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 VOLUME 58, NO. 1 • PUBLISHED MONTHLY JANUARY 2014

38 The Last Word

in AKs?
Arsenal’s SAM7SF might well
be the defnitive Kalashnikov
now on the scene.
• By Eric R. Poole

44 The Other
“Great War” .45s
Both Colt and S&W furnished
their own takes on the 1917
revolver template to make up
for World War I’s 1911 shortage.
• By Garry James

54 Lights &
Lasers
Smaller, better, brighter: These
now-indispensable fxtures
on the CCW market are better
than ever.
• By James Tarr

62
YANKEE HILL’S
DOUBLEHEADER 70 Grand
Slam
A new player on the AR scene ofers innova- All scoped out: “New and
improved” may be a cliché, but
tion in a tactical 5.56 platform and feld-ready it perfectly describes Weaver’s
whitetail potential with a 6.8 SPC. fagship variable.
• By Layne Simpson
• Staf Report

COLUMNS
78 Mauser’s
Metrics
6 Editorial 18 Gun Room 32 Modern Classic standbys: The 6.5x55,
An open letter from the Colt 1851 Navys, Winchester Sporting Rifes 7x57, 8x57 and 9.3x62 prove
publisher. Winder Muskets, Dan Wesson Protective bags for long-term that “good” doesn’t necessarily
• Chris Agnes revolvers and more. storage of MSRs. mean “new.”
• Garry James • Eric R. Poole • By Craig Boddington
8 Reader Blowback
Kudos and criticisms from the 22 Gun Notes 96 Spent Cases
shooting public. Federal features an intriguing Lt. Jacob E. Fickel fred the frst
pair of bullets for its dangerous- shots from an airplane on Au- PROOFHOUSE
13 GunsAndAmmo.com game lineup in both expanding gust 20, 1910, with a Springfeld
Hot new hits from our website. and solid persuasions. Model 1903. 88 CZ 557 Sporter
• Online Editors • Craig Boddington • Staff Report This Czech turnbolt combines
14 G&A Reloads accuracy and blued/walnut tradi-
28 Handgunning tion with a legendary pedigree.
Happy 70th birthday, RCBS. Let us examine two diferent
• Layne Simpson • Eric R. Poole
approaches to Kydex holsters.
• Patrick Sweeney

GUNS & AMMO Magazine, Copyright 2013 by InterMedia Outdoors Inc. All rights reserved.
CAUTION: Some advertisements may concern products that are not legally for sale to California residents or residents in other jurisdictions.
Guns & Ammo (ISSN# 0017-5684) January 2014, Volume 58 Number 1. Copyright 2013. Published monthly by INTERMEDIA OUTDOORS INC., 1040 6th Ave., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10018-3703. Periodical postage paid at New York, NY, and at
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 gunsandammo.com
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4 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 EDITORIAL

FROM THE PUBLISHER

By Chris Agnes

Dear Reader,
Dynamic changes for “Guns &
‘Guns & Ammo’ Ammo” have been in development
has been an for many preceding months and
advocate were to frst appear in the March
for Second issue. Given recent events, we
Amendment have decided to move forward and
rights since implement these changes efective Volume 1, Issue 1
its frst issue
published immediately.
in 1958. Te February issue will mark the introduction of Eric R. Poole as the new
editor of “Guns & Ammo” magazine. Eric has previously written features with
“Guns & Ammo” on new products and has contributed to the “Modern Sport-
ing Rifes” column every other month. He’s known for his passionate advocacy
of Second Amendment rights and continues to be a lifelong student of all things
related to frearms. Most recently, you may recognize him for having been the
editor-in-chief of special interest publications produced by “Guns & Ammo,” in-
cluding “Book of the AR-15,” “SNIPER,” “Surplus Firearms,” “Book of the AK47,”
“TRIGGER” and many others since 2009.

Eric Poole is himself a long-time reader of “Guns & Ammo” and brings with
him a fresh vision for the magazine and digital products. In the coming months
he will introduce new contributors carrying credible backgrounds, thoughtful
content and a new style. He is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, a Marine
combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a smallbore and highpower rife
competitor, a gun collector, as well as a marksmanship instructor. During his
formative years, he worked for four years at the NRA headquarters in Fairfax,
Virginia. He views the opportunity to lead “Guns & Ammo” as the ultimate
achievement in his shooting career, which began decades ago with his father,
himself a retired police ofcer and gun enthusiast.

Every reader is extremely important to “Guns & Ammo” magazine. I ask you
personally to consider maintaining your support of “Guns & Ammo” magazine
and give Eric Poole the opportunity to continue the prominence that “Guns &
Ammo” has had in promoting all types of frearms, frearms sports and frearms
rights since it was frst published in 1958.
— Chris Agnes, Publisher

6 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 738 FS
It’s my choice.
It’s my right.
It’s my Taurus.

TM

Brittney L. Decatur, GA
TM

/TaurusUSA @taurususa CarryOnMovement.com

 READER
BLOWBACK

WE’RE BIG ON SMALL GAME

Both of Layne Simpson’s articles in the November issue hit my nostalgia
button. First was “Evolution of the Reloading Manual.” In 1968 I fnally
bought a complete metallic reloading outft, which included a 1967
“Lyman Reloader’s Guide No. 44.” This modest manual adequately
covered every aspect of reloading for rifes, pistols, shotguns,
muzzleloaders and bullet casting and taught me everything I needed to
know about reloading. Your article inspired me to measure bookshelves,
and I discovered that I now have approximately 40 linear feet of books
related just to guns, shooting and reloading. Still, when I need a good,
quick reminder, I fnd myself referring to that old Lyman manual for
information. The second item was Layne’s “Small Game Rifes I’ve Known
and Loved.” I, too, owned and loved a Marlin Model 39A — two of them, actually. I bought my frst one at Clark
AB in the Philippines in 1967 with the dark little 4X scope mentioned. Clark’s rife ranges were inoperable at
the time, so I used it to shoot dragonfies with .22 shot cartridges until I got home. Once home, I discovered that
the gun was very accurate, although a bit choosy about ammo. For instance, it did not like my personal favorite,
Remington .22LR hollowpoints, but loved Federal standard-velocity Champions and Remington high-velocity .22
Short hollowpoints. In those days, all gunwriters insisted that the .22LR was totally inadequate for ground hogs.
Nevertheless, in one summer I killed about 35 of them with the Marlin. Most were within reasonable .22LR range
— 35 to 90 yards — but I also killed one at 165 yards and several at ranges of 100 to 125 yards. All were one-shot
kills. Grand old gun. Sorry I let it get away.
— Marshall Williams, Burlington, WV

8 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

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READER BLOWBACK

• AN OUTSIDE LOOK AT THE 1911
Let me say that I like the 1911 and wish I
could have one, which I cannot because
of the strict gun laws in my country.
Some years ago, I had the opportunity
to shoot somewhat extensively a Com-
mander type and enjoyed it very much.
When reading laudatory comments about
the 1911 in gun magazines, I can under-
stand the iconic love Americans have for
this beautiful and excellent pistol. As for
aesthetics, I place two autos at the top —
the Colt 1911 and the Luger P-08 — the
latter being more elegant but the former
undeniably more martial. I think a good
part of the prestige of the 1911 is due to
the remarkable .45 ACP cartridge. Even
among many good new calibers avail-
able today, the .45 ACP shines brightly.
It strikes me as somewhat of a stretch to
recommend a single-action pistol for self-
defense, as the 1911 is currently present-
ed. But emotion cannot surpass reason,
and I think that even the advocates of
the 1911 — whom I respect as much
more knowledgeable and experienced
than I — would be hard pressed to stick
to their advice using only reason-based
arguments. I admit that persons highly
trained and mentally focused can do
marvelous things with the 1911. How-
ever, I would submit that there are better
choices. For a common person, an armed
response is a very stressful and traumatic
occurrence. I can testify to that. I am well
aware that many knowledgeable Ameri-
cans will be angered by my comments.
However, I send my respects to all who
have divergent viewpoints and my best
regards to all.
— Roberto Salema, Porto, Portugal

WHY NO HIGH-CAP?
With the continued interest in 1911-type
pistols, not to mention the introduction
of new models from various companies,
I am surprised at the lack of interest in

COVERING THE PAST

• Our February 1964 cover was obvi-

ously riding the crest of the “fast-draw
wave.” It featured Thell Reed, billed as
“All-Time Wizard With a Sixgun.”
In this instance it was an all-too-rare
case of truth in advertising. No less an
authority than Elmer Keith testifed to
Reed’s skills. •

10 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

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 READER BLOWBACK

Tows behind your

ATV or Lawn Tractor!

high-capacity 1911s such as the Para

Ordnance P14.45. Te reports of the use
of 1911s by elite troops and special forces
operators makes me wonder if they are
using GI-standard design pistols or high-
cap pistols like the Para or those available
Turn A Rough from Springfeld Armory or STI.
Driveway Into — Roger Lee, Fultondale, AL

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I was reading the August issue and was
alarmed to see the word “platform” used
no less than 12 times in various articles.
Boddington used it fve times in one
article alone. Maybe he should go write
for “Combat Arms.” Seems to be a trend
from rife models to “platforms.”
— Don Stelich, Moose Jaw, Sask.
MORE ON LESS AMMO

81340X © 2013
CARBIDE-TIPPED I just want to add a further comment
SCARIFYING to the reasoned editorial on the ammo
teeth loosen the
hardest surfaces.
shortage. Te availability of cheap Mil-
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• OPEN ’EM UP
A fundamental guideline for safe frearm
handling everyone must follow is this:
When you are not in physical contact
with your frearm, it must have its action
open and be fully unloaded — magazine
out, chamber empty. Tere should be no
exceptions. However, many gun maga-
zines publish photos where the author of
the article is shown with an unattended
— and perhaps loaded — rife leaning
against a dead animal. Editors are per-
petuating this unsafe practice by showing
these photos. Why are these professionals
exempt from the rule? Congratulations
are in order for Craig Boddington for
having his rife’s action open in the pic-
ture on page 24 of the November issue. I
hope other writers in all gun magazines
follow this example.
— Mike Wilson, Triangle, VA

12 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 GunsandAmmo.com

VISIT GUNSANDAMMO.COM FOR

LIVE SHOT SHOW COVERAGE,
STARTING JANUARY 14, 2014.
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gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 13

Layne Simpson
G&A RELOADS
HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY, RCBS
Fred Huntington frst “Precisioneered” reloading
equipment in 1943.
N early Three-
quarters of a
century ago,
Fred Hunting-
ton, who went by the name of
“Pop” to family and friends,
decided to do something
about the post-war bullet
shortage by fabricating dies
capable of making bullets
from chunks of lead and
fred .22 rimfre cases. At the
time, he was working for his
father, who owned a dry-
cleaning store in Oroville,
California. Running low on
ammunition for his varmint
rife, he happened upon a
gunsmithing book contain-
14 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
ing instructions on making a
bullet-swaging press and dies
needed for the job. Little did
Huntington know that the
book, along with an old lathe
in a back room of the laundry
shop, would be the start of a
company that would eventu-
ally become known around
the world for its high-quality
reloading equipment.
Tose frst dies were for
.22-caliber bullets and ma-
chined from Ford Model T
axles from the junkyard. As
word of the work spread, so
did requests for the dies from
other shooters. Te dies sold
for $35, which wasn’t exactly
RCBS founder Fred Huntington on a 1966
hunt for mountain goat and stone sheep in
British Columbia, where he was accompanied
by Elmer Keith. A note on the back of the
photo, attributed to Keith, reads, “If you
wear my hat, you can’t miss.”
chicken feed back in 1943.
Te leverage needed for bullet
swaging was beyond the capa-
bility of a standard reloading
press, so Huntington came
up with a way of modifying a
press made by the Pacifc Gun
The idea that started it all: The
Rock Chucker Bullet Swaging die
Sight Company of Palo Alto, for .22-caliber bullets, circa 1943.
California. Te modifed press Jackets were made from fred .22
and dies could be purchased rimfre cases.
as a package, or, if a shooter
already owned a Pacifc press,
he could buy a conversion kit in San Francisco. He was also
for it along with the dies. the originator of the .22 Hor-
One of Huntington’s net cartridge. Huntington had
customers was Captain never thought about giving
Grosvenor Wotkyns, who was his dies a name, so when Wot-
a member of the ordnance de- kyns, an avid varmint shooter,
partment at Benecia Arsenal suggested “Rock Chuck Bullet
gunsandammo . com
Make it a CORE Combo
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G&A RELOADS

bench, nothing overhangs its edge to

interfere with opening a drawer or door
below it. It has a spacious 41-inch work-
ing window, and most unusual is the fact
that a cartridge case remains stationary
while the die travels up and down.
Te new Explorer Plus reloading
kit contains the basic items needed to
reload ammunition but is less expensive
than purchasing everything individu-
ally. Among the 20 items included are a
Reloader Special press, Unifow powder
measure, digital pocket scale, hand-
priming tool, dial caliper and reloading
The frst press ofered by Fred Huntington, manual. In the past, RCBS starter kits
around 1944, was a standard reloading press have included a Speer reloading manual,
purchased from Pacifc Gunsight Company but it has become rather outdated, so all
of Palo Alto, California. It was modifed to kits now include the 7th edition of the
increase leverage and enable it to handle the This miniature version of the famed Rock
stress of swaging bullets. The frst RCBS Chucker was presented to Fred Huntington
Nosler manual.
reloading press, called the Model A, was when he retired, and it actually works. Note A new Ultrasonic Case Cleaner has a
introduced in 1949 and replaced by the Model the size of the press and its two dies, with the capacity of 3.2 quarts, and its 100-watt
A-2 in 1959. .30-06 cartridge included for scale. ceramic heater gets the job going quickly.
A sensor indicates when the solution
needs replacing, and the keypad is easy to
Swage,” it stuck. Being rather cumber- A day at RCBS gave me a good look at operate even for those of us who have yet
some, the name was shortened to RCBS, how far the company has advanced dur- to master a TV remote.
and the rest is history. ing the past 70 years. What really opened Te electrically powered Universal
Te Huntington name is also associated my eyes was the diference in preci- Case Prep Center combines a case trim-
with one of today’s popular rife cartridges. sion and production output of modern mer with stations that perform all the
In 1958, frearms writer and hunting out- machinery compared with a few older other operations, including case-mouth
ftter Les Bowman necked down the .338 machines still remaining but slated for champhering/deburring, primer-pocket
Winchester Magnum case to 7mm and eventual replacement. Big hoppers fed cleaning, fash-hole deburring, interior
sent an action to Fred, who installed a bar- stacks of steel rods into one end of fully neck cleaning and military crimp remov-
rel chambered for it. Te barrel and reload- automated screw machines, and reload- al. Other new items are reloading dies for
ing dies were stamped “.280 Remington ing-die parts emerged from the other the .17 Hornady Hornet and .300 AAC
Magnum.” Later, while hunting elk with end. Die bodies that were once interior- Blackout and a video on bullet casting.
Bowman, Mike Walker at Remington used polished by hand are now done more A while back, custom-building dies for
the rife, and in 1962 his company changed quickly and uniformly by a machine that wildcat cartridges to customer specifca-
the name of the wildcat to 7mm Rem- never grows tired. As it is in the automo- tions was discontinued. However, the
ington Magnum and introduced it in the bile industry, robotic CNC machining service has been resumed, so you may
equally new Remington Model 700 rife. plays a key role, with the machine mak- now give your gunsmith the green light
Starting with the Model A, which was ing the new four-screw Weaver Grand on that .297 Triple-Necked Terror of your
introduced in 1949, RCBS has introduced Slam scope rings being one of the more dreams.
more than two dozen reloading presses interesting operations (both Weaver and
through the years. Most successful of all RCBS are owned by ATK).
is the Rock Chucker, introduced in 1967. RCBS has introduced several new
It was replaced in 2002 by an improved items for 2013. Te Summit single-stage
version called the Rock Chucker Supreme. press is equally friendly to both left- and
Many thousands of both have been sold. right-handed shooters, and since every-
When Fred Huntington retired in 1976, a thing is located on top of the reloading
group of employees presented
him with a perfectly scaled-
down and working copy of the
Rock Chucker press. During
a recent visit to RCBS, I made
it a point to go next door to
Huntington Die Specialties,
owned by Fred’s son Buzz, and
he graciously allowed me to
examine the miniature press.
When photographing it, I
included a .30-06 cartridge for
size comparison, and, as you
can see, it and its two reloading Reloading dies are available for cartridges
dies are tiny. Trays of reloading-die bodies emerge from heat treating. ranging in size from .22 Hornet to .50 BMG.

16 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

Garry James

GUN ROOM
IDENTIFICATION
2nd Generation Colt 1851 Navy
& VALUES

CASED COLT 1851 NAVY

Q: I would appreciate any

information you can give me
about a revolver. It appears
to be in excellent condi-
tion, possibly unfired. It is
an 1851 Colt Navy. It has a
square-back triggerguard, and
the serial number is 69XX.
I believe the square trig-
gerguards were only in serial
numbers one through 4,200.
Can you give me an age and
value for this revolver? It
has the Colt New York City
address on the barrel, and the
cylinder has a battle scene
between the Mexican and
Texas navies.
— R.A.H., Ft. Tomas, KY
square-back triggerguards and
were numbered from 4201 to
25,100, which would explain
the anomaly in serial numbers.
Too, the casing and accessories
are obviously not of 19th cen-
tury manufacture. Actually,
the battle scene is between
the Mexican and Republic of
Yucatan navies, though you
are correct about the Texican
involvement, as the ships were
hired by Yucatan from the
Republic of Texas. Value on
your gun, if a 2nd Generation,
is in the $750 to $850 range. If
you decide to sell it, however,
I’d feel a lot more comfortable
if you’d have an expert take a
gander at it first.
from parts and sold as “origi-
nal.” Can you help with any
information and value?
— H.W., Loganville, GA
A: Your photos reveal that
you have a cut-down export
(no “VR” beneath the crown
on the lockplate) first varia-
tion of the British Pattern
1853 Enfield. The Pattern
’53 was widely used by both
sides, so there’s a chance your
ON THE BLOCK
• A fne set of percussion
conversion pistols by Boutet
of Versailles sold for an
impressive $29,250, including
premiums, at the June 10,
2013, Bonham’s auction in
San Francisco, California.
The pair of heavily deco-
rated pistols have eight-inch,
swamped octagon barrels,
signed in gold on their top
fats. The locks, originally
fint, were converted to per-
cussion with external safe-
ties in the German manner.
The green, baize-lined case
included all accessories in-

A:
From your description,
I appears you have one of the
2nd Generation Colt 1851
Navys, produced from 1971 to
1978, though I must admit, as
your photocopy is not as sharp
as it could be, I can’t be posi-
tively certain without actually
viewing the piece, and there
are things, such as the color
of the grips and the depth of
the case-hardening, that are
puzzling. Second Gens had
Cut-down Confederate Enfeld
CONFEDERATE ENFIELD
Q: I received this musket
from a friend who didn’t want
it anymore and wanted some-
one to appreciate it. He told
me that it was a Confederate
cavalry musket. With the
variety of weapons used back
then, I have not been able
to determine exactly what I
have. It seems to be an 1861
Enfield. It has had its front
sight removed. It almost
seems to have had the stock
shorted, so I cannot tell to
what extent it has been modi-
fied from the original config-
uration or if it was assembled
cluding a detachable shoulder
gun had Civil War usage. As stock. All in all, a superb set
far as it being a Confederate by a classic maker. For more
cavalry carbine, that remains
conjectural. The fact that a
front sight has not been added
information on this and fu-
ture sales, contact Bonham’s,
www.bonhams.com. •
after the barrel was
bobbed — and the
original ladder-style
rear sight has been
replaced with a sim-
ple, nonadjustable
notch — doesn’t give
us much of a clue
either. It’s my guess
that the gun was
probably used in the
war and then, like so
many thousands of other mili-
tary arms of the period, was
whacked down and turned DAN WESSON REVOLVER
into a “sporter.” In any event,
we will never know for sure.
It’s just that the odds of that
Q: I would like to know the
history and original and cur-
being the case are far greater rent value of a Dan Wesson
than the possibility of it being .357 Magnum revolver, serial
a Reb carbine. number 349XXX, manufac-

18 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 We’re
primed to
deliver...
GUN ROOM
tured in Monson, Massachusetts. Since
I am not that well versed in the condi-
tion percentage, all I can say is that the
revolver is in what I’d call “good” shape.
It does have some carry wear on the butt.
However, the bluing seems to be without
wear or scratch marks.
— L.B.C., Superior, WI
A: Dan Wesson revolvers are interest-
ing arms. They are of good quality, and
because of the ability to easily change
barrels and grips, they have a number of
.22LR
EpicFun!
1911-22 Pistol,
MSRP – $299.95. Comfortable
shooting and affordable 22LR caliber.
Economical to shoot and a superior value.
Perfect for target practice, semi-auto plinking
and all-around fun.
Available thru your local dealer.
ExclusivE MarkEtEr
20 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
very faithful admirers. The originator of
the company, Dan Wesson, was a great-
grandson of Daniel B. Wesson, one of the
founders of Smith & Wesson. The modern
Dan began his operation in Monson,
Massachusetts, in 1968, producing a .357
revolver designed by Karl Lewes. The
gun was popular enough that different
barrel configurations and calibers were
eventually offered. Guns were sold either
with one or multiple barrels, though
barrels could be purchased separately.
Dan Wesson Firearms had its ups and
downs and moved several times. It is now
Mfour-22 Pistol,
MSRP – $469. Get the
attention of those around
you! Small enough to
ft in your hand – wild
enough to draw a crowd.
Good luck getting a turn
of your own.
www.MKSChiappa.com
located in Norwich, New York, and spe-
cializes in 1911-style auto pistols, which
are retailed by CZ-USA. Based on the
address on your .357, it’s obviously one of
the earlier guns, though there were several
variants and without more info, your
photos seem to indicate you have a Model
11 or Model 12. The “Thirty-Fourth
Edition Blue Book of Gun Values” lists
such a gun, with one barrel, at $175 in
95 percent condition. A check of my 1971
“Guns & Ammo Annual” indicates that a
Model 12 sold for around $120.
WINCHESTER WINDER MUSKET
Q: I recently had a rifle passed down
to me from my grandfather. It is a
Winchester falling-block-action single-
shot .22 Short. There is no model num-
ber. It reads “Winchester repeating Arms
Co. Patented October 7, 1879” on the
left of the barrel and “Winchester Trade
Mark” on the tang. The serial number is
1206XX. It has a Lyman peep sight on
it. Bluing is only about 40 percent with
some rust spots. The bore is in excellent
condition, and this rifle is still a tackdriv-
er. It is very heavy for a .22, tipping the
scales around 8½ pounds, and has a thick,
28-inch barrel. The story behind it is that
my great-grandfather used it for training
WHAT IS IT?
• Well, this is nice. The latest in sports-
manlike waterfowling, according to a
circa-1930 German catalog. The engrav-
ing is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s
difcult not to comment on the contrap-
tion. In search of a tasty morsel, Donald
unwittingly takes a dunk in the pond, and,
thanks to the deadly, vertebrae-crushing
jaws of this item (stock number K1655), he
will never see the surface or his ducklings
again. It was probably not all that popular
with the local peasantry who like to go
skinny-dipping either. •
gunsandammo . com
 GUN ROOM

STARR REVOLVER Winchester Model 1885

Q:
Low Wall Winder Musket

I need your input on a weapon I

Dan Wesson Model 11
so the army could save money on the cost
of ammunition. Is there any validity to
this story? I don’t plan on ever selling it,
but any information on value, model and
history would be appreciated.
— R.F., Shabbona, IL
recently bought at auction. It is a black-
powder revolver that I think is .44 caliber,
but there are no markings to tell. The
only markings on it are “Stark Arms Co.
New York” on the left side of the frame
and “Stark Patent Jan 15 1856” (or “1858,”
I can’t tell for sure) on the right. Can you
give me any more info on this gun? The
bluing is fair, and everything works.
— D.A., Altoona, IA COLT GOLDEN SPIKE COMMEMORATIVE
A: There is no such thing as a “Stark”
Q: I have a Colt Golden Spike revolver.
I bought it from a retired deputy sheriff.
revolver. What you have is a Model 1858 Its serial number is 506XXX. I would like
Starr Army Revolver. This .44-caliber to know when it was made and its value.
double action was manufactured from — C.O., Dublin, VA

A: Your grandfather left you a

Winchester Model 1885 Low Wall Winder
Musket. These were made from 1904
through 1920. They were designed by
Colonel Charles B. Winder of the Ohio
National Guard “… specifically for indoor
target practice by members of militia orga-
nizations, as well as schools and colleges.”
Calibers were .22 Short and .22 Long Rifle.
A Winder Musket in 40 percent condition
is worth somewhere around $600 to $700.
1858 to the early 1860s in numbers total-
ing 23,000. The 1858 Starr was an early
American double action of good quality.
A large quantity was sold to the U.S.
government during the Civil War, though
some civilian arms were also made. In
the condition you describe, your revolver
is worth in the $1,400 to $1,600 range. As
the double-action version was considered
a bit too costly and complicated, a single-
action Starr was introduced in 1863 and
also bought by the Yankees.
A: The Colt Golden Spike Scout was
manufactured in 1969. It commemorated
America’s first transcontinental railroad
and came cased with a gold-plated rep-
lica of the original golden spike driven by
Leland Stanford, which joined the Union
Pacific and central Pacific. Some 11,000
of these .22 single actions were made.
They originally sold for $135. Today, in
100 percent condition, value is $600.

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 21

Craig Boddington
GUN NOTES
A PREMIUM SAFARI
Federal throws a new wrinkle into the age-old
“solid vs. expanding” debate.
U ntil fairly
recently, ex-
panding bul-
lets were
widely distrusted for thick-
skinned game. Most profes-
sional hunters recommended
nonexpanding solids for buf-
falo, and many were adamant
about it. To this day, solids are
the only sensible choices for
elephant, but today’s African
professional hunters have
generally embraced modern
expanding bullets for bufalo.
Twenty years apart, I con-
ducted two surveys of licensed
PHs for my “Safari Rifes”
books. In the 1980s a majority
still recommended solids for
bufalo. In the new millennium
most responding PHs preferred
expanding bullets for bufalo.
22 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
However, a surprising number
ofered an unsolicited caveat
that went something like this:
“Solids for bachelor bulls;
softpoints in herds.”
Obviously, on an ani-
mal like a Cape bufalo it’s
important to use a bullet that
will penetrate to the vitals.
Historically, the only bullet
that could do this reliably was
the solid. But today we have
expanding bullets that will
hold together and penetrate,
and today’s professional hunt-
ers have pretty well accepted
this. Tere are two sound ar-
guments for using expanding
bullets. Te frst is obvious: A
softpoint does more damage
to vital organs in its path.
Tere is a second and less
obvious reason, and that’s what
This Mozambique bufalo was taken with
Federal Premium’s 300-grain Trophy Bond-
ed Bearclaw from a Blaser R8 in .375 H&H.
A POWERFUL
PROP
• Elmer Keith carries on a
conversation while holding
Ruger’s then-new Redhawk
.44 Magnum in this photo,
probably taken around 1980. •
so many PHs referred to. Typi-
cally, a solid will pass all the
way through on a broadside
bufalo, and those who like
through-and-through penetra-
tion will argue — correctly
— that exit wounds usually
produce better blood trails
than entrance wounds. How-
ever, bufalo are herd animals,
and you simply cannot use a
solid in a herd. Te risk of hit-
ting a bufalo behind the target
animal is just too great.
For many years I’ve relied
on expanding bullets for the
frst shot on bufalo. However, Safaris, and we got into the big-
I always carry both types, and gest herd of bufalo I have ever
I generally switch to solids for seen, a black mass compris-
follow-up shots. But not always. ing perhaps 2,500 animals.
Just recently, I was hunting Te one we picked was on the
in coastal Mozambique with right-hand edge, fairly clear of
Mark Haldane’s Zambezi Delta any others. I hit him well with
gunsandammo . com
GUN NOTES
a softpoint, but he didn’t go down, and
part of the herd closed around him. A few
seconds later we saw him in the mix with
blood on his nose. When he came clear for
an instant, I shot him again. In that packed
mass there was no way I could use a solid. I
needed a softpoint that wouldn’t exit.
Fortunately, that’s exactly what I
was carrying. On that hunt — and on
a follow-on hunt in Namibia — I was
using Federal’s Premium Safari, in new
packaging with a new/old softpoint
and a brand-new solid. Te expanding
bullet was the good old Trophy Bonded
Bearclaw, but with a facelift. Designed by
Jack Carter more than 30 years ago, the
TBBC was probably the frst bonded-core
bullet that was readily available. Long be-
fore Carter’s untimely death, Federal was
making the TBBC under license for its
Premium line. In recent years, however,
the company has modernized this bullet
into their Trophy Bonded Tip bullet, a
bonded-core boattail with a polymer
tip. Te Trophy Bonded Tip is an awe-
some bullet, but it’s only manufactured
in smaller diameters. Federal’s larger-
caliber bonded-core bullets are still the
good old Trophy Bonded Bearclaw, but
with some diferences. Te bullet is now
coated, which has arguable advantages.
24 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
The 300-grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw load
produced superb accuracy in three diferent
.375s. From top: CZ 550, Blaser R8, Kimber
Caprivi. These 100-yard groups range from
.75 inch to 11 inches.
But it’s the same silver color as Federal’s
nickel-plated Premium cases, so the look
is distinctive. More substantive, at least
to me, is that the shank now carries three
grooves, which reduces fouling and, in
many rifes, enhances accuracy.
Te specifc load I was using was a
Woodleigh’s homogenous-alloy Hydro Solid
has a concave nose and a polymer cap to
ensure smooth feeding. The concave nose
delivers a heavy initial blow, and the bullet
seems to maintain its course very well.
300-grain TBBC in .375 H&H. Over the
course of a busy summer, I actually used
this bullet in three diferent .375s: a Bla-
ser R8, a CZ 550 and a Kimber Caprivi.
I couldn’t say that this was the most ac-
curate load I’ve used in all three rifes, but
accuracy was excellent in all each rife.
Tanks (I think) to the current prolif-
eration of the various .416s, it seems com-
mon to knock the .375 H&H as a bufalo
cartridge. Maybe the bigger calibers are
more dramatic in efect, but the .375 H&H
was proven adequate for bufalo (and
everything else) a century ago. With our
gunsandammo . com
GUN NOTES
This illustrates why nonexpanding solids cannot be used in a herd like this. A clear shot is very
unlikely.
great modern bullets, it’s better than ever.
It also boasts a versatility that the larger
calibers just don’t have.
I used it for bufalo with no problems,
but I also used it for a variety of plains
game in Mozambique, and then, switching
rifes as well as locales, I used it for Na-
mibian plains game on a hunt with Jamy
Traut. Recovered bullets were expanded
to a bit over double original diameter
(.750 or more), and weight retention was
consistently over 90 percent. Even with
great weight retention, expansion like that
usually limits penetration, but that isn’t
always a bad thing. I did note that this load
26 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
is rated at 2,400 fps, while most 300-grain
.375 H&H loads are 100 fps faster. My
chronograph verifed this velocity, and
while no bufalo will notice a loss of 4 per-
cent velocity, it’s a factor to be aware of.
Te solids I carried were also new. Fed-
eral has long loaded Australian Woodle-
igh bullets in its larger calibers, solids and
softpoints that are, essentially, conven-
tional designs. Te new solid is Wood-
leigh’s Hydro Solid, a homogenous-alloy
number with a concave nose protected by
a polymer cap to ensure smooth feeding.
Flatpoint solids are not new. In fact, the
frst I know of was Jack Carter’s “Sledge-
hammer Solid,” still manufactured and
loaded by Federal. Te fat nose defnitely
delivers a heavier blow, and it is theorized
that it creates a “cavitation bubble” ahead
of the bullet, forming a larger wound
channel and aiding in straight-line pen-
etration. Te concave nose of the Hydro
Solid takes these concepts a step forward.
I did notice that recovered Hydro
Solids showed, if not expansion, a bit of
“squashing.” I was again using 300-grain
.375s, and recovered bullets measured
.420 to .423 at the nose. Upset of as much
as ffty-thousandths of an inch is not
enough to restrict penetration, and it
did seem to strike a very heavy blow. Te
Hydro Solid is just now coming into the
line and is slated for 10 cartridges, from
9.3x62 to .500 Nitro Express.
I like the reusable plastic ammo packs
that many premium brands now use, but
once you open them you almost have to
use tape to keep them from spilling car-
tridges all over the place. Federal’s new
Premium Safari packaging is a plastic box
with a cartridge-holding sleeve inside,
but instead of the usual vertical “bombs
away” opening, the outer box opens at
one end with a hinge and latch that, so
far, has been super secure.
gunsandammo . com
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Patrick Sweeney
HANDGUNNING
HIGH-TECH HOLSTERS
No, they’re not your daddy’s basketweave leather
carry rig, but they work, and work well.
I
n case you hadn’t
noticed, it’s fashion-
able to carry a gun
these days. Back in
the day, those of us who could
and did were few and far
between. Now that the laws in
many states have been made
rational, a trip to the store
means you’re there with other
armed people.
And all those people need
holsters. I’ve been through
this before, and I’ll say it
again: Carrying a handgun
without a holster is stupid.
And hazardous. But which
holster? Well, the huge in-
crease in those carrying has
meant a huge demand and
increased R&D. Let’s all hear
praise for the market economy
28 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
we live in. Without it, we’d be
stuck with crappy “govern-
ment approved” rigs.
I’ve just returned from
Montana, where I visited
the Blackhawk plant, which
makes SERPA holsters. Te
SERPA is a molded polymer
holster that can be had in
multiple security levels. From
the basic friction-ft to Level
II and Level III, and not just
in duty-style holsters but daily
CCW carry as well, any of
the SERPAs would serve you
well for many years. I got a
tour of the plant, and, for me,
it was heaven. My degree is
in chemistry, with a minor
in mechanical engineering.
I’ve worked in manufacturing
plants and as a gunsmith, and
Blackhawk has streamlined the production of
SERPA holsters by keeping each step of the pro-
cess in-house. If it has to respond to an immedi-
ate industry demand, Blackhawk has the capacity
to produce a new holster model in just 60 days.
COOPERISMS
• “The nature of combat
changes with technology.
Today’s infantry actions are
mainly conducted at night,
and this serves to emphasize
the utility of the hand-
gun. Thus we need a good
handgun and men who can
use it well, and the Marine
Corps seems to be picking up
on that. Slightly tidied-up
1911s are being issued to
people who are designated
for direct action, and those
people are being exposed
to fairly advanced training.
Well, we have developed the
I’ve used holsters for decades answer, and we know how to
of carry and competition, so impart it. All of us who have
combining polymer, manufac- participated in the practical
turing, big industrial ma- pistol revolution may take
chines plus guns and holsters satisfaction in that.” — Jef
Cooper, June 2003 •
into one trip was like winning
the lottery.
Blackhawk carefully for-
mulates the polymer that goes
into their holsters. Tey test
extensively, on powered rigs,
to test durability and security.
Tey have recently engineered
new test models, because the
test rigs were breaking the
aluminum models before the
holsters croaked. Te holsters
are made on large injection-
molding machines. I was glad ucts top-quality: dedicated
to see that Blackhawk has employees.
the secret extra that makes At each machine (and there
machines efcient and prod- were a lot of them) there was
gunsandammo . com
someone inspecting, smoothing, mea-
suring or cleaning. Te plant is bright,
relatively quiet, clean and uncluttered.
Tere was product fairly fowing out of
machines.
Tere are those who gripe, “Security
holsters are too slow.” (Hey, there are some
people who, if you handed them a gold
bar, would complain about the weight.)
Tell that to Todd Jarrett. He was our range
guide and instructor, and he uses SERPAs
for competition and training.
We spent a day using the SERPA and
some S&W M&P 9mms, and we had no
problems drawing.
At the other extreme is Versacarry. Not
“extreme” in that they are insecure, badly
engineered or anything like that. Not at
all. I mean “extreme” in that they are min-
imalist holsters. As good as the SERPA is,
if I had to carry concealed while wearing
board shorts, the SERPA wouldn’t be at
the top of my list. Versacarry? You could
do it. You see, the Versacarry design is
simple. Tere’s a belt hook, there’s the
strip of polymer that leads down to the
muzzle plug, and there’s a triggerguard
cover. Tat’s it. Such minimalist hol-
sters have been in use for many years in
USPSA/IPSC Open Division. Tey are
wicked fast. Well, there’s no such thing as
a wicked-fast IWB rig, but there are some
that are too bulky.
For curmudgeons like me, who will
dress to hide the gun pretty much
regardless of the weather, a SERPA is the
day-in, day-out option, as it is secure and
solid. For those who want to be hot-
weather comfortable and insist on wear-
ing shorts and a tee, the Versacarry — at
a modest MSRP of $24.95 — will let them
accomplish that.
And with either, you have a holster to
ft most any handgun you may choose.
Well, you can’t have one holster that fts
them all, but with either brand you’ll
have plenty of choices. In that regard I’m
pretty sure the Versacarry has an easier
job of it. With the Versacarry, if you have
a holster (for example) to hold a four-inch
pistol, 9mm, then any 9mm pistol with
a four-inch barrel will work. And as an
extra bonus, any Verascarry holster can
be either right or left hand.
Blackhawk, on the other hand, has to
have a model-specifc mold for each of
the pistols out there. We had a fun time
at dinner one night, trying to outdo each
other with the most outrageous hand-
gun Blackhawk could consider making a
SERPA for. Tat is, until the production
manager told us, “Hey, guys, it’s pretty

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 29


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HANDGUNNING
populated environment, the security
of a SERPA is a good thing. Despite its
latch, the SERPA can be faster than the
Versacarry, simply due to the Versacarry
being tucked inside the waistband and
hidden. What makes it concealed also
makes it work to remove.
Te SERPA also ofers options that the
Versacarry doesn’t. You want a paddle
back instead of belt loops? No problem.
You want to take your SERPA and bolt
it to a thigh-rig system? Blackhawk has
that. Shoulder rig? Vest-mounted? Dare I
repeat myself and say that Blackhawk can
Versacarry concealment holsters are for the do that for you?
minimalists. Fit isn't based on handgun mod- As a counterpoint, if you have a favor-
el, but on barrel length and bore diameter. ite carry handgun, but one that Black-
hawk has not yet made a mold for, your
choice here is simple: the Versacarry. Not
simple. Hand us a check for a mold and a that there aren’t other holster makers out
minimum run, and we’ll make anything there, heavens no, but we’re talking right
you want.” Hmm, I don’t think I, or the now about the two extremes: the big,
world, need a SERPA for a Japanese Type Level II-or-higher, wear-it-anyplace-on-
94 pistol that much. your-person vs. the minimalist, “dang, it’s
As part of the tour we managed to hot out here” holster.
peek into the storage room that held Christmas only comes once a year, but
molds. Whoa. Not just a set of heavy- when we have companies like these vying
duty steel shelving with a few molds, but to make us happy, it is as if it is Christmas
many, many molds and a hoist to pick up all the time. Did I say Christmas? Go out
each and put it onto the dolly to move it and get yourself something. Something
to its machine. polymer. Something to carry concealed.
Te inevitable question is, Which one Something that says “Tank you” not just
should I get? I could be fippant and say, to yourself but the companies (and not
“Both,” but I have the advantage of having just Blackhawk or Versacarry) who work
the storage room to do that. Te answer hard to keep us happy. Because this is the
comes down to climate and location. If only place on earth you can do it by buy-
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you are in a hot climate, you may not fnd
it comfortable to dress to
ing and using things frearms related.
cover the gun, wearing a
SERPA. Ten again, the
concealment models are
not all that much polymer,
and if you aren’t wearing
enough clothes to hide one,
0
Birchwood Casey
1 2 3 4 5 perhaps you should be.
(I’m just saying clothes do
5
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more than provide pocket
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0
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insist, then the Versacarry
could be just the ticket.
For those who will be
1
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0 1 2 3 4 5
5
carrying in a slightly more
There are no snaps or
hoods that can be acciden-
tally opened, no special draw
technique. You won’t lose
your master fring grip when
operating the Level 3 SERPA
Auto Lock duty holster. Popu-
lar with law enforcement, this
SERPA features a thumb-
activated Pivot Guard for
maximum retention security
while protecting the sights.
gunsandammo . com
 MARTY DANIEL

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 Eric R. Poole
MODERN
SPORTING RIFLES

PHOTO: SEAN UTLEY

PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
Earth tones: The author buries an M4 clone to test ZCORR vacuum-
sealed bags for long-term storage — and tweets about it.

M ilitary
small arms
are devel-
oped to
sustain rigors on the battle-
feld. When not in use,
surplus inventories are often
reconditioned and placed
into long-term storage at a
military arsenal or depot.
A decade ago, the U.S.
Marine Corps began a search
for a fexible packaging system
to replace its existing method No longer available, these are original storage bags that the military tested and approved for mothballing M16s.
of preservation packaging for
refurbished M16s. Te new
system needed to increase ties. Before 2003, rifes were ing developed a new type of als into one product. Using
packaging speed and pro- wrapped in paper, which material called BluGuard-VCI, BluGuard, a new package was
vide equivalent or superior was then heat sealed inside a which combined the protec- designed that exceeded all
corrosion-inhibiting proper- barrier bag. Heritage Packag- tive properties of two materi- of the performance require-

32 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 CCI: The Only Prescription for Bad Gators
When you make a living toe-to-toe with 800-pound, armor-wrapped killers, you don’t mess
around. That’s why veteran gator hunters Troy and Jacob Landry, from the Swamp People
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MODERN SPORTING RIFLES
Earth to earth: The author begins his shovel-ready project to bury an M4 clone in a ZCORR bag.
ments set by the military.
Te Marines wanted to compare the
BluGuard-VCI to its existing packaging,
so testing was conducted during the frst
half of 2003. Te fexible packaging was
subjected to -40 degrees for 24 hours. It
was then exposed to “temperature shock”
by rapidly warming the samples from -40
34 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
to 95 degrees. Ten it was exposed for 24
hours to temperature cycles from 91 to
160 degrees, high humidity, a drop test
and an hour-long vibration test.
Te test center report stated, “Bag
very durable and easy to use; No de-
tectable rust or corrosion on any rife;
No condensation or dampness inside
Pre-dig preparation calls for vacuuming the
air out of the ZCORR bag. The outlines of the
M4 clone verify that it is properly sealed.
any bag; Bag remained unchanged by
environments, wasn’t saturated and
repelled condensation; Performed equal
to or better than MIL-PRF-131 with
MIL-PRF-3420 in preventing rust and
corrosion of M16 rifes under varying
environmental exposures.” It was also
noted that packaging productivity was
increased from three rifes per hour to
four to six rifes per minute.
Heritage recognized the potential in
developing commercial products using
these materials and created a set of more
modular systems branded as ZCORR.
THE SOCIAL WATERCOOLER
I recognize the benefts of social media
in helping gunwriters keep readers
informed through immediate access
to updates on developing stories and/
or product introductions. I decided to
create my own Twitter account and ofer
followers quick access to gun tests and
information aforded to me before a print
magazine like this one could release a
more detailed article.
Only recently did I become aware
of Twitter’s networking potential. I’ve
noticed that most companies in the gun
gunsandammo . com
 s i e r T
a table peepo U se
r a te , A n d E
, Mo r e A c cu • adjus
fer
Sa unload without pu ed ramp • Cocks b
l lin g trig ger
y lif t in g bolt

a l sa fe ty • rig ger • fe
man u ut
a d j u stable acc
sights •

savagearms.com
 MODERN SPORTING RIFLES

industry use Twitter to interact with ex-
isting customers or tease followers with
hints or imagery of products. I hadn’t
considered that Twitter could provide
backstage access to editors, writers and
readers for companies that can’t imme-
diately bend the ears of those they want
to talk to. Unless you are as popular as
Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, chances are
you’re not going to be so overwhelmed by
a huge fan base that you can’t individually
interact with followers. ZCORR Products,
one of my frst followers, illustrated the
potential benefts of social media when
Jason Tuccio (whom I’ve never met) sent
me a tweet that read, “Would there be
any interest in testing our anti-corrosion
soft case or ammo-can liners?”
I quickly consulted the “Googles”
and discovered that ZCORR Products
was a commercial ofspring of Heritage
Packaging, a brand once familiar to
me as a Marine Corps armorer. I also
learned that BluGuard-VCI was said to
be a revolutionary new storage system
currently in use at Whiteman Air Force
Base in Missouri. I contacted a couple of
noncommissioned ofcers at Whiteman,
who graciously confrmed that they used
ZCORR bags for storing small arms and
equipment, but they would later follow up
by emailing, “We can’t go on the record
endorsing a particular brand.”
I replied to Jason and requested a few
samples including a couple of diferent
Tactical Bags ($13 to $35), a Compact
Tactical Bag ($33) and the new Tactical
Rife/Shotgun Softcase ($155). Since I
recently overheard some black-rife en-
thusiasts joke about burying guns in their
yard if more anti-gun legislation were to
pass, I decided that actually burying an
M4 clone for a couple of months could
prove (or disprove) the bag’s utility.
ZCORR Tactical Rife Bags are de-
signed for modern rifes such as the AR-
15 and AK47. Depending on the overall
height of the rife, mounted optics, lights
and lasers, you’ll want to consider either a
Compact Tactical Bag model, a standard
model or a Tactical Softcase with VCI
bag. Tese storage bags can be ordered

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Fuel Gauge Charging Port Switching Wide Beam Band

Final resting place: The rife is now taking a

lengthy nap.
Watch Live-Fire Video:
36 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com
 MODERN SPORTING RIFLES

with either a vacuum seal or Velcro seal.

Take a few minutes to explore www.zcorr
products.com and you’ll also fnd storage
bags for everything from muzzleloaders
to ammo-can liners to parts pouches.
June 26, 2013: I tweeted, “Buried an
M4 clone in a top-secret location today
to test a ZCORR storage bag.” I fnished
my tweet with a photo of the site and
documented the event with time-lapse
photography.
Nearly two months later, the dig site
was overgrown with weeds.
August 20, 2013: “Digging out the
ZCORR bag carefully. I’d hate to cut it
with the shovel!”
After its exposure to rain-soaked soil,
temperature changes and constant pres-
sure from the weight of the root-infested Dig this! The protective bag unveiled two After breaking the vacuum seal, the M4 clone
ground above it, I felt a little nervous and months later. was revealed in as-new condition.
hoped that I hadn’t ruined the barrel of
a perfectly new rife. When I broke the
air-tight vacuum seal and removed the owners are buying more MSRs than humidity in your gunroom or inside your
M4 clone for the cameras, it appeared as anyone had planned. I’m betting that safe, these bags are a must. Whether you
clean and new as the day I had buried it. safely storing frearms is going to become collect antique frearms or are one of us
No more worries. a trending topic. If you don’t frequently who hoard ammo, you need to check out
With the way things have been going, maintain your frearms or handle them ZCORR’s other types of storage bags. Are
it’s no surprise that the government is often, you should be storing them in bags you storing loose rounds in ammo cans?
reporting through the news that gun like this. If you aren’t controlling the ZCORR has a bag for that.

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 37

 The SAM7SF
features a folding
tubular stock. Press-
ing a button next to
the hinge allows it to
fold to the right.

38 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 THE LAST WORD IN AKs?
Arsenal’s SAM7SF might well be the defnitive
Kalashnikov now on the scene.
BY ERIC R. POOLE | PHOTOS BY SEAN UTLEY

It’s hard to keep a secret, especially for two years. For six months, Arsenal had been
sending out newsletters and suggesting the SAM7SF will be the most fnely tuned
and advanced member of its SAM family the AK community has every known. The
result of Arsenal’s secret project, referred to by insiders as “The Game Changer,” was
unveiled August 7th, 2013.

ARSENAL SAM7SF
Type: Long stroke, gas-piston
operated, semiauto
Caliber: 7.62x39
CapaCiTy: 10, 30
barrel lengTh: 16.3 in., cold hammer
forged, chrome lined, (1:9.45
twist)
Overall lengTh: 38 in. (extended), 28.5 in.
(folded)
WeighT: 8 lbs.
SighTS: Adjustable post front, elevation-
adjustable tangent rear, optics rail
STOCk: Right-side folding, 9.75 in.,
skeleton frame w/ rubber pad
grip: Black polymer, recessed for
left-side selector lever
FiniSh: Matte black
Trigger: 5.5 lbs. (tested)
MSrp: $1,650
Maker: Arsenal Inc., www.arsenalinc.com,
702-643-2220

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 39

 ARSENAL AK

Folding the stock does not impede function. When ftted with an optic, the
shooter should expect a “chin weld” rather than a “cheekweld.” However, the
open feld of view and excellent eye relief of low-power variables like this Vor-
tex Viper PST 1-4x24mm certainly enhance this rife’s performance.

Before that date, a group just like the famed AK74

of evaluators at “Guns &
Ammo” was given a frst look
at the very frst sample. It’s
fnished in black, wears a
U.S.-manufactured Bulgarian-
style handguard with gas tube
cover and looks like it belongs
in the SAM7R family tree. But
if you look closely, you’ll see
why Arsenal is particularly
proud of this one. Here are the
takeaways:
SELECTOR, STOCK,
MUZZLEBRAKE The thumb-activated selector lever is connected to the traditional
Te frst three elements to the safety lever.
SAM7SF that I’ll cover are the
selector lever, stock and muz-
zlebrake. Let’s take them one at a time:
Te selector is not the traditional
stamped piece of metal on the right side.
Arsenal has engineered a new selector
lever positioned above the left side of the
pistol grip and just behind the trigger. It’s inches of overall length and measures 28½ AK47 classic, but it is still very functional
as easy as using the thumb on a right-
hand fring grip to push the lever forward
to engage the safety, and you can work it
without having to move your hand.
Te stock? We’ve seen metal stocks on
AKs before, but this one folds and locks
to the right side. Push a Parkerized catch
lever installed on the right-side milled
receiver detent to unlock and extend the
stock. It’s a solid ft when folded or ex-
tended. Extended, it measures 38 inches.
Folded, the SAM7SF loses almost 10
with Arsenal’s 7.62 muzzlebrake attached.
Speaking of the muzzlebrake, the Ar-
senal 7.62 muzzlebrake isn’t a new device
and can be purchased separately for $70
(www.k-var.com/shop/Muzzle-Brakes). It
is, however, a U.S.-made part that counts
toward 922(r) compliance. It functions
muzzle device with three fash
ports on top of the device be-
hind the two-port brake. It all
works together to reduce felt
recoil and tame muzzle climb.
GAS BLOCK, HANDGUARD,
RECEIVER
Unlike classic milled Russian
AKs that have a tapered gas
block, the Bulgarian models
feature the AKM 90-degree
gas blocks developed in 1974.
In this design, the gas port is
drilled and aligned straight
down into the bore. As the
rife is fred and the bullet
passes this hole in the barrel,
gas pressure is bled of into this port and
has to make a right turn inside the gas
block before it hits the face of the push-
rod and causes the action to cycle. Tis
feature isn’t exactly true to the original
and is the same as issued to the Bulgarian
military.
Te AKM-style handguards Arsenal
uses are U.S. made and have a stainless
steel insert. Tey efciently shield the
support hand from radiated barrel heat.
Many handguards do not feature a heat

40 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com


The Viper PST optic was set in Vortex’s ADR cantilever QD mount. The
author found that the Midwest Industries AK mount ofered a secure
mount to the Arsenal’s side mount and the lowest height over bore.
shield and have been known to CHRONO/ACCURACY RESULTS
melt on guns that are run hard.
BuLLet VeLocity Best 100 yd.
Bulgarian AKs have been Load Weight (gr.) (fps) group (in.)
brought into the U.S. since the
early 1990s. Unlike many AKs HORNADY SST 123 2,319 1.52
being imported, the Bulgarian REMINGTON FMJ 123 2,260 2.46
type became known for having
WINCHESTER/USA FMJ 123 2,286 2.96
a milled receiver. Many don’t
realize that Arsenal starts out GOLDEN TIGER FMJ 124 2,301 2.93
with a forged receiver blank that BROWN BEAR FMJ 123 2,391 3.82
spends 5½ hours of cutting time
WOLF FMJ 123 2,290 1.79
on a machine. Te bolt, bolt
carrier and double-hook trigger
are also machined from Bulgar-
ian forgings. A hot-die, fve-ton
hammer forge presses the steel material their forged-then-milled receivers. “On
into the shape of a part, and it is then this video, rivets and small parts were
machined on Steyr-manufactured CNCs. moving as the stamped receivers twist
Disregarding the folding stock assembly, and fex,” Vartan says. “Te Bulgarian
the only stamped-steel parts I found is military was convinced that it needed to
the top cover, selector lever, triggerguard, stick with our milled receivers, but they
mag catch, gas tube and its retaining demanded a more accurate AK. So we
lever, and magazine foorplate. Tis is a built them to shoot very tight groups —
rigidly built AK. an inch and a half at 100 meters.”
Bulgarian milled receivers enjoy a
reputation in the AK community for hav- SIDE RAIL,SCOPE MOUNT
ing frst-rate machine work with a lack Arsenal attaches a solid, one-piece side
of tool marks, and this one, with steel rail to the left side of its receivers and
parts fnished in matte-black enamel, places it so that it sits as low as possible.
is no diferent. Te surface still reveals Users who want to peer through a scope
the grains in the steel, but, due to the won’t have to hold the head so high of
forging-then-machining process, all air the stock to see through it. Tis side rail
pockets, internal voids and small cracks will accept one of the many AK scope
that would deteriorate strength are elimi- mounts on the market. I’ve used both a
nated. Today, those machines are CNCs quick-detach railed scope mount from
rather than mills, and it’s a very expen- Midwest Industries as well as the new
sive process that afects the price of these K-VAR KV-04S, which has recently been
rifes. You can recognize a milled receiver improved for use with Picatinny rail-
by the rectangular-shaped divot on each mounted optics. Both optic mounts will
side just above the magazine. set you back about $100, but are a neces-
“[Te] Bulgarian military wanted to sity if you want to extract the accuracy
stick with milled receiver[s] because it potential its barrel is capable of.
was more dependable,” says Vartan Bar-
soumian, CEO of Arsenal Inc. Arsenal FEED IT
set up high-speed cameras and compared Te 30-round magazine is made of a
AKs built on milled receivers with AKs high-strength polymer and structurally
built on stamped receivers to illustrate reinforced with fve pieces of steel. It has
why stamped receivers are inferior to a wafe-pattern ribbing on its body and
gunsandammo . com
ARSENAL AK
steel feed lips and foorplate. Te
follower is polymer, and a “Circle
10” logo at the bottom indicates
that this part is made in Bulgaria.
Te design of this magazine was
tested using several diferent
rifes so that end users could
be confdent in its performance
regardless of what rife they were
shooting.
“It takes six times the efort
to make our polymer magazines
than other companies that mold
theirs,” Vartan asserts. “An indi-
vidual spends four to fve minutes
putting 10 components into the mold
before it closes, and just two magazines
are coming out of that mold. Te maga-
zine is then machined by 20 operations
to complete it. Tat makes it the most
expensive AK magazine, but we do it for
unparalleled reliability. Tis is the most
reliable AK magazine ever.”
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Te barrel starts life in Arsenal’s Bulgar-
ian factory as a solid block of steel. It
is not forged into shape, but rather it is
machined. Areas where the sight block
and gas block contact the barrel are given
an evenly ground fnish to alleviate stress
points. Vartan suggests that relieving this
stress on the barrel has contributed to the
accuracy Arsenal has been able to extract
from its AKs.
We found no sight adjustment was
needed at 100 meters, which we credit
to the properly ft sight block, Parker-
ized leaf sight (zero to 800m), tight ft of
true-spec parts and the Bulgarian-man-
ufactured 16.3-inch cold-hammer-forged
barrel. Te barrel carries a 1:9.45-inch
twist rate and hard-chrome bore and
chamber.
When Bulgarian AKs like the SAM-
series come in to the U.S., they are 100
percent sporting frearms per import
regulations. Tis means that the receiv-
January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 41
 ARSENAL AK
This U.S.-manufactured handguard set helps make the SAM7SF compliant while remaining
faithful to the Bulgarian design and shielding the support hand from barrel heat after hard use.
ers aren’t cut to accept high-capacity
magazines. Arsenal’s facility in Las
Vegas, Nevada, takes these sporting AKs
and remanufactures them accordingly.
Afterward, a rife like this SAM7SF will
accept standard, 30-round-capacity AK
magazines, it is given a bayonet lug and a
grenade launcher lug, then built with the
necessary amount of U.S.-made parts to
be 922(r) compliant.
SHOOTING IMPRESSIONS
To ensure a good frst impression with
its customers, Arsenal is using a laser
system to test the alignment of its sights
and test fres every AK for accuracy be-
fore it ships. Tere’s a lot of pride riding
on quality, and Arsenal is betting that the
SAM7SF will become the new standard
for comparing AKs.
Te SAM7SF proved reliable with
every variety of 7.62x39 ammunition I
could collect. Aside from the loads from
Hornady, Remington, Winchester and
Chinese steel-case Golden Tiger I used for
bench testing, this rife handedly chewed
through a magazine randomly loaded with
a mixed bag of grain weights and bullet
types from various manufacturers. I’ve
been throwing leftovers of saved rounds
from tests performed in years past into an
ammo can for this unusual function test.
Te condition of the ammunition even
varied with some of the older surplus steel
cases at the bottom showing spots of rust.
With each pull of the trigger and cyclic
action of its inner workings, the sound of
the bolt cycling in front of my face served
as a reminder why the AK is still regarded
as the world’s most reliable rife.
From 100 yards, the average AK-type
rife is usually lucky to print a sub-three-
inch group. Trying to shoot a folding-
42 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
stock model accurately at distance is
even more difcult because establishing
a proper cheekweld and consistent eye
relief without some type of artifcial
support is impossible. Vartan indicated
that shooting quality ammo through
the SAM7SF ofered the potential for
inch-and-a-half groups at 100 yards — if I
could do my part. Tat was my objective.
In evaluating this rife, I used two
diferent Vortex optics. I ran the usual
multiple target drills at 50 yards and in
with a Vortex PST 1-4X. Set on 1X, you
can quickly engage steel and cardboard
silhouettes. On 4X, you can better iden-
tify more challenging shoot/no-shoot tar-
gets with a quick turn of the power ring.
Te $580 pricepoint is afordable and
should address most low-range variable-
power needs for a 7.62 AK user. However,
higher magnifcation is preferred for
punching smaller holes on paper, like
bench shooting at 100 yards. I chose to
use a new Vortex Razor HD Gen II to
group diferent loads for accuracy for its
perfect eye relief and practicality over
a huge rifescope. Sure, groups won’t be
as small with a 1-6X optic as they would
be with something between the 9X and
25X target scopes, but the Razor is more
useful to run a gun like the SAM7SF. If
the $1,900 sticker doesn’t shock you, the
impressive resolution and edge-to-edge
sharpness of the Vortex Razor HD Gen II
is the way to go. It’s like looking through
the heads-up display of a jet fghter. An
interesting sidenote: Competitive shooter
Jerry Miculek developed the JM-1 reticle
for the rapid, accurate shooting he needs
to strike multiple targets that could be
positioned between 20 and 600 yards on
the same stage.
I’m no Jerry Miculek, but I do have to
test from the bench a lot. Using Jerry’s
optic on this SAM7SF, I was impressed
with the results using steel-case loads
from Hornady and Wolf — even for a 6X.
I frequently printed near-1½- to two-inch
groups. Tough Hornady usually bested
the Wolf brand, it wasn’t by much. Only
these two were obviously capable of the
inch-and-a-half groups Vartan predicted.
Although I love the reloading aspect of
brass-case ammunition, the Remington
and Winchester FMJs only produced sub-
three-inch groups. Surplus ammunition
from China and Russia usually grouped
between 3½ and fve inches at 100 yards.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Regardless of your experience level with
the AK platform, most can agree that
you can’t go wrong with one. Te price is
exceptional for a discriminating shooter
in the market for a top-tier AK. Te side-
folding Arsenal SAM7SF includes so many
useful features that you may never have to
explore the aftermarket for accessories.
The front and rear sights are not the best for
shooting groups, but they are functional. The
elevation-adjustable rear sight is a bit overly
optimistic with markings out to 800 meters.
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 THE OTHER
“GREAT WAR”
.45s
As good as the 1911 Government Model was, when
the U.S. entered WWI there just weren’t enough to
go around. Two major gunmakers addressed the short-
fall with the Model 1917.

By Garry James | Photography by Jill Marlow

There is no question that the Colt 1911 Government Model is among the
world’s great handguns. As soon as it was issued to U.S. servicemen, it was well
received (except for a few old-school grumps) and gladly employed. It ultimate-
ly saw frontline service in three major wars, one police action, an incursion
and sundry other afrays. But it was not the only handgun to see action.
Despite his supporters bleating, “He kept us out of war!” during the
1916 election, very soon after his inauguration in 1917, Woodrow Wilson
declared America for the Allies and went to war against Germany. Problem
was, there were not enough small arms on hand to equip the prodigious
numbers of doughboys destined to be shipped Over Tere.
For example, 1903 Springfeld production was woefully lacking, so it
was necessary to modify the pattern 1914 “Enfeld” made for Britain by
Remington and Winchester to handle .30-06 ammo. Dubbed the United
States Rife Caliber .30 Model of 1917, more of these longarms were used in
France than the ’03.
Similarly, there were just not enough 1911s in inventory to meet demands.
It became blatantly obvious that some sort of fll-in handgun would have to
be adopted.

THE SMITH & WESSON

Smith & Wesson had already made 75,000 of its superb Second Model
Hand Ejector revolvers, chambered in .455, for Britain and Canada in 1915
and 1916, and this top-notch DA sixgun immediately became one of the
top contenders for use by the American Expeditionary Force.
Te revolver was an excellent choice. Featuring a swing-out cylinder,
the Second Model Hand Ejector had already proven to be robust, reliable
and accurate. Te First Model Hand Ejector, which appeared in 1908, was
referred to as the Triple Lock because the cylinder locked in three places:
the rear of the cylinder star, in front of the ejector rod and in between the
yoke and the ejector housing. It was very strong, but designers correctly
determined that the ejector rod and cylinder-star lockups were adequate,
and the third was eliminated. Te adaptable Hand Ejectors were ofered
in a multitude of calibers, including .44 S&W Special, .44 Russian, .44-40,
.38-40, .450 Eley and .45 Colt.

44 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 45
THE OTHER “GREAT WAR” .45s

S&W’s Second Model Hand Ejector was

chambered in .45 ACP and drafted into ser-
vice as the Model 17. Today it would classify
as an “N-frame.”

In order to handle some of and trigger. It weighed some

these stout chamberings, the 21 pounds, had a 5½-inch bar-
revolver had to be substantial rel and measured 10.8 inches
and was built around what overall. Te grips were smooth
we today call the “N”-frame. walnut, and a lanyard rig was
Te cylinder was released added to the butt. Markings
by a thumb latch on the left involved the standard Smith
side of the frame at the rear & Wesson address, as well as
of the recoil shield. Pushing “S&W D.A. 45” on the left side
the latch forward allowed the of the barrel, “United States
cylinder to swing out to the Property” under the barrel
left. Cartridges were placed in front of the ejector rod
in the chambers, the cylinder and “US/Army/Model 1917”
closed and the gun fred either along with the serial number
single or double action. When on the base of the grip frame.
all shots had been spent, the Inspector marks were those of
cylinder was reopened and Gilbert H. Stewart, who also
empties ejected by manually Ready for action: A Yank with a Model 1917 in the trenches at Benholz, inspected Colts. While the
pushing in on the ejector rod. Alsace; July 1, 1918. Navy and Marines were issued
Tis activated the star extrac- some 1917s, they were not
tor, which pulled the shells specifcally marked for those
free of the chambers by their rims. the extractor to engage and pull the cases branches of service.
Tis was all fne and good with free. In an emergency, .45 rounds could For about a year, Smith & Wesson
rimmed cases, but what about the rimless be loaded without the clips. Depending manufactured 1917s on their own hook,
.45 ACP round? Using the extant ar- upon loads and conditions, often empties but in September 1918, the govern-
rangement, it would be impossible for the would just slide out of the chambers by ment took over the company for a few
extractor to operate efectively. In con- themselves, but after repeated fring, lack months. By the time of the Armistice,
junction with Springfeld Armory, in 1916 of cleaning or just a buildup of battlefeld some 135,000 had been manufactured,
Smith & Wesson devised a plan whereby crud, it would become necessary for cases with total production eventually reaching
the auto rounds could be easily loaded to be pushed out with some sort of sepa- 175,101 in March 1919.
and expelled. It consisted of milling of rate rod. Tis system worked beautifully From all accounts, the 1917 Smith &
a bit of the rear of the cylinder to allow and was not only used in the S&W but Wesson was popular with the troops.
more clearance between it and the recoil also in a version of the Colt New Service Cartridges were carried in a special
shield. Six rounds were then snapped (see below). Te modifed Smith and Colt three-compartment, elongated web
into two spring-steel half-moon clips and were both christened “Model 1917.” pouch, which held a total of 18 rounds.
inserted into the chambers. Te clips Finish of the S&W was a commercial- During World War II, a number of 1917s
allowed for quick loading and permitted grade blue with a case-hardened hammer were resurrected and issued as substitute

46 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

THE OTHER “GREAT WAR” .45s

Colt’s “militarized” New Service

was dimensionally similar to
the S&W but weighed several
ounces more.

standard, though, of course, there were

plenty of 1911s and 1911A1s to go around
by then, so the Smith was not the hot
item it had been in the Great War.
Following WWI, Smith & Wesson
continued to manufacture Hand Ejector
revolvers and even ofered commercial
versions of the .45 ACP model, which was
made even more viable when in 1920 Pe-
ters developed a .45 Auto Rim round that
could be used in the gun without clips.

THE COLT
Although Colt — by way of John Brown-
ing — came up with the 1911, the com-
pany had no intention of being ignored in
the supplemental handgun sweepstakes.
For the most part, Colt’s early double
actions had been lackluster afairs,
including the various Army and Navy
Models, whose main distinction was that
they were the frst U.S.-issue handguns
to feature a swing-out cylinder. All this
changed in 1898 with the introduction
of the New Service. Tis beefy swing-out
was a serious contender from the get-go.
Unlike the S&W Hand Ejector, the New
Service’s swing-out cylinder was opened
by means of a catch on the left side of
the frame that was pulled to the rear to
unlock it.
It saw considerable civilian use. A
.455-chambered variant was adopted
by the Canadian North West Mounted
Police in 1905. A variant in .45 Colt was
carried by U.S. soldiers as early as 1909
when, during the Philippine Campaign,
the (Colt) .38s then in service were just
not stopping fanatical Moro tribesmen.
At the beginning of World War I, the
British also ordered a bunch of them
chambered in .455.
Te New Service could be had in a num-
ber of diferent calibers, fnishes, styles
and barrel lengths. Te Model 1917, while
still beautifully made, was pretty much
no-frills, though while maintaining the
Speedy reloading: Both the S&W and the
Colt were designed to be used with spring-
steel half-moon clips but will function
without them.
same basic dimensions of the S&W Hand
Ejector, it weighed a quarter pound more.
As with the Smith, it was fairly simple
to turn the New Service into a Model
1917. Te rubber grips were replaced with
wood, a lanyard ring was added, and the
cylinder was modifed to handle the half-
moon clips.
Markings included “Colt D.A. 45” on
the side of the barrel, “United States Prop-
erty” beneath and the factory address and
specs on top. Te rampant Colt logo was

50 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 MID-LENGTH GAS SYSTEM &
18” LIGHT WEIGHT BARREL WITH 5R RIFLING

SOME POWER TOOLS

SERRATED MAGWELL
FOR INCREASED CONTROL

AMBIDEXTROUS CONTROLS
 THE OTHER “GREAT WAR” .45s

At 25 yards, the S&W, using Black Hills 230-grain hardball, punched groups in the 31-inch range.

Groups with the Colt were basically the same as with the S&W. Both guns printed to the left.

stamped behind the cylinder latch. Butt
markings were the same as the Smith &
Wesson’s, just the other way around.
Te frst 50,000 1917s were made with
straight chambers, but later guns, in the
manner of the S&Ws, had stepped cham-
bers so that in a pinch, .45 ACPs could be
loaded without their clips.
By the end of the war, 151,700 1917
New Services had been manufactured.
Eventually, they were removed from
service and put into storage, but with the
start of the second World War they were
resurrected and again issued to British
and American units. Te Brits apparently
reserved them for the Home Guard, but

Push or pull: That’s

the diference be-
tween actuating the
cylinder release latch
of S&Ws (left) and
Colts (right).

52 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

U.S. Army and Marines used them in
both Europe and the Pacifc.

BIG-FRAME SHOOTOUT
I managed to rustle up a couple of very
nice-condition (95 percent-plus) 1917s,
one a Smith & Wesson and one a Colt. It’s
not like I haven’t seen or shot these guns
before, so I have to admit that there were
going to be no surprises on this range day. IF TROUBLE KICKS DOWN MY DOOR,
Let it sufce to say, both were superb I WANT TO BE READY.
shootin’ irons, with only personal
preference separating one from the I want a home companion that shows
other. I probably prefer the Smith “push” I mean business. One that I can stick
cylinder latch to the Colt’s “pull” by a in the face of an unwelcomed guest
miniscule margin, but that’s about all I and say, “Go ahead, make my day.”
can fnd to comment on. Both feel good The 2011 Tactical. Think of it as a hardcore
in the hand, have excellent civilian-grade addendum to your homeowner’s insurance. I do.
DA and SA trigger pulls and function
perfectly either with or without half- Protection is in my DNA.
moon clips. Sights on both guns are
rounded blade front and nonadjustable
groove-in-the-topstrap rear.
As the guns were clean and ready
to go, even after fring three cylinders’
full of unclipped Black Hills 230-grain
hardball, empties slid right out of the
chambers with no prodding. Te clips, of
course, worked like a dream.
Accuracy was good, with rested
25-yard groups running in the 31- to
3½-inch range. Both guns shot low and to
the left, but that could have just been my
quixotic let-of du jour.
Frankly, as far as I’m concerned,
there’s not a penny’s worth of diference
between them. Tere were some soldiers
during World War I who even preferred
the revolvers over the 1911, as, like all
2011 TACTICAL
10mm | 45 ACP
revolver vs. auto comparisons, there is a
perception (right or wrong) that less can Designed for comfort and safety with precision
go wrong with a wheelgun. accuracy. Put it in your nightstand and sleep well.
Had a Yank “going calling on the
Kaiser” been given a Colt one day and an
S&W the next, there would simply have
been no learning curve. He could pick www.ShootingDNA.com
up either indiscriminately and be just
as efective — undoubtedly to the Hun’s
considerable dismay.

gunsandammo . com
54 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com
 LIGHTS
LASERS
The key words for this now-indispensable
segment of the CCW market?
Smaller, better, brighter …

By James Tarr

TECHNOLOGY is progressing at a rate most people fnd hard to

grasp. Cars these days are basically computers with wheels. LPs
were replaced by eight-tracks, which were replaced by cassette
tapes, which were replaced by CDs, which have been all but re-
placed by digital music carried around in iPods a quarter the size
of a deck of cards.
Technology pertinent to gun owners — i.e., fashlights and lasers
— has advanced as well. Remember the laser unit on Arnold Schwar-
zenegger’s 1911 in “The Terminator”? It was mounted on top of a
seven-inch model because the unit itself was the size of two toilet-
paper tubes (and I’ll let you in on a little secret — the battery pack
was hidden on Arnold, connected to the gun by wires running down
his arm). That movie came out in 1984, which means that in less
than 30 years we’ve been able to make brighter, more powerful,
longer-lasting lasers that are not one-tenth that size, but one one-
PHOTO: MICHAEL ANSCHUETZ

hundredth! Flashlight technology has advanced apace, and modern

Considering that most self- handheld oferings are so bright that I’m surprised they don’t come
defense uses of a handgun occur
at night or in low light, a good with warnings that say “Accidental exposure may cause temporary
fashlight is a must. blindness.” Let’s look at modern lasers frst.

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 55

 LIGHTS & LASERS
The Crimson Trace Master Series of laser grips combines functionality
with the aesthetic appeal of wood.
TARGETING DOTS
Tese days you have your choice of red
and green lasers from most manufactur-
ers. If you’re not quite sure what the big
diference is between red and green lasers
(other than the color) and don’t feel like
paying the extra money required for most
green lasers, let me explain.
It takes more power/technology to gen-
erate green laser light, which is why they
cost more. So why choose green? Well,
green lasers appear brighter to the naked
eye. Red laser dots are great for indoor or
low-light use, but they’re almost impos-
sible to see on a bright, sunny day and
tough to see outdoors even on a cloudy
day. If you think you might have need for
your laser in well-lit conditions, you’d be
well served to buy something in a nice
emerald green.
Lasers are getting so small that manu-
facturers are fnding ways to mount them
just about anywhere on a gun you can
think of — triggerguard, forward acces-
sory rail, some even replace the recoil-
spring guide rod. One new product that
caught my attention is the Master Series
of laser grips for 1911s from Crimson
Trace. Most laser modules are ugly, but
the Master Series grips combine attrac-
tive cocobolo-style wood with only the
smallest bits of black plastic and rubber
for the best of both worlds.
To be honest, I am not a proponent
of handgun lasers as sighting systems.
Personally, I feel that if you’re trying to
aim your gun using the little red or green
laser dot, you’re not using your sights.
Tis is a bad habit to get into.
However, I do feel that handgun lasers
56 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
Shrinking technology: Combination light/laser modules include the
Streamlight TLR-4 red laser, which teams with a 125-lumen LED light.
No button pushing: Viridian’s TacLoc holster
with ECR automatically turns the light/laser
of when you holster the pistol and turns it
on when you draw.
have huge deterrent value. My feelings on
that are directly echoed by an experience
Blackhawk’s Chuck Buis had in a dark
parking garage one day. Chuck spent a
number of years as a plainclothes cop. He’s
a large man with a loud voice, but that
didn’t stop two men in that parking garage
from approaching him and then split-
ting up to fank him. At the time, Chuck’s
thought was, I’ve seen this movie before.
Chuck, never one to play the victim,
pulled out his pocket pistol and activated
the laser attached to it. When both of
the individuals, intent on misbehaving,
saw the laser, they decided to pursue
their activities elsewhere and Chuck
never had to fre a shot. Crimson Trace’s
slogan of “Helping Bad Guys Make More
Informed Decisions” never seemed more
appropriate. In this deterrent vein, this is
also why Chuck advocates stainless and/
or hard-chromed fnishes for smaller
pocket guns, just so bad guys can see they
are guns as opposed to cell phones, car
keys, etc. I can’t say I disagree. In fact,
running the laser dot up the sidewalk to
the threat, so he can see what’s coming,
might be a very persuasive technique.
Tere are exceptions to every rule (or
opinion), and the exception to my “don’t
use the laser to aim your gun” is the Cen-
ter Mass laser from LaserLyte. Designed
for use on a shotgun, this unit doesn’t
project a single aiming dot but rather an
entire circle pattern of bright-green dots.
Te pattern is designed to expand one
inch for every yard — pretty much the
rate most buckshot patterns expand from
shotguns. You no longer have to guess
how large a pattern your shotgun is going
to make at whatever distance, some-
thing that is especially hard when events
become, as they say, fuid. When it comes
to improving the utility of the shotgun for
home defense, I don’t think there’s been
any product in the last 50 years that has
done more than the Center Mass laser.
WEAPONLIGHTS, FLASHLIGHTS
AND LUMENS
When it comes to fashlights, I remember
when their brightness was measured in
“candlepower” rather than the modern
lumens. What’s the diference? To put it
very simply, candlepower is a measure
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 LIGHTS & LASERS

PHOTO: MICHAEL ANSCHUETZ

When things get weird, mounted weaponlights have certain advantages over handheld
fashlights.

of light emitted by one candle in a given

direction. It is a measure of radiance taken
at the source. Te lumen is a measurement
of light that illuminates a certain area.
Lumens are based on the illumination of
a one-square-foot area one foot away from
the light source. Lumens are a lot easier to
measure, which is why most manufactur-
ers give their fashlight ratings in lumens.
For those of you who remember the
uniqueness and versatility of the original
Mini Maglite (they’re still available), the
original incandescent bulb provided a
mere 15 lumens of light. Incandescent
bulbs could only provide so much light,
however, and burned out, so companies
went to ever-brighter halogen and xenon
bulbs. Modern LED technology has
enabled fashlight manufacturers to make
fashlights — a fraction the size of the
Mini Maglite — which have triple-digit
lumen output, for less money in adjusted
dollars than what the Maglite originally
cost. Tis size reduction is great because
not only can shooters hold the equiva-
lent of a spotlight in their hand, they can
mount one on their handgun.
Weaponlights are nothing new, but
weaponlights so small that they can ft on
guns carried concealed by private citizens
are. For example, the Crimson Trace
Lightguard is barely larger than some of
the company’s lasers, yet it provides 100
lumens. Te light is activated by Crimson
Trace’s standard pressure switch. Con-
sidering that the majority of self-defense
situations occur at night or in low light,
having a fashlight mounted directly to
your carry gun is a huge advantage.
What’s the problem with a light on
your carry pistol? Well, unless it’s an
instinctive “squeeze the grip, and it turns
on” design, you have to manipulate the
light for it to work. If you’re wrestling with
someone or restraining a loved one with
The shotgun approach: The Center Mass laser
from LaserLyte projects a pattern of dots
designed to expand at the same rate as a
buckshot pattern.
your other hand, that might not work out
so well. One solution is the TacLoc lock-
ing holsters with ECR (Enhanced Combat
Readiness) from Viridian, designed
for concealed carry. Tis rig has really
changed the playing feld. Mount your
Viridian fashlight/laser/combo on your
pistol, turn it on whatever setting you like,
then holster your pistol. Te light/laser
will shut of. Draw your gun and the light/
laser will automatically turn on, without
you having to do anything.
Everybody seems to be making “tacti-
cal” handheld fashlights now. My most
recent acquisition is a 560-lumen unit
sold by Walther. Once you get past the big
names in the industry (SureFire, Stream-
light, etc.), there are dozens of fashlight
manufacturers out there. And most of
them seem to be making good products.
My main complaint with most hand-
held fashlights is their controls. I want
them simple. I don’t want to have to hit

58 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 LIGHTS & LASERS

The Crimson Trace Lightguard puts out 100

lumens. The internals (below right) are very
simple.

the button four times and make the sign

of the cross to get it to turn on at full
brightness. Tat is why my current favor-
ite handheld fashlights are the ones put
out by Terra Lux. Each Terra Lux fash-
light has two rubber-covered buttons on
the tail; a larger, longer tail switch; and
a smaller, almost crescent-shaped Mode
switch. Te fashlight is turned on by the
tail switch. It can just be held down for
intermittent use, or it can be clicked on.
If you want to get fancy with strobes or
brightness settings, that’s when you move
to the small switch. My favorite part
about these controls is that no matter
what the fashlight is doing when you
turn it of, when you turn it on it comes
back at maximum brightness.
Considering that some of the fashlights
available on the market are bright enough defense distances. To put it more simply,
to start brush fres on the moon, you have the light needs to be bright enough to see
to ask yourself one question: How bright is whether that thing in his hand is a gun,
bright enough? Tis is especially relevant knife or iPhone at a minimum of 21 feet.
since the closer these lights get to being Over the years, I have accumulated
an ersatz light saber, the more expensive fashlights from a variety of manufactur-
they become. Well, what are you using it ers in a wide range of brightness levels
for? To identify a potential threat, right? (lumens). Te brightness range I had avail-
So the light needs to be bright enough to able to me was a low of 10 lumens (second-
accomplish that goal. ary setting on a Browning fashlight) and
A “white light” app on your smart- a high of 650 lumens on a new Terra Lux
phone might be bright enough to fnd handheld, almost all of them using LEDs.
your keys under your desk, but try using Using my teenage son as a hand model,
it to illuminate something on the far side I had him stand holding an object in his
of a bedroom. It’s useless. To my way of hand, down along his leg, in a dark bed-
thinking, whatever fashlight you’re using room at night, so there was no ambient
for self-defense, whether it’s handheld or light coming through the window. At a
mounted on your pistol, needs to be bright distance of seven yards I tried fashlights
enough to illuminate not just the person of difering brightness levels in an attempt
but to properly identify whatever he might to identify whether the object in his hand
be holding in his hands at typical self- was a gun, knife, fashlight or cell phone.

60 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 LIGHTS & LASERS

Traditional weaponlights are activated by toggle switches at the rear of the unit. They work
fne but require additional movement to turn on or of.

My frst observation? No matter how

bright your fashlight, unless the other guy
is carrying something the size of a Desert
Eagle, it is his body language and behavior
that will inform you of his intentions more
quickly than anything. Small, dark objects
are, well, small, dark and hard to identify.
A smartphone in a black plastic case, held Everything you need to
straight down, looks a heck of a lot like the
top of a handgun’s slide. maintain, repair, customize
At seven yards I discovered that a and shoot your guns
100-lumen light was bright enough to All products
not just illuminate a stationary person in
a dark room, but to reveal what he was 100% GUARANTEED – FOREVER
holding. However, you’d be surprised just
how fast the brightness falls of as you in- Order our
On the left is the 100-lumen EPLI penlight catalog
crease distance. Double the distance and from Bright Strike. On the right is SureFire’s
you’re going to want double the lumens. Fury, which puts out 500 lumens.
More lumens are always a good thing, and
the way technology is moving, 250-lumen
fashlights today cost less than 100-lumen fashlight that throws a consistent circle
lights did just a few years ago. of light with no shadows or dark spots and brownells.com
If you’re in a buying mood, always test a laser that gives you the dot size you’re
the light/laser if possible. You want a happy with at shooting distance. 800-741-0015
gunsandammo . com January Source Code: EBL
2014 GUNS & AMMO 61
 Yankee Hill’s
Doubleheader

YANKEE HILL MANUFACTURING may be among the oldest and diferent-length rail sections along the
fnest family-owned gunmaking companies you’ve never heard of. sides and bottom at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
It was founded more than a half-century ago in 1951 as a machining A premium OD green mid-length SLR
facility by James H. Graham. The current owners are his grandsons, Smooth “Special Ofer Carbine” in
brothers Chris and Kevin Graham (who is also a suppressor design 5.56 (afectionately referred to inter-
engineer; see sidebar). Moving increasingly into frearms, and spe- nally at YHM as the “Green Mons-
cifcally the AR-platform feld, YHM has today become a major OEM tah”) is also available with enhanced
supplier for the rest of that industry, and its own-design YHM parts features including a Magpul 30-round
and accessories can be found in all major AR-platform catalogs. Its Gen 2 PMAG, Ergo Ambi Grip and
own-brand rifes are top-notch. Ti-7 Adjustable Ergo Stock.

Nothing illustrates this better than
the company’s new Specter SLR Series
of YHM-15 carbines, available in
5.56, 6.8 SPC and .300 BLK. Te SLR
(Slim Light Rail) Series will include
four basic versions in each chamber-
ing — an “SLR Quad” and an “SLR
Smooth,” each with choice of rife-
length or mid-length handguards. Te
SLR Quad is, well, a quad. Te SLR
Smooth has an integral full-length top
Picatinny rail, with mount holes for
LESS-OF-A-HANDFUL HANDGUARD
Te “SLR” represents a signifcant
advance over the company’s previous
handguard confgurations, as well as
an improvement over the mounting
system on most other free-foat hand-

62 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

With the new Specter SLR Series — in
four variations and three chamberings —
YHM felds a whole new team. Staff Report

YHM SLR-Quad SPECTER

XL 5.56mm with Millett
1-4x24mm Designated
Marksman Scope

YHM Special
Order Carbine
8510-OD
5.56mm

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 63

Yankee Hill’s Doubleheader
The SLR carbine displayed impressive accuracy. The frst 50-yard group with Hornady 75-grain
Match ammo measured 3⁄8 inch.
guard designs.
YHM’s design parameters for the SLR
handguards stemmed from requests for a
slimmer, less-bulky quad-rail system, and
the resultant Quad SLR is the smallest-
diameter quad-rail handguard out there.
It is also fully “T-Marked” and has three
integral quick-detach sling-swivel loca-
tions around its front end. Te Smooth
SLR is slimmer yet, the slimmest hand-
guard YHM ofers. Tese reduced diam-
eters are made more impressive by the
fact that both SLR designs are compatible
with a majority of aftermarket gas-piston
AR operating systems, yet maintain a top
rail that co-witnesses for a continuous
Picatinny rail surface between receiver
and handguard.
Te most innovative aspect of YHM’s
new SLR handguard design is its extreme
ease of installation and alignment. Tis
is no small accomplishment, as anyone
who has struggled to install (or remove)
64 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
SPECTER XL SLR-QUAD
Type: Direct-gas-impingement semi-
auto
Caliber: 5.56, 6.8 SPC, .300 BLK
CapaCiTy: 30
barrel lengTh: 16- or 20-in. free-foat (1:7
or 1:9 twist)
Overall lengTh: 32.5 to 36.5 in. (16-in. bbl.)
WeighT: 7.5 lbs. (with quad rail)
SighTS: Folding front and rear (full-length
Picatinny rail)
STOCk: 6-position adjustable
FiniSh: Matte black
Trigger: Standard mil-spec
MSrp: $1,725 ($1,950 premium upgrade)
Maker: Yankee Hill Machine Co. Inc.
www.yhm.net
most free-foat handguards on the market
can testify. To install a new SLR hand-
guard on any standard-dimension AR
you may already have, you do need to
replace its original barrel nut with SLR’s
dedicated barrel nut (supplied with each
The Sportsman’s Series in 6.8 SPC is a frst-
class whitetail AR. YHM ofers a camo-fnish
“Hunt Ready” package with a pre-mounted
Bushnell Banner 3-9x40mm scope in tall rings.
SPORTSMAN SPT-68
Type: Direct-gas-impingement semi-
auto
Caliber: 5.56, 6.8 SPC, 7.62x39mm
CapaCiTy: 5
barrel lengTh: 20-in. free-foat (1:10
twist)
Overall lengTh: 38.25 in.
WeighT: 7 lbs., 13 oz.
SighTS: None (integral Picatinny rail)
STOCk: Fixed A2-type (with storage
compartment)
FiniSh: Realtree AP camo
Trigger: Standard mil-spec
MSrp: $1,541
Maker: Yankee Hill Machine Co. Inc.
www.yhm.net
SLR handguard set), but beyond that,
nothing is needed except a 9/64-inch Allen
wrench (also supplied). You simply slide
the handguard over the barrel (it will also
slide on over most low-profle gas blocks),
align the top rail with the receiver rail
and tighten down the SLR Clamp hex
screws with the wrench. It’s perfectly in-
dexed, utterly rigid, utterly free-foat and
utterly cool. Tis system will be applied
to all of YHM’s handguard designs from
now on.
OK, this all may seem like a lot of at-
tention being paid to a mere handguard
system, but the handguard is a prime
interface between shooter and rife. It’s
also the focal point for nearly all the many
accessories that make the AR platform
so adaptable. YHM’s standard-issue SLR
Series guns have heat-treated (RC 25-32)
4140 steel 16-inch carbine-length barrels
and DGI (direct-gas-impingement) sys-
tems, but are equipped with rife-length
SLR handguards for maximum accessoriz-
ing versatility. Other-length SLR hand-
guards can be substituted at time of order,
of course, as can 20-inch barrels. Available
rifing twists include either 1:7 or 1:9.
In addition to the SLR handguards,
SLR Series upgrades include YHM’s
front-and-rear Quick Deploy Sight (QDS)
system, which springs erect from the
folded position at the push of a button.
Folded, the QDS sights rise only .435 inch
above the mounting rail, which allows
clearance below any standard-height AR
optical sight without removal. Each SLR
rife also features YHM’s EZ-Pull take-
gunsandammo . com
NUMEROUS FEATURES.

Welcome to the closest bond yet between hand and gun. Between grip
and control. Between fit and performance. With three interchangeable
palmswell grips including a new textured grip, and multiple
ambidextrous features, the M&P Pro Series is truly tailored to you.

FIND THE RIGHT M&P FOR YOU AT SMITH-WESSON.COM

 Yankee Hill’s Doubleheader
down pins, which are a great boon for
anyone needing to strip his AR in a hurry
for feld maintenance. Standard muzzle
confguration includes the aggressive-
endcut Phantom 5C2 Flash Hider/Com-
pensator. Tis fve-port design has no
66 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
The SLR’s fip-down QDS rear sight allows
optic mounting without removing the “irons.”
downward-facing vent, which really helps
keep the dust down when shooting prone.
All SLR barrels also feature YHM’s “Dia-
mond Fluting,” which reduces weight and
increases the rate of heat dissipation by
increasing surface area without compro-
mising barrel rigidity. Te 16-inch SLR
Smooth carbine is the lightest AR that
YHM ofers, weighing only 61 pounds
(without magazine).
.22 Stinger
Phantom LTA 30
gunsandammo . com
 should be (about 61 pounds), but was very ing gun in overall Realtree AP. Unlike
clean-breaking with such little rollover the 5.56 SLR Series carbines, this rife
that we had to concentrate to feel it, and has a full-length gas system and a fxed
essentially no overtravel. YHM specs all A2 buttstock. Te free-foat forearm is
triggers very closely before they leave YHM’s existing round SPT-9432A with a
the line and rejects those that don’t pass traditional thread-on attachment mecha-
muster. nism. It was also equipped with YHM’s
forearm end cap to keep brush, twigs and
A DEDICATED HUNTING AR crap in general from getting between the
Basic “YHM-15” features in the SLR Nor was the SLR carbine the only gun handguard and the barrel — which is
Series line include a mil-spec trigger, YHM sent. We also received one of the really appreciated on a hunting AR. Te
two-position AR-type safety, six-position company’s 20-inch-barreled Sportsman trigger was just as good (perhaps even a
Adjustable Commercial Carbine Stock Series rifes in 6.8 SPC, fnished as a hunt- perceptible bit better) as the trigger on the
(OAL from 321 inches collapsed to 361
inches extended) and standard A2 pistol
grip. Upper and lower receivers are forged
from 7075-T6 aluminum. Finish is matte
black. Each gun normally ships with one
30-round magazine. Initial MSRP for
the whole SLR Series package is $1,725.
Tat’s far from the bottom end of the AR
commodity pricing scale, but this gun is
defnitely not a loaf of AR white bread.

PROOFING THE PUDDINGS

We had the opportunity to work with a
developmental Quad SLR version of the
new series over several months prior to
the ofcial introduction and were alto-
gether impressed. Te only diference be-
tween it and the actual production model
was that the review sample included
YHM’s aggressively confgured new
six-port “Annihilator” fash hider, which
reduces muzzle fash by 99 percent and
does not require indexing. It functions
much the same as the standard-issue fve-
port Phantom 5C2, but has a more rakish
look. YHM also ofers a recoil-reducing
four-port muzzlebrake version of the An-
nihilator with no downward-facing vent.
Either is available as an option.
We also really liked the trigger. We
are always a bit wary whenever an AR
manufacturer says its triggers are ftted
and assembled in-house, but originally
come from “mil-spec” vendors. We’ve shot
some pretty crappy mil-spec triggers. Tis
one was frm, yes, like a duty-grade trigger

FACTORY DIRECT JUST $2295

The only safe at this price point
with revolving storage.

Fire Protection
The review-sample SLR Quad 5.56 came Revolution safes
are engineered
equipped with YHM’s new aggressively to withstand
* Rates as low as 0% with approved
styled Annihilator muzzle device, which is up to 1200º.
credit in participating states
available either as a six-port fash suppressor
or a closed-bottom muzzlebrake.

gunsandammo . com www.revolutionsafes.com Phone: 770-466-6181 January

Email: 2014
info@revolutionsafes.com
 Yankee Hill’s Doubleheader

IE
EZ-TAP
36 COLOR
9
07

U. 7
S.
PAT . 8 4 3

SLR-series gun. packages with pre-mounted scope, sling

ER
LOCK PA Both guns also came from the factory and two heights of modular forearm rails,
with pre-mounted optics. Te Sports- in a hardcase, for those who appreciate
TE
LEV

NT

man Series 6.8mm wore a camo-fnished one-stop-shopping.) We put both guns

1
U.

Bushnell Banner 3-9x40mm scope with to work on the range right away, with
42

.P
S

A T. 8 3 9 7
Circle-X reticle in YHM’s camo-fnish
tall rings. Te SLR Series 5.56mm wore
a Millett 1-4x24mm Designated Marks-
man (DMS-1) scope with Illuminated
Donut Dot reticle in YHM’s one-piece
integral-ring scope mount, which puts
the optic at the same height as AR iron
sights. Both these scopes are available as
accessories from the current YHM cata-
log. (Incidentally, all Sportsman Series
rifes and carbines in the YHM catalog
are also available as “Hunter-Ready”
fve diferent commercial loads in each of
their respective chamberings.
We decided not to swap out the scopes
they’d come with, although we had a bit
of hesitation as to whether a mere 4X or
9X top magnifcation would let us fairly
proof the gun’s accuracy potential (we
simply shoot better from a benchrest
when our targets are really magnifed). So
we were more than pleased when the frst
three-shot 50-yard group with Hornady
75-grain BTHP Match ammo came in at

gunsandammo . com
 USA

Standard-issue SLR carbines are equipped with rife-length handguards for maximum versa-
tility. YHM’s Diamond Flute barrels reduce weight and increase surface area for heat dissipa-
tion, yet maintain rigidity.

CHRONO/ACCURACY RESULTS
5.56 SLR CaRbine (16-in. bbL)
buLLet VeLoCity aVeRage
Load Weight (gR.) (fpS) Sd gRoup (in.)*

HORNADY NTX SUPERFORMANCE 35 3,433 17 1.38

WINCHESTER USA JHP 45 3,168 12 1.33
REMINGTON ACCUTIP-V 55 2,821 15 1.25
FEDERAL BTP MATCHKING 69 2,620 10 1.25
HORNADY BHP MATCH 75 2,534 9 1.13
6.8 SpC SpoRtSman (20-in. bbL.)
buLLet VeLoCity aVeRage
Load Weight (gR.) (fpS) Sd gRoup (in.)*

HORNADY CUSTOM V-MAX 110 2,675 12 1.38

REMINGTON MATCHKING BTHP 115 2,645 17 1.25
REMINGTON CLUB 115 2,625 20 1.40
HORNADY CUSTOM SST 120 2,585 14 1.25
SILVER STATE VLD 140 2,526 15 1.50
*SLR average overall group: 1.27 in. Sportsman average overall group: 1.36 in. The SLR was topped with a Millett 1-4x24mm scope;
the Sportsman with a Bushnell 3-9x40mm scope. Accuracy results are the average of fve three-shot groups at 100 yards from
a benchrest. Velocity results are the average of fve rounds measured 10 feet from the muzzle with an Oehler M35 Chronotach/
Skyscreen III system.

way sub-MOA. Sweet. YHM’s New England heritage of

Running standard accuracy protocol
at 100 yards, however, the relatively low
magnifcation and coarse hunting/tacti-
cal-grade reticles did make a diference.
As shown on the chart, the overall aver-
ages for both guns came in at just over a
minute of angle. For a 6.8 hunting rife
— or a general-purpose 5.56 carbine —
no one would probably be distressed by
averages under 11 inches at 100 yards.
But we’re absolutely convinced that if we
had the time (and ammunition) to set
both guns up with precision long-range
optics, we could shave 25 to 30 percent
of those fgures. Te guns themselves
have what it takes.
precision machining and attention to
detail show. YHM manufactures ARs; it
doesn’t merely assemble ARs. Its owners
deliberately eschew opportunities for
marketing points by refusing to hype
existing products by merely adding new
labels or diferent cosmetics. YHM’s goal
is improvement in design, to put versatile
AR carbines and rifes out the door that
can be used for just about anything:
from home defense or law enforcement
to varmint or predator shooting to deer
hunting or even 3-Gun competition.
You won’t fnd any “cookie-cutter guns”
at YHM. Tey say so. Right on their
website.

gunsandammo . com
 Grand
BY LAYNE SIMPSON

Slam
What may have inspired William R. Weaver to start making
rifescopes remains a mystery, but it could have been because German-
made scopes being sold in the United States at the time (the 1920s)
were too expensive for working men.
Weaver was working for his father, who owned a small shop in
Newport, Kentucky, that stamped out metal highway signs and auto-
mobile license plates. Weaver read everything he could fnd on optics
and optical design, and at the age of 24, he built his frst scope. He
did everything himself, including rolling the tube from steel sheeting
and designing and fabricating the erector system. He even built the
equipment needed to grind his own lenses. His frst scope was a 3X,
and, since it was introduced in 1930, he called it the Model 3-30. It had
internal windage and elevation adjustments, eyepiece focusing, three
inches of eye relief and a post or crosshair reticle — all for $25. For an
additional $1.50, Weaver would drill and tap a rife for his “Grasshop-
per” mount. Te 3-30 was a frst scope for a lot of hunters, and like
many of them, it went of to war when the Defense Department bought
36,000 for use on Springfeld 1903A4 sniper rifes.
Weaver moved his company to El Paso in 1933, and by 1940 he had
become the largest manufacturer of rifescopes in the world. Other
models came and went, but the “K” series introduced shortly after the
end of World War II became Weaver’s most popular line of scopes.

A BRAND FLAGSHIP
Unfortunately, sales began a sharp decline within a few years after
Weaver died in 1975, and the doors closed in 1984. Several years later,
the company was purchased by Omark Industries, and soon thereaf-
ter the manufacture of all Weaver scopes was moved to Japan. Ten
Weaver Optics was acquired by the Sporting Group of ATK in 2008.
Today there are nine lines of Weaver scopes, ranging from the
economy-priced KASPA and 40/44 to the Super Slam, the latter with a
one-inch or 30mm tube. Te old “V” and “K” models are still available,
as is the “T” series, beloved by varmint shooters and paper punchers
alike. I’ve been using Weavers since the 1960s, and the Grand Slam
models — the fagship series — have been among my favorites since
they were introduced back in 2000.
Grand Slams received a makeover in 2013, and I was anxious to
compare them with those they replaced. Te one-inch tubes of old and
new are aircraft-grade aluminum and of one-piece construction, which
means the windage and elevation turret housing is an integral part of
the tube. Both have binocular-style focusing, with the rim of the eye-
PHOTO: MICHAEL ANSCHUETZ

piece cushioned with rubber. Magnifcation is now changed by rotating

the entire objective housing rather than an adjustment ring. Tis is said
to make a scope more waterproof, but since I’ve used old Grand Slams
in some awful weather without a problem, you cannot prove that by
me. Purging with Argon gas along with top-quality rubber seals at all
joints prevents interior fogging when the scopes are subjected to drastic
temperature changes.

70 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

 Weaver’s latest version
of its fagship variable
is the crown jewel of more
than 80 years of rifescope
innovation.
gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 71
 Grand Slam
Magnifcation-number markings are
easier to read on the new scope and not
as likely to fade from use. Windage and
elevation adjustments are still quarter-
inch click with stop-to-stop ranges of
80 inches for the 2-8X, 60 inches for the
3-12X and 40 inches for the 4-16X. Te
dials are easily removed with a small
Torx wrench and indexed to zero after
a rife is sighted in. I did not have the
3-12x50 or the 4-16x44 to put on a scale,
but the 2-8x32 registered 14 ounces,
while the 3-12x42 weighed 171 ounces.
Depending on the model, reticle op-
tions start with the Dual-X (similar to
what’s available in many other brands
of scopes). Te Ballistic-X is the same
except for three elevation tick marks
on the lower quadrant of its vertical
crosshair spaced for centerfre rifes. Te
SH/MZ MB-X is the same except its tick
marks are spaced for inline muzzleload-
ers and slug guns. Te 4-16X scope is also
available with a Varminter EB-X reticle.
Weaver ofers an online ballistic chart in-
dicating at what ranges each tick mark is
to be used for dead-on holds with various
cartridge/bullet combinations.
LIGHT TRANSMISSION
Coating the surfaces of a lens with a mi-
croscopic layer of a material such as mag-
nesium fuoride increases light transmis-
sion efciency by reducing light refection.
72 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
Mounted on a Ruger M77 Guide Gun in .375
Ruger, the 2-8x36 Grand Slam performed
without a hitch in Alaska.
A scope has several lenses, and the more
coats applied to both surfaces of each, the
higher the light transmission. Te descrip-
tions used by various manufacturers can
be confusing. If the specifcations indicate
“coated,” it means there’s a single layer on
at least one lens surface. “Fully coated”
means a single coat has been applied to
both surfaces of all lenses. “Multicoated”
indicates that at least one lens has more
than one layer of coating.
All Grand Slam scopes are “fully mul-
ticoated,” which means that both surfaces
of each lens have multiple layers. I have
no way of measuring the amount of light
making its way through the objective lens
of a scope and out its ocular lens to my
eye, but fully multicoated lenses enabled
major scope makers to exceed 90 percent
light transmission quite some time ago.
Te higher the percentage, the better
suited a scope is for use at dawn and dusk.
When the Grand Slam series was
originally introduced, I subjected a couple
to a few tests. Several features left a last-
ing impression on me. At the top of the
list was their ability to transmit light to
the eye in low-light conditions. I consider
the Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10X Klassik
with its 30mm tube, huge 56mm objec-
tive lens and fawless optical system to
be the benchmark for light-transmission
efciency in a variable hunting scope. It’s
long been popular among Europeans who
shoot wild boar at night without the aid of
night vision equipment or artifcial light.
When comparing the 3-12X and 2-8X
Grand Slams with the big Schmidt &
Bender, I subjected them to a scenario
often experienced by hunters in the
Southeast. You are sitting in a tree stand
or tower blind on the edge of a soybean
feld late in the afternoon, watching it
grow dark quicker back in the woods than
out in the feld. Immature bucks and does
seldom hesitate before moving out to feed,
but unless the rut is on, wise old bucks
tend to hang back inside the woods until
they feel it’s safe to come out. Tere is still
plenty of shooting light out in the open
and legal shooting time left in the day, but
back in the woods it can be too dark for
anything short of top-quality optics.
gunsandammo . com
 Grand Slam
During the 1960s, the original “K” series was improved. Priced at $45, this scope became the
all-time best seller among Weaver scopes of American manufacture.
Windage and adjustment knobs have quarter-inch clicks. Dials can be removed with a small
Allen wrench and indexed back to zero once a rife is sighted in. All new Grand Slams except
the 2-8X are parallax-adjustable.
Te entrance-pupil diameter of the
human eye ranges from approximately
2.5mm in bright sunlight to 7mm in total
darkness. Tests performed by the U.S.
Army during World War II determined
that an exit pupil of 5mm in a scope
transmits about all the light the human
eye can utilize when ambient light is low,
but it’s still bright enough to allow us to
identify and shoot a target.
Exit-pupil diameter in a scope is ar-
rived at by dividing its objective-lens
diameter by magnifcation. Tis means
that even when set on 10X, the Schmidt
& Bender is scooping up all the light your
eye can use. Te magnifcation at which a
scope has an exit-pupil diameter of 5mm
is determined by dividing its objective-
lens diameter by fve, so during my tests I
set the Weaver 3-10x40 scope on 8X and
the 2-8x36 a hair past 7X. I then placed a
coyote hide 50 yards into the woods from
the deck outside my ofce. Tat’s where I
and my wife, Phyllis, sat while comparing
the three scopes.
I performed the tests, but had it been
legal, we could have taken a deer as late
as 8:28 pm. At that time we could easily
have ventilated the coyote hide with
a rife wearing either scope. Ticker
74 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
crosshairs in the Schmidt & Bender gave
it an edge, but all three scopes appeared
to be equally bright. Phyllis eventually
got bored and left, but I continued the
comparison as ambient light grew dim-
mer and dimmer. Te Schmidt & Bender
eventually won the contest (as it should),
but it was long after shots are commonly
taken at North American game.
Adjustments Te Micro-Trac adjustment
system of Grand Slams originated with the
introduction of the “T” series in 1977. At
the time, metallic silhouette competition
All models have binocular-style focusing with a rubber-cushioned objective rim. Magnifca-
tion is changed by turning the entire eyepiece.
was becoming popular in the Southwest,
and rifemen customarily clicked a scope
up and down for various distances and
clicked left or right to compensate for
wind. Equal click value over the entire ad-
justment range — and the extremely accu-
rate repeatability of adjustment required —
were beyond the capability of hunting and
varmint scopes available at the time, so
Weaver developed the Micro-Trac system
and introduced it in the T6, T10 and T16
scopes. Silhouette shooters and varmint
shooters bought them by the carload.
Te Micro-Trac setup originally had four
tungsten-carbide ball bearings located at
3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock on the erector tube.
Te spring-loaded bearings positioned
opposite the windage and elevation
adjustment dials served to counter their
force on the erector tube, thereby as-
suring constant reticle alignment. Te
system works basically the same today,
but it has been made even more resistant
to recoil by machining a contact strip on
the erector tube. Regardless of whether a
Weaver scope has the 1970s Micro-Trac
or today’s version, each click will have the
same value throughout its entire adjust-
ment range. Te design is also highly
shock-proof. And that’s important if you
use a heavy-recoiling rife.
I checked windage and elevation click-
adjustment accuracy of the two scopes by
attaching a collimator to the muzzles of
the test rifes. Both have quarter-minute
clicks, and they proved to be 100 percent
accurate. Ten, after zeroing the reticles
dead center at the collimator screen, each
scope was given 50 clicks down in eleva-
tion, 50 clicks left in windage, 100 clicks up
in elevation, 50 clicks right in windage and
50 clicks down in elevation. Both reticles
had returned to dead center of where they
started. Te test was repeated on opposite
sides of zero with the same results.
After attaching collimators to the
rifes, I checked the scopes for “wan-
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 Grand Slam
dering reticle syndrome.” In a variable,
that’s caused by variations in alignment
of its two erector tubes as their posi-
tions change with increases or decreases
in magnifcation. Tis was a common
problem with early variables and still is
with some economy-grade models. Slight
shifts in reticle position as a scope is
zoomed up and down changes the rela-
tionship between point of aim and point
of impact. Zooming both Grand Slams
up and down several times revealed no
reticle movement.
76 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
RECOIL AND WEATHER RESISTANCE
Prior to the arrival of the scopes, I had
added a Winchester M70 in .458 to my
battery. Te rife needed to be shot, so I
attached the 3-12X Grand Slam to it. Tat’s
far too much magnifcation for a .458, but
like other new Grand Slams (except for
the 2-8X), that model has a third knob for
adjusting parallax, and the more moving
parts a scope has, the more likely it is to
fail under heavy recoil. Tere was another
motive as well. Weaver had just introduced
an improved version of its Grand Slam
steel ring with four Torx screws (rather
than two, as on the older model). Using
the heavier scope would subject the rings
to more stress, but the .458 has thus far
remained perfectly zeroed after 60 rounds
of factory ammo and handloads. Reticle
runout continues to be nonexistent, and
click-adjustment accuracy remains the
same. Additionally, there hasn’t been a
single whimper from the new rings.
Te 2-8X was tested for its ability to
shrug of recoil from a Ruger M77 Guide
Gun in .375 Ruger I would be taking to
Alaska. Counting rounds fred during
barrel break-in, sighting-in the rife and
becoming familiar with the trajectory of
the 250-grain GMX Hornady Superfor-
mance load out to 300 yards, I fred 84
rounds prior to departing for the hunt.
Firing a few rounds on paper soon after
arriving in camp revealed that the scope
had held its zero even though an airline
baggage handler had managed to add a
huge dent to the side of my aluminum ri-
fe case. Upon returning home, I checked
the rife again, and it was still dead on.
Weaver lists eye relief of the 2-8X scope
as 3.46 inches at 2X and 3.31 inches at
8X. For the 3-12X scope it’s 3.46 inches at
3X and 3.19 inches at 12X. While I held a
rife with full feld of view in each scope,
Phyllis placed a wooden ruler beside my
head with its end resting against the ocu-
lar lens of the scope. She then measured
Spring-loaded bearings positioned opposite
the windage and elevation adjustment dials
served to counter their force on the erector
tube for constant reticle alignment.
No leaks, no fogging: The two scopes were
exposed to the elements for two weeks and
survived numerous rainstorms.
gunsandammo . com

The 3-12X Grand Slam survived the recoil of 60 rounds of .458 Winchester Magnum with fy-
ing colors, as did the improved rings (inset).
the distance to the front of my eye. Te
measurement was repeated several times
with each scope. Tat method is less
than totally precise, but it’s close enough.
Measuring 33 inches at both its highest
and lowest magnifcations, the 2-8X scope
slightly exceeded its specifcations. Mea-
suring 31 inches at 3X and 3.15 inches at
12X, the other scope fell a bit short. Even
gunsandammo . com
so, it still has plenty of eye relief for most
rifes up through the .300 magnums.
Field of view in a scope is an angular
measurement proportional to distance,
meaning it is four times larger at 100 yards
than at 25 yards. Measuring it accurately
is easier up close, so I clamped the rifes in
a padded holder and viewed a paper target
containing one-inch squares at 25 yards.
Grand Slam
The 4-16X Grand
Slam is also available
with a Varminter
EB-X reticle.
At 100 yards the 2-8X scope is rated at 49.1
and 16.4 inches at its lowest and highest
powers. Te 3-12X scope is rated at 33
and 11.2 inches at the same distance. Both
exceeded their specifcations. By my mea-
surements, feld of view of the 2-8X scope
was 131 and 41 inches at 25 yards, for
54 and 18 inches at 100. Te 3-12X scope
measured 83 inches and 23 inches at 25
yards and 35 and 11 inches at 100.
Where I live it rained just about every
day during July, giving me a perfect op-
portunity to test the water resistance of
the scopes. Both remained totally ex-
posed on the wooden deck outside my of-
fce door for two weeks. During that time
they were seldom dry, but there were no
problems. As a grand fnale, I left the
scopes overnight in a deep freeze at close
to zero degrees. When removed, neither
showed any sign of internal fogging.
January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 77
 6.5x55 7x57 8x57 9.3x62

PHOTO: MICHAEL ANSCHUETZ

78 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

• by craig boddington

MAUSER’S METRICS
Classic numbers: These European standbys are still
worth serious consideration.

artridge nomenclature is simple stuf to those of us who however, the most common of all these
grew up with it, but for new shooters coming into the sport ballistically similar 6.5s is the 6.5x55
Mauser, developed in 1891 and commonly
it’s one of the most vexing and nonsensical things to try to under- called the 6.5mm Swedish Mauser.
stand. Tis is because the English-speaking world — both Ameri- Tere have been some very good “fast”
ca and Great Britain — is all over the map with the way cartridges 6.5s, including the European 6.5x68 and
are named. We round up, we round down, we add on all kinds of the American .264 Winchester Magnum.
Yet another is the upcoming .260 Nosler,
buzzwords — it’s almost like a language of its own. Clear back in which promises to be hell on wheels.
the blackpowder cartridge era the Europeans started with a very While there defnitely is a place for a fast
simple system, and, in the main, they’ve stuck by it. European 6.5, the caliber made its bones with heavy
cartridges are named frst by bullet diameter in millimeters, then bullets at moderate velocity, producing
little recoil, yet ofering performance far
by case length in millimeters. Typically, the initial manufacturer beyond its paper ballistics. Te 6.5x55
or designer is added as a sufx, as in “7x57 Mauser.” From this remains a European standard, perhaps
label we can deduce correctly that the bullet is 7mm (.284 inch), especially in the Nordic countries, where
the case length is 57 millimeters (2.28 inch) and the cartridge’s surplus Swedish Mausers have been read-
creator was Peter Paul Mauser. Any other 7mm cartridges will be ily available for so long. Despite its small
caliber and modest velocity, thousands
clearly diferentiated by diferent case lengths and probably de- upon thousands of European hunters still
signers, as in 7x64 Brenneke. rely on it to put moose meat in the freezer.
Te 6.5x55 has never been extremely
Although many Americans refuse to from the genius of Peter Paul Mauser. popular in this country, but over the years
embrace the metric system, it has begat it has come and gone and come again. We
many fne cartridges. While many bullet 6.5x55 have tried to repackage its classic perfor-
diameters popular today have American Te 6.5 rife cartridge was an early smoke- mance in the .260 Remington, a short-
or British roots, quite a number began in less-powder development. Firing a long, action cartridge (which the 6.5x55 is not),
Europe. Good examples are the 6.5mm heavy-for-caliber bullet at the then-new but it has not been popular. Hornady has
(.264), 7mm (.284), 8mm (.323), 9mm smokeless-powder velocities, it provided tried again with its 6.5 Creedmoor, a great
(.357), 9.3mm (.366), 9.5mm (.375) and unprecedented penetration. Te frst 6.5 little hunting cartridge that is popular in
10.75 (.423). In rife cartridges we have cartridges were all designed for military 1,000-yard competition. Te milder 6.5s
embraced the .375 and .423 (.404 Jefery) use, and in the 1890s several countries are not long-range hunting cartridges,
as our own, but the only metric that has adopted 6.5 cartridges, including Hol- but load up 156- or 160-grain bullets at
had lasting popularity in America is the land, Italy, Japan, Norway, Romania and moderate velocity and there’s no stop-
7mm. Sadly (at least to me), this means we Sweden. Te frst 6.5 to achieve sporting ping them. At the turn of the previous
are missing out on some really great loads. popularity was the 6.5x53R (“R” is another century, the light 6.5s with roundnose
Let’s take a look at my pick of four great simple European designation that denotes military FMJs were used on game up to
old metrics, by coincidence all originating a rimmed cartridge), designed by Mann- elephant. I personally witnessed a hunter
licher in 1892. In 1900 Mannlicher and using a 6.5x53R cleanly kill a bufalo with
Schoenauer introduced the 6.5x54 M-S, one 160-grain solid. For deer-size game,
Hornady has taken on the classics: From left: adopted by Greece and, for some years, 139- or 140-grain bullets achieve fairly
6.5x55, 7x57, 8x57 and 9.3x62. the most popular civilian 6.5. Today, impressive velocity while ofering about

gunsandammo . com January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 79

MAUSER’S METRICS
all the range most of us need.
Because of sheer availability, the 6.5x55
is the pick of the litter. As a drawback,
it cannot be housed in a short (.308
Winchester-length) action. But this can
also be viewed as a strength. It means you
can use heavier bullets if you want to, and
you can seat them out to take full advan-
tage of the modest case capacity. But with
several newer 6.5s diluting a limited mar-
ket, I doubt the 6.5x55 will make another
comeback in this country. Nevertheless,
it remains a classic and useful cartridge
that shouldn’t be overlooked.
7x57
Te 7mm (bullet diameter .284) is an
American favorite. In fact, it may have
become too much of a good thing, be-
cause we now have more than a half-doz-
en “magnum” 7s to choose from. Tey all
have their uses, but my personal favorite
is the original — Peter Paul Mauser’s
7x57, introduced in 1892. Like the 6.5s,
the 7x57 made its reputation with a
long, heavy-for-caliber bullet. Te actual
weight was 173 grains, although today
the 175-grain bullet is more common.
A number of countries adopted the
7x57 as a military cartridge (mostly
in Mauser rifes, of course). It became
Spain’s standard issue and was the most
common arm of the Boer Republics in the
Second Boer War. Tus, it’s an accident
of history that both British and American
troops were introduced to the 7x57 in
1898 — Americans in Cuba during the
Spanish-American War and the Brits in
what would become South Africa. Te
7x57 lost both wars, but the casualties it
inficted were staggering.
It is often said that W.D.M. “Karamoja”
Bell took more than 1,000 elephants with
his 7x57, but this is simply not true. Like
many early ivory hunters, he tried the
6.5s, and like most Brits, the caliber most
available to him was the .303 British. He
probably took more of his thousand-odd
80 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
Left to right: 6.5x53R, 6.5x54 Mannlicher-
Schoenauer, 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, .260
Remington. Although the most popular today,
the 6.5x55 was just one of several early 6.5s,
gaining military fame in Sweden’s Model 41B.
elephants with the .303 than anything
else, and he also used the .318 Westley
Richards a great deal. However, the 7x57
(or, to use its English name, “.275 Rigby”)
was defnitely one of his favorites. In
later years he wrote that the 156-grain
6.5 was perhaps too slender for caliber
and often bent. Bell fgured the 7x57
with a 173-grain solid to be the lightest
cartridge that could deliver consistent
penetration on elephant.
Today few hunters consider the 7x57
for elephant, but for me it is one of our
The author tries the Blaser M12 in 6.5x55. Though not currently chambered to any U.S. factory
rifes, the 6.5x55 remains a standard chambering in Europe.
very best and most useful deer cartridges,
mild in recoil but awesome in efciency.
On the surface, the 7mm-08 Reming-
ton seems to duplicate its performance,
yet does this in a short action. Yes, to a
degree, and having used various 7x57s
for 30-some years, I’d concede that the
7mm-08 is probably an inherently more
accurate cartridge.
On the other hand, the 7x57 has
considerably more case capacity than
the 7mm-08. With good handloads in
modern actions, the 7x57 will consider-
ably outrun the 7mm-08. As is the case
with the 6.5x55, the 7x57 can make use
of the full spectrum of .284-inch bul-
lets. With heavier bullets (150 to 160
grains), its velocity gap over the 7mm-08
increases. And very few handloaders even
try to cram 165- or 175-grain bullets into
a 7mm-08. You run out of room in the
magazine box and have to start eating
up powder space, so velocity drops even
more. For those who feel the need, the
7x57 still produces very credible veloci-
ties even with the 175-grain heavyweight.
Personally, I generally use 139- or
140-grain bullets, partly for their higher
gunsandammo . com
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MAUSER’S METRICS

Left to right: 7mm-08 Remington, 7x57

Mauser, 7x65R. The 7x57 may not be quite as
inherently accurate as the 7mm-08, but with
greater case capacity it has the capability for
higher velocity.
This nice Kansas whitetail was taken with a Todd Ramirez 7x57. The cartridge is ideal for
North American deer hunting.

velocity, partly because we have better “standard” 8mm bullet diameter to this
hunting bullets today. My primary use for day. To avoid potential confusion, the
the 7x57 has been on whitetail, but I’ve original .318-inch bullet diameter is la-
also used it on a variety of African and beled “J,” while the later .323-inch-diam-
European game up to kudu, zebra, red eter version is labeled “JS.” So, properly,
stag and wildebeest. It is not a long-range the 8mm Mauser cartridge as we know it
proposition, but despite its mild manners today would be called the “8x57JS.”
it is wonderfully efective at short to me- Te 8x57 in the great 1898 Mauser was
dium range and, when necessary, easily Germany’s standard arm in both world
reaches to 300 yards. wars, and, of course, it was issued to
Of the metrics, only the 7x57 has been popu- troops of numerous Axis nations during
8x57 lar enough in the U.S. to create a market for a World War II. Obviously, we were on
Americans seem to tolerate the 6.5 and robust selection of factory loads. the receiving end in both wars, so our
love the 7mm, but we’ve never had much memories of the 8x57 aren’t fond ones.
time for the 8mm. Tis is a little odd, However, like most popular long-term
because an 8mm was actually the frst favor of a lighter spitzer bullet at higher military cartridges, the 8x57 was quickly
successful smokeless-powder cartridge. It velocity (we did much the same with the adopted for sporting use, achieving
was the rimmed and somewhat under- .30-06). At this time bullet diameter was and retaining a signifcant following in
powered 8mm Lebel, developed in France increased to .323 inch. Tis is actually a Europe.
and adopted by the French military in bit larger than true 8mm but remains the Te 8x57 does not have the velocity of
1886. Te 8x57 Mauser followed quickly
in 1888. Te 8x57 used a “new” rim-
less case fring a 226-grain bullet at a
relatively mild velocity. Te cartridge and
Model 88 rife were quickly adopted by
Germany. Note that another four years
passed before America adopted our frst
smokeless-powder cartridge, the clearly
inferior .30-40 Krag. It was late in 1894
before the frst American sporting cen-
terfre for smokeless powder, the .30-30
Winchester, made its debut.
Although we generically refer to
this Mauser development as “8x57,” it’s
important to remember that there were
two signifcantly diferent iterations. Te
original 1888 cartridge used a .318-inch
bullet and thus was actually a “7.9mm,”
a designation rarely seen today but
technically accurate. In 1905 Germany The author used a pristine ’98 Mauser in 8x57 to take a nice hog. It’s probably very accurate,
abandoned the heavy roundnose bullet in but this 100-yard group was the best he could do with battle sights.

82 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

MAUSER’S METRICS

greats as the .308 and .30-06, it must be

a pretty darned-good cartridge — and
indeed it is. To my knowledge, the 8x57
has never been chambered in a factory
American rife. It has, however, seen
much use in surplus and “sporterized”
Mausers. Ammunition, cases and bullets
are readily available, so it isn’t a cartridge
to shy away from. If you run across a vin-
tage 8x57 with a good bore, there’s really
no reason to consider rebarreling.

9.3x62
Tis cartridge is another 1905 develop-
ment. Although introduced by Mauser
and bearing the Mauser name, it was ac-
tually designed by Berlin gunmaker Otto
Bock, whose goal was to maximize the
1898 Mauser action. Te 9.3x62 is thus
the largest cartridge that can be crammed
The .375 H&H isn’t always the legal minimum for Africa’s bufalo and other dangerous game. into a ’98 action with no modifcation.
The 9.3x62 is listed as minimum in several African countries. Unlike the frst three, the 9.3x62 was thus
developed purely as a sporting cartridge,
using the 9.3mm (.366 inch) bullet diam-
the .30-06, so its range envelope is nar- 8mm cartridges enough to believe that eter already popular in rimmed cartridges
rower. However, fans of the 8x57 believe this is true. Still, as a hunting cartridge I for doubles and single-shots.
that the greater frontal diameter of its rate it as less versatile than the .30-06. On Te 9.3x62 is not a red-hot number, but
.323-inch bullet ofers increased energy the other hand, it not only hits harder, but traditional 9.3mm bullets of 286 and 293
transfer and knockdown power over the is faster and more versatile than the .308 grains have great sectional density and
.30 caliber’s .308-inch bullet. Te difer- Winchester. Realistically, if you are able thus ofer superb penetration. Remem-
ence is not huge, but I’ve used various to compare the 8x57 against such all-time bering that histories are written by the

84 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

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MAUSER’S METRICS
The CZ 550 is one of very few 9.3x62 rifes currently available in the U.S., but it appears that the
cartridge is gaining traction here. Hornady has recently included it in their Dangerous Game Se-
ries, ofering 286-grain DGX and DGS loads as well as these accurate RP (Recoil Proof) spitzers.
folks who win the wars, the legend is that
the African bush was conquered by the
big Nitro Express cartridges. Not really.
Settlers and early hunters used what they
had and had what they could aford. Te
9.3x62 ofered afordable power and was
used all over the African continent for
86 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
game up to and including elephant.
Without question, it’s on the light side
for elephant, but just fne for bufalo and
everything else, and it has the advantage
of extremely mild recoil. It has remained
popular in Europe, especially among
hunters after driven wild boar. In Africa
we often say that the .375 is the legal min-
imum, but in several countries the mini-
mum legal caliber for the largest game is
actually 9.3mm. Zimbabwe’s rules, based
on energy requirements rather than cali-
ber, are specifcally written to include the
9.3x62. Perhaps surprisingly, the cartridge
seems to be on the upsurge in the United
States. Federal and Hornady both load
new ammo, and rifes are becoming more
available. Te 9.3x62 does not have the
stopping power of the .375 H&H, but its
heavy-for-caliber bullets penetrate as well
and recoil is a whole lot less.
In fact, none of these four classic metrics
are in any danger of dying out. Te United
States is not the prime market or fan base
for any of them, but American factory
loads are available for all. Tat said, with
older cartridges like these, American
manufacturers are generally conservative
because of concerns about older (pre-’98
Mauser) actions. European loads such as
Norma and RWS are generally loaded to
higher velocities. With the probable excep-
tion of the 7x57, not every corner gunshop
is going to stock these cartridges, but in
particular the 6.5x55 and 8x57 can be
enhanced with careful handloading. Four
classic metrics, four great cartridges, none
ready to be put out to pasture.
gunsandammo . com
WWW.RUGER.COM ©2013 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 022813
Eric R. Poole
PROOFHOUSE
CZ 557 SPORTER
The legendary Czech frm creates an instant
big-game classic in traditional chamberings.
I t’s ironic when you
think about it.
American gunmak-
ers continue to
develop more efcient,
high-volume, low-cost
manufacturing processes
and fnding ways to cheapen
materials. Instead of blued-
steel, walnut-stocked hunting
rifes, the norm is becoming
a color-coated-barrel action
assembled with cast-metal
parts that’s then placed into a
plastic stock.
But as I mature, I fnd
88 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
CZ 557 SPORTER
Type: Bolt action
Caliber: .243 Win., .270 Win., 6.5x55
Swede, .308 Win., .30-06 Spring-
feld (tested)
CapaCiTy: 4
barrel lengTh: 20.5 in. (free-foated)
Overall lengTh: 41 in.
SighTS: None (integral dovetails for scope
mounts)
WeighT: 7.8 lbs. (unscoped)
STOCk: Oil fnished, laser-checkered
American walnut (14.5-in. LOP)
FiniSh: Matte blue
Trigger: 3.5 lbs. (single-stage adjustable)
MSrp: $792
iMpOrTer: CZ-USA, www.czusa.com
myself more often reaching
for a bolt gun chambered
in .270, .308 or .30-06 with
a premium-wood stock. I
enjoy associating my hunting
adventures with an heirloom-
quality rife. I’m not a big fan
of the latest barrel-burning
chamberings, and I don’t
much care for wood protected
PHOTOS: SEAN UTLEY
by multiple layers of glossy
varnish or a weather-resistant
plastic stock.
As European rife mak-
ers strive to impress their
products on the American Right on the money: The 557’s 201-inch barrel is free-foated.
gunsandammo . com
 The perfect combination
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PROOFHOUSE | CZ 557 SPORTER
hunter, companies such as CZ
are learning that there’s a real
demand for an accurate deer
rife in a caliber of a long-
standing reputation that’s set
in a simple, yet classic walnut
stock. Who wants them?
Hunters of the old guard who
were never easily persuaded
by trends.
Te CZ 557 Sporter — the
company’s newest bolt action
— has been in development
for a little more than three
years. It’s a quality big-game
rife that’s afordably priced.
Te 557 retains the CZ 550’s machined
receiver, integral dovetails for scope
mounting and the all-important cold-
hammer-forged barrel. While touring
the CZ plant in the Czech Republic, I
observed pallets of steel barrel blanks
intentionally exposed to the weather
and rusting. I learned that this natural
stress-relieving process is one of the
secrets behind the long-standing reputa-
tion CZ has for making barrels that can
hold accuracy for the life of the rife. Te
90 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
The 557 features a push-feed system, which
simplifes single-loading. The bolt utilizes a
short extractor and a plunger-style ejector.
rusting process re-forms the
metal structure at a molecu-
lar level and hardens the core.
CZ then turns down each
barrel blank on a machine
and removes the rusty surface
area, leaving a stronger barrel
that is then hammer forged
on a rifed mandrel. CZ calls
this exposure to the weather
“seasoning.”
Unlike the larger CZ
550 Safari Magnums with
controlled-round feed, the
557 utilizes a short extractor
and a plunger-style ejector
for smoother operation and enhanced
ejection. Tis push-feed system is popu-
lar with shooters who like the option
to single-load a cartridge because the
extractor can more easily ride over the
cartridge rim. Whether feeding from a
round loaded through the ejection port
or stripping a cartridge from the three-
round internal magazine, working the
two-lug bolt is clean and efortless.
A two-position safety is mounted on
the rear of the receiver, a familiar posi-
gunsandammo . com

tion for shooters who use an
American-made bolt action.
Tis 557, however, allows
the user to work the bolt and
unload a live round from the
chamber while the selector
remains in the Safe position.
Tough the rife is on Safe,
you’ll notice that the fring
pin is still cocked by the red
ring indicator protruding
from the rear of the bolt.
With the bolt closed and
the safety lever set forward
to reveal the red Fire indica-
tor, it only takes between
3½ and 4½ pounds of pressure to
the chromed trigger to send a round
downrange. For those who are already
familiar with CZ rifles, no, this trigger
is not the CZ SST trigger system with
the “set” function. The 557 has been
equipped with a crisp, single-stage and
fully adjustable trigger. Using a hex
head, you can determine your own pre-
ferred pull weight, as well as how much
takeup and overtravel you want.
Unlike the stocks found on many
gunsandammo . com
Although the 557’s trigger is not a single-set,
it is very crisp, shootable and fully adjustable
for pull weight, takeup and overtravel.
PROOFHOUSE | CZ 557 SPORTER
European-manufactured
rifes, the premium walnut
found on the 557 is perfectly
contoured for the American
style of shooting. Europeans
often shoot models with iron
sights and require a unique
stock contour that naturally
positions the eye low. Tough
many American big-game
rifes once came with iron
sights, scopes now dominate
the American hunting scene.
To position the eye prop-
erly behind the scope, our
shooting positions evolved to
accommodate a two- to 2½-inch scope
height. Te walnut stock on the 557 is
every bit American, with its 14½-inch
length of pull (including the textured
rubber recoil pad). Te security pro-
vided by this pad works with the rife’s
laser-engraved checkering for controlled
handling under any condition while pro-
viding the 557 with a subtle, yet contem-
porary style.
Many will argue that the accuracy
potential in the 557 is greater than rifes
January 2014 GUNS & AMMO 91
PROOFHOUSE | CZ 557 SPORTER

CHRONO/ACCURACY RESULTS
BuLLet VeLocity aVerage Best
Load Weight (gr.) (fps) es (fps) sd group (in.) group (in.)

HORNADY INTERLOCK 150 2,865 24 12 1.3 1.2

FEDERAL FUSION 165 2,647 58 29 1.05 .94
WINCHESTER E-TIP 180 2,617 47 25 2.36 2.01

The rife features an easily accessible two- with a controlled-round feed because shooters tend to single-load cartridges
position safety and a red cocking indicator. the push feed’s extractor and ejector rather then cycle a round up from the
confguration doesn’t place side pressure magazine.
against the cartridge when it’s locked in I’ve invested a lot of time getting
the chamber. Additionally, devout bench familiar with a 557 in .30-06 and have
come to conclude that the barrel twist is
optimized for .30-caliber bullets rang-
ing from 150 to 165 grains. It’s easy to
print inch-wide three-shot clusters, but
if you don’t give the barrel time to cool
between shot strings, group sizes will
increase beyond two inches. In the feld
this is of little concern. If you’ve done
your part in setting up the scope and
sighting it in, there’s no chance you’ll
Laser-engraved checkering on the pistol grip Although lacking iron sights, the CZ 557 fea- exceed this rife’s capacity in taking
makes for a secure, nonslip grip. tures dovetails for proprietary scope mounts. down game.
I’ve used heavier bullets such as the
180-grain Winchester E-Tip and haven’t
had the same success. My favorite load
Ever Think You'd Join a Jewish in this rife for deer hunting has been the
Civil Rights Group? Federal Fusion with a 165-grain bullet.
Tough I’ve been taking a 557 in .30-06
For 25 Years, Thousands of Non-Jews Have Done Just That to the feld for some time now, it is im-
portant to note that in 2014 CZ-USA will
be introducing this model in short-action
JEWS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
chamberings such as the .243 and .308
Since 1989, JPFO has done the groundbreaking research, TO SUPPORT YOUR FIGHT FOR THE Winchester.
RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. We were the first to publish a side-by-side translation of the
In the 557 Sporter, CZ revives the
1938 Nazi Weapons Law and the 1968 Gun Control Act, showing that our 1968 GCA was based on
the translation, with supporting evidence. American spirit in this classic outfit.
Among dozens of documentaries, newspapers, policy studies, mass circulation You can enjoy shooting it, you can actu-
brochures, and other valuable resources, JPFO won prestigious Telly awards ally find ammo for it, and it won’t break
for our documentaries: No Guns for Negroes (exposing the racist roots of gun the bank.
control), and, the freedom movement classic; 2A Today for the U.S.A. Our
book, Dial 911 and Die documents police have no legal duty to protect you. It
is a powerful educational tool in advancing concealed carry…Thanks to
supporters -- across the religious spectrum – the accomplishments list goes on
FOR THE RECORD
We encourage everyone that shares our philosophy to take a stand with us.
JPFO respects our supporters’ privacy and trust; therefore, our list of members
and supporters is never disclosed.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
We invite you to support our Educational Battle, intended to protect the Second Amendment rights
required to remain a free society. Please visit the JPFO website, www.jpfo.org, to view the
extensive library of commentary on recent events, award-winning products and
membership/donation information. Any support to help continue our efforts is greatly appreciated.
Let’s ensure the next generation can enjoy the liberties earned by prior generations.
Please check our website for periodic raffles benefiting JPFO.
••• PLEASE CONTACT US FOR A "FREE OFFER" INFO PACKET •••

www.jpfo.org · jpfo@jpfo.org
1-800-869-1884 · 1-262-673-9745 · Fax: 1-262-673-9746 This factory test target testifes to the ac-
P.O. Box 270143, Hartford, WI 53027, USA curacy potential of the CZ 557 Sporter.

92 GUNS & AMMO January 2014 gunsandammo . com

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 SPORTSMAN’S For more information on how to place an ad in the section, please contact:
East Coast: Patrick Bentzel – 717-695-8095 or fax at 717-545-2527
DIRECTORY Central US: Rob Walker – 309-679-5069 or fax at 309-679-5084
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ATTENTION
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY¨ • FDA-Approved Medications
FREE
3.3 XD-S™ VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL • U.S. Owned & Operated Since 1998 Medical Review
• U.S. Physicians & Pharmacies Included
Springfeld Armory® has issued a voluntary safety recall to upgrade
HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL
all 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm and 3.3 XD-S .45 ACP pistols. Please do not load or
fre your Springfeld 3.3 XD-S™ pistol and contact us immediately to
arrange to have your pistol upgraded free of charge.
WWW.VIAMEDIC.COM
THIS RECALL APPLIES TO: 800-539-1943
Springfeld 3.3 XD-S™ 9mm pistols with serial numbers between
XS900000 and XS938700.
Springfeld 3.3 XD-S™ .45ACP pistols with serial numbers between
XS500000 and XS686300.
The safety of our customers is our paramount concern, so we have
voluntarily initiated this recall because of the remote possibility of an
unintentional discharge occurring. We are committed to resolving this
matter quickly and we thank you for your patience and cooperation.
For additional information, please visit us online at
www.springfeldrecall.com or call 800.680.6866.

94 GUNS & AMMO January 2014

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 SPENT CASES
THE FIRST SHOT FIRED
FROM AN AIRPLANE
L t. Jacob E. Fickel
fired the first
shot from an
airplane on Au-
gust 20, 1910, at Sheepshead
Bay race track near New
York City. With Mr. Glenn
Curtis piloting, Lt. Fickel
used a Springfeld Model 1903
.30-’06 and efectively fred
twice at a 3x5-foot target
from an altitude of 100 feet to
demonstrate that an airplane
would not break up in fight
96 GUNS & AMMO January 2014
due to the gun’s recoil. Te
next month, Lt. Fickel and Mr.
Curtis repeated the experi-
ment in Boston, Massachu-
setts, using a Colt Model 1911.
Lt. Fickel demonstrated
his aerial gunnery skills at
an air show in the summer
of 1911 at Nassau Boule-
vard airfeld on Long Island
competing against a team of
Britons, Tomas Sopwith and
Malcolm Campbell. Fickel
handedly won the competition
by placing six bullets through
a dinner plate target while
being fown in an aircraft 200
feet of the ground. Tese
experiments led to the devel-
opment of low-recoil machine
guns, which were soon added
to military airplanes.
Lt. Fickel would continue
serving through World War I
and World War II and become
a Major General in the U.S.
Air Force before passing away
in 1956.
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