Gun World 201405

GW_1405_COVER1 3/6/14 5:56 AM Page US_C1
HOW WOLF AND KREBS

CUSTOM IMPROVED THE AK
EXCEPTIONAL
ACCURACY
FNS FABULOUS
Five-seveN
STEEL SHOT
SENSATION
WINCHESTERS
LONG RANGE
BLIND SIDE LOAD
LIGHT ELK
&LETHAL
HUNTING
WITH LEE
MARVIN
A GUN WORLD
CLASSIC
SPRINGFIELDS COMBAT
XD SUB-COMPACT RELOAD
WHEN, HOW,
FOR SELF-DEFENSE WHY
www.gunworld.com
MAY 2014 VOLUME 55, NO.5
$4.99 U.S. DISPLAY UNTIL: 5/6/14
05
AMERICAS GO-TO 22
RUGERS 10/22 RIFLE TURNS 50
0 74470 03105 5
Engaged Media By Beckett
GW_1405_C2 2/28/14 2:59 AM Page C2
Factory-original spare parts and accessories

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Magazines for Colt model pistols
Colt-branded apparel, accessories & collectables
Orders ship within 1 business day
Order direct at www.coltsmfg.com or 1-800-962-COLT
GW_1405_3 3/5/14 2:34 PM Page 3
longdistance
carriers THIS could be your RIFLE. At Savage, we understand the difference between a
shooter and a rifleman. For those wanting to test their skills at extreme distances there is the M110 and M111 rifles in .338
Lapua. A lot of companies make guns for shooters. Savage makes them for riflemen.
M110 FCP HS PRECISION, .338 LAPUA
M111 LONG RANGE HUNTER, .338 LAPUA
M110 BA , .338 LAPUA

Also available in Left-Hand
(Scope and bipod not included)
Supersonic 1100 yards .308 WIN
Supersonic 1800 yards .338 LAPUA

SAVAGEARMS.COM
GW1405_TOC-4-7.EPric 3/3/14 10:23 PM Page 4
CONTENTS
MAY 2014
32 16 High-Quality Carry
Springelds XD Sub-Compact
9mm is making waves in the very
competitive concealed-carry market.
By Brad Fitzpatrick
FEATURES
24 Limited Engagement
This single-action-only,
delayed-blowback handgun from FN
Herstal may be the best pistol youll
never see.
By Jerry Catania
32 Blindsided in South
Dakota
Conventional wisdom doesnt classify
steel shot as long range, but
Winchesters Blind Side Pheasant
shotshell turns conventional wisdom
on its head.
By Mike Dickerson
46 Big Smallbore
Celebration
The Ruger 10/22 has served shooters
and spawned spin-offs for half a
Mike Dickerson
century. Read what all the fuss is still

about.
By James E. House
Sturm, Ruger & Co.
46
54 Beyond Reliable
62 On Your Terms GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55,
Number 5, is published monthly, 12 times
New offerings from An award-winning a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi
Krebs Custom and WOLF handgun trainer evaluates the Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and
Performance Arms will help principles, preparation and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send
change the modern practice required for the address changes to Gun World c/o Beckett
perception of the AK. combat reload. Media, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244.
Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun
By Todd Burgreen By Dave Spaulding World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542,
London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001
4 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

GW_1405_5 2/28/14 3:01 AM Page 5
GW1405_TOC-4-7.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:11 AM Page 6
CONTENTS
54
Todd Burgreen
8 Up Front
16
Craig Hodgkins
COLUMNS
10 New Products
Craig Hodgkins
12 Ask the Experts

Gun World
Brad Fitzpatrick
Contributors
40 Todays Hunter
Thomas C. Tabor
HOW WOLF AND KREBS
CUSTOM IMPROVED THE AK
70 Reload 90 Questions &
James E. House Answers: RCBS
Craig Hodgkins EXCEPTIONAL
ACCURACY
76 Concealed Carry FNS FABULOUS
Five-seveN
Dave Workman 94 Back Pages STEEL SHOT

SENSATION
Craig Hodgkins WINCHESTERS
LONG RANGE
BLIND SIDE LOAD
82 Gunsmithing
Steve Sieberts LIGHT ELK
&LETHAL
HUNTING
WITH LEE
MARVIN
A GUN WORLD
CLASSIC
SPRINGFIELDS COMBAT
XD SUB-COMPACT RELOAD
WHEN, HOW,
FOR SELF-DEFENSE WHY
ON THE COVER: www.gunworld.com
Photographs by Brad Fitzpatrick,

MAY 2014 VOLUME 55, NO.5
$4.99 U.S. DISPLAY UNTIL: 5/6/14
05
AMERICAS GO-TO 22
Todd Burgreen and Ruger RUGERS 10/22 RIFLE TURNS 50
0 74470 03105 5
Cover design by Jesse Cao Engaged Media By Beckett

GW_1405_7 2/28/14 3:04 AM Page 7
GW1405_UPFRONT-8-9.EP.CX 3/7/14 12:13 AM Page 8
UP FRONT MAY 2014 VOLUME 55 NUMBER 5
EDITORIAL
Editorial Director: Doug Jeffrey
IN
Editor: Craig Hodgkins
Managing Editor: Elise Portale
Art Director: Johann Frederick Mendoza
CONTRIBUTORS
Dave Emanuel, Lee Boyt, Todd Burgreen, Jerry Catania,
By Craig Hodgkins Mike Dickerson, Tara Dixon Engel, Abe Elias, Brad
Fitzpatrick, Richard Folsland, Paul Hantke, James House,
PERSPECTIVE
Dave Norman, Jameson Parker, Buck Pope, D.K. Pridgen,
Denis Prisbrey, John Raguso, Dave Spaulding, Tom
Tabor, Chuck Taylor, Leroy Thompson, Martin Topper,
Dave Workman
ADVERTISING
Gabe Frimmel: Ad Sales Director
W
(714) 200-1930 GFrimmel@Beckett.com
e have an 85-year age the one you are currently holding in Casey Clifford: Senior Account Executive
span in our household. My your hands, its been a busy and (717) 896-8956
Mark Pack: Senior Account Executive
son is 10, and my wifes fascinating time to join the industry. (714) 200-1939
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GW_1405_9 2/28/14 3:06 AM Page 9
GW1405_PRODUCTS-10-11.EPric 3/3/14 10:31 PM Page 10
NEW hopped on the plane to SHOT. In

PRODUCTS fact, the only time I didnt wear
them was at the NSSFs State of
the Industry dinner, as it was one of
the rare times I wore a suit. They
I
ve been dressing myself nearly were exactly as advertised
all of my life, and quite honestly, lightweight and breathableand
these days, it is all about my feet stayed cool and my ankles
comfort. Fortunately, my job rarely felt supported the entire day I was
requires me to overdress, so unless on the range, walking up and down
youre getting married or buried, you hills and gravel-lined paths. In fact,
(or your surviving family members) my feet felt so good the next day
wont see me in a suit, with a few that I decided to put them through
rare exceptions. the ultimate torture test: walking
But sometimes, I need the SHOT Show oor for three days.
clothing to offer utility in Even in the late afternoons, the
addition to comfort. Case in combination of Vibram soles,
point: my recent trip to the OrthoLite insoles and Cordura side
SHOT Show, which included a panels actually made me forget I
full day at the range shooting was wearing boots. Thats a big win.
the latest and greatest I have to give some credit to the
rearms. So before I left, I Warrior Wear Lightweight Boot
checked out my tactical Socks I had on, but these boots
clothing options and decided impressed me so much, I did more
to put some new BLACKHAWK! testing when I returned home. I took
gear to the test. a day hike in the local mountains. I
jogged a mile. I even played
WARRIOR WEAR basketball for a half-hour in them.
DESERT OPS BOOTS Im wearing them as I write this.
From my days in Boy Scouts up Quite simply, these are perhaps the
through college sports and more most comfortable pair of boots Ive
recently as a high school coach, ever worn.
Ive laced up more than my
share of boots, basketball The Warrior Wear
Desert Ops Boots
shoes and other tall footwear. after two months of
Through a few decades of trial near-constant wear.
and error, Ive also determined
that if my feet are comfortable,
I can deal with almost anything
else.
BLACKHAWK!s Warrior
Wear Desert Ops boots didnt
disappoint. Far from it, in fact.
Id been concerned that there
would be a break-in period, but
they t snugly from the
moment I pulled them on.
Figuring that time would tell, I
wore them to work every day
for about two weeks before I LT2 TACTICAL PANTS
BLACKHAWK!s newest
CLOTHING
addition to their clothing line also
impressed me. Its LT2 Tactical
Pants are made of sturdy 6.5-ounce
polyester/cotton ripstop and
feature a Durable Water Repellent
OPTIONAL
(DWR) treatment that resists
stains and dries quickly. Like
BLACKHAWK!s other tactical
pants, they have double layering in
the areas you need it most: the seat
Story & Photos by Craig Hodgkins and the knees. They were also
roomy and exible enough for me
Our Editor Puts an Entire BLACKHAWK! to crouch, kneel and get prone as
required. I especially appreciated
Tactical Outfit to the Test at SHOT Show the hidden expandable waistband,
as I went from wearing three shirts

GW1405_PRODUCTS-10-11.EPric 3/3/14 10:31 PM Page 11
LT2 TACTICAL SHIRT The LT2 Tactical

The LT2 shirt carries the same long-sleeved
shirt is available
DWR treatment, and unlike the in five colors.
pants, I accidentally put it to the
test. An inadvertent squirt from a
bathroom soap dispenser caught
me clean on the chest, but the
soap wiped off in one swipe with
no residue. I wore both the long-
and short-sleeved versions, and
even though I have very long
arms, the cuffs on the long
sleeve still reached my hands.
The elastic cord loops on each
front pocket are a nice touch,
making it easier to open the
pockets with gloves on and
providing me a handy place to
hang my pen.
The long-sleeved version did
seem a tad tighter across the
shoulders than its short-sleeved
relative, but it was never a problem.
WARRIOR WEAR
OPERATIONS JACKET
As I was headed to the windy
Nevada desert and not the snowy
The LT2 Tactical Pants regions of the country, I opted for
WARRIOR WEAR DESERT OPS BOOTS
allowed for a comfortable layer two of the BLACKHAWK!
full range of motion.
Warrior Wear three-layer jacket Available Colors: Desert Tan, Coyote Tan,
system, the Operations Jacket. The Sage Green
WW system consists of three MSRP: $159.99
to one on range day, and the
silicone grip strap in the waistband jackets, which may be worn
separately or layered in LT2 TACTICAL PANTS
kept my outer shirt tucked in at all
combination with each other. The Available Sizes: 28 x 30 to 54 x 39
times.
Ops Jak was a perfect choice for my Available Colors: Navy, Khaki, Black,
The large top-opening cargo
early morning arrival at range day. It Olive Drab, Chocolate Brown
pockets came in very handy for
cut the gusting winds at the MSRP: $54.99
carrying my notepad and other
awkwardly sized items, including Boulder Rie & Pistol Club and
provided just enough instant LT2 TACTICAL SHIRT
some SHOT Show swag. For those
warmth without allowing me to Available Colors: Navy, Khaki, Black,
needing pocket separation for
magazines and such, each has overheat, whether I was walking or Olive Drab, Chocolate Brown
segmented 2-inch elastic webbing shooting or standing in the shade or MSRP: $59.99 (Long Sleeve), $49.99
inside. the full sun. (Short Sleeve)
The outer zippers (all six of
them) are waterproof, as are the WARRIOR WEAR OPERATIONS
three found inside. Both elbows and JACKET
sleeves feature scuff-resistant Available Sizes: Small to 3XL
panels, and you can control the t Available Colors: Navy, Black, Foliage
at the waist with a convenient Green
drawstring adjustment. The MSRP: $259
pockets are very roomy, and the
large rear tailbone pocket may be Other BLACKHAWK! Items:
accessed from the left or the right Warrior Wear Boot Socks
side. GW MSRP: $11.99 (Lightweight), $13.99
(Medium weight), $15.99
(Heavyweight)
CONTACT: Hook & Loop Trouser Belt
MSRP: $22.99
Performance Fleece Watch Cap (with
BLACKHAWK! zippered media pocket)
www.blackhawk.com MSRP: $19.99
Low Prole Logo Cap
(800) 379-1732 MSRP: $19.99
The front pockets of the Warrior Wear Operations
Jacket are roomy enough for this Glock.
www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 11

GW1405_EXPERTS-12-15.EPric 3/3/14 10:40 PM Page 12
ASK the
EXPERTS We do the research so you dont have to.
How interchangeable are
these two calibers? Read
what the experts from
Federal Premium and
Hornady have to say.
INTERCHANGEABLE
ROUNDS? consider before you venture down
this path. instead of .308 Win as our way of
separating the two products from
QUESTION: Is there a To get the story from a
cartridge manufacturers each other due to the difference in
difference between the primers. However, in our American
perspective, I brought in more
7.62x51 NATO round and .308 experts. First, I got in contact with Eagle brand, we do have an AE
Win ammunition, or are they my good buds at Federal Premium, 7.62X51mm product with a 168-
interchangeable? and here is their response, from my grain Open Tip Match Bullet.
eyes to yours: The 7.62x51 NATO and .308
James D., Gardiner, Mont. The 7.62x51 NATO and .308 Win rounds are typically
Win are, by denition the exact interchangeable in .308 Win
JOHN N. RAGUSO ANSWERS: same thing. In Cartridges of the chamber guns. You may have issues
I can answer the second half of your World (13th edition), the authors with overall length with certain
question in two words, yes and claim that Winchester simply bullet congurations for loads
no. But its obviously a lot more renamed the 7.62x51 to .308 Win developed for specic rie
complicated than that; so lets when they saw the potential for it platforms, but that can be the case
explore the nuances and details to to become a good sporting for any cartridge. In the catalogue,
understand why. cartridge. for example, we list the products as
The short answer is that you We currently only .308 Win. (7.62x51mm), identifying
can safely shoot either round in a commercially offer .308 Win both names for the same product.
chamber thats marked .308 Win, offerings in the standard Federal Bullet offerings for each is a
but some experts will advise you to ammo catalogue. We sell a Lake huge difference: .308 Win is offered
use caution before loading your City-produced M80 made in more than a dozen hunting-style
favorite .308 cartridge into a 7.62 7.62x51mm. It is a 149-grain Mil- and competition-style bullet
NATO weapon, especially an older Spec round that has a Mil-Spec #34 congurations, while the 7.62x51
one. Even though there is no SAAMI primer vs. the Federal 210 primer NATO is only the 149-grain NATO
advisory against this practice, there that we make here. On the M80, we Spec M80 and the 168-grain OTM
are some important things to designate 7.62x51 on the package American Eagle product.

The author testing out the military brass over commercial

brand new Ruger Gunsite brass. Both the 7.62 NATO and the
Scout 18-inch stainless-steel
barrel with 7.62 NATO and
.308 Win cartridge case measure
.308 Win ammo. 2.015 inches long with a nominal
maximum cartridge overall length
of 2.810 inches.
Additional research indicates
that the SAAMI/CIP maximum
pressure for the .308 Win cartridge
is 62,000 psi, while in contrast, the
7.62 NATOs max is 50,000 psi, but
they are measured using different
methodologies, and the real-world
pressure differential is actually
much less dramatic. The
headspace of each is slightly
different, with the .308 Win "Go
Gauge" being 1.630 inches vs. 1.635
inches for the 7.62 NATO round. The
.308 Win's "No-Go" dimension is
1.634 inches vs. 1.6405 inches for
the Mil-Spec 7.62x51mm round.
Soafter all of this expertise
were back to the original question:
Is it safe to shoot a .308 Win in a
7.62 NATO chamber and vice versa?
Heres my two cents: If
One of the primary differences shoulder, throat and leede areas. personal experience is worth
between these two cartridges is The 7.62 NATO cartridge case anything, Ive launched thousands
that the .308 Win round is tested results in a little more efficient burn of 7.62x51 NATO surplus projectiles
according to SAAMI specs (62,000 of the propellant compared to the downrange via .308-chambered
psi), and as such, the pressure .308 Win. You could make the weapons with no hiccups to date.
transducer is located mid- argument that the commercial .308 Some other industry folks I spoke
case. This will yield a different case would do a little better with with during this project research
pressure prole and reading than heavier bullets over 150-grain mentioned that they wouldnt feel
the Mil-Spec 7.62x51mm (50,000 compared to the Mil-Spec brass comfortable doing the reverse,
psi), which measures pressure case because of the ability to use a specically loading a .308 Win
ahead of the case mouth. With little more propellant internally. Its cartridge in a weapon marked with
pressure measurements taken in kind of like the difference between a 7.62 NATO label. Some 7.62x51
different locations between the .308 and .30-06. They are both chambers might be longer than
two, its hard to compare pressure pretty similar with lighter bullets, their .308 Win counterparts, and as
readings between the cartridges. but above 150-grain bullets, the three-oh-eight brass is thinner, both
By and large, the customer .30-06 produces better in the web and the walls, compared
with a .308 Win-chambered rie performance because of its larger to the Mil-Spec stuff, there is the
will not see any signicant case capacity and the ability to load distinct danger that a .308 Win
difference between the two loads heavier charges to produce faster cartridge case might have too much
other than some guns with a weak muzzle velocities. of a gap to ll in the chamber upon
ring-pin spring may have misres There are denite case design ignition and could possibly rupture
with a 7.62 NATO cartridge (due to differences between .308 as a result of the added headspace
the less sensitive Mil-Spec primer). commercial brass and 7.62 NATO you never know. Even though the
That should be a very rare thing. military brass. The military SAAMI folks have not listed this as
The felt difference in pressures is ammunition is generally always a potentially hazardous weapon
minor enough that an end user waterproofed with crimped and ammunition combination, you
wouldnt be able to tell the primers, some of which are the dont want to be the rst to nd
difference. (typically) non-reloadable Berdan out.
To get an alternate perspective style. The military cases have It always pays to be cautious
on 7.62 NATO vs .308 Win, I thicker walls and web area at the with rearms Ive had a name-
contacted the engineering team head of the case because they have brand AR-15 blow up in my face and
over at Hornady Ammunition in to survive the extreme environment hands due to a squib round and its
Grand Island, Neb. Dave Emary, of being loaded in machine guns (a no fun when that happens. If you
Hornadys chief ballistician, was big reason for the crimped primers). are determined to shoot .308
kind enough to share some of his The thicker case walls result in less ammo in a 7.62 NATO-chambered
expertise with me. cartridge-case capacity for the weapon, my best advice would be
Dave wrote, The chambers of military brass, and because of this, to check it rst with a .308
both the 7.62 NATO and .308 reloaders need to reduce their headspace gauge so you dont get a
Winchester are basically the same, charge weights for a given nasty surprise when pulling the
with minimal differences in the propellant by 1 to 1.5 grains with trigger. GW

ASK THE EXPERTS

...The
M3/M3A1 was
the first SMG
adopted by

Delta Force.
An M3A1 version of the

Grease Gun. (C&S)
THE GREASY M3 LEROY THOMPSON ANSWERS: round. It red from an open bolt.
Grease Gun was an affectionate The M3 enjoyed a long service
QUESTION: My father was on term for the U.S. M3 submachine life, as it was developed around
a tank crew in Germany during gun. It was given this name by GIs 1942 and served until at least the
because the SMG resembled the First Gulf War with armored crews
the 1950s and told me they in their tanks. The Guide Lamp
device used in service stations to
carried .45 automatics and grease the undercarriage of Division of General Motors
had a machine gun called a automobiles. To some extent, the produced a total of 606,694 M3
Grease Gun in the tank. British STEN gun inuenced the M3, SMGs between 1943 and 1945.
What was the Grease Gun? as it was also made inexpensively After some problems with the M3
from stampings and assembled arose in the eld, an improved
Jeff B., Arcadia, Calif. using rivets and welds. It was modeldesignated the M3A1was
designed to be easier and more developed, but only 15,469 of these
inexpensive to produce than the were produced before the end of
classic Thompson SMG that it World War II.
replaced, and like the Thompson, it During the Korean War, the
was chambered for the .45 ACP Ithaca Gun Company produced
OUR MAY EXPERTS:

John N. Raguso is a licensed charter boat captain and nationally recognized outdoor writer. His favorite shooting
pursuits include participating in service-rie and three-gun matches, studying the science of ballistics and building
his own AR-15s. His article on the Remington Model 700 Tactical rie appeared in our March issue.
Leroy Thompson is an internationally recognized authority on weapons and tactics and is the author of 50 books.
His most recent feature was Match Game, a review of Springeld Armorys M1A National Match Rie that
appeared in our April issue.

another 33,000 M3A1

During 1953, a U.S. soldier uses an
SMGs as well as spare
M3/M3A1 on an exercise. (NARA) parts for existing
weapons. Although there
were various differences,
the quickest way to tell
the two Grease Guns
apart is that the M3 used
a crank-type cocking
handle while the M3A1
used a recessed thumb
slot in the bolt. Both
versions used a hinged
ejection-port dust cover
that could be rotated
down to block the bolt.
For special operations
usage, a version of the M3
with an integral
suppressor was built and
was used by the U.S.
Special Forces and other
units. In fact, the
M3/M3A1 was the rst
SMG adopted by Delta
Force. Members of the
unit found that the low
450-rpm cyclic rate
allowed the M3 to be
controlled well on full
auto. GW

GW1405_SPRING-16-23.EPric 3/3/14 10:52 PM Page 16

HIGH-QUALITY
CARRY
Springelds XD Sub-Compact 9mm is Gaining Fans in
the Very Competitive Concealed-Pistol Market.
Story & Photos by Brad Fitzpatrick

W
ith the exception of
the AR rie platform,
no market segment in
the world of rearms
has seen as much growth and as
much competition as the market for
compact, concealed-carry
handguns.
The last decades
unprecedented growth in the
number of concealed-carry permit
holders has sparked a major
increase in the number of compacts
that are currently available, as every
brand wants to secure their market
share in this lucrative segment.
Some guns have sold modestly and
others have become major
The Sub-Compact fits well in the hand and
successes. The reasons why a gun has all of the features youd expect in a
in this market fails or succeeds are concealed-carry gun. Its light, small and
doesnt have controls or sights that extend
many, but, primarily, it comes down to get hung up on clothing while youre
to ease of use, reliability and drawing. Best of all, the Sub-Compact
design. If you introduce a new comes with plenty of big gun features and
its comfortable to shoot.
pocket pistol that is the right size,
feels good in the hand, has some
user-friendly design cues and
doesnt break, jam or hiccup, you
may have a winner.
Brand recognition certainly
helps, and there are few companies
that have a longer and more storied
history in American rearms than
Springeld. Best known for building
Carry guns need to strike a balance

between being small enough to conceal
and large enough to shoot comfortably.
The Springfield does a good job of
striking a balance, and with two different
magazine options, you can shrink the
gun even further. The smooth edges of
the XD Sub-Compact wont hang on
clothing, which is critical.


... Springfield did a
good job balancing the

XDs dimensions.
1911s and M1s and as the rm that theres always a balance to be
gave us the .30-06 and modernized played between having a
the bolt-action rie, Springeld has lightweight, compact gun and one
accomplished plenty, but its new that is comfortable to shoot. Larger,
line of striker-red polymer semi- full-sized autos, such as Berettas
autos may be (scratch thatwill M9 and Springelds own XD with a
be) the next gun that writers of the 5-inch barrel, are big guns, but they
future list among the brands many have large, accommodating grips
accomplishments. and a longer sight plane. Small
guns are easy to pack and hide, but
FINDING BALANCE oftentimes, the price that you pay
I tested the XD 9mm Sub- for those compact dimensions is a
Compact version, which comes smaller grip, short and inadequate
with a 3-inch barrel and has an sights and a loss of overall balance
empty weight of 26 ounces with the when shooting. To my mind, one of
standard magazine and 27 ounces the key ingredients to making a
with the extended mag. It is good concealed-carry gun comes
lightweight and compact enough to down to balancing comfort; a gun
carry easily, and yet, it shoots and should be small enough to carry
feels like a real gun. When comfortably and large enough to
selecting a concealed-carry rearm, shoot comfortably.
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That being said, I think that comes from the factory with tested had the tough, black
Springeld did a good job balancing excellent Trijicon Night Sights. I Melonite nish. You can also buy
the XDs dimensions. Overall length prefer the Trijicon version myself, as the gun with an OD green polymer
is 6.25 inches while the overall I like the idea of having night sights frame and black slide as well as a
height is 4.75 inches. The gun is just on a defensive gun and prefer the satin stainless slide with a black
more than an inch wide, and these prole of these sights for drawing, frame if you prefer the bi-tone look.
dimensions are about ideal in my but at least the standard version Its an easy gun to disassemble. You
mind. The XD is easy to conceal, isnt a gun that requires shopping simply empty the gun, drop the
and although it has a double-stack for additional sights as soon as you mag, lock the slide back, tip the
magazine (one 13-round magazine purchase the rearm. The XD Sub- slide-release lever up and let the
that ts ush with the bottom of Compact is not, after all, designed slide drop. Pulling the trigger
the grip and another 16-rounder to be a competition target gun. releases the slide, barrel and spring.
that offers extended grip length), it (Springeld has those, too, if youre Throughout the test, the XD never
is narrow enough and small enough looking.) It is designed to be a had a hiccup and fed every
to conceal. I personally like having close-range, defensive weapon, and cartridge through without a
two different magazines with varied with the sights and overall problem, thanks in part to a smooth
capacities. I can shoot the extended dimensions of this gun, I think it is feed ramp and the dual-spring
magazine more comfortably, but excellent for what it was designed system with full-length guide rod.
my wife doesnt need that extra grip to do. One of the guidelines when
space because she has small The XD Sub-Compact, like its selecting a compact pistol is how
hands. Even with the short larger XD siblings, is a polymer- easy it is to disassemble and clean
magazine in place, it is a framed, striker-red gun with a because, in truth, most of us are

comfortable gun to shoot, and even forged steel slide, and the gun I more likely to keep our guns clean if
though I have relatively large hands,
I can grip the gun comfortably.
Other, smaller guns leave my pinky
nger with nowhere to anchor, and
... In the world of compact
a two-handed grip on those guns
usually swallows the pistol. defense pistols, Id rank the
Despite being compact, the XD
XD 3-inch among the better

9mm is easy to manipulate. It has a
large, easy-to-nd slide stop, and
there is an accessory rail under the
barrel for mounting additional guns Ive tested.
lights or optics. The gun feels
secure and planted in your hand,
thanks to an adequately sized
polymer grip with a textured
The Springfield Sub-Compact is
surface and nger/thumb indents available with two different
on both sides. Recoil with defensive magazine lengths. The longer version,
loads is manageable, and for a shown here, offers more gripping
surface and has a capacity of 16
compact 9mm, this gun is easy to rounds of 9mm ammunition. The
control. So, when it comes to shorter magazine holds 13, but it fits
flush with the bottom of the grip and
striking a good balance between is easier to carry concealed.
compact size and big-gun handling,
the Springeld XD is just about
right.
LOOK AND FEEL

The stubby barrel gives the XD
a pug-nosed, snarling look, but
accuracy wasnt bad. In fact, in the
world of compact defense pistols,
Id rank the XD 3-inch among the
better guns Ive tested. Its relatively
high prole may also give the
impression that it could be clunky
coming from the holster and into
the ring position, but its not. The
large, square, three-dot sights are
dovetailed into the receiver and are
adjustable, and they allow for rapid
target-acquisition. Theyre pretty
tall for this type of gun, but theyre
well constructed, sturdy and easy to
see. If you want to upgrade, you can
purchase the XD Sub-Compact that

GW1405_SPRING-16-23.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:38 AM Page 21
it isnt a major chore. The

Springeld comes apart easily, and I
was particularly impressed with the
slide: Its heavy-duty forged steel, The XD Sub-Compact breaks down
smooth and well machined on the quickly and easily, making for easy
cleaning and maintenance. The slide-
inside and the hammer-forged release tab rotates upward, and pulling
barrel was free of the rough the trigger releases the slide (so be ready
machine marks found on some and dont drop it!). The Melonite finish
protects the metal parts from wear.
other guns. Everything about this
gun seems well built and robust.
The controls are relatively
simple and pretty standard across
the class. It has a slide lock located
on the rear left of the slide, and in
front of that is the rotating slide-
release lever. The ambidextrous
magazine release is well placed and
slightly recessed, which I like; it
doesnt slow your magazine
changes, but the button doesnt
stick out far enough that it could be
inadvertently popped as you carry
the gun. While the XD Sub-
Compact doesnt have a manual
safety, Springeld engineered this
gun with a number of noteworthy
safety features.
First, theres a cocking indicator
at the rear of the gun that projects
from the back of the slide and a
loaded chamber indicator, both of Specications
Springeld XD Sub-Compact
The Sub-Compact has
a grip safety that adds Action Striker-fired semi-automatic
an extra measure of
confidence when
carrying the gun Caliber 9mm Luger (tested), .40 S&W
concealed. Although
the Springfield doesnt
have a traditional
Frame Polymer
safety, it has several
features that help Slide Forged steel
make it secure and
safe as long as it is
properly handled. Barrel 3-inch, hammer-forged
Weight 26 ounces (empty, 13-round magazine)
Capacity 13 or 16 rounds
Overall Length 6.25 inches
Overall Height 4.75 inches
Finish Melonite (tested), satin stainless
MSRP $549
CONTACT:
Springeld Armory
420 West Main St.
Geneseo, IL 61254
(800) 680-6866
www.springeld-armory.com

which can be instantly seen or felt.

The trigger comes with Springelds
Ultra Safety Assurance (USA)
system, which incorporates a blade
into the center of the trigger that
can only be red with direct
rearward pressure. The XDs also
have a grip safety, which I think is
an excellent feature for a gun that
will spend time being shoved into
and out of a holster carried against
your body. The curved safety
extends from the rear of the grip
and allows the gun to be red only
when it is depressed, which means
that when the gun is rmly in hand,
it is ready to re and not before. Its
a good system, similar to the one
found on the 1911, and I think that in
the future, more compact striker-
res will have this feature.
Springeld was ahead of the curve.
GETTING STARTED
When you purchase the XD
Sub-Compact, it comes with a
range kit with everything you need
to get started, including a polymer
holster and dual-magazine pouch,
loading tool and two magazines.
Like the rest of the gun, its well
Springelds Big Guns
thought-out and gives the XD an
even better value. The Springeld XD Sub-Compact is a superb carry gun, but the company also
At the range, the XD worked offers a line of tactical guns with 5-inch barrels. The Tactical XD offers a longer
extremely well. It was plenty sight radius for improved accuracy at longer ranges, but its functionally the same
as the XD Sub-Compact, which means it has the same polymer frame and the
accurate enough for defensive
same grip safety. The XD Tactical is also available in a variety of chamberings,
work, it pointed naturally and, most including the 9mm and .40 S&W as well as the hard-hitting .45 ACP and the
importantly, it is a safe gun if often-overlooked .357 SIG. Like other Springeld guns, the Tactical comes with a
handled properly. I put several range kit that includes a holster, magazine pouches and a spare magazine.
hundred rounds through the gun, Having an XD Tactical as well as a Sub-Compact makes sense; the larger gun
both Remington 115-grain FMJs and can serve as a target pistol or service weapon while the smaller Sub-Compact is
Hornadys outstanding Critical perfect for deep cover and as a backup gun. And even though the Tactical version
Defense load. The grip design is is probably too large for concealed-carry duty, it only weighs 30 ounces, which
makes it light enough to carry in a holster all day. Together, the XD Sub-Compact
comfortable, and there was no and Tactical offer a superb one-two punch for anyone who needs a sidearm,
groaning or hand pain after the whether its a duty gun or a pocket pistol.
session.
Springfield has a
reputation for value,
and the Sub-
Compact comes with
plenty of accessories
that make it a great
bargain. The polymer
holster is basic but
functional, and the
extra magazine
pouches are a nice
touch. In addition, it
has one full-sized
magazine (perfect for
larger hands and
target shooting) and
a smaller magazine
for easy carry.
The cocking indicator is clearly visible at the rear of

the slide, and if you are in poor light, you can feel the
rear of the gun with your thumb to be sure that it is
cocked. Additionally, the Sub-Compact has a visible
loaded-chamber indicator that can be felt, as well.

As Ive said in previous articles,

From 7 yards, the Sub-Compact is still accurate. This group was no matter what you carry, you need
produced with Hornadys Critical Defense ammunition and to spend time practicing on the
proved to be plenty accurate for defensive work. In addition, the
Springfields design is such that it is comfortable to shoot,
range, and the XD makes that time
which cant be said of all compact 9mms. enjoyable. I tested the pistol in a
variety of ways, shooting slow-re,
double-taps and drawing the gun
from the holster. I dont think its fair
or accurate to say that there is a
best compact carry pistol, as
every shooter needs to nd a gun
that ts his needs and that he can
shoot well, but the Springeld XD
Sub-Compact is certainly a high-
quality gun that is well built and
user-friendly. If youre in the market
for a carry gun, it would be wise to
get this pistol in your hands before
you commit. It has a lot to offer in a

small package. GW
The curved
safety extends
from the rear of
the grip and
allows the gun to
be fired only
when it is

depressed ...
Hornadys Critical Defense Ammunition
Hornady has long enjoyed a reputation for loading excellent ammo, and it has excelled in creating loads for self-
defense, dangerous game, match shooting and just about every other shooting discipline. The companys Critical
Defense ammunition is among the very best defensive ammunition on the market. It has a polymer Flex Tip insert
that helps penetrate clothing and barriers, and you can expect consistent, reliable expansion from this ammunition.
It is available in virtually every major defensive handgun caliber from .22 Winchester Magnum up to .45 Colt.
Volumes have been written about which handgun caliber is best for self-defense, and there are plenty of experts
doling out advice to new shooters, but bullet selection has proven time and again to be absolutely essential for
personal defense. No matter what caliber you shoot, having your gun loaded with purpose-built ammunition like
Hornadys Critical Defense provides plenty of peace of mind. For more information, visit www.hornady.com.

GW1405_FIVESEVEN-24-31.EPric 3/3/14 11:24 PM Page 24
FNs Five-seveN pistol is a single-action-only, delayed-

blowback pistol firing the high-velocity 5.7x28mm cartridge.

LIMITED Story & Photos by Jerry Catania
ENGAGEMENT
FN Herstals Handgun May Be the Best Pistol Youll Never See.
In 1989, NATO published document D/296, for military and law enforcement in
1998. Civilian models were first
which outlined the details for a new type introduced in 2004.
While the original Five-seveN
of firearm, the Personal Defense Weapon, or had a heavy double-action trigger,
PDW. In that document, NATO specifically the first model offered to civilians
was a single-action-only (SAO)
called for two types of PDWs, the first being model called the IOM (Individual
Officer Model), which was replaced
a shoulder-fired weapon, and the second by the USG (United States
being a handheld weapon, or pistol. Government) in three frame colors
and choice of fixed or adjustable
T
he general parameters Fabrique Nationale dHerstal sights, which was then replaced by
outlined for the pistols better-known as FN Herstal or the MK2 model in 2013. Confused
were that they have greater simply FN, a Belgian firearms yet?
range, accuracy and manufacturer with exactly 100 While most of the changes for
terminal performance than the years of experience when D/296 2013 were cosmetic, the MK2 has a
9x19 Parabellum cartridge, was publishedresponded to the one-piece metal slide whereas
especially in their ability to defeat NATO call in the early 1990s with its previous models had two-piece
certain types of body armor that P90 carbine, followed by its first welded slides. It is also slightly
were known to stop the 9mm NATO rendition of the Five-seveN pistol. wider than previous models and is a
round. And that call for designs Although the suggestions in D/296 very tight fit in holsters designed for
eventually produced the Five- were never standardized, FN obsolete versions. The MK2 is
seveN, one of the more cleverly proceeded ahead of the curve and available with adjustable sights
capitalized handguns around. began production of its Five-seveN (only, it appears) and in Flat Dark

The Five-seveN comes with three 20-

round magazines. Each has witness
holes marked off in five-round bites.
Earth (FDE) frame color. It is the

model tested in this article.
BLACKHAWK! TODAYS FN
makes this paddle The current Five-seveN pistol is
holsterthe SERPA
Level 2 Sportster a single-action-only, delayed-
for the FN Five- blowback pistol firing the high-
seveN.
velocity 5.7x28mm cartridge. It
features a polymer-covered steel
slide with front and rear cocking
serrations and a 4.8-inch long, cold
CHRONOGRAPH DATA
LOAD MUZZLE VELOCITY
Federal American EagleAE5728A: 40-grain TMJ* 1,634 fps
FN HerstalSS197SR: Blue-tipped, 40-grain Hornady V-MAX* 1,710 fps
FN HerstalSS192: 28-grain, aluminum-core JHP** 1,988 fps
FN HerstalSS196SR: Red-tipped, 40-grain Hornady V-MAX*** 1,544 fps
LEGEND:
Muzzle velocities were recorded with an Oehler 35P Chronograph at 8 feet from the muzzle and given in feet per
second (fps). NONE of these loads are considered armor-piercing by BATFE. TMJ = Lead-core bullet completely
encapsulated in a copper jacket. JHP = Copper-jacketed hollow point. V-MAX = Hornadys lead-core, polymer-
tipped hollow point.
*Current Production
**Discontinued in 2004
***Discontinued in 2005
NOTE: According to its website, Hornady V-MAX bullets are only designed to expand above 1,600-fps
velocities.

hammer-forged stainless-steel optional). It has a fully made for the P90 rifle/carbine.
barrel with a hard-chrome-lined ambidextrous manual safety lever When the first Five-seveN pistol
bore and chamber, enabling a and a reversible magazine-release. was being developed, the round
service life of more than 20,000 The manual safety is fairly unique; it was shortened slightly, given an
rounds. The design is hammer-fired, is mounted in front of and above aluminum core with a steel insert in
rather than striker-fired, with the the trigger and is designed to be the nose and renamed SS190. It
tiny hammer being concealed operated either by the shooters was designed to defeat body armor
within the slide. The slide is topped trigger finger or the thumb of the and has never been offered to
with a set of fully adjustable three- non-shooting support hand. The civilians in the United States.
dot sights. end result is a highly accurate, light BATFE has classified it as armor-
The polymer frame has a MIL- (23 ounces empty) though rather piercing.
STD 1913 Picatinny rail for lasers, large, 21-shot pistol shooting a low- As mentioned above, civilian
lights or other accessories. It recoil, high-velocity cartridge with ammo (and the accompanying
houses a magazine with a polymer an amazingly flat trajectory. availability issues) has been the
body and base that holds 20 Unfortunately, a good deal of source of much confusion rather
rounds of ammunition (10 rounds, controversy has surrounded the than the Five-seveN pistol itself.
Five-seveN since its introduction to The first load offered was the
civilians. In fact, the pistol has been SS192, featuring a 28-grain hollow
Close-up of the military-
spec Picatinny light rail. the target of no fewer than three point with an aluminum core; it was
U.S. House attempts and one U.S. discontinued in 2004. The next
Senate attempt to ban it; all were round offered to civilians was the
defeated. And although much of SS195LF. It had the same bullet as
the controversy actually centered the SS192 but with a lead-free
on its ammunition, which Ill get to primer. FN currently manufactures
next, this additional conversation it in Belgium, but, in all honesty,
has often confused gun lovers and good luck trying to find any.
haters alike. The next round featured a red-
tipped, 40-grain Hornady V-MAX
5.7x28MM AMMO bullet. Called the SS196SR (SR for
The original 5.7 round was Sporting Round), it was quickly
developed by FN in 1990 and was replaced with the SS197SR with a
designated the SS90. It had a blue-tipped Hornady V-MAX bullet
plastic core projectile and was of the same weight but with a
The TAC-XPD Defense Ammunitionthe optimized solution for carry or home defense.
Techni-Crom plated cases s Coated, all-copper bullets s Smooth, reliable feeding s Virtually no muzzle ash
Available in 380 Auto, 9mm Luger, 40 S&W and 45 Auto. New for 2014 - 357 Magnum.
www.barnesbullets.com
1-800-574-9200

A good deal of
controversy has
surrounded the
Five-seveN since
The workings of the Five-seveNs receiver.
The hammer is above the grip on the far left.
its introduction

higher muzzle velocity. It is still
to civilians. being produced for the civilian
market, but as of this writing, the
U.S. supply has been completely
dried up, as well.
The latest (circa 2012) load to
be introduced is Federals
SPECIFICATIONS: American Eagle brand, designated
AE5728A, featuring a total metal-
jacketed, 40-grain bullet. This was
the only load available for use in
MAKER: FNH USA this article from any source.
There have been at least a half-
dozen other loads that were
NAME: Five-seveN Close-up of the ambidextrous safety (with red dot for
available to police and military to fire) next to the slide-lock and lever (non-ambidextrous),
ACTION: Hammer-fired, add to the mix. Luckily, I had some which is above the reversible magazine-release button.
single-action, semi-
automatic
CALIBER: 5.7x28mm
FRAME: Polymer
SLIDE: Polymer-encased
steel
WEIGHT: 23 ounces
(empty)
BARREL LENGTH: 4.8
inches with 1:9 twist
OVERALL LENGTH: 8.2
inches
CAPACITY: 20+1 or 10+1
SIGHTS: Adjustable three-
dot
OTHER: Cold hammer-
forged, stainless-steel
barrel with hard-chromed
chamber and bore,
ambidextrous manual
safety, reversible mag catch,
magazine disconnect safety
MSRP: $1,200 and up The authors daughter Rachel firing the Five-seveN.

of the older civilian loads on hand,

and the results of the chronograph
tests were rather interesting.
SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS
Despite my issues obtaining
the necessary ammunition (always
tough to test a firearm without it),
shooting the Five-seveN was a real
treat, and its moderate blast, zero-
The Five-seveN field stripped. Re-assembly
perceived recoil, flat trajectory and is even easier than takedown.
superb accuracy contributed to a
very nice experience. Although I
would like to see the option of
mounting a scope, the pistol is so
well designed that, from my
personal view, it had no flaws of
any kind. A light and controllable
Balance of Power
Compact, Comfortable, Accurate.
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The pointer is showing the

magazine protruding ever
so slightly when it is in the
first detent, a position for
extra-safe storage.
Close-up of the
takedown lever to the left
of the manual safety.
Size comparison: Glock Model 20 in

10mm (top) and the FN Five-seveN.
Although the Five-seveN is actually a
little bigger, it is about a -pound lighter.


trigger, sharp but not painful
checkering, sights that were The ease of CONTACTS:
superior to most stock pistols and a
short reach to the trigger were just a
few of the engineered-in amenities.
takedown was
FNH USA
only exceeded by
The ease of takedown was only
exceeded by the ease of re- www.fnhusa.com
assembly.
the ease of re-

Better still, the design even (800) 635-1321
allowed me to carry it in rough
terrain with my finger behind the
trigger, a method I consider superior assembly. Federal Premium
when traversing irregular or slippery
footing. With its high capacity and the entrance and exit holes. Of Ammunition
reduced weight, I really wanted to course, the American Eagle load is
carry it on the streets of Arizona, designed to be a target/plinking www.federalpremium.com
but the light FMJ bullets just did not load only, but its expensive at $30
or so per box (again, as of this
(800) 379-1732
give me enough confidence to do
so. writing), and reloading voids the
Basicallydespite all the hype warranty. So until FN (or a suitable
published 10 years agothe 5.7 sub-contractor) makes some BLACKHAWK!
cartridge fired from the Five-seveN expanding ammo and gets it to our
local shelves, the Five-seveN will be
www.blackhawk.com
pistol has about the same amount
of power as the 22 WRFM (thats relegated to target/plinking pistol (800) 379-1732
rimfire magnum) fired from a rifle status, whichgiven all of its
maybe. To my way of thinking, a inherent qualities I mentioned (same as Federal)
40-grain FMJ at a bit over 1,600 abovewill more than limit our
feet per second is not a man- opportunities to engage with it.
stopping cartridge or, for that Until then, the Five-seveN will
matter, even a rabbit-stopping not be able to live up to its full and
cartridge. My firing at 1-gallon jugs real potential in either category,
of water produced nothing but a despite it being one of the best
trickle of H2O seeping out of both pistols ever designed. GW
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GW1405_BLINDSIDE-32-39.EPric 3/3/14 11:59 PM Page 32
Blind

sided in
SOUTH DAKOTA Story & Photos by Mike Dickerson
Conventional Wisdom Does Not

Classify Steel Shot As a Long-Range
Load, but Winchesters New Blind Side
Pheasant Shotshell Turns Conventional
Wisdom on Its Head.

W
hen you gather a group of Taking advantage of a tailwind,
seasoned wingshooters the rooster opened the distance
to test new shotgun considerably by the time I pivoted
ammunition, its a pretty safe bet 180 degrees, with the shotgun
that theyll view the new arrival pointed safely overhead, and
with a healthy dose of skepticism. focused on the bird. He flew
That wasth e case when I set straight and low down the open
out on three days of action-filled lane between crop fields, gaining
pheasant shooting with four other distance by the second, while I
writers at R&R Pheasant Hunting in made sure I had a safe shot and
South Dakota. We were on a shouldered the shotgun. He side-
mission to test Winchesters new slipped a bit to the right, and the
Blind Side Pheasant shotshell load. little ballistics computer in my brain
Winchester has made some made a last-second adjustment
bold claims for Blind Side, such as before I slapped the trigger on a
more pellets on target, a larger kill new 12-gauge Citori 725 supplied by
zone and greater trauma on the Browning. (Editors note: Look for a
terminal end (resulting in more full test and review of this made-
quick kills) from the unique over Citori in a future issue.)
hexahedron-shaped, stacked steel Much to my surprise, the
shot in the loads. Blind Side
waterfowl shells, which send hex
steel shot smoking out of barrels as
fast as 1,675 fps in some loads,
quickly earned a good reputation,
but the new 1,400 fps pheasant
loads were, to us, unproven. In my
mind, no matter how you packaged
it, steel shot was steel shot, and the
stuff has never been known for
performing well at a distance.
I would soon have reason to
reconsider that belief, and so would
the other men along with me.
On our initial drives across
corn and milo fields, drivers and
blockers included Ben Gustafson,
Slaton White and Rick Van Etten,
along with Justin Larson of the
South Dakota Department of
Tourism. L.P. Brezny took the right
flanking position and I occupied the
left flank. Birds were plentiful, and
it quickly became apparent to me
that this group of bird hunters knew
their way around shotguns. R&Rs
well trained dogs worked close in
the tight cover, and most shots
were at modest range, between 20
and 35 yards. Any bird remotely
centered in a shot pattern dropped
as though it had been struck by
lightning. That question, at least,
was quickly answered.
The Blind Side Pheasant load
hit hard.
Then Brezny connected on a
long shot that really caught my
attention. I mentally chalked it up
to a couple of lucky pellets sent
downrange by a skilled shooter. The author (left) and Winchester Agency
Shortly afterward, a cagey old Representative Tim Zick draw beads on flushing
pheasants during a hunt in South Dakota to test
rooster flushed 10 yards behind me Winchesters new Blind Side Pheasant load.
from the edge of the cornfield. He
had simply hunkered down and let
us pass before flushing behind us.

GW1405_BLINDSIDE-32-39.EPric.CX.qxp 3/7/14 12:16 AM Page 35

... Every
shooter
present killed
birds at very
un-steel-like

distances.
Working with R&R

Pheasant Hunting Guide
Chris Hull (left), Ben
Gustafson (center) and
the author (right) quickly
discovered why South
Dakota is considered the
pheasant-hunting capitol
of the world.
rooster folded like hed smacked

into an invisible wall and was dead
The author reloads after downing before he hit the ground. The
a rooster with a long shot using
Winchesters new Blind Side paced-off distance was a bit over
Pheasant load. (South Dakota 50 yards.
Department of Tourism)
Similar long shots were
repeated many times over the next
three days, and by the end, every
shooter present had killed birds at
very un-steel-like distances. It
wasnt long before we started
cutting up shells, dissecting them
to see what made the loads so
potent.
For our host, R&R owner Sal
Roseland, who sees a tremendous
number of birds shot annually with
a wide variety of shot shells, the
Blind Side ammunition was a
revelation: The impressive thing
was the shootinghow well
everybody shotand seeing those
birds dropping dead at 50 to 60
yards, he said afterward. Wed be
hollering, Too far! on a bird and
somebody would shoot and it
would die.
UNLOCKING BLIND SIDES

SECRETS
The Blind Side shotshell is
really a system of several
components that must work
together to produce the desired
effect. Take one of those
components away, and it wouldnt
work nearly as well as it does, says
Brad Criner, Winchesters senior
product manager.
First, theres the hexahedron-
shaped shot. Because it stacks in
the shell and pellets are closer
together, you get 10 to 15 percent
more pellets compared to a No. 5
regular steel load.
That allows you to open that
Winchesters new Blind Side Pheasant load, with its

unique hexahedron-shaped steel shot, proved deadly
on roosters at greater distances than anticipated.

pattern up but still be lethal on

target, Criner says. The pellets
tumble, with each individual hex
shot rotating on an axis. They really
create a lot more trauma on the
birds because theyre tumbling and
theyre not round, so theres more South Dakota by the Numbers
disruption when they hit tissue. You
get a lot of shock and knock-down If youre a true upland bird hunter, South Dakota should already rank
power. Its instant death. near the top of your bucket list.
The second important element The state has experienced remarkable growth in pheasant-hunting
is the loads diamond-cut wad. opportunities since its first pheasant season in 1919, which resulted in the
Unlike regular wads, which harvest of fewer than 200 roosters.
parachute away from the shot By 2010, the annual harvest had climbed to an incredible 1,831,571 birds,
string immediately after leaving the firmly entrenching South Dakota as the pheasant-hunting capitol of the
barrel, the diamond-cut wad stays world. The commensurate estimated economic impact of pheasant hunting
in the state that year exceeded $231 million. The number of pheasant-
with the shot string longer. When
hunting preserves in the state has grown from two in 1980 to nearly 200
the petals open, the wad slides
today.
back a bit and releases some of the While the pheasant population slipped from 11.9 million in 2007 to an
shot. estimated population of 8.5 million due to drought and grassland habitat
It opens and closes repeatedly, loss, which was exacerbated by Congressional failure to enact a farm bill,
releasing shot in a metered fashion South Dakota remains the consistent No. 1 state in the nation in bird counts
in a straight trajectory, Criner says. and annual harvest numbers.
It all happens in milliseconds. Traditional seasons run from mid-October to early January in eastern
A third critical factor, he says, is areas and mid- to late October in western areas. The preserve season runs
the fact that Blind Side is the only from September to March. Most of the state is privately owned and
steel load on the market that uses permission is required to hunt, but you can find decent public-land hunting
a hinged wad. This lowers peak opportunities in a number of Walk-In Areas and Game Production Areas.
pressure (and reduces recoil), so
For more information, contact the South Dakota Department of
you can get higher velocity out of a
Game, Fish and Parks and the South Dakota Department of Tourism.
magnum load.
The standard with 1 3/8-ounce
loads is 1,300 fps, Criner says.
With hex shot, I can get 1 3/8-
ounce loads to 1,400 fps with a
hinged system. Thats borderline
high-velocity.
Blind Side Pheasant loads are
currently available in 2 -inch and
3-inch, 12-gauge shells with 1 3/8
ounces of No. 5 shot. They are an
excellent choice for hunting
pheasant in areas where lead shot
is banned, andbased upon my
experiencejust about anyplace
else.
Despite our experience in the
field, Criner cautions that most
shooters should limit shots to
about 40 yards. Hex shot can be
lethal at longer yardages
depending on the shot size and the
shooter, he says, because you have
more-lethal pellets and more of
them going downrange.
But not everyone can kill birds
with this at 50 to 60 yards, he
says. The shooter has to match up
the load with the choke tube with
his or her shooting ability.
Although most of our shooting
in South Dakota was done with
modified and full-choke tubes
installed, the gun I tested came
withwonder of wonderstwo
modified chokes in the barrels. It
proved to be a deadly setup. Criner

The authors hunting party,

including a number of
notable outdoor writers and
editors, put Winchesters
new Blind Side Pheasant
load to the test for three
days in South Dakota. It

passed with flying colors.
advises starting out with an

improved cylinder choke, going to
than the three-roosters-per-day,
wild-bird bag limit. ... Blind Side
light modified, modified or It also means theres a lot of
improved modified only if acreage that never gets hunted. is the only
necessary. He frowns on the use of
full chokes with Blind Side.
Id say you would be
somewhat handicapped with mod
and full, he says. Blind Side tends
to pattern best out of an IC choke
out to 40 yards. With improved
That fact, combined with R&Rs
intensive habitat management,
translates into high winter-survival
rates and a lot of population
carryover from year to year.
With our designated preserve
acreage, we cannot shoot more
steel load on
the market
that uses a

mod, I do see some pattern than 100 percent of what we
hinged wad.
degradation, but it does keep the release, Roseland says. We
pattern tighter downrange. release 18,000 to 19,000 birds per
season. We have an excellent wild
A FIRST-RATE PRESERVE bird population because we farm especially in areas that cant
Of course, it would be for the birds, but we are always support viable wild bird
misleading to make definitive managing and releasing birds to populationsbut thats not how
assertions about ammunition keep our population growing in our R&R operates.
performance based solely on area, so you are always hunting a We can just open the crates
shooting a few birds. Happily, we all mix of wild and released birds. and let them fly because we have
shot considerably more than a few, Having hunted a fair number of 18,000 acres, Roseland says. I
and thats what made R&R preserves in my day, its important have never, ever, had a hunter leave
Pheasant Hunting such a great for inexperienced wingshooters to our place and tell us that our pen-
choice for testing. understand that not all preserves raised birds dont fly like wild
R&R has established 6,000 of are created equal. Many are simply pheasant. Thats just due to the
the family-run operations 18,000 put-and-take operations. People go fact that those released birds
acres as a preserve. That enables out and plant the birds for you just typically have a lot of time to go
visitors to hunt from the beginning before your hunt, and you go out wild.
of September to the end of March, and kick them up with dogs and Another significant difference
versus the shorter wild-bird season, shoot them. at R&R is the size of the fields
and allows you to harvest more Thats not necessarily bad hunted: A lot of places hunt big

GW1405_BLINDSIDE-32-39.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:18 AM Page 39
Family-operated R&R
Pheasant Hunting, a
Certified Cabelas Hunting
Destination, offers all the
Then, too, wild birds generally
amenities you would expect
from a top-flight preserve, prefer to run than fly. Thats why CONTACTS:
including a well appointed drives employ flankers and
lodge and delicious, home-
cooked meals. blockers. Hunting can get pretty
tough when its just one or two guys Browning Firearms
hunting a big CRP (Conservation www.browning.com
Reserve Program) field because
many of the birds simply run. R&R R&R Pheasant
cuts its preserve hunting fields into
strips tailored for smaller groups,
Hunting
ensuring plenty of shooting www.rrpheasanthunting.com
opportunities for hunters.
As a Certified Cabelas Hunting South Dakota
Destination, R&R offers all the
amenities you would expect: a
Department of
comfortable, well appointed lodge Tourism
that can accommodate up to 34 www.travelsd.com
guests, who are served hearty,
delicious, home-cooked meals and South Dakota
an extra-large helping of South Department of
Dakota hospitality.
We provide everything: meals, Game, Fish and
license, guns, shells and Parks
beverages, Roseland says. The www.gfp.sd.gov
only thing you need is your clothes
and a big appetite. Winchester
Lodge shotguns are all quality
models from Browning and
Ammunition
Winchester, and the 20-plus www.winchester.com
fields of CRP with 20 guys, working dogs at R&R, mostly labs
Roseland says. We like to keep it and German shorthair pointers, are
smaller; six to eight guys working a top notch. They were still going
field. Its more manageable, for strong at the end of our third day of
safety, and more personable. It hunting, which was a bit more than
gives guys a chance to get to know could be said of our band of leg-
us and our guides. weary hunters. GW
Hunters emerge from a

South Dakota cornfield
after a successful drive.

GW1405_HUNTER-40-45.EPric 3/6/14 5:39 AM Page 40
TODAYS
HUNTER

SAGE
RAT
SHOOTING
Story & Photos by Thomas C. Tabor
The ground squirrel
A
t only about one-half to one-third the
sometimes referred to size of its pot-bellied cousin, the
ground squirrel makes a difficult target,
as a sage ratdoesnt even when viewed through a high-
powered riescope. Now, combine that
seem to capture the diminutive size with its naturally cautious and
antsy mindset, and you have a species with the
attention from shooters potential to both test and entertain the shooter.
that the prairie dog RANGE AND HABITAT
does. But those of us There are 50 different genera and 268
species in the family of rodents commonly
that routinely try to rid associated with the name "squirrel." Within that
family, there are several different ground-
the planet of these dwelling species that prefer to live out their lives
pests dont in the dirt, never to venture to the treetops. It is
important for the hunter to be able to
underestimate them differentiate between the species because, in
some locales, one or more of those may be
because shooting them classied as threatened or endangered and
therefore may not be hunted.
can be a true challenge.

GW1405_HUNTER-40-45.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:19 AM Page 42
TODAYS HUNTER
In particular, the Washingtonn
ground squirrel usually falls into
that category. On the other hand,
the Columbian and Richardsons
species are possibly the most
common of the species to be
targeted by varmint hunters. The
Columbian is found in eastern
British Columbia, western Alberta
and in the states of Oregon,
Washington, northern Idaho and
western Montana. The
Richardsons makes its home in
portions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Tom found the Volquartsen
Manitoba, central and eastern Custom semi-auto .17 HMR
worked well as a
Montana, North and South Dakota walkabout-style rifle for
even as far east as Minnesota. sage rats in western
Montana.
The Columbian ground squirrel
is not as tolerant of the dry
shooting restrictions on it, some incident, the few square yards of
conditions as some other ground-
states may require a basic hunting crop loss from a squirrels den may
dwelling squirrel species. But
license. So, just like the ol clich, seem insignicant, but when the
neither the Richardsons nor the
when in doubt, check it out would eld is littered with hundreds or
Columbian necessarily require
certainly apply here. even thousands of sage rat
standing water in their environment
Most ground-squirrel shooting burrows, this accumulative damage
to survive as long as sufficient
is found on private land, so can be staggering. And if that isn't
moisture can be obtained from the
obtaining permission to hunt is enough, unlike prairie dog mounds,
vegetation they consume. The
imperative. The good news is, like which frequently tower above the
habitat can be quite diverse,
prairie dogs, ground squirrels are height of the vegetation, the sage
consisting of high grass plateaus,
strongly detested by the vast rat spreads its excavated dirt out in
valley grasslands, meadows, clear-
majority of ranchers and farmers more of a attened manner, which
cuts, coniferous forests or stream
and for good reason. In one makes the ground squirrels den
banks and vary at elevations
university study, it was found that a much easier for livestock and even
ranging from low elevation of only a
mature ground squirrel can humans to accidentally step into
few hundred feet all the way up to
consume, on average, a whopping and injure themselves. Ranchers on
about 8,000 feet.
240 pounds of vegetation each and horseback have to be particularly
every year of its life. Mostly, this aware of the possibility of their
LOCATING A comes in the form of the same horse falling prey to one of these
PLACE TO SHOOT foodstuffs that ranchers depend on potential leg-breaking traps.
It should go without saying that to feed their livestocklargely Agricultural croplands are great
you should check the local grasses, various plant parts, seeds places to nd good populations of
regulations before heading aeld and other types of vegetation. ground squirrels. Sources of water
for your sage-rat shooting. In some Adding further to the nuisance are frequently located nearby but
states and jurisdictions, shooting is that a signicant amount of dirt are not necessarily a prerequisite to
may be closed completely, and in is displaced as a result of the sage good ground-squirrel shooting. In
many other areas, shooting may be rats diggings, and that dirt winds the spring, youll frequently nd the
restricted to certain species. And up covering and choking out the colonies in the very same places
while many states have the ground cropland vegetation all around their that the livestock will be grazing,
squirrel ranked as a vermin with no dens. When viewed as a single feeding on the new grasses poking
Ground squirrels spread their excavated dirt from their dens over a large area, choking out the grass. However, Toms Cooper rifle, equipped with a high-
magnification Weaver scope, helped greatly to reduce the population.

UNSURPPASSED
UNSURPASSED
ASS
A
CAPPACITY
CAPACI
CZ P-09
Longer bipod versions come
with the option of shooting
With 19+1 in its ush tting
from either the prone or magazine, the P --09
09 cant bee beat
sitting position. when it comes tto service
o 9mm ser pistols.
vice pis tols.
A few very serious sage-rat shooters even construct elevated shooting platforms on the back
of their pickups. This gets the shooter up high in order to be able to avoid the tall vegetation.
through the ground. July. The end of the hibernation

Understandably, the ranchers period coincides perfectly with
may not want you to shoot the growth of the new grasses, MAIN FEATURES
FEA
ATURES
T
around their stock, but it is likely and when the grass reaches a t*OUFSDIBOHFBCMFCBDLTUSBQT
t * O UF S D I B O H F B C M F C B D L T U S B Q T
that there will be adjacent height of only a few inches, it can t$POWFSUJCMF TBGFUZPSEFDPDLFS
t $POWFS UJCMF TBGFUZPSEFDPDLFS
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properties that are void of any make seeing and shooting the
t1PMZNFSGSBNFXJUI1JDBUJOOZSBJM
t1PMZNFSGSBNFXJUI1JDBUJOOZSBJM
cattle or sheep but share similar ground squirrels much more

t NN 48 1
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traits and characteristics.

t5XPNBHB[JOFT
t 5XPNBHB[JOFT
Irrigated alfalfa elds provide
t
tZFBSXBSSBOUZ
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great habitat, but unfortunately,
the intent of the irrigation is to Most ground-
stimulate rapid crop growth,
meaning that all too soon, the
grasses will be too high to
squirrel
provide good shooting visibility.
Unlike many varmint and shooting is found
predator species that can be
hunted virtually year around, the
shooting window for ground
on private lands,
squirrels is actually quite short. In
the locales that permit shooting, so obtaining
there is frequently no closed
season, but there are other
limiting factors totally unrelated
permission to 1305&$5t)6/5t$0.1&5&
hunt is

to the laws and the regulations.
Hibernation lasts a full seven to www.cz-usa.com
www.cz-usa.com
imperative.
eight months, beginning when
the weather becomes hot in early

TODAYS HUNTER
Tom prefers to shoot from the prone

position because of its steadiness, but thats
not always possible after the grass reaches a
few inches in height. Shooting sticks are a
good item to have along on your sage rat
shooting trip, particularly in the later times

of the year, when the grass gets higher.
in more shooting opportunities.
Much of the As an alternative to a bench,

some shooters use shooting sticks.
you might want to bring along
something in the .204 Ruger, .22-
I generally prefer all my squirrel
same equipment ries to be equipped with a sling-
swivel-mounted bipod, the longer
250 or .220 Swift category of
calibers. One of the neat things
about ground-squirrel shooting is
used for prairie versions in particular. These longer-
legged models provide me the
that you can frequently shoot at
whatever range you would like, and
option of shooting from either the
dogs will work sitting or prone position.
for that reason, I frequently bring
along both a couple of rimre
A shooting mat is also a great choices as well as some centerres.
perfectly for piece of equipment, but if you dont
own one, you might think about
Scopes are also a matter of
personal preference, but a rule of
ground
taking along a blanket, tarpaulin or

thumb might be that you cant have
even a bed sheet. And while youre too much magnication. When it
at it, dont forget to take along a comes to rimre ries, I prefer a
squirrels. cleaning rod and your usual
cleaning paraphernalia. You will
minimum of 9x and even as high as
14x. For the centerre calibers, the
likely re a lot of rounds in good sky is essentially the limit. When
difficult. So, my best advice is to sage rat country, resulting in a need trying to punch a hole in a scrawny
start your hunting early and plan on to swab out your bore multiple sage rat at 500 or 600 yards, more
it coming to a halt usually within a times throughout the day. magnication is certainly helpful.
few months. Also, in addition to The new rim-re .17 calibers, GW
high or low temperatures, ground like the 17 HMR, 17 Mach 2 and even
squirrels dont seem to like windy or the .17 Superthe newestare all
rainy conditions either and will great choices when it comes to
often seek shelter below ground to close-range shooting, as are the .22
avoid them. LR and .22 Magnum. But beyond HUNTING BY EAR
150-yards or so, you would likely
SHOOTING ESSENTIALS have better results with one of the Ground squirrels are very vocal
Much of the same equipment larger centerre varmint cartridges.
animals. When danger is
used for prairie dogs will work My own favorite all-around squirrel
perceived, they will frequently
perfectly for ground squirrels. While ries consist of my custom-built .17
let loose with a high-pitched
I've never been much for portable Mach IV, but the commercial
counterpart, .17 Fireball, would be squeak alarm, which will likely
shooting benches for varmint
hunting, they can be a great asset equally procient. The wildcat .20 be picked up by other members
for ground squirrels, particularly in VarTarg and the .19 Badger are also of the colony and passed on.
areas of large populations. These great choices, as is the .223. In most This sound is sometimes
not only provide a steady rest for cases, I would place all of these mistaken for that of a bird, but
your rie, but, when shooting in cartridges in the effective range of once you've learned to
taller vegetation, a bench can result possibly 250 yards or, in some recognize it, you can use that
in elevating both your line of sight cases, a little farther. ability to locate the colonies.
and the bullet trajectory, resulting If you are a long-range fanatic,

GW_1404_45 2/28/14 3:13 AM Page 45
GW1405_1022-46-53.EPric 3/4/14 1:32 AM Page 46
BI G
SMALLBORE
CELEBRATION
Story & Photos by James E. House
The Ruger 10/22 Has

Served Shooters and
Spawned Spin-offs
for Half a Century

GW1405_1022-46-53.EPric 3/4/14 1:32 AM Page 47

GW1405_1022-46-53.EPric 3/4/14 1:32 AM Page 48
This greatly modified 10/22

features a Jarvis sporter weight Removing the entire trigger
barrel, a Jard trigger assembly assembly is accomplished by
and a customized factory stock. pushing out two large pins.
With a 3-9X32 Leupold EFR
scope attached, it gives an
impressive performance.
This photo shows the

receiver of a 10/22 with
the trigger assembly
removed. Note the push-
button safety located in
front of the trigger.
T
he year 1964 could well be
remembered for many
things. For example, it was
the year that the Ford
Mustang premiered and the year
the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the
New York Yankees in a seven-game
World Series. But for those of us
interested in the shooting sports,
1964 may also be remembered as
the year in which the ever-popular
Ruger 10/22 was introduced. Half a
century laterand with more than
ve million of the rimre ries
producedthe Ruger 10/22 is still
enormously popular.
Fifty years since its debut, it is
more than fair to say that this rie is
the model with which all other
auto-loading .22s are compared.
The Ruger 10/22 was originally
The barrel is held to the receiver by a V-shaped
congured to loosely resemble the block that is held in place by two large screws that
famous M1 Carbine, but the 10/22 can be turned with a 5/32-inch Allen wrench.

GW1405_1022-46-53.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:21 AM Page 49

... this rifle is
the model with
which all other
auto-loading
.22s are

compared.
also has numerous other features
that make it so popular. One of
them is the unique rotary magazine
that holds 10 rounds of .22 Long
Rie. This magazine is legendary for
reliable feeding and a trouble-free
long life. But in spite of the
appearance of the rie and the
magazine it uses, the aspect that
sets the Ruger 10/22 apart from
other .22 auto-loaders is thatby
its designit allows the owner to
make several modications and
upgrades, from the simple to the
complex.
In fact, it is safe to say that the
Ruger 10/22 has spawned many
companies that specialize in
producing and selling aftermarket
parts for the rie.
One of the most important features of the 10/22 is

the 10-shot rotary magazine.
A MODEL RIFLE
Throughout the years,
numerous variants of the Ruger
10/22 have also been produced. In
many cases, slight differences have
resulted from the production of
parts by various suppliers. This is
especially true in regard to items
like stocks and sights. Early 10/22s
had walnut stocks, but hardwood
stocks have been the norm since
about 1980 with the exception of
the Deluxe Sporter (the 10/22 DSP
version), which continues to feature
a checkered walnut stock tted with
sling swivels and a rubber butt plate.

The little rifle that has become a true icon, the Ruger 10/22 Carbine.
The 10/22 Sporter is the most elegant of the versions of the 10/22.
For accurate shooting, the 10/22 Target has an excellent reputation among factory rifles.

The newest edition to the 10/22 family is the Takedown model.
... the Ruger TOLD YOU SO
10/22 has Sure, we like the Ruger 10/22

now, but we also liked it
when it first came out. In our
The 10/22 Target is furnished

spawned many 1964 test of Rugers New
Rifle, we thought it was a
fit companion for the .44
with a heavy laminated stock, and
throughout the years, some companies that Magnum Carbine and
thought the rotary box
versions of the 10/22 Carbine have magazine was novel.
appeared with laminated or
composite stocks. This means that
specialize in According to Bill Ruger,
the review revealed, the
a completest collector of Ruger
10/22s has an extremely wide range producing and design of this little magazine
took something like a year
and a half of engineering
of ries to seek, including some
produced for specic suppliers and
retailers.
selling before it was ready for
production.
Today, that year and a
aftermarket

The 10/22 Carbine has a half in development pales in
smooth, plastic butt plate that also comparison to the fifty years
covers a short portion of the comb the Ruger 10/22 has been in
at the rear. Early 10/22s had butt
plates shaped in the same way but
parts ... successful service.
- The Editor
made of black-nished aluminum.
A composite barrel band encircles
the forend and barrel near the
forward end of the stock. The effect
is to enhance the similarity in
appearance between the 10/22 and
the M1 Carbine.
The Ruger 10/22 is shipped
with a scope base attached to the
top of the receiver by means of four
screws. Originally, the base had
grooves along the edges so that
clamp-on scope mounts could be
attached. In recent years, Ruger has
provided a scope base that
attaches in the same way, but it
not only has grooves along the
edges but also transverse grooves
that make it possible to attach

GW_1405_51 2/28/14 3:15 AM Page 51
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10/22 Rie that had a 20-inch

barrel and a sporter-styled stock
with a conventional-style butt plate
CONTACT:
When it and no barrel band. However, this
sleek sporter simply did not
compete well with the Carbine
comes to model, and it was discontinued
Sturm, Ruger &
after only a few years.
accuracy of Bowing to market pressure
generated by some semi-automatic
Company
www.ruger.com
the factory
.22s that can be partially
disassembled, Ruger has
introduced the 10/22 Takedown
(603) 865-2442
rifles, the version with a two-piece stock. The
barrel and forend can be detached
Target from the receiver by pressing

inward on a lock button on the
bottom of the assembly and
version takes

rotating the barrel and
forend a quarter turn. This
the prize ... disengages the interrupted

threads from the receiver. The folding-leaf rear
Knowing that many sight is both attractive
and functional, and it is
10/22s would be modied adjustable.
by switching barrels,
Weaver-type rings. The safety is of stocks and triggers, Ruger
the cross bolt type and is located in produces the 10/22
the front section of the trigger Target version with a 20-
guard. inch, hammer-forged
For many years, the magazine barrel of uniform 0.920-
release was a lever that t ush inch diameter. It also
with the bottom of the action has a better trigger and
between the front of the trigger a massive laminated
guard and the magazine. When the stock for stability in
front end of the lever was pushed target shooting. Both
upward, the magazine dropped out. blue and stainless
One of the most popular versions of the 10/22
accessories for the 10/22 has been Target are available,
an extended magazine release that, and each has a
when pushed forward, allowed the weight of 7.5 pounds.
magazine to drop out. In response
to the popularity of such an ACCURACY AND
accessory, the Ruger 10/22 is now VERSATILITY 10/22 can easily be modied in so
tted with a factory magazine When it comes to accuracy of many ways makes it the most
release of this type. Personally, I do the factory ries, the Target version versatile rimre rie by far. The
not like the projecting lump in front takes the prize, as would be selection of aftermarket parts is
of the trigger, which is where I place expected. With numerous types of simply incredible, and it includes
my hand when carrying a rie. target ammunition, my 10/22 Target stocks, barrels, complete trigger
In addition to the standard gave ve-shot groups at 50 yards assemblies and numerous smaller
carbine with an 18.5-inch barrel, that averaged around 0.6 to 0.7 items.
Ruger offers a scaled-down model inch. The 10/22 Carbine gave Sometimes, a top-performing
known as the 10/22 Compact. It groups that averaged less than one member of a sports team is referred
features a 16.12-inch barrel and a inch with some target loads, but the to as a franchise player. That is an
shorter stock with a length of pull overall average was approximately appropriate description of the
measuring 12.75 inches instead of 1.25 to 1.30 inches. Both the Ruger 10/22 among .22 LR auto-
13.75 inches for the full-sized discontinued 10/22 Rie and the loaders. With its utter reliability,
model. The 10/22 Compact also Compact performed slightly better adequate accuracy, versatility and
features sights that differ from than the Carbine. All of the models attractive styling, the Ruger 10/22
those of the Carbine. The front that I tested gave accuracy that will continue to be found in elds,
sight has a ber-optic insert along would be adequate for most forests and remote areas where a
the top edge and the rear has ber- purposes that a rimre rie would reliable .22 is an absolute
optic dots on either side of the be used for. requirement.
notch. The weight of the Carbine Although the Ruger 10/22 is And although I have been
and Compact versions is about 5 often referred to as the most around throughout the lifetime of
and 4.5 pounds, respectively. popular rimre rie, the Marlin 60 the Ruger 10/22, it will probably still
Several years ago, Ruger has been produced in greater be produced after I am gone. It is
produced a variant known as the numbers. But the fact that a Ruger indeed a remarkable rimre. GW

GW_1405_53 2/28/14 3:19 AM Page 53
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GW1405_2AKS-54-61.EPric 3/4/14 1:54 AM Page 54
B EYOND

R ELI AB LE
New Offerings From Krebs Custom and WOLF
Performance Arms Will Change the Modern
Perception of the AK
Story & Photos by Todd Burgreen
W
hile the AK has long been
considered reliable, it has also
been known as a basic weapon
with crude open sights and a lack
of ergonomics. And while there is nothing wrong
with being reliable, that description may be
viewed as the weaponry counterpart to saying a
potential blind date has a good personality.
Today, however, that impression is shifting, as several
manufacturers are now producing AKs with an impressive
number of performance-enhancing accessories and effective
chamberings.
Krebs Custom is one maker pushing the boundaries of AK
capability with its VEPR AK 5.45x39 KV-13, and WOLF
Performance Arms is doing the same with its VEPR 7.62x54R.

The WPA VEPR was

tested with a myriad of
7.62x54R ammunition
from Hornady, Lapua,
Sellier & Bellot, Barnaul,
WOLF and surplus.
A POPULAR CUSTOM
Krebs Custom has lent its
expertise to the KV-13 VEPR rie in
an effort to increase its
performance levels, and a
tremendous amount of tting goes
into all of their AKs. For example,
each receives an internal reliability
check with a light honing of the
bolt/carrier group and guide rails,
and another obvious Krebs tweak is
the extended-length, open-sight
conguration. Krebs Custom
provides an integral M16A2
aperture rear sight mounted on the
rear of the dust cover with both
battle sight and long-range
apertures that are windage
adjustable. The Krebs AR-type
open sights provide 60-percent
greater sight radius than a standard
AK. The sights, combined with
increased sight radius offered by
mounting rear turret on the dust
cover, are far superior to standard
AK sights.
A Krebs Custom four-prong
ash hider is affixed to the KV-13s
chrome-lined, 14-inch barrel, and an
ACE hinge connects the adjustable
Magpul CTR to the rear trunnion, WOLF and Mach 1 Arsenals take on how to
modernize the VEPR AK platform centered
offering users the option of folding on improvements in rear stock, side-mount
it for compact transport. Krebs scope rail and providing more adaptable
Custom also installs a customized forend rail sections.
KeyMod interface, railed forend. An

important KeyMod benet is that it

GW1405_2AKS-54-61.EPric 3/4/14 10:53 PM Page 57

with tissue, the lead core just timeframe. In this case, I red more
... The recoil behind the air space shifts forward
into this space. This is particularly
than 500 rounds without issue, and
the recoil impulse with the Krebs
impulse with the devastating when striking esh.

This shift of lead occurs
Custom KV-13 seemed smoother
than others Ive tested to date.
asymmetrically and may be one While the 5.45x39 is not considered
Krebs Custom reason for the peculiar curvature of
the bullet's path in the last half of
a heavy-recoiling round by any
stretch, the KV-13s recoil and
KV-13 seemed its travel through tissue.

Team Tactic drills are a favorite
muzzle rise was negligible, even
when ring multiple rounds in quick
method to evaluate a ghting rie succession. The 8-pound KV-13
smoother than because one gets a good sense of
how a weapon handlesand how
balanced well, as the Krebs
KeyMod set up kept the weight
others Ive tested

reliable it isdue to the amount of centered or even slightly rearward
ammunition expended in a short of action.
to date.
keeps the overall rie package
lighter and more compact. The
Krebs Custom KeyMod rail is
perfect for adding any suitable
optic due to its rock-steady nature,
allowing for no-shifting zero once a
scope is sighted in. The ability to
use forward-mounted optics shows
the exibility offered by the Krebs
Custom KV-13 modications.
A Tapco SAW-style pistol grip
and a Krebs Custom MK IV safety
lever round out the Krebs KV-13.
The lever allows for the safety
selector to be manipulated by the
trigger nger without changing the
ring grip on the weapon, and this
gives you the ability to keep your
hand in a ring position while
working the safety, allowing for
faster rst-shot reaction times.
TESTING, TESTING
The Krebs Custom KV-13 was
tested with multiple 5.45x39 loads,
including those from Hornady,
WOLF, Tula and Silver Bear in 60-
grain and 70-grain varieties. A new
entry to the 5.45x39 ammunition
territoryCentury International
Arms Red Army Standard brand
was also put to work. Red Army
Standard 5.45x39 69-grain
ammunition is offered in handy
Range Packs (180 rounds) as well
as 30-round boxes.
Of special note is the still-
available surplus 53-grain 5.45x39
ammunition. This is loaded with the
7N6 poison pill bullet that rst
gained notoriety in the Soviet-
Afghan War. A unique design
feature of the 5.45x39 cartridge is
an air space inside the jacket at the
bullet's tip, which serves to shift the
bullet's center of mass toward the
rear, possibly contributing to its very
early yaw when impacting a soft
target. In addition, on bullet impact

issue for me. A Leupold Mark 4 3.5-

10x40mm was mounted on the
WPA VEPR.
In laymans terms, the 7.62x54R
may be considered the rimmed
Russian .30-06 in terms of
ballistics (180 grains at 2,700 fps)
and thus, by degree, a relative of
the 7.62x51/.308 Win, especially
with the VEPRs 20.5-inch barrel.
The 7.62x54R is not a high-
pressure cartridge. The shortening
of the VEPRs 20.5-inch barrel has a
limited negative effect on velocity,
allowing for ballistics similar to a
.308 Win/7.62x51. Initially, the WPA
VEPR was red from the bench to
verify accuracy, but most of the
testing was done from prone and
dug in positions.
AMMO AVAILABLE
It may come as a surprise that
there are a multitude of
ammunition types available for the
7.62x54R, and several were used
with the WPA VEPR. These
consisted of Lapua 185-grain SP
(The Lapua is listed as 7.62x53R
versus 7.62x54R anecdotally, this
stems from the Finnish hate of
After initial accuracy tests, the
WPA VEPR was evaluated most things Russian due to the long
from simulated barricades and history of conict between the
engaged targets at various
distances arranged along Echo
nations), WOLF 174-grain FMJ,
Valley Training Centers WOLF Gold 180-grain SP, Sellier &
stepped berm range. Bellot 174-grain Match, Hornady
THE MOLOT CONNECTION

A BIG, BAD WOLF shooter interface with While the Saiga AK from Izhmash is the more
The 7.62x54R VEPR is a the VEPR much more widely known Russian AK import, the VEPR
collaborative affair between WOLF manageable, and AK has its own impressive heritage and
Performance Arms (WPA) and specic lengths of pull distinguishing characteristics. The VEPR AK
Mach 1 Arsenal. Currently, WPA were easy to series of ries built at the MOLOT factory are
imports the VEPR ries and accommodate. The SGM direct descendants of the Soviet RPK light
shotguns with Mach 1 Arsenal Tactical railed forend machine gun. This legacy is reected in the
handling the sales, customization, allows for the mounting VEPRs heavier hammer-forged barrel, which
distribution and warranty for the of bipods, a vertical is chrome lined, plus thicker steel receiver
VEPR rearms. Mach 1 Arsenal is a forward grip, tactical and trunnions due to the abuse typical of
sister company of SGM Tactical and lights or other working as a light machine gun.
gains access to many of its accessories, and a side The transition into the civilian market
products. WPA offers various rail provides a means to came about due to the end of the Cold War
chamberings and model mount optics on the and the ensuing collapse of the Soviet Union,
congurations for its VEPR line-up, VEPR. A MOLOT side both of which limited production, and years
ranging from .223, 7.62x39, .308 mount was used to of political reconstruction changed much at
Win and 7.62x54R. The rie tested provide a Picatinny rail the MOLOT factory. In 1994, MOLOT
in this article is chambered in section over the center designers introduced a VEPR
7.62x54R. of the VEPRs receiver. sporting/hunting rie chambered for the
Mach 1 Arsenal has lent its Many times, the side 7.62x39 cartridge. Not long after, a VEPR .308
experience to the WPA VEPR rie in mount arrangement has Win was introduced in an effort to boost
an effort to increase its disappointed in terms of foreign sales and interest. Other calibers,
performance level. Perhaps the holding zero and reliable such as .223 Rem, 5.45x39 and 7.62x54R,
obvious additions are an adjustable zero, but the were subsequently added, as well. MOLOT
rear stock and railed forend from combination of WPA has been building to Soviet/Russian military
SGM Tactical. The SGM Tactical VEPR and MOLOT specication for more than 50 years with this
adjustable rear stock made the mount worked without experience reected in the VEPR series.

174-grain Match and Barnaul 185-

grain FMJ ammunition.
As expected, name-brand
ammunition outperformed surplus
7.62x54R. Surplus ammunition
performed in the 3.75 MOA range
while other ammunition stayed at
3.25 MOA or below out of the WPA
VEPR. The Hornady Vintage Match
produced the best accuracy at just
under 2 MOA, with the WOLF Gold
and Lapua 7.62x54R close to this
performance at 2.25 MOA. Overall,
this is pretty consistent accuracy
with a variety of ammunition
makes.
My mission description for the
WPA VEPR 7.62x54R puts it closer
to a designated marksmans
weapon than a true precision rie. The WPA VEPR arrived with two five-round
The current WPA offerings in the magazines and one 10-round SGM Tactical
U.S. market offer excellent value, magazine. The magazines are a single-stack
design and assist in reliable function of the
especially for someone desiring a VEPR platform.
working example of a

Soviet/Russian weapon. The VEPR
utilizes the basic AK operation with
A unique
piston operating rod and bolt carrier
connected. The VEPRs receiver is
stretched in order to
accommodate the longer and
beeer 7.62x54R cartridge
design feature
of the 5.45x39
compared to the 7.62x39. Anyone
looking for a hard-hitting,
magazine-fed semi-automatic rie
would do well by not overlooking
the WPA VEPR. This stems from
cartridge is an
the VEPRs well earned reputation
for ruggedness and reliability air space inside
combined with 7.62x54R cartridge.
the jacket at the

The added bonus is you are getting
a magazine-fed semi-automatic
rie chambered in a potent
cartridge with enough accuracy to bullets tip ...
allow for hits on man-sized targets
out to 600 yards plus.
The 7.62x54R is
shown flanking the
.223 Rem/5.56
NATO round to give a
sense of scale. The
7.62x54R performs
similarly to the more
familiar 30-06.
www.kahr.com
www.facebook.com/KahrArms

The Krebs Custom
SPECIFICATIONS
KeyMod forend rail
can accommodate
red-dot sights,
such as the SIG
Krebs Custom KV-13 VEPR AK Sauer variant.
Caliber: 5.45x39 (7.62x39 also

available)
Length: 38 inches (stock
extended), 34 inches
(collapsed), 26 inches (stock
folded)
Barrel: 14 inches with pinned
Krebs Custom Flash Hider
Weight: 8 pounds
MSRP: $1,850
WOLF Performance Arms

VEPR AK
Caliber: 7.62x54R (other
FINAL WORDS
calibers available) As with most weapon systems,
Length: 41 inches (stock the pros and cons can (and will) be
extended), 38.5 inches (stock debated forever, so users will need
to decide based on what best suits
collapsed) their needs. For example, critics of
Barrel: 20.5 inches the AK-pattern rie (VEPR, Saiga,
etc.) point to the long-stroke
Weight: 9 pounds
operating rod as something that
imposes stress on the action,
MSRP: $999 impacting accuracy. Others point to
the lack of ergonomics in the AK
design. In my opinion, these
criticisms are based on a lack of
familiarity with the AK. These days,
the attention to details such as
increased ammunition supply, an
improved stock system and a
variety of sturdy optic mounts will
help bring out the full potential of
the VEPR AK, whether it is
manufactured by Krebs Custom or
WPA. GW
CONTACTS:
Krebs Custom
(847) 487-7776
www.krebscustom.com
WOLF Performance Arms

www.wolf-arms.com
Mach 1 Arsenal
High Speed Gear Patrol Belt and TACO
magazine pouches supported T&E of the (865) 982-3950
WPA VEPR and Krebs KV-13 without having to
switch out gear due to the TACO pouchs www.mach1arsenal.com
flexibility in fitting different magazines.

GW_1405_61 2/28/14 3:23 AM Page 61
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t.BUUF#MBDLBOE4UBJOMFTT'JOJTI t#MBDL'JOJTI
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GW1405_COMBAT-62-69.EPric.CX 3/4/14 10:15 PM Page 62

n
Y ur
Story & Photos by Dave Spaulding
Terms
Evaluating the Combat Reload: When, Why and How
R eloading is not a complex action, unless you

have to do it quickly. This speed comes into
play in three circumstances: the timer,
competition and combat, with the last being most
critical. I once heard a famous instructor say that
competition offers the same level of stress as a
gunfight. Huh? The only thing I can think is that he
never had someone try to kill him. The stress of having
bullets whizz past is like no other, and if youve had
this experience, you know what I am talking about.
Most everyone reading this knows believe the reload needs to be kept
how difficult a fast reload can be. as simple as possible.
The hands dont work normally, the Sure, reloading can be made to
ngers fumble and magazines dont look really cool, but this will not
align with the grip quite as keep it simple, which is critical
smoothly as they do when you are when your body is not performing
moving slowly. Imagine adding the well. What is known as combat
dynamic of someone trying to take stress can be a bear, and any
your life while you are moving, technique you add to your
screaming and losing coordination, combative skillset needs to take
and youll have some idea of why I this into account.

you might wonder what it has to do

Timing reload speed is a
worthy training goal; with the combat reload. Well,
however, do not become reloading a pistol quickly is a
a slave to the clock. A
reload speed that allows complex motor skill, requiring both
success every time is ne and gross muscle movements
preferable to a fast
time that is possible only
to work together, and it is the ne
part of the time. motor skills that diminish when
someone is trying to kill you. Add
the possibility that your gun could
be running out of ammo in what
might be the last moments of your
life and I think you can see why
practicing the reload until it can be
performed without conscious
thought is important.
What I am going to say now
could light up the Internet gun
forums: Dont shoot your gun dry!
Currently, it is common in
combative shooting courses to
practice nothing but slide-locked
reloadsthe emergency reload
the argument being you might as
well shoot the gun dry in training,
as that is what you are going to do
in a ght.
While this is certainly possible,
why train to make it inevitable?
Take a moment to think about it;
slide lock is a really bad time to
reload, especially if your opponent
sees it! Exchanging magazines
quickly is difficult enough, but now,
you have added the time and effort
STRESS SCIENCE body systems and a downshift of to release the slide.
What is combat stress? In a less important systems into a
nutshell, it is the physical and maintenance mode, where they YOUR CHOICE,
psychological phenomenon that continue to function but not at their YOUR TIMING
occurs when our brain perceives pre-stressed levels. Lets also think about training
danger and prepares the body for This is why people involved in only for a slide-lock reload. What
action what is also known as combat experience a loss of digital happens during the ght if the slide
ght or ight. Sensory nerves dexterity, where the ngers do not does not lock open? If this
pass danger perception to the function as well as they did prior to happens, you will be pressing the
hypothalamus, which in turn combat. Many misunderstand this trigger on a gun that is empty, as
transmits a signal to the pituitary diminished dexterity, thinking their your only feed me stimulus failed,
gland. This gland releases a ngers will turn into stumps, but resulting in dangerous lag time. To
chemical messenger into the this is not the case. The ngers will me, an empty gun is the same as a
bloodstream while the perform but will be less likely to broken gun, both requiring physical
hypothalamus transmits a nerve perform tasks that have not been manipulation, so lets not shoot the
signal down the spinal cord. practiced to a level of unconscious gun empty; lets load when we
Both of these will arrive at the competence, where they can be want to, not when we have to. By
adrenal gland simultaneously performed without thought. merely changing magazines, we
resulting in the release of What many call muscle make the task less complicated
epinephrine into the blood stream. memory is instead familiar task and faster to being fully loaded. I
Cortisol is also released, resulting in transference. This term came from know what you are thinking: Why
increased blood pressure, increased the manufacturing boom of the would I drop perfectly good ammo
blood-sugar levels and suppression 1950s and 60s, when people on on the ground? I might need it.
of the immune system. Also known assembly lines built most of the While true, are you willing to
as adrenaline, epinephrine is an commodities our country produced, risk your life for a few rounds of
efficient messenger that gets the performing the same task all day ammunition? Before you blurt out
heart beating faster so the body is long. When practiced to this level, yes, let me try to put this question
ready for hard physical activity. most any skill can be performed, in the proper perspective. You have
Simultaneously, the brain stem even under extreme stress, when engaged in a reght and
releases norepinephrine, which the chemical reaction of the body expended an unknown number of
travels throughout the body. All of might be working against them. rounds. Your attacker is now
these create an increase in While I hope you found the moving, possibly trying to ank you,
circulation and energy to specic previous information interesting, and you have no idea what is

coming next. Would this be a good

Turning the gun into the support hand is
time to reload quickly or try to save another way to release the slide. Do not sling
ammo by performing a more shot, as it just adds time and motion. Instead,
pull back to full slide retraction and let go.
complicated tactical reload?
By performing a simple speed
reload, I now know I have sixteen
rounds in my Glock 19. How many
rounds did I eject to the ground? I
dont know, but I am convinced
they were not enough to risk my life
over, especially considering I have
no idea how much time I may have
to reload in the future. Could I
retrieve the dropped magazine,
recovering the lost ammo? Sure,
if the situation permits, and by
reloading while kneeling, the
magazine will bounce less, making
it easier to retrieve.
In a nutshell, never give up a
known for an unknown! Is it
possible I could need the few
rounds I ejected? Sure, but at
the moment I reloaded, I felt
it was of greater importance
to have a full gun. Of course,
you are allowed to bet your
life on whatever
tactic/technique you see t.
GETTING PRACTICAL
How much slower is an
emergency reload over just Ghost Bullet Forward and
swapping magazines? How Rearward slide-lock levers
much slower is a tactical were used to enhance the
shooters ability to reload
reload? What about kneeling quickly depending on the
while reloading? I decided to technique used.
take a lookthis is where the
article became difficult. In
order to give each technique a fair
evaluation, I needed to practice
skills I do not normally perform,
and this applied to the other
shooters I asked to participate in
the test.
I used two Templar Custom
Arms Glock 19s: the rst with a
Ghost Bullet Forward slide-lock
lever and the second with the
Ghost Bullet Rearward lever, so
shooters would have the maximum
purchase depending on the thumb
they used to release the slide.

... Slide lock is a really
bad time to reload,
especially if your

opponent sees it!

Each shooter started in the

ready position of their choice at 20 The simplest reload is to merely exchange the magazines.
feet. On the signal of an electronic
timer, each red one round into the
8-inch scoring square of the Law
Enforcement Targets HCT-01 target
then reloaded and red an
additional round, with the time
from shot to shot recorded. Each
shooter was permitted ve solid
performances, throwing out the
ones that were bungled due to lack
of practice so a fair evaluation
couldb ea chieved.
WHAT WE LEARNED
While not denitive, we learned
a few things during this admittedly
simple evaluation. First, there was
1
very little loss of time when using
the shooting-hand thumb to drop
the slide, which is the preferred
technique of most competitive Bring the fresh magazine up
shooters; the rearward slide-lock next to the pistol.
lever was developed for these folks.
But there is bitter with the sweet,
as all it takes is a bit of mistiming to
drop the slide before the magazine
is fully seated, resulting in an empty
gun not discovered until the
shooter tries to re. In competition,

this will result in loss of place in the
... The 'startle'

factor resulting
from an unexpected
empty gun
2

lasted several
Eject unwanted magazine.
seconds ...
standings. In a ght, it will result in
loss of time engaging the threat.
It was also noted that the
startle factor resulting from an
unexpected empty gun lasted
several seconds, followed by a tap,
rack. Additionally, the shooting-
hand thumb often rests on the
rearward lever, keeping the slide
from locking open, which results in
shooters depressing a trigger on an
empty chamber.
By using the support-hand
thumb to drop the slide after the
3
magazine is seated, the above
problems were avoided. This
technique is the reason behind the
forward lever to keep it out of the Insert the new one.
way of the shooting-hand thumb

but better align it with the support

hand as it travels up and into the
grip. The downside is that shooters The Following Techniques Were Charted In The Test:
sometimes had difficulty nding
the tab. This technique also added 1. A simple in-battery change of magazines a speed load
time to the reload, something
important for competitors but 2. An in-battery reload while kneeling in hopes of recovering the spent
perhaps less critical for combat. Of magazine
course, the reason the technique is 3. Emergency reload with the shooting-hand thumb releasing the slide
slower is the additional movement,
which brings us to the other 4. Emergency reload with the support-hand thumb releasing the slide
methods of releasing the slide. 5. Emergency reload with the support hand coming up and over the
The slowest is the method
slide to release
often taughtof bringing the hand
up and over the slide and pulling 6. Emergency reload with the gun being turned into the support hand to
back, what I call a saddle grip. release slide
Time is added to this when using
7. Tactical reload where the two magazines were in the support hand at
what some shooters call a power
stroke, where they actually hit once
themselves in the chest to ensure 8. Reload with retention, where the magazine was dropped into the
they have full retraction of the
slide. In my test group, I was able to support hand, stuffed in a pocket and a spare magazine drawn from
shave a full second off the pouch and reloaded
shooters reload times by telling
them to pull back on the slide until
it stops, which indicates full
retraction. upright and reacquire the grip. All of problematic due to loss of digital
Another method of support- the test shooters liked this method dexterity. In short, if you are going
hand slide release is to meet it in and felt it was the best to perform this technique in a ght,
the middle. Release the support compromise between speed and you had better practice. The
hand and hold it to the side a few positive grasp on the slide. technique requires the support
inches. Then, turn the gun into the Positive grip is where the hand to hold two magazines at a
hand, grasp the slide and pull back, tactical reload can become once, catching one, rotating and

inserting another. The test group

Dropping the slide with the shooting-hand thumb requires preferred the reload with retention,
little effort and is almost as fast as an in-battery reload.
where the support hand handles
but one magazine at a time and
can be accomplished more quickly
from shot to shot with less training.
When comparing the two
techniques, the normal criticism of
reload with retention is that it is
actually slower from the rst shot
to when the gun is prepared to
shoot (i.e., a full magazine is
inserted). The opposing argument
is that the gun is always ready to
1
shoot, as it has a round in the
chamber.
As the magazine
is inserted ...
FINAL THOUGHTS
I found it especially interesting
how quickly the testing group
embraced kneeling while
performing a mag exchange. It is
sound technique to kneel to make
yourself a smaller target in a ght,
and this action also shortens the
distance the magazine falls
resulting in less bounce so it can be
recovereda pseudo tactical
reload. While our sampling was
2
small, the vast majority of time the
spent magazine was found in front
of the shooter within their eld of
... the shooting-hand thumb
drops on to the slide release ...
vision, though it sometimes took a
nasty bounce on the concrete oor.
When doing this in the grass, the
magazine never bounced, but there
is no guarantee it wont.
What I hope to accomplish
here is to make you give this
process critical thought and choose
wisely. While I am a fan of
competitive shooting, I will be the
rst to tell you what works in
competition might not be best
when your life is on the line, so
3
consider wisely. GW
... and chambers

a round.
The downside is that the slide can be released before

the magazine is fully inserted. Contacts:
The results are reported with my times and the times of the ve Templar
other shooters, averaged:
Custom Arms
Technique Authors time Others time
(seconds) (seconds) www.templarcusto
1. 1.3 1.70 marms.com
2. 1.75 2.17
3. 1.45 1.92
4. 1.67 2.08 Ghost Inc.
5. 2.10 2.47
6. 1.91 2.17 www.ghostinc.com
7. 2.86 3.18
8. 2.09 2.33

GW_1405_69 2/28/14 3:27 AM Page 69
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GW1405_RELOAD-70-75.EPric 3/4/14 2:27 AM Page 70
RELOAD

ThePOWDER
ofHERCULES
Alliant 2400 Remains Useful After
More Than 80 Years on the Shelf
Story & Photos by James E. House

RELOAD
Alliant 2400 has long

been used for midrange
loads in the .30-30
Winchester and full-
power loads in the .357
Magnum.
As shown here, the 100-grain

Hornady short jacket gave excellent
accuracy when propelled by a
charge of 16 grains of 2400.

... 2400 shows
S
ometimes, a manufacturer
creates a product that works
so well that it continues to be
up in loading
marketed for generations. In 1932,
the Hercules Powder Company recipes for a
released the rst can of 2400

powder. As were other Hercules
powders of those far off years,
multitude of
2400 is a double-base powder,
meaning that it contains both
rifle calibers ...
nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. inappropriate. In fact, if one looks at
Alliant 2400as the powder is loading manuals from half a newer calibers, components and
now knownwas introduced century ago, it will be seen that loads, but the basic information
specically for small-capacity rie 2400 shows up in loading recipes contained in that book is both useful
cartridges such as the .22 Hornet for a multitude of rie calibers, even and impressive. Sharpe lists loads
and .25-20 Winchester. However, it those that utilize medium or large from a variety of sources, and those
also works well in the .218 Bee, cases. It was particularly utilizing 2400 cover many rie
which was developed by necking recommended for use with cast calibers with both cast and jacketed
the .25-20 Winchester to take bullets, but it was also the bullets.
0.224-inch bullets. It also became propellant of choice for low- to Newer loading manuals generally
the premier choice for use in the medium-power loads employing do not list 2400 employed in that
.357 Magnum when it was jacketed bullets, especially those of way because newer powders such as
introduced in 1935, and it is still a lighter weight. The most famous Accurate 5744, IMR 4227 and IMR
popular choice for use in large reference work on handloading is 4759 are the powders of choice for
capacity handgun cartridges and Philip B. Sharpes Complete Guide reduced loads. That does not belie
the .30 Carbine. To Handloading, 3rd Edition (Funk the fact that 2400 can be used in
To assume that Alliant 2400 is & Wagnalls, 1953, New York). Of many situations, including some in
useful only in small-rie or Magnum course, such an old book is badly which the newer powders listed
handgun cartridges is out of date when it comes to the above can not.

DUPLICATING EFFORTS
It is interesting to look at some
of the loads listed in Sharpes book,

which is compiled from sources
such as Hercules and DuPont. For
One of my favorite cartridges is

example, listed on page 368 is a
load for the .30-30 Winchester
consisting of a jacketed 110-grain
bullet with charges of 2400 varying
upward from 12.0 grains. With a
the .308 Winchester ...
charge of 16.0 grains, the velocity
listed is 1,935 fps. With a 93-grain
bullet, a charge of 15.0 grains of
2400 is shown as giving a velocity
of 1,900 fps. I more or less
duplicated those loads using a 90-
grain Hornady XTP and a 100-grain
Hornady short-jacket bullet. The
velocities I obtained using 15.0 and
16.0 grains of 2400 with those
bullets were 1,876 and 1,861 fps,
respectively.
I consider this to be excellent
agreement with the data given by
Sharpe considering that as much as
60 years have elapsed between the
experiments and that the early data
involved a 24-inch barrel. Note also
that the velocities reported by
Sharpe are muzzle velocities
whereas those I obtained are
instrumental values at 10 feet from
the muzzle.
An entry on page 379 shows
that a charge of 22.0 grains of 2400
behind a 110-grain bullet in the .30-
06 Springeld gives a muzzle
velocity of 2,160 fps from a 24-inch
barrel. I duplicated that load using
the 110-grain Speer at-nose
hollow-point bullet intended for use
in the .30-30 Winchester. I obtained
a velocity of 1,942 fps at 10 feet
from my 22-inch barrel. The
agreement with Sharpes data is
not too bad considering the
differences in components, test
conditions and generation of
powder.
One of my favorite cartridges is
the .308 Winchester, which did not
exist at the time of publication of
Sharpes book. Therefore, I had few
guidelines to work from in load
development, but neither was it a
shot in the dark (no pun intended).
A cartridge that did exist (and was
quite popular) 60 years ago was
the .300 Savage, which utilizes a
case that has slightly smaller
capacity than the .308.
For the .300 Savage, page 370
in Sharpe lists a 14.0-grain charge
of 2400 with a 93-grain bullet as
giving a muzzle velocity of 1,800 fps
from a 24-inch barrel. I tried a 16.0-
grain charge of 2400 with the 90-

RELOAD
With appropriate loadings, Alliant

2400 can be used in cartridges
grain Hornady XTP bullet and got a including (from left) the .357
velocity of 1,740 fps. Keep in mind Magnum, .44 Magnum, .30-30
that this is from a larger case than Winchester, .308 Winchester and
.30-06 Springfield.
that of the .300 Savage and that
my .308 has a 22-inch barrel.
Sharpe also lists a .300 Savage
load consisting of a 110-grain
jacketed hollow point with 17.0
grains of 2400 as giving a muzzle
velocity of 1,900 fps from a 24-inch
barrel. With the same load utilizing
the 110-grain Speer at-nose
hollow point in the .308
Winchester, I got 1,670 fps from the
larger case. Complete data for
some of the loads that I have tried
using Alliant 2400 are summarized
in the accompanying table (below).
Times have changed since the
VELOCITY DATA FOR LOADS UTILIZING ALLIANT 2400
Bullet, weight Length, Charge, Avg. Velocity
Caliber and type Case Primer inches grains fps (bbl.)
.357 Magnum 158 Win JHP Win WSP 1.589 12.0 1,044 (4)
.44 Magnum 210 Win ST Win WLP 1.586 19.5 1,292 (7.5)
.44 Magnum 210 Win ST Win WLP 1.586 19.5 1,514 (16)
.30-30 Winchester 90 Hornady XTP Win WLR 2.380 15.0 1,876 (20)
.30-30 Winchester 100 Hornady SJ Win WLR 2.425 16.0 1,861 (20)
.308 Winchester 90 Hornady XTP Win WLR 2.370 16.0 1,740 (22)
.308 Winchester 100 Hornady SJ Win WLR 2.400 16.0 1,597 (22)
.308 Winchester 110 Speer HPFN Win WLR 2.400 17.0 1,670 (22)
.308 Winchester 110 Sierra RN Win WLR 2.445 17.5 1,739 (22)
.308 Winchester 110 Hornady SP Win WLR 2.630 17.5 1,777 (22)
.30-06 Springeld 110 Speer HPFN Win CCI 200 2.902 22.0 1,942 (22)
These loads were safe and reliable in the authors guns, but neither the author nor the publisher accept
any responsibility for their preparation and use by others.
publication of Sharpes book, and useful as starting points for load the years. Consult several sources,
the choice of propellants is now development. Do not assume that proceed with caution and never
very extensive, but there is still a data for loads developed with a start with a maximum or near-
place for Alliant 2400 in reduced powder produced a half-century maximum load. When used
rie loads and in handgun ago will give exactly the same appropriately, Alliant 2400 is
ammunition. The results also show results today because some functional as it has been for
that older sources of data can be powders have changed throughout more than 80 years. GW

GW_1405_75 3/4/14 10:33 PM Page 75
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GW1405_CONCEALED-76-81.EPric 3/4/14 2:58 AM Page 76
CONCEALED
CARRY

... A surprising
number of folks still
pack a thumb-buster
rather than the latest

17-round whiz-bang.

PACKIN
SINGLE
ACTION
In a World of Semi-Autos,
Polymer Frames, Tritium and
Laser Sights, Some Folks Still
Like Traditional Six Guns
A hundred years ago, when

revolvers were king and the
semi-automatic was
something of a rarity, it was
not uncommon for people to
stuff a single-action
revolver in their waistband
or belt holster as they went
about their business
because it was all they had.
Story & Photos by Dave Workman

GW1405_CONCEALED-76-81.EPric.CX 3/12/14 12:25 AM Page 78
CONCEALED CARRY
B
ut this is today, and a
surprising number of folks
still pack a thumb-buster
rather than the latest 17-
round whiz-bang. Having seen
some of these hombres shoot, Id
rather not be on the downrange end
of a nasty encounter with any of
them.
As I mentioned in this column a
couple of months ago, this isnt a
trend nor is it a fad. It happens to be This stainless, engraved
Deluxe Sheriffs model from
a fact of life, and the people who E.M.F. would be a solid choice
rely on a single-action revolver for for anyone packing concealed
with a single action.
their personal protection are
condent and competent, and that
may be the third rule of a gunght.
The second rule, according to some
oldtimers, is to have a gun. The rst
rule, in their book, is to not be there piece was a birds head Cimarron going maybe 850 to 900 fps from a
when it happens! Thunderer in .45 Colt in a Mernickle single-action and the difference is
holster. I had looked at that smoke negligible. To boost the .45 Colts
wagon for a moment and quietly velocity, one might opt for a lighter
IF IT WORKS told myself that Harry mustve bulletsay a 225-grainerwith a
My longtime friend Harry
known something I didnt. Harry is a slightly heavier powder charge. Ive
Thomas, a retired police lieutenant
guy with whom I would go through done that with handloads and
who used to patrol the mean
a door anytime, and he could lead added 50 to 100 fps to the
streets of Cincinnati, surprised the
off with that .45. projectile out of a 4 5/8-inch barrel
heck out of me once a few years
This gun, and its twin, had a or 7 -inch barrel in either of my
ago when he revealed that his carry
3.5-inch barrel, and knowing Harry, Rugers, depending upon the
he could hit whatever he aimed at. propellant. One does not simply get
Closer view of a Recently, he told me that his somebodys attention with a load
handsome single chosen load for these guns pushed like that! Its going to knock them
action in a Mernickle
high-ride belt a 250-grain Keith bullet. out of a ghting mood, perhaps
holster. Occasionally, he carried both permanently.
six guns in a Texas double
shoulder rig from El Paso Saddlery
Co. Im also told that he used these
guns for Cowboy Action Shooting.
Any kind of competition is going to
hone ones skills, so if you think
about packing a single-action
revolver, practice and practice
some more.
Harry also tipped me off that,
prior to his retirement, he carried a
second-generation Colt SAA with a
5.5-inch barrel, backed by a Model
1911.
I still think, he said, the SAA
is one of the primo gunghting North American Arms offers .22 Magnum single-
action pocket guns, including Workmans Earl
pieces and cant be beat for a fast

Model (top) and the Sidewinder with holster.
rst shot.
The .45 Colt and .45 ACP have
both been stopping unpleasant
people in their tracks for more than There is some
100 years, and in the case of the .45
Colt, nearly 130 years. One neednt
spray and pray; one merely needs
good concealment
to hit his target decisively. Its a
Wild Bill Hickok thing, perhaps. leather available
A few years ago, I did a
for single-action

comparison test on the .45 ACP
versus the .45 Colt. Run a 230-grain
FMJ or hollowpoint at around 900
to 950 fps out of a Model 1911
revolvers.
against a 250-grain lead bullet

GW_1405_79 2/28/14 3:31 AM Page 79
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GW1405_CONCEALED-76-81.EPric.CX 3/7/14 12:25 AM Page 80
CONCEALED CARRY
SOME NEWER STUFF

For the past couple of years,
since the introduction of the new
Vaquero by Ruger, Ive bugged a
couple of people I know there about
bringing out a Sheriffs Model of
that gun with a 3- or 3.5-inch barrel
and no ejector rod. It would be
perfectly safe for carrying six
rounds because of Rugers transfer
bar system and a safe carry gun for Shown with its swing-out
cylinder open, the
the single-action crowd. For older Sidewinder packs a rimfire
traditional models, its best to carry punch when loaded with
hollowpoints.
the hammer down on an empty
chamber.
So far, my whining suggestion
has fallen on deaf ears. Ruger
probably knows something I dont,
but if they ever do introduce such a
model, Ill probably be rst in line
with cash in hand.
Meanwhile, earlier this year,
E.M.F. came through with a rather
handsome stainless-steel Deluxe
Sheriff model with a 3-inch barrel,
and its as handsome a six gun in
that conguration as Ive seen. This
one is chambered in both .45 Colt
and .357 Magnum.
Of course, the main drawback
The Runnin Iron is a good short-barreled, single-action model with a
to a single-action revolver is its slow low-profile hammer, but watch for the light trigger that comes on the
reloading. On the other hand, if one tuned-up models for Cowboy Action horseback shooters.

is in a scrape and makes every shot
count, by the time you run empty,
the ght is over.
I had the opportunity to shoot a
and a bit of neutral shoe polish or
saddle soap and come up with a One accessory
six gun dubbed the Runnin Iron winner. The thing one must
from Taylors & Co. at the 2014
SHOT Show. According to gunsmith
remember is that a single-action
revolver in .45, .44 or even .357
anyone needs is a
cartridge

Deke Rivers, who also does fancy Magnum is going to have a rather
exhibition work with a single action, large frame, even with a short barrel
the Runnin Iron is available with a and birds head grip.
tuned-up action, but Id
recommend just getting the gun
One accessory anyone needs is
a cartridge carrier. I built one for
carrier.
with a factory action because when myself for six .45 Colt cartridges young woman who carried an NAA
its slicked up, the trigger let-off is that slides on my belt. Others may in her purse because it was the only
rather light, in my opinion. I barely use a dump pouch for extra gun she had.
touched the trigger and the gun ammunition, but if you carry a I happen to own an NAA Earl
discharged. revolver, you need to carry extra model with a 4-inch octagonal
rounds. barrel that is reminiscent of an
LEATHER older Remington pocket revolver
There is some good PINT-SIZED GUNS from the late 1850s. This one has
concealment leather available for We have discussed the big interchangeable cylinders for .22
single-action revolvers. As Harry bores, but I would be remiss if there Long Rie and .22 Magnum, and I
noted, he has used gear from both were no mention of the small keep it loaded with the Magnums
El Paso Saddlery Co. and Mernickle. single-action mouse guns that are when I am using it.
Theres also a shoulder holster from available from one prominent gun- Lets be honest. If a tiny
Kirkpatrick that is worth a look, and maker: North American Arms. handgun is a necessity, the NAA
undoubtedly, one can nd other rigs I know a guy who carries a .22 series of ve-shot, single-action
out there to comfortably carry a Magnum ve-shot NAA Sidewinder revolvers can get someone out of a
single-action revolver under cover. in a pocket holster because it is scrape long enough to get hold of
I occasionally see old high-ride virtually invisible. At close range, as something bigger, and the muzzle
leather holsters at gun shows, and I discussed in this space early last blast and ash from one of these
one might snag a good deal on one year, the .22-caliber bullet is a nasty pint-sized poppers might make
of these heirlooms, take it home, little pill that can ruin someones somebody believe you have a
give it a treatment of neatsfoot oil whole day. Years ago, I knew a bigger gat at the outset.

Simply Rugged Holsters offers this two-way and can also be carried as an IWB rig for
model that has belt slots greater concealment.
Workman fired this PERSONAL CHOICE

Runnin Iron at the
January SHOT Show,
Make no mistake: Im not
and despite its light endorsing the single-action for
trigger, he was concealed carry nor am I dismissing
impressed with the
revolvers accuracy. it as foolhardy. This is a matter of
personal choice, and nobody can or
should make that decision but you.
Ive got to admit, the subject is
fascinating because, for at least a
century, since the advent of small-
caliber percussion revolvers
including the pepper-boxthey
were really the only game in town
unless one chose a derringer or
brace of them. Those little guns
stopped a lot of ghts, and their
mere presence prevented even
more. My, how things havent really
changed!
As always, carry a gun youre
used to. Carry it condently and do
it discreetly. If you can hit what
youre shooting at, that will make
far more of a difference than being
able to spray lead all over the
countryside hoping you score. A
bullet that hits its target is going to
be more effective than ten that
miss. GW
(My thanks to Mernickle and

Simply Rugged Holsters for some
accompanying photos.)

GW1405_SMITH-82-89.EP 3/4/14 10:24 PM Page 82
GUNSMITHING

File
Under:
Files
Story & Photos by Steve Sieberts
A Gunsmiths Toolbox: Techniques

and Tips for the Use and Care of Files
In my first article for

Gun World, I
outlined the various
tools and
equipment that a
beginning home
hobbyist gunsmith
would need in order
to set up a small
shop and start
The author works on side rails with a working on
sandpaper-backed file.
firearms. As that
was a quick overview of a wide variety of
tools, I wanted to take time this month to
look deeper at some of the more often-
used tools in the gunsmiths toolbox.

GW1405_SMITH-82-89.EP.CX 3/7/14 12:27 AM Page 84
GUNSMITHING
T
his month, Ill focus on
metalworking les, as Ive
been discussing the 1911
pistol throughout the last
few columns. In future articles, Ill
be working on a Project Remington
700 rie, and I will talk about wood
and berglass tools, nishing and
techniques in depth.
FORM AND FUNCTION

For gunsmithing, few tools are
used more frequently than the le
in its various forms. Metal-working
les come in many types, sizes,
shapes and uses. Some of them are
for general metal removal, and
some have very specic uses. My
Dont do this. Keep your files
toolbox also contains a few that I in protective covers and
have modied to suit a specic dont let them lie on top of
each other, as this will wear
need. As a gunsmith gains more and break the teeth. Notice
experience, the number of tools, the blue Kobalt file card to
especially les, will grow. keep file teeth clean.
Regardless of the type of le,

the basic use is the same: to were made for working on cars, and

remove material in order to either we were used to just throwing the
shape or dimensionor boththe les into the toolbox drawer. Our
metal being worked on.
When I went through the
instructors, however, reminded us
that when unprotected les come Another useful
Colorado School of Trades in the into contact with each other in the
mid-80s, one of the rst points our
instructors made was that we had
toolbox drawer, the constant
contact will break and dull the
tool to keep
to take care of our tools, especially
our les. One way we did this was
teeth of the les, very quickly
greatly diminishing their your files in
that we had to make protective effectiveness. Files are expensive,
good shape is a

covers for all of our les. We got and you want them to last.
manila folders and cut out sleeves Brownells ships all of their les
that the les would slip into.
Most of us didnt see a need for
with plastic sleeves. I always keep
them on until Im ready to use the
file card.
this because those les in our les, and then I use it as a
toolboxes in our garages at home protective case until the le is worn
Practice filing on pieces of

bar stock before working
on firearms. This is an
aluminum Weaver sight
base blank from Brownells.
Practice on scrap steel,
wood and aluminum to get
your technique down.
Remember, the teeth only
cut in one direction.

GW_1405_85 2/28/14 3:44 AM Page 85
BUILT BY HAND
When you hold a Performance Center 1911, you hold a gun as advanced as you
are. In your hand is a gun built for peak performance, designed for your needs at the
range or for personal protection. But it does more than meet your needs it was
handcrafted for you.
See the Performance Center line: smith-wesson.com/pc

GUNSMITHING
out. When it is, I just throw out the leave the deep grooves in the metal. or berglass, its always easier to
le and the sleeve. If the scratches and grooves are on remove the material than it is to put
Another useful tool to keep the outside of the rearms, then its it back on. Go slow and check your
your les in good shape is a le very unsightly and unprofessional. work. After you gain some
card. Again, Brownells make a really The best practice is to le a few experience, you will be able to judge
nice one. File cards work like your strokes with the le, clean your le how much material is being
toothbrush, keeping metal from with the le card and return to removed using a specic le, on a
getting stuck in the teeth of the le. ling. It will take longer, but you will specic type of material, using a
Aluminum is especially nasty when achieve much better results. You specic technique.
it gets clogged in the le and is very should also check your work as you
prone to doing this as its such a go, which is always a good practice. FILE TYPES AND USES
soft metal. If the gunsmith keeps Remember, when removing Now that weve reviewed the
ling with the le when the teeth material, whether its metal, wood basics, lets go over specic types
get clogged, it will cause pinning,
which is where the clogged material
in the teeth of the le will dig deep
grooves into the material being
led. (Tip: Chalk in the le teeth will
help keep it from clogging.)
This means that you have to le
more to remove these deep
grooves, and you may not be able to
remove those grooves if it means
taking off more material than you
can. So you end up with deep
scratches in the work that cant be
removed. In other words, if I have
led down to where I need to be Brownells ships their
dimensionally and the le starts files in protective
pinning, then Ill need to take off plastic covers. Keep
these until the files are
more material past the point where ready to be thrown out.
I needed to be dimensionally or
Its good to keep an

assortment of needle files
handy along with a few
needle file handles. These
are the removable type
from Brownells.

Draw filing is performed with the file held of les and their uses. For general 50LPI and 75LPI. (Note: Ill cover
perpendicular to the work and by applying metal work, the gunsmith will want metal checkering in a full column
pressure when the stroke is going away from you.
to focus on four main lesthe at with the 1911 Project gun.)
le in #0, #2 and #4 cut; the half- The #0 les are very aggressive
round le in #0 and #2 cut; round and will take off metal very quickly.
les in both parallel and tapered; The upside is they make quick work
and needle les. Specialty les of steel and aluminum and dont
include: triangular les with safe get clogged easily. The downside is
edges for sight work, slide rail les that its easy to take off too much
and metal-checkering les, which material too quickly. On the ip
are listed in the Lines Per Inch (LPI) side, #4 les clog and pin the work
that they cut. The range for these very quickly and have to be cleaned
types of les is 20LPI, 30LPI, 40LPI, often. Both les come in single and
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file or a small

needle file.
Wood handles should be applied to all files in use.

This is a 20LPI checkering file that I had marked
with a permanent marker so that I didnt use the
wrong file. Believe me, it happens. I had a
Browning Hi Power whose backstrap I was going
to apply 30LPI to, but I picked up the wrong file
and ended up laying down 40LPI. It came out fine,
but its a lot more work on such a large area.

GUNSMITHING
Theres not much

visual difference
between the 60-
degree and the 65-
degree file, but it
makes a difference
when you are fitting
sight bases as
different sights use
different angles on
the base. Always
A 20-, 50- and 75LPI checkering file. check before filing.
double cut. Single-cut les have

one row of cutting teeth, and
double-cut les have two rows of
teeth in a cross-hatch pattern. My
go-to le was always a #2 double-
cut le. It takes off material at a
pretty good clip and doesnt clog
easily. The same goes for the half-
round le. The #2, or possibly the
#0 half-round le, is essential for
tting a beavertail grip safety,
which Ill demonstrate in future
articles with the 1911 project gun.
One technique to use with the
at le is to draw le with it. Draw
ling is a ling technique that works
by holding the le perpendicular to
the work, and drawing the le
toward you or away from you.
Remember, the le only cuts in one
direction as the teeth are angled
away from your body when youre
holding it in the right hand, so if you
draw le using pressure on the le
in both directions, you will wear out
the teeth prematurely (see photo).
Get yourself some bar stock in steel
and aluminum to practice ling
rather than working on actual Draw filing with
rearms. Its denitely a skill that sandpaper-backed file.
Do not try to draw file
needs repetition to do well. with any type of narrow,
I always keep a large at le to pillar-type file as it will
bend. The purpose of
draw le with, although you can draw filing is to get or
draw le with any le. This keeps keep a flat, true surface.
surfaces at and true as the le
wont bend, and you can be sure

you are keeping surfaces fairly true.

The trick is to keep pressure equal
FITTING RIGHT IN
when youre ling, otherwise, you
can end up with angled surfaces
when you wanted to keep things When ling the dovetails, remember that when the part gets installed
true. I can also use these les to act into the dovetail, the part will always go in to the notch from right (see
as a at backer for sandpaper, which
I use after Ive gone as far as I can photo 2), and out from the notch to the left as you are standing behind the
with the le and need to switch to rearm. So when you are ling the dovetail to t the sight (see photo 1),
something that will give a smoother
always apply a little more pressure to the right-hand side of the dovetail.
nish (see photo). Ill usually
transition from the #4 le to This will ensure the sight will enter into the dovetail more easily and will
something like #120 grit sandpaper achieve a tight t when driving in the sight base. If you drive the sight base
strips, then #180 grit and then Im
in and out from both directions, you will have a sight that will loosen up
done. Always remove le marks with
sandpaper. quickly in the sight base after removing and reinstalling it a few times.
Needle les are handy for (Notice the 50LPI checkering on the back of the slide to cut glare.
getting into tight places, so its a
good idea to have a wide Sometimes, I would get a little carried away with the checkering.)
assortment of these les.
SIGHT BASES
AND SLIDE RAILS
Next are sight base les. These
are triangular les that have safe
edges (no cutting teeth) on two
sides. This allows the gunsmith to
1 2
le a dovetail to t a sight by only
removing material from one side of
the dovetail. Remember to always
look to see what the sight base
requires. Sight base les come in
either 60 or 65 degrees.
Different sight bases use different sight base
angles. There isnt much difference visually
between the 60- and 65-degree le, so be sure you
have the right one before you start ling. Use the
wrong le and you will have a sight that will never
t tight and will have large ugly gaps between the
sight base and the dovetail. When tting and
inspecting a sight into a dovetail, you are trying to
get it light tight. In other words, you want
maximum contact between the sight and the
Find us on
dovetail with no visible light between the sight and
the dovetail when you hold it up to the light. At
most gunsmithing schools, there is a practical
exercise where the student has to t a piece of
work into a dovetail light tight in order for the
project to pass.
The other specialty les I have are slide rail
les, which are handy for tting the 1911 slide to
frame, and a custom-made barrel-tting le. This
was a small, narrow, single-cut le I had ground on
a surface grinder to exactly 0.175 inches wide. The
top barrel lug grooves on a Match 1911 barrel are
0.180 inches wide, so I can t the top lugs easily
Discover the
with this le.
The last point about les I would make is to
world of rearms at
always put a handle on the le, no matter if its a your ngertips.
large at le or a small needle le. Brownells sells
simple wooden handles that can be glued on
easily. When the le is worn out, simply throw out
the le and get a new one with a new handle. Next
month, well turn our attention to an easy project
for the Ruger 10/22. Stay tuned! GW www.facebook.com/gunworldmagazine

GW1405_QNA-90-93.EPric 3/4/14 3:12 AM Page 90
QUESTIONS
and ANSWERS
Precision,
Accuracy
and Rock
Chucks
Interview by Craig Hodgkins. Photos by RCBS
Serious reloaders know that theres no

substitute for precision or accuracy and
no replacement for attention to detail.
Since 1943, RCBSa recognized
industry leader in the design,
manufacturing and sales of reloading
equipmenthas gone to extreme
lengths to give customers quality
reloading tools and accessories so they
can efficiently produce the most
reliable, high-performance loads
An RCBS
Summit Single possible.
Stage Short-
Handle Press. We recently loaded up some high-
performance questions for Kent
Sakamoto, senior product marketing
manager for RCBS, and here is what he
produced.

GUN WORLD: RCBS has enjoyed

a long history. How and when did
the company get started?
KENT SAKAMOTO: The

company was founded from a
hobby by Fred T. Huntington.
Originally located in the back
room of his fathers Oroville,
Calif., laundry on High Street,
RCBS soon relocated to Freds
garage on 7th Avenue in 1947. The
business continued to grow
rapidly, and in 1954, a new
building was constructed at 730
Bird Street. In 1959, a 5,000-
square-foot building was
completed at the present location
on Oro Dam Boulevard. Today, the
RCBS headquarters has grown to
110,000 square feet.
In December of 2001, Alliant
Techsystems Inc. purchased
RCBS and added the brand to the
ATK Sporting Group, a leading
supplier of rearms and
accessories for hunting, shooting
and other outdoor activities.
GW: What do the initials

RCBS stand for?
Each RCBS die is washed
KS: The very rst RCBS dies were on the production line.
specically designed to form
jacketed bullets from red .22-
caliber copper cases. Because understanding and support as we
these bullets were used to shoot our products has increased greatly
for cartridges that utilize remain committed to
Rock Chucksa varmint here in the manufacturing and shipping our
Westwe named these dies Rock components that are relatively
easier to obtain. For example, the products as best we can.
Chuck Bullet Swage, later
shortened to RCBS. top ve calibers for dies are .223
Rem, .308 Win, .45 ACP, .30-06 GW: How do you develop and
GW: Your products are used in Springeld and 9mm. Lead-bullet test new products?
casting and the Pro Melt lead
conjunction with otherssuch
furnace has increased signicantly KS: New product ideas can come
as bullets, cases and powders due to reloaders who have started from internal or external sources. A
you dont manufacture. Whats making their own projectiles. focus group will convene to
it like to be both independent And while RCBS does not evaluate an idea, and if approved,
and dependent? produce ammunition components, the product will move forward.
we need to ensure that our RCBS and ATK employees
KS: The brass case is the most products are compatible with all represent a large variety of hand-
expensive part of a loaded round other manufacturers products. So loaders: big-game hunters, varmint
and, when reloaded (replacing the we are constantly engaged and hunters, three-gun competitors,
primer, powder and bullet), offers communicating with other plinkers, benchrest shooters,
savings of about 60 percent over companies to ensure our products cowboy action shooters and more.
factory-loaded ammunition. This will meet specications and exceed Prototypes are built and tested for
means our products are very the expectations of our customers. function, performance and safety.
popular among high-volume We are also continually making The Core Engineering and
shooters who hand-load, which is a process improvements to increase Marketing Test Group do the bulk of
large market. And while this our efficiency and investing in this work, but Manufacturing,
reloading market has seen a capital and personnel where we Purchasing, Customer Service and
phenomenal increase over recent have sustained demand. We are even Human Resources all have a
years, it could be larger if bringing on additional capacity hand in product development. It
component supplies were more again this year. Whenever we have a truly is a company-wide effort.
readily available. chance, we remind our customers Prototypes are also often sent out
Not surprisingly, demand for that we appreciate their patience, for evaluation by gun writers and

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

GW: What helps set RCBS
apart from its competitors?
KS: Our RCBS Technical Service

Department is second to none. We
are dedicated to giving our
customers the best service in the
industry. We have an experienced,
dedicated team that efficiently
troubleshoot and x problems or
answer questions over the phone.
They also quickly handle requests
to ship out replacement parts.
GW: Any parting thoughts?
KS: RCBS recently launched

ReloaderHub.com, a member-
driven online community dedicated
to reloading. The site is free to join,
and reloaders of all skill levels are
The Explorer Plus Reloading Kit welcome. Members can exchange
contains some of the most
important tools and equipment tips and recipes, engage in
that reloaders need. RCBS discussions and share photos and
donates a portion of each sale
of these kits to youth hunting videos. There is even a reloading
and shooting programs. comparison tool that calculates
and compares savings. Hunting.
Practice. Competition. It all goes on

GW: Whats new for 2014? ReloaderHub.com. Get started by
sharing photos of your trophies or
... the top five KS: Were concentrating on
manufacturing and shipping our
exchanging tips from the bench.
Visit www.reloaderhub.com to sign
calibers for core products as well as our up. GW

popular new products introduced in
2013, which are the Summit Press
dies are .223 and the Universal Case Prep Center. Company Overview
Rem, .308 Win, GW: Where do you see the

company headed in the next
RCBS
Company Established:
.45 ACP, .30-06 five years?
1943
KS: While the high-volume
Springfield, Owner:

reloading market continues to grow,
the precision hand-loader/shooter ATK Sporting Group
and 9mm. is still central to our business. RCBS
will continue to provide innovative
Headquarters:
Oroville, Calif.
new products to the entire market
other industry representatives for to make the hand-loading process Employees:
even more feedback. simple and more efficient. Look for 167
more powered equipment and out-
of-the-box designs that follow in Web: www.rcbs.com
GW: Do you sell your products
direct? the footsteps of the Summit Press Phone: (800) 533-5000
and the Universal Case Prep Center.
KS: Yes, RCBS offers the option of
purchasing directly from us online
through RCBS.com. Customers
can visit us anytime to view or
shop our more than 3,000 RCBS
product offerings.
A Universal Case Prep Center.

GW_1405_93 3/5/14 9:06 AM Page 93
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GW1405_BACK-94-97.EPric 3/4/14 3:19 AM Page 94
BACK The only thing new in the world is the history

PAGES you do not know. Harry S. Truman

... Lord, what
an elk, he
whispered,
his tone
almost

reverent.
I
n the fall of 1963, lm and
television star Lee Marvin
sat high in the Rocky
Mountains near Dolores,
Colo., glassing the terrain in
search of a herd of elk.
No stranger to a rie,
Marvin had served with the
4th Marine Division in World
War II. Wounded by machine-
gun re during the Battle of
Saipan, he was awarded with
a Purple Heart.
Following his release from
the service, Marvin lucked
into a bit part in a New York
community theater
production. He eventually
made it to Broadway and
then Hollywood, where he
found steady work as both
villains and hard-nosed law
officers. By the late 1950s,
he had graduated from
KING
supporting to leading roles.
OF THE MOUNTAIN
By Craig Hodgkins

GW_1405_95 3/4/14 10:32 PM Page 95
Get Your ofcial gun world

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BACK PAGES
I had pondered what kind of
Marvin as The Sergeant in The Big rie to use, checking out some of
Red One (1980), one of his last
leading roles. Hed carried a similar the calibers that had come along
rifle as a WWII Marine. since I had carried a long gun for a
living as a Marine I settled on a
.30/06 for several reasons. All of
my military training had been done
with the old 03 Springeld and I
was familiar with the caliber and
what the 180-grain bullet would
and could do at various ranges.
Using that round, I know I wouldnt
be required to keep mental tables
and run through them every time I
wanted to re. That information
had been thoroughly pounded into
my skull by an irate rie coach years
before.
More important, I knew the
limitations of the round and knew
what it could not do.
Now, as we sat on the bench,
glassing the huge elk bull on the
other side of the canyon, I ignored
the excited suggestions of my guide
that I try for him. Finally, I lowered
the Browning custom model and
In May of 1964, Gun World I may not be able to explain exactly turned the Redeld variable back
published his surprising account of what I felt. down to four-power. I shook my
that Colorado elk hunt. The Nature is something you can head.
resulting article, titled Ill Settle For forget. In the caverns of the I dont want to shoot him, I
Second Best, remains well Hollywood sound stages, told him. The guide stood looking at
circulated among hunters to this surrounded by harsh lights, me, mouth open, as though
day. microphones and other mechanical wondering what kind of hunter I
monsters of the movie and might be. An unusual breed, no
Sitting there beside my guide, television industries, even in the doubt.
Marvin wrote, our horses munching concrete jungles of Beverly Hills, Lets go look for that mule
the dead grass to our rear, I counted nature becomes something dream- deer, I suggested. Mounted again,
more than 30 elk. Most of them like and a long way off. In short, it we rode down into the canyon and
were cows, but there were half a seems unreal.
dozen bucks in the scattered herd. That, I think,
Not one of them, though, was is one of the
exactly what I had in mind for a reasons I had
trophy. decided to take up
Across the stillness came the serious hunting
sound of bugling, and I tried to again, after a
determine where the elk bulls layoff of nearly 20
challenge had come from. I swung years; as a release;
the rie again, squinting through an escape from
the nine-power scope, looking everyday
higher. Then, I saw him. pressures; or
He was a huge cream-colored perhaps a chance
creature standing on another bench to simply
nearly straight across from me, commune with the
probably no more than 500 yards. basics. Call it what
And he had the most magnicent you will.
rack Id ever seen. As he arched his Following a
neck to bugle again, his horns description of his
stretched back to actually scratch hunting
his hindquarters. experience as a
The guide had spotted him, youth, his time in
too. Lord, what an elk, he the service, and
whispered, his tone almost some details
reverent. But I was having some leading up the
serious misgivings. The range was Colorado hunt,
Marvin and Dale King, owner of the Circle K Ranch, where the hunt took
500 yards, and Im not a 500-yard Marvin continued place, pose with his elk, the cut from the scope still fresh and visible on his
shooter. But that was only part of it. his elk narrative. forehead.

through the aspens until I heard the that another hunter will down
sound of antlers rattling the trees. I him and claim the record. But for
slipped off the horse and made for me, there is more satisfaction in
Advertiser Index
the opening ahead, where I found believing he is still there, looking
another huge bull elk. He wasnt as over his cows and bugling that Advertiser Page
large as the one we had seen challenge.
moments before, but he would Perhaps its even more than
weigh over a thousand pounds and that. It may go back to that ATK - Savage Arms 3
he, too, had a beautiful rack. feeling about nature and the fact Barnes Bullets Inc 27
The range was close, under a that it is shrinking, being reduced Battenfeld Technologies 15
100 yards, and I opped down to by a jungle of concrete and steel.
Black Hills Ammunition 67
line him up in the scope, ignoring But as long as that huge
the elk cow that was the object of bull is up there on that Cannon Safe Company 19
his attentions. I held my breath, mountainside, theres a chance Caspian Arms Ltd. 39
slowly taking up the trigger, that my 11-year-old son Chris Colt's Manufacturing Company 2
may get a chance to see him,
too, and realize that this is a part
CZ-USA 43
of a different world than that in Davidson's 61
which he is growing up. He may Double Tap Defense, LLC 35
even have a chance to know it as DoubleTap Ammunition 98, 99
most of us did as kids. I hope so.
-- European American Armoury 7
A few months after Marvins GTUL 57
article appeared, Gun World HallMark Cutlery 87
published a letter to the editor,
Hogue Grips 37
which read, in part, Lee Marvin
shows good judgment in his IWI US 29
choice of weapon and the Kahr Arms 59
writing of the article I cannot Les Baer Custom,Inc. 53
help but feel that he has a great
respect for the outdoors. Some Leupold & Stevens, Inc. 79
hunters may call him stupid for Lucky Buzzard 65
passing up the big elk, but it Mec-Gar 57
takes a smart man to know his MG Arms, Inc. 69
limitations.
And I always thought that Numrich Gun Parts Corporatio 73
line about a man knowing his Redding Reloading Equipment 49
limitations originated with Clint Redeld 51
Eastwoods Dirty Harry
Rio Grande Custom Grips 81
Callahan character. GW
Rock River Arms 5
S&K Scope Mounts 98
AFTER THE HUNT SCCY Industries 31
Marvin in one of his suit-and-tie roles.
Lee Marvin won a Best Secure Medical 49
Actor Academy Award in Smith & Wesson 85
1965 for his dual role in Cat Sportsman's Guide 98
recalling the training of long ago.
Even so, it was still a minor surprise Ballou and a Gold Record for
Springeld Armory 45
when the rie bellowed and I felt his gravelly rendition of
Wandrin Star, a single from Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. 100
the impact of the butt against my
shoulder. I couldnt hold back the Paint Your Wagon that Tormach LLC 87
whoop of joy as the bull dropped in spent a surprising three ULTIMAK 81
his tracks. I couldnt hold back the weeks atop the British Pop Umarex USA, Inc. 9
blood, either, that blossomed on my charts in 1970. He passed
World Skin Institute 73
forehead where the scope had away following a heart attack
backed into it with the recoil. at his home in Tucson, Ariz.,
There was a feeling of August 29, 1987. He was 63 The advertiser index is provided as a service to
Gun World readers. Gun World is not responsible
satisfaction as we packed out the years old. He is interred at for omissions or typographical errors on names
thousand-pound bull but there is or page numbers.
Arlington National Cemetery,
more to it than that. It involves the
not far from the grave of
rst bull we had seen. He was a
good deal larger, a certain record heavyweight boxer Joe Louis.
winner. Marvins son Chris, an
But he had lived this long to artist and Grammy-award-
become king of his particular part winning drummer, passed
of the mountain. There always is away in 2013 at the age of 60.
the chanceprobability, in fact

GW_1405_98 3/6/14 10:13 AM Page 98
BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
John Bartulin
866-866-5146 ext:2746
jbartulin@beckett.com
The best source for tactical information and gear on newsstands today.
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$GUHQDOLQHOOHGVWRULHVIURP/DZ(QIRUFHPHQWDQG6:$7
2IFHUV
,QGHSWKKRZWRDUWLFOHVRQKRZWRLPSURYH\RXUJDPH
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GW_1405_C3 3/2/14 10:23 PM Page C3
GW_1405_100 2/28/14 3:46 AM Page 100
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GW_1405_COVER1 3/6/14 5:56 AM Page US_C1

HOW WOLF AND KREBS

Factory-original spare parts and accessories

M110 FCP HS PRECISION, .338 LAPUA

M111 LONG RANGE HUNTER, .338 LAPUA

M110 BA , .338 LAPUA

Supersonic 1100 yards .308 WIN

Supersonic 1800 yards .338 LAPUA

century. Read what all the fuss is still

Sturm, Ruger & Co.

4 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

12 Ask the Experts

Dave Workman 94 Back Pages STEEL SHOT

ON THE COVER: www.gunworld.com

Photographs by Brad Fitzpatrick,

Cover design by Jesse Cao Engaged Media By Beckett

6 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

UP FRONT MAY 2014 VOLUME 55 NUMBER 5

GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55, Number 5, is

IN SOCIAL MEDIA: And if I can get my wifes aunt GST #855050365RT001

8 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

NEW hopped on the plane to SHOT. In

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LT2 TACTICAL SHIRT The LT2 Tactical

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 11

12 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

The author testing out the military brass over commercial

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 13

ASK THE EXPERTS

An M3A1 version of the

OUR MAY EXPERTS:

14 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

another 33,000 M3A1

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16 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

Story & Photos by Brad Fitzpatrick

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 17

Carry guns need to strike a balance

18 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

POINT. DONT SETTLE FOR AN IMITATION.

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 19

LOOK AND FEEL

20 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

it isnt a major chore. The

Weight 26 ounces (empty, 13-round magazine)

Overall Length 6.25 inches

Overall Height 4.75 inches

Finish Melonite (tested), satin stainless

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 21

which can be instantly seen or felt.

The cocking indicator is clearly visible at the rear of

22 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

As Ive said in previous articles,

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 23

FNs Five-seveN pistol is a single-action-only, delayed-

24 GUN WORLD | MAY 2014 www.gunworld.com

LIMITED Story & Photos by Jerry Catania

www.gunworld.com MAY 2014 | GUN WORLD 25

The Five-seveN comes with three 20-

Earth (FDE) frame color. It is the

LOAD MUZZLE VELOCITY

Federal American EagleAE5728A: 40-grain TMJ* 1,634 fps

FN HerstalSS197SR: Blue-tipped, 40-grain Hornady V-MAX* 1,710 fps

FN HerstalSS192: 28-grain, aluminum-core JHP** 1,988 fps

NN 48 1