Gun Reviews

Over the last decade, Vortex has earned a reputation as a venerable staple of the optics market. I was first acquainted with Vortex when they suddenly materialized in the gun store I worked at in 2012. I was immediately impressed by the clarity of the lenses on a set of display binoculars. In side-by-side comparison with other high-quality binoculars, some in excess of $700 at the time, I was blown away by the price-to-quality ratio offered. Vortex’s lifetime warranty is no slouch either.

I’ve relied on a Vortex handheld monocular for law enforcement surveillance for nearly 10 years without any hiccups. My Alamo Precision .308 is outfitted with a Vortex Viper 4-16x50mm while my patrol rifle is equipped with a Vortex Strikefire II. To say I’ve had some experience with Vortex optics is appropriate, if not an understatement.

Recently, I got my hands on one of Vortex’s more interesting entries into their optics lineup — the Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2 Holographic sight, colloquially nicknamed the “Huey.” I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received the optic. I’ve ventured into holographic sights in the past but primarily dedicated myself to the extended battery life and apparent simplicity provided by red dot optics. An entire article can, and will, be dedicated to comparing the two designs but is outside the scope of most folk’s attention span (I’m not exempt from this) and this review. Ultimately, the UH-1 is a well-designed and rugged holographic sight at a competitive market price ($600).

The Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2

Holographic sights are nothing new since the introduction of the Holosight in 1996. Vortex began their venture into holographic sights by adding the UH-1 Razor to their lineup in 2017 as a direct competitor to other holographic sights like those offered by EOTech. In 2020, Vortex stepped up their game by offering a night vision compatible design with the Gen 2 Huey.

The Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2 Huey came complete with an instruction manual and an included CR123 battery. Battery installation was quick as the optic offers a folding “turnkey” for easy battery installation and removal. While on the topic of batteries, I should address the elephant in the room as it relates to holographic sights: their battery life pales in comparison to standard red dots. Depending on brightness settings, a holographic sight will only get between 500 to 1,000 hours of life compared to the 50,000+ hours of battery life from red dot single diode emitter. This is arguably the biggest con of any holographic sight, but it’s offset by certain benefits offered by the holographic design.

The Gen-II has the addition of an “NV” or night vision setting that is compatible with most modern night vision optics. The Gen-II deleted the rechargeable feature offered on the original Huey. I attribute this primarily to complaints heard on the use of rechargeable batteries and the diminished battery life some users reported. Nevertheless, CR123 batteries are common and easily acquired at reasonable prices in bulk.

Mounting the optic to an AR-15 was a breeze as it affixed directly to a standard Picatinny M1913 rail via an adjustable tension throw level. The lack of screws to adjust tightness gave me extra piece of mind that it wouldn’t fly off under heavy use nor did I have to get the tension “exact” to ensure a screw didn’t work its way out.

Sight-in and Adjustments

Sight-in was a breeze as the ½ MOA adjustments got me on paper at 50 yards relatively quickly. The optic was easily sighted in at 50 meters which, in my opinion, is the far range for precision sub-MOA shooting with a red dot. The rifle provided approximately 1.5 MOA groups at 50 yards, which isn’t necessarily precision quality, but is good enough for the test at hand.

I conducted MOA adjustment testing on the optic to determine if the optic tracked appropriately. The MOA adjustment testing involved what I refer to as the “Box Drill”. For those unfamiliar with a box drill, it involves sighting the optic in on a target at any distance between 25-100 meters. The target has four additional targets positioned at the corners of the center target in a “X” pattern. Each of the corner targets are 4” apart from each other and exactly 2” offset by elevation and windage from the center target.

A properly tracking optic with ½ MOA adjustments, like the Huey, should require four clicks left or right and four clicks up or down to hit one of those corner targets if I’m sighted on the center target at 100 yards. It’s an easy test to determine if internal adjustments are accurate, affected by recoil, or the scope has another internal issue. In summary, the Huey tracked exactly as it should within the 1.5-2 MOA margin for error I experienced with the initial 3-shot group. With my concerns assuaged about the optic maintaining zero or adjusting properly, I delved into my stash of ammo for testing.

Housing and Sight Picture

The housing on the UH-1 appears well-built and the phrase “overbuilt” almost comes to mind. This is an optic I have little concern over being able to withstand impacts from heavy use. During initial testing, a thunderstorm moved in and soaked the rifle and Huey with a nice rain. This had no effect on the optic’s performance and it continued working without a hiccup.

The optic’s profile was compact despite its apparent size. The weight, at 11.6 ounces, was not an issue due to its location near the center of mass on the rifle. While not being the first to note this, the optic’s profile is narrower near the rear objective and opens up at the front. This allows the large optic window to nearly disappear during use and doesn’t appear to impede the view of the target. It’s a nice little feature most users may not notice unless they pay close attention to it.

Reticle on the UH-1

As a red dot enthusiast, I’m used to the vanilla sight picture of a single dot offered by the reflected diode. Put dot on target and press trigger is the normal prescription for red dot applications. However, there is substantially more involved when dealing with an AR-15 optic. The optic on an AR-15 is not mounted directly in line with the bore and requires significant offset from the barrel.

For example, a 5.56 AR-15 pattern rifle sighted in at 100 meters can easily maintain head shots on a silhouette target to about 15 meters. As the shooter moves closer to the target, where the optic is sighted in versus where the projectile goes, begins to deviate. This isn’t so much about the trajectory of the bullet as much as it’s about the offset (between 1.5 to 2 inches) between the optic and the rifle bore.

This is why, somewhat hilariously, I’ve seen officers shoot barricades and even vehicles during training because the optic showed a clear view of the target while the barrel was not cleared from the obstacle. In the real world, this can lead to tragic consequences if the shooter isn’t conscious of this. Case in point, a shot on a hostage taker at close distances requires the shooter to aim their optic above the anticipated impact point. Historically, this is achieved through repetitive training and knowing what the offset is at closer distances.

The Huey is equipped with Vortex’s EBR-CQB reticle – a 65 MOA circle with 1 MOA dot. The small dot allows for precise shots to the user and rifle’s capabilities while the 65 MOA circle makes for fast hits on target at short ranges. From my experience, the most beneficial feature this reticle offers is the small CQB triangle in the lower portion of the optic. Vortex advertises the CQB triangle as offering the shooter a quick point-of-aim/point-of-impact reference for the optic-to-bore offset discussed earlier at distances of 10 meters or less. Using a homemade IPSC target, I conducted drills between seven and 50 meters using the provided reticle.

At distances of 15 meters or less, the CQB triangle was a handy addition when performing precision “hostage taker” shots while the 65 MOA circle made getting the optic on target and scoring hits center mass an easy task. The 1 MOA dot made for easier precision shots at distance. For those involved in competition, defensive, or similar applications, this reticle design was easy to adjust to after years as a lowly red dot user. After several hundred rounds, the optic continued to hold zero with no apparent issues or malfunctions.

Final Thoughts on the Vortex AMG Gen 2

The Vortex AMG Gen 2 Huey is a fantastic optic on par with other available holographic sights. The diminished battery life of the holographic sight versus a red dot is overcome by the crisp clean image provided by a holographic sight. Even at its highest setting, the reticle didn’t “starburst” or blur due to the brightness as seen with some red dots. For those with astigmatism, a holographic sight like the Huey is an excellent option as the starburst issue of red dots is averted.

While battery life is a concern, the Huey features an auto-off feature where it turns off after 14 hours of continuous on. If Vortex is to improve on their design at all, I would suggest they include a “shake-awake” feature on the optic like other manufacturers have developed to automatically turn the optic on when the weapon is moved. This feature is neat, but also presents some issues in a military or law enforcement capacity where the weapon and optic are stored in a vehicle. The movement of a vehicle during a pursuit or other fast and furious driving could inadvertently turn the optic on. While I’ve been in a hurry to deploy my patrol rifle; the rifle is stored with a loaded mag and empty chamber. I’ve trained to charge the rifle, turn the optic on, and check the reticle to make sure it’s functioning with my previous red dots. I feel the need to turn the optic on is less of a feature issue with the optic than a training issue with the user. If the user trains appropriately, turning the optic on while deploying the rifle takes barely more time than is necessary to charge the rifle with a live round.

Ultimately, the Huey is a solid optic that I look forward to getting more time on over the coming months. I’ve been impressed enough with its performance that I plan to put it on my full-time patrol rifle for duty use. And, barring the optic spontaneously self-destructs, I anticipate many years of service. Overall, the Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2 Huey is another well-built addition to the quality lineup of Vortex optics.

The post Vortex AMG UH-1 Gen 2 “Huey” — A Versatile Holographic Sight appeared first on The Mag Life.

Taurus firearms are not new to the shooting community, they’ve been around for decades. From humble beginnings before World War II, Taurus has risen to be one of the top five handgun manufacturers in the U.S. and one of the three largest small arms manufacturers in the world. I had the pleasure of running into Kristen Alberts at the Taurus booth this year at the SHOT Show. Her name should ring a bell, especially for handgun hunters. Last summer Kristen, aka “The Wilderness Woman” hand-gunned a cape buffalo bull on The Dark Continent. So, it was no surprise we both ended up at their hunting revolver section where we were shown their new line of Taurus Raging Hunter revolvers in 460 S&W and the mighty 500 S&W. A couple of months back Taurus’s Brand Marketing Manager, Caleb Giddings asked if I wanted to do some wrist-snapping revolver content. Well, of course I did!

Features of the Taurus Raging Hunter 500

Based on their large-frame revolver the Taurus Raging Hunter 500 is hefty, weighing in at an unloaded 59.50 ounces. My test gun was the 5.12-inch barreled, all-business black gun. The barrel is somewhat slab-sided and contours in on the top and bottom, forming a diamond shape. It is ported to help reduce recoil. The unfluted, five-shot cylinder leaves plenty of steel around the chambers to allow for the heaviest of loads. The padded backstrap of the wrap-around rubber grips aids in cushioning recoil and provides a good gripping surface. The front sight is bold and 0.11-inch wide and the rear sight is sturdy and adjustable. The barrel also comes with an integral Picatinny rail to support optics if you so choose. Along with the rear cylinder latch, this big gun also supports a latch at the front providing dual-cylinder lockup. The heavy top strap measures 0.31 of an inch in thickness, providing a lot of steel for strength. The hammer is well-checkered, offering easy cocking for single-action fire and the wide trigger is slick-faced, offering a good feel.

The Cartridge

Smith and Wesson debuted the 500 S&W cartridge in 2003 for chambering in its massive X-frame revolver. The cartridge uses a rimmed case 1.625 inches in length with a rim diameter of 0.560. My Ammo and Ballistics 5^th Edition gives the 500 S&W a relative recoil factor of 2.95. The same book rates the 44 Remington Magnum at 1.45 and the 357 Magnum at 0.89, just to give you an idea of the sheer power of this cartridge.

The Good, the Bad, and the Recoil!

This is one big, tough revolver. I had no mechanical issues whatsoever. Truthfully, I wondered if any screws would back out due to heavy recoil. None did. I have one complaint about this gun. The single-action trigger is much too heavy to my liking, weighing in at seven pounds on this particular gun with a bit of creep. Personally, for me, that’s about four or five pounds too heavy. I am confident in saying that had this trigger been more manageable, my groups would have been much tighter than those I fired. If this gun was mine, I would have the action slicked up and the trigger pull lightened. I have handled Taurus’s Executive Grade Judge recently which has a really nice action on it, so I know they can do it. I think hunters would be happy to pay a bit extra for a smooth, crisp action out of the box. I have no way of measuring the double-action weight of this revolver. While it is not buttery smooth, it does not feel extreme.

Even though the Taurus Raging Hunter 500 is ported, it still produces plenty of recoil. This is not a gun for the novice. My first three-shot group fired with Hornady’s 300-grain FTX ammunition off my good Ransom Steady Rest produced a nice 1.67-inch group. Those three shots took every bit of concentration I could muster, and I lost my desire to fire two more for a five-shot group! The recoil from a sitting rest was not what I would call terrible, but I wouldn’t call it pleasant either. I have a medium-sized hand and have discovered that most double-action revolvers in their grip design pound the web of my hand when heavy recoil loads are involved. The wrap-around rubber grips on the Raging Hunter go a long way in helping reduce felt recoil.

I fired the Hornady group with a Trijicon SRO red dot mounted on the revolver but using it on this particular gun felt unnatural to me, so I removed it and will use it in later reviews. That’s no fault of the optic, just my personal preference for iron-sighted revolvers.

I decided to fire the remaining groups standing, using my Primos tall tripod trigger sticks to support my gun hand as I do when hunting. This allows me to absorb recoil much better and changes group size very little.

I also spread out my range sessions over three separate trips. The most I fired at one time was fifteen rounds. This let me concentrate on holding the revolver sufficiently while firing, along with concentrating on breaking the stiff trigger as best I could when the sights were aligned correctly on the target.

Buffalo Bore sent me four of their 500 S&W loads for testing ranging from bullet weights of 375 to their new 500-grain hard cast load. It’s no surprise that all shot well, and I consistently shot five-shot groups roughly the size of my fist with an occasional flyer. Their 18A loading performed exceptionally well in this revolver. This load consists of a 400-grain JFN at around 1675 fps. I was able to put three shots in two holes at 25 yards, standing and resting my gun hand wrist on my trigger sticks and gripping my gun hand as normal with my support hand.

Real-World Applications for the Taurus Raging Hunter 500

For me, this revolver is one I would sight in with my preferred, stout load and not shoot much with full-power ammo. I would definitely experiment with some lighter 500 S&W Special loads for practice and shoot the hot stuff in moderation.

The Taurus Raging Hunter, especially with the 5.12-inch barrel is an excellent candidate if one lives where the big bears roam. The same goes for those fortunate enough to live in or hunt Africa on a regular basis. This revolver/cartridge configuration is one heck of a strong candidate as a carry gun to be used against critters that can kill you. After an action job, I would not hesitate to take this revolver after an old, ornery cape buffalo bull, or anything else for that matter. Had it been available a couple of years ago, this is the revolver I would have worn while hiking with my wife in grizzly country.

If you are in the market for a revolver chambered for the most powerful commercial revolver cartridge on the planet, the Taurus Raging Hunter in 500 S&W is for you. It’s tough, accurate, and affordable. With an MSRP of $1069.00, I expect you can find one for under a grand. That’s a lot of bang for your buck!

The post The Mighty Taurus Raging Hunter in 500 S&W appeared first on The Mag Life.

There is something endearing about the Old West that continues to grip us long after it was won. Maybe it is because the Western was the movie of choice in the early years of Hollywood and the silver screen. Maybe it is because there are still parts of the West that remain quite wild. Maybe there is some intangible part of us that is seeking to be reclaimed. What is tangible is our fascination with Old West firearms.

While the big-bore single-action revolver and lever action rifle get most of the attention, the derringer was equally important. It is rare to see one portrayed in Westerns, yet the type continues to have its fans. Bond Arms continues to make quality double-barreled derringers for serious work. But to compare their pistols to elderly guns like the Remington Model 95 is like comparing a hardcover and a paperback. Bond guns stay true to the old design, but they are stainless steel tanks meant to handle heavy loads. While I was always impressed with their quality, the idea of packing a two-shot derringer that was so heavy did not appeal to me. That was until Bond debuted their Stinger and Stinger RS series of pistols.

The Stinger and the Stinger RS

The Bond Arms Stinger had a soft release in 2020 and has since entered full production. It is an aluminum-framed double-barrel chambered in .380 ACP, .38 Special, and 9mm Luger. The Stinger also uses a frame and barrel assembly that is roughly half the thickness of standard Bond pistols. All changes considered, the Stinger comes in at only 12 ounces. Although the Stinger is still limited to two rounds of ammunition, its size and weight put it in the ballpark of smaller micro .380 ACP pistols that are on the market.

In 2022, the Stinger RS was released. The chief difference between the Stinger and the Stinger RS is that the RS model is all-stainless steel like most Bond guns. The RS is cheaper to produce but retains some of the weight savings of the original Stinger. The Stinger RS is available in the same calibers but also includes a model chambered in .22 Long Rifle. As it happens, Bond also markets the Bark, a beefier .22 model that has a more traditional look. In the end, I chose Stinger RS.

Features

When I first took the Stinger RS to the range, one of the safety officers giggled and commented on my cool gambler’s gun. Clearly, she was a fan of Westerns. The RS does look and operate a lot like those old Remington derringers that occasionally pop up in the hands of gamblers and prostitutes on the silver screen. The RS’s large hammer, bird’s head grip, and distinctive double-barrel assembly clearly mark it as a derringer. The pistol is operated by a barrel release on the left side. With the right thumb, push the release down and tip the barrel out to load. The RS has a manual thumb extractor used to extract the empty cases. The sights consist of a blade milled into the barrel assembly for a front sight. The rear sight is the barrel hinge.

Unlike derringers of the old style, the RS is drop safe. It has a hammer that rebounds to the half-cock position after each shot. The hammer cannot go fully forward unless the trigger is pressed. Like other Bond Arms derringers, the RS has an additional cross-bolt safety. The safety can be fixed in place in either the safe or fire position by opening the pistol and tightening a hex screw set into the breech face. Most Bond Arms derringers come with a traditional spur trigger paired with a removable trigger guard. The Stinger’s trigger guard is integral to the frame.

In terms of construction, the RS is all-stainless steel and comes with a pair of thin, Zytec grips. Fully loaded, the Stinger RS weighs in at 18.2 ounces. It has a barrel length of three inches and an overall length of five. With grips included, the maximum thickness of the Stinger comes in at only ¾ inch.

Little Gun, Big Performance

The smaller a pistol is, the harder it is to shoot accurately. Derringers are the archetypical get off me gun. You get two rounds to deploy at contact distance. All you have to do is cock the hammer and press the trigger. The Bond Arms Stinger RS certainly is not a target pistol. The grip is just large enough to wrap two fingers around. The sight picture is fixed and both the front and rear sight are matte gray. It has two barrels with two theoretically different points of impact at different distances. It is also a two-shot .22. That is not much firepower. But the Bond Arms Stinger RS is one of the most shootable pocket pistols I have fired. It is a solid-performing gun whose simple, corrosion-resistant design can lend itself well to a number of different tasks.

Loading and unloading the Bond Arms Stinger RS is as simple as any double-barreled derringer. Thumb down the barrel release lever and tip the barrel up over its hinge to expose the chambers for loading. Unloading is accomplished in the same way, but the spent cases are pushed out with a thumb-activated extractor. Oftentimes, you will have to pluck the empty cases the rest of the way out of their chambers to clear them for reloading. While you can head to the range with a pocket full of shells to do your loading, I used Bianchi .22 caliber Speed Strips for reloading by stripping the rounds into both chambers at once. That makes the reload marginally faster and more convenient.

With the pistol loaded, you can elect to apply the thumb safety. Push to the right for fire, push to the left for safe. The safety is a simple hammer block that prevents the hammer from smacking the firing pins, even with the trigger pulled. Unfortunately, the small size of the pistol combined with my meaty hands meant I occasionally bumped the safety on when I meant to fire. Fortunately, the Stinger has a set screw in the breech face that can be tightened down with an included Allen key. It can lock the safety in the safe position or the fire position. From the fire position, the hammer must be cocked to fire the pistol. You can select which barrel to fire by noting the position of the spring-loaded plunger on the left side of the hammer. When the top barrel is selected, the plunger is clearly visible. When the bottom barrel is selected, the plunger is depressed. From the cocked position, you can then fire your rounds and reload.

I put over 300 rounds of ammunition through the Bond Arms Stinger RS over the course of a few range trips. The pistol digested its fair share of premium CCI and Federal loads as well as dud-tastic loads like Winchester Super X and Remington Thunderbolts. Since you do the cycling and ejecting, I had no failures on this front. I did not have any dud rounds either. The Bond is simply too simple to fail and it shot surprisingly well both on paper and on steel.

The sights are low and immovable, but the front sight is narrow enough to easily pick up on the exact spot on a target. The trigger pull has a stiff wall with no take-up that broke clean out of the box at 5 lbs. It lessened greatly to about 3½ pounds with use. The lack of grip surface is usually a problem when shooting pocket pistols, but with the sedate recoil of the .22 LR, it is not an issue. Indeed, it was easy to get a high grip and place my shooting thumbs on the barrel for a very steady two-handed hold. The reciprocating slide or rotating cylinder on other guns would not allow such a stable hold.

The fixed trigger guard is not authentic to an original derringer, but it does give your trigger finger a place to rest while you work leverage to cock the hammer between shots. It was not difficult to get rounds on target in a hurry. At 10 yards, I could reliably put six rounds of CCI Mini Mag 40-grain ammunition in groups that were just over 1 inch in diameter. I got similar results with Federal Target loads. However, Federal Subsonic 45-grain loads widened the pattern to about five inches. Some ammo will agree with some guns. Do your homework!

Using the Mini Mag load, I tested each barrel for point of impact by firing six rounds through the top barrel and six rounds through the bottom barrel. The top barrel hit to the point of aim. The bottom barrel printed one inch low and one inch to the left. But firing both barrels together, there was no difference I could discern. Undaunted, I stepped back to see how often I could pop a 1/3 steel torso at 35 yards. Both barrels hit decisively. Any misses were on me and my ongoing caffeine withdrawals.

Parting Shots

I am no stranger to .22 handguns. There are plenty of options out there, whether you want a fun gun, a recreational game-getter, or a deep-cover defensive option. Chances are that a two-shot Bond Arms derringer is not going to be your first choice. I thought the same until I gave the Stinger RS a chance and put it into the context of its competing options.

From a defensive perspective, I would rather have a five-shot NAA Mini Revolver or a Ruger LCP II with 10 rounds of the same ammunition. But if they cannot be manipulated easily or are unreliable, those extra rounds do not matter. For what it is, the Bond is utterly reliable and easy to shoot. Its flat profile and grip also do wonders in breaking up the gun outline in a pant pocket.

The case for the Bond gets much stronger if you treat it as a general tool. On paper, the accuracy is more than enough to bag a grouse or ward off a coyote. At the very least, you won’t feel sorry for the Stinger if it is in the wet outer pockets of your hunting coveralls or hibernating in a tackle box on a boat. The simple stainless-steel construction is tolerant of neglect other rimfire guns cannot handle. The Bond Arms Stinger RS is a niche gun to be sure, but one that has its uses and is surprisingly fun to shoot.

The post Bond Arms Stinger RS 22: A Camper’s Delight appeared first on The Mag Life.

Acronyms and other jargon are commonly thrown around the firearms world. That’s not a criticism, merely an observation. It’s a normal occurrence within a community of people who share an interest and talk about similar things. But with so many new gun owners joining the ranks, all those terms can be confusing. Today, we’ll look at PDW, what it means, and more importantly, what it is.

What is a PDW?

Personal Defense Weapon — that’s what “PDW” stands for. Now, obviously, any weapon used for personal defense could qualify for that, making the term somewhat ambiguous. But the term does have particular applications, both military and civilian. The military application goes back at least to World War II, and arguably to World War I. Let’s start there and move forward to the modern civilian take.

Military Origins

European warfare evolved into a mass industrial endeavor in the late 19^th century. American warfare, by extension, did the same, beginning with the Civil War. This escalation meant larger investments in and emphasis on logistical systems to supply modern field armies. By the First World War (1914-1918), the supply systems required manpower on an unprecedented scale.

These men often found themselves in combat zones, but heavy infantry rifles were impractical for truck drivers, load bearers, and the like. Rear area roads and infrastructure also needed constant maintenance due to heavy military traffic for which they had neither been designed nor intended. That maintenance required engineers, for whom an infantry rifle was also unnecessary and cumbersome.

The solution was to issue these men sidearms, which wasn’t a new concept. But before that time, sidearms were often personally owned weapons carried by teamsters and other support personnel. The demand for such weapons in World War I was so high that the US Army was caught short on the recently adopted Colt M1911 pistol.

That shortage prompted the adoption of the M1917 revolver, produced by both Colt and Smith & Wesson. A revolver was specified because the technology was more proven and both companies already had the tooling and expertise to make quality revolvers on short notice. The need was so urgent that Colt and Smith & Wesson each used their own designs, both of which were designated M1917. The only novel element was that they were both chambered in .45 ACP, like the M1911, to ease supply efforts. So, today, surplus M1917 revolvers are not all the same, based on the manufacturer.

Even then, there still were not enough sidearms. So, the Army hauled out mothballed Colt New Army/Navy revolvers, which had last served in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection. Many support personnel carried those old Colts to France.

A New Concept

By the mid-1930s, war was once again brewing in Europe and Asia. The United States adopted the new M-1 Garand in 1935, the most advanced standard-issue infantry rifle in the world at the time. But, once again, truck drivers, engineers, and rear echelon personnel didn’t need, or even want, the heavy Garand.

World War I had shown the need for what was by then being thought of as a “personal defense weapon,” but experience had also shown that pistols were less than ideal for the job. The Army recognized that pistols are much more difficult to fire accurately than long guns. Training soldiers to use pistols effectively required more time and more ammunition, meaning it was more expensive. That was a major concern as the military began gearing up for exponential growth in the late 1930s.

Pistols were also less effective in terms of velocity, accuracy, and range than long guns. So, the Army began looking for a handy, lightweight carbine chambered for a smaller cartridge than the Garand’s mighty 30.06 Springfield. The result was the M-1 Carbine, which turned out to be the most-produced American firearm of World War II, at over six million units.

The Carbine used the smaller .30 Carbine round, which is really just a glorified pistol cartridge. But it used 15-round magazines (later expanded to 30), was easier to shoot accurately, and had an effective range of between 200 and 300 yards, depending on the shooter and the prevailing conditions. Carbine training programs were significantly shorter than with the 1911 pistol and yielded better results.

The .30 Carbine round was unfairly maligned as being weak, but it hit with the same energy as a .357 Magnum at 100 yards. The cartridge wasn’t designed to rival the 30.06, a misunderstanding that led to much of the round’s bad publicity.

The Carbine performed well, despite being plagued by cheap magazines. It weighed an astonishingly light 5.2 pounds and was easy to deploy quickly. When I handle my Carbines, I still marvel at how light and handy they are. My friends have the same reaction. In fact, “handy” describes the Carbine perfectly.

It proved so handy that it was soon deployed to the front lines, where it served into the Vietnam War. I like to think of the Carbine, particularly the select-fire M-2 version, as America’s “proto-assault rifle.” But that’s another topic. As a personal defense weapon, or PDW, the Carbine delivered, establishing the concept moving forward, emphasizing handiness and close-to-medium-range firepower.

The PDW Resurgent

Despite the M-1 Carbine’s success, or perhaps because of it, The US military didn’t update its PDWs. The Soviets began moving toward what would become the AK-47 even before World War II ended, but the US Army clung to the battle rifle concept with the Garand and its eventual successor, the M-14. As a result, the M-16 was adopted nearly two decades after the Kalashnikov, and the M-1 Carbine soldiered on, despite being woefully obsolete by the mid-1950s.

You could argue that the CAR-15, sometimes called the XM-177, was a PDW, but it wasn’t used in that role in Vietnam. Instead, it was a lighter, shorter assault carbine issued to Special Forces soldiers.

The late 1980s saw a renewed interest in the PDW. It just so happened that FN introduced a new hotness in 1991 called the P90, a space-age-looking bullpup chambered in their proprietary 5.7x28mm cartridge. That last part was kind of a downside, cost-wise, but its ability to punch through soft body armor eased the pain. The P90 was a hit with law enforcement, including the US Secret Service.

The semi-auto civilian version, the PS90, became popular as well. Both rifles, though a bit dated, are still available. Some say the PS90, with its 16-inch barrel, doesn’t fit the modern PDW profile, but the bullpup configuration cuts the overall length to just over 26 inches, so it is indeed viable in that role.

2001 saw H&K release the MP7, which looked more traditional than the P90 and fit the modern notion of what a PDW is supposed to be. The MP7 is a sweet little gun, but like the P90, it has a proprietary cartridge, this time the 4.6x30mm, which is a problem. Of course, H&K has never been shy about sticking it to their customers. But I digress.

The Afghanistan and Iraq wars created a trend toward easily accessible cartridges that worked on multiple platforms, like 5.56 NATO, .300 Blackout, and even 9mm. That was good news not only for military supply chains, but also for civilian shooters looking for a PDW of their own.

The Modern Civilian PDW

PDWs aren’t just for rear echelon soldiers or tip-of-the-spear operators anymore. The “truck gun” concept has fleshed out nicely over the last decade, with PDWs encroaching on the role once dominated by shotguns and lever action carbines. Many people have employed a 16-inch barreled AR-15 too, but something handier may be a better option.

After all, the PDW concept hasn’t changed much. It’s an easily deployable firearm, for a suddenly bad situation, that provides more firepower than a pistol. It’s designed to pull you out of a jam, thus facilitating an expedient withdrawal. Five or six years ago, I probably would have had a tolerant smile for that idea. That tolerant smile wavered in the spring of 2020. It was gone by the summer. Having a PDW like I just described makes a lot of sense these days. And unlike past eras, the hardware options are wide and varied.

Another advantage of modern PDWs is the ability to suppress them. Suppressors make a lot of sense for such guns, depending on your philosophy of use. If you envision your PDW as a home defense or truck gun, firing unsuppressed inside a house or vehicle is very loud. But modern PDWs are often suppressor ready.

I informally polled some of my peers on their choice for a civilian PDW. The answers were interesting and covered a range of possibilities. I think it may be useful to list those opinions here. These are not necessarily recommendations because everyone’s situation is different. But they may give you an idea of what might work for your needs. Remember also that this is far from a comprehensive list. So, with that in mind, here are their choices, along with any relevant comments that were included. They are listed in the order in which they were received.

Possible PDW Recommendations

• “Hard to beat the Glock mag 9mm Stribog.”
• “The .300 Blackout Micro rifles are pretty damn capable.” When I asked if this person recommended supersonic or subsonic ammo, he replied, “Both depending on the role. If it’s suppressed and sneaky, then subs. But if I had to pick one, it would be supers but still suppressed. This would help with penetration and range [and] would punch through soft armor easily enough.” Popular examples of this are the Sig Sauer MCX Rattler, Q Honey Badger, and Q Sugar Weasel. Those guns are also available in 5.56 NATO, but the Q products in that caliber have 16-inch barrels.
• “Glock in a B&T [USW-G] chassis with a short can.” This is a cool option that turns your Glock handgun into a shoulder fired PDW.

  

• “M-1 Carbine.” This was tongue-in-cheek, though the Carbine is, admittedly, still a viable choice if that’s what you have. Maybe not the best option, but different people like different things and the Carbine has a familiar feel and easy controls. But the ammo is a little pricey and not as available as other calibers.
• “9mm PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) in an AR platform.” This was suggested especially for newer shooters looking for something somewhat familiar with less recoil. And the 9mm can be potent from a PCCs longer barrel.
• “I personally like a Glock mag fed PCC because I carry a Glock — having a long gun (albeit in a small caliber) that takes the same mags as my pistol is a plus for me. Mostly on road trips.” Cross-platform ammo and magazine compatibility are indeed a plus.
• “FN P90.” Great choice but, unfortunately, actual P90s are not transferable to civilians, thanks to the 1986 addendum to the Gun Control Act. So, unless you already own one, you’re out of luck. But you can do the civilian PS90. As noted, it’s about 6½ inches longer than the P90, but it still works. You do you.

Those were the recommendations I received. Now let’s look at a few other choices left out from that subjective list.

Other PDW Options

There are other options out there. I don’t intend to recommend anything, but here’s a short list of PDWs that merit your attention, in no particular order. These fall into the small, easily deployable criteria. Some can even fit into a backpack if that’s what you want.

• Matador Arms MAT-9 upper in 9mm. This is actually a 9mm upper receiver that fits on an AR lower, giving you an instant PCC or PDW.
• B&T KH9 Covert in 9mm
• CMMG Banshee, in various configurations and calibers.
• Diamondback DBX in 5.7x28mm. The 5.7 cartridge is becoming more prominent and affordable thanks to being formally adopted by NATO.
• Masterpiece Arms MPA57DMG in 5.7x28mm
• Inland Manufacturing M30-P in .30 Carbine, if you want a 21st-century M-1 Carbine.

It’s Ultimately Up to You

The choice of PDW is ultimately up to the individual. There are many choices in many calibers and configurations. And many folks won’t feel the need for a PDW at all. That’s the great thing about being an American gun owner. What works for my situation may not work for yours, and vice versa. And despite the political and media bad actors, we have options. That’s because the gun industry is free to fulfill perceived needs. And fill them they do. If you have a perceived need, there is an excellent chance that you’ll find what you want to meet it.

So, do you have a preferred or dedicated PDW? If so, which one? If not, do you plan to include one in your system? Let us know in the comments.

The post Do You Need a PDW? appeared first on The Mag Life.

At some time or another in our youth, most of us have likely played “Cowboys and Indians.” In doing so, we needed to have a trusty lever action rifle. How many Western films have we seen with John Wayne wielding the trusty lever action? Or Chuck Connors in the series The Rifleman. Those guys shaped the minds of many youths back in the day. Sadly, one has to wonder how many of today’s youth would even recognize those names.

Fortunately, though, even most of the youth (and everyone else) these days would easily recognize a lever action as being a “cowboy gun.”  In fact, it would practically be un-American to not like a lever action!

Despite its origins in the Old West, the lever action still rides in the squad cars of some police departments even today. Despite more modern weapons being available, the older lever gun still has a lot to offer.

Lever actions offer a very fast cycling action for quick follow-up shots, which is one of their best virtues. They’re also usually short and light, making them easy to handle. The flat sides of the receiver make the lever gun one of the thinner rifles available. Their light weight makes them easy to carry. Because they’re short, they can be maneuvered well in tight quarters, whether that is a hunting blind, a tree stand in the woods, a patrol car, or a dwelling.

For the same reasons that the police sometimes use these rifles, the lever action also fits the bill well for the average citizen to defend life and limb with. I know a number of people who toss one in their vehicle when they’re out and about. The slim, light profile lends itself well to riding in a vehicle. Whether it’s protecting the ranch from predators such as mountain lions, dispatching a wounded moose, or repelling miscreants who just kicked the front door in, the lever action is up to the task.

These days, we’re seeing some lever action training classes available, which further cements the fact that people are taking a fresh look at the older lever gun. They’re willing to invest time and money into learning how to run it more efficiently, which speaks volumes.

In the legal system, a lever action will be seen as more benign than something with a long, curved magazine. On top of all of that, lever guns come in an array of calibers. .22 Long Rifle, .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .44 Magnum/.44 Special, .45 Colt, .45-70 Government, and .30-30, among others.

History of the .30-30 Cartridge

The .30-30 made its debut in 1895, being one of the first cartridges to enjoy the advances of smokeless powder. At the time, its nearly 2,000 feet per second muzzle velocity was considered to be a real screamer. Nowadays, that’s slow for a rifle bullet.

The .30-30 has been used on a huge variety of game over the last century, and was even favored by Teddy Roosevelt.

Pennsylvania hunters who go after white-tail deer have been happily using it since before dirt was invented. For the close confines of the thick woodlands that PA is known for, the .30-30 works as though it was explicitly created for those conditions. For 100 to 200-yard shots, it’s perfect.

Part of its popularity is the fact that so many of our ancestors have used it. The other part is that it works as well today as ever. I believe the combination of nostalgia and the effectiveness of the round are the main reasons for the allure. Many people enjoy using tools from long ago that are effective for tasks in our present day.

Federal Ammunition 150 Grain Power-Shok

Federal Ammunition is no spring chick, either, having been opened in 1922. That’s 101 years of producing some of the world’s top ammunition. Whether it’s for duty, hunting, defense, competition, target shooting, or any other activity, Federal has a round for it. Actually, they’ll have several rounds for whatever task you might dream up. I’ve used Federal ammunition on duty working for my agency and can report that I never experienced or witnessed any issues with it in all those years. Considering how much of that ammo we used, that’s saying quite a bit.

Recently, I had a chance to wring out Federal’s Power-Shok 150 grain Jacketed Soft Point Flat Nose loading in .30-30 caliber.

Federal states that these bullets are suitable for medium and big game. 150 grains is certainly a large enough bullet for deer and similarly sized game. It’s probably a little light for bear, but might be able to pass in a pinch if the bear happens to be not large. I’d certainly feel comfortable using them on white-tail deer and other similarly sized game.

The listed muzzle velocity is 2,390 feet per second. At 100 yards, it’s listed at 2,019 feet per second, and at 200 yards, 1,686 feet per second. The maximum range I’d count on using these rounds at is 200 yards, given the amount that the projectile drops at distance. Realistically, this is a 200-yard cartridge, for the most part. Used within realistic limits, it works beautifully.

These rounds have a flat point so that they can be loaded into the tubular magazine of a lever action without the danger of setting off the rounds in the magazine.

Federal emphasizes consistent, accurate ammunition. The bullets feature reloadable brass cases and non-corrosive primers. The Power-Shok 150 grain load isn’t a flashy, whiz-bang, new round; it’s been on the market for a while and has a proven track record. In fact, I’ve been using this particular load for a number of years.

How does this .30-30 ammo perform?

I ran through a few drills because I just can’t resist the speed and maneuverability of the lever action. It handles so well, it’s beautiful! Recoil on the Power-Shok 150 grain rounds is about average with other similar loads from most manufacturers. It’s certainly not excessive, especially when compared to other, more power calibers such as the .30-06, for example.

In the past, I’ve gotten good accuracy with this round. On this particular range session, I was clanging some steel targets and not going for group size. Suffice it to say, this ammunition is plenty accurate for steel or game animals. Out to 200 yards, and perhaps even a bit farther, this load will give shooters all the accuracy that they need in the hunting field.

As expected, this ammunition has always fed reliably through my Marlin, which is important, especially if dangerous game such as bear is in the area.

With the 150-grain Power-Shok being such a popular load in my area, there is plenty of feedback as to how it performs in actual use. Everyone I’ve spoken with thinks highly of it, as it drops deer reliably with good shot placement. As long as deer are hit in the heart/lung area, they usually don’t go very far (if at all) when hit with this load.

In Summation

Federal Power-Shok 150-grain Jacketed Soft Point ammunition is one of the more popular loads for the wildly popular .30-30. It’s a winning combination that will be loved for some time to come, just like it has been in the past.

At the time of writing, this ammunition sells for $34.99  per box at GunMag Warehouse. It represents a good buy for solid ammunition.

The post Federal Power-Shok .30-30 Ammo: Hits With Authority appeared first on The Mag Life.

Double stack subcompact pistols are all the rage right now, and for good reason. The best ones offer slimness, concealability, ergonomics, and surprisingly high capacities for such small handguns. None of these mighty mites offers better standard capacity than Israel Weapon Industries’ (IWI) excellent Masada 9S Slim. With 13 rounds of 9mm in the mag and one in the chamber, the Masada Slim’s capacity rivals some pistols in the next largest size category.

Quality Construction

The Masada Slim magazines are feature rich at a very attractive price. The heat-treated steel body has a corrosion-resistant anti-friction finish for smooth operation and long-lasting reliability. These mags are OEM produced by Mec-Gar of Italy for IWI, which is a good thing indeed. Mec-Gar is among the world’s leading magazine manufacturers, turning out high-quality mags for such names as Beretta, Walther, CZ, and others, as well as IWI.

That quality is evident even before hitting the range. The finish is slick, as are the rear witness holes, which are nicer than those on many mags costing far more. These mags can be had for around $30, which is significantly less expensive than similar magazines for Sig Sauer’s P365 series. And, honestly, owning a Masada Slim and a P365XL, the IWI mags are a little nicer. They just are. Plus, they hold one round more than the P365 X and XL. They are also every bit as reliable, which we’ll get to momentarily.

Masada Slim Magazine Specifications

• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 13 rounds
• Heat-treated steel construction
• Corrosion-resistant, anti-friction finish
• Anti-tilt polymer follower
• Precision-engineered feed lips
• High-tensile steel spring
• Removable polymer base plate
• Cut and textured base plate allows for easy grasping
• Not compatible with full-sized IWI Masada pistol

On the Range

I’ve owned my Masada Slim for seven months or so. I tested the pistol for review purposes during the last four months. I ran it hard, including not cleaning the gun or the mags. I only used the two mags that came with the gun. The mags, and the gun, burned through hundreds of rounds without a hiccup. Not one.

The Masada Slim mags performed flawlessly, despite being deliberately knocked around during mag changes, kicked through the dirt and mud, and never being serviced or cleaned. I ran 115-grain and 124-grain full metal jacket rounds, as well as some 124-grain jacketed hollow points. The ammunition brands varied, with the Masada Slim getting Federal American Eagle, Magtech, Blazer, Sellier & Bellot, and military surplus rounds. I mixed brands, but not loads. No problems whatsoever.

I also purposely covered piles of ammo with dirt before loading the mags, on occasion. As always, I did not try to induce failure by pouring dirt or whatever into the mags or the gun. But the gun ran the dirty ammo, and the mags fed it just fine.

Drilling With the Masada Slim

I’m fortunate to have a range where I can run drills, whether on steel or other targets. The pistol bays are lined with gravel, meaning there’s no real soft spot for ejected mags to land. Those bays are where I ran the Masada Slim most of the time, and I still do.

I’ve picked up several more mags for the pistol since the review testing, and they’ve been run just as hard as the originals. I’ve never had a single problem with any of them. I almost always incorporate mag changes into my drills, so the Masada Slim mags get knocked around. I see my mags as commodities to be used, so I don’t baby them, though I’ll admit to setting two mags aside for carry purposes. Those mags are tested, and I run them, but I don’t beat them up.

One feature I like about the Masada mags, the Slim and the full sized, is the shallow triangular cutout at the base of the grip. Were one of the mags to hang in the gun, these cutouts are designed to let the shooter grasp the base plate and pull it out manually. The base plates themselves are cut and textured to provide a place to grasp them. I’ve never had to do it, but I like that feature.

High Quality Magazines

All-in-all, the entire Masada line impresses me. Both the Slim and full-sized models are steals at their $400-450 price point. And the mags are priced similarly, going for around $30. IWI provides lots of value with affordable prices and high quality.

I feel like I should have something at least somewhat negative to say about the Masada Slim magazines, but I don’t. They haven’t given me anything to complain about. They are solidly constructed, eminently reliable, and they are nicer than their main competitor’s magazines. All for a better price. So, I’m not going to manufacture something negative, just to tone things down. Sometimes, products really are that good.

The post 13 Rounds in a Subcompact?!? IWI Masada Slim Mags appeared first on The Mag Life.

Setting up a new gun for home defense can be an interesting endeavor. You can get away with very little. In fact, a gun and a handheld light can be more than enough to defend your home. It’s not always optimum, but you can get away fairly well without overthinking it. That’s for other people, though. I’m going to overthink it. Today, me and my overthinking brought together what I think is my optimum setup for the Iron Horse Sentry 12 pump action shotgun. 

I love a good shotgun, and I’m not always picky. However, when it comes to magazine-fed shotguns, I can be quite picky. Many are not quite up to snuff, and only a few stand out. The Sentry 12 has been one that’s stood out to me quite a bit in the last few years. It really is one of the few American designs with some serious forethought to it. It is built from the ground up to be a magazine-fed, pump-action shotgun. 

It’s a tactical shotgun and a serious contender for a successful home defense shotgun. It’s not bad out of the box, but what can we do to make it a little better? 

The Iron Horse Sentry 12 

Well, first, let’s dissect the gun. It’s a pump action magazine-fed design. The gun is very AR-like in appearance. The stock is an inline design, and across the top is a healthy dose of rail. The guns feature ambidextrous controls, including the safety, magazine release, and pump release. Iron Horse made a number of smart ideas with the design. 

The length of pull is only 12.5 inches, making it compact and easy to control. You can square up with it much like a rifle. Your skills with a rifle will slide over fairly easily. The long rail across the top is your only accessory mount. The Sentry 12 has a fairly smooth pump action, and it’s a good amount of fun to shoot. 

The main downside comes from its single accessory rail and the rather smooth and small pump action. However, we aim to deal with both by the end of this article. 

The Mags 

The Sentry 12 comes with two five-round magazines. Five rounds are fairly standard for a pump-action shotgun. I think you can get away with the two five-round magazines. Shotguns are often referred to as low-capacity weapons, but for a home defense scenario, it’s simply not true.  If you shoot someone once with a 12 gauge with the right buckshot, you are effectively shooting them with eight rounds at a time. You aren’t laying down suppressive fire with a shotgun, so capacity isn’t the problem it’s made out to be with shotguns. 

With all that said, the eight-round magazines are a nice upgrade. They provide you with more than 50% more firepower. A little more ammo has never been a bad thing. Eight rounds are most certainly enough, and it keeps the single-stack magazine far from being obstructive. 

The Ammo To Fill Them 

One of the most important choices you’ll have to make is your choice of ammunition. This is true with every defensive weapon, but especially true with shotguns. For home defense, we will 100% avoid birdshot unless you are being attacked by birds. There are lots of people out there who will talk about it ‘being a slug’ at close range. Keep in mind plenty of people have been shot in the face with birdshot and survived, including the ancient old man who hunted with Dick Cheney. 

That leaves us with buckshot and slugs. Slugs will work but aren’t necessary for home defense. Their main advantage is long-range engagements. They do tend to penetrate deep and fast and can easily sail right through the body of an attacker. They will shut a bad guy down, but I tend to stick with buckshot. 

The same folks who propose you use birdshot are worried about the mythical overpenetration. Well, I can assuage your fear, or at least a little, by suggesting Federal Force X2 buckshot. This nine-pellet 00 load features specialty cut pellets that are almost entirely split. When they hit a target, they finish splitting and widen up as two half pellets. 

This does two things. First, you have 18 wound channels rather than nine, which would be twice the chance of hitting something vital. Next, this changes the dynamic of the pellets and prevents overpenetration to an extreme degree. It’s expensive but capable. 

The Optic — Holosun 509T 

I like Holosun optics and have become a fairly big fan of them on my shotguns. I have three Holosuns on three different shotguns, and it’s all due to the multi-reticle system. Personally, I love the 32 MOA circle reticle for shotguns. It’s big, easy to see, and fast. Put the bad guy inside the circle and go. 

It also tends to pair well with premium buckshot loads. You can pattern the reticle to your ammo at specific ranges. When done correctly, you know exactly which ranges every pellet will remain inside the circle. 

On top of that, the Holosun 509T offers a solar backup, a Trijicon RMR footprint, and great big controls. I mounted the optic on a Trijicon RMR riser to get a good sight picture, and it’s a rock-solid option. The 509T is also an enclosed emitter optic meaning nothing can get between the emitter and your lens, so reliability isn’t a concern. 

The Light — Surefire 340U Mini Scout Light 

The new Surefire Pro models have completely changed up the mounting method for Surefire lights. The new mounting system allows you to change the angle of the light, making it perfect for mounting to the Sentry 12’s top rail. I can mount the light, then fold it over the side, closer to the barrel, and to the end of the gun. This optimizes it to reduce barrel shadow and make it easy to control while holding the pump of the Sentry 12. 

The Mini Scout light provides 500 lumens of light backed by 7,600 candelas. It’s bright enough for inside the home and casts a big wide beam with almost nothing but spill. This provides a bright and clear picture that fills your vision with light. At the same time, it’s compact and lightweight and won’t weigh your gun down. 

A Little Grip Tape 

Finally, last but not least, the pump is small and a little slick. To improve my control over the pump, I applied a little basic grip tape. This made it easier to grip and rip the pump without my hand slipping or flying forward. This was an $8 upgrade that was well worth the slight cost of admission. 

Pump Up the Volume 

The Iron Horse Sentry 12 is an excellent shotgun, which is one of the few options for pump action designs that are built for magazines. The Sentry 12 utilizes some smart design, and it features a lot of awesome features that work well for shotguns but mixes in the magazine seamlessly. What do you think? Would you rock an amped-up Sentry 12 for home defense? 

The post Turning the Iron Horse Sentry 12 Into A Home Defense Blaster appeared first on The Mag Life.

Handguns are difficult to shoot well compared to a long gun. One primary reason is the lack of a buttstock or stabilization brace to act as a third point of contact to steady the firearm and control recoil. The braced pistol, for all its legal challenges at this time, gives you the advantage of controllability while retaining the relative compactness that makes handguns so popular. Strike Industries’ Alpha Series Modular Chassis is one interesting modification for the Sig Sauer P320 that turns that popular pistol into a handy carbine. Our own Jeremy Stone from GunMag Warehouse had a chance to field test the chassis.

Traditionally, braces were limited to complete pistols. The Strike Modular Chassis, instead, uses a folding brace and a rear modular backstrap and frame that replaces the typical polymer frame of the Sig P320. To use the brace, all that is required is to remove the trigger module and slide assembly from the existing pistol and mate it to the new frame. The setup is topped by a multi-optic mount that sits between the brace and the backstrap. The mount is compatible with C-More, Delta Point Pro, Docter, RMR, Shield, or Sig reflex sights. To complete the package, the Strike chassis comes with a rubber-padded charging handle that can be mounted on the left or right side of the reciprocating slide. The chassis is constructed of 6061 T6 aluminum and comes in at a total overall weight of only 1 lb. 11 oz.

Jeremy’s used a stock P320 slide paired with a Silencer Co threaded barrel with a suppressor and a Surefire Scout TLR1 as a mounted flashlight. As with many of his range setups, Jeremy used a Holosun 509T holographic sight mounted on the optics plate. To push the limits of this cramped package, Jeremy added a magazine holder forward of the trigger guard. This required an extra Picatinny rail section in order to mount the flashlight securely.

The entire package, when folded, can be convincingly hidden under a generous jacket. When deployed, the SMC P320 is a handy and controllable PCC. But there are a few limitations to be aware of. The SB Tactical brace that is optional with the kit only folds to the left side. Strike’s proprietary brace can be folded to the left or the right. The braced P320 can also be problematic due to the cramped real estate around the pistol.

An optional magazine holder is a good idea to have more to hold onto with your non-firing hand. Without it, you will have to make do with a clamshell grip around the dust cover that might put your hand near the muzzle. You also must be wary of the reciprocating slide and charging handle that can whack your thumb if you try to take a traditional firing grip as you would if the pistol were not braced. It only took one smack for Jeremy to change his grip and carry on. Despite its drawbacks, the SMC kit is an interesting and useful accessory for turning an existing pistol part into a cool PCC.

The post The Strike Industries Sig Sauer P320 Modular Chassis appeared first on The Mag Life.

Have you ever seen a movie and wondered why no one is talking about this film? In 2023 that film is “Sisu.” I’m hoping it becomes a hit, at least a sleeper hit. I’m not expecting it to make “Avatar” money, but it deserves some attention. I saw a trailer for it months ago and waited patiently for its release. When I began searching for showtimes, I only found one theatre with a mere four showtimes on opening night. Of course, I jumped on one, and it’s one of the most fun movies I’ve seen in a long game.

What Is Sisu?

That’s the question I got a lot when I told others what I was going to see. Sadly the marketing hasn’t been huge. Let’s start with the word Sisu. Sisu is a Finnish concept, and it’s explained in the film that it’s a phrase that cannot be properly translated. Sisu is a Finnish concept described as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. The idea has a very long and interesting Wikipedia page that’s worth reading.

“Sisu” is a historical action film that takes place in 1944 in Finnish Lapland. It has a very simple story that’s almost impossible to really spoil. A Finnish veteran of the Winter War works as a prospector and eventually finds gold. The Nazis are using a scorched earth policy in Finland as the Russians close in.

Our nearly silent protagonist Aatami Korpi is making his way to a bank to cash in his newly found gold when he comes across a Nazi SS platoon. While they ignore him at first, it eventually leads to a very violent struggle between Aatami and this Nazi SS platoon. Throughout this conflict, Aatami shows that he lives by the concept of Sisu.

My non-spoiler review is as simple as this. It’s a great film. It’s absolutely beautifully shot, the action is fresh and fun, and you’ll squirm at the determination of our main character. He will do anything to survive and win.

Beyond here, you’ll find spoilers, so click off now if you want a spoiler-free review.

Sisu Makes Me Wann Visit Finland

Jalmari Helander is a Finnish director, and I think he really loves his country. He films it so beautifully. The big wide shots of Finnish Lapland are beautiful and make me want to visit the country. I’m not a film nerd, but I can appreciate the director’s art.

The film itself has a bit of grain to it, and as you watch, it becomes clear the movie is a fusion of ideas and inspirations. “Sisu” comes off as a mix of a war film combined with pulp-fiction grindhouse style and Western inspirations. The elements seem out of place, as I say, and you really have to experience them to understand.

The director credits inspiration from “First Blood” and the legendary Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä. It’s one man versus many, and the one man’s determination guides him onward.

The Story

I pretty much summed it all up. Man finds gold, Nazis want gold, and they fight for the gold. There isn’t much else than that. The Nazi platoon is constantly shrinking as Aatami kills his way through it. He seems unstoppable, but he’s not invincible. Some of the marketing brags that it’s the same studio that brought you “John Wick,” but the movie isn’t a Finnish “John Wick.”

Aatami isn’t necessarily the best fighter or warrior. What makes him different is his Sisu. He is determined to win no matter the cost to himself. He is wandering constantly throughout the film and spends most of the movie fleeing the Nazis and only fighting when cornered and forced. Although, when he fights, he’s capable and clever.

Some scenes are just so creative and out of this world you’ll laugh. For example, in one scene he’s stuck in a minefield but throws the mines at the enemy and uses them to cover his escape. Another time he dives into a lake, and the Nazis follow. He slits their throats and uses the air that escapes their bodies to remain underwater longer.

Another scene has him hanging from a noose, dying. He ends up pushing a leg wound into a piece of rebar to keep him alive and from suffocating. The movie is not afraid to be nonsensical and over the top. It’s not striving for historical realism by any standard.

The Cast

The cast is small, but the performances are solid. Aatami is mostly silent, but his face and body language portray some real emotion. From finding the gold to choosing not to give up, his face and body language let you know exactly what he’s thinking. The Nazi platoon is led by SS Commander Bruno and his right-hand man Wolf. Wolf is slimy and disgusting, a really bad guy. Bruno is brutal but seemingly exhausted and sick of the war. Both are true villains, and you really want to see them get their just deserts.

Anytime Nazis are portrayed, they are either villainous or cowardly, which is the best way to display Nazis. Rounding out the cast is a group of Finnish women taken hostage and abused by the Nazis. Aino leads this group, and they go from helpless to vengeful when given a chance. This isn’t a film with a ton of emotional moments, but the actors all do a fantastic job of selling their characters.

Aatami has an adorable dog that’s unnamed, and don’t worry. It doesn’t die.

The Guns

The guns are mostly historically accurate. We see Aatami with a Mosin Nagant on his side. He never uses it, but the weapon makes sense. The Fins used the Mosin, and he fought with one during the war. The Nazis carry mostly MP40s. They also have a smattering of Mosin Nagants as well. 

Wolf does carry a Mauser Kar98K with a scope. I’m not an expert, but the scope’s height and design resemble Nazi designs from the era. The platoon has a tank, but they use a Russian DShK. It could be captured, but how you mount a Russian heavy machine gun on a German tank is beyond me. Although to be entirely fair, it’s a Russian T-55 dressed up a bit to look German.

Sisu makes a mistake. A lot of World War 2 movies make and arm all the Nazis with Lugers. Sure, some Lugers were used by Nazis, but the main sidearm was the Walther P38. In this film, every Nazi uses a Luger as a sidearm.

Sisu — Go See It

If you want “Saving Private Ryan,” don’t watch this film. If you want something fun, exciting, and beautifully shot, check out “Sisu.” It’s a creative action flick that’s just fun, exciting, and often nonsensical. If you want to turn your brain off for 90 minutes, then “Sisu” is a great watch, and I’ll be buying it on Blu-Ray.

The post Sisu — Rage, Determination, and Killing the Enemy appeared first on The Mag Life.

I’m a huge shotgun nerd, and for some time, I thought I had the semi-auto shotgun I would main. Main being a term applied to something you’d primarily use above all others. That gun is the Benelli M4. I love my M4. It’s a reliable, fast-cycling, easy-shooting, semi-auto shotgun. Imagine my surprise when the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical hit the market and began edging its way into my heart. It’s lighter weight, more modular from the factory, and doesn’t require 922R compliance. The gun has slowly become my current favorite semi-auto shotgun, but it needed a few accessories to take it to the next level. 

The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Rundown 

What makes the 940 Pro Tactical different is that Mossberg seemed to look at the shotgun market and examine what people liked and wanted on their shotguns. One of the things that have become a must is modularity, and Mossberg made the 940 Pro Tactical to be quite modular. They designed a gun that needs no internal upgrades. 

The stock is easy to adjust via a system of spacers to adjust the length of pull to a desired state. We get these massive oversized controls that make the gun exceptionally easy to control and crazy ergonomic. They opened up the loading port and made reloads a pinch-free affair. It’s sling ready, and even out of the box, it’s a great shotgun.

The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical has a 7+1 capacity with 2.75-inch shells and comes topped off with a huge fiber optic red sight. At the end of the magazine tube sits a tube clamp that’s got an M-LOK slot on each side and a sling port for a QD mount. My favorite feature is your numerous optics options. 

The gun comes with a red dot cut that allows the direct mounting of optics that have the Shield RMSc footprint. This allows the red dot to sit nice and low for easy use. The receiver is drilled and tapped for an optic’s rail, so if mini optics aren’t your thing, then you’re covered.

Inside and Out

Internally Mossberg revamped the Mossberg 930 systems to be more reliable and to run when filthy dirty. One of the issues with the 930 was that it often needed to be cleaned and couldn’t go more than 500 or so rounds between cleanings. The 940 series can go 1,500 rounds between cleanings. 

It’s a gas-operated gun and is surprisingly light. The reported weight is 7.5 pounds, but it feels light and it’s extremely balanced. The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical shoots like a dream, and it honestly blew me away. I liked Mossberg shotguns, but I love the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. 

To turn it from a plain old shotgun into my bedside bump in the night blaster, I needed a little help from my friends. 

What accessories took my Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical to the next level?

I kept it fairly simple and aimed to add a few tools to make it a more capable fighting weapon. 

Add a Red Dot -Holosun 507K 

You can’t have a red dot-ready firearm and not attach a red dot to it. Red dots work with shotguns exceedingly well. Shotguns are close-quarters weapons, and red dots are close-quarters optics. They make instinctive shooting very simple and give you the ability to use a target focus. That’s any red dot, but why did I use the 507K versus all the other options out there? 

The 507K features a multi-reticle system, and one of the reticles is a 32 MOA circle. This great big circle allows you to pattern your shot into the reticle. This makes it easy to have better pellet accountability of your chosen self-defense load. The big reticle works perfectly with premium defensive loadings like Federal Flitecontrol, Hornady Critical Defense, and Hornady Black. 

On top of all that, it’s a robust optic capable of withstanding the recoil generated from a 12-gauge shotgun. The 507K is a great handgun optic but is also an outstanding shotgun optic. 

Add a Light – Surefire M640U

Any home defense weapon should be ready to deal with the dark. You need a white light to establish something called positive identification. It’s extremely important that you identify the threat as a threat before you pull the trigger. That M-LOK slot on the barrel clamp is perfectly positioned to keep the light near the end of the barrel. 

The new Pro Series from Surefire implements a new mounting system that lets the light get closer to the gun and stick out less. This creates a lower profile light that clings to the gun and isn’t apt to catch on everything you run into. This mounting system comes with both an M-LOK and a Picatinny rail attachment system. I ran with the M-LOK mount of course. 

The Surefire M640U throws out 1,000 lumens backed by over 10,000 candelas. It throws a hybrid beam design that’s perfect for indoor use and on a shotgun. It’s bright, with edge-to-edge clarity that fills your peripheral vision with light. You can’t hide from it, and the Surefire M640U makes it easy to bump back in the middle of the night. 

Add a Sling – Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling 

Some argue a sling isn’t mandatory for home defense. While I think they have their reasons and points, I like that it adds a level of retention to my shotgun. Modern slings are tactical two-points with a quick adjustment system that makes it easy to run the gun any way you want to. This type of sling was made famous by the Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling, and it continues to be a dominant force. 

These tactical two points feature a rapid adjustment design that makes it easy to wear the shotgun any which way you want. It can be easily tightened and loosened on demand and easily adjusted to the individual shooter. It’s rugged, tough, and perfect for your tactical shotgun. 

Add A Side Saddle 

Finally, you need a side saddle. A side saddle carries a few extra rounds just in case you need to top off your shotgun. There are lots of great choices out there. The Esstac series of side saddles are some of my favorites. They are simple, cheap, and come in four-shot varieties. I like the four-shot for the more compact design that’s also a fair bit lighter. They are tough and rugged and make reloads fast and easy. Plus, when things go bump, it’s always nice to have extra ammo on the gun when your fighting uniform is your boxers. 

The Thunder Stick 

The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical is a mighty fine shotgun and the addition of a few accessories can make it an absolutely awesome shotgun for home defense and tactical use. In fact, when you add the cost of the Mossberg and my accessories, it’s still substantially cheaper than the Benelli M4. Now excuse me, it’s time for me to get my shuck-shuck on. 

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