Andrew is a combat veteran of OEF and has performed hundreds of ballistic tests for his YouTube channel, The Chopping Block (https://www.youtube.com/user/chopinbloc). He is an avid firearm collector and competitor and lives with his family in Arizona. If you have any questions, you may email him at choppingblocktests@gmail.com
We shoot Remington 9mm 124gr Golden Saber brass jacketed hollow point ammunition from a Smith & Wesson Shield with a 3″ barrel into Clearballistics ballistic gel to measure velocity, penetration, expansion/fragmentation, and retained weight. Buy it at Ventura Munitions. Guns in this [Read More…]
10mm is the very best handgun cartridge ever made. There. I said it. If you’ve been following my series of ballistic gel tests on the TFB YouTube channel, TFB TV, you’ve noticed I try to work in some 10mm as often as I can. And I’ve done dozens of 10mm [Read More…]
We shoot Federal 9mm 150gr HST jacketed hollow point ammunition from a Smith & Wesson Shield with a 3″ barrel into Clearballistics ballistic gel to measure velocity, penetration, expansion/fragmentation, and retained weight. Buy it at Ventura Munitions. Guns in this video: Smith & [Read More…]
We shoot Ventura 10mm Lehigh 115gr Extreme Defense and 140 gr Extreme Penetrator ammunition from an EAA Witness with a 4.5″ barrel into Clearballistics ballistic gel to measure velocity, penetration, expansion/fragmentation, and retained weight. Buy it at Ventura Munitions. Guns in this [Read More…]
If you’re a gun guy, odds are pretty good that non-gun people often ask your opinion on things. At least, People often make the mistake of asking my opinion, anyway. I guess they figure that just because I write about and make videos about guns, that my opinion is [Read More…]
It’s currently in fashion to disregard steel armor. To be sure, there are some significant differences between steel and ceramic composite armor, but there are a few things that steel can indeed do better than ceramic composite. It tends to be thinner and it [Read More…]
I know, that HK USP45 looks wicked operator and it’s a lot easier to shoot well than your 638. But where is it right now? In your safe? Big handguns are more fun to shoot and we can shoot them much faster and more accurately than little guns. But most folks end up [Read More…]
As always, it’s important for you, dear reader, to understand that we are all aware that blanket statements like that in the title have exceptions. Yes, there are cops and Soldiers who do know a thing or two. The point here is that we often run into a conversation [Read More…]
This is another one of those times where I’m going to make some general statements. Yes, we all know there are exceptions to the rule. In fact, I’m not even saying that the points I’m about to make are generally true. But just because somebody makes [Read More…]
FPSRussia, a charismatic YouTube gun personality probably best known for nearly killing himself when he annihilated a pickup truck with tannerite, spent two nights in jail. So far, there is no confirmation from official sources on why he spent time in jail, although [Read More…]
The Vortex Venom is a mini red dot in the style of the Burris Fastfire and Docter Optic. It is a tiny reflex sight that comes in either 6 or 3 MOA dot reticles. The one that Vortex provided to me is 3 MOA. The base mount pattern is of the Docter Optic style. In [Read More…]
There is a lot of misconception out there about ballistic gel, which leads to some pretty bad conclusions about defense ammo. One of the more popular mistakes is the claim that ballistic gel is not an exact simulation of tissue. Paradoxically, this one is a little [Read More…]
Unless you are new to the topic of the defensive use of ammunition, you are probably well aware of the necessity of adequate penetration for defensive purposes. So if you already know why it is important, I’m going to beg your pardon for covering a topic that [Read More…]
It’s natural for a manufacturer to want to portray their product in the best possible light. But when the capabilities of your product are technical in nature, it can be tempting to advertise in such a way that less informed consumers might get the wrong idea. [Read More…]
Before we get started, I need to get something out of the way. TFB readers are the smartest, most handsomest human beings on the planet. But in any group there is a small, but extremely vocal sub group who simply cannot get their heads around ideas like relative [Read More…]
I know, “yawn,” right? Hey, I could have written the title like “16 Secrets About Ammo Testing the Government Doesn’t Want You to Know!!!11!!!” In all seriousness, there are a lot of folks out there who think that ammunition is mostly the [Read More…]
Primary Arms has built a name for themselves by selling mid-priced optics that have decent quality. Not as expensive as a Trijicon but much better quality than UTG, Primary Arms has expanded their inventory over the years and earned a reputation for quality sights. [Read More…]
Shotguns seem to breed nonsense ideas more than any other type of firearm, except perhaps 1911s. That guy with a greasy John Deere cap who seems like his elbows are Krazyglued to the counter at your local gun shop is always happy to tell you about how shotguns are great [Read More…]
I’m not the first guy to review the Smith & Wesson Model 69 Combat Magnum. If you’re reading this, I expect you’re looking for some subjective thoughts and to hear an opinion on whether you should buy one, not just facts about what it is. There is [Read More…]
One of my favorite TV shows is Red Green. For a Canadian, that guy is alright. If you haven’t had the pleasure of his manly wit, you really ought to take a moment to watch a few episodes. Like a real life version of Red Green, the YouTuber AvE has taught me not to [Read More…]
I recently wrote a couple articles regarding steel armor that may have led some folks to believe that all steel armor is trash. That particular plate is like a stripper: It looks okay, but it’s full of issues. Not all steel armor is garbage, though. As with [Read More…]
Adding a mini reflex sight to your pistol can make it easier to shoot tight groups and can be particularly useful for hunting and certain gun games. But it usually means that you have to either buy a gun with a built in mount or have a gunsmith mill the slide to fit. In [Read More…]
The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit just issued a ruling that may have a profound effect on carry laws in America. A prior ruling in another court held that the District of Columbia has the authority to enact a general ban on the carry of arms within the District [Read More…]
Like many children of the 80’s, I enjoy playing video games. No, they aren’t remotely “combat simulators” or any of that sort of nonsense. They’re just fun entertainment. One of my all time favorites has been the Fallout series of post [Read More…]
I shot a two gun match the other day and it occurred to me that, as impressive as the ranging features on certain sights are, they may not be all that practical. Don’t get me wrong, I like my ACSS reticle and long range shooting is fun, but the longest shot in [Read More…]
Last week, Sig .40 S&W 180 gr V-Crown didn’t do very well from a short barrel. This week we shoot it through a Glock Model 22 into ClearBallistics gel to assess velocity, penetration, expansion, and weight retention. Performance is still mixed, even with the longer barrel. Guns in this [Read More…]
Aside from huge rifles like .50 BMG and the like, that is. NIJ 0101.06 Level IV specifies that the plate must be able to stop .30-06 M2AP at 2,880 fps. I’m case you’re not familiar with M2AP, it is a copper jacketed projectile with a hardened steel core. It [Read More…]
Buy it at Ventura Munitions: https://www.venturamunitions.com/hsm-9mm-124gr-xtp-subsonic-ammo-50-rounds/ We fired HSM’s loading of 9mm Hornady 124 gr XTP jacketed hollow point from a Smith & Wesson Model 6906 into ClearBallistics clear ballistic gel both with and without four layers of [Read More…]
We fired 10mm Hornady 175 gr Critical Duty FlexLock from 4.5″ barrel EAA polymer frame Witness at 20 feet into clear ballistic gel to assess velocity, penetration, expansion, and weight retention. While the performance may not be perfect, it is nevertheless quite good. Average velocity: 1,083 [Read More…]
We fired Speer 124 gr Short Barrel Gold Dot from a S&W Shield through heavy clothing and bare gel to assess penetration, expansion, and retained weight. The Speer Gold Dot is one of the most highly regarded handgun projectiles for defense, but we find some surprising results with this load. Buy [Read More…]