Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to the very popular Left 4 Dead series. Like its predecessor, Back 4 Blood is a zombie horde shooter that challenges you to fight wave after wave of the undead with a multitude of weapons and a bit of the old ultra-violence.
To be fair, I hardly played the Left 4 Dead series, but when Back 4 Blood popped up in Xbox Gamepass, I figured it was worth the free download.
You can upgrade your weapons in a few different ways.
Holy crap was I right!
Back 4 Blood — A Horde Shooter
Horde shooters are new to me. I started with Aliens: Fireteam Elite and found myself attracted to the fast-paced playstyle and white knuckle action. Horde shooters cast you as a character in a world overrun by some form of monster. In this game, it’s zombies, also known as “Ridden” in-game. The game never slows down and barely ever gives you a minute to breathe as the zombies just keep coming.
Back 4 Blood has a huge focus on cooperative gameplay and is best played with four friends on a team. I had the most fun playing with a few friends, but life being life, we didn’t always have time to coordinate, so I played mostly single player. I still had a blast in single-player.
You can play co-op or with bots if you’re a loser.
You can pick from one of eight “hero” characters, and each Back 4 Blood hero comes with unique weapons and abilities. The abilities can involve both team buffs and single-player buffs. Equipment buffs can be razor wire to seal off doorways, ammo pouches to replenish supplies, and more. Character bluffs entail faster aiming down sights, better healing, and more.
My favorite character is a doomsday prepper, gun nut, and John Goodman impressionist named Hoffman. He packs an M1911 and a TAC14 as his weapons with an ammo pouch and +15% max ammo capacity for the team.
Starting a Run
Playthroughs in Back 4 Blood are called runs, and you start a run at Ft. Hope. Here you can interact, spend in-game currency, and set up decks. Decks is a unique card system that allows you to provide buffs to your team. They can increase health, ammo capacity, damage, and much more.
You get a starter deck but are challenged to build your own deck to affect your playthrough. These cards seem to take the place of traditional RPG-type skill trees and upgrades. To be successful, decks need to be focused on a player’s playstyle. It’s fun, unique, and allows you to tweak the game to exploit your strengths as a player.
You get your own deck, but you also get hit with corruption cards. These cards give the enemy an advantage over you and toss different enemies, fog, mutations, or whatever at you. The game also has a unique AI Director system that adapts the game’s difficulty to your playstyle.
You can build a great deck, but it will never be too overpowered for the game. You won’t get bored, and the game is quite difficult. I typically play on ‘hard’ mode, but after I met the first boss, I had to scale back to medium to keep playing.
Kill Zombies
In Back 4 Blood, the game features basic “Ridden” zombies—your typical shambling cannon fodder that’s only real strength is in numbers. That’d get boring fast, but along the way, you run into several mutations. These are super zombies that vary in strength and abilities. Some have huge arms. Others spew acid at you. Some call hordes of zombies and others are multistory bosses that soak up ammo.
The TAC14 uses magnum buckshot, which does result in 12 pellets.
When things get up close and personal, your character and weapon get blasted in blood and covered in guts. It’s a great little detail that adds to the brutality of the game. The various enemy types, strategies to deal with them, weapons, and constant movement make Back 4 Blood a thrill ride.
The Guns
Of course, we have to talk about the guns in the game! Back 4 Blood delivers an arsenal of firearms, including assault rifles, shotguns, SMGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, handguns, and plenty of brutal melee weapons. Back 4 Blood tries hard to do the guns right, or at least as right as they can.
You can tell the designers put forth effort for realistic firearms, but they mess up here and there. For example, if you reload a partial mag in your M4 or M16, your character will always hit the bolt release. Guns like the MP5 and Uzi both fire 9mm, right? Well, for some reason, the MP5 does more damage. The AA12 and Remington 870 both fire eight pellet buckshot, but the Remington does more damage.
I give the game props for deploying the stock.
With that said, there have been a few times Back 4 Blood impressed me. Let’s go back to the Remington 870 and the TAC14. They are arguably the same weapon, and both are 12 gauges. The TAC14 does more damage than the 870, but the TAC12 seems to fire 3-inch magnums. The TAC14’s three-round capacity is accurate (if you ignore the +1), and it fires 12 pellets per shot versus the 870s eight pellets per shot.
Taking Aim On Upgrades
When you aim, you look down the sights, and those sights can be upgraded to various optics. There are EOTech, ACOGs, and various red dots you can purchase or find in the wild. You can also add extended mags, different ammo types, stocks, and muzzle devices. Outside of optics, mags, and muzzle devices, the upgrades don’t change the cosmetic features of the gun.
Some optics are quasi-realistic, like this wannabe EOTech.
Back 4 Blood also allows players to toss on weird upgrades to weapons. For example, you can equip a pistol with a tactical stock, but you can’t ever see the stock, but it improves mobility.
Once you attach an upgrade to your gun, you can’t remove the optic and toss it on another gun. They’re stuck. Upgrades are also randomly available between missions in Safehouses, so you can’t always top your AK with an ACOG.
Weapons, Weapons, Weapons
My favorite combination of weapons in Back 4 Blood is the TAC14 paired with a TEC9. It’s a lot of fire-power that’s perfect for close-ranging bad guys. The TAC14 only offers me three rounds, but the TEC9 gives me twenty.
The TEC9 is my favorite sidearm. Notice the bolt is forward, even though it’s an open bolt machine pistol.
My other favorite is the RPK combined with a .357 Magnum revolver that, in reality, is the S&W TR8. The RPK is powerful and controllable, like the S&W that offers lots and lots of power in a small package.
A Blast of a Game
Back 4 Blood is a ton of fun. It’s an action-packed ride that never stops moving. It’s quick, and brutal, and you get access to tons and tons of cool guns. From SCARs to Benelli M4s, you get a little bit of everything. I thought I’d hate the deck-building mechanic, but I’ve come to appreciate it. Plus, it was free on Gamepass.
Any other Back 4 Blood players? If so, hit me in the comments with your deck builds and ideas.
Israel’s BUL Armory is quickly gaining a reputation for quality firearms. The SAS II line of 1911s is no exception. Ben, Jon, and Genevieve from TheGunCollective [YouTube channel] recently took out the BUL Armory SAS II Tac 5 1911 and sharde their thoughts on this ultra-cool gun in the video linked below.
The SAS II Tac 5 1911 looks like another winner for Israel’s BUL Armory
Bul Armory SAS II Tac 5 Specifications
Let’s start with the BUL 1911’s specs from the BUL Armory website:
(L) The stainless-steel slide has front and rear cocking serrations and is cut for an optic. (R) The generously flared mag well allows the 19-round mags to be easily loaded.
Ben is a big fan of the bull barrel, noting how it helps with accuracy. That accuracy is aided by the suppressor height iron sights and the RMR optic, for which the slide is already cut. The gun has a curved trigger shoe, which Ben notes is interchangeable, though we aren’t told what the other option is. Most likely flat.
(L) The bull barrel contributes to the gun’s accuracy. (R) The textured full-size grip provides good purchase while shooting.
The full-size grip is checkered front and back with a grip tape style texturing on the panels. Ben also likes the generously flared mag well and said it made loading the double-stack 19-round magazines easy. Those mags have aluminum baseplates. The slide is equipped with front and rear cocking serrations. He sums it up with, “This gun is fantastic!” Sweet, but how does it shoot?
The Bul on the Range
Jon’s first reaction was a big smile as he exclaimed, “This is so good! The shooting experience on this is flat-out fantastic when I can actually do my part. Wow!” I think he likes it. Accuracy was a common theme as Ben says, “This gun is a lot of fun to shoot steel with. It’s incredibly accurate.” Genevieve followed up with “Killer accurate.” Ben: “That’s a bull barrel for you.”
So, it seems to shoot straight, which Ben confirms with, “I’m just an average shooter but I thought it was really easy to connect with targets at distance. This gun knows what you want to do, and it just does it.”
Genevieve is all smiles after shooting the SAS II Tac 5.
Is the Tac 5 Reliable?
“We ran mag after mag through it and it just ran like a sewing machine. Everyone at TGC loves this gun.” Ben says he would knock off half a point because “tactical” implies a threaded barrel, which the Tac 5 does not have. But he puts the half-point back because a suppressor “would taint its rock-solid reliability.”
Ben loves the 19-round mags.
Cost and Value of the SAS II Tac 5
Ben points out that the BUL Armory SAS II Tac 5 1911 is not a cheap gun. The MSRP at the time of writing is $1890. He does say, however, that a similar Staccato pistol costs about 500 bucks more. “Having shot both,” he says, “I really don’t see the Staccato as providing an entire Glock’s worth of value more than the BUL. This is a really nice gun and everyone that gets one is going to be extremely happy with it.”
What do you think? Are you up for an Israeli-built 9mm double stack 1911? Let us know in the comments. Happy shooting, y’all. Watch the video here:
Many folks tend to like high-end things. Cars, guns, watches, flashlights, knives. High-end (read that as high-dollar) items are just plain cool and fun. Sometimes we get so caught up in the status game that we forget where we came from. So are there any quality knives out there these days that are inexpensive and actually worth their salt? Let’s take a look!
High performance does not have to equate to high dollar spending. Buck 113 Ranger fixed blade on top, 110 in the middle, and the 112 Ranger on the bottom.
Quality knives that are also budget-friendly hit a sweet spot.
Over the years, I’ve acquired a number of knives. Some might even say I have a knife fetish, to which I’d reply, “Guilty as charged.” Some of them are high-dollar custom knives, with a few being gifts that I will never get rid of.
Just the same, in the past few years, I’ve had several jobs in which I’ve used knives on a daily basis and I didn’t necessarily want to beat on my high-dollar knives. Not that they can’t take it, but when I’m cutting near concrete or metal and there’s a risk that I could slip and seriously mess up the edge of my blade, I’d rather it not be a custom knife that’s worth several hundred dollars.
And then there’s the danger of losing an expensive knife, which I’d rather not happen.
As such, I’ve managed to pick up some less-expensive, quality knives over the years. But do they function as well as my high-end knives? Surprisingly, many actually do! A few have even exceeded the performance of my high-dollar customs.
For this article, I wanted to set a general limit of spending at a $100 cap. Now I realize that many people will never, in a million years, spend even $100 on a knife. I know people who think $50 for a knife is an extravagant waste of money. Fair enough. There are items that I purchase where I go the cheaper route and to each his own. For those folks, I might have a few examples to throw in the article that they might like, too.
Inexpensive does not necessarily mean low performance. There are some quality knives out there that function well and you don’t have to take out a second mortgage on the house. They make nice companions to the S&W CSX, the new micro-compact 9mm.
As I write this, I know some of my friends who are knife snobs are going to ridicule me for even considering carrying a knife that does not cost at least a couple hundred dollars. In fact, I literally know well over a dozen people who will carry an Emerson CQC-6, for example, some being worth around $6,000 (a few worth even more than that), as an everyday carry utility knife. And they use them hard! To these folks, I say, hats off to you! Personally, I couldn’t allow myself to use a knife that is worth that kind of money, I’d be afraid of marring the edge, breaking it, or losing it. But using them makes those folks happy, and so they have my blessing.
Now I do have some personal limitations. A cheaper knife, for me to use it, has to have an appealing profile. I have to like the knife. It needs to catch my eye, first of all, for me to even look at it. I prefer knives that are utilitarian, so the blade shape has to appeal to me and work well. And no, I’m not going to buy a $10 gas station knife. I’m just not, because that doesn’t appeal to me.
As far as the blade steel is concerned, we’re living in an age where there are some truly astounding blade steels out there! PD-1, CRU Wear, and many others hold their edge for obscenely long periods of time. Again, there are folks who will not even consider a knife unless it has the very latest new fad of super-steel. I’m not one of those guys. Sure, super-steels are neato, but I don’t necessarily need that.
With all that out of the way, let’s take a look at some budget-friendly, quality knives!
1. Buck Knives 110
When I was a young lad in the 1970s and ’80s, I yearned for a Buck 110 folding knife in the worst way. Why? Because Johnny Gage, a paramedic in the series Emergency! carried one on his belt in that ubiquitous leather sheath. Occasionally, he’d pull it out on the various calls that he and his partner, Roy DeSoto, would be called out on.
The Buck 110 Folding Hunter was revolutionary in its design for the day. Ebony scales and brass bolsters give this knife class, yet do not interfere with its practicality.
The other series that made me want one was The Dukes Of Hazzard, in which both Bo and Luke Duke carried the 110 in the leather pouches on their belt. Back in those days, those guys were influential to a youngster, and I wanted to be like them.
I never did get a Buck 110 back then. Instead, as a teenager, I settled for a very crappy copy that I believe was made in Pakistan or some damn place. Truly, there is no comparison between the real McCoy and the Pakistani version! But at the time, my teenage budget was seriously limited.
The Buck 110 has ebony handles with brass bolsters that give it an original look. They refer to it as the “Folding Hunter”, and it was created back in 1963 by Al Buck, so the design is no spring chicken. Al thought that outdoorsmen would go for a folding knife as a nice alternative to longer, fixed-blade hunting-type knives. He couldn’t have known at the time how correct he was! People flocked to it in droves, and it put Buck Knives on the map.
Ebony is used as the wood for the handles of the 110. The blade is 3.75″ inches long, .120 inches thick, and sports a clip point that comes to a very fine point. 420HC steel is used, and heat-treated to the recipe created by the legendary heat treater Paul Bos. And, just like the originals, a leather sheath is included with each knife. The Buck 110 weighs 7.2 ounces.
The Buck family, top to bottom: 110 Folding Hunter, 110 LT, 112 Ranger, 112 LT, and the 113 Ranger fixed blade. None of them are even close to $100 and all perform admirably.
That clip point allows for very precise cutting, as well as putting holes in things because of the very pointy tip. And because the knife has a generous “belly”, it’s also a great slicer.
The 110 features a lock-back action, which I really like. Over the years, I’ve had many liner locks and frame locks fail to keep knives open, but I’ve never had a lock back action fail me (that’s not to say that they can’t fail). I’ve found them to be supremely reliable, strong, and confidence-inspiring.
One fellow whom I know (he does a bit of writing himself) took a Buck 110 to Vietnam, where it served him very well for his tour of duty there in the Rangers. He’s still a fan of the design, by the way, and still has that original 110, though I believe he’s retired it now, having replaced it with a newer model. Honestly, can you get a much higher endorsement than that?
The knife just feels great in the hand and works incredibly well.
The 110 Folding Hunter retails for $59.99. That’s one heck of a good deal for a stellar knife!
2. Buck Knives 112 “Ranger”
This is the 110 Folding Hunter’s little brother! Basically, it is a slightly smaller version of the 110, so everything that was said about the 110 pretty much applies to this knife. The handle is made from ebony with brass bolsters, it’s a lock-back and uses the same steel as the 110.
Buck 112 Ranger (top) and the 112 Ranger LT. Both are very practical, although the LT version lacks the panache that the original version carries, given its nylon handles.
This year, 2022, is a special occasion for the Ranger, as it turns 50 years old. For a knife to remain in production for a half-century, it has to be doing something seriously right.
The origin of the 112 Ranger is rather interesting. It seems that the Buck 110 Folding Hunter was popular with sailors in the Navy, with many carrying this useful knife. One day, two sailors got into a knife fight using their 110s. The ship’s captain declared that knives with blade lengths over a certain length could no longer be carried (not surprisingly, it was aimed at the 110).
Not one to be denied, Buck designed the 112 specifically to get around the restrictions. In doing so, they created another huge hit with the 112 Ranger. People who loved the 110 seemed to take to the slightly smaller 112, like moths flocking to a bright light.
The blade length on the 112 is 3″, as opposed to the 110s 3.75″ blade. Personally, I really like the three-inch blade of the 112 because it’s a very practical length for most cutting tasks that I’d use a folder for. And the overall length of the 110 is longer, which makes it less handy for me to use.
At the time of this writing, both knives retail for the same price: $59.99. For what the user gets, that’s a darn good price, especially given how long these knives have been in production.
Both the 110 and the 112 come in several different versions. Some have different blade steels, including S30V. There are automatic versions and versions with different handle materials. I’m also happy to see that they are both available with drop point blades, which is my favorite blade tip design. Still, there’s something about the clip point—on the 110 and 112, the clip point just has that classic look that epitomizes both knives.
A comparison shot of the Buck 110 (top) and the 112 Ranger (bottom). Both are very practical and have been used by many for decades.
The 112 has a special anniversary edition available at the moment that will only be sold in 2022.
In all honesty, I like the smaller 112 better than the 110, as it just feels better in my hand and I enjoy the smaller size.
3. Buck 110 LT
This knife is exactly the same as the 110 Folding Hunter except that the handle is made from lightweight nylon. Same 3.75″ 420 HC blade (stonewashed) as the original 110. It is simply the lighter, less expensive version, though I would say the LT model is no less capable than the original.
Two Buck 110’s: the LT on top and the standard variety on the bottom. Both are equally capable, but the classic 110 has more finesse because of its ebony handle and brass bolsters.
The LT version weighs just 2.1 ounces and comes with a black, nylon sheath. The retail at the time of this writing is $24.99, which is an incredible buy for the quality that the consumer is getting. For such an inexpensive knife, the action was very smooth. If you’re looking for pure utility, this is it.
4. Buck 112 LT
At the risk of being redundant, the 112 LT is the nylon-handled version of the 112 Ranger. Same blade steel, length (3 inches), and it has a stonewash finish. Again, if you’re looking for utility, this is a great knife, retailing at $21.95 at the time of this writing. It comes with a nylon sheath. For the price and the utility factor, you really can’t go wrong with this knife.
The Buck 112 LT is a practical, inexpensive workhorse. And it’s made in the USA!
5. Buck 113 Ranger Fixed Blade
This little fixed blade hunting knife features a 3.125″ drop point blade of 420HC steel. Overall length is 7.25″ and it weighs 5.2 ounces. The handle is Buck’s usual ebony with brass bolsters. Of course, a leather sheath (pouch type) is included.
With ebony scales and brass bolsters, the 113 Ranger fixed blade is really quite fetching. And sharp! It’s as at home in the woods hunting as it is cutting everyday items.
I really love this little fixed blade—the handle is super comfortable and just the right length for my hands. The blade is a perfect length for most tasks and would field dress game very efficiently. I believe it would also excel at most everyday cutting chores too.
The leather pouch style sheath that comes with the Buck 113 Ranger fixed blade is very well made and holds the knife securely.
This one retails for $79.99 and is a stellar value for a fixed-blade knife. And it also looks really good while being utilitarian at the same time. The wood on the handle just looks very classic and handsome. For the money, you’ll have a tough time finding another fixed blade knife that offers this much value, in looks and utility.
The 113 Ranger is a seriously nice, smaller fixed blade that will be up to just about any task you could normally ask a knife to do. And it looks great doing it. The Ranger would make the perfect hunting companion.
6. Kershaw Cryo
I was at my local Tractor Supply store and saw the Kershaw Cryo in a display case. On a rare spur-of-the-moment impulse, I purchased it with the express idea of reviewing it for this article. The blade shape caught my eye, as it looked very practical. I thought the retail price of $49.99 wasn’t too bad either.
The Kershaw Cryo was designed by Rick Hinderer and the outstanding ergonomics reflex his expertise. Here on the framelock we can see the Lock Bar Stabilizer.
It’s a little flipper folder with a surprisingly decent action. Using the flipper tab (you can also use the thumb stud to open it), the blade flies open fairly quickly and smoothly. I dare say it’s fun to flip open, although I’m not a fan of treating knives as fidget toys. Nevertheless, this one has a little bit of a fun factor.
There’s a pocket clip that can go on either side, for both tip-up and tip-down carry, making it versatile.
I shouldn’t be too surprised that the ergonomics on this knife are very good, as it was designed by noted knife maker, Rick Hinderer.
The Cryo is comfortable in the hand. It’s a smaller knife but tackles chores very well.
The blade steel is 8Cr13MoV, which isn’t at the apex of knife steels, but it will suffice for an everyday pocket knife. Both the blade and handle are coated with titanium carbo-nitride, which gives a nice, bead-blasted appearance of a dull gray. I really like the coating, and wish more knife companies would use it because so far, it’s held up great and I love the look. There is also a Hinderer lock bar stabilizer so the frame lock does not get bent too far out when closing the knife. The blade is of the drop point configuration and is 2.75″ long. The subtle swedge along the back of the blade looks attractive, though, and the blade has enough belly to make it a very good slicer. Overall, I’m a huge fan of the blade configuration. I’m sad to see that this one is made in China.
7. Dozier Kabar Folding Hunter
I’ve long admired the designs by Bob Dozier, which helped me pull the trigger on this folding Kabar Dozier-designed hunter. I picked this one up for $21.95 at the time of writing and I’m happy that I did.
Kabar’s Dozier folder is a little gem, priced at $21.95. You can’t go wrong! The materials are not high-end, but the designer, Bob Dozier, is a master at his craft.
The 3″ long drop point, hollow-ground blade is made from AUS 8A Stainless Steel. Handles are comprised of Zytel. To open, there is a single thumb stud set up for right-handed folks (I really wish Kabar had installed a thumb stud on the other side too). The action is pleasantly smooth and lockup is excellent. This is a lock-back knife, and the design is known for its strength and reliability. Blade thickness is .11″.
Ergos on the Dozier-designed folding knife are great. The blade comes very sharp and the knife fits well in the hand.
The blade finish is black and I chose a handle in Foliage Green. However, they offer a number of various handle colors, ranging from Coyote Brown, Blaze Orange, Hunter Blue, Pink, Kelly Green, and others. For a slightly higher price, there is a model in D2 Tool Steel.
The ergonomics on this knife are very nice and I’m glad I grabbed one. For being made with low-cost materials, it is a surprisingly solid knife. This brings me to the point that sometimes a knife’s design (at least for me) can trump the materials it’s made from, within reason.
Bonus: Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight
Finally, we have Spyderco bringing up the rear. I cheated a little on this one, as it sells for around $115 as this is written. I know it goes a little above the $100 limit, but only by $15, and I think this one is definitely worth it. It’s an outstanding little knife that cuts like an angry wife’s tongue. Mine is serrated (they can be had in plain edge as well, and also black-coated blades), and the cutting ability is fantastic. The steel is CTS BD1N and the leaf-shaped blade is 2.92″, so it is legal in most places. While not the highest grade steel, I’ve found this one to hold its edge for a fairly long time, so I have no complaints. It’s a full flat grind (FFG), which adds to its cutting abilities.
Spyderco’s Para 3 is a serious cutting machine that utilizes the Compression Lock. This model is serrated.
The handle material is FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon), so the weight of this knife is only 2.4 ounces. Some people don’t like the FRN, claiming that it feels “cheap”, but I’m a fan because it’s sturdy and very light. When you place it in your pocket, you really don’t even know it’s there until you need it. It also has the wire “Paperclip” pocket clip, which I’ve found to work very well.
The Para 3’s handle is especially comfortable and the knife is fast into action with the Spydie hole for opening.
Opening the knife is accomplished via the signature Spyderco round hole in the blade. It works great and is very quick. Rounding out the package is the Compression Lock, which I’ve found to be extremely reliable over the years; I’ve never had an issue with one, and I’ve got quite a few knives with this locking system.
Wrapping Up
Well, there you have it. Seven quality knives for under a hundred bucks (a few that are well under a hundred), and one that’s slightly higher. Every one of them functions very well and meets the utility needs of most people, and the hunting needs of thousands each year.
Yes, there are higher-dollar knives with fancier materials. However, if you’re reading this, you likely are interested in what’s out there for a reasonable price. Each of these quality knives will get the job done and won’t break the bank. Sometimes the superior design of a knife can override the inexpensive materials it’s made from.
At SHOT, I was tasked with covering Mossberg’s new turkey shotgun. I’m a shotgun guy heck, I’m even a hunter, but I’m not a turkey hunter. I took the gig because it was adjacent to my interests, and I’m always willing to learn. When I stumbled across the Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey and observed its features, layout, and design, I realized it was more than a turkey gun. The Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey had all the makings of a tactical shotgun.
I was told that Mossberg had a tactical model on the way, but it wasn’t quite ready for SHOT. The tactical model, of course, came out, and when it did, it looked great, but I couldn’t get the Turkey model off my mind. I felt it might be a better gun than the Pro Tactical for tactical applications. Plus, the old-school camo finish captured my heart.
Into the Mossberg 940 Pro
Mossberg builds the king of pump-action shotguns, but semi-autos have been their main focus. The Mossberg 930 was a solid gun, and heck, I still enjoy shooting mine. It is a maintenance queen, though, and seemed to gum up fairly badly after a few hundred rounds. The Mossberg 940 Pro and JM Pro were designed to address some of the shortcomings of the 930.
The Mossberg 940 recoiled mildly and was pleasant to shoot.
Mossberg claims the guns can go 1,500 rounds between cleanings, which is quite nice. Additionally, they enlarged and knurled the charging handle and enlarged the bolt release. Mossberg trimmed out the loading port and relieved it for faster reloads. Three-gunners can rejoice at quad loading, and everyone else will enjoy the fact their thumbs won’t lose a chunk of flesh when speed reloading.
The loading port is wide, and you won’t lose a chunk of thumb to it.
Both the Pro Turkey and Tactical models feature an implemented cut for mini red dot sights using the Shield RMSc footprint. The very best optic for this gun is the Holosun 507K. It packs the three reticle system that includes the eye-catching 32 MOA circle. Smart shotgunners will pattern their buckshot inside the 32 MOA circle to maximize pellet accountability.
The optic cut is made directly into the receiver of the shotgun.
The Mossberg 940 Pro series implement an ingenious idea in the form of the stock’s adjustable length of pull. You aren’t stuck with that 14.5-inch LOP because you can easily adjust the length of pull via a series of spacers. Shooters can also adjust the cast, and lefties will rejoice, especially with the vent rib of the Turkey model.
The stock allows you to mix in multiple inserts to increase the LOP or decrease it.
But it’s for turkeys!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Black is tactical. The Tactical does do some things better. Like, come with a +3 round magazine extension and an M-LOK clamp for accessories. However, I can get an M-LOK clamp and purchase any +3 mag extension for the Turkey model. That’s easy.
The 940 Pro series is replacing the P30 series.
What I really like more about the Turkey model comes down to the barrel and sighting system. Mossberg likes to mount their bead sights directly to the barrel. This places them too low and makes it look like you are hitting high. The 940 Tactical features a high viz front sight mounted directly to the barrel. The Mossberg 940 JM Pro-Turkey features a vent rib and a massive high visibility front sight. Due to the vent rib, it’s mounted higher and has the correct POA/POI. Plus, the size makes it easier to co-witness with the red dot I’ve mounted.
The High Viz front sight is massive and easy to see.
There isn’t a huge difference between the two. However, the benefits of the Tactical model are easily replicated in the Turkey model, but not vice versa. I also think the low-profile nature of the Turkey gun can be beneficial. Darryl Bolke has talked about a Model 12 being a low-profile tactical shotgun that no anti-gun fanatic would feel threatened by. The Mossberg 940 Turkey Pro has that same appeal and low-profile nature.
The Camo finish is to die for.
It’s literally called a turkey gun, and it wears the same camo as grandpa! How can it be scary?
At the Range With the Mossberg 940 Pro
The Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey might be the best defensive shotgun Mossberg’s ever made.
A big thing with semi-auto shotguns is reliability. The ole Mossberg 930 was reliable…until it got plenty dirty and then wasn’t. However, the Mossberg 940 Pro says it can last longer and run dirtier with its revamped gas system. I went to the range with a mix of birdshot and buckshot. Let it be noted that the Pro Turkey model comes with an XX-Full Turkey Tube choke, and they usually don’t play well with slugs.
It’s easy to replace with a cylinder bore choke, but I didn’t have one, so it’s just buck and bird today, which is fine because I don’t use slugs often. Anyway, with a wide mix of loads, I just went ham with the gun. I let lead fly, and the Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey never let me down. Hell, it even cycled 2.5-inch buckshot loads. Birdshot came from Federal by way of Walmart, and buckshot was a mix of Federal Vital Shok, S&B, and some cheap Lambro Guard buckshot. None of the ammo proved problematic.
S&B is dirty ammo, but the Mossberg 940 seemingly cycles everything.
The big iron sight is triangular, green, and mean! It’s fairly large and very easy to see and get on target. I barely used it because I tossed a Holosun 507K on the setup and went running with that. Zeroing took no time at all, and I was dead on. I dropped round after round of tightly patterned birdshot and buckshot without issue.
Riding the Beast
The gas-operated design of the Mossberg 940 Pro series ensures the gun is super comfy to handle, easy to control, and doesn’t beat the hell out of you. It’s fairly soft in the recoil department, and with a good push/pull technique, the gun barely moves. I dropped three-shot strings before the first shell hit the ground.
The 940 Pro features massive controls that are easy to access and engage.
Oh, and that brings us to cycling speed. The Beretta 1301 might be the fastest cycling shotgun on the planet, but the 940 series is at its tail. The gun cycles super fast, especially with the low recoil. Dropping two rounds of buckshot in less than 1.5 seconds and having both be on target is a nice touch for a 12 gauge shotgun.
What’s fairly impressive is the trigger. It’s light, crisp, a little creepy, but also light. Shotgun triggers have gotten better and better, and it shows with the Mossberg 940 Pro. The same could be said for ergonomics. The lightweight design delivers an easy-handling gun. Huge controls make manipulating the shotgun easy, and not losing some blood and flesh to my tube reload is a nice touch.
A Better Mousetrap
The Mossberg 940 Pro series are proving to be fantastic shotguns. It’s sad that America has fallen a little far behind in the semi-auto shotgun world, but maybe Mossberg is bringing semi-autos back to the United States. The Pro Turkey is certainly a worthy contender and a shotgun worth peeking at. What say you? Would you go Pro Turkey or Pro Tactical?
If you’re into shotguns at all, you likely know that Italy produces some of the finest examples of that venerable firearm in the entire world. If you didn’t know that, well, you do now. Beretta continues the tradition with their line of 1301 shotguns, but does the 1301 Tactical meet that high standard? In the video linked below, John from Pew Pew Tactical spends a day on the range with a Beretta 1301 Tactical and tells us what he thinks.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical continues the tradition of quality Italian shotguns. (tenor.com)
John admits from the start that he doesn’t have an extensive shotgunning background. He owns a full-size Remington 870 that he shoots a few times a year and that’s it. So, this is more of an everyman review of the 1301 Tactical, which I will refer to from here on out as simply “the 1301.” Along those lines, John notes that the 1301, despite being Beretta’s flagship semi-automatic shotgun, is very forgiving to less experienced shooters.
The 1301 Tactical is part of Beretta’s larger 1301 line of shotguns.
Beretta 1301 Tactical Features and Specifications
Let’s start with some specs and features from the Beretta website:
12 Gauge
Barrel length: 18.5 inches
Overall Length: 37.8 inches
Chamber: 3 inches
Available Finishes: Black, OD Green, Flat Dark Earth, and a Marine edition with a high-visibility, corrosion-resistant finish, and Beretta’s “Aqua-Tech” coating.
Synthetic stock and handguard
Sights: Adjustable ghost ring rear and an interchangeable front blade with protective ears.
Capacity: Variable. According to Beretta’s website, the 1301’s capacity ranges from 4+1 to 7+1 depending on the length of the magazine tube and whether you’re using 2 ¾-inch or 3-inch shells.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical performed well on the range.
John talks about a few of these features, saying the sights “work quite well.” The adjustable ghost ring rear sight is nice for slugs. There is also a pic rail on top of the receiver if you want to mount an optic. John suggests that an RMR or Holosun 507c might work well, though he did not use an optic in his tests.
The 1301 Tactical comes with an interchangeable front blade and a fully adjustable rear ghost ring. The receiver has a pic rail for optics.
The elongated handguard features aggressive texturing for positive retention. It also has some nice grooves “that allow a shot shell to neatly fit in the swell while you’ve got the gun gripped in your support hand to facilitate the most tactical of reloads.” John says the 13-inch stock feels short compared to his 870 but thinks it fits well with the 1301’s overall compact feel after he got used to it. Beretta includes spacers if you want a longer length of pull. John says there is a model available with a Mesa Tactical stock and pistol grip.
The 13-inch stock felt short to John at first. The gun does come with spacers to extend the length of pull.
One of the first things you notice about the 1301 is the “chunky ass charging handle.” John says it looks more like a cabinet doorknob than a firearm component but in a good kind of way. He thinks the 1301’s oversized fire controls are “one of the coolest parts of the shotgun.” Running a shotgun effectively isn’t always easy and requires practice. The larger controls make it easier to pick up, which is why John says the gun is forgiving to those who may be just learning to handle a shotgun.
John says the oversized charging handle, bolt release, and cross-bolt safety are among “the coolest parts of the gun.”
The other controls are an easy-to-reach, textured cross-bolt safety just aft of the loading gate and a large, textured bolt release. The latter is “intelligently placed just below the ejection port to facilitate a hyper-fast bolt drop during a tactical reload from a locked bolt.”
The 1301 has a nuanced operating system.
But John says “tactical reload” might not be the correct terminology because of how the 1301’s operating system works. “You’re likely going to be breechloading the gun quite a bit.” What he means by that is the 1301 won’t chamber a round when you manually work the bolt unless the hammer is down. That means you either have to pull the trigger on an empty chamber to drop the hammer or hit the small button on the rear of the lifter. That pulls a round from the mag tube onto the lifter to be chambered when you work the charging handle.
Because of the 1301’s operating system, you’ll likely be breech-loading a lot, which is actually a good thing.
It took me a minute to picture that, but John links to another video that takes you through the process. Once I got it, I saw the value, as John did, of being able to quickly change from one shell type to another. Say you’re loaded with birdshot but need a slug. You can make that switch without emptying the entire mag tube. All you do is rack the charging handle manually, insert the round you want, and you’re in business. Continuing to fire normally will take you through the magazine, or you can repeat the process as many times as you want. It will definitely take practice, but it looks like a nice feature once you get used to it.
The button on the back of the lifter allows you to manually load the chamber with the charging handle.
The trigger is “quite nice and crisp” at about four pounds, which goes well with Beretta’s “Blink” gas recoil system. The company advertises the Blink system as being 36 percent faster than any other semi-automatic shotgun on the market. John notes that he lacks the experience to offer an informed opinion on that claim but says the 1301 “does indeed feel fast.”
One Small Bizarre Issue with the 1301
He ran a variety of bird and 00 buckshot during his day on the range with good results. He did, however, experience a “small, kind of bizarre issue.” It seems that hitting the bolt release in a specific way with a round already chambered induces a double feed when the gun tries to load a round from the lifter and one from the mag tube simultaneously. That results in “a quite obnoxious traffic jam inside the breech.”
The 1301 was susceptible to double feeding if the bolt release was hit in a certain way. Beretta says the problem has been fixed in the Gen 2 1301s.
Beretta says this problem has been addressed with the Gen 2 1301s so just make sure to grab the latest version of the gun. John says the problem did go away after removing the already installed mag tube capacity blocker, which is apparently aimed at hunting regulations that limit capacity. John notes the strangeness of that feature on a gun labeled as “Tactical,” but it is, as they say, what it is. So, limiting the mag capacity to two rounds, plus having rounds that aren’t exactly 2 ¾ inches may contribute to the problem.
Despite being the flagship of Beretta’s semiautomatic shotgun line, the 1301 is very forgiving to less experienced shotgunners.
Final Thoughts on the 1301 Tactical
“Outside of that,” John says, “the Beretta 1301 is pretty damn fun to run, although…throwing a couple hundred rounds of 12 gauge downrange in a day is a great way to just kinda rattle the hell out of your skeleton.” The things one does for science and gun reviews.
Beretta doesn’t list a weight value for the 1301 on its website, but John comments on how light it is. He estimates it to be about two pounds lighter than the Benelli M4, which is probably its closest point of comparison. That lightness, John says, makes the 1301 feel like it “jumps around a little bit more than a normal shotgun.” He doesn’t see that as a knock, however, because it’s part of the trade-off that comes with a lighter, more compact gun.
The 1301 “jumps around” a little more than a normal shotgun, but that’s the trade-off for the lighter weight and compact size.
“The 1301 feels sleek and points naturally,” John says. And the fact that he felt halfway competent with the gun after just a few hours and a couple hundred rounds “should tell you something.” He laments that he didn’t have more time with the gun to improve his skills and try some of the nice aftermarket upgrades that are out there. He would especially like to add an extended mag tube, forward rail, and a forward sling point. But Pew Pew Tactical liked the gun so much they bought it from the store that lent it to them for the test. So, that has to be a good sign and maybe we’ll see more of it in the future.
John “had a blast” with the 1301 Tactical.
John closes by saying “I had an absolute blast with it. If you’re in the market for a tactical shotgun that’s sleek, runs well, comes with a host of rad features right off the bat, and isn’t going to break the bank, I’d absolutely recommend getting your hands on a 1301 and seeing how you like it.”
So, what do you think? Does the 1301 Tactical look like a winner? Let us know in the comments. Happy shooting, y’all.
Today we’ve got a treat for ya. GunMag’s very own resident Wrestlemania fan is bringing out a full-auto AR-15 to do a little testing on ten different AR-15 magazines, “from the internet’s most favorite to the internet’s least favorite.” Who doesn’t love a full-auto mag dump?
So exactly how is he going to run this test? First, he’s going to drop test each magazine, twice. Once for impact to the baseplate and once to the feedlips. After the drop test, he’s going to run each magazine through the full-auto AR-15. He’s checking for a couple of things.
Fully loaded, do the magazines break or lose any rounds when dropped?
Can these mags feed as fast as the gun can cycle?
We’re going to let the results speak for themselves.
Jeremy is testing ten AR-15 magazines, from the internet’s most favorite to least favorite. Who doesn’t love a full-auto mag dump?
Here’s the list of mags included in the test, and how they perform.
1. Magpul PMAG Gen 3 M3 Window
Remember, we’re going from the internet’s most favorite to least favorite. So Jeremy starts with a Magpul, because, it’s a Magpul, duh. This is one of the most prolific, most common magazines out there. These mags have polymer feed lips, so they’re supposedly weaker than steel feed lips would be. Do they suffer any damage from the drop test?
Nope. Not a problem at all. And they feed the full auto beautifully.
2. Okay Surefeed E2
This Okay Surefeed magazine is made with aluminum and has dot-textured walls. It handles the drop test, easy peasy, with no dents or deformations. (Not that Jeremy expected any.)
The Okay aluminum magazine handles the mag dump just fine. “These mags are OK.”
3. HK Sand-Resistant Steel Mag
Made in Germany, the HK mag has all-steel construction: steel baseplate, steel body, steel feed lips, and steel follower. There shouldn’t be any issues with all-steel construction, right? Surprisingly, the HK mag loses a round with the first drop. “Once again, what you expect ain’t always what it is.”
Look at that brass fly.
4. Colt Sporter Aluminum Mag
Since the Colt Sporter magazine isn’t made of steel, it’s a little less strong but it is lighter in weight. It doesn’t have a problem with the first drop but loses a round with the second one. “Shoulda had a dirty thirty. Now it’s just 29. Just not the same.” How does it handle the full auto mag dump?
Just fine.
5. Duramag Stainless Steel AR-15 Magazines
Switching back to another steel magazine, the Duramag is obviously a little heavier. After the first drop test, Jeremy notices that the baseplate came up a little bit. The magazine also loses a round with the second drop. Jeremy asks, “Am I being unfair to expect it not to eject?”
As you can see in the middle image, the baseplate came up from the body of the magazine a little after the drop test. It handled the mag dump just fine, though.
At this point in the test, the AR is starting to heat up and smoke. Well, it’s to be expected, right?
6. ASC Aluminum Mag
ASC stands for Ammo Storage Component, which is kind of a genius name for a magazine since, technically, it does store your ammo. Until you do your ammo dump, that is. This particular ASC magazine is in the Flat Dark Earth color and has a high-visibility orange polymer follower. It loses one round with the first drop but none with the second.
The ASC does just fine with the full auto mag dump and Jeremy says he’s starting to feel the heat in his hand.
Jeremy says the gun is getting so hot he can feel the heat now.
7. KCI Polymer AR-15 Magazines
This is a very inexpensive polymer magazine. It comes with a dust cover and is windowed on both sides. Noticing that the baseplate is polymer, Jeremy wonders if polymer is better than metal at absorbing the impact of the drop test. Nope. The mag loses one round in the first drop and then loses three more with the second drop. So much for that theory!
The KCI mag has no problems with the full auto mag dump.
8. ETS AR-15 Magazines
ETS mags rank high in cool factor. Since they’re made of translucent polymer, they kees no secrets. The magazine loses one round with the first drop, none with the second, and performs just fine with the mag dump.
The ETS magazine loses one round with the first drop but handles full auto just fine.
Now, the AR-15 is getting so hot that Jeremy tries to waft some air over it to cool it off a little.
9. Hexmag Series Carbon Fiber Magazine
Is the Hexmag really made of carbon fiber? The paperwork says so.
The Hexmag handles both drops just fine and feeds the full auto like a champ. It also has a high visibility red polymer follower.
10. Promag AR-15/M16 Polymer Mag
The Promag handles the first drop just fine but loses two rounds with the second drop on the feed lips.
The Promag feeds full auto without issue.
The Takeaways
Hopefully, this test gives you some insight into these AR-15 magazines. The internet has its opinions on what’s the best and worst, but don’t take it as the gospel truth. Like Jeremy says, “Go out there and run it. Use your stuff. Get behind the wheel and drive. You’ll get better. You’ll see what works. And all the talkers on the internet can keep talking.”
Since the video ran on the GunMag TV channel in March, we’ve gotten some suggestions on other brands to add to the test. There were also a couple of suggestions on what to add to the test, like doing a stepped-on test and letting the magazines drop free after the mag dump.
All of the AR-15 magazines tested performed well for the full auto mag dump. Several of the magazines lost some rounds with the drop test, which Jeremy says is unacceptable under any circumstances. What do you think? Is he wrong?
Do you have more suggestions for future tests? Let us know in the comments below.
If you’ve followed GunMag Warehouse for any length of time, you’ve seen Jeremy. He’s in many of the videos on GunMag social channels, and when you combine his exuberant personality with blasters…well, he’s just fun to watch. Today, we’re going to watch Jeremy test out three magazines with one of his favorite guns on the planet, the H&K MP5. It’s highly probable that the MP5 is a favorite for lots of folks. It’s an icon, the world over.
So, let’s get right down to it. The three magazines he is testing are:
Century Arms 30-round steel magazine
ETS red polymer
Heckler & Koch factory
Which one is best for you?
The ETS polymer magazine gets some points for style, but ultimately that’s not very important. Reliability is the biggest factor Jeremy is looking for, and he’s thinking that the H&K factory mag should win out over the other two. However, he expects the results to speak for themselves.
To test the mags, Jeremy plans to shoot a few rounds in single-fire and then switch over to full auto for a mag dump. Oh, and by the way, Jeremy is wrong-handed, so you’ll see a lot of that. Don’t like it? Leave a comment!
The Century Arms magazine has a steel body and spring with a chrome follower. How well does the Century arms mag perform?
The Century Arms mag has a couple of hiccups with a failure to fire after a few single shots. Also, it fails to feed the last two rounds of full auto.
ETS H&K MP5 Red Polymer
The ETS magazine is the only polymer magazine that Jeremy uses for this test.
This affordable aftermarket magazine from ETS is made with an advanced UV-resistant, creep-resistant, translucent polymer body and steel internal springs. Does the fact that it’s constructed of polymer make any difference in its reliability?
The ETS mag doesn’t have any problem with either the single shots or with the full auto mag dump.
The HK magazine is made of steel with steel spring internals and anti-tilt follower. The HK mag is made to strict factory specifications, so Jeremy expects that it should perform better than any aftermarket mags.
As Jeremy expected, HK magazine performs like a champ. No issues whatsoever.
Which Magazine is Best?
Jeremy says he could use all of them, potentially, but he’d probably go with either the ETS or the HK mag. Unfortunately, Jeremy is unable to test the KCI mag because it was out of stock at the time of this filming. Too bad, because it would have been interesting to see how it compares to the others.
Of course, he says the best part of all of this was shooting the MP5 in fully automatic mode. Since customers ask all the time about the different products available at GunMag Warehouse, Jeremy and the rest of the GunMag crew plan to keep doing tests and comparisons like this one to showcase the products. Be sure and check out the ones already posted on the GunMag Warehouse YouTube channel.
Watch the video and leave us a comment. What other products would you like to see Jeremy test?
If you’ve been into shooting for any amount of time, you know that Aimpoint optics are considered by many to be the industry standard for red dots. They are also priced like it. Don’t get me wrong, I know you get what you pay for, but you also have to be able to pay for it in the first place. Today we’ll look at the Aimpoint Duty RDS.
Derek Walters of EuroOptic is impressed by the new Aimpoint Duty RDS red dot.
Well, if you’ve always wanted an Aimpoint but didn’t have the cash or couldn’t justify the cost, here’s your chance. In the video linked below, Derek from EuroOptic gives us a quick rundown of the new Aimpoint Duty RDS red dot optic, which he describes as “a more budget-conscious option to Aimpoint’s lineup.” Derek does allow that hearing the word “budget” from a company known for making high-end products might cause some skepticism. But he says the RDS is “well-executed and it does share some of its DNA with its siblings.”
The Duty RDS shares a lot of its DNA with the Micro T2 and Comp M5. (aimpoint.us)
Aimpoint Duty RDS Red Dot Features
First. let’s hit the features of the RDS from Aimpoint’s website:
2 MOA red dot
Battery type: CR2032 (included)
Battery Life: 30,000 hours (over 3 years) on setting 7
Mount: One-piece torsion nut
Advanced optical lenses for enhanced light transmission and ultimate dot clarity
Flush mounted waterproof windage and elevation adjustments
10 brightness settings: 1 off position, 4 night vision compatible settings, and 6 daylight settings.
Magnification: 1x – operationally parallax free
Submersible to 80 feet (25 meters)
Temperature span: -49 degrees to +160 degrees Fahrenheit
Weight: 3.8 ounces (sight only)
Length x Width x Height: 2.7 x 1.5 x 1.7 inches
Comparison
Derek compares those features with the proven, and expensive, Aimpoint Micro T2, Comp M5, and Comp M5S optics.
All share the 2 MOA dot.
The T2 has 4 night vision settings and 8 daylight settings, compared to 4 and 6 for the RDS.
The T2 and M5 optics have 50,000 hours of battery life compared to 30,000. Still, that’s a lot of battery life, and Derek says he thinks many people change them every year or so anyway. He also notes that some companies deceptively tie battery life to lower brightness settings. The RDS is rated on its highest setting.
The word “budget” might make you skeptical, but the Duty RDS looks to be the real deal.
The T2’s brightness is controlled by a rotary knob, while the RDS has up and down buttons. Aimpoint says those controls can be manipulated while wearing gloves, which Derek confirmed himself.
The T2 and RDS are submersible to 80 feet. “Pretty ridiculous there, from a civilian standpoint,” Derek says. But if you wanna get your SEAL Team cosplay on…
Derek spent a lot of time with the T2 and the RDS and he believes the glass quality is equal. That’s a big deal for a lower-priced optic. He also notes that turning up the T2, or any optic, too high creates a red halo around the edges that can be seen if you move your head around. The RDS does that on setting 7 but he says that outside “it isn’t even noticeable.”
The glass quality on the Duty RDS is equal to the Micro T2 and Comp M5.
There is a slight difference in mounting height because of the RDS’s different base. It has the same footprint as the other three Aimpoints, but it sits about a quarter-inch higher than the T2 and the Comp M5 because of that base. The RDS is very close, within a tenth of an inch, to the M5S. So, keep that in mind when mounting the RDS.
The Duty RDS mounts about a quarter of an inch higher than the Micro T2 because of its different base, but it’s very close to the same height as the Comp M5S (pictured).
Final Thoughts
“I like it a lot,” Derek says. “It gives you that same quality that you expect from Aimpoint, but it’s just not as bonkers as something like the Comp M5 or the T2 ($499 vs. $825-$928 for the Micro T2 and $1011 for the Comp M5). He notes that long battery life is expensive to engineer and produce but 30,000 hours really ought to be enough. “I’ll take the hit on the ridiculous battery life and still have something that’s pretty insane.”
The Duty RDS uses the same footprint as the Micro T2 and Comp M5 but be aware of base height differences.
Are you up for “budget” Aimpoint? Let us know in the comments.
William “Bucky” Lawson is a self-described “typical Appalachian-American gun enthusiast”. He is a military historian specializing in World War II and has written a few things, as he says, “here and there”. A featured contributor for Strategy & Tactics, he likes dogs, range time, and a good cigar – preferably with an Old Fashioned that has an extra orange slice.
There used to be a time when we said CZ USA was an underrated company. However, in the last ten years or so, it has climbed into the mainstream. It might not have the glory or police adoption Sig and Glock have, but the civilian market has embraced the CZ series of handguns. CZ USA used to be a company betrothed by the hammer-fired design, especially DA/SA firearms. The CZ P10C broke that mold with a striker-fired design, which grew into a family of striker-fired pistols.
It should be noted this isn’t the first CZ striker-fired pistol. They had the CZ 100 many years ago, but we often don’t talk about that gun. The CZ 100 was quite a failure, but the P10C did it right.
CZ could have done the coasting thing. They could have just released a simple, striker-fired compact pistol without much fanciness. Just toss it into the ether and let it go. That’s not what CZ did, though. They went hard and released a remarkable pistol. Let’s look at what makes the CZ P10C so special in the crowded world of compact pistols.
The Compact Pistol Genre
There is some debate over what makes a pistol compact. You ask me, and I’d say compact means easy to conceal. The firearm industry believes that compact is a smaller version of their full-sized guns. The P10C falls into that camp. As we all know, this genre of firearm is dominated by the Glock 19, and everyone else plays catch up.
It’s even a good-looking gun. CZ USA released the P10C with all the fancy features you could ask for. No need to upgrade or customize because the gun’s ready out of the box.
Before we dive in too deep, let’s look at the raw specifications of the pistol.
Barrel Length: 4.02 in
Overall Length: 7.3 in
Weight: 26 oz
Chambering: 9mm Luger
Magazine Capacity: 15+1
MSRP: $499
What the CZ P10C Does Different
First, unlike something like the Glock 19, they don’t sell the pistol with crappy plastic sights. They went with proper metal so it won’t break the first time you drop it. Night sights are an option, and as you can see, the P10C also comes with the option for suppressor height sights. Of course, optic-ready models are also available for the modern shooter.
The P10C is a stand out for CZ.
Sights might be the first thing you replace with a Glock 19, but the second thing is typically the trigger. Well, no worries here with the CZ P10C. CZ USA installs a flat trigger in the P10C that’s superior to most stock Glock triggers on the market. The flat trigger has a slight take-up that’s smooth and superior to most. After the take-up, you meet a wall, and it breaks evenly and cleanly. The reset is also super short and consistently clean.
The compact genre is crowded, but the P10C stands out.
CZ has always been a company that designs handguns with superior ergonomics, and the P10C is no different. The gun features a great trigger guard undercut and a high beavertail-like design. This gives you the ability to get a nice high grip on the gun and exercise better control over it. The grip texture is super aggressive and clings to your hand, and the well-placed controls are easy to access on the fly.
Blasting Away With the CZ P10C
The cold hammer-forged barrel helps with accuracy, as do the awesome sights and superior trigger. When it comes time to start blasting away, you’ll be surprised at how accurate the little gun can be. It’s easy to print tight groups at 25 yards, and with slow, accurate fire, you’ll keep groups within 2.5 inches. For a handgun, that’s fairly impressive. Decisive headshots at 25 yards are plenty easy.
The P10C fits the hand just right.
Back out to 50 yards, I could ring a 10-inch gong quite consistently. I won’t say it was close to 100%, but seven out of ten was fairly average. On big man-sized IPSC steel targets, I could go ten for ten at 50 yards. Not bad, at least not for me.
When things get a little more practical with speed shooting, we find that the CZ P10C performs exceptionally well. Shooting the 10-10-10 drill in 8 seconds with all the shots in the black was possible after a few warm-up rounds. I shot the failure drill in under two seconds and landed my headshot right between the guy’s eyes. The gun shoots better than I do by all accounts.
Controlling the Czech
That enhanced ergonomics and aggressive grip texture give the CZ P10C an easy controlling design. 9mm doesn’t offer much recoil in the first place, and the high, hand-filling grip doesn’t make it tough to keep the gun under control. It’s not a challenge to keep the gun on target.
It’s easy to drive the gun between multiple targets, as well as transitioning from shooting fast to shooting to maximize accuracy. Drills like the failure drill exemplify the need for speed combined with precision accuracy, and the P10C excels in both regards. Even with modern defensive ammo of the +P variety, the P10C doesn’t present much muzzle rise or recoil.
The controls are ambidextrous.
The thinner grip makes the gun very accommodating for smaller hands and makes it fairly simple for shooters of all types to control the weapon. It’s well suited for both new and experienced shooters. Getting on target and staying on target doesn’t present much of a challenge.
When you need the gun to go bang, it does. It’s plenty reliable and chews through aluminum cases, steel cased, and brass cased ammo without difficulty. Feed it, and it’ll eat. You won’t deal with it being picky.
The aggressive grip texture keeps the gun placed in your hand.
CZ Superiority
I think CZ went a long way in producing and steering compact firearms to a new level of quality and the CZ P10C presents shooters with a superior compact firearm. It provides a fantastic firearm fit, superior quality, and excellent ergonomics stacked on a great trigger and cold hammer-forged barrel. Hell, at $499, it’s a damn bargain. Oh, and did I mention the P10C fits in a number of Glock 19 holsters? Cause it does.
There are a lot of great hunting cartridges out there; chamberings for every type of game. Most of us can’t afford to buy a rifle for every specific game animal we pursue, so, we look for cartridges that can fill more than one role. I’m currently looking to strike a balance between something that’s big enough to take an elk but small enough for whitetail deer, and that’s where the video linked below comes in. YouTube’s Backfire channel fills us in on a very popular, very versatile hunting round: the .22-.250 Remington, which he says is “By far, one of my favorite cartridges.”
I’ve watched his channel for a while, but I still don’t know his name. Maybe that’s intentional or maybe I just missed that one, but either way, I’ll just call him “Backfire.” Dude, if you ever read this, feel free to hit me up and I’ll change it if you want.
The .22-.250 Remington is versatile and powerful beyond its size.
Anyway, Backfire helpfully organizes his discussion into specific topics, so we’ll just follow right along:
Reasons to Love the .22-.250 Remington
1. Spot Your Impact
Thanks to the relatively low recoil of the .22-250, it’s possible to see where your shot hits, which is a big deal. Backfire notes that if you’re shooting stuff like 30.06, .308, or 6.5 PRC the recoil is enough to keep you from seeing the impact through the scope, which has enormous benefit for training people to shoot, especially kids. It’s also valuable for hunters, though you always prefer to hit with that first shot. Seeing where the bullet actually lands, instead of a puff of dust, is a good thing.
Though it’s the biggest of this bunch, the .22-.250 still shoots soft enough to see your shots land. (rifleman1.blogspot.com)
2. Versatility
“It’s not very often that you see a cartridge that’s absolutely ideal for knocking out a squirrel and a deer.” The .22-.250 can do that and everything in between. It’s primarily used as a varmint round, especially on coyotes, but can and does take deer and antelope.
The round’s designation comes from the fact that it’s a .22 caliber bullet in a necked down .250 Savage casing. It has enough powder volume to drive that heavier .25 caliber bullet. That allows a wide range of bullet weights, from ultra-high velocity 35-grain projectiles to 65-grain loads suitable for larger game.
(L) .22-.250 cartridge alongside the .250 Savage it was derived from. (R) .22-.250 Remington, .223 Remington, and .220 Swift (shooting times/rifleman1.blogspot.com)
Backfire says he doesn’t use .22-.250 for deer, but not because he thinks it unethical or underpowered for the job. It’s simply that he sees no reason to. He has rifles chambered in larger calibers that aren’t too much for him to shoot well, so there’s no advantage to his choosing a smaller bullet. “It’s not how tiny can I go and still do the job,” he says, “It’s how big can I go and still shoot as accurately as possible.”
3. Laser-Like Trajectory
Backfire shows us a target he shot from 85, 185, and 285 yards. He held on the same point of aim and the bullet only dropped 5.2 inches. He notes the advantage of that kind of performance for a hunter. If you’re hunting coyotes on the move, you likely don’t have time to check their range, and it wouldn’t hold up anyway. Being able to fire out to nearly 300 yards with essentially the same hold is a big deal.
The .22-.250 only dropped 5.2 inches between 85, 185, and 285 yards, giving it a 5 to 6-inch “maximum point-blank range” to almost 300 yards.
This is an example of “maximum point-blank range,” where you have a vertical range, in this case, five or six inches, in which you can be certain of hitting your target without adjusting the point of aim. He notes that this method “Makes you look like a better shooter than you are in a dynamic situation.”
The approximate “maximum point-blank range” of the .22-.250 Remington cartridge at 285 yards.
4. Rifle Availability
The .22-.250’s popularity is reflected by the fact that most rifle manufacturers chamber for it. We all have rifle preferences and it’s nice that, if we want a .22-.250, we can likely find one we like with no trouble.
He also notes that the last two years have made him more aware of ammo availability and the wisdom of choosing rifles and calibers that are as readily available as possible. With the current political and economic situation, there’s no guarantee that the outlook for ammo prices and availability will stabilize anytime soon. The more versatile you are, the better.
5. Up to 4,500 FPS
Yep, you read that right. Backfire notes that the typical hunting cartridge fires its projectile at 2,700 to 2,900 feet per second. A normal, run-of-the-mill 55 grain .22-.250 runs in the neighborhood of 3,500. Hornady Superformance has a 35-grain load that tops out around 4,500 feet per second. That is absolutely scorching. With a 200-yard zero, that load would have four inches of drop at 300 yards.
He then shows footage of what a .22-.250 will do to a watermelon at 50 yards. I’m not sure which load he uses, but the results were spectacular. You should watch it.
The .22-.250 slaying a watermelon at 50 yards. You should watch it.
6. 500 Yard Dash
The wind drift of the .22-.250 is low because it travels so fast, thus spending less time in the air. Again, I’m not sure which load he is referring to, but the .22-.250 travels 500 yards in just 0.57 seconds, making it the 19th fastest cartridge of the 82 that Backfire tracks. For reference, the .308 Winchester travels 500 yards in 0.69 seconds.
The .22-.250 is among the fastest hunting cartridges out there.
7. Decent Barrel Life
Backfire says that super-fast cartridges usually turn him off because there’s almost always a drawback. Usually, the energy needed to drive that bullet trashes your shoulder and/or burns out the barrel. The .22-.250 does neither. The recoil is more than manageable, and the average barrel lifespan is 2,000 to 3,000 rounds, comparable to the best cartridges out there. He attributes that to the small caliber and very light bullet weights.
8. It’s the Ultimate Coyote Hunter
The .22-.250 is “Probably the deadliest coyote cartridge in existence,” he says. The cartridge started as a wildcat from the .250 Savage in the 1920s and 1930s and was very popular. Similar cartridges came out under names like “.22 Varminter.” The cartridge was commercialized in the 1960s as the .22-.250 Remington.
The .22-.250 Remington is “probably the deadliest coyote cartridge in existence.”
Because it’s been around for so long and is so well-suited to coyote hunting, Backfire guesses it has taken more coyotes than any other cartridge. He does allow that the .223 Remington may be right there because of the round’s ubiquity thanks to the popularity of the AR-15, but among “Real coyote hunters, it’s probably the .22-.250 hands down.”
What do you think?
Is the .22-.250 Remington all that? I have to say, it looks like something I’d like to have in my arsenal. We don’t get many coyotes in the Appalachians but there are more every year. Who knows, maybe I’ll spend part of my retirement keeping coyotes away from the livestock with a .22-.250. Let us know your thoughts on this supremely versatile cartridge in the comments. As always, happy shooting, y’all.
