The New Russian 6.02x41mm

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February 14, 2024

Two intriguing shootings happened this week, one in Texas at Joel Osteen’s Houston area Megachurch and the other in the New York Subway. Both shootings are likely to fade from the collective memory for different reasons.

The Bronx

As details began to emerge on the 1 killed 5 injured incident in the NY Subway, a sad old pattern took shape.

Two groups, verbal conflict, gun was flashed, shots fired. Criminals doing crime, territorial groups defending their egos. A tale literally as old as time. In gun control heavy New York it isn’t a thrilling success story for their policies on crime management and gun violence prevention.

On that note, I do have to add, California is still leading the nation in mass shootings with 7 and mass killings with 3.

Get bent, Newsom.

Houston/Lakewood

The Osteen Megachurch incident is also interesting in several respects.

First, I do hope the poor seven year old that the shooter brought as a human shield/cover/dissuasion recovers. No child so young could willingly and knowingly partake in a venture like the attack could have been on the Spanish language service that was about to begin. The boy appears to have been struck in the head during the gun fight and is identified as the woman’s son.

The RumINT around the event though has the corners of the internet ablaze, and we live in such cynical times the theories are… depressing. What we do know is the 36 year old woman, an interesting note as female shooters are rare but not unheard of, brought an AR or similar rifle and the five year old to the church, concealed, and attempted to attack the church service. Two off duty cops saw her raise the rifle and quickly shot and killed her. The boy was struck in the fire, likely unfortunately by the officers but at the fault of the shooter for bringing him.

“Palestine” has been confirmed by the authorities to have been written on the rifle, giving us some insight into motive. This indicates that the shooter had little expectation of survival, wanted to send a message with the recovered evidence, and lends credence to the child human shield tactic as getting a kid killed by hiding behind them is very Hamas brand.

Swift action by the off duty officers protecting the service stopped the shooter from killing many in a packed church where density could produce very high casualties if she had remained unopposed.

The rifle markings harken back to the Christchurch attack in New Zealand, the rumors of the shooter possibly being trans (due mostly to an alleged male alias name from a previous arrest) brings back memories of Nashville Tennessee, and attacks on places of worship call to mind many other events. The cynical nature and goodwill lost by authorities in recent years doesn’t help the discounting and dismissal of rumors any either.

Rumors aside, speculation laid down, and merely considering the facts as we know them… the nation and the world still remain in a state of heightened discontent and the pain points are factional. Many people are mad, many on edge, and they are at odds for different reasons. All of them tend to consider their reasons better than others reasons. This is a recipe for flare ups and those flare ups will be violent. That violence will cause injury and death, it will mostly be unjustified in the grand scale but justifiable to their particular faction and themselves.

Thoughts

Long gone is my personally held hope that the 21st Century would be a truly enlightened time. We’ve let exaggeration and hyperbole get away from us and let misconceptions become “personal truths”, all while pretending that if we pretend hard enough certain core mechanics of the human experience just won’t be.

We are sick of each others nonsense. We are sick of those in powers nonsense to a far greater degree. We are sick of facts being exaggerated into falsehoods to fit a preference. We are just sick and tired of so many things. That generates short tempers and aggressive, sometimes exaggeratedly so, reactions. Those actions and reactions hurt people.

We are already not an entirely rational species it well known. But the absurdity that we can pretend violence doesn’t need to exist in the first worldview while excusing it in certain underprivileged and strained factions where it is a currency is still mind-boggling.

I think the 2020’s are going to be their own brand of hostile. Roaring sure, but largely in anger and frustration.

The Best Guns of 2023

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February 14, 2024

It’s the beginning of the new year as I type this. We have NYE’d and greeted 2024 with open arms. As the year ends and the next begins, it’s a great time to reflect on your goals, accomplishments, and, of course, on the guns of 2023. Specifically, what were the best guns of 2023? That’s a great question, and I have a few that I think are undoubtedly great guns. To make it on this list, you didn’t necessarily need to be released in 2023. It’s also why the list is still worth mentioning in 2024, guns don’t have expiration dates. More they have eras.

The Best Guns of 2023

I’m sure some of these hit the market in 2022, but to be considered for this list you have to be commonly available in 2023. That means some guns released at the end of 2022 count, and some released at the end of 2023 don’t. If I can basically walk into five gun stores and find this gun three out of five times, it counts. With that in mind, this is just my opinion, and these are the guns that have excited me.

Extar EP45

Extar made its name by cutting out the middleman and being a manufacturer that sold directly to the consumer. Cutting out the middle man ensures a low price point, and they’ve become well known for delivering an excellent product. The EP9 wasn’t quite an AR but was an AR-like subgun that was affordable, reliable, and quite ergonomic.

This year, they released the big bore EP45, a 45 ACP variant of the EP series. The EP45 is a straight blowback operated system, but they found a way to make the .45 ACP bearable. In fact, it’s downright soft shooting. The EP45 does what a ton of other companies have done, but they do it a whole lot cheaper. Heck, it even takes Glock mags. For less than five Benjies, you can get a big bore subgun that’s begging for a suppressor. This makes it a natural for one of the best guns of 2023.

Girsan MC P35 PI

The Girsan MC P35 series gave shooters an affordable option for owning a Hi-Power. These Turkish Hi-Powers have proved to be quite reliable and followed up with the all-too-cool MC P35 PI. This Hi-Power clone utilizes a shorter 3.9-inch barrel, and the PI titles come from a series of handguns made in Argentina and imported in limited numbers. It’s a Commander-sized Hi-Power, and what’s not to love?

In reality, it’s short, light, handy, and easy to shoot. It has all the Hi-Power quirks like a little hammer bite, and the magazine doesn’t drop free, but that’s part of the charm. It’s really soft shooting, shockingly accurate, and just fun to shoot. The Ops version even implements a red dot and rail option in case you need something more modern. It’s my personal favorite gun of 2023.

Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol

The semi-auto shotgun market has taken off, and like usual, the Italians dominate it. Most of their guns cost north of a grad, but the Beretta A300 Ultima patrol is offering an American-made semi-auto shotgun with some Italian roots. It delivers Beretta quality and engineering without the over-the-top cost. Beretta released the Ultima Patrol and ensured it was ready to rock and roll.

It’s optics ready, has M-LOK slots on the handguard, includes an adjustable LOP on the stock, and even some hook to mix with loop for a side saddle. The Ultima Patrol is most certainly the best shotgun of 2023, and if the Mossberg 940 Tactical had been released this year, I’d be in a terrible spot. It’s a great gun without 922R concerns and delivers a reliable, even duty-ready, tactical shotgun for less than a grand.

IWI Carmel

Admittedly, the Carmel had a tough year in 2023. It did suffer from the fate of an early recall, but still, I’d rather a company take responsibility and get the gun fixed. Outside of that, it’s tough not to admire the Carmel. It’s a short-stroke gas piston rifle that chambers the standard 5.56 round and utilizes AR-15 magazines. That’s nothing fancy these days, but the price compared to competitors is worthy of note. Get your hands on a Carmel.

The completely ambidextrous or reversible controls are genius. The reversible controls can be reversed in the field without much drama. The gas system is adjustable and is designed to be used with suppressors. The barrel is cold hammer forged, and the gun is super accurate. Plus, an M-LOK handguard, long optics rail, and collapsible and folding stock top the rifle off in a great way.

S&W Response

S&W went from having zero pistol caliber carbines to having two in just a few months. The S&W Response could have just been another AR-9 type PCC, but S&W went a different route. Sure, it’s a straight blowback design, but that’s where normal stops. S&W went with a polymer lower and upper receiver to keep the rifle lighter than six pounds. The Response also has an interchangeable magwell.

You can swap the M&P magwell for a Glock magwell. The future is open for different mag wells, and who doesn’t want a SIG P320 or CZ 75 magwell? The gun is well put together with minimal recoil, great controls, and a very low price point. The Response is my favorite PCC of 2023, and I can’t wait to try it out at the next Steel Challenge match.

The Next Year

2023 is gone and SHOT has shown us the start of the 2024 releases. Hopefully, we’ll get to see a slew of new firearms that can adorn this list next year. Until then, have a great year, and hopefully, we’ll come back next year even harder.

The CZ 75 B SA

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February 13, 2024

The CZ 75 B SA is a no-frills hammer fired single-action only metal framed pistol chambered for 9mm that CZ unfortunately discontinued in 2018. It’s a shame because this handgun punches well above its weight–not only is it accurate but it was also fairly affordable. I first became acquainted with the CZ 75 B SA in 2015 and fell in love with it. Though my handgun shooting wasn’t as sophisticated then as it is today, I noticed that this single-action CZ 75 variant was extremely easy to shoot well. Compared to the Gen3 Glock 17 or 19 I used to shoot then, its all-steel construction also mitigated felt recoil which improved the shooting experience.

CZ 75: THE KING OF HIPSTERS AND SPORT SHOOTERS

The CZ 75 is one of the most important hammer fired 9mm pistols designed in the last quarter of the 20th century; it’s on the same tier as the 1911, Beretta 92, Glock and the Browning Hi Power. Just like these other handguns, the CZ 75 became popular around the world which means that finding both cheap copies and upmarket clones of this Czech design isn’t difficult. The most notable about this Czech handgun family is that the slide rides inside the frame–not over the frame like most other pistols. The CZ 75 borrows this cue from the Swiss Sig Pistole 49 (P210). CZ shooters love to debate as to whether this slide configuration is the secret-sauce for the CZ 75’s performance, but according to renowned gunsmith Bruce Gray, maximum inherent accuracy isn’t predicated by where the slide actually sits. However, he mentioned that the CZ 75 / SIG P210 inside-the-frame scheme lends itself to easier fitment of the slide and frame in terms of consistency, even on a mass-production scale. And any shooter can appreciate repeatability and consistency in any firearm. The base model has seen many variants, versions and trims in various calibers and configurations. The original design has been tweaked and revised; it evolved into the second generation “B” model, with a firing pin block starting in 1993. The standard CZ 75 B can be had in the original TDA configuration, a decock-only configuration (BD) and the single-action only configuration–the specific gun this article is written about. It’s also important to mention that the CZ 75 is the parent of CZ’s popular SP-01 and Shadow 2 models. I only mention this because my love affair with the CZ Shadow 2 started precisely because of the CZ 75 B SA. CZs get their “hipster affinity” reputation not only for their alternative slide and frame configuration, but also because their owners tend to come off as extremely passionate. Calling the CZ 75 family a cult-classic wouldn’t be wrong either.

SPOTLIGHT: CZ 75 B SA

I fell in love with this gun because of how easy it is to shoot well and in those days, I still lived in California. California is famous for its beaches, mountains and its gun-control. There, the freedom-hating left-coast Politburo limits which handgun models ordinary citizens are allowed to buy (courtesy of the inane California Handgun Roster). The CZ 75 SA was on the roster at the time, and that solidified it in my book because beside being easy-shooting and affordable, it was legally available. This pistol isn’t perfect in stock configuration, but even today, I still think it makes for a great beginner’s gun mounted optics not withstanding. Because this gun is specifically a single-action piece, it’s straightforward to operate. It also came with a pair of ambidextrous safety levers, making it left-handed friendly.

We’ve had this specific gun in our family since 2016, and while it hasn’t seen a crazy firing schedule, it conservatively has at least 1000 rounds of both factory ammo and handloads. We’ve never had reliability issues with it, but like any other mechanical device, it is subject to a maintenance schedule. Fortunately, those for CZ 75s are well-known. Ammunition wise, we’ve only cycled 124-grain or 115-grain rounds through it. I don’t tend to stock or handload much 147s, so I can’t speak to shooting those through this pistol. European guns tend to prefer 124-grain bullets anyway. I’m aware that many dedicated CZ competitive shooters tend to load their 9mm cartridges closer to 1.10” COAL (cartridge overall length) for these guns’ chambers, but I’ve never had issues with my 1.150” COAL loads through this gun (or my Shadow 2 for that matter).

GRIP AND TRIGGER

At closer distances it really isn’t unreasonable for a shooter of decent skill to put all their shots through the same hole. Besides the way it’s built, the pistol points naturally and its single action trigger is easy to manage. I’d wager that its breaking weight lies somewhere between 4-5 lbs. By eyeballing it, its trigger has roughly 8mm of pre-travel until it reaches its breaking point. A gentle increase in pressure is enough to break the trigger without much disruption–there’s not a rough transition. With deliberate practice, getting used to the CZ 75 B SA’s trigger and breaking the shot in one continuous motion isn’t difficult either. Once the shot breaks, there’s no creep or over-travel; however the length of reset is fairly long, and it feels like it’s just a tad over 1cm. It’s somewhat reminscent of the reset on a double-action trigger. The trigger face on this model is more angular and not curved like on the standard TDA or BD versions. I prefer it.

The grip profile isn’t any different than the standard 75 B. The top of the backstrap has some radiusing that ends with a short beavertail that does a good job at keeping the web of the hand separate from the ring hammer. Both the frontstrap and backstrap are smooth with no additional texturing while the standard plastic stocks include some moderate texturing. These plastic stocks also have some moderate coke-bottle contouring, but it’s not bombastic. Unless one upgrades the pistol with more aggressive grip panels or uses chalk, keeping a solid purchase during rapid fire may be challenging. Another sensible and easy upgrade here might be the addition of some grip tape. Because I’m more used to the grip angle of my CZ Shadow 2, the one on this 75 B SA feels more basic and less-developed. I’ll admit that I never cared for the fact that the OEM grip screw takes a Phillips bit. It looks cheap.

THE SLIDE

I love the glare-reducing ribbing on the top of the slide; it always classes up any pistol. The included standard sights are fairly basic, and though they work, I really despise the cream yellow-colored fill in the “dot” of the front sight. It’s not a bright, attention grabbing color and has no place on a front sight. The color fill on the rear sight dots was the same way, but I filled those in with a sharpie years ago, and this helps somewhat. Frankly, upgrading the stock sights would be highly recommended. An issue that pertains to not only this pistol but its entire family is that because the slide rides inside the frame, there’s not a lot of real-estate to grab onto when manipulating the pistol quickly. The CZ 75 B SA includes only one set of milquetoast serrations on either side of the slide towards the rear.

PUNCHING HOLES WITH THE CZ 75 B SA

Slow fire with this gun is fantastic, even with the less than stellar OEM sights. In stock configuration, this gun is great for deliberate and steady target shooting. This gun will make short work of any NRA B8 target at any distance, and ditto for untimed skills assessments like Dot Torture where accuracy is critical. For rapid fire performance, the CZ 75 B SA leaves something to be desired. In fairness, it’s no Shadow 2 either and this gun is less sophisticated and substantially cheaper. This isn’t to say that the CZ 75 B SA isn’t can’t do work in capable hands, it absolutely can. For the sake of this writing, I dusted the gun off and cycled a box and a half of 115-grain factory ammo. Not surprisingly, it was challenging to track the slide with that dull colored cream front sight, but I still managed 0.20 splits when shooting doubles or Bill Drills. In rapid fire, this trigger takes some getting used to, and that’s something that’s easily done by deliberate practice with the gun. The lack of checking on the frontstrap, backstrap and stocks can become a liability. In rapid fire I noticed that the gun tended to slide around in my hands a bit. I don’t think any of this is a problem for beginners getting uses to shooting and taking shots at their own paces, but anyone who might want to shoot this gun more seriously would do well to upgrade the grip and use grip-chalk like I mentioned above. Fortunately, upgrading the OEM stocks and sights isn’t difficult since the CZ 75 has been a dominating force in the world of performance pistol shooting.

THE TAKEAWAY

The CZ 75 B SA is a descendant of one of the most influential double-stack hammer fired 9mm pistol series, and this no-frills user-friendly gun shines best as a general purpose shooter and range-gun. It’s a great beginner’s gun too since its easy-shooting ways can certainly help build up a newbie’s confidence at the range–a crucial element needed to meaningfully build up shooting skills. After all, shooting performance is extremely mental, and cultivating a sense of confidence is paramount to success. For deliberate rapid-fire performance, the CZ 75 B SA honestly needs upgraded sights and grips, but fundamentally accuracy and performance around found in this gun’s DNA. The original SP-01 Shadow, the Shadow 2, the Tactical Sport Series, the Czechmates, the Parrots and beyond after all, are just souped up CZ 75s. So too bad the Czech firm discontinued this basic all-metal single-action 9mm shooter.

Industry Trends – The New Genre of .380 ACP Pistols

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February 13, 2024

As 2023 closes and 2024 starts, it’s interesting to look at the way the firearm industry trends. 2023 had lots of 5.7s, a few interesting PCCs, and some fairly radical guns. One trend I’ve noticed is the rise of new .380 ACPs. For over a decade now, close to 2, the .380 ACP has been regulated to micro-sized pocket pistols. However, in the year of lord 2023, the guns chambering the .380 ACP have changed radically. Like most things, this trend didn’t start in 2023 but has been a slow growth that just exploded.

The Rise of the New .380 ACPs

The new .380 ACP series is nothing new. If anything, it’s truly a return to tradition. Browning designed the .380 ACP to work with the Colt M1908 Pocket Hammerless. The M1908 was basically Glock 19-sized, thinner, but still fairly large. In the modern era, the gun I give credit for creating this new genre of .380 ACPs is the S&W EZ series. The original .380 ACP gave shooters a low recoil round that still packed a punch.

From there, SIG released the P365-380, giving us a lower recoil .380 ACP option of the famed originator of the Micro Compact. Beretta and Ruger both released bigger .380s. Beretta brought back the Cheetah series. The new 80X Cheetah provided a fairly large pistol chambering the .380 cartridge. Ruger released the Security-380, which gave the user something between compact and subcompact with ten to fifteen rounds of ammo on tap and an easy-to-rack slide.

We also saw guns from Glock and even Girsan. Bigger .380s are the quiet cult hit of 2023. It’s welcomed as far as I’m concerned. I have strong feelings about the pocket.380, mainly that it’s stupid and too hard to shoot to be worth a damn. A compact .380 offers us a new genre of firearm that’s downright excellent.

The Benefits Of These New Guns

The .380 ACP gets its rep as a pocket-gun cartridge, but it was never really meant to be. I say that understanding that pocket was in the name of Pocket Hammerless. Pocket-size is the real decider of what’s a pocket pistol and what’s not. I specifically mean the Ruger LCP, the S&W Bodyguard .380, the P3AT, and similar guns.

While it’s not great as a modern-duty firearm, it’s dang near perfect for concealed carry. In guns like the Security-380, Glock 25, and P365-380, it’s a low recoil alternative to 9mm. The little .380 ACP is nothing to laugh at. It can reach the established standards for a defensive round and penetrate deep enough to reach something vital.

Additionally, through these longer barrels, the round can gain more velocity, and more velocity can aid in ensuring expansion. Expansion means we are getting a bigger and better hole. The round performs a lot like a 9mm. It won’t do as well through barriers like glass. It also doesn’t work as well if you shoot through an arm with the idea of hitting something in the torso.

A medium-sized .380 offers recoil-adverse shooters a very capable defensive round in an easy-to-shoot gun. These shooters are getting modern options with the ability to add lights, optics, and more. While the .380 ACP might not blow your socks off, it’s a very capable defensive round, especially for those who find 9mm a little harsh in the recoil department.

What’s Next

I think these new .380s are a great sign of the times. It’s a smart design and a great caliber. The pocket options ensured defensive ammo is still easy to find. I hope we keep seeing modern options with modern features in the .380 ACP world. It’s not the best fighting round, but it’s enough for the average joe and concealed carrier.

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

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Dr LateBloomer

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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