Five Things You Can Do at The Great American Outdoor Show (that you can’t do at SHOT)

By

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February 12, 2024

This year I decided to try something new. Instead of flying across the country and paying exorbitant prices in Vegas at SHOT Show, I instead stayed in my own time zone and drove to the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

This show, a presentation of the NRA, spans nine days and 650,000 square feet of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The family-friendly event features more than 1,100 exhibitors, plus competitions, educational seminars, speakers, and celebrity appearances – including former President Donald Trump.

This show is kind of a cross between the NRAAM and the State Fair. Yes there are guns, but there are also boats, and fishing gear, and archery gear, and hunting gear, and more outfitters from more places than you could travel to in decades, and seminars about venomous snakes, and how to draw more deer to your property, and how to fish the Susquehanna River, and noises from turkey and goose calls every-fricken-where, And food … and food … and more food.

It was a completely different experience than SHOT Show and enjoyable in a different way. I went during the week to avoid some of the crowds, and I also avoided the time that Former President Trump was to be there. I hate crowds and it might have also been a security headache as well. I kept forgetting that merchandise was actually for sale there, (unlike SHOT) so my first day was for scoping things out and the second day was for shopping! Plus one brain point to me for staying at a hotel that offered free shuttle to the show and back.

So without further ado allow me to present (at least) five things you can do at this show that you cannot at SHOT.

1. Get a whiff of manure

The GAOS is held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, so there are reminders everywhere that this site is first and foremost an agricultural center. The Farm Show is in January and the complex is well cleaned afterward, but after generations of use there is still an occasional reminder of our country’s agricultural heritage. Being a rural gal myself this just reminded me of home. There are also many more Amish/Mennonite folks at this show than you will ever see in Vegas.

My first clue that I was in the Farm Show Building.

My second clue that I was in the Farm Show Building.

My third clue. Not that I was mounted anyway.

2. Eat a funnel cake.

This deep fried batter confection “used” to be a PA Dutch speciality, but now I think most people just consider it “fair food”. Nonetheless I consider it an essential element to having a proper gastronomic experience in Pennsylvania. I’ve personally never seen a funnel cake at SHOT Show.

3. Watch an in-person deer butchering demonstration (while eating the above funnel cake).

You can do some pretty strange things in Vegas, but I doubt that eating fried batter while watching meat butchering is one of them. There were subsequent demonstrations throughout the day in ways to use the various cuts and cook them up. You could literally spend all day just at the butchering/meat/cooking demonstrations and buy jerky, cheeses, and all kinds of snacks to boot (I recommend the sweet beef bologna sticks). If I “had” all day to do that I would have. I don’t have nearly enough experience in the butchering end of hunting.

Weavers of Wellsville

Hunt Chef

This guy looks like he had a few too many with his buddies last night.

Venison leg in the pot. Being stirred with an antler.

4. Watch “Dock Dogs”.

While there are various LEO and service dogs at SHOT, none of them get wet. At the GAOS there were water dog competitions throughout the days that I attended. Unfortunately, every time I peeked into the arena I kept missing the big contenders. But I did get a look at a few puppers who were just not having any of it. They are probably champions in their own duck pond at home, but in a big arena with a chlorinated pool some of them simply said “Nope”. Ya had to feel for them, but they sure were cute.

Toy in the air notwithstanding, that’s a nope.

Not running, not jumping, and definitely not swimming today. Poor pupper.

5. Meet a foot doctor who invented a decoy system.

I’ll write a separate article about this later, but I met a fellow retired doctor who has patented his own innovative motorized decoy system for waterfowl hunting. The company name is “Quickcoys” and there’s the link. More on that in another piece.

More on the doc and his Quickcoys coming soon!

As if all this weren’t a sufficient taste of why you should go to the GAOS next year, stay tuned for even more.

Gunday Brunch 136: The Taurus Executive Grade Lineup

By

Keith Finch

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February 11, 2024

Today we’re running another solo adventure, where Caleb takes you through the @taurusfirearms lineup of Executive Grade revolvers. The Executive Grade are true hand-finished revolvers, available in 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and 45 Colt/410 bore.

Shadow Systems XR-920 Elite

By

P.E. Fitch

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February 10, 2024

On the Thursday prior to SHOT Show, I was at my local gun club shooting and evaluating some new guns from Smith & Wesson when another gun club member offered to let me shoot his Shadow Systems XR-920 by pure chance. I had never shot anything from Shadow Systems, so naturally I didn’t hesitate to take him up on his kind offer. This gentleman graciously gave me about 80-90 rounds of his own 9mm ammo as well and encouraged me to run the XR-920 as hard as I could. So please enjoy this “brief” review, because I sure enjoyed shooting this gun.

Glock disrupted the handgun market and shifted it into what it is today. Polymer framed striker-fired pistols are now the norm, and every major gun manufacturer sells them. However, the Austrian company still enjoys relevancy and still dominates the market after the better part of three decades. Since its original patents expired, today’s consumer can buy Glock clones and spend either as little or as much as they want to. While many gun companies sell competing designs, other gunmakers instead have embraced the original Glock “recipe”. Some even take things further and execute products with a higher degree of sophistication than even the Austrian behemoth itself does. Shadow Systems, a Plano, Texas based manufacturer is one such outfit that does this with their Elite series handguns.

Shadow Systems XR-920 Elite First Impressions And Overview

Before I continue with the rest of this brief review, I’ll be up front and disclose that the sole thing I didn’t like about the Shadow Systems XR-920 Elite is the fact that it does not posses ambidextrous slide stops. This is understandable since Shadow System bases their guns on the older Glock pattern that has no ambidextrous slide stops. The basis of my complaint is solely because I’m left handed. Otherwise, these guns are well-made. The specimen I shot certainly made a good impression and it was evident that Shadow Systems did not gloss over any details. I’ll confidently add that a non-gun person could give the XR-920 Elite a once-over and easily deduce that it’s neither “cheap” nor cheap-looking.

Overview

The XR-920 Elite is best described as Shadow System’s take on a 9mm Glock 45; it’s built with a full-size grip and a shorter, Glock 19 length slide–think Commander configuration. Shadow Systems ships Magpul GL9 17-round magazines with the XR-920 and the gun also obviously feeds with Glock OEM magazines. The XR-920 Elite has a 4.5-inch match-grade spiral fluted threaded barrel with a bronze TiCN finish made from 17-4 stainless steel. Its slide is ornately machined with slide serrations on either side and on the top. This slide also sports some “window cuts” towards the front in order to reduce mass. Fit and finish between the slide and barrel is immaculate. The full-size grip naturally follows the same grip angle of the Glock 17, but its contour feels more nuanced in the hand. It doesn’t feel like a standard full-size Glock grip. This grip also makes use of interchangeable backstraps and its texture is reasonably grippy (more so than a current Gen5 Glock) without being overly abrasive. One way all of Shadow System’s guns standout from Glocks is their inclusion of a slightly extended beavertail at the top rear of the backstrap. It’s easy to see how this beavertails is useful for shooters with larger hands. When drawing and shooting with my normal-sized hands, the beavertail was not cumbersome either. All Shadow Systems handguns also ship with a removable magwell, and I didn’t mind this one at all. The XR-920 frontstrap is long enough so I could comfortably build a firing grip and wedge my support-hand pinky finger against the lip of the magwell, not unlike what I do with any magwell equipped Staccato. Out of the box, the XR-920 Elite has an aluminum flat-faced trigger; I didn’t have a trigger scale with me at the range, but Shadow Systems claims these triggers to break between 4.5 to 5 pounds. After trying to run this gun as hard as I could that day, I wouldn’t change anything about this trigger. The take up and break are very smooth and the flat metal face provides a nice, even surface. At 4.5 pounds or higher, this trigger is “street safe,” too.

THE SHADOW SYSTEMS OPTICS MOUNTING SYSTEM

The XR-920 Elite ships with what I’d consider “aftermarket” iron sights because they don’t feel like an afterthought the way most standard sights do. They do sit taller in order to accommodate mounted optics, and the front sight is also dot driven and I was able to hit whatever I aimed at using a combat hold. The rear sight is black, plain and serrated while the front sight is bright green with a tritium vial. They are similar to the factory installed Ameriglo Bolds on my Glock 45, but with a higher degree of refinement.

Although the exact XR-920 Elite I shot had no dot, I still took the time to research the Shadow Systems optics mounting arrangement, which I found interesting. Instead of using a “master pattern” that takes an assortment of optics plates with their own footprints, Shadow Systems uses a universal cut meant to fit almost all major makes and models of reflex sights. Their proprietary cut consists of four deep and threaded holes without any recoil bosses. To account for the differing “surface areas” of various optics, Shadow Systems ships their handguns with extra-long machine screws and very hard plastic shims. The idea here is that these longer-than-typical screws provide a higher degree of clamping force while the hard shims fill up any voids or gaps. The Shadow System’s optics cut reminds me of Smith & Wesson’s factory CORE pattern–not only with the V-shaped layout of the threaded screw holes but also the longer screws themselves. Again both concepts rely on the longer screws that sink deeper to provide more clamping force. Unlike the S&W factory screws that use a 5/64 hex head (that I absolutely hate), the included Shadow Systems machined screws have very deep Torx heads in order to prevent the risk of stripping them.

Burning It Down With The Shadow System XR-920 Elite

I fired approximately 100 rounds through the XR-920 Elite in fairly rapid succession, all with 115-grain Winchester Whitebox this gentleman let me have. I also burned up 15 loose rounds of 115-grain CCI Blazer aluminum I had in my pocket. The gun’s owner encouraged me to push it as hard as I could because the gun and the brand were completely new to him and he wanted to see if Shadow Systems held up to its reputation. Since shooting this gun was a very much spur of the moment thing, I didn’t do much besides shooting from concealment at 5 yards at some index cards. I used a timer, more so for the start signal but I got several reps of drawing and firing 5-6 rounds, and so on. I certainly dumped a magazine’s worth of ammo too, as best as I could control it. With slow fire, almost any gun will feel like it shoots well. Pushing a pistol under rapid fire, however, allows one to see how it shakes out performance-wise.

Even without a dot, the gun points very well and I found its grip profile conducive to a good draw and presentation. It was easy to stay target focused with that bright yellow-green front sight. I didn’t shoot the XR-920 Elite any different than I would have my own Glock 45, but the former certainly tracked and printed better shots under rapid fire than I’m used to doing with the latter. This was a neat surprise and perhaps it’s indicative of why Shadow Systems owners are so passionate about their handguns. Regrettably the pistol wasn’t mounted with a dot, but I would have loved the chance to observe how a dot tracked under recoil. While my quick and dirty T&E didn’t involve any accuracy shooting, with the fit, finish, quality and reputation I would surmise that the XR-920 Elite prints more-than-adequate groups at 25 yards and beyond.

THE TAKEAWAY

With the expiration of the original patent, Glocks are now in the same tier as other legendary handguns like the 1911, CZ 75 or the Browning Hi-Power–those influential handgun designs that have been around for generations with numerous clones and copies from around the globe. Polymer frame striker guns are fairly inexpensive to manufacture so affordable and competitively priced clones are easy to find these days. However, I’m quite happy that I finally had a chance to appease my curiosity concerning guns on the opposite end of the spectrum: the XR-920 Elite has a list price of $1,164 after all. It looks good and shot well. If the gentleman at the club offers to let me shoot it again, I may just have to take him up on it.

The Legacy of Gaston Glock’s Pistols

By

Travis Pike

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February 9, 2024

Gaston Glock’s passing has sent ripples throughout the firearm world. For many of us, he and his pistols have been a large part of the firearm industry for our entire lives. Glock is a multinational corporation, and even though the founder has passed, the company isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. With that in mind, I think it’s a great time to reflect on the contributions of Gaston Glock and his polymer frame pistol.

Polymer Frame Acceptance

Glock wasn’t the first company to produce a polymer frame pistol, but they were the first to make it successful. HK’s VP70 was a flop, but the Glock pistol became undeniable after its adoption by the Austrian Military. Gaston Glock had a long history of working with polymer outside of firearms and held 16 patents prior to producing the Glock 17.

His use of polymers and the Glock’s success proved that the polymer frame was a very viable option for a serious-use pistol. The Glock 17 won in Austria, then Norway, and then Sweden, and eventually, it couldn’t be stopped. It exceeded all NATO durability standards. The polymer frame established itself as something here to stay. Sure, plenty of 1911 fans grumbled about Tupperware pistols, but as we’ve seen, the polymer frame dominates.

Every major company out there offers a polymer frame pistol. Even the 2011 pistols with two-piece frames integrate polymer frames. Polymer is not just more affordable, but it’s lighter and easier to work with, and the additional flex it offers can even reduce felt recoil.

Keeping Guns Cheap

Believe it or not, Glock has aided in making sure firearms remain affordable. Look at an old Gun Digest and look at the prices of firearms in 1980. I pulled one up, and an S&W Model 39 in 1980 cost $284.50. Adjust that for inflation in 2023, and it becomes $1,060.15. How much does an equivalent modern S&W cost? Like 550ish? Heck, you can get a metal frame S&W with an optic for less than 1,000 dollars.

There is an old legend, Gaston Glock, who wanted to sell his pistol for some super low amount, and he was told that no one would seriously consider it. The price was too low, and American shooters would think it was equivalent to the Raven or other Saturday Night Specials. In this era, it bears mentioning lots of cheap guns came from countries like Germany. An Austrian polymer pistol likely wouldn’t be viewed much differently.

Glock’s pistol has always been affordable. According to the internet, they cost about 75 dollars to produce. I don’t know if that’s true, but the very simple design and minimal use of parts likely keep things cheap to build to scale. Glock forced other gun companies to keep the price of their firearms affordable to be competitive. There is a reason why we don’t see new contracts being awarded to the P226 anymore.

User Modularity

Arguably, any user skilled enough can swap anything on most factory guns. With enough YouTube videos, you can do nearly anything. What Glock did differently was produce a pistol so freaking simple that the end user could easily modify it as well. I’ve swapped triggers in Glocks and CZ 75s, and boy, let me tell you, it’s a ton easier with a Glock.

According to Glock’s website, there are 34 parts to the pistol. That’s not a whole lot going on for a modern semi-automatic pistol. Simple is good, and simple bred an entire aftermarket of parts and pieces. Since the Glocks are so simple, it’s a lot easier to make aftermarket parts that work and work well.

Things like hand fitting aren’t happening with the Glock. Just pull it out, drop it in, and go. User modularity before Glock’s influence wasn’t common. There is a reason why so many famed 1911 armorers exist, but you didn’t see a rise in Glock armorers. Anybody can be a Glock armorer with an eight-hour course and a single punch.

The World According To Gaston

Gaston Glock was certainly a behemoth in our industry. His name was attached to the world’s most popular pistol and rides proudly in the holsters of concealed carriers, soldiers, and police officers all over the world. He didn’t just produce a nice gun. He changed the world of handguns.

The Remarkably Unremarkable Glock 19

By

P.E. Fitch

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February 8, 2024

Like most people in the gun space, Mr. Gaston Glock’s passing at the tail end of 2023 made me reflect on his legacy and the legacy of his products. It’s undeniable that both he and his company have a fascinating story while also causing a paradigm shift in how guns are made, sold, designed and used. When it comes to these Austrian pistols, my favorites have always been the 9mm full-size grip models like the Glock 17 or Glock 34. But that aside, the Glock 19 is perhaps the most influential and best selling model in the Austrian company’s portfolio. I’m no stranger to the Glock 19 either; I’ve owned both a Gen3 and a Gen4 model in my lifetime and fired my fair share of rounds through them. In fact, I took my first ever open-enrollment course with my old Gen3, and that was one of the guns I first legally carried when I left California.

*An old photo commemorating the first ever open-enrollment firearms training class I took–with my old Gen3 Glock 19 by my side.* The Raven Eidolon was also the first concealment holster of any type I’d ever purchased.

Pedestrian Plastic

On the one hand, the standard Glock 19 isn’t a terribly exciting pistol. Like most Glocks, it’s rather boxy and blunt looking and it doesn’t stir one’s passions the way holding a tuned double-stack racegun dripping with go-fast performance parts does. It’s also not a historical piece worthy of veneration for winning two world wars or taming the American West. The Glock 19 often gets compared to being the equivalent of the Honda Accord or Toyota Corolla–those safe, reliable and affordable every-day commuter cars. I’ve also heard this handgun get compared to common appliances, like kitchen toasters. These guns are so reliable that even that’s something boring about them. Sure, these pistols have been around for 3 decades and have seen various tweaks and improvements, but their reputation continues to be one of reliable fidelity.

But It Is Remarkable!

But the little boring Glock 19 is an icon in its own way: the benchmark against what every other compact/duty sized double stack 9mm pistol gets compared by. Besides its reliability and ingenious striker-fired ignition system, it happens to possess a “golden ratio” of pistol proportions. With an overall length of 6.75 inches and a height of 4.75 inches, the Glock 19 is small enough to conceal and carry comfortably while also being large enough to handle like a full-size pistol. With duty-grade or carry ammunition, the four inch barrel is long enough to allow cartridge’s propellants to properly develop and deliver adequate terminal performance without being too cumbersome. Unlike smaller, more compact 9mm pistols, the Glock 19 still has a favorable recoil impulse that most shooters can handle. After all, it’s only ½ inch shorter on the slide and ½ inch shorter on the grip than its original sibling, the Glock 17. The 19’s 15+1 standard capacity is nothing to sneeze at either. In the end, what hot new carry gun hasn’t been described as “Glock 19 sized?”

A well-worn Gen3 Glock 19 that spent its service life in a US Army Special Forces holster and saw back-to-back combat deployments. Image Credit: Jeff Gurwitch

Tough today it appears that thinner polymer framed striker fired pistols are supplanting the Glock 19 in popularity as a carry gun, the Glock 19 has been the “it” in EDC pistols for a good portion of its 3 decade long existence. Moreover, the Glock 19 (and later the Mk. 27) are also veterans of the later half of the GWOT (Global War On Terror). US Army Special Forces began using these guns to supplement their Beretta M9s as early as the late 2000s, and by the mid 2010s, the US Navy and Marines adopted it; by then this little compact pistol also became a known entity with US SOCOM. It’s large enough to handle like a full-size, but small enough to conceal and roll low-vis. On a duty or battle belt, it’s onboard without taking too much space. What’s not to like? Oh, and that’s not even taking into consideration just how international the Glock 19–sourcing parts or guns themselves around the modern world isn’t difficult.

The Glock 19’s Legacy

It sounds like I’m being harsh on the Glock 19 by calling it unremarkable, boring, and ugly. Well, 19s have never been beauty queens but truthfully their status as a benchmark is well-deserved. It’s one thing for any gun company to try assertive or unconventional marketing efforts, but it’s a completely different thing for the product in question to hold its own the world over over three decades. Shooters like these guns because they work and they’re not going away any time soon. The “recipe” has worked so well for the company that it is seldom tweaked, other than certain generational iterations or tweaks of that nature. It’s interesting to note that since the original patents on Glock’s design are expired, it seems like that several of these new clone guns, both luxurious and affordable, take after the Glock 19 specifically. The little striker-fired compact isn’t slowing down any time soon. Though today a mere Glock 19 seems unremarkable, how it came to be considered as such isn’t.

‘Time’ is not on your side

By

Keith Finch

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February 8, 2024

How Guns Brought America the Tyranny Its Founders Feared

In March 2023, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser sent out a distress signal: “Protect Hawaii and our peaceful culture from tyranny of guns.” The Supreme Court’s Bruen decision had made it legal to carry firearms outside the home in all 50 states, and laws were pending to apply the ruling to Hawaii. “So, guns are coming,” warned the authors: to churches, schools, shopping malls and restaurants. Between “this dystopian future” and Hawaii’s peaceful traditions there were few remaining options. – Time Essay

Time Magazine, a location I once and on certain subjects still do consider an authority and source for quality information has fallen here. Like NPR, Time authors and editors refuse to acknowledge a fundamental human truth.

Violence is useful.

Violence has value. Violence is and has always been a method, for good, ill, and indifferent, of getting wants and necessities. Violence is just as much a tool of the developed world as the primitive corners. Violence is the only thing that ultimately backs law. The Force of Law is violence.

Progressive, usually highly affluent and first-world, spaces like to pretend that the worlds choice are not backed by violence. Even as we are re-stone-aging Houthi’s and other Iranian proxies in the Middle East and sending a stream of weapons to Ukraine to grind away Putin’s warfighting capacity to something NATO need not concern themselves with, progressive spaces seem to disassociate that reality from the local scaled variations of the same reality. Realities that have always been. Realities that still are, even if we all pretend to be nice about these things because we are ‘cultured’ or ‘democratic’. This dismisses the full availability for someone to go counter culture to the democratic choice, to change their minds, to not play by the rules, and to do so violently if they want.

It is a choice and it was available long before the invention of the firearm.

Guns have not brought tyranny to the United States, Time. Guns are merely the current simplest method to project a level of force. What we see thanks to technology, is all the places and ways that force is and always has been projected. Some of those ways upset us greatly because we like to pretend we are ‘beyond’ them.

The oversimplification to ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ of things like race, economics, religion, culture, and violence as a tool in society have regressed us. The selective marginalization by oversimplification various topics in the name of ‘equity’ or ‘inclusivity’ continue to highlight that if we do not respect the complexity of the issues we make things worse, not better. Our intentions of bettering things do not matter much if the resultant state is worse.

The Time essay specifically calls out Hawaii’s fear of a “dystopian future” now that the tyranny of the freedom to buy and carry a firearm has been thrust upon them but…

Hawaii Murder/Homicide Rate 1979-2018

It’s almost like Hawaii was following the national trends on violent crime, to include homicide, along with everywhere else before Bruen. Everywhere else includes places where carry has been normal for decades. It is highly unlikely this will change very much after Bruen, because that isn’t how legal carry and legal restrictions work on violent crime. When adjusted for the fact that Hawaii, while a state, is also a lower population island, all of this makes sense. They are a smaller population and have isolation factors and economy factors that help to maintain their below national average violent crime rates that nonetheless parallel the national trends in scale.

Remember, the ability to carry a firearm and the legal right you hold to do so isn’t to ‘fight’ violent crime. That is actually the job of the elected government and law enforcement, to promote conditions that disincentive violent crime through a combination or minimizing its value and maximizing its penalty. You do not have a seatbelt and an airbag in your vehicle to prevent car accidents, you have them for when an accident occurs. The same logic applies to the carry of a firearm, it is emergency equipment for a specific emergency but other factors drive the violent crime rates.

Well are carriers themselves a separate problem? This headline might lead you to believe so.

More Than 2,500 Non-Self Defense Deaths Involving Concealed Carry Killers Since 2007, Latest Violence Policy Center Research Shows

Except if you do the math… that is 147 deaths per year over those 17 years. A license, as we well know from accident and homicide statistics with vehicles, is not a guarantee of good/non-reckless behavior or to be free from danger. In this case it works out to about 0.6-1.1% of unjustified homicides in a given year (likely a more stable average of about 0.7-0.9% as they are likely to scale and trend with the national homicide rates of the year) were committed by a licensed to carry individual. Meaning 99% of the problem is not with licensed concealed carriers.

To put this into further perspective, for every unjustifiable homicide by a licensed individual (as if 100:1 unjustifiable homicides by unlicensed individuals already didn’t make this comparison absurd) there are between 10 and 14 justifiable uses of force defensively, according to the Gun Violence Archive, per homicide.

The GVA’s reporting, for clarity, when compared to studies on DGU’s from other sources, only report ~1,100-2,100 DGUs (that they can verify through reporting to be fair, to the GVA) vs the low end estimates of 55,000–88,000 annual occurrences of defensive gun use from sources like NCVS and NSDS.

So that means the roughly 10:1 positive ratio we can extrapolate and verify with the GVA data is likely undercounting by a factor of 40 to 50 the number of DGUs. Now those DGUs aren’t all by licensed to carry individuals either, but if we apply the national average of 8.4% of adults to the factor of 40 to 50 (which is still undercounting because we should probably do it by gun owning households/adults and not the population at large) we still get the a factor of roughly 3 to 5 times undercounted DGUs by the GVA to licensed carriers resulting in a 30:1 to 50:1 positive firearm efficacy.

Again, this is me speaking off the cuff with very raw data that is loosely bracketed.

But Time, you’re off here and the data exists to show that. You just do not want to hear it. You do not want to hear it because violence as useful, violence as a tool, does not fit the worldview you wish to see and it is a common and very human tactic to ignore the things we do not wish to acknowledge to try and ‘will’ the world into our preferred view of it. The problem with that is there are roughly 8 billion wills on the planet and only a tiny fraction of them align so flawlessly with your own (or mine) that it would not eventually generate conflict.

Violence is, always has been, and always will be a solution to advancing and resolving conflicts. How preferable that solution is can be debated, but we must remember that our preferences are under no obligation to align with others.

The Carcano and Kennedy

By

Travis Pike

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February 7, 2024

One of the most historically important moments in modern history comes from Dallas, Texas, at 12:30 CST on November 22nd, 1963. The assassination of John F. Kennedy has been torn apart and sewn back together over and over again. It’s been dissected, researched, and fictionalized. It’s the subject of conspiracy theories and even memehood. One part of the assassination that isn’t disputed is the rifle. The Carcano Model 38 Infantry rifle certainly doesn’t appear to be a rifle used to change the world.

The Carcano Model 38 Infantry Carbine

The original Carcano was introduced in 1891 as the world moved to bolt-action battle rifles instead of single-shot carbines. The rifle is an Italian design and was created by Salvator Carcano. From 1891 to just after World War 2, some form of Carcano served with the Italian military and police forces. The Carcano Model 38 Infantry Carbine was one of the more modern Carcanos.

The rifle is often called the 91/38, meaning it has the same overall design as the 1891 rifle, but this particular variant was created in 1938. This bolt-action rifle served as the main rifle of the Italian armed forces in World War Two. It chambered the 6.5x52mm cartridge and fired from an internal box magazine fed by En Bloc clips.

The Carcano series is often viewed rather poorly by modern shooters. While the rifle did have its issues, it wasn’t nearly as bad as many make it out to be. The Carcano utilized a rimless round way back in 1891 and was the first infantry rifle to chamber the 6.5 mm cartridge. Using En-bloc clips was fairly clever and held a mighty six rounds of ammunition.

The Carcano series of rifles was well known for being quite reliable and very simple. P.O. Ackley tried to blow one up and break the action and reportedly just couldn’t do it. The 6.5mm cartridge offered lower recoil, lightweight ammo, and a fast-moving cartridge. They were very robust rifles and were well suited for the infantry forces. The accuracy wasn’t stellar, but it was pretty standard for an infantry rifle of the time period. The problem came from its ammo.

The Problem with The Carcano

The problem with the Carcano comes from the ammo. The 6.5x52mm round is a fine idea, but it’s limited by its use of a round bullet. The lack of a Spitzer-style bullet affected its overall performance. A round bullet is less stable and tends to tumble. That’s great for hitting a threat but gives it poorer performance when compared to a Spitzer-style bullet.

The Carcano rifle was also met with issues due to the quality of the ammo the Italian forces were loading up. They were loaded with different powder consistencies, which wouldn’t be an issue if you had a division loaded entirely with one powder type.

However, the main problem was that an individual soldier would often be equipped with a grab bag of ammo, and a single six-round clip would have ammunition from different lots intermixed.

This resulted in poor accuracy and performance. The Italian military noted that the rifles had performance issues at both close and long ranges. The Italian military sought to replace the round with a 7.35mm Spitzer-style projectile, but the massive scale of World War 1 made replacing the 6.5mm cartridge a non-starter.

The Kennedy Rifle

Lee Harvey Oswald ordered his 91/38 Carcano rifle from Kelin’s Sporting Goods of Chicago for the princely sum of 19.95 with a 4X telescopic sight attached to the rifle. Kelin’s advertised the rifle as a 6.5 Italian Carbine, and that was seemingly enough to Oswald. In an attempt to be clever, he used the name Alek Hiddell to order the rifle. This was before the era of FFLs, and it was mail-ordered right to his home.

The original ad showed a slightly shorter Caracano M91 TS. The Caracano TS had a 17.7-inch barrel versus the Carcano 91/38’s 20.9-inch barrel. Oswald didn’t seem to mind the difference. The scope was reportedly a cheap Japanese 4X optic. The objective lens was a meager 18mms, and the scope was mounted by Kelin’s but imported by Ordnance Optics. The rifle had sling swivels and even had a sling.

Oswald must have zeroed the rifle well because as well all now know he was capable of making the shots that killed President Kennedy. The Carcano wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice, but it’s clearly a rifle that could be used by a skilled shooter.

These days, you don’t hear much about the Carcano rifles, but they can be had for a very low price. I would go as far as to call them the modern Mosin in terms of price, so grab one now if you have any interest because, like the Mosin, prices will only go up.

Mother of Oxford School Shooter Found Guilty

By

Keith Finch

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February 6, 2024

Screenshot 2024-02-06 at 1.53.50 PM — Image of Crumbley via CNN, she was found guilty of 4 manslaughter counts

Jennifer Crumbley Found Guilty on 4 Counts of Manslaughter – Setting Precedent on Liability Rules

In a national precedent setting case that could establish liability rules henceforth, Jennifer Crumbley was found guilty on the man slaughter charges stemming from the mass shooting committed by her son.

Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the teenager who killed four students at an Oxford, Michigan, high school in 2021, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a trial that stood as a test of the limits of who’s responsible for a school shooting.

Jennifer Crumbley was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter, a charge that comes with a maximum punishment of up to 15 years in prison for each count. –CNN

She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9th and could face up to 60 years in prison total for her lack of control over her minor son’s firearm.

This case answers the long held question on if parents of shooters can be held liable for the actions of their children. The answer, at least in a case with these egregious circumstances, is yes. Those persons who hold legal control over firearms will now likely have to establish clear and concise delineation that no access to their firearms was permitted and that prudent steps were in place to prevent that access in the event of criminal misuse of the firearm.

That precedent aligns with new legislation going into effect in Michigan on February 13th that lays out liability and supervisory mandates for gun owners who will be around minors and if those minors could access the firearm(s).

An Ode To Beretta’s Tip-up Guns

By

Travis Pike

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February 6, 2024

I never thought there would be a year when the old tip-up-style barrels would be making such waves. It’s the end of 2023, and we’ve seen a rise in the number of tip-up guns. Beretta released a few new models, or at least a few new SKUs involving different finishes and the new covert series. Girsan released some copies of the old Cheetah models in .380 with tip-up barrels. My favorite was Langdon Tactical making good on an April Fool’s joke of creating an optics-ready 3032 Tomcat.

Sadly, in the midst of all this good news, there was some bad news. Even though Beretta threw some force behind the Tip-Up guns, they’ve decided to discontinue the series. They announced that 2023 would be the last year of the tip-up guns. Why? Well, to be fair, they are outclassed by the modern era of pocket pistols. Plus, the modern world of concealed carry pistols is dominated by micro-compacts.

I’m a fan of the tip-up guns. I own four of them. I have two Tomcats, a Bobcat and a Minx. While I love the guns, and I’d love to see the idea explored and perfected, it’s admittedly a tough sale.

The History of the Tip-Up Guns

Beretta has a long history of producing micro-sized handguns, starting in the early 1900s. Guns like the M1915 would inspire their creation, and the M1934 and M1935 established the small gun design of the Beretta. In 1952, Beretta produced the first Tip-Up design, the Beretta 950, which came in .25 ACP and .22 Short. The .25 ACP was known as the Jetfire, and the .22 Short was called the Minx.

These little pistols were aimed at being concealable and pocket-sized. The tip-up barrel design offered a few advantages. If you’ve ever handled one of these little guns, the slides are incredibly small and tough to operate with your hands. Allow your hands to get a little sweaty, and operating these slides becomes pretty tough.

The barrel pops up and makes the chamber easy to access. A user could manually load a round in the chamber without ever operating the slide. The tip-up design necessitates a blowback action and eliminates the ability to mount an extractor. The cases are ejected purely by blowback operation.

The 950 series were single-action, hammer fire guns. The original had no safety, but later, a 950BS model integrated a frame-mounted safety into the design. While they predated the 92 series, most people will be familiar with the open slide and exposed barrel design that screams Beretta. The 950BS was produced until 2003.

The New Generation of Tip-Up Guns

The Beretta Cheetah series could be seen as an advancement of the Beretta Tip-ups. They are blowback-operated guns chambered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP. There are several models of the 80 series, and the model 86 featured the tip-up barrel design. It was only available in .380 ACP.

In 1984, Beretta introduced the 21A, which would known as the Bobcat. The Bobcat is a little different than the 950 series. It’s a DA/SA gun and chambers the .22LR cartridge. It maintains the overall design of the 950 in terms of tip-up barrel and general operation.

In 1996, Beretta upped the ante to the .32 ACP with the Beretta 3032, aka the Tomcat. This might be the most effective and prominent of the tip-up guns and the only one I’d carry for self-defense. Like the 21A, it used a DA/SA design, a safety, and a tip-up barrel design.

Thoughts On The Tip-Up Guns

I adore the tip-up guns, and I like shooting them. They are neat and certainly novel. I own several of them for a reason. Still, if you asked me, should I get the Beretta 21A or 3032 before they are fully out of production? I would pause and have to ask questions. If it’s for collecting and owning a neat pistol before it’s gone? Sure.

If you ask me, should I buy a tip-up gun for self-defense? I’d say no. What about for plinking? No, not unless you don’t mind being a little frustrated. Of the four I own, my favorite is the Minx in .22 Short. The .22 Short is a blast to shoot, downright cute, and surprisingly reliable.

The 21A is one of the most maintenance-heavy, ammo-picky, and use-picky guns I’ve ever owned. Ammo pickiness is a pretty normal affair with .22LR pistols, but this one is really picky. It’s Velocitors or Punch, or nothing. Even then, it doesn’t always run reliably. If your hand is too high, it gets a bit of slide bite, which interrupts the function of the pistol. If you hold the gun too tight, it affects the function of the pistol. When the fun fails to extract, it requires a good two minutes to fix.

There were some weird ones along the way (Invaluable)

The 3032 is much more reliable. However, it does have some nasty slide bite to it. It will cut you across the hand nicely. Oh, and it’s ammo-picky, but in a different way. If you use ammo that exceeds 129 foot-pounds (IE, the good stuff), you can crack the frame. Plus, the recoil is surprisingly sharp.

Not For Everyone

The Tip-up guns aren’t for everyone. At least know what you are getting into if you get into one. They are novel and neat, especially if you appreciate micro-sized DA/SA guns like I do. I’m not surprised they are on the way out, but I’m sad to see them go. Now, I just need to get my slide sent to Langdon to attach an optic.

Fix-It Sticks Are A Lifesaver

By

P.E. Fitch

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February 6, 2024

At some point last autumn, I found myself inundated with all manner of riflescopes, mounts and reflex sights. Some I bought for personal use and others were things I was/am reviewing. It got to a point where mounting and installing these things across various rifles and handguns with the supplied Torx wrenches wasn’t cutting it any more. Not only because using small little wrenches can be cumbersome, but also because there is no way to properly gauge how much torque a mounting screw receives from a tiny hand wrench. So I found myself rummaging through the aisles of one of the local big box outdoors store next to the shelf with all the scope rings and mounts and I decided to take a chance on the most basic general purpose Fix-It Sticks optics mounting tool kit.

At the time of my purchase, I wasn’t terribly familiar with Fix-It Sticks or their products other than hearing about them in passing. Although this set was not the cheapest option on those shelves, I took a chance on it solely based on the kit’s form factor. The entirety of this basic tool set fits in small carrying case I can best describe as being slightly wider and taller than the typical smartphone. At most, the width of the tool kit is maybe twice or three times as wide as that contemporary phone. This kit is extremely portable and easy to stow in any range kit or case when going shooting. The basic Fix-It Sticks set that I purchased includes the Fix-It Sticks All-In-One Torque Driver, a three-way T-handle with 1/4 inch hex sockets, a 1/2 inch socket with 1/4 inch adapter and fifteen different 1/4 inch tool bits. Among the included bits are both Torx and Allen with sizes relevant to most gun owners.

Fix-It Sticks Rifle & Optics Toolkit With All-In-One Torque Driver Overview

After buying it and taking the kit home, I had no idea what to expect and was even somewhat skeptical of the most crucial element in the tool kit, the Fix-It Sticks All-In-One Torque driver itself. This was the first time I saw any torquing tool that didn’t look like a ratchet with a twisting handle where one has to pre-set the torque setting by twisting to the right spot. The All-In-One doesn’t work that way, however and in fact works quite seamlessly because the unit itself has all of its torque values starting at 0 inch pounds all the way to 65 inch pounds (more than enough for general purpose torquing of mounts, bases, screws and rings) marked along intervals on the upper part. The uppermost part of this torque driver has a 1/4 inch hex adapter while the lowermost part which accepts 1/4 inch bits and spins semi-independently from the main part of the torque driver. The premise of the tool is fairly simple and to use it, one only needs to drive all fasteners until they’re snug. Once snug, one simply turns and twists the driver with the T-handle until the desired level of torque is applied. The bottom part that holds the bit that indicates the current torque when the proper amount of tension is applied to the tool. When the driver is “resting” with no tension whatsoever, this marking returns to and rests at 0. I find it to be a very smooth way of torquing things and I appreciate that I never have to preset the tool to my desired torque setting. Instead one only has to keep twisting until the indicator lines up with the amount of torque they require.

The three-way T-handle is nice too because all three ends accept any 1/4 inch bit or 1/4 inch adapter, and the All-In-One torque driver can be used on either short side or the long side depending on how much leverage is needed to tighten something properly. The fifteen different included tool bits consist of [Torx] T10, T15, T20, T25; [Hex] 3/32″, 5/64″, 1/8″, 5/32″, 3/16″, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, P1 (Phillips), Slotted 5mm (Flathead). They show every indication of being of high quality and first glance look a little nicer than your typical 1/4 inch bits found in most hardware store tool sets. I mostly use the T10 and T15s with my applications, and they provide a snug fit and purchase when inserted to the screw’s cavity. The entire tool kit is stored in an organized plastic chassis that makes space for every bit and part. The outer nylon and zippered pouch that I previously described as being twice or three times wider than the typical phone also provides some extra space so you can throw in other bits or wrenches or miscallaneous items. Personally, I keep extra screws for pistol dots, the Holosun tool and the little 3/32″ wrench used for Leupold Mk 5 HD turrets.

Fix-It Sticks Rifle & Optics Toolkit With All-In-One Torque Driver Feedback

While I’m very grateful that Fix-It Sticks offers this basic tool kit that makes my life easier, this particular set is not the end-all be-all. It’s a general purpose kit and such should be considered a jack-of-all trades-master-of-some. My only real concern using it thus far is when it comes to mounting Holosun optics to pistols (direct experience with the HS507COMP and the regular HS407/507 that also share the Trijicon RMR footprint). The diameter of the torque driver is somewhat wide, so I had to use an extended bit holder in order to be able to line up the bit straightly over either T10 screw. This is due to the top edge of the protective lens hood on these Holosun units sitting fairly close to either screw hole. Besides this challenge with Holosun dots, I’ve not had any other issues mounting other optics or bases. Even so, it’s unrealistic for a general purpose kit to magically worth with every single permutation of guns, mounts and their optics. If I had any feedback for Fix-It Sticks, it would be to also include a bit-holding extension, if anything due to the popularity of RMR footprint based open-emitter Holosun products on the market today.

The Takeaway

After using my set of Fix-It Sticks on a nearly weekly basis to replace, install and switch around optics and their mounts, I’ve realized how indispensable this tool kit is. And not just for me but to the modern shooter in general. Although this kit costs more than similar products, the fit and finish of the kit is apparent and it’s very hard to beat its hyper portability and the way it’s organized. It solves a lot of headaches and certainly helps me out as a reviewer that handles guns and optics on a frequent basis. I’m glad I took a chance on it.

STYLISH & STRAPPED: How to Carry Concealed In Dapper, Stylish, Business Attire

By

The Suited Shootist

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February 5, 2024

Back when I launched The Suited Shootist blog I was working in a job that had a specific dress code. I was regularly wearing slacks, jackets, and tucked in shirts. Even now that I no longer have those professional requirements, I still regularly go placed where dressing like this is either appropriate or expected.

As you’d imagine, it can be challenging to conceal the type of handgun that most of us would prefer to have for defense (compact, double stack, semi auto).

Even if you can conceal it effectively, access is generally slowed because you’re having to clear a tucked in cover garment. So I’ve started playing with options that, while might not be quite as ballistically effective, are more accessible and can be brought to bear faster. Here’s the overall breakdown:

– Pistol: KelTec P32

– Holster: Ramora Pocket Holster mounted to a MDTS Pocket Shield made by Raven Concealment

– Pepper Spray: POM Industries

– Flashlight: Modlite Systems PHL-V2 18350 configuration with an RCS pocket clip

– Tourniquet: Tactical Medical Solutions SOF-T Wide

– Shirt & Jacket: Canali (through Poshmark for about 20 cents on the dollar)

– Pants: Dockers

How Bond Got the PPK

By

Travis Pike

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February 5, 2024

James Bond is forever intertwined with Walther. To this day, Walther firearms occupy the Bond films. The most popular is the Walther PPK. However, that hasn’t stopped the P5 and P99 from occupying Bond’s hands. How did a British secret agent end up with a German handgun? Maybe it’s because the British arms industry sucks? Or perhaps it was because Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, was willing to take some advice.

Bond’s First Gun – A Spaghetti Blaster

Bond’s first gun can be traced back to Ian Fleming’s service in the Naval Intelligence Division. Fleming’s own service was fairly interesting, and it’s easy to see why he was capable of creating such a memorable character. Ian Fleming carried a Beretta 418 during his service and described Bond’s first gun as very flat .25 Beretta. It’s described as having the grip panels removed, and the barrel is threaded for a suppressor.

Ian Fleming didn’t have a ton of firearm experience, so it makes sense that he just inserted the gun he knew into his novels. James Bond was a covert agent, and the Beretta would be small and concealable. It served as his gun of choice for the first five novels. It was in Dr. No that Bond was issued the Walther PPK.

How the PPK Came To Be

A fan of the Bond books named George Boothroyd wrote Ian Fleming a number of letters and criticized the use of the Beretta. He called it a lady’s gun. The .25 ACP is a bit anemic and is notoriously a poor penetrator. Boothroyd initially advised Fleming that Bond should carry a revolver, but Fleming insisted on a semi-auto.

The two men settled on a Walther PPK in 7.65 Browning, aka the .32 ACP. It bears mentioning that in the Dr. No novel, Bond gets both a Walther and S&W Centennial. In the film, Dr. No Bond is only issued the PPK, which gets name-dropped in the film.

The Walther PPK fits well with James Bond. The PPK is sleek and slim, and it has a stylish look to it that certainly lends itself well to the James Bond style and motif. It became a prominent part of the Bond character and has remained cemented in Bond’s legacy.

Introducing Geoffrey Boothroyd

Geoffrey Boothroyd is often referred to as a fan or maybe a firearm enthusiast. His knowledge is often undersold, and in reality, Geoffrey Boothroyd was a true firearms expert. He wrote several firearms reference manuals. His first book was published in 1961, and his final book was published in 2004.

The man knew his stuff. Beyond the Walther PPK, Boothroyd often advised Fleming on weapons in general. From bad guy’s guys to how suppressors work. Ian Fleming created a character named Major Boothroyd, who is described as a firearms expert. Major Boothroyd is the proper name for Bond’s armorer, who goes by the code name Q.

Forever Intertwined

Bond and the PPK have become forever intertwined. The PPK is as much a part of Bond’s lore as a shaken martini. It’s interesting to think it was because some gun nut was mildly annoyed enough to write a letter to Ian Fleming to complain. These days, we just do that on the internet, which is probably why Extraction 2 features 0 Condor plate carriers. At least Boothroyd eventually got to become Q, and I’m just some guy still ranting on the internet.

Gunday Brunch 135: The Taurus 327 Defender TORO

By

Keith Finch

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February 4, 2024

As the gang recovers from SHOT Show, let’s take a look at the newest offering from Taurus USA, the Taurus 327 Defender TORO. This is a 327 Federal Magnum, 6 shot revolver built on the Taurus small frame

EVERY DAY CARRY IN NORMAL STREET CLOTHES: It’s possible to carry effectively and still dress well

By

The Suited Shootist

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February 3, 2024

This week I’m starting a new series, going through my actual carry setups in various levels attire. I wanted to touch on this for a couple of reasons:

1) The folks out there in the style & fashion space that try to address concealed carry give “tips” and “advice that, while well intentioned, don’t actually hold up to the realities of a defensive confrontation.

2) Many folks in the “tactical” space either just dismiss it with “dress around the gun” cringe or don’t see any value/importance on dressing well, so the thinking is so gear centric as to be limiting to those with actual dress codes or other wardrobe requirements. I’m starting off with what’s closest to my actual everyday reality.

This is one of my more casual go-to options, and I’m still able to carry all the necessary tools. Here’s the overall breakdown:

– Sunglasses: @persol 714s

– Pistol: @glockinc 19 with a @taudevgroup Striker Control Device and a @swampfoxoptics Liberty MRO

– Holster: @darkstargear Orion with Dark Wing, Muzzle Pad and @discreetcarryconcepts MOD2.1 clips

– Pepper Spray: @pompepperspray

– Sap: @bostonleather1928 Midget

– Flashlight: @modlitesystems PLH-V2 18350 configuration with a @ravenconcealment pocket clip

– Knife: @shivworks Clinch Pick in a @keepers_concealment Clipper sheath (discontinued)

– Wallet: @grip6 with optional finger ring

– IFAK: @atlasgroupnw Ankle IFAK with @tadmed_solutions SOF-T Wide & @official_quikclot hemostatic gauze

– Polo: @calvinklein Liquid Touch slim fit polo

– Pants: @duluthtradingcompany slim fit 5-pocket firehose pants

– Belt: @slidebelt

Colt’s Bear Guns – The Kodiak and Grizzly

By

Travis Pike

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February 3, 2024

Colt’s revolvers are absolutely legendary. The Colt Sing Action Army is the stereotypical cowboy gun, even if it wasn’t the most sold revolver of the era. Guns like the Python both conquer branding and the revolver market. The various Snake guns are some of Colt’s most popular revolvers. The snake family was made up of seven guns total, some rarer than others. While the snake guns are fairly famous, have you ever heard of the Colt Bear guns?

The Colt Bear Guns

I recently dived deep into the Colt Viper and the Colt Boa and learned about the rarest models of the Snake guns, which led down a rabbit hole of weird Colt revolvers. All roads lead to Rome, and when it comes to rare Colt Revolvers, all threads lead to the Colt Bear guns. The Colt bear guns are two revolvers known as the Grizzly and Kodiak.

Both guns are extremely rare, but not necessarily because they couldn’t have been successful. Colt only produced very small numbers of the Kodiak and Grizzly, and they were limited-run guns. They made 2,000 Kodiaks, and a mere five hundred Grizzly revolvers were produced. Colt produced these revolvers in the early 1990s, and they seemingly disappeared from the great gun consciousness but haunt the dreams of Colt collectors.

They are distantly related to the Colt snake guns but were different enough to warrant their bear monikers.

The Kodiak

The Kodiak isn’t as rare as the Grizzly. To be fair, Colt really tried to pimp that Python look on revolvers. The Kodiak made a bit more sense for the Bear name. Bigger is better, and the Kodiak used the Anaconda design. In fact, it was more or less just an Anaconda with Magna-Porting. The Kodiak also featured a sleek and smooth unfluted cylinder.

The Kodiak came first and premiered in 1993. It was designed to be a special run of the Anacondas. The Kodiak featured a six-inch barrel and held six rounds. Ultimately, outside of a few features, it was a fairly standard anaconda. Even so, it’s highly desirable and very collectible.

The Grizzly

The rare Colt Grizzly was the .357 Magnum Bear gun. The Grizzly has some Python vibes to it, but it isn’t really Python. The Grizzly utilizes a Python barrel that is mated to a Colt King Cobra frame. The Colt King Cobra did not use the famed Python leaf hammer spring and E/I frame-type mechanics. It used the coiled spring design of the Colt Trooper and the Mk. III and Mk. V series revolvers.

The Grizzly featured a six-round round unfluted cylinder. I love the look of an unfluted cylinder, and the Grizzly wears it well. The six-inch barrels were Magnaported to reduce muzzle rise, and Magna-porting was quite popular in the 1990s. The Python barrel on the Viper frame is interesting and was likely a smooth-shooting revolver with the porting.

The Grizzly is a bit like the Boa and was essentially Colt selling a cheaper revolver at higher than Python prices for the rarity. I don’t hate them for it. They understood their branding and the Python’s success.

The Roar of the Bear

Colt has been slowly bringing the Snake guns back. People seem to really like them and appreciate them. For guys like me, it’s the only chance I’ll probably have to own a Snake gun. The real question is whether Colt will bring the Bear guns back. It seems doubtful, but it would be interesting to see them make some kind of return to the world of Colt revolvers.