as much as 2,300 fps out of a 16-inch barrel. For deer hunters, this is perfect. A modern, expanding, .30 bullet of 110 to 125 grains, out of one of the .300s is soft in recoil, not overly noisy, and more than enough to bring down a whitetail. If your DNR permits deer hunting with suppressors, then you have your answer: A lightweight AR, in .300 Blackout or Whisper, with a suppressor is just the ticket for getting new shooters introduced to hunting.

    It won’t hurt their shoulders, it won’t hurt their ears, and it will certainly bring down a whitetail.

    In either loading, the .300 Blackout and Whisper do not use much powder per shot, so if you reload, powder costs are about as small as they get. This is offset by the greater cost of the bullets, as a 240-grain .308 jacketed bullet is going to cost you more than a 230-grain lead bullet for a .45 ACP. (The ballistic performance similarity.)

    Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Cartridges of the AR-15, available at GunDigestStore.com.

10mm Defensive Ammo: Making The 10 More Perfect Than Ever

From the FMJ on the left to the lead truncated cone on the right, you’ve got choices. One is best for a given task; some are more versatile. Pick one or two—and practice.
From the FMJ on the left to the lead truncated cone on the right, you’ve got choices. One is best for a given task; some are more versatile. Pick one or two—and practice.

10MM defensive loads have come a long way in a short amount of time.

The 10mm pistol cartridge has been a lot of things over its nearly four decades of existence. Evolving out of the .40 G&A, a cartridge developed with the impetus of Jeff Cooper back in the 1970s, it sprang onto the scene in 1983 in the Bren Ten and with ammo from Norma. The idea was a “better than .45 ACP” cartridge that held more rounds in a pistol that was just as, if not more, ergonomic than the 1911. In addition, it could be a short magnum if needed.

What we got was “Holy Cow!” in a pistol. Somewhere in my archives, my earliest chrono log has the numbers; but simply put, the Norma specs of a 200-grain bullet at 1,200 fps were modest … compared to real life. The load delivered more like 1,300 fps, which made it an honest .44 Magnum in a pistol. We won’t speak of the velocities of the 180-grain JHPs, except to say that I turned down the opportunity to shoot a second magazine of them (this, from a 1911, because Bren Tens were exceedingly rare).

Then, after the 1986 Miami FBI shooting, the FBI declared that the 10mm was the pistol cartridge of the future. Alas, the FBI quickly found out that its offices full of accountants, lawyers and other white-collar types held few who could shoot passing scores with 10mm pistols and then-factory ammo.

.40 S&W: 10mm Goes Soft

So, the FBI kept going back to the ammo companies, asking for softer and softer ammo, until it hit on the “magic” formula: a 180-grain bullet at 950 fps. That left a lot of empty space in the 10mm case, and the Winchester ballisticians did a clever thing: They shortened it. Voilà! The .40 S&W was born, delivering a 180-grain bullet and 950 fps in a 9mm-sized pistol.

Para used to make the Longslide Hunter, but this brand is no more. Colt came out with the Delta, and that jump-started the 10mm.
Para used to make the Longslide Hunter, but this brand is no more. Colt came out with the Delta, and that jump-started the 10mm.

At that point, the 10mm became a “Jekyll and Hyde” caliber—one end was the soft, defensive ammo, basically a .40 S&W in a long case. At the other extreme, it was loaded to the gills (back then, handloaded) with a heavy bullet to full 10mm velocity. (There were some in-between loads, but not many.)

The .40 S&W, overpromising and under-delivering, has now fallen out of favor. The 10mm loads that duplicate it still exist, but they are legacy loadings and will only be around as long as sales warrant it.

In the place of the .40-equivalent loads, the 10mm defensive loads have stepped up a bit, in part due to the FBI test protocols. The 10mm was always a large-framed pistol caliber, not something you could shoehorn into a 9mm platform (that was what the .40 did), so users weren’t, and still aren’t, too put off by full-FBI-compliant loadings.


Get An Edge On The 10MM:


Because we’re looking at the bear-busters—the hunting loads here—I’ll leave the defensive ammo subject with one simple suggestion: Hornady 175-grain Flexlock Critical Duty. This is a 175-grain bullet at a listed 1,160 fps (testing usually puts it lower than that … not a bad thing), and that load will max out the scores on the FBI barrier tests. Buy it, test it, make sure your pistol is zeroed, and you’re golden.

The Bear-Busters 10s

But for hunting, you want more.

With the Rock Island high-capacity 10mm, loaded with Buffalo Bore 220-grain thumpers, hunting camp is a safer place.
With the Rock Island high-capacity 10mm, loaded with Buffalo Bore 220-grain thumpers, hunting camp is a safer place.

So, the hunting loads for the 10mm are often full-weight bullets or even more. You can get 10mm bullets up to 220 grains in weight. You can, if you can stand the recoil, boost them up to supersonic velocities. Even so, that’s reloading, and we’re talking factory ammo for right now.

I gathered up an array of suitable-for-hunting and suitable-for-practice hunting loads to see what numbers they would produce.

The results were as expected—and impressive. The “soft” 10mm loads were the Speer 200-grain Gold Dots, which came in at a bit above .45 ACP+P power levels. Depending on how much power you feel the need for or which particular load is most accurate in your pistol, the array of available soft- and hollow-points makes it easy to gather a selection. Then, it’s just a matter of finding which is most accurate in your gun. If it came down to a choice between two loads, I would tend to go for accuracy over sheer horsepower. I’d stick with the most accurate, even if the second-most-accurate load is 100 fps faster. (But that’s me.)

And if I were either hunting, or using ammo for protection from, bears, there would be one load of these that I’d select: the Buffalo Bore .220 hard-cast. There, you need penetration more than you need expansion, and when it comes to penetration, a hard-cast, truncated-nosed bullet is going to drill like a laser.

Springfield offers a pair of 10mms with red-dot sights already installed. Your choice: 5 inches or 6 inches of barrel.
Springfield offers a pair of 10mms with red-dot sights already installed. Your choice: 5 inches or 6 inches of barrel.

I have a few 10mm pistols. The first one is a prize gun from the old Second Chance Combat Pin Shoot (now back up and running as “The Pin Shoot”), and it is a stainless Colt Delta. It is my workhorse gun. I have fitted barrels chambered in .40 S&W and .357 Sig to it, besides the original 10mm barrel, and it has worked like a champ for the quarter-century I’ve had it.

Next in my lineup is a Para Ordnance longslide, built for hunting. With its 6-inch barrel, it can be expected to wring out every fps to be had from any given load. It is a single-stack, and I’d have to seriously de-horn it before taking it hunting or use it as a bear gun.

If I’m looking to have capacity on hand, my Rock Island Armory hi-cap longslide is just the ticket. It has a 15-round magazine, so I have plenty of capacity for hogs or bears; and a quick reload gets me 15 more.

Really, my idea of a suitable bear caliber starts at .338 Winchester Magnum and goes up from there, but you can wear a 10mm pistol all day long when hunting or in camp, and you can’t do the same with a rifle in .338 Win. Mag.

Revolver fans haven’t been left out: S&W has had the 10mm as a wheelgun in and out of its catalog. You can find them, and reloading a full-moon-clipped 10mm is lots faster than a .44 Magnum.
Revolver fans haven’t been left out: S&W has had the 10mm as a wheelgun in and out of its catalog. You can find them, and reloading a full-moon-clipped 10mm is lots faster than a .44 Magnum.

Now, if I’m feeling “modern” and want to be fully into the 21st century, Springfield Armory offers a pair of 10mm pistols in the 1911, one with a 5-inch barrel and one with a 6-inch. Both have factory-installed red-dot sights on the slide. They’re singe-stack guns as well … but not all problems are solved by sheer volume or capacity.

Glock? Nope. I checked, just to make sure, and the only big-framed Glocks I have are in .45 ACP. The Glock chambers I’ve measured are just a bit too generous for my taste, and 10mm hunting loads expand more than I like. The combination tends to be hard on brass. I’m sure there are lots of satisfied Glock 10mm owners out there, but what I have serves me well, so I’ll stick with the other Glocks I have.

There is another potential 10mm for hunting and bear defense that I don’t have, and that is the S&W 610. I have the identical revolver in .45 ACP, but not the 10mm version.

Why go with a 10mm revolver, you ask, when the same-size wheelgun could be had in .44 Magnum? Moon clips. The only faster reload for a revolver than moonclips is a second, loaded revolver. If you need a reload or you want to change what ammo you have in the gun and not lose any of it, moon clips rule.

If you’re using a handgun for hunting (as opposed to camp wear), a red-dot sight allows for more-precise aim from the hunting stand. In camp, it will be wicked fast.
If you’re using a handgun for hunting (as opposed to camp wear), a red-dot sight allows for more-precise aim from the hunting stand. In camp, it will be wicked fast.

The 610 has been in and out of the S&W catalog (currently in) and with barrel lengths of 4 and 6 inches. If you’re a fan of the DA revolver rather than pistols, the 610 is a first-class choice.

10mm Territory

The popularity of the 10mm waned a bit after the introduction of the .40 S&W, but it recovered and has been growing for a number of years now. One reason is the ever-larger number of state DNRs that permit handgun hunting in formerly shotgun-only areas. The one consistent rule for that has been the requirement for the handgun to be chambered for a straight-walled cartridge. The 10mm is the most powerful of those in a self-loading pistol that isn’t a big, bulky package. Pistols chambered in .44 Magnum tend to be much larger than the 1911 and, therefore, not as convenient.

When you venture into 10mm hunting load territory, be aware that you are working in the low-to-middle portion of .44 Magnum recoil. For instance, the Buffalo Bore .220 hard-cast lead, at a listed 1,200 fps, produces a power factor of 264.

Out of the Rock Island, it did better than that. Despite the listed ballistics, a .44 Magnum is going to be pushing a 240-grain lead bullet at 1,200 fps, so you’re neck and neck with the revolver. And because pistols—1911s, in particular—don’t roll up in your hand under recoil as revolvers do, you’ll take every bit of that recoil on each shot.

Left to right: Sig Sauer 180-grain FMJ, Federal Bonded Trophy 180-grain, Sig V-Crown 180-grain, Buffalo Bore 180-grain JHP, Buffalo Bore 220-grain L-TC.
Left to right: Sig Sauer 180-grain FMJ, Federal Bonded Trophy 180-grain, Sig V-Crown 180-grain, Buffalo Bore 180-grain JHP, Buffalo Bore 220-grain L-TC.

Don’t expect to spend an afternoon plinking session shooting off a couple of hundred rounds of 10mm. You will have developed a flinch long before you get that much ammo downrange.

I chronographed the loads first in my Delta, with its 5-inch barrel, and then did them all again in the Rock Island longslide and its 6-inch barrel. You’ll have to decide for yourself if the extra length of the pistol is worth the extra velocity of the barrel. One thing you will benefit from with a longslide pistol is the extra sight radius: Tagging the 1-foot-square gong on the club’s 100-yard rifle range was pretty easy, even with the hardest-kicking loads.

To get some not-so-much-recoil practice in, 10mm empties are easy to reload. You’ll find that the hot factory ammo will have expanded the cases enough so that resizing is work—but not as much as the “T-Rex”-level .44 Magnum loads some shoot, which practically require you to stand on the loading press handle. But you’ll notice more work resizing with hot 10mm empties than with regular 10mm or standard .45, 9mm, .40, etc.

10mm 9

The 10mm uses a standard large-pistol primer—there’s no need for magnum primers—and, due to the popularity of the .40 for so long, there’s no lack of 10mm bullets. For lead, you’ll want .401 inch; for jacketed, you’ll want .400 inch. Easy to find.

The article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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