The Firearm Blog

[ This guest post was written by Alex from San Antonio. ]

I’m not a frequent flier and luckily I don’t have to fly often. As it is, I dislike airline travel … and I’m thrifty. However, every once in a while my wife forces my hand and demands a vacation outside the Lone Star state. So this year, my family and I planned a vacation to Florida over Spring Break.

We were flying Continental and there was no way we were going to be able to fit everything we needed for a weeklong vacation in three carryon bags. Continental charges $25 for every bag that gets checked. Not too bad, right? Except that you have to come home eventually and it’s another $25 to bring the checked bag back with you. The thrifty in me says, “Screw that! 50 bucks for one bag.” The realist in me says, “$50 for one bag. You know what? I’m going to travel with my handgun because I’m allowed and I may as well do it just for the experience of being able to conceal carry in a state that shares Texas reciprocity.”

My wife says, “Don’t fudge up our vacation with your less than intelligent ideas, sweetie.” (Not exactly what she said, but close enough).

I’ll admit I was a little bit hesitant about flying with a firearm in checked baggage, but it turned out to be a walk in the park. My research begins with visits to the Continental website regarding checked baggage and the TSA website regarding flying with firearms. Fortunately, the Continental requirements were no more stringent that the TSA’s requirements. The first obstacle I had to overcome was buying a TSA required hard sided case for the firearm. I need a hard sided case that would fit both my son’s and my clothes and my .38 S&W 642. I don’t want to check two bags and pay twice the fees.

Searching for a hard sided case that satisfies both TSA’s and my requirements isn’t easy. First, I don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for a case that’s too small and won’t get used often. Second, I don’t want the case to advertise that it contains something valuable or “gun like”. Third, I want the case to be secure enough to dissuade a dishonest baggage handler from reaching inside and sticking my S&W 642 in his cargo pants pocket. Finally, the case must be light enough so that I’m not exceeding the 50 pound weight limit for checked bags otherwise I have to pay a surcharge.

I decide on a $10 plastic storage bin from Lowes. An easily identifiable and low key 17 gallon black bin with a yellow lid. Though the bin already has several pre-drilled holes for locks, I enlarge four existing holes and create two additional holes. Now the bin will easily accept six ordinary padlocks. Four padlocks are keyed the same and two padlocks are keyed differently than the other four but keyed identical to each other. Hence, I only have to carry two keys for all six locks. The six padlocks do a fantastic job of securing the lid nice and tight. Once locked, I cannot stick a finger under the lid. As per published regulations, the locks must NOT be TSA approved locks. Also, no one is allowed to open my luggage containing a declared firearm unless I am present and the keys must never leave my person.

At a local Target I find a package of five 10 gallon Ziploc bags for less than $6. I place the clothes inside the bags and place the bags in the bin. I place 10 rounds of Hornady personal protection .38’s inside an empty 50 round box of Remington .38’s and then I place both the Remington box and my unloaded S&W in a soft sided pistol case. Into the bin it goes. It’s important that I place the S&W in a soft sided case so that neither the airline agent nor a TSA agent can require me to lock the firearm case separate from my luggage and ask me to check the firearm separately. I don’t want to check two bags and neither do I want to go lock up my S&W in my car at airport parking for a week.

At the airport, I ask the Continental employee for a firearm declarations tag. She asks me to unlock the case so that I can show her the weapon is unloaded. I do so. I place the weapon and the signed firearms tag back in the bin and lock it up. I’m escorted by a Continental employee to the TSA screening area where the TSA is screening all checked baggage. A TSA agent takes the bag from the Continental employee and places it on an X-Ray machine (or whatever the modern equivalent of an X-Ray machine might be). I wait for the bin to come out the other end. The TSA agent gives me a thumbs up, I say, “Thank you.”, and walk back to join my wife and son waiting for me to go through the screening area for boarding. Easy enough. I don’t see my bag again until I pick it up from the luggage carousel in Florida.

Flying home a week later was even easier. I again ask the Continental agent for a firearms declarations tag. I unlock the bin and demonstrate that the gun is unloaded. I place the gun and the tag back in the bin and lock it up. This time, though, the agent places the bin on the belt behind her at the check-in counter and I don’t see it again until I get home to Texas.

I found the journey to be effortless. I neglected to make a hole in the lid wide enough for a checked bag label. But the airline agents were patient and helpful as I shoe horned the label through a hole that was too small. Double check the regulations before you fly with a firearm and I hope your experience turns out as peachy as mine.

[ This guest post was written by M.J. Mollenhour ]

Anomaly: something that is not supposed to be, according to theory or design. I have a Space Invader running around in my Aimpoint Micro T-1. I should warn you about it.

Aimpoint Micro T-1

I own the Aimpoint Micro T-1 and I am not giving it up, or sending it back. The T-1 is right for many reasons. For example, the body of the optic is so small that it need not create a “visual tube” that would otherwise occlude the field of view outside of the tube. The sight just won Petersen’s Hunting Magazine’s “Editor’s Award,” and for good reasons. I am sure the company is proud of the device, and I am grateful for Aimpoint’s solid contributions. Keep them coming, though I don’t know how much more battery life you can achieve beyond 50,000 hours, and surely you cannot make the optic’s body disappear altogether!

However, every device has characteristics that create “quirks” and this post is about one I discovered with the Micro T-1. It is worth knowing the limitations of the device.

I shoot often at a location that is a narrow valley, facing due west, with a ridge as the impact area behind the targets. This means that, later in the afternoon, targets will be in the shade but the sun will face the shooter, at a shallow angle. Here is what it looks like.

Targets at end of valley facing due west late afternoon

At approximately a 20 degree angle—sun above muzzle by 20 degrees—the shooter using an Aimpoint Micro will see a reflection of the red dot’s diode circuitry, surrounding the dot. If this were ghostly, or tiny, I would not be writing the post. However, at 200 or even 100 yards, the image is sizable enough, and opaque enough to block the shooter from seeing the target altogether. Here is what the shooter sees at 200 yards, with the dot-diode Space Invader off to the side so you can see its reflection, the sun, and the targets.

Two IDPA targets lower left, sun upper left, “space invader” prominent

You see the three, parallel bar, lobster-like image I am naming “Space Invader.” The red dot is in the hole in the bar in the middle, where the lobster’s eyes would be. Two IDPA targets, at 200 yards, are in the shade in the lower left corner, and show you the relative size of the targets compared to the anomalous space invader, red-dot circuitry image. The bright spot showing through the trees, upper left, is the sun. Now, picture what all of this would look like with the red dot moved to the target of your immediate attention. The Space Invader obliterates your view of the target.

Think Taliban attacking an outpost, late in the day, topping a hill, and now on the downhill (shaded) side, coming from out of the west. MJM does not think he is being picky to call this a problem with the optic’s design.

The shooter will not experience this on a cloudy day. You may own a Micro and never see what I am writing about because of where you shoot. (That is another reason why we need to fire our weapons in a variety of weather, locales, conditions, and affected by other variables.) Also, with the sun more than 20 degrees above line of sight, the reflection begins to fade, and it fades altogether if the sun is 30 degrees higher than line of sight.

I do not experience this with a conventional telescope sight, even a relatively cheap one. Of course, you cannot shoot directly into the sun, and shooting at a shallow angle into the sun will affect your vision. However, for example, with the Bushnell Banner 1.5x–4.5x scope (about $90) I used to compare, the glare did not occlude the target.

Neither did I experience this with the Aimpoint Comp M2, used at the same time for comparison. At a very shallow angle (less than 20 degrees), the shooter using the M2 will begin to see the “ghost” of the circuitry, but it is faint, and considerably smaller than in the Micro.

Before you tell me to “send it back,” thinking my Micro is defective, I took the opportunity to ask an Aimpoint representative about this phenomenon at the SHOT Show in January, 2011. He told me that the length of the barrel in the Micro sights is just so short that the diode’s reflection cannot be completely eliminated.

I understand that. Everything is a trade-off. Like I said, I’m not sending mine back. But, if I knew then what I know now, I might have bought the Comp M4 or M3.

A few more observations about using the optic

Aiming with a red-dot sight is natural and fast. Forget the device exists: target and dot.

Aimpoint’s manual includes only two trouble-shooting pointers. One of these pertains to the battery. The manual advises you to clean the battery and terminals if the dot does not light. I found this to be good advice. One fell0w shooter experienced the dot turning off after one shot. Turning the on/off switch did re-light the dot. However, this disturbing occurrence apparently is caused not by interference in the switch, but, rather, in the battery connection. I supposed it is too much to ask for a battery to sit in the device for all of those hours-days-months-years that it will last in an Aimpoint but it’s good for the shooter to know. I made a note to remove the battery (easily done in seconds) and wipe it clean from time to time. In my novel about to come out, Amazon Avenger, Jack McDonald, the hero, finds himself equipped with the Aimpoint Micro and immediately takes the battery out and wipes clean the battery and connections. Aimpoint recommends it, and my experience backs them up.

If you plan to buy one, and if your AR has a fixed front sight, be sure NOT to buy the LaRue mount that provides absolute co-witness. You want the one that provides co-witness in the lower third of the optic. They call it the “tall” mount.” If you order their combination with the mount that gives “absolute co-witness,” that mount will definitely line up your iron front sight—right in the center of the optic. They make the lower-third co-witness version for we shooters whose front sight is the fixed post. My compliments to LaRue for excellent customer service in accepting my return, and correcting my error.

I do wish Aimpoint still made one with 2x.

[ This guest post was written by Brian Nelson. ]

The name Wilson Combat is no doubt familiar to the hordes of 1911-lovers (myself included) as the makers of the best custom 1911s around. I was lucky enough to be given a tour of their custom shop in Berryville, Arkansas. First I’d like to thank John May for showing me around, and all the guys at Wilson for letting some teenage blogger pester them with questions.

Warehouse

The heart of every manufacturing company is its warehouse. Wilson makes components and accessories not only for their own guns, but also for retail sale. The parts are kept separate and carefully organized.

Components

Everyone knows to build the best of anything, be it pies or pistols, you have to use the best components. Wilson not only makes some of the best components, but if they can’t make the best part they’ll outsource it to someone who can. For instance, an Oklahoma company that makes oil well parts also makes a darn good extractor; Wilson sells it as their “Bullet Proof” extractor.

Of course, Wilson does make the majority of parts themselves. Here are some of their QD sling mounts being made on a CNC. Wilson also uses the CNC to make most of their parts, including slides.

The part starts as a block of steel. The steel is then loaded into the machine…

…Cut (with lots of coolant) to shape …

… And unloaded. These studs still have one more cut to be made so they’ll clamp onto a picatinny rail.

Build Process

Everything in a Wilson Combat 1911 is hand-fitted by experienced gunsmiths. Their process is separated into 3 operations with 3 different gunsmiths, “A-op”, “B-op” and Prep. Each gunsmith is given a bin of all the parts he’ll need to build either for a specific model or for a custom build. Typically the Wilson gunsmiths will finish around twelve 1911s in a day, but it varies depending on what model they’re building.

The “A-op” comes first. Here a gunsmith carefully fits the slide, barrel, and frame.

A gunsmith measures barrel hood width. He’s already measured the cut in the slide for its width.

Cutting the barrel hood to fit the slide.

The “B-op” is next: Here another gunsmith fits all the small parts, does a trigger job and all the reliability work (ramping the barrel, fitting the extractor, etc.).

A “B-op” gunsmith trues up the hammer hooks to lighten up the trigger.

A (very un-) professional hand model tests the (very short) reset on a finished “B-op” gun.

After “B-op”, the gun is essentially built. “Prep” is where the gun is prepared for finishing; all the sharp edges are dressed, the rear of the slide is contoured, and all the prep work for finishing is done.

The rear of the slide is contoured.

The “Prep” room. It’s set up with a row of bench grinders and blasting cabinets set up with all the different grits needed to prep a 1911 for finish.

A fourth operation, which I didn’t mention earlier, is called “Steve”. As Wilson Combat Sales Director John May told me “Every company needs to have a Steve hidden in the back. Every time he calls in sick, we find out another thing Steve does that we take for granted”. For instance, who puts the medallions in the grips?

One thing I noticed at the Wilson shop as opposed to other 1911 makers is that everything is done to the satisfaction of experienced (some 2nd generation) gunsmiths and shooters, not just to be CNC’ed within specifications. They separate the build process into three operations not just to streamline production (Wilson makes about 2500 1911s a year), but also to have not one, but three sets of eyes and hands check the work of the gunsmith before him. And that’s just what goes into their rack-grade guns.

Super Grade Guns

That’s right, that’s just a rack-grade gun. Wilson also offers a “Super Grade” line of 1911s, each built by a master pistolsmith to be the best 1911 you can buy. Everything is done by hand by some of the best gunsmiths in the industry. Oh, and good luck getting into one for less than $4000.00.

Super Grade Contemporary Classic Centennial.

Engraving

Recently Wilson invested in a laser-engraving machine. That means they can etch their logo and whatever else they need onto a gun consistently and without risking the gun.

The laser engraver. Note the checklist: it’d suck to go to all that effort to build a “Wolson xombat” gun.

Test-Fire

After the guns are finished and engraved, they are all reassembled and test-fired. And speaking of test-firing, Wilson test fires at least 108 rounds with varied FMJ, Hollowpoint, and Lead Semi-Wadcutters. This is done to not only check for 100% reliability, but also to adjust any sights and ensure it’ll shoot a group smaller than a quarter. Just to compare, STI International, another leading 1911 maker, only puts one full magazine through any one of their guns, checking only for function. At the same time, STI makes a lot more guns in a year than Wilson.

Because Wilson test-fires their guns so much, year-round (and Arkansas winters can get pretty cold), they set up one heck of a test-fire range.

That’s just one of Wilson’s test-fire bays. They go out to 25, 50, and 100 yards (for rifles), and are separated by caliber. Why are they separated by caliber? Simple. See that chute coming down from the bench? That’s set up to collect brass when it hits the net separating the bays. Separating the bays by caliber makes it unnecessary to sort out all the brass (which they later reload into more test-fire ammo). Also, as I mentioned before, Wilson tests their guns so that they’ll shoot a group smaller than a quarter at 25 yards. What I didn’t mention is that they don’t use a Ransom Rest (you have to be a shooter to work for Wilson Combat!).

25-yard 5-shot group.

Not Just 1911s

Yes, Wilson Combat are the makers of primo 1911 handguns. But that’s not all they make, no-sir-ee. They also do Remington 870 shotguns and AR-15 rifles. They’ve also recently branched out into offering ammo and have been making good-looking knives since 2000.

**Scatterguns. Technically. **

In the year 2000, Wilson bought “Scatter Technologies” and they now make the best custom Remington 870s to be found, under the new name “Scattergun Technologies”. Their scatterguns are so good that they are relied upon every day by U.S. Border Patrol officers. And, as far as I can tell, they’re the only 870 makers who offer a 14’’ (NFA Item, Short Barreled Shotgun) barrel as a standard option (you can still get the non-SBS 18’’ barrel). They also offer aftermarket accessories for the 870.

Cut along the dotted line…Remington 18’’ barrels about to be cut down to 14.5’’.

Wilson also offers the “Remington Steal” package for a customer-supplied 870. Basically they take a beater 870 and make it “tactical”. This means replacing the furniture with new synthetic stocks, putting their proprietary “Trak-Lock” sights on, putting a +2 magazine tube on, and finally refinish the entire shotgun so it looks new and rugged. They’ll also convert a 2 ¾’’ gun into a 3’’ gun at no extra charge.

Remington Steal, before.

Some beater 870s soon to become “Tactical”.

A rack of new factory Remingtons that will become donor guns for the “Steal”. The unused parts will either be sold or discarded.

Remington Steal, after. All yours for $479.00.

More ARs?

Yes, Wilson makes AR-15 rifles. Nothing too unique except that they offer them in some new and interesting calibers, like the .300 AAC BLK and their new proprietary 7.62x40WT round. Wilson also makes their own AR accessories, such as the TRIM quad-rail, drop-in trigger, and various lower receiver accessories. They also make titanium suppressors and a muzzle brake that doubles as a Quick-Detach mount for them.

SBR Tactical in 7.62x40WT. Featuring the TRIM Rail, Whisper Titanium suppressor, and Wilson’s own triggerguard.

Ammo

Recently Wilson branched out into the ammo-making business. Their stated goal is to produce “Accurate, Low Muzzle-Flash, Reliable Ammo”. Nowadays you’d be hard-pressed to find inaccurate, unreliable factory ammunition, but I haven’t seen any ammo that’s designed to be low muzzle-flash. It kind of makes sense for Concealed Carry, as it doesn’t do you any good to be blinded after your first shot, but it doesn’t make much difference for regular shooting.

Wilson recently came out with a new round, the 7.62x40mm Wilson Tactical. Basically it creates 7.62x39mm ballistics into an AR-15 style rifle. They make ammo offer brass and dies for the new round, and it takes common .308 caliber bullets. I’ll be writing another post about that soon. Another thing about Wilson ammo; It’s checked with a white glove. Ever round is gauged and examined by hand. Their “Dinged and Scratched” ammo rejects look better than my Match grade reloads.

A row of Dillon Super 1050s on meticulously organized workbenches. The loader in the foreground is set up for the new 7.62x40WT round.

One of Wilson Ammo’s two Ammo Load automated reloading presses. This one is set up for .45 ACP.

Conclusion

I know the Wilson Combat shop impressed me, and I’ve seen high-end 1911s being built before. The quality components that go into a Wilson, combined with the amount of hand-fitting that is done to one, all combine to make a pricey ($2600.00+), high-end gun that is well worth the price.

[ This guest post was written by Jon. ]

First off, I’m somewhat of a newbie to the realm of firearms and shooting so please don’t hold any naivety against me

The JC Higgins brand, for those who may not be familiar with the name, is a line of guns sold by Sears Roebuck & Co. in what I can only imagine were “the good old days,” when Sears and other retailers still sold firearms (If Sears still sells firearms where you’re reading this from, don’t think ill of me. I live in California and NOBODY sells guns anymore.) Anyways, this gun sports a barrel-length of 23 ¼” and an overall length of 41 3/4,“ weighing in at a good 5 pounds, 5 ounces. Now like I said, I’m no expert in firearms so I can’t comment on the specifications in too much detail, but I DO know that the gun feels great in the hand and is always a joy to take down to the range for some stress-relief! And though it may not have much in the way of ‘tactical’ features, or a plethora of aftermarket parts like a 10/22 might have, just one look at this fine piece of history and you know it is a “Grandpa’s gun.”

A few years back, around Christmas time, I started looking into buying “my first gun” because I’ve always loved BB guns, Airsoft guns, etc, and being 16 or so I figured it was a good time to “upgrade” to the real deal, my very own .22 rifle. And to be honest, I was leaning towards a new Ruger 10/22 or something from the Marlin/Savage lines, something relatively cheap yet reliable for the price and if at all possible, Made in America. In talking to my dad, though, it turned out that my grandpa Bob had this .22 rifle just sitting in his gun cabinet, collecting dust ever since he decided hunting and shooting was for us ‘younger’ types. So I got what I was looking for in a good starting-out rifle (cheap because it was my Christmas gift that year, and my favorite one at that!) and the added bonus of a little bit of family history in the gun. According to my dad, this is the very same rifle he used when he was a boy and my grandpa took him and his brother (My uncle Jon) out hunting. I don’t think my dad so much as ever killed a squirrel with it, but just knowing that it was carried in such a great father-son bonding experience brings me a little bit of joy. The rifle shoot straighter than I can (which isn’t saying much) and just has a classic look and feel to it that makes it a special part of family history and the greater history of American firearms.

The only visible blemish that I can see in the rifle is a single fairly minor scratch in the stock. I have no idea how that got there, and my dad is equally clueless how it got there. I like to think (and my imagination is just running wild here) that this blemish on theBlack Walnut stock came from the time when my grandpa was pulling a drowning puppy out of a river and was ambushed by a Wild Rampaging Grizzly Bear. Armed with only this .22 rifle, instead of shooting my grandfather clubbed that bear in the face; the scratch in the wood is from that bear’s teeth. That’ll show them darn bears who’s boss!

In conclusion I think this will always be at the top of my list of “favorite guns I own” even though I’m sure, through the years, I will amass quite a collection of other firearms of various accuracy, reliability, and tactical appeal. It’s a bit if a family heirloom and it was my first ever real firearm. Perhaps in reading this, you too might remember back to the first gun you ever owned or a treasured family firearm?

Any other questions about this gun in particular, I’d be happy to try and answer!

[ This guest post was written by savethegun ]

I believe, for me, the Glock 21 to be the ultimate defensive pistol, here’s why …

First things first – full disclosure. I was introduced to firearms and shooting sports at a very young age. I have never hunted with a handgun and I have never served in the military. I mention this because I believe both hunting and the military predispose people to a certain mindset. As a civilian, I have no bias and therefore see myself as an objective authority on my own preferences. I have shot nearly every defensive pistol available in the civilian world and own other handguns – both cheaper and much more expensive. Additionally, I do not work for any firearm manufacturer and do not endorse anything I have not used and abused personally.

This Glock has seen range time all over Arizona and Northern California, as the author frequently spends time in both locations. AZ law allows unpermitted open carry, and the use of full-capacity magazines. CA law restricts magazines to a 10-round capacity and does not allow open carry of a loaded handgun. This means that this particular gun fills dual roles. In AZ, this Glock 21 becomes an item of every day carry. In CA, it is strictly used for home defense. This particular model has the standard rail and ambidextrous safety.

The author modified the gun to better suit his preferences. A Streamlight TLR-1s is frequently installed for low-light duty. Trijicon night sights were installed. A Ghost Inc. 3.5 pound trigger connector, along with a factory extended slide release were added. And finally, the author despised the factory plastic guide rod, so a stainless replacement was fitted. Without becoming excessively tangled in debates about 9mm versus .45 ACP, or whether or not the 1911 is the greatest fighting handgun of all time, the author chose this particular gun for it’s large size, knock-down power, double stack magazines, and Safe Action safety system. Full-capacity Glock 21 magazines hold 13 rounds.

The Glock 21SF fits this author’s hand like a glove; A 1911-style pistol is too narrow and doesn’t fill the palm. The 3.5 pound trigger connector makes for a significantly better trigger pull, although the common “crunchy” feel of Glocks is still somewhat evident. The grip angle takes some getting used to for a few shooters. For this author, it is a hallmark of the Glock shooting experience. The Streamlight TLR-1s is an absolute delight-it is cheap and reliable and has yet to fail. The gun has had zero failures in thousands of rounds- a testament to the reliability of Glock pistols.

The author’s Glock has become a favorite because of its simplicity. There is no external safety. The Glock Safe Action design uses a partially tensioned firing pin lock. When the trigger is pulled, three safety features are automatically deactivated in sequence. For this author, the Glock Safe Action system makes for the simplest and most reliable defensive pistol. This gun, along with a Blade Tech holster, will be taken to Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in early May for a defensive handgun course. This author trusts his life and the lives of his loved ones to this custom Glock 21SF.

[ This guest post was written by Chris Baker. ]

The elusive perfect defensive pistol; does it exist? Browse a few gun forums and you’re sure to run into more than a few people who are sure that does exist and that it’s a 1911. Or a Glock. Or… well, pick any pistol and it’s sure to have at least a few die-hard fans. But the more balanced point of view seems to be that there are different pistols suited to different purposes. Some are great for super discreet concealment. Others might make an ideal open-carry sidearm for law enforcement. The list goes on. But how about if you’re not interested in owning a full arsenal and you just want one gun to do it all? One pistol you can carry year round, and keep on the nightstand at home in case something goes bump in the night.

Even if you narrow it down to those criteria, you’re not going to find one gun that’s the “perfect pistol” for everyone. But I believe there’s a class of pistol that’s pretty close to ideal for a good chunk of the gun-owning population: the compact striker-fired polymer 9mm semi-automatic. Pistols like the Glock 26, S&W M&P compact, Springfield XD compact, and Ruger SR9c are lightweight, accurate, reliable, concealable, controllable, and pack a lot of firepower. Many will swear by the full-size older brothers of these compacts, and those are great, too. But to maximize concealability, a slightly shorter grip and barrel really go a long way. And where these pistols really shine is that you can still use the high-capacity magazines of the larger pistols for times when the concealment factor isn’t as important (like in home defense).

There are a handful of good options in this category, but I want to go into detail about my two favorite: the M&P9c and the Ruger SR9c. The M&P has been my personal go-to firearm for a while. It’s dead reliable, and handles better than almost any full size 9mm I’ve owned. The sight radius is slightly shorter than the full size, which makes those long distance shots a little tougher. However, having the shorter barrel actually makes the compact M&P a bit quicker out of the holster, and that faster draw-time is more likely to be meaningful in a gun fight than long distance accuracy.

Like several other guns in its class, the M&P has changable backstraps, which make the gun suited for people with all different hand sizes. The clever guys at Crimson Trace have figured out a way to engineer a really sweet laser grip that fits in place of the backstrap, a fact I have taken advantage of. This leaves the front rail free for mounting a white light, which many consider a must-have for a defensive pistol. The M&P ships with two 12-round compact magazines, but also accepts the 17-round full-size M&P9 mags. For a few bucks extra, I picked up some magazine “spacers” from X-grip, which fills the gap at the bottom of the higher-capacity magazines and really gives the pistol the same feel as the full size model. With the full-length grip, you forget that you’re shooting a compact pistol, but really, the M&P9c is still very controllable even with the 12-round mags.

I’ve had a lot of great range-time with my M&P, but I also recently got the chance to put a few rounds through a Ruger SR9c. I’ve heard great things about this gun from a lot of different people, and now I can verify that they weren’t exaggerating! In general, it has similar handling characteristics to the M&P, but the first thing I noticed when I fired it was how little felt recoil there was. Most of the compact striker fired pistols I’ve shot have had very manageble recoil, including the M&P9c, but the SR9c shoots softer than all of them, making it an attractive option for less experienced shooters, or those who are otherwise recoil sensitive. The trigger is also one of the better out of the box triggers I’ve experiened on a striker fired auto. The combination of a nice trigger and light recoil make the SR9c really shine when making rapid follow-up shots.

On paper, the SR9c is slightly larger than the M&P in almost every dimension, but when you handle it, it just “feels” smaller. It lacks the removable backstraps like the M&P, but its slim grip is extremely comfortable and I imagine most would find the ergonomics agreeable, except perhaps people with very large hands. The tradeoff of the slim grip is that the compact magazines only hold 10 rounds as opposed to the 12 rounds on the M&P. However, Ruger made what I think is a smart marketing move and decided to ship the SR9c with one 10-round and one 17-round magazine. The Ruger 17-round magazine even comes with a magazine spacer, so there’s no need to purchase another accessory like the X-grip for the M&P magazines. If I had any gripe with the SR9c, it would be with the thumb safety. Besides not really finding it necessary, it’s small and difficult to manipulate. It flips on and off easy enough, but I believe a good thumb safety should be large enough to rest ones thumb on, like a 1911. As it is, the SR9c safety is just in the way, and I think Ruger would do well to offer a model that does away with it completely.

I really enjoy my M&P9c, and it rarely leaves me wanting for much else in a defensive handgun. After shooting the SR9c, however, I think Ruger also has a winner on their hands. If the SR9c can match the proven reliability of the M&P, then I would consider them near equals in almost every other respect. Of course, that’s not to say these are the only two viable choices in this category. There are a few other great compact semi-autos that offer the same kind of balance of firepower and concealability. If you only plan to own one serious self-defense pistol that does it all, look into a compact 9mm!

[ This post was written by Nathan ]

Earlier this year, shortly after I turned 21, I purchased a 1911. It was quite a steal but it had two flaws with it. Firstly, it was a GI style 1911 and, as such, had tiny, tiny sights.

Not going to work.

Secondly, it also seemed to be allergic to its front sight and had spit it up at least twice before I bought it. I knew about its flaws when I purchased it and planned to upgrade the sights when it became necessary. It very quickly became necessary when it threw the sight up and over my head into the muddy earth of the range, never to be seen again. Thankfully the seller, a good friend of mine, had purchased an extra front sight, one of a taller, more useful variety. The problem now was I was stuck with a front and rear sight of differing heights.

That’s where my quest for a higher rear sight that fits in a GI rear dovetail began. I looked at several offerings from manufacturers like MGW, but was quickly turned off by the way they sit on the rear of the gun, extending up from the dovetail and running back to the end of the slide before coming up to the actual sight area. While this works for a Novak or Bo-mar cut slide, I felt with the rounded top of a GI slide behind the dovetail it broke the clean lines of the gun and added a snagging point.

MGW rear sight in profile.

An internet friend then pointed me to the 1911 parts page on Grizzly Custom’s website, which at the top in big red text says “The 1911 Retro Rear Sight is back!!!!” Scrolling down a few lines reveals a photo of a very attractive and simple rear sight sitting in a factory GI dovetail.

The photo in question, used with permission by Grizzly Custom Guns, LLC

I immediately shot an email off to Lew Bonitz at Grizzly Custom and ordered one, which arrived at my mailbox a few days later for the price of $35 shipped. My first impression upon opening it was very promising. It was a solid steel piece, with a deep matte blue and serrations across the rear of it to prevent glare and make it easier to get a good sight picture. A single allen set screw holds it into the dovetail, and it does it well.

The sight did require some minor fitting to properly fit my dovetail, but the instructions included indicate that the folks at Grizzly cut them big on the bottom dimension, and that taking material off the bottom until it fits snugly into the dovetail will probably be required. They also included an allen key of the proper size to tighten the set screw.

Not having a proper set of tools to do that fitting myself, and also needing the front sight replaced, I took my pistol to the local gunsmith who did both for me. After getting it back, I was very impressed with the clean and easy to acquire sight picture the new sights offered.

The new and improved sight picture.

I took it out to the range shortly after and fired about 100 rounds through it, and the sights performed as expected. I could pick them up after firing much quicker, and could fire more accurately, than before. The large profile of the sight allows for easy and positive racking of the slide one handed, be it off of a table, your belt, your holster or other gear.

With about 1000 rounds through this pistol after the sight upgrade, and no problems with it, I can safely say that the Retro Rear Sight by Grizzly Custom is one of the best options for upgrading your GI sights without paying for milling on your slide or breaking the attractive lines that a GI Style sight brings.

Looking sharp for not a whole lot of money.

[ This post was written by Wayne Watson ]

Some years ago, I was passing by my favorite gunshop and the inevitable happen= there was something in the safe that I MIGHT be interested in. A Mk. IV Webley, complete with Lee dies and the original holster. Being broke, I immediately put up my Tanfoglio 9mm in trade to secure it unseen.

The pistol did not disappoint, far from it, it was mint. I’m sure it was owned by an officer senior enough to both have a batman and to remain a respectable distance from the ‘sharp end’- as it was made in 1917 (a quick google of the serial number determined that) I’m thinking it probably saw some kind of service in ‘The Big One’.

Now some folk are happy just to own such a piece.

I’m not one of them. Firearms are made to go bang, so it was back to the net to find a load. My favorite gunshop had the brass-HORNADY 455 WEBLEY- at $90NZ /100, plus 250g .454 slugs to fit- not the original 265g ‘flying dustbins’, but as near as I could get. There was little reloading data out there then, but 3.5 g of 700x was mentioned and that I had. I was in business.

A few club members where horrified that I would contemplate actually firing a 1917 pistol in mint condition.

To hell with that! These were made to be fired- and fire it I did. The load worked well and the wife had no trouble shooting it. She was actually thinking that I might give it to her, but that was no happening and I had to pay her off with another S&W .38 for her collection.

I have even used it in a few CAS matches and for those who grumbled about double actions, I invited them to try and shoot it in that mode. The trigger pull probably didn’t matter when confronted by screaming fuzzy-wuzzy’s or whirling dervishes, but it played havoc when thing to hit a steel plate at seven meters.

Most of the year this pistol takes pride of place in my VERY small collection (one pistol is a bono fide collection!) but it does visit the range at least annually- and also stars on the cover of my first book- ‘Meddlers in Time’.

[ This guest post was written by Drefizzle. ]

Hello everybody. Today we are going to take another look at an old favorite: The SKS carbine or Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova.

SKS Carbine (Photo CC szuppo)

This carbine was originally designed and manufactured in Soviet Russia and was adopted into service in 1945. After that, many other Soviet Bloc nations also manufactured and adopted it into service as well, including Yugoslavia, Romania, Albania, East Germany, China, North Vietnam, and North Korea. Being so prolific it has found its way into many conflicts and in the hands of many countries and forces.

“Customized” SKS recovered by US forces

It fires the 7.62×39 cartridge and while it might not be the most accurate weapon around, it certainly has proved to be extremely reliable and durable.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, these rifles began to be imported into the states by the thousands. They were so many of them on the market at once that I have seen ads in old catalogs for a never fired SKS $90.00. They were only $70.00 a piece if you bought them by the case! Oh how things have changed…

Today the carbines have found their way into the hands of American hunters and sportsman alike. Some people use them for home defense, while some only have them for weekend plinking as the ammo is very affordable. I personally know many people who used an SKS to take their first deer.

That’s a little bit of the history of the SKS but, the title isn’t History of the SKS Carbine is it? No, it’s Customizing the SKS Carbine.

We are here to talk about turning any old SKS into YOUR SKS.

Before we look at products we have to ask ourselves a few questions:

What is my intended use after I have customized it?

Because there are so many aftermarket accessories for the SKS, it is wise to narrow down your selection by catering to your intended use. If you are looking for a hunting rifle, you could start by looking at different scopes and mounts. It might also be a good Idea to look at replacement stocks, slings, and possibly a bipod.

For something more tactical, the first thing I would do is replace the stock with something with a pistol grip and rails for attaching accessories. Folding stocks are available as well. A detachable magazine would speed up reload times. Or possibly a red dot optic and some way to mount it if you expect a lot of close quarter engagements. Finally, a laser and flashlight would complete the setup.

Perhaps you just want to restore your old war horse to its former glory. Old wood can be refinished. Scuffs and scratched metal can be polished out and re-blued. And you would be surprised how much a good cleaning can improve function and reliability of the weapon.

Will this depreciate the value of the gun and am I OK with it if it does?

While most SKS’s are not “collector grade”, there are a few out there that are. Before any modifications are made to any military surplus firearm, it is always a good idea to do a little research and try to find out exactly what you have. You never know, some collector grade war trophies can fetch a pretty penny if sold to the right buyer. If you have an SKS that turns out to be worth a good deal of money, you can always sell it to a collector, use that money to buy another, and use the extra to pay for any customizations you might make. WIN – WIN!!

In the end, it is completely your decision to add aftermarket parts to your gun. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Am I capable of installation or will I need to take it to a gunsmith?

Being employed for an online retailer of aftermarket accessories I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone drop a couple hundred dollars on aftermarket parts only to receive them to find out that they are not familiar enough with the weapon to install them. While this is sad this can be easily prevented by just taking your time and learning about your gun and the products before you make any purchases. Just remember, if you don’t think you are capable, you probably aren’t. Lucky for you, parts like these are well within the skills of any competent gunsmith, generally at a nominal fee. Also you can almost always call the parts supplier or manufacturer and they will usually answer any questions you might have.

Most aftermarket parts for the SKS are pretty much drop in but some very key areas are not. Things like gas tubes, receiver cover scope mounts and replacement bolts usually require very delicate fitting. While with time, patience, and a willingness to learn, anyone can install them, they must be done properly or you may end up turning them into paperweights.

Finally some variants of the SKS (Albanian, SKS-D, and SKS-M) are rarer and may not be within the same specs as the more common versions (Chinese or Russian). While most parts are designed to accommodate this, some are not and will usually specify what models it either will or will not fit.

How much can I afford to put into it?

Here is where the rubber meets the road. Some upgrades can get downright expensive, while some upgrades are only a few bucks. Take your time. Figure out what you want the gun to be. Look at what’s out there and seriously explore all of the options you can. In the aftermarket parts industry, I have found there is always more than one way to get the exact same job accomplished. Use common sense and find the parts that work the best for you, within your budget. Most of all have fun with it.

Here are some pretty fine examples of some customized SKS’s sent in by some of my customers and maybe a little inspiration for your next project:

I hope I have given you a good idea of what to expect when customizing your SKS rifle.

Until then, remember, all good things come to those who shoot straight.

[ This guest post was written by Aaron Spuler ]

So what exactly is the difference between the .22LR and .223 cartridges? Both can be fired out of rifles, and both can be fired out of pistols. Both have been used historically by civilian and military shooters. Both can be used for hunting (.22LR for animals such as rats, squirrels, rabbits, ground hogs; .223 for larger animals including coyotes, and in some states deer). Both are extremely popular rounds — .22LR is by far the most popular rimfire cartridge, and .223 is near the top (if not at the top) of the list of most popular centerfire cartridges.

Well, there’s one difference right there. Rimfire is an older design, which for the most part has been replaced with centerfire. Almost all ammunition used now is centerfire. With rimfire, the firing pin impacts on the rim of the case. With centerfire, the firing pin impacts in the center of the case. Fairly self explanitory. But it doesn’t really explain the differences between the two cartridges very well.

As mentioned above, rimfire is an older technology than centerfire. The .22LR cartridge was introduced in 1887, while the .223 cartridge was designed in 1964, specifically for use in the M-16 rifle.

Nearly a century separates the two cartridges, but what makes them different? Size-wise, the newer cartridge is slightly larger. The caliber of the cartridge measures the diameter (in inches). So the newer cartridge is 0.003″ larger in diameter — who cares? A human hair is from 0.003″ to 0.005″ in diameter. Is such a slight increase in diameter really going to make a difference?

Below is a cardboard pizza box shot with a .22LR bullet. The entry point can be seen on the left and the exit on the right. A penny is used for reference.

Now compare that to the same exact pizza box shot with a .223 bullet. Again, the entry point can be seen on the left and the exit on the right, and a penny is used for reference.

Not much visible difference, right?

Instead of a cardboard pizza box, this time the target is a 16-gauge metal pipe. Notice that the pipe is visibly deformed at point of entry (left), and there is no exit point. The .22LR bullet did not pierce the metal pipe. A penny is used for reference.

Now compare that to the same exact 16-gauge metal pipe shot with a .223 bullet. There is a well defined entry point, and the bullet’s copper jacket peeled off upon entry and stuck. Not only did the .223 bullet have enough energy to pierce the front side of the pipe, it easily pierced the back side of the pipe as well. A penny is used for reference.

To understand why the .223 bullet was so easily able to pierce both sides of the metal pipe, and why the .22LR bullet failed to pierce even the front side of the pipe, a few other factors need to be looked at.

Rimfire cartridges have for the most part been replaced by centerfire cartridges because the thin case walls of rimfires cannot handle nearly as high of pressures as those of a centerfire cartridge. Higher pressure means that the ejected bullet has more energy to deliver on its target because its velocity is greater.

The bullets also vary in size and shape. Availability for .22LR bullets varies from 36 to 60 grains in weight (2.3 to 3.9 grams), while .223 bullets range from 40 to 90 grains in weight (2.6 to 5.8 grams). The .22LR bullet is rounded while the .223 bullet comes to a sharp point.

The .223 cartridge contains significantly more powder than the .22LR cartridge (maximum pressure 24,000 PSI for .22LR; maximum pressure 50,000 PSI for .223). The .223 bullet is a much heavier bullet, travelling at a higher velocity. This means that the .223 bullet has much more energy to deliver on its target.

Upon impact .223 bullets demonstrate a tendency to tumble, increasing the size of the wound channel. The .223 bullet also delivers additional damage due to hydrostatic shock. The .22LR bullet has neither of these qualities.

The .22LR cartridge on the left, and the .223 cartridge on the right. A penny is used for reference.

For demonstration purposes, other calibers were shot at the cardboard pizza box and 16-gauge metal pipe. Entry point can be seen on the left and exit on the right. A penny is used for reference.

9mm NATO

9mm NATO

45ACP

.45 ACP

.45 ACP

7.62x39mm

7.62x39mm

From left to right: 45ACP, 9mm NATO, .22LR, .223, 7.62x39mm