Every year, Gunbroker releases data regarding firearms sold on their platform. It’s always something I look forward to. Admittedly, it’s only Gunbroker’s numbers, so you can argue it’s not complete or accurate. However, I think Gunbroker’s numbers give us a pretty good glimpse into what’s selling and what’s not. With that in mind, I’m a shotgun nut, and as such, I really love knowing what shotguns are selling to the average person. The best selling shotguns give us a glimpse of trends and evolutions, so let’s look at the top ten best selling repeating claymores.
The Best Selling Shotguns of 2023
Let’s not mince words: what are the top ten shotguns of 2023?
Mossberg 590
Remington 870
Mossberg 500
Beretta A300
Mossberg Maverick
Benelli M4
Mossberg 940
Benelli Super Black Eagle
Beretta Model 1301
Winchester Super X Pump
The Trends Of The Best Selling Shotguns of 2023
The best selling shotguns are all repeating shotguns, not a single double or single barrel on the list. This isn’t a huge surprise. There are tons and tons of different single and double-barrel guns of varying qualities, which waters the market down. It’s a market for skeet, trap, and bird hunters, and bird hunters, and all those people also use semi-auto and pump guns.
All American
What we can also see is that the majority of shotguns are American or Italian-made. When it comes to high-quality shotguns, the Americans and Italians make the best. Surprisingly, the only other country of origin is Turkey, which isn’t surprising since they make truckloads of shotguns. The Winchester Super X Pump is a Turkish shotgun, and to be fair, the Winchester guns tend to be the higher-end Turkish shotguns.
We can see that Mossberg had a bang-up year; the Mossberg 590, 500, 940, and Maverick all top the top ten list. Three of the top five shotguns are Mossbergs. They dominated shotgun sales this year. Admittedly, the Mossberg 940, 500, Maverick, and 590 come in a ton of different configurations. Each of these guns comes in hunting, defensive, tactical, and even competition options, which likely helps boost sales. The famed Remington 870 made the list as well.
The Beretta/Benelli group also dominated. Together, the two brands, both owned by Beretta, also occupy four spots on the list. The A300 is an interesting option since it made the top 5 and was also recently released as the A300 Ultima Patrol, an American-made tactical configuration of the A300. The A300 comes in a few different configurations, so it likely helped boost sales. The Benelli M4 and 1301 also made the list, and both are expensive tactical shotguns, so it’s surprising to see them make the top ten list.
Semi-Auto or Pump?
To me, the most interesting takeaway is that the list is split between semi-auto and pump shotguns. Pump shotguns occupy five slots, and semi-autos occupy the other five slots. This means that semi-auto shotguns are now neck and neck with pump actions. Semi-auto shotguns are more expensive than pump guns, and only one admittedly budget Beretta made the top 5. Still, it’s an interesting development for the world of shotguns.
Tactical guns seem to be ruling the best selling shotguns marketplace. While guns like the Mossberg 500 and Beretta A300 come in numerous variants, guns like the 590, the 1301, and Benelli M4 are all tactical shotguns and occupy three of the ten spots. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the tactical variants of the various guns outsold the sporting variants.
In terms of gauge, several of these best selling shotguns come in multiple gauges and its not clear if one sold more than the other. I’d guess that the 12 gauge outsold the rest. Guns like the Maverick, Benelli M4, 1301, Winchester Super X, and 940 are all 12 gauge guns, and the rest also come in 12 gauge variants.
The Shotgun Market
Shotguns have made a bit of a comeback in the modern era, and according to Gunbroker’s top 25 overall guns, they even made the number three spot with the Mossberg 590. Shotguns also haven’t been better. It’s great to see their revival, and it’s great to be a shotgun nut in this day and age.
As someone who likes to shoot but hates to spend money, I like it when I can get something that does several things. That’s what attracted me to the RE Factor Essentials Target. It’s a big, huge piece of paper plastered from top to bottom with different targets of varying shapes and sizes. Most of the time, that big sheet of paper we call a target is a single target with maybe one or two desirable places to hit.
Take the FBI Q Target, for example. It’s a Coke bottle-shaped design that is vaguely human shape. As such, the desirable portions of the target are limited to the chest and head zones of the target. While that can be quite useful, it has a limiting effect on how the target can be used and how shooters build skills. We build skills by becoming better and better at increasingly difficult tasks. It’s a lot like progressive overload and working out.
The RE Factor Essentials target provides a variety of targets within the target to create a wider variety of challenges. To be clear, I was not sent these targets, and I paid out of pocket to obtain them for this test.
Breaking Down the RE Factor Essentials Target
Within one large sheet of paper are 16 different target options of varying sizes and even shapes. Fifteen of the 16 targets are numbered, and the final target is a traditional bull’s eye type target. The wide variety of shapes and sizes makes the target quite appealing to me. I’m a creative person, so I can design and shoot a number of interesting drills using varying-sized shapes and targets.
For example, I practice a pocket Mozambique drill. At the beep of a timer, I drew and fired two rounds to the big rectangle marked with the number seven. From there, I fired a well-aimed shot to the smaller 12 rectangle. It’s not exactly a Mozambique drill, but it works the same skills with a slightly different, unpredictable challenge.
I then practiced a pocket draw to hit target 14, which is very small. Once I did that successfully, I moved to the even smaller target 15, and did the same. The targets within the RE Essentials targets can be used for all manner of drills for solo and partner training. Obviously, the numbers make call-out drills possible. I used the six dots for draw practice. Draw and fire one shot, and then record the time on the dot and move on.
The traditional bull’s eye makes the 10-10-10 drill easy to accomplish. While I like the target, I would probably make one change. I’d ditch the traditional bull’s eye for the B-8 target. Arguably, the B-8 is a traditional Bull’s eye, but it’s used widely for a variety of drills.
Quality Matters
The RE Factor Essentials Target is made from bright white paper that’s thick and quite solid. The targets are 23 inches by 35 inches and made to last. The price changes depending on quantity. A 50-pack costs 37.50.
One of the big benefits of a target like this comes down to public range users. If you strap this bad boy up, you can do a lot more shooting between cease-fire calls. I know it can be frustrating to wait and wait after you’ve done your one drill a few times and want to paste up a new target.
RE Factor Tactical has a series of drills that utilize the target as part of their Essentials E-book. They have also published the Kill Card drill. This drill requires the shooter to land seven rounds on three different targets with two reloads in seven seconds. Those who succeed will get a place in the Hall of Fame and a patch. This drill has become my February shooting goal.
I think these are solid target options for training and help you get the most out of your range time and training. Check them out and hopefully get some training done for yourself.
Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make and the Decisions That Led Up To Them is a long title to a short book by Clauder Werner. Clauder Werner often goes by the online moniker of the Tactical Professor. Claude has a very interesting background that combines an Army career with ten years in Special Operations, time as a firearms instructor, a professional IDPA shooting career, and a bit of a research background. He combined those skills to write Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make and the Decisions That Led Up To Them.
The book aims to catalog and discuss mistakes broken down into three different categories. These are Legal Mistakes, Imprudent Mistakes, and Mechanical Mistakes. Claude has a history of research and building databases. He began to do just that with shootings from law enforcement and civilians who ended up in a bad spot due to legal mistakes, imprudent mistakes, and mechanical mistakes. These mistakes often end up with the shooter facing prison time.
Claude Werner Breaks It Down
I don’t want to dive deep into the actual content of the book. In each chapter, Claude Werner breaks down the definition of each type of ‘Mistake’ covered in his book. He very clearly explains what each mistake type is and how they affect the end user. The book then explains the different dimensions of these mistakes.
Claude Werner
He cements the idea behind the Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make with explanations and real examples from the real world. He uses these examples to paint a very clear picture of the mistakes these gun owners make, how they affect the overall outcome of their situation, and what ultimately happened to them.
Since this is an eBook, the PDF contains live links to take you to additional content. This includes facts and figures from reputable sources that back up the information Claude Werner presents. The book comes out to be fairly short, with only about 48 pages of information. With that said. It came free when I ordered another Tactical Professor book, Concealed Carry Skills and Drills.
I’m still working through that one, but I finished Serious Mistakes Gunowners Make and the Decisions That Led Up To Them in a single sitting without effort. It’s a solid piece of information and gives you a framing device to see common mistakes and how they affect the outcome of civilian firearm usage.
On Saturday February 17, 2024 I had the privilege of driving to The Ranch in Dilley, Texas for my second training course with Green Ops, Inc.
I was very impressed with the specificity, details, skill levels, mindset and ability of the Green Ops instructors at the LPVO course I took last autumn. Since then, I made a mental note to try and show up to the next Green Ops handgun class that lined up with my schedule. I figured if their team could teach carbine stuff to students the way they do, I wanted to see what they could do about handgun shooting.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Green Ops AAPM Course Overview
Matt McGuire shooting his S&W M&P 2.0 as he demonstrates something to students.
Perhaps because of the cold and windy weather, only three other students besides myself showed up. Those who didn’t make it sadly missed out. I think the remaining four of us got lucky because our class essentially became a semi-private lesson. This relaxed atmosphere is more conducive to learning and performance.
Matt McGuire, the Director Of Training in Texas for Green Ops, led the course as the main instructor. McGuire is endorsed by MSP/Scott Jedlinski and many of his methodologies stem from the “Jedi shooting school of thought.” He had no problem throwing down and demonstrating skills and concepts to a high level. For example, there were several times when McGuire made sub-second draws look boring and normal. Most importantly, McGuire’s skill as an instructor shone through in the way he taught and presented information. Green Ops assistant instructors Jaq and Jason were there to back up Mr. McGuire. They both kept a watchful eye over students while stepping to offer guidance when needed. In fact, I’m indebted to Jaq for taking some time to help me work on my AIWB draw.
Handgun Fundamentals
Advanced Application of Pistol Mechanics (AAPM) methodically covers handgun fundamentals in context for experienced handgun shooters. It can also be viewed as an introduction to higher performance shooting. The first portion of the coursework is spent combing over all core elements. Those elements were grip, stance, trigger control, sight alignment, drawing and presentation. Each topic gets an instructor demo and lecture, and students shoot relevant live fire as it pertains to that topic.
During live fire, instructors keep an eye on students and dispensing guidance as needed. The second portion of the class delved into skills and drills. These exercises were a good mix of rapid fire scenarios like Bill Drills or the 3-2. Time was also spent on precise slow fire at 25-yards on full size NRA B6 targets. Also at 40-60 yards on IPSC sized steel targets. There was also brief segment covering shot-calling that was short, sweet and to the point.
After these slow and rapid fire drills were finished, the instructors walked the students through the very challenging Green Ops handgun standards (see below). We ran through the Green Ops standards twice as the course’s culminating exercise and winded things down by means of friendly informal competition. None of us students cleared the standards, and frankly they keep even the instructors honest. The end-match consisted of students lining up head to head-to-head and seeing who could nail either ISPC sized steel target 40 yards away the quickest.
Personal Highlights
McGuire demonstrated a (new-to-me) gripping method for the support hand. It relies on only applying tension with the wrist and fingers, and wrapping up the support hand around the gun. The premise of this is to keep the gun steady using the strength of the support hand, while leaving the firing hand relatively relaxed and free. If the firing hand is too tense, it becomes near impossible to get lightning quick splits and the chances of incurring trigger freeze increase dramatically. I know, because I often deal with it.
The most surprising element of this alternative grip is the fact that the thumbs hardly play a role during firing. As I write this two days after the class, I’m still digesting this and dry-firing in this manner. Mr. McGuire drew a line across both of my hands as a visual reminder of where my hands needed to be placed. A great way to get the most out of this firing grip. In fact, everyone got lines drawn across their hands.
Do The Wave
The coverage of Jedi’s “wave” technique is also worth mentioning too. I’ve seen it on Youtube, but have never had an experienced coach demonstrate it in person or walk me through it. The wave’s premise is that by presenting the gun with an upward arc, the path stops with the dots or sight on the target. In other words, it’s easier to miss the dot when the gun is swinging upward rather than coming down from above. All Green Ops instructors demonstrated quick draws with an aggressive downward stabbing scooping motion, then brought the gun to chest level where they’d apply the wave and finish presenting the pistol to the target. As with all things related to shooting, there’s no such thing as “a way” but there are many ways to do many things, and it behooves the well-rounded shooter to be aware of the more useful ones.
With regards to the distance shooting portion of the class, I liked that we shot at full-size targets and not just the repair center. That provided better diagnostics for everyone, especially for a tricky subject like precision pistol distance shots.
Guns And Gear
AAPM is gun and gear agnostic, so as long as the pistol is reliable, you should be okay. Regardless, one should bring ample magazines for their chosen pistol. At least four for those with 15+ rounds and maybe more for lower capacity mags. Most holster and rig configurations are welcome, with the exception of the SERPA holster because of the liability it represents. I shot from concealment using my PHLster Floodlight 2 while others shot from their duty set ups (e.g. Safariland buckets). I don’t get the impression that bringing a competition rig to Green Ops AAPM would be problematic.
Fair warning from firsthand experience this weekend: cold weather means more layers, which means a harder time to cleanly access a concealed pistol. For some of the shooting assessments done for time and score, I shed some layers in order to guarantee a cleaner draw. Likewise, with more layers it becomes more challenging to “look” the gun into the holster during re-holstering which is critical for safety.
Walther PDP Match SF + Trijicon RCR that I took to class.
Lead Downrange
I put nearly 450 rounds through my Walther PDP Match Steel Frame at AAPM. This class also my first training course with this handgun. It was also my maiden voyage with the recently mounted Trijicon RCR. I’m happy to report that the RCR’s capstan screws didn’t budge. It was something I had been leery about due to its novel mounting system. On the flip side, the RCR’s smaller window took some getting used to, something that’s easily resolved through repetition. It has a 3.25 MOA dot, and even with my slight astigmatism, I can recognize it as being round and crisp. After covering trigger prep in class as a key element of pistol shooting, I walked away with a newfound appreciation of this Walther’s flat faced Dynamic Performance Trigger. Of course I liked the trigger before, but its flat-face is conducive to great trigger prep.
I’ve been mostly shooting the polymer and steel framed Walther PDPs during second half of 2023, but the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 9mm is the other striker-gun on my radar lately. The M&P 2.0s aren’t exactly new, but I think they are real sleepers in the shooting performance department. Lo and behold, both McGuire and Jaq were shooting full-size Performance Center M&P 2.0s with dots and aftermarket Apex Triggers. I think that’s a clue. The rest of the guns on the line included Jason’s dotted and comped FN 509, and other students’ Glock 19, Glock 45 and Sig Sauer M17.
I was humbled at this class. Since I write about shooting topics, I shoot frequently enough and my skills are on the upward swing in general. However, AAPM was reminder that there’s still a ton of information, techniques and knowledge that I don’t yet know. In fact my immediate literal ‘takeaway’ from Green Ops AAPM was how I needed to get home and incorporate some of this new material into my dry-fire regimen at once.
The AAPM is a handgun fundamentals class that’s best suited to handgun shooters with a reasonable amount of experience. This doesn’t mean that one needs to be a USPSA GM to get the most out of this class. The student who will benefit the most from this class already has an understanding of the basics of handgun shooting. Including drawing from their holster and the basics of grip, stance, sight picture, etc. As AAPM introduces more performance shooting elements, it should not be someone’s “first” pistol class because the real value of this one-day course comes from the nuances and evidence based experiences shared from the instructors.
Green Ops AAPM is also a convenient course because it’s formatted as a single day event. This makes it easier both on one’s calendar and wallet. Also, I didn’t walk away with the perception that anything critical was missing from the curriculum. This course would also be useful for experienced shooters who haven’t had the chance to train for some time with the added benefit of in-person coaching. It would be an excellent way to knock that rust out.
*The Green Ops Pistol Standards
These handgun shooting standards aren’t easy but they’re also not physically impossible. You don’t need a $10,000 racegun to clean them.
1: 7 yds, 3 shots-slide lock reload-3 shots, par time 4.0s
(took me over seven seconds by having a slow reload).
2: 7 yds, 2 shots SHO, 2 shots WHO, par time 4.0s
(took me over six seconds by being overly careful)
3: 7 yds, 1 shot in head box A zone, par time 1.5s
(best I could do was 2.04 seconds, need to work on my draw)
4: 25 yds Bill Drill, 6 shots @ A-Zone, par time 6.0s
(this is the only thing I can clear, with my best run being 4.9 seconds clean)
**Special Thanks to Jaq for allowing me to use his photos here.
I love weird guns, and I love weird calibers, so it was only a matter of time before I came across the 7mm Penna and the STI Nemesis. STI because the 2011/1911 company before they changed their name to Staccato. In anticipation of SHOT, I was looking at ancient SHOT articles…going back as far as 2010! That’s when I ran across the STI Nemesis and the 7mm Penna round.
It’s tough to find a lot of information on guns and their caliber. It bears mentioning that the Nemesis didn’t seem to have been built by STI but perhaps imported. It’s not incredibly clear, but it appears the Nemesis was built by an Italian firm called QS Armi. Why would STI market or import an obscure gun and caliber from Italy? Well, they were also producing M1911s in both standard and double stack frame types for the 7mm Penna round.
The Nemesis Pistol
Not much seems to be known about the QS Armi Nemesis pistol. We know that it was a concealed carry-oriented weapon. The magazine held 13 rounds of 7mm Penna. From some reports of SHOT Show attendees, the trigger was nice, and the slide was easy to rack. It appears to be a fairly small pistol.
STI
The edges look mostly melted, and the gun looks snag-free. The magazine release is a very odd design. It’s placed to the rear of the grip and looks like a revolver cylinder release. It seems to be the only thing close to a snag point. While unconventional, I try to withhold judgment until I can try it myself.
It appears to be about the same size as a single stack 9mm for the era, but those 9mm typically held eight rounds. Four extra rounds aren’t bad, but is it revolutionary?
The 7mm Penna
The 7mm Penna was developed by Leonardo Penna, who, unsurprisingly, was of Italian descent. He designed the caliber for IPSC, which might have you holding your horses. This caliber doesn’t appear to be IPSC legal, at least by my calculations. However, maybe the Italian IPSC has a few different rules. The idea was to create a small, low-recoiling cartridge that allowed for higher capacity. Why not just use 9mm?
Well, up until 2011, you couldn’t. Italy has some laws in place regarding military calibers owned by civilians. Not all calibers used by the military are banned for civilian use, but some are, and for a long time, this included the standard 9mm cartridge. Plus, the 7mm Penna still offered lower recoil and higher capacity than the 9mm.
Wikipedia
Mr. Penna took a 5.7x28mm cartridge and necked it up to accept a .277 bullet, which actually isn’t a 7mm bullet. It’s actually 6.8 mm, but rounding up was likely an easy way to capture the minds of folks who think bullet size is everything. Fiocchi would later produce the ammo as the only major manufacturer who adopted the load.
The bullet would be light and fast. It’s tough to find solid information on the different loads Fioochi offered, but a load that utilized a 68-grain bullet moves at 1,400 feet per second from a 5-inch barrel. The smaller bullet allowed a single-stack M1911 to hold 13 rounds and a double-stack to hold 26!
While the cartridge was designed for IPSC, it does seem like they pivoted towards concealed carry and self-defense. That’s where the Nemesis pistol came to be. Sadly, that’s where the round and the gun ended. The 7mm Penna didn’t generate much interest, and it has since faded into obscurity.
The world of PWD cartridges is a weird one. The term PDW has shifted around a bit. The original definition was of something between a rifle and a handgun cartridge. Rounds like the 5.7x28mm and the 4.6x30mm defined the genre. They were a lot like light rifle cartridges, similar to the old .30 Carbine. While the FN and HK rounds dominated the genre, there was a contender that is often forgotten, and he goes by the name .224 Boz.
The .224 Boz – The Forgotten PDW Cartridge
A British company called Civil Defence Supply was the force behind the .224 Boz. The intent was to provide special operations and law enforcement an intermediate option between a full-powered rifle round and a pistol round.
The .224 Boz was a PDW cartridge intended to provide the same benefits as the 5.7 and 4.6. It would be a relatively short-range round. It would outperform a pistol, but getting beyond 150 yards might be challenging. The round was also designed to be able to punch through soft body armor and some helmet designs. The design started in the 1990s, which would make it a contemporary of the 4.6 and 5.7.
(Wikipedia)
While the 5.7 and 4.6 were radically different from other rifle rounds, the .224 Boz would utilize some familiar components. The original cartridge utilized a 10mm case that was necked down to .223. The projectile weighed 50 grains and was able to reach velocities of 2,500 feet per second. It was capable of piercing soft flak jackets as well as military helmets of the era.
One test had the .224 Boz, the 5.7 and 4.6, competing in head-to-head trials. The trial included penetrating a NATO CRISAT spec target of layered titanium and kevlar armor. The .224 Boz performed favorably compared to the two O.G.s of PDW cartridges. The .224 Boz flew flat out to 100 meters and provided low recoil.
Keeping Things Standard
One of the big benefits of using the 10mm case was the ability to use established weapons. Civil Defence Supply utilized the MP-5/10, the Glock 20, and a 1911. The cartridge worked in each gun, which ensured there was minimal need to develop new firearms to chamber the cartridge. New barrels and other such parts were needed, but existing weapons and even magazines could be used.
With that said, the .224 Boz didn’t perform well from short barrels. According to Civil Defence Supply, the handgun would be available as a 5.5-inch compact version and a 6.5-inch standard version. These would be fairly large handguns, and a lot of their value was probably lost. It’s not too different than handguns chambering the classic PDW cartridges.
Reddit
As the 1990s turned into the 2000s, this crazy thing called the GWOT occurred. This seemingly stalled the need for PDWs since we weren’t facing the Red Menace at the Fulda Gap. With the GWOT, we saw the rise of the small carbine; the M4 took over, and even smaller variants like the MK 18 came to be. This largely eliminated the military need for a PDW. As the war continued, the PDW role was taken over by .300 Blackout with guns like the SIG LVAW.
A Rise Again
In 2010, there was an attempt to revive the project. The new .224 Boz would use a 9mm case and could reach velocities of 2,200 feet per second. It was sadly lost and didn’t pick up any steam. What didn’t help that Civil Defence Supply only marketed the cartridge to law enforcement and military forces. It might not have succeeded if offered to the civilian market, but the 5.7x28mm is still kicking around, and FN released the PS90 years ago.
For now, the .224 Boz is dead. However, it seemed like a cartridge that could have really succeeded as a light rifle option. Sadly, the market for a ‘light’ rifle is more or less dead with the versatility of the .223/5.56 round dominating the market.
The 5.7x28mm has had a successful resurgence in popularity. New ammunition and available, new pistols, and new carbines have all combined to give the round that is essentially 5.56Lite a new lease on life.
But is it effective?
That seems to be the cyclical question, are the available ammunitions good as a sidearm round or PDW round. Does it do defensively what is required of a sidearm or PDW? Does it, at the least, compete favorably with .380 ACP, .38 SPL, or 9mm?
Mike and the Garand Thumb team are looking to put a little science behind the inquiries and generate data to form answers. I’ll say for certain that the Belgian armed forces use it as their sidearm, and they are not slouches in selection. But in contrast, I also know how military procurement and firearm selection can go and you sometimes just deal with what you have. M14, M17/M18, M9 with the bad mags, just because it is in use doesn’t assure its greatness.
Demand for more ruggedized duty-grade enclosed emitter pistol mounted optics is at an all time high, which is why Trijicon responded to the market by releasing the RCR during the summer of 2023. The RCR is the Michigan company’s first duty-grade enclosed-emitter reflex sight. Keep in mind that all of Trijicon’s micro reflex sights (except the smaller RMR CC) use the RMR footprint. This includes the RMR, the SRO and the newly released RMR HD.
With very few exceptions (see Holosun EPS/Carry), virtually all enclosed emitter optics on the market are fastened to slides or optics plates via a lateral clamping force, not unlike the way Picatinny based mounts clamp onto Picatinny railed surfaces. The Aimpoint ACRO pattern is the clear leader for enclosed emitter footprint styles. This differs from the manner in which most other [open emitter] reflex sights are anchored to a slide, which is via a pair of vertically oriented screws. Like every other enclosed-emitter design save for the Holosun EPS, the Trijicon RCR has no openly accessible screw holes either. However, it doesn’t use a side-clamping fastening pattern. So what’s the Trijicon RCR’s footprint? The same and original RMR footprint! But the RMR footprint takes vertical screws, so how is the RCR mounted?
ENTER THE CAPSTAN
A capstan is something found on ships and docks of old. It’s a horizontal pulley with slots near the top that sailors would attach rods into for leverage. With their rods inserted, a team of men was able to apply torque to turn the capstan, which could provide a mechanical advantage in order to move or lift things connected by ropes. Similarly, Trijicon developed special screws with heads tall enough to drill slots into. These screws keep the same thread pitch as any other RMR spec screw.
Tourists turning a capstan on an old sailing ship. Image Credit: Wikipedia
The idea behind Trijicon’s capstan screws to fasten the RCR is that they fit within the unit’s slots, and one inserts a small, thin allen wrench into the screw head’s slots to tighten the screw down. Think of the sailors inserting their rods into the capstan to turn it. Trijicon will instruct the user to snug up the capstan screws. Obviously these cannot be torqued via normal means, such as with the aid of Fix-It Sticks. Instead, Trijicon includes a small card with various graduated markings. The capstan screws are properly tightened when the allen wrench can bend past four of these markings. Don’t forget the thread locker prior to tightening them (a small vial of blue Locte is included with the RCR).
HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO
Trijicon’s ingenious solution is important because of the popularity of the RMR footprint pattern. Besides Trijicon, other companies have adopted it and make many of their wares compatible with this footprint. It’s fair to say that the RMR footprint holds a good portion of the market share. That the RCR is an enclosed-emitter dot but can still use the traditional RMR footprint is a fairly big deal. Not only is this footprint part of Trijicon’s legacy and brand identity, the RCR can be mounted on damn near every gun that already uses the RMR pattern. These implications are important because it means that shooters now have the option of a fully American-made enclosed emitter reflex sight. I happen to use Trijicon RMR pattern plates with both of the PDPs I’ve been shooting, so mounting my T&E RCR unit to my Walther PDP Match Steel Frame pistol was fairly straightforward.
Trijicon RCR mounted on my Walther PDP Match Steel Frame pistol. The slot for the capstan screw can clearly be seen.
AFFIXING THE TRIJICON RCR
Besides reading this piece, I strongly recommend for anyone interested to watch the video below, it’s worth one thousand words. Honestly, installation is quite straightforward though tightening the screws by inserting and extracting the small allen wrench into the holes to turn the capstan screws can become a little tedious, but not actually difficult. At the time of this writing, I’ve only mounted the RCR and dry-fired with it. But I’m very interested to see how the capstan screw system will play out when I shoot this new red-dot sight on my Walther PDP Match SF.
I love the little Heritage revolvers. Their affordability is tough to beat, and their design makes them a ton of fun to shoot. I purchased a Rancher a while back, which is the Rough Rider turned into a rifle. While fun, I wanted to have a scope mount for a red dot. That’s what started this entire journey. In researching that, I came across the Booligan Shooting Sports Space Carbine and immediately knew I wanted more than a scope mount. I wanted a Space Carbine Kit.
Booligan Shooting Sports is a fella who designs a variety of 3D prints for guns. This includes frames for various Glock designs, MACs, and more. There are numerous Space Cowboy dress-up kits for the Ruger Wrangler and Heritage Rough Rider. The original Space Carbine was designed around the massive and ultimately silly Heritage Rough Rider pistol With the 16-inch barrel. The complete Space Carbine features a stock for the Rough Rider. I didn’t have the Rough Rider, but I did have the Rancher.
At the end of the day, this is just a dress-up kit. It certainly adds a new edge to the Rancher, and yes, it made it possible for me to mount my red dot. Would it have been cheaper and easier to just purchase a Tactical Rancher? Yes, but where is the fun in that?
Printing the Space Carbine
The Space Carbine print job took several hours. Booligan Shooting Sports does all the drops for his prints for free, but he does accept donations and subscriptions to keep things running. Prior to printing the three-piece Space Carbine design, I printed my kids some keychains, a Cali Cat, and a little tugboat.
Once I realized how easily the 3D printer went “burrr,” I hit the go button and slowly printed each part of the kit. I’m not sure how long it took in total since I slept for one print and attended basketball games with the kids for another. I know it took several hours, but it didn’t take much of my attention. The Space Carbine consists of two barrel shrouds and a handguard. I also printed a small section of the rail for the red dot.
The shroud portions do pack a small set of fixed iron sights, so you don’t need an optic, but what’s the point of not having a red dot on a Space Carbine?
Installing the Kit
Putting it all together wasn’t too difficult. Keep in mind this kit was made for the long Rough Rider, not the Rancher. The Rancher has Buckhorn sights, a sling swivel, and a taller front sight. Removing the sling swivel and buckhorn sight wasn’t tough. However, I figured out the taller front sight would be a hassle. A hand file was needed to shave it down to produce a short front sight that would lock into the shroud.
You have to remove the ejector rod housing. The rear portion of the shroud has a slot where you install the ejection rod and the spring. The same screw that holds the ejector rod housing connects to the gun. Once installed, everything is quite tight. The front shroud is secured by the front sight, and the rear portion by the screw used by the ejector rod housing. The use of a good plastic poxy to tie the front and rear together adds even more rigidity.
The final portion is the optional handguard, which covers the seam in the shroud. It also moves a fair bit and creates a ton of noise. I’m almost convinced to epoxy it down. The rail attaches to two screw points on the top shroud and is easy to install.
To The Range With the Space Carbine
With a Burris Fastfire 4 installed, I went about zeroing the rifle. It took no time at all to get a good 25-yard zero in place. The handguard and shroud provided no issues with zeroing, and I went about plinking and having as much fun as I could. It admittedly makes the gun a ton of fun. There are optional blast shields to reduce the blast that occurs between the cylinder and barrel, but I don’t find them necessary.
The worst part about the Rancher is how slow it is to reload because I really wanted to keep shooting. Have you ever tried to do a fast single-action double tap on two targets? It’s a ton of fun. The Space Carbine kit gives you something to hold onto, and the red dot makes fast shooting a breeze.
I shot a lot, probably two hundred rounds, on the first day, and there were no detectable problems with the kit or how it interacted with the rifle. In the next few days, several friends checked it out, and we fired plenty of problem-free rounds. It held zero fine and without fail.
The handguard can act as a pump to hit the ejector rod. It works, I guess, but it is slower than actually just using the rod. Booligan has mentioned producing an attachment to make the pump function as a way to cock the hammer in the future, and that’s the only reason I haven’t poxyed the part down. I think that would be absolutely awesome, and I look forward to the possibility of a pump-action Space Carbine.
3D Printing & Firearms
The Space Carbine kit brought new life to a gun I haven’t shot in quite some time. I look forward to exploring other realms of 3D printing and firearms, and I’m even considering buying a normal Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider to produce a space cowboy sidearm to work with my carbine.
I am a fan of the Galil ACE Series, both generations of it. The IWI AK evolutions can be heard described from my lips as the best modern AKs, and I stand by that description. I have two, my company has three. Mine are in 5.56 and the very difficult to procure 5.45, because I am apparently a glutton for punishment when it comes to finding ammunition.
But the most handy little ACE in our collection is the one 9-Hole just dropped a review on. The 7.62×39.
7,62 (as is written in most other locales) is a phenomincally performing short barreled round compared to is lighter and faster peers. Where they Soviets made 5.45 to emulate our 5.56, we made .300 BLK to emulate many of the things that 7.62x39mm could do already. The short, chonky, mid-velocity .30 caliber is exceptionally handy in the small 8.3″ Galil ACE. The modernized control suite keeps it rolling and adding suppression is easy. If you seem to be over gassing the gun, throw in a KNS piston and tune it for your suppressor and that should alleviate.
So yeah folks, shameless ACE plug. My favorite is the 5.45 but it rocks in all four calibers. Plus the NATO ones have last round bolt locks and releases and take standard mags, which is nice.
One of the cool things about guns is that if you get bored of polymer frame 9mms, then you can move into shotguns. Inside of shotguns, we got slug guns, double barrels, semi-autos, and more. I recently moved into shooting more revolvers. Part of that has been researching the history of old revolvers, which is basically an excuse to buy old revolvers. Believe it or not, revolvers from the early to mid-1900s are pretty damn cheap. Well, they are cheap if you buy one in a not-so-popular caliber, and that’s how I discovered and fell in love with .32 S&W Long.
It was a little range time with a S&W 1905 5th change that convinced me that there was more to this round than meets the eye. What I expected was a lower-powered, rare, and expensive caliber. I’d shoot fifty rounds from the box I got with the gun and enjoy it, but I’d never really think about it again. The S&W 1905 would be a wall hanger. Yet… that’s not what happened.
What happened was pure enjoyment. I loved shooting the caliber and the gun and started a deep dive into the .32 S&W Long and figured out that we were all missing out on such a great round.
The History of the .32 S&W Long
Smit and Wesson released the .32 S&W Long in 1896 and released the round alongside S&W’s first-hand ejector. This revolver set up every other S&W revolver they would ever make. Originally, the round was loaded in black powder, but in 1903, it was swapped to smokeless powder. The round’s most famous user was the NYPD, who used it in Colt New Police revolver. At this point, Theodore Roosevelt was the police commissioner.
Mr. Roosevelt was famously a fan of firearms, and was well known for being a soldier and hunter, and carried an FN 1900 as his chosen self-defense firearm. He knew his guns and adopted the little .32 S&W long due to its reputation for excellent accuracy. Beyond the NYPD, the cartridge saw some success with other Northeastern Police Departments.
Where it really shines and continues to shine is in competition pistols. Believe it or not, the .32 S&W Long continues to be used in high-end competition pistols made by Pardini, Benelli, Hammerli, Walther, and more. These specific rounds are complete flat cutters to reduce the overall length to fit in semi-auto actions. The accuracy of the round can’t be overstated. It continues to blow past other options.
The Benefits of the .32 S&W Long
We’ve mentioned accuracy, and it is an accurate round. I’m not six-gun fiend. I’m an enthusiastic amateur at best. With that S&W M1905, I was able to ping a 10-inch gong six out of six times at 25 yards. It’s not a big gun, and the sights are super simple, but the round is very forgiving. Hearing ding made me feel pretty good about my ability to shoot a revolver.
Another benefit is the small size of the round and case. It leaves enough room to fit six rounds in a cylinder that would usually accommodate a mere five .38 Special rounds. One extra round might not be much, but unless my math is wrong, six is more than five, and when it comes to ammo, more is always better.
The little round also has very little recoil. Another reason I fell in love with shooting it was the soft pop of the recoil. It was unassertive and greeted you like an old man’s handshake. You won’t feel a pinch of pain, and when tossed in a small revolver, that can be quite nice.
Is It Self-Defense Capable?
That’s the real question. Plenty of turn of the century revolver cartridges faded away simply because they weren’t very well suited for self-defense. We typically want a cartridge that can penetrate through 12 to 18 inches of properly calibrated ballistic gel. This ensures the round can reach deep enough to hit something vital.
If the caliber can’t hit the off switch reliably, we usually move on. I looked into it, and Terril Herbert, over at Guns.com has tested the cartridge from an old Iver Johnson revolver. He used some simple 88-grain rounds, and they made it through four layers of denim, and all landed between 14 and 18 inches of ballistic gel.
That’s not bad, and that was using a rather anemic target load. There is no reason you couldn’t amp the round-up a little with modern guns and add a little velocity alongside a modern projectile for good penetration and expansion.
What About the .327 Federal Magnum?
I have only fired about 12 rounds of .327 Federal magnum in my life. It’s all been fired from a Ruger LCR. I found it pretty comfy, but it was loud, with lots of concussion. Luckily, the .327 Federal Magnum can fire .32 S&W long safely and reliably. There is a little bullet jump from the cylinder to the barrel due to overall length differences, but I doubt it will degrade accuracy much.
I don’t have much of a use for carrying this caliber as a serious defensive revolver, but I can’t help but feel it would be a great option for those who are recoil-sensitive. I don’t expect the .32 S&W Long to be the next big thing, but it does seem to be a missed opportunity for small revolvers and recoil-sensitive shooters.
The world of early cartridge firearms is fascinating. The cash-strapped American military first adopted the famed trap door carbines from Springfield Armory. While these might have been the first cartridge firearms formally adopted by the United States military, they weren’t necessarily the only cartridge firearms standing around. The Rolling Block and Falling Block designs had established themselves with hunters, military forces, and more. A fairly common question is, what’s the difference?
Trap door carbines are easy to understand, but what’s the difference between a falling block and a rolling block? What exactly is a block in the first place? There were other cartridge firearms in this era, mainly the famed lever action rifles. These rifles fired something more or less equivalent to a pistol round or near enough to a pistol round. When you got into bigger, more powerful calibers, you needed a more robust system.
Loading the round into the chamber was as easy as sliding it into the chamber from the rear. The big problem to solve was what kept it there. When you fired the rifle, gas propelled the round forward and would most certainly propel the round rearward if allowed. You needed a block to keep the round from flying outward. Engineering in this era was wrapped around muzzle loaders where a block wasn’t needed.
One of the first arms races for pull-powered cartridge rifles meant for military use was to establish a blocking system.
The Rolling Block
The Rolling Block was mostly designed in 1863 and was used as a split breech carbine issued to US Calvary troops. It wasn’t until Remington took over the patent in 1866 that the Rolling Block we know and love was up and running. I imagine the Civil War and the need for established rifles and handguns really dampened the production of new firearms, especially when you’re already swimming in military contracts.
A Rolling Block rifle appears to have two hammers at first glance. In reality, it has a single hammer and a breech lever. The user would cock the rearward hammer o the locked position. Then, they use their thumb to manipulate the breech lever rearward, which exposes the breech. This breech lever rolls the block rearward. Thus, it was named the rolling block.
With the block locked to the rear, the shooter can insert a cartridge. The block is then rolled back into place. The rolling block contains the firing pin. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer drops and strikes the firing pin and fires the weapon.
The Falling Block
The Falling Block design is much older than the rolling block. In fact, it dates back to the 1840s and likely earlier with custom gunsmiths. Sharps used the action in his rifles, so did the Belgians, and many more. After the Civil War, the falling block really took off with the widespread acceptance and use of cartridge firearms.
To shoot a falling block rifle, you have to use a specific mechanism to lower the block. With some guns, this is a lever beneath the action, much like the Winchester 1885 designed by John Browning. In smaller guns, like the Stevens rimfire rifles, it’s a lever on the block that the user presses downward. The shooter depresses the block in one way or another inserts a cartridge and raises the block.
The firing pin is contained to the block. When the block is struck by the hammer, the weapon fires. The Falling Block carbines are still fairly popular and produced as expensive custom guns. These rifles are quite robust.
Which is Better?
Both systems are robust, well-made, and certainly well-proven. The Rolling Block design was successfully fielded by the United States military, including as the first official cartridge pistol adopted by the US Military. However, the falling block is a much more robust system. That’s why it’s still produced for high-pressure, modern calibers. Both are a ton of fun, and if you just want to play late 1800s shooter, either one will work. I have both a falling block and a rolling block .22LR and enjoy them both immensely.
Last time I gave you five things to do at the Great American Outdoor Show. It was a great time and while one day was fun and exhausting enough, I discovered that it wasn’t “actually” enough. I spent a second day there. With 650,000 square feet of show space, “enough” is not really a thing. So here are five MORE things to do at GAOS (that you can’t do in Vegas). Yes, I had fun and you should too!
1. See a 3D target archery competition.
I’m not sure what the criteria were to sign up for this, but it looked like fun! It was set up in the horse barn area (I think?) so there was plenty of room. They had 3-D targets representing just about any game animal you could think of, set up both near and far. Some of the targets were even for sale. I loved the sound of the “thwack” as the arrows struck their targets. Afterwards, I checked out the archery product section, which was huge, and I also discovered that my own Ten Point Crossbow model has been discontinued. Does that mean that I need to go shopping for an upgrade? We shall see.
Multiple competitors shooting multiple 3D targets.
2. Buy spices from a guy wearing fluorescent deer antlers.
This was definitely a double-take moment. The hat alone warranted a stop at his booth. The spice array from this family owned company was mind-boggling. Only partly to reward his attention-getting hat, I purchased some “Chesapeake Bay” seasoning since Lent is coming up and I will surely be making crab cakes. Give his link a look if you are into interesting spice mixes. Major Flavor Seasonings.
Loved the hat!My purchase.
3. Watch lumberjacks chopping wood.
The GAOS was the site of the Pennsylvania Lumberjack Championships and though none of the guys looked like Paul Bunyan and I didn’t see a blue ox, I got to watch some real hard-hitters at work. I don’t think there is much wood cutting in Vegas, although I hear that axe throwing can be a thing.
One guy’s working while the other guy’s talking. Kinda like the Dept of Highways.
4. Buy beef brisket jerky and bacon brittle from a young Amish/Mennonite guy.
Yes, bacon brittle – candy that has bacon in it! What’s not to love? I am not a fan of super hot stuff myself, but he offered an incentive for brave souls. If you could eat an entire (2.5 oz) package of their “Armageddon” hot jerky in five minutes without taking anything to drink, you’d get 25% off your purchase. The fellow told me that a few tried and succeeded, but a few also bitterly regretted their decision. I stuck with the original flavor, myself. This was a friendly, energetic fellow, and a good salesman! Their business ships to anywhere in the U.S. so give them a try! Gourmet Meat Express.
“Armageddon” – kinda says it all.Yeah no. I went with regular flavor.
5. Sit in a rocking chair under the cows.
To avoid some of the crowds, the Farm Show Complex offered a “short-cut” up through the second floor, which I availed myself of a few times. But not many people used it. That meant it was quieter, cooler, and nobody was using the rocking chairs in the atrium. Ahhhh, so I rested my tired dawgs under the cow mural. Putting ten miles of concrete show floor under my feet in two days made this a blissful experience. You should try it. I’ve never seen a rocking chair in Vegas, but they sure could use some in the press room!
Ahhhh, just me and the cows.
So that completes my list of the best things I did at the Great American Outdoor Show. My overall impression of the GAOS? Two thumbs up, would definitely go again.
I’m a big guy, and as such, I’ve always been partial to the 12 gauge. A low-recoil shotgun has never been necessary, and I realized there was a giant 20-gauge gap in my knowledge of defensive shotguns. So I did what any self-respecting gun writer would do, and I wrote Mossberg to try out their new Mossberg 590 in 20 gauge. The 590 is a legendary fighting shotgun that traditionally chambers the 12 gauge cartridge.
This modern tactical 20 gauge is a rare bird, so seeing Mossberg embrace the smaller gauge was interesting. This isn’t a review of the gun, but I will say it’s a very nice shotgun. It’s fun to shoot, lightweight, and compared to the 12 gauge 590, it’s light recoiling. Mossberg built the 20 gauge model on a 12 gauge frame, so it’s big and plenty heavy. It does provide a lower recoil option than the 12 gauge variant and is soft and easy to shoot.
The But Behind the 20 Gauge
But…is it really the softest shooting defensive shotgun option outside of .410? As I shot the 20 gauge more and more, I had a realization. I was shooting some cheap Monarch buckshot, 2.75-inch shells loaded with nine pellets of No. 1 buck. It’s not a bad defensive load. My realization was that this pump action 20 gauge was light recoiling, but was it better than a gas-operated 12 gauge with reduced recoil tactical loads?
I grabbed my Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical with some Federal Flitecontrol and Winchester Defender and shot the guns side by side. I could hardly tell the difference in recoil. The 12 gauge with the right ammo and a gas-operated action was fairly tame, as tame as the pump action 20 gauge.
That realization and experiment led me to believe that the famed low recoil 20 gauge option isn’t as big of a deal as I had always been told. If you absolutely have to have a pump action shotgun for defensive purposes, then yes, the 20 gauge is lighter recoiling. However, if you asked me for a low-recoil defensive shotgun, I’d point you to a gas-operated semi-auto with the right ammo.
Why?
Great question. Always ask why. First, let’s talk logistics. The 12 gauge dominates the tactical shotgun market. As such, it has the most affordable defensive ammo options and is the most widely available. Most importantly, it has Federal Flitecontrol. These purpose-built defensive buckshot loads pattern tighter and often feature reduced recoil. Training ammo, like birdshot, is cheaper and more common.
I’ve found a couple of defensive buckshot loads, but they are nothing to brag about. The Barnes option is No.3 Buckshot, which doesn’t always penetrate that well. I’m sure it would stop a threat, but I’d prefer a projectile I know will penetrate deep enough to stop a threat reliably with a single pellet. The Barnes buckshot is also $4.50 cents per round and doesn’t perform all that great. Winchester also produces a 20 gauge tactical buckshot, but it’s just a low recoil Super X load.
The lack of good, solid, and easy-to-find defensive 20 gauge loads makes it tougher to suggest. Sure, that cheap Monarch load will work, but I can have Flitecontrol with the 12 gauge variant. Also, don’t forget the fact it is a semi-auto, which means it is easier to use, faster to fire, and has less human mechanical reliance.
What About a Semi-Auto 20 Gauge
That’d be the real money for a low-recoil shotgun. The problem is that it is tough to find a semi-auto-defensive 20 gauge. Benelli doesn’t make the M2 series in a defensive configuration. Beretta doesn’t seem to make any semi-auto tactical 20 gauges. There are a slew of Turkish imports, and there might be some defensive 20 gauges in there, but man are Turkish shotguns really tricky…
Some work, but most don’t. The only tactical shotgun in the 20 gauge variety I know of is the Mossberg SA-20. That’s also a Turkish import, but one that meets Mossberg’s quality, so I tend to trust it more. Sadly, they are often tough to find and are not super well supported, making it tough or even impossible to find shorter-length stocks, magazine extensions, and more.
The 12 gauge semi-auto shotgun market has never been better. Beretta has the 1301, the A300 Ultima Patrol, Benelli has the M4 and M2 series in tactical varieties, Mossberg has the 930 and 940, and not to mention the Renegauge Security, the Stoeger series, and many more. A semi-auto 12 gauge with the right ammo is the better low-recoil shotgun.
That being said, if you wanted a pump action tactical 20 gauge, the 590 is pretty damn good.
