Do You Really need a .357 Magnum for Self Defense?

By

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July 13, 2023

I love the old lawman revolvers. Not the Model 10s, but they are cool, or the Colt Police Positives. When I think of a Lawman revolver, I think of the Highway Patrol. They often carried big .357 Magnum revolvers. Heavy frames and big barrels. Designed to stop motorized threats. The lawman revolver is most definitely a .357 Magnum. The .357 Magnum is a caliber that’s popular with revolver carriers, and at first glance, it’s easy to see why.

However, I’m here to say I don’t think it’s all that and a bag of chips for the average person. I believe I should qualify my statement. When I’m talking about concealed carry and self-defense, I’m talking about a gun with a barrel that is 1.87 inches to about 3 inches, backed by a compact frame and grip. If your concealed carry weapon is the big iron, then this may not all apply to you.

I’m not referencing the old wives tale that a .357 Magnum from a short barrel is useless. It’s admittedly more powerful and more capable than any .38 Special load. Even from a snub nose barrel, the .357 Magnum moves considerably faster and hits with more energy. It often penetrates better and expands earlier and faster. That’s all true, but there are also some sacrifices you have to make to carry a magnum round in a small revolver.

Need vs. Wants

The 2nd Amendment isn’t about needs or wants. It’s about rights. You can carry whatever you want, shoot whatever you want, and if a .357 Magnum is for you, great. This isn’t a call out or judgment, just observations I’ve seen and how they relate to the average concealed carrier.

.357 Magnum and Concealed Carry

It’s worth mentioning that the .357 Magnum was never intended to be a concealed carry caliber. The cartridge came to be as a direct competitor to the .38 Super, and in a way, it all harkens back to the automatic vs. revolver argument. In the 1930s, the automobile bandit was crisscrossing state lines, raising hell, and fighting off police officers.

The use of vehicles amped things up, and the average .38 Special cop revolver wasn’t enough to penetrate the metal of these automobiles, and if it did, it was running out of steam. The .38 Super was designed to pop right through the metal of an automobile, and the .357 Magnum was the revolver option for the same purpose.

The .357 Magnum wasn’t designed because .38 Special wasn’t dropping bad guys. It was designed because those bad guys were hiding behind cars. With this in mind, it also wasn’t really designed for smaller guns but for police-sized duty guns, for lawman revolvers. As a concealed carrier, it’s very unlikely you’ll be in an extended gunfight where you need to punch through the steel of a 1930s automobile.

Strengths of the .357 Magnum

The .357 Magnum does fly fast and hit hard. It’s a capable defensive cartridge that can penetrate deeply and expand widely. It scores high in all the basics required to be a good fighting cartridge. The .357 Magnum is certainly no slouch. If you’re only carrying five to six rounds, why wouldn’t you carry a .357 Magnum and get the most out of your gun?

Downsides to .357 Magnum

Well, the downsides are why. A .357 Magnum cartridge generates a lot more recoil, nearly three times that of a .38 Special. That can be brutal on your hand. It’s got tons of concussion, muzzle flash, and noise. Getting fast follow-up shots on target is difficult, at least from a compact revolver.

Anything less than a 3-inch barrel can be awfully difficult to handle. It’s not fun to train with and is expensive to train with. With .38 Special, you are still capable of getting good penetration, although you won’t get the expansion you often want. Expansion is niece, but not the end all be all for defensive ammo. While the extra expansion is good, the extra energy isn’t really useful.

Being able to make fast and accurate follow-up shots from my handgun is more important than putting one bigger hole in a threat. I think the Georgia Arms .38 Special Snub Nose 148-grain wadcutters are best for small, ultra-light revolvers.

It Still Shines In Some Categories

The .357 is a fine cartridge. It’s great in medium-frame revolvers, and if you are willing to shoot and train, you can certainly make it work in a small revolver. I just don’t think that’s the best choice for most shooters and concealed carriers. I still love the round, and my current favorite handgun is a seven-shot GP-100, but it has its limitations.

I Hate Little Guns

By

P.E. Fitch

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July 11, 2023

_{Title Photo: A Taurus GX4XL with a mounted Holosun EPS Carry MRS on a nightstand next to a full size Glock 22 and corresponding .40 caliber magazine for perspective on a hotel nightstand.}

I hate little guns, I really do. I am talking about the extremely popular category of slimmer polymer frame striker fired pistols that are all of the rage right now.

Why do I hate them? Because they’re smaller and harder to shoot. Frankly, you have to treat them differently to shoot them well. I don’t think they will ever be as exciting as full-size high performance blasters. But let’s be honest, these guns are currently popular for a variety of very good reasons, especially being optimized for carry. We should definitely not take this crop of modern slimline striker guns for granted. These days, many of them can hold between 10-15 rounds of 9mm Luger depending on the size [of the gun], the model or magazine extensions used. It wasn’t even that long ago that guns of this size and form factor at most held 6 rounds–maybe 8 if you were lucky. And before that, the previous wave of compacts optimized for every day carry, your other options were snubbies or sub-caliber autos.

But as Bill Blowers kept reiterating over and over when I trained with him a few months ago, everything is a trade-off. In the case of these “slimline” nines, obviously they are designed for portability and concealment. Their trade off is the convenience of carry for something harder and snappier to shoot well. As someone who typically carries duty sized pistols, it’s hard to deny the ease and convenience of rolling out with a smaller and lighter gun, though.

LITTLE GUNS + DOTS

Recently, I reviewed the Taurus GX4XL and given my bias against “little guns” I was on my best behavior to keep an open mind after I took possession of the pistol. Fortunately I was able to get in touch with my friends at Big Tex Ordnance who very graciously let me borrow a Holosun EPS Carry electronic sight for use in my review of this slimline Taurus. Currently I have fired less than 200 rounds, but on the flip side, the gun has cycled everything I feed it without issues. The more I shoot it, the better it feels too, like a gentle break-in. I am not in love with the trigger, but the way it broke at round #165 was certainly better than how it felt at round #23.

Initially, I did not fire a single round until after I had mounted the EPS Carry and let the blue loctite cure. And that’s where I had my epiphany: sure, I typically dislike such guns because they have smaller grips along with harsher and snappier recoil, but you know what….? Having a mounted dot makes up for a lot. I wouldn’t call myself a dot fanatic, but I have been deeply immersing myself in dot shooting since the spring–for the sake of my writing and expanding my knowledge at least. At this point, if I have to deal with a small pocket rocket, I definitely want an enclosed emitted dot as an option. If I must give up performance, I want to “break even” at least, with the mounted dot (by getting something back in my favor). The first time I shot this Taurus, I was roughly standing at 10 yards, and I was shooting a standard USPSA target. I took a few shots and adjusted the EPS Carry until I was dead on at 10 yards. I kept shooting at the smaller A-zone in the head area until I was satisfied with my groups. Since the EPS Carry variant mounted to the gun was the multi-reticle option, I opted for the 32 MOA circle with the smaller 2 MOA dot in the middle. Hitting that A-zone was surprisingly easy.

On a different occasion, I decided to take the Taurus GX4XL to the 25 yard line and put 20 rounds through an NRA B-8 target. I wasn’t shooting for score per se, I merely wanted to see what I could do with the pistol at this distance. I want to point out that the particular Taurus I was shooting really seemed to favor 115 grain rounds, so I used the last 20 rounds of my Federal 115 grain 9mm Syntech ammo that I had on hand. As you can see in the picture, I was able to get mostly solid hits, and that was my first time shooting it at this distance. I did better than I expected, even with those flyers and in spite of the fact that the gun’s grip is small enough that tI can only fit two fingers on the front strap. Obviously, I had to be careful with the trigger too lest I dropped shots. I doubt that I would have been able to print a B-8 like that without the EPS Carry.

OBSERVATIONS

With the standard iron sights found on either the Taurus GX4XL or the regular GX4, you get a very short sight radius and lose a good amount of precision. Sure, at bad breath distances it’s no big deal. Due to the way dots work, having one means that sight radius is irrelevant. Their feedback is super valuable too. You can see how the gun naturally moves when you extend it and point it at a target downrange. The Taurus GX4XL’s trigger out of the box isn’t honestly anything special, and if you don’t grip the gun correctly you can make the gun dip when you break the sights and drop shots. Having the dot allowed me to immediately pick up on this so I could change the way I was shooting the pistol accordingly.

Ultimately, I think we all understand the compromise of having to carry something smaller that’s harder to shoot because it’s easier to conceal and easier to deal with. So if you can, why not add a dot and cheat?

Smith & Wesson® Releases New M&P®22 MAGNUM Designed with TEMPO™ Barrel System

By

Keith Finch

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July 11, 2023

SPRINGFIELD, MA., (7/11/2023) – Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announces the release of the new M&P22 MAGNUM pistol, chambered in 22 WMR.

This latest addition to the M&P series is all about bringing more. More capacity, more reliability, and more features. Its internal hammer-fired design, paired with the TEMPO gas-operated barrel system, keeps components locked in place until the bullet passes the gas port, increasing performance. With a staggering 30-round capacity, the full-size polymer frame M&P22 MAGNUM ships with two magazines so you can spend less time reloading and more time training. It comes with a fiber optic front sight, black notched rear sight, and is optics-ready, allowing you to direct-mount most of the popular micro red dots available today.

“The M&P22 MAGNUM combines the best features of our internal hammer fire control system with the patented TEMPO barrel design, creating a smooth operating experience for the shooter. The 22 WMR is a versatile and field-savvy cartridge that has been a legacy among American shooters, hunters, and trappers for decades. Smith & Wesson is proud to offer a new pistol that further supports the use of this cartridge outdoors or on the range,” said John Myles, Senior Manager of New Products.

The M&P22 MAGNUM is fully ambidextrous, has a 4.35-inch stainless steel barrel with Armornite^® finish, includes a flat-face trigger, and Picatinny-style rail for mounting accessories. This pistol is proudly made in the U.S.A. and has an MSRP of $649.00.

GET MORE – with the new M&P22 MAGNUM. For more information visit www.smith-wesson.com.

To stay up to date on all the latest news and events, be sure to follow Smith & Wesson on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

A Modern Modular OG Battle Rifle

By

Keith Finch

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July 10, 2023

The HK G3, like the FAL and the M14, were the definitive three of the early battle rifle era. This is the time period after the US decreed that NATO would use 7.62x51mm and then very quickly developed 5.56 rifles because the M14 was less than fantastic. The rest of the alliance, and their better working and modern modern rifles had far less reason to chase the switch to 5.56 than the US. They did give us plenty of stink eye after we forced them not to use .276/.280 though.

I bet we are getting another round of that as we adopt a .276 (.277 Fury/6.8x51mm) like we had the opportunity to do a century ago.

However, this isn’t about that. This video is about the Germans and their G3 modernized as a follow on from Josh and Henry’s last video about the rifle’s history. The G3, the updated CETME out of Spain, had a tremendous amount of modern modular potential decades before that became a buzzword in this space. Now, it still keeps up rather well and its shortcomings are manageable. Other rifles with manageable shortcomings include AKs, AUG, and the aforementioned FAL.

The short version of the information was, is, and will remain for many years to come that this rifle series can hang when it is properly made and maintained.

Cheap Nylon Holsters – Just Say No

By

Travis Pike

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July 10, 2023

Almost any time the holster conversation comes up, it’s a must to mention the necessities of a good holster. Access, concealment, retention, durability, and safety. We, as gun writers, often comment that you should stay away from the cheap nylon holster. We toss in an Uncle Mike’s joke and often move on. For us, it’s often self-explanatory why we stay away from the cheap, unfitted, craptastic, garbage-tier nylon holster. I’m someone who likes to ask why and to know why. So I figured I couldn’t be the only one who needed to know why they should avoid the cheap nylon holsters.

You start shopping for holsters, and all of a sudden, things start getting pricey. You go to a reputable company like Phlster, and sticker shock can set in as you realize a good holster can easily cost in excess of 50 bucks or even a hundred bucks. That seems nits, but that’s because you might not understand the work that goes into making a good holster. If you don’t understand why quality holsters cost so much, so you turn to the cheaper side of the internet. Holsters can cost ten bucks if you look hard enough, and it’s easy to hit buy it now. So let’s explore why that’s a bad idea.

Poor Fit

Nylon holsters often come in sizes, and these sizes are supposed to roughly correspond to the size of particular firearms. The problem we have is that they never really fit well. They allow the gun to move up and down, as well as side to side. This isn’t great for a holster, and poor fitment will lead to all sorts of issues. A holster should be molded for that specific firearm with very few exceptions. A molded holster ensures a solid fit, which ensures the gun comes in and out with ease and carries in the same position no matter what.

Horrible Concealment

These holsters are almost always unnecessarily bulky. The thick flexible nylon material and general square shape make retention difficult, and honestly, it’s a downright pain. The big, bulky holster prints like crazy. With IWB options, these holsters are still bulky and often quite uncomfortable. Concealment isn’t admittedly always an issue. Maybe you are open carrying, but with that in mind, realize everyone is judging you and your crappy holster. Even in that case, they are unnecessarily bulky and silly.

Terrible Retention

Retention with this craptastic nylon holster often involves a crappy nylon thumb strap secured by a button that is not worthy of your pants. Because these holsters are designed to provide a multi-fit design, the strap is often adjustable, and you can count on it coming loose when carrying. Sit the gun fits poorly into the holster. It provides no passive retention either. When you walk, run, or step, the gun likely bounces and jumps, making it only a matter of time before it plops out.

Safety Issues

The flexible, soft nylon these holsters are from offers really crappy protection from accidental discharges. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that using one of these holsters changes it to a negligent discharge. That bendable material can bend inward and interact with the trigger in an unfavorable way. They also don’t offer much protection to the trigger. The loose nature of these holsters makes it easy for crap to get inside them and for that crap to pull your trigger.

Slow Access

Remember how we mentioned due to poor fit and retention, the gun flops around in the holster? That’s bad enough, but it also creates an issue with access. How do you become good at drawing a firearm that moves inside its holster? You are going to have a tough time building muscle memory if the gun is moved forward half an inch. This compromises your ability to get a good grip on the gun and makes access a nightmare.

Cheap Nylon Holsters Suck

Stay away from the cheap nylon holster. They are so hated for a reason. These things aren’t safe and are only appropriate for airsoft guns. Hopefully, now you know not only that you should stay away from these holsters, but why you should stay away from these holsters.

Gunday Brunch 108: Alternatives to the 2011

By

Keith Finch

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July 9, 2023

If you’ve been on Instagram for like 2 seconds recently, you’ve seen that all the influencer types are suddenly rocking 2011s. Which are neat and everything, but what about alternatives? What are the options if you can’t afford or don’t want a 2011?

The Charles Daly .410 Upper

By

Travis Pike

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July 8, 2023

I love shotguns, and when my local gun store had a .410 upper for my AR-15, I jumped all over it. The upper is a Charles Daly imported design and sold quite cheaply. I didn’t expect much, but I figured, at the very least, I could have a little fun with a cheap upper. The Charles Daly .410 upper is predictably a Turkish design. It’s a gas-operated shotgun upper with a 19-inch barrel. The upper has a flat top design and comes with a quad Picatinny rail that covers about half the barrel.

The other half is covered with a crazy muzzle shroud that’s removable. It seems to make the .410 upper a little beefier and does disguise the hidden, rather scrawny barrel. The Charles Daly .410 upper comes with everything you need to drop it on your lower and start shooting. This includes the buffer you’ll need to replace to ensure the upper functions.

You also get a five-round magazine, but ATI produces 15-round magazines for their old .410 uppers and shotguns. These are compatible and what I use more often than not. Charles Daly, or whoever made the upper, even provides a set of flip-up AR-style iron sights. I’ll give them credit. They released a surprisingly well-done .410 upper. It’s fairly inclusive for a 250-dollar price point.

Why A .410 Upper?

Great question, and I don’t have much of an answer. Sure, it’d be fine for home defense, I guess. The little .410 works, but I’d rather have a 5.56 than a .410 in an AR 15 kit. It could be a fun small game-getter. It’s cheaper than any dedicated semi-auto .410 if you already have a spare lower.

In some states, it might be an affordable, low-recoil alternative to straight-walled cartridges. Slugs from a .410 aren’t exactly impressive, but they can take a white tail. It’s perfect in case you find yourself in an Aflred Hitcock movie and need to decimate some birds or maybe squirrels.

For me, it is just because I can. Why not? I figured it was some cheap fun without much practicality. It’s easy to shoot, and .410 is fun to shoot watermelons with. You know what they say, return to tradition, shoot trash.

Dropping In

The Charles Daly .410 upper is interesting in design. The charging handle is larger than most, and while the bolt is different, you can certainly see the AR influence. The magazines are just big enough to fit inside a MIL-SPEC lower. If they were even a fraction longer, they wouldn’t fit. It’s a tight fit, but they fit.

With that said, the 5-round magazine will over-insert if you aren’t careful. I always give it a little pull downward after slamming the magazine into the gun. The 15-rounders from ATI seemingly didn’t have the same issue.

I’ve always got some spare lower lying around, and I had an old Anderson from the first AR I ever assembled. Perfect fodder for the .410 Upper. I dropped it on with ease, and it had zero issues in terms of installation. I swapped buffers, although the included buffer is just a carbine buffer, so it’s not exactly proprietary.

The magazines and the .410 upper-only chamber 2.5-inch shells. Here is the thing, that 2.5-inch length is a measurement that applies after the fired has been fired. The actual length of crimped shells varies. The .410 magazine only accommodates 2.29-inch shells in their crimped, unfired form. This limits your buckshot options a bit, but slugs and birdshot are not an issue.

At the Range

With the .410 upper installed, the magazines loaded, and a variety of fun targets, I hit the range. I had just a few buckshot rounds but a handful of different types of .410 birdshot and some Federal slugs. My targets are cantaloupes, old oranges, some steel, and clay pigeons. I also used a paper target for some basic patterning with the little buckshot I had.

I slapped the first mag in and let it fly. It left me surprised. No malfunctions in the first 15 rounds and none in the second 15. However, I did get two with the five-round magazine. This is where I discovered it was easy to over-insert the magazine. It seemed like as long as I double-checked the five-rounder, the gun worked.

I used birdshot at 1,300 FPs without issues. When I fired some 1200 FPS birdshot, I got the occasional failure to eject, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the reliability of this thing.

Buckshot and slugs always worked excellently. The buckshot patterned fairly loosely. At ten yards, the three pellets were spread out about 12 inches. That’s pretty wide, but I only had some Federal buckshot, so I couldn’t get a huge variety to test for tighter patterns. At fifty yards, I could drop the slugs into a paper plate-sized group from a supported resting position.

The recoil was mild, downright soft, really. It’s more than a 5.56, but still soft. I’d let a kiddo give it a try under my watchful eye.

For You?

If you’re a shotgun nerd or just want something fun to do, then the Charles Daly .410 upper is perfect for you. It’s cheap, surprisingly reliable, and a ton of fun to shoot. I wouldn’t use it for self-defense, but this fall, the squirrels should be scared.

Leupold Adds New DeSoto Frame Design to Performance Eyewear Line

By

248 Shooter

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July 7, 2023

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc., provider of the world’s most rugged, lightweight, and clear sport optics, is pleased to announce the addition of a new frame style to its Performance Eyewear line: the DeSoto.

The DeSoto is available in multiple lens and frame combinations, adding four total new sets of eyewear to Leupold’s catalog. Like the rest of the Performance Eyewear line, the DeSoto is made from lightweight, ballistic-rated materials and ship with scratch-resistant polarized lenses as rugged and clear as Leupold’s legendary sporting optics. The DeSoto is inspired by trailbreakers who push boundaries and redraw maps. Its shatterproof lenses with In-Fused polarization offer unbeatable protection against harsh glare and impacts, while its no-slip bridge ensures a comfortable fit. From its temple tips to its hinges, every aspect of the DeSoto can handle the rigors
of prolonged expeditions.

“Just like every product line we build, the Performance Eyewear line will outperform the competition under the harshest conditions,” said Zach Bird, Product Line Manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “The DeSoto brings that performance to an exciting new style that’ll be at home with hunters, anglers, and adventurers alike.”

Like all Leupold Performance Eyewear, the DeSoto offers Daylight Max technology to provide UV protection for optimal performance in bright conditions. Diamondcoat Scratch Resistance, meanwhile, reduce surface scratches with a hardened surface coating. A No-Slip Bridge provides all-day comfort with no-slip, soft-touch rubber bridge pads. In-Fused Polarized Lenses eliminate glare and keep your eyes fresh on the water and in the field. For more information on Leupold products, please visit us at Leupold.com. Join the discussion on Facebook at Facebook.com/LeupoldOptics, on Twitter at Twitter.com/LeupoldOptics, or on Instagram at Instagram.com/LeupoldOptics.

Founded in Oregon more than a century ago, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that designs, machines, and assembles its riflescopes, mounting systems, tactical/Gold Ring spotting scopes, and performance eyewear in the USA. The product lines include rifle, handgun, and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; mounting systems; and optical tools, accessories, and pro gear.

DESOTO

The DeSoto is inspired by trailbreakers who push boundaries and redraw maps. Its shatterproof lenses with In-Fused polarization offer unbeatable protection against harsh glare and impacts, while its no-slip bridge ensures a comfortable fit. From its temple tips to its hinges, every aspect of the DeSoto can handle the rigors of prolonged expeditions.

KEY BENEFITS

Daylight Max provides UV protection for optimal performance in bright conditions
Diamondcoat Scratch Resistance reduces surface scratches with a hardened surface coating
Lifetime Guarantee protects against manufacturer’s defects for the life of the product
No-slip Bridge provides all-day comfort with no-slip, soft-touch rubber bridge pads
In-Fused Polarized Lenses eliminate glare and keep your eyes fresh on the water and in the field
Guard-ion Hydrophobic Coating sheds dirt and water for a clear, crisp image
Rx Ready compatible with prescription lens requirements

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., P.O. Box 688, Beaverton, OR 97075-0688, U.S.A.
Phone: (800) LEUPOLD or (503) 526-1400 • Fax: (503) 352-7621 • www.leupold.com

Savage Defense Shotgun

By

V. Caldwell

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July 7, 2023

This is the standard bead sighted shotgun.

We are truly in an age of affordable shotguns. While I would not fault anyone who choses a Benelli or Beretta for hard use there are functional alternatives. I am not going to posit an inexpensive shotgun for institutional or military use and certainly not for competition. But for defending the homestead and taking game the Savage/Stevens 320 has much merit. The Savage 320 has a worthy ancestor- of sorts. Examining the bolt tipped me off that the Stevens is a copy of the Winchester 1200/1300 shotgun. The 1200 is out of production although the modern FN TP 12 is the same gun with perhaps minor improvement. So- the design is good and Stevens didn’t have to spend much on T & E. The work was done decades ago.

While Stevens offers a sporting version with long barrel and choke tubes the home defense versions are the subject of this report. Many of these shotguns are available for less than two hundred fifty dollars. Even the version with ghost ring rear sights and fiber optic front sight is less than three hundred dollars. If you are lucky enough to find a dealer wo overstocked during the great panic- maybe two hundred and used ones have been seen at one hundred thirty five. If you are not a shotgun man here is your chance! While the Stevens branded import is an economy shotgun it may be said to have everything needed. The 18.5 inch barrel home defense pump action shotgun is offered in standard semi pistol grip, pistol grip, and even thumb hole stock options. The thumb hole stock looks odd at first but when moving quickly and holding the shotgun with only one hand I found a credible option for home defense. The Stevens 320 shotgun features a five shell magazine. The standard shotgun features a brass bead front sight. Each version features a long nicely textured forend that makes racking the action and controlling the shotgun fast and sure for those who practice. The Stevens features dual action bars. A feature of its primogenitor is a rotating four lug bolt head. This isn’t the easiest machining process but it pays off in speed and rigidity. The shotgun operates like any other pump action. The magazine is loaded with one shell at a time and the forend racked to loads shells. When you fire the action unlocks and you pump again. To unload the chamber or open the bolt from a cocked position a bolt release is located near the trigger guard.

A ghost ring sighted shotgun is a bargain.

The decision to clone the Winchester 1200/1300 was based not only on the robust design but a reputation for smoothness. The 1200 was known as the Speed Pump for its smooth operation. Rapidity of fire comes quickly for those who practice. It is unfortunate that production from Remington and Mossberg have suffered in quality during the Pandemic with some actions stiff, very stiff. It seems to be getting better. The Stevens 320 is smoother than most. There are no real competitors in smoothness at this price point. So the bedrock of the 320’s design is solid. After several years in service the reputation of the type seems watertight.

I took a little pause between spelling out the 320’s mechanical aspects and the firing tests and found the 320 WITH GHOST RING SIGHTS for sale at Cheaperthandirt.com for $214. 19. I didn’t look for the bead sighted gun after that.

It is difficult to find an unreliable pump shotgun even if it isn’t smooth. This one is smooth but it is budget grade. A hollow stock is ligt and has a hollow note when you tap it. The recoil pad gives enough to absorb some recoil. The stock is narrow and the shotgun light so don’t 12 gauge Turkey loads or Magnum buckshot! A cross bolt safety is located just ahead of the generous trigger guard. The bolt release is behind the trigger guard. The firing handle has good grip surface and abrasion and so does the forend. It works well in rapid manipulation and allows a shooter with long or short arms to obtain good purchase. While long the forend does not affect quickly loading the chamber with a single shell during speed loads.

The trigger is a typical shotgun trigger. It is smooth enough but not light. You don’t want a trigger to jump off the sear during recoil! The trigger breaks at 6.75 pounds. Reset is audible. The rear sight is an excellent ghost ring/aperture design. If you are primarily a shotgun shooter you may prefer a simple bead. A rifle shooter may prefer a ghost ring. For accurate placement past 15 yards the ghost ring is preferred. If you deploy slugs this set up allows the shooter to properly sight the shotgun. All shotguns fire high or low with slugs and bead front sights. Usually it is only an inch or two. The Stevens 320 allows fine tuning for slug accuracy. A green fiber optic front sight offers rapid sight acquisition. The shotgun is easily disassembled. The magazine cap is unscrewed and the bolt retracted slightly and the barrel is lifted out. Maintenance and storage are quite simple.

Note

On any shotgun with a ghost ring/adjustable rear sight check the rear sight and tighten it occasionally. Whether you have a Benelli, Mossberg or Stevens shotgun recoil occasionally works them lose.

Old habits are difficult to break but then they work. I usually fire a shotgun with birdshot loads first. This allows assessing function smoothness and recoil without jarring myself with more expensive buckshot. As expected function was good but smoothness much slicker than I first imagined. No hitches just smooth operation. I fired a good quantity of buckshot with good results, centering the target to 15 yards. At 20 yards American Gunner slugs from Hornady cut a 2 inch group. The shotgun is reliable, smooth, very smooth, and would make an excellent home truck or camp shotgun.

A ghost ring rear sight is a good touch.

Specifications

Action Type: Pump-action shotgun
Gauge: 12; 3-inch chamber
Capacity: 5+1 (2.75-inch shotshells)
Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
Buttstock: Black polymer with pistol grip
Sights: Bead front or Ghost-ring rear; winged, fiber-optic front
Trigger Pull Weight: 6.75 and 7.1 pounds two test samples
Length: 38.25 inches
Weight: 6 pounds, 14 ounces, 7 pounds with ghost ring gun.

The AA-19 – A Gucci Glock Gen 3

By

Travis Pike

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July 6, 2023

There has been a recent glut of Glock Gen 3 clones hitting the market at a variety of price points. PSA and Anderson covering the budget market, Polymer 80 is hitting the mid-market, and now Adams Arms is swinging in to provide the high-end option with the AA-19. Adams Arms is well-known for producing piston-driven AR-15 rifles, so handguns were a bit of a new stretch. The Adams Arms AA-19 is Glock 19-sized and does come complete with all the fancy features you expect from a Gucci Glock.

The Adams Arms AA-19 – In Living Color

What are those fancy features? Well, you get the fancy slide with all the work done up on it to make it look quite nice. Up front, they trimmed some slides away to lighten things up. At the rear, it’s optics ready, but you have to purchase the Adams Arms optic plates to match your particular optic.

The sights are the Ameriglo Defoor sights that keep things simple and blacked out. The barrel is threaded and suppressor or muzzle device ready. The frame looks like a Polymer 80 design with some Adams Arms touches. The frame features an excellent trigger guard undercut for a nice high grip as well as a slide bit defeating an overhang at the rear of the grip.

The grip is just a hair longer than a Glock 19 variant. I like this because, on a Glock 19, my pinky hangs off of half the grip, making it easy to pin the magazine in when I attempt a reload accidentally. The magazine release is also slightly extended compared to most gen three options. We also get a proper Picatinny rail for accessories.

The trigger comes from Tango Down and provides a flat-faced option with a rather nice trigger shoe and a great reset. It’s the Vicker’s trigger, and Vickers is, of course, Larry Vickers, famed Delta Force commando and firearms expert.

At the Range

The AA-19 ships with a single Magpul 15-round GL9 magazine. Simple but effective. I have a pile of G17 and various capacity 33-round magazines, so that wasn’t an issue. I loaded them up and let them fly. I like the all-blacked-out sights. I’ve become fond of the idea, and they won’t damn well. The only time I had an issue was with B8 targets. Lining black with black on a black target was tricky, but I guess if it was all black, then I was lining it up right.

The trigger pull was nice and crisp. It’s predictable. We aren’t getting a lightweight competition-type trigger. It’s a duty design that seems to remove some of that plastic-on-plastic feeling of a Glock trigger. Decent sights and a good trigger made accuracy a non-issue. It’s easy to pass the basics and score high on 10-10-10 drills, and even when fired from the draw, I was doing fairly well landing all in the black.

I backed off to 25 yards and locked into the chest of a silhouette target, and let it go. If the cardboard target had had lungs, he wouldn’t anymore. (9mm knocks lungs out, right?) The AA-19 lands shots where you want them as long as you can do your part.

Controlling the AA-19

The ole AA-19 was plenty easy to keep on target and fire rapidly. Like any Glock-style firearm in 9mm, you won’t be worrying much about recoil or muzzle rise. It’s pleasant and easy to shoot, kind of like driving a Honda Civic. You know what to expect. Keeping the gun low and on target while shooting won’t challenge you.

Even newer shooters won’t be intimidated by the recoil or muzzle rise. More experienced shooters will be easy to snap back down and on target in a flash. Blasting away with the AA-19 is never tiring, and it’s pain-free, thanks to that overhang. Outside of the Gen 5 Glocks, every other generation eats my hand up with slide bite.

With ammo prices being what they are, I may have purchased some cheap remanufactured ammo. I know it’s a risk, but sometimes the price is too good to pass up. With that in mind, the AA-19 didn’t seem to mind the remanufactured ammo or craptastic steel-cased stuff. It shot it all. It also had no problems with various mags from Magpul, Glock, ETS, KCI, and more.

Worth the Squeeze

The MSRP of the AA-19 is 999, but when you break down the various components, it doesn’t seem out of line. Of course, you are not picking your own gadgets, gizmos, and parts. If you prefer to have professionals deck out your Gucci Glock this is the way to go. I would include one of the plates to attach an optic, but that’s just me. With the AA-19, you are only an optic, light, and compensator away from being as decked out as it gets.

Review: Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7

By

Keith Finch

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July 6, 2023

I’ve always like the use theories behind 5.7x28mm. A small, fast, low recoil round for a handgun and PDW that can bridge a performance gap between the 5.56 and 7.62 service rifles and the 9x19mm handguns and submachine guns

What most use theories ignore, unfortunately, is logistics. Supply, training, time, sunk costs, etc.

So I had written off 5.7×28 as a caliber for serious use and placed it into the neat box of thought and proof of concept projects. It would be simply be that cool round for a couple cool guns FN designed back in the day. Looked really cool in Stargate SG-1 too. No harm, no foul, but also not an EDC for me.

Then for some reason a bunch of companies picked up and said let’s make 5.7x28mm guns. Smith & Wesson was among them.

I have a happy and positive history with the M&P line and it was honestly strange I didn’t own a few anymore. I had settled into comfort with my P226/229 and the AXG P320 that followed their profile. I loved the original M&P 45 and 9L, the 2.0’s have continued my appreciation for the guns too with their excellent list of improvements. I simply didn’t own one myself.

But, that concerned only 9mms.

What happens when offered the chance to look at a brand new M&P pistol, in a caliber I’ve liked in theory but written off as impractical, that is being more often produced by several affordable ammunition companies?

Well, I end up with an M&P 5.7 in my hands and giving the gun (and caliber) a try.

Huh, weird… Uncanny even…

The Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 has some attractive stats. It is a full size duty pistol with 22 rounds of ammunition per magazine and the full suite of M&P 2.0 features. This including optics and suppressor compatibility.

But it looks… odd. Almost offputtingly so. It’s a tall pistol, but the slide is very squat. It’s a long pistol, but slim like a P365 or Shield. The circumference of the grip is both correct and incorrect simultaneously. It inhabits this uncanny valley of handguns where both the closeness of it to normal sows a discomfort rather than familiarity and trust, but everything is precisely where it should be for a pistol in such a dimensionally different caliber like 5.7x28mm.

In short, its weird and I didn’t know what to think in unboxing and handling it.

Adding to the oddity, the M&P 5.7 is a gas operated. Its barrel is sleeved and the barrel acts as both the locking lugs for its chamber and the gas piston to cycle the slide. It is a fascinating design rarely seen employed in handguns.

So next I thought the practical thing and figured I’d shoot it and see. It came with two magazines and a load assister, I won’t call it a speed loader but it does help get cartridges into the thin semi-rimmed magazines. The magazines, like all new magazines, got difficult near max capacity.

Those magazines are also where I experienced my first and only failure of anything on this pistol. One of the mags was a from the factory dud and was binding at about the 19 round mark. You could load it but the spring and follower would not more than two or three rounds before it became stuck. I called into CS, replacements from S&W quickly, and those ones feed fine.

Doin’ it live

Live fire showcases the truly exceptional difference this pistol exhibits, here’s a video showing the field strip.

Again this is a gas operated pistol, like the Desert Eagle, but chambered in 5.56 NATO ‘Short’ for all intents and purposes. The barrel and barrel extension/chamber are also the “gas piston” and the locking lugs. I didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t the smooth recoil impulse that the M&P delivered. I’d say it is more pleasant to shoot than the FiveseveN from FN even, and that is an absurdly pleasant pistol to shoot in its original form.

The single action trigger with the trigger blade style safety delivers a consistent take up and a predictable wall to wait at and roll through when you want to deliver the shot. The results downrange were telling. I was able to keep every round I sent inside the headbox of a USPSA target with ease at 25 yards… with the iron sights. I hadn’t put the Holosun EPS Carry onto it yet, I was just testing function.

For reference, I can’t do that with a 9mm reliably enough to make the claim. The mass generated recoil of the 9mm produces more disruption and I can’t pace it as quickly as I was able to pick up and manage the M&P 5.7.

This pistol shoots. It is a very pleasant pistol to shoot with tactile feedback that benefits the user. The trigger breaks when you want it to. The slide is easy to manipulate. The sights were on from the factory and a dot like the Holosun EPS goes right on too and extends the effective range neatly.

The recoil is extremely soft and is easily managed, you quickly recover a sight picture, the trigger predictably resets and preps for another shot.

Everything about shooting the M&P 5.7 is easy to direct.

Ammo

Feeding the M&P 5.7, or any 5.7x28mm is going to be your hurdle.

Ammunition sourcing is probably the pistol’s greatest limitation at the moment. Now 5.7 is more available than its been, but it isn’t and certainly will likely never be 9mm available or 9mm cost. At best it will likely hover around what we pay for .45 ACP and we aren’t at best right now. We can find it above 10mm and .45 but below .308/7.62 NATO.

1,000 rounds of 9mm can be found very quickly for under $300 right now. $700 is what I would spend for 5.7x28mm. It’s almost 3 to 1 in favor of 9mm for the cost.

Cost isn’t everything though and $700 isn’t unreasonable for a case of ammunition in general, it’s just high for a “pistol” round. For 5.56 in any sort of special round (like 77gr) or 7.62×51 that price per round is pretty normal. We’re just accustomed to 9mm, and this isn’t 9mm.

If the benefits of the pistol, specifically capacity and ease of use, outweigh the ammunition cost swing it is well worth considering the gun.

Carry

Yes, I’ve carried this pistol EDC.

And yes, I will recommend it for that roll. If you like the comfort of a 1911-esk slim/fullsize the M&P 5.7 fills that profile and nearly triples your capacity. It can also easily index a slim light like a Streamlight TLR-7A without ballooning that profile. The slim design makes keeping the M&P 5.7 close to the body a breeze and comfort of carrying this pistol is on par with a Sig P365 X-Macro.

It’s still a large pistol to carry, however it is on the most comfortable end of large pistols to carry. It also brings 22 rounds with it wherever you do carry it.

Will it replace my X Macro or my most preferred P365X with its WC frame as my EDC? No. But I did carry it for several months consistently, comfortably, and confidently and will probably do so with some regularity moving forward. The M&P 5.7 is an exceptionally comfortable full frame pistol.

Use Case – Compromised Hand Strength

Having a quality firearm available for that a physically compromised person can use is far more important than having one I can use. I’m a reasonably fit infantry veteran in my mid-30’s, I would lose a hand to hand bought with anyone who significantly out strength/masses/reaches me or who is a substantially more studied and practiced fighter than I am. But that list isn’t that long.

Compare that to the fact that any given male between 15 and 45 years of age physically outclasses most females in that age range and nearly all males and females in the retirement 60+ age range and we get the reminder that physics and physical power will not be on my side forever even if they are at the moment.

Add onto this disparity the men and women with actual manifest physical disabilities. They are missing a limb or limbs, have significant damage to their arms or hands, or in any other capacity cannot generate the normal control forces required to operate a traditional semi-automatic or double-action revolver. These people have an additional possibility with the M&P 5.7 and similar pistols. It is high capacity, low recoil, and the slide is easy to manipulate.

All of these factors make the pistol a joy to run for the normal shooter too, but where the ammunition price may not justify our mainlining the M&P 5.7 over a comparable 9mm it could be exactly what someone else needs in a handgun to make it function for them and the ammunition cost is easily justified by the person’s ability to make the pistol perform.

All in all, the M&P 5.7 is shaping up to be a quality if niche addition to the Smith & Wesson line and it is worth considering both for the fun of it and if you have a need that 9x19mm handguns are not fulfilling properly or to your satisfaction.

You can also just pick it up because you want to. I recommend 4 extra magazines and an EPS Carry from Holosun to top it off.

Barrett MRAD Tags Bigfoot at 1 Mile!

By

BullShooters

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July 5, 2023

The X4 System: The Heads Up Innovation from Magpul and Maztech

By

David Reeder

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July 5, 2023

Keith interviews the Maztech crew at the Magpul Booth, SHOT 2022

The first two components of the 7 component X4 system are building to give the end user an integrated and smarter information flow in the chaotic operational environments encountered by small units.

The 30mm/34mm fire control unit helps the shooter achieve faster rounds on target by doing most of the math and guesswork for you. The round counter magazine systems give you a real time logistics count on your ammunition (and will also work on others kit in an expanded variant of the system later on). The final announced component, the laser ranging module, will do even more of the fire control units mathematics by auto adjusting the range to target.

The 5.11 Rush 12 – The Little Guy

By

Travis Pike

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July 5, 2023

I’m a sucker for backpacks. It drives my wife crazy. Why do I need so many? I don’t know, and I can’t rightly tell you. I do constantly switch my EDC pack around or come up with excuses. My latest EDC bag is the Rush 12 2.0. My excuse? Well, the other Rush 2.0 I have is too big, so let’s downsize without tossing out too much of the compatibility of a modern backpack. The Rush 12 is a standard-sized 24-liter backpack with all the extra features you expect from something that fits into the tactical world.

The 5.11 Rush 12 – What’s Inside

We get a total of six compartments. Of the six pockets, two are small, one being a sunglasses pocket and another a micro organizer. A medium-sized front pocket packs a ton of room for organization and lots of little pockets for your pens and calculator, you nerd. Sitting hidden by velcro behind that pocket is a CCW pocket. This pocket is secured by velcro and packs a massive velcro patch on the inside that’s just waiting for some form of holster.

Beyond that, we have our main compartment with two mesh organizers on one side and a laptop pocket on the other. I love a good tablet/laptop pocket. The final pocket is a hydration bladder pocket for all your adventuring needs. It’s got quite a lot going on for a fairly compact backpack.

On the outside, we have our fair share of MOLLE for attaching whatever extras you may need. A lot of people point to MOLLE as some kind of giveaway to tactically and treat it like open carry. It might not be discrete, but hell, even my son’s backpack from Wal-Mart has MOLLE on it these days. I don’t think it’s as big a tell anymore.

In Action With the Rush 12

Lots of pockets and organization make it easy to set up for consistent use. My everyday backpack isn’t doing anything cool, but it holds my laptop, maybe some gym clothes, a notebook, an external phone battery and a small medical kit, and whatever else I may need for the day. It’s not tacticalised, but it gets used daily.

Sometimes it schleps ammo, mags, and guns to the range. In this configuration, there are lots of pockets to keep things put away and plenty of room for the basics, like a shot timer, a stapler, targets, ammo, handguns, etc. As we speak, or as I type, I guess, it’s full of gear I’m reviewing and hauling from place to place.

The Rush 12 features a healthy dose of padding at the back to provide a nice bit of comfort. The straps are also surprisingly padded and wide and complete with a chest strap. It’s a small backpack, but it would be comfortable carrying a heavy load. The Rush 12 has no business having such comfy straps and padding, but it’s nice to see, even on a small backpack.

It makes toting my goodies to and from comfy, and if I’m stuck in a hurry-up-and-wait situation, I don’t mind wearing the pack. The orientation of the pads even allows for airflow to keep things cool.

What About Concealed Carry?

I don’t tend to carry offbody, but I still gave the 5.11 Rush 12 a try. I mounted a holster in the rig and practiced my draw and transitions. You learn to swing the bag around my body the correct way, and gaining access to the holster was easy. The breakaway velcro makes it quick and easy to access the holster and gun. It’s still slower than appendix carry, but as an off-body carry option, it’s fairly quick.

The value I find from the concealed carry pocket is just as a hidden pocket. I don’t have anything to hide, but it makes stashing gear I don’t use daily easy. It’s where my mini medical kit calls home, for example, and it could easily be a handy spare mag pouch. Keeping it concealed prevents exposure to the elements and other stuff that might rub, smoosh, or expose these valuable items to the world.

Grab and Go

I got the 5.11 Rush 12 as a prize in a competition shoot, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by its utility and how handy the little pack can be. I normally carry something a bit bigger out of habit, but the smaller Rush 12 is handier and easier to rock and roll with. It’s a little pack with big potential.

The Taurus Curve – Mostly Forgotten

By

Travis Pike

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July 4, 2023

Taurus Curve, if you weren’t around in 2015, you might think I’m talking about a Ford car. The Taurus Curve was, in fact, a Taurus subcompact, pocket pistol-sized .380 back when those were still popular. The years 2014 and 2015 were wild for Taurus. They released a few oddball guns, including the famed View, a specially modified Model 85. We also got the Curve in that time frame.

The Curve was first somewhat secretly shown to gun media folks at SHOT 2014, but it was nearly a year before an official announcement was made. The Curve appeared to be a modified variant of the Taurus TCP, a lightweight .380 pocket pistol. The modifications were extensive, and they produced what I think is an innovative gun. It’s a design with a few interesting features that are often overlooked.

Innovation is often conflated with good. Sometimes the idea is innovative, and the execution is not. That’s exactly what we have here with the Curve. The idea to create a deep concealment gun with a bevy of modern features wasn’t a bad one; it just wasn’t properly executed.

What’s the Curve

Curve describes it aptly. They took a TCP style .380 ACP and curved the frame to better fit the body. It’s curved to be carried on the right-hand side in a strongside IWB configuration. The idea is that the gun’s design will mate better with the natural curves of your body. This only works when it’s carried without a holster which Taurus admittedly set you up for.

The gun comes with a clip on the side of the Curve, which is removable if you so choose. It also comes with a MIC trigger guard cover. This device has a string attached that you tie to your belt, so when drawn, the MIC is pulled off by the action of drawing the gun.

It’s a neat idea. It does have a few flaws. Primarily the gun only works for righties. I believe Taurus promised a left-handed version, but it was never produced. The other downside is that it did create an awkward grip.

The Good(ish) Ideas of the Curve

It’s tough to say everything about the Curve was a good idea. However, I fully give Taurus credit for their out-of-the-box thinking with the Curve. The Curved design is a neat idea that does lend itself well to very deep concealed carry. However, it doesn’t allow for tuckable carry, which is often a deep concealment must-have.

My favorite idea was to integrate a light and laser into the gun. Integration of these products might be the future of handgun design, as well as the integration of topics. While that might be a long way away, the Curve came with a light and laser built into the frame. While that was a cool idea, both were very weak. The light is only 25 lumens, and it works at point blank and not much further.

Taurus also trimmed off everything that could snag on the draw. We’ve seen SIG do the same with the P365 SAS, but the Curve arguably did it first. While the SAS idea has been around for a long time, the Curve was the first to take it to an extreme and ditch the sights, slide releases, and magazine releases.

The Bad Ideas

The bad ideas include the lack of sight. The laser works indoors, but too much light will wash it out. The rear of the gun has this little section of white ones that are supposed to act as sights, but it kind of sucks. It’s tough to shoot accurately at any range. The magazine release is a pinch-type design at the bottom of the mag, similar to the subcompact S&W Sigma of old. It reduces the need for a button but is also easy to accidentally bump.

The DAO trigger was silly because it could accidentally short-stroke and not properly reset. It was easy to do because the trigger has two tactile and audible clicks as it resets.

Also, the controls for the light and laser weren’t great. Taurus designed it so that when drawn from the MIC, the MIC hits the laser and light control and activates it on the draw. It can be programmed to use just light, just laser, or nothing. I don’t think it’s always wise to activate the light and laser on the draw. Activating it manually is also a hassle, and the button sucks.

At the Range

As mentioned, the gun is tough to shoot accurately. My best results were the laser on a target in the shadow. Once zeroed, that was fine. Trying to use the rear drawn-on sights was difficult and resulted in crazy inconsistency from my hands.

Recoil is what you exact from a .380 Pocket pistol. That recoil and the magazine placement caused the mag to come loose twice. I’m also gripping hard to hold on, which doesn’t help.

The biggest issue is reliability. The Curve is extremely ammo picky. It only seems to like brass-cased FMjs. Hollowpoints were a no-go for me, but to be fair, I only tried the one brand I had. I got a ton of failures to feed with hollow points. With the FMJs, I got a single stovepipe in the 150 rounds I fired.

Ultimately it’s easy to see why the Curve faltered and why it wasn’t meant to be. Taurus might have been ahead of the Curve (pun intended), but the poor gun ultimately faltered. Can it make a comeback? Maybe, but they would have to make some serious changes.