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GUNS & AMMO MAY 2014 | VOLUME 58, NUMBER 5 | PUBLISHED MONTHLY

CONTENTS

THIS IS A GUN.
SIG Sauer’s new P320 has
multiple personalities�
We meet one of them.
BY PATRICK SWEENEY

56 TACTICOOL
HK adds to our modern-rife want list.
68 TRUE PATRIOTS
POF-USA improves upon its piston-driven
78 WHITWORTH & JACOB
Two unique Victorian British percussion
by g&a staff platform with the new E² chamber and rifes made the 1,000-plus-yard shot not
GEN4 lower. only possible but probable.
by eric r. poole by garry JaMes

Reader Blowback � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6 Rifes & Glass by Tom Beckstrand � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 33

Q&A The Sarah Palin interview � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 10 Lock, Stock & Barrel by SGM Kyle Lamb [Ret�] � � � � � � � � � � � � 37
Editorial by Eric R� Poole � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15 Proofhouse Taurus View � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 90
Gun Room by Garry James � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 17 Proofhouse CZ 455 Varmint Precision Trainer � � � � � � � � � � � � � 96
Gun Notes by Craig Boddington � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 23 G&A Almanac � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 103
Handgunning by Patrick Sweeney � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29 Spent Cases Stop-Motion Photography � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 104

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 Most FEARED 4 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4

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of WWII !! gunsandammo.com
The Soviet Mosin 91/30 An InterMedia Outdoors publication
PUBLISHER Chris Agnes
Now you can own
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BLOWBACK Please include your city and state of residence. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity.

JULY 1969
“A Rifeman Figures
the Wind”
Even with the latest technol-
ogy, conquering the infuence
As good as they are for of wind on a bullet remains as
ARs, I use them even more much of a factor in shooting
today as it was when Jim Car-
on my pistols and revolvers. michael penned this article
— J.C. Tunberg, Moline, analyzing Dr. F.W. Mann’s
Illinois experiments on wind effects.
“Without going into the
mathematics of wind defec-
AHEM, CORRECTION, tion,” wrote Carmichael, “we
BOOMING HANDGUNS PLEASE can thus perceive that the
degree to which a bullet is
I was just going to write you to say, “Hey, more articles on In Patrick Sweeney’s column blown off course is related to
long-range handguns, please!” when I opened my March on the Remington Model its loss of velocity … Another,
2014 issue, and it fell open to Layne Simpson’s great article. 51 pistol (March 2014), he and even more effcient, way
of dealing with the problem,
I started shooting IPSC in 1991 shortly after purchasing states that John Pedersen would be to use bullets which
my frst gun, a Ruger GP-100 SS .357 with a 6-inch full-lug designed the Remington simply do not lose velocity.”
barrel. I loved speed shooting, and I worked hard at it like Model 17. I have one of
no other hobby before. One day, I saw a T/C ad showing these fne shotguns, and it
a gloved hunter inserting a round into a barrel very similar is marked “BROWNING’S
to the one in the picture featured in the opening layout of PATENT JUNE 15, 1915.”
Layne’s article. I could not wait to get my 10-inch T/C with Pedersen didn’t design
a barrel in 7mm TCU. I manufactured my own brass from the Remington Model 17. I
.223 cases and went for it. People today, even experienced hope this can be corrected.
shooters, barely believe me when I tell them about rou- Pedersen may have been
tinely shooting targets at 200 meters with a handgun with great, but he was no John
iron sights. The great thing is that shooting long-range Browning.
game is all about the basics, which, if mastered, make you — Charles E. Sword,
a better shooter no matter what you are shooting or hunt- Hagerstown, Maryland
ing. I challenge any shooter and hunter to invest in at least
one of these boomers and see how far you can reach out Charles, you have a sharp deed design the Remington
and touch something. Oh, and more stories on wheelguns, eye and a memory perhaps Model 17. John Pedersen
please! less jammed with details made some design changes
— Howard Lewis, Apex, North Carolina than mine. Browning did in- before Remington put it

CLP + GUN SPONGE scratches metal.” I do sup- FACEBOOK

I agree with Kyle Lamb’s port Lamb’s assessment of 700,000+ likes
column, “Cleaning Your using plenty of protective
Like us at GunsAndAmmoMag to join trending discussions and
AR,” in the December lube. I use Break Free’s CLP, weigh in on current debates.
2013 issue. ARs have been and it cleans and protects
JOEY HELM I have a Rock River in .223, and I love it. I’ve
covered from stem to nicely. Adding CLP to a gun never had even one issue with it. I guess I need to get the .308
stern and everywhere in sponge will soak up all the now. OH, HONEY ...
between, except teaching grit and carbon buildup DAVID HALEY Love my Beretta PX4/CX4 combo in 9mm ...
a new shooter to keep your MSR can create. As [They] not only share the same cartridge, but also the same
magazine!
them clean. I question the carbon collects onto the
using a screwdriver to clean sponge, you just squeeze RYAN LISKEY We practice handgun reloads every night,
before bed and after reading our scriptures. We do them
away carbon, the old rule it into a paper towel, and it together. It’s good for the marriage.
being “metal against metal comes clean to use again.
8 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | R e A d e R B l o w B A c k

load for both .44 Magnum haven’t found earmuffs that

and .454 Casull. I have allow me to get my face
always used H110 and had against the stock without
not heard of Power Pro bumping them off. What
300-MP. I will indeed give earmuffs are those?
it a try. — chuck Prince,
— derek weir, Fort lauderdale, Florida
Belgrade, Montana
The shooter in the fore-
EAR PROTECTION ground was wearing MSA
FOR RIFLES Supreme earmuffs
In Tom Beckstrand’s March (us.msasafety.com), and
into production. It lasted “G&A Reloads.” I enjoyed “Modern Sporting Rifes,” the shooter in the back-
in production from 1921 reading about the history two shooters are shown ground was wearing a 3M
to 1933. It was resurrected of the company and the using ARs with their cheeks Peltor Soundtrap headset
and scaled up to 12 gauge complete line of powders fush against the stocks (peltorcomms.3m.com).
by the Ithaca Gun company offered. Alliant has made while wearing earmuffs. I — T. Beckstrand
in 1937. My apologies for great strides in recent years
TWITTER
skipping past John Moses. to keep up with the new
@GunsAndAmmoMag
— P. Sweeney market of Short Magnums
How often do you get back to basics and practice handgun
as well as newer full-size reloads?
GOOD ON ALLIANT cartridges such as the .338 Chambered in .223 Wylde or .308 Win., the new X-Series of
Thank you for the article Lapua. I found the compar- rifes were collaboratively designed by Rock River Arms and
ison among W296, H110 Guns & Ammo Editor Eric R. Poole.
about Alliant Powders
by Layne Simpson in and Alliant’s Pro 300-MP of If you’re forced to use your frearm in self-defense, what
happens in the aftermath of the incident?
the December column particular interest because I
10 G & A M AY 2 0 1 4

Q&A

“AMAZING
AMERICA”
SARAH PALIN lends her I even spent a special snowy
patriotic passion in hosting Mother’s Day target practic-
“Amazing America,” a new ing and looking for bear at
show on the Sportsman our cabin near Mt. McKinley.
Channel. The show targets
anyone interested in How do you keep your grow-
hunting, shooting and ing family involved?
fshing and focuses on When you’ve grown up in Alas-
unique personalities and ka and raised your kids in the
their activities. far North, that just comes with
When the show was conceived, the territory. Dad had a bumper
the concept was to illustrate sticker: “Take your kids hunting so
colorful people and places you’re not hunting for your kids.”
previously unknown to many. His profound bumper art included
The common thread linking each another favorite that reads “Vegetar-
episode is in the show’s title. The ian is old Indian word for ‘poor shot.’”
program celebrates and spotlights Mom and Dad moved our family to
interesting Americans who, through Alaska specifcally to enjoy hunting and
their creativity or heroics, do incredi- fshing and live a great outdoors lifestyle.
ble things. It’s what we like to do.
Sarah was drawn to this opportunity I’m really blessed that all my kids love
because it was a show about America, a rugged outdoor lifestyle. Recently,
and she’s politically incorrect, as she Piper jumped off a waterfall, which was
needs to be, when it comes to advocating a reward for babysitting her broth-
for hunters and defenders of freedom. er Trig. We also had a blast going
Ahead of the April 3rd premiere, she through two seasons of “Dancing
shared some time with Guns & Ammo to With the Stars” with Bristol. It was
answer a few questions. such the opposite of anything we
had done. Bristol wanted to wear
Do you still get outdoors to hunt caribou a sequined camo gown, but that
or fsh with the family? didn’t fy with the producers. The kids
Absolutely! The outdoors is where I thrive. have opportunities to live and work in
Todd and I went fy-fshing in Montana last metropolitan places like Los Angeles,
summer and caught some beautiful rain- but my daughter Willow’s response to
bow trout. We’re commercial fshermen in living elsewhere refects all the kids’
Bristol Bay, so we don’t normally play with thinking at this point in their lives:
our food. So, sport fshing on the Missouri “Mom, I miss my truck!”
was a blast. We also did mounted shooting
while there, and Piper loved that. She was a Do you have unique methods
regular Annie Oakley. And, of course, we did a of teaching your friends
lot of moose, caribou and bear hunting in Alas- and family respect for and
ka this past fall to fll the freezer. My girls and responsibility with frearms?
 Guns & Ammo is now available
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 12 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | Q & A

Did your husband or father hand down any of those The Sportsman Channel is attracting high-profle
methods to you? personalities such as “Gunny” R. Lee Ermey (“Saving
Oh, yes. Dad was a frearms safety instructor. He ham- Private K-9”) and Gary Sinise (“High Flight”) to its net-
mered it home every time we were around frearms. It was work. How would you describe the connection between
all about safety and hitting the target. He had a reloading the hosts of the channel’s service-related programming
bench in the hallway of our old house, and it seemed every and its audience?
time we walked by it, he’d remind us of some aspect of a The hosts are great patriotic guys who love this coun-
safety lesson. Bristol was featured in a newspaper article try and have been given a platform to tell these stories.
at age 10 as she participated in a frearms safety class. I They’ve dedicated so many resources and their time
was the mayor of our city then, and I guess the reporter to support our troops and their families. As the proud
thought it intriguing or maybe politically incorrect that a mom of an Army combat vet, I’m thankful to get to
politician allowed her young daughter to handle guns. work with them.

Do you have a favorite gun or caliber? Do you know a dog with a special skill?
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EDITORIAL M AY 2 0 1 4 G & A 15

Such tragedies do bring a rediscovery of lost items

and a focus on what’s important.

ERIC R. POOLE
THE RESET BUTTON @BLACK5PROJECTS

I HAVE NEW CAUSE TO REMEMBER my friend J. Guthrie, the quantity of unopened Short Magnums, Ultra Mags and
the charismatic gunwriter who passed away last year. We the many boxes of 8-gauge shotshells, .17 Mach 2, .22 Jet,
started working for the NRA’s publication division about the .357 Maximum, .45 GAP and 8mm Lebel, our shelves tell a
same time, and his words the day he was fred from Shoot- story of cartridge development that never became worthy
ing Illustrated magazine have new meaning for me. of pilfering.
“I don’t keep more personal stuff at the offce than what In the absence of electricity and network connectivity,
I can carry out in one box,” he mused. I’ve enjoyed reading through boxes of personal carbon-
He was fred after calling out his boss for some unpro- copied responses Elmer Keith once addressed to G&A
fessional behavior, using some colorful four-letter superla- readers and industry professionals. I’m in awe of the vol-
tives for all to hear. Before security could show up, Guthrie umes that could be published of these saved letters alone,
had his offce-in-a-box in hand and was escorted from the which provide a backdrop to Keith’s travels and points of
building with an optimistic grin. view through different eras.
Guns & Ammo’s offces were recently fooded on Feb- March 7, 1969: “I would not have a scope on a sixgun
ruary 19th by a ruptured water main. Soaked ceiling tiles nor recommend it, and if you are going to clutter up a
rained down, papers dissolved, photos ruined, taxidermy good sixgun with a big, cumbersome scope, then you
damaged and electronics might as well get
destroyed. Firearms in the a carbine with a
vault were unharmed, but
surviving back issues of
“I DON’T KEEP MORE PERSONAL stock on it so it
will be practical
Guns & Ammo are drying STUFF IN MY OFFICE THAN WHAT instead of an
out as I struggle to save I CAN CARRY OUT IN ONE BOX ...” abortion of either
archived photos, historical type.”
documents and artwork. April 14, 1970:
My own offce was hit “I have a .375
the worst, and I wish I had heeded Guthrie’s advice. I’m H&H Ruger single-shot, and it is a splendid rife in every
a bit of a packrat, and what I couldn’t display in my man way and all that is needed for this country.”
cave was hanging on these walls and sitting on shelves. May 20, 1970: “I am 71 years young and worked with
From two personal copies of G&A’s frst 1958 issue to rare guns all my life, and I am still learning.”
photos of Jeff Cooper, P.O. Ackley and Bill Jordan … all Rather than extracting passages from past issues of G&A
have suffered. Evidence of my career and two decades of for Elmer Keith’s sidebar in the “Gun Notes” column, I will
armorer certifcations and marksmanship training were all draw future quotes from these unpublished mailings.
but erased, which was personally heartbreaking. Keith’s letters demonstrate that even a larger-than-life
It’s time to start over. personality is not above sending correspondence. There-
Such tragedies do bring a rediscovery of lost items and a fore, I am going to push contributors to respond to those
focus on what’s important. I broke bread with Jeff Cooper of you who take the time to write with interrogatives. Send
and his now-widow, Janelle, in 2005 at his fortress within your questions to Guns & Ammo Letters, 2 News Plaza,
the gates of the Gunsite Academy. I had long written off 2nd Floor, Peoria, IL 61614.
ever fnding pictures taken of Jeff and me discussing early Guns & Ammo is different now than it was in the days
Leatherslap matches and details of his involvement with of its founding publisher, Robert Petersen. There are more
the resulting Bren Ten. Pictures found. manufacturers of guns, ammo, optics and accessories than
Surveying test ammunition remaining in G&A’s foor- those days, and there are many new activities. More gun
soaked vault also gave me interesting insight into less than magazines compete for the same retail space in stores, but
popular calibers. Boxes of .22, 9mm, .40, .45, .223 and you continue to make G&A the most widely read frearm
.308 were nonexistent. We obviously test frearms with publication on newsstands. Your hard-earned purchase
these chambers more than any others. When you consider isn’t taken for granted, and I intend to prove it.
GUN ROOM MAY 2014 G & A 17

“You do your gun a disservice; while it has no fnish,

it appears to be far from a basket case.
I’d value it at between $1,100 and $1,250.”

IDENTIFICATION
& VALUES
G A R RY J A M E S

REMINGTON MOHAWK 600

Model OFO1/Pat’d April 1893 to 1936. Yours is a

20, 75, Feb. 20 [?], Sec. 18 Second Model, of which a
REMINGTON MOHAWK RIFLE 77, May 11, 80.” On the left total of 4,165 were manu-
Q: I own a Remington 600 Mohawk rife without the side of the barrel above the factured between 1905 and
vent rib. The barrel is marked “.223 caliber” and doesn’t Maltese cross is “.22 Long 1909. The photos you sent
appear to be stamped over the original .222. My question Rife CTG ….” The right are a bit dim, but the fact
is, How can I fnd out the value of this gun? I have heard side of the trigger housing that the gun has no fnish
that my gun is rare and valuable. I have found several has the Smith & Wesson places its value at around
viewpoints from local gun shops, online and from mutual stamp. The serial number is $175 to $250.
collectors who are very interested in this rife. I cannot 21XXX. It has black plastic
fnd it in a pricing guide and have contacted Remington. grips with “Smith & Wes- CUT-DOWN
They say it is a limited-manufactured gun that will have son” on both sides. KENTUCKY
to be appraised by an antique-gun expert. I would say L.B., Virginia Beach, VA Q: I have a Kentucky muz-
it is 90 percent condition, with an older 3-9X Bushnell zleloading rife. The barrel
scope on top. If you can offer any input or point me in A: Smith & Wesson made a is 26 inches long, and the
the right direction toward getting a value, that would be series of four models of overall length is 43 inches.
great. J.K., via email single-shot pistols from The full-octagon barrel is
bright, and the muzzle is
A: Remington Model 600 Mohawks were manu- crowned with eight stars.
factured from 1964 to 1968 and again between THE AUCTION BLOCK It seems to have been cut
1971 and 1979 in various confgurations. Com- An extremely rare cased, presentation down, since there is an
mon calibers were .222, 6mm Rem., .243 Win., Mauser Zig-Zag revolver sold for a escutcheon cutout near
comfortable $8,625 at the October 16,
.308 Win. and .35 Rem. Only 315 Model 600s in 2013, James D. Julia auction. In superb
the breech plug. The stock
.223 caliber were manufactured, making rifes condition, this nickel-plated 10.6mm is fne-grain walnut with
in that caliber decidedly on the rare side. They single action was engraved on the left side a German silverplate just
of the frame “PRESENTED TO CAPT.
were offered with and without vent ribs. Ac- JOHN D. HILL.” It was accompanied by
behind the tang, engraved
cording to the “Thirty-Fourth Edition Blue Book its black-painted birch presentation case, with a “G.” It has a silver
of Gun Values,” a .223-caliber Model 600 in 90 which also held a cleaning rod and rare forend cap. The sights are
combination tool. For more information
percent condition is valued at $750. about this and future auctions, contact
a fip-up peep rear and a
James D. Julia Inc., 207-453-7125, james- modern front. The stock
S&W SINGLE-SHOT TARGET djulia.com. is beautifully inlayed with
Q: I was given an old, rusted Smith & Wesson a brass patch box, double
topbreak, single-shot .22 pistol. I have not set triggers and a brass,
been able to fnd out much about it other than curved triggerguard. The
it’s pre-1915. I have removed all the rust and lock reads “R&W.G. Biddle
polished it to stainless steel and had a gun- Co., Philadelphia.” The rife
smith replace the trigger stud and lower trigger seems to have been con-
spring. On the top rail it has a Maltese cross, verted to percussion.
then “Smith & Wesson, Springfeld, Mass, USA/ T.B.H., Nacogdoches, TX
18 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | G U N R O O M

NAZI-MARKED SAUER MODEL 38

A: Biddle manufactured Q: I have just SAUER MODEL 38
HAVE AN HEIRLOOM? Curious
about a vintage frearm? Email locks, barrels, and bits and received a pistol
Garry at garry.james@imout- pieces for frearms in Phil- from my cousin
doors.com, or send a descrip-
tion with detailed photos to adelphia around 1840. The to be cleaned
Gun Room, Guns & Ammo, 2 parts were sold separately and lubricated. It
News Plaza, Peoria, IL 61614.
Please include your name and and used by gunsmiths in was given to him
state of residence. fabricating rifes. Without by his mother
seeing your piece, it is virtu- and brought
ally impossible to put a val- back by his
ue on it, as worth depends deceased father,
on style, embellishment and who was in World War II. The pistol has the following
quality of work. markings: On the right side of the slide it reads “PAT-
ENT”; on the left side it’s marked “J.P.SAUER & SOHN
REMINGTON SUHL, CAL 7.65.” There is also a small swastika with a
TARGETMASTER .22 “C” behind it. The pistol’s grips are black plastic with
Q: In 1941, my father a circle on the left panel with an “S” over an “S” with
purchased a used .22 rife a “U” in the center. The fnish is about 90 percent. The
for $2 for his dad before bore is great, with no pitting. Could you please give me
he left for the service. I some history and a value on this handgun?
inherited this rife and have J.E.A., Philadelphia, PA
not seen one like it. It is a
Remington Targetmaster A: From your description, it sounds like you have a Sauer
Model 41, serial number Model 38 7.65mm (.32 ACP) double-action auto pistol.
73XXX. It is not a Model This fne little gun was introduced in 1938 and is highly
41A and is a single-shot regarded by shooters. Quality was excellent and reliability
bolt action. After you load top-notch. They were sold commercially and used by the
a round in the chamber and German war machine during World War II. Sounds like
close the bolt, you must your cousin’s Model 38 is military issue and, as such, is
pull back the center of the worth in the $850 to $1,000 range.
WHAT IS IT? bolt to cock the gun. If you
WIRE CUTTER twist the cocking piece, it
Barbed wire frst saw general places the gun on safety. It
military usage during the
Boer War in South Africa, but is in very good condition, a 41A in good condition is a barely visible scene of
it was in World War I that with no rust. The bluing is worth around $150, others ships, along with the serial
it really came into its own. good, and the stock has running a bit more depend- number. It is a wall-hanger
Used by both the Allies and
the Central Powers, no trench been restained but is in ing upon what they are. only, as it is in rather poor
defense was considered OK shape. Is it a collector’s shape. Info would be ap-
complete without it. While item? preciated.
COLT 1851 NAVY REVOLVER
standard pliers such as wire
cutters were widely seen, G.W., Lincoln, IL W.K., address withheld
some contrivances that could
be attached to a soldier’s A: Around 306,880 Model A: From the copy of the
rife to give him the ability
to make his way through the 41 Targetmasters in various photo you sent, I can
spiky, tangled mess on his confgurations were man- ascertain that you have a
own during an assault were ufactured from 1935 to COLT 1851 Colt Model 1851 Navy. This
designed and successfully
used. One of the best was 1939. The 41A had standard NAVY REVOLVER was a highly popular civilian
Britain’s No. 2 Mk 1 model, sporting sights, the 41P Q: I received this gun 25 and military percussion arm,
introduced in early 1916. target sights. The 41AS was years ago. It has a 7½-inch manufactured from 1850 to
This device, which attached
to Tommy’s SMLE, consisted chambered in .22 WRF, and barrel and is a six-shot. 1873. The serial number of
of a “V”-shaped guide that the 41SB was smoothbore. The serial number, 30XXX, your revolver indicates that
pivoted, causing a cutter to As your description is lack- appears fve times on the it was made in 1853, making
close over the wire and snip it
when the unit was thrust over ing some details, I can’t be gun. On the barrel, it is it a third variation. You do
a strand. It worked very well sure which variant you have, marked “ADDRESS SAML your gun a disservice; while
and saw considerable usage. nor can I place a value on COLT NEW YORK CITY.” it has no fnish, it appears
“Over the top!”
it. For your own reference, On the cylinder, there is to be far from a basket
20 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | G U N R O O M

case. I’d value it at between iber is 7.65 Longue (long).

$1,100 and $1,250. This is basically a variant
of the French Model 1935
SAGEM AUTO PISTOL service auto, which was built
Q: I have an auto pistol by different manufacturers in
with the following mark- different incarnations from
REMINGTON NEW MODEL NAVY .36
ings on the slide: “MOD- 1937 to 1956. The SAGEMs
ELE 1935S. M.1/CAL 7.65 marked “M1” were made
L.” The frame is stamped from 1947 to 1956. ings on the left side of the rimfre or centerfre round.
“SAGEM” within an oval, barrel and a “P” stamped Usual calibers were .44, .46
along with the serial num- REMINGTON on the triggerguard. The RF or .45 CF. From your
ber, A84XX. Any informa- REVOLVER letters “JR” are carved in photo, it appears that the
tion you can give me would Q: I would like to know the one of the grip panels. loading lever, which is now
be appreciated. There is a history and value of my L.K., Sutherland, NE used solely for retaining the
small chip out of the left Remington revolver. It is cylinder pin, has had its web
black plastic grip. a .38 cavalry pistol con- A: I doubt your gun was cut back. This would indi-
G.D.W., Centerville, TX verted to .45. Stamped on originally a .38, as those cate that perhaps the gun
the bottom of the barrel is guns in .36 caliber were was altered by a gunsmith
A: You have a French Model 28XXX. On top of the bar- converted to .38 Rimfre, not rather than the Remington
1935S auto pistol manufac- rel it reads “E. REMING- .45. It sounds like you have a factory. Condition on your
tured by Societe d’Applica- TON & SONS, ILION, NEW Remington .44 New Model piece doesn’t look all that
tions Generales d’Electricite YORK U.S. NEW MODEL.” Army percussion that was al- bad. I’d value it at between
et de la Mechanique. Cal- There are some odd mark- tered to handle some sort of $1,000 and $1,250.

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GUN NOTES M AY 2 0 1 4 G & A 23

I missed him cleanly going up the next ridge.

Fortunately, Payton was beside me.
He rolled him with as perfect a running shot as I’ve ever seen.

CRAIG BODDINGTON

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT

MY FRIEND PAYTON …
Circa 1980: The author, very
THESE PAST FEW WEEKS young, and an equally young
I’ve had the, er, challenge of Payton Miller with a hog taken
breaking in yet another new on Dye Creek Ranch in North-
ern California. The author is
editor. You understand that, holding a T/C in .45 Winchester
from a writer’s perspective, Magnum; Payton shows off his
this is a bit like breaking a pet Ruger M77 in .30-’06.
horse to the rider’s will. For
instance, will he get his way In a more quiet but at least
regarding how he wants his equally devastating way,
photo packages, or can I Guns & Ammo also lost the
continue working as I have services of Payton Miller.
been? I suspect he’ll win Lack of headlines was
because, after all, the edi- appropriate because Pay-
tor’s word is law, as it should ton was (unless you really
be. I can’t believe it was just knew him) G&A’s quiet man,
10 years ago when a (ballsy) usually operating behind
young Marine accosted me in the chow hall at Camp Doha, the scenes. You saw him deliver hilarious performances
Kuwait, and asked if we could talk. I had no idea what he on Guns & Ammo TV’s “Torture Test,” and over the years
wanted, and I had to wave off my security detail. We talked you’ve read hundreds of feld tests and staff reports he’s
about my civilian job and his desire to get into gunwriting. penned on these pages, many of which he was too modest
That young Devil Dog was, of course, Eric Poole, and he is to byline. What you may not know is that Payton has been
now my boss on his own merit. behind the scenes at G&A for nearly 40 years. He made
This column is not about Eric, other than to say that I the move to Peoria, Illinois; soldiered on as G&A’s execu-
have watched him since he joined InterMedia Outdoors a tive editor for a few years; then decided it was time to re-
few years ago. He brings enthusiasm, turn to his roots and family in Southern
energy and dedication to the job, and California.
LETTERS FROM KEITH
I am delighted that this brash, young I wasn’t surprised, but I feel the loss
“Careless handling of guns or trusting
Marine has fulflled his life’s ambition, in safeties has caused more accidents as acutely as any of our other losses in
which he told me about a decade ago. than any other factor in frearms usage that sad year of 2013. You see, Payton
… Empty guns are the ones that do
He has my support, and I hope he has was there for me at the beginning of
most of the damage.” — Elmer Keith,
yours. He needs it. He has come into December 1965 my own career. I joined then-Petersen
the critical job of editor at a very un- Publishing in 1979, fresh off active
usual time, unprecedented in my long duty, assigned as the junior associate
association with this magazine. Tran- editor at Guns & Ammo, with no clue
sition is normal, but in the past year what an editor actually did. G&A was a
we’ve sustained heavy losses. As we unique organization back then. At best
all know, contributors Greg Rodriguez you could call it a benevolent fefdom.
and James Guthrie died early in 2013, Its founder and publisher, Robert E.
both tragically and much too young. Petersen, was always the king, but at
24 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | G U N N O T E S

Circa mid-1980s: Payton

Miller brought down this ex-
cellent California mule deer
with a perfect running shot
just after the author shot too
quickly and missed. Payton
is a fne all-around shot with
rife, pistol and handgun.

G&A the late Howard French was the head duke, and Man- but informative captions; the all-important cover blurbs.
aging Editor Red Bell was his sheriff. Both were savants in All that said, sometimes it was diffcult to give Payton
their frearms knowledge, and both were harsh taskmasters, the proper credence he always deserved. I suspected a
demanding and sometimes over the top. As the new kid on slight case of ADD, which I also suffer from. He could only
the block, I was aided greatly by Phil Spangenberger and sit still at his desk for so long, then he needed to walk the
the late Dave Hetzler. Payton Miller not only showed me halls to think properly, coffee cup in hand. This drove How-
the ropes, he was my frst friend and ard French insane, and Payton left the
remains my friend today. company for a few years. Then, thank
God, he came back, and he had been
A couple of years later, Payton and back more than 20 years — until now.
I were a two-man band at Guns & Perhaps his thinking was best done on
Ammo Special Interest Publications, or his feet, but Payton’s sound editorial
SIPs. SIPs are the annuals and various judgment was innate, tempered by
niche “one-shot” magazines you fnd experience, better in the 2000s than
on newsstands. Even then, Payton’s in the 1970s.
frearms knowledge was vast, but over
time it also became encyclopedic. This level of experience is almost
Note, please, that editing and writing irreplaceable, except that we all know
are not the same skill set. Few can do that none of us is irreplaceable. What
both with equal competence. Payton I remember best about Payton are
is a fne writer, but he is an awesome the great times we had back in the
editor. With decades of experience, old days of Petersen Publishing. What
he’s gotten even better, but he has perhaps no one has ever told you
some special skills that few of us will about Payton is that he is a serious
ever possess. Payton is the master hunter as well as shooter, amazing-
of the one-liner. I have never known For all of its reputation for power as a ly capable with rife, handgun and
anyone as adept at coming up with handgun cartridge, the .44 Magnum isn’t shotgun. Back in the day, we made
as effective as a .30-’06 or .270 on game as
the catchy and appropriate nuts and tough and heavy as wild boar. It can do the innumerable “death marches” to the
bolts: story titles and subtitles; short trick at relatively short range, however. few spots of public land in the Central
 I N . 3 0 8 W I N . / 7. 6 2 N A T O

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optimum reliability and cooler running, reliable frearm with front sight. These sights provide a solid, reliable with fattop receiver features a
superior operating endurance. superior operating endurance. aiming system that can be folded out of the Mil-Spec 1913 Picatinny rail at
way to make room for optics, but can be 12:00 position that extends the
instantly redeployed if needed. full length of the handguard.

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26 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | G U N N O T E S

Coast’s pig country. I lived a bit north

of town, so we’d gather at my place at
midnight, often with Durwood Hollis.
We’d drive until nearly dawn, put on
our packs and hike into the hills, then
hunt all day. We’d usually drive back
that night, thoroughly exhausted, but
often with a pig or two in our coolers.

We pursued pigs year-round, but for

several years we never missed the Former G&A Editors Richard Venola and Payton Miller hosted Guns & Ammo TV’s popular
coastal deer season. One memorable “Torture Test” series on the Sportsman Channel until 2010.
weekend we had a chance to hunt the
Tejon Ranch, so we worked Friday and made a cold camp going up the next ridge. Fortunately, Payton was beside
after dark that evening. At dawn it started to rain. We me. He rolled him with as perfect a running shot as I’ve
hunted hard and got soaked, with no luck, but about noon ever seen. Payton being Payton, he still has the deer and
the deer came out with the sun. We jumped an awesome the Ruger .30-’06 he shot him with.
California mule deer in a canyon, and I missed him cleanly In those days, we could make a reservation to use the

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 G U N N O T E S | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 27

the king’s quail,” and in those days

the king had an awful lot of quail. We
shot some deer, hogs, coyotes and
ground squirrels — and maybe a few
more quail than the mission required.
Those were good days, and for so
many years this magazine has been
stronger because of Payton’s dedi-
cation and infuence. He has never
asked for or expected appreciation,
An inveterate lever-action fan, Payton is shown in this recent feld photo with a fne Axis deer let alone the credit he deserves, so,
taken with one of his favorites, a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. with your indulgence, I wanted to take
this column to say thanks for both his
Petersen Ranch ranges, which we often did for testing service and friendship and to say this: Payton, old friend,
and photography. For some reason we needed to use the I wish you well in your next endeavors. I miss you; this
range a bit more frequently during quail season. Well, magazine will miss you even more. I predict that Eric Poole
there wasn’t a specifc rule against it (until there was). With will become a great editor, but I wish Payton were still here
his wry, understated wit, Payton still regards it as “hunting to help him along.

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HANDGUNNING M AY 2 0 1 4 G & A 29

Everything we take for granted now

fowed from that point. Suddenly,
reliability wasn’t a goal but a standard.

PAT R I C K S W E E N E Y

A FISTFUL OF
MAGAZINES
WAY BACK IN 1977, my magazines, ammo or the
frst published gun article gunsmith’s skills?
concerned itself with pistol All of a sudden, we could
magazines. It detailed test- know. If it didn’t feed with a
ing, cleaning, maintenance, Wilson-Rogers, it was either
inspection and marking of the ammo or the gunsmith.
1911 mags for the then- Everything we take
new IPSC competitions in for granted now fowed
the Midwest. from that point. Suddenly,
At that time, the choices reliability wasn’t a goal
were a sorry lot. You could but a standard. Where
choose from expensive, before we’d gladly accept
unreliable new Colt maga- a pistol that was as reliable
zines or cheap, unreliable as only one malfunction in
USGI surplus magazines. a thousand rounds, that is
With a soupçon of “surplus” now the minimum we’ll put
magazines that were made up with. I won’t say we got
God knows where, they looked kind of like USGI magazines spoiled, but almost overnight the 1911 became the most
if you really squinted. They really sucked, but, man, were reliable pistol on the face of the planet. Don’t think this
they cheap to buy. passed without notice.
It mattered back then because you could lose a match Suddenly, pistol magazines for other designs started
struggling with an unreliable magazine, even back when showing improvements. Fit, fnish, function — they all got
we used stopwatches for timing. We all wanted reliability, better. Before the Glock mob chimes in, 1911 magazines
but it wasn’t easy to come by. became reliable years before there was polymer on these
Durablity? It is to laugh. We dreaded the winter leagues shores. You didn’t lead the parade. In that vein, I’ve had law
because dropping the old magazines onto a concrete foor enforcement offcers look at me smugly and tell me in all
on reloads was a sure way to crack feedlips, dent corners, seriousness that the quality of magazines today is due to
twist tubes and generally turn magazines into scrap. police leaving revolvers behind and adopting pistols. Ahem.
All that changed in 1980 when Bill Wilson offered his #47 Guys, you’ve got it backward, really. Police departments had
magazine, known then as the Wilson-Rogers magazine. been toying with pistols for some time before they went
These were built tough and with wondrous detail; thanks all-in, but it wasn’t until pistols were reliable that they could
to a baseplate that was removable for cleaning, life sud- justify it, and they became reliable because of IPSC.
denly became a whole lot easier — not just for competitors Today, magazine makers are not the afterthought they
but gunsmiths, too. Each of us, had been; they are an integral part
mostly 1911 shooters, had a stash of the design of any pistol. After-
of reliable magazines … except
COOPER ON market makers are also in the fray.
that they were reliable only in the
HANDGUNS Wilson Combat still makes the
“The purpose of the
1911 we had tested them in. They pistol is to stop a fght descendant of the #47, and the
may or may not be reliable in the that somebody else has latest just arrived, the 500C-HD.
started, almost always at
next one. If you took delivery of a very short range.” The tube is a folded, welded and
ferociously expensive custom 1911 — Jeff Cooper, 1974 heat-treated stainless steel, and the
and it wouldn’t feed, was it your baseplate is still removable. How
 30 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | H A N D G U N N I N G

tough are these? Well, I have an old

47 that I was using in an indoor match
decades ago. I dropped it for the
reload, then, in moving, I stepped on it
and skated across the foor, riding the
magazine. I maintained my balance,
and the magazine, aside from scuff
marks, still works just fne. The 500C-
HD is the benefciary of three decades
of improvements.
Virgil Tripp, of Tripp Research, is one
of the behind-the-scenes guys who
advanced 1911 technology just over
a couple of decades ago. He makes
his Cobramag, one the many frearms
LEFT: WILSON-ROGERS #47, RIGHT: 500C-HD
Single Stack competition shooters
Reactive Targets swear by. Again, proper alloys, a focus
on tight dimensions and attention to
With Birchwood Casey detail mean reliable function.
Shoot•N•C™ self-adhesive One company that I have always
reactive targets, bullet holes held in high regard is Mec-Gar. Even
are revealed with bright back when replacement magazines
chartreuse rings – providing were a crap shoot, theirs worked. I
you with instant feedback and just didn’t spend much time with their
eliminating the need to walk magazines, as they focused on pistols
down range or use binoculars. COBRAMAG MEC-GAR
other than the ones I was competing
Repair pasters allow you to with. Well, that has changed in the
cover up shots and extend last decade or so. I spend a lot more time with pistols other
target life. Available in a large than the 1911, and many of them come with Mec-Gar mag-
variety of sizes. azines. If you recently purchased a new high-cap pistol and
the magazine is a shiny, blued work of art, it was probably
Shoot More. ™
made by Mec-Gar, as many manufacturers utilize their ser-
vices to produce magazines that work in their pistols.
Shoot Better. How important is proper magazine design? Well, when I
traveled to Prescott, Arizona, to visit the Ruger plant and was
9 one of the frst to see their SR9 pistols, I took one look at the
10
SR9 magazine and said, “That was made by Mec-Gar.” Sure
enough, in the presentation Ruger explained that they had
9
started the SR9 project with their own
magazine design but went to Mec-Gar
for the fne-tuning, and the results were
10

worth it. It had to take a lot of gump-

tion for the guys at Ruger to say, “We
can have the best if we go to Mec-Gar”
and not use their own magazine.
Think about it: Have you ever heard
someone at the gun club complain
about unreliable Ruger magazines?
Still, as good as theirs were, Ruger
wanted more. My own SR9, with
Visit your local retailer
15,000+ rounds through it, has had
or contact us at
one solitary malfunction. I still insist
it was the lineman’s glove to blame,
the one being worn to protect that
shooter’s hand from the heat.
LEFT: ARREDONDO, RIGHT: TAYLOR
Price? Stop complaining; you are
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 31

just embarrassing yourself. The retail

price of a Wilson, Tripp or Mec-Gar
tops out at about $35. Many are less,
even in the low $20s. If we adjust that
for infation, we end up with a compa-
rable cost of $9.50 in 1977 for a top-
end magazine. If I had arrived at the
IPSC Nationals that year with a trunk-
load of $10 magazines, ones that
were 100 percent reliable, I would
have sold them all on the frst day
— probably before lunch. In 2014,
$35 just isn’t that much. The stagger-
ing level of reliability is worth every
penny. Trust me, you rife shooters
could not have bought ultrareliable
30-round AR mags in 1977 for $2.75
each, the infation-adjusted price for
today’s bombproof mags.
Things have gotten to the point
that we gunwriters really can’t put
enough ammo through any given
frearm to check its reliability. Oh, if a
particularly dodgy sample arrives and
it chokes within a couple of boxes of
ammo, sure. But for the most part,
modern frearms are now so reliable
(thanks largely to reliable magazines)
that it simply isn’t statistically relevant
for us to try and test on our own.
Which is great for all shooters.
If that weren’t enough, you can have
more. Well, in the various “Work-
ers Paradises” some of you live in,
high-caps are a no-go. For the rest
of us, guys such as Ralph Arredondo
(arredondoaccessories.com) and Robin
Taylor (taylorfreelance.com) offer
handgun magazine baseplate exten-
sions. You can take a 17-round 9mm
magazine and add up to eight more
rounds by replacing the baseplate and
spring. Competition-specifc maga-
zines such as those for STI pistols (sti-
guns.com), Infnity (sviguns.com) and
even the extended magazine Beretta
makes for the Storm carbine can boost
capacity up to 30 rounds. They still
maintain reliability. As if that weren’t
enough, you can shop for them and
fnd them all at Brownells, the holy
land of frearms goodies.
Oh, and that frst article? I never got
paid for it. If you’ll permit me to take a
moment and think back to the 1970s
again, these are the good old days.
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RIFLES & GLASS M AY 2 0 1 4 G & A 33

Tactical Fire Control unveils their new multimode trigger.

Nightforce’s newest fagship is a precision shooter’s dream.

TOM BECKSTRAND
FAST IS FINE
THE AR MARKET continues to grow quickly, giving fans of group rides over an internal lever that physically pushes
the rifes ever-increasing options on everything from furniture the trigger forward to help reset it. The assist isn’t enough
to muzzle devices. Some accessories are merely aesthetic, to completely reset the trigger because that would make it
and some offer additional capabilities. I recently had the illegal. The lever moves the trigger about 95 percent of the
opportunity to test-fre a product that falls into the latter way back to the reset position. All the shooter needs to do
category, Tactical Fire Control’s (Tac-Con) new 3MR trigger. is wiggle his trigger fnger enough to let the trigger come
Tac-Con is an Arizona-based company that started forward about another 5 percent and apply 4½ pounds of
designing their new trigger after Mike Stakes and Mike rearward pressure to get the trigger to fre again.
Martinez spent some range time with a few Border Patrol The process of designing the trigger took three years and
buddies. No one liked the Mil- had its ups and downs. I spoke
Spec trigger, and many in law with Mike Martinez, the lead en-
enforcement work for depart- gineer of the company. He ex-
ments that are unwilling to plained the breakthroughs they
do the paperwork required to had during development and
get the departments full-auto the problems they encountered,
guns. The process takes the often solving one problem only
cops about nine months to to discover another. “I’d be on
complete, almost as long as it cloud nine for 15 minutes, then
takes us civilians. have to get back to the reality
Stakes and Martinez set out of fnishing the trigger.” He
to design a trigger that had described the biggest achieve-
excellent pull characteristics ment as the ability to keep both
and made it physically impossi- pull weights the same across
ble to manipulate a trigger any the two modes of fre.
faster. They came up with what I spent some time fring the
we now know as the 3MR. 3MR trigger and think it performs well. The assisted-reset
The trigger is unique to the AR marketplace because it mode was incredibly fast once mastered and proved to be
offers two modes of fre by utilizing the fre-control selector. a lot of fun, enabling me to shoot much faster than I have
This trigger offers three positions instead of the usual two. ever been able to before. However, there is a learning curve
There’s Safe, a single-stage semiautomatic with 4½-pound associated with its use. The unique handling characteristics
pull and an assisted reset mode that speeds our rate of fre of the third mode afford great speed, but the shooter must
by using the motion of the bolt-carrier group to push the learn to keep the trigger fnger in contact with the trigger
trigger forward to reset it. Normally, there is just a trigger- shoe during the manual-reset portion of the pull. It takes
return spring that accomplishes reset. some fnesse, but it’s tons of fun once mastered.
The frst fring mode offers a crisp, 4½-pound single- For most of us, the 3MR trigger works like any other
stage pull that is much like that found premium model, with the additional
on premium aftermarket triggers. Tac-Con 3MR option of a “fun” mode. Competitive
Stakes and Martinez settled on the Type: Dual-mode trigger shooters will likely appreciate the fast-
Pull Weight: 4 lbs., 8 oz.
4½-pound pull because it is becoming er split times that this trigger offers,
Material: A2 tool steel
an excepted standard weight for guns Trigger Housing: 6061 aluminum
and I suspect that police departments
seeing duty use. Safety: Ambidextrous, three-position will also look at it as a substitute for
The third mode has an assisted selector full-auto fre. Look for additional mod-
MSRP: $495
reset that makes it possible to shoot els from Tac-Con in the future that
Manufacturer: Tactical Fire Control,
much faster than the second mode. tacfrecon.com combine both single- and two-stage
The assist comes when the bolt-carrier pulls in the same trigger.
34 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | R i f l e s & G l A s s

THE BEAST
THIS SCOPE GOT ITS NAME because it was “a beast”
to engineer. Nightforce was no Johnny-come-lately to
the scope industry when they set out designing and
manufacturing this scope. They had a successful business
that moved a lot of product to both the military and the
civilian sectors. Then, at the request of our nation’s Special
Operations Command (SOCOM), they decided to throw
everything they had into designing the ultimate scope for
a SOCOM sniper. The BEAST is the fnal result.
The good news for the civilian market is that the
product of this herculean effort is now available to all of
us. While most rife shooters will never have a need for lens is time consuming and unique to the BEAST, but the
the extreme precision, clarity and features offered by this results are truly exceptional.
scope, just about all of us would defnitely like to have This scope offers every feature available on the mar-
one because it is a truly excellent scope that can do any- ket, as its price refects. It is a frst-focal-plane scope, so
thing we’d require of it. the reticle remains accurate at any magnifcation. This is
During testing, I compared this scope with other fagship helpful when shooting in high-humidity or hot environ-
models from other well-known manufacturers and found ments, where we often need to dial back the magnifcation
the clarity and resolution to be second to none. During a to clearly see our target. It is also useful when shooting at
lengthy talk with two engineers who designed the scope, I moving targets, as our leads remain constant, even when
learned that Nightforce grades each lens for clarity before at low magnifcation.
it is assembled into a scope. Normally, scopes get graded The scope is made to dial elevation and/or windage and
for clarity only after they are assembled. Grading each return to zero with no error, no matter how many times we

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 R i f l e s & G l a s s | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&a 35
NIGHTFORCE MOAR RETICLE

ed with one hand. The

elevation turret has a dial
brake that sets with 1⁄8 of
a turn. The windage knob
has a tit that protrudes
and must be depressed
to dial windage. Twist the
knob back to zero it out,
and it automatically locks
in place.
dial. The model I tested had half-MOA adjustments. This Illumination is adjustable and can be changed back and
allows for inputting a lot of elevation and windage quickly. It forth between red and green. Its lowest setting is barely
also makes for very positive clicks when dialing. Those clicks visible and is perfect for low-light shots on dark game
come from big, beefy teeth that make that would normally cause us to lose
it easy to fnd the setting we’re looking Nightforce BEAST our reticle.
for without wondering whether we’re Power: 5-25X The BEAST is a very high-quality,
Objective: 56mm
one too high or one too low. A small precision instrument that will fnd
Tube Diameter: 34mm
lever at the base of the elevation turret Elevation Adjustment: Half-MOA per click, +/-
a home with hard-core long-range
allows us to add a quarter-MOA at any quarter-MOA lever hunters, professional and competitive
time, making it possible to dial to with- Windage: Quarter-MOA per click shooters, and snipers with a budget.
Reticle: MOAR
in a quarter-MOA. We have big-muscle This is Nightforce’s best effort and
Length: 15.37 in.
movements to get us into the ballpark, Weight: 39 oz. includes innovation and insight into
then a lever to refne our solution to Eye Relief: 3.4 in. optics manufacturing rarely seen in
exactly what we need. MSRP: $3,400 mass markets with their price-point
The turrets have a very simple Manufacturer: Nightforce, 208-476-9814, offerings. This scope represents a
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LOCK, STOCK & BARREL M AY 2 0 1 4 G & A 37

Around our family, if you want to ft in,

you hunt deer, cook deer or eat deer.

S G M K Y L E L A M B [ R E T. ]

WHISPERING
WOODS
THE GUN WORLD HAS BEEN HIT by a storm of rifes
chambered for .300. This proprietary round was original-
ly designated and marketed as the .300 Whisper by
its designer, J.D. Jones, only to be retouched and
renamed the .300 Blackout by Advanced Armament
Corp. The .300 BLK was feverishly developed by
AAC to satisfy certain military requirements by the
Special Operations community. Then, hunters and
sport shooters helped expand the popularity both
Whisper and Blackout cartridges enjoy.
The .300 Blackout is most interesting when it’s
suppressed. A suppressed .300 provides a very
good platform for those wanting to be extreme-
ly quiet, yet have heavier bullets than a .223, for to place J.D.’s .300 Whisper chamber in its M&P15.
example, and also the ability to change from heavier Hauling around a heavy rife in the woods of Tennes-
subsonic loads to lighter supersonic loads without see is not what I was after, so I put together
issue, in most cases. The big differences between a lightweight setup weighing just under
submachine guns shooting pistol-type cartridges 6½ pounds. This is perfect for patrolling
and something like the AAC AR-15-based Honey the deer woods or sitting for hours in a
Badger chambered in .300 Blackout are the bullet blind. The compact setup is just like the
velocity and payload you can deliver to the target. carbine I use daily as a trainer, so the
comfort level for me is high with these
Hornady has .300 Whisper loads ranging from a types of rifes. The barrel twist is 1:7.5,
supersonic 110-grain V-MAX bullet traveling at an which I’ve found to be perfectly suited
advertised 2,375 feet per second out of a 16-inch for using both of Hornady’s 110-
barrel to a 208-grain A-MAX load that sluggishly and 208-grainers.
moves at a subsonic velocity of 1,020 fps.
If you decide to use the heavyweights, effective I would be taking my son-in-
range will be seriously limited. To put this in perspec- law, Marcos, hunting for his frst
tive, if you are zeroed at 50 yards with the Hornady deer on my inaugural hunt with a .300. Marcos grew
208-grainer, your bullet will impact 45 inches low at up in Argentina near the dove felds of Cordoba,
200 yards and 122 inches low at 300 yards. It’s not but hunting was not in his repertoire. Around
the ideal long-range cartridge. With the 110-grain our family, if you want to ft in, you hunt deer,
V-MAX, long-range performance will get signifcantly cook deer or eat deer. I would quickly fnd out
better. If you also zero at 50 yards, your bullet will im- that Marcos is pretty good at all of these
pact just over a half-inch high at 100 yards, 4 inches prerequisites.
low at 200 and 19 inches low at 300 yards. Marcos has been shooting frequently
I have been itching to use Hornady’s 110-grain with my daughter, who fancies herself a
load for deer hunting since Smith & Wesson decided gunslinger, and he demonstrated that
38 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | l o c k , s t o c k & b A r r e l

Smith & Wesson’s M&P15

is a handy rife that makes a
walk through the deer woods
a pleasure. Nothing enhances
the experience for a new
hunter like working with a
lightweight rife chambered
in a cartridge such as the
low-recoiling .300 Whisper.

he was safety conscious and knew the processes. At the This interesting reticle setup is designed to be zeroed at
range, we quickly zeroed the 110-grain V-MAX, the load I 100 yards using supersonic velocities, which will cause the
chose for its explosive effects on tissue. I was pretty sure it subsonic to strike in the center at 50 yards. Each side of
would do a number on a whitetail. The 208-grain A-MAX the reticle has corresponding hash marks with numbers
is great as well, but more in the accuracy department than to reference yardage. If you haven’t used this reticle with
for downrange deer devastation. Since the 208 travels sub- a .300, you are missing out. This Leupold scope is also a
sonically, I steered
clear of the heavier
bullet for trajectory
purposes just in case
“HE APPEARED CALM AND STEADY AS HE FLICKED
we found ourselves OFF THE SAFETY. HE CENTERED THE RETICLE ON
needing to shoot to THE VITALS AND JERKED THE TRIGGER.”
200 or 300 yards.

Marcos was able to

quickly zero the Leupold 1.5-5X Mark 4 scope, a model front-focal-plane (FFP) scope, so you are able to use the
that is benefcially equipped with a .300 Blackout/Whis- hash marks for holdover at any power. At 1.5X, you will
per bullet-drop-compensating reticle. The reticle has two need some incredible vision to make out the details of
sides, the tortoise (subsonic) and the hare (supersonic). the reticle, but with the red illumination feature activated,
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40 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | l o c k , s t o c k & b A r r e l

A modern carbine’s ergonomics

offer the shooter intuitive func-
tion and the ability to assume
a feld position quickly and
comfortably.

the center is well lit and easily visible

when hunting.

I had picked a prime spot to shoot a

doe or small buck from a blind I had
set up a few days prior. The goal was
to bag a deer for Marcos to fll his
own freezer. As Marcos and I traveled
through leaf-strewn hardwoods, we
walked by a very special spot on my
property. It was a spot where I had
been sitting during turkey season last
year when I received the news that my friend and fellow Marcos settled in with the M&P15 as the temperature
writer, J. Guthrie, had passed away. I had to stop and refect plummeted. It wasn’t that cold for this old Army guy who
about where we found ourselves and what we were trying to was numb for most of my career, but for a young fella from
do. Guthrie had been a great advocate for taking kids hunt- Argentina, it was frickin’ cold.
ing and loved any reason to be in the woods. Marcos isn’t a Less than an hour later, a nice doe stepped out at 50
kid, but the feeling is childlike when another person gets the yards, which is prime range for the .300 Whisper. Marcos
chance to fll his frst deer tag. eased the rife into position and got steady. I believe at
 l o c k , s t o c k & b a r r e l | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&a 41

The author’s son-in-law, Marcos,

smiles proudly behind his frst
doe. One shot using Hornady’s
110-grain .300 Whisper load
kept her from running more
than 30 yards.

had already put his safety on and was

ready to run laps inside the blind. I
didn’t know if I should calm him down
by talking to him or just choke him out
so he could relax a little. Joking aside,
it was so exciting to see joy in a young
man who had just had what we hoped
was a successful hunt. He shot a doe
and was more excited than most hunt-
ers I see in the feld with much larger
trophy animals. It was a good time.
We sat still for about 15 minutes to
this point I was more excited than he was. He appeared give the deer a chance to lie down. When we eased out of
calm and steady as he ficked off the safety. He centered the blind and started to look for her, there she lay, less than
the reticle on the vitals and jerked the trigger. 30 yards from where he had shot her. It turns out he had
Now, most would say how perfect the shot was, but that made a pretty good shot, maybe a little far back, but Marcos
would be a fat-out lie. As soon as the shot was fred, the now had his frst deer on the ground, and he was ecstatic.
deer dropped low, spun and was gone. I could tell that the The transformation from consumer to hunter is an exciting
doe had been hit, but I didn’t hear her go down. Marcos one to witness.

• Polymer tip for instant expansion

• Extreme accuracy at long ranges
• Explosive terminal performance
42 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4

It’s striker fred.

From these guys.

 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 43

This is a gun.
SIG Sauer’s new P320 has multiple personalities.
We meet one of them.
Words by Patrick Sweeney | Photos by Michael Anschuetz

Read the story.

44 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T H I S I S A G U N

Imagine a striker-fred pistol that transforms from a full-size confguration

to a concealable compact in less than a minute. The SIG Sauer P320 is that
pistol, as the length of slide, size of the grip frame and caliber are easily
put together around a serialized chassis, a.k.a. its fre-control assembly.
The P320 is the champion of modern manufacturing and stands as the lat-
est defnition of the word “modularity.” Minimalist controls and ergonom-
ics will be familiar to the hands of SIG Sauer users, while the SIG extractor
and ramped barrel work in conjunction as a system you can depend on.

SOMETIMES IT’S HARD to shake a good reputation. Take SIG heart and the actual frearm; it houses the magazine; and it gives
Sauer, for example. Ask a group of shooters about SIG Sauer, you a place for your hands. Oh, and the composition makes for a
and the answer you’re likely to get is, “They make the P226. The hard, durable, rugged shell. I’m not sure you could hurt it much,
SEALs use it. Great handgun.” Can any one of them tell you what even using a ball-peen hammer.
new things SIG Sauer has done since? Maybe a few. SIG Sauer has
been evolving their designs since before the U.S. Navy selected The chassis is a heavy-gauge steel stamping shaped to provide
that particular pistol. The culmination of that work is the P320. rails and mounting locations for the trigger system. When you
At frst glance you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is say “stamping” to a lot of people, they think of something like a
about. Hmm, how about … everything? Let’s start with the part soda can. The chassis of the P320 is more along the lines of the
that seems to be getting the most attention, which is the trig- frame rails of a full-size pickup truck. “Husky” is a good descrip-
ger system, an enclosed, striker-fred ignition system that is the tion. “Robust” is another. The chassis is easily installed in, or
end-user desire du jure. SIG Sauer stuck with the exposed ham- removed from, the shell. Attached to the chassis is an ambidex-
mer design longer than most and pushed it further than anyone, trous slide-catch lever. Right- or left-handed shooter, the P320
but a certain market has continued to call for a striker system. doesn’t care. The chassis is an assembled unit. If you take it out,
Therefore, we all get one in the SIG Sauer platform this year. everything comes out as one assembly. When you put it in, it all
But there’s more to the new P320 than that. goes in. There are no extra parts on the chassis that you need to
service while swapping.
The frame, well, isn’t a frame. It is a shell made of glass-flled To complement the slide catch, the magazine catch is revers-
nylon that does three things: It holds the chassis, which is the ible. You can have it work in either direction, with thumb or
46 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T H I S I S A G U N

Three-dot SIGLITE night sights come

standard on the P320, and the back
of the striker-fred slide and beaver-
tail lack the provisions for a hammer-
fred system. The two supplied
magazines didn’t ft fush against the
bottom of the grip module, but, full
or empty, they spit out quickly when
pressing the magazine release. The
full-size frame features generous
Picatinny rail space for accessories
such as this SIG Sauer STL-900 LED.
Ambidexterity is carried throughout,
to include the slide lock, which sits
within thumb’s reach just behind the
window revealing the serial number
on the fre-control assembly.

trigger fnger, depending on your taste. 5-gallon bucket of the grip modules, no paperwork involved. If
What holds the chassis in place is the takedown lever, which you don’t particularly like the size, shape contour or texture of
is also simple. To disassemble, unload and remove the magazine, one of the modules, you can buy another one (they are not very
lock back the slide, rotate the takedown lever (on the left side of expensive) and experiment to your heart’s content, secure in the
the shell), then release the slide, and pull the upper half forward knowledge that you can always reinstall the original one and be
off the shell. You need not dryfre the pistol to get the slide off. back in business. As an extra bonus, the grip module for the SIG
You can’t disassemble it if you leave the magazine in the frame. Sauer P250 also fts both the magazines and the chassis of the
From there, it is just like any other self-loading pistol to clean. P320. Therefore, if you are willing to have a module that reads
The chassis bears the serial number, which is visible through a “P250” on your P320, you’ve got an extra source of grip modules.
slot in the shell on the right side. I can see picking up a P250 module at a gun show, used, for $15
or so and having a grand time with epoxy mix and soldering
The trigger is also simple. Press back, and once you fnish the iron, making it ft my hands perfectly.
trigger stroke, the striker is impelled forward, hits the primer, While we’re gushing over the grip module, please note that it
and exciting things happen. The trigger has a short reset for has an accessory rail out front, fush with the slide, so you can
those who obsess over such things. I’ve spent so much time with mount a light, laser, combo or anything new that comes along.
revolvers that, at speed, my trigger fnger practically crashes into If you want a smaller frame, as in a shorter grip length, the
the front of the triggerguard on reset, so they are all the same P320 grip modules come in full-size and compact versions. Just
to me. However, if you favor a short reset, the P320 will be just be aware that if you install the full-size one, your compact mag-
your cup of tea. azines won’t lock up, and if you install the compact one, your
full-size magazines will stick out.
The shell — or grip module, as SIG Sauer calls it — comes in Ditto slides on the grip modules. The compact slide will stop
three sizes: small, medium and large. Since the serial number of short of the rail on the full-size frame, and the full-size slide will
the pistol is on the chassis and not the module, you can have a hang out over the compact rail.
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48 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T H I S I S A G U N

SIG SAUER AMMO

YOU SAID AMMO? That’s right, SIG my quick-and-dirty testing.

Sauer is now offering their own ammu- It exhibited full expansion
nition. The ammunition will be available and penetration to make
in fve calibers (.380, 9mm, .357 SIG, the FBI — and the rest of us
.40 and .45), each with its own weight — happy.
and design of bullet appropriate for The SIG Sauer ammo
the caliber. The bullets are SIG Sauer’s you’ll see on the shelf will
design, their V-Crown jacketed hollow- be in black-and-silver boxes
point, and loaded in SIG Sauer-spec’d of 20 rounds each. It will
cases. The cases are nickel-plated, then frst come in fve calibers:
given a proprietary coating to reduce .380, 9mm, .357 SIG, .40
friction. and .45 ACP. These, you
Since the P320 sent to G&A for evaluation was cham- have no doubt noticed, match the calibers SIG Sauer
bered in 9mm, I tested the SIG Sauer V-Crown 9mm ammo offers their pistols in.
in it. My frst shot over the chrono hit the 100-yard gong I With SIG Sauer ammo, your ammunition choices just
was using as an aiming point. The velocity was brisk for a got wider, and for other ammo companies, the bar just
124-grain JHP, and expansion was all you could hope for in got bumped up a notch.

ONLINE

www.shoot-straight.com
 T H I S I S A G U N | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 49

This leads us to the magazines, before we move back up top the grip module. Just swap upper halves. Not a fan of the 9mm
and consider the slide and its options. P320 magazines come in or the .40 and its necked-down love child? Fine, SIG Sauer plans
four favors: full-size and compact, 9mm and .357/.40 S&W. Ob- to have a .45 P320 ready for the bigbore masses later in the year.
viously, some of these combinations will not be workable in your (I’m not so optimistic. I fgure that the P320 as-is will sell so well
pistol. If you are going to have full and compact, 9mm .357/.40 that they’ll be swamped and won’t be able to dig out of the 9mm
versions, you’d better be compulsive about marking your gear orders fast enough to deliver my .45 ACP P320 before Christmas.
and keeping it straight. It would really put a damper on the But then, I’m never optimistic.) I expect the 9mm and the .40 to
day to arrive at the range and fnd out you have an unworkable sell like hotcakes.
ammo/pistol/magazine combination. If you want to, you can have a full-length slide and full-size
P320 magazines are P250 magazines and vice-versa. They need grip module for target practice, training and competition and
only be caliber-correct to work in your P320, so, again, there is al- have a compact upper (even in a different caliber) and a compact
ready a supply of magazines available. It is
a current focus of worry when a new pistol
model comes out from any maker: “Where
can I get magazines?” P250 magazines
work just fne in P320s, so you’re set there
(plus, those who have P250s can be sure of
a continued supply for their pistol).
The P320 slide and barrel come in two
versions: full-size and compact. I asked
SIG Sauer about mixing and matching,
and the reply was, “We didn’t design it for
that, and the mechanical mismatch would
not be a good one.” Use the correct upper
assembly with the correct grip module.
However, the chassis is unconcerned
about which caliber you install on it. You
can take the same chassis and grip mod- THESE LITTLE PIG-NOSE
ule, remove the 9mm slide assembly and
install an appropriate-size .357 SIG Sauer
BAFFLES CAME TO MARKET...
or .40 slide assembly on it. You’ll have to
have a .357/.40 magazine to feed it, but
you won’t have to make any changes to
TO START A
REDVOLUTION
The frst shots fred in the SureFire Redvolution belong
to the SF Ryder 22-A, which changes everything about
.22 suppressors from the inside out. Starting with the
red-anodized fnish on its patented pig-nose baffes to
its lightweight fluted tube design, everything you
SIG Sauer P320 thought you knew about .22 suppressors just got turned
Type: Striker fred, semiautomatic upside down. Experience the SureFire difference.
Caliber: 9mm Join the Redvolution.
Capacity: 17+1 (14+1 in .40 S&W)
Barrel: 4.7 in.
≥ PATENTED PIG-NOSE BAFFLES
Overall Length: 8 in.
Extremely quiet at 117dB
Width: 1.4 in.
Height: 5.5 in. ≥ NUMBERED, INDEXED & SEALED BAFFLES
Weight: 29.4 oz. Simple user disassembly/reassembly for easy maintenance
Finish: Nitron (stainless)
≥ SLEEK FLUTED BODY
Grips: Glass-flled nylon grip module
A mere 3.1 ounces overall
Sights: SIGLITE night sights
Trigger: 5.5 lbs., DAO ≥ FOR .22 LR PISTOLS & RIFLES
Price: $713
Manufacturer: SIG Sauer, 866-345-6744,
sigsauer.com

surefre.com/sfryder22
50 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T H I S I S A G U N

PERFORMANCE
grip module. Practice with the As this is a full-size pistol
BULLET VELOCITY ACCURACY
full-size, then disassemble, LOAD WEIGHT (GR.) (FPS) SD (IN.) chambered in 9mm, one
clean, reassemble as the com- Federal Guard Dog 105 1,223 13.9 2.75 would not expect the P320
pact carry pistol and load up, Federal Hydra-Shok 147 997 7.1 2.0 to kick very hard. It doesn’t,
holster and go home. SIG Sauer V-Crown 124 1,188 17.5 2.25 but it is softer than you’d ex-
Barnes TAC-XPD+P 115 1,086 12.5 2.25 pect from its weight, which,
The slide is serrated for CCI Lawman TMJ 115 1,238 17.9 2.75 checked on my scale, isn’t
manipulation, front and Wolf FMJ 115 1,034 15.4 3.25 as much as I had expected
rear, and the edges of it are Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four fve-shot groups at 25 yards off an MTM — only 28 ounces. From its
K-Zone shooting rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots measured on a PACT MKIV
beveled to keep sharp edges chronograph set 15 feet from the muzzle.
size, and considering that it
off your hands. The barrel has the ability to hold 17+1
locks up in the ejection port, rounds of 9mm, you’d envi-
and there is a sturdy extractor on the right side. The sights are sion it to heft a bit more. The composition of the grip module
pressed into lateral dovetails, so swapping the three-dot sights keeps down the weight.
would be no problem. One question shooters have had about the P320 regards bore
The 9mm P320 sent to Guns & Ammo for evaluation carries axis. SIG Sauers get a rap for having a higher-than-normal (and
a full-size slide wearing the medium grip module size. No other who says what “normal” is anyway?) bore axis. That is, the cen-
options were provided. However, I had a chance to handle all the terline of the barrel rides higher above your hand than on other
module sizes when I was at the New Hampshire factory, and I pistols. The issue is that sights on a high-bore-axis pistol move
found something interesting, something I’ve run into with other too much in many hands and lift too high in recoil. If you are
pistols that offer a size option. I fnd the small size the most com- worried about that, look at it this way: There is a fnite amount
fortable one, but when I shoot the various sizes in drills, I can’t of recoil. Your hands and the pistol must deal with it, one way
see a time difference between the sizes. That is, the small is more or another. The lower the bore axis, the sharper the felt recoil,
comfortable than the large, but the times for me are the same. simply due to less upward movement of the pistol in your hands.
Curious, but I always opt for comfort in a carry gun. That energy has to go somewhere, and in the SIG Sauer, it is

FLAT OUT.
LIGHTS OUT.
 T H I S I S A G U N | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 51

dissipated in rotational move- tuated between single digits

ment, above your hand. and the low teens, the speeds
Do the sights come down posted are very good indeed.
on target? If they do (and they The magazine it came with
do for me), then who cares worked without fault, but I
what the pistol did in the would have been stunned if it
time it took to cycle and in a had not. The grip module has
much shorter space of time The P320 offers fexibility to change calibers, a pair of cutouts at the bottom,
sizes and ft. This P320 Carry confguration fea-
than you can adjust to? The and the magazine baseplate
tures a 3.9-inch barrel length, 26-ounce weight
fastest shooter out there is not and holds 15 rounds of 9mm, 13 rounds of .357
has a ridge on the side, so you
waiting on his pistol to fnish SIG and 13 rounds of .40 depending on which can extract an otherwise balky
cycling so he can press the caliber you choose. magazine if you have to. I also
trigger again. (I know; I’ve met noted that the magazine tube
the fastest shooters and marveled at how much faster they were has the baseplate lips folded out. That means that an enterprising
than I was in a match. None of them was waiting on a pistol to aftermarket baseplate manufacturer can come up with an extend-
fnish cycling.) ed baseplate and get us even more capacity in the future (that is,
if SIG Sauer doesn’t do that themselves).
At the range, with a pile of 9mm ammo, the P320 and moun-
tains of snow all around, I did my best to wring out this new The last consideration of any carry pistol is holsters. SIG Sauer
heater. The trigger is clean, as crisp as a striker-fred pistol can offers holsters, but the contours of the P320 follow the lines of
be and does indeed have a short reset. Accuracy is all we’ve ever the P250, meaning that you can fnd a holster for your P320
expected or seen from a SIG Sauer: great. The barrel on the full- anyplace that offers a holster for the P250. It is a new model, but
size model is just short of that of a Government model in length, again, you don’t have the usual new-model problem of no parts,
so we’d expect it to wring out a lot of the potential of any 9mm accessories or holsters being readily available. The P320 is a new
load. Given that the air temperature at the range that day fuc- model, but SIG Sauer didn’t leave you high and dry.

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56 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 57

TACTICOOL
HK adds to our modern-rife want list.
BY G&A STAFF

we didn’t find a bunch of new unobtainium unveiled at Heckler & Koch’s 2014
new-product introductions. Rather, it’s apparent that HK is squarely targeting
the American AR market and listening to their customers. Check this out:
58 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA C T I C O O L

MR556A1 COMPETITION
It all started with the
MR556A1 and has come
to this. Built on input from
the HK Shooting Team and
other competitors, this model
attempts to bridge recreational
shooting and profession-
al tournaments with HK’s
cool-running piston/push-rod
system, made famous on such HK PISTON/PUSH-ROD GAS SYSTEM CUTAWAY

rifes as the HK416 used by

Special Operations. HK indicates that this rife is “ideal for 3-Gun matches,”
as it features fundamental enhancements to the MR556A1 rife that make it
adaptive for competition. The new 14-inch, lightweight Modular Rail System
(MRS) affords users the ability to organize rail-mounted devices on eight
planes via the increasingly popular keyhole attachment system. Arrange
rail sections only as desired without the weight and girth that traditionally
goes along with using full quad-rail handguards. It’s easy to personalize and
comfortable to handle, especially when running the
free-foating forearm naked.
HK MR556A1 COMPETITION The 16½-inch cold-hammer-
Type: Short-stroke gas piston, forged barrel has a slightly
semiautomatic
Caliber: 5.56 NATO smaller internal diameter at
Capacity: 10, 20, 30 rds. the muzzle than the chamber.
Barrel: 16.5 in., cold-hammer HK suggests that this feature
forged, swagged, 1:7-in.
twist is proving to have a positive effect on
Weight: 8.81 lbs. accuracy potential and velocity. The barrel now carries
Trigger: Two stage, 7.64 lbs. an innovative and radical-looking compensa-
Sights: None
tor developed by Operator Suppressor
Stock: Magpul CTR
Grip: HK Systems Inc. (OSS), which replaces the
MSRP: $2,947 usual MR fash hider.
Manufacturer: HK USA, 706-568-1906, Unlike most AR-type rifes, it is
hk-usa.com
interesting to remember that HK MR
rifes can be placed on Safe, even when uncocked.
The Competition MR receiver, however, loses its traditional HK stock and
receives a collapsible and locking Magpul CTR. It does well to complement
the smoothness and quality HK products exude.
The receiver gets special target-rife takedown pins to frmly mate the
upper and lower. You’ll fnd that it also has an extended magazine-release
button for fast and easy mag swaps, and the upper utilizes a charging handle
with an extended latch for easier access and manipulation when shooting
with optics.
60 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA C T I C O O L

MR762A1 LRP
OK, this may have been a new introduction at last
year’s 2013 SHOT Show, but the LRP has just started
making its way into the wild.
“LRP” stands for Long Rife Package, so con-
sider this a tricked-out MR762A1 sharpshooter.
Chambered for 7.62 NATO and utilizing the same
short-stroke gas-piston design and cold-hammer-
forged barrel, HK promises that this model will be
a piston-driven
precision rife. This
one arrives with
a Leupold 3-9X
VX-R Patrol rife-
scope perched in
a set of Leupold
rings on a Leupold
Pic-rail mount.
The tan-colored,
adjustable, collapsible stock is straight off the coveted
HK G28, which complements the slim, tan-colored
ERGO Suregrip, Blue Force Gear sling and Manta rail
covers issued with the Marine Corps’ HK M27 IAR.
The LRP also comes standard with a
LaRue Tactical BRM-S folding bipod.
Open the 42-inch Pelican case, and
you’re greeted by insulation precut
for each component, including an
HK combo tool, spare mags and an
OTIS cleaning kit. It might be time to rethink the
meaning of the phrase “out-of-the-box accuracy.”

HK MR762A1 LRP
Type: Short-stroke gas piston,
semiautomatic
Caliber: 7.62 NATO
Capacity: 20 rds.
Barrel: 16.5 in., cold-hammer
forged, swagged, 1:11.02-in.
twist
Weight: 10.42 lbs.
Trigger: Two stage, 4.5 to 5.6 lbs.
Sights: Leupold VX-R Patrol
3-9x40mm
Stock: HK, fve-position collapsible,
adj. comb, fne adj. length of
pull
Grip: ERGO Suregrip, tan
MSRP: $6,895
Manufacturer: HK USA, 706-568-1906,
hk-usa.com
62 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA C T I C O O L

MR556A1-SD
For those of us who HK MR556A1-SD
have had the opportu- Type: Short-stroke gas piston,
semiautomatic
nity to use an MP5-SD, Caliber: 5.56 NATO
HK has already brain- Capacity: 10, 20, 30 rds.
washed us to associate Barrel: 16.5 in., cold-hammer
forged, swagged, 1:7-in.
the term “awesome” twist
with any time we see the Weight: 9.5 lbs. (w/ OSS BPR
suppressor)
abbreviation “SD.” The Trigger: Two stage, 7.64 lbs.
new MR556A1-SD is no Sights: None
different. Stock: HK, six-position adj.,
black
The excitement is
Grip: HK, black
surrounded around the MSRP: TBD
muzzle in the form of Manufacturer: HK USA, 706-568-1906,
hk-usa.com; Operators
OSS’s suppressor tech- Suppressor Systems, 801-
nology. The suppressor 542-0425, oss-online.com
is octagonal-shaped (just
like the new MRS handguard) and comprises two modules,
a Back Pressure Regulator (BPR) and a Signature Reduction
Module (SRM), to minimize felt recoil, reduce muzzle rise and
provide 18 dB of “shhhh.” The BPR1425 adds less than an
inch of increased length to the MR556A1, and its unique de-
sign eliminates a reported 95 percent of
backpressure, which also means that
bolt speed is marginally increased.
The BPR suppressor captures and
controls how gases expand rather
than simply trapping gas with conven-
tional baffes as other suppressor designs do. To
further reduce the sound signature of this

SIGNATURE
REDUCTION
MODULE
(SRM)

BACK
PRESSURE
REGULATOR
(BPR)

COMPLETE
SD UNIT
(BPR AND SRM)
BECOME THE
SHOOTER YOU
WANT TO BE
You’re ready — and you need a gun that performs at your level. The optics-
ready Performance Center M&P® Pro Series C.O.R.E. is designed to push the
limits of industry excellence, so you can push yourself.

See the Performance Center line: smith-wesson.com/pc

*Optics not included

 64 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA C T I C O O L

setup, the OSS SRM4 module can be added to the end of the
BPR1425. With the SRM4 installed, the shooter’s ear benefts
with a nearly 140-decibel sound reduction. Little to no impact
shift exists, and OSS components are designed to self-tighten
during fring.
If you live in a suppressor-friendly state, submit the appropri-
ate paperwork, pay for a tax stamp, exercise a little patience, and
you can own a bit of HK awesomeness. Much like the aforemen-
tioned MR556A1 Competition model, this one utilizes the same
new 14-inch MRS eight-sided handguard. Numerous keyhole
attachment points let you attach accessory rail segments, while
I NG HER the rail also integrates QD sling attachment points. Working in
OT I tandem, the OSS suppressor can be installed and taken off with-
O
TA
H

out having to remove the new HK MRS handguard.

AS

The HK/OSS SD suppressor system has also been developed

E

for the MR762A1, but it was unavailable at press time for review.
U.S. military and law enforcement customers can order the
MR556A1-SD and MR762A1-SD direct from HK USA, while
commercial customers should contact OSS for sales information.
EST
. 1939

30-RD. POLYMER MAG

Hoarders may still collect HK’s famed steel mags, but users
may want to load mag pouches with HK’s new “value-priced”
30-round polymer magazines for 5.56 and 7.62 NATO-cham-
bered AR-type rifes. These were engineered with the same
high-strength, lightweight polymer that’s battle proven in HK
G36 mags. Not just for HKs, these mags
are designed to optimally feed in any
AR-15/M16/M4 platform. These should
work in any quality frearm that utilizes
NATO-standard magazines. The 5.56 mag
weighs only 5.12 ounces. Ribs are molded
into its shape to ensure structural integ-
rity. Drop, crush, corrosion, temperature
and impact resistant, these magazines
ENDLESS contain an antitilt follower and advanced
spring system. They’re also translucent,
POSSIBILITIES
meaning you can quickly identify ammu-
Everything to maintain, repair, nition levels between fring strings. MSRP
customize and shoot guns is $20. Cheap! You can
buy them direct at
All products
hkwebshop.com.
100% GUARANTEED – FOREVER
Order our
catalog

brownells.com
800-741-0015
Source Code: EBP
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 66 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA C T I C O O L

Heckler & Koch MP5: 50 Years of Service

Based on the G3 operating principle of the delayed, roller-locked bolt system, HK
engineers frst put pen to paper in adapting the design to a compact, handy, accurate
submachine gun in 1963. They used “MP64” as its frst model designation, representing
the year of its frst manufactured prototypes. Internal HK records referred to them as the
HK9, and in 1965 the design was called the HK54.
And the name “MP5”? It
came from the catalog number
of the Bundeswehr-Materi-
alamt (Armed Forces Material
Offce), as this machine pistol
was the ffth frearm registered
in that category. Manufacturing
of the HK MP5 began 50 years
ago and continues today in the
mission-fexible MP5 MLI.

Cory Trapp, rangemaster and gunsmith at the

Gunsite Academy, demonstrates the select-fre
capabilities of the fxed-stock MP5A2. This one has
been equipped with a forend light from SureFire.

TAURUS ®

GRIP NEW 2014

FITS
SMALL FRAME
REVOLVERS*
FITS
LARGE FRAME
REVOLVERS*

*Visit our website for a complete “FITS” list

 TA C T I C O O L | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 67

MP5 MLI
68 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T R U E PAT R I O T S

POF-USA improves upon its

piston-driven platform with the
new E² chamber and GEN4 lower.

WORDS BY ERIC R. POOLE | PHOTOS BY SEAN UTLEY

T R U E PAT R I O T S | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 69

Find more articles like

this in Guns & Ammo’s
Book of the AR-15.
70 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T R U E PAT R I O T S
The P308 proves quite versatile
in its capabilities. This particu-
lar rife was used to success-
fully engage various targets at
between 50 and 600 yards by
hundreds of law enforcement
offcers who attended the
grand opening of ALS’s range
complex in Perry, Florida.

S AN ARMORER, I knew
POF-USA made good kit through a technical inspection of the
company’s unique approach to redesigning individual compo-
nents. The more I learned about the recently introduced GEN4
gas-piston rifes, the more intimidated I became about writing The Roller Cam Pin from POF-USA is a revolu-
this. You see, every component is touched and reanalyzed, to upper rather than tionary design that reduces friction between
the square-head cam pin and the upper receiver
such an extent that an entire book could be written covering the grinding away at
during the cycle of operation. It is NP3 coated
clever thought process that Frank DeSomma and his team apply the receiver as the and can be purchased separately or as part
to each and every part. bolt rotates. The of an upgrade kit with a modifed gas key for
DeSomma, a former aerospace process engineer and owner of result is enhanced direct-impingement rifes.
POF-USA, appears to be on the path to rethink and manufacture reliability and
every single part in-house using technology that wasn’t available prolonged life of the receiver.
to Eugene Stoner in the 1960s. For DeSomma, Mil-Spec was just But the real news with the GEN4 POF415/416 and P308 is the
a starting point to keep certain things somewhat consistent and new E2 chamber and GEN4 lower. Let’s consider these individually.
interchangeable. Take the bolt-carrier group’s cam pin, for exam-
ple. In the latter half of my career, I began replacing these broken E2 extraction I already saw some misinformation on the web
parts with POF’s solution: the Roller Cam Pin. Unlike the standard about this chamber design soon after POF introduced this GEN4
square-head cam pins found in nearly every other AR, the roller rife at the 2014 SHOT Show. The E2 chamber does not have
head on the POF unit glides along the inside of the aluminum chamber futes like old HK rifes. Who hasn’t seen a stuck case in
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72 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T R U E PAT R I O T S

the chamber?
Shooters need their rifes to reliably feed, fre, extract and eject.
Stoner’s main design weakness in the AR has always been with
extraction. Adding strength to the extractor spring doesn’t help
an extractor extract, and dual ejectors don’t necessarily help in
ejection. If a spent case is stuck in a chamber, an extractor will
only rip the rim in the worst case. POF’s new E2 chamber design
is a simple concept: Four grooves in the neck are made from
pushing a square peg in a round hole. POF calls this Infoulable
Extraction Technology. In the last
Unlike the futed spent
three months, I’ve shot thousands
cases recovered after
fring a classic HK rife,
of rounds through various semiauto
these cases are still and select-fre samples chambered in
reloadable. both 5.56 NATO and .308 to validate
POF’s reliability claim. If that isn’t
This illustration rep-
resents the forces created enough, just read the published After
by gases directed to the Action Report from the San Bernardino
outside of the case neck Sheriff’s Department. They recently
and shoulder by the E2 adopted a 14½-inch-barreled P308FA
chamber helping push
to blend in with their M4s used by
the spent case out of the
chamber. deputies. Evaluators ran 35,480
rounds through a single test rife (pri-
marily on full auto) with only 23 malfunctions recorded due to a
variety of issues. The report indicates that a few were gun related
(diagnosed by armorers as having generally been caused by worn
springs), while others were noted to be operator induced and
 T R U E PAT R I O T S | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 73

magazine related. No spent case was ever found stuck in the case away from the chamber walls. The result is a push-pull ex-
chamber. More impressive, three snipers fring the same lot of traction, whereas the chamber pressure pushes the case rearward,
ammo were still able to print 1- to 1½-inch groups at 100 yards which reduces the amount of pulling force required by the bolt
and 5- to 7½-inch groups at 500. Velocity measurements only and its extractor. Unlike the deep case futing that results from
changed by 85 fps from start to completion of this 35,000-round fring a rife like the HK G3, the cases that fall out of the ejection
endurance run. port of a POF rife have four faint marks and are easily reloadable.
The concept is simple. When a round is fred, the neck of a car-
tridge case forms to the chamber walls, causing it to briefy stick GEN4 lower Ambidextrous controls are what’s trending. The point
in the chamber. The E2 feature works to aid positive extraction by is for the user to have maximum ability to control the rife from
allowing a small amount of gas to travel back along the neck of either side or manipulate its functions without having to remove
the case, breaking it free from the walls of the chamber. The gases the rife from the shoulder or the trigger hand from the pistolgrip.
stop against the shoulder and push the

POF USA P308

Type: Short-stroke gas piston, semiauto-
matic
Caliber: .308 Win.
Barrel: 14.5 in. (tested), 16.5 in., 20 in.;
4150 chrome-moly vanadium alloy,
heavy contour, hand lapped, button
rifed, futed
Overall Length: 33.25 in. (collapsed), 38.25 in.
(extended)
Weight: 8 lbs., 8 oz.
Handguard: POF-USA M.R.R., free-foating
aluminum, interchangeable rail
sections
Stock: Magpul STR
Grip: Magpul MOE
Finish: Black (anodized), NP3 (coated),
OD Green Cerakote (coated), Burnt
Bronze Cerakote (coated); Nitride
(barrel)
Trigger: POF-USA, 4.5 lbs., single stage
Magazine: Magpul PMAG, 20 rd.
Muzzle Device: POF-USA Triple-port
Sights: None
MSRP: $3,220
Manufacturer: Patriot Ordnance Factory, 623-561-
9572, pof-usa.com

POF USA P415

Type: Short-stroke gas piston, semiauto-
matic
Caliber: 5.56 NATO
Barrel: 7.25 in., 10.5 in., 14.5 in. (tested),
16.5 in., 18 in.; 4150 chrome-moly
vanadium alloy, heavy contour,
hand lapped, button rifed, futed
Overall Length: 31.5 in. (collapsed), 34.88 in.
(extended)
Weight: 7 lbs., 10 oz. (tested)
Handguard: POF-USA M.R.R., free-foating
aluminum, interchangeable rail
sections
Stock: Magpul CTR
Grip: Magpul MOE
Finish: Black (anodized), NP3 (coated),
OD Green Cerakote (coated), Burnt
Bronze Cerakote (coated); Nitride
(barrel)
Trigger: POF-USA, 4.5 lbs., single stage
Magazine: Magpul PMAG, 30 rd.
Muzzle Device: POF-USA Triple-port
Sights: None
MSRP: $2,320
Manufacturer: Patriot Ordnance Factory, 623-561-
9572, pof-usa.com
 74 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T R U E PAT R I O T S

The GEN4 lower PERFORMANCE: POF-USA P308 In the GEN4 models,

features POF’s own ambi VELOCITY AVERAGE BEST roll pins such as that used
LOAD (FPS) ES SD GROUP (IN.) GROUP (IN.)
selector lever, ambi bolt, to install the forward assist
ambi mag release and a Hornady 110-gr. TAP 2,855 138 54 1.13 .81 and the bolt-catch lever
new ambi bolt catch posi- Hornady 150-gr. OTM 2,479 23 10 1.61 1.04 are replaced with a thread-
tioned within the oversize Hornady Superformance 165-gr. GMX 2,521 24 9 1.49 1.28 ed hex-head screw secured
and integral triggerguard Hornady Match 168-gr. BTHP 2,392 78 31 .84 .70 by removable Loctite. If
in front of the trigger. To you shoot a Mil-Spec AR
engage it, the shooter will PERFORMANCE: POF-USA P415 to failure, you’ll know that
take his index fnger off VELOCITY AVERAGE BEST trigger pins will eventually
LOAD (FPS) ES SD GROUP (IN.) GROUP (IN.) break in half, and roll
the trigger and use it to
lift up on the vertical bolt Hornady 55-gr. TAP 2,841 72 37 .91 .45 pins crack until they bust
catch while racking the Hornady 60-gr. TAP 2,822 29 12 .83 .33 apart in pieces. In training
charging handle. Hornady 75-gr. TAP 2,481 50 19 .90 .70 at Aberdeen Proving
Once a fresh mag fnds Hornady 75-gr. BTHP training 2,441 49 22 1.28 1.05 Grounds, my armorer
its way back into the lower instructors indicated that a
receiver’s generously fared magazine funnel, the index fnger can eas- roll pin is designed to be a disposable part and should be replaced
ily fnd a bolt release on either side of the GEN4 lower. Extend your with a new one each time that component is disassembled.
trigger fnger, then press to send the bolt home. You’re ready to go.
When you’re not busy engaging targets, the trigger fnger should Carryovers With the receiver still open, the red anodized case
be clear and off the trigger, right? POF has made this a little more indicates that this trigger isn’t Mil-Spec. Rather, the cassette-type
intuitive by providing a cleverly scalloped surface on each side of drop-in trigger system is POF’s own. It’s a single-stage system that
the magwell, which is contoured beautifully for the pad of your offers safe, reliable, crisp trigger pulls in a nonadjustable package
trigger fnger. There are also subtle scallops made to each side of that releases the hammer after 4½ pounds of pressure is applied.
the undercut at the rear of the integral triggerguard. When grip- KNS’s stainless anti-walk pins are included. I have also been
ping the pistolgrip, these scalloped fngercuts won’t wear into the using an optional drop-in trigger system featuring POF’s new
joints of your middle fnger if you like to shoot with a high grip. Enhanced Finger Placement (EFP) design (not shown on these
You have to push through the rear takedown pin and break rifes). The EFP may feel a bit unusual at frst, but the trigger
open a POF GEN4 rife shotgun-style to notice a few other shoe is moved forward for a more natural resting position for
enhancements. Two polymer hex-head tension screws have been your index fnger.
installed just behind the takedown pin that can be adjusted to The rear trunnion of the lower receiver is heavily built up to pre-
remove any play between the upper and lower receivers. vent any damaging effects that could be caused by a piston-system’s
Another new feature is on the actual bolt catch. The tooth carrier tilt as the bolt carrier makes its way into the POF buffer
engaged by the follower of an empty magazine has been widened tube. The buffer tube features a “carrier cradle” extension to ensure
to reliably contact both old and new styles of polymer magazines. that the buffer tube always supports the bolt carrier, even when the

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MADE IN AMERICA.
HOW’S THAT FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS?

INTRODUCING THE BERETTA ARX100:

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76 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | T R U E PAT R I O T S

bolt is fully forward. Incidentally, the buffer-retaining

pin also serves to lock the buffer tube in place and
prevent it from rotating or coming loose. There are also
three extra drain holes in POF’s design (total of four) to
prevent failure should a rife become submerged in a
water environment.
The GEN4 lower is
engineered to prevent POF rifes have long been
the effects of carrier known for the upper, recog-
tilt, and it features two nizable by the free-foating
nonmarring hex-head aluminum Modular Railed
screws, which can be
Receiver (M.R.R.) handguard.
unscrewed to remove
play between receivers. It features interchangeable top,
bottom and side handguard
rail sections, as well as its own unique approach to a
monolithic top-rail design that accepts any combination
of optics, night vision, lasers and backup sights without
fear. The M.R.R. is frmly held in place by screws
through its top rail that bolt it to the A3 fattop upper
and a multitasking barrel nut. The barrel nut itself is
extremely oversize (measuring approximately 3 inches) and serves as a heat sink. The true
benefts of this can only be appreciated under a series of mag dumps or through full-auto
use. When this is combined with substantial ventilation surrounding the futed barrel, your
hands won’t get burned and the barrel is quickly air cooled between volleys.
Though these rifes do weigh 8 pounds empty (no optics attached), they should weigh
more considering the enormity of the barrel nut and mass of billet material used in mak-
ing the M.R.R. handguard and receivers. Careful reductions in profle, many ports in the
handguard and full-length futes on the barrel minimize weight. What weight does exist
helps to manage felt recoil on the P308 models, as does the effectiveness of POF’s 10-port
muzzle device. Three ports at 3 and 9 o’clock do most of the work pulling the rife away
from your shoulder under recoil, while a unique confguration of four smaller ports
keeps the muzzle down and prevents any perceived twist. Noise is a bit obnoxious on
an enclosed range, but the payoff is incredible. Shot after shot, it’s easy to stay on target
because the muzzle doesn’t seem to move.
POF-USA is known specifcally for two features, one being its piston-driven operating
system. The GEN4 models still feature POF’s three-position gas regulator for normal,
suppressed and bolt-action operation. The second thing POF built its reputation on is
the combined use of corrosion-resistant materials and the application of purpose-built
treatments and coatings designed to extend the life and durability of its components.
The gas block is a single unit that’s Nitrate heat-treat-
A bolt catch inside the trigger- ed just like the hammer-forged barrel, gas piston and
guard can be pushed up by the
gas plug. The bolt is chromed, and the one-piece
trigger fnger when charging the
bolt carrier to lock it to the rear —
bolt-carrier assembly is NP3 coated. Robar’s NP3
all while keeping the stock placed fnish is an electroless nickel-based fnish that creates
in the shoulder. a lubric fnish with a low-fric-
tion coeffcient.
The billet-machined 7075-
T6 aluminum-alloy receivers
and handguard are fnished in a
black or Burnt Bronze Cerakote
color, Robar’s slick NP3
coating or an OD Green
Cerakote.

Range time Barrel

lengths readily available
to the commercial mar-
 T R U E PAT R I O T S | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 77

ket include a 14½-inch option

with pinned muzzle device,
as well as 16- and 18-inch
barrel lengths. I own a pair of
semiauto-only GEN4 POFs
wearing the same Burnt Bronze
Cerakote fnish and 14½-inch
pinned barrels, one P308 and
one P415. The only problems I
have encountered since receiv-
ing them last November are
unreliable cycling in the P308
when shooting lightweight POF rifes have been sought after for their one-piece mono-
Hornady 110-grain bullets and lithic upper receiver/forend, which carries a rigid and continu-
ous top rail for mounting optics. This eliminates the possibility
the new hex-head screws that
of the forend coming loose and rotating under heavy use. An
replaced the bolt catch’s roll optional section of Pic rail is removable and interchangeable.
pin backing out. I contacted
POF-USA about these issues
and was told that removable Loctite should have been added to the threads of the screw,
which was accidentally overlooked in the process of fulflling my rushed order.
Aside from those incidents, both guns continue to run like precision instruments. I
actually believe in the added reliability of a well-designed short-stroke piston system,
but I’ve personally passed on owning them because they usually shoot 1½ inches at 100
yards (or worse) on paper. These POFs are different. I’m getting repeatable sub-MOA
performance at 100 yards out of each rife.
At the grand opening of ALS’s new training center in northern Florida, I recently
evaluated POF’s entire catalog of old and new products with active LE and corrections
offcers. ALS uses rifes from POF-USA exclusively when training clients who don’t bring
their own — a notable testament. I evaluated 25 different semiauto and full-auto POF
models on various 100-yard square ranges, in a 360-degree live-fre shoot house, as well
as from the platform of a seven-story shooting tower. It was fast and easy to repeatedly
engage steel silhouettes out to 600 yards.
In evaluating the P415 and P308 for paper-punch capability, I returned home to my
fresh Burnt Bronze beauties and set out to gather velocity information. Because Hornady
provided various loads of TAP and training ammunition at ALS, I decided to stick with
using Hornady in developing my performance charts.
It didn’t surprise me that the P415’s 1:8 twist would serve as an excellent middle
ground when shooting everything between 55- and 75-grain bullets. This rife absolutely
loves 55- and 60-grain TAP and drew crowds after printing an unbelievable .45-inch
fve-shot group from 100 yards and a .33-inch best a few minutes after that.

The road to perfection I must now concede that direct-impingement rifes are not the
only sub-MOA-capable rife system. I would be surprised if other OEMs didn’t start
introducing ARs with E2 cham-
bers (or something like it) and
unveiling rifes with complete
ambi lowers.

From the middle of ALS’s 70-foot

shooting tower, the author confrms
the P308’s accuracy potential by rap-
idly engaging 10 steel targets spread
out across the 600-yard range.
78 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4

By the mid-19th century, frearms technology

had reached a point where rifes capable of
extremely long-range shots were viable and
popular. Two top systems (shown with molds,
bullets and period paraphernalia) were the
Whitworth (top) and the Jacob (bottom).
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 79

Whitworth
Jacob
Two unique Victorian British percussion
rifes made the 1,000-plus-yard shot
not only possible but probable.
by garry james | photography by jill marlow

BY THE MID-19TH CENTURY, rifery and ballistics had become

sophisticated, and longarms capable of hitting targets at several
hundred yards had become relatively commonplace. Some felt
that this was nothing more than a philosophical exercise, but
savvy ordnance offcials realized that bullets that could strike their
quarry at long distances would be a great thing for suppressing
artillery fre and other selective sharpshooting.
Though inventors from many lands turned their attention to
the subject of long-range accuracy, it was the Brits who seemed to
take an early lead, producing two of the most interesting and ef-
fective arms of the period, the Whitworth and Jacob rifes. While
both started out as military arms, they ultimately achieved their
greatest acclaim in more peaceable arenas.

The Whitworth rife Like John Jacob (see below), Sir Joseph
Whitworth did not start out as a frearms designer. In fact, de-
spite the excitement his rife system generated among enthusiasts,
Sir Joseph’s renown really lays in other areas.
Prior to beginning his study of ballistics and long-distance shoot-
ing, Whitworth was an accomplished engineer who had established
his bona fdes with, among a number of other things, the design of
a system of precision screw threads that are still in use today.
Eventually, his reputation grew to the point that he was invited
by the British to work out a method of mass production for ser-
vice rifes. Inspired by an octagonal rifing system devised by his
colleague on the Board of Ordnance project, Westley Richards,
Whitworth came up with his own hexagonally bored rife barrel
engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth, intrepid British soldier, polymath
of .451 caliber (then considered smallbore) with a pitch of one
while not overly interested in author, diplomat, craftsman and
rifery, eventually developed inventor whose unique four-
turn in 20 inches fring a proprietary 530-grain, seven-sided
one of the most effective long- grooved rife remains one of his projectile that ft mechanically within the grooves.
range muzzleloaders ever. best-known achievements. Early on, offcials expressed interest in this revolutionary
80 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B

The Whitworth
seen here is fair-
ly representa-
tive of its type.
It is a two-band
target rife, built
to exacting
standards.

The lockplate on
Whitworth rifes was
externally similar to
that of the British
military-issue Pattern
1853 Enfeld. The wheat
sheaf/crown/W was
Whitworth’s personal
motif. The barrel on our
example has the simple
Whitworth patent mark.

From left: Four Whitworth bullets, two conical

design, with trials beginning and two hexagonal; and a pair of Jacob rounds,
experimenting with artillery,
as early as 1858 pitting the one a solid and the other a “shell” with a ultimately developing a
Whitworth against the issue copper-fulminate insert. superior breechloader
pattern 1853 Enfeld Minie that fred a 2¾-inch,
rife. While the Whitworth showed promise, and 12-pound hexagonal “bolt.” A limited number of these
different variations were tested for various reasons, feld pieces saw use in several critical battles of the
serious trials kept being postponed. Eventually, about American Civil War, employed by the Confederacy and,
1,000 36-inch-barreled service-style Whitworths to a limited extent, the Federals.
(known as the Pattern 1862) were whipped up at In the meantime, Whitworth rifes were gladly ac-
Enfeld, followed by 8,000 rifes with 33-inch barrels cepted by target shooters, and a number of different
in 1863, which were built and distributed to selected variants were produced by Whitworth’s frm. These
regiments for evaluation. Though the gun performed guns employed a variety of open sights, as well as so-
extremely well in the accuracy department, especially phisticated (for the time) telescopic sights developed
at longer ranges (up to 500 yards, the Enfeld and by David Davidson.
Whitworth were considered equal; past that, the Soon it was discovered that conical bullets fred
Whitworth excelled), complaints of excessive bore in Whitworths (because of setback) gave accuracy
fouling by blackpowder residue, the expense of build- as fne as hexagonal rounds, and the two types were
ing a gun and the emergence of improved breechload- used interchangeably.
ers sounded the death knell for any possible govern- Whitworth’s rife received a real boost in 1860,
ment contracts. when Queen Victoria signaled the opening of the new
As a diversion, as early as 1860 Whitworth began Wimbledon target ranges by ceremonially pulling a
 MID-LENGTH GAS SYSTEM &
18” LIGHT WEIGHT BARREL WITH 5R RIFLING

SOME POWER TOOLS

SERRATED MAGWELL
FOR INCREASED CONTROL

AMBIDEXTROUS CONTROLS
82 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B

Depending on the type of rife, Whitworth used a number of

different back sights, as well as Davidson telescopic sights.
This ladder-style, graduated to 1,200 yards, is fairly typical of
basic barrel mounts.

silk cord attached to the trigger of a previously sight-

ed and machine-rested Whitworth rife, striking an
iron target just off-center, at 400 yards.
Whitworths were particularly favored by sharp-
shooters during the Civil War, a good number of
them being run through the blockade by the Confed-
eracy and issued to select units. The most common
Rebel guns were marked “2nd QUALITY,” not
meaning they were inferior to other Whitworths, but
rather that they had simpler sights, were less complex
As with back sights, Whitworth and employed Enfeld-pattern locks without external
front sights varied. This adjustable slide-on safeties or target-grade internals. These had
globe-and-post style was popular
33-inch barrels and checkered forends and wrists. A
and highly regarded for shooting
targets. number of other styles with Davidson scopes were
occasionally seen in Secesh ranks.
While Whitworths were especially valuable as long-
range arms to suppress enemy artillery fre, they were also seen in the antipersonnel role.
Probably the most famous Whitworth shot occurred during the battle of Spotsylvania
Court House on May 9, 1864, when Union Major General John Sedgwick and his staff
became the targets of Confederate sharpshooters an estimated 1,000 yards distant while
directing artillery. After Sedgwick chided his subordinates for ducking (“I’m ashamed of
you dodging that way. They couldn’t hit an elephant
at this distance”), a Whitworth bolt slammed into his
head, just below his left eye. He was the most senior
Union offcer killed during
the war, and the event was a
The Whitworth hexagonal
testimonial to his adversary’s projectile (near right)
skill and equipment. was equally applicable to
artillery and smallarms.

The Whitworth’s unique hexagonal bore is evi-

dent here. A scraper ramrod with rotating head
helped reduce fouling between shots, which was
one of the Whitworth’s main drawbacks.
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 83

From left to right: Paul, Duane, Philip, Rich, Robert

While everything seems to cost more, Sierra’s reloading advice is

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Whitworth rifes were a bit more persnickety

in their loading than Jacob rifes. A charge is
poured down the barrel, followed by a greased
hexagonal felt wad (sometimes card wads were
used as well) and the bullet, either conical or
hexagonal. Fouling was a constant complaint.
84 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B

The Jacob rife Beftting the Jacob rife’s unorthodox design, its
inventor was one of the most quixotic, some might say erratic of
all gun designers. Brigadier General John Jacob was one of those
British Victorian soldier/adventurers who simply was larger than
life. He could be boorish and opinionated, favoring his opinions
to the exclusion of all others, but he was also a talented soldier,
writer, diplomat, mechanic
The Jacob double rife featured and craftsman.
back-action locks, though there were If you have the temerity to
some Jacob-rifed single barrels that
venture into Pakistan, you can
closely followed Enfeld patterns.
A. Wilson of London set up and re-
still visit his tomb and former
tailed this sporter, though the basic residence in a city named after
gun was made by Swinburn & Son. him, Jacobabad. There, he is
still revered for having tamed
The Jacob rear sight is a combination
of express leaves and a ladder grad- the Northwest Frontier, and
uated to 2,000 yards. When fred the government carefully tends
at extreme ranges, the rife must to his monuments as historical
be placed on the shooter’s chest to sites.
obtain a proper sight picture.
He was considered fearless
on the battlefeld. He had an
interest in frearms from an early age, even though his knowl-
edge of ballistics was indifferent at frst. His inherent mechanical
skill and enthusiasm for the subject, coupled with a substantial
income, allowed him the luxury of pursuing his avocation.
The son of a Somerset vicar, Jacob was born in 1812. When
he was 14, he enrolled in the Honourable East India Company’s
 W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 85

academy at Addiscombe, graduating two years later with a sec-

ond lieutenancy in the Bombay Artillery.
After distinguishing himself in the First Anglo-Afghan War, he
was lauded by authorities and given his own command.
In the early 1850s, Jacob took it on his own to prescribe the
frearms carried by the Scinde Irregular Horse, infuencing the
adoption of a double-barreled carbine and pistol that were man-
ufactured by Swinburn & Son of Birmingham, beginning Jacob’s
relationship with a company that was to
The drift-adjustable
fgure prominently in some of his later
sporting Jacob bead
endeavors. front sight is virtually
During his campaigns, Jacob worked on identical to that used
ways to improve the military service rifes of on the military arm.
the period. From the late 1830s, rife units
The four studs
of the East India Company were equipped integrally cast on
with older Baker-style fintlock rifes and the conical bullet ft
newer percussion, two-groove-barreled these deep grooves.
Brunswicks, the latter employing a mechan-
ically ftted belted ball. This gave only so-so accuracy because of the
spinning irregularities caused by the confguration of the ball itself.
Jacob felt that he could improve upon the design and came
up with a barrel that increased the Brunswick’s two grooves to
four. This allowed him to fre a more symmetrical ball, which
employed a pair of crisscrossing belts.
This belted ball was eventually discarded in favor of a pointed
conical projectile cast, with four studs at its base. Accuracy with
 86 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B

Jacob’s new bullet was markedly superior to that of his previ- Jacob came up with his own exploding device consisting of
ous design. The results were impressive, and Jacob eventually pointed copper percussion tubes flled with fulminate of mercury,
claimed good accuracy out to 1,200 yards. The bullet was further which ft into the forepart of the shell. These were tested at
refned by elongating it to 2½ diameters and eliminating an Jacobabad, and the results were good enough for Jacob to assert,
earlier Minie-style hollow base. During his trials, Jacob continued “… It seems certain that two good rifemen so armed could, in
with his interest in double-barreled service arms, such as the 10 minutes, annihilate the best Field Battery of Artillery now
carbine and pistol he had designed when serving with the Scinde existing.”
Irregular Horse. He also focused his attention on designing an He had also offered a bullet with an iron tip so that it would
explosive projectile. not be deformed during loading. Patches were still to be an in-
To this end, Jacob expanded upon his “perfected” bullet. It was tegral part of the equation, however. In the meantime, the “ideal
now available in two forms, solid and “shell.” The then-Major rife” was also being perfected. Eventually, Jacob felt confdent
enough to describe it.
“Double — 32 gauge [.526 caliber] —
4-grooved — DEEP grooves, of breadth
equal to that of LANDS, to take four-ffths
UNSURPASSED CAPACITY of a turn in the barrel — barrels the best
With 19+1 in its flush fitting
PROTECT • HUNT • COMPETE P -09 can’t be beat that can be made, twenty four (24) inches
vice pistols. long, weight of pair of barrel alone about
six pounds, NOT LESS: the ends of the
lands to be rounded off at the muzzle —
patent breech — no side vents — frst
sight EXACTLY PARALLEL to the bore —
the muzzle sight being raised if necessary
for this purpose …. Trigger pull easy to
pull, plenty of play in the cocks. External
CZ P-09 vents in nipples to be small — six spare
(Flat Dark Ear ed) nipples of each size to ft Eley’s No. 13
and No. 26 caps — one mould for balls
and two for Jacob’s shells.”
The gun’s unique sighting arrangement
merits special attention. It consisted of an
Express-style, three-leaf confguration that
graduated from 100 to 300 yards, and a
5-inch-long ladder graduated from 300 to
2,000 yards. In order to fre the rife at ex-
treme ranges, the butt had to be placed on
the shooter’s sternum, as it was impossible
to shoulder the arm.
The military version of the Jacob’s dou-
CZ P-07 ble was ftted with a sword bayonet with a
(Updated for 2014)
Highland-style hilt. This formidable blade
was almost as long as the rife itself.
MAIN FEATURES A writer of the period described fring a
• Interchangeable backstraps gun made on this pattern:
• Convertible, safety or decocker “The recoil is by no means pleasant
• Omega trigger system [Jacob specifed a powder charge of some
• Polymer frame with 1913 Picatinny rail 2½ drams (68 grains of gunpowder)].
• 19+1 9mm, 15+1 .40 S&W (P-09) The gauge is 32. This rife does not
• 15+1 9mm, 12+1 .40 S&W (P-07) NEW FOR 2014 seem to have any advantages at sporting
• Two magazines • P -09 Suppressor-Ready (threaded barrel)
• 5 year warranty ranges, but for military purposes it had
• P -09 FDE with metal night sights
been strongly recommended. Especially
in reference to the explosive shells that
w w w. c z - u s a . c o m are used with it … the shells … require
a short, stout barrel and cannot be used
with a long, thin one, like the Enfeld. For
killing large animals, like the elephant or
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 87

The Jacob military sporting rife

(far left) used many of the compo-
nents of the military arm (near left),
though its styling and embellish-
ments were much more refned.

As well as solid shot, Jacob’s

rife could fre exploding bullets.
Originally intended for blowing up
enemy artillery caissons, the load
eventually found favor as a hunting
bullet against thick-skinned game.

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88 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B

rhinoceros, they are particularly qualifed, and I should strongly

recommend elephant hunters to examine the merits of this rife.”
As noted earlier, around the same time as these experiments,
Sir Joseph Whitworth’s hexagonally bored rife, fring elongated
“smallbore” .451 bolts, was receiving attention as a long-range tar-
get gun. Granted, Jacob never expected his short-barreled double
to have pinpoint accuracy. However, even his claims of superior
range were now being challenged. Some numbers of double-barrel
military rifes were made by Swinburn & Son and were issued to a
special unit known as “Jacob’s Rifes.” The arm, being complicated
and very much a specialty piece, was withdrawn and sent back to

Loading a Jacob rife is fairly simple. First, a

measured charge of powder is poured down the
barrel. Then, a patched bullet is rammed down
on the charge (the use of patches seems not to
have been universal), and the nipples is capped.
 W H I T W O RT H & J A C O B | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 89

stores upon Jacob’s premature death in 1858. lent results with the Whitworth but indifferent Jacob consistency,
Jacob rifes outlasted their originator for a time, especially in the even when using bullets cast from original molds and following
hunting arena with calibers as large as 8-bore being felded. Explo- the general’s directions to the letter. The Whitworth, of course,
sive loads were actually vigorously marketed and used against thick- went from strength to strength in its own time, even being seen
skinned game. Many of these sporting rifes, like the one shown on the target range into the era of the self-contained cartridge. Ja-
in this article, were based on the military confguration, made by cobs, on the other hand, became revered only by a limited coterie
Swinburn and retailed by others who put their names on them. of dedicated sportsmen and were seen little much past the 1860s.
There is also a reference to a Jacob-style rife possibly being Their primary attribute was not superior accuracy but rather the
used in the Civil War written by George Hughes Hepworth in effcacy of the system’s exploding bullets on thick-skinned game.
“The Whip, Hoe and Sword, Or the Gulf-Department in 63” Both guns were important landmarks in the evolution of long-
(1864), which seems to describe the arm (and possibly even range shooting and deserve respect and further study.
exploding bullets) very accurately:
“The rebels, too, were good shots. There
was one man who was a source of great
annoyance to us: and many a poor fellow
will testify to his existence by showing a
very peculiar and ugly wound in leg or
arm. He used a double-barreled shot-gun,
of English make, with a bore large enough
to admit a ball weighing an ounce and a
half [a Jacob shell weighs 658 grains, or
1½ ounces] … if you chanced to show
your head over the cotton-bales which
were our fortifcations, you would be
reminded of the necessity of prudence by
a distinct hum which is a very unpleasant
sound to hear. He disabled men standing
more than three quarters of a mile off. I do
not know that he actually killed any one
at that distance; but he made some very
disagreeable wounds.”
As England became a large supplier to
both the North and the South, there is no
reason not to suppose that some Jacob rifes
might have made it to these shores circa
1861 to 1865, though to date no Jacob
bullets have been found on any Civil War
battlefeld.
I have experimented with both the
Whitworth and the Jacob at reasonable
ranges (up to 200 yards) and had excel-

Jacob rifes are a bit more diffcult to tame.

Loads must be carefully monitored for unifor-
mity in order for the gun to regulate properly.
It is diffcult to see how this could have been a
successful military arm.
90 G & A M AY 2 0 1 4

PROOFHOUSE Taurus View

THERE’S NOTHING
TO HIDE
THE NEW TAURUS FIVE-SHOT VIEW IS QUITE POSSIBLY “I think people are interested in how a frearm works,”
the lightest .38 Special available. Most pocket revolvers said Mark Kresser, president and CEO of Taurus Holdings.
developed as lightweight carry pieces weigh between 10 “This sideplate gives them a better understanding of what
and 13 ounces. The View is barely 9 ounces, and it carries they’re carrying.”
with ease. Seeing the internals also forces Taurus to manufacture
There are a number of handguns the G&A staff wouldn’t a better-quality product, because any faw in the intricate
consider carrying every day. Unless you are in a profession organization of small parts is now visible.
that requires bulky or tactical clothing that can conceal a It was quite an accomplishment for Taurus to engineer a
semiauto with higher capacity or a larger-frame revolver, sideplate design that wouldn’t eventually display spider-
it’s more likely that when you grab your keys and head out web cracking during the course of its use. Various poly-
the door you’ll need a carry gun that’s unobtrusive, yet mer formulas were developed and tested until a reliable
quickly deployable. solution was found.
New to the View is the contoured grip and grip frame
What it is Based on the popular Taurus Model 85, the that won’t print inside of performance clothing like most
View is a different approach to revolvers. It gets its name traditional carry guns will. If you look closely, you’ll fnd
from the see-through Lexan sideplate attached to the right that Taurus has incorporated a unique curvature and subtle
side of the frame, which is the frst noticeable difference cant to the grip’s shape while keeping the thickness of the
when comparing the View with other small-frame revolvers. revolver minimal.
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 91

Taurus is looking at
making the View avail-
able with optional color
and accessory choices.

“If a watch were fat and square,” said Kresser, “you

wouldn’t wear it. We put a little bit of bend in the frame
where we could to give it a more practical contour for carry.”
The cylinder and barrel are manufactured from titani-
um, which is known for its lightweight strength. The short,
stainless steel ejector rod is long enough to dump spent
cases and sturdy enough to be struck against a solid ob-
ject to eject a stubborn spent case.
You might be surprised at how accurate the View really
is. Using standard loads from Hornady and Winchester,
we enjoyed printing 2- to 3-inch groups out to 10 yards
while standing and slowly drawing the 10-pound trigger.
Though appropriately heavy for defensive purposes, the
smooth stacking of weight during each trigger pull lets off The clear-view Lexan sideplate reveals the inner workings of the
crisply when the hammer gets ready to drop. The non- newest Taurus revolver. The thin, checkered grip panels complement
the reshaped and contoured frame to minimize its slim profle. A
adjustable sights are perfectly aligned for point-of-aim/ smart combination of precision-machined, lightweight materials
point-of-impact shooting at close range and aid in con- including titanium and aluminum makes carry effortless. Push the
sistent results, though the View only utilizes a snubnose cylinder-release button forward to access the fve-shot cylinder.
PHOTOS: MICHAEL ANSCHUETZ
 92 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA U R U S V I E W

BULLET VELOCITY AVG. BEST

LOAD WEIGHT (GR.) (FPS) SD ES GROUP (IN.) GROUP (IN.)

Hornady Critical Defense FTX 110 765 13 17 2.14 1.47

Winchester USA 130 670 12 31 2.16 1.42

barrel. Because the grip is reduced in size, most will feel this .38 has
some bite. However, its shape sets back into your palm, preventing
the revolver’s muzzle from kicking too high for you to recover, and
the triggerguard is nicely arched in such a manner that it doesn’t
wear a sore on your middle-fnger’s joint. It’s as comfortable and
manageable to shoot
as any lightweight,
snubnose .38 revolver
could be.
REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU
Contoured, reliable CHOOSE TO CONFIGURE
and light, the View will A VIEW, I CAN BET THAT
serve to overcome the
urge one may have to
YOU WILL CARRY IT.
make an excuse to walk
out the door unprotected.

What it isn’t Enhanced for the needs of practical carry, the View
didn’t need to be designed with a heavy frame to absorb recoil or
thick grips to fll the hand. As much as these features contribute to
controllability while shooting at the range, they don’t necessarily ap-
peal on an everyday-carry gun chambered for a cartridge like the .38
www.kahr.com
Special. Being what this gun is, Taurus advises against using +P or
www.facebook.com/KahrArms +P+ defensive ammunition in the View. Even though a standard .38
Special load will produce less felt recoil than other hot loads, don’t
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 94 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | TA U R U S V I E W

TAURUS VIEW
Type: Revolver
Caliber: .38 SPL
Capacity: 5 rds.
Weight: 8.9 oz.
Barrel: 1 in.
Overall Length: 5 in.
Height: 4.3 in.
Width: 2.4 in.
Finish: Silver or pink
Sights: Fixed blade (front),
fxed notch (rear)
Trigger: DAO, 9.5 lbs. (tested)
Grips: Polymer, checkered, black
Price: $350
Manufacturer: Taurus, 800-327-3776,
taurususa.com

expect to endure long hours at the

range target shooting with the View.
For a handgun of this caliber that we
can discreetly carry for hours every
day, we’re willing to give up some
comfort at the range and work on skill
development with a larger model.
Mark Kresser is largely responsible
for bringing the View to market. When
he assumed his role at Taurus Hold-
ings, developing more practical fea-
tures for everyday use was a priority.
Amazing
Self-Feeding “I carry a gun every single day,” said

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extract cases to reload in a training
SELF-FEEDING CHIP 5-1/2" environment.”
Most branches BRANCHES
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96 G & A M AY 2 0 1 4

PROOFHOUSE CZ 455 Varmint Precision Trainer

A PRACTICAL HOLE-PUNCH
A SNIPER WITH THE BRITISH ROYAL MARINES starts will drop right in. Other 455 rifes are available in .17 HMR,
his shooting exam lying prone behind the berm at 1,000 .22 WMR and .22LR.
yards from his target. On command, the student crawls up The barrel is a straight-profle, .866-inch diameter that
on top of the berm into his shooting position and engages looks very much at home in the Manners stock. The barrel
the target with 10 rounds. The frst shot is the toughest is hammer forged and 20½ inches long, plenty long
because the student has to estimate wind speed and shoot enough to get all the velocity out of a .22’s case capacity.
based off his estimate. It is a tough shooting qualifcation, CZ laps each barrel, and their bores are snug, so accuracy
but one that all who try enjoy. across the line is exceptional.
An instructor with the British Royal Marines once said The trigger is user-adjustable from 3 to 5 pounds. There
that the rest of the world’s militaries would always be trying is some creep in the trigger, but the light pull weight and
to catch up to the Americans when it came to marksman- smooth engagement surfaces make it less noticeable and
ship because so many of us learned to shoot as children very manageable.
and knew how to handle frearms before we ever entered The most recognizably unique feature of the VPT is the
the service. Manners stock. Manners is widely accepted as a premium
We are fortunate to live in a country where parents can stock manufacturer. The Manners stock is made of carbon
teach their children to shoot, and when you shoot the CZ fber and fberglass. This gives the shooter the ability to
455 Varmint Precision Trainer (VPT) for yourself, you’ll rec- build a rife that closely mimics the handling characteristics
ognize it as the perfect rife with which to teach someone of their centerfre precision rife. The standard VPT stock
how to shoot, as well as for precision shooters wanting to weighs 3 pounds, 4 ounces.
practice without going broke. New for 2014 is the molded-in camoufage fnish. It’s
not uncommon to paint fberglass and carbon fber stocks;
The 455 evolves The CZ 455 has been on the market for a most of them are. The paint can scratch and chip over time
few years now after replacing the company’s highly success- through use, especially if we make it a habit of tossing the
ful CZ 452. The 455 design comes to us as a result of newer rife in and out of the truck. The new, molded-in camoufage
manufacturing techniques at CZ, and all of the 455 models fnish offered with the VPT means that we don’t have to
allow the owner to easily switch calibers thanks to a convert- worry about damaging its aesthetics. The stock also has a
ible barrel system that’s easy to remove and replace. fnal topcoat of Armor-Grip paint that gives it a very fat ap-
This 455 VPT is only available from CZ in .22LR, although pearance and adds some texture. Even with wet or sweaty
any of the company’s barrel kits in .17 HMR or .22 WMR hands, the stock won’t get away from us. The VPT’s new
 M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 97

stock is olive drab with splotches of tan and black. It’s an

attractive arrangement.
The Manners T4 that comes on the VPT is inletted for
CZ 455 bottom metal and fts perfectly. Often the bot-
tom metal will protrude slightly from the stock unless the
manufacturer pays careful attention to detail. In this case,
everything was done right. The stock is also inletted for the
heavy barrel and ensures that it is free foating, an addi-
tional measure optimizing accuracy.
The shape of the action and the inletting of the T4 stock The CZ 455 action is one of the most popular
.22s on the market. The VPT comes with a
make the CZ 455 VPT a prime candidate for bedding, .22LR bull barrel but can accept barrels in .17
should the owner desire to experiment with accuracy. HMR, .17 Mach 2 and .22 Magnum. Alternate
While a .22LR doesn’t generate much recoil, most rifes calibers will have sporter-contoured barrels.
will beneft from a good bedding job that keeps the action
from moving around during transport or recoil. The 455
VPT is a top pick if you’re going to bed a .22. The stock
is one of the best available, and the action’s design lends
itself well to the practice. There are large, uninterrupted
radii that run along the bottom of the 455 action (like on
a Remington 700, the world’s easiest action to bed) that
mate well with the stock, as would the large, square tang
PHOTOS: BRAXTON LEE PETTY

at the receiver’s rear. A bedding job would ensure com-

plete and consistent contact along all of these surfaces.
Attaching the action to the stock are two action screws.
The forward-most action screw passes through a small alu-
minum pillar in the stock. The pillar has been cut to accom-
modate the front of the magazine well. The magazine well
attaches to the bottom of the receiver with a large metal The radiused receiver and large, fat tang will bed well in the
screw that rests against the aluminum pillar. Manners T4 stock.
98 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | C Z 4 5 5 VA R M I N T P R E C I S I O N T R A I N E R

We like to see pillar bedding on precision rifes, as it complexity of an CZ 455 VARMINT PRECISION TRAINER
provides a solid foundation for the action to rest against adjustable comb. Type: Bolt action
Caliber: .22LR
in the stock and prevents the stock from being damaged Even if you have
Capacity: 5, 10 rds.
by overtightening the action screws. The single pillar in high cheekbones, Barrel: 20.5 in., 1:16 twist
the VPT is plenty solid for a rimfre, especially when paired with your head Overall Length: 38.75 in.
with the cylindrical-shaped action and fat, square tang. All completely re- Weight: 8 lbs., 2 oz.
of that surface area helps keep the laxed and resting Stock: Manners T4
Length of Pull: 13.75 in.
action in place. on the comb,
Finish: Blued
you should still Trigger: Adjustable
Handling and training The Man- expect to see Sights: None
ners T4 gives the CZ 455 some down the center Safety: Two-position lever
unique handling characteris- of a scope. For MSRP: $899
Manufacturer: CZ-USA, 800-955-4486,
tics and offers the shooter those with lower cz-usa.com
some additional training cheekbones, a
opportunities not found stock-pack is
with traditional stocks. an inexpensive way to get some additional height off the
The T4 has a high, fat comb if needed.
comb that does an excellent The stock also has a fat, 4-inch toe (5 inches if you count
job of keeping the shooter’s the recoil pad) with the forward edge curved to accom-
head directly behind the modate the shooter’s support hand if he wants to grab the
scope without requiring rear of the stock and pull it into his shoulder. Flat toes are
the additional weight and crucial for rifes fred most frequently from the prone or
off a bipod. In either of these positions our best accuracy
The detachable magazine will always be with a rear bag in place, and a fat toe gives
holds fve rounds, but
10-round magazines that vital rear bag plenty of real estate to support the back
are also available. of the gun. This pays off in spades, accuracy-wise. Most

PRODUCT WARNING AND RECALL NOTICE

WINCHESTER® 22 Long Rife RIMFIRE AMMUNITION
Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, is recalling two (2) lots of M*22™ 22 Long Rife 40 Grain Black Copper Plated
Round Nose rimfre ammunition.
Symbol Number: S22LRT Lot Numbers: GD42L and GD52L
Winchester has determined the above lots of 22 Long Rife rimfre ammunition may contain double powder charges.
Ammunition with double powder charges may subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury and/or
death, or cause frearm damage, rendering the frearm inoperable.

DO NOT USE WINCHESTER® M*22™ 22 Long Rife RIMFIRE AMMUNITION WITH LOT NUMBERS GD42L
or GD52L. The ammunition Lot Number is imprinted (stamped without ink) on the left tuck fap of the 500-round carton as
indicated here. The 1000-round intermediate carton does not have a Lot Number.

To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Symbol Number and Lot Number. If it is Symbol Number
S22LRT with a Lot Number containing GD42L or GD52L immediately
discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 866-423-5224 or
visit http://www.winchester.com/Product-Service/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx
for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition.

This notice applies only to Symbol Number S22LRT with Lot

Numbers GD42L and GD52L. Other Symbol Numbers or Lot
Numbers are not subject to this recall.
If you have any questions concerning this 22 Long Rife rimfre
ammunition recall please call toll-free 866-423-5224, write to
Winchester (600 Powder Mill Road, East Alton, IL 62024
Attn: S22LRT Recall), or visit our website at www.winchester.com.
We apologize for this inconvenience.

© 2014 Winchester Ammunition

Don’t Buy Survival Food...
Until You Read This!
Dear Guns & Ammo reader, Well, I decided to stop worrying. Obvious-
ly, waiting for FEMA to give me a handout
There are some people out there who in a disaster just wasn’t an option for me.
think folks like you and me are a bit “odd”. And I was completely turned off by the
crazy prices of survival food sold by most
They think having a stockpile ready for a stores.
disaster is something they can put off for
“someday” or “never”. So I got in touch with my buddy Frank
Bates and put my order in for his Food-
But those people are just hiding their 4Patriots survival food kits. This is Frank’s
heads in the sand. They are dead wrong new line of survival food and there are
-- and you are dead right. 4 reasons why it’s literally fying off the
shelves:
You’ve seen the evidence and you know
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The fact is, if you don’t take action or if in the U.S.A. You won’t believe the Here’s why… If you don’t take
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be setting your family up to starve. It the price that other brands charge. right now, you’ll be in the same
sounds harsh, but the truth is too many boat as the brainwashed masses
people with good intentions are making n There’s no fancy packaging, it’s who think “everything is fne.” And
critical mistakes with their food stockpiles. military-grade sturdy stuff and can if a crisis hits and your family asks,
stand up to the crazy things that “What are we going to eat?” your
MISTAKES LIKE… happen in a crisis. This food has a mouth will go dry and you’ll feel
shelf life of up to 25 years, so you powerless.
n Buying MREs (meals ready to eat) have complete peace of mind for
with a 5 year shelf life (depending on the long term. And he’s using the But what if you decide right now to
where you buy them, they could be most compact kits so you can store secure your food stockpile instead?
nearly expired)… them anywhere in your home without Just imagine how much better
any extra hassle. They’re sturdy, you’ll feel right away. And if a cri-
n Getting gross survival foods that waterproof and stack easily. And sis hits and your family asks, “What
taste terrible and are so high in salt, extremely covert too. are we going to eat?” you’ll calmly
MSG and preservatives you could reassure them that they’re safe and
clog your arteries and get yourself n You can make these meals in less they will have plenty to eat.
sick… than 20 minutes; just add boiling
water, simmer, and serve. I tried Listen, I can’t predict the future. I
n Or simply buying the wrong foods ‘em and I think they taste as good don’t know exactly when or how a
and leaving a critical hole in your or better than any other survival crisis will hit. But from everything I
meal plan, which means food I’ve EVER had. And you get a see, it could be soon and it could
your family can become whole slew of choices for breakfast, be a big one.
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stuck eating the same thing day-in That’s why I really want you to get
and day-out. the same peace of mind that I do.

n Frank has come up with some LOG-ON TO

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frst-served basis. For example,
my 3-month kit came with 5,400+ 1-888-995-2544
heirloom survival seeds, 4 hard copy
P.S. Got a call from Frank and
books, an 11-in-1 survival tool, and
you’ll never believe this… FEMA
some other cool stuff.
and DHS just tried to buy up his en-
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I want to make sure you don’t miss out on
this because this is the #1 item to hoard that BS? Log-on now to
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100 G&A M AY 2 0 1 4 | C Z 4 5 5 VA R M I N T P R E C I S I O N T R A I N E R

VELOCITY AVERAGE BEST

LOAD (FPS) ES SD GROUP (IN.) GROUP (IN.)

stocks on .22LR rifes have CCI Mini-Mag 36 gr. 1,269 84 34 .47 .39 skills acquired there, transi-
a pointed toe that is much Federal 36 gr. 1,263 116 47 1.02 .98 tions easily to other rifes.
harder to anchor frmly in Wolf Target 40 gr. Chrono wouldn’t read .78 .65 The VPT’s T4 is also a
place. good stock to help us work
The T4 has an almost vertical grip that has an appro- on our positional shooting since it was designed for use
priately sized palm swell. When spending the majority of on centerfre rifes. While the fat forend is predominantly
our time in the prone, a vertical grip alleviates much of meant for riding bags, it also fts well in the support hand
the stress placed on our wrist when shooting conventional and is long enough for almost any positional work.
stocks. The vertical grip with palm swell does a much bet-
ter job of flling our hand and giving us something to hold At the range G&A staff tested the VPT off a bench at
on to. The grip is also textured to prevent it from slipping. 50 yards using three different loads. Not surprisingly,
The forend on the CZ 455 VPT extends well past halfway the stock was very comfortable once behind it. The bolt
down the barrel, is 2½ inches wide with rounded sides and throw is about 80 degrees, and the bolt lift is fairly stiff,
is textured on the rear half. It is made to ride bags well, but we expect that would smooth up over time and use.
and it does. The wide forend provides exceptional stability The trigger is a bit heavy for precision work but not pro-
off of sand bags or fat rests, and the wide sides ensure hibitively so.
that even bags that wrap around the forend don’t touch Of the three loads tested, the VPT liked the CCI Mini-
the barrel. There are also two sling swivel studs in the Mag the most. The best fve-shot group measured .39 inch
forend to accommodate a bipod and sling simultaneously. and averaged .47 inch. The Mini-Mag load performed very
Prone shooting off a bipod is the most basic of all shoot- consistently for the duration of the evaluation.
ing positions, so it makes sense if we spend a fair amount The next ammo tested was the Federal new bulk-packed
of our shooting time in it. Most precision rifes have a stock 36-grain load that comes in a nitrogen-flled oversize tuna
very similar to the T4, so time spent on the 455, and the can. (It’s a great idea from Federal, and we expect they’ll
 C Z 4 5 5 VA R M I N T P R E C I S I O N T R A I N E R | M AY 2 0 1 4 G&A 101

sell a bunch of it.) The VPT’s best The combination of

stock and receiver
group with the Federal load measured makes the 455 VPT a
.98 inch and averaged 1.02 inches. prime candidate for
The fnal load tested was the Wolf customization.
Match Target 40-grain loading. Its
best group measured .65 inch, and the group average
came in at .78 inch.
After spending some time on the VPT, we’d use this rife
to teach anyone how to shoot off the bench, in the prone
or to introduce a younger shooter to the basics of sniping.
It would also work as an inexpensive substitute tactical
trainer for a more seasoned shooter.
The G&A technical staff is already talking about using
a CZ 455 VPT as the foundation for an experiment to see
how accurate a tactical/trainer .22LR can be. Lilja (man-
ufacturer of match-grade barrels that hold a number of
records) makes a drop-in .900-inch-diameter barrel for the
455 that would ft perfectly in the T4 stock. Timney makes
a trigger for the 455 as well. Couple those two compo-
nents with the attention of a premium custom rife builder dation upon which to build, especially when we consider
and premium ammo, and let’s see what happens. the robust aftermarket support available for it. There are
The VPT comes with the best rimfre stock on the mar- almost too many options for such an exciting and well-
ket, and the CZ 455’s action is a solid and worthy foun- made rife. Almost.

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 G & A M AY 2 0 1 4 103

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104 G & A M AY 2 0 1 4

SPENT CASES

PHOTO BY SEAN UTLEY

WHEN TIME STANDS STILL

A BULLET CAPTURED IN FLIGHT became a signature inches from the muzzle. Usually, only after a series of at-
type of photography used by Guns & Ammo in the late tempts, the resulting image captures the very striking and
1960s through the 1990s. These instantaneous moments illuminating phenomenon of the explosive forces surround-
were caught using vintage strobes developed by Dr. Har- ing a bullet, which occurs too fast to be discerned in detail
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Stroboscopic units provide a fractional microsecond fash by shooting a bullet into a playing card and photograph-
duration, which is triggered by a microphone set a few ing the result.
 Kimber Master Carry Pistols.
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The Master Carry series of .45 ACP pistols combine Kimber® performance and
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©2013, Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Information and specifcations are for reference only and subject to change without notice.