The Firearm Blog

Kamil Arikut, who works at Safir Arms, makers of the .410 AR-15 shotgun, posted a comment on the blog saying that a english language forum has been created for American users of the Safir T-14 so that they can get in touch with their Turkish counterparts. If you have questions about the gun, they probably know more about it than anyone in the USA.

Earlier this year ATI began selling the T-14, an AR-15 style .410 shotgun that uses a standard AR-15 lower. I have been asked many times if and when just the upper on its own will be available for sale. I learnt from Suburban that AIM Surplus are now selling just the upper for $499.95.

The upper had a 20″ smoothbore barrel and is supplied with a five round magazine. Two models are available, the Classic and the Compact. The only difference between the models is the handguard length.

The Compact Model


The Classic Model

GunVault have introduced a new gun lock for Winchester, Remington and Mossberg pump action shotguns called BreechVault. As the name suggests, it locks into the breech. The magazine can still hold ammunition so chambering a round simply requires the lock to be removed and action pumped. The lock is made from \glass nylon so it will not damage the gun.

Locks are often frowned upon by self defense experts, but some people cannot legally leave their guns unlocked, or are simply unwilling or unable to do so for whatever reason.

The MSRP is $19.95.

There has been a discussion on the blog about the controversial new Federal Personal Defense Handgun .410 shotshell ammunition designed exclusively for the Taurus Judge .410 revolver.

.410 Personal Defense opened and pellets dumped. Thanks to Stephen for the photo.

The round contains 60 pellets of #4 bird shot (each pellet is .13″ in diameter). The load of pellets weight 1/2 oz (218.75 grain). Velocity is listed as 1200 fps which makes the total energy delivered at the muzzle to be 700 ft/lbs.

Federal said to Guns Holsters and Gear that:

The #4 pellets (approximately 10) penetrate to a depth of up to 6″.

(the pellet number is wrong, but the penetration depth sounds right for .410)

So with these facts in mind do you think that this round is capable of delivering a blow that warrants its name? I am not sure it does, but I welcome your opinions in the comments. I have a few issues with this round and how Federal have marketed it.

Firstly, the FBI requires penetration of at least 12″ for their ammunition, added to this is the fact that the pellets are individually, only .13″ in caliber and weigh about 3.6 grain. I would not want to be shot by one, and they could certainty kill if they traveled around the body and hit a vital organ, but I seriously doubt an attacker would be stopped in their tracks.

Another problem is shot dispersion. Dick wrote this comment on the blog about he groupings he achieved.

NOT SUITABLE FOR PERSONAL DEFENSE AGAINST MUCH OF ANYTHING LARGE ENOUGH TO WARRENT “SELF DEFENSE” EXCEPT PERHAPS SMALL SNAKES! A large one shot with this round at 21′ will likely kill you before it bleeds to death! With 2 rounds it put 18-20 pellets inside a 12″ circle so the snake better be curled up and there were plenty enough large gaps to miss a head shot.

Another issue I have is the published velocity. When firearm manufacturers publish velocity they usually base it on their test barrels, which are usually longer than what you would buy. For example shotgun velocities would be recorded from 28″ or 30″ barrel. The 1200 fps this round achieves is very similar to other standard shotgun loads, the difference being it is intended for the Judge. Most of the Judge models have a 2.5″ chamber and 3.5″ barrel. Revolvers measure barrel length forward of the chamber, so compared to a normal shotgun this works about to be 6″ of barrel. I believe shotguns are loaded with fast burning powder (reloaders please correct me if I am wrong), but this seems pretty amazing if it can achieve maximum velocity in only 6″ of barrel.

Finally, if Federal believe this is an adequate round for self-defense, why have they not published their own internal studies? Telling me it has 6″ of penetration, presumably in ballistic gelatin, is just not enough information.

So far Federal have not delivered a .410 buckshot model of the Personal Defense Round, but likely will later this year.

I am interested in your opinions. I don’t consider myself very knowledgeable in this area.

UPDATE:

Other blogger have weighed in on the issue. Go read what they have to say (if you have blogged about it and I don’t know, tell me and I will add your blog to the list):

Michael Bane @ The Michael Bane Blog

Caleb @ Gun Nuts

Command Arms Accessories have developed a new Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 stock and forend.

The stock features a collapsible M4-style stock, pistol grip, aluminum buffer tube and picatinny rails for optics. There also appears to be a rail on the side of the stock, although I am not sure what could be attached there.

On a Mossberg 500

The new forend features a lower rail, which could be used to mount a forward handgrip, and side rails for lights or lasers. I like the grip design.

CAA are selling the stock for $199.99 and the forend for $59.99. Mossberg kit here, Remington kit here.

Hat Tip: Tactical Life

The Metal Storm MAUL has finally be unveiled and it is awesome. Previously only computer rendered images of the weapon were publicly available. The light 2.75 lbs 12 gauge shotgun has no moving parts and comes in a pistol and a rifle under-barrel configuration. Five rounds can be loaded at a time into the barrel and each is fired electronically.

The official video:

Last year I blogged that the US Navy was funding the MAUL development. The MAUL should not be confused with the Metal Storm multiple grenade launcher, the 3GL, which uses similar technology.

[ Why do all the interesting things happen when I am officially not blogging ]

Hat Tip: Defense Update

The Coach Gun is the name given to the relatively short double barreled shotguns which were popular for self defense in the Wild West where they were issued to the drivers and security personal of stage coaches. If you have ever seen a Western movie you have probably seen a coach gun.

They were effective and simple to operate self defense tools back in the mid 1800’s and still they are today, although they are almost never mentioned in self defense literature. Hollywood movies reinforcement the perception that autoloader pistols are the only effective self defense option.

Maybe today this attitude will change. Stoeger, a Benelli brand, have unveiled their new tactical shotgun which drags the coach gun, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century

Double Defense 12 gauge. Click to expand image.

Double Defense 20 gauge. Click to expand image.

The Double Defense has a picatinny rail on top for red dot sights, and under the barrel for lights, lasers or pistol grips. Another unique feature for a coach gun is a fiber optic front bead. The photos above show red dot type sights and flashlights – these are not included.

The barrels on both the 20 gauge and 12 gauge models are 20″ long and have a fixed improved choke and can chamber 2.75 and 3″ shells.

It has single trigger which is more convenient than a double trigger in a self defense situation and a tang-mounted safety that is automatically applied when the action is closed. The hardwood stock and metalwork is matte black in color.

I think this gun is a winner for those who are not “gun” people and who are not likely practice at the range. The only problem will be convincing people that it is a better option than a pistol. James, a self defense expert and trainer who blogs at Hell in a Handbasket, often laments that he cannot convince his clients that a shotgun is better than a pistol. A few days ago Jay emailed me a link to this news article where a woman could not shoot a home invader because she did not know how to operate the safety on her semi-automatic pistol. Chances are that a round was not even chambered. From VolunteerTV.com:

“He had that gun pointed and he was hollering ’sit down, sit down,’ ” Graves told WVLT.

Next came a struggle. Billy went for a gun in the bedroom. That’s when Vickie heard gunfire.

She says she had nothing to lose at that point, so she reached for another gun kept in the living room.

“I kept pulling the trigger and just pulling, pulling, pulling. I couldn’t get the safety. I don’t know. I hate guns.”

If your spouse, grown-up child, parent, girl or boyfriend “hates guns” or simply has no intend to practice but needs one for self defense consider getting them the Double Defense, it is simple, reliable and effective.

There a a couple of things I would change if I had designed the shotgun. I would have preferred a synthetic stock, a 18″ barrel and a butt stock shell carrier for quick reloading. A shell carrier is an essential accessory for a double barreled shotgun that will be used for home defense.

Thanks to Joe from Benelli for emailing me the photos.

Remington are now offering a 20 gauge shotgun for young ladies. It comes with a length of pull kit with spacers to increase the length of pull of the as the shooter grows up.

The shotgun has a 21″ barrel (with VR-BS Rem-Choke system), weights in at 6 lbs and features a Mossy Oak Pink Camo stock. The MSRP is $439.

Hat Tip: Ammoland

Savage have come out with a 20 gauge bolt action slug gun. Because of the smaller size of 20 gauge cartridges they have build the 220 series on the 110 rifle action. The recoil is apparently significantly less than the 12 gauge 210F Slug gun.

The 220’s accuracy should be no surprise because it’s not built like a shotgun, but rather like a Savage Rifle. “The 20 gauge chambering allows us to build the gun on a Model 110 receiver,” Said Savage CEO Ron Coburn. “This provides many advantages over a traditional shotgun with rifled barrel. On of the most noticeable, of course, is the inclusion of the AccuTrigger.”

Specs:

Caliber: 20 Gauge (Chambered for 3″ shells).
Barrel Length: 22″
Weight: 6.75 lbs
Magazine Capacity: 2 rounds detachable

It features the Savage AccuTrigger, free floating barrel and oversized bolt handle. The black synthetic will retail for $505 and the RealTree camo model for $555.

The Tuffy is a new single shot youth shotgun chambered in .410. It features a thumbhole stock that can store five rounds, and has a viewing window for checking how many rounds are stored.

Two models are available, one in stainless, the other in matte blue. Both has 18.5″ barrels and weight 3 lbs. The MSRP is $172 (I think this is for the blue version).

The first Rossi I shot was a .22 / . 410 matched pair. They are really neat guns and an ideal inexpensive candidate for teaching children shot to shoot.

The RCI XRAIL (Roth Auto Index Loader) is a auto index loader magazine extension that can expand a tubular shotgun magazine to hold up either 14 rounds (compact version) or 23 rounds (full version).

This video shows the XRAIL mounted on a Benelli M2 Tactical. The benelli magazine appears to be shortened and the gun can now hold a total of 26 rounds.

Now I will be honest with y’all, I don’t actually know what an “auto index loader” is. This is how I imagine the system may work:

* Each of those tubes are a magazine.
* Each of those magazines feeds into the shotgun magazine.
* Once a magazine is depleted it rotates.
* The final magazine contains a spring long enough to feed the shells that are in the shotgun’s magazine.

Because I enjoy making you suffer by awful drawings, here is a graphical representation. The blue box represents the shotgun magazine. The red boxes represents the XRAIL magazines. In this example the shotgun magazine holds three rounds while the XRAIL has three “magazines”, with two holding two shells, and the third a spring.

First two shots


3rd and 4th shot.


Last three shots

I have watched the above video frame by frame and there is seems to be some additional things happening during the magazine rotation. Maybe I am completely wrong … in which case I would have patented my above idea and not blogged about it

The system will be able to work on multiple guns. From what I have seen on youtube Benelli and Remington autoloaders work with the XRAIL. I don’t see why this system could not be adapted to work on pump action shotguns, aside from the fact that if would have to be mounted quite far forward.

A very interesting product. Hopefully it will come to market soon (and probably a video game as well, when game designers get word of it)

Hat Tip: Tactical Life

WrenTech Industries have started selling a shotgun and Ruger 10/22 rifle variant of their Advantage Tactical Sight. The new sights work the same as the pistol version. To aim you simply line up the rear sight with front sight to create a triangular shape. This apparently allows very quick sight acquisition.

The ATS on a glock and the sight picture.

The Universal Shotgun sight fits any non-ribbed 12 gauge barrel that is 14″ – 20″ long and of .840” to .890” in diameter, which includes most non-ribbed Mossberg and Remington barrels.

Mossberg 500 Shotgun

The Ruger 10/22 variant is only compatible with the aftermarket Tactical Solutions fluted .22 LR barrel. It is designed specifically for .22 steel matches.

Ruger 10/22

Both sights can be purchased online and cost $129.95. You can read more about the pistol sight system in an article [PDF Link] from this months GUNS Magazine.

The UK have adopted the Benelli M4 shotgun, dubbed the L128A1, as their new combat shotgun. The photo below was taken at a combat display held last week.

Click to expand.

Private Colin Shead, A Company, 3 MERCIAN, displays the new Combat Shotgun, brought into service for use in close quarter battle in southern Afghanistan. The shotgun fires both pellet and slug-type shells [Picture: Cpl Russ Nolan RLC]

The Benelli M4 has been fitted with the 8+1 extended magazine. Along with the rail, fore grip and optics, it is one mean looking machine.

I must admit I have wanted to see what would happen (I know what would happen but I wanted to see it ). The internet does not disappoint: