The British Bulldog and Concealed Carry

By

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September 21, 2023

When we start talking about guns and the 1800s, the conversation lands primarily on revolvers. Revolvers from Colt, S&W, Remington, and the like are popularized as the guns of the West. They were most certainly the best guns of this era, but they are nowhere near as common as pop culture would have you believe. These guns might have been carried by gunmen, including lawmen and outlaws, but the average person likely wanted something smaller and more convenient. Guns like the oft-forgotten about British Bulldog.

Guns like the famed Colt Single Action Army were rather large. They had to be carried openly, and that wasn’t always a popular option. If you were a man about the town, you likely weren’t interested in carrying a great big revolver. Especially if you lived in the East. The average person didn’t need a great big hand cannon. Something carried in the pocket made more sense and would still be an option if accosted by ruffians. That’s where guns like the British Bulldog came into play.

The British Bulldog and Concealed Carry

It’s likely the British Bulldog was bought in far greater numbers than the Colt SAA by the average civilian. Leaving military contracts out of the conversation, the Bulldog reigned supreme. There are a lot of factors that lead to the weapon’s popularity. It’s not like the United States didn’t have small revolvers.

S&W had the Model 1, and Colt had the Hosue Gun. These were popular, but they weren’t as popular as the Bulldog for a number of reasons. One of the big reasons is the fact that American small revolvers were often chambered in very small calibers. The S&W Model 1 fired the .22 Short Blackpowder, and the Colt House Revolver fired the .41 Rimfire. Neither was potent.

The British Bulldog revolvers fired cartridges like the .442 Webley, which propelled 200-grain projectiles at 700 feet per second. For comparison, the .41 Rimfire fired a 130-grain projectile at 425 feet per second.

The British Bulldogs were also produced by a number of companies, which more or less flooded the market. They were also quite cheap. So, it’s easy to outsell a specific brand when you are an entire genre of firearms. That seems silly, and it’s why no one really cares about the British Bulldogs. They were fine guns, but they didn’t have the staying power of guns like the Colt SAA.

Inside the Bulldog

What’s neat about the British Bulldog revolvers is that they were fairly modern for the era. In 1872, they offered users a double-action revolver in a very small format. They often feature two to two-and-a-half-inch barrels. Most had swing-out cylinders as well. British Bulldogs proved to be very capable weapons and were easily carried.

While they were called British Bulldogs, everyone got in on the action. The Belgians were already importing a variety of affordable shotguns, and they dipped into the world of revolvers. American companies also copied the design with options from Iver Johnson, Harrington, and Richardson. They took on chamberings like .44 S&W American and the smaller .44 Bulldog.

These guns were everywhere. The most infamous is the gun used by Charles Guiteau to assassinate President Garfield. This particular model was a .442 Webley. There is a story of how he wanted one with Pearl Grips but couldn’t afford the extra dollar it cost.

George Armstrong Custer reportedly carried a pair at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Southern Pacific Railroad Company even issued guns to their employees in 1895. The British Bulldog and the revolvers they inspired were an interesting pit stop on the concealed carry road.

The ACOG Behind the EOTech

By

Travis Pike

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September 20, 2023

If you’re a gun guy or gal, you’re likely part of a few social media pages that are based around guns. This is could Instagram follows, meme groups on Facebook, subreddits, etc. I know I am. With that in mind, it seems like at least once a year. I see somebody post a screenshot from Miami SWAT or maybe a picture of an early GWOT soldier attempting to make fun of a rather odd optic setup. That setup is an EOTech with an ACOG behind it.

If you’ve never seen this in action or have any context, it certainly seems silly. It calls to mine an Xzibit meme talking about how you love optics so much that we put an optic behind your optic, Dawg. In reality, the setup was time period-specific and made a lot of sense in this era. As a grand old man of 33, I can’t help but feel old when I explain this to the folks lambasting images. Maybe, just maybe today, we can explain once and for all why so many people placed ACOGs behind their EOTechs.

The Original of the ACOG Enhanced EOTech

It was a dark time in the early days of flat-top upper receivers. They were a game changer, to be sure. Prior to that, people mounted optics on the carry handle in a number of somewhat odd ways. A flat top upper with a small section of Picatinny rail made it easy to attach a variety of optics. Keep in mind, in this era, we had EOTechs, Aimpoints, ACOGs, and numerous variable optics, but it was well before LPVOs were widely established.

Do you know what else we didn’t have? Magnifiers. In the 2003 to 2008 time frame it was a dark era if you wanted to rock a red dot with a little extra and, most importantly, optional magnification. EOTech didn’t introduce the G33 until 2012 for reference. EOTech optics were quite popular in the world of close-quarters optics.

To add a little extra magnification, an EOTech-wielding shooter could pop an ACOG behind the EOTech. This gave them a fixed 4X magnifier. The EOTech would be the zeroed optic, and the ACOG would just be attached.

How Did It Work?

Believe it or not, this combination works quite well. It provides a great magnifier from your EOTech with the -0 reticle. You might ask whether the sight picture looks crowded. Not at all. The BDC of the ACOG reticle and chevron weren’t a problem. The BDC fit between the DOT in the circle and the bottom ring of the EOTech reticle, and the chevron disappeared.

The point of a magnifier is to provide a little extra magnification when you want it. What do you do if you don’t want the magnification? Simple, you popped the ACOG off. The best versions of this setup used a QD mount on your ACOG. Just pop it off when it’s not needed. It’s not as handy as flipping to the side, but they didn’t have anything that flipped to the side. Plus, the ACOG is a tough-as-nails optic in the first place.

There were ways to do it wrong. Mounting the ACOG to the upper and the optic to the handguard was one example of the wrong way outside of monolithic uppers. There was plenty of room on a stock flat top upper for both optics.

This setup was used for quite some time but faded into obscurity when magnifiers hit the streets and proved tough enough to function. Thus, the use of the EOTech and ACOG has since faded into obscurity. Its only fate is to pop up on meme pages for less informed people to make fun of it.

Inside the L403A1

By

Keith Finch

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September 20, 2023

Our old friends across the Atlantic have a new rifle coming to their inventory of small arms.

From Reptilia,

Reptilia Awarded Prestigious Contract to Supply Weapon Accessories for the Alternative Individual Weapon System for the UK MOD

Reptilia is proud to announce that we have been awarded a prestigious contract, in partnership with our UK distributor Edgar Brothers, to supply the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) with a range of specially designed, battle-proven weapon accessories for the new L403A1 Alternative Individual Weapon System.

Project Hunter demanded weapon accessories that not only met high standards of durability and functionality, but also pushed the boundaries of innovation, ergonomics, and weight savings. We are proud to have exceeded these requirements.

Steve Allen, CEO of Reptilia, spoke about the commitment to providing the absolute best products to our customers. “At Reptilia, we constantly strive to deliver excellence and enhance the capabilities of those who defend our freedom. Working closely with our UK Distributor, Edgar Brothers, our mission was to design and deliver innovative weapon accessory solutions that would further enhance the end user’s capabilities.”

Project Hunter involved extensive, rigorous, and competitive testing, driving innovation within our industry. We are honored that Reptilia weapon accessories are now part of the finest personal weapon system in the world today. Congratulations go out to our industry counterparts and Edgar Brothers who have also played a crucial role in securing this contract win.

This contract not only reinforces Reptilia’s position in the industry but also enables us to invest further in new employees and future innovation. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

What is it?

It is Knight’s (KAC) newest KS-1 rifle, a 13.7″ ambidextrous platform with a well optimized gas system, buffer, and suppressor for operation. It is topped with Reptilia’s AUS optic mount and the mount is housing a 1-10x Vortex that is currently not a commercial item. The mount also tops a red dot optic with the ACRO P-2 and Deltapoint Pro have been officially selected and they round out the L900A1 Optic Suite.

‘Project Hunter’ resulted in the Alternative Individual Weapon System, that is an interesting title with a multitude of possible implications. The USMC’s M27 comes to mind and the role creep that came from its adoption. The ‘Alternative’ in the title suggests it is going to be phased in and ordered as a supplement based upon the needs of various specialty services, units, and missions.

Could it replace the SA80?

Potentially, but that isn’t the defined role of the program by any stretch. Knight’s is best known for building their weapons in smaller more specialist batches. While the whole of the MoD certainly doesn’t need a service rifle replacement today and the A3 variant of the 80 is rolling out and working, the L403A1 updates and streamlines many of the AR variant weapons the MoD already employs and updates the rifles on the racks and ancillary suites to a modern standard. That alone will give British Army, Royal Marines, and Special Services whose smaller subset units may need the weapon in a ready to unbox configuration to zero, confirm, and go for a very wide mission set.

It’s further proof of my and others commentary about the ~13″ barrel emerging as the do it all carbine size, with rifles anywhere between 11.5″ to the 14.5″ classic M4 finding their way into inventories. The 13.7″, by the way, wasn’t in any way chosen for NFA compatibility or in deference to the US Market. It was the barrel length and rail combination that fit the MoD’s performance requirement and in support of their ancillary equipment. It is being reported as the most stringent and thorough MoD solicitation ever conducted.

Will we see it in the hands of the King’s Guard? Probably not. I think they’d look great, but what do I know?

In the coming months and with the normal ebb and flow of information, especially about Special Operations equipment, we will see where these start popping up and being fielded.

Food Preservation is Preparedness

By

Dr LateBloomer

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September 19, 2023

The kids are back in school so here is your reminder that September is National Fruit and Veggie Month. It goes hand-in-hand with September being Emergency Preparedness Month. There is truly no reason that you can’t torture your children with brightly colored plant foods ANY month of the year (and you should). That goes right along with emergency preparedness, because PRESERVING fruits and vegetables IS a form of preparedness. Didja like that segue? So here we go with multiple reasons why you should learn at least a couple ways of preserving food.

Food History

Humans have been preserving food for multiple millennia. Even before we stopped living hand-to-mouth as hunter gatherers, human beings have been working out ways to save excess food for later.

Without getting too pedantic, most foods last longer if we make them inhospitable for spoilage germs. Common ways to do that can be with salt, smoking, drying (or combos of those); increasing acidity through pickling or fermenting; or using large volumes of sugar to take up of all the water, thus not allowing bacteria to reproduce.

Like beef jerky for snacks? It’s not just junk food. Early humans in many cultures learned how to dry, smoke, and salt meat and fish as a way to keep it from spoiling for longer periods of time.

You might just enjoy eating pickles these days because you like the flavor, but the root motivation for sticking something in vinegar was originally preservation of that food for later consumption when fresh foods might not be available.

The same goes for foods like sauerkraut or kimchi, whether you like them or you don’t. Packing cabbage or other vegetables with salt someplace cool results in a fermentation process which ultimately preserves the vegetables in a lactic acid solution, thus inhibiting the growth of other bacteria. This method used “good” bacteria to suppress “bad” bacteria – even before people knew what bacteria were.

You may just enjoy jam on your toast because it is yummy, but your foremothers made jam as a way to save fair weather fruit for consumption long after the fruit would have otherwise rotted.

Food Preservation is for Everyone

These foods that we take for granted on the store shelf today were originally “survival foods”, though many people nowadays don’t realize it. If you look at it in that light, then food preservation is not such a foreign concept and there is no reason that you can’t try it for yourself.

You don’t need a ton of specialized equipment to get started preserving food. There are directions and videos all over the internet for how to freeze or dehydrate food. Canning needs to be a good bit more precise, so beware of where you get your information – not every method on the internet is safe. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is a solid place to start.

If you have a stove and a freezer you can blanch and freeze vegetables. If you have an oven you can learn to dehydrate. Basic electric dehydrators aren’t that expensive either. Fermentation doesn’t require much except some reading and maybe a burpable lid.

Food preservation and eating fruits and veggies isn’t only for people with huge gardens or grandmas or farmer-types either. Given the current price of groceries, almost everyone can grow some types of food – even in pots on the balcony – and preserve it in some way. Waste not, want not. Canning takes some reading-up, but dehydrating food is easy-peasy. You can do it in the oven, but low-end electric models are rather inexpensive.

Is that giant bag of spinach from the grocery store not disappearing fast enough to keep it from getting icky? BEFORE it get slimy, eat what you can and dehydrate the rest. You can then crumble it over dishes for color, or make greens powder to add to everything! The same goes for produce that is marked down at the grocery store because it is teetering on the edge. Buy it cheap and dehydrate or freeze it.

Got that giant holiday fruit basket from a business associate that you will never eat before it goes bad? Dehydrate the fruit for snacks! Apple and Pear chips are amazing, but applesauce and pear sauce for the freezer are also delicious!

Applesauce sweetened with maple syrup – the flavor of fall!

Did a sneaky neighbor drop off a huge bag of zucchini on your porch? Make zucchini bread and freeze it for the holidays. Or slice and dehydrate it into chips for snacks!

Is there a huge public space blackberry bush along your bike path? Pick’em and make jam or freeze them for later! Free food!

Have only a tiny apartment freezer? Dehydrating is a great space-saver. I buy commercial freezer bags of hash brown potatoes and dehydrate them for the shelf. It’s a great way to maximize your food storage when there are sales.

Home dehydrated store -bought hash browns.

There are myriad ways to take advantage of sales and seasonal pricing on fresh and even frozen fruits and vegetables. Also don’t be afraid to ask your neighbors about the fruit trees in their front yard that gets left to rot. They may be happy to let you pick them. More free food!

Don’t think it is too late for you this year. Winter isn’t here yet and there are some produce varieties still to harvest. Pumpkins and winter squash even store well on their own and will keep for months. There is still plenty of time to preserve some food for yourself and stock your pantry for the winter. Food prices will likely continue to rise, so do something good for yourself – learn some food preservation methods. You won’t regret it.

Stack Ranking Gun Designation Systems

By

Travis Pike

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September 19, 2023

Keeping up with an ever-increasing number of firearm releases can be difficult. There are lots of names, acronyms, and numbers designating new firearms. The commercial market will never have an official gun designation system we all agree to. However, some do it better than others. Some companies use a simple system to make it easier to tell which gun is which, and some companies are downright confusing. I got to thinking about who does it best and decided to rank several popular companies based on their gun designation systems.

This is in no way a judgment of the guns themselves, just a judgment of how they name their guns. It’s also not all-inclusive, but there are hundreds of gun companies. I decided to use the more popular options and reserve the right to update this article as new guns are released and gun designation systems are updated or changed.

S – Tier – King of Gun Designation System

IWI – IWI uses a very simple series of names to designate their various guns. For example, names like Jericho and Masada are easy to remember and tell apart. Tavor, Carmel, Uzi, and even TS-12 are all simple and easy to recognize. Their gun designation system makes it easy to tell which gun is which.

A – Tier

Ruger – Ruger creates numerous lines of firearms, and each also has a unique name that makes it easy to identify. From the American to the LCP series and back to the famed Mini-14. They tend to name their weapons well. Where they falter is making some names too dang long, like the Ruger American Ranch and New Model Super Blackhawk.

Walther – Walther is another one that has a small line of handguns that’s easy to remember, like PPQ, PPS, PPK, and PDP. Where they falter is inconsistency. Sometimes, it’s all letters. Other times, it’s numbers and letters like the PK380, Q4, and P99.

Magnum Research – Magnum research sticks to a theme, and that theme is Eagle. Outside of the BFR, they really seem to love naming their pistols Eagle to capitalize on the popularity of Desert Eagle. While consistent, it can get confusing which Eagle is which.

KelTec – They named their .380 pistol P3AT, and I’ll give them credit for originality. Most of their guns are named in consistently different ways, but it can get confusing when you have seven different variations of the SU-16.

B Tier

Mossberg – Mossberg’s shotguns are aptly named with an easy-to-follow system. 5XX designations mean pump guns and 9XX designation means semi-autos. Their non-shotgun designations are weak, and I couldn’t tell you their different pistols with a reference brochure.

Beretta – Beretta has recognizable handguns, the 92FS, the Storm, the Nano, the APX, and so on and so forth. Even their tactical shotguns and rifles are well-designed. Their sporting shotguns are where they fall apart with long names and a thousand configurations.

Springfield – Springfield’s gun designation system gets the award for being most improved. I could never tell you which Xd was which, but the Ehcelon, Hellcat, and Hellion all stand out. Their 1911 naming configuration also works quite well. Still, they are plagued by tons of Xd variants I can’t tell apart.

The Echelon is a well thought out 9mm handgun.

Taurus – Taurus has become much better at naming their revolvers and semi-autos. If you say G3, I know what you mean. If you say, Judge, I know what you mean. However, some of their revolver designations get long, like the Taurus 856 Defender TORO.

C Tier

CZ – CZ’s rifle and PCC names are great, but their various models of the CZ 75 with various gun designations can get confusing.

Colt – Colt kills it with their revolvers and M1911s, but their insistence on four-digit codes for their rifles tanks their score.

HK – HK’s naming designation is just okay. It works, but it is seemingly random. This is a USP, this is a P30, and this one is a P2000, why? Who knows.

FN – FN does keep things simple with their rifle designs, but the insistence on having FN in FNP, FNS, and FNX makes it easy to confuse these firearms.

D Tier

Glock – Glock likes to make things consecutive. They simply name the guns in number order, which isn’t terrible but tells you nothing about the gun itself. If you say you want a Glock 40, are you talking about the long slide 10mm or the 40 S&W? What about a Glock 45? Do you want the .45 ACP Glock or the 9mm G45?

S&W – S&W makes the M&P semi-autos easy to tell apart, but their revolvers require a decoder ring. Between the various numbers followed by dashes and more numbers, you have to be a revolver junkie to figure it out. Their AR 15s get a little nuts, too. Like the M&P Sport 2 Optics Ready, is it the only optics-ready model? No, all of their ARs are optics-ready, but it’s specifically designated that way because it lacks a front sight post.

F Tier

FEG – There really aren’t any companies that are truly terrible at designating their firearms. However, I need to have one F tier, and I’m giving it FEG because they once released Hi-Power clones with the gun designation PJK-9HP FP9. That’s way too long and a failure all around.

Gun Designations Could Be Better

I think simple, consistent names work best. Something that tells you what the gun is without getting too long or complicated. It also needs to stand out and be memorable. Your gun designations are very much part of your branding, and they should be well thought out and considered.

Remembering The MP9 – Ruger’s SMG

By

Travis Pike

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September 18, 2023

What’s Ruger mostly known for? Affordable firearms? Sure. Revolvers? Yep. The Mini-14 and the A-Team? Hell yeah. What they aren’t known for are machine guns or, more accurately, submachine guns. Ruger has never been HK in that department, but that doesn’t mean they never tried. In the early 1990s, before the carbine took over, the SMG was still the weapon of choice for close-quarter combat, and Ruger wanted to get into that market with the MP9.

The Origin of the MP9

The Ruger MP9 looks a bit like a Uzi, right? Well, that’s because Uziel’ Uzi’ Gal designed it. He designed a gun called the Model 201, which was meant to be an improvement on the Uzi. Bill Ruger purchased the design and brought it to the States. The Model 201 and the MP9 share a common parentage, but the MP9 did make some serious changes to the Model 201.

The MP9 shares a lot of components with the Uzi. They are both 9 mm, although Ruger did produce a tool room 10mm prototype. The gun uses a wrap-around bolt design, a grip-based magazine well, and lots of stamped, welded sheet metal. While it had a lot in common with the Uzui, the MP9 was clearly an improvement.

Breaking Down the MP9

The Uzi was a fine SMG, but it had some flaws. Namely, it was an open-bolt gun. Open bolt guns aren’t as reliable as closed bolt designs, are not drop-safe, and can affect accuracy due to excessive bolt movement. The biggest change with the MP9 was the move to a closed bolt format. This put the MP9 right up there with the MP5 and Colt SMG in terms of modernization. (In 1994, anyway.)

The MP9 still used a straight blowback system but did use a dual buffer system in the recoil assembly. The first is a stationary buffer made from DuPont material. The second is a bit more interesting. Seven washers sat behind the barrel nut and were preloaded by the factory. When the gun fired, the bolt would strike the chamber end of the barrel, and the barrel would move forward just a hair. This counteracted normal recoil, and it made the gun fairly easy to control for a blowback SMG.

The gun features a collapsing stock design, much like the original Uzi. It collapses and folds out of the way to make the gun relatively comfortable and easy to carry. You might notice a weird rear end on the gun. It’s an odd design choice, and apparently, a writer for Soldier of Fortune described it as being used to help fire the gun. The support hand could hold this portion and create tension to control the gun with the stock collapsed. Up front, there was another area that acted as a support grip.

The Ruger Touches

The original Uzi was an all-metal gun, but the MP9 featured a healthy dose of polymer. The lower frame portion is made of the same polymer Ruger used for their P series pistols. It’s cheap and kind of ugly, but we all know it’s tank-like and quite strong. Unlike the original Uzi, this closed-bolt variant utilized a drop-safe design. The gun features a firing pin block for total safety.

The weapon’s 600-round-per-minute firing rate makes it plenty easy to control. That’s fairly slow, and that makes it easy to fire two to three-shot bursts in a controllable design. A top-mounted charging handle is ambidextrous and is nonreciprocating. The sight speer through the charging handle, and Ruger went with a peep sight. Ruger even included a pair of sling swivels for the modern user.

Fate of the MP9

Only about 1,500 MP9s were ever produced. A few are kicking around the private market via dealer samples. It’s not clear if anyone ever adopted the gun, but it apparently showed up in Burundi. The MP9 was never a popular option, and this was an odd era for SMGs. HK dominated, and if your SWAT team had SMGs, they likely already had HK MP5s.

A few years later, the GWOT would kick off, and the short carbine would become the de facto choice for close-quarter fights. Sadly, this effectively killed most SMG designs and their use amongst military forces. The MP9 was Ruger’s first and only submachine gun and remains so to this day.

WHAT IS MY #1 CARRY PISTOL?

By

The Suited Shootist

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September 18, 2023

The guys over at Gunday Brunch were talking last week about recommendations for people buying their first gun. This got me wondering, if I had to pick one single forever carry gun out of an entire collection, what would it be? I go through my current options, and break down why my #1 choice is what it is.

Gunday Brunch 118: Real Stopping Power

By

Keith Finch

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September 17, 2023

One of the things that has infected people’s brains is a Hollywood-influenced idea of how human beings react to injury.

Firearm Pedantism

By

Keith Finch

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September 16, 2023

What level of specificity is appropriate in a conversation about firearms? This consistent topic, and one that has a variety of answers, usually depends upon the audience.

The 9-Hole video, as well as a video from Forgotten Weapons, highlights how I believe the most constructive way to explain niche concepts should go. What do I mean?

If someone were to say a DI AR, everyone worth their time as being familiar with the subject would know what type of firearm is being discussed. If someone were to then pipe up and say, “Actually they aren’t direct impingement…” and then proceed down the explanation contained in this and Ian’s videos, that person is an asshole. They are not helping anyone, they are probably not furthering the knowledge base of those around them, they are merely flexing how smart they are.

Not neat. The opposite of neat, actually.

The tone and tenor of constructive and educational conversations involving firearms need to consider both the appreciable understanding of the audience and the best way to orient that audience to new learning. The overplayed bits of esoteric knowledge that is ‘technically more correct’ than the audiences’ general understanding can often hamper learning and turn people off of continued education.

Below are some examples, and again this video and Ian’s video covering this particular topic are excellent formats of how to present this information positively and informatively instead of as a 1-up over the listeners.

“It’s magazine, not clip…”

This is probably the most common one. Clip is making its way out of our vernacular slowly but steadily, and I was certainly guilty of this bit for awhile too, but when someone asks for a gun’s ‘clip’ I know what they mean. You know what they mean. We all probably know what they mean.

What we do from here is often formative in the inquirer’s experience with ‘gun people’ and so a positive inquiry back that includes the term magazine is preferable to a confrontational one. “You’re looking for a Ruger magazine?” or “What gun are you looking for a magazine for?” are positive and assistance driven, “It’s called a magazine.” is dickish. Avoid being dickish. Some old timers will only say clip, that’s fine. Let them. It isn’t worth your time to try and change it when you already know what they mean.

For new owners this will be a core interaction as they learn.

“AK47”

I don’t know the actual number of AK47 rifles within the United States, but of that particular model it is really low. However when anyone says “AK47” we know they are quite likely talking about either an AKM or a model later than the AKM and not the original AK47. This is fine. Especially in the 7.62×39 models it can be used as an interchangeable term with no harm. Only among the well learned and in certain contexts where differences in model and origin are poignant to the conversation, a Chinese Type 56 vs a Yugo M76 for example, will the differences matter.

In most of these the audience and level of the conversation are the driving factor in the level of detail that is appropriate and most productive.

“AR-15’s aren’t Direct Impingement”

This was a neat thing I found out and it made sense from Ian’s video a couple years back, it is reiterated here.

I then saw the internet troll lords immediately go to work one upping every current thread they could find with the term “DI AR” in it. Cool, you were given a cool new technically more correct piece of information and now this is your whole personality. Splendid. I’m sure you have helped tens of people with your knowledge today that you until now also used wrong…

What’s next?

It’s a revolver, not a pistol.”

This is one I find tremendously tedious, personally. More so when the government is using the distinction to purposefully deflate numbers of incidents involving small concealable firearms, looking at you ATF.

“That’s just an AR-180 you know…”

Yes, everything modern is an AR-180 it feels like. Cool. Next.

G36, SCAR, ACR, Bren 805, Bren 2, MSBS Grot, Carmel, MCX, JAKL, BRN-180, yep. Lots of 180 evolutions out there, they run well.

Cool.

Those are some of the major ones. They all tend to gravitate around the being ‘overly detailed for the sake of ego’ instead of information schtick. There is a time and place to land detail home and use superior knowledge as a bludgeon (New Mexico’s Governor’s office is a current example) but in most instances using the vocabulary the audience, instead of the expert, is familiar with will better produce the desired result.

EOTech Vudu 1x-10x: Best Do-All Scope?

By

BullShooters

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September 15, 2023

The same company that brought us the world-famous holographic sight as seen on rifles such as the one that killed OBL—all the way to first person video games—is now firmly in the traditional optics category. Certainly the company had a hiccup with its military contract, but after a management change, it’s back on track with a full line of traditional-style riflescopes. This video details why JJ thinks its 1-10x-28mm Vudu is likely the most versatile scope on the market. At 1 power with the illumination turned on, it functions exactly like a red dot sight for EDC and dangerous game hunting, but at 10 power it can be used for long range. But big deal. Why is this so special? Because of its reticle. Formerly if a 1-10 power scope had a reticle that was in the first focal plane, either the reticle would be too big at 1 power or too small to see at 10 power. EoTech solved this with its ingenious reticle-in-reticle system. Check it out here. While the scope isn’t cheap, it’s one of the world’s best do-all riflescopes.

EOTech's Vudu 1x-10x functions like a traditional riflescope at range, but close up, it's illuminated reticle set at one power functions exactly like a red dot. But most impressively, it's has an innovative reticle inside a reticle system that allows for dual reticles, depending on the magnification chosen.

Smith & Wesson’s Mighty .22

By

V. Caldwell

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September 15, 2023

After testing quite a few 9mm and .45 handgun not to mention the .357 and .38 revolvers I often review it is a pleasure to fire a fun gun for a change. The Smith & Wesson M&P .22 Magnum is a fun gun by any definition. The M&P .22 Magnum is a polymer frame hammer fired .22 Magnum automatic with a thirty round magazine. The top of the slide is nicely serrated while the slide itself is well finished. The slide features a long flat on each side running into a bevel. The inner barrel is nicely crowned. The rear sight is nicely serrated. A set screw is loosened to allow adjusting the sight for leverage. The front sight is dovetailed and features a fiber optic insert.. The frame is polymer. An accessory rail accommodates a range of lights and lasers. The safety is ambidextrous. So is the slide lock. The safety doesn’t lock the slide in place when applied. This means the pistol may be loaded with the safety on. The safety is positive in operation. To disassemble the pistol tap out the takedown lever as you hold the slide about .25 inch to the rear. The takedown lever slide/stop is easily taken out. Remove the recoil assembly and next the barrel. Easy enough. The gas operated Temp system features a barrel inside a shroud. Rotate the barrel to remove the inner barrel for cleaning.

SIG’s Foxtrot is a good match for the M&P .22 Magnum

The trigger is a flat type with a safety lever set into the trigger face. The pistol features a firing pin block as well. A nice mix of pebbling marked the grip frame. The trigger action is crisp with a sharp reset. The trigger breaks at 4.0 lb on the RCBS trigger gauge. The magazines are polymer with an orange follower. The 30 round magazines are easily loaded. Most of the ammunition fired was CCI MaxiMag. There are alternatives but why fired cheaper ammunition when it is a buck cheaper? Actually CCI loads are the el primo for the .22 Magnum and were less than PMC and Armscor at Cheaperthandirt.com making ammunition choice a no brainer. After a couple of short cycles in the first thirty rounds CCI ran one hundred per cent for more than three hundred rounds. Later I had an opportunity to fire Fiocchi, Armsor and Winchester. The malfunction rate was a total of around two per cent with these loads. Most of the time it was a bent cartridge case. With CCI .22 Magnum loads the pistol never failed to feed chamber ignite eject and feed against normally. For hunting and small game use any would be OK but for serious use load a reliable loading. I think folk recommending the .22 Magnum for defense are at a different place in study than I am. I would hate for you to roll snakes eyes on account of too little gun!

Most 40 grain loads will clock 1350 to 1400 fps. Firing from a solid braced barricade five shot groups are 25 yards are two inches for CCI 40 grain loads. When I do my part. The other loads were not bad- 2.5 to 3.0 inch at 25 yards. This isn’t a wide spread. At 10 to 15 yards all practically cut a ragged hole. Small game and pests will fall to this gun. Its primary appeal is as a fun gun. It is a joy to fire and use. As for personal defense and home defense you are far from naked. Aim for the arterial region or cranium. The Magnum has plenty of penetration. It isn’t my first choice but way above a rock or stick. The pistol is a must have the gun accumulator and a purchase you will enjoy more than most.

The .22 Magnum is a great rimfire cartridge.

Smith & Wesson M&P22 Magnum

Type: Internal hammer-fired semiauto
Cartridge: .22 WMR
Capacity: 30
Barrel: 4.35 in.
Overall Length: 8.4 in.
Width: 1.3 in.
Height: 5.9 in.
Weight: 22 oz.
Finish: Black Armornite
Sights: Adjustable rear notch, fiber optic dovetail front, optics cut
Trigger Compression 3.0 pounds
Contact: Smith & Wesson, (800) 331-0852,
Smith-wesson.com

NEW: Taurus Judge Home Defender

By

Keith Finch

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September 15, 2023

Bainbridge, GA, September 15 2023—Taurus Holdings, Inc., a leading innovator in the firearms industry, is proud to announce the forthcoming release of its latest masterpiece, the “Judge Home Defender.” This cutting-edge firearm represents the next evolution in performance, adaptability,and user-centric design.

Key Features of the Judge Home Defender:

Top Aluminum Picatinny Rail:A breakthrough feature that simplifies the attachment of optics and accessories, empowering shooters to customize their Judge Home Defender for precision and versatility.

45 Colt / 410 Bore 3 Inch Cylinder:Offering unparalleled versatility, this unique combination allows users to seamlessly switch between the potent 45 Colt and the versatile 410 Bore, ensuring optimal performance in any scenario.

13-Inch Barrel:Engineered to elevate 45 Colt terminal ballistics, the 13-inch barrel guarantees pinpoint accuracy, setting a new standard for precision in its class.

Forend Accessory Rail:Designed with shooters in mind, the Judge Home Defender incorporates a forend accessory rail, ideal for mounting lights, lasers, and other essential accessories, providing unparalleled preparedness.

Steel Blast Shield:Safety is paramount. The steel blast shield protects the shooter’s support arm, enhancing safety and peace of mind during operation.

Taurus Rubber Grip:Strategically integrated into the design, the Taurus rubber grip maximizes recoil absorption, delivering a comfortable and controlled shooting experience for all users.

The Judge Home Defender represents the culmination of advanced technology, precision engineering, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. It caters to the needs of experienced professionals, self-defense advocates, and sport shooters alike,promising to exceed expectations in every regard.

Unmatched Versatility

With its dual caliber capability in 45 Colt and 410 Bore 3 Inch Cylinder, the Judge Home Defender adapts seamlessly to a broad spectrum of shooting scenarios, from self-defense to sport shooting and more.

Superior Precision

The 13-inch barrel is a testament to our commitment to accuracy. Shooters can confidently rely on the Judge Home Defender’s exceptional precision, whether hitting targets at the range or ensuring pinpoint accuracy in self-defense situations.

Enhanced Safety

The inclusion of a steel blast shield and a Taurus rubber grip prioritizes user safety and comfort, enhancing the overall ergonomic design of the firearm.

Experience the future of home defense with the all-new Taurus Judge Home Defender. Available now at authorized Taurus dealers across the United States.

About Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc.:Taurus Holdings, Inc. (“Taurus”) and its subsidiaries continue to evolve and produce revolutionary new products. In addition, new standards for quality and efficiency help deliver reliable and affordable guns to the market. Taurus is based in Bainbridge, Georgia. Taurus is owned by Taurus Armas, S.A. which is a publicly traded company based in Brazil. Taurus Armas S.A. manufactures a wide variety of consumer and industrial products that are distributed worldwide.

For additional information, visit www.taurususa.com.

Breaking: Hunter Biden formally indicted on federal gun charges

By

Keith Finch

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September 14, 2023

Hunter Biden boards Air Force One in Syracuse, New York — Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, boards Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, U.S., February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Via CNN

From The Washington Post,

President Biden’s son Hunter was indicted Thursday for allegedly making false statements and illegal gun possession — setting the stage for a possible criminal trial for the younger Biden in 2024 while his father campaigns for re-election.

The charges follow the collapse in July of a plea deal that lawyers for Hunter Biden had negotiated with U.S. Attorney and special counsel David Weiss, in which Biden would have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax violations while admitting to illegal possession of a gun but not actually pleading guilty to that felony offense.

The original deal would have deferred the charge of illegal possession and falsifying statements on the Form 4473, both federal felony gun crimes, while still technically pleading guilty to them. The agreement would have omitted the conviction and felon title, and the resulting prohibitions, if Hunter Biden had completed the terms of the agreement and deferment to satisfaction.

Allegedly, the court reviewed the agreement and found it wanting for details while granting clemency to Hunter blanketly, again without detail, and it was rejected. This has brought us to today’s formal announcement.

A representative for Biden’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Previously his lawyers and defenders have argued that prosecutors very rarely indict people on such gun violations unless the charge can be tied to more serious crimes. To do so in Biden’s case, his lawyers have said, would be an unfair application of federal charging practices.

They are correct, the charge of falsifying is rarely used as a standalone charge and is one of those add-ons prosecutors can leverage to get something to stick or to add time to a sentence. It is, however, a federal crime to lie on the 4473.

American 180 – The Rimfire Support Weapon

By

Travis Pike

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September 14, 2023

How many times has a .22LR submachine gun ever been adopted by a state law enforcement agency? I’ll give you two guesses, but you’ll only need one. Literally one, only one agency ever adopted a 22LR SMG, and that seems reasonable.

Who needs a .22LR SMG? Well, apparently, the Utah Department of Corrections did. They adopted the American 180 SMG back in the days before cell phones. It’s also worth noting a Florida cop (Of course, Florida) once used an American 180 when pursuing a felon. The felon was quickly dissuaded by a burst from the American 180. The American 180 is a fascinating little weapon, and I’d guess most folks recognize it as that weird SMG from Fallout New Vegas.

Inside the American 180

This angry hive of wasps was a very odd gun all around. The American 180 is a .22LR (limited models made in .22 Short Magnum), select fire, open bolt only submachine gun. It fires from a top-mounted pan magazine that holds anywhere from 165 to 275 rounds, depending on its tiers. While only one American agency adopted the weapon they apparently saw use in South Africa, and the GIPN in France purchased two of them for whatever reason.

The weapon fired at a rate of 1,200 to 1,500 rounds per minute. It’s absurdly fast for a handheld weapon. A full-auto AKM fires at about 600 rounds per minute for comparison. The main selling point was that you had a lightweight, man-portable weapon that could fire very quickly without much recoil. The little .22LR round was less likely to over-penetrate barriers, so it was thought to be safer. At the same time, the user could fire a handful of rounds into a threat quickly and effectively.

It’s almost like a shotgun firing number four buckshot with a much longer effective range than any shotgun. A .22LR round certainly isn’t the best fighting round, but it’s capable of penetrating deep enough to shut a threat down. A handful of .22LR will shut someone down quite efficiently.

The Weird World of the American 180

The American 180 actually came from Austria. Weird, right? The original guns were imported from Austria and assembled in the United States. However, later on, they were built in the United States. The original company that marketed the gun was the American Arms International Corporation.

The 180 name came from the original capacity. The original three-tiered pan magazine held 180 rounds. Later on, the metal production models only held 177 rounds. The American 177 didn’t roll off the tongue in the same way.

Speaking of those magazines. The pan magazines held a lot of rounds and were powered by a spring-loaded wind-up design. The magazines took about 15 minutes to load. The standard three-tier 177-round magazine is the most common. There was also a five-tiered 275-round magazine.

After loading the magazine, the user had to load the spring motor, which, if done incorrectly, would spring out of the gun and unwind itself. When this happens, your spring motor will jam, which is not user-repairable. Removing the magazine with a loaded spring motor, the user had to move the spring motto’s brake lever to a specific position.

As you can see, this was not a simple system by any means.

The Numerous Variants

The standard model of the American 180 had an 18.5-inch barrel, but several barrel variants were produced. This includes a 16 and 14-inch model as well as the uber-short 9.5-inch model. The American 180’s stock could be easily removed, and with a 9.5-inch barrel, you had a very small and controllable SMG.

It bears mentioning that AAI sold the design to Ilarco, and then it was sold to Feather Industries, and finally to E&L Manufacturing. There are subtle changes between each gun, but most parts will work with each variant.

There was an Uncover Briefcase produced for the American 180. This allowed a stockless American 180 to be mounted and even fired from inside a briefcase. The weapon used an early laser sight.

There were also several experiments in which multiple American 180 SMGs were mounted together in dual and quad mounts. The quad mount model fit to an M122 tripod and offered about 7,000 RPM. A salesman once mounted two quad-mount American 180 SMGs to a prop plane with the intent of selling the idea to 3rd world countries.

There were also a number of closed-bolt, semi-auto-only variants produced for civilian sales, but they were never highly popular. The American 180 is certainly a fascinating SMG, and while it was never highly successful, it was certainly creative. I really want to shoot one and feel the power of an angry hive of bees.

POCKET CARRY EXPLAINED: How To, Tips & Tricks, Dos & Don’ts

By

The Suited Shootist

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September 14, 2023

I’ve been playing with pocket carry for a couple years, and last month in Dallas I had the opportunity to take Darryl Bolke’s mini-class on pocket revolvers.

Up to this point, I’d struggled making a j-frame work in a pants pocket. I even did an entire video on that very issue!

As with many concealment challenges, it boiled down to the fact that I wasn’t using the right holster for my needs. 🤦‍♂️ I was able to run the Mika pocket holsters during the class, and I was blown away by how well they concealed the gun.

I liked them so much that I immediately ordered them for both my KelTec P32 and my Smith & Wesson M&P 340. As you can see, the right holster makes all the difference for pocket carry. Do you run a pocket gun? Let me hear it down in the comments!!!