Gun World

GW-16-2-COVER.
qxp 12/10/15 11:33 PM Page US_C1
Savages Versatile Model 11 Scout
Best
Chokes
& Loads
For Waterfowl
Return
of the
SIG SAUER
P225-A1
Handgun Heresy?
WITNESS
A New
Are you ready for a
Buying
1911 P
Pistol
For the
FBI
Guns
Polymer-Frame 1911?
ONLINE
FEB 2016 VOLUME 57, NO.2 $4.99 U.S.
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GW_1602_3 12/8/15 10:43 PM Page 3
RUGER AR-556
Flattop Upper Receiver Features a
Forward Assist, Dust Cover and
Brass Deector
16.1'', Medium Contour, Cold

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

Deploy Folding Rear Sight
Milled Gas Block

Has Multiple
Attachment
Points Including
a QD Socket and
Bayonet Lug,
for Many Sling
and Accessory
Mounting Options
Ergonomic Pistol
Grip Features an
Extended Trigger
Reach for More
Precise Trigger
Control
Ruger AR-556 Rifle*
The Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic, M4-style, direct

impingement Modern Sporting Rifle is American-made and
constructed from top-quality components, including a forged 7075-T6 aluminum upper and lower receiver and a cold hammerforged, chrome-moly steel barrel with M4 feed ramp cuts. Chambered in 5.56 NATO, the AR-556s carbine-length, flattop,
M4 design is fully configured with a Ruger Rapid Deploy folding rear sight, milled F-height gas block with post front sight,
forward assist, dust cover, brass deflector, telescoping six-position stock, improved trigger-reach grip, enlarged trigger guard and
one 30-round Magpul PMAG . Standardized M4/AR components are utilized throughout, so the AR-556 is easily customized.
* Some ries may not be available in all states and locales due to laws limiting magazine capacity and feature-based restrictions. Please check with your local law enforcement agency prior to purchasing this rearm
to verify that it may legally be purchased and/or possessed in your particular state and locale.
Join Ruger and help us raise $4,000,000 for the NRA.
VISIT: RUGER.COM/2MILLION
2015 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
051315
GW-TOC-4-5.qxp 12/10/15 11:21 PM Page 4
CONTENTS February 2016
22
12
34
48
12: BEN GETTINGER

22: MIKE DICKERSON
34: GARRETT LUCAS
48: LEROY THOMPSON
GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 57, Number 2, is published monthly, 12 times a year by Engaged Media Inc, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA
92887. Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gun World c/o Engaged Media Inc., VSI, Inc. 905
Kent St., Liberty, MO 64068. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001
GUN WORLD | FEBRUARY 2016 | www.gunworld.com
GW-TOC-4-5.qxp 12/10/15 11:21 PM Page 5
Features
Columns
12 Handgun Heresy?
6 Up Front Craig Hodgkins
The EAA Witness is the first polymer-frame 1911,

but will die-hard fans of this century-old design
embrace the new hybrid?
By Brad Fitzpatrick
22 Versatility Defined
The new Savage Model 11 Scout rifle is a handy,
highly customizable, do-it-all rifle that does it
all pretty well.
By Mike Dickerson
8 New Products Tim Stetzer

70 Handguns Dave Workman
76 Reload James E. House
80 Todays Hunter Brad Fitzpatrick
88 Gunsmithing Steve Sieberts
96 Back Pages Craig Hodgkins
34 No Ordinary CCW
The FNS-9C is a striker-fired pistol on a polymer
platform, but despite its smaller size, its still an
extremely adept weapon for self-defense.
By Garrett Lucas
48 A Proper Proposal
The FBI recently issued a request for two new
9mm pistols, and the bid specs are many and
detailed.
By Leroy Thompson
60 Just One Click

Shrewd gun buyers can find numerous bargains
by shopping online, and the Internet will
continue to shape the future of the industry.
By Cassandra Faulkner
www.gunworld.com | FEBRUARY 2016 | GUN WORLD
GW-UPFRONT-6-7.qxp 12/10/15 5:38 AM Page 6
UP FRONT
February 2016
Volume 57 Number 2
EDITORIAL
Doug Jeffrey Editorial Director
Craig Hodgkins Editor
Mark Heisser Managing Editor
Winter
Wonders
BY CRAIG HODGKINS
HE NEW YEAR IS
already upon us, and in
this sunny little corner
of my home state, what
passes for winter has already begun
to fade into memory.
Elsewhere in the country, I know
thats not the case. Ive seen your photos
or ones just like them on Facebook, Instagram and the evening news, and Im
honestly very sorry.
Just for the record, I did spend a good
portion of my childhood years living on
the north shore of Lake Tahoe in the
snowy Sierra Nevada mountain region,
but the truth is that kids get much more
pleasure out of winter than adults. I remember running around in the snow for
hours until my mom had to literally drag
my purple body through the front door in
order to drop me in front of the fireplace
to thaw out.
And once my skin color returned to
normal, I was ready to rush back outside
to my sled and the company of my
equally insane friends.
No, it isnt until you are an adult that
you get to experience the true joys and
wonders of winter; driving on icy roads,
paying exorbitant monthly heating bills,
and fighting off cabin fever while the

snowdrifts pile up outside your door as
you wait for the snowplows to make it to
your driveway.
I was able the experience some of
those unique pleasures as an adult when
my wife and I spent a couple of years living in southern New Hampshire. It was
(and still is) a beautiful region of the
country, and the huge skating pond behind our house was delightful. Unfortunately, everything elseincluding some
major body partsfroze over when it did.
So it comes as no surprise that the
smart folks at the NSSF hold the SHOT
Show every January in sunny Las Vegas.
Not only is the show one of the best
places to see all the new and exciting
products from seemingly every manufacturer in the world all in one place, but it
also provides attendees from all parts east
and north with a chance to thaw out in
the process.
If youre not part of the industry, or
cant make it to SHOT this year, we at
Gun World promise to keep you informed
about all the new products, but I hope
you have a Plan B to help keep your toes
warm. GW
DESIGN
Johann Frederick Mendoza Art Director
Eric Knagg Design Director
CONTRIBUTORS
Steven Paul Barlow, Aaron Carter, Mike Dickerson, Brad Fitzpatrick,
Paul Hantke, James House, Phil Massaro, Jameson Parker, D.K. Pridgen,
John Raguso, Steve Sieberts, Dave Spaulding, Tim Stetzer, Tom Tabor,
Leroy Thompson, Martin Topper, Dave Workman
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GW_1602_7 12/8/15 10:47 PM Page 7
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GW-PRODUCTS-8-11.qxp 12/8/15 11:58 PM Page 8
NEW PRODUCTS
Hi-Lux
Micro-Max
B-Dot
AFFORDABLE OPTICS WITH TOP

NOTCH FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE
The Hi-Lux Micro-Max

B-Dot sight comes with
a set of ip-up scope
covers and an integrated
Picatinny rail mount.
TEXT BY TIM STETZER, PHOTOS BY JIM HOLMAN
S I GET OLDER and

have a harder time seeing
iron sights, I find that I
appreciate red dots more
and more. I just finished a
patrol rifle course at work, and the difference between how I shot with iron sights
versus a red dot was a real eye opener. I
was already drifting towards using dot
sights, but after the extensive shooting I
did using both sighting systems, there is

no longer a question as to which I shoot
better with. Even for the folks with good
eyes, red dots make quick sight acquisition easy and improve hits. Over the past
decade, even the U.S. military has converted based upon actual combat experiences overseas.
Thankfully, you dont need to be a combat
trooper to benefit from the attributes of a
good dot sight. You do, however, have to find

one that fits into your budget.
Red dot sights date back to the early
1970s, and as manufacturing and technology
have improved over the years, more and
more companies have jumped into the business, creating a vast sea of options available
to the shooter today. Prices range anywhere
from about what youd pay for a case of beer
and a pizza to well north of $1000, depend-
With an MSRP of
$249, the B-Dot sight
is an excellent value.
ing on what youre looking at.

Generally speaking, all of the sights do
basically the same thing: they present an illuminated dot sighting for use on a firearm
or other projectile weapon. Within that general statement, though, there is a vast field
of differences that roughly distill down to a
few key points, mainly quality, durability
and longevity.
Traditionally, the less expensive sights
lacked rugged, drop resistant and weatherproof bodies, good clean optical quality and
acceptable battery life. They might be fine on
your favorite rimfire plinker, but probably
couldnt handle a higher recoiling hunting
rifle to be used in foul weather, or a competition or defense rifle thats going to see hard
use and needs to work.
It wasnt all that long ago that getting
those things meant you were looking at
spending upwards of $400, which isnt an insubstantial amount for most of us and becomes downright impractical when you need
to outfit multiple rifles, shotguns or hand-
guns. There are a few companies now,

though, that offer that kind of performance
in a price that most folks can afford, and one
of those is Leatherwood Hi-Lux Optics.
THE HI-LUX MICRO-MAX B-DOT

When I started looking for red dot optics,
I did a lot of research to see what was out
there that offered the features I wanted at a
price I could afford, and the Hi-Lux optics
rapidly made their way to my short list. I already had a Leatherwood CMR4 illuminated
tactical scope that Ive been using for a year
or better, so I was familiar with the quality
of the Leatherwood line. I took a peep at
their red dots on the Hi-Lux side of the
house and was immediately drawn to the
Micro-Max B-Dot.
The B-Dot has an impressive set of features. Its sturdily built from a machine aluminum body thats fitted with multi-coated
glass lenses and then nitrogen gas purged
and sealed watertight. Its finished off with a
matte black hard anodized finish for durabil-
ity and a low profile look.

The B-Dot comes with a set of flip-up
scope covers and an integrated Picatinny rail
mount. A taller riser is also available to
allow for co-witnessing with AR style iron
sights. External controls consist of a set of
windage and elevation adjustment knobs that
are held onto the sight body with wire stays
to prevent loss. Raised tabs on the caps cover
the knobs and allow for easy adjustment
without the need for a separate screwdriver
or other tool.
The battery compartment is on the left
side of the sight and it has room to carry a
spare battery onboard as well. On top of the
sight are the controls to turn the sight on
and adjust dot brightness. The B-Dot ships
with everything you need out of the box, including torx wrenches for installation, a lens
cloth, a CR2032 battery and a spare, and a
Kill Flash Anti Reflection Device cover. The
entire unit is quite compact at only 2.5
inches long by 1.4 inches wide by 1.4 inches
tall with a weight of 5.6 ounces.
NEW PRODUCTS
late grenade fragmentation. The results are
pretty impressive. Even with folks deliberately trying to break them, the sights keep
trucking along far past the point of reasonable field-testing.
Ive been using my particular sight for
around 6 months at this pointmounting it
on 9mm pistols, 5.56 rifles, and even a .308
pistoland its held up extremely well. I
havent done any deliberate torture testing,
but it has been out in temperature extremes
from the mid-90s to the mid-30s, seen some
exposure to rain and, much to my chagrin,
been dropped once or twice on the gravel. No
problems whatsoever.
Sight in was easy, especially with the included slotted windage and elevation caps.
The 2-MOA dot was very easy to see and use
at ranges from as close as 7 yards out to just
past 100 yards. It was especially interesting to
see how the B-Dot helped tighten up my
groups when I moved from iron sights to the
red dot. Mounting was secure and I never
had wandering zero problems or had it shoot
loose during my tests.
Leatherwood has come up with a very
solid competitor in the red dot market with
their Hi-Lux Micro-Max B-Dot sights.
Theyre compact, lightweight, extremely
rugged and offer top-of-class battery life, but
the best part is that they offer all of this for a
price thats probably one-half to one-third
that of optics with comparable features. And,
with an MSRP of only $249, the Micro Max
B-Dot is a force to be reckoned with on the
optics market! GW
The sight is a non-magnied, parallax-free design

with a 2-MOA red dot with
12 brightness level settings.
As far as the electronics go, the B-Dot is

pretty impressive. Its a non-magnified, parallax-free design with a 2-MOA red dot with
12 brightness level settings. You can turn the
dot off manually by pressing both the plus
and minus controls at the same time, but if
you forget it has an auto-off feature as well.
The factory default is for 8 hours but you
can program it to shut off anywhere between
2 and 12 hours.
If you think that an on time of 8 or 12
hours will impact the operational effectiveness of your sight, think again. The B-Dot
has an impressive 50,000-hour battery life
thats right up there with the high-end sights
on the market. That works out to over 5
years of constant use. And that spare battery
10
storage will give you another 5 to work with

if you think that still isnt enough. The BDot has 3 night vision settings as well, and
the battery life at those settings is an insane
750,000 of run time.
Leatherwood uses some pretty extensive
in-house endurance tests, including mounting them on a semi-auto .338 Lapua Magnum rifle and then freezing them down to a
crisp -85 degrees Fahrenheit before running
200 rounds of the heavy recoiling load
through them. If you want to see some independent testing of the B-Dot, its very easy to
locate on the Internet. Many independent
testers have really punished the B-Dot to see
how it holds up to heat, drops, submersion
and even being shot with a shotgun to simu-
CONTACT
Hi-Lux, Inc.
Hi-LuxOptics.com
SPECIFICATIONS
Hi-Lux Micro-Max B-Dot sight
Length: 2.5 in.
Width: 1.4 in.
Height: 1.4 in.
Color: Matte Black
MSRP: $249
GW_1602_11 12/8/15 10:51 PM Page 11
GW-WITNESS-12-21.qxp 12/9/15 11:32 PM Page 12
Handgun
Heresy?
THE EAA WITNESS IS THE FIRST

POLYMER-FRAME 1911, BUT WILL DIE-HARD
FANS OF THIS CENTURY-OLD DESIGN
EMBRACE THE NEW HYBRID?
TEXT BY BRAD FITZPATRICK, PHOTOS BY BEN GETTINGER
N THE REALM OF SEMIAUTO PISTOLS, youll find

two primary camps with regard
to gun design. On one side, you
have fans of polymer guns, a
movement which started with the 1980s
U.S. release of Austrian-made Glock pistols. On the other side of the fence are
steel gun loyalists. They prefer the look
and feel of a gun made entirely of metal,
and their mascot is the John Browningdesigned Colt 1911 semiautomatic. Ask
any 1911 shooter why they like their
gun and theyll probably give you a very
concise answerthe 1911 worked well a
hundred years ago, and its equally as effective today.
While its common knowledge that the
Colt design was released in 1911, there have
12
been significant variations on Brownings

original theme over the years. The first
change was barrel length; shorter Commander guns were better for concealment.
There have also been additional caliber offerings, from the competition-built .38
Super to the powerhouse Colt Delta Elite
10mm. As the decades passed, gun makers
continued to tinker with the original 1911
design, swapping grip materials and design,
finish colors, sights, and so forth.
But theres one thing about the 1911 that
didnt change for a century, and that was
the fact that it was a steel gun through and
through. When Glock debuted their plastic gun and changed the landscape of pistol design, the 1911 remained true to its
roots, and its many followers remained true
to the 1911.
Though the 1911 design is over a century old,

the new Witness 1911 P is a rst of its kind. It
combines the original 1911s time-tested design
with a lighter polymer frame thats impervious
to the elements. At under $600, its also one of
the most affordable 1911s on the market.
13
Even though the slide and

frame of the Witness 1911 P are
of different materials, the
disparity isnt immediately
noticeable when looking at the
gun. At rst glance, it appears
to be a basic black 1911 with a
beavertail grip safety and an
accessory rail. Pick the gun up,
though, and youll immediately
recognize the difference.
P FOR POLYMER
Italian gunmaker Tanfoglio set about
changing the rules for Americas most iconic
pistol, though. They introduced the world to
the Witness 1911 P, and as you may have
guessed, that P stands for polymer. Going
boldly where no American gun company
seemed willing to go, they built a polymerframe Colt 1911 clone.
The reception was decidedly mixed, as
Tanfoglio and their U.S. distributor European American Arms (EAA) knew it would
be. Many dyed-in-the-wool 1911 fans saw the
pistol as an abomination. Die-hard polymer
gun fans saw it as a concession that plastics
had crept into every facet of firearms design.
But for a whole other group of shooters, the
polymer-frame 1911 was an idea that was
long past due.
All personal preferences aside, polymerframe guns do have their advantages, primarily in price and weight. Its less expensive to
14
manufacture a polymer gun than a steel gun,

and those are savings that can be passed on
to the consumer. In addition, polymer-frame
guns weigh considerably less than steel guns,
and in a world where millions upon millions
of Americans have a CCW permit, light is
often right when it comes to pistol design.
Aesthetically, the Witness 1911 P looks
identical to other Colt clones. It comes with
a five-inch barrel, basic notch-and-post
sights, and controls that are the same as any
other 1911 youll find. The plastic grip panels
have the classic double diamond design with
diamond checkering, and the beavertail grip
safety is a nice touch. Theres an accessory
rail mounted to the polymer frame, but other
than the beavertail and the rail this looks
very much like your stock 1911 .45.
Pick up the Witness 1911 P and one of
the first things youll recognize is just how
significantly the use of a polymer frame reduces the guns overall weight. Unloaded,
the Witness P weighs just 32 ounces, which

is only about one ounce more than the Glock
G20 10mm Auto, and a very significant five
to ten ounces less than competing steelframe 1911s.
Thats about 20 to 30 percent weight reduction, which makes the Witness P a much
more comfortable gun to carry. Plus, the
EAA gun will fit standard full-size 1911 auto
holsters so long as they accommodate the accessory rail. That means you wont have to
search far and wide or wait a year or more
for a holster.
The polymer frame also has another distinct advantage for a carry gun. While most
of todays finishes are pretty tough, a polymer frame is impervious to continued exposure to sweat and moisture. Thats good,
because there is nothing more damaging to a
firearm than exposing it day in and day out
to acrid perspiration.
Its not vitally important that the gun you
The accessory rail on the

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

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

front and rear; the rear is a
standard black notched
sight that is drift adjustable,
and the front is held in
place with a set screw.
15
THE WITNESS 1911 P

COULD SERVE AS AN
OLIVE BRANCH BETWEEN
GUNDOMS TWO MOST
DIVIDED CAMPS.
carry to save your life is free from corrosion

and blemishesits not important at all, in
factbut for resale value and aesthetic purposes you want to keep a gun looking good.
You arent going to damage your Witness,
and if you do damage the gun all youll need
to swap out is the polymer frame. The polymer frame does have framed steel inserts and
parts are interchangeable.
16
LOOK AND FEEL

The front and rear grip surfaces are free
from checkering or any other texturing, and
the Witness comes with an eight-round magazine with a plastic extension cap and flat
mainspring housing. Its certainly comfortable to hold, with the 1911s characteristic
narrow single-stack grip design. While shooting the gun, I wished for a little more tex-
turing on the front and rear of the grip; this

is a lighter 1911 .45, which means recoil is
sharper than a traditional steel-framed gun
of the same design, and theres a noticeable
snap between the thumb and index finger of
the shooting hand. When firing hot defensive loads, it would help if there was a bit
more texturing fore and aft.
It was never as though the gun was going
The black slide and

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

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

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

the same as any other 1911: a grip safety, slide stop, magazine
release, and thumb safety.
17
The Witness 1911 P provided good accuracy

across the board from 25 yards. This group
was red using Federals HST 230-grain
ammo and measured less than two inches.
(Brad Fitzpatrick photo)
look and design. There are dovetailed sights

front and rear; the rear is a standard black
notched sight that is drift adjustable, and the
front is held in place with a set screw. The
profile of the sights is a bit high, more like a
target gun than a concerted carry gun, but if
you feel compelled to swap them out that
would not be a problem.
Other features include a ramped barrel, a
plastic recoil spring plug, and a serrated
18
long-hole hammer that makes manual cocking easier. Assembly and disassembly is standard 1911-101.
PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL
On the range, I used three defensive loads
to test the Witness 1911: Federals 230-grain
HST, Barnes 185-grain TAC-XPD and Hornadys American Gunner 185 HP. I have a
good deal of experience with all three loads
from various .45s, and Ive found that all of

them performed very well.
The first test was to fire all three loads
from a fixed rest at 25 yardsperhaps not
the most practical test of real-world functionality, but a vital examination of the guns accuracy potential. The smallest group of the
day came via Federals HST ammo, which
printed average groups just under 2.4 inches.
The American Gunner ammo was just be-
The magazine release is metal

one of the few components on
the lower portion of the gun that
is. EAA provides one eight-round
magazine with the Witness 1911 P.
hind at 2.67 inches, managing to edge the

Barnes ammo ever so slightly. With group
sizes ranging from just below 2.5 inches to
just under 3 inches, the Witness 1911 P sits
directly in the middle of other factory 1911s
in this class.
Firing five, five-shot groups with each
load resulted in two malfunctions. In both
cases, the slide of the Witness 1911 failed to
go back into battery. I suspected the culprit
was either spring weight or lubrication (or,

perhaps, a little of both) and I stripped the
gun after the test and lubricated with Modern Spartan Systems Accuracy Oil.
In the past, Accuracy Oil has proven
highly effective for reducing friction, and I
worked the oil into the slide rails and made
sure they were well lubricated. Afterwards, I
tested the gun off the bench and did not encounter any more problems.
Its safe to say that most Witness 1911 P

owners will shoot their guns offhand more
often than they will from a bench, so for the
second portion of the test, I fired full magazines at silhouette targets from three to eight
yards. The EAA comes with a single magazine, so I had to find a spare 1911 mag to
practice reloads. The trigger, which breaks at
about 5.6 pounds according to my gauge, has
a bit of uptake off the bench, but shooting
19
The Witness 1911 P is

lightweight, which
makes it easy to carry,
but recoil is also heavier
than steel-framed 1911s.
from the standing or moving position it was

fine and on par with most entry-level 1911s.
The magazine grip safety was well adjusted for tension, and the tall, basic black
sights worked well at fighting ranges. The
magazine release button was a little heavy
and sticky, making reloads rather slow. But
even by the end of the test the mag button
has smoothed out, and I believe that after
the initial break-in period the gun would
perform even better.
And, considering the MSRP is below
20
$600, which makes this an entry-priced 1911,

performance was good.
Its hard to say whether or not the shooting world will embrace the polymer-framed
1911, but Tanfoglio and EAA are taking the
step of putting the very first hybrid 1911 on
the market. Its a straightforward 1911
dressed in basic black, but its functional and
relatively accurate. Its also considerably
lighter than many other 1911s that cost more,
and its just as reliable and well built.
The Witness 1911 P could serve as an
olive branch between gundoms two most divided camps. But short of that, its a heck of
a gun for the price and an answer to the
question, Why doesnt someone just build a
polymer 1911? GW
CONTACT
European American Arms Corporation
(321) 639-4842
EAACorp.com
ITALIAN GUNMAKER TANFOGLIO SET

ABOUT CHANGING THE RULES FOR
AMERICAS MOST ICONIC PISTOL
ACCURACY RESULTS: EAA WITNESS 1911 P

Load
Grains
Velocity (fps)
Best Group (in)
Average Group (in)
Federal HST
230
890
1.74
2.36
Hornady American Gunner
185
970
2.53
2.67
Barnes TAC-XPD
185
1,000
2.60
2.77
Accuracy results are based on ve, ve-shot groups from a xed rest at 25 yards. Velocities are factory claims.
Handgun
Heresy?
SPECIFICATIONS
EAA Witness 1911 P
Action: Recoil-operated semiauto

Capacity: 8
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Slide: Blued steel
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Black notch rear and post front drift
adjustable
Overall Length: 8.58 inches
Weight: 32 ounces
MSRP: $580
21
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 22
Versatility
Defined
THE NEW SAVAGE MODEL 11 SCOUT RIFLE IS A

HANDY, HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE, DO-IT-ALL RIFLE
THAT DOES IT ALL PRETTY WELL.
At the bench, the Model 11 Scout proved to

have the same out-of-the-box accuracy that
Savage ries are noted for. The author judged
it to be an attractive rie, in an all-business
sort of way, with its natural-colored stock and
contrasting matte black hardware.
22
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 23
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIKE DICKERSON
f you were to survey the catalogues of the current crop of bolt action rifles offered by major
gun manufacturers, with no historical perspective to guide you, you might easily conclude
that scout rifles are a relatively new concept.
They are not.
A number of vintage military rifles, including various
MannlicherSchnauer and Mauser models, incorporated
some of what we today think of as scout rifle features, and
provided some inspiration for the concept. That concept was
refined or redefined, if you will some 30 years ago by the
late Col. Jeff Cooper, firearms guru and founder of the
famed Gunsite Academy in Arizona.
The newest soldier to join the scout rifle ranks is the Savage Model 11 Scout rifle. Its a rather attractive rifle if you
like things that say, at a glance, Im here to take care of
business. It is offered in the Savage law enforcement series,
hinting at the rifles utility in a patrol role as well as other
real-world scenarios, such as hunting and home defense.
As Cooper saw it, a scout rifle should be a handy,
portable, general-purpose rifle that could serve equally well
in a defensive role and in taking animals weighing up to
1,000 lbs. The rifle should be chambered in .308 Win. or
7mm-08 Rem. He specified that the rifle should weigh a
maximum of 7.7 lbs. and measure 39 inches or less in overall length. It should be equipped with a forward-mounted,
low-magnification scope to allow for fast target acquisition

and preserve peripheral vision, and it should have backup
iron sights as well. The rifle should be capable of 2-MOA
accuracy, or grouping shots into two inches at 100 yards.
Some would argue that this traditional scout rifle concept
is out of date, pointing to semi-automatic AR-10 platforms
chambered in .308 Win. as the ideal modern manifestation
of a scout rifle. That argument might hold more merit were
it not for two critical factors. The first is weight. Most AR-10
rifles tip the scales at a hefty 9 to 10 lbs. A second consideration is complexity and its evil twin, reliability. Yes, many
AR-10 guns run like fine clocks when properly maintained
but few would argue that they are less complicated or certifiably more reliable than bolt guns, which are somewhat
more inclined to always go bang when needed, even when
theyre neglected.
The out-of-date argument also flies in the face of evidence that the gun-buying public continues to see merit in
the scout rifle concept. Steyr, Ruger, Mossberg and Savage
have all produced scout rifle models or rifles that were quite
scout-like in design.
So how does the Model 11 Scout measure up to Col.
Coopers vision? In my view, it delivers on most of his specifications and goes well beyond in some respects, reflecting
the advancement of rifle and optics technology since Cooper
first defined his perfect scout rifle.
23
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 24
A smooth action and knurled,

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

TRADITION
The new Scout rifle is built on the Model
11 action, which uses a floating bolt head
that self-adjusts for an accuracy-enhancing
fit. The action is mated to an 18-in. handstraightened, button-rifled, carbon steel barrel with what Savage calls zero tolerance
headspace. In other words, headspace is set
exactly to minimum with a headspace gauge,
and the barrel is then threaded on and
locked into place with a barrel nut. Its one
of the factors contributing to the notable accuracy of Savage rifles.
The rifle has an oversize bolt handle
which aids in quick handling and provides
solid control in inclement weather. The action cycled smoothly and, in testing, I experienced no feeding or ejection issues. While
youll never be able to run the gun as
quickly as a semi-auto, you will likely be sur-
24
MY ACCURACY TESTING
RESULTS WERE A BIT OF A
SURPRISE, BUT IN A
GOOD WAY.
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 25
True to the scout rie

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

smoothly in testing, and
the author experienced
no issues with feeding,
extraction or ejection.
25
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 26
A cantilevered, 17-slot Picatinny rail accommodates forward-mounted scopes or optics. The rie came equipped
with a xed 4X Weaver scope for testing.
prised at just how fast you can empty its 10round, detachable magazine.
The magazine is made of tough polymer
on the bottom half, but the upper half,
which inserts into the magazine well, is all
steel. It protrudes from the bottom of the
stock, but not so far as to interfere when
shooting off a bipod or from a prone position. The magazine locks firmly into place
with an audible click, and its robust design
gives the impression that its not going anywhere. A magazine release latch, located at
the front of the magazine, is recessed to
avoid accidentally tripping the latch and
dropping the magazine.
The rifle comes with three swivel studs
installed to allow for a variety of sling options or to accommodate a bipod and a sling.
With a weight of 7.8 lbs., the new Savage
Scout rifle is right at the top end of what
Col. Cooper thought was acceptable for a
scout rifle. Overall length, at 40.5 inches, is
quite close as well, but the rifle also comes
26
A grip cap on the stock bears the iconic Savage logo.
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 27
SAVAGE MODEL 11 SCOUT RIFLE 308 WIN.
LOAD
AVG. MUZZLE
VELOCITY (FPS)
AVG. 100-YARD
GROUP (INCHES)
BEST 100-YARD
GROUP (INCHES)
Barnes Vor-Tx 168 gr.

Tipped TSX BT
2600
1.07
0.89
Federal Premium 168 gr.

MatchKing BTHP
2550
1.26
1.01
Federal 165 gr. Fusion
2584
1.54
1.48
Hornady American Whitetail

150 gr. InterLock
2690
1.22
0.90
Winchester Deer Season XP

150 gr.
2722
1.65
1.49
Note: Velocities measured with Competitive Edge Dynamics M2 chronograph. All groups red in 6-12 mph wind at 100 yards with xed 4X scope.
27
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 28
with a butt pad and spacers that allow you to

tailor the length of pull. This is helpful for
shooters of small stature, and it allows you to
customize the gun for a better fit when wearing thick clothing in cold weather or to fit
various shooting styles.
The rifle also has a comb thats adjustable
for both height and angle. This is a noteworthy addition as it lets you get just the right
cheek weld to take full advantage of the
rifles versatile options for optics and sights.
As Col. Cooper envisioned, the rifle accommodates forward-mounted, long-eye-relief scopes. It does so with a cantilevered,
one-piece Picatinny rail with 17 slots that let
you position your optics as you prefer. True
to the scout rifle tradition, the rifle also
comes with robust iron sights. As equipped
by the factory, the rifle has an adjustable
Williams receiver sight that can function as
a .09-in. peep sight or a .20-in. ghost ring.
The front sight is a .37-in. post with protective steel wings.
If forward-mounted optics just arent your
preference and lets face it, theyre not for
everyone you can remove the Picatinny rail
and rear sight and mount a rifle scope in the
traditional center-mount position.
The Model 11 Scout rifle blends the best
28
A nice touch on the rie is a comb thats adjustable for height

and angle, letting you get the right cheek weld whether youre
using optics or the supplied iron sights.
The Savage AccuTrigger on the rie broke cleanly and consistently at 2 lbs. 14 oz.
GW_1602_29 12/8/15 10:55 PM Page 29
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GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:25 AM Page 30
The author put the rie

through its paces at the
range and was impressed
with its quick-handling
characteristics.
attributes of scout-class weaponry with legendary Savage performance to create a hardhitting, utilitarian package, says JJ Reich,
marketing and communications manager for
Savage parent company Vista Outdoors. The
new rifle is an extremely versatile shooting
platform easily customized to fit a variety of
shooting styles.
LOADED WITH FEATURES

While the rifle clearly lives up to Col.
Coopers vision, it goes well beyond his specifications in some respects.
30
The barrel, for example, is capped with a

proprietary Savage muzzle brake to reduce
recoil and allow for quick follow-up shots.
Since its threaded on, you can easily unscrew and replace the muzzle brake with a
suppressor, adding to the rifles versatility.
The rifle is also equipped with the nowiconic and much-copied Savage AccuTrigger,
which incorporates a bladed safety, or release, into the trigger. The trigger is adjustable, but I quickly and happily discovered
that it required no change from its factory
setting. As measured on my Lyman trigger
pull gauge, the trigger on the Model 11 Scout

broke crisply, and very consistently, at 2 lbs.
14 oz. The good trigger undoubtedly contributed to my ability to shoot some tight
groups with the rifle even though the test
gun arrived equipped with a low-magnification, fixed 4X Weaver scope.
In addition to the AccuTrigger, the rifle is
equipped with the proprietary Savage AccuStock. This design incorporates an aluminum
rail system which is embedded into the
stock. It tightly cradles the action three-dimensionally along its entire length. If you
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:26 AM Page 31
THE RIFLE IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH THE NOW-ICONIC

AND MUCH-COPIED SAVAGE ACCUTRIGGER...
check for flex in the polymer stock, you

wont find much. The AccuStock system also
embeds an aluminum spine into the stock,
beneath the forend, to add rigidity. Impressed checkering in the grip area and on
the stocks forend provide non-slip control in
inclement weather.
I rather like the look of the stock on this
rifle. Savage calls the stock color natural,
but Ill just call it tan. Whatever you call it,
the stock color contrasts nicely with the
matte black stock hardware, making for an
attractive package.
Another nice touch is the tang-mounted

safety, which is naturally in reach of the
thumb and can be very quickly engaged or
disengaged when the rifle is gripped normally. Its a three-position design, which I
favor because it lets you load and unload the
rifle with the safety in the middle, engaged
position, or lock the bolt down in the full
rearward position. A cocking indicator at the
rear of the bolt assembly tells you at a
glance, or by feel with your thumb, if the
rifle is cocked and ready to fire.
RANGE RESULTS
I put the Model 11 Scout rifle through its
paces at the range with five different factory
.308 Win. loads using bullet weights ranging
from 150-168 grains. I was keenly interested
in seeing how much velocity loss there would
be out of the rifles 18-in. barrel, which is
shorter than the typical barrels youd find on
hunting rifles chambered in .308 Win.
The short answer is: not too much. The
average velocity loss from factory-stated velocities, across all five loads, was about 100
fps. The least amount of velocity drop off, as
31
GW-MODEL11-22-33 12/9/15 1:26 AM Page 32
measured over my Competitive Edge Dynamics M2 chronograph, was 80 fps with

the Barnes Vor-Tx 168-gr. TTSX boat tail
bullet. The greatest loss was 130 fps with the
Hornady 150-gr. American Whitetail load.
That, however, is largely due to the fact that
Hornady uses 24-in. barrels for testing. The
bullet still kicks along at 2,690 fps. The
hottest load tested, with an average velocity
of 2722 fps, was the 150-gr. Winchester Deer
Season XP round.
Was the velocity loss enough to worry
about? Not really. Consider, if you will, the
Barnes 168-gr. bullet motoring along at the
somewhat pedestrian speed of 2,600 fps. Zeroed via an old-timers method of having the
bullet strike three inches high at 100 yards,
it will impact just seven inches below point
of aim at 300 yards. The lighter, faster 150gr. bullets will shoot a little flatter than that.
My accuracy testing results were a bit of a
surprise, but in a good way. I had no doubt
that the rifle would be a shooter because

Savage rifles have established a well-earned
reputation for excellent out-of-the-box accuracy. Rather, it had been quite some time
since I had tested a rifle with a fixed 4X
scope, and at that magnification I had some
doubts about my ability to shoot the sort of
tiny little groups that would display the true
accuracy potential of the rifle.
I need not have worried on that score. All
five tested factory loads turned in best
groups measuring less than an inch and a
half at 100 yards, with three of those loads
producing best groups that measured an
inch or less. Average groups ran from just
over an inch to a little more than an inch
and a half.
The most accurate round tested in the
rifle was the Barnes Vor-Tx load with a 168gr. TTSX boat tail bullet, which delivered a
best group measuring 0.89 in. and average
groups just slightly over 1 MOA. Another
SPECIFICATIONS
Savage Model 11 Scout Rie
Action: Bolt action
Caliber: 308 Win.
Barrel: 18 in. carbon steel
Rate of twist: 1:10
Barrel Finish: Matte black
Stock: Synthetic AccuStock
Stock Finish: Natural (at dark earth)
Trigger: AccuTrigger
Sights: Williams receiver/front post & Picatinny rail
Magazine: Detachable box
Capacity: 10 rounds
Weight: 7.8 lbs.
MSRP: $794.00
32
good performance, especially for a hunting

load, was turned in by Hornadys 150-gr.
American Whitetail round. This ammo delivered a sub-MOA best group and average
groups of just 1.22 in. Federals 168-gr.
MatchKing BTHP load wasnt far behind.
I have no doubt that I would have shot
even tighter groups with a higher-magnification scope, but that would be defeating the
purpose of the rifle. Its not meant for
punching tiny little groups in paper targets,
although Im confident you could do that
with a center-mount hunting or tactical
scope of higher magnification. When used
as intended with a forward-mount, low-magnification scope, the rifle delivers more than
enough accuracy to produce definitive results whether youre hunting or protecting
the homestead.
Happily, it does so while shooting well
under Col. Coopers 2-MOA specification.
GW
Versatility
Defined
CONTACT
Barnes
Ammunition
BarnesBullets.com
Hornady
Ammunition
Hornady.com
Weaver Optics
WeaverOptics.com
Competitive Edge
Dynamics
CEDhk.com
Nagels Gun Shop

NagelsGuns.net
Winchester
Ammunition
Winchester.com
Federal
Ammunition
FederalPremium.com
Savage Arms
SavageArms.com
GW_1602_33 12/8/15 10:58 PM Page 33
Its
AboutTime.
INTRODUCING THE A17
The autoloader youve been waiting for
a 17 HMR that actually works.
FEATURING:
For peak performance,

shoot with CCI
A17 Varmint Tip
ammunition.
The First Delayed-Blowback Rimfire Action

Specifically Designed To Handle High-Performance
Magnum Cartridges
Chambered In 17 HMR
Hard Chromed Bolt With Dual Controlled Round Feed
10-Round Rotary Magazine
Case Hardened Steel Receiver
Button-Rifled Barrel
Adjustable AccuTrigger
Oversized Bolt Handle
SAVAGEARMS.COM
www.savagearms.com/launch/a17
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 34
No Ordinary
CCW
FNH INTRODUCES THE NEW FNS-9 COMPACT
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY GARRETT LUCAS
HERE SEEMS TO BE (at least) a temporary uptick in peoples concerns for their
own security out in public. Thats why
our approach to concealed carry needs to
be re-thought just a bit. There used to be
a time when I felt completely comfortable with a Jframe revolver tucked away on my person in the event
of a random, but brief encounter with a mugger or
other type of ordinary criminal. But my thinking
has changed on that over the years. Now, a firearm
like that is just a back up as far as Im concerned.
34
In the era of active shooters and possible terrorist

threats that result in sustained engagements lasting
hours rather than seconds, individuals with concealedcarry permits should upgrade their every-day-carry
package to include a more combat-oriented firearm and
a decent supply of ammunition. A lot of readers will be
thinking that they already do this. If youre reading this
magazine, youre an enthusiast or somewhat knowledgeable about this topic. Not everyone has the same mindset,
but maybe if we talk about it enough, we can change
some hearts and minds.
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 35
The FNS-9 Compact is

essentially a downsized
combat pistol with all
the expected tactical
appointments.
35
GW-FNS9-34-45 cx.qxp 12/10/15 10:52 PM Page 36
The package comes from the

factory with three magazines.
Two are 12-round magazines
one with a ush tting base plate
and the other with an extended
base plate and nger rest. The
third magazine has a capacity of
17 rounds.
THE FNS-9 COMPACT

FNH USA has just introduced a model
that can help us start the conversation. Its
their new FNS-9 Compact (FNS-9C to save
space going forward). For many gun manufacturers, if they enjoy success with a certain
model, like FNs FNS-9, those companies
will tend to bring out variations of it. This
could include long-slide models, but most of
the time they bring out reduced-size models
like the FNS-9C. Doing this helps turn a
duty or range weapon into something more
effectively used for concealed carry.
Like its big brother, the FNS-9C is a
striker-fired pistol on a polymer platform,
36
but despite its smaller size, its still an extremely adept weapon for self-defense, and
combat if it comes down to it. Though this
pistol is sized for concealed carry, it still has
all the special touches needed to make it an
effective weapon.
With a barrel length of 3.6 inches and an
overall length of 6.7 inches, it straddles the
line between a compact pistol and sub-compact when compared to similar models from
other brands. The standard white three-dot
configuration, with a slightly oversized front
sight, makes it extremely easy to acquire and
engage a target.
The review pistol I received had two 12-
round magazines, one with a flush-fitting

base plate and another with an extended finger rest. The choice basically comes down to
either comfort or a little more concealability.
I never cared for having my pinky finger
hang off in the void while shooting. Even
with the addition of the finger rests, the
FNS-9C is still in that Goldilocks zone of
just right between most compact and subcompact pistols, so my preference is to go
with the extended base plates.
In addition to the 12-round magazines,
the pistol also comes with a third magazine
that has a 17-round capacity and a sleeve that
integrates with the pistols grip for a more
GW-FNS9-34-45 cx.qxp 12/10/15 10:52 PM Page 37
The back strap and side

panels of the pistols grip
are aggressively textured,
and there are two interchangeable back panels
to tailor the t of the gun.
comfortable carry. And, speaking of comfort,

the FNS-9C comes with two interchangeable
back straps that allow the user to customize a
proper fit.
In addition to these features, the FNS-9C
also comes with full ambidextrous controls
including the magazine release, slide release,
and an optional thumb safety. Its good to see
more manufacturers pay attention to lefthand shooters these days. Other standout
features that help make the pistol more controllable include serrations on the front of
the trigger guard and the front strap. Also,
the back strap and the side panels of the grip
are aggressively textured to enable a positive
purchase on the pistol while firing.

Helping the FNS-9C fit into the category
of combat-oriented pistols, despite its size,
are the front and rear cocking serrations on
the slide, and the MIL-STD 1913 mounting
rail (Picatinny rail) for adding accessories
like lights or lasers to augment the users
ability to stay on target.
HANDLING
Out of the box, the FNS-9C felt good in
the hand. Even though it bordered on subcompact territory, there was enough meat on
the grip to get a firm hold on the pistol. The
weight of the pistol, while empty, is just 23.4
ounces, so its not a problem carrying it

on/in the belt for extended periods of time.
For the lefties out there, each important
control is ambidextrous including the slide
and magazine release. Overall, this is a boon
for the left-handed shooters as they tend to
get marginalized by different manufacturers,
so this is definitely a pistol a left would want
to check out for a serious carry pistol.
The downside of the ambidextrous controls, at least for me, was the magazine release. Part of it has to do with the small size
of the pistol, and another part of the equation is the design of the release itself. I had
issues when I tried pushing the release with
37
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 38
Despite its small size,

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

would push against my middle finger, which
would keep it from actually working.
Additionally, half of the release button is
at about a 45-degree angle down toward the
trigger. To positively activate the release, the
user has to get a rather awkward hold on the
pistol to allow the thumb to reach across the
grip and down onto the button itself. This is
an unconventional grip that tends to cause
less dexterous manipulation of the pistol and
the controls.
Now, this might not be an issue for everyone, but I had to come up with a different
way to activate the release on the FNS-9C. It
was a bit easier to drop my thumb out of the
way and press the release on the opposite
side with my forefinger. Though still not
ideal, I got proficient enough with it during
the review that it was no longer an issue. If
it were going to be a regular carry piece, I
would definitely want more practice with the
mag release.
38
The front portion of the magazine release is angled down

toward the trigger, making the release a bit awkward to
engage because of the pistols size and the ambidextrous
mechanism that pushes against the other side of the hand.
GW_1602_39 12/8/15 11:02 PM Page 39
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 40
With a barrel length of

3.6 inches and an overall
length of 6.7 inches, the
FNS-9C pistol straddles
the line between compact
and sub-compact when
compared to similar
models from other
brands.
My advice to anyone that gets the FNS9C is to do magazine change drills to make
sure everything works smoothly for them. If
not, then they might have to modify their
process with a different approach to switching out magazines. Once done, that new
process needs to be practiced over and over
again until the practice is instinctual.
RANGE TIME
I have now had the opportunity to shoot
the FNS-9C on multiple occasions with
varying sorts of ammunition and with great
success. For this review, we decided to include a few different brands of ammo just to
broaden the pistols horizons and see if it
40
Despite the texturing on the back and sides of the pistols grip,
the front strap has serrations to help keep a sure hold.
FNS- 9
GW_1602_41 12/8/15 11:05 PM Page 41
MSRP $599
CARRY THE WORLDS MOST BATTLE-PROVEN BRAND.

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GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 42
THE OVERALL HANDLING

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

sleeve that integrates with the grip for
a more comfortable hold, somewhat
replicating the grip of the full-size FNS.
would perform to the same high standard

that it had previously.
Instead of Federal Premiums 147-grain
American Eagle rounds, which weve tried
previously in this pistol, we opted for some
124-grain Eagles instead. I also threw into
the ammo bag some boxes of 124-grain
42
Hydra Shoks, Federals 115-grain +P+ JHPs

(9PBLE), Hornadys 115-grain Critical Defense FTX, some Black Hills loads including
the 124-grain JHP and the 115-grain JHP
EXP, and HPR Ammunitions 124-grain
JHP. I had more than enough on hand to
give the FNS-9C another good workout!
At this point, I should mention the trigger pull of the FNS-9C. Ive gotten used to it
over time, and it doesnt hamper accuracy as
far as defensive shooting goes, but its not
one youd want for a target match. The trigger pull on my review sample was 7.2
pounds. While that falls into the range the
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 43
One fellow at the range was

immediately drawn to the
FNS-9C as soon as he saw it.
He was convinced before he
nished the second magazine.
factory indicates (5.5-7.5 pounds), its still a

little heavy for my liking.
The overall handling of the FNS-9C,
while shooting, is actually quite good. It
points naturally, and it was very easy to acquire the very visible and enlarged white
front sight. Recoil was barely noticeable for
all but the hottest rounds. Even then, there

was just a bit of movement. In fact, the
more I shot the FNS-9C, the more I actually liked it. I found that the trigger pull
wasnt as much of an issue as I thought in
the beginning.
With regard to accuracy, the FNS-9C
performed pretty well with all the ammunition tested, though it did seem to prefer
heavier bullets. For all the sessions at the
range, the best group at 25 yards had a 15/8 inch spread. That was with Federals
147-grain American Eagle ammunition.
However, all of the other loads mentioned
43
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:27 AM Page 44
During ve different sessions at the range, a variety of ammunition brands have been used to prove out the FNS-9C thanks
to the support of several suppliers, including Federal Premium, Hornady, Black Hills, and HPR Ammunition.
in this article shot groups in the two-to-four

inch range at 25 yards, more than good
enough for defensive applications.
VELOCITY
When using a shorter barrel length, there
always seems to be some concern that
enough velocity will be lost to significantly
affect a bullets performance. For pistols, in
all but the most extreme cases, the barrel
length difference isnt enough to bother me.
With todays bullet technology, most modern
hollow-point designs are going to perform as
expected for the most part.
But, there are those who have concerns
and dig into the velocity data for rounds out
of shorter-barreled pistols. For those folks,
we did some velocity testing with the various
loads to get an idea of any significant differences that could affect terminal performance,
and those results are in the accompanying
table (see page 45).
All in all, the velocities werent that far
off from the factory ratings while using the
shorter-barreled pistol. Also, keep in mind
that the velocity measurements were taken
10 feet from the muzzle, whereas the factory
ratings were measured at the muzzle. Take
44
After hundreds of rounds of at least ten different types of ammunition, the best group at 25
yards was this 1-5/8 inch group with Federal Premiums 147-grain American Eagle rounds.
GW-FNS9-34-45.qxp 12/10/15 5:28 AM Page 45
that into account, and theres not much of a

difference between most of the loads.
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
The first thing I should mention is that I
used more types of ammunition with the
FNS-9C than Ive used with any other review pistol, and there was not a single malfunctionno matter what I fed the pistol.
Given that the size of the FNS-9C is between
a compact and sub-compact pistol, its surprising the number of appointments that
were present, including an accessory rail and

ambidextrous controls.
Whether its your primary concealed
weapon, or just a backup, the FNS-9C is a
warriors weapon. There may be a couple of
weak links in the chain, such as the trigger
pull and the magazine release. However,
once you get used to the trigger, you dont
even notice it when youre actually shooting.
In fact, the trigger pull has smoothed up
quite a bit after a little range time. Considering all the other excellent characteristics of
the FNS-9C, working around the magazine

release is well worth the effort, and it may
not affect some people at all.
The utter reliability I experiencedalong
with the finish, the excellent sights, and the
three included magazinesmake this pistol a
great value considering the MSRP is just
$599, with a considerably lower street price.
If youre looking for a robust, concealedcarry weapon that will hold up in the worst
of times, the FNS-9 Compact should definitely be at the top of your list! GW
No Ordinary
CCW
SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: 9mm
Operation: Double-action
Sights: Fixed 3-dot or Fixed 3-dot night
M1913 Accessory Rail
Magazine: (2) 12-round magazines and (1) 17-round
magazine
Weight: 23.4 oz. (empty)
Barrel Length: 3.6 inches
Overall Length: 6.7 inches
Trigger Pull: 5.5-7.7 pounds
Available in Standard and Manual Safety
Made in the USA
MSRP: $599
CONTACT
FNH USA
(703) 288-3500
FNHUSA.com
VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS AT 10 FEET
American Eagle 124 Gr. FMJ

HPR Ammunition 124 Gr. FMJ
Hornady Crit. Def. 115 Gr. FTX
Federal 115 Gr. +P+ JHP
Federal 124 Gr. Hydra-Shok
Black Hills 115 Gr. JHP EXP
Black Hills 124 Gr. JHP +P
Test Results
Factory Rating
1007 fps
937 fps
1077 fps
1170 fps
1103 fps
1144 fps
1171 fps
1150 fps
1017 fps
1140 fps
1300 fps
1120 fps
1200 fps
1200 fps
45
GW_1602_46 12/8/15 11:08 PM Page 46
JANTZ
GLUES & FILLERS
SUPPLY
HANDLE EXOTICS WEEKKEND

PROJECT
OUTDOORSMAN SERIES
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Gemsbok Horn
Bond porous and non-porous materials
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Mammoth Tooth
SUPER T GAP FILLER is a medium gap filling
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300 cps). Cures within 10-25 seconds giving
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Merino Ram Horn
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
SIZE PRICE
SC101
Hot Stuff Original
2 oz
12.95
Giraffe Bone
SC102
Hot Stuff Original
4 oz 24.59
Blesbok Horn
SC103
Super T Medium
2 oz
12.95
Nguni Horn
SC104
Special T Thick
2 oz 13.45
Wildebeest Leather
Coral
SC105
Quick Accelerator
6 oz
15.95
SC106
Solvent Debonder
2 oz
10.95
Yellowstone
Overall 9", blade 4" x 1" & 1/8" thick.

CAT.#
DESPRIPTION
Kit with Silver-Black
SS63209
Kit with Rosewood
SS63225
Kit with Black Ink Cocobolo
SS63249
Leather Sheath
KT102
PRICE
24.95
24.95
24.95
14.50
Bigfoot Skinner
Overall 9-1/8", blade 4" x 1" & 1/8" thick.

CAT.#
DESPRIPTION
PRICE
SS63309
24.95
Kit with Rosewood
SS63325
24.95
SS63349
24.95
Leather Sheath
KT102
14.50
Dakota Drop Point
DESERT IRONWOOD
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G5 Epoxy
We have the largest selection of ironwood burl

available. Ironwood is one of the hardest, rarest
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or move. This naturally stable wood is easy to
work. Scales are matched sets, each piece
measures 3/8 x 1 1/2 x 5 long. Blocks
are 1 1/8 x 1 1/2 x 5 long. Sizes are
approximate.
Overall 9 1/2", blade 4 3/4" x 1 1/2" & 1/8" thick.

CAT.#
DESPRIPTION
PRICE
SS63909
24.95
Kit with Rosewood
SS63925
24.95
SS63949
24.95
Leather Sheath
KT111
14.50
Montana Gut Hook

WEST SYSTEM EPOXY cures to a highstrength plastic solid at room temperatures.
Designed specifically to bond to a wide range
of materials including fiberglass, many metals,
High Contrast
wood, fabrics, foam and other composite
materials. The 206 slow-cure hardener has
a working time of 90 to 110 minutes at 70F
with a minimum cure temperature of 60F.
Cure time for maximum strength is 1-4 days.
G-FLEX EPOXY are toughened, resilient twopart epoxies engineered for superior grip to Exhibition Burl
metals, plastics, glass, masonry, fiberglass,
and difficult to bond woods. G-Flex makes
bonds that absorb the stresses of expansion,
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Presentation Burl
in 3-4 hours with workable cure in 7-10 hours.
G5 EPOXY is an easy to use, fast curing
epoxy system for quick repairs, tooling and
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
general bonding. Bonds to wood, fiberglass, CAT.#
High Contrast Scales
16.00
and metal. 1:1 mixture. Cures in 3-5 minutes. EW170
EW270
High Contrast Block
21.00
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
WE105A
1 qt #105 Resin
39.71 EW172
Exhibition Burl Scales
35.00
WE206A
.44 pt #206 Slow Hardener
20.50 EW272
Exhibition Burl Block
40.00
WE6508
G/Flex Liquid 4 oz.
22.49
WE6558
G/Flex Pre-Thickened 4.5 oz. 24.65 EW173
Presentation Burl Scales
40.00
WE8654
G5 Minute Adhesive
21.48 EW273
Presentation Burl Block
45.00
Overall 9 1/2", blade 4 3/4" x 1 1/2" & 1/8" thick.

CAT.#
DESPRIPTION
PRICE
SS63809
24.95
Kit with Rosewood
SS63825
24.95
SS63849
24.95
Leather Sheath
KT111
14.50
Bear Paw Hatchet
Overall 9-5/8", blade 2-5/8" wide at cutting edge,

3/16" thick.
CAT.#
DESPRIPTION
PRICE
SS63109
29.95
Kit with Rosewood
SS63125
29.95
SS63149
29.95
Leather Sheath
KT631
12.95
GW_1602_47 12/8/15 11:09 PM Page 47
KNIFEMAKING.COM
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Own or gift a One Of A Kind folding knife that

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Pins available in 3 3/4 lengths also.

Overall length is 6 5/8" when opened, 3 3/4"
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Requires drill bits #TD8, #TD40 and #TD50.
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
SS776
Whitetail
39.95 Light, well balanced, beautifully shaped,
designed to be used often, this super tough
and flexible blade has a Keen-Edge flat ground
from 8A stainless. 12 1/2" overall with a full 8
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Opens to a full 7 1/8", measures 4 1/8" cutlery rivets or use 5/32" or smaller pins.
Paw Prints TM Mosaic Pins TM on Tan G10 with
closed. Blade edge is 2 3/4". Nickel silver CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE scrimshaw design. Custom knife designed
bolster, brass liner and pins.
SS107
8 3/4" Chefs Blade
18.95 and built by Jose Gpe. Ruiz Garcia, Mexico.
Requires drill bits #TD47 and #TD50.
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
SS771
Lynx
34.95
Lynx
Cook's Blade
Blackhawk
Overall length of 6" opened, 3 5/8" closed.
Blade is 2 1/2" long. Nickel silver bolster, brass
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Requires drill bits #TD47 and #TD50.
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
SS773
Blackhawk
34.95
Elk
Clip point lockback opens to 8 1/4" overall,
4 3/4" closed, blade edge is 3 1/4". Nickel
silver bolster and stainless steel liner, brass
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#TD31, #TD40 & #TD50.
CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
SS779
Elk
49.95
Walnut & Walnut Burl
1/4" x 12
1/4" x 12
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One of the most used knives in the kitchen

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all around camp knife. 10 1/2" overall with a 6"
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to the tip of the blade. Super tough 8A flat ground
Keen-Edge stays sharp. 5/32" rivet holes for use
with 5/16" cutlery rivets or 5/32" or smaller pins.
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CAT.#
DESCRIPTION
PRICE Black Eyed Suzy
#MP810 $14.95 #MP860 $18.95 #MP880 $18.95
SS106
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16.95
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Golden Ring
CAT.#
SS108
DESCRIPTION
Steak Blade
Diamond Crystal
PRICE
10.95
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#MP300 $22.95 #MP310 $22.95 #MP340 $29.95
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Good contrast and grain. Color will vary
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Blocks are 1 x 1 1/2 x 5 long. Scales are
matched sets, each piece measures 3/8 x 1
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CAT.#
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PRICE
EW116
Walnut Scale Set
4.95
EW216
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4.50
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12.95
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12.50
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19.95
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Perfect size for a steak or paring knife. Super #MP510 $22.95 #MP520 $22.95 #MP530 $22.95
tough 8A stainless blade is 7 1/2" overall, 3 3/16 Diameter x 12 Length
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CAT.#
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DESCRIPTION
Santoku Blade
PRICE
18.95
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GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 48
48
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 49
A Proper
Proposal
THE FBI RECENTLY ISSUED A
REQUEST FOR TWO NEW 9MM
PISTOLS, AND THE BID SPECS
ARE MANY AND DETAILED
TEXT & PHOTOS BY LEROY THOMPSON
HIS PAST OCTOBER, the Federal Bureau of

Investigation issued a Request for Proposal
(RFP-OSCU-DSU1503) for two new FBI pistolsa full-sized model and a compact. Although no explanation was given for the
decision to adopt a new pistol, a couple of my contacts who
are FBI agents have stated that some trainees going through
the academy (as well as other agents) experienced trouble dealing with the recoil of the .40 S&W Glock 22/23s currently on
issue and, as a result, have had trouble qualifying.
If youve ever wondered how and why an organization such as
the FBI goes about this process, it is fascinating in a deeply detailed sort of way, especially if youve never been exposed to such a
process. But whether you have or havent, well pull back the curtain just a bit to provide an overview of the process, highlight just a
few of the bid specs (in several individual sidebars) and then provide comparisons of a few handgun models that meet or exceed
some or all of the requested criteria.
This past October, the FBI

issued a Request for Proposal
for two new FBI pistolsa fullsized model and a compact.
49
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 50
THE GLOCK 17 AND

19 MEET MOST
CRITERIAWITH A FEW
EXCEPTIONS.
50
The Glock 19 Gen 2s

grip without nger
grooves ts the bid
specs, but the Glock 19
Gen 4s grip at the
bottom does not (due
to the nger grooves).
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 51
Specs call for the

ability to alter the grip
to t three different
hand sizes.
NEW PISTOL BID SPECS

The request mentioned above contains the bid specs for the new pistols,
and the very first sentence states that the
pistols will be 9mm. One is to be a Class
I compact pistol with a barrel length between 3.75 and 4.25 inches, a minimum
magazine capacity of 14 rounds, night
sights, six magazines, an FBI-approved
gun lock, an operators manual thats
written in English and a stackable, hardplastic container.
The second pistol is to be a Class II
full-size pistol with a barrel length between 4.26 and 5.20 inches, a minimum
magazine capacity of 16 rounds, night
sights, six magazines, an FBI-approved
gun lock, an operators manual thats
written in English and a stackable, hardplastic container.
Also included in the bid specs are a
Red Handle inert pistol and a Blue Handle Man Marking training pistol (Simunition), as well as spare parts for the pistols.
The Class I, Class II and training pistols
are all required to have the same operating characteristics.
Under the section dealing with caliber,

it is specified that the pistol must be capable of firing 9mm Luger ammunition that
complies with SAAMI specifications. Contacts who are familiar with the FBIs testing of 9mm ammunition have informed
me that the Speer G2 147-grain GDHP
round is the one the FBI plans to adopt.
GLOCK 17 AND 19
The Glock 17 and 19 meet most criteriawith a few exceptions. The most notable is the Gen 4s finger grooves, which
are not acceptable. Presumably, a frame
of the type used on Gen 2 pistols (which
lacks finger grooves) could be used. However, the Gen 4s ability to switch backstrips would need to be retained.
The Glock 17 and 19 do not meet the
requirement for the 0.50-inch difference
in barrel lengths: The Glock 17 has a
4.48-inch barrel, and the Glock 19 has a
4.01-inch barrel. These Glocks also do not
meet a few other preferred (but not required) specs. For example, the FBI
prefers a Picatinny rail, while Glock uses
its universal rail.
51
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 52
The SIG Sauer P320

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

the FBI specications
because of its paddle
magazine release. If a version
were produced with a button
release in the required
position, it would presumably
qualify. (Photo: HK USA)
52
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:42 AM Page 53
Specs also call for the

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

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

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

Like the other candidates, the FNS
pistols do not offer two sizes of magazine
release. In addition, they do not feature
two sizes of slide release lever or three
sight heights. And, while the other three
candidates offer Trijicon night sights, the
FNS 9 offers AmericGlo tritium night
sights instead.
53
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 54
Specs call for tritium night

sights surrounded by a white
outline for use in daylight.
None of the candidates meets the preferred criterion of a colored, high-visibility

magazine follower, nor do they meet the preferred criterion of a magazine well for the
Class II (full-sized) pistol to be flared more
than 0.100 inch.
OTHER POSSIBLE
CANDIDATES
Two other pistols meet most of the criteria but would not be considered, based on
certain characteristics. The Walther PPQ M2
meets other criteria but does not offer a factory 16-round magazine without the need for
an extended floor plate. The HK VP 9 would
be eliminated, because it lacks a compact
version and uses a paddle magazine release.
Handicapping the pistol that is likely to
54
Magazines are required to have witness holes to

allow a rapid check of cartridges in the magazine.
GW_1602_55 12/8/15 11:16 PM Page 55
Be Prepared With
This Cutting-Edge
Combo!
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GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 56
BID SPECIFICATIONS
1 SLIDE
Slide must have grasping grooves at the rear;

Additional grasping grooves at the front of the slide
are acceptable;
Slide must fully cover the barrel with no more than
0.25 inch of the barrel ex posed; and
To fully pull back the slide, a maximum of 21 pounds
of force is acceptable.
2 SAFETIES
Manual external safeties, de-cocking levers and

grip safeties are not allowed;
Pistol should be incapable of ring when out
of battery;
The ring pin/striker should not be capable of release
while the trigger is held back after ring; and
There should be a ring pin/striker block that prevents the ring pin or striker from moving forward
without pulling the trigger.
3 MAGAZINES
Magazines must positively lock in the magazine well;

Longer, Class II magazines must also t and
function in the Class I pistols;
No extended magazines or + oor plates;
Magazines must fall free when the mag catch
is pressed, whether full or empty, and
whether the slide is forward or locked back;
Magazine components must have a corrosion-resistant nish;
The follower should be nonbinding;
The follower should have a high-visibility
color (not required);
56
4 TRIGGER
The pull should remain consistent for rst

and subsequent shots;
Firing pin/striker-red only;
Pistol may only be cocked by pulling
the trigger;
If there is a trigger safety, it is preferred
that it match the contour of the trigger;
Trigger pull should be no fewer than
4.5 pounds or more than 6.0 pounds;
Pistol must not re with a pull of fewer
than 4.25 pounds and must re with a
pull of 6 pounds; and
No manually adjustable triggers.
Magazines should have witness holes to

allow quick check if loaded;
The oor plate should
* be removable without specially designed tools and remain affixed when
dropped from a height of 48 inches
onto a hard surface, even when the
magazine is fully loaded;
* aid in positively seating the magazine;
* allow a positive grip to extract a magazine quickly; and
* have a small ledge/protrusion on the
front of the magazine to aid in rapid
extraction.
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 57
5 EXTERNAL SLIDE STOP LEVER
The slide stop must lock slide to the rear after the last round in the
magazine is red;
Shooter must be able to readily engage or disengage the slide stop while
maintaining control of the pistol;
Slide stop lever should be designed so the shooter is unlikely to inadvertently
engage or disengage it;
Slide stop lever should be easily manipulated by right- or left-handed
shooters (ambidextrous levers are acceptable); and
Standard and extended slide stop levers must be available.
6 SIGHTS
Sights to be made of steel sturdy enough to endure 20,000 rounds red and
also allowing use to push back the slide in one-handed IA
(immediate action) drills;
Black and non-reective;
Rear sight adjustable with a sight pusher and for elevation by replacing with
a different height (at least three heights required to be marked with a
symbol indicating relative heights);
Luminous night sights with a minimum service life of 10 years;
Luminous portion must have a white outline visible to the shooter; and
High-visibility sights such as Trijicon HD required.
7 FRAME/RECEIVER
Frame will not have nger grooves;

Frame must have a nonslip gripping surface;
Frame must allow for three different hand sizes (S, M, L), either through
multiple grip/frame inserts or multiple frame sizes (i.e., SIG P320 type); and
Frame to have an accessory rail (preferably with locking slot groove
of 0.206 inch).
8 EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL FINISH
All exposed parts to be matte black, non-reective;

Exterior parts must be non-snag;
Frame and slide to be available in Flat Dark Earth and Ranger Green;
Inert training pistol shall have a red frame and slide;
Simunitions training pistol to have blue slide and blue or black frame;
All internal surfaces should be polished for reliability; and
Internal parts should be durable and rust or saltwater corrosion resistant.
The bid specifications are extremely detailed (the document is, unsurprisingly, more than one hundred
pages long), so I will only provide a partial overview of the more salient bid spec requirements.
In addition to the several Ive listed here, the bid specs also detail quality-control procedures,
delivery times, packaging and various other details. These copious bid specs provide an idea of
the FBIs requirements as concisely as possible, but it should be quite obvious that the FBI knows
exactly what it wants.
The next question is: Which pistols are likely to meet the criteria? As I write this, there are four
pistols that do meet the criteriaor can meet them relatively easily.
57
GW-FBI-48-59.qxp 12/10/15 3:43 AM Page 58
ACADEMY TRAINING
IS DESIGNED AROUND
THE GLOCK.
be selected is only speculation, but I am willing to offer some considerations. In addition

to the sale of pistols for tens of thousands of
FBI agents, other federal agencies are also
possible buyers for the pistol thats selected
by the FBI.
Keep in mind that the prestige of supplying the pistol used by the FBI will influence
other law enforcement agencies to purchase
it, as well. As a result, pistol manufacturers
are likely to make any changes needed to
meet the FBI requirements.
Glock would appear to have certain advantages. Glock 22 and 23 .40 S&W pistols
were adopted by the FBI in 1997 and have
been issued ever since. As a result, agents,
instructors and armorers are familiar with
the Glock.
Academy training is designed around the
Glock. Price might also be a factor (but the
FBI is a well-funded agency). Still, of the
four main contenders, the Glock is normally
the least expensive and the SIG 320 the most
expensive. The FBI has a lot of negotiating
power, so its price will likely be better than
the normal consumer price.
I found it interesting that the bid specs
58
require the new pistol to fit three different

hand sizes; this would indicate that the SIG
P320 or P320C would come with three grips
rather than grip panels, as on the other pistol candidates. Not only would this increase
the cost of the P320 by $75 to $100, it also
seems unnecessary. It would be more logical
for the FBI armorers to fit the proper grip
when an agent qualifies with the pistol and
to maintain spares in all three sizes.
Generally, based on comments made by
friends who have been FBI agents, it seems
the FBI does not like agents tinkering with
their pistols switching entire polymer
lower grip assemblies would seem to qualify
as tinkering to me.
No accuracy standards are specified in the
bid specs. Presumably, when testing the various designs, this will be a consideration, but
perhaps there is an assumption that all the
candidates will produce an accurate pistol.
BID SPEC HISTORY

The 9mm will not be the first pistol the
FBI has ordered with very detailed bid specs.
The 1076 adopted after the Miami shootout
was designed by S&W to FBI specs.
A blue Simunitions
training pistol is
required to be
produced for forceon-force training.
For various reasons, after its adoption in

1990, the 1076 remained on issue for only a
few years. One problem arose from the trigger group specified by the FBI. This was
later corrected. Although some agents really
liked the 1076, it was considered heavy and
had too much recoil for some. As a result, a
lighter, 10mm cartridge was developed. Nevertheless, the S&W was still replaced.
Rather than developing specs to which
bidding pistol manufacturers are expected to
adhere, the current 9mm FBI pistol specifications seem designed to find a pistol among
those already developed that will suit the
FBIs needs.
This seems to be a sound idea, because
the pistols will already have been tested extensively. The bid specs seem designed to enhance agent training and effectiveness and
also keep agents safe. That is the job of the
training cadre at Quantico, and it appears
they want a pistol that best suits the needs of
the agents they are training, as well as those
already on the streets.
I look forward to seeing what the final
new FBI 9mm pistol looks like when
adopted. GW
GW_1602_59 12/11/15 3:52 AM Page 59
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GW-ONLINE-60-69.qxp 12/10/15 5:33 AM Page 60
Todays savvy gun buyer has a surplus of

resources and research materials available,
and can easily nd bargains by shopping
online. (Henry DeKuyper photo)
60
Just One Click
FROM ONLINE RESEARCH AND BARGAINS TO HIGH-END

AUCTION HOUSE SALES, THE INTERNET CONTINUES TO
BROADEN THE REACH OF THE INDUSTRY.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY CASSANDRA FAULKNER
TS EASY TO BLAME the Internet

for everything. But if youre a buyer
or seller of firearms and related accessories, your business has probably
come a long way thanks to the proliferation of online sales. And if you have
purchased a firearm in the past decade,
youve undoubtedly done a good portion of
your research via your computer or other
electronic device.
In the modern virtual marketplace, the

clicking sound has taken on a whole new
meaning for shooters everywhere.
A decade ago, fewer than half of firearms
sales and/or transfers were processed online,
but that figure has changed drastically. A national survey of over 330 firearms retailers
conducted in 2011 by Proactive Strategies indicated that nearly 95% of responding retailers were performing Internet transfers.
Todays savvy gun buyer can find numerous bargains by shopping online, and a seller
can reach far more people by offering their
wares online through various websites such
as Gunbroker or Guns International. According to Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates, an online market research firm,
online retail sales of handguns went up 9%
in the past four years, and shotguns jumped
5.5%. The largest increase has been in rifles
(not surprising, considering the political climate and a concern that AR-15 style rifles
were going to be banned). Retail sales of rifles shot up (no pun intended) 26.3%.
61
GW-ONLINE-60-69 cx 12/14/15 9:56 PM Page 62
Before home computers and the Internet, companies would place direct mail advertisements in gun magazines to generate
sales. This government surplus catalog ad is from 1966.
HERE TO STAY
The Internet is not going away, and its
going to continue to gobble up large market
shares, says S.P. Fjestad, author and publisher of the Blue Book of Gun Values. Any gun
currently manufactured is a commodity, and
commodities always react to two factors
supply and demand. The supply portion of
the marketplace is about the same as it has
always been. The demand side is a completely different animal because of brick and
mortar stores. There have never been more
ways for a consumer to find out what the
lowest price is on modern guns.
Traditional brick and mortar stores have
also adapted to the changing marketplace.
Kevin Cherry, owner of Cherrys Fine Guns
in Greensboro, NC, is a third generation retailer. Cherrys was founded in 1929 by my
grandfather Earl. It was a service station that
sold guns, fishing and tackle supplies, and
outboard motors and boats. Eventually, we
ceased having a storefront and did everything
through direct mail. By 1964, my father Bob
had a new building and a full-line sporting
goods store. I started the Cherrys website in
62
GW-ONLINE-60-69 cx 12/14/15 9:56 PM Page 63
Val Forgett Sr., founder of Navy Arms, circa 1961. Val Sr. was responsible for starting the replica industry in the late 1950s when he partnered
with Italys Aldo Uberti to build replicas of the 1851 Navy. (Image courtesy of Val Forgett III.)
TRADITIONAL
BRICK AND
MORTAR STORES
HAVE ALSO
ADAPTED TO THE
CHANGING
MARKETPLACE.
With applications for CCW

permits on the rise, sales
are brisk for smaller guns
such as Ruger's LC9s
(Dave Workman photo).
63
Smith & Wessons 686

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

CAN FIND NUMEROUS BARGAINS
BY SHOPPING ONLINE
the late 1990s. When we changed locations,

we no longer had a retail store. But there
was too much business and we opened back
up. Im in a location where people want to
see the guns, and if you dont let them touch
them, they walk and you lose a sale.
A lot of distributors have created an online network of places where the consumer
can buy guns, so what they are doing is setting up a retail outlet to funnel their guns
through and selling online at a cheap price
(below retail price), says Cherry. A lot of
online upstarts have appeared in the past
three to four years, but many will only supply dealers. This allows a sale to the public
who has to find an FFL. Were not losing
sales a transfer fee for us is found money.
We charge $30 and average about two to
three per day. We replaced mail order with
online business, and 70% of our business is
done over the phone or through our website.
Val Forgett III also knows how the Inter-
64
net has changed the face of how he does

business. Vals late father, Val Forgett Sr.,
revolutionized the black powder reproductions and replicas business in 1958 when he
partnered with Italys Aldo Uberti to make
copies of the 1851 Navy. He would drive to
gun shows, rodeos and cowboy action shooting events, demonstrating and selling guns
out of the trunk of his car. Later he capitalized on the Civil War Centennial.
It was a different way of doing business
back then, says Forgett. You would order
some guns, take out an ad in a few gun magazines, wait 30 days and hope to get some orders. Now you can make a video and post it
on YouTube for next to nothing and get your
message out there for millions of people to
see.
Forgetts three companies, Navy Arms,
Gibbs Rifle and Old Western Scrounger,
have individually benefited from an increased online presence. We sell Navy Arms
through our distribution network, but Gibbs
Rifle is mainly military surplus, and since

theres a bit of unpredictability in terms of
how much supply you can get, its easier to
sell to the consumer directly through dealers
and FFLs.
LEVERAGE FOR
THE LITTLE GUY
Utilizing the Internet has also made a
substantial difference in how smaller companies compete with larger manufacturers. Its
been a great asset for companies like mine
we get a larger footprint without having to
spend huge amounts of money in advertising, Forgett says.
Having a website and a presence in social
media was also useful when Forgett bought
Old Western Scrounger back in 2005. The
company specializes in hard to find and obsolete ammunition, and many of its consumers are collectors. Being online has
been huge in terms of sales. Before, a lot of
times, you could only find that kind of
GW_1602_65 12/8/15 11:18 PM Page 65
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umber K91-14690.
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TODAYS SAVVY GUN BUYER CAN FIND NUMEROUS

BARGAINS BY SHOPPING ONLINE
ammo at gun shows, and now you can search

the web for it.
Online sales have also changed the climate of gun shows. Gun show selection has
gone down, and pricing has gone up, says
S.P. Fjestad. Why would a dealer spend the
money to go to a gun show when he could
sell on the Internet with no overhead? You
have to buy tables, pay for hotels, food and
transportation and in the end, a gun show
might end up costing you money.
Fjestad notes that a large portion of transactions at shows he attends are not dealer to
66
consumer theyre dealer to dealer or dealer

to auction house. On Sunday at the Antique
Arms show in Las Vegas, you can see the
auction house representatives walking
around talking to dealers and relieving them
of their inventory that didnt sell. Its also
unusual to see a lot of currently manufactured guns at a gun show these days. Id say
its maybe 15%.
What this means for online buyers is
more selection and better pricing. A little research and some due diligence can result in
serious cost savings, especially for rifles. The
rifle marketplace has spiraled down to a

price point under $500 a direct result of
meeting consumer demand.
The increase of online sales demand has
also affected the sales of shooting accessories.
We sell our products online through a variety of distributors, and our sales are steady,
says Mike Wenner, president of Birchwood
Casey, well-known manufacturer of popular
shooting products such as the Shoot N-C and
Dirty Bird targets. Our best sellers online
are products that folks cant get locally.
The rise in popularity of online firearms
ONLINE TOP SELLERS

Although many used guns are sold online, heres
a short list of the top selling new rearms on
Gunbroker.com (as of December 2015):
Although it made its debut
more than 50 years ago, the
versatile Ruger 10-22 continues
to be highly sought.
Semi Auto Pistols

1 Kel Tec PMR-30
2 Sig Sauer 1911
3 Ruger Charger
4 Glock 19
5 FNH USA Five-seveN
Revolvers
1 Smith & Wesson 686
2 Heritage Arms Rough Rider
3 Ruger GP-100
4 Smith & Wesson 629
5 Ruger LCR
Semi Auto Ries
1 Ruger 10/22
2 Colt AR-15
3 Kel Tec Sub 2000
4 FNH USA PS90
5 Smith & Wesson M&P
Bolt Action Ries
1 Remington 700
2 Ruger American Rie
3 Savage 25
4 Browning X-Bolt
5 CZ-USA 452
Lever Action Ries
1 Henry Repeating Arms Golden Boy
2 Henry Repeating Arms Big Boy
3 Winchester 1873
4 Marlin 1895
5 Henry Repeating Arms H004
Several versions of the Colt

AR-15 remain near the top of
the semi auto rie online
sales chart.
Semi Auto Shotguns

1 Saiga Shotgun
2 Mossberg 930
3 Beretta A400
4 Remington 1100
5 Benelli M4 Tactical
Pump Action Shotguns
1 Kel Tec KSG
2 Mossberg 500
3 Remington 870
4 Browning BPS
5 Mossberg 835
transactions has also become a target for

those opposed to legal firearms ownership.
Despite what opponents would have the general public believe, there are no background
check loopholes when buying firearms online. The process is no different than any
brick and mortar retail transaction at your
local gun store. Your gun needs to go to an
FFL and you need to follow the rules of your
particular state to legally take possession.
After the horrific attacks in Paris, all
kinds of social media drama took place about
how easy it was for the terrorists to acquire
weapons. What this group neglected to mention is that France has some extremely restrictive laws regarding gun ownership, and
the terrorists acquired their guns on the
black market, not through online brokers.
Unfortunately, anti-gun groups seized on
this recent tragedy hoping to create new
anti-gun legislation and what they consider
to be common sense gun laws. You can bet
that restrictions for purchasing firearms
through reputable online outlets such as
Gunbroker and Gallery of Guns would definitely be on that wish list.
AUCTION HOUSE GROWTH

Business has increased not only for online
retailers but for auction houses as well. Gunbroker.com is by far and away the largest Internet auction site, and has been in business
for over 15 years. According to
Gunbroker.coms own numbers, there are
750,000 listings per day, with 22,000 registered FFL dealers and 3.25 million registered
users. Gunbroker averages 6.5 million visits
per month. S.P. Fjestad serves on the board
of the Hunting Heritage Trust with Gunbrokers CEO, Steve Urvan.
67
The Five-seveN from

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

me that in 14 months they did $1B in sales,
says S.P. Fjestad, and at least $1M per day
since the Obama election. But he cant separate between guns and accessories in terms of
actual sales numbers.
The companys website boasts of over $3B
in sales. According to Gunbrokers timeline,
it took over 10 years for the company to
reach $1B in sales, less than four years to
reach $2B, and thanks to an anti-gun political climate, less than two years to reach $3B.
A healthy climate of online sales can only
benefit the outdoor industry and the consumer by offering goods online, companies
reach a larger market and get their products
in front of more people who might be interested in purchasing a particular kind of
firearm and/or accessory. Consumers will
benefit from business competition, resulting
in lower prices and more variety. Barring
any future legislative restrictions (always a
possibility), online sales will continue to
drive the ever-changing faces of the firearms
and outdoor marketplaces. GW
68
The Blue Book of Gun Values, updated annually, is

one of many hard copy resources available for
shoppers hoping to land a gun auction bargain.
GW_1602_69 12/8/15 11:23 PM Page 69
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GW-HANDGUNS-70-75.qxp 12/10/15 12:03 AM Page 70
HANDGUNS
Returnof the
P225
SIG SAUER HAS REINTRODUCED ITS
POPULAR 9MM SEMI-AUTO PISTOL
SIG Sauer has reintroduced the

P225 to its lineup, and its a winner.
This popular double/single action
pistol has a couple of renements
handgunners will like.
70
TEXT & PHOTOS BY DAVE WORKMAN
OPULARITY IS A CRAZY THING;

one day something is hot, the next
not so much.
And sometimes, there is no rational
reason for the change in perception.
So when a handgun companyin this case SIG
Sauernot only revives a previously popular model
but also does so with slight improvements, thats
saying something.
Specifically, SIG Sauer has brought back the P225A1 with what it calls an enhanced Short Reset Trigger.
Ive fired a couple of P225s and if the improved trigger
is all they say it is, the P225-A1 is going to win a lot of
fans rather quickly.
The P225-A1 measures 6.9 inches overall, which is
more compact than my normal Lightweight Com-
mander carry gun. The grip frame is a bit shorter, too,

translating to better concealment and easier carrying.
Okay, so its chambered in 9mm. And its a single
stack with an eight-round capacity. So what? That puts
nine rounds in the pistol with one up the spout, and
in a gunfight, speed and firepower may be good but accuracy is better. SIG Sauer makes accurate pistols, and
they seem to last.
Pair this pistol up with some of SIG Sauers VCrown Elite Performance ammunition, and no doubt
youll have a superb combination that will stop fights
and win them. Out of the P225s 3.6-inch barrel, those
124-grain JHPs are going to sizzle. I was also impressed with the magazine, which features a polymer
floorplate and follower, and it is marked to reveal at a
glance how many rounds it holds.
71
HANDGUNS
There are many holster
choices for the P225,
including some wearing
the SIG Sauer brand.
Todays 9mm ammo is the result of lots of

research and development. There is such a
variety out there that its self-deceptive to
think this caliber wont do the job. Just pick
the right load and youre in business.
Now, as to the capacity, all one can say is
that nine rounds fired by somebody who really knows how to handle a double-action
semi-auto are likely going to be ample to respond to an emergency. If theyre not, youve
got a spare magazine, and if that wont do,
you need a rifle and not a pistol, as blasphemous as that might sound. Matter of fact, in
a situation like that, you really need to be
someplace else!
My son owns a vintage SIG Sauer P220
in .45 ACPwithout the accessory rail (a fea-
72
Another feature Workman likes

is the recess at the rear of the
trigger guard to allow a slightly
higher hold for a solid grip.
SIG Sauer equips the P225A1 with SIGLITE tritium

night sights front and rear.
ture Ive never cared for because I dont stick

lasers or lights on a sidearm)and its a reliable, accurate pistol. The 9mm Sigs that Ive
fired over the years all functioned with all
kinds of ammunition, but my strong recommendation is to never load these quality
handguns with anything but quality ammo.
Ditto any Sig in .40-caliber, or .380 ACP
thats landed in my sticky palms.
The SIG Sauer P225-A1 has a stainless
steel slide with a Nitron finish, a hard coat
anodized frame, SIGLITE night sights dovetailed fore and aft with a 5.2-inch sight radius, and two-piece synthetic grips with
molded checkering and SIG medallions. As
it happened, when SIG Sauer advised me
that this gun was being reintroduced, a
The SIG P225-A1 holds an eight-round

single-stack magazine that allows for visibly
checking the number of cartridges.
QUALITY AMMO WEARS

THE SIG SAUER LABEL
SIG Sauer also offers a line of ammunition, with offerings in .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9mm, .38 Super, .357 Magnum and .38 Special.
According to SIG, the .38 Super is a +P load and there are two versions from which to choose. One load,
for practice, features a 125-grain FMJ bullet, while the street/defensive round is a 125-grain V-Crown JHP.
Both rounds leave the muzzle at 1,230 fps.
This is an example of an interesting phenomenon that has been developing over the past couple of
years, and isnt just limited to SIG. As I was writing this column, it also came to my attention that Browning is
unveiling a line of ammunition under its name for 2016, with selections in rie and pistol calibers, and shotgun shells. There will even be rimres.
Its nothing new. After all, Remington and Winchester ammunition lines are well established with generations of development behind them. A few years ago, Taurus offered a line of ammunition that I tested in
these pages.
Ive used SIG Sauer ammunition in .45-caliber pistols and the stuff is very consistent, producing good accuracy at defensive handgun ranges out to 25 yards and more. My acid test for any handgun and cartridge
combination is to see if I can roll a tin can around at 25 yards, and the SIG Sauer ammo Ive tested over the
past year has passed with ying colors.
As this was written, I took delivery of a box of .38 Specials loaded with 125-grain FMJ at-nose bullets.
Of course this is practice ammunition, with an advertised muzzle velocity of 900 fps packing 225 footpounds of energy.
73
HANDGUNS
THIS PISTOL IS
VERY COMFORTABLE
TO HOLD
The P225-A1 has a handsome

Nitron nish on the machined
stainless steel slide and the
hard coat anodized frame.
74
Pair the P225-A1 with SIG Sauer Elite

Performance ammunition and youve
got a package good for any defensive
challenge that comes along.
quick phone call down the street to Wades

Bellevue Indoor Gun Range and Shop revealed they had a model in the showcase.
And it was a beauty.
What struck me immediately was the recess at the rear of the trigger guard and top
of the front strap to allow for a slightly
higher grip. Its very well done, with checkering on the front strap. This pistol is very
comfortable to hold, and I think thats due
in part to the thin grip profile. Those synthetic panels are very thin, and far more
comfortable than hardwood grips, which
were thicker.
The tritium sights really stood out, and
the guys at the gun shop were just as impressed as I was with the P225s short
trigger reset. The trigger letoff is factory
set at 4.4 pounds, while the double-action
squeezes off at 10 pounds, according to
SIG Sauer literature.
Because the P225 has been around a
while, there are plenty of holsters from
which to choose, made from all kinds of

materials. At 30.5 ounces empty, even
loaded up this pistol is going to carry well. I
didnt have a scale to weigh the loaded specimen, but I can guess a full magazine
weighs about a half-pound more.
Anyone shopping for a reliable, well-built
double-action semi-auto is going to strike
SSK
HANDCANNONS
pay dirt with the P225-A1. The MSRP is

$1,236, and considering reports that Ive received over the years from people who have
put thousands of rounds through SIG pistols, anybody who buys one of these handguns will get his or her moneys worth,
especially if its ever used to stop a lifethreatening incident. GW
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75
GW-RELOAD-76-79.qxp 12/9/15 2:02 AM Page 76
Going Light
in the 40 S&W
LIGHT BULLETS DO NOT MEAN REDUCED PERFORMANCE
Numerous powders are suitable

for loading 135-grain bullets in the
40 S&W, with these being some
of the most appropriate.
(Henry DeKuyper photo)
76
TEXT & PHOTOS BY JAMES E. HOUSE
s with many topics in our modern

world, there are differences of opinion about handgun performance.
One school of thought may favor a
relatively slow-moving bullet thats
heavy for the caliber, while another group favors a
light bullet traveling at high velocity as the way to
achieve effectiveness.
The truth is that with careful bullet placement, either approach will work. That said, it should be mentioned that one of the best handgun loads for defense is
a good, 125-grain bullet in the 357 Magnum.
As auto-loading handguns replaced revolvers in law

enforcement and defense, the 9mm Luger became the
most widely used caliber. However, after some perceived
failures in the performance of the 9mm, some began
to believe that a more powerful caliber would be better.
Developments along those lines led to the design of
the 10mm Auto, which certainly is not lacking in
power. Some of the 10mm Auto factory loads I have
tested produced muzzle energies of more than 600 footpounds. However, the length of the case made it necessary to build the pistols on relatively large, heavy
frames, and blast and recoil are severe.
77
As shown by this group obtained at 25 yards, the 135-grain bullets perform very well in the 40 S&W.
THE 40 S&WHANDGUN
PANACEA
Thus was born the 40 S&W as a sort of
light 10mm that could be fired from pistols
comparable in size and weight to those
chambered for 9mm Luger. The result was
instant acclamation that the 40 S&W was,
indeed, the panacea of handguns.
However, given the recent tremendous
strides made in developing really effective
handgun ammunition, there actually may
not be as much need for the 40 S&W as was
perceived a decade or two ago. In fact, a recent FBI study concluded that in view of the
level of power, controllability and related attributes, the 9mm might be the best choice
in most defense situations.
Nevertheless, the 40 S&W remains extremely popularin spite of the recoil and
blast it generates. The recoil of handguns firing full-power loads increases as bullet
weight increases, so in order to increase controllability, lighter bullets can be utilized.
This situation applies to the 40 S&W, which
is one reason I never load bullets heavier
than 180 grains in that caliber and generally
78
favor bullets toward the lighter end of the

usable range.
What would be the rough equivalent in
the 40 S&W of a very effective, 125-grain 357
Magnum load? Bullet weights for the 40
S&W can range from about 135 to 200
grains, so theres plenty of room for making
a selection.
Some shooters have different ideas, but
my thought is that a 135-grain bullet with a
muzzle velocity of about 1,200 to 1,300 fps
would be hard to beat. The 40 S&W case
does not have the volume of the longer
10mm Auto and, as a result, the stubby 40
S&W case is at its best when loaded with
bullets that are relatively light for the caliber. This project involved testing my choice:
135-grain bullets.
ON TO TESTING
Several 135-grain bullets in 40 caliber are
available, but the two I have used most in
the 40 S&W are the hollow points from
Nosler and Sierra. Both bullets have generous cavities, so expansion is good, and both
are plenty accurate. However, not all bullet
makers produce 40-caliber bullets that are as

light as 135 grains, which means that loading data is not as abundant for the 40
S&W/135-grain combination as it is for heavier bullets. Besides, my own combinations of
components needed to be tested.
Because the case capacity of the 40 S&W
is rather small, handgun powders with
medium burning rates will work best. With
bullets as light as 135 grains, this is especially true.
Accordingly, I selected Hodgdons Titegroup, Longshot and CFE Pistol, Alliant
Unique, IMR 4756, and Winchester 231 and
AutoComp for use in this project. Winchester and Federal cases were primed with Winchester small-pistol primers. Overall
cartridge length is always an issue for any
handgun caliber, especially so for short cases
such as the 9mm Luger and 40 S&W. Consequently, even with the short-for-caliber, 135grain bullets used in this project, cartridge
length was kept just below the maximum of
1.135 inches.
Velocities were measured at 10 feet from
the muzzle by means of a Competition Elec-
LOADING DATA AND RESULTS FOR 40 S&W LOADS USING 135-GRAIN BULLETS
Bullet
Case
Primer
O.L. (inches)
Powder
Gr.
Velocity (fps)
135-gr. Sierra HP
Federal
WSP
1.127
Win. 231
6.5
1,189
135-gr. Sierra HP
Federal
WSP
1.127
AutoComp
7.8
1,248
135-gr. Sierra HP
Federal
WSP
1.127
IMR 4756
8.0
1,203
135-gr. Sierra HP
Win.
WSP
1.127
CFE Pistol
8.0
1,232
135-gr. Sierra HP
Federal
WSP
1.127
Titegroup
5.9
1,165
135-gr. Nosler HP
Win.
WSP
1.127
IMR 4756
8.1
1,214
135-gr. Nosler HP
Win.
WSP
1.127
Titegroup
6.0
1,164
135-gr. Nosler HP
Win.
WSP
1.127
Unique
6.3
1,057
135-gr. Nosler HP
Win.
WSP
1.127
CFE Pistol
8.0
1,246
Notes: Velocities are shown as the average for ve shots.

Great care must always be used in loading ammunition, and this is especially true for the 40 S&W. The case is short, which results in heavier bullets being seated deeply
in the case. Pressure increases greatly with small changes in loading parameters. Additionally, some pistols have a chamber design that does not fully support the case.
These loads were safe and reliable in the authors handgun, but neither the author nor the publisher accepts any responsibility for their preparation and use by others
or for typographical errors.
tronics ProChrono chronograph. Load

details and results obtained are summarized in the accompanying table.
The 40 S&W loads utilizing 135-grain
bullets performed very well. All fed reliably, and although I did not perform
measurements on groups, it was apparent that accuracy at 25 yards was comparable to what my eyes and grip normally
give. Moreover, the more testing I do
with it, the more impressed I am with
the Sig P2022, which is my only 40
S&W handgun.
A 135-grain bullet traveling at 1,200
fps has an energy of approximately 440
foot-pounds, which characterizes some of
the loads listed in the table. These are
rather potent loads, and they would be
suitable for many purposes. The Sig
P2022 digested all the loads, but with
some of them, recoil was sharp, and
blast was very noticeable. Most of the
loads listed in the table should be considered maximum, and they should be
reduced to obtain starting loads, especially for a different handgun.
Cartridge length is
critical for the 40 S&W.
Although they are often encountered

in factory loads, bullets in the 180- to
200-grain range are perhaps a little too
heavy for best results in the short 40
S&W case. The 135-grain bullets gave
excellent accuracy and perceptible power.
After these tests, I purchased a generous
supply of 135-grain bullets for all-around
use in my Sig P2022. GW
CONTACT
Alliant Powder
(800) 276-9337
AlliantPowder.com
Nosler Bullets
(800) 285-3701
Nosler.com
Hodgdon Powder
(913) 632-9455
Hodgdon.com
Sierra Bullets
(800) 223-8799
SierraBullets.com
79
GW-HUNTER-80-87.qxp 12/10/15 1:52 AM Page 80
TODAYS HUNTER
Close-range mallards dont take a

lot of killing, and in the timber, a
2-inch load of number-4 shot at
1,400 fps was ideal. This is an
area where many hunters get
overchoked. A skeet tube was
perfect for these incoming birds.
80
The Best
Chokes
and Loads
for Waterfowl
HAVING THE RIGHT CHOKE AND LOAD
TANDEM WILL HELP REDUCE CRIPPLES AND
MISSES. HERES HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT
COMBINATION FOR YOUR WATERFOWL HUNT.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY BRAD FITZPATRICK
INDING THE RIGHT

CHOKE AND LOAD for your
winter waterfowling might
seem pretty simple, but its actually quite a challenge to develop the right recipe for consistent kills.
This is due to the fact that terrain and
weather conditions vary greatly from place to
place and, on a single waterfowl hunt, you
may be targeting teal and geese. And while
there is no perfect load for all waterfowl
hunting applications, a basic understanding
of the components involved in selecting the
right choke/load combo will put you well on
your way to killing a limit of birds without a
bunch of misses or lost cripples.
We spend a lot of time debating which

duck guns are the best, but the reality of
duck hunting is that proper choke and shot
charge selection goes a lot further toward
dropping birds than your choice of
firearms. When winter weather is at its
worst, duck and goose hunting are at their
best throughout much of the country; and
with spring light goose hunts on the horizon, its prime time to start thinking about
finding the right load for your next trip to
the pit or the blind.
In this column, well examine the factors involved in selecting the right
choke/load combo, which will greatly up
your odds of success this season.
81
GW-HUNTER-80-87 12/10/15 10:43 PM Page 82
TODAYS HUNTER
WHEN IT COMES TO SELECTING
THE BEST LOAD, THE MOST
IMPORTANT ELEMENT IS RANGE TIME.
Sandhill cranes are large birds, but

they require very little lead. For that
reason, a heavy-payload shell at a
modest velocity is just about perfect
for these birds.
CHOKES
Lets start off by examining what your
choke is designed to do. As your shot column
leaves the barrel, the level of compression offered by your choke determines the width of
the shot pattern at a given range and, incidentally, this will affect your maximum effective range.
But you must understand that not all
chokes of the same constriction perform the
same way and not all guns behave the same
with equal constriction rates. Twelve-gauge
shotguns have a standard bore diameter of
.729 inch, so that is the diameter of a cylinder bore. Skeet tubes offer .005 inch of con-
82
striction, IC chokes give .010, modified offer

.020 and full chokes tighten constriction by
.030 inch. Most shooters commonly understand this.
What isnt understood is how unique each
gun is in its response to chokes of different
constrictions. Just as rifles will shoot bullets
to different points of impact, shotguns respond differently to various choke constrictions. This might have to do with the shot
charge, the barrel material or the choke tube
design, itself. The notion of swapping out
chokes and spending the summer targetshooting might seem foreign to many shotgunners, but its very important to test the
effectiveness of your loads before heading

afield. More on this later.
In addition, keep in mind that steel shot
reacts differently in standard choke tubes
than does lead shot. The hardness of steel
and its lower density mean that when fired
in a standard modified (.020) choke tube,
your pattern with steel will actually look
more like the pattern youd get with lead
shot using a full choke. However, full chokes
should be avoided with steel shot because
steel is very hard and will be over-compressed by full chokes, which could cause
major problems. For practical purposes, improved modified (or IM chokes) are the ab-
GW-HUNTER-80-87 12/10/15 10:43 PM Page 83
These mallards were taken at moderate range with 3-inch, 12-gauge shells ring 1-
ounces of number-4s through an improved cylinder choke tube. Because shots could be close
and fast or on the edge of the decoy spread, the author opted for this most versatile load, which
is good for almost anything you will encounter.
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solute tightest you should go with steel.
Its been my experience that most
shooters actually shoot chokes that are
too tight, hoping to eke every last lethal
yard out of their loads. But these ultratight patterns dont always help you kill
more birds. On the contrary; you might
find that more-open chokes will help you
seal the deal quickly and effectivelyand
Im not alone in this view. Haydel Game
Calls Kelly Haydel, a man with tremendous duck hunting experience, has witnessed the same problem.
For duck hunting with steel shot, I
match the constriction to the time of
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83
TODAYS HUNTER
Geese require a heavier payload than

ducks, and larger shot sizes are better
for more energy transfer. This snow
goose was killed with a 3-inch load of
number-2 shota sensible, middleof-the-road choice.
84
COMMON WATERFOWL CHOKE/LOAD COMBINATIONS (12-GAUGE)

Waterfowl species/location
Shell length (inches)
Velocity (fps)
Payload (ounces)
Choke
Teal, wood ducks,

mallards in timber
2-
1,3001,500
1 to 1-
Skeet, improved cylinder;

Haydel DPX Decoy (D)
Moderate-sized to large
ducks and small geese in
open areas, sea ducks
1,3501,650
1- to 1-
Improved cylinder, light

modied; Carlton Medium
Range, Haydel DPX Passing
Large geese, cranes
3-
1,3501,700
1- to 1-
Modied; Haydel DPX Extended Range, Carlton

Long Range
WHILE LARGER SHOT DOES HAVE MORE MASS, IT ALSO HAS

MORE FRONTAL AREA, WHICH INCREASES AIR RESISTANCE.
year, the birds and the setup. If its early, and teal are dive-bombing into a September pothole, I like to use a cylinder or skeet
tube. The same goes for early-season wood duck. If Im shooting
mallards in timber or in a blind where I know its going to be
close and quick, Ill tighten up to an improved cylinder. I reserve
the modified choke for long shots in open air on big, hard-flying
birds. In the late season, I like to use a light modified (LC)
choke, which is roughly the equivalent of an improved modified
choke with lead shot. This offers a good balance of lethality,
spread and range.
Find us on
VELOCITY
Does speed kill? Yes, but on both ends of the gun. And while
increased initial velocities can have a major impact on spitzertype bullets fired from centerfire rifles, the spherical shape of
steel shot means that initial velocities are shed quickly. As a result, the difference in velocity between a steel load initially traveling at 1,350 fps and a load that started at 1,650 fps wont be 300
fps at 20 yards, because that increased velocity creates increased
air resistance and, accordingly, velocity is shed more quickly.
High velocities are sometimes achieved by ramping up loads,
which consequently jacks up recoil, or by dropping shot payload.
But velocity does improve killing power at close ranges, and it
does help prevent you missing because you dont have enough
lead, so there are certainly advantages. Nevertheless, maximum
speed is not as valuable to duck hunters as it is to sheep hunters.
Discover the
world of rearms at
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85
TODAYS HUNTER
SHOTGUNS RESPOND DIFFERENTLY
TO VARIOUS CHOKE CONSTRICTIONS.
The author dropped this Saskatchewan

mallard with a 3-inch load of BB shot.
Overkill? Yes, but cranes and geese
were also in the bag. Having a powerhouse load adds versatilityand recoil
to your arsenal.
SHOT SIZE
We naturally assume that larger shot is
more lethal, correct? After all, energy is the
product of mass times velocity, and a higher
mass should, with equal muzzle velocity,
produce faster kills, right? Well, maybe.
While larger shot does have more mass, it
also has more frontal area, which increases
air resistance. In addition, increased frontal
area means that larger-diameter shot actu-
86
ally penetrates less than smaller shot.

So, how do you pick the right size shot?
In general, 2- inch 12-gauge non-toxic
loads range from 2 to 6 shot, 3-inch loads
range from BB to 4 or 5 shot, and 3- inch
loads range from BBB to 2 or 3 shot. There
are some exceptions, but this is generally
what you will find on store shelves and
manufacturer websites.
I tend to use small shot for a given shell
because I like the additional pellets, better

retained velocities and deeper penetration.
For teal, woodies, and mallards, I like to
use 2-inch 5 or 6 shot. For larger ducks,
small geese, and shots that are farther out,
I stick with 3-inch number 4s. For the big
stuff, I like 3-inch 2s. I have found
through my own experience that my percentages increase with smaller shotand
thats what I prefer.
SPECIALTY WATERFOWL CHOKES

Even though your new shotgun comes with a box of choke tubes that should cover just about every
possible need, if youre a serious waterfowler, its worth taking a look at specialty chokes designed specically for non-toxic shot and migratory birds. Carltons offers a two-pack of choke tubes that feature tough
1704 stainless steel construction and a 25 percent longer parallel section that provides more consistent patterns at long ranges.
The Long Range choke, however, is not recommended for steel shot larger than BB or velocities in excess of 1,550 fps (www.choketube.com). Kelly Haydels DPX Series choke tubes are also designed specically for waterfowl hunters and, like the Carlton tubes, they have extended, knurled ends that allow for
easy change-outs in the eld, even with gloved hands. The DPX chokes offer very consistent patterns, and
their simplied nomenclature (Decoy, Passing, Extended Range) tells you exactly what each of the tubes
was designed for. All Haydel choke tubes are constructed of 174 stainless with a black oxide nish
(www.haydels.com).
tiessomething on the order of 1,500 fps

and 1- ounces of shot or 1- ounces at
1,350 to 1,400 fps. That produces manageable recoil and puts plenty of shot in the air.
I have had great luck with loads such as
Federals Black Cloud Close Range (4-shot,
1- ounces, 1,450 fps) and Winchester
Supreme High Velocity Steel with the same
payload at the same velocity. Ive used faster
shells, but I havent found that the results
were as good.
Most of my duck and goose hunting is
done at close range, so Im pretty picky
about my shots. This might not be the right
combo for everyone.
A NEW CATEGORY:
SHOT SHAPE
PAYLOAD AND SHELL LENGTH

Ive already discussed shell length, at
least in abbreviated form, so lets focus on
payload. Generally, youre looking at somewhere between 1- and 1- ounces of steel
shot for a 12-gauge, 3-inch waterfowl load.
Shot payload and velocity are inversely proportional, so as ounces of shot increase, velocity decreases.
I prefer heavier loads and lower veloci-
This is a new category; one that must be

addressed because of products such as Federal Black Cloud and Winchester Blind
Side.
The Black Cloud loads use a mix of standard, round, non-toxic shot and the companys FLITESTOPPER pellets, which have
a belt that runs around them to create a
more significant wound channel. The mix of
FLITESTOPPER pellets and old-fashioned,
spherical projectiles is surrounded by a
buffer that preserves pellet shape. The whole
thing is stuffed into a FLITECONTROL
wad that keeps things aligned and together
coming out of the barrel. From personal experience, I can tell you the FLITESTOPPER pellets are more than some marketing
schemethey seem to increase lethality. But
as you might imagine, theyre not extraordinarily aerodynamic. Still, they are one of the
best new pellet designs in recent memory.
Blind Side ammunition works a bit differently. Instead of round or belted pellets,
this load utilizes hexagonal pellets, which
stack neatly into wads for condensed, heavy

payloads. Like the Federal pellets mentioned
above, these pellets have more drag than
standard round pellets. However, they are
stacked up tightly in Diamond Cut Wads for
a dense, even payload that works well to reasonable distances.
PUTTING TOGETHER A
SHELL/LOAD COMBO
There are a lot of great loads on the market, and there are better non-toxic options
available now than at any time in history. In
addition, aftermarket choke tubes offer solid
options over standard chokes, and those
from Haydel and Carltons (see sidebar,
above) are specifically designed with waterfowlers in mind.
When it comes to selecting the best load,
the most important element is range time. I
understand that many shooters dont want to
spend money sending a variety of expensive,
non-toxic loads downrange through a host of
choke tubes, but its the best way to determine which choke and load will give you
the best results.
If you dont have duck targets lying
around, you can get the information you
need by drawing a 30-inch diameter circle
on poster board and shooting at it from a
rest. This will give you a good idea of pattern density, effective range and point of impact. It will also help you determine which
loads perform best in your gun.
I have included a chart that shows waterfowl species, shell length, velocities, payloads
and choke combinations that have worked
for me in my guns. Will they work for you?
Probably, but the only way youll know for
sure is to spend a little time and money at
the range. When the ducks start dropping,
youll be glad you did. GW
87
GW-SMITH-88-95.qxp 12/10/15 2:10 AM Page 88
GUNSMITHING
The S&W686
Project,Continued
IN PART TWO OF OUR S&W 686 REVOLVER PROJECT,

WELL DISASSEMBLE THE GUN, POLISH SOME INTERNAL
PARTS AND INSTALL TRIGGER AND SPRING KITS.
The project gun with

the sideplate off and
the cylinder removed,
exposing the internals
of the S&W 686.
88
TEXT & PHOTOS BY STEVE SIEBERTS
ne of the first aspects of doing a trigger job on

any revolver is to ask yourself if you really
need to do a trigger job on the gun in the first
place. If the gun is to be used as a carry gun or
home defense pistol, I would recommend
leaving it alone. Many people will want to lighten the trigger, thinking it will be more accurate, and thats true. But in
a home invasionif and when you get to your revolveryour
adrenaline will be sky high, and you probably wont even remember if the trigger was heavy or light. You might only recall the actual shooting, if that.
Still, if you are set on doing any kind of action work on a defensive revolver, I would limit the work to just lightly polishing
some of the critical contact internal surfaces. Its very easy to polish too much. In doing this kind of work, you are trying to smooth
out the trigger pull, not lighten it.
89
GUNSMITHING
Once the sideplate screws

have been removed, tap on
the frame in order to pop up
the sideplate. Do not pry the
plate off. Three or four good
raps with a nylon hammer
will pop it right off.
UNWISE TRIGGER PULL FIXES

Another point to make with this type of
work is to ensure that you keep the mainspring and rebound slide spring untouched.
There are many tricks to improve trigger pull
on the revolver; but again, if the gun is used
for defensive purposes, keeping it as close as
possible to factory trim will always be the
best choice.
I see and hear many comments from
shooters with a wide variety of backgrounds
and levels of experience. For example, while
at the range recently, I heard a shooter make
this statement: Why should I pay a gunsmith to do a trigger job on the S&W when I
can just unscrew the mainspring screw and
accomplish the same thing?
On one level, that is a completely factual
sttement. If a person backs out the strain
screw on the mainspring, it will definitely
make the trigger pull lighter.
But heres the problem with doing that:
By simply backing out the screw, it will do
nothing about the quality of the guns trigger
pull. In other words, the gritty, rough trigger
pull will not be affected at all by easing out
the tension on the mainspring strain screw.
90
The second, and more important, point is

that unscrewing the strain screw will lessen
the trigger pull. It will also lighten the inertia of the hammer, making the possibility of
a light hammer strike (which could lead to a
potential misfire or hangfire) highly likely. If
this is a competition gun, ok; you get a refire. If this is a defensive pistol, you wont
get a refirebecause you will be dead.
Some people will try all sorts of tricks to
get the trigger pull lighter, including clipping coils on the rebound slide (please dont
do this!), thinning the mainspring, shortening the mainspring strain screw and a host
of other methods.
But the bottom line is, if its a defensive
pistol, lightly polish the contact areas to get a
smoother trigger pull, but leave the factory
springs as they are.
DETAIL-STRIP AND
INSPECTION
Our project gun is strictly a competition
pistol primarily used for Steel-type matches,
but it would also be a great pistol for NRA
Action Pistol, with either the iron sights reinstalled for Metallic Sight Division or with
ENSURE THAT
YOU KEEP THE
MAINSPRING AND
REBOUND
SLIDE SPRING
UNTOUCHED.
This looks like a

complicated puzzle,
but disassembly and
reassembly are easy
and straightforward.
Advertising Sales
- Outdoor Division
MAKE SURE YOU
HAVE THE PROPER
SCREWDRIVER BITS.
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Gabe Frimmel
- Advertising Sales Director
Remove the strain screw
and then the mainspring.
Email:
[email protected]
91
GUNSMITHING
Pull the trigger and

the cylinder bolt in
order to remove the
hammer.
an electronic sight and a couple of other

parts, such as a set of wings. This would
make the gun excellent for an NRA Action
Pistol in Open Division, maybe with the addition of a match barrel and crane lock. We
can do all sorts of modifications to make the
gun more competitive.
But the first thing we want to do is detailstrip the gun and do an inspection. This particular pistol was sent to me directly from
S&W and is not a used gun, so I dont need
to check the headspace, cylinder end shake,
barrel/cylinder gap or cylinder timing.
Therefore, I wont cover that here.
However, if your gun is a used gun (from
a gun show, for example), you need to make
sure that youor a competent gunsmith familiar with S&W revolversdo a thorough
function check on the gun. Verify that the
cylinder timing is correct and there is not
excessive end shake. (If the gun needs work,
all these areas are correctable, but they are
for another column.)
SIDEPLATE REMOVAL
Remove the Leupold sight for now and set
92
it aside. Remove the screw for the Hogue

wood grip, and remove the grip. Now, you
can remove the sideplate. This is really easy,
but if you dont know how to do it, it can be
a bit puzzling.
First things first: Make sure you have the
proper screwdriver bits (Brownells sells a kit
with the correct screwdriver blades just for
the S&W revolver). Then, remove the front
sideplate screw first. This screw holds the
cylinder crane in place. Once thats unscrewed, open the cylinder and swing it out,
remove the cylinder and crane, and set them
aside. Remove the remaining two screws.
Now, with a soft-faced nylon hammer, tap
on the frame at the front around the trigger
guard or at the grip strap. Anywhere you tap
will cause the sideplate to pop up. It can
then be removed. Dont worry if the hammer
block pops out. It just kind of floats in there
anyway, and will go back in easily.
DISASSEMBLY, CONTINUED
Now, unscrew the mainspring and remove
it. Pull the cylinder bolt back, pull the hammer back simultaneously, and remove the
hammer. Use the special tool to remove the

rebound slide and spring. Be carefulthe rebound slide spring is under quite a bit of
tension. Pull the cylinder hand back slightly
and lift the trigger out. Then get a screwdriver bit under the cylinder stop and pop
that out.
Remember: There are many springs
under tension, so have spares on hand and
wear eye protection. Leave the cylinder bolt
in place. Remove the crane from the cylinder
assembly. Place the ejector rod in a padded
vise and turn the cylinder clockwise. The
ejector rod is threaded onto the extractor
with left-hand threads, so you have to turn it
in reverse to unscrew it.
Once that is disassembled, remove the extractor and set everything aside. You want to
chamfer the charge holes but do not want to
touch the extractor. So, with the tool of your
choiceI like to use a deburring tool because
it leaves an even, smooth finishlightly
chamfer the cylinder holes, clean out any
chips and set it aside. Do not overdo this
step; its easy to inadvertently take off too
much.
Brownells makes a
nifty tool to compress
the rebound slide
spring and remove
the rebound slide.
Rough Rider Series

Rough Rider rimre revolvers are authentically
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See our complete line of revolvers and accessories at:
WWW.HERITAGEMFG.COM
93
GUNSMITHING
The nished project.

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

mainspring and
hammer block are
reinstalled, lightly
lube the friction
points with a drop
or two of oil.
94
FUTURE MODIFICATION: DOUBLE ACTION ONLY

One of the modications I will do in the future is cut the hammer spur off and make the gun a doubleaction-only revolver. This will do two things. It will make the trigger a little bit lighter, because there is less
mass being pulled rearward during double-action pull. It will also reduce the locktime, making the pistol inherently more accurate. Also, for a Steel-type pistol, there is enough accuracy in the gun to leave the barrel
as is; but for NRA Action Pistol, the revolver would need to have a match barrel installed, along with a crane
ball lock.
However, the way this pistol is nowwith the Leupold Delta Point sight and matched with the excellent Black Hills 148-grain match HBWCits going to make a really fun gun for Steel competition or just for
blasting away at the range.
CHANGING OUT
THE TRIGGER AND SPRING
You are not going to use the original trigger, so set it aside. For this project, we are
using the Ron Power drop-in trigger kit from
Brownells. This kit comes with a match trigger that features a lightweight rebound
spring and a couple of trigger stops.
The trigger stops will need to be fitted.
Take the rebound slide and lightly polish the
bottom and side. Using an India stone, polish the surfaces in the frame where the rebound slide moves. Lightly polish the
cylinder stop where the trigger nose rolls
over. Just break the edge with a hard
Arkansas stone. Strive to keep all surfaces
true, and lightly polish these parts. Thoroughly clean all the parts youve polished;
clean the frame, as well.
I always use the Ron Power hammer and
trigger shims in all S&W revolver trigger
jobs I take on. They keep the hammer and
trigger off the frame and reduce friction.
REASSEMBLY
Now, reassemble the gun. First, reinstall
the cylinder stop, being careful not to launch
the actuator spring. Install the trigger shim,

and reinstall the trigger. Pull the trigger a
few times to make sure that the trigger
actuates the cylinder stop. Next, install the
rebound slide with the 12-pound, reducedpower rebound slide spring. Actuate the
trigger again to make sure everything is
functioning correctly.
Do not polish the hammer at all. The
hammer and trigger are both case hardened,
and if you polish these parts, you will cut
through the case hardening and into the soft
metal. Case hardening is only one- or twothousandths thick, so just about any polishing will destroy these parts. Also, the
hammer engagement notch is too small to do
anything with it anyway, so just leave this
part alone.
You can, however, remove the hammer
nose, or hammer fly. Polish the tip where it
rides on top of the trigger when the gun is
fired in double action. You can also polish
the corresponding area on the trigger if
youd like to, but the finish on this part is
pretty good because it comes from Power
Manufacturing.
Install the hammer fly on the hammer
and reinstall the hammer, putting the hammer shim on the frame first. Next, install
the mainspring with the setscrew and
tighten the setscrew completely.
block onto the gun (the notch of the hammer

block should ride on the stud on the rebound slide).
Put the sideplate back onto the frame by
sliding the tab at the top of the plate into the
notch in the frame. Then, gently tap the
sideplate in place and reinstall the screws.
Reinstall the grip and the Leupold Delta
Point. Youre done!
Cycle the action a few times, and pull the
trigger, both in single and double action. Its
perfectly fine to dry-fire the gun. The trigger
is now much smoother and lighter. Singleaction pull is 3.1 pounds, and double-action
is 7.7.
The gun is now ready to be competitive at
the range.
Is this the only modification I could have
done to this gun? No. Are these all the areas
that could have been polished? No. There
was actually quite a bit more polishing and
fitting that could have been done to this gun,
but what was taken care of made for a pretty
good start.
Our project S&W 686 is now a reliable
and highly competitive revolverperfect for
Steel-type shooting or even NRA Action Pistol. If you have an S&W revolver or if you
are thinking about getting one, then go get
some tools and get started. Its easy work and
very satisfying. GW
FUNCTION CHECK
The gun is now almost reassembled, but
you will want to do a function check to make
sure everything is put back together properly.
Put a small amount of oil on the gun at
the hammer and trigger posts, the rebound
slide and the cylinder stop. Reassemble the
extractor and ejector rod back onto the cylinder. Install the crane, and reinstall the cylinder assembly back into the gun. Lock the
cylinder in place, and then slide the hammer
CONTACT
Black Hills Ammunition
Black-Hills.com
Smith & Wesson

Smith-Wesson.com
Brownells Inc.
Brownells.com
Blue Grass
Sportsmen's
League
BGSLInc.com
Leupold
Leupold.com
95
GW-BACK-96-99.qxp 12/9/15 10:52 PM Page 96
BACK PAGES
The cover of our February 1961 issue featured a Marlin 336 Sporting Carbine and a holstered Ruger .22 Magnum.
96
GW-BACK-96-99.qxp 12/9/15 10:52 PM Page 97
Ongoing Evaluations
BY CRAIG HODGKINS
HEN THE THIRD

ISSUE of Gun World
magazine appeared in
mailboxes and on
newsstands in February 1961, one of the many field test articles included was an early look at the
Colt AR-15.
This new, lightweight weapon had been
originally designed (by the Armalite Corporation, which later sold the rights to Colt) as
the answer to the NATO search for a standardized rifle, but Colts representatives took
a different tack when NATO selected the
Army-designed M-14 as the weapon with
which to arms its troops. Instead, Colt set
out to sell this rapid fire lightweight to
friendly foreign countries and to police departments here at home.
During a west coast tour stop in
Pasadena, a team of Gun World editors was
treated to a demonstration that concentrated
on law enforcement officials. Colt representatives declared that the weapon was the
equal to a third man in the squad car, then
moved on to a shooting show to prove what
fire from high-powered if diminutive .223caliber bullets could do.
Using an old car as a target at approximately one hundred yards, the article went
on, police officers were invited to fire the
weapon which fires either single rounds or
fully automatic. In a matter of seconds, the
entire vehicle was reduced to junkThe
shots invariably went clear through the vehicle, penetrating the engine block and neatly
punctured bumper steel [Editors note: this
was when bumpers were made of steel] at an
extreme angle of nearly seventy-five degrees.
In addition to the guns impressive showing on the range, one editor held a stopwatch
on a Colts representative as he re-assembled
the rifle from a completely stripped state.
Despite the fact that hed never been timed
before, the Colt man reassembled the
weapon in 45 seconds.
Beyond the guns performance, the editors
Robert Stack (right), Gun Worlds Shotgunning columnist, and professional hunter Tony
Archer graced our February 1966 cover. Their hunt was lmed in Africa for The American
Sportsman television series.
were very impressed by the weightlessness

of the arm and the ammunition, and, as
former servicemen, they felt to a man that,
based on all they had seen and experienced
at the Pasadena Police Combat Range,
NATO had made a mistake in adopting the
M-14 instead of the AR-15.
As history would prove, the U.S. military
later selected a modified version of the AR-15

for use, renaming it the M-16. Two years
after our article appeared, Colt began selling
a civilian version of the rifle.
Exactly five years later, in our February
1966 issue, the discussion of the pros and
cons of the military weapons selection
process remained ongoing.
97
GW-BACK-96-99 cx.qxp 12/10/15 11:10 PM Page 98
BACK PAGES
AS HISTORY WOULD
PROVE, THE U.S. MILITARY
LATER SELECTED A
MODIFIED VERSION OF THE
AR-15 FOR USE, RENAMING
IT THE M-16.
AD INDEX
Advertiser
Black Hills Ammunition
Davidson's
Our February 1976 issue carried an article on the making of miniature

guns, and also featured a Savage 112-V varmint rie.
In an article titled A New Rifle Meets the Army, Lt. Col. Burton
T. Miller wrote, Selection of a new military arm is hardly based upon
thoughts or recommendations from armchair soldiers [a group which
presumably included Gun World editors]. Instead, there are several responsible agencies, such as the U.S. Army Infantry Board to evaluate,
test, recommend and pass judgment on these new developments.
Ironically, an Armalite rifle design was again at the center of the
discussion, although this time around it was the AR-18. Armalite had
recently submitted ten pre-production rifles to the U.S. Army for evaluation, with the intention of obtaining an endorsement from the government for possible sale to our overseas allies and the developing
countries to whom we are providing assistance.
The AR-18 went through a variety of assessments, including tests
for dust, mud rain, exposure and endurance. Each infantryman of the
testing squad also fired the weapon for accuracy against a control
arm, in this caseyou guessed itthe M-16.
All tests, including accuracy testing, required a minimum of 3,000
rounds to be fired from each test and control weapon. The endurance
test required that each rifle be fired for 6,000 rounds, with firing
being rotated between semi and automatic after each hundred rounds.
All field tests were conducted at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Alas, despite the fact that it featured a simpler design and was less
expensive to produce than many other rifles, the AR-18 did not enjoy
anywhere near the success of the AR-15, and it was never adopted as a
standard service rifle by any country. GW
98
Page
27
7
Dillon Precision
65
European American Armoury
11
FNH, USA
41
Hogue Grips
63
Jantz Supply
46-47
Les Baer Custom,Inc.
29
Major Surplus & Survival
39
Media Direct
93
Oriskany Arms Inc
99
Pat Crawford Knives
25
Redding Reloading Equipment
53
Rio Grande Custom Grips
51
Secure Medical
83
SSK Industries
75
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Taurus International
Vista Outdoor - Savage Arms
3, 100
2
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GW_1602_C3 12/8/15 11:28 PM Page C3
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GW_1602_C4 12/8/15 11:30 PM Page C4
FORCE (LB.)
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qxp 12/10/15 11:33 PM Page US_C1

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GUNSMITHING: Revolver Re-Do

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CONTENTS February 2016

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GW-TOC-4-5.qxp 12/10/15 11:21 PM Page 5

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