S&W’s Forgotten Guns

June 22, 2024

58-MODEL 30-1-H87188-1 guns — Courtesy Guns.Com

Smith & Wesson is a legendary American brand. It’s one of the few gun companies that is a household name. Everyone knows the name Smith & Wesson. The company started in 1852 and has produced firearms ever since. When a company has been in business for 172 years, you know they’ve done things right. While they’ve had an excellent run in producing firearms, they’ve produced a few forgotten guns.

S&W’s Forgotten Guns

Hidden in the annals of Smith & Wesson’s history is a collection of forgotten guns. These firearms, while not in the limelight, are no less impressive. Let’s delve into these unsung heroes and explore why they might have slipped from our collective memory.

S&W Model 30

The S&W Model 30 and the Pre-Model 30 Model .32 Hand Ejector stand as poignant examples of S&W’s forgotten guns. This I-frame design played a pivotal role in the creation of the J-frame, a term now synonymous with small, concealable revolvers. The Model 30, available in various barrel lengths, is most renowned for its 2-inch model, an early snub nose revolver.

These were six-shot .32 S&W Long revolvers. The little .32 S&W Long is no bear gun but was potent enough with the right round to reach 12 inches of penetration through ballistic gel. It wasn’t impressive, but it was fairly capable. The Model 30 had excellent accuracy, and that’s why the 6-inch version exists. The little .32 S&W Long cartridge was notable for its accuracy and is still used by Olympic-level shooters.

The recoil was very slight, and the gun was remarkably easy to control. The I Frames were notably smaller than the J-Frames but were limited to lower-powered cartridges like the .32 S&W Long. As the industry embraced the .38 Special for concealed carry, plainclothes work, and detectives, the .32 and the I Frame faded away.

S&W Model 52

How often do you hear the term semi-auto .38 Special? It’s likely not all that often. The S&W Model 52 was a handgun produced from 1961 to 1993 but in relatively small numbers. The Model 52 wasn’t a defensive or duty pistol but a weapon designed explicitly for Bullseye shooting.

The Model 52 used a typical S&W 1st-gen autoloader and seemed to be a very heavily modified Model 39. It used a short recoil system with a single-action trigger. It’s designed for competition shooting, so features like adjustable sites are standard. A five-round box magazine kept the gun fed with .38 Special wadcutter rounds.

Due to the length of the cartridge, the gun could not cycle a standard .38 special. If we trimmed the bullet back to a wadcutter, it would fit perfectly in the magazine without making the grip absurdly long. This 40-ounce pistol is noted for being super accurate and very light recoiling. It’s certainly an interesting and niche design that falls into the forgotten guns realm. It was always niche, and as Bullseye shooting became less popular, so did the Model 52.

S&W M&P15R

The S&W M&P15 refuses to join the world of forgotten guns. It’s one of the most common AR-15s on the market, and the Sport Models likely rival PSA ARs in popularity. The M&P15 series might be popular, but have you ever heard of the M&P15R?

The M&P15R is your basic S&W AR-15, chambering the 5.45x39mm round. S&W released the M&P15R in 2008 as their first non-5.56 AR-15. The gun was all AR and odd for its caliber. It’s kind of cool in an odd way, but I understand why it faded from relevancy.

The Obama-era ban on imported cheap 5.45 killed off most 5.45 designs. Lots of AK companies quietly ended or reduced the production of 5.45 guns. As the industry leaned into ARs, the 5.45 just didn’t have much appeal compared to a 5.56 rifle and its stable source of ammo.

S&W Light Rifle

We have to go back to World War II for this one. During the War, the Brits needed guns. They needed them so bad Americans donated guns to British citizens to fight the Nazi threat. The Brits wanted a light rifle design in 9mm, and S&W got the contract and a 1 million dollar advance.

The Light Rifle was a semi-auto-only, blowback-operated open bolt gun fed from a 20-round box magazine and somehow weighed nine pounds. The M1 Garand, for reference, weighs 9.5 and shoots .30-06. Anyway the not so Light Rifle went to the U.K. for testing and quickly failed. The U.K.’s 9mm ammo was much more powerful than the United States 9mm and the guns fell apart.

S&W designed a stronger model to withstand the hotter 9mm, but the contract was canceled. S&W marketed the gun around the United States, but it didn’t appeal much. The guns were mostly destroyed, although some 217 were released as Curio and Relic firearms in 1975.

S&W AS

AS stands for Assault Shotgun and was a 12 gauge, selective fire shotgun. It was built to resemble the M16 and featured a similar overall design. The gun fed from a 10-round box magazine and fired up to 375 rounds a minute. S&W Designed three models of the AS and they all became forgotten guns.

The AS-1 – Semi-Auto Only

The AS-2 – Semi Auto With a 3-Round Burst

The AS-3 – Full Auto Only

Only a few prototypes were made in the 1980s. The Army was big on the idea of a full-auto shotgun in this era, and several companies designed their own. The reason it’s forgotten is pretty clear: The Army realized full-auto shotguns were silly.

Gone, But Never Forgotten

Nothing stays forgotten because nerds like me will dig it up and enjoy the weirdness of these forgotten guns. I’d happily own any of them and have my eyes on a Model 30 at the moment. Every company has some duds or just forgotten about guns in their inventory, and I’m planning to chase them down. If you have any favorites you’d like to see, please let us know.

The ASMI – An Indian SMG

Travis Pike

June 22, 2024

I blame it on Taurus. You see, I was reading about Taurus, who is the Mr. Worldwide of foreign manufacturers, and stumbled across the T9. The T9 is a submachine gun made for an Indian Small Arms Competition, it looks like something anyone could build from an AR-15 build kit. This led me down a lot of websites that required a lot of Google Translating to read and understand everything concerning an Indian military competition for a new submachine gun. This eventually resulted in me finding my favorite, the Lokesh Machine ASMI.

Admittedly, this is my favorite based on the idea that the thing works—and works as advertised. India doesn’t have the best run of domestically produced guns, and that’s likely why they had to team up with Taurus in the first place. ASMI or Asmi comes from the Sanskrit word Asmita, which means pride, self-respect, hard work, etc. If the ASMI functions as advertised, it might meet that name.

Why the ASMI

The ASMI submachine gun, a product of Lt. Col. Prasad Bansod’s design, was developed in 2020 after four months of intensive work at the Indian Army Infantry School, with support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The Indian Military’s commitment to the project is evident as they continue to refine the weapon. Interestingly, the ASMI is primarily intended for police forces.

The border units in India are a bit more militarized than most due to sharing a border with both Pakistan and China. So, they have a fairly diverse armament selection. The units fielding the ASMI include the Border Security Force, the National Security Guard, and the paramilitary Assam Rifles. Each of these units is tasked with border and national security. Additionally, the PARA SF troops will also receive the ASMI.

The submachine gun is a niche weapon these days. Most modern military forces choose short carbines, and submachine guns tend to be considered a bit underpowered. They do excel in extremely close quarters, especially for more traditional police forces who might want to avoid lugging a rifle on a common foot patrol. They work well in and out of vehicles.

It’s worth mentioning that until recently, the Indian Army and border teams were still using Sterling carbines. A new SMG might be a better option logistically than a rifle, and 9mm ammo might be the more common option.

An In-Depth Look at the ASMI

The ASMI is a 9mm submachine gun that makes use of several familiar concepts. It’s not a gun that innovates but rather gathers innovations that modernize them. The ASMI takes cues from the Uzi. The magazine sits inside the pistol grip, which helps keep the weapon super short and compact. The gun is only 24 inches overall with the stock deployed.

With the stock folded, the gun is only 15 inches long. The ASMI uses modern polymer for the frame and aircraft-grade aluminum for the upper receiver. It even uses Glock magazines. More than a few of the Indian entries in the SMG world use Glock magazines.

The gun still uses a direct blowback system. While reliable, cheap, and easy to manufacture, the blowback systems have excessive recoil. It’s controllable, but it could be better. The use of a blowback design hopefully ensures the gun’s reliability, which would be important for Indian domestic arms production in the wake of the INSAS rifle.

The ASMI functions with very modern ergonomics. The charging handle can be swapped from one side to the other. It appears the safety is ambidextrous. No word on the magazine release.

Barrel lengths vary. There are 6.2-inch options, 7.2 inch, and an 8-inch version. It’s unclear if all three have been adopted or if one has been chosen. Across the top, we have tons of room for optics and M-LOK slots.

The ASMI’s design is fascinating. We rarely see modern SMGs with magazines in their grips. It’s interesting to see a modernized variant of that design, and it seems to be a promising domestically produced option.

Does it Work?

The Indian Army only ordered 550 of the ASMI. In fact, the Indian military put out another RFP, and B&T got the nod. This entry was for SMGs for pilots, armor crews, and similar roles. Why not fill that role with the ASMI?

We’ve heard that producing that many guns would be a strain on production, and that’s why B&T got the nod. It could be true; the ASMI is a new gun, and maybe production is slow. It’s not quite clear, and we haven’t heard much from the ASMI about its 550 gun order and its performance.

Personally, as an SMG fan, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the SMG developments in India.

The Best Nongun Goodies For Gun Guys

Travis Pike

June 21, 2024

There are lots of fun guns out there, but sometimes you might want a break from guns. Maybe you want to find something you enjoy using as much as guns. Whatever your reason, there are plenty of nongun goodies out there that I know will appeal to gun owners. Let’s have a little fun today and look at five nongun goodies that’ll deliver a dopamine hit.

Flamethrower

Flamethrowers are legal in 48 out of 50 states; unsurprisingly, California is one of the two states where they are not legal. Why do they hate freedom? Recreational flamethrowers have become quite popular in the last few years. Whoever thought you’d have a chance to see capitalism produce better and cheaper man-portable flame throwers?

Flamethrowers have practical uses for controlled burns, but that’s tenuous. I’ve done plenty of controlled burns; we never needed a flamethrower. The main purpose of the recreational flamethrower dates back to all of us who went through a pyro phase. It’s just fun. Fire is fun.

Of course, you have to be responsible with fire, just like firearms. If you can wield them responsibly, you can have a lot of fun with a flamethrower. It can be the most expensive way to start a bonfire and will certainly bring a smile to your face.

If you think driving your car is expensive, wait until you get your hands on an Exothermic Flamethrower mounted under your AR-15. As far as nongun goodies go, it’s tough to argue that these aren’t firearms.

Steambow

I ran into Steambow at SHOT Show 2024 and had a long talk with the crew behind a variety of their high-tech crossbows. These aren’t your grandpa’s crossbows. These are repeating crossbows that are magazine-fed and capable of equipping modern accessories. These nongun crossbows can use AR stock, foregrips, lights, and optics.

The aptly named AR-6 Stinger 2 Tactical is the belle of the ball. It’s a crossbow but features an AR stock, a vertical grip, and a rail for mounting a red dot. It’s technically a lever action, and the majority of the frame bends forward from the stock and cocks the crossbow. You can fire all six rounds from the internal magazine in about ten seconds.

The AR-6 comes with a 55-pound limb, but up to 90 pounds can be used. I’m no archer, but it seems like some limited hunting is possible with the AR-6. Either way, it seems like a ton of fun without the noise of gunfire. Marksmanship is marksmanship, and this might scratch your itch in the backyard without any noise to disturb the neighbors.

CA-09 Gauss Rifle

Technically, it’s not really a Gauss rifle, but a coil gun, but I’ve been playing STALKER again. The CA-09 coilgun is not a firearm. This nongun looks a lot like a real gun or a real gun from 2077. The bullpup platform features some real gun features, including a Picatinny rail for optics, a box magazine, and a traditional trigger-to-fire design.

This coil gun uses electromagnetism to propel projectiles at crazy high fire rates. Since these aren’t guns, the CA-09 can be full auto without a problem, and the rate of fire is 2,400 rounds per minute. You’ll run through the 50-round magazine in no time at all.

The projectiles weigh 275 grains and move at 80 to 145 feet per second. In terms of power, it’s a big airgun. The range is somewhere around 25 feet. It’s an expensive option at 1,600 dollars, but you can’t deny the inherent cool factor.

Ballistic Dart Launcher

Sometimes, you have to indulge your inner mall ninja. That’s the only way you find yourself playing with little gadgets like the Ballistic Dart Launcher. This taser-looking device is a complicated slingshot that can launch sharpened darts at a fairly impressive range. It looks and functions like something a ninja in a cheesy 80s movie would use

It’s really cheap and is the only reason I put it on this list. The Ballistic Dart Launcher costs like 20 bucks and gives you at least 50 bucks worth of fun. It’s often touted as a hunting and self-defense tool, but that’s all BS. It’s for hitting paper targets, dart boards, and similar stationary targets.

You have about 15 feet of effective range. These little launchers are all over Amazon and can be a fun distraction. It’s the cheapest nongun on the list but admittedly the most useless.

Parrot Mambo

The Parrot Mambo might be the most nongun of the nongun goodies on this list. It’s actually a micro-sized remote-controlled drone. Guys who are into guns tend to be into aviation. It’s a weird crossover. The Parrot Mambo isn’t a pro-grade drone by any means but a toy. A toy drone that’s also equipped with a cannon.

It’s not a real cannon but a microsized plastic BB launcher that allows you to take shots at whatever is in your drone’s path. Get a pair of these things, and you can have aerial dogfights. If you’re like me, you’ll take pleasure in chasing kids and hitting them with very softly fired plastic bbs.

The cannon, if you want to call it that, just lobs the little things harmlessly around. Drones are already fun to fly, but one with a harmless cannon is positively joyous. There is also a grabber tool in case shooting the cannon gets boring.

Nongun Goodies and You

As fun as firearms are you might want a break or to try something new. Admittedly, the above picks aren’t that far from firearms, but that’s on purpose. I’m betting they will provide a good degree of enjoyment to the folks reading this website. Check ’em out, have some fun, and try something new.

The Kontek Mobile Modular Shoot House

Travis Pike

June 21, 2024

As a dirty civilian who is in a space that’s often dominated by police and military folks, I do miss out on some of the more interesting things in the training and tactical world. I know nothing about barriers, shields, or even designing and operating a commercial range. That’s probably why I never heard of a company called Kontek. Kontek produces lots of gear you likely will have never heard about unless you run in the police or range owner circles. At a recent firearms event mainly focused on the police world, I was able to take a look at their Mobile Modular Shoot House.

At the event, they had erected a substantial, multi-room shoothouse, a feat they claimed to have accomplished in a mere 90 minutes. The entire shoot house was compactly loaded into a trailer and transported to the event. It’s important to note that the Mobile Modular Shoot House is not designed for live fire but rather for simmunitions and other force-on-force style training—a unique and efficient approach.

The Shoot House was complete with doors and windows. The overall idea seemed fascinating, so I snapped some pictures, walked through the shoothouse, and got a close look. I made a mental note to do a bit of research when my class was over, and I did just that.

The Kontek Mobile Modular Shoot House

The Kontek Mobile Modular Shoot House is constructed primarily from PVC panels. Each panel is four feet wide and seven feet tall. These panels are separated into three categories. We have your normal plain wall module, a door module, and window modules. Each module remains a 4×7 module.

A Universal Quad Connector allows the builder to mount a module in four directions, allowing dynamic walls with multiple modules in different directions. A Universal Quad Connector sits between each wall module. The walls are secured to the connectors with high-strength zip ties. Kontek prefers 250-pound zip ties to ensure the walls remain rigid and strong.

The nature of the design allows you to build a wide variety of rooms, hallways, and more with the wall modules. They can be unhooked, moved around, and shuffled to constantly change. From a tactical mindset, I see the value in being able to take a shoothouse down and reconfigure it to keep a team from getting a little too familiar with clearing the same room over and over.

You could replicate an entire room at a one-for-one scale and do an extremely realistic rehearsal. That is a niche use that requires a lot of forethought, but it’s something that can be done. The modular design really makes the Kontek Mobile Modular Shoot House stand out from every other option.

Exploring the Modular Shoot House

As I walked through the shoot house and took it in, I was surprised by the setup’s sturdiness. The zip ties made me curious about how well the walls would hold up to CQB. I can’t count the number of times I’ve hit walls or seen guys hit walls as they clear rooms for the 10th hour that day. I gave the walls a few light shoulder bumps when no one was looking, and they didn’t budge.

The PVC walls are quite thick and look like they would eat up simmunitions and other force-on-force projectiles. The Modular Shoot House panels aren’t lightweight. I called the company and asked a few basic questions. The walls weigh anywhere from 60 to 85 pounds, depending on the presence of windows and doors.

The Mobile Modular Shoot House requires two people to set up, but more hands will make less work. The entire system can be relatively easily moved. The modules are designed to be safely moved via pallets and to stack with ease. As I mentioned above, the entire structure came out of a fairly small trailer.

Agencies and ranges can design their own buildings with Kontek’s own website tool and have them shipped to match their pre-built buildings. Kontek also offers three pre-designed packages. We have the Sierra, which is 700 square feet, the Mike, which is 1,000 square feet, and the Lima, which is 2000 square feet.

For price reference, the Sierra costs $31,000. In speaking with Kontek, they did point out that an agency or range could purchase a bit at a time. Agencies would slowly build their inventory of wall modules to design and expand their shoot house.

Staying Mobile

I think Kontek has a solid idea. I’ve never been to a shoot house that was modular; most are just fixed designs made from framed wood. This option allows for easy building and takedown, travel potential, and expansion. Sadly, it’s not affordable enough for me to build a Kontek Modular Mobile Shoot House for my backyard. However, for tactical ranges and police agencies, it could be a game changer.

Bump Stocks: What Are They and How Do They Work

Travis Pike

June 20, 2024

Slide-Fire-SSAR-15-SBS-Bump-Fire-Stock — (SLIDE FIRE)

You start to feel like an old man when you realize that it’s been six years since 2018 and that 12-year-olds in 2018 are now adults. Adults and gun owners who really never got exposed to bump stocks. On June 14th, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that, to the surprise of no one, Donald Trump’s unconstitutional bump stock ban had been declared unconstitutional, and the final rule was avoided.

Bump stocks are back on the menu, boys! In 2017, I wrote an article detailing just how silly they are and that they aren’t the boogeyman that the anti-gun crowd made them out to be. They were a silly and expensive way to waste ammo. I had a close friend who has since passed who really loved bump stocks and seemed to enjoy blasting through a mag of .223 Remington, and that’s what I mainly remember about bump stocks.

However, those 12-year-olds who are now adults and possibly gun owners may have never heard the ballad of the bump stock. I’m afraid that those younger gun owners might be in for a real disappointment.

What a Bump Stock Isn’t

A bump stock is not a machine gun. A rifle equipped with a bump stock is also not a machine gun. A bump stock attempts to replicate full auto fire by making it easier to pull the trigger. That’s what the intention is, anyway. In real life, it can be a hit-or-miss product, and there were, for a time, a wide variety of bumpstock devices. Some worked better than others.

The idea behind bump stocks is something called bump firing, and it’s nothing new. As soon as someone made semi-automatic firearms, someone figured out how to bump fire them. Bump firing is a technique that uses the weapon’s recoil to move the weapon and make it bump against the shooter’s finger. You don’t need a stock to accomplish this.

You can hook your thumb through a belt loop and place your trigger finger lightly against the trigger. Get your hand open and off the pistol grip. Now pull forward with your support arm, and the gun fires. Keep the forward pressure; the gun’s recoil will move it backward far enough to reset the trigger. If you keep forward pressure, the weapon will bump fire and provide a higher rate of semi-auto fire.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, many devices promised to make bump fire easier. Anyone who went to a gun show during this period found their eyes assaulted by a TV screen showing demos of the famed Hell Fire triggers. People want full auto but often can’t afford the limited firearms on the registry, so they turned to alternatives.

How Does a Bump Stock Work

Bump stocks make bump firing easier. They make it possible to shoulder the rifle and use bump fire. The trick was the fact that the gun and stock were connected, but allowed the gun to slide rearward freely within the stock. The user needed to provide constant forward pressure and avoid pulling the grip and stock to the rear.

When done properly, the stock moves rearward under recoil and forward under the shooter’s manual pressure. This allows the finger to bump the trigger and creates a faster version of semi-auto fire.

A company called Slide Fire ruled the market. They created numerous bump fire stock designs for a variety of weapons. Slide Fire started with some fairly rudimentary stocks but slowly created more and more advanced versions of the bump fire stock. Before the company shuttered, its stocks looked rather nice and not so…uhm…well, crappy.

Are These Things Worth It?

Are they worth fighting the government to legalize and repeal unconstitutional dictator-like edicts? Yes, yes, they are, and they always will be. Fighting for every inch is worth it. Are they worth a hundred or so dollars?

To me, they are not. Have you seen the price of ammo? Bump stocks are fun for about a whole magazine, and then it’s just kind of a thing. I almost want to buy one in protest and celebration, but for now, I’d probably sink that hundred bucks into ammo or, even better, make a donation to GOA, SAF, and local gun rights organizations. We’ve beaten the pistol brace rule, the 80% lower rule, and now the bump stock rule.

If you want one, buy one; it’s your right as an American.

No Dot? No Problem.

P.E. Fitch

June 20, 2024

^{Cover Photo: A professional picture of XS Sights new Glock Fiber Optic Sight Set. While it’s not my picture, it’s a perfect close-up of the fiber optic rod, which is central to this post.}

One of the coolest things about fiber optic handgun sights [besides the way they catch and transmit light] is their fantastic sight pictures. Typically, these sight pictures consist of a front sight with a fiber optic rod and a plain black or serrated rear sight with a fairly wide notch that’s easy to look through quickly for straightforward sight alignment. With these sights and their sight pictures, shooters can still take advantage of their ‘brilliant’ nature to make quick and target-focused shots like they would with a regular red-dot sight.

For this reason, I’ve thought of and also shot with fiber optic iron sights as “pseudo-red-dots” for some time. Described in the simplest terms possible, fiber optic rods are nothing more than strands of specialized plastics with a special coating that traps light and reflects it lengthwise throughout the strand.

Fiber optics are extremely sensitive to light and work in virtually all lighting conditions with visible light without relying on another source of energy.

10-8 Precision Fiber Optic Sights — Even with this out of focus shot, the fiber optic front sight glows like a beacon

XS Sights Fiber Optic Sight — Even with this out of focus shot, the fiber optic front sight glows like a beacon

Target Focused Shooting

Target-focused shooting involves the shooter focusing their vision keenly on their target and shooting when the sight(s) of their firearm intersect the line of sight between the shooter’s eyes and the target. Likewise, target-focused shooting is generally done with both eyes open which makes it no different than playing any other sport that requires eye and hand coordination.

Since the eyes only need to focus on the target ahead, it can lead to faster shots than sight-focused shooting. This is because the eyes and brain do not require extra time to process the alignment between the actual target and the firearm’s sights. Target-focused shooting isn’t exclusive to handguns only, and in certain shooting sports, it’s the only way to shoot properly.

Shooting Clay

Consider shotgun sports, for example. These games revolve around fast-moving clay targets and would be a great example. In order to hit a moving aerial target with a shotgun, the shooter has no choice but to track the “bird” by looking at it directly as it moves in flight. Failing to do so is one of the most common ways to miss with shotguns because shooters will erroneously focus on their shotgun’s bead instead of keeping an eye on the moving clay pigeon.

By the time they find the ‘perfect’ shotgun sight picture and pull the trigger, the clay will have already moved to a different point in its flight path. Anyone who can grasp wing shooting can easily translate it to target-focused handgun shooting as well. With regard to shooting with red dots, target-focused shooting is mandatory.

A red-dot shooter is ideally focused on the target as if they were getting ready to bore through it with imaginary laser-vision and will fire when their bright red dot crosses their vision. The neat thing is that this exact technique can also be done with a fiber optic sight.

Using Fiber Optics As Pseudo Dots

By combining the principles of hard target focus and the light gathering/transmission abilities of fiber optics, shooters can also shoot nearly as effectively as they could with red-dot sights. The key that brings it all together is the glowing nature of the fiber optic and how easily their brightness “grabs” the eye.

In fairness, shooting this way isn’t limited only to fiber optic sights either. A shooter could also shoot this way with any other brightly contrasting front sight. However, fiber optics tend to offer the best combination of utility, speed, and precision.

The pseudo-dot method isn’t without its drawbacks either. First, in order for this to work properly, the fiber optic front sight must still be in alignment with the rear-sight notch. This entails two points in addition to the target lining up compared to the red dot, which only consists of one point lining up in relation to the target.

Second, when critical precision matters, such as trying to nail a tighter group at a smaller and more distant target, I find that one is better off using old-school sight-focused techniques for precision. This is really one of the areas where dots make a stark difference.

It’s also worth mentioning that fiber optic sights are considered semi-expendable and it’s not uncommon for them to get loose or inadvertently disappear. Fortunately that doesn’t prevent one from shooting with their pistol, but they lose the “brightness.” It’s always a good idea to keep spare rods on-hand.

The Takeaway

This Isn’t About Fiber Optics Versus Red-Dots, But…

Enough people in the shooting space have already written much about the pros and cons of shooting with modern slide-mounted red-dot sights. So, it’s pointless to repeat that here. However, it’s worth pointing out that the typical set of fiber optic pistol sights retails for less than $100. No one would disagree that shooting with a handgun equipped with an electronic red dot involves a higher cost.

It’s not just because the sights themselves cost between $200 to $600 retail. But there are also the optics mounting plates or the extra smithing work needed to directly mill a mounting surface on a handgun’s slide (and the taller back-up iron sights if/when applicable). Regardless, there is much that can be done with a simple pair of fiber optic sights, and it revolves around the concept of target-focused shooting.

Although many handgun shooters now live in a “dot-world,” in the realm of iron sights, fiber optic sights have now become the go-to analogs. They seem to be more popular than ever before, to the point where I’ve noticed they’re standard on many factory handguns today compared to even a decade ago.

Other Options

I may be biased, but I think their increase in popularity is a good thing. For general-purpose shooting, a set of sights like XS Sights’ new Glock set (or F/O sights in general) can offer a great deal of “shoot-ability” and flexibility to most shooters.

Such sights can be used exactly the same as any other traditional iron sight– with the ability to focus on the front sight itself and use its top edge as the visual reference. But more importantly, a shooter can also exploit the inherent benefits of fiber optics to shoot and transition between targets very quickly by using the front sight as a pseudo-red dot.

TRUTH ABOUT BUMPSTOCKS MEDIA COVERAGE

Keith Finch

June 19, 2024

Reading USA Today’s timid complaint about the SCOTUS decision on bumpstocks, which essentially the media criticizing the inability of a federal agency to misclassify an item without Congressional legislation, does nothing to restore faith in accurate reporting. “Congress banned machine guns from the public in 1934…” No, they didn’t. They taxed them. That’s it. They created a tax trap.

They didn’t “ban” them until 1986, and even then, they only banned the addition of new ones while taxing existing ones. Basic. Simple. Facts. There’s no nuance or interpretation here; it’s just incorrect. It’s ignorant. But it’s presented in a news article for general population consumption, thus gaining credibility from those who trust the honest transmission of information based on the publication’s reputation.

FEAR & LOATHING THE BUMPSTOCK

They then cite the AMA or some American Medical Asshats associative group who predictably deliver the “gunshot wounds are bad m’kay” line but attribute it to “rapid fire bullets” being the issue. Once again, valid arguments are undermined by fabricated claims coming from an ‘authority’ figure or group that the average person is expected to trust. Show me one doctor or nurse in that quoted group who can disassemble a Glock and who understands even the most basic mechanics of that firearm. Find. Me. One. You fucking won’t.

Find me 100 POLICE officers at random right now, and I’ll show you a terrifying percentage of them who have no accurate concept of how the GUN ON THEIR HIP WITH WHICH THEY ARE TRUSTED TO MAKE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS WITH WORKS. And they can’t actually shoot it. They struggle just to ‘pass’ a “qualification” once or twice a year.

But why listen to my rant? Why listen to me instead of the vague fearmongery ‘we aren’t gonna tell you this is bad, we’ll just quote people who say this is bad who you, GenPop, don’t know and have no context for knowing they shouldn’t be listened to on this subject’ USA Today or [insert favored news brand].

My credentials only include: Federal Firearms Licensee, National Firearms Act Special Occupational Tax Holder, Firearms Technical Analyst, Small Arms Instructor, Small Arms and Towed Artillery Maintenance Specialist, Armorer, Infantry Rifleman, and Infantry Squad Leader.

OPINION & REACTION

My opinion is just purely based on vague reactionary 2nd Amendment worship and nothing like a reasonably nuanced and informed grasp of the legal and mechanical principles at play, right? Clearly. Let’s quote a medical group who will vaguely parrot that ‘injuries are bad and that these injuries are therefore also bad’ trope.

Why does this really matter? Firstly it irritates me when something is so grossly inaccurate but served forth as an authoritative summary. Secondly, we are seeing the time of Congress and the President hiding behind federal agency action as “we’re doing something, look,” a political hot potato smoke screen shift and become harder.

They’ve never actually had to put their names onto a law, so they’re insulated from the failure of the law because it isn’t a law. It’s just a policy that’s sometimes the law, except now it isn’t. “Woopsie. Our bad. Lolz. We’re helping.”

But hey, the brace rule nonsense got vacated, and bump stock buffoonery is done. The talking heads in the media who need to cry about how “this is the worst thing ever since the last worst thing ever, and we will all be killed by bumpstocks tomorrow” will. Attorneys will make a nice tidy profit on unlawful seizure of property suits and the like. And the world will keep turning with a couple policies being a little more grounded in reality by not being policies any longer.

5.11 Cepheus Softshell Pants

Travis Pike

June 19, 2024

While 5.11 cargo pants may be a bit of a meme in the firearms world, they are more than cargo pants. 5.11 Tactical has expanded its range to include a variety of modern and stylish pants. Beyond the traditional cargo pants, they offer the Defender series, a range of khakis, and intriguing options like the Cepheus Soft Shell Pants.

Cepheus is a bit of an interesting title. After a quick Google search, I found that Cepheus was the king of Aethiopia, and he had to sacrifice his daughter to the god of the sea. It’s also a constellation, and I’d guess that 5.11 Tactical named the pants after the constellation, not the fabled king.

The Cepheus Softshell pants are a new addition to 5.11 Tactical’s lineup. I was fortunate to receive them for free at a 5.11 SHOT Show event, not for review purposes. However, I’ve been wearing them for several months now and have been consistently impressed with their performance.

The Cepheus Softshell – More Than Style

Off the bat, these aren’t dress pants with a tactical edge. They wouldn’t look right with a blazer. They are outdoor pants, first and foremost. These are the kind of pants that are perfect for a hike, kayaking, hunting, or if you take a shooting class and need comfy, durable, and weather-resistant pants.

They are at home on the range, at the waterfront, on the boat, and up the mountain. The Cepheus Soft Shell Pants are designed with a tactical edge, featuring durable materials and weather-resistant properties, making them ideal for outdoor activities.

The Cepheus pants are made from 92% polyester and 8% elastane double weave. What does this mean to you? It means they are lightweight at only 9 ounces. Second, they stretch and move with you. It’s comfortable to do all sorts of motions, and we’ll talk more about that later. The material provides a soft shell resistance to water that allows it to bead rather than soak in.

The pants come with shoestring clips on the bottom and a button-and-strap design to blouse them to keep things from getting up there. This helps keep out bugs, sticks, plants, etc. It’s optional but quite handy in the great outdoors.

5.11 produces the Cepheus pants in pecan and black. These are clearly the pecan

Pockets, Pockets, Pockets

They are arguably cargo pants, but not your dad’s cargo pants. They are a bit more subdued in their cargo pocketry. The cargo pockets are placed higher on your pants than normal and feature a subdued, flat design. The pants have some stretch, so they only extend as much as needed. The cargo pocket portion features total security zippers and a flap covering the zipper and pocket.

Speaking of pockets, you have two cargo pockets, two front pockets, a pair of hip pockets just big enough for an AR magazine, two back pockets, and a very deep coin pocket. Pockets, pockets, and more pockets. The front pockets are reinforced for common pocket clips on knives, lights, and concealed mag pouches.

The front pocket fits my S&W 432 UC perfectly. It disappears into my pocket, and the way the pants sit provides awesome concealment for the gun. Something about the design of the pants makes sure it’s not too tight around the gun and avoids displaying the tell-tale shape. The pocket stretches, making it easy to draw the gun, and doesn’t provide much resistance against the draw.

The Cepheus pants provide room and storage for all manner of goodies. This includes guns, fishing gear, EDC gear, and beyond.

Run and Gun With the Cephus Pants

With the Cepheus pants, squatting, climbing, and moving in dynamic ways feel comfortable and natural. I can deliver some serious karate kicks. (If I knew how to do karate kicks.) In reality, doing stuff like loading and unloading a boat, climbing up and down on a truck, or running amok in the great outdoors is comfy and easy. At the range, it’s easy to assume a good kneeling position on the fly. The pants just move with you and provide a crazy amount of comfort.

As it heats up, the soft shell nature doesn’t make them the coolest pants, but they still beat jeans. The cargo pockets and rear pockets are zippered for increased security and to keep you from losing your crap on whatever adventure you dig into. It’s easy to zip and unzip your pockets and retrieve your stuff as needed.

The Cephus pants are an excellent example of the modern 5.11 style of pants. It’s not khaki cargo pants with giant pockets anymore. It’s sleek, modern, and intuitive.

Big Thumbs and Slide Locks – A Curse

Travis Pike

June 18, 2024

The gun industry is built for Goldilocks. The vast majority of guns are built for the average-sized person. Smaller shooters often feel left out and might not realize that bigger shooters are also left out. The guns that fit us are often considered mistakes, like the M16A2 and its ridiculous length of pull. For me, the majority of handguns are fine, but the placement of the slide lock/release almost never works out for me. It’s the curse of big thumbs.

On the vast majority of handguns, my big thumbs pin the slide lock down when I use an aggressive, thumbs-forward grip. Glocks and SIGs are the worst about it. Guns like the Beretta 92 and CZ 75 series provided me with the sweet relief of a work slide lock, but they are few and far between. I tried for years to solve the problem myself.

Let’s see. I’ve tried moving my thumbs, altering my grip, and more, but none of it ever felt natural. I felt like I was giving up control over the gun in some cases. In other cases, I couldn’t get the grip to stick when I began introducing draws, reloads, and other dynamic shooting events. I figured my big thumbs were a curse until I met Rick Hogg, owner of War Hogg Tactical.

Solving the Big Thumbs Problem

Rick is a 29-year special operations veteran and currently a firearms instructor. He teaches classes around the country, and I happened to find myself in one of his Red Dot Courses. He teaches and prefers a slide lock reload. During our speed reload portion of the glass he noticed me having issues with getting the slide to lock to the rear for my reloads.

In about five seconds, he altered my grip and had my support hand just slightly change its position on the grip. Suddenly, the slide lock worked for me. My support hand protected the slide lock from my firing hand thumb. My grip remained high, my firing thumb fell into a natural position, and nothing felt awkward.

Traditionally, my support sat just a hair in front of the slide lock on a Glock 19 lower parts kit. My thumb naturally fell on the slide lock. With this new grip, the meaty portion of my support hand created a slight pocket for the slide lock to sit and remain uninfluenced by the thumb of my firing hand.

He worked on teaching me how to build that into my presentation by showing me a consistent way to wrap my support hand around the grip. We found a constant trigger point that allowed my hand to flow rearward around the grip and find the right position every time.

He also kept me accountable for when I messed it up, not in a rude way, but in a hey-fix-it way. If and when I messed up a reload I had to stop, lock the slide to the rear manually, and conduct a slide lock reload. I quickly learned that my big thumbs weren’t a curse but merely a minor obstacle to work around.

A Work In Progress

What’s the big deal with the slide not locking rearward? First, you might not realize the gun is empty. You get a click instead of a bang, and now you’re wasting time. When the slide locks rearward, you get both a tactile and visual sign that the gun is empty. Using the slide lock is also a much faster way to reload than doing the old slingshot.

I admittedly slipped here and there and still do. However, I saw a massive increase in my speed reload times. Not having to work the slide is a godsend for increasing speed. I learned a bit more than just how to position my thumbs. I learned a lot about how to make the support hand work for me and refined my technique for getting the gun back in action.

Like everything in the gun world, it’s a work in progress, but a slight alteration of my grip has made my life much easier. I was shooting a Glock earlier today, and for what feels like the first time ever, the slide locked to the rear. My big thumbs didn’t pin down Glock’s micro-sized slide lock.

If there are two things to take away from this article it’s that a slight grip change may help my other big-handed brethren, and go out and train. Even if it’s a fundamentals class, you are likely to learn something. I did a pistol red dot fundamentals course and I improved my reload speed. You don’t know what you don’t know, and sometimes even the slightest improvement can evade you without the watchful eye of a skilled instructor.

America’s Rifle: Regal Relevance That Guards European Royalty—The Danish C7A1

P.E. Fitch

June 18, 2024

^{Title Image: A photo of Danish Royal Guards I took on my trip to Copenhagen years ago.}

“America’s Rifle,” the AR-15, has also been at home in many other countries since it first became an entity during the early 1960s. Internationally, if not made and sold by American defense contractors like Colt Defense or FN, a Canadian company formerly known as “Diemaco” and better known today as “Colt Canada” is probably the supplier—at least in the NATO sphere of influence. Colt Canada has made and delivered weapons to several Western European NATO countries, including Denmark. The Danes first adopted their M-16-derived C7A1s in 1995, replacing their former battle rifle, the HK G3.

The C7 and Danish C7A1

A wheel of Colt Canada C7A1s with ELCAN C79 optics at the Danish Krigsmuseet

Colt Canada’s most notable rifle and carbine products revolve around the 5.56mm NATO C7 and C8. The C7 is essentially a license-built M-16, while the C8 is the carbine equivalent. The original C7 dates back to the early 1980s and comes from a similar timeline as the original American M-16A2. In fact, the C7 was heavily influenced by the M-16A1E1 prototype, which was a precursor to the M-16A2 in the United States.

The C7 adopted many of the features found on the M-16A2, such as the longer buttstock and updated A2 handguards. Most importantly, it also took the thicker and heavier M-16A2 20-inch barrel profile with the now-standard 1:7 rifling twist made to stabilize the 62-grain M855 / SS109 5.56 NATO standard cartridge.

On the flip side, the C7’s designers retained the original M-16A carry-handle upper receiver, which has a simplified rear-sight assembly compared to the M-16A2 pattern upper receiver. In the same vein, the C7 keeps the M-16A1’s selector/safety scheme consisting of “Safe, Semi, and Full-Auto,” unlike the “burst” function on the third position of the M-16A2’s selector.

The C7A1 is an updated version of the original fixed-carry handle C7 and is the specific focus of this article since it’s the rifle the Danish military fielded in the mid-1990s. The Danes dubbed it the Gevær M/95. The most important difference between the C7 and C7A1 is the latter’s unique flat-top upper receiver with its own rail derived from the popular Weaver-rail pattern.

The C7A1’s upper receiver rail predates the now-standard Picatinny M-1913 rail, and colloquially, this older rail is also known as the “Colt Canada rail” or “Diemaco rail.”

Gevær M/10 Replaces the Gevær M/95 / C7A1s

Readers might be interested to learn that beginning in 2010, the full-size Gevær M/95 / C7A1s were replaced by the Gevær M/10 (Colt Canada C8 IUR carbine). The majority of the remaining stock is now under the purview of the Royal Danish Life Guards (Livgarden) and the Danish Home Guard (HJV).

The Danish Livgarden

The Danish Royal Life Guards (Den Kongelige Livgarde) is a military unit that dates back centuries, founded in the year 1658. One of the specialized units within the Danish Livgarde is the Vagtkompagniet—or the Danish Royal Guard company. This unit is specifically tasked with permanently keeping the peace over some of Copenhagen’s most important royal and national heritage sites, including the Amalienborg Palace, Kastellet (the old 5-sided citadel on the harbor), Rosenborg Castle/garrison of the Livgarde (also in Copenhagen), and the garrison of Høvelte.

The Royal Guard will also provide watch over other Danish palaces outside of Copenhagen as needed. The Royal Guard are the Danish equivalent of the bearskin headwear and red-clad sentries that stand guard outside Buckingham Palace or St. James in the UK in that both guard royal palaces.

Unlike their British counterparts, the Royal Guard is made up of mostly conscript soldiers. The Danish Royal Guard do wear a ceremonial uniform, typically consisting of a dark blue tunic with lighter blue pants and a bearskin hat of their own style. On special occasions the Danish Guard also wears a bright-red tunic. Equally ceremonial are the Colt Canada C7A1s they carry.

The C7A1 And The Danish Royal Guard

A group of Danish Royal Guards holding their Gevær M/95s Colt Canada C7A1s. If you look closely they have detachable carry-handles, a white sling and the short 9-round magazines. Image source: Wikipedia

The C7A1 rifles carried on duty while keeping the peace at the various royal houses and palaces differ from a standard Danish military C7A1 as the rifles on guard duty include detachable carry handles specifically designed to fit the Colt Canada pattern railed upper receivers. With their carry handles, Guard rifles differ from the rest of the Danish C7A1s which typically include a distinctive standardized ELCAN C79 optic instead.

Royal Guard rifles also have bright white ceremonial slings installed for decorative purposes. Sometimes, the rifles may be seen with attached American-designed M7 bayonets. But one of the most distinctive features of the Royal Guard’s rifle is the specially-made ceremonial 9-round rifle magazine. These give the weapons a flush and trim look and are loaded with 5.56mm NATO cartridges.

Following security concerns during terror attacks in Copenhagen in 2015, Royal Guards also carry fully-loaded 30-round STANAG magazines on their person. But they’re concealed so as to not disrupt their ceremonial uniforms and style.

The Takeaway

Dear reader, if you follow my work, you might consider that this piece is slightly different from most of what I write here. And it’s true, but I’ve had the chance to spectate the Danish Royal Guard on duty while visiting Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen some years back.

Without getting too off-topic here, Europe is fascinating simply due to how full of history its streets and capitals are. Seeing the Danish Royal Guard in person is simply a different experience for me. The guards’ Colt Canada C7A1 / Geværs M/95 made an impression on me because I’d have expected that they carry something more archaic, like a Krag-Jørgensen bolt-action rifle and not a relatively modern M-16 derivative.

After all, regardless of furniture or configurations, the AR-15 is a fact of daily life for many of us shooters here in the United States. Because it’s commonplace, it’s easy to take for granted as an “everyday firearm” that isn’t anything special or exotic. That’s why seeing them protecting palaces and royalty just hits a little differently.

Besides the old-meets-new aspect of this old military corps from Denmark guarding their monarchy with the essential modern rifle, it was also alluring to view the mundane turn regal in a faraway land.

The SIG MP-320 – The Secretive P320 Grip Module

Travis Pike

June 17, 2024

It’s all because of Flux Defense. All of it. What’s it? Well, everything regarding this entire article. First off, they showed that converting a traditional handgun into a PDW can be done effectively, efficiently, and without compromising the gun’s capability. It interested me in the idea of a modern civilian PDW, and I’ve been doing a series on the concept. It was also the Flux Defense Facebook page that introduced me to the SIG MP-320. The MP-320 is not just another grip module from SIG. It’s a unique and radical deviation from the norm, barely advertised or discussed, which piqued my interest.

SIG makes many grip modules, and so do many other companies. However, the Flux Defender Raider series stands out as more than just fancy grip modules. It offers a PDW-sized platform with a spring-loaded brace or stock, a spare magazine holder, and an optics mount. The innovative design of the Flux Raider is a testament to the company’s creativity, and when I saw the MP-320, I couldn’t help but get excited about the enhanced capabilities it brings to the table.

What’s the MP-320

The MP-320 is a grip module that requires you to add your P320 FCU and a complete slide. It’s not a firearm and doesn’t require an FFL transfer. The MP-320 isn’t like any other SIG OEM grip module; instead, like the Flux Raider, it aims to convert your P320 into a big, braced pistol. Into a Personal Defense Weapon, if you will. The MP320 is a grip module, complete with a brace and a top cover that encloses the slide and allows you to add an optic, light, etc, to your firearm.

The MP-320 from SIG aims to turn your P320 into a fairly large subgun. The rear portion of the grip module has a 1913 rail, which makes it easy to attach stocks, sling holders, etc. With an MP-320, you get an AR-type charging handle that connects to a new custom backplate that comes with the MP-320. The system provides a fairly sleek and slick design that offers you plenty of accessorization and converts how the pistol handles.

It’s still a pistol, but it’s a really big one. SIG is selling the MP-320 as a kit. You get the grip module and cover, as well as the PCB brace, charging handle adapter, a 30-round magazine, and even the new SIG ROMEO5 Gen 2. The package will cost 600 dollars, and you’ll have to provide your own slide and barrel. SIG also produced some six-inch threaded barrels to make suppressor use easier, selling for 200 dollars.

Why Haven’t You Heard of the MP-320

The MP-320 was announced three weeks ago, but why haven’t you heard of it? Why hasn’t SIG’s new grip module PDW conversion hit the front page of firearm blogs across the net? Good question. It’s probably because SIG has done nothing to advertise it. It’s not even listed on their website. In fact, you only see it mentioned in one SIG YouTube video.

It’s not even on the main SIG Sauer YouTube channel, but the SIG Academy channel. As of this writing, it sits at a mere 59K views. Also, you can’t purchase it online. It’s only available for sale at the SIG Experience Center. This is where we get into something that’s likely to frustrate some readers.

SIG only plans to produce 800 of these systems. They only produced 200 of the six-inch barrels. Once those 800 are gone, they are gone. This is a bit like the MCX TACOPS and MCX Surge. Once they are gone, SIG will not make any more of them. Why? That’s a great question.

Maybe it’s due to the brace issue? Maybe they will only produce 800 of this version and then produce another version that’s less exclusive? I’m not really sure what SIG plans. The MP-320 seems to be a limited-use item, and maybe it’s just niche enough that it would never demand massive sales.

Better than the Flux?

Comparisons will be immediately drawn to the Flux, which is fair. But is one better than the other? It’s tough to tell without a side-by-side test, but I don’t think it’s a necessary comparison. The MP-320 is larger and heavier than the Flux Raider and doesn’t seem to have the goal of being concealable. The MP-320 and the Flux are a bit like the MP5 and the MP5K. They have different purposes, although they are similar.

Overall, I think the Flux Raider is a bit better thought out and more feature-filled, but it’s interesting to see SIG get into the PDW game in such a limited manner. Will they advertise the MP-320? Are the current buyers beta testers for a bigger product? I can’t say, but SIG seems to be mum on the MP-320 series.

The Cane Gun – A Deceptive Open Carry Option

Travis Pike

June 17, 2024

ball-and-claw-with-dog RIA — Rock Island Armory

I was first introduced to cane guns by James Bond, specifically in the movie The World is Not Enough. It’s worth mentioning that the very first James Bond movie was a television film made in 1954. This often-forgotten film also featured a cane gun. I always thought the idea was interesting and fascinating, but I had no idea there was a fairly rich history of cane guns, and at one point, they were somewhat popular options. Popular enough to be produced by some big names in the firearms industry.

What’s a Cane Gun?

A cane gun is not just a walking stick but a concealed firearm. It’s akin to a cane sword but far more practical. These guns were designed to offer the urban gentleman a stylish walking stick that could also serve as ballistic protection. Walking sticks and canes were not always tools for those with mobility issues. They were once fashionable accessories for the Victorian-era gentleman.

A well-made cane is naturally an excellent melee weapon. In fact, there are historical martial arts focused on using a cane for self-defense. The problem with using the cane as a melee weapon is how close you have to get to the threat, and once you involve a knife or even a firearm, you want as much distance as you can get.

Thus, cane guns were born. These guns were concealable, and a well-dressed man didn’t need to ruin the lines of his suit with a revolver. It would be concealed in plane sight but also quick to action. Cane guns were seen as an option to deal with the 1800s city street crime and allow a gentleman to dispatch hoods, aggressive animals, and other threats.

The Rise of the Cane Gun

One of the largest producers of cane guns in the United States was Remington. Remington called these the Dandy Rifle. A dandy was a well-dressed man of the era who always looked impeccable. This was the type who’d carry a cane as a fashionable accessory. Remington’s naming convention was spot on.

Remington employee John Thomas invented the percussion cane gun and received a patent for the weapon in 1859. The first Remington cane guns were percussion-operated, .31 caliber designs. They were black powder guns, and the firing mechanism was hidden until needed. The barrel was rifled, and the trigger was a simple hidden button that released a striker and fired the weapon. These were not muzzle-loaded, but loaded from the handle side.

These original Remington cane guns looked like gentleman’s canes and were discreet. They were stylish of the era and even lighter than most canes. The guns were produced for only a few years, and roughly 500 were manufactured. Once the Civil War kicked off, production went towards rifles and revolvers for the war effort.

After the war, Remington reintroduced their Dandy cane guns, but this time, they used metallic cartridges. Remington produced .22 rimfire and .32 rimfire cane guns with a similar design to the percussion weapon. It was still striker-fired, and a button released the striker to fire the weapon. Some of these were converted to .32 centerfire, but not by Remington.

Beyond Remington

Over the years, several small companies produced a variety of cane guns. They were popular in Europe and the United States. These guns varied quite a bit in size, caliber, and design. They weren’t all rifles, and some very popular British options were .410s. It’s worth noting that most of these chambers are the original two-inch .410-rounds popular for the era’s garden guns.

Some cane guns even featured removable stocks. A stocked weapon is more accurate, but it can’t see a big market for a long-range cane gun. Some of the more clever designs, like the Bean’s cane gun, used a bending design to turn the handle into a stock. The cane gun world wasn’t massive, but plenty of companies tried their hand at the market.

The Modern Cane Gun

The modern era of firearm production is devoid of cane guns due to the NFA. The National Firearms Act creates a registration scheme that classifies machine guns, suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and shotguns as Title 2 weapons. Within the NFA also sits an AOW or any other weapon category. The AOW category includes guns that don’t look like guns. Cane guns fall into this category.

A large majority of the older cane guns are exempt from the NFA due to their age, but not all of them are, so do your research accordingly. I’ve come across some modern cane guns made as expensive, limited production, or even one-off items. One of my favorites is a titanium cane gun that chambers 9mm and is integrally suppressed. I see photos passed around social media, but I struggle to find whoever created it.

These would be very niche items. Unline yesteryear canes aren’t common unless you have a disability that requires one. It’s also a single-shot firearm, so its utility is limited. I imagine accuracy is limited unless you find a way to mount sights. Imagine the drop testing you’d have to do just to make sure it can’t go off as you bump and hit the ground with it for every step!

I can’t say I don’t want one—specifically, a .410 variant with a 3-inch chamber. Buckshot would at least give me a little better chance of hitting something and give me five pellets for a single-shot weapon. I don’t need a cane, but I might one day, and I’d like one chock full of buckshot if that’s an option. Although, I guess I better move to an open-carry state!

Colt 656 Sniper – The First Flat Top Upper

Travis Pike

June 16, 2024

The flat-top upper receiver has taken over the AR market. Why wouldn’t it? Optics are the norm these days, and iron sights are a mere backup option. As we know, the flat top upper saw service on the M4. Reportedly, a handful of fixed carry handle M4s exist, but by 1994, the standard m4 used a flat top upper with a detachable iron sight system. That started the slow and eventual takeover of the flat-top upper. The M16A4 swung into action in 1997, and now optics rule. That seems great, but what if I told you the first flat-top upper AR was invented in the late 60s and went by the name of the Colt 656 Sniper?

The Colt 656 didn’t feature the same Picatinny rail we are all used to. Instead, it featured a weaver rail system that was more appropriate to the era. The rail sits relatively high on the rifle, but it’s the true flat-top AR design.

The 656 is a continuation of the Colt 655. The Colt 655 was an attempt to create an M16 sniper. The Colt 655 used a heavy barrel on an M16 platform with a scope mount attached to the carry handle. This rifle was known as the high-profile sniper because of how painfully high the optic sits. The 656 design became known as the low-profile sniper.

The Colt 656 And The Needs Of The Army

The military was in Vietnam; they were prepared for the last war, as usual. Prior to entering Vietnam, sniper programs existed, but they weren’t often very formalized. Snipers were often the best shot in a unit, platoon, squad, etc., and they were given scoped rifles. A lot of the American snipers before Vietnam were self-taught, or maybe an intelligent officer designed a short course before the unit deployed.

The Vietnam War challenged American forces with asymmetric warfare, and the jungles hid the enemy well. A well-trained marksman could pick them off and act as a force multiplier. The United States was set on the M16, and with a need for scoped sniper rifles, Colt smelled a contract in the water. This led Colt to develop the 655 and 656 models.

With the 656, they chopped off the carry handle and attached a weaver rail. Then they mounted a scope mount and finally a scope. The scope of choice seemed to be either a Leatherwood or Realist, and both were variable optics with a 3-9X. The reticles consisted of a simple crosshair reticle and were a second focal plane design.

It appears that a rear sight was built behind the rail for non-scoped use. The front sight features an interesting hooded front sight rather than a set of wings like most AR designs. I’m curious as to why they went that route.

The Search For a Sniper

The Colt 656 and 655 never received military contracts, but were put against three other platforms. The first being a National Match M14 with an LTD War Lab ART Scope. The next was an accurized M-14 with the old M1D Garand M-84 scope. The final weapon being a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 but the optic is unknown.

The test went from July to October 1967, and 84 snipers carried a mix of rifles and used them throughout various patrols, missions, and in combat. The end result was 46 kills and nine wounded with the rifles.

The results were interesting. The M16 was disliked for its lack of accuracy beyond 300 yards, and the Realist scopes were fogging up internally. The M14 with the M84 scope had the same problem with fog. The Model 70 was slow and didn’t offer the firepower they desired. The winner became the National Match with the ART Scope.

Of these guns we know the sniper configuration of the M14 became the M21. We also know the Winchester Model 70 did become a sniper rifle and men like Carlos Hathcock utilized the weapon to excellent effect.

The End of the Colt 656

The Colt 656 flat top sniper rifle suffered the same fate as many of Colt’s M16 variants. It retired to the dustbins of history. There doesn’t seem to be any left, although some very dedicated machinists and AR collectors have produced their own replicas of the Colt 656. The rifle was too advanced for 1967, but a few decades later the flat top would establish the standard for AR, M16, and M4 rifles everywhere.

Gunday Brunch 150: David Yamane author of Gun Curious

Keith Finch

June 16, 2024

Today we’ve got David Yamane, author of Gun Curious on the show to discuss his book and his journey into firearms. David also has a YouTube channel at @LightOverHeat

Sheriff Slaughter and the Winchester 1887 – Tales of the Old West

Travis Pike

June 15, 2024

John Slaughter, a man of formidable stature despite his modest height of five foot, six inches, was a living legend. Born in Louisiana in 1841, his true legacy was forged in the Wild West. Slaughter’s life was a tapestry of diverse roles: soldier, a lawman, a cattle baron, a renowned gambler, and a man who wielded the iconic Winchester 1887 shotgun, a weapon that became synonymous with his name.

The Early Life of John Slaughter

Slaughter was a man of action. Even from his early days, he was driven by the desire to make his mark and seek adventure. He enlisted in the Confederacy during the Civil War and served as a soldier. However, with the War’s end and the Confederacy’s fall, he chose to stay in Texas and work as a lawman. It was in Texas that his reputation as a formidable fighter began to take shape. As a Ranger, he confronted the diverse tribes vying for control of the land. He engaged in extensive battles with the Comanche and worked tirelessly to safeguard settlers in the untamed parts of Texas.

Here, he became known as a fearsome gunman. His skill with a rifle and revolver mixed with a cool head under fire earned him a reputation. That reputation, combined with his dark eyes and calm nature, made him a man that wasn’t often trifled with. He also wasn’t a dumb man. In his early life, he learned to speak Spanish, a skill that would serve him well for the rest of his life.

After almost a decade as a Ranger, Mr. Slaughter made his move to cattleman in 1874. He and his brother struck out as cattle drivers. While that doesn’t seem exciting, it involved him transporting cattle through dangerous areas, places rife with bandits, Comanche, and the varied dangers of the western United States. By the late 1870s, he had decided to start a ranch in New Mexico.

Into New Mexico

Since his reputation came from Texas, he became known as Texas John Slaughter, although he was not taken by being called Tex. It was in New Mexico he became quite famous for a violent altercation with a cattle rustler named Barney Gallagher. Gallagher was cheating at poker and Slaughter didn’t take kind to it. He put a .45 in his face, took the pot and left for home.

Gallagher followed shortly after. At Slaughter’s ranch, he told the foreman that he was there to kill John. The foreman relayed the message. Slaughter rode out to meet the man. Gallagher attacked, shooting and charging from his horse. Slaughter fired one shot, killing the man’s horse. When Gallagher climbed to his feet, he continued to attack, and Slaughter fired a second round, killing the man.

After this, Slaughter became a wanted man. He was arrested but freed due to a lack of evidence. After being freed, he went to Arizona, seeking a new start away from New Mexico.

A Lawman Once More

John Slaughter settled in Arizona and was elected sheriff of Cochise County in 1886. The county was most famous for the Shootout of the O.K. Corral, and while Slaughter took no sides in 1881, he did once warn Ike Clanton off his land, or he’d kill him, and Ike never returned.

As sheriff, the man’s penchant for the Winchester 1887 grew. It was a high-tech weapon for the time. Most shotguns were nothing more than double barrels. The Winchester 1887 offered lawmen a true repeating shotgun. It held five rounds in the tubular magazine and worked much like their rifles. It was a 12-gauge design, and the lever action design made it fairly easy to shoot.

When facing men on horses and moving targets, the scattergun was an excellent choice. A scattergun that fired up to six times before it needed to be reloaded was a devastating weapon and force multiplier. It’s easy to see why Slaughter would carry the weapon and why he was fond of it.

John Slaughter worked to clean the streets of Cochise County with his six-gun and shotgun. He chased the Apache Chief Geronimo. He arrested or killed large portions of the Jack Taylor gang. In a firefight with the gang, a round skimmed his right ear lobe. While he was small in stature, his cool-headed nature and skill with a weapon made him a formidable force. The land of Cochise County fell to domestication under the eyes of John Slaughter and the bead of his Winchester 1887.

The Life and Times of John Slaughter

Sheriff Slaughter passed away in February 1922. He lived a long and exciting life—a hard life, for certain. He had lost a wife and numerous children. Most have never heard of him, and it’s likely it’s because he was not the type to self-aggrandize. He was a quiet but stern man. Likewise, he didn’t seek the glory of men like Earp and Wild Bill. He and his shotgun tamed a violent corner of the West, and for that, he deserves to be remembered.

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