I have a bit of an infatuation with the M1 Carbine. I always have. It’s one of the first rifles I ever fired, and the little carbine was kind to me as a child. Recoil was minimal, it was semi-automatic and a ton of fun to shoot. The M1 Carbine carved its way into the firearms hall of fame, and by all measure, it shouldn’t have.
Our little carbine is an interesting weapon. It’s a short-stroke, gas-operated, magazine-fed, semi-automatic rifle designed for a very specific purpose. It’s not quite a rifle as we know it, and it’s not a submachine gun either. If you had to classify the M1 Carbine, it would be a light rifle.
Heck, not only was the gun interesting, but the little .30 Carbine round it fires takes some cake. It’s not quite a pistol round, and it’s certainly not a traditional rifle round. It’s a 7.62×33 caliber round with a 110-grain projectile. The round screamed out at 1,990 feet per second and hit hard from the carbine.
It’s still an odd duck in a military armed with Thompsons, M1 Garands, and BARs. What was the purpose of the little gun?
The M1 Carbine – A Need and Purpose
It’s no secret the M1 Garand is a big, heavy rifle. It’s a full-powered battle rifle, and it turned out not everyone needs a full-powered battle rifle. Truck drivers, artillery gun bunnies, radiomen, typists, cooks, and similar roles didn’t need the big M1 Garand. Newly formed paratrooper units also needed a light rifle, and they got added to the list of recipients.
The M1911 was still just a handgun and not a choice many would take when going to war. The M1 Thompson was too expensive, heavy, and slow to produce to arm rear echelon personnel. The Army decided they wanted a light rifle. It needed to weigh half as much as an M1 and have an effective range of about 300 yards.
The Light Rifle Contest began, and entries flooded in. John Garand, Thompson, H&R, Savage, and more submitted to the trials with a wide swath of different types of rifles and carbines. Winchester developed the cartridge and initially did not submit a rifle design. After the Ordnance department found the submitted carbines unsatisfactory, they began to consider scaling down their .30-06 M2 project.
A team of five engineers produced a prototype in 13 days. The prototype proved successful, and after a little cleaning up, the M1 Carbine was born.
The M1 Carbine In Action
With Hitler knocking on the door, the M1 Carbine couldn’t have come at a better time. While the main infantry force was to use a mix of M1 Garands and Thompsons, the M1 Carbine became an instant hit. While its original intention was for rear echelon types, it found its way to frontline troops. It offered a lighter rifle than the M1 Garand and more range and power than the .45 ACP. Paratroopers used the M1A1 variant with a metal folding stock.
Winchester’s little carbine was a hit with soldiers and proved itself a worthy weapon. Although the gun couldn’t drop the enemy like the M1 Garand, it filled a valuable niche. One famous user of the rifle was Audie Murphy. Audie praised the Thompson and Garand but seemingly loved the M1 Carbine.
It makes sense. He was a small fella. According to Fred Causley at Stillwater News-Press, Audie wasn’t issued a carbine but found a broken one, repaired it, and made it his own. He loved and appreciated the rifle so much he still remembered the serial number in 1967. A clerk at the Center of Military History dialed the number in, and they had the rifle in storage!
That M1 Carbine sits in the Ft. Stewart museum.
Cold Clothes and the .30 Carbine
Going into Korea, the M1 Carbine evolved into the M2 Carbine. The main difference is the ability to fire full auto. It’s easy to argue that the M2 could be considered an early assault rifle, but you’d likely see some argument about that.
Even so, the M1 and M2 served side by side, but the M2 variant was more widely used. However, soldiers in Korea didn’t seem to appreciate the Carbine as much as WW2 vets. Although it’s likely, a good few Korean war soldiers saw hell in the Pacific and Europe before marching to Seoul.
The M1 Carbine wasn’t great in cold weather, and they didn’t call it the Frozen Chosin out of irony. Cold can be hell on guns. Just ask Garand Thumb and the internet rage machine. There were also complaints that the M1 Carbine failed to stop Korean and Chinese soldiers.
The heavy clothing they wore was stopping bullets! Maybe it was frozen clothing too! This has seemingly been debunked over and over. Heavy clothes didn’t stop the .30 Carbine. What is more likely is that the full auto of the M2 Carbine and the rush of war caused accuracy issues, and men missed more than they’d like to admit.
Alongside the M2 Carbine and M1 Carbine, the M3 made an appearance. The M3 was an M2 with fittings and parts to allow the mounting of early night vision optics. These big beasts were used in static positions to spot and eliminate nighttime infiltrators.
The War at Home With The Stakeout Squad
The M1, M2, and M3 went to Vietnam with early advisors in the mid-1950s. The M1 Carbine series were used throughout the conflict in various roles until the M16’s adoption in 1964. South Vietnamese forces did continue to use the carbine.
Where the M1 Carbine continued to serve was with police agencies. Older military models in the M1 and M1A1 configuration found their way into the world of police agencies.
One, in particular, stands out. The Stakeout Squad of the NYPD. These guys were the NYPD’s best gunfighters, and they had the role of staking out businesses primed for armed robbery in the 1970s. It was a violent time, and these guys would often encounter armed robbers and engage them.
The tools of the trade were the S&W .38 Special revolver, the Ithaca 37, and the M1 Carbine. The M1 Carbine became a favorite of the Stakeout Squad, especially after being modified to work with 110-grain JHPs.
The light rifle offered a rapid-fire design that was likely easy to use in and out of the Stakeout Squad’s vehicles. Plus, at close range, they were plenty powerful, low recoiling, and lightweight. Read Tales of the Stakeout Squad to get deep into their use of the M1 Carbine.
The M1 Carbine Now
The M1 Carbine still remains a cult favorite for a lot of shooters. They are super fun, super accurate, and still made by a number of companies. They are mostly collector and hobbyist weapons these days, but if all you had for defensive use was an M1 Carbine, I don’t think you’d feel outgunned.
It’s our friggin birfday! The show turns one year old today, and to celebrate the guys are reminiscing about old-school 90s shows, and bringing you an update on the ammo crisis, which is sort of over but not really
NEWINGTON, N.H., (May, 2021) – SIG SAUER is pleased to support Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation with an exclusive SIG MCX-SPEAR package for the Task Force Dagger SOF Auction and Raffle occurring in conjunction with the upcoming SOFIC (Special Operations Forces International Conference) show. Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation is a veteran-operated non-profit that aids wounded, ill, or injured U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) members and their families. This exclusive package includes a SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle in a 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, a TANGO6T riflescope, and a SIG SLX Suppressor. The auction opened on Monday, May 9th and will close on Tuesday, May 17th at 8:00pm.
“It is an honor for SIG SAUER to support the mission and programs of Task Force Dagger year after year in support of the Special Operations Community. This year with the excitement of our selection as the provider of the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons Program (NGSW) and the SOFIC show we are hopeful that our donation of this MCX-SPEAR package will help to increase the success and reach of the Task Force Dagger Foundation programs within the SOF community,” said Jason St. John, Director, Government Products. “The MCX-SPEAR and the SLX Suppressor are the same platform and suppressor as the NGSW rifle. For this auction, the rifle is offered in the soon-to-be-released 6.5 Creedmoor caliber and paired with the popular TANGO6T riflescope currently in use in various set-ups throughout the military. With the excitement and demand of the MCX-SPEAR in the commercial market we are hopeful that this will inspire the bidding to benefit the organization.”
The SIG MCX-SPEAR rifle is an adaptable multi-caliber rifle featuring rear and side non-reciprocating charging handles, 6-position folding stock, ambidextrous fire control, bolt-catch, and mag release, 2-stage match trigger, 2-position adjustable gas piston, a lightened free-float M-LOK™ handguard, a full-length picatinny rail, and ships with (1) 20-round magazine.
The SIG SAUER SLX Series of suppressors are designed to drastically reduce toxic fume inhalation by the end-user and sound reduction. The SLX suppressors feature a monolithic core construction in Inconel, an internal multi-flow path to exhaust gases at a higher rate resulting in lower toxic fume inhalation, a sound-reducing baffle design, a flash reducing end cap, and are available with either the new Clutch-Lock QD mounting system for easy install and removal that offers an intuitive tactile locking ring with infinite radial locking positions or direct thread.
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics TANGO6T optic is currently in use as the Direct View Optic (DVO), Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) and the USSOCOM Squad-Variable Powered Scope (S-VPS). The SIG SAUER TANGO6T 1-6x24MM riflescope is available in first and second plane, and varying reticles including 5.56/7.62 Horseshoe Dot, HELLFIRE MOA Milling, HELLFIRE FL-6 and the new DWLR6.
The complete details of the SIG SAUER MCX-SPEAR package to benefit the Task Force Dagger SOF Auction are available on the auction website and bidding is open through Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 8:00pm.
About SIG SAUER, Inc. SIG SAUER, Inc. is a leading provider and manufacturer of firearms, electro-optics, ammunition, suppressors, airguns, and training. For over 250 years SIG SAUER, Inc. has evolved by blending American ingenuity, German engineering, and Swiss precision. Today, SIG SAUER is synonymous with industry-leading quality and innovation which has made it the brand of choice amongst the U.S. Military, the global defense community, law enforcement, competitive shooters, hunters and responsible citizens. Additionally, SIG SAUER is the premier provider of tactical training and elite firearms instruction at the SIG SAUER Academy. Headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, SIG SAUER has over 2,900 employees across eleven locations. For more information abo ut the company and product line visit: sigsauer.com.
It’s Friday, so I’ll let it be an FN Friday and share a video review on the FN Tac 3.
But mostly I want to share the commentary on FN that Colion delivers in the beginning. Because it is spot on. FN was a company that seemed to forget that they made AR-15’s, and like.. good ones when they put their mind to it. The Tactical Carbine variations were fine rifles that nobody knew about.
I only knew about them when I found them listed, I found them when I was looking up information on the much better known Military Collector series. I was looking up their old GWOT retro stuff and found they make a much newer AR-15.
Wild. You should talk about that more!
*Talks about NRCH SCAR*
Or, you could talk about those because those are cool too.
Seriously though, FN has a strong AR-15 game that gets quietly passed over because the SCAR is the effin’ FN SCAR, the handguns are rock solid, and the GWOT nostalgia for front sights and KAC rails is real. Which is fine. I love my modded M16A4. But off the shelf, M-LOK’d and floated, ambidextrous guns are certainly the current production direction.
Enjoy your Friday readers! (or hope enjoyed if you read this later)
There was a time when the cool guys all rocked one-point slings. It was MY time, so I’m either old, or the industry moves fast.
[Editor’s Note: We’re old, Travis…]
Go watch Generation Kill. All those dudes rock single points. In the 2008 time frame, if you got an M16, you dealt with the terrible three points that were out there. If you were a cool guy with an M4, you rocked the one-point sling.
By the time I was leaving the Marine Corps, the graduation to the tactical two-point had begun. Now M16s rocked out with Blue Force Gear VCAS slings, and so did a fair amount of the M4s. The tactical-two point has since taken over, and admittedly it’s the best overall type of sling on the market. There isn’t just one way to skin that cat, either. Magpul, BFG, Arbor Arms, VTAC, and many more produce awesome two-point slings.
That leaves me wondering, does the one-point have a place? Seeing as how a few companies produce slings that convert from a two-point to a one-point, it seems plausible.
What’s The Problem With One-Point Slings
As the name implies, a one-point sling attaches to a single point on the gun, typically the stock or just in front of the stock. The sling then forms a big loop you wrap around your body. It’s simple, so what’s the problem?
A one-point sling offers very limited support and stabilization. The front end of the gun just drops and can flop around. This lack of support limits your ability to go hands-off on your rifle. With the weapon swinging and banging, it can be tough to climb over obstacles, use two-handed tools, carry a wounded comrade, or even provide medical support to the wounded.
Don’t forget the famous nut tap one-points leave you with. If you drop the rifle and go hands-off, it tends to swing downward and give your boys a hearty hello. Lord forbid there is a suppressor on the gun, and it sits against your leg after a long string of fire. There will be something else on fire then
You lose a lot of your ability for a sling to add stabilization to your shooting as well. For all these reasons, the one-point lost a lot of steam and fell out of popularity. Although that doesn’t mean they don’t have their strengths.
Where Do They Shine
One-point slings offer maximum maneuverability. It’s super easy to use the one-point inside buildings and maneuver through CQB environments. It’s less strap and therefore offers less to catch on. To me, switching shoulders has always been a lot easier with a one-point than a two or three-point sling.
Also, when operating in and out of vehicles, the one-point shines. It doesn’t catch on anything, and for a passenger, you don’t have to remove your rifle to climb into the vehicle. Most of Iraq was fought in trucks and tracks, so it’s not a big surprise the one-point rose to such prominence.
In the modern age, some guns are so small that the one point might be the only option. For something like the Army’s recently adopted APC9K, a single point makes a ton of sense. It’s a subcompact submachine gun, and there isn’t a ton of room for anything but a one-point.
Rethinking One-Point Slings
The more I think about the one-point slings, the more I think the sling should be dropped from their name. If we stopped thinking of them as slings and started thinking about them as retention straps, it starts makes sense. The one-point offers you retention of your weapon, not necessarily supporting your weapon.
As a retention strap, it’s tough to complain about. If you’re in and out of vehicles, you could be in a vehicle accident, and it’s hostile, having your gun stuck to your body is a good thing. If you’re maneuvering through a tight environment, you might start wrestling with an opponent for your gun. That one-point retention strap will make it a lot tougher to take from you.
For a home defense scenario, I see a lot of advocates for ditching the sling because they can catch on things or be tough to use in extremely close quarters. Ditch the two-point, but the one-point likely provides a little extra retention should things go hands-on.
Heck, if the long gun scenario, a one-point sling properly fit can apply tension that makes pointing and carrying a long gun a bit easier with a single hand. You may only have one hand when opening doors, calling the police or guiding dependents to safety.
Strap Up
The one point might be on the hill, but it’s not quite over it. It’s a niche tool, to be certain, but like most niche tools, it shines in the right context. It’s not for everyone, and it’s good the military switched to the two-point. However, that doesn’t mean we should completely abandon the idea.
Recently Federal introduced a new handgun caliber, the .30 Super Carry. The .30 Super Carry is an interesting caliber with a bit of history behind it. The .30 SC is highly developed, well thought out, and reliable. Whether you need the .30 SC or not is another question.
I recently read one of the first features on a pistol in the new caliber. The author admits he did not have a compact Smith & Wesson on hand but fired the caliber in a full size, custom grade 1911. I can only ask why? The lack of a compact .30 SC rendered his report largely irrelevant. He misstated the cartridge performance and mistakenly listed the bullet weight as 115 grains (9mm loads) instead of 100 grains.
While par for the course for some of the popular press, I was disappointed. This GAT review is the straight skinny. What there is to say, that is. Not a lot of new information on this cartridge and only one load generally available. The .30 Super Carry, according to Federal Cartridge and Smith & Wesson, is made to offer an improvement over the .380 ACP and to offer less recoil than the 9mm. Trying to state the caliber equals the 9mm is ludicrous. It is a hot little round but it doesn’t equal the 9mm. It isn’t supposed to.
The vehicle for the new .30 round is the Smith & Wesson Shield EZ rack.
This pistol is well designed, and in the examples I have tested reliable and accurate. This isn’t a micro pistol but a handgun that many would think is in the ideal size handgun for personal defense. The Smith & Wesson pistol uses a polymer frame and steel slide. The pistol is a single action with an internal hammer. The hammer is concealed by the slide. The EZ Rack features an ambidextrous safety and a grip safety that prevents the pistol from firing unless the grip safety is pressed completely.
The operation of the pistol is similar to the Colt 1903 and 1908 .32 ACP and .380 ACP pistols. In their day these Colts were among the finest made and easiest to use of all pocket size pistols. They were in more gunfights than many more famous handguns. The Shield EZ Rack is also a concealed hammer single action pistol with a grip safety. The Shield EZ Rack, however, features superior sights and an ambidextrous safety. The pistol is designed to be easy to rack/cycle, hence the name. The Shield EZ Rack is a nice handling pistol. It is more accurate than you would think.
The pistol was originally offered in .380 ACP. I said ho hum. The original EZ Rack is easy to handle, kicks but little, and is more accurate than many sub compact handguns. It should be, this is a Colt 1903 size pistol not a super tiny handgun. But the .380 isn’t my idea of a defense cartridge. There isn’t enough penetration in most loads, those that penetrate don’t expand well- and so on. Working in a busy district for many years and arriving just after fact to several shootings with the popular .380 does not add to my opinion of the calibers poor reputation.
Those who tell you that all calibers are the same with no other context possibly missed their calling as televangelists or loan sharks. Then Smith gave us the 9mm Shield EZ. The 9mm Luger is a great round for shoe horning into compact pistols. Recoil is reasonable, even in this small a handgun. The pistol is as accurate as many larger pistols. So we have a really neat pistol with a slide that is easy enough to rack and which holds eight rounds in the magazine. The sights are good and the pistol seems trouble free.
For some of us the 9mm doesn’t kick that much, the .45 is far from brutal, and we don’t cry out until we fire small Magnums with sharp edges. But not all of us are immune to recoil. I am not. I may fire a hundred rounds of 9mm in a session and laugh about it. I may enjoy practice with the .45 but I will rub my wrists afterward. I guess that is average for most male handgunners with some experience. Recently I was teaching a class and among them was a seventy year old woman and her son. The son was a mountain of a man, strong and a good shot. His only problem was watching for slide cuts from his 9mm Hellcat. The woman was feisty and managed the 9mm Hellcat but was tired and had begun to miss more often toward the end of the class. Was the 9mm too much for her? Maybe, but the next step down is a big one. Load the 9mm with Hornady Critical Defense and you have a reasonably effective defensive handgun. The lighter calibers- not too much.
I have fired the .32 H & R Magnum a bit and enjoy its accuracy. The problem is in most handguns the .32 H & R Magnum actually hits about 1,000 fps to perhaps 1040 fps with the 85 grain bullet. That isn’t enough. Expansion is poor. I am certain Federal looked at this number when developing the .30 SC. Another round they probably did not look at is the .32 French Long. This was the caliber adopted by France in their quirky M1935 self loader. This was a hot little round. I owned one- and I often experiment for the sheer joy of handloading and for no other reason – no sane reason. I propelled a 60 grain Hornady XTP to over 1,200 fps in this caliber. The French 1935 is in some ways a miniature SIG P210. Accuracy was exceptional and bullet expansion reliable. I became tired of turning the rim off .32 revolver cartridge cases to form the 7.65mm French cartridge cases. This was a neat little gun to play with, however, outstripping the .32 Magnum revolver. The new .30 Super Carry is superior.
The .30 SC is intended to give a person who cannot handle 9mm recoil a fighting chance. In this instance the designers were dead on in their design criteria. Although the above noted pundit told us the .30 SC uses 115 grain bullets and compared it to the .327 revolver round – and he isn’t the only one – the .30 SC uses a 100 grain bullet.
The Shield EZ Rack will hold ten cartridges in the magazine versus the eight shot 9mm. That is an improvement but how the pistol and cartridge combination perform is more important.
Very well, it turns out. Accuracy and reliability are good. I like firing the .30 SC. Recoil is more than the .380 but not the same jolt as the 9mm – although some of us may not be able to tell the difference. You may zip four rounds into the target in the time it takes to deliver three 9mms- but then a trained shooter who may handle a 9mm doesn’t need this gun. Those who are physically challenged by age, arthritis, or other complaints will find the .30 SC viable. But the cartridge must have decent performance or it isn’t worth a nickel. I fired the 9mm and .30 in a side by side comparison using water jugs to test penetration and expansion. These are my results.
9mm 124 grain HST v .30 SC 100 grain HST
Velocity: 1180 fps v 1204 fps
Penetration: 18 inches v 20 inches
Expansion: .78 v .66
As you can see the .30 SC isn’t a 9mm, but it isn’t a pipsqueak either. The person having a problem with 9mm recoil will find the .30 SC attractive. So will an occasional shooter. At present ammunition is about 15% more than comparable 9mm cartridges, which is a blow to the caliber’s introduction but not unexpected. I would think this over carefully. I don’t need the .30 SC, at least not at this point, but it is a viable choice. The pistol is designed for personal defense, but just the same the caliber seems well suited to some types of trail use too. Light, easy to backpack, and strong enough for a rabid bobcat or a marauding coyote and all but the largest feral dogs, this hot little cartridge has some utility in the outdoors.
2020 was a rough year and the mortality stats confirm it.
I mean that sincerely. It was a year where we shut down country and strained the nation past certain breaking points, the results of bad reactionary decision after decision that were limping along when things were good.
When things got bad. When we had to combat an aggressive viral infection, and we axed people’s livelihoods to do it, then we filled their media with fear, hatred, and comply no matter what or you’re “the enemy” of good people. Things broke. People got violent.
Oh, and riots. Remember those? Remember cities on fire over ‘the wrongs’ of the society, all culminating in a riot(ish) event around the election too, the infamous January 6th. One that was either a total coup/insurrection/tustle/favorite scary word for a group temper tantrum.
So yes, 2020 was a bad year. Those with the least margin of comfort, the impoverished, were hit hardest by the drastic changes and too little too late recompense. Cities especially turned more violent and those at highest risk of violent assault and death suffered more of it under the strain of the pandemic responses.
Historically however, we’re up but we haven’t reached 1990’s bad. Not even close yet. We have to jump another 50% from 2020 and the numbers out of Chicago for 21′ and 22′ are showing that 21 might’ve been peak bad for the moment.
Was homicide tied to the historic numbers of guns being sold? All the “assault weapons” in ciculation?
No. Not unless there is about a 20 year gap between murder spikes, completely independent of firearms sold. 2020’s spike didn’t reach the absolute level of the 2001 spike, this with firearm sales volumes approximately 4.4x higher in 2020 than 2001. 6.1 deaths per 100,000 for 2020 compared to 6.7 per 100,000 in 2001, against the NICS Checks at 39.7 million in 2020 and only 8.9 million in 2001. Why was 2001 a higher spike than 2020 with much lower volume in firearms transfers and the assault weapon ban still being in place? It was not as large a percentage spike, only about 21% compared to 2020’s 35%. But in absolute terms 2001 had a higher murder rate than 2020 by almost 10%. As bad a year as 2020 was it was still less violent than 2001. It was also less violent than 1997 and back.
I’m sure somebody will point out out that gun sales, or background checks at least, surged 39% while homicides surged 35% from 2019 to 2020.
That seems highly correlative, right?
But only if you ignore real volumes, prior year data, and all societal strains and motives that drive the firearms economy. Motives like that Gen Z in general, and increasing numbers of minority and female buyers are becoming more firearms friendly. Also ignoring that the worst spikes in crime in this 2020 spike were the areas we already know are the highest risk.
Via BJS and Wikiepedia2000-2018, keep in mind that this only shows 4.0 to 7.0 and not 0.0 to 11.0 like the graph to the left.A century of homicide. Notice some social trends where the spikes occur?
Firearms sales dipped a little in 2021 but our information is indicating deaths went up. Sales may have dropped a little, but taken in the wider context of it being the second year of the pandemic and post riot stresses, the numbers staying elevated makes sense. I suspect 2022 is going to be higher than 2021 but not by much and I may be wrong and we will see a slight drop as we saw certain stresses ease into an equilibrium again. Sales of firearms have fallen off sharply to back between 2019 and 2020’s numbers, again no correlation of sales to deaths is attributable in a vacuum.
Social stresses though, those are still being felt dramatically. I N F L A T I O N being the big one at the moment and contributing to others. That’s the wonderful [sarc/] thing about social stresses, they compound very efficiently.
What happened?
We pushed an on edge nation during a time where we were already not the friendliest to each other, and where politicos on both sides had been softly implying violence against the ‘right’ people was okay. We were sitting on a rather nicely pressurized mess of stress and then cranked the pressure relief valve all the way closed.
Now we are acting shocked that it popped, and blaming the mere existence of weapons for that pop. If the sale and transfer of firearms were the problem, it would be obvious. The data would track. It doesn’t. It does nicely track with how “calm” the messages our society is circulating through media are, along with the real world economic and social stresses.
People need to take a deep breath and go touch some grass. Nothing happens in a vacuum and we can turn the trend in violence and suicides around. But I don’t think we see it until the mid 2020’s at this point. I’m hoping 2022 shows a dip from 2021, and if we’re using Chicago as a measuring stick we might. We need to keep on top of all the points of societal pressure to make certain that violence isn’t the path of least resistance to the end goal. We will see a more civil society again if we focus on those points.
Expect this CDC report to be used to push gun control anywhere it has a chance of sticking. Expect New York, California, and their followers to go harder on restrictions if they can. I don’t know what the Supreme Court is going to do, especially with the Roe leak changing the civil pressures again and putting the Justice’s at risk on one of the easily two most contentious issues in public discourse.
Definitely expect the usual suspects to report on “record increases” in homicide rates and then quietly allude to the fact the overall rate is still average. Not great, but solidly middle. The world isn’t great right now, but it has certainly been worse in living memory.
[Ed: This piece first ran in SCOPE-NY’s Briefings on April 18. This experience of Sandra Richardson, a Masters level Registered Nurse, exemplifies the damage that Red Flag Laws do (as included in New York’s misleadingly name MHL § 9.46, the S.A.F.E. Act).]
It all began when I sought guidance on managing stress from a healthcare provider. After I did so, a report was filed against me under the New York SAFE Act’s Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) § 9.46, “reports of substantial risk or threat of harm by mental health professionals.”
Under this law, when a mental health provider determines, “in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment,” that a patient is “likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others,” that provider “shall” be required to report this. In turn, that information can be used to revoke any pistol license, confiscate all of a person’s guns and make that person ineligible to possess any guns of any kind in this state.
As a result of and five weeks after that report, the Sheriff’s office demanded any guns that I possessed. That demand was the first notice I received of the report against me. An order to show cause came in the mail shortly after that, directing me to appear in court to plead my case.
I hired an attorney, prepared my defense, and fought for my rights. Four months after the report, the court ruled in my favor and my pistol permit was “restored immediately.” The court’s conclusion of law deemed the MLH § 9.46 report to be “arbitrary, capricious or an abuse of discretion.” A victory, but at a cost of both $4,000 in legal fees and, ironically, magnified stress.
Not only did this process cost me thousands and magnify my stress level, it made me want to share my story to raise awareness. I also wanted to help providers understand the impact of and their responsibility under this law. This unfortunate experience should not happen to anyone because they sought care.
Although unfortunate, this experience piqued my curiosity. I wanted to understand more about the impact of MHL § 9.46 on the citizens of New York. There are very few people who have shared their story publicly, but I could not be the only person to whom this happened.
I learned that beyond the provider who files a report, the relevant information goes to at least four entities: the State Office of Mental Health (OMH); the County Director of Community Services; the State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DJCS), and if the reported person has a handgun permit or registered assault weapon, the County Sheriff’s office.
Based on information obtained from a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request, OMH has all of the reports ever filed. Based on another FOIL request, the DCJS has only the past five years of the reports. The Director of Community Services to whom I spoke told me that he does not retain the information. It is reasonable to assume that the county Sheriff’s Office retains records of the confiscation of personal property and the cause of such action.
Meanwhile, the subject of the report is not permitted to see it and the reporter is not obligated to make the person aware of the report. Based on the DCJS FOIL request, only one percent of those reported are notified of the report and that is because they have a handgun permit or registered assault weapon in the state database. That one percent get a day in court to challenge the allegations and retain their rights. The remaining ninety-nine percent may never be told that they were reported and may have had multiple Constitutional rights violated, including deprivation of rights and property without due process; specifically, the right to keep and bear arms. This may be a violation of United States Code Title 18 § 242 (Deprivation of rights under color of law).
An additional issue is that there is little recourse against the provider who made the report, even if it is found to be false. Under the law, “the decision of a mental health professional to disclose or not to disclose in accordance with this section, when made reasonably and in good faith, shall not be the basis for any civil or criminal liability of such mental health professional.” However, what constitutes “good faith” and “reasonably” are not defined in the law, leaving it open to interpretation … or misinterpretation.
Furthermore, it has been recognized that the law itself is not intended to protect any one from harm. In reviewing MHL § 9.46, the New York State Psychiatric Association stated that “…following discussions with OMH staff, it has become clear that the SAFE Act reporting requirement is solely to limit access to legal firearms and not to protect individuals from imminent risk of harm to self and others.”
In addition to these flaws, MHL § 9.46 has created a massive barrier to mental health care. That in itself is counterintuitive to the stated purpose of this law.
In August 2020, Psychiatric Quarterly published an original paper, “The Influence of New York’s SAFE Act on Individuals Seeking Mental Health Treatment.” The paper reported on a study conducted to determine if the NY SAFE Act impacts mental health treatment-seeking and symptom-reporting behaviors. According to the study, about 18% of respondents were concerned about being reported to the government, 9% were less likely to seek mental health care, and about 23% were less willing to report mental health symptoms/behaviors to a mental health provider because of the New York State SAFE Act.
Society’s common goal should be to create a space where everyone feels comfortable seeking mental health care when needed. Getting there will involve reducing bias and stigma surrounding guns and gun owners, and removing barriers to care such as MHL § 9.46 of the New York State SAFE Act.
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— DRGO Editor Robert B. Young, MD is a psychiatrist practicing in Pittsford, NY, an associate clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
The 9mm Emissary 4.25″ blends form and function seamlessly in a firearm built for defense and loaded with custom-grade features. It’s constructed with a forged stainless steel frame and forged carbon steel slide, with a beautiful two-tone finish. The blued carbon steel slide pairs with a stainless steel frame featuring a distinctive squared trigger guard with additional room for ease of operation with a gloved hand. The slide’s “Tri-Top” cut gives the Emissary custom styling, while a flattened top strap is finished with 40 LPI serrations to diffuse light and reduce glare. On top, the tritium and luminescent front sight on the Emissary pairs with a Tactical Rack U-Dot™ rear sight for easy target acquisition in all lighting conditions.
4.25″ BULL BARREL The shortened heavy-profile bull barrel is designed for maximum accuracy and concealability.
U-DOT™ SIGHT PICTURE The tritium and luminescent front sight of the Emissary pairs with a Tactical Rack U-Dot rear sight for easy target acquisition in all lighting conditions.
FLAT TOP SLIDE SERRATIONS 40 LPI flat top slide serrations diffuse light and reduce glare.
Rock Island Armory thought they could sneak out the TPAS without me noticing. I’d have been a giddy little school girl about the idea if I had known. I’ve become a big fan of this new trend of Retro shotguns coming out. Mossberg started it, and lots of companies have followed suit. Rock Island Armory is the latest to do so with the TPAS.
So what’s the TPAS? As far as I can tell, it stands for Trench Pump Action Shotgun. In reality, it’s a Turkish clone of the Ithaca 37 in a riot gun configuration. Ithaca 37s are a classic shotgun configuration that’s been around for decades, and while they’ve fallen out of favor, they are still made in small numbers for high prices. The TPAS provides an Ithaca 37 clone at an affordable price for all your nostalgia needs.
Plus, it comes with the wood furniture and old-school appeal you want from a Trench Gun-style weapon. Rock Island Armory rocks and rolls with a heat shield, five-round tube, sling swivels, and an Ithaca-style front rifle sight. It’s not fancy, but it’s set up to replicate that old cool school that nerds like me love.
The TPAS And Ergos
Yep, welcome to the complaint department! Well, not really. I understand this is a clone of a gun designed in 1933, and it’s replicated almost perfectly here. This means 1933 ergonomics. The pump is textured like a corncob and very small. Calling it a corncob pump is accurate for its texture and size. It’s small but grippable.
The stock is all wood with a great texture over its pistol grip. That texture is aggressive, and you can feel it. The length of pull is about 14 inches, so it’s not a short stock for any reason. Don’t expect much of a recoil pad either. There is a little black piece of rubber, but I don’t think it soaks up much recoil.
The TPAS lacks a side ejection port. The gun loads from the bottom and ejects from the bottom. This is great in a duck blind, so you don’t throw hulls into your buddy’s face, but it’s not the best for the fighting gun. You can’t do a port load, and a slug select drill isn’t exactly easy.
Control It
Control-wise we have a cross-bolt safety behind the trigger and a huge pump release that I adore. It’s seriously nice and very easy to reach when necessary. When you unlock the pump, the action nearly opens itself.
That brings us to the action. The TPAS is an Ithaca clone, so you only have a single action bar. That could create binding, but I haven’t experienced that just yet. What shocked me was the smoothness of the TPAS. Holy crap, that action cycles brilliantly. It’s super clean and smooth.
The TPAS At the Range
I was excited to shoot this beast, so I brought a range bag full of goodness. I brought some hard-hitting, high-powered Fioochi birdshot, stock standard Federal Buckshot, and a little Federal Flitecontrol. Slug wise I brought a single box of Winchester Defender segmenting slugs. The TPAS is beefy at a little over 8 pounds, but the gun is well balanced. The rear grip and front pump provide enough texture to dig in tight for a little push/pull.
Launching that full-powered buckshot didn’t provide much of a challenge. The super-smooth action makes it fast cycling and fast-firing if you know how to control a shotgun. I could deliver two rounds of buckshot from a cruiser ready, low ready setup in less than 1.5 seconds.
The TPAS front sight is easy enough to see and stand up and off the barrel far enough to deliver a perfect point of aim and point of impact action. I could use the white-colored front sight to dial in and ring steel gongs at 50 to 75 yards easy enough with the slugs. By the time I got to 100 yards, the ammo was low, and I went 2 out of 3 on an IPSC target.
The gun fights you a bit, as any pump shotgun will do, but it’s controllable. Surprisingly so. I bought this for the historical experience, but I ended up being quite surprised by the potential and action of this gun. The action’s slick, and the gun cycled and ejected everything without complaint.
Retro Forever
The Rock Island Armory TPAS surprised me the hell out of me. I wanted the Ithaca 37 experience without the Ithaca price, and I got it. I dumped 300 rounds of bird, buck, and some slugs without any complaints. The gun is a beast. My complaints are minimal, and my only true complaint is the text all over the receiver. It’s highlighted and illuminated, and I don’t care for it.
Other than that, the TPAS is an awesome gun. It’s easy to use, cycles so cleanly and goes bang when I need it to. Sure, it’s not perfect or even modern, but for a fun perspective, it rocks.
The Scout Rifle conjures up visions of a fleckless scout foraging and trekking ahead of the main body of troops. The most famous scouts in America were those in service during the Civil War and on the plains in the many actions in the west. These men not only traveled ahead of the main body and broke a trail, they also hunted and fed the main body by intelligent use of their marksmanship skills. Yes, a time before MRE’s.
They often carried a rifle that was lighter than the foot soldier or cavalryman’s rifle. It was often a high capacity lever action rifle, as the scout would be in great danger is caught alone. I have often kept a light handy rifle of the general type on hand. I think that, the favorite of many westerners, the Winchester .30-30 is a good example. The Canada Rangers used this rifle during World War Two. But then the bolt action rifle came to rival the lever action in portability, and best it in strength, power, and accuracy.
I owned several Lee Enfield Jungle Carbines in .303 and found these excellent all around emergency rifles. The true Jungle Carbine became a bit expensive for such use and later a better rifle was adopted. Today my Scout rifle is a Ruger M77 .308. This rifle outclasses the earlier rifles I deployed by a wide margin.
Ruger M77
Colonel Jeff Cooper deserves a great deal of credit for popularizing the Scout Rifle. By pushing shooters to be all they could possibly be, he was the catalyst for considerable improvements in the 1911 handgun. His contribution to riflemen is at least as profound. Cooper’s bolt action rifle with a forward scope and relatively compact action has become a classic. Quite a few of us that need a good rifle have adopted the Scout and many enjoy it for recreation. Others have a Scout Rifle put up for emergency use. While I have the greatest affection for America’s rifle, the AR-15, I think that in many situations the Scout Rifle would be my choice. I own several AR-15 rifles and only one Scout Rifle. The Scout Rifle demands a lot of shooting to master and this rifle suits me well.
There are quite a few so called ‘Scout Rifles’ that are mediocre at best. I do not want to deploy a push feed action in an emergency. The Ruger M77 claw extractor is the Mauser type. It controls the cartridge during the feed and extraction cycle. No other type of bolt action is suitable for emergency use, in my opinion. I am aware of cheaply made competitors and also .223 caliber Scouts. If I were to use a .223, it would be a good quality AR.
The .308 Scout Rifle is another matter. The rifle features a ten round detachable magazine. The rifle is available in barrel lengths of 16 or 18 inches. While I strongly prefer the .308 Winchester, the rifle is also available in .350 Legend. I have never seen an example but Ruger lists them.
A short handy rifle gives up something in velocity to a long barrel sporting rifle. With the efficient .308 cartridge there are plenty of loads that perform well in the Scout’s relatively short barrel. The rifle handles quickly and is easy to store. The rifle weighs but seven pounds with a scope. The Ruger M77 Scout Rifle features a credible muzzle brake. The Ruger features an excellent aperture sight and bold post front sight out of the box.
The rifle may be fitted with a scope in the conventional mounting position or a long eye relief scout scope on the front mounting rail. For many of us the fully adjustable ghost ring sight may be all that is needed. If your scenario involves action in the urban blight then 50 to 100 yard shots are probably the rule. If you are hunting with the rifle then a quality scope is needed. If that scope is needed at close range, consideration for combat, use then it should be an optic that allows rapid acquisition and a high eye relief.
The action is a short action. This simply means the action is designed for short cartridges in the .223, .243 and .308 class. A .30-06 cartridge demands a longer action. The Ruger action is very smooth and very strong. The magazine is easily released and changed. The magazine release lever is in front of the trigger guard. The magazine locks in solid. Feed reliability is excellent.
My rifle is the Gunsite Scout with synthetic stock. While the wood stocks are well done and treated to avoid rot in most weather conditions the synthetic stock is the superior choice for hard use. The Ruger is supplied with a comfortable recoil pad. The rifle is short, smooth, handles quickly at a length of just under forty inches, and again only weighs about seven pounds loaded and topped with a scope. The rifle is well suited to thin skinned game to about 150 yards, perhaps 200 in the hands of a good shot who has taken a braced position. The rifle is an accurate combination. With iron sights I was able to make hits on a six inch steel plate well past 100 yards off hand. This requires good concentration and it is tiring. The bolt action is smooth and the safety is a well placed three position type. Handling cannot be faulted.
I set the rifle up with the Burris 2-7x32mm Scout Scope. The Burris optic allows firing with both eyes open when the scope is set at the lowest magnification. It isn’t difficult to quickly get hits on man sized targets well past 100 yards. The rifle is, quite simply, well balanced and handles well. Setting down to a braced position the rifle is quite accurate in slow fire. With the scope set for maximum magnification the rifle will group three shots into about 1.5 inches on demand at 100 yards. I have selected a number of loads that have performed even better. Connecting at 200 yards isn’t difficult it simply takes more time and concentration.
Ammunition performance and matching to the rifle is critical. I have used the Black Hills Ammunition, 168 grain load for many years. This load will break about 2450 fps in the Ruger’s 16 inch barrel. That will do the business inside of 100 yards but some of us would like more velocity. Going to the Black Hills Ammunition, 152 grain Dual Performance load gets performance up and accuracy remains excellent. The 150 grain SST as loaded by Black Hills, Fiocchi or Hornady makes a good choice for thin skinned game. Load selection is critical but we have a number of good loads that perform well in the Scout Rifle. The .308 offers excellent performance against cover, including vehicles, and will take heavy game smaller calibers could not. The Scout Rifle is versatile and should be considered for all around use. It requires an investment in time, ammunition, and learning to achieve proficiency. Then you will be well armed indeed.
Average performance, velocity, 100 yard group, 3 shots, fired from a benchrest
Black Hills 152 grain Dual Performance: 2590 fps 1.1 in.
Hornady 168 grain Black: 2499 fps 1.1 in.
Handload 168 grain A Max/ 46 grains Varget: 2600 fps 0.9 in.
Burris scope specs Magnification: 2-7x Power Variability: Variable Objective Diameter: 32 mm Length/Weight/Tube Diameter: 9.7 in/13 oz/1 in Field of View: 23-8 feet/100 yards Eye Relief/Exit Pupil: 9.2-12 in/16-4.6 mm Reticle: Ballistic Plex Adjustment Info: 1/4 MOA Optics Coatings: Multi-coated Finish: Matte black Waterproof/Shockproof: Yes/Yes Parallax Setting: Factory-set 100 yards
Illuminated Reticle: No Mounting Rings Included: No
Will the Sig Sauer XM5 Rifle be the Army’s successor to the M4/M4A1?
Over the Mother’s Day weekend I was out in Arizona at the Sig Sauer FREEDOM DAYS event. The SIG team had several of their latest and greatest on display, including a new 10mm which will drop into the stream soon for those who (like me) love the battleship equivalent pistol caliber. But the star of the whole show was, surprise surprise, the XM5 and XM250 NGSW combination.
I was among the lucky who got to shoot the actual XM5 and the XM250, not just the MCX SPEAR. I shot that a bunch too, like a kid hopping on his favorite ride at Six Flags for the sixth time, and I came away with some thoughts, some opinions, and some information that I believe is getting lost in the ranging debate of why we are replacing the M4A1 and M249 in service for the combat arms portions of the US Army.
Current projections if I am recalling correctly, and subject to any whim of the Army’s decision making process, are looking at approximately 180,000 total weapons, ~125K rifles and ~55k machine guns.
I’ll break this into four parts. The XM5, the XM250, the 6.8x51mm and case technology, and my overall perspective on the program and some possible future developments that could result from it.
The XM5
“It’s FDE, so it’s good.” -Me, allegedly.
For anyone who hasn’t tuned into this program prior to now, the XM5 is the rifle the US Army selected to replace the M4A1 with forward units. It is an MCX SPEAR model with a 13″ barrel and chambered in the new contract specified 6.8x51mm (.277 Fury for SAAMI) using SIG’s hybrid stainless/brass case technology, developed for this program.
Army said, “Here’s the bullet, make it do the thing, but better.”
So SIG looked at the MCX they scaled up for the CSASS and said, “I bet that’ll work.” and set about putting the two together and making it run.
I can’t sum it up better than SIG did themselves over the weekend.
“If the MCX Virtus is our M4/AR-15 thing, the MCX SPEAR is our AR-10. Plain and simple.”
The MCX SPEAR, even the XM5, does nothing to reinvent the battle rifle wheel. It’s simply another well built _._x51mm receiver system with modern controls and a folding stock. It weighs 8-8.5lbs (barrel dependent) putting it solidly in the middle of its rifle category for weight. For comparison the KAC SR-25 CC (16″) and the Armalite AR-10 Tactical 14″ both weigh 8.4lbs and the M110A1 weighs in at 8.73lbs. The FN SCAR CQC variant still wins the weight game at 7.7lbs featuring its 13″ barrel.
Yes, it is heavier than the M4. Yes, it recoils more than the M4. Yes, our round counts per magazine are going to drop by 33% (assuming 20 round magazines) and the rounds are heavier than 5.56 (they are lighter than 7.62 though). Yes, this means that combat loadout, ammunition discipline, some of TTP work, and the logistics around those concepts are going to change. No, I don’t see this as a net negative or significantly impairing the combat performance of the individual rifle user, rifle squad, or the light and mechanized infantry as a whole who are going to be using these in combined arms.
As to the rifle itself, the one I shot was well used and had seen 3-days of additional Arizona desert abuse as the demo gun.
It shot fine.
What was it like?
Like shooting an MCX in .308 would feel, or shooting any nice .308 autoloader. It’s more recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor variant with a 16″ barrel, but not an annoying amount.
What was it like shooting in full auto?
Like shooting a modern select-fire rifle in .308, like a select-fire SCAR 17.
Is it as a controllable as an M4? No. Is it wildly out of control? Thanks to inline recoil and good gassing, no. A short controlled burst is doable on a c-zone steel plate at reasonable distance (I think the plate was at 60 yards, I got two hits) and if you don’t hold it it’ll walk high (missed the third into the dirt).
The difference from a 7.62, and one we didn’t have the space to appreciate, is that the ammunition performance is drastically better. The muzzle velocity on the XM5 is much higher than the SCAR CQC, the rule of thumb SIG said is add 350fps for a 6.8×51 hybrid cased rifle. I’ll expand on this down in the ammunition section.
Shooting the XM5 feels like shooting any nice 13-16″ .308 that has a nice control suite, name your favorite and it feels about like that. It’s as ambidextrous as you could want, has a side charger and a standard AR type charging handle. Both are smooth and easy to use. The recoil spring isn’t obnoxiously stiff trying to work the action. The side charge folds smoothly out of the way to reduce snagging likelihood. Adjustable gas. Bolt lock/release work smoothly. The trigger is nice in semi-auto and in full-auto, breaking when I wanted. Easily the best trigger the military will be issuing generally that has ever rolled out.
It behaves like every other battle rifle pattern I’ve played with in the last decade, especially the handful of select-fire ones I’ve shot. I think the slightly heavier weight lends itself to the shooter, that the rifle is in the weight it needs to be to eat some recoil without being too heavy. That’s my $.02 on the issue.
But it isn’t drastically nicer than other nice rifles. It was never meant to be. I think this is what people are getting wrapped around the axle over, “Why the MCX? Why not [nice rifle I like]?” I feel the answer is, “It could’ve been. It could still be. But why not the MCX?” If you were to put a SPEAR, SCAR, SR25, and LMT on a table in this 6.8 caliber and say pick one, it’s like… “Yeah, whatever you guys don’t want is fine. I’ll make it work. The FDE one, probably.”
I’ve heard the ‘combat proven’ and ‘track records’ lines a few places, as if any new rifle now needs a work history before its done being built. This isn’t the US job market, these are machines. We’ve got MRBS numbers to hit, exceed, and improve upon through experimentation. Even if we had fielded a new SCAR or SR25, it would still be a new rifle in a new round. We had to do it sometime. No ‘combat proven track records’ there either. In order to get us off the X of 5.56 and 7.62 limitations we had to do something different. MCX was the pick. The same complainants, in the next breath, will claim that the XM5 isn’t anything new so why change at all, which in all actuality the XM5 really isn’t. It’s just a well built version of a pattern we are really good at these days, AR-10ish rifles, but in a new caliber.
Ladies and gents, it is all about the caliber… and the HPHV ammo, but I’ll get to that below.
The XM250
Okay yeah, this is an MG68 not the XM250. Army went with non-folding stock design for now, they might switch it back to this one. Why aren’t my toes dug in hard? I’ll get to that.
To those complaining the XM5 is heavier than an M4 and takes a bigger bullet so you can’t carry as many, the XM250 is the reason why. It is worth the swap.
Seriously, especially those who carried SAWs will appreciate, it is all worth it here.
This thing F*CK$!
I’ve been trying to be better about my profanity in articles, but I cannot more succinctly sum it up. The XM250 is money. It’s the light machine gun dream gun. Anyone who has used an M249 and been frustrated by any aspect of that weapon will love the XM250. Anyone who carried an M240 instead of the M249 to avoid the frustrations of the M249 will love the XM250.
That’s all before reminding everyone that the XM250 outranges the M249 and the M240. This all at the featherweight division scale tip of 12.1lbs. An M249 is 17lbs. The M240L, our weightloss programmed variant, is 22.3lbs
The XM250 broke everything we’ve had to accept for a “light” machine gun and made it an actual light machine gun, or automatic rifle as your nomenclature and use may prefer. Currently the XM250 is not slated to have a user quick change barrel, the barrel change is really quick and easy but currently done in a maintainer role and not mid-live fire, the experiences in GWOT showed Army that sticking to one barrel is the practical answer and Army kept that. The Marines dropped belt-feds below the M240 level entirely, this might bring them back. We shall see.
They do have quick change barrel variants done and ready if the Army, or another customer, wants that.
The advances and advantages in the XM250 continue by fixing and adding to the trigger mechanism. You can work the action with the safety on without breaking anything. Your safety selector is AR style, and you can fire in semi-auto which is the third position. Far more is offered to the shooter with less to mess up. Charging handle is now on the left, so most shooters will be able to easily use both hands to leverage the gun.
As someone who has been running a machine gun line where a bunch of mouth breather grade NCOs screwed their young soldiers by throwing them into a qualification after having barely seen a M249, the XM250 will help those soldiers. It’s an easier weapon to pick up from an M4 knowledge base. The ‘just go do it’ mentality in Army weapons handling is probably my sorest spot, but back to the new goods.
The XM250’s feed tray opens sideways, instead of forward. This makes the tray smaller and prevents optics interfering with loading, or being damaged by opening the cover. The tray has a 1.5 MOA variance in zero, they checked. You aren’t trashing your zero by reloading if the optic is on the tray. I don’t know what the MOA on the impact zone of a 3 to 5, or a 7 to 10, round burst is, but I bet it’s a little wider than 1.5 MOA. You can receiver mount the optics too, no issue, but if the dot ends up on the tray it isn’t an accuracy concern.
Speaking of accuracy, SIG reps told me a fun little anecdote that at a test range playing with the 6.5 variant they grouped 3 semi-auto hits on a 24″ steel plate at 1,800 yards (LPVO on top). At that time the shooter stopped firing rounds for the day and just let that insanity stand. Quit while you are way ahead.
The recoil mitigation system built into the XM250 is straight, glorious, belt-fed black magic. The gun doesn’t recoil so much as it shakes. So much recoil gets taken by the system that much longer bursts are significantly easier. Sight picture is much less disrupted. Controlled automatic fire is possible in far more variations of offhand and poorly supported firing positions, hence my relaxed position in the picture. In any position or at any range not conducive for delivering accurate effective automatic fire, the shooter can put it in semi-auto to make those shots. The select-fire capability is an important aspect that will increase what the individual troop can do with this weapon and showcases its deliberate development as an automatic rifle.
The XM250 is a far greater leap forward to the automatic rifle and light machine gun users than the XM5 is to the rifleman. No question about that. The XM250 in any caliber, to include a 5.56 variant, would offer the M249 user significant improvements. The XM5 in a 5.56 variation (so an MCX Virtus) would offer modest benefits at most over an M4A1.
But they aren’t 5.56 weapons.
6.8×51 and the Hybrid Case Technology
80,000 PSI. HPHV.
No, that isn’t some new infection. High Pressure High Velocity is the direction that SIG drove the NGSW, this is a direct evolution of what we did previously with 5.56x45mm in the M855A1. But in that we also loaded the prescribed mass projectiles we’ve already been running, which means we were still stuck with roughly the same ballistics we’ve had. Snipers though are going from middleweight to heavyweight projectiles for higher ballistic coefficients. 6.8mm is giving us that higher ballistic coefficient.
The US Army selected a projectile diameter that makes sense. 125-150 grain projectiles in 7.62mm are mediocre ballistically, too short and fat to fly well. We’ve had a 7.62 that could do 3,000 fps at the muzzle, at around 110gr weight, for years but it lost velocity really fast. All the benefits of firing a .30 caliber at higher velocity were only appreciable in close, .30 caliber projectiles have to get into the 168-175 grain range before they start hitting that nice flight profile, with 200-220 being really nice. That 200-220 sweet spot is why 300 Norma Magnum, PRC, and similar rounds are so popular, the are loaded with excellent BC projectiles.
Shape and mass both matter for ballistics so it does make sense for the rifle to chamber the heavier end weight we are used to in a rifle cartridge, 150gr bullets. At 6.8mm diameter we are getting that nicer profile that 77gr hits in 5.56 and and we do it at the manageable 135-150gr weight to still managing recoil. We are getting a projectile that flies better than any ball round we’ve fielded previously.
We’re also sending it as fast as we do our 5.56 rounds thanks to that 80,000 PSI. Faster projectiles, better velocity retention on those projectiles, all resulting in greater base accuracy expectations and better terminal effects.
But how did they get safely to 80,000 PSI?
Simple, more case space and a stronger case base.
Hybrid Case base model
One of the brilliant simplicities of SIGs ammunition technology is that there is no reason it will be limited to this 6.8x51mm. This is a concept that can be applied to most current brass cartridges. The pure brass design was one of the primary limiting factors on our ammunition. Specifically, the brass at the base of the case which wasn’t supported by the chamber walls and offers that path of least resistance for a case failure.
Brass starts to fail, depending upon its actual composition, in the 68,000 PSI range give or take. This is why ammo pressures have been topped out just below that, and that proof loads basically went to 80,000 PSI and stopped. A proof load case didn’t need to survive the shot, it is testing for failure after all. So since brass can’t really be loaded above 68,000, why test higher than 80,000?
Nobody did.
SIG making the base out of stainless steel did two things. It increased the case capacity so that higher pressures could be achieved, thanks to some extra space, and it made it safer to play with higher pressures because the base of the case won’t fail at 68,000 anymore.
How much pressure have we seen?
SIG has been able to take these cases to 120,000 PSI.
Not to failure at 120,000 PSI, just to 120,000 PSI.
According to SIG, they haven’t been able to load enough powder into a case in any viable way to push the pressure above 120,000 PSI. Previously they have never needed a reason to push the pressures since they were already capable of overpressuring the current case material.
So in answer to the question about the XM5 and XM250 safe pressure testing (proof loads), they proof the guns at 120,000 PSI. 50% above spec for the ammunition. Because they can. Because the cases can take it.
Now this is going to work with other rifle calibers as well. Not necessarily the +350fps quick math SIG has for the 6.8, but allowing for more case volume and safer higher pressures. Testing can then be done to see if simple improvements to a barrel, or barrel and barrel nut, are needed to up the velocity capabilities on current rifles.
So that immense stockpile of 5.56 rifles the military will maintain for the foreseeable future might see a few product improvements still too, ones from this program. While not generating the kinetic effects we expect to see out of the 6.8x51mm, having the ability to load 5.56 with 77gr at the velocities we’re only getting in 62 and 55gr would produce tangible benefits. We also might be able to further optimize it for short barrels with higher pressure curves and suffer much less velocity bleed in carbines like the MK18’s
We might be able to further the supersonic/subsonic performance of .300 BLK, maybe so it is performing more like current 7.62×51 in supersonic while subsonic rounds are still doing their thing as designed.
We don’t know yet. SIG just did this and started doing the mad science thing about where this could go. Where current manufacturers can push their guns, and how easily they can make changes to accommodate isn’t known either. This is new territory that nobody has had to test previously as brass had a hard ‘do not cross’ pressure threshold.
Ultimately I think this is the most significant thing NGSW gave us, and why (among several reasons) the other submissions didn’t carry through. This HPHV change to ammunition is opening a new avenue to explore in metallic cartridges where we had pretty much optimized every variation of brass we had available already. What are the limits if we can safely load at 80k, 90k, or even 100k PSI?
Also, New Suppression System Thoughts
I will quickly add that the suppressors, the Lo-Tox NLX, are a cool new flow through design, one that sought to reduce the gas hitting the shooter as they are going to be more regularly added to rifles going forward. This was paramount in tandem with its signature reduction benefits, less gassing of the shooter. The long term effects of the gas exposure over time are… less than great and suppressors generally up the amount in the shooter’s face significantly. Lead amounts in the blood are a problem regular shooters must track.
The M4, unsuppressed, put about 100ppm of gas in the shooter’s breathing space. Suppressed weapons with traditional cans put upwards of 400ppm into that same space for the shooters lungs to absorb. The Lo-Tox NLX cans Sig has fielded with the XM5 and XM250 have lowered that to about 70ppm. Less lead in the lungs.
My thoughts on the NGSW
We had to do something different if we wanted a different result. Staying on 5.56x45mm in increasingly slightly more reliable designs hadn’t been getting us anywhere since the XM8. Yes, 5.56 works well but we have pretty much tapped it out. If we wanted to see a performance change we needed a change in ammunition. SIG’s case technology allowed that, an actual change in more than just a new caliber.
Where True Velocity (when it worked at all) simply offered a new material for the same rounds, and Textron’s weird push through caseless rounds have several other significant issues in an infantry weapon (though might be viable in a vehicle bound system, someday), SIG actually cracked one of our hard material limits while maintaining what we like about current metallic cartridges.
The simplest solution to the problem is often the best.
The XM250 offers a much greater increase in capability compared to what it is replacing, the M249, than the XM5 is offering over the M4.
The XM5 is basically adjusting the effective range of the rifle outwards, it isn’t changing how easy or well the rifle itself runs by much. We are also losing capacity in exchange for that range, but we are gaining alot of range. The creature comforts of the control scheme are a nice little upgrade too. I consider the weight increase negligible, the XM5 will still be the among the lightest weapon systems employed and the savings are made up massively in the XM250.
Comparatively, the XM250 gives us that same range boost with several significant improvements to how well the soldier can run an LMG. It fixes many of the failings and limitations we accept in the current M249, and it does it saving 5lbs. It is a dramatic improvement in how effectively the automatic rifle can be employed.
The Lo-Tox NLX suppressors are addressing an issue we’ve had in previous suppressor designs for high volume users, gas in the face that can create medical problems if not carefully monitored. Blood lead toxicity is a thing. These do so while maintaining the signature reduction benefits of lower muzzle noise and flash.
The 6.8mm ammunition pick offers our most ballistically optimized ball ammunition round to date. It will keep or improve upon the A1 projectile capabilities we saw in M855A1 and M80A1. We are finally taking advantage of our available internal, external, and terminal ballistics knowledge in a practical way to push what our small arms can do beyond their Cold War technology iteration.
The Hybrid Case technology is probably the advance with the most far reaching possible effects. We could see a drastic shift in ammunition capability across the space of metallic cartridges, not just in this single “new” round, 6.8x51mm. We can expect to see the other aspects of ammunition loading, powder and primers, to start experimenting with ways to safely and effectively reach the new available pressure limits for ammunition casings. We will see manufacturers start testing and building for these new limits as well, especially as this becomes viable in legacy calibers. We will probably see another ‘split’ where certain older firearms will not be rated for the new high pressure variants of their ammunitions.
The XM5 is cool, but it’s just another rifle and we’ve gotten good at building those. The XM250 is what a light machine gun should be, it offers the users a significant improvement over the M249. 6.8mm is a good projectile diameter for what we want in an infantry rifle, but we’ve known that for a century. The hybrid cases are the aspect with the most potential to positively push firearms forward.
*Post updated to reflect Army’s Selection of Sig Sauer XM5 to eventually replace the M4/M4A1 carbine rifle, and the XM250 will eventually replace the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
I joke a lot about needing “dirt therapy”. I’ve noticed over time that digging in the dirt, planting in my garden, even walking in the woods all improve my mood. Does anybody besides me love the smell of damp earth? The smell after a rain, the smell of digging in the dirt, the smell of the hunting woods – does it give you a boost of happiness? I don’t know about you, but when I open the screen door in the spring and step out onto the deck, that first deep breath of spring air in the morning gives me a relaxing “Ahhhhh” feeling.
I even distinctly remember the smell of my dad’s hunting clothes when I got a kiss goodnight as a kid. It was a warm, almost moldy/woody smell and it was comforting. There are names for those smells and it turns out there’s a reason for those good feelings.
Bear in mind as you read this that I was a microbiology lab tech before I was a doctor and a writer, so germs are one of my “things”. I even used to identify some of them by smell. So this idea intrigues me, but in consideration of others I’ll try not to nerd out TOO much here.
Petrichor
The first nerdy scientific word I have for you here is Petrichor. Petrichor is the smell of the first rain after a period of warm, dry weather.
The molecules that produce that smell are called geosmin and 2-MIB. These molecules are not actually produced by dirt, but are most commonly produced by a genus of bacteria called Streptomyces, which acts a bit like a fungus.Geosmin’s smell is detectable by humans at 5 parts per trillion and it can also make drinking water smell bad to some people.
Apparently beets also make geosmin, which explains why beets always taste like dirt to me. Although I love the smell of dirt, I don’t want to actually eat it. So there, I have a scientific explanation for why I hate beets. You can use that excuse too if you want – you’re welcome.
So now that you know about THAT bit of trivia, there is another bit of ongoing research into a different species of soil bacteria called Mycobacteria vaccae. Mouse experiments have shown this organism to actually induce good feelings if ingested or inoculated. Yes, you read correctly – this could be an actual antidepressant soil germ that holds promise for treating PTSD as well as other forms of depression and anxiety.
Hygiene Hypothesis
To understand why this is so exciting it’s important to understand a couple of concepts that have been going around the immunology world for a few decades. The first is known as the “Hygiene Hypothesis”.
The Hygiene Hypothesis discusses the fact that babies and toddlers exposed early to pets, farm animal, and soil tend on average to have fewer allergies, asthma, and autoimmune issues. The thought is that the early immune system tunes itself to common microbial antigens as it is developing and tends to ignore those antigens rather that react to them with later exposure. Thus, being raised in a “too clean” world may be detrimental to the programming of the immune system. I sometimes liken it to a high energy dog breed. If you don’t give the immune system something to do early on, it can soon start chewing on the furniture out of boredom. It’s a poor analogy, but you get the idea. An immune system that chews on the furniture produces things like allergies and autoimmune diseases. A bored immune system is a thing to be avoided.
Old Friends Hypothesis
Then there is the “Old Friends Hypothesis”. This thought arose out of some research which showed a much lower incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis in areas of the world where intestinal parasites are still common. Mouse experiments indicated that certain parasitic worms helped to balance the gut bacteria in mice genetically predisposed to a Crohn’s-like condition, producing positive effects. Research continues to grow in this area and it looks like the gut isn’t the only organ system affected in this manner by environmental organisms.
The human gut, immune system, and serotonin system are quite closely interconnected (even though many people think about serotonin as only related to mood and brain function). IF these systems co-evolved with the presence of the bacteria and parasites that shared space with early humans, then maybe in a too clean world without these “old friends”, some of our systems don’t function optimally. Maybe in addition to having bowel problems and immune problems we have depression and anxiety issues as well.
This may hopefully lead to some treatment options for serious diseases. We have for example over the past couple decades discovered the value of certain gut bacteria and have added “some” probiotics back into our digestive routines, but there are many more microbial “friends” yet to be discovered. Mycobacterium vacccae may be one of these “old friends” that our bodies (and brains) are dearly missing.
Mycobacterium vaccae research
Investigation is ongoing, but at least in mice, the research is promising. In one experiment mice fed live M. vaccae showed a reduction in anxiety behaviors and better maze performance than controls. In another experiment mice injected with M. vaccae showed “a more proactive response to stress exposure” and increased stress resilience.
This is certainly intriguing. If it works for mice, will it work for people? As we spend even more time in our ever more sterile worlds (which all the pandemic sanitizing didn’t help) we are all as a species seeing the effects of our removal from the natural world and its inhabitants – especially the microscopic kind. Could these and other as-yet-unknown microbes hold the key to better physical and mental health for us all? More research needs to be done, but the prospect is exciting. (Yes, remember I’m a germ geek.)
Get Outside
Obviously it’s going to be a while before “old friends” therapy makes it into mainstream human treatment programs, and no one is advocating we start eating a cup of garden dirt for breakfast every morning to help our moods and belly issues. But we can all work on our exposure to the natural world. We can get outside more, get into the woods, sit in a turkey blind, dig in the dirt, and plant a garden (then eat the veggies that grew in that dirt that weren’t commercially “sanitized” first).
While we wait for more research and treatments into various physical and emotional ailments, we can all get back out into the natural world, get our own dirt therapy, and reacquaint ourselves and our bodies with the earth we all came from. I know that sounds pretty hippy-dippy, but turns out – it’s science!
Bead sights are likely the most produced shotgun sight ever created. They adorn the barrel of side by sides, over unders, pump guns, semi-autos, and more. For decades they were the standard option for shotguns. Compare that to the AR-15. If the AR-15 evolved at the same rate as the shotgun, we’d still have A1 sights and carry handles. Bead sights, much like carry handles, work but are far from perfect. In fact, they kind of suck.
Well, Bead Sights Don’t Always Suck
I use the title bead sights suck to get those juicy clicks. In a lot of roles, they are a perfect choice. If you are shooting birds and clay pigeons, then a bead sight makes a lot of sense. To be fair, bead sights can work for tactical and defensive shooting. They’ve done so for over a century. They work well in optimal scenarios, but how many scenarios are optimal?
They have lots and lots of faults. Darryl Bolke said it best in an article for Lucky Gunner.
“The bead sight is essentially the bare minimum, and you will get bare minimum performance from them.”
Some Beads Can Suck More Than Others
I typically prefer Mossberg shotguns over Remington. However, when it comes to choosing a bead sight, Remington does it better. Some bead sights can suck a lot more than others. Mossberg mounts their beads sights directly to the barrel, but Remington places their bead sight on a pedestal. That extra height makes a huge difference.
Mossberg’s bead sights have the effect of making it appear the gun is shooting high. The old sage advice used to be to aim at their belt buckle to hit them in the chest. Remington pushes their sights upwards on a pedestal to take care of this problem.
Some shotguns use a front rifle sight setup which is rather handy. It’s better than a bead but still far from perfect. Other bead sights, like the XS big dot tritium sights, are better than a standard tiny bead but still don’t fill the gap.
So What’s the Problem With Beads?
They lack precision. “BuT iTs A sHoTgUn.” Yeah, I know, that doesn’t mean aiming isn’t necessary. My load of buckshot clings tightly together in the home ranges, and I want to steer that shot to a lethal area. Bead sights give you a point of reference but don’t provide a consistent, fast, and easy to acquire sight picture. Without a rear reference point, it’s tough to be precise.
It’s easy to look over the bead, or to be too far to the left or right of the bead when you aim, which causes accuracy issues. I want to have proper alignment when I send that load of buckshot downrange. I want as much accuracy as possible. If the threat inside my home is behind cover and I can only see a small portion of them, then I want to know that my buckshot will hit that small portion.
On top of that, being able to see the bead, especially in the dark, can be difficult. In a fast-moving gunfight, in the dark, I’m looking for a minuscule gold bead and relying on it.
So What Can We Do?
There are lots of alternatives out there. We have the classic ghost ring sights. They are great, give you a rear point of reference, and easily to align. With a proper, big, and easy-to-see front sight, you won’t have issues hitting your target.
Ghost rings are great, but the pistol-style sights by Trijicon and XS are probably the better iron sight choice. They aren’t as common and require a rifle-sighted Remington. Sadly, they don’t seem to have escaped the boundaries of the Remington guns.
The all-time best option for a shotgun is a red dot sight. A miniature red dot sight, like the kind you see on handguns, is perfect for a shotgun. It’s easy to see, gives you a target focus, and allows you to engage rapidly and accurately. The red dot reigns supreme on handguns and rifles, so why not shotguns?
Bead sights on shotguns can work, but we’ve pressed the performance on handguns and rifles and seem to be stuck in the 1900s on shotguns. On tactical shotguns, we should demand more than the bead sight. All tactical shotguns in 2022 should be drilled and tapped for a red dot or rail to attach one.
C’mon, it’s 2022, and the shotgun is a long gun. Why are we still using teeny tiny bead sights?
Being a woman within the firearms and outdoor community can be tough when it comes to clothing choices. We need items that move with us and don’t hinder the job at hand yet still allow us to feel presentable and attractive. We shouldn’t have to look like a man to do the job of one. The Vertx Womens Lifestyle collection fills the clothing vacancy that we have been so long waiting to be filled. Our first article of clothing we talked about was the Kesher Ops Pant. Then, the Womens Fury Hardshell Jacket. Now, the Swift Hoody. A simple and comfortable piece of clothing with additional access to our carry, loops for comms compatibilty, and a comfortable hood that doesn’t block our view. All made with the same core regulating 37.5 Technology within the material.
From the Company
“Pink it and shrink it may be the design philosophy of some women’s brands, but Vertx focuses on the end-user, and in this case, a layering piece that’s become the Women’s Swift Hoody.”- Vertx Designer
Vertx is showing its large amount of knowledge and time when it comes to designing womens clothing. Shrink it and pink it is what many other clothing companies have done when going from their mens line to creating a womens line. Knowing women..that just doesn’t work. Vertx has women designers on the team that put years into developing one product, such as the Swift hoody, to ensure that it wasn’t just shrunk and turned into a feminine color, but actually fit to the womans shape, kept attractive, and still hid what we may have under our garments during the job.
Fabric and Technology
Like other items in the Vertx Womens Lifestyle Line, the Swift Hoody features Vaporcore 37.5® Technology. This technology keeps your core temperature regulated. It has been noticed that a lot of Vertx’s clothing can be worn both in the warm spring days and the chillier fall, the Vaporcore tech is why.
The hoody also is entirely lined with an Internal AbrasionGuard™. This ensures that your EDC gear doesn’t introduce wear. Don’t worry though, the lining is durable but still comfortable.
Key Features
The Pouch
The Swift Hoody features a lined pouch that allows the user to access their Everyday Carry (EDC) equipment without letting anyone know that they are going for it, or even have it. Inside the pouch are two zippers that can be unzipped from the inside while wearing. This allows the user to put their hand through and grab onto what they need. To others, it just looks like the user simply is resting their arms in the pouch, yet in reality they can hold, grab, and present anything on their belt line all while their hands are inside the pouch. It is a very wide access so it doesn’t hinder movement while the hand is inside.
The Hood/Neck
The design of the hood and neck is very different than other hoodies. It is actually made to aid the user when worn. The “Crossover hood design adds coverage without blocking peripheral.” So while it adds coverage it won’t block your eyes and head from looking side to side.
The neck crossover design doesn’t choke but covers the chest enough to stay warm.
The Backside
The back of the Swift Hoody features a specific hem that aids in keeping covered when bending or sitting. Instead of other companies just adding longer material, Vertx added a hem that’ll keep the shape of the hoodie to cover the backside.
Options to Buy
Colors: It’s Black, Blue Surge
Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Xlarge
Price: $89.99
Stephanie’s AAR (After Attirement Review)
Note: I am 5’2,125 lbs, and wear a size small.I am also wearing a Phlster Engima in some of the photos which helps with concealability if you don’t want to wear a belt but still gives you your usual kydex holder to safely wear and draw from.
I have worn the Vertx Swift hoody in both warm and cooler climates within Virginia. The temperature regulated material used isn’t just a gimmeck. During hiking it was about 70-75 degrees and I wore a tank top, the hoodie, and a sports bra on top with leggings on bottom. I didn’t overheat at all and stayed comfortable. During the cooler weather of about 40 degrees I wore this both with and without the Vertx Fury Hardshell as a wind breaker. I was warm but when the wind stopped I just ran the hoody. I was fine. I also wore the hoody for a day at a National Rifle League Hunter match in Georgia and kept cool in the day and warm at night.
The shape of the hoodie does help conceal materials on the belt well. I have ran both the Phlster Enigma with leggings and a holster with jeans with the Discreet Carry Concepts Clips. Both concealed fine. I was also able to grab the gun quickly with the kangaroo pouch access. The gun shown in the photo is a Sig P365 with Holosun 407K in a Phlster Skelton holster on the Phlster Enigma.
At NRA HQ worn during a cold day inside the range.Looks like a normal hoody and resting hands inside pockets but in reality have my hands ready to access the gun.
Wearing the size small I had free movement in my chest and arms and the length of the sleeves were perfect. I did not use the thumb holes on the sleeves.
My favorite thing about the Hoody? The Neck design. It doesn’t make me feel claustrophobic but does still give me protection from the elements and keep me covered.
If I were to change anything about the hoody I would ask that that change the material on the kangaroo pouch. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just sometimes I do only wear a sports bra with a hoodie so the difference in material is a tad weird.
Overall, it’s a happy addition to my closet as it is the only second layer type of clothing that gives me access to my gun without having to show that I’m going for it. In sketchy situations I believe that that is necessary. Not presenting..but being ready.
4.25″ BULL BARREL The shortened heavy-profile bull barrel is designed for maximum accuracy and concealability.
U-DOT™ SIGHT PICTURE The tritium and luminescent front sight of the Emissary pairs with a Tactical Rack U-Dot rear sight for easy target acquisition in all lighting conditions.
FLAT TOP SLIDE SERRATIONS 40 LPI flat top slide serrations diffuse light and reduce glare.
