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You know how you sometimes just want to shoot a solid old-style large-caliber rifle, but you miss your modern stuff like red dots, muzzle brakes, and detachable mags? No? Well, maybe it’s just me. Anyhow, I love my Mausers and my Enfield and all, but I’ve kinda gotten spoiled. Anyway…I’ve been thinking about a Springfield M1A for a while, so I dialed up my old buddy Sootch to get his opinion on the M1A SOCOM 16.

The SOCOM 16 Chilling Out with its legendary grandpa, the M1.

We aren’t really buddies, but I watch his channel, so it’s like the same thing. Fortunately, he had a video on that very model. Who knew?

M1A SOCOM Features

So, we get a good breakdown of what seems to be a solid rifle. Right off the bat, it looks sharp. I know functionality is king, but I like a nice-looking firearm, and I’ve always looked covetously at the lines of the M14. The SOCOM 16 sports a polymer stock available in black, OD green, or flat dark earth. Tough choice right off the bat.

Sexy!

The rifle is 37 and a half inches in overall length and weighs 8.8 pounds empty. The 16-and-a-half-inch barrel features a 1/11 twist rate and comes with an integrated muzzle brake to help with the recoil of that short barrel coupled with the .308 Winchester chambering. But it’s loud, so remember that ear pro. 

The integral muzzle brake helps with recoil from the short barrel.

The M1A is also available in 6.5 Creedmoor. Despite the weight, the rifle is well-balanced and the shorter barrel makes it handy and easy to point. The rifle features an aperture rear sight with a tritium-marked front post, which is a nice touch. The rear aperture is also expanded a little since the M1A SOCOM 16 is designed for closer work, though it’s certainly capable of reaching out for several hundred yards. The left side of the receiver is drilled and tapped for a side-mounted scope, but that will preclude the use of stripper clips.

Who needs stripper clips when you have a detachable box mag?

I don’t know about you, but with a detachable box mag, I don’t think stripper clips would be a thing for me. The mags rock in and have a release tab just like the M14. The rifle ships with a 10-round mag, but 20-rounders are available. The rifle will also take surplus mags.

Rock In mags with release tab.

As for some of that modern stuff I mentioned, there is a Picatinny rail mounted forward of the receiver that is just the thing for a red dot or a long eye relief scope.

The rail forward of the receiver lets you mount an LER scope or red dot.

Accuracy was reported as “excellent” with match ammo at 100 yards and a 2-7x LER scope. It was said to have shot smooth and flat “for a .308.” Sootch notes that he really likes the zero-magnification red dot on this rifle. I think that would be pretty sweet too.

Match ammo with a scope at 100 yards

The action is built around a strong rotating bolt cycled by the M14-style gas piston and long operating rod. The bolt is the same design as the M14, which was itself a direct copy of that greatest of warhorses, the M1 Garand. The trigger group has some heft to it, which Sootch shows us during the simple take-down process that is exactly like the M14. Seeing a pattern yet?

The safety is part of the trigger guard and easy to reach, just like…well, you get it. 

Safety on (L) safety off (R).

The trigger on this particular rifle pulled consistently at just under six pounds and, according to Sootch, was “very crisp” with a quick reset. There is a bolt stop tab on the left side of the receiver.

Pulling out the “Beefy” trigger group

As noted earlier, the SOCOM 16 comes with a polymer stock and handguard and there’s some nice checkering on the lower handguard and the pistol grip. The butt pad is polymer and, say it with me…like the M14, features a hinged plate designed to go on top of the shoulder to increase stability. The hinged plate also reveals the access ports for your cleaning kit, should you choose to house it there. There’s no comb on the stock and Sootch uses an attachable cheek rest with the optics for better cheek weld and eye relief.

The compactness of the M1A SOCOM 16 makes it handy and easy to use.

Easy basic field strip.

Conclusion

All in all, the reviewer seems to really dig this particular rifle. No real negatives.

The SOCOM gets a BIG thumbs up.

Now, I get that a reviewer not saying anything bad doesn’t really mean anything. I’m pretty selective about my reviewers, and you probably are too. I like Sootch because I think he is honest, and I have seen him call things out when they need it. I also like that he doesn’t get too technical since I’m not a gear head and my eyes start glazing over with that stuff. So, that’s my $.02. You decide for yourself, but other folks seem to agree. 

The words that kept popping up were “strong” and “beefy.” I always like that first one, and sometimes I like the second. For this kind of rifle, I definitely like it. Strong, beefy, accurate, handy, and sharp-looking, with the capability to add at least a few modern accessories and multiple configuration options. Not to mention a good track record based on a proven design. What’s not to like? But check it out for yourself and see what you think. I’m just some guy on the interwebs.

Bucky Lawson is your typical Appalachian-American gun enthusiast. He is a military historian specializing in World War II and has written a few things here and there, including some stuff for Breach Bang Clear. He likes dogs and enjoys a good cigar and an Old Fashioned with an extra orange slice.

I’m not a huge Glock fan. I respect them as well-made firearms that are simple, reliable, and easy to use. What I really love about the Glock series of pistols is their inherent modularity. You can take a Glock and upgrade it to the moon and back. I recently got my hands on a Glock 43X and made some upgrades, including the Tyrant Designs magwell.

The TD Magwell adds a little extra length and width, but not much.

Magwells are pretty simple. They act like a funnel attached to the bottom of your grip, allowing for faster and more intuitive reloads. That’s the idea anyway. Like most things, especially in the gun world, sometimes they suck. Some magwells exist to funnel money from your pockets, not magazines, into your gun. Let’s find out if the Tyrant Designs magwell is worth the price of admission.

Breaking down the Tyrant Designs Magwell

My initial skepticism of the Tyrant Designs Magwell comes from the fact that it’s designed for a concealed carry firearm. Magwells often find a home on full-sized guns designed for competition, or maybe duty use. A magwell on a concealed carry pistol might be nothing more than a slick ornament with a pretty color.

The TD Magwell matches the Glock’s black frame perfectly.

Speaking of pretty colors, you can get your Tyrant Designs magwell in a wide variety of colors. Red, blue, grey, gold, aluminum, and black. I went with black. I’m not a big fan of bright colors on carry guns, and black matches the frame. Tyrant Designs mills these bad boys from aluminum and anodizes the finish onto the magwell.

It’s a fat-mouth lady looking for love.

Tyrant Designs claims the magwell will work with factory magazines with extensions, the Shield 15 magazines, and other aftermarket options. I can confirm they work with stock OEM magazines, magazines with Tyrant Designs extensions, and ETS Glock 43X/48 magazines without issue.

The Tyrant Designs Magwell adds just a little extra length to your pistol. At its longest point, the Tyrant Designs Magwell adds about a quarter-inch to the length of the grip. That extra quarter-inch does provide my big hands a nice little pinky rest, so I don’t necessarily hate the extra length. Weight-wise my scale reads it off as .40 of an ounce total.

Installing the Tyrant Designs Magwell

According to Tyrant Designs, their installation method is patented, and I could see why. It’s stupid simple and takes no time or effort. In the back, a screw fits into a soft grip plug. Loosen the screw from the plug with just a few rotations and then slide the plug into the hole and the magwell over the grip.

The install takes no time or effort.

Tighten the screw down, and you’re done. I expected more drama. Rarely do I find something advertised as easy to actually be easy. However, I’ve put it on, taken it off, put it on again, taken it off again, and it’s a non-issue. It pops on and off without any drama.

The TD Magwell acts as a minor pinky extension as well.

I tried my hardest to pry the Tyrant Designs Magwell off the bottom of my Glock 43X. I pried and pulled and fought with the damn thing to see if I could get it off the gun. It was yanked, pulled, pushed, and wiggled—and it never moved. The attachment system works well for being how simple it is.

Putting Work In

So is the Tyrant Designs Magwell worth a spit? Or does it just look cool? Well, to find out, I needed to get some reloads in. We grabbed a few different magazines, some 9mm ammo, and hit the ground running. A NeoMag was used for each reload and a shot timer for objective data.

OEM Mags, Mags with extensions, and ETS mags all work perfectly with the TD Magwell.

I started with the magwell off and warmed up a bit with slow but practiced reloads. After I felt good with the NeoMag, I popped the shot timer on and began chasing time. After five reloads, I popped the magwell on and did five more reloads.

The Tyrant Designs magwell works without issue with ETS Extended magazines.

Every five reloads, I swapped the configuration of the gun. As you warm up more and more, you are bound to get faster. If I did 20, no magwell reloads and then 20 magwell reloads, I could be faster with the magwell because I’ve already got twenty practice reloads in. Alternating having the magwell on and off allowed me to better gauge the speed of my reloads.

Averages Matter

After a few dozen reloads, I can comfortably declare that the Tyrant Designs magwell works and works well. When I averaged the times between reloads, it came down to a difference of almost three-quarters of a second in favor of the magwell. That seems like a Scott Bakula-style quantum leap, but the average is skewered.

The skewered average comes from a few fumbled reloads without the Tyrant Designs magwell. I’d slap the side of the Glock’s magazine well and goof up my reload. When the Tyrant Designs magwell was locked into place, I could goof it up, but the magwell funneled the magazine into the gun without causing me to slow down significantly.

Reloading is faster and more intuitive with an enlarged magwell.

If I wasn’t a goof, it wouldn’t matter, right? Well, everyone goofs up, and if something can help you reduce your human error, it might make the juice worth the squeeze. That’s why I like magazines that hold as many rounds as possible, it’s why I like red dots, and why I like compensators. These increase my ability to succeed.

What’s the best time I could accomplish outside of a somewhat skewed average? Well, I got those numbers too. Without the magwell, I had a hard time breaking the 2.5 second mark, with a 2.42 being my absolute fastest.

The Tyrant Designs magwell not only trims time off your reloads, but helps eliminate human error.

My overall fastest time with the Tyrant Designs magwell in place was 2.29 seconds, with the median in the 2.35-second range. Shaving off a little more than a tenth of a second is nice, but reducing human error is where I see the biggest benefit. I like that it can help compensate for my own faults and failures.

The Human Error

The Tyrant Designs magwell doesn’t suck, or even kind of suck. It’s a functional addition to your Glock 43X or Glock 48 pistol. If you want to speed up your reloads while reducing human error, then this simple addition can surely help. Popping it on takes no time at all, and while it adds a little length and weight, it won’t compromise concealment. (It also adds a nice edge to a pistol-whipping, just saying.)

Chest out a Tyrant Designs mag extension for a few extra rounds.

Tyrant Designs also produces magazine extensions, baseplates, extended slide stops, and more for your Glock 43X and Glock pistol. 

Does a magwell strike your fancy? Would you stick one on your concealed carry gun? If so, let us know below. Share your thoughts on the subject.

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s instructor.

Not all optics are cut out for every application. Some work great for concealed carry, some for range guns, some for duty pistols. In this video, Hilton Yam of 10-8 Performance reviews and ranks his favorite pistol optics for duty use. As a law enforcement veteran and tactical trainer, Yam has seen through pistol optic windows a few times and created a list of his favorite and least favorite red dots.

Like many of us, Yam started out shooting a Trijicon RMR, the first serious pistol-mounted red dot on the market. It more or less defined what red dots would be moving forward. It became so popular that all these years later, the RMR mounting footprint is the most common platform on the market. Almost all red dots offer an RMR-style mounting interface. Starting with that, let’s see Yam’s list of pistol-mounted red dot optics.

Yam starts with his basic criteria for what makes a good duty pistol optic:

•Rugged and reliable

•Low profile enough, particularly on the deck, to allow use of commonly available optic-height sights

•A common footprint – do you need to modify the slide for an uncommon mounting footprint, or does the optic have cross-compatibility?

•Should fit into common duty holsters without modification – some agencies don’t allow for modification

•Good battery life, typically at least one year as the measurable standard

•How easy is the battery to load in? Does it require removing the optic to change or can it be done from the top of side?

Trijicon RMR

Considered the gold standard of optics in its day, the Trijicon RMR has been surpassed in some areas.

Rugged, reliable, low profile enough to use common sights, the Trijicon RMR is the common footprint—the one that started it all. It fits most duty holsters because they are made around the RMR pattern. Battery life is more than one year. One major strike against the RMR is the bottom-loading battery compartment that requires removing the optic for replacement.

Leupold Delta Point Pro

The Leupold Delta Point Pro pistol optic has a couple of strikes against it.

Strike one: It is so tall that it requires unique sights and is incompatible with any of the sights that work with all the rest of the optics on the list. Good position of the battery right on top and easy to replace and service. Strike two: Only one button to toggle all the settings, which can be confusing and easy to get wrong. Ruggedness and reliability are spotty, based on field reports.

Aimpoint ACRO

The Aimpoint ACRO is optically accurate and durable with a side-load battery, but the battery life is lousy.

On full settings, the battery lasts around three weeks on the normal setting, which is way below the year threshold. It also does not fit into the Safariland ALS holster, so that’s a deal killer.

Trijicon SRO

Due to the forward structure, the SRO doesn’t fit into any duty holster.

Trijicon itself admits the SRO is not meant to be a duty optic because it does not survive the 6-foot drop test, but the oversized window and top-load battery make it appealing. 

Holosun Grouping: 507C, 508T, 509T

Left to right, Holosun 507C, 508T, 509T.

These check all the boxes with ruggedness, reliability, and great battery life with solar power boost, the common RMR footprint for 507C and 508T, and low profile for common sight compatibility. To offset the questions of reliability, Yam shows us the two he has mounted on his EDC and range guns.

The Envelope, Please…

What were Yam’s final results? Which ones did he like the best and least for a duty pistol? Find out here…

David Workman is an avid gun guy, a contributing writer to several major gun publications, and the author of Absolute Authority. A logophile since way back, Workman is a quickdraw punslinger and NRA RSO and Certified Pistol Instructor. He helps train new shooters on basic handgun skills and CCW requirements and is a strong advocate for training as much as practicable. “Real-world shootouts don’t happen at a box range.”

Another day, another Glock and another aftermarket company popping out Glock magazines. That’s not a complaint, just an observation. I think more mags and more Glocks are better than fewer Glocks and fewer mags. The late series of centerfire Glocks includes the G43X and G48 single stack firearms. The latest magazine to hit the streets is the G48 and G43X ETS Mags.

ETS made its name by producing affordable magazines for various platforms. They often provided extended magazine options for firearms that don’t traditionally have extendos as options. My G43X ETS Mags are just that, extended magazines for a single stack concealed carry piece.

Today we will be talking about G43X ETS magazines and why an extendo magazine makes sense for situs judi slot terbaik dan terpercaya no 1 even the smallest of carry guns.

Breaking Down the G43X ETS Mags

The G48 slash G43X ETS Mags deliver 19 rounds of 9mm in a very curious and interesting magazine design. At the top, we get the single stack design we know and love from the G43X and G48 pistols, as the magazine reaches the portion where it extends from the grip. From there, it becomes more like a traditional double stack.

This single stack to double stack model isn’t that rare; it’s the same way Sig Sauer and Springfield Armory fit so many rounds in their compact magazines. It’s a bit odd to see the same thing applied to an extendo, but we know it’s effective.

From tip to butt, the G43X magazines measure out to 6 and 3/4s inches. The magazine extends 2 and 7/8 inches below the grip itself. The design allows capacity to nearly be doubled situs slot gacor without having to double the length of the magazine itself. ETS designed the magazine with great efficiency.

As always, the magazines are made from an advanced polymer blend that’s resistant to cracking and breaking. It’s also resistant to chemicals and UV light. Unlike Glock OEM magazines, the ETS mags lack an internal layer of metal. This makes them non-magnetic in general, so they won’t work with NeoMag devices.

Oh, and they are clearly translucent. (Get it?) They come in clear and party time red.

Durability Testing —Do these things work?

That’s the big question most of you have. If you plan to use the G48 and G43X ETS magazines for anything beyond plinking, they need to be reliable and durable. I set out to find how much abuse one could take.

First, I dropped it unloaded—just let it clack to the ground from shoulder height on a variety of surfaces. This included hard limestone ground, sand, and concrete bricks. I let it fall from the gun and dropped it on its sides and on its feed lips.

From there, I loaded the G43X ETS magazine with 19 rounds of brass-cased 9mm and repeated the tests with a loaded magazine. I remember some of the first-generation Glock ETS magazines would eject a ton if not all their rounds when dropped.

Luckily that issue has been seemingly solved with the latest generations of ETS magazines, including these G48 and G43X ETS mags. I dropped it on its side, bottom, and tip, and only a single round would eject when the fully loaded mag hit the deck.

Shoot, Shoot, Shoot

After I dropped it, exposed it to sand, and generally beat the hell out of it, I figured it was time to see if the dang thing still cycled without issue. I popped it in the G43X, held my breath, and proceeded to squeeze the trigger as fast as possible.

Each and every round cycled without a single issue. The magazine-fed, so I decided to start the entire durability test over again. I dropped it, and dropped it, and loaded it, then dropped it again. By now, enough sand had squeezed itself in the magazine that it rattled around, and I felt the friction as I slid round after round into the gun.

The follower ground along, and admittedly I felt more resistance as I loaded it. However, it loaded the 19 rounds without issue, and I let it loose once more. 18 of the 19 rounds fed, fired, and ejected without issue. The 19th didn’t raise quite high enough for the slide to catch it.

I gave the mag a healthy slap, the follower slammed upwards, and the final round fed and fired.

Is This Realistic?

My durability testing is a bit atypical and not necessarily realistic, but it proves the magazine can take some abuse and still function rather well. Like most things, it can’t eat a healthy diet of sand and limestone and be expected to function.

I stripped the magazine down and gave it a good wash with water to clean the sand out and let it dry. Unlike Glock OEM magazines, it’s not a hassle to take apart by any means. After it was cleaned and dried, I loaded it up with 19 rounds and fired a final string. It fled flawlessly once the sand was liberated like an oil-bearing middle eastern country.

Why an extendo for a concealed carry gun?

Here is the big question. What’s the practical purpose of an extendo like these G43X ETS magazines? There are lots of reasons for extendos. Number one, this is America, so if I want, I should have it. Second, extendos are just fun to shoot with. Neither of those reasons is necessarily practical, though.

You don’t need a practical reason to own a G48 or G43X ETS magazine, but I can give you some. As always, more bullets are better than fewer bullets, especially when your firearm has tasks beyond concealed carry. For some people, one gun is all they have. It pulls double duty for concealed carry, home defense, and beyond.

In the home defense role, the 19 round G43X ETS magazine offers a heckuva lot of rounds for defensive purposes. The more you have in the gun, the better for home defense. Packing a reload isn’t likely when something goes bump in the night and a 19 round magazine grants you a good bit more firepower.

Road Trippin’

Beyond home defense, an extended magazine like the G43X ETS magazine packs a punch for traveling. A long road trip will have you packing your G43X with its standard 10 round magazine but having an extended option for emergencies is far from crazy. When you spend the night in hotels and such a 19 round magazine opens up your defensive capabilities.

Packing on the Rounds

The G48 and G43X ETS magazine is an awesome option for topping off your mag with a few extra rounds. A few extra being 9, or almost double the OEM magazine capacity. These mags can take a healthy amount of abuse and keep click-clacking, although be aware everything might need a little TLC here and there.

If you want to exercise your freedom, packing a few extra rounds for defensive purposes, or just reduce the need to reload, then G43X ETS mags keep you covered. Literally, they allow you to lay down cover fire if necessary.

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s instructor.