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The MP9 – That Time Ruger Sold a Submachine Gun

If I say Ruger, what do you think? Ruger is a fairly diverse company. Some might picture their robust revolvers in a variety of calibers. Others may picture their affordable handgun lineups. Still, others might think of the slick and absolutely wonderful No. 1 rifle series, maybe their affordable AR series, or even something like the Mini 14. What I doubt many people picture is the Ruger MP9 submachine gun. Yes, at one point, Ruger wanted to get into the SMG market and did so with one of its most famed designers. 

The Ruger MP9 – An Improved Uzi 

It was the mid-1990s. Short carbines hadn’t wiped submachine guns off the international military and police table just yet. They were still a popular option for law enforcement and special operations use. Ruger decided to try to cash into that market and introduced the MP-9 into its catalogs in 1995. 

The design is a bit older than the 1990s and tracks by the 1980s. Israeli firearms designer Uziel Gal looked to improve his design. The Uzi entered legendary status. Its compact design made it a favorite for various special operations forces, and it participated in numerous Israeli military campaigns. The United States Secret Service even accepted the weapon. 

Ruger

The Uzi was good but had some dated features. Namely, it fired from an open bolt. Open bolt designs are less reliable, safe, and accurate than closed bolt weapons. The MP5 established closed bolt superiority. In addition to closing the bolt, a number of changes were made to the Uzi to create the first prototypes. These were labeled the Model 201 guns. 

A story relayed in Ruger and His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company & Their Firearms states that Bill Ruger sent two men to Canada to meet with Uziel. Bill Ruger wanted to get even deeper into the military and police market. There, they test-fired the weapons and reported back to Bill that they seemed well-made and easy to operate. 

RUGER

With that, Ruger purchased the design and the right to produce it. 

Bill Ruger and the New Uzi 

Bill Ruger decided there were further improvements they could make to the gun. The most noticeable was the use of polymer for the lower receiver. The use of Zytel reduced weight and likely cost. The MP9 also got a firing pin block and a bolt lock, as well as a magazine redesign for easier reloading. While the changes are notable, Uziel Gal’s design was still under the hood. 

The MP9 used a straight blowback design with closed bolt operation. The fire selector is just like the traditional Uzi. The grip safety is done away with, but the gun still uses a top charging handle. Near the sights sits a small set of weaver rails, for what is anyone’s guess. They are too small for optics and would position an optic to be blocked by the charging handle.

Ruger

In an odd move, the gun doesn’t use a Uzi magazine but a proprietary magazine based on the Steyer MPI89 mags.

The frame design is a radical departure from the standard Uzi. It features a small integrated foregrip and rear strut that acts as a rest for the folding stock. The stock folds downward, but not like a traditional under folder. The overall design is very compact. 

The Failure of the Improved Uzi 

Ruger didn’t sell many of the guns. Supposedly, they had to work hard to eliminate the meager initial production run and didn’t make more than that. The guns were relatively expensive and placed oddly on the market. For a bit more, one could buy a higher-end, roller-delayed MP5. Similarly, you could buy any number of direct blowback SMGs for a lot less. 

Bill Ruger also wouldn’t sell dealer samples, so you had to buy the MP9 directly from Ruger. This likely didn’t help Ruger make any sales. Guns were never popular and are quite rare these days. The MP9 series faded away, and Ruger remained free from the submachine gun market after that. 

Ruger

Civilian sales weren’t possible due to the Hughes Amendment, and I doubt Bill Ruger would sell to the average Joe if he could. Semi-auto pistol variants weren’t exactly possible, either. It was in the midst of the Assault Weapon Ban. Fixed magazines didn’t seem practical, and the weapon weighed over 50 ounces. 

The MP9 wasn’t meant to make it and that’s sad for a weapon of the Uzi lineage. If IMI/IWI owned the design I bet we’d have a braced version by now, but Ruger isn’t IWI. 

XS Sights Introduces DXT2 PRO Series Night Sights

Fort Worth, Texas (August 14, 2024) – XS® Sights is pleased to introduce DXT2 PRO Series night sights for self-defense. This improved Big Dot line offers increased durability and corrosion resistance due to the upgraded tritium lamps and BlackNitride surface finish. The PRO Series is also the first XS Big Dot available with a green glow dot front sight which delivers high contrast in bright light while glowing extremely bright in low light.

The DXT2 PRO Series sights offer the same exceptional benefits of the original XS Big Dots. They have a large, easy-to-see tritium front sight with dual-illumination technology for high visibility in low light and a rear tritium stripe for fast and easy vertical alignment. The overall design and sheer size of the dot, at 0.188”, drive focus to the front sight for lightning-fast target acquisition.

“The DXT2 PRO Series sights are our most rugged night sights to date, and we’re excited to offer a green front sight for the first time in the Big Dot,” said Jeff King, Marketing Manager, XS Sights. “Green is a great option because it offers high contrast in both bright and low light, which is key because we know defensive situations are unpredictable and happen in a wide variety of lighting conditions.”

Made with American materials and CNC machined in Fort Worth, Texas, the DXT2 PRO Series is designed for defensive shooting and will help get you on target faster in high-stress situations.

Retail Price: $153.99

The DXT2 PRO Series is currently available in the following models:

Available Models

Glock 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 45, & 47

Glock 20, 21, 29, 30, 30S, 37, 40, & 41

Glock 42, 43, 43X, & 48

About XS Sights

XS sights are backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty. The company also offers a 12-year illumination warranty on all tritium products. For more information, visit www.xssights.com.

XS Sights is known for making the fastest sights in any light. For more than 25 years, the XS team has created some of the most innovative sights on the market today for pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Whether used for personal defense or hunting, these sights are designed and built to be the absolute best for their specific purpose. American Made. Texas Proud. 2A Strong.

Burris Veracity PH Riflescope

Burris Veracity PH Riflescope Long Range Distance

The Burris Optics Veracity riflescope product family made its original debut not too long ago. Its biggest claim to fame, its “it” factor if you will, is its technologically advanced heads-up display (HUD) that provides the rifle shooter with real-time information about their distance to target and relevant wind holds, along with other details. Now, the optic line grows in 2024 with a shorter and lighter design, offering two new reticle designs and an improved optics system ED glass. Introducing the Burris Veracity PH riflescope.

The main idea behind the Burris Veracity PH is, of course, to facilitate longer-distance rifle shots. It does this by providing the necessary information at one’s fingertips—well, maybe in front of your eyeballs—with the HUD.

The system displays MOA clicks in either yards or meters. Redundant 1/4 MOA laser markings provide a non-digital backup. The riflescope also operates standalone from the BurrisConnect App as well. The optic features a 5X zoom system with bright, clear glass. It comes with side focus/parallax adjustment, Wind MOA FFP reticle, and zero turn stop adjustment on both windage and elevation turrets.

From Our Friends At Athlon Outdoors

“Revolutionary” gets thrown around pretty recklessly in media. We know, we do it too from time to time. When you’re a gun nerd, it’s hard to not get caught up in the new guns and gear from time to time. But we really should reserve the term for products that break new ground.

Well, we think the new Burris Veracity PH riflescope does just that. Because this optic blends a unique digital turret system with a built-in Heads-Up Display (HUD) unit, giving shooters an incredible access to ballistic data. And it does so while hitting a price point many shooters can likely afford.

For more information, please visit BurrisOptics.com.

American Tomahawk Company Scout Knife

The American Tomahawk Company doesn’t just do tomahawks and axes. They also make knives. One of their latest is about to drop, and it’s a slick one. The Scout Knife will be available in mid-August, so let’s take a look at what’s coming.

ATC Scout Knife

ATC’s Scout knife is inspired by the classic American Bowie. It shares the up-swept, clip-point blade but is in a lot handier size. It’s designed to be a camp utility knife, but wouldn’t be out of place strapped to your plate carrier either. The Scout is right around nine and a half inches overall and weighs just under 10 ounces. It’s big enough for camp prep and splitting kindling but not so big that it can’t be used for finer tasks. ATC says it’ll work for food prep and making fuzz sticks, too.

The Scout knife has a 4 3/4 inch blade made from Nitro V stainless steel. It has a Rockwell hardness rating of 59-60, which should lead to excellent edge retention. The blade is a stout 3/16-inch thick to take the abuse a camp or field knife might encounter. It has a matte, tumbled finish that’s low-key and easy to maintain.

The handles on the Scout knife are made from black G10. They feature vertical texturing for a positive grip without being overly aggressive. According to ATC they’ll work in wet or dry conditions, and with or without gloves. The Scout ships with an ambidextrous kydex sheath that can be set up in a variety of carry methods.

I haven’t gotten this one in hand yet, but it’s the size and style that I typically prefer for a field knife. Knowing ATC’s build quality I’m sure the Scout knife is going to be solid performer. As always, it’s backed by ATC’s “post croak” warranty that covers the lifetime of the tool, not just the person using it.

Specifications

Overall Length: 9 5/8”
Blade Length: 4 3/4”
Blade Thickness: 3/16"
Weight: 9.9 ounces without sheath
Blade: Nitro-V (HRC 59-60)
Handles:  Black G10
Handle Fasteners:  Grade 5 Titanium
Sheath: Kydex
MSRP: $245.00 USD 

For more information, check out AmericanTomahawk.com.

Interdynamics AB Made Some Real Weird Guns

I’m a fan of historical weapons and a fan of weird weapons. Occasionally, there is a cross roads of historical and weird. Actually, that happens a lot. Weird guns rarely make it past the prototype stage, and that happened more than a time or two with a little company called Interdynamics AB. This Swedish company wasn’t shy about making weird and interesting firearms. Unsurprisingly the one gun that succeeded was a fairly standard one, and it only succeeded on the civilian market. 

Who is Interdynamics AB

Interdynamics AB was a Swedish company that manufactured firearms from the late 1970s to seemingly the mid-1980s. Sadly, there isn’t much information about the company while it resided in Sweden. After it moved to the United States, things got a little lively, and the history became a little clearer. 

One thing we do know is that George Kellgren worked as an engineer with Interdynamics AB while living in Sweden. George Kellgren is famously the owner of KelTec. Two of Interdynamics AB’s rifles were super weird, which makes sense. KelTec famously makes some of the weirdest guns on the market. 

George Kellgren’s role in the development of the MKR and MKS assault rifles remains a mystery. However, given his current work with KelTec, it’s hard not to speculate that he had a significant influence on their design. We do know that he played a key role in the creation of their most successful firearm, the MP-9, and was instrumental in the company’s move to the United States. 

The Interdynamic MKS 

Interdynamic AB’s first weird rifle prototype was the MKS. It was created in 1979, as intermediate cartridges were becoming all the rage. The MKS utilized the 5.56 caliber round with a fairly conventional gas-operated design. Most sources list the rounds per minute as between 700 and 1,000. It’s tough to say if it’s variable or just poorly calculated. 

Things got weird because it seemed like someone looked at the Uzi, said that’s a great idea, and took some cues from that. Mainly, they used the detachable magazine as the pistol grip. I’m sure everyone reading this has held an AR magazine and realized it’s not quite ergonomic to use as a grip. The end goal was to create a very small rifle, which they seemed to have accomplished. 

The rifle also featured a folding stock. It folded to the side, and overall, it was extremely compact. Of all the ideas out there, this was certainly one of them. The rifle was tested in the Philippines according to the Small Arms of the World: A Basic Manual of Small Arms but was found to be uncomfortable—not much of a surprise. The weapon faded away, but Interdynamics wasn’t done with assault rifles. 

The Interdynamics MKR 

Interdynamics learned some lessons from the MKS when they began developing the MKR. Namely, they learned that you can make a short rifle without using the magazine as a pistol grip. The MKR was a more traditional bullpup, which feels odd to type as bullpups are anything but traditional. 

The MKR came in two models, the normal of the two being the 5.56 model, which used a gas-operated design. The 5.56 variant used an early production polymer nylon magazine made by GAPCO. The second model used a super high-velocity 4.5x25mm round that fed from a rear-mounted, crescent-shaped magazine that held 50 cartridges. The 4.5 round was a rimfire cartridge with a solid copper bullet. The 4.5 model used direct blowback operation. 

The MKR featured a top-mounted charging handle, a lever-style safety, and roughly AR-height sights. The MKR series didn’t exist outside of a few prototypes, and I won’t lie; I want Kellgren to bring back the crescent-shaped magazines with a 5.7x28mm option. I don’t think we’ll see that, but a man can dream. 

The MP-9 

The Swiss produced the Carl Gustaf M/45 for years, and it was an amazing submachine gun—one of the true greats. However, it was dated, and the Swiss wanted to replace it. George Kellgren designed the MP-9 for Interdynamics, and they entered it into the contest. The gun didn’t succeed in Sweden and didn’t replace the M/45. 

The MP-9 featured a direct blowback system and open bolt operation. That’s standard and arguably even dated in 1983. However, the gun did make use of a polymer frame design which was new for the era. While we love polymer frames these days, they weren’t the standard in the early 80s. The weapon featured a sliding wire stock, a ventilated handguard, and a forward grip. 

While the gun didn’t succeed in Sweden, it came to America. Kellgren started the American arm of Interdynamics and partnered with an American partner. The company produced the KG-9, which evolved into the infamous TEC-9. 

The End of Interdynamics AB 

There doesn’t seem to be much mention of Interdynamics AB on the internet these days. Kellgren sold the company to an American partner and started Grendel and, eventually, KelTec. Interdynamics and its wacky designs faded away, and we never saw another attempt to create a bullpup rifle with its magazine as its pistol grip. 

STREAMLIGHT WEDGE

When it comes to EDC gear, a pocket flashlight is a must as far as I’m concerned. Sure, a cell phone might have a flashlight app or setting, but an actual flashlight beats that six ways to Sunday. Think about it, how many times have you left the house and realized you forgot to charge your phone? Would you want to rely on that minimal charge in a power outage? The light from a flashlight is much more focused than that from a cell phone, too.

Streamlight Wedge

I’ve been a fan of Streamlight for a long time. They’ve never let me down. The Wedge first came on the scene a few years back, and it immediately garnered a lot of attention. It has a thin, compact design that’s perfect for deep-pocket carry. It has two illumination modes: 300 lumens for everyday use and a 1,000-lumen momentary THRO® (Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output) mode. The control is a simple rotating thumb switch on the side of the light.

New Colors

The Wedge was originally only available in black and coyote tan. I chose the latter, and while boring, it served me well. Recently, Streamlight decided to up their razzle-dazzle game and added red, purple, and blue colorways to the Wedge lineup. I went with blue because, well, I’m admittedly a sucker for blue gear. One reason is that blue doesn’t blend in with anything you’ll find on the ground in the outdoors. If I drop the Wedge, I’ll be able to find it easily.

The red and purple are quite striking as well, and any of these new colors will add some pop to the EDC loadout.

Streamlight Wedge Specs

The Wedge is 5.46 inches long and 1.0 inch high and it has a body made from anodized aluminum. It tips the scales at a modest 3.3 ounces. The light is IPX7-rated for waterproof operation up to one meter and is also impact-resistance tested for the same one meter.

A USB-C cord is included for charging the 1500 mAh lithium battery. At a full charge, the Streamlight Wedge has about a 3-hour runtime. Considering that most of us use a flashlight for just a few minutes at a time, this charge lasts longer than you might think.

A reversible pocket clip means you can carry it concealed on either side of your body. It’s slim and flat, and it rides somewhat similar to an OTF knife in your pocket.

I’ve owned a ton of different pocket flashlights over the years, with all sorts of bells and whistles. The Streamlight Wedge is truly a favorite. It’s simple and easy to operate, even under stress. It carries comfortably, it’s dependable, and it just plain works. With the new colors that are available, now it looks as great as it functions.

The Wedge has an MSRP of $173.49.

For more information, please visit Streamlight.com.

Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360

Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360

The Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360 is a versatile multi-caliber suppressor that was created and rated to handle everything from the small 9mm Luger pistol caliber to the gargantuan .338 Lapua Magnum extreme long-range rifle cartridge. This means that with the right adapter and barrel mounts, the Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360 can be used with a handgun, a sub gun, a PCC (pistol caliber carbine), and a bolt action precision or hunting rifle. As long as the diameter of the projectile you’re shooting is a fit, the Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360 is good to go! Besides that, the Alaskan 360 suppressor is built from Grade 5 Titanium and is extremely lightweight for its size.

From Our Friends At Athlon Outdoors

“It goes from 9mm all the way up to .338 Lapua,” said Travis Taylor, Rugged Suppressors. “You can run it on your MP5 all day long, and then swap it over to your bolt gun and you’re good to go.”

The Alaskan 360 utilizes the Rugged Universal Mount (R.U.M.). The system delivers modularity, accommodating all Rugged rifle mounts, along with several industry standard variants. The Rugged mount utilizes a dual taper locking system, providing a concentric lockup, protecting threads from carbon build up, according to Rugged. Built from US Grade 5 Titanium, the full system, with can, tips the scales at a mere 11.8 ounces.

Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360 Specifications

Rugged Suppressors Alaskan 360 Specifications:

  • Caliber: Rifle, up to .338 Lapua; Pistol or Subgun, up to 9mm (.35 caliber diameter)
  • Diameter: 1.6 inches
  • Overall Length: 7.5 inches (with R.U.M.); 6.6 inches (without R.U.M.)
  • Overall Weight: 11.8 ounces (with R.U.M.); 9.4 ounces (without R.U.M.)
  • At Ear dB: 130.1-140.9 dB (caliber dependent)
  • Baffles: 17-4 Stainless Steel
  • Body: 17-4 Stainless Steel
  • Mount: US Grade 5 Titanium
  • Finish: High Temp Cerakote
  • Front Cap: US Grade 5 Titanium
  • MSRP: $1,099

Please visit ruggedsuppressors.com to learn more.

Atypical Variants of the FN FAL

The FN FAL, aka the right arm of the free world, aka the gun America should have picked over the M14, is one of the world’s most popular battle rifles. The FAL series served most of the Western democracies in the world and serves to this day with a variety of nations without the budget to acquire F35s. From the beginning, there have been a number of oddballs, from prototypes to war-fighting fielded FALs. Let’s examine some of these historically atypical FALs.

FN Universal Carbine

The FN Universal Carbine was the very first FAL. It was 1947, and the idea of the assault rifle was a hot commodity. The first caliber the FAL chambered was the 7.92x33mm Kurz round. This same round was famously designed for the STG 44. It’s worth noting it doesn’t seem like FN ever intended to chamber the gun in 7.92x33mm Kurz.

(Gun Wiki)

FN used the cartridge to make a functioning gun while waiting for the new NATO cartridge to rear its head. The concept of an assault rifle existed, but the Western forces were looking at full-powered rifle rounds. FN is a Belgian company, but the original Universal Carbine was produced in the U.K. 

Belgian engineers who fled from the Nazi occupation worked at TSAF Enfield and built the weapon there. At first glance, it’s an uncanny valley version of the FAL, but you can see the gun’s origins clear as day.

The FAL .280 Experimental Automatic Carbine, Short Model

Another experimental prototype took the FAL and converted it to a bullpup. The British really loved this idea of bullpup rifles and experimented with them a ton before settling on the standard FAL. The bullpup variant looks almost nothing like a FAL. There is some resemblance in the receiver, but not much. 

(Gun Wiki)

The engineers experimented with the British .280 caliber round. The Brits were throwing a lot of weight behind the cartridge. It is a 7x43mm round that’s a bit of a mutt. It’s not quite a full-powered rifle round and not quite an intermediate caliber. The Brits pushed hard for this round and experimented with it in a number of designs. 

The FAL .280 Experimental Automatic Carbine Short Model was found to be unreliable and uncomfortable to shoot. Thus, the idea of a bullpup FAL was killed. However, the Brits still worked on developing the EM series of .280 caliber bullpups. 

FN FAL SALVO Model

Speaking of the EM series, the EM designer Stefan Kenneth Janson came to America and worked for Olin-Winchester. In the 1950s, the US Military worked on Project SALVO, which aimed to provide a weapon that could fire multiple projectiles to increase hit probability. The SALVO series incorporated numerous ideas, including weapons with multiple barrels. 

(armeiro)

Stefan Janson developed a twin-barreled FN FAL rifle for the contest while working for Olin-Winchester. He grafted two FALs together. The guns had a custom-built receiver, and they shared a single gas system. Each barrel had its own magazine, and the gun held forty rounds total. 

The SALVO FAL fired the 5.56 T56 Duplex Cartridges. These cartridges held two projectiles per case. One projectile weighed 35 grains, and the other weighed 41 grains. With two barrels firing duplex rounds, the weapon fired four rounds per trigger pull. The downside was intense recoil, which sidelined the gun. 

Israeli FALO

For a very long time, the Israeli forces carried a hodgepodge of different firearms. This includes a mix of battle rifles from World War II and handguns from everywhere. It was a logistical nightmare. To standardize their weapons, they adopted the FN FAL and the Uzi. They ordered two FAL variants: a standard model and a heavy-barrel model. 

The Heavy barrel model, known as the FALO, was utilized as a squad automatic support weapon. Outside of the heavy barrel, the gun featured a perforated metal sleeve around the barrel, a heat shield inside the wooden handguard, and a folding bipod. The gun integrated into the squad well, and it was noted to be efficient because of its ability to share magazines with the rest of the squad. 

Israeli forces built their tactics around the support weapon. It proved to be fairly effective during the Suez Crisis. The FALO served until the early 1970s when Israelis moved away from the battle rifle and into the assault rifle. They remained in service with reserve forces and are likely still bouncing around some Israeli police armory. 

The FN FAL – Beyond Successful 

The FN FAL is the western AK. It’s spread far and wide amongst a wide variety of different countries. The FAL still functions quite well, even on modern battlefields. There are a lot worse guns to carry. Its success and widespread use guarantee that a few weird and atypical options will rear their ugly head. 

The US Army and Project SALVO

(armeiro)

Over the years, the Army has launched a lot of different programs. In a post-World War II world, the Army didn’t even have a strict, focused method of moving forward. While the M-14 trapped us to tradition, there were parts of the Army doing all sorts of experiments with flechettes, proprietary .22 caliber M1 Carbines, and Project Salvo. 

Old weapons development programs tickle my tism just right, and I find myself pouring over old reports and trying to work through poorly scanned PDFs to get little nuggets of ancient information. One running theme I discovered that lasted from the 1950s up into the 1990s was the idea of multi-projectile weapons. These guns fired one cartridge but multiple projectiles per trigger pull. 

That sounds a lot like shotguns, but Project Salvo aimed to provide multiple projectiles to rifles and machine guns. Project Salvo was an Army program that officially lasted from 1952 to 1960. However, some of their findings and ideas kicked around a lot longer than that. 

Project Salvo – 1952-1960 

Project Salvo experimented with various multi-projectile weapons. The program’s goal was to improve a soldier’s hit probability per trigger pull. The project explored three different avenues for multi-projectile weapons.

Single Barrel – Multi-Projectiles 

One experiment utilized special duplex ammo. These cartridges featured one case but two projectiles. They were rifled through rifles and machine guns. The M198 Duplex round was a 7.62 NATO cartridge that looked fairly normal—inside the case sat another .30 Caliber projectile. This was seen as a simple, affordable option that would work with established weapons. These were designed to increase hit probability within 300 yards. 

Project Salvo also developed a .22 Duplex cartridge and a .30 Cal Triplex cartridge. The M198 went the furthest in testing. 

International Cartridge Collectors

The SAWS project tested duplex cartridges and found them unreliable. They created excessive chamber pressures and developed pierced primers. The same SAWS test found that at longer ranges, there might be an increase in shots on a target, but it was a small increase. At ranges up to 163 meters, there was no difference in hit potential. Duplex did have good results from 45 to 320 meters with aimed fire while the test forces were in the defense. Duplex rounds landed more rounds on target than standard ammo. 

In testing against 5.56 caliber weapons with standard ammo, the 5.56 still beat the Duplex rounds. It turns out that aimed fire with less recoil was more effective than throwing two .30 rounds at a target. Automatic fire with standard ammo was also proven to be more effective. 

Multi Barrel Weapons 

Project Salvo also experimented with multiple-barrel weapons that fired in salvos. America wasn’t alone in this experiment, and the Soviets tried some multi-barreled weapons. For this portion of Project Salvo Springfield Armory and Winchester-Olin, weapons with multiple barrels were developed that fired multiple rounds per trigger pull. 

Springfield Armory developed a three-barreled bullpup rifle that fed from a fairly complicated magazine. This volley-fired assault rifle chambered .22 caliber projectiles and used a complicated feeding system so that all three barrels would be fed from a single magazine. 

Olin-Winchester produced a twin-barreled FAL converted to a duplex 5.56 cartridge. Stefan Janson, the man behind the British EM-2, designed this weapon. The rifles shared a single gas system. The rifle effectively fired four rounds per trigger pull with the twin barrels and duplex cartridges. 

Both riddles had excessive recoil and were very clunky and tough to field for an individual soldier. The guns were impractical as a whole and remained in the 50s. 

AAI Flechettes

AAI began developing a flechette-based shotgun shell before Project Salvo and received funding from the Navy. The Army added funding and invited AAI to join Project Salvo with their 12 gauge flechette shotgun shell. 

This 12-gauge shotgun shell held 32 flechettes. These were very lightweight flechettes but showed promise. According to Project Salvo, a flechette can penetrate a steel helmet at 500 yards. The downside was that the flechettes spread rapidly and inconsistently, creating a massive spread. 

Flechette shotgun shells were used in Vietnam in limited numbers. They were found to be inefficient and less effective than standard buckshot. 

The flechette idea was kept. This led to a 5.6x53mm XM110 round, which loaded a single flechette. The Army created a Winchester Model 70 to chamber the round. It was very efficient, within 400 yards, with minimal recoil. 

Experiments with flechette ammo would continue long after Project Salvo ended. The last one ended in the 1990s. 

The End of Project Salvo 

Project Salvo ended in 1960. Like most of the projects of this era, a lot of the research went nowhere. The most we got out of Project Salvo was some flechette artillery rounds. The ideas were a little off the wall, but we only say that now, with lots of experience and hindsight. The end of Project Salvo essentially concluded that the military should adopt the AR-15/M16 in 5.56 to increase hit probability. Funny how that worked out. 

Gunday Brunch 156: What Distance to Zero a Pistol?

Holy cow, three years of Gunday Brunch!

ASP Introduces the New Police Duty Knife (PDK)

Armament Systems and Procedures, more commonly known as ASP, has a new line of police duty knives out. Aptly called the PDK, for Police Duty Knife, these knives are designed for police officers. The duty knives will complement the ASP handcuffs and batons that many police officers already carry.

The ASP Police Duty Knife

ASP’s Police Duty Knife series was designed by its in-house product designers in conjunction with knife engineering and manufacturing experts. Those folks designed the PDK with input from active law enforcement officers. They wanted to make a tool that was tough, practical, and affordable to the average street cop.

Materials and Construction

The PDK knives use a 3.5-inch drop point blade of AUS-8 stainless steel. AUS-8 has a good balance of edge retention and ease of re-sharpening. It’s also very corrosion-resistant and affordable. There are certainly a lot of newer wonder steels out there, but you’ll pay a heck of a lot more for them. AUS-8 has been around for a long time and works well. Blades are available in either a black PVD or stonewashed finish.

The PDKs open using a back flipper, assisted opening mechanism. There’s also a thumb groove in the blade if you prefer to open your knife that way. Both methods offer ambidextrous use. The PDK is held open by means of a liner lock. The scales of the PDK are made from textured G-10 scales. You can get either a flat or grooved profile handle in either of the blade finishes. ASP adds its signature Shark Fin™ jimping to the back of the blade for additional control during use.

The Police Duty Knife has an ambidextrous deep carry pocket clip set up for tip-up carry. A unique feature of the PDK is that the clip is not held on by a small Torx screw like most clips. It uses a quick-release pocket clip system that’s engaged by using the double lock pin on a handcuff key. This system eliminates having to worry about tiny screws and extra tools, especially since every cop has a handcuff key on them.

Some final aesthetic touches are the Thin Blue Line tribute spacer in the spine of the knife and a die-struck ASP Eagle medallion mounted over the pivot pin on the right side of the handle.

Price and Availability

I had a chance to check out the Police Duty Knife prototypes at the SHOT Show earlier this year. They’re a good-looking tool and feel good in the hand. The action was fast and smooth, and the lock-up was tight. The ASP Police Duty Knife has an MSRP of $90.00, which is even a little less than they estimated back in January. Better still, ASP has them currently listed at $79.00.

While these knives are geared toward law enforcement, they’d make a nice EDC knife for anyone wanting a solid utility folder.

Specifications

  • 3.5 Inch, AUS-8 Steel Blade
  • Textured G-10 Scales
  • Assisted Opening
  • Quick-Reverse Clip
  • Blue Line Accent

For more information, please visit ASP-USA.com.

Good Buys – Highwild Target Stands

Sometimes, I stumbled across stuff that’s a good buy for gun guys and gals but doesn’t exactly rate an entire review. It’s simply not interesting enough, but I still like to share the good stuff I find out there. I recently purchased a set of target stands for my new range and have been quite impressed with their design. They come from a company called Highwild, which seems to be an importer of mostly target goods out of China. Their products primarily sell on Amazon and can be easily regulated to cheap junk. However, they proved to be a solid buy. 

The Highwild Target Stands 

I’ve been using these target stands a lot lately. They’ve made running drills much more interesting and made it a lot easier to position targets for said drills. In the past, I’ve buried furring strips, built target stands from PVC, used large cardboard boxes, and a lot of silly, improvised methods of standing up targets. I got sick of that and finally went shopping for target stands. 

I picked up this set of adjustable target stands for less than 50 dollars shipped. I’m no affiliate, so I won’t spam a link, but it’s easy enough to find with a search. The pair of adjustable target stands retail for 47 dollars or so at the time of this writing. While the products are Chinese-made, they aren’t shipped from China, so you don’t have to wait around three months for them to arrive. 

Target stands are simple. They hold the target. The Highwild Target Stands do that without any problems. The target stands are made from powder-coated steel and feature an adjustable base. It can adjust from eight to 24 inches to accommodate a ton of different target sizes. I was primarily interested in running them wide and mounting man-sized targets to them. 

Adjust It 

At the base, the target stand slides apart, and a simple screw can lock the target stands at one setting. The stands have three slots for furring strips. Furring strips are thin pieces of wood that are typically cheap and easily available at any hardware store that sells wood. They drop right into the slots on the target stand, and you can easily attach cardboard to the furring strips. Slap your targets on the cardboard, and you’re ready to rock and roll. 

The bottom of the stands are quite wide and do well on uneven terrain. They don’t fall over with normal use, and convincing them otherwise takes a ton of wind. Even if it’s windy, there are four slots for stakes, which are even included. With the target stands staked down, I think the target backer will rip before the stands fall. 

The powder-coated steel has had no rust problems. I live in coastal Florida, and it’s raining quite a bit. The rain often sinks the stands into the dirt. Yet, the Highwild Target Stands haven’t rusted. I’m sure they will eventually, but they’re doing great in the first month of humid coastal Florida conditions. 

Worth It 

Target stands have one job: hold a target up. They excel at their one task. They are also adaptable for different targets, lightweight, easy to adjust, and stable. For the price point, I expected a lot less. If you have a home range, I think the Highwild Target Stands will serve you well. 

Galco’s Revenger Belt Holster for 2 1/2″ S&W K Frames

Galco’s Revenger Belt Holster is now available for 2 1/2-inch S&W K Frames. The Revenger is a top-of-the-line holster from Galco’s Masterbilt series of best-quality, premier-grade holsters with a design exclusively for wheelguns.

The Galco Revenger was previously only available for 3-inch barrel Colt Python, Ruger GP-100, and Smith & Wesson L frames. A Python is shown in the pics, but the new ones will fit 2 1/2-inch S&W Model 19s and 66s. It should also work with 2-inch K frames like the Model 10 or Model 15.

The Galco Revenger

The Galco Revengers are constructed of top-grade, fully-lined premium steerhide. They’re available in either black or tan finishes. Like all of the Masterbilt series, they’re hand-molded for both secure retention as well as beautiful appearance. The Revenger holsters have a smooth leather lining and a molded in sight rail that protects the finish on your gun. It also makes for a smooth draw and reholstering. It has a near-neutral (vertical) cant for a fast draw. The Revenger has metal-reinforced tunnel-style belt loops that work with belts up to 1 1/2 inches wide.

I had a chance to work with the Galco Speedmaster earlier this year, and it’s an excellent holster. The Revenger is a step up from the Speedmaster, which is truly impressive. They look good enough to show off your favorite barbecue gun, but are practical enough for everyday carry.

They have an MSRP of $259.00. While not inexpensive, it’s very competitive compared to many custom makers, and you’re getting the same level of quality that you’d see in other handmade holsters.

Features:

Lined, premium steerhide construction
Hand-molded by master craftsmen
Reinforced mouth and belt tunnel
Near-neutral cant
Fits belts up to 1 1/2″
Black or tan
MSRP: $259.00

For more information, please visit GalcoGunleather.com.

The Benchmade Shootout – A Lightweight EDC

I’m not a knife guy, but I can most certainly enjoy a nice knife. I also like automatic knives. I love the idea of the switchblade. Maybe it’s the fact that they face some silly laws, much like guns, that makes me appreciate them. The fact that automatic knives are banned so widely when most non-auto knives are just as fast is downright silly. Benchmade has been a big advocate of the automatic knife and has recently released the Shootout. 

The Shootout – Break It Down 

The Infidel has long been the company’s flagship automatic knife, and I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. However, the Shootout approaches the automatic knife world with a more practical perspective. Unlike the Infidel, the Shootout isn’t a dagger but a single-sided blade with a polymer handle. The automatic design features a double-action mechanism, making it a versatile tool. We get a reversible pocket clip and a lanyard loop, adding to its practicality. 

The Shootout has a 3.51-inch blade and an 8.22-inch overall length. Impressively, it weighs only 2.8 ounces—just under half the Infidel. The swap to a polymer handle makes a big difference. The Shootout uses a carbon-reinforced nylon polymer designed for strength and rigidity. 

The blade features a bit of a soft nato design. It doesn’t have the same sharp corners as most tanto designs. The blade features a PVD-coated finish to resist corrosion. The Shootout comes in numerous colors, and I went with purple to engage my inner Mace Windu. Offering multiple colors outside the typical black/FDE/olive rainbow is clever. If you aim to market this as a practical EDC tool, don’t get stuck with the tactical idea. 

The Blade 

The Shootout features a 3.51-inch blade made from CPM-CruWear. CruWear is a tool steel that’s not specialized but premium steel. It’s an excellent general all-around option for a high-end EDC option. It holds an edge very well, is a tough steel that resists damage, and is not hard to sharpen. The only downside is rust resistance. Even then, it’s not going to rust up quickly. The PVD-Coat will certainly help. 

I can’t say I love a Tanto blade for EDC use. I’m a big clip-point guy. If that makes me a vanilla knife owner, then so be it. I find the clip point better suited for what I use a knife for. I don’t see myself needing the extra penetration power of the tanto to open Amazon boxes. The soft tanto with the hard corner still gives us a decent belly for leading cuts. 

It certainly slices very easily. I’ve cut open boxes, cut through tape, cut up a bottle to turn it into an ad-hoc dog water bowl, and done those basic everyday tasks a knife gets called in for. I haven’t had a chance to test it with skinning game, but bow season isn’t that far away. 

The Shootout provides a nice, long, thin blade. It’s not front-heavy by any means. It’s well-balanced and easy to work with. It’s not a heavy-duty survival knife, but it falls right into the realm of an excellent EDC knife. 

Getting a Grip 

The Shootout’s grip is quite nice. It feels super thin, and at first, I was a bit doubtful. How can it be so thin but hold up? So far, it hasn’t given me a problem. I haven’t tried to break it, but I have dropped it. It’s banged off my car door while in my pocket and has generally not been treated well. I’m not capable of careful handling of anything. The handle does not flex or bend. It feels like it should flex when gripped hard or twisted, but it does neither. 

Benchmade heavily textured the grip with a scale-like design. As you get closer to the blade, we get into a sandpaper-like texture. It exists to prevent that last slip of the hand. In Florida, in July, that’s a nice touch. After just an hour outside I look like I dipped in the pool because I’m awash in sweat. Hands included. So, having an aggressive texture prevents my hand from slipping while using the knife.

I recently had to shave down a furring strip at the range to fit into a target holder. Sadly, the strip didn’t come right. I trimmed that corner while sweat pooled below my head, and my hand never slipped on the handle. 

The trigger to activate the blade sits on the side. It’s metal with a texture to it. When pressed upward, the blade flies into action. That nub then becomes a built-in thumb nub to apply pressure to the blade. It’s a nice touch and creates some excellent ergonomics. It also retracts the blade when pressed downward. We get a satisfying schwick with each action. 

Getting In a Shootout 

Like most high-end automatic knives, the Shootout carries quite the price tag. It’s 300 dollars. That’s a good bit of change for a pocket knife. The automatic function is cool, but modern knives open pretty quickly and can be done with one hand. The Shootout is perfect if you want an auto knife with EDC traits. If you want an affordable, high-quality knife it can only give you the high-quality part. 

For more information, please visit Benchmade.com.

ARE YOU A GOOD PERSON? OR JUST A GOOD FIGHTER? Is Being Tough Keeping You From Being Kind?

Guys seem to conflate compassion & kindness with weakness as if somehow being suitably battle-hardened means that you must be an abrasive asshole. I’m fortunate enough to know some very dangerous people with some very impressive resumes. Yet, they have not lost the ability to be a good person.

The interesting thing that I’ve noted about virtually all of these people is that they all seem to have the capacity for incredible kindness and compassion.

They know who they are and what they can do and have nothing to prove to anyone.

Especially online there’s a lot of tough talk, discourtesy, and marginalizing of others.

I happen to have enough people in my circle who serve as good influences and positive role models—examples of what “right” can look like.

That’s not to say they’re perfect—far from it. But despite everything they’ve seen and endured, they still manage to be intentionally kind to others.

I guess this is one of those “don’t talk about it, be about it” things.

Just an observation I felt compelled to share.