GW - February 2016

GW-16-2-COVER.
qxp 12/10/15 11:33 PM Page US_C1
Savage’s Versatile Model 11 Scout
Best
Chokes
& Loads
For Waterfowl
Return
of the
SIG SAUER
P225-A1
Handgun Heresy?
WITNESS A New
1911 P
Pistol
For the
FBI
Are you ready for a Buying
Guns
Polymer-Frame 1911? ONLINE
FEB 2016 • VOLUME 57, NO.2 • $4.99 U.S.

DISPLAY UNTIL 2/9/16 • www.gunworld.com
02
GUNSMITHING: Revolver Re-Do
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GW_1602_3 12/8/15 10:43 PM Page 3
RUGER AR-556
Flattop Upper Receiver Features a

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Hammer-Forged Barrel with
Ruger ® Flash Suppressor
and 1:8'' Twist
Post Front Sight and Ruger ® Rapid

Deploy Folding Rear Sight Milled Gas Block
Has Multiple
Attachment
Ergonomic Pistol Points Including
Grip Features an a QD Socket and
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Precise Trigger and Accessory
Control Mounting Options
Ruger ® AR-556 ® Rifle*
The Ruger ® AR-556 ® semi-automatic, M4-style, direct impingement Modern Sporting Rifle is American-made and
constructed from top-quality components, including a forged 7075-T6 aluminum upper and lower receiver and a cold hammer-
forged, chrome-moly steel barrel with M4 feed ramp cuts. Chambered in 5.56 NATO, the AR-556’s carbine-length, flattop,
M4 design is fully configured with a Ruger ® Rapid Deploy folding rear sight, milled F-height gas block with post front sight,
forward assist, dust cover, brass deflector, telescoping six-position stock, improved trigger-reach grip, enlarged trigger guard and
one 30-round Magpul ® PMAG ®. Standardized M4/AR components are utilized throughout, so the AR-556 ® is easily customized.
* Some rifles may not be available in all states and locales due to laws limiting magazine capacity and feature-based restrictions. Please check with your local law enforcement agency prior to purchasing this firearm
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©2015 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 051315
GW-TOC-4-5.qxp 12/10/15 11:21 PM Page 4
CONTENTS February 2016
22
12
34
48
12: BEN GETTINGER

22: MIKE DICKERSON
34: GARRETT LUCAS
48: LEROY THOMPSON
GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 57, Number 2, is published monthly, 12 times a year by Engaged Media Inc, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA
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Kent St., Liberty, MO 64068. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001
4 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

GW-TOC-4-5.qxp 12/10/15 11:21 PM Page 5
Features Columns
12 Handgun Heresy? 6 Up Front – Craig Hodgkins
The EAA Witness is the first polymer-frame 1911, 8 New Products – Tim Stetzer
but will die-hard fans of this century-old design
embrace the new hybrid? 70 Handguns – Dave Workman
By Brad Fitzpatrick
76 Reload – James E. House
22 Versatility Defined 80 Today’s Hunter – Brad Fitzpatrick
The new Savage Model 11 Scout rifle is a handy,
highly customizable, “do-it-all” rifle that does it 88 Gunsmithing – Steve Sieberts
all pretty well.
By Mike Dickerson 96 Back Pages – Craig Hodgkins
34 No Ordinary CCW
The FNS-9C is a striker-fired pistol on a polymer
platform, but despite its smaller size, it’s still an
extremely adept weapon for self-defense.
By Garrett Lucas
48 A Proper Proposal
The FBI recently issued a request for two new
9mm pistols, and the bid specs are many and
detailed.
By Leroy Thompson
60 Just One Click

Shrewd gun buyers can find numerous bargains
by shopping online, and the Internet will
continue to shape the future of the industry.
By Cassandra Faulkner
www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 5

GW-UPFRONT-6-7.qxp 12/10/15 5:38 AM Page 6
UP FRONT
February 2016
Volume 57 • Number 2
EDITORIAL
Doug Jeffrey Editorial Director
Craig Hodgkins Editor
Mark Heisser Managing Editor
Winter
DESIGN
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CONTRIBUTORS
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Wonders
Leroy Thompson, Martin Topper, Dave Workman
ADVERTISING
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BY CRAIG HODGKINS Kristan Beckman Advertising Traffic Coordinator
DIRECT MARKETING GROUP
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HE NEW YEAR IS and fighting off cabin fever while the John Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746
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GW_1602_7 12/8/15 10:47 PM Page 7
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GW-PRODUCTS-8-11.qxp 12/8/15 11:58 PM Page 8
NEW PRODUCTS
Hi-Lux
Micro-Max
B-Dot
AFFORDABLE OPTICS WITH TOP
The Hi-Lux Micro-Max
B-Dot sight comes with
a set of flip-up scope
NOTCH FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE covers and an integrated

Picatinny rail mount.
TEXT BY TIM STETZER, PHOTOS BY JIM HOLMAN

S I GET OLDER and did using both sighting systems, there is good dot sight. You do, however, have to find
A have a harder time seeing

iron sights, I find that I
appreciate red dots more
and more. I just finished a
patrol rifle course at work, and the differ-
ence between how I shot with iron sights
no longer a question as to which I shoot
better with. Even for the folks with good
eyes, red dots make quick sight acquisi-
tion easy and improve hits. Over the past
decade, even the U.S. military has con-
verted based upon actual combat experi-
one that fits into your budget.
Red dot sights date back to the early
1970s, and as manufacturing and technology
have improved over the years, more and
more companies have jumped into the busi-
ness, creating a vast sea of options available
versus a red dot was a real eye opener. I ences overseas. to the shooter today. Prices range anywhere
was already drifting towards using dot Thankfully, you don’t need to be a combat from about what you’d pay for a case of beer
sights, but after the extensive shooting I trooper to benefit from the attributes of a and a pizza to well north of $1000, depend-

With an MSRP of
$249, the B-Dot sight
is an excellent value.
ing on what you’re looking at. guns. There are a few companies now, ity and a low profile look.
Generally speaking, all of the sights do though, that offer that kind of performance The B-Dot comes with a set of flip-up
basically the same thing: they present an il- in a price that most folks can afford, and one scope covers and an integrated Picatinny rail
luminated dot sighting for use on a firearm of those is Leatherwood Hi-Lux Optics. mount. A taller riser is also available to
or other projectile weapon. Within that gen- allow for co-witnessing with AR style iron
eral statement, though, there is a vast field THE HI-LUX MICRO-MAX B-DOT sights. External controls consist of a set of
of differences that roughly distill down to a When I started looking for red dot optics, windage and elevation adjustment knobs that
few key points, mainly quality, durability I did a lot of research to see what was out are held onto the sight body with wire stays
and longevity. there that offered the features I wanted at a to prevent loss. Raised tabs on the caps cover
Traditionally, the less expensive sights price I could afford, and the Hi-Lux optics the knobs and allow for easy adjustment
lacked rugged, drop resistant and weather- rapidly made their way to my short list. I al- without the need for a separate screwdriver
proof bodies, good clean optical quality and ready had a Leatherwood CMR4 illuminated or other tool.
acceptable battery life. They might be fine on tactical scope that I’ve been using for a year The battery compartment is on the left
your favorite rimfire plinker, but probably or better, so I was familiar with the quality side of the sight and it has room to carry a
couldn’t handle a higher recoiling hunting of the Leatherwood line. I took a peep at spare battery onboard as well. On top of the
rifle to be used in foul weather, or a competi- their red dots on the Hi-Lux side of the sight are the controls to turn the sight on
tion or defense rifle that’s going to see hard house and was immediately drawn to the and adjust dot brightness. The B-Dot ships
use and needs to work. Micro-Max B-Dot. with everything you need out of the box, in-
It wasn’t all that long ago that getting The B-Dot has an impressive set of fea- cluding torx wrenches for installation, a lens
those things meant you were looking at tures. It’s sturdily built from a machine alu- cloth, a CR2032 battery and a spare, and a
spending upwards of $400, which isn’t an in- minum body that’s fitted with multi-coated Kill Flash Anti Reflection Device cover. The
substantial amount for most of us and be- glass lenses and then nitrogen gas purged entire unit is quite compact at only 2.5
comes downright impractical when you need and sealed watertight. It’s finished off with a inches long by 1.4 inches wide by 1.4 inches
to outfit multiple rifles, shotguns or hand- matte black hard anodized finish for durabil- tall with a weight of 5.6 ounces.

NEW PRODUCTS
late grenade fragmentation. The results are

pretty impressive. Even with folks deliber-
ately trying to break them, the sights keep
trucking along far past the point of reason-
able field-testing.
I’ve been using my particular sight for
around 6 months at this point—mounting it
on 9mm pistols, 5.56 rifles, and even a .308
pistol—and it’s held up extremely well. I
haven’t done any deliberate torture testing,
but it has been out in temperature extremes
from the mid-90s to the mid-30s, seen some
exposure to rain and, much to my chagrin,
been dropped once or twice on the gravel. No
problems whatsoever.
Sight in was easy, especially with the in-
cluded slotted windage and elevation caps.
The 2-MOA dot was very easy to see and use
at ranges from as close as 7 yards out to just
past 100 yards. It was especially interesting to
see how the B-Dot helped tighten up my
groups when I moved from iron sights to the
red dot. Mounting was secure and I never
had wandering zero problems or had it shoot
loose during my tests.
Leatherwood has come up with a very
solid competitor in the red dot market with
their Hi-Lux Micro-Max B-Dot sights.
They’re compact, lightweight, extremely
rugged and offer top-of-class battery life, but
the best part is that they offer all of this for a
The sight is a non-magni- price that’s probably one-half to one-third
fied, parallax-free design
that of optics with comparable features. And,
with a 2-MOA red dot with
12 brightness level settings. with an MSRP of only $249, the Micro Max
B-Dot is a force to be reckoned with on the
optics market! GW
As far as the electronics go, the B-Dot is storage will give you another 5 to work with
pretty impressive. It’s a non-magnified, par- if you think that still isn’t enough. The B-
allax-free design with a 2-MOA red dot with Dot has 3 night vision settings as well, and
12 brightness level settings. You can turn the the battery life at those settings is an insane CONTACT
dot off manually by pressing both the plus 750,000 of run time.
Hi-Lux, Inc.
and minus controls at the same time, but if Leatherwood uses some pretty extensive Hi-LuxOptics.com
you forget it has an auto-off feature as well. in-house endurance tests, including mount-
The factory default is for 8 hours but you ing them on a semi-auto .338 Lapua Mag-
can program it to shut off anywhere between num rifle and then freezing them down to a
2 and 12 hours. crisp -85 degrees Fahrenheit before running SPECIFICATIONS
If you think that an “on” time of 8 or 12 200 rounds of the heavy recoiling load Hi-Lux Micro-Max B-Dot sight
hours will impact the operational effective- through them. If you want to see some inde- Length: 2.5 in.
ness of your sight, think again. The B-Dot pendent testing of the B-Dot, it’s very easy to Width: 1.4 in.
has an impressive 50,000-hour battery life locate on the Internet. Many independent Height: 1.4 in.
that’s right up there with the high-end sights testers have really punished the B-Dot to see Color: Matte Black
on the market. That works out to over 5 how it holds up to heat, drops, submersion
years of constant use. And that spare battery and even being shot with a shotgun to simu- MSRP: $249

GW_1602_11 12/8/15 10:51 PM Page 11
GW-WITNESS-12-21.qxp 12/9/15 11:32 PM Page 12
Handgun
Heresy?
THE EAA WITNESS IS THE FIRST
POLYMER-FRAME 1911, BUT WILL DIE-HARD
FANS OF THIS CENTURY-OLD DESIGN
EMBRACE THE NEW HYBRID?
TEXT BY BRAD FITZPATRICK, PHOTOS BY BEN GETTINGER
I
N THE REALM OF SEMI- been significant variations on Browning’s
AUTO PISTOLS, you’ll find original theme over the years. The first
two primary camps with regard change was barrel length; shorter “Com-
to gun design. On one side, you mander” guns were better for concealment.
have fans of polymer guns, a There have also been additional caliber of-
movement which started with the 1980s ferings, from the competition-built .38
U.S. release of Austrian-made Glock pis- Super to the powerhouse Colt Delta Elite
tols. On the other side of the fence are 10mm. As the decades passed, gun makers
steel gun loyalists. They prefer the look continued to tinker with the original 1911
and feel of a gun made entirely of metal, design, swapping grip materials and design,
and their mascot is the John Browning- finish colors, sights, and so forth.
designed Colt 1911 semiautomatic. Ask But there’s one thing about the 1911 that
any 1911 shooter why they like their didn’t change for a century, and that was
gun and they’ll probably give you a very the fact that it was a steel gun through and
concise answer—the 1911 worked well a through. When Glock debuted their “plas-
hundred years ago, and it’s equally as ef- tic” gun and changed the landscape of pis-
fective today. tol design, the 1911 remained true to its
While it’s common knowledge that the roots, and its many followers remained true
Colt design was released in 1911, there have to the 1911.

Though the 1911 design is over a century old,

the new Witness 1911 P is a first of its kind. It
combines the original 1911’s time-tested design
with a lighter polymer frame that’s impervious
to the elements. At under $600, it’s also one of
the most affordable 1911s on the market.

Even though the slide and

frame of the Witness 1911 P are
of different materials, the
disparity isn’t immediately
noticeable when looking at the
gun. At first glance, it appears
to be a basic black 1911 with a
beavertail grip safety and an
accessory rail. Pick the gun up,
though, and you’ll immediately
recognize the difference.
“P” FOR POLYMER manufacture a polymer gun than a steel gun, the Witness P weighs just 32 ounces, which
Italian gunmaker Tanfoglio set about and those are savings that can be passed on is only about one ounce more than the Glock
changing the rules for America’s most iconic to the consumer. In addition, polymer-frame G20 10mm Auto, and a very significant five
pistol, though. They introduced the world to guns weigh considerably less than steel guns, to ten ounces less than competing steel-
the Witness 1911 P, and as you may have and in a world where millions upon millions frame 1911s.
guessed, that P stands for polymer. Going of Americans have a CCW permit, light is That’s about 20 to 30 percent weight re-
boldly where no American gun company often right when it comes to pistol design. duction, which makes the Witness P a much
seemed willing to go, they built a polymer- Aesthetically, the Witness 1911 P looks more comfortable gun to carry. Plus, the
frame Colt 1911 clone. identical to other Colt clones. It comes with EAA gun will fit standard full-size 1911 auto
The reception was decidedly mixed, as a five-inch barrel, basic notch-and-post holsters so long as they accommodate the ac-
Tanfoglio and their U.S. distributor Euro- sights, and controls that are the same as any cessory rail. That means you won’t have to
pean American Arms (EAA) knew it would other 1911 you’ll find. The plastic grip panels search far and wide or wait a year or more
be. Many dyed-in-the-wool 1911 fans saw the have the classic double diamond design with for a holster.
pistol as an abomination. Die-hard polymer diamond checkering, and the beavertail grip The polymer frame also has another dis-
gun fans saw it as a concession that plastics safety is a nice touch. There’s an accessory tinct advantage for a carry gun. While most
had crept into every facet of firearms design. rail mounted to the polymer frame, but other of today’s finishes are pretty tough, a poly-
But for a whole other group of shooters, the than the beavertail and the rail this looks mer frame is impervious to continued expo-
polymer-frame 1911 was an idea that was very much like your stock 1911 .45. sure to sweat and moisture. That’s good,
long past due. Pick up the Witness 1911 P and one of because there is nothing more damaging to a
All personal preferences aside, polymer- the first things you’ll recognize is just how firearm than exposing it day in and day out
frame guns do have their advantages, prima- significantly the use of a polymer frame re- to acrid perspiration.
rily in price and weight. It’s less expensive to duces the gun’s overall weight. Unloaded, It’s not vitally important that the gun you

The accessory rail on the

Witness 1911 P is a versatile
touch, allowing you to
mount lights or lasers on
the gun as needed. That
only adds to the EAA’s
appeal as a home and
personal defense weapon.
“ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCES

ASIDE, POLYMER-FRAME GUNS
DO HAVE THEIR ADVANTAGES…”
There are dovetailed sights

front and rear; the rear is a
standard black notched
sight that is drift adjustable,
and the front is held in
place with a set screw.

“THE WITNESS 1911 P

COULD SERVE AS AN
OLIVE BRANCH BETWEEN
GUNDOM’S TWO MOST
DIVIDED CAMPS.”
carry to save your life is free from corrosion LOOK AND FEEL turing on the front and rear of the grip; this
and blemishes—it’s not important at all, in The front and rear grip surfaces are free is a lighter 1911 .45, which means recoil is
fact—but for resale value and aesthetic pur- from checkering or any other texturing, and sharper than a traditional steel-framed gun
poses you want to keep a gun looking good. the Witness comes with an eight-round mag- of the same design, and there’s a noticeable
You aren’t going to damage your Witness, azine with a plastic extension cap and flat snap between the thumb and index finger of
and if you do damage the gun all you’ll need mainspring housing. It’s certainly comfort- the shooting hand. When firing hot defen-
to swap out is the polymer frame. The poly- able to hold, with the 1911’s characteristic sive loads, it would help if there was a bit
mer frame does have framed steel inserts and narrow single-stack grip design. While shoot- more texturing fore and aft.
parts are interchangeable. ing the gun, I wished for a little more tex- It was never as though the gun was going

The black slide and

frame match well
despite the fact that
one is steel and the
other polymer. Will the
Witness create a new
movement toward
polymer 1911s? Time
will tell.
The light polymer frame reduces weight but slightly increases

recoil. The front and rear of the grip lack checkering or stippling,
but the gun remains controllable.
to leap out of my hand, but there was a

slight increase in the amount of time it took
to get back on target. The plastic grip panels
offer an adequate hold when firing the gun,
and with a vast market for aftermarket 1911
parts and the low MSRP of the Witness, if
you chose to change the grip panels you Even though the polymer frame is new, EAA’s controls remain
could do so quickly and affordably. the same as any other 1911: a grip safety, slide stop, magazine
release, and thumb safety.
Up top, the blued slide has a traditional

The Witness 1911 P provided good accuracy

across the board from 25 yards. This group
was fired using Federal’s HST 230-grain
ammo and measured less than two inches.
(Brad Fitzpatrick photo)
look and design. There are dovetailed sights long-hole hammer that makes manual cock- from various .45s, and I’ve found that all of
front and rear; the rear is a standard black ing easier. Assembly and disassembly is stan- them performed very well.
notched sight that is drift adjustable, and the dard 1911-101. The first test was to fire all three loads
front is held in place with a set screw. The from a fixed rest at 25 yards—perhaps not
profile of the sights is a bit high, more like a PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL the most practical test of real-world function-
target gun than a concerted carry gun, but if On the range, I used three defensive loads ality, but a vital examination of the gun’s ac-
you feel compelled to swap them out that to test the Witness 1911: Federal’s 230-grain curacy potential. The smallest group of the
would not be a problem. HST, Barnes’ 185-grain TAC-XPD and Hor- day came via Federal’s HST ammo, which
Other features include a ramped barrel, a nady’s American Gunner 185 HP. I have a printed average groups just under 2.4 inches.
plastic recoil spring plug, and a serrated good deal of experience with all three loads The American Gunner ammo was just be-

The magazine release is metal—

one of the few components on
the lower portion of the gun that
is. EAA provides one eight-round
magazine with the Witness 1911 P.
hind at 2.67 inches, managing to edge the was either spring weight or lubrication (or, It’s safe to say that most Witness 1911 P
Barnes ammo ever so slightly. With group perhaps, a little of both) and I stripped the owners will shoot their guns offhand more
sizes ranging from just below 2.5 inches to gun after the test and lubricated with Mod- often than they will from a bench, so for the
just under 3 inches, the Witness 1911 P sits ern Spartan Systems Accuracy Oil. second portion of the test, I fired full maga-
directly in the middle of other factory 1911s In the past, Accuracy Oil has proven zines at silhouette targets from three to eight
in this class. highly effective for reducing friction, and I yards. The EAA comes with a single maga-
Firing five, five-shot groups with each worked the oil into the slide rails and made zine, so I had to find a spare 1911 mag to
load resulted in two malfunctions. In both sure they were well lubricated. Afterwards, I practice reloads. The trigger, which breaks at
cases, the slide of the Witness 1911 failed to tested the gun off the bench and did not en- about 5.6 pounds according to my gauge, has
go back into battery. I suspected the culprit counter any more problems. a bit of uptake off the bench, but shooting

The Witness 1911 P is

lightweight, which
makes it easy to carry,
but recoil is also heavier
than steel-framed 1911s.
from the standing or moving position it was $600, which makes this an entry-priced 1911, olive branch between gundom’s two most di-
fine and on par with most entry-level 1911s. performance was good. vided camps. But short of that, it’s a heck of
The magazine grip safety was well ad- It’s hard to say whether or not the shoot- a gun for the price and an answer to the
justed for tension, and the tall, basic black ing world will embrace the polymer-framed question, “Why doesn’t someone just build a
sights worked well at fighting ranges. The 1911, but Tanfoglio and EAA are taking the polymer 1911?” GW
magazine release button was a little heavy step of putting the very first hybrid 1911 on
and sticky, making reloads rather slow. But the market. It’s a straightforward 1911
even by the end of the test the mag button dressed in basic black, but it’s functional and CONTACT
has smoothed out, and I believe that after relatively accurate. It’s also considerably European American Arms Corporation
the initial break-in period the gun would lighter than many other 1911s that cost more, (321) 639-4842
perform even better. and it’s just as reliable and well built. EAACorp.com
And, considering the MSRP is below The Witness 1911 P could serve as an

“ITALIAN GUNMAKER TANFOGLIO SET

ABOUT CHANGING THE RULES FOR
AMERICA’S MOST ICONIC PISTOL…”
ACCURACY RESULTS: EAA WITNESS 1911 P

Load Grains Velocity (fps) Best Group (in) Average Group (in)
Federal HST 230 890 1.74 2.36

Hornady American Gunner 185 970 2.53 2.67
Barnes TAC-XPD 185 1,000 2.60 2.77
Accuracy results are based on five, five-shot groups from a fixed rest at 25 yards. Velocities are factory claims.
Handgun
Heresy?
SPECIFICATIONS
EAA Witness 1911 P
Action: Recoil-operated semiauto
Capacity: 8
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Slide: Blued steel
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Black notch rear and post front drift
adjustable
Overall Length: 8.58 inches
Weight: 32 ounces
MSRP: $580

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 22
Versatility
Defined
THE NEW SAVAGE MODEL 11 SCOUT RIFLE IS A
HANDY, HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE, “DO-IT-ALL” RIFLE
THAT DOES IT ALL PRETTY WELL.
At the bench, the Model 11 Scout proved to

have the same out-of-the-box accuracy that
Savage rifles are noted for. The author judged
it to be an attractive rifle, in an all-business
sort of way, with its natural-colored stock and
contrasting matte black hardware.

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 23
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIKE DICKERSON
I
f you were to survey the catalogues of the cur- low-magnification scope to allow for fast target acquisition
rent crop of bolt action rifles offered by major and preserve peripheral vision, and it should have backup
gun manufacturers, with no historical perspec- iron sights as well. The rifle should be capable of 2-MOA
tive to guide you, you might easily conclude accuracy, or grouping shots into two inches at 100 yards.
that scout rifles are a relatively new concept. Some would argue that this traditional scout rifle concept
They are not. is out of date, pointing to semi-automatic AR-10 platforms
A number of vintage military rifles, including various chambered in .308 Win. as the ideal modern manifestation
Mannlicher–Schönauer and Mauser models, incorporated of a scout rifle. That argument might hold more merit were
some of what we today think of as scout rifle features, and it not for two critical factors. The first is weight. Most AR-10
provided some inspiration for the concept. That concept was rifles tip the scales at a hefty 9 to 10 lbs. A second consider-
refined – or redefined, if you will – some 30 years ago by the ation is complexity and its evil twin, reliability. Yes, many
late Col. Jeff Cooper, firearms guru and founder of the AR-10 guns run like fine clocks – when properly maintained
famed Gunsite Academy in Arizona. – but few would argue that they are less complicated or cer-
The newest soldier to join the scout rifle ranks is the Sav- tifiably more reliable than bolt guns, which are somewhat
age Model 11 Scout rifle. It’s a rather attractive rifle if you more inclined to always go bang when needed, even when
like things that say, at a glance, “I’m here to take care of they’re neglected.
business.” It is offered in the Savage law enforcement series, The out-of-date argument also flies in the face of evi-
hinting at the rifle’s utility in a patrol role as well as other dence that the gun-buying public continues to see merit in
real-world scenarios, such as hunting and home defense. the scout rifle concept. Steyr, Ruger, Mossberg and Savage
As Cooper saw it, a scout rifle should be a handy, have all produced scout rifle models or rifles that were quite
portable, general-purpose rifle that could serve equally well scout-like in design.
in a defensive role and in taking animals weighing up to So how does the Model 11 Scout measure up to Col.
1,000 lbs. The rifle should be chambered in .308 Win. or Cooper’s vision? In my view, it delivers on most of his speci-
7mm-08 Rem. He specified that the rifle should weigh a fications – and goes well beyond in some respects, reflecting
maximum of 7.7 lbs. and measure 39 inches or less in over- the advancement of rifle and optics technology since Cooper
all length. It should be equipped with a forward-mounted, first defined his perfect scout rifle.

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 24
A smooth action and knurled,

oversize bolt handle help cycle
the bolt quickly under all
weather conditions.
TRUE TO THE SCOUT

TRADITION
The new Scout rifle is built on the Model
11 action, which uses a floating bolt head
that self-adjusts for an accuracy-enhancing
fit. The action is mated to an 18-in. hand-
straightened, button-rifled, carbon steel bar-
rel with what Savage calls “zero tolerance”
headspace. In other words, headspace is set
exactly to minimum with a headspace gauge,
and the barrel is then threaded on and
locked into place with a barrel nut. It’s one
of the factors contributing to the notable ac-
curacy of Savage rifles.
The rifle has an oversize bolt handle
which aids in quick handling and provides
“MY ACCURACY TESTING
solid control in inclement weather. The ac-
tion cycled smoothly and, in testing, I experi- RESULTS WERE A BIT OF A
enced no feeding or ejection issues. While
SURPRISE, BUT IN A
you’ll never be able to run the gun as
quickly as a semi-auto, you will likely be sur- GOOD WAY.”

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 25
True to the scout rifle

concept, the Model 11
Scout comes with iron
sights, including a
Williams receiver sight
and a .37-in. post front
site with protective
wings.
The bolt cycled

smoothly in testing, and
the author experienced
no issues with feeding,
extraction or ejection.

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 26
A cantilevered, 17-slot Picatinny rail accommodates for-

ward-mounted scopes or optics. The rifle came equipped
with a fixed 4X Weaver scope for testing.
prised at just how fast you can empty its 10-

round, detachable magazine.
The magazine is made of tough polymer
on the bottom half, but the upper half,
which inserts into the magazine well, is all
steel. It protrudes from the bottom of the
stock, but not so far as to interfere when
shooting off a bipod or from a prone posi-
tion. The magazine locks firmly into place
with an audible click, and its robust design
gives the impression that it’s not going any-
where. A magazine release latch, located at
the front of the magazine, is recessed to
avoid accidentally tripping the latch and
dropping the magazine.
The rifle comes with three swivel studs
installed to allow for a variety of sling op-
tions or to accommodate a bipod and a sling.
With a weight of 7.8 lbs., the new Savage
Scout rifle is right at the top end of what
Col. Cooper thought was acceptable for a
scout rifle. Overall length, at 40.5 inches, is
quite close as well, but the rifle also comes A grip cap on the stock bears the iconic Savage logo.

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 27
SAVAGE MODEL 11 SCOUT RIFLE 308 WIN.
LOAD AVG. MUZZLE AVG. 100-YARD BEST 100-YARD

VELOCITY (FPS) GROUP (INCHES) GROUP (INCHES)
Barnes Vor-Tx 168 gr. 2600 1.07 0.89

Tipped TSX BT
Federal Premium 168 gr. 2550 1.26 1.01

MatchKing BTHP
Federal 165 gr. Fusion 2584 1.54 1.48
Hornady American Whitetail 2690 1.22 0.90

150 gr. InterLock
Winchester Deer Season XP 2722 1.65 1.49

150 gr.
Note: Velocities measured with Competitive Edge Dynamics M2 chronograph. All groups fired in 6-12 mph wind at 100 yards with fixed 4X scope.

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 28
A nice touch on the rifle is a comb that’s adjustable for height

and angle, letting you get the right cheek weld whether you’re
with a butt pad and spacers that allow you to using optics or the supplied iron sights.
tailor the length of pull. This is helpful for
shooters of small stature, and it allows you to
customize the gun for a better fit when wear-
ing thick clothing in cold weather or to fit
various shooting styles.
The rifle also has a comb that’s adjustable
for both height and angle. This is a notewor-
thy addition as it lets you get just the right
cheek weld to take full advantage of the
rifle’s versatile options for optics and sights.
As Col. Cooper envisioned, the rifle ac-
commodates forward-mounted, long-eye-re-
lief scopes. It does so with a cantilevered,
one-piece Picatinny rail with 17 slots that let
you position your optics as you prefer. True
to the scout rifle tradition, the rifle also
comes with robust iron sights. As equipped
by the factory, the rifle has an adjustable
Williams receiver sight that can function as
a .09-in. peep sight or a .20-in. ghost ring.
The front sight is a .37-in. post with protec-
tive steel wings.
If forward-mounted optics just aren’t your
preference – and let’s face it, they’re not for
everyone – you can remove the Picatinny rail
and rear sight and mount a rifle scope in the
traditional center-mount position.
“The Model 11 Scout rifle blends the best The Savage AccuTrigger on the rifle broke cleanly and consistently at 2 lbs. 14 oz.

GW_1602_29 12/8/15 10:55 PM Page 29
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GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 30
The author put the rifle

through its paces at the
range and was impressed
with its quick-handling
characteristics.
attributes of scout-class weaponry with leg- The barrel, for example, is capped with a pull gauge, the trigger on the Model 11 Scout
endary Savage performance to create a hard- proprietary Savage muzzle brake to reduce broke crisply, and very consistently, at 2 lbs.
hitting, utilitarian package,” says JJ Reich, recoil and allow for quick follow-up shots. 14 oz. The good trigger undoubtedly con-
marketing and communications manager for Since it’s threaded on, you can easily un- tributed to my ability to shoot some tight
Savage parent company Vista Outdoors. “The screw and replace the muzzle brake with a groups with the rifle even though the test
new rifle is an extremely versatile shooting suppressor, adding to the rifle’s versatility. gun arrived equipped with a low-magnifica-
platform easily customized to fit a variety of The rifle is also equipped with the now- tion, fixed 4X Weaver scope.
shooting styles.” iconic and much-copied Savage AccuTrigger, In addition to the AccuTrigger, the rifle is
which incorporates a bladed safety, or re- equipped with the proprietary Savage AccuS-
LOADED WITH FEATURES lease, into the trigger. The trigger is ad- tock. This design incorporates an aluminum
While the rifle clearly lives up to Col. justable, but I quickly and happily discovered rail system which is embedded into the
Cooper’s vision, it goes well beyond his speci- that it required no change from its factory stock. It tightly cradles the action three-di-
fications in some respects. setting. As measured on my Lyman trigger mensionally along its entire length. If you

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:26 AM Page 31
“THE RIFLE IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH THE NOW-ICONIC

AND MUCH-COPIED SAVAGE ACCUTRIGGER...”
check for flex in the polymer stock, you Another nice touch is the tang-mounted RANGE RESULTS
won’t find much. The AccuStock system also safety, which is naturally in reach of the I put the Model 11 Scout rifle through its
embeds an aluminum spine into the stock, thumb and can be very quickly engaged or paces at the range with five different factory
beneath the forend, to add rigidity. Im- disengaged when the rifle is gripped nor- .308 Win. loads using bullet weights ranging
pressed checkering in the grip area and on mally. It’s a three-position design, which I from 150-168 grains. I was keenly interested
the stock’s forend provide non-slip control in favor because it lets you load and unload the in seeing how much velocity loss there would
inclement weather. rifle with the safety in the middle, engaged be out of the rifle’s 18-in. barrel, which is
I rather like the look of the stock on this position, or lock the bolt down in the full shorter than the typical barrels you’d find on
rifle. Savage calls the stock color “natural,” rearward position. A cocking indicator at the hunting rifles chambered in .308 Win.
but I’ll just call it tan. Whatever you call it, rear of the bolt assembly tells you at a The short answer is: not too much. The
the stock color contrasts nicely with the glance, or by feel with your thumb, if the average velocity loss from factory-stated ve-
matte black stock hardware, making for an rifle is cocked and ready to fire. locities, across all five loads, was about 100
attractive package. fps. The least amount of velocity drop off, as

GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:26 AM Page 32
measured over my Competitive Edge Dy- that the rifle would be a shooter because good performance, especially for a hunting
namics M2 chronograph, was 80 fps with Savage rifles have established a well-earned load, was turned in by Hornady’s 150-gr.
the Barnes Vor-Tx 168-gr. TTSX boat tail reputation for excellent out-of-the-box accu- American Whitetail round. This ammo de-
bullet. The greatest loss was 130 fps with the racy. Rather, it had been quite some time livered a sub-MOA best group and average
Hornady 150-gr. American Whitetail load. since I had tested a rifle with a fixed 4X groups of just 1.22 in. Federal’s 168-gr.
That, however, is largely due to the fact that scope, and at that magnification I had some MatchKing BTHP load wasn’t far behind.
Hornady uses 24-in. barrels for testing. The doubts about my ability to shoot the sort of I have no doubt that I would have shot
bullet still kicks along at 2,690 fps. The tiny little groups that would display the true even tighter groups with a higher-magnifica-
hottest load tested, with an average velocity accuracy potential of the rifle. tion scope, but that would be defeating the
of 2722 fps, was the 150-gr. Winchester Deer I need not have worried on that score. All purpose of the rifle. It’s not meant for
Season XP round. five tested factory loads turned in best punching tiny little groups in paper targets,
Was the velocity loss enough to worry groups measuring less than an inch and a although I’m confident you could do that
about? Not really. Consider, if you will, the half at 100 yards, with three of those loads with a center-mount hunting or tactical
Barnes 168-gr. bullet motoring along at the producing best groups that measured an scope of higher magnification. When used
somewhat pedestrian speed of 2,600 fps. Ze- inch or less. Average groups ran from just as intended with a forward-mount, low-mag-
roed via an old-timers’ method of having the over an inch to a little more than an inch nification scope, the rifle delivers more than
bullet strike three inches high at 100 yards, and a half. enough accuracy to produce definitive re-
it will impact just seven inches below point The most accurate round tested in the sults whether you’re hunting or protecting
of aim at 300 yards. The lighter, faster 150- rifle was the Barnes Vor-Tx load with a 168- the homestead.
gr. bullets will shoot a little flatter than that. gr. TTSX boat tail bullet, which delivered a Happily, it does so while shooting well
My accuracy testing results were a bit of a best group measuring 0.89 in. and average under Col. Cooper’s 2-MOA specification.
surprise, but in a good way. I had no doubt groups just slightly over 1 MOA. Another GW
SPECIFICATIONS
Versatility
Savage Model 11 Scout Rifle
Action: Bolt action
Caliber: 308 Win.
Barrel: 18 in. carbon steel
Rate of twist: 1:10
Defined
CONTACT
Barrel Finish: Matte black
Barnes Hornady Weaver Optics
Stock: Synthetic AccuStock Ammunition Ammunition WeaverOptics.com
Stock Finish: Natural (flat dark earth) BarnesBullets.com Hornady.com
Trigger: AccuTrigger Winchester
Competitive Edge Nagel’s Gun Shop Ammunition
Sights: Williams receiver/front post & Picatinny rail Dynamics NagelsGuns.net Winchester.com
Magazine: Detachable box CEDhk.com
Capacity: 10 rounds Savage Arms
Federal SavageArms.com
Weight: 7.8 lbs. Ammunition
FederalPremium.com
MSRP: $794.00

GW_1602_33 12/8/15 10:58 PM Page 33
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shoot with CCI®
A17 Varmint Tip • Chambered In 17 HMR
ammunition.
• Hard Chromed Bolt With Dual Controlled Round Feed
• 10-Round Rotary Magazine
• Case Hardened Steel Receiver
• Button-Rifled Barrel
• Adjustable AccuTrigger™
• Oversized Bolt Handle
SAVAGEARMS.COM www.savagearms.com/launch/a17
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 34
No Ordinary
CCW FNH INTRODUCES THE NEW FNS-9 COMPACT
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY GARRETT LUCAS
T
HERE SEEMS TO BE (at least) a tempo- In the era of active shooters and possible terrorist
rary uptick in people’s concerns for their threats that result in sustained engagements lasting
own security out in public. That’s why hours rather than seconds, individuals with concealed-
our approach to concealed carry needs to carry permits should upgrade their every-day-carry
be re-thought just a bit. There used to be package to include a more combat-oriented firearm and
a time when I felt completely comfortable with a J- a decent supply of ammunition. A lot of readers will be
frame revolver tucked away on my person in the event thinking that they already do this. If you’re reading this
of a random, but brief encounter with a mugger or magazine, you’re an enthusiast or somewhat knowledge-
other type of “ordinary” criminal. But my thinking able about this topic. Not everyone has the same mindset,
has changed on that over the years. Now, a firearm but maybe if we talk about it enough, we can change
like that is just a back up as far as I’m concerned. some hearts and minds.

GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 35
The FNS-9 Compact is

essentially a downsized
combat pistol with all
the expected tactical
appointments.

GW-FNS9-34-45 cx.qxp 12/10/15 10:52 PM Page 36
The package comes from the

factory with three magazines.
Two are 12-round magazines—
one with a flush fitting base plate
and the other with an extended
base plate and finger rest. The
third magazine has a capacity of
17 rounds.
THE FNS-9 COMPACT but despite its smaller size, it’s still an ex- round magazines, one with a flush-fitting
FNH USA has just introduced a model tremely adept weapon for self-defense, and base plate and another with an extended fin-
that can help us start the conversation. It’s combat if it comes down to it. Though this ger rest. The choice basically comes down to
their new FNS-9 Compact (FNS-9C to save pistol is sized for concealed carry, it still has either comfort or a little more concealability.
space going forward). For many gun manu- all the special touches needed to make it an I never cared for having my pinky finger
facturers, if they enjoy success with a certain effective weapon. hang off in the void while shooting. Even
model, like FN’s FNS-9, those companies With a barrel length of 3.6 inches and an with the addition of the finger rests, the
will tend to bring out variations of it. This overall length of 6.7 inches, it straddles the FNS-9C is still in that Goldilocks zone of
could include long-slide models, but most of line between a compact pistol and sub-com- “just right” between most compact and sub-
the time they bring out reduced-size models pact when compared to similar models from compact pistols, so my preference is to go
like the FNS-9C. Doing this helps turn a other brands. The standard white three-dot with the extended base plates.
duty or range weapon into something more configuration, with a slightly oversized front In addition to the 12-round magazines,
effectively used for concealed carry. sight, makes it extremely easy to acquire and the pistol also comes with a third magazine
Like its big brother, the FNS-9C is a engage a target. that has a 17-round capacity and a sleeve that
striker-fired pistol on a polymer platform, The review pistol I received had two 12- integrates with the pistol’s grip for a more

GW-FNS9-34-45 cx.qxp 12/10/15 10:52 PM Page 37
The back strap and side

panels of the pistol’s grip
are aggressively textured,
and there are two inter-
changeable back panels
to tailor the fit of the gun.
comfortable carry. And, speaking of comfort, purchase on the pistol while firing. ounces, so it’s not a problem carrying it
the FNS-9C comes with two interchangeable Helping the FNS-9C fit into the category on/in the belt for extended periods of time.
back straps that allow the user to customize a of combat-oriented pistols, despite its size, For the lefties out there, each important
proper fit. are the front and rear cocking serrations on control is ambidextrous including the slide
In addition to these features, the FNS-9C the slide, and the MIL-STD 1913 mounting and magazine release. Overall, this is a boon
also comes with full ambidextrous controls rail (Picatinny rail) for adding accessories for the left-handed shooters as they tend to
including the magazine release, slide release, like lights or lasers to augment the user’s get marginalized by different manufacturers,
and an optional thumb safety. It’s good to see ability to stay on target. so this is definitely a pistol a left would want
more manufacturers pay attention to left- to check out for a serious carry pistol.
hand shooters these days. Other standout HANDLING The downside of the ambidextrous con-
features that help make the pistol more con- Out of the box, the FNS-9C felt good in trols, at least for me, was the magazine re-
trollable include serrations on the front of the hand. Even though it bordered on sub- lease. Part of it has to do with the small size
the trigger guard and the front strap. Also, compact territory, there was enough meat on of the pistol, and another part of the equa-
the back strap and the side panels of the grip the grip to get a firm hold on the pistol. The tion is the design of the release itself. I had
are aggressively textured to enable a positive weight of the pistol, while empty, is just 23.4 issues when I tried pushing the release with

GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 38
Despite its small size,

the FNS-9C has an
integrated Picatinny
rail for the addition of
optional accessories.
my thumb; the opposite side of the release

would push against my middle finger, which
would keep it from actually working.
Additionally, half of the release button is
at about a 45-degree angle down toward the
trigger. To positively activate the release, the
user has to get a rather awkward hold on the
pistol to allow the thumb to reach across the
grip and down onto the button itself. This is
an unconventional grip that tends to cause
less dexterous manipulation of the pistol and
the controls.
Now, this might not be an issue for every-
one, but I had to come up with a different
way to activate the release on the FNS-9C. It
was a bit easier to drop my thumb out of the
way and press the release on the opposite
side with my forefinger. Though still not
ideal, I got proficient enough with it during
the review that it was no longer an issue. If
it were going to be a regular carry piece, I The front portion of the magazine release is angled down
toward the trigger, making the release a bit awkward to
would definitely want more practice with the engage because of the pistol’s size and the ambidextrous
mag release. mechanism that pushes against the other side of the hand.

GW_1602_39 12/8/15 11:02 PM Page 39
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 40
With a barrel length of

3.6 inches and an overall
length of 6.7 inches, the
FNS-9C pistol straddles
the line between compact
and sub-compact when
compared to similar
models from other
brands.
My advice to anyone that gets the FNS-

9C is to do magazine change drills to make
sure everything works smoothly for them. If
not, then they might have to modify their
process with a different approach to switch-
ing out magazines. Once done, that new
process needs to be practiced over and over
again until the practice is instinctual.
RANGE TIME
I have now had the opportunity to shoot
the FNS-9C on multiple occasions with
varying sorts of ammunition and with great
success. For this review, we decided to in-
clude a few different brands of ammo just to
Despite the texturing on the back and sides of the pistol’s grip,
broaden the pistol’s horizons and see if it the front strap has serrations to help keep a sure hold.

GW_1602_41 12/8/15 11:05 PM Page 41
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GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 42
“THE OVERALL HANDLING

OF THE FNS-9C...IS
ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD.”
The 17-round magazine comes with a

sleeve that integrates with the grip for
a more comfortable hold, somewhat
replicating the grip of the full-size FNS.
would perform to the same high standard Hydra Shoks, Federal’s 115-grain +P+ JHP’s At this point, I should mention the trig-
that it had previously. (9PBLE), Hornady’s 115-grain Critical De- ger pull of the FNS-9C. I’ve gotten used to it
Instead of Federal Premium’s 147-grain fense FTX, some Black Hills loads including over time, and it doesn’t hamper accuracy as
American Eagle rounds, which we’ve tried the 124-grain JHP and the 115-grain JHP far as defensive shooting goes, but it’s not
previously in this pistol, we opted for some EXP, and HPR Ammunition’s 124-grain one you’d want for a target match. The trig-
124-grain Eagles instead. I also threw into JHP. I had more than enough on hand to ger pull on my review sample was 7.2
the ammo bag some boxes of 124-grain give the FNS-9C another good workout! pounds. While that falls into the range the

GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 43
One fellow at the range was

immediately drawn to the
FNS-9C as soon as he saw it.
He was convinced before he
finished the second magazine.
factory indicates (5.5-7.5 pounds), it’s still a all but the hottest rounds. Even then, there performed pretty well with all the ammuni-
little heavy for my liking. was just a bit of movement. In fact, the tion tested, though it did seem to prefer
The overall handling of the FNS-9C, more I shot the FNS-9C, the more I actu- heavier bullets. For all the sessions at the
while shooting, is actually quite good. It ally liked it. I found that the trigger pull range, the best group at 25 yards had a 1-
points naturally, and it was very easy to ac- wasn’t as much of an issue as I thought in 5/8 inch spread. That was with Federal’s
quire the very visible and enlarged white the beginning. 147-grain American Eagle ammunition.
front sight. Recoil was barely noticeable for With regard to accuracy, the FNS-9C However, all of the other loads mentioned

GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 44
During five different sessions at the range, a variety of ammunition brands have been used to prove out the FNS-9C thanks
to the support of several suppliers, including Federal Premium, Hornady, Black Hills, and HPR Ammunition.
in this article shot groups in the two-to-four

inch range at 25 yards, more than good
enough for defensive applications.
VELOCITY
When using a shorter barrel length, there
always seems to be some concern that
enough velocity will be lost to significantly
affect a bullet’s performance. For pistols, in
all but the most extreme cases, the barrel
length difference isn’t enough to bother me.
With today’s bullet technology, most modern
hollow-point designs are going to perform as
expected for the most part.
But, there are those who have concerns
and dig into the velocity data for rounds out
of shorter-barreled pistols. For those folks,
we did some velocity testing with the various
loads to get an idea of any significant differ-
ences that could affect terminal performance,
and those results are in the accompanying
table (see page 45).
All in all, the velocities weren’t that far
off from the factory ratings while using the
shorter-barreled pistol. Also, keep in mind
that the velocity measurements were taken
10 feet from the muzzle, whereas the factory After hundreds of rounds of at least ten different types of ammunition, the best group at 25
ratings were measured at the muzzle. Take yards was this 1-5/8 inch group with Federal Premium’s 147-grain American Eagle rounds.

GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:28 AM Page 45
that into account, and there’s not much of a were present, including an accessory rail and the FNS-9C, working around the magazine
difference between most of the loads. ambidextrous controls. release is well worth the effort, and it may
Whether it’s your primary concealed not affect some people at all.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE weapon, or just a backup, the FNS-9C is a The utter reliability I experienced—along
The first thing I should mention is that I warrior’s weapon. There may be a couple of with the finish, the excellent sights, and the
used more types of ammunition with the weak links in the chain, such as the trigger three included magazines—make this pistol a
FNS-9C than I’ve used with any other re- pull and the magazine release. However, great value considering the MSRP is just
view pistol, and there was not a single mal- once you get used to the trigger, you don’t $599, with a considerably lower street price.
function—no matter what I fed the pistol. even notice it when you’re actually shooting. If you’re looking for a robust, concealed-
Given that the size of the FNS-9C is between In fact, the trigger pull has smoothed up carry weapon that will hold up in the worst
a compact and sub-compact pistol, it’s sur- quite a bit after a little range time. Consider- of times, the FNS-9 Compact should defi-
prising the number of appointments that ing all the other excellent characteristics of nitely be at the top of your list! GW
No Ordinary
CCW
SPECIFICATIONS CONTACT
Caliber: 9mm
Operation: Double-action FNH USA
Sights: Fixed 3-dot or Fixed 3-dot night (703) 288-3500
M1913 Accessory Rail FNHUSA.com
Magazine: (2) 12-round magazines and (1) 17-round
magazine
Weight: 23.4 oz. (empty)
Barrel Length: 3.6 inches
Overall Length: 6.7 inches
Trigger Pull: 5.5-7.7 pounds VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS AT 10 FEET
Available in Standard and Manual Safety
Made in the USA Test Results Factory Rating
MSRP: $599 American Eagle 124 Gr. FMJ 1007 fps 1150 fps
HPR Ammunition 124 Gr. FMJ 937 fps 1017 fps
Hornady Crit. Def. 115 Gr. FTX 1077 fps 1140 fps
Federal 115 Gr. +P+ JHP 1170 fps 1300 fps
Federal 124 Gr. Hydra-Shok 1103 fps 1120 fps
Black Hills 115 Gr. JHP EXP 1144 fps 1200 fps
Black Hills 124 Gr. JHP +P 1171 fps 1200 fps

GW_1602_46 12/8/15 11:08 PM Page 46
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GW_1602_47 12/8/15 11:09 PM Page 47
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GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 48

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 49
A Proper
Proposal
THE FBI RECENTLY ISSUED A
REQUEST FOR TWO NEW 9MM
PISTOLS, AND THE BID SPECS
ARE MANY AND DETAILED
TEXT & PHOTOS BY LEROY THOMPSON
T
HIS PAST OCTOBER, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation issued a Request for Proposal
(RFP-OSCU-DSU1503) for two new FBI pis-
tols—a full-sized model and a compact. Al-
though no explanation was given for the
decision to adopt a new pistol, a couple of my contacts who
are FBI agents have stated that some trainees going through
the academy (as well as other agents) experienced trouble deal-
ing with the recoil of the .40 S&W Glock 22/23s currently on
issue and, as a result, have had trouble qualifying.
If you’ve ever wondered how and why an organization such as
the FBI goes about this process, it is fascinating in a deeply de-
tailed sort of way, especially if you’ve never been exposed to such a
process. But whether you have or haven’t, we’ll pull back the cur-
tain just a bit to provide an overview of the process, highlight just a
few of the bid specs (in several individual sidebars) and then pro-
vide comparisons of a few handgun models that meet or exceed
some or all of the requested criteria.
This past October, the FBI

issued a Request for Proposal
for two new FBI pistols—a full-
sized model and a compact.

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 50
“THE GLOCK 17 AND

19 MEET MOST
CRITERIA—WITH A FEW
EXCEPTIONS.” The Glock 19 Gen 2’s
grip without finger
grooves fits the bid
specs, but the Glock 19
Gen 4’s grip at the
bottom does not (due
to the finger grooves).

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 51
Specs call for the

ability to alter the grip
to fit three different
hand sizes.
NEW PISTOL BID SPECS Under the section dealing with caliber,
The “request” mentioned above con- it is specified that the pistol must be capa-
tains the bid specs for the new pistols, ble of firing 9mm Luger ammunition that
and the very first sentence states that the complies with SAAMI specifications. Con-
pistols will be 9mm. One is to be a Class tacts who are familiar with the FBI’s test-
I compact pistol with a barrel length being of 9mm ammunition have informed
tween 3.75 and 4.25 inches, a minimum me that the Speer G2 147-grain GDHP
magazine capacity of 14 rounds, night round is the one the FBI plans to adopt.
sights, six magazines, an FBI-approved
gun lock, an operator’s manual that’s GLOCK 17 AND 19
written in English and a stackable, hard- The Glock 17 and 19 meet most crite-
plastic container. ria—with a few exceptions. The most no-
The second pistol is to be a Class II table is the Gen 4’s finger grooves, which
full-size pistol with a barrel length be- are not acceptable. Presumably, a frame
tween 4.26 and 5.20 inches, a minimum of the type used on Gen 2 pistols (which
magazine capacity of 16 rounds, night lacks finger grooves) could be used. How-
sights, six magazines, an FBI-approved ever, the Gen 4’s ability to switch back-
gun lock, an operator’s manual that’s strips would need to be retained.
written in English and a stackable, hard- The Glock 17 and 19 do not meet the
plastic container. requirement for the 0.50-inch difference
Also included in the bid specs are a in barrel lengths: The Glock 17 has a
Red Handle inert pistol and a Blue Han- 4.48-inch barrel, and the Glock 19 has a
dle Man Marking training pistol (Simuni- 4.01-inch barrel. These Glocks also do not
tion), as well as spare parts for the pistols. meet a few other preferred (but not re-
The Class I, Class II and training pistols quired) specs. For example, the FBI
are all required to have the same operat- prefers a Picatinny rail, while Glock uses
ing characteristics. its universal rail.

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 52
The SIG Sauer P320

fits the specs for the
Class II pistol.
(Photo: SIG Sauer)
The HK VP9 does not meet

the FBI specifications
because of its paddle
magazine release. If a version
were produced with a button
release in the required
position, it would presumably
qualify. (Photo: HK USA)

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 53
Specs also call for the

availability of pistols in Flat
Dark Earth, such as this
P320C, or in Ranger
Green. (Photo: SIG Sauer)
S&W M&P 9 AND M&P 9 PRO

The Smith & Wesson M&Ps meet al-
most every criterion—with the exception
of offering standard and extended maga-
zine catches and three different rear sight
heights. These features could readily be
incorporated. As with Glock, there are a
few preferred characteristics the M&P
does not meet.
SIG SAUER P320 AND P320

COMPACT (OR P320 CARRY)
The M&P meets most criteria but
does not offer two sizes of magazine re-
lease, nor does it provide two slide release
sizes. The P320s also meet most of the
preferred characteristics.
FNS 9 LONGSLIDE AND FNS 9

Like the other candidates, the FNS
pistols do not offer two sizes of magazine
release. In addition, they do not feature
two sizes of slide release lever or three
sight heights. And, while the other three
candidates offer Trijicon night sights, the
FNS 9 offers AmericGlo tritium night
sights instead.

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 54
Specs call for tritium night

sights surrounded by a white
outline for use in daylight.
None of the candidates meets the pre-

ferred criterion of a colored, high-visibility
magazine follower, nor do they meet the pre-
ferred criterion of a magazine well for the
Class II (full-sized) pistol to be flared more
than 0.100 inch.
OTHER POSSIBLE
CANDIDATES
Two other pistols meet most of the crite-
ria but would not be considered, based on
certain characteristics. The Walther PPQ M2
meets other criteria but does not offer a fac-
tory 16-round magazine without the need for
an extended floor plate. The HK VP 9 would
be eliminated, because it lacks a compact
version and uses a paddle magazine release. Magazines are required to have witness holes to
Handicapping the pistol that is likely to allow a rapid check of cartridges in the magazine.

GW_1602_55 12/8/15 11:16 PM Page 55
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GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 56
BID SPECIFICATIONS
1 SLIDE
• Slide must have grasping grooves at the rear;
• Additional grasping grooves at the front of the slide
are acceptable;
• Slide must fully cover the barrel with no more than
0.25 inch of the barrel ex posed; and
• To fully pull back the slide, a maximum of 21 pounds
of force is acceptable.
2 SAFETIES
• Manual external safeties, de-cocking levers and
grip safeties are not allowed;
• Pistol should be incapable of firing when out
of battery;
• The firing pin/striker should not be capable of release
while the trigger is held back after firing; and
• There should be a firing pin/striker block that pre-
vents the firing pin or striker from moving forward
without pulling the trigger.
4 TRIGGER
• The pull should remain consistent for first
and subsequent shots;
• Firing pin/striker-fired only;
• Pistol may only be cocked by pulling
the trigger;
• If there is a trigger safety, it is preferred
that it match the contour of the trigger;
• Trigger pull should be no fewer than
4.5 pounds or more than 6.0 pounds;
• Pistol must not fire with a pull of fewer
than 4.25 pounds and must fire with a
pull of 6 pounds; and
• No manually adjustable triggers.
3 MAGAZINES
• Magazines must positively lock in the maga-
• Magazines should have witness holes to
allow quick check if loaded;
• The floor plate should—
zine well;
• Longer, Class II magazines must also fit and * be removable without specially de-
function in the Class I pistols; signed tools and remain affixed when
• No extended magazines or “+” floor plates; dropped from a height of 48 inches
• Magazines must fall free when the mag catch onto a hard surface, even when the
is pressed, whether full or empty, and magazine is fully loaded;
whether the slide is forward or locked back; * aid in positively seating the magazine;
• Magazine components must have a corro- * allow a positive grip to extract a maga-
sion-resistant finish; zine quickly; and
• The follower should be nonbinding; * have a small ledge/protrusion on the
• The follower should have a high-visibility front of the magazine to aid in rapid
color (not required); extraction.

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 57
5 EXTERNAL SLIDE STOP LEVER

• The slide stop must lock slide to the rear after the last round in the
magazine is fired;
• Shooter must be able to readily engage or disengage the slide stop while
maintaining control of the pistol;
• Slide stop lever should be designed so the shooter is unlikely to inadvertently
engage or disengage it;
• Slide stop lever should be easily manipulated by right- or left-handed
shooters (ambidextrous levers are acceptable); and
• Standard and extended slide stop levers must be available.
6 SIGHTS
• Sights to be made of steel sturdy enough to endure 20,000 rounds fired and
also allowing use to push back the slide in one-handed IA
(immediate action) drills;
• Black and non-reflective;
• Rear sight adjustable with a sight pusher and for elevation by replacing with
a different height (at least three heights required to be marked with a
symbol indicating relative heights);
• Luminous night sights with a minimum service life of 10 years;
• Luminous portion must have a white outline visible to the shooter; and
• High-visibility sights such as Trijicon HD required.
7 FRAME/RECEIVER
• Frame will not have finger grooves;
• Frame must have a nonslip gripping surface;
• Frame must allow for three different hand sizes (S, M, L), either through
multiple grip/frame inserts or multiple frame sizes (i.e., SIG P320 type); and
• Frame to have an accessory rail (preferably with locking slot groove
of 0.206 inch).
8 EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FINISH

• All exposed parts to be matte black, non-reflective;
• Exterior parts must be non-snag;
• Frame and slide to be available in Flat Dark Earth and Ranger Green;
• Inert training pistol shall have a red frame and slide;
• Simunitions training pistol to have blue slide and blue or black frame;
• All internal surfaces should be polished for reliability; and
• Internal parts should be durable and rust or saltwater corrosion resistant.
The bid specifications are extremely detailed (the document is, unsurprisingly, more than one hundred
pages long), so I will only provide a partial overview of the more salient bid spec requirements.
In addition to the several I’ve listed here, the bid specs also detail quality-control procedures,
delivery times, packaging and various other details. These copious bid specs provide an idea of
the FBI’s requirements as concisely as possible, but it should be quite obvious that the FBI knows
exactly what it wants.
The next question is: Which pistols are likely to meet the criteria? As I write this, there are four
pistols that do meet the criteria—or can meet them relatively easily.

GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 58
“ACADEMY TRAINING
IS DESIGNED AROUND A blue Simunitions
THE GLOCK.” training pistol is
required to be
produced for force-
on-force training.
be selected is only speculation, but I am will- require the new pistol to fit three different For various reasons, after its adoption in
ing to offer some considerations. In addition hand sizes; this would indicate that the SIG 1990, the 1076 remained on issue for only a
to the sale of pistols for tens of thousands of P320 or P320C would come with three grips few years. One problem arose from the trig-
FBI agents, other federal agencies are also rather than grip panels, as on the other pis- ger group specified by the FBI. This was
possible buyers for the pistol that’s selected tol candidates. Not only would this increase later corrected. Although some agents really
by the FBI. the cost of the P320 by $75 to $100, it also liked the 1076, it was considered heavy and
Keep in mind that the prestige of supply- seems unnecessary. It would be more logical had too much recoil for some. As a result, a
ing the pistol used by the FBI will influence for the FBI armorers to fit the proper grip lighter, 10mm cartridge was developed. Nev-
other law enforcement agencies to purchase when an agent qualifies with the pistol and ertheless, the S&W was still replaced.
it, as well. As a result, pistol manufacturers to maintain spares in all three sizes. Rather than developing specs to which
are likely to make any changes needed to Generally, based on comments made by bidding pistol manufacturers are expected to
meet the FBI requirements. friends who have been FBI agents, it seems adhere, the current 9mm FBI pistol specifi-
Glock would appear to have certain ad- the FBI does not like agents tinkering with cations seem designed to find a pistol among
vantages. Glock 22 and 23 .40 S&W pistols their pistols … switching entire polymer those already developed that will suit the
were adopted by the FBI in 1997 and have lower grip assemblies would seem to qualify FBI’s needs.
been issued ever since. As a result, agents, as “tinkering” to me. This seems to be a sound idea, because
instructors and armorers are familiar with No accuracy standards are specified in the the pistols will already have been tested ex-
the Glock. bid specs. Presumably, when testing the vari- tensively. The bid specs seem designed to en-
Academy training is designed around the ous designs, this will be a consideration, but hance agent training and effectiveness and
Glock. Price might also be a factor (but the perhaps there is an assumption that all the also keep agents safe. That is the job of the
FBI is a well-funded agency). Still, of the candidates will produce an accurate pistol. training cadre at Quantico, and it appears
four main contenders, the Glock is normally they want a pistol that best suits the needs of
the least expensive and the SIG 320 the most BID SPEC HISTORY the agents they are training, as well as those
expensive. The FBI has a lot of negotiating The 9mm will not be the first pistol the already on the streets.
power, so its price will likely be better than FBI has ordered with very detailed bid specs. I look forward to seeing what the final
the normal consumer price. The 1076 adopted after the Miami shootout new FBI 9mm pistol looks like when
I found it interesting that the bid specs was designed by S&W to FBI specs. adopted. GW

GW_1602_59 12/11/15 3:52 AM Page 59
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GW-ONLINE-60-69.qxp 12/10/15 5:33 AM Page 60
Today’s savvy gun buyer has a surplus of

resources and research materials available,
and can easily find bargains by shopping
online. (Henry DeKuyper photo)

Just One Click

FROM ONLINE RESEARCH AND BARGAINS TO HIGH-END
AUCTION HOUSE SALES, THE INTERNET CONTINUES TO
BROADEN THE REACH OF THE INDUSTRY.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY CASSANDRA FAULKNER
I
T’S EASY TO BLAME the Internet In the modern virtual marketplace, the
for everything. But if you’re a buyer clicking sound has taken on a whole new
or seller of firearms and related ac- meaning for shooters everywhere.
cessories, your business has probably A decade ago, fewer than half of firearms
come a long way thanks to the pro- sales and/or transfers were processed online,
liferation of online sales. And if you have but that figure has changed drastically. A na-
purchased a firearm in the past decade, tional survey of over 330 firearms retailers
you’ve undoubtedly done a good portion of conducted in 2011 by Proactive Strategies in-
your research via your computer or other dicated that nearly 95% of responding retail-
electronic device. ers were performing Internet transfers.
Today’s savvy gun buyer can find numer-
ous bargains by shopping online, and a seller
can reach far more people by offering their
wares online through various websites such
as Gunbroker or Guns International. Ac-
cording to Rob Southwick of Southwick As-
sociates, an online market research firm,
online retail sales of handguns went up 9%
in the past four years, and shotguns jumped
5.5%. The largest increase has been in rifles
(not surprising, considering the political cli-
mate and a concern that AR-15 style rifles
were going to be banned). Retail sales of ri-
fles shot up (no pun intended) 26.3%.

GW-ONLINE-60-69 cx 12/14/15 9:56 PM Page 62
Before home computers and the Internet, companies would place direct mail advertisements in gun magazines to generate
sales. This government surplus catalog ad is from 1966.
HERE TO STAY
“The Internet is not going away, and it’s
going to continue to gobble up large market
shares,” says S.P. Fjestad, author and pub-
lisher of the Blue Book of Gun Values. “Any gun
currently manufactured is a commodity, and
commodities always react to two factors –
supply and demand. The supply portion of
the marketplace is about the same as it has
always been. The demand side is a com-
pletely different animal because of brick and
mortar stores. There have never been more
ways for a consumer to find out what the
lowest price is on modern guns.”
Traditional brick and mortar stores have
also adapted to the changing marketplace.
Kevin Cherry, owner of Cherry’s Fine Guns
in Greensboro, NC, is a third generation re-
tailer. “Cherry’s was founded in 1929 by my
grandfather Earl. It was a service station that
sold guns, fishing and tackle supplies, and
outboard motors and boats. Eventually, we
ceased having a storefront and did everything
through direct mail. By 1964, my father Bob
had a new building and a full-line sporting
goods store. I started the Cherry’s website in

GW-ONLINE-60-69 cx 12/14/15 9:56 PM Page 63
Val Forgett Sr., founder of Navy Arms, circa 1961. Val Sr. was responsible for starting the replica industry in the late 1950s when he partnered
with Italy’s Aldo Uberti to build replicas of the 1851 Navy. (Image courtesy of Val Forgett III.)
“TRADITIONAL
BRICK AND
MORTAR STORES
HAVE ALSO
ADAPTED TO THE
CHANGING
MARKETPLACE.”
With applications for CCW

permits on the rise, sales
are brisk for smaller guns
such as Ruger's LC9s
(Dave Workman photo).

Smith & Wesson’s 686

is currently one of the
top-selling revolvers on
Gunbroker.com. This is the
Performance Center
version in .357 Magnum.
“TODAY’S SAVVY GUN BUYER

CAN FIND NUMEROUS BARGAINS
BY SHOPPING ONLINE…”
the late 1990s. When we changed locations, net has changed the face of how he does Rifle is mainly military surplus, and since
we no longer had a retail store. But there business. Val’s late father, Val Forgett Sr., there’s a bit of unpredictability in terms of
was too much business and we opened back revolutionized the black powder reproduc- how much supply you can get, it’s easier to
up. I’m in a location where people want to tions and replicas business in 1958 when he sell to the consumer directly through dealers
see the guns, and if you don’t let them touch partnered with Italy’s Aldo Uberti to make and FFLs.”
them, they walk and you lose a sale. copies of the 1851 Navy. He would drive to
“A lot of distributors have created an on- gun shows, rodeos and cowboy action shoot- LEVERAGE FOR
line network of places where the consumer ing events, demonstrating and selling guns THE LITTLE GUY
can buy guns, so what they are doing is set- out of the trunk of his car. Later he capital- Utilizing the Internet has also made a
ting up a retail outlet to funnel their guns ized on the Civil War Centennial. substantial difference in how smaller compa-
through and selling online at a cheap price “It was a different way of doing business nies compete with larger manufacturers. “It’s
(below retail price),” says Cherry. “A lot of back then,” says Forgett. “You would order been a great asset for companies like mine –
online upstarts have appeared in the past some guns, take out an ad in a few gun mag- we get a larger footprint without having to
three to four years, but many will only sup- azines, wait 30 days and hope to get some or- spend huge amounts of money in advertis-
ply dealers. This allows a sale to the public ders. Now you can make a video and post it ing,” Forgett says.
who has to find an FFL. We’re not losing on YouTube for next to nothing and get your Having a website and a presence in social
sales – a transfer fee for us is found money. message out there for millions of people to media was also useful when Forgett bought
We charge $30 and average about two to see.” Old Western Scrounger back in 2005. The
three per day. We replaced mail order with Forgett’s three companies, Navy Arms, company specializes in hard to find and ob-
online business, and 70% of our business is Gibbs Rifle and Old Western Scrounger, solete ammunition, and many of its con-
done over the phone or through our web- have individually benefited from an in- sumers are collectors. “Being online has
site.” creased online presence. “We sell Navy Arms been huge in terms of sales. Before, a lot of
Val Forgett III also knows how the Inter- through our distribution network, but Gibbs times, you could only find that kind of

GW_1602_65 12/8/15 11:18 PM Page 65
Dillon Precision’s
XL650
STANDARD FEATURES:
www.dillonprecision.com
Too receive
e i e a FREE
REE Catalog,
a alog call
ll 800-762-3845
0 62 45 andnd askk for
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o k number
umber K91-14690.
9 4690
“TODAY’S SAVVY GUN BUYER CAN FIND NUMEROUS

BARGAINS BY SHOPPING ONLINE…”
ammo at gun shows, and now you can search consumer – they’re dealer to dealer or dealer rifle marketplace has spiraled down to a
the web for it.” to auction house. “On Sunday at the Antique price point under $500 – a direct result of
Online sales have also changed the cli- Arms show in Las Vegas, you can see the meeting consumer demand.
mate of gun shows. “Gun show selection has auction house representatives walking The increase of online sales demand has
gone down, and pricing has gone up,” says around talking to dealers and relieving them also affected the sales of shooting accessories.
S.P. Fjestad. “Why would a dealer spend the of their inventory that didn’t sell. It’s also “We sell our products online through a vari-
money to go to a gun show when he could unusual to see a lot of currently manufac- ety of distributors, and our sales are steady,”
sell on the Internet with no overhead? You tured guns at a gun show these days. I’d say says Mike Wenner, president of Birchwood
have to buy tables, pay for hotels, food and it’s maybe 15%.” Casey, well-known manufacturer of popular
transportation and in the end, a gun show What this means for online buyers is shooting products such as the Shoot N-C and
might end up costing you money.” more selection and better pricing. A little re- Dirty Bird targets. “Our best sellers online
Fjestad notes that a large portion of trans- search and some due diligence can result in are products that folks can’t get locally.”
actions at shows he attends are not dealer to serious cost savings, especially for rifles. The The rise in popularity of online firearms

ONLINE TOP SELLERS

Although many used guns are sold online, here’s
a short list of the top selling new firearms on
Gunbroker.com (as of December 2015):
Although it made its debut

Semi Auto Pistols
more than 50 years ago, the
1 Kel Tec PMR-30
versatile Ruger 10-22 continues 2 Sig Sauer 1911
to be highly sought. 3 Ruger Charger
4 Glock 19
5 FNH USA Five-seveN
Revolvers
1 Smith & Wesson 686
2 Heritage Arms Rough Rider
3 Ruger GP-100
4 Smith & Wesson 629
5 Ruger LCR
Semi Auto Rifles

1 Ruger 10/22
2 Colt AR-15
3 Kel Tec Sub 2000
4 FNH USA PS90
5 Smith & Wesson M&P
Bolt Action Rifles

1 Remington 700
2 Ruger American Rifle
3 Savage 25
4 Browning X-Bolt
5 CZ-USA 452
Lever Action Rifles

1 Henry Repeating Arms Golden Boy
2 Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy
3 Winchester 1873
4 Marlin 1895
5 Henry Repeating Arms H004
Semi Auto Shotguns

1 Saiga Shotgun
2 Mossberg 930
Several versions of the Colt 3 Beretta A400
AR-15 remain near the top of 4 Remington 1100
the semi auto rifle online 5 Benelli M4 Tactical
sales chart.
Pump Action Shotguns
1 Kel Tec KSG
2 Mossberg 500
3 Remington 870
4 Browning BPS
5 Mossberg 835
transactions has also become a target for weapons.” What this group neglected to men- AUCTION HOUSE GROWTH
those opposed to legal firearms ownership. tion is that France has some extremely re- Business has increased not only for online
Despite what opponents would have the gen- strictive laws regarding gun ownership, and retailers but for auction houses as well. Gun-
eral public believe, there are no “background the terrorists acquired their guns on the broker.com is by far and away the largest In-
check loopholes” when buying firearms on- black market, not through online brokers. ternet auction site, and has been in business
line. The process is no different than any Unfortunately, anti-gun groups seized on for over 15 years. According to
brick and mortar retail transaction at your this recent tragedy hoping to create new Gunbroker.com’s own numbers, there are
local gun store. Your gun needs to go to an anti-gun legislation and what they consider 750,000 listings per day, with 22,000 regis-
FFL and you need to follow the rules of your to be “common sense gun laws.” You can bet tered FFL dealers and 3.25 million registered
particular state to legally take possession. that restrictions for purchasing firearms users. Gunbroker averages 6.5 million visits
After the horrific attacks in Paris, all through reputable online outlets such as per month. S.P. Fjestad serves on the board
kinds of social media drama took place about Gunbroker and Gallery of Guns would defi- of the Hunting Heritage Trust with Gunbro-
how “easy it was for the terrorists to acquire nitely be on that wish list. ker’s CEO, Steve Urvan.

The Five-seveN from

FNH USA is a top-selling
semi-auto handgun.
“The last time I talked to Steve he told

me that in 14 months they did $1B in sales,”
says S.P. Fjestad, “and at least $1M per day
since the Obama election. But he can’t sepa-
rate between guns and accessories in terms of
actual sales numbers.”
The company’s website boasts of over $3B
in sales. According to Gunbroker’s timeline,
it took over 10 years for the company to
reach $1B in sales, less than four years to
reach $2B, and thanks to an anti-gun politi-
cal climate, less than two years to reach $3B.
A healthy climate of online sales can only
benefit the outdoor industry and the con-
sumer – by offering goods online, companies
reach a larger market and get their products
in front of more people who might be inter-
ested in purchasing a particular kind of
firearm and/or accessory. Consumers will
benefit from business competition, resulting
in lower prices and more variety. Barring
any future legislative restrictions (always a
possibility), online sales will continue to
drive the ever-changing faces of the firearms The Blue Book of Gun Values, updated annually, is
one of many hard copy resources available for
and outdoor marketplaces. GW shoppers hoping to land a gun auction bargain.

GW_1602_69 12/8/15 11:23 PM Page 69
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GW-HANDGUNS-70-75.qxp 12/10/15 12:03 AM Page 70
HANDGUNS
Returnof the
P225
SIG SAUER HAS REINTRODUCED ITS
POPULAR 9MM SEMI-AUTO PISTOL
SIG Sauer has reintroduced the

P225 to its lineup, and it’s a winner.
This popular double/single action
pistol has a couple of refinements
handgunners will like.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY DAVE WORKMAN
P
OPULARITY IS A CRAZY THING; mander carry gun. The grip frame is a bit shorter, too,
one day something is hot, the next… translating to better concealment and easier carrying.
not so much. Okay, so it’s chambered in 9mm. And it’s a single
And sometimes, there is no rational stack with an eight-round capacity. So what? That puts
reason for the change in perception. nine rounds in the pistol with one up the spout, and
So when a handgun company—in this case SIG in a gunfight, speed and firepower may be good but ac-
Sauer—not only revives a previously popular model curacy is better. SIG Sauer makes accurate pistols, and
but also does so with slight improvements, that’s they seem to last.
saying something. Pair this pistol up with some of SIG Sauer’s V-
Specifically, SIG Sauer has brought back the P225- Crown Elite Performance ammunition, and no doubt
A1 with what it calls an enhanced Short Reset Trigger. you’ll have a superb combination that will stop fights
I’ve fired a couple of P225s and if the improved trigger and win them. Out of the P225’s 3.6-inch barrel, those
is all they say it is, the P225-A1 is going to win a lot of 124-grain JHPs are going to sizzle. I was also im-
fans rather quickly. pressed with the magazine, which features a polymer
The P225-A1 measures 6.9 inches overall, which is floorplate and follower, and it is marked to reveal at a
more compact than my normal Lightweight Com- glance how many rounds it holds.

HANDGUNS
There are many holster
choices for the P225,
including some wearing
the SIG Sauer brand.
Today’s 9mm ammo is the result of lots of

research and development. There is such a
variety out there that it’s self-deceptive to
think this caliber won’t do the job. Just pick
the right load and you’re in business.
Now, as to the capacity, all one can say is
that nine rounds fired by somebody who re-
ally knows how to handle a double-action
semi-auto are likely going to be ample to re-
spond to an emergency. If they’re not, you’ve
got a spare magazine, and if that won’t do,
you need a rifle and not a pistol, as blasphe-
mous as that might sound. Matter of fact, in
a situation like that, you really need to be Another feature Workman likes
someplace else! is the recess at the rear of the
trigger guard to allow a slightly
My son owns a vintage SIG Sauer P220 higher hold for a solid grip.
in .45 ACP—without the accessory rail (a fea-

SIG Sauer equips the P225- The SIG P225-A1 holds an eight-round
A1 with SIGLITE tritium single-stack magazine that allows for visibly
night sights front and rear. checking the number of cartridges.
QUALITY AMMO WEARS

ture I’ve never cared for because I don’t stick THE SIG SAUER LABEL
lasers or lights on a sidearm)—and it’s a reli-
able, accurate pistol. The 9mm Sigs that I’ve SIG Sauer also offers a line of ammunition, with offerings in .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm, .38 Super, .357 Mag-
num and .38 Special.
fired over the years all functioned with all According to SIG, the .38 Super is a +P load and there are two versions from which to choose. One load,
kinds of ammunition, but my strong recom- for practice, features a 125-grain FMJ bullet, while the street/defensive round is a 125-grain V-Crown JHP.
mendation is to never load these quality Both rounds leave the muzzle at 1,230 fps.
This is an example of an interesting phenomenon that has been developing over the past couple of
handguns with anything but quality ammo. years, and isn’t just limited to SIG. As I was writing this column, it also came to my attention that Browning is
Ditto any Sig in .40-caliber, or .380 ACP unveiling a line of ammunition under its name for 2016, with selections in rifle and pistol calibers, and shot-
that’s landed in my sticky palms. gun shells. There will even be rimfires.
It’s nothing new. After all, Remington and Winchester ammunition lines are well established with gen-
The SIG Sauer P225-A1 has a stainless erations of development behind them. A few years ago, Taurus offered a line of ammunition that I tested in
steel slide with a Nitron finish, a hard coat these pages.
anodized frame, SIGLITE night sights dove- I’ve used SIG Sauer ammunition in .45-caliber pistols and the stuff is very consistent, producing good ac-
curacy at defensive handgun ranges out to 25 yards and more. My acid test for any handgun and cartridge
tailed fore and aft with a 5.2-inch sight ra- combination is to see if I can roll a tin can around at 25 yards, and the SIG Sauer ammo I’ve tested over the
dius, and two-piece synthetic grips with past year has passed with flying colors.
molded checkering and SIG medallions. As As this was written, I took delivery of a box of .38 Specials loaded with 125-grain FMJ flat-nose bullets.
Of course this is practice ammunition, with an advertised muzzle velocity of 900 fps packing 225 foot-
it happened, when SIG Sauer advised me pounds of energy.
that this gun was being reintroduced, a

HANDGUNS
“THIS PISTOL IS
VERY COMFORTABLE
TO HOLD…”
The P225-A1 has a handsome

Nitron finish on the machined
stainless steel slide and the
hard coat anodized frame.

Pair the P225-A1 with SIG Sauer Elite

Performance ammunition and you’ve
got a package good for any defensive
challenge that comes along.
quick phone call down the street to Wade’s which to choose, made from all kinds of pay dirt with the P225-A1. The MSRP is
Bellevue Indoor Gun Range and Shop re- materials. At 30.5 ounces empty, even $1,236, and considering reports that I’ve re-
vealed they had a model in the showcase. loaded up this pistol is going to carry well. I ceived over the years from people who have
And it was a beauty. didn’t have a scale to weigh the loaded spec- put thousands of rounds through SIG pis-
What struck me immediately was the re- imen, but I can guess a full magazine tols, anybody who buys one of these hand-
cess at the rear of the trigger guard and top weighs about a half-pound more. guns will get his or her money’s worth,
of the front strap to allow for a slightly Anyone shopping for a reliable, well-built especially if it’s ever used to stop a life-
higher grip. It’s very well done, with check- double-action semi-auto is going to strike threatening incident. GW
ering on the front strap. This pistol is very
comfortable to hold, and I think that’s due
SSK
in part to the thin grip profile. Those syn-
thetic panels are very thin, and far more CUSTOMS: Revolvers, single
comfortable than hardwood grips, which shots, semi autos, bolt guns
and suppressors. Over 400
were thicker.
HANDCANNONS calibers including Whispers,
The tritium sights really stood out, and
JDJ’s and B & M. Rechambering
the guys at the gun shop were just as im-
and rebarreling services. Mouse
pressed as I was with the P225’s short to Mastadon killers. Settle
trigger reset. The trigger letoff is factory back and enjoy our website. No
set at 4.4 pounds, while the double-action boring guns allowed.
squeezes off at 10 pounds, according to
SIG Sauer literature. SSKINDUSTRIES.COM
Because the P225 has been around a 740-264 0176
while, there are plenty of holsters from

GW-RELOAD-76-79.qxp 12/9/15 2:02 AM Page 76
Going Light
in the 40 S&W
LIGHT BULLETS DO NOT MEAN REDUCED PERFORMANCE
Numerous powders are suitable

for loading 135-grain bullets in the
40 S&W, with these being some
of the most appropriate.
(Henry DeKuyper photo)

TEXT & PHOTOS BY JAMES E. HOUSE
s with many topics in our modern As auto-loading handguns replaced revolvers in law
A world, there are differences of opin-

ion about handgun performance.
One school of thought may favor a
relatively slow-moving bullet that’s
heavy for the caliber, while another group favors a
light bullet traveling at high velocity as the way to
enforcement and defense, the 9mm Luger became the
most widely used caliber. However, after some perceived
“failures” in the performance of the 9mm, some began
to believe that a more powerful caliber would be better.
Developments along those lines led to the design of
the 10mm Auto, which certainly is not lacking in
achieve effectiveness. power. Some of the 10mm Auto factory loads I have
The truth is that with careful bullet placement, ei- tested produced muzzle energies of more than 600 foot-
ther approach will work. That said, it should be men- pounds. However, the length of the case made it neces-
tioned that one of the best handgun loads for defense is sary to build the pistols on relatively large, heavy
a good, 125-grain bullet in the 357 Magnum. frames, and blast and recoil are severe.

As shown by this group obtained at 25 yards, the 135-grain bullets perform very well in the 40 S&W.
THE 40 S&W—HANDGUN favor bullets toward the lighter end of the makers produce 40-caliber bullets that are as
PANACEA usable range. light as 135 grains, which means that load-
Thus was born the 40 S&W as a sort of What would be the rough equivalent in ing data is not as abundant for the 40
“light” 10mm that could be fired from pistols the 40 S&W of a very effective, 125-grain 357 S&W/135-grain combination as it is for heav-
comparable in size and weight to those Magnum load? Bullet weights for the 40 ier bullets. Besides, my own combinations of
chambered for 9mm Luger. The result was S&W can range from about 135 to 200 components needed to be tested.
instant acclamation that the 40 S&W was, grains, so there’s plenty of room for making Because the case capacity of the 40 S&W
indeed, the panacea of handguns. a selection. is rather small, handgun powders with
However, given the recent tremendous Some shooters have different ideas, but medium burning rates will work best. With
strides made in developing really effective my thought is that a 135-grain bullet with a bullets as light as 135 grains, this is espe-
handgun ammunition, there actually may muzzle velocity of about 1,200 to 1,300 fps cially true.
not be as much need for the 40 S&W as was would be hard to beat. The 40 S&W case Accordingly, I selected Hodgdon’s Tite-
perceived a decade or two ago. In fact, a re- does not have the volume of the longer group, Longshot and CFE Pistol, Alliant
cent FBI study concluded that in view of the 10mm Auto and, as a result, the stubby 40 Unique, IMR 4756, and Winchester 231 and
level of power, controllability and related at- S&W case is at its best when loaded with AutoComp for use in this project. Winches-
tributes, the 9mm might be the best choice bullets that are relatively light for the cal- ter and Federal cases were primed with Win-
in most defense situations. iber. This project involved testing my choice: chester small-pistol primers. Overall
Nevertheless, the 40 S&W remains ex- 135-grain bullets. cartridge length is always an issue for any
tremely popular—in spite of the recoil and handgun caliber, especially so for short cases
blast it generates. The recoil of handguns fir- ON TO TESTING such as the 9mm Luger and 40 S&W. Conse-
ing full-power loads increases as bullet Several 135-grain bullets in 40 caliber are quently, even with the short-for-caliber, 135-
weight increases, so in order to increase con- available, but the two I have used most in grain bullets used in this project, cartridge
trollability, lighter bullets can be utilized. the 40 S&W are the hollow points from length was kept just below the maximum of
This situation applies to the 40 S&W, which Nosler and Sierra. Both bullets have gener- 1.135 inches.
is one reason I never load bullets heavier ous cavities, so expansion is good, and both Velocities were measured at 10 feet from
than 180 grains in that caliber and generally are plenty accurate. However, not all bullet the muzzle by means of a Competition Elec-

LOADING DATA AND RESULTS FOR 40 S&W LOADS USING 135-GRAIN BULLETS
Bullet Case Primer O.L. (inches) Powder Gr. Velocity (fps)
135-gr. Sierra HP Federal WSP 1.127 Win. 231 6.5 1,189

135-gr. Sierra HP Federal WSP 1.127 AutoComp 7.8 1,248
135-gr. Sierra HP Federal WSP 1.127 IMR 4756 8.0 1,203
135-gr. Sierra HP Win. WSP 1.127 CFE Pistol 8.0 1,232
135-gr. Sierra HP Federal WSP 1.127 Titegroup 5.9 1,165
135-gr. Nosler HP Win. WSP 1.127 IMR 4756 8.1 1,214
135-gr. Nosler HP Win. WSP 1.127 Titegroup 6.0 1,164
135-gr. Nosler HP Win. WSP 1.127 Unique 6.3 1,057
135-gr. Nosler HP Win. WSP 1.127 CFE Pistol 8.0 1,246
Notes: Velocities are shown as the average for five shots.
Great care must always be used in loading ammunition, and this is especially true for the 40 S&W. The case is short, which results in heavier bullets being seated deeply
in the case. Pressure increases greatly with small changes in loading parameters. Additionally, some pistols have a chamber design that does not fully support the case.
These loads were safe and reliable in the author’s handgun, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts any responsibility for their preparation and use by others
or for typographical errors.
tronics ProChrono chronograph. Load

details and results obtained are summa-
rized in the accompanying table.
The 40 S&W loads utilizing 135-grain
bullets performed very well. All fed reli-
ably, and although I did not perform
measurements on groups, it was appar-
ent that accuracy at 25 yards was compa-
rable to what my eyes and grip normally
give. Moreover, the more testing I do
with it, the more impressed I am with
the Sig P2022, which is my only 40 Cartridge length is
S&W handgun. critical for the 40 S&W.
A 135-grain bullet traveling at 1,200
fps has an energy of approximately 440
foot-pounds, which characterizes some of
the loads listed in the table. These are
rather potent loads, and they would be Although they are often encountered
CONTACT
suitable for many purposes. The Sig in factory loads, bullets in the 180- to
P2022 digested all the loads, but with 200-grain range are perhaps a little too Alliant Powder Nosler Bullets
some of them, recoil was sharp, and heavy for best results in the short 40 (800) 276-9337 (800) 285-3701
AlliantPowder.com Nosler.com
blast was very noticeable. Most of the S&W case. The 135-grain bullets gave
loads listed in the table should be con- excellent accuracy and perceptible power. Hodgdon Powder Sierra Bullets
sidered maximum, and they should be After these tests, I purchased a generous (913) 632-9455 (800) 223-8799
Hodgdon.com SierraBullets.com
reduced to obtain starting loads, espe- supply of 135-grain bullets for all-around
cially for a different handgun. use in my Sig P2022. GW

GW-HUNTER-80-87.qxp 12/10/15 1:52 AM Page 80
TODAY’S HUNTER
Close-range mallards don’t take a

lot of killing, and in the timber, a
2¾-inch load of number-4 shot at
1,400 fps was ideal. This is an
area where many hunters get
“overchoked.” A skeet tube was
perfect for these incoming birds.

The Best
Chokes
and Loads
for Waterfowl
HAVING THE RIGHT CHOKE AND LOAD
TANDEM WILL HELP REDUCE CRIPPLES AND
MISSES. HERE’S HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT
COMBINATION FOR YOUR WATERFOWL HUNT.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY BRAD FITZPATRICK
INDING THE RIGHT We spend a lot of time debating which
F CHOKE AND LOAD for your

winter waterfowling might
seem pretty simple, but it’s ac-
tually quite a challenge to de-
velop the right “recipe” for consistent kills.
This is due to the fact that terrain and
duck guns are the best, but the reality of
duck hunting is that proper choke and shot
charge selection goes a lot further toward
dropping birds than your choice of
firearms. When winter weather is at its
worst, duck and goose hunting are at their
weather conditions vary greatly from place to best throughout much of the country; and
place and, on a single waterfowl hunt, you with spring light goose hunts on the hori-
may be targeting teal and geese. And while zon, it’s prime time to start thinking about
there is no perfect load for all waterfowl finding the right load for your next trip to
hunting applications, a basic understanding the pit or the blind.
of the components involved in selecting the In this column, we’ll examine the fac-
right choke/load combo will put you well on tors involved in selecting the right
your way to killing a limit of birds without a choke/load combo, which will greatly up
bunch of misses or lost cripples. your odds of success this season.

GW-HUNTER-80-87 12/10/15 10:43 PM Page 82
TODAY’S HUNTER
“WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTING

THE BEST LOAD, THE MOST
IMPORTANT ELEMENT IS RANGE TIME.”
Sandhill cranes are large birds, but

they require very little lead. For that
reason, a heavy-payload shell at a
modest velocity is just about perfect
for these birds.
CHOKES striction, IC chokes give .010, modified offer effectiveness of your loads before heading
Let’s start off by examining what your .020 and full chokes tighten constriction by afield. More on this later.
choke is designed to do. As your shot column .030 inch. Most shooters commonly under- In addition, keep in mind that steel shot
leaves the barrel, the level of compression of- stand this. reacts differently in standard choke tubes
fered by your choke determines the width of What isn’t understood is how unique each than does lead shot. The hardness of steel
the shot pattern at a given range and, inci- gun is in its response to chokes of different and its lower density mean that when fired
dentally, this will affect your maximum ef- constrictions. Just as rifles will shoot bullets in a standard modified (.020) choke tube,
fective range. to different points of impact, shotguns re- your pattern with steel will actually look
But you must understand that not all spond differently to various choke constric- more like the pattern you’d get with lead
chokes of the same constriction perform the tions. This might have to do with the shot shot using a full choke. However, full chokes
same way and not all guns behave the same charge, the barrel material or the choke tube should be avoided with steel shot because
with equal constriction rates. Twelve-gauge design, itself. The notion of swapping out steel is very hard and will be over-com-
shotguns have a standard bore diameter of chokes and spending the summer target- pressed by full chokes, which could cause
.729 inch, so that is the diameter of a cylin- shooting might seem foreign to many shot- major problems. For practical purposes, im-
der bore. Skeet tubes offer .005 inch of con- gunners, but it’s very important to test the proved modified (or IM chokes) are the ab-

GW-HUNTER-80-87 12/10/15 10:43 PM Page 83
These mallards were taken at moderate range with 3-inch, 12-gauge shells firing 1-¼
ounces of number-4s through an improved cylinder choke tube. Because shots could be close
and fast or on the edge of the decoy spread, the author opted for this most versatile load, which
is good for almost anything you will encounter.
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solute tightest you should go with steel.
It’s been my experience that most
shooters actually shoot chokes that are
too tight, hoping to eke every last lethal
yard out of their loads. But these ultra-
tight patterns don’t always help you kill
more birds. On the contrary; you might
find that more-open chokes will help you
seal the deal quickly and effectively—and
I’m not alone in this view. Haydel Game
HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL
Calls’ Kelly Haydel, a man with tremen- - CALL TOLL FREE -
dous duck hunting experience, has wit-
nessed the same problem.
For duck hunting with steel shot, I 888-467-0693
match the constriction to the time of
Visit Viamedic.com/GUNS for special offers
TODAY’S HUNTER
Geese require a heavier payload than

ducks, and larger shot sizes are better
for more energy transfer. This snow
goose was killed with a 3-inch load of
number-2 shot—a sensible, middle-
of-the-road choice.

COMMON WATERFOWL CHOKE/LOAD COMBINATIONS (12-GAUGE)

Waterfowl species/location Shell length (inches) Velocity (fps) Payload (ounces) Choke
Teal, wood ducks, 2-¾ 1,300–1,500 1 to 1-¼ Skeet, improved cylinder;

mallards in timber Haydel DPX Decoy (D)
Moderate-sized to large 3 1,350–1,650 1-⅛ to 1-⅜ Improved cylinder, light

ducks and small geese in modified; Carlton Medium
open areas, sea ducks Range, Haydel DPX Passing
Modified; Haydel DPX Ex-

Large geese, cranes 3-½ 1,350–1,700 1-¼ to 1-⅝ tended Range, Carlton
Long Range
“WHILE LARGER SHOT DOES HAVE MORE MASS, IT ALSO HAS

MORE FRONTAL AREA, WHICH INCREASES AIR RESISTANCE.”
year, the birds and the setup. If it’s early, and teal are dive-bomb-
ing into a September pothole, I like to use a cylinder or skeet
tube. The same goes for early-season wood duck. If I’m shooting
mallards in timber or in a blind where I know it’s going to be
close and quick, I’ll tighten up to an improved cylinder. I reserve
the modified choke for long shots in open air on big, hard-flying
birds. In the late season, I like to use a light modified (LC)
choke, which is roughly the equivalent of an improved modified
Find us on
choke with lead shot. This offers a good balance of lethality,
spread and range.
VELOCITY
Does speed kill? Yes, but on both ends of the gun. And while
increased initial velocities can have a major impact on spitzer-
type bullets fired from centerfire rifles, the spherical shape of
steel shot means that initial velocities are shed quickly. As a re-
sult, the difference in velocity between a steel load initially travel-
ing at 1,350 fps and a load that started at 1,650 fps won’t be 300 Discover the
fps at 20 yards, because that increased velocity creates increased
air resistance and, accordingly, velocity is shed more quickly. world of firearms at
High velocities are sometimes achieved by ramping up loads,
which consequently jacks up recoil, or by dropping shot payload.
your fingertips.
But velocity does improve killing power at close ranges, and it
does help prevent you missing because you don’t have enough
lead, so there are certainly advantages. Nevertheless, maximum
speed is not as valuable to duck hunters as it is to sheep hunters.
www.facebook.com/gunworldmagazine

TODAY’S HUNTER
“…SHOTGUNS RESPOND DIFFERENTLY

TO VARIOUS CHOKE CONSTRICTIONS.”
The author dropped this Saskatchewan

mallard with a 3½-inch load of BB shot.
Overkill? Yes, but cranes and geese
were also in the bag. Having a power-
house load adds versatility—and recoil—
to your arsenal.
SHOT SIZE ally penetrates less than smaller shot. because I like the additional pellets, better
We naturally assume that larger shot is So, how do you pick the right size shot? retained velocities and deeper penetration.
more lethal, correct? After all, energy is the In general, 2-¾ inch 12-gauge non-toxic For teal, woodies, and mallards, I like to
product of mass times velocity, and a higher loads range from 2 to 6 shot, 3-inch loads use 2¾-inch 5 or 6 shot. For larger ducks,
mass should, with equal muzzle velocity, range from BB to 4 or 5 shot, and 3-½ inch small geese, and shots that are farther out,
produce faster kills, right? Well, maybe. loads range from BBB to 2 or 3 shot. There I stick with 3-inch number 4s. For the big
While larger shot does have more mass, it are some exceptions, but this is generally stuff, I like 3½-inch 2s. I have found
also has more frontal area, which increases what you will find on store shelves and through my own experience that my per-
air resistance. In addition, increased frontal manufacturer websites. centages increase with smaller shot—and
area means that larger-diameter shot actu- I tend to use small shot for a given shell that’s what I prefer.

SPECIALTY WATERFOWL CHOKES

Even though your new shotgun comes with a box of choke tubes that should cover just about every
possible need, if you’re a serious waterfowler, it’s worth taking a look at specialty chokes designed specifi-
cally for non-toxic shot and migratory birds. Carlton’s offers a two-pack of choke tubes that feature tough
1704 stainless steel construction and a 25 percent longer parallel section that provides more consistent pat-
terns at long ranges.
The Long Range choke, however, is not recommended for steel shot larger than BB or velocities in ex-
cess of 1,550 fps (www.choketube.com). Kelly Haydel’s DPX Series choke tubes are also designed specifi-
cally for waterfowl hunters and, like the Carlton tubes, they have extended, knurled ends that allow for
easy change-outs in the field, even with gloved hands. The DPX chokes offer very consistent patterns, and
their simplified nomenclature (Decoy, Passing, Extended Range) tells you exactly what each of the tubes
was designed for. All Haydel choke tubes are constructed of 174 stainless with a black oxide finish
(www.haydels.com).
ties—something on the order of 1,500 fps stack neatly into wads for condensed, heavy
and 1-¼ ounces of shot or 1-⅜ ounces at payloads. Like the Federal pellets mentioned
1,350 to 1,400 fps. That produces manage- above, these pellets have more drag than
able recoil and puts plenty of shot in the air. standard round pellets. However, they are
I have had great luck with loads such as stacked up tightly in Diamond Cut Wads for
Federal’s Black Cloud Close Range (4-shot, a dense, even payload that works well to rea-
1-¼ ounces, 1,450 fps) and Winchester sonable distances.
Supreme High Velocity Steel with the same
payload at the same velocity. I’ve used faster PUTTING TOGETHER A
shells, but I haven’t found that the results SHELL/LOAD COMBO
were as good. There are a lot of great loads on the mar-
Most of my duck and goose hunting is ket, and there are better non-toxic options
done at close range, so I’m pretty picky available now than at any time in history. In
about my shots. This might not be the right addition, aftermarket choke tubes offer solid
combo for everyone. options over standard chokes, and those
from Haydel and Carlton’s (see sidebar,
A NEW CATEGORY: above) are specifically designed with water-
SHOT SHAPE fowlers in mind.
This is a new category; one that must be When it comes to selecting the best load,
addressed because of products such as Fed- the most important element is range time. I
eral Black Cloud and Winchester Blind understand that many shooters don’t want to
Side. spend money sending a variety of expensive,
The Black Cloud loads use a mix of stan- non-toxic loads downrange through a host of
dard, round, non-toxic shot and the com- choke tubes, but it’s the best way to deter-
pany’s FLITESTOPPER pellets, which have mine which choke and load will give you
a belt that runs around them to create a the best results.
more significant wound channel. The mix of If you don’t have duck targets lying
FLITESTOPPER pellets and old-fashioned, around, you can get the information you
spherical projectiles is surrounded by a need by drawing a 30-inch diameter circle
buffer that preserves pellet shape. The whole on poster board and shooting at it from a
thing is stuffed into a FLITECONTROL rest. This will give you a good idea of pat-
wad that keeps things aligned and together tern density, effective range and point of im-
PAYLOAD AND SHELL LENGTH coming out of the barrel. From personal ex- pact. It will also help you determine which
I’ve already discussed shell length, at perience, I can tell you the FLITESTOP- loads perform best in your gun.
least in abbreviated form, so let’s focus on PER pellets are more than some marketing I have included a chart that shows water-
payload. Generally, you’re looking at some- scheme—they seem to increase lethality. But fowl species, shell length, velocities, payloads
where between 1-⅛ and 1-⅜ ounces of steel as you might imagine, they’re not extraordi- and choke combinations that have worked
shot for a 12-gauge, 3-inch waterfowl load. narily aerodynamic. Still, they are one of the for me in my guns. Will they work for you?
Shot payload and velocity are inversely pro- best new pellet designs in recent memory. Probably, but the only way you’ll know for
portional, so as ounces of shot increase, ve- Blind Side ammunition works a bit dif- sure is to spend a little time and money at
locity decreases. ferently. Instead of round or belted pellets, the range. When the ducks start dropping,
I prefer heavier loads and lower veloci- this load utilizes hexagonal pellets, which you’ll be glad you did. GW

GW-SMITH-88-95.qxp 12/10/15 2:10 AM Page 88
GUNSMITHING
The S&W686
Project,Continued
IN PART TWO OF OUR S&W 686 REVOLVER PROJECT,
WE’LL DISASSEMBLE THE GUN, POLISH SOME INTERNAL
PARTS AND INSTALL TRIGGER AND SPRING KITS.
The project gun with

the sideplate off and
the cylinder removed,
exposing the internals
of the S&W 686.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY STEVE SIEBERTS

ne of the first aspects of doing a trigger job on
O any revolver is to ask yourself if you really

need to do a trigger job on the gun in the first
place. If the gun is to be used as a carry gun or
home defense pistol, I would recommend
leaving it alone. Many people will want to lighten the trig-
ger, thinking it will be more accurate, and that’s true. But in
a home invasion—if and when you get to your revolver—your
adrenaline will be sky high, and you probably won’t even re-
member if the trigger was heavy or light. You might only re-
call the actual shooting, if that.
Still, if you are set on doing any kind of action work on a de-
fensive revolver, I would limit the work to just lightly polishing
some of the critical contact internal surfaces. It’s very easy to pol-
ish too much. In doing this kind of work, you are trying to smooth
out the trigger pull, not lighten it.

GUNSMITHING
Once the sideplate screws

have been removed, tap on
the frame in order to “pop up”
the sideplate. Do not pry the
plate off. Three or four good
raps with a nylon hammer
will pop it right off.
UNWISE TRIGGER PULL FIXES The second, and more important, point is
Another point to make with this type of that unscrewing the strain screw will lessen
work is to ensure that you keep the main- the trigger pull. It will also lighten the iner-
spring and rebound slide spring untouched. tia of the hammer, making the possibility of
There are many tricks to improve trigger pull a light hammer strike (which could lead to a
on the revolver; but again, if the gun is used potential misfire or hangfire) highly likely. If
for defensive purposes, keeping it as close as this is a competition gun, ok; you get a re-
possible to factory trim will always be the fire. If this is a defensive pistol, you won’t
best choice. get a refire—because you will be dead.
I see and hear many comments from Some people will try all sorts of tricks to
shooters with a wide variety of backgrounds get the trigger pull lighter, including clip-
and levels of experience. For example, while ping coils on the rebound slide (please don’t
at the range recently, I heard a shooter make do this!), thinning the mainspring, shorten-
this statement: “Why should I pay a gun- ing the mainspring strain screw and a host
smith to do a trigger job on the S&W when I of other methods.
can just unscrew the mainspring screw and But the bottom line is, if it’s a defensive
accomplish the same thing?” pistol, lightly polish the contact areas to get a
On one level, that is a completely factual smoother trigger pull, but leave the factory
sttement. If a person backs out the strain springs as they are.
screw on the mainspring, it will definitely
make the trigger pull lighter. DETAIL-STRIP AND
But here’s the problem with doing that: INSPECTION
By simply backing out the screw, it will do Our project gun is strictly a competition
nothing about the quality of the gun’s trigger pistol primarily used for Steel-type matches,
pull. In other words, the gritty, rough trigger but it would also be a great pistol for NRA
pull will not be affected at all by easing out Action Pistol, with either the iron sights re-
the tension on the mainspring strain screw. installed for Metallic Sight Division or with

“…ENSURE THAT
YOU KEEP THE
MAINSPRING AND
REBOUND
SLIDE SPRING
UNTOUCHED.”
This looks like a

complicated puzzle,
but disassembly and
reassembly are easy
and straightforward.
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* Salary + Commission.
Please forward resume to
Gabe Frimmel
- Advertising Sales Director
Remove the strain screw
and then the mainspring. Email:
gfrimmel@engagedmediainc.com

GUNSMITHING
Pull the trigger and

the cylinder bolt in
order to remove the
hammer.
an electronic sight and a couple of other it aside. Remove the screw for the Hogue hammer. Use the special tool to remove the
parts, such as a set of wings. This would wood grip, and remove the grip. Now, you rebound slide and spring. Be careful—the re-
make the gun excellent for an NRA Action can remove the sideplate. This is really easy, bound slide spring is under quite a bit of
Pistol in Open Division, maybe with the ad- but if you don’t know how to do it, it can be tension. Pull the cylinder hand back slightly
dition of a match barrel and crane lock. We a bit puzzling. and lift the trigger out. Then get a screw-
can do all sorts of modifications to make the First things first: Make sure you have the driver bit under the cylinder stop and pop
gun more competitive. proper screwdriver bits (Brownells sells a kit that out.
But the first thing we want to do is detail- with the correct screwdriver blades just for Remember: There are many springs
strip the gun and do an inspection. This par- the S&W revolver). Then, remove the front under tension, so have spares on hand and
ticular pistol was sent to me directly from sideplate screw first. This screw holds the wear eye protection. Leave the cylinder bolt
S&W and is not a used gun, so I don’t need cylinder crane in place. Once that’s un- in place. Remove the crane from the cylinder
to check the headspace, cylinder end shake, screwed, open the cylinder and swing it out, assembly. Place the ejector rod in a padded
barrel/cylinder gap or cylinder timing. remove the cylinder and crane, and set them vise and turn the cylinder clockwise. The
Therefore, I won’t cover that here. aside. Remove the remaining two screws. ejector rod is threaded onto the extractor
However, if your gun is a used gun (from Now, with a soft-faced nylon hammer, tap with left-hand threads, so you have to turn it
a gun show, for example), you need to make on the frame at the front around the trigger in reverse to unscrew it.
sure that you—or a competent gunsmith fa- guard or at the grip strap. Anywhere you tap Once that is disassembled, remove the ex-
miliar with S&W revolvers—do a thorough will cause the sideplate to “pop up.” It can tractor and set everything aside. You want to
function check on the gun. Verify that the then be removed. Don’t worry if the hammer chamfer the charge holes but do not want to
cylinder timing is correct and there is not block pops out. It just kind of floats in there touch the extractor. So, with the tool of your
excessive end shake. (If the gun needs work, anyway, and will go back in easily. choice—I like to use a deburring tool because
all these areas are correctable, but they are it leaves an even, smooth finish—lightly
for another column.) DISASSEMBLY, CONTINUED chamfer the cylinder holes, clean out any
Now, unscrew the mainspring and remove chips and set it aside. Do not overdo this
SIDEPLATE REMOVAL it. Pull the cylinder bolt back, pull the ham- step; it’s easy to inadvertently take off too
Remove the Leupold sight for now and set mer back simultaneously, and remove the much.

Brownells makes a
nifty tool to compress
the rebound slide
spring and remove
the rebound slide.
Rough Rider Series

Rough Rider rimfire revolvers are authentically
crafted and made in the USA. They are
available in six and nine-shot options
in .22 LR and .22 Mag. Big Bore
offerings include .357 Mag
and .45 LC.
STARTING AT: $199 MSRP
See our complete line of revolvers and accessories at:
WWW.HERITAGEMFG.COM
GUNSMITHING
The finished project.

The author will
probably rework some
of the internal parts
again, install a match
barrel and cut the spur
off the hammer to
lighten it up.
After the trigger,

mainspring and
hammer block are
reinstalled, lightly
lube the friction
points with a drop
or two of oil.

FUTURE MODIFICATION: DOUBLE ACTION ONLY

One of the modifications I will do in the future is cut the hammer spur off and make the gun a double-
action-only revolver. This will do two things. It will make the trigger a little bit lighter, because there is less
mass being pulled rearward during double-action pull. It will also reduce the locktime, making the pistol in-
herently more accurate. Also, for a Steel-type pistol, there is enough accuracy in the gun to leave the barrel
as is; but for NRA Action Pistol, the revolver would need to have a match barrel installed, along with a crane
ball lock.
However, the way this pistol is now—with the Leupold Delta Point sight and matched with the excel-
lent Black Hills 148-grain match HBWC—it’s going to make a really fun gun for Steel competition or just for
blasting away at the range.
the actuator spring. Install the trigger shim, block onto the gun (the notch of the hammer
and reinstall the trigger. Pull the trigger a block should ride on the stud on the re-
few times to make sure that the trigger bound slide).
actuates the cylinder stop. Next, install the Put the sideplate back onto the frame by
rebound slide with the 12-pound, reduced- sliding the tab at the top of the plate into the
power rebound slide spring. Actuate the notch in the frame. Then, gently tap the
trigger again to make sure everything is sideplate in place and reinstall the screws.
functioning correctly. Reinstall the grip and the Leupold Delta
Do not polish the hammer at all. The Point. You’re done!
hammer and trigger are both case hardened, Cycle the action a few times, and pull the
and if you polish these parts, you will cut trigger, both in single and double action. It’s
through the case hardening and into the soft perfectly fine to dry-fire the gun. The trigger
metal. Case hardening is only one- or two- is now much smoother and lighter. Single-
thousandths thick, so just about any polish- action pull is 3.1 pounds, and double-action
ing will destroy these parts. Also, the is 7.7.
hammer engagement notch is too small to do The gun is now ready to be competitive at
CHANGING OUT anything with it anyway, so just leave this the range.
THE TRIGGER AND SPRING part alone. Is this the only modification I could have
You are not going to use the original trig- You can, however, remove the hammer done to this gun? No. Are these all the areas
ger, so set it aside. For this project, we are nose, or hammer fly. Polish the tip where it that could have been polished? No. There
using the Ron Power drop-in trigger kit from rides on top of the trigger when the gun is was actually quite a bit more polishing and
Brownells. This kit comes with a match trig- fired in double action. You can also polish fitting that could have been done to this gun,
ger that features a lightweight rebound the corresponding area on the trigger if but what was taken care of made for a pretty
spring and a couple of trigger stops. you’d like to, but the finish on this part is good start.
The trigger stops will need to be fitted. pretty good because it comes from Power Our project S&W 686 is now a reliable
Take the rebound slide and lightly polish the Manufacturing. and highly competitive revolver—perfect for
bottom and side. Using an India stone, pol- Install the hammer fly on the hammer Steel-type shooting or even NRA Action Pis-
ish the surfaces in the frame where the re- and reinstall the hammer, putting the ham- tol. If you have an S&W revolver or if you
bound slide moves. Lightly polish the mer shim on the frame first. Next, install are thinking about getting one, then go get
cylinder stop where the trigger nose rolls the mainspring with the setscrew and some tools and get started. It’s easy work and
over. Just break the edge with a hard tighten the setscrew completely. very satisfying. GW
Arkansas stone. Strive to keep all surfaces
true, and lightly polish these parts. Thor- FUNCTION CHECK
oughly clean all the parts you’ve polished; The gun is now almost reassembled, but
clean the frame, as well. you will want to do a function check to make
CONTACT
I always use the Ron Power hammer and sure everything is put back together properly.
trigger shims in all S&W revolver trigger Put a small amount of oil on the gun at Black Hills Ammunition Smith & Wesson
jobs I take on. They keep the hammer and the hammer and trigger posts, the rebound Black-Hills.com Smith-Wesson.com
trigger off the frame and reduce friction. slide and the cylinder stop. Reassemble the Brownells Inc. Blue Grass
extractor and ejector rod back onto the cylin- Brownells.com Sportsmen's
REASSEMBLY der. Install the crane, and reinstall the cylin- League
Leupold BGSLInc.com
Now, reassemble the gun. First, reinstall der assembly back into the gun. Lock the Leupold.com
the cylinder stop, being careful not to launch cylinder in place, and then slide the hammer

GW-BACK-96-99.qxp 12/9/15 10:52 PM Page 96
BACK PAGES
The cover of our February 1961 issue featured a Marlin 336 Sporting Carbine and a holstered Ruger .22 Magnum.

GW-BACK-96-99.qxp 12/9/15 10:52 PM Page 97
Ongoing Evaluations
BY CRAIG HODGKINS
W
HEN THE THIRD
ISSUE of Gun World
magazine appeared in
mailboxes and on
newsstands in Febru-
ary 1961, one of the many field test arti-
cles included was an early look at the
Colt AR-15.
This “new, lightweight weapon” had been
originally designed (by the Armalite Corpo-
ration, which later sold the rights to Colt) as
the answer to the NATO search for a stan-
dardized rifle, but Colt’s representatives took
a different tack when NATO selected the
Army-designed M-14 as the weapon with
which to arms its troops. Instead, Colt set
out to “sell this rapid fire lightweight to
friendly foreign countries and to police de-
partments here at home.”
During a west coast tour stop in
Pasadena, a team of Gun World editors was
treated to a demonstration that concentrated
on law enforcement officials. Colt representa-
tives declared that the weapon was “the
equal to a third man in the squad car,” then
moved on to a “shooting show” to prove what
“fire from high-powered if diminutive .223-
caliber bullets could do.”
“Using an old car as a target at approxi-
mately one hundred yards,” the article went
on, “police officers were invited to fire the
weapon which fires either single rounds or
fully automatic. In a matter of seconds, the
entire vehicle was reduced to junk…The
shots invariably went clear through the vehi-
cle, penetrating the engine block and neatly Robert Stack (right), Gun World’s Shotgunning columnist, and professional hunter Tony
punctured bumper steel [Editor’s note: this Archer graced our February 1966 cover. Their hunt was filmed in Africa for The American
Sportsman television series.
was when bumpers were made of steel] at an
extreme angle of nearly seventy-five degrees.”
In addition to the gun’s impressive show- were very impressed by the “weightlessness later selected a modified version of the AR-15
ing on the range, one editor held a stopwatch of the arm and the ammunition,” and, as for use, renaming it the M-16. Two years
on a Colt’s representative as he re-assembled former servicemen, they felt to a man that, after our article appeared, Colt began selling
the rifle from a completely stripped state. based on all they had seen and experienced a civilian version of the rifle.
Despite the fact that he’d never been timed at the Pasadena Police Combat Range, Exactly five years later, in our February
before, the Colt man reassembled the NATO had made a mistake in adopting the 1966 issue, the discussion of the pros and
weapon in 45 seconds. M-14 instead of the AR-15. cons of the military weapons selection
Beyond the gun’s performance, the editors As history would prove, the U.S. military process remained ongoing.

GW-BACK-96-99 cx.qxp 12/10/15 11:10 PM Page 98
BACK PAGES
“AS HISTORY WOULD

PROVE, THE U.S. MILITARY
LATER SELECTED A
MODIFIED VERSION OF THE
AR-15 FOR USE, RENAMING
IT THE M-16.”
AD INDEX
Advertiser Page
Black Hills Ammunition 27
Davidson's 7
Dillon Precision 65
European American Armoury 11
FNH, USA 41
Our February 1976 issue carried an article on the making of miniature
guns, and also featured a Savage 112-V varmint rifle.
Hogue Grips 63
In an article titled “A New Rifle Meets the Army,” Lt. Col. Burton Jantz Supply 46-47
T. Miller wrote, “Selection of a new military arm is hardly based upon
thoughts or recommendations from armchair soldiers [a group which Les Baer Custom,Inc. 29
presumably included Gun World editors]. Instead, there are several re-
sponsible agencies, such as the U.S. Army Infantry Board to evaluate, Major Surplus & Survival 39
test, recommend and pass judgment on these new developments.”
Ironically, an Armalite rifle design was again at the center of the
Media Direct 93
discussion, although this time around it was the AR-18. Armalite had
Oriskany Arms Inc 99
recently submitted ten pre-production rifles to the U.S. Army for eval-
uation, with the intention of obtaining an endorsement from the gov-
Pat Crawford Knives 25
ernment “for possible sale to our overseas allies and the developing
countries to whom we are providing assistance.”
Redding Reloading Equipment 53
The AR-18 went through a variety of assessments, including tests
for dust, mud rain, exposure and endurance. Each infantryman of the Rio Grande Custom Grips 51
testing squad also fired the weapon for accuracy against a “control”
arm, in this case—you guessed it—the M-16. Secure Medical 83
All tests, including accuracy testing, required a minimum of 3,000
rounds to be fired from each test and control weapon. The endurance SSK Industries 75
test required that each rifle be fired for 6,000 rounds, with firing
being rotated between semi and automatic after each hundred rounds. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. 3, 100
All field tests were conducted at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Alas, despite the fact that it featured a simpler design and was less Taurus International 2
expensive to produce than many other rifles, the AR-18 did not enjoy
anywhere near the success of the AR-15, and it was never adopted as a Vista Outdoor - Savage Arms 33
standard service rifle by any country. GW

GW_1602_C3 12/8/15 11:28 PM Page C3
Evolution Theory
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GW_1602_C4 12/8/15 11:30 PM Page C4
TRIGGER PULL
12
11
10
9 Short, Light, Smooth, Double-Action
FORCE (LB.)
8 Crisp Trigger Only Trigger

7
6 LC9®
5
4
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1
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Includes Finger Grip
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Just Slightly Larger

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The all new, striker-fired Ruger ® LC9s ® and LC9s ® Pro feature
a short, light, crisp trigger pull for faster shooting and improved
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compact personal protection with a blued, alloy steel slide, a high-performance,

glass-filled nylon grip frame, aggressive checkering and an easily acquired 3-dot
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©2015 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 111315

GW - February 2016

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GW-16-2-COVER.

qxp 12/10/15 11:33 PM Page US_C1

Savage’s Versatile Model 11 Scout

FEB 2016 • VOLUME 57, NO.2 • $4.99 U.S.

Flawless performance on the range

Available in 9mm or .40 cal.

Ideal for concealed carry

Picatinny accessory rail MIL-STD-1913

Adjustable Rear Sight

Taurus Security System®

Flattop Upper Receiver Features a

16.1'', Medium Contour, Cold

Post Front Sight and Ruger ® Rapid

Ruger ® AR-556 ® Rifle*

Join Ruger and help us raise $4,000,000 for the NRA.

CONTENTS February 2016

12: BEN GETTINGER

4 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

60 Just One Click

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 5

DIRECT MARKETING GROUP

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that

6 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

.380 ACP’s IN STOCK NOW!

RM380 LCP-MG M&P

Get Your Instant Quote at www.galleryofguns.com

©2016 DAVIDSON’S, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

NOTCH FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE covers and an integrated

TEXT BY TIM STETZER, PHOTOS BY JIM HOLMAN

A have a harder time seeing

8 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 9

late grenade fragmentation. The results are

10 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

12 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

Though the 1911 design is over a century old,

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 13

Even though the slide and

14 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

The accessory rail on the

“ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCES

There are dovetailed sights

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 15

“THE WITNESS 1911 P

16 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

The black slide and

The light polymer frame reduces weight but slightly increases

to leap out of my hand, but there was a

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 17

The Witness 1911 P provided good accuracy

18 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

The magazine release is metal—

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 19

The Witness 1911 P is

20 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

“ITALIAN GUNMAKER TANFOGLIO SET

ACCURACY RESULTS: EAA WITNESS 1911 P

Federal HST 230 890 1.74 2.36

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 21

At the bench, the Model 11 Scout proved to

22 GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIKE DICKERSON

www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD 23

A smooth action and knurled,