tactical world - spring 2014 usa

FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER

SPRING 2014 U.S. $8.99 • DISPLAY UNTIL: 2/25/14

FROM TH

E EDITORS OF world of firepow

erTactical W

orldSPRIN

G 2014 Engaged Media By Beckett

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COVER STORY8THE HEAVY HITTER –MOSSBERG’S 930 SPXPISTOL GRIP SHOTGUNWith features operators demand, and a pricepoint that can land it in every squad car and APC,

we ask one question of Mossberg’s 930 SPX:what happens when we mix three inch slugshells, low-recoil buckshot, turkey loads, andsporting loads in the same mag tube? Will it bereliable, tough, and accurate enough to earn itscommission?BY DAVE NORMAN

Table of ContentsNO

VAK

DESI

GNS

4 TACTICAL WORLD | SPRING 2014

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TW_1402_5 11/25/13 1:25 AM


16 1911 Duty Handguns

32 Duty Sidearms

64 Tactical Rifles

98 Precision Rifles

114 Tactical Shotguns

126 Tactical Gear

EXTRA7 Letter from the Editor30 Tactical Blades96 Shoot This!130 Parting Shot

On the Cover:Images by: Tim Rohrbach

Photography for Rock River

Arms, Aimpoint, Tacprogear

Cover Design by: Eric Knagg

56 TACTICAL CENTENARIAN –THE MOSIN-NAGANT GOES TACTI-COOLYou can upgrade a century-old Mosin-Nagant into atactical sharpshooter with a little time, and the rightaccessories and tools. Here’s how to build a realshooter of a tactical rifle, on the cheap, this weekend.BY ABE ELIAS

88 THE .22-250...AS A TACTICALPRECISION RIFLE? – CONSIDER THISCALIBER!How does this groundhog-busting round manage toout-perform the .308 WIN? It does, even defeatingauto glass barriers more efficiently. So is it time toadopt the .22-250 for tactical work?BY CHUCK TAYLOR

106 SWAT-CAPABLE TRAINING– FOR EVERYDAY STREET COPSThe nature of policing has changed already, but moreneeds to be done. Take a look at what some schoolsare offering every officer training cadet... and whyeven street cops these days need armed-firstresponse training!BY MARK PRINCE, JIM WEISS AND MICKEY DAVIS

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Necessity is the mother of invention, but creativity andcuriosity are in its family, too.

It takes all three to bring us hot calibers like the .300 AAC Black-out, which is kind of and sort of a .308 made subsonic, and FN’s 5.7x 28mm, which is similarly something of a .223 made into a hand-gun and PDW caliber. Each solves a need, and each shows a lot ofcreativity from developers who were certainly curious how theycould improve over already popular cartridges.

The same thinking drives the innovation of personal defenseweapons, as designers at Heckler & Koch, FN-Herstal and manyother companies adapt new designs (and sometimes new calibers)to that highly specialized weapon type. Where would we be with-out free-thinking tinkerers who try to adapt given things to newpurposes, and who—when that fails—have the courage to try some-thing new?

We celebrate this spirit of thinking outside the box in this issue.Among other stories, we have a fantastic article speculating on the.22-250 as a tactical cartridge; an article that explores a new typeof laser sight adapted to shotguns (which we don’t think of nor-mally needing one) that also has a peculiar angle for use on hand-guns and rifles; and a fascinating piece about making the old newagain by way of turning great-grandpa Vladimir’s Mosin-Nagantinto a modern tactical bolt-action rifle. We weren’t even sure if thelatter could be done, until Abe Elias emerged from his workshopwith some compellingly modern adaptations to that old-school mili-tary rifle.

It makes us wonder where the next innovations will come fromand how much of a role good old-fashioned tinkering is going toplay. It also makes us look forward to hitting the range for somerecreational shooting, to see what we can impress into tactical ser-vice—in the name of creativity and fun—but also to find those trueinnovations that give us an edge in our defense.

All taken together, it gets us wondering what kind of cool stuffwe’ll find at SHOT Show in a few weeks and if any of it started outas creative solutions for peculiar problems.

— Editor

EDITORIALGroup Editorial Manager: Doug JeffreyEditor: Dave NormanManaging Editor: Bethany MillerArt Director: Thomas Kimball

CONTRIBUTORSMickey Davis, Mike Dickerson, Brad Fitzpatrick, Dave Norman, Capt.John M. Raguso, Chuck Taylor, Jim Weiss

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LETTER FROM THE

EDITORInnovation

& Creativity

BY DAVE NORMAN

We weren’t even sureif the latter could be done,until Abe Elias emerged

from his workshop ...

NICK ROFE

SPRING 2014 | TACTICAL WORLD 7

TW_1402-Edit.CX 12/3/13 10:37 PM

The Heavy H


The 930 SPX makes glorious use of rifle-style sights,

TW_1402-Mossberg 11/25/13 1:29 AM

Iwatched the chunk of pumpkin in slow motion as it spun through theair, disintegrating, whirling its way over the concrete barricadesbetween my combat bay and the one adjacent. The chunk disap-

peared, then landed with a faint thud. Someone yelled over the wall, “Hey,what are you doing?”Oh, just seeing what buckshot can do to Thanksgiving decorations…

WANTING TO BELIEVE – NEEDING TOKNOWWe annihilated that pumpkin with aMossberg 930 SPX, and specifically, their85370 Pistol Grip model that comes

with a Choate pistol grip stock. It’s ashotgun that fascinates us, both forits reputed ability to hold its ownagainst much more expensive shot-guns, and for the hit-and-miss recep-tion earlier variants received. Amongthose who’ve shot a 930 SPX, youwon’t find any middle-ground opinions.And like many shooters who hadn’t, we

wanted to believe in Mossberg’s lower-price-point (than competing mod-els) workhorse. Fortunately, we were in a position to actually test one,and thus, to see what kind of quality and performance one can expectfrom the latest runs of 930 SPX shotguns.What we found substantiated our excitement.

HEAVY HITTING FIREPOWERThere may not be any common civilian weapon as formidable inside 50

yards as a 12-gauge shotgun. While plenty of single projectile weaponscan be equipped with 50- or 100-round magazines, shot for shot, the 12-gauge with the right loads is nearly impossible to beat. That’s part of whypolice departments have issued them for decades, and folks have used

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVE NORMAN

HitterMossberg’s 930

SPX Pistol Grip Shotgun

with a bonus: a red fiber optic front sight that gathers light…


TW_1402-Mossberg 11/25/13 1:29 AM

shotguns to guard their homes sincethe days of sod huts on the prairie.They are also, without doubt, the

single most versatile weapon availableto civilians and law enforcement offi-cers. 12-gauge shotguns can fire acloud of tiny lead pellets at a flyingclay disk, or larger steel pellets at aduck, or still larger lead pellets at anintruder, or a giant chunk of lead at adeer. Cartridges like those are com-monly purchased over the counter.But with the right ammunition

sources, and professional qualifications

in some cases, shooters can feed their12-gauge a diet of beanbag “lesslethal” rounds, mini tear gas canisters,flares, flechettes, powdered dust “doorbuster” kinetic rounds, multi-projectileslug and buckshot defense loads,“strung buck,” “dragon’s breath,” steelslugs, rubber “less lethal” balls… allsorts of mean, nasty things that solvevarious esoteric tactical problems withfiendish creativity. I can’t think of anyother firearm type that can deliver sucha range of projectiles as shotguns.Plus, shotguns often do so without

needing to change a thing beyond thecartridge itself.From police departments to the front

lines of modern warfare, within homesand aboard marine vessels, shotgunsprovide mission-adapted short-rangedefense that’s hard to beat.There’s just one thing — they come

in different action types, includingsemi-automatic models that require aportion of the cartridge’s power (usu-ally in the form of expanding gas) tocycle reliably. That semi-automaticaction is as widely loved as it is feared,for its ability to deliver outstandingfirepower quickly and with one-handed operation… and for potentialreliability problems both real andimagined.So it’s more fun to review semi-auto

shotguns than pump action or breakbarrel models, for the simple reasonthat there’s more that can go wrong…even though today’s name brand,largely gas-operated, thoroughly mod-ern semi-autos, are almost boringlyreliable.

SCRAPPIN’ AT THE BOYS’ CLUB“That thing is powerfully ugly,” said

a guy at the skeet range who had a$2,000 custom-grade over-under shot-gun draped over his arm. “I wouldn’tshoot a dog with it.”Which is exactly the reception I

expected at the skeet range, the homeof clay shooting aficionados enjoying agentlemanly pursuit. The black 930SPX with the polymer forearm andhatchet-style stock with an integralpistol grip dangling into space didn’t fitin at all, but one wouldn’t expect it to— this 930 SPX is optimized for theextremely different world of tacticalservice… as divorced from skeet shoot-ing as golf is from four-wheeling. Still, Ineeded to know how it handled Fed-eral’s target loads, and Remington’sdove loads (which are exceedinglysimilar).The skeet shooters welcomed me

warmly enough, though, and immedi-ately set about explaining the rules ofthe game — expecting that anyonewith such a shotgun would know noth-ing of their refined pursuit. I missed thefirst two birds as I got used to the ideaof using sights to track clay disks, thentucked into a streak that left them sus-picious I’d shot skeet once or twice


The length of pull was perfect right out of the box, though the sights sitting up highmade the drop at the comb too tall for a normal cheek weld.

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From police departments to thefront lines of modern warfare, withinhomes and aboard marine vessels,

shotguns provide mission-adapted shortrange defense that’s hard to beat.

before.The 930 SPX makes glorious use of

rifle-style sights, with a bonus: a redfiber optic front sight that gathers light(even just that reflected from down-range when illuminating a scene atnight with a powerful enough tacticallight) extremely well. It’s mountedinside of an elevated, winged structuremeant to evoke (when aligning thesights) the front sight picture of a mili-tary rifle — so that if you transitionfrom an M4 / AR15 to the 930 SPX,your front sight picture looks a lot thesame.

Except for that glorious red (fiberoptic) dot.The rear sight is a ghost ring unit

from LPA Sights in Italy, and iswindage and elevation adjustable(with a coin or screwdriver)… and eas-ily removable (with a coin-tightened,knurled thumb knob). It mounts to a 5-inch Picatinny rail, to which you couldeasily mount any manner of optic.The red dot glowed brightly and,

with my eyes fuzzing out the ghost ringrear sight (as they should), I could fol-low the red dot as intuitively as I fol-low the bead on my proper skeet gun.

CrucialSpecifications

MOSSBERGMODEL: 930 SPX

Operation: Semi-automatic, gas operatedGauge: 12Capacity: 7 roundsBarrel Length: 18.5 inchesChoke: Cylinder BoreSights: Ghost ringStock: Synthetic pistol gripFinish: Matte blackWeight: 7.75 poundsLength: 38 inchesMSRP: $883

SPECIAL FEATURESFull-length synthetic stock with pistol grip,extended magazine tube, ghost ring aperturerear sight, wing-protected fiber optic front sight

www.mossberg.com

The first half of the bolt han-dle’s rearward travel unlocksthe bolt; the rest of the tripmanually draws it rearward.


TW_1402-Mossberg 11/24/13 11:30 PM

The drop at the comb, combined withthe height of the sights, meant floatingmy head about an inch over the stockrelative to the intuitive shotgun cheekweld I’m used to with field guns. Iblame that for the misses that invari-ably crept into my round of “tacticalskeet.”The 930 SPX, though, didn’t miss a

beat, and fired every time I pulled thetrigger, cycling the 2 ¾-inch cartridges(with one ounce of number eight shot)flawlessly.

TACTICAL TIMEI thanked the gents for their time,

and headed over to the rifle range. Theopen sights, smooth bore, and punish-ing slug recoil (magnified by sittingdown on the bench and leaning into it,where my body couldn’t move with therecoil impulse as when firing offhand)did no favors for accuracy, but the 930

The high-vis red fiber optic front sight stood out especially in late afternoon shooting, with deep shadows engulfing the tar-gets.


The 18.5-inch barrel and tactical Choate hatchet-stylestock (with integral pistol grip) help make this semi-autoa breeze to handle in close quarters.

The 5-inch Picatinny rail atop the receiver isready to accept optics in addition to, orinstead of, the included ghostring sight.

TW_1402-Mossberg 11/24/13 11:30 PM


SPX still managed to turnin a 5-inch, five-shot group

at 50 yards — a congruence of numbersthat made me smile through the pain ofcontinued slug testing.Then we switched to Federal’s three

inch 300 grain copper sabot slugs,which we managed to put three of intoa nice 4-inch group… despite whatwas certainly flinch-factor user error atthe bench. Federal’s three inch, oneounce Truball Rifled Slug (with its sub-tle hollow point) came next, and heldthree rounds in just under 5 inches. Wefired off of a padded bag, with theshotgun held tightly against the shoul-der, using only the iron sights… tomimic real-world user accuracy, ratherthan “absolutely ideal, laboratory con-ditions” — which are also very useful, ifslightly less relevant, and not in thecards for our range testing that day.After brutalizing our shoulders at the

rifle range, we hit the combat pits torun buckshot and all manner of differ-

ent loads through the SPX. Here weperformed speed-loading drills, speedshooting drills, and practical accuracytests with slugs… which, off hand at30 yards, were more tests of theshooter than the gun.The 930 SPX blazed through the

rounds without any problems, as wedemand of guns that receive reviews.Interestingly, we didn’t do any prepa-ration of the shotgun out of the box —we just lifted it out, checked it formechanical soundness, and hit therange. No extra lubrication, no break inperiod, no finesse. Just grab-and-gotesting… … the sub-optimal way we figure

that most guns are treated in the real

world. The 930 SPX didn’t seem tomind.The targets, however… they didn’t

fare to well once we started shootingbuckshot. But that’s their lot in life.

DESIGNThe 85370 has a dual gas vent

semi-automatic operating system, withmost of the mechanism hidden insidethe receiver and eleven inch long fore-arm. The bolt has a lock on top thatcams into a recess in the receiverwhen the bolt is all the way forward,and the reciprocating bars of the lockmechanism are also forward (only thenis it properly in battery).Manually cycling the bolt is easy

Massive EnergyWhy did Federal’s Trophy Copper Sabot Slugs hurt so much? And how hard do they hitdownrange?

Gauge Inches Grains Velocity Energy12 3 300 2,000 2,665 foot-pounds

… because those slugs leave the muzzle with well over a ton of kinetic energy behind them!That’s enough to put the hurt on whatever you shoot, whether animal, attacker, or vehicle.

The LPA Sights ghostring, made in Italy, is easily adjustable forwindage and elevation by using a small coin or screwdriver.

TW_1402-Mossberg 11/24/13 11:30 PM


Hiccup-Free Performance With:Brand Product Length Shot Size Velocity Shot Load

Federal Defense 2 3/4 inches 00 1,145 fps 9 pelletsFederal Target Load 2 3/4 inches 7 1/2 1,145 fps 1 1/8 ouncesFederal Trophy 3 inches Slug 2,000 fps 300 grainFederal Truball Rifled 3 inches Slug 1,700 fps 1 ounceFederal Small Game 2 3/4 inches 8 1,300 fps 1 ounceNobel Sport Strike Slug 2 3/4 inches Slug 1,480 fps 1 1/8 ouncesRemington Game Load 2 3/4 inches 8 1,290 fps 1 ounceRemington Nitro Turkey 3 inches 5 1,210 fps 1 7/8 ouncesRoyal Buck Buckshot 2 3/4 inches 00 1,345 fps 9 pellets

The Mossberg 930 SPX experienced no failures to feed, extract, or fire, during testing with each of these loads. The velocities and payloadscome from published data and were not independently verified.

with the oversized “tactical” bolt han-dle (and its knurled texture). Drawing itrearwards the first half inch disen-gages the locks (which keep thebreach closed during the initialmoments of cartridge ignition, and untilthe payload completely passes the gasports and the pressure behind themhas a chance to enter the works), andthe rest of the way opens the bolt. Let-ting the bolt home under its ownspring power closes the bolt with suffi-cient force to also engage the locks.Unless you pay exceedingly closeattention during manual operation of

We fed this 930 SPX a mixed diet of field and target loads, slugsand buckshot, and were highly impressed with its performance.

The Choate hatchet-shaped pistol grip stockhelped the shotgun be more controllable dur-ing one-handed operation, and in general.

TW_1402-Mossberg 11/24/13 11:30 PM


the bolt, you’ll never notice any of this.The bolt release is easily found and

depressed, and though it has a littlewiggle in it, it performed flawlessly(and the bolt never ran home on anempty chamber). We caught our thumbsa few times in the load gate whilepushing cartridges all the way home,but slightly less so than with other tac-tical shotguns. The frame-mounted slid-ing-type safety is right where we’reused to finding a shotgun safety, andthe standard red painted dot was visi-ble while aligning the sights so as toprovide a quick visual reference that,indeed, the gun is loaded.Choate’s pistol grip stock is what dif-

ferentiates this model from the stan-dard 930 SPX, which comes with ablack synthetic traditional style (andfield length) stock. The 85370 is veryclosely related to Mossberg’s “930 SPXBlackwater” model, the latter having av-style rear sight and unprotected rifle-style front sight along with the Black-water Bear Paw logo on the left side ofthe receiver. The proper ghostring rearsight and protected fiber optic frontsight, we feel (not giving a toss aboutengraved logos), gives our test model aslight practical edge over that sibling.The 85370’s design also puts it

squarely in the middle betweenextremes, with the base model 930SPX on one end and the 3-gun-tasticJM Pro on the other. Knowing that their930 shotguns are popular with 3-gun

shooters, Mossberg teamed up withrenowned competitive shooter JerryMiculek to design a 930 model to hisstandards for competition. The result-ing JM Pro kept the original stock andaction, adding a nine round magazinetube (two more than the standard 930SPX) beneath a 24 inch standard ventrib barrel with Accu-Set chokes, and abeveled loading gate.The result is something of a contin-

uum of products that finds the 85370right in the middle, as a semi-auto 930outfit with hot tactical accessories (theghost ring and fiber optic sights, pistolgrip stock, and tactical-length 18.5inch barrel over a seven round maga-zine tube) designed to make it relevantto police and other tactical operators…

while staying user-friendly, simple,and financially available to civilianshooters (be they home defenders ortactical competitors or both).

COMPETITIVE USEGiven its performance in our tests,

we look forward to trying the 930 SPXin the 2014 3-gun season. We’ve seenthat it can handle the loads we’ll use…and we want to see just how it stacksup head-to-head with much higher-priced tactical shotguns. Those lookingto keep a semi-auto 12gauge loaded at“Cruiser Ready” (seven rounds in themagazine, and an empty chamber) onthe job or securely stashed at homemight want to take a look at this seri-ously appealing shotgun. TW

Quick-shouldering the shotgun during speed shooting drills found that it comes upto bear quickly and intuitively, with just the slightest bit of muzzle-heaviness fromthat extended magazine tube.

TW_1402-Mossberg 11/24/13 11:30 PM


TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:37 PM


The gun serving American law enforcement and military personnel for more than a century canstill be found, in its bewildering array of subtly adapted configurations, in holsters from mili-tary hotspots to drug raids around the world. Its reputation for power (via the .45 ACP car-

tridge), reliability (by way of its clever design), and ease of use (from its straightforward controls) iswell earned... and extremely well established.

What more can be said about the 1911, the king of 20th-century handguns and a strong contender well intothe 21st century? Not much.

So let’s get to the Buyer’s Guide, which features 33 of the most arresting designs and exciting interpretationsof the 1911 that we could find. We’re proud to call out three stellar performers in particular, and hope thatamong these options you find the 1911 that is perfect for your duties...or a great start point to explore a givencompany’s line of subtly different models.

There are a lot of handguns in the world, and most of them owe something to the 1911!

— Editor

KIMBER

1911Handguns

A Century of Service

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:37 PM

l TACTICAL WORLD BUYER’S GUIDE l TACTICAL WORLD BUYER’S GUIDE l TACTICAL WORLD BUYER’S GUIDE l TACTICAL WORLD BUYER’S GUIDE l


MSRP: $499 ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.6 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.4 inchesWEIGHT: 40 ounces

MSRP: $586ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.4 inchesWIDTH: 1.25 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 37 ounces

www.regentarms.com

REGENTR100

FEATURESHammer-forged stainless barrel, Hogue rubber grips,standard features for low price

AMERICAN CLASSICCLASSIC II

www.americanclassic1911.com

FEATURESNovak-style rear combat sight, classic style and ergonomics, full-length barrel for highest velocities

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:37 PM

MSRP: $715ACTION: SA

CALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1

BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.4 inches

HEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 39 ounces



MSRP: $786ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 35 ounces

FEATURESClassic military styling, stampedU.S., identical to WWII-issue

GI 45

SPRINGFIELD

www.springfield-armory.com

MSRP: $667ACTION: SA




MIL-SPEC 1911A1FEATURES

Military-spec pistol, modern metallurgy forstrength, classic style and grace

COLT01991L

www.coltsmfg.com

FEATURESGI specification design, modern metallurgy and productiontechniques, serial numbers starting where Colt’s govern-ment-contract 1911 numbers left off

TW_1402_1911_cx 11/27/13 11:21 PM




MSRP: $799ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWEIGHT: 32.64 ounces

AMERICAN CLASSICTROPHY

www.americanclassic1911.com

FEATURESAdjustable combat-style sights, match-grade barrel,designed for supreme accuracy in competitive and defen-sive use

Featured1911

Here’s a 5-inch barreled 1911 that’supwards of 7 ounces lighter than similarsized 1911s... while still boasting thesame features. Rock River Arms uses asteel chassis inside the polymer lowerframe to retain strength and durability, justlike the modern polymer frame strikerfired pistols. But this poly gun is all 1911,including the parkerized finish on theslide, the combat-style sights (that aredovetailed in place), commander hammerand aluminum skeletonized speed trigger.It’ll make all-day carry a bit easier withthe weight reduction, without losing any ofthe functionality you require.

ROCK RIVER ARMS, INC 1911 POLY

www.rockriverarms.com

FEATURESCustom Rock River overmolded grips,aluminum speed trigger, polymer frame

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:38 PM


FEATURESSkeletonized hammer and trigger,oversized beavertail grip safety, Novakcombat sights

RUGERSR1911

www.ruger.com


www.taurususa.com

TAURUSPT 1911 AR

MSRP: $870ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesWEIGHT: 33.6 ounces

FEATURESHeinie front sight, lightened hammer andtrigger, fine custom checkering

SIG SAUER1911 TRADITIONALRTSS

FEATURESTrijicon adjustable night sights, extendedergonomic controls, attractive style

www.sigsauer.com



TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:38 PM



MSRP: $1,032ACTION: SA


BARREL LENGTH: 5inches

LENGTH: 8.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 36 ounces

MSRP: $1,033ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 6 inchesLENGTH: 9.75 inchesWEIGHT: 44 ounces

FEATURESFaux-ivory laser-etched grips, customWestern-influence finish, classic style

www.coltsmfg.com

COLTCOMBAT ELITE

1911

FEATURESNovak low-mount carry sights, upsweptbeavertail grip safety, fine ergonomics

OLYMPIC ARMSBIG DEUCE

www.olyarms.net

FEATURESAdjustable sights, custom beavertail gripsafety, extremely long barrel and slide

WESTERNERMSRP: $1,033.50ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.75 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 39 ounces

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:38 PM



MSRP: $1,087ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWEIGHT: 36.5 ounces

Featured 1911

SPRINGFIELD ARMORYRANGE OFFICER


MSRP: $1,099ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 40 ounces

The Range Officer features the classic looks of a custom 1911, with the standard fea-tures that recommend it well for both tactical competitions and real-world use. IDPA com-petitors and officers alike appreciate the beveled magwell (which aids in speedy reloadsand reduces fumbling during insertion) and the high visibility, adjustable sights. The loweredand flared ejection port aids in reliability, while the 5-inch-long stainless match-grade barrelprovides the kind of accuracy and velocity that professionals demand. The street price isunder a grand, too, which is another huge bonus for those looking to outfit themselves withhigh-end gear while keeping a budget.

FEATURESStainless steel match grade barrel, custom fitand finish, attractive design

FEATURESNovak three-dot combat sights, accessoryrail, forged steel frame, National Match barrel

COLTRAIL GUN XSE

www.coltsmfg.com

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:38 PM



FEATURESExtended mag well, Novak Extreme Dutyadjustable sights, extremely high capacity

FEATURESMatch grade barrel and bushing, custombeavertail grip safety, tactical adjustable sights

PARA USA USA PXT 1911

www.para-usa.com





BLACK OPSMSRP: $1,299

ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 14+1

BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 5.75 inchesWEIGHT: 40 ouncesFEATURES

Custom night sights, extremelyhigh capacity, black Ionbond finish

Featured1911

Para Ordnance is widely respected fortheir high-capacity 1911s and higher-endquality right from the factory, which arerepresented extraordinarily well in theBlack Ops — a 15-shot (14+1) double-stack 1911 that truly fills the hand. Withmore shots onboard than any other 1911with a standard-length magazine, this pis-tol provides incredible backup. The inte-gral accessory rail, combat-style sights,ambidextrous frame-mounted safety, anduniquely designed grips round out itsmore apparent virtues... but you need towrap your hand around its grip to fullyappreciate its character.

STI LAWMAN 5.0

www.stiguns.com

MSRP: $1,433ACTION: SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5.11 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWEIGHT: 38.9 ounces

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM





BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.7 inchesWEIGHT: 39 ounces

FEATURESAmbidextrous frame-mounted safety,deluxe sights, accessory rail

KIMBER DESERT WARRIOR

www.kimberamerica.com

FEATURESTactical Wedge tritium nightsights, custom desert tan finish,civilian version of USMCsidearm

TACTICALENTRY II








WARRIOR

FEATURESCustom Kimpro II finish,extended beavertail safety,ambidextrous thumb safety

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM



FEATURESAdjustable target-style sights, extended ambidextroussafety, front and rear slide serrations

MSRP: $1,870ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 33 ounces

FEATURESHeinie straight eightadjustable night sights,match-grade barrel,undercut trigger guardfor comfort





LES BAERPREMIER II

www.lesbaer.com

DAN WESSONSPECIALIST

www.cz-usa.com

FEATURESTritium night sights, accessory rail, designed withlaw enforcement input for duty use

VALOR

MSRP: $2,012ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.8 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 38 ounces

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM



FEATURESFront and rear slide serrations, custom sights,double stack mag for high capacity









STITACTICAL

www.stiguns.com

MSRP: $2,045ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 11+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesWEIGHT: 34 ounces

LES BAERBOSS 1911

www.lesbaer.com

FEATURESChrome frame, high-end combat sights, exquisite fit and finish

PREMIER II SUPER TAC

FEATURESDuPont custom finish, adjustable night sights, ergonomic controls

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM

www.wilsoncombat.com



FEATURESSimilar to FBI contract model, match-gradecomponents, ergonomic controls

FEATURESCustom grips and finish, fiber optic frontsight, distinctive milling and checkering

MSRP: $2,795WEBSITE:

ACTION: SACALIBER: .45 ACP

CAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.75 inches

LENGTH: 8 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inches


LES BAERSRP

www.lesbaer.com





WILSON COMBATX-TAC





GUNCRAFTERINDUSTRIES

CCO

www.guncrafterindustries.com

FEATURESTritium snag-free night sights, enlargedbeavertail grip safety, custom fit & finish

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM




CALIBER: .50 GICAPACITY: 7+1

BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inches

WEIGHT: 42.6 ounces




MSRP: $2,895ACTION: SACALIBER: Caliber: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 8+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesWEIGHT: 39 ounces



GUNCRAFTERAMERICAN

FEATURESHeine Slant Pro tritium night sights, accessoryrail, match grade stainless steel barrel

www.nighthawkcustom.com

FEATURESAmbidextrous thumb safety available, Perma Kotecustom finish, Heinie Slant Pro tritium night sights

NIGHTHAWKGLOBALRESPONSEPISTOL

GUNCRAFTER50GI M2

FEATURESHeine Slat Pro tritium night sights, checkeredaluminum grips, accessory rail

TW_1402-1911 11/24/13 11:39 PM

We tried to break Miller Bros Blades’ M-34short sword by hacking down a small treewith it, prying at a stump, and stabbing it

directly into a log. Miller Bros Blades just laughed at us.

BEST USE OF 5160 STEELWhen journeymen blade makers set out to pass their quali-

fications, they’re generally required to submit a blade that canslice through a free hanging rope, chop through a 2x4 or two,bend the blade a quarter turn, and shave a part of their bodywith the blade at the very end to demonstrate edge retention.The steel they often reach for is 5160, a .4 percent to .6 per-cent (or thereabouts) carbon steel with chromium added thatwinds up with an insane hardness rat-ing... and great edge retention, whilestill being shatter resistant.

It’s not the hardest steel out there,nor the best for razor-sharpness, northe best for weather resistance, butwhen you’re making a hard-use toolthat you can expect will be abused inall manner of twisted ways, you’d behard pressed to find a better material.

This is precisely why Miller BrosBlades uses 5160 in all of their knives,swords, and specialty edged weapons.The three brothers behind the com-

pany have extensive experience with hard living in unsavoryplaces, and demand a lot from their blades — perhaps themost general-utility tools they can expect to have in the back-country. Thus they design fixed blade, full-tang knives,swords, etc, for military operators and backwoodsmen, sher-iff’s deputies and wilderness first responders, that can cutthrough rope or hack into a tree or clear a deadfall or pry aboulder out of a road or...

M-34This short sword is one of the few such blades we’ve han-

dled that’s the real dea l— a 5/16-inch-thick blade tapered toan edge ground just a little sharper than a well-honed axe

blade makes for a modern sword thatcan hack through all sorts of things. It’squite a relief to hold the real deal: notsome dressed-up fantasy sword or“historic reproduction,” but an actualshort sword that’s ready to clear trailsand serve as a large general utilitytool, as well as serious defense shouldthe need arise.

So we cleared some brush withit, and though the impact vibrationsdown through the full-tang handlewere fierce, we were able to clearvines and small trees with ease. We

Two ToughTacticalBlades

HackThroughAnything

BY EDITOR

M-34Tech SpecsThickness: 5/16 inchOverall length: 19 1/2 inchesBlade length: 13 inchesBlade width: 11/2 inchesHandle material: G-10 FR-4Includes: Black Kydex sheathMSRP: $575

With the proper application oftechnique, the M-29 was able todefeat this small tree and keepon helping clear brush.

30 v TACTICAL WORLD | SPRING 2014

TW_1402-Blades 11/25/13 12:15 AM


don’tanticipate

getting into aswordfight any time soon, but the M-34 hasthe mass behind the blade, and the edgeretaining strength, to hold its own whenmore is on the line than simple backcountrycutting work.

The G-10 handle was fit, carved, and fin-ished by hand (as all Miller Bros Bladesedged tools are), leaving it functional and in

its own peculiar way, beautiful. It provednon-slip and comfortable.

M-29The answer to a tactical fixed blade that

can be used for prying, defeating sheetmetal, and punching through hide and boneif applied to, say, field dressing a deer (astested, with success), is the M-29 knife. Theblade is ground to the same angle as the M-34, which doesn’t result in the sharpest ofedges, but does result in extraordinary edge

retention — an arguably moreimportant attribute when deep afield.The G-10 handle is bolted on with tight-

torqued set screws (as with the M-34), andis fit, carved, and finished by hand... andfeels simply awesome. The quarter inchthick blade-back has plenty of room for yourthumb as you guide the blade.

SHARPNESS... OVER TIMENeither blade passed our “cut the free

hanging cotton rope” test, but few bladesdo. Neither excelled at our paper test, wherethe blade is started tip-down at a 45-degree angle in a sheet of tightly heldpaper, and let glide through (and down)under only its own weight, to test sharpnessalong the full length of the blade. But, witha little force (and a wary assistant) guidingthe blades, they sliced the full length of thepaper with no tearing, which demonstratesthat they are finished and shipped com-pletely bur-free and ready.

Then we studied the blade edge angle,and found that they’re more akinto the fresh edge on ahatchet than on afilet knife, andwhere the filetknife is extremelysharp, of course,the hatchet’sedge will lastthrough far, farmore abuse over far,far longer time. When wewent afield with these knives,they proved perfectly sharp.After defeating a small treeeach, and being usedextensively on

trail work, we ran the tests again. The result:almost no loss of sharpness.

That’s the awesome reason they’reground as they are, and suggests that they’llbe able to perform their jobs very welldespite extremely harsh use.

Which is exactly what they’re designedto do for their military, police, and other tac-tical end-users. TW

Contact

Miller Bros Blades(419) [email protected]

The M-34 and M-29 make a dynamicpair, with their extremely thick anduseful blades and matching handles.

The M-29 came in a custom-molded Kydexbelt sheath that holds it securely evenupside down.

When you’remaking a hard-usetool that you can

expect will beabused in all

manner oftwisted ways,you’d be hard

pressed tofind a bettermaterial...

M-29Tech SpecsSteel: 5160Thickness: 1/4 inchLength: 11 1/8 inchesBlade length: 5 3/4 inchesBlade width: 1 3/8 inchesHandle material: Textured G-10 FR-4Includes: Black Kydex sheathMSRP: $249

TW_1402-Blades 11/25/13 12:19 AM


From the patrolman’s duty holster, to a MOLLE holster attached to aplate carrier in Afghanistan, duty issue sidearms tirelessly protectheroes, whether in combat or on the streets. They come in polymer and

steel frames, with electronic sights or “iron” ones, with wooden stocks orrubber grips...in a variety of types and configurations that truly staggers themind. We tried to make sense of it all, and found representative models fromthe US military to those abroad; from the LAPD to the Maine State Police.

The common factors these pistols share include a dedication to quality and reliable

function, whether the M9 that survived rigorous modern military testing or the 1911

that’s served our armed forces for over a century...or the new crop of polymer frame,

striker fired guns you see in holsters at all levels of federal and local law enforcement.

They shoot serious calibers, from 9mm via high capacity magazines to .45 ACP (some-

times with high capacity magazines for that caliber, too!). They are carried, and

trusted, by true professionals...and are worth the money.

Especially if you must trust your life to the gun on your hip.

What do you need? A high-capacity modern handgun that will see lots of tactical

action? A reliable handgun that probably won’t ever be used, but needs to be on your

hip daily just in case? A mission-adapted weapon outfitted to overcome specific envi-

ronmental and operational concerns? You’ll find it in this Buyer’s Guide...

...and you’ll find these guns in use by security personnel and armed forces just

about everywhere you go.

—Editor

DutySidearmsFirepower That’s Always by Your Side

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM


SIG SAUER

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM



www.comanchepistols.com

www.keltecweapons.com

www.ruger.com

FEATURESSynthetic grip, stainless slide, decocking lever,polymer frame to save weight

MSRP: $205ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .38 SPLCAPACITY: 6BARREL LENGTH: 3LENGTH: 8 inchesWEIGHT: 33 ounces FEATURES

Extremely inexpensive, adjustable rear sight,contoured rubber grip

COMANCHECOMANCHE II-A

KEL-TECP-32

MSRP: $318ACTION: DAO


BARREL LENGTH: 2.75 inchesLENGTH: 5 inches

WEIGHT: 6.6 ounces

RUGERP95

MSRP: $399ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 10+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.9 inchesLENGTH: 7.25 inchesWIDTH: 1.2 inchesHEIGHT: 5.75 inchesWEIGHT: 27 ounces

FEATURESExtremely concealable, lifetime warranty,100 percent made in USA, perfect sizefor smaller hands

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM



www.rossiusa.com

www.caracal-usa.com

FEATURESPre-A1 military styling, very high capacity,novel Quick Sight system

FEATURESVentilated rib atop barrel, adjustablesights, supremely comfortable grips

ROSSI85104

MSRP: $401ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .38 SPLCAPACITY: 6BARREL LENGTH: 4 inchesWEIGHT: 32 ounces

CARACALCARACAL F

MSRP: $400ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 18+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.1 inchesLENGTH: 7 inchesWIDTH: 1.1 inchesHEIGHT: 5.3 inchesWEIGHT: 26 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM



www.charterfirearms.com

www.smith-wesson.com

MSRP: $419ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .380 ACPCAPACITY: 6+1BARREL LENGTH: 2.75 inchesLENGTH: 5.25 inchesWEIGHT: 12 ounces

CHARTERARMSBULLDOGPUG

FEATURESBobbed hammer design, snag-freereceiver design, serious defensive caliber

MSRP: $414ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .44 SPLCAPACITY: 5BARREL LENGTH: 2.5 inchesWEIGHT: 21 ounces

FeaturedSidearm

Not every duty sidearm is a full-size, full-caliber powerhousemeant for an open carry holster; some are diminutive backuppieces ideal for those undercover who need discrete, easily hid-den firepower; others serve as backup guns in ankle holsters,or when stashed discreetly in your vehicle or workstation.That’s where the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard handguns comein, like this .380 ACP 7 shot (6+1) semi-auto. Its companionpiece — a .38 Special +P revolver — is intriguing as well, butwe dig the design elements of the Bodyguard 380 that arecommon to their M&P pistols. The sights, grip, and ergonomics,are either identical or extremely similar, meaning that if youcarry or train on a full size M&P, transitioning to the Bodyguard380 will be intuitive and very, very simple... which matters a lotwhen you don’t have time to spare.

FEATURESPolymer frame, stainless steel slide,sights similar to M&P sights, moldedgrip for ergonomic fit

SMITH & WESSONBODYGUARD 380

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM



www.centuryarms.biz

www.ruger.com

www.stoegerindustries.com

MSRP: $469ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 11+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.5 inchesLENGTH: 7 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesWEIGHT: 32 ounces

CANIK55TP-9

MSRP: $440ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mm

CAPACITY: 18+1BARREL LENGTH: 4 inches

LENGTH: 7.25 inchesWEIGHT: 26.4 ounces

FEATURESTritium night sights, chrome-lined barrel, ambidextrous safety/decocker

RUGERLC9

MSRP: $449ACTION: DAOCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.12 inchesLENGTH: 6.0 inchesWIDTH: 0.9 inchesHEIGHT: 4.5 inchesWEIGHT: 17 ounces

FEATURESSnag-free ergonomic design, low profile adjustablesights, accessory rail, smooth trigger pull

STOEGERCOUGAR

FEATURESAmbidextrous safety/decocking lever,rotating barrel, available as well in9mm and .45 ACP

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:10 PM



FEATURESCocked-and-locked-capable, large-capacity of seriousdefensive caliber

www.bersa.com

BERETTABU9 NANO

FEATURESAdjustable sights, striker-fired, tiny for a 9mm

www.berettausa.com

MSRP: $475ACTION: STR

CALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 6+1



CZP-07 DUTY

MSRP: $487ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 16+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.8inchesLENGTH: 7.3 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.1 inchesWEIGHT: 27 ounces

FEATURESSafety/decocker interchangeable with standardsafety, high capacity, designed to meet policedefensive requirements

www.cz-usa.com

BERSATHUNDER PROMSRP: $495ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 13+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.25 inchesLENGTH: 8 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 31 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:11 PM





CALIBER: .38 SPLCAPACITY: 5

BARREL LENGTH: 1.9 inchesLENGTH: 6.6 inches

WEIGHT: 14.3 ounces

FEATURESAmbidextrous magazine release, extremelylow-bore axis, unique sighting options

CARACALCARACAL C

MSRP: $499ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.66 inchesLENGTH: 6.57 inchesWIDTH: 1.1 inchesHEIGHT: 4.8 inchesWEIGHT: 25 ounces

SMITH & WESSONBODYGUARD 38

FEATURESHammerless design, laser sight, integralmetallic sights

www.caracal-usa.com

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:11 PM



www.taurususa.com

www.ruger.com

www.taurususa.com

FEATURESAdjustable sights, accessory rail, extremelyhigh capacity, ergonomic design

TAURUS650

MSRP: $523ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .357 MAGCAPACITY: 5BARREL LENGTH: 2 inchesLENGTH: 6.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.4 inchesHEIGHT: 4.3 inchesWEIGHT: 24 ounces FEATURES

Sturdy steel frame, hammerless design,rubber recoil-absorbing grips

RUGERSR40C


CALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 15+1

BARREL LENGTH: 3.5 inchesLENGTH: 6.9 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inches

HEIGHT: 4.6 inchesWEIGHT: 23.4 ounces

FEATURESInterchangeable backstrap, large capacityfor size, polymer frame to save weight,ambidextrous mag release

TAURUSPT 24/7 G2

MSRP: $539ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 17+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.2 inchesLENGTH: 7.3 inchesWEIGHT: 28 ounces

TW_1402_SidearmsA_cx 11/27/13 11:24 PM



www.magnumresearch.com


FEATURESAdjustable 3-dot sights, low barrel axis,integral accessory rail, trigger safety

MAGNUM RESEARCHMR9

MSRP: $559ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4 inchesLENGTH: 7.1 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.3 inchesWEIGHT: 28 ounces

FEATURESDecocking button, interchangeable backstraps,fully adjustable rear sight, replaceable front sight

STEYRC9-A1



BARREL LENGTH: 3.6inches

LENGTH: 6.7 inchesWEIGHT: 25.6 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:11 PM



www.steyrarms.com www.smith-wesson.com

www.berettausa.com

STEYRS-A1

MSRP: $560ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 10+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.6 inchesLENGTH: 6.7 inchesWEIGHT: 24 ounces

FEATURESTrapezoidal sights, integral trigger safety, integralaccessory rail, natural-point-of-aim ergonomics

SMITH & WESSONM&P40

MSRP: $569ACTION: STRCALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.25LENGTH: 7.6 inchesWIDTH: 1.2 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 24 ounces

FEATURESInterchangeable backstraps, large capacity forcaliber, low-profile tactical sights

BERETTAPX4 STORM

MSRP: $575ACTION: DA/SA


BARREL LENGTH: 4.0 inchesLENGTH: 7.6 ounces

WIDTH: 1.4 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 28 ounces

FEATURESRotating barrel, interchangeable backstraps,designed for defensive work

Featured SidearmThe next generation after the enormously popular 90-series handguns (like the 92FS, 96FS, M9, and 90-Two), the Storm series encompasses this full size, duty-type handgun and several models on down to a sub-compact. Within a common caliber, their magazines are largely interchangeable (in that larger magazines willwork in smaller models, though the shorter magazines of compact models aren’t long enough to work inlarger models), and the full-size magazines in the PX4 Storm also work in the Storm Carbine. Interchange-able backstraps, “modern” rounded design elements and straightforward ergonomics combine with theDA/SA operation and easily reached controls to create a very intriguing model.

TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:11 PM



www.taurususa.com


FEATURESInterchangeable backstraps, white dot low-profile tacticalsights, designed for duty and defensive carry

TAURUS4510

MSRP: $587ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .45 Colt / .410 ShotshellCAPACITY: 5BARREL LENGTH: 3 inchesLENGTH: 9.5 inchesWEIGHT: 37 ounces

FEATURES3-inch chambers, integral sights, shoots both .45Colt cartridges and .410 shotshells interchangeably

SMITH & WESSONM&P45





TW_1402-SidearmsA 11/26/13 10:11 PM




www.taurususa.com

FEATURESPowerful design, reinforced frame, shoots 2.5-inch.410 Shotshells or .45 Colt cartridges interchangeably

SPRINGFIELDXDS 9

MSRP: $599ACTION: DAOCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.3 inchesLENGTH: 6.3 inchesWEIGHT: 22.5 ounces

FEATURES2-dot rear sight, fiber optic front sight, short reset trigger,also available in .45 ACP (5+1)

WALTHER PPQ

www.waltherarms.com





FEATURESInterchangeable backstraps, ambidextrous & extended sliderelease, integral accessory rail

TAURUSPUBLIC DEFENDER

MSRP: $620ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .45 Colt / .410 ShotshellCAPACITY: 5BARREL LENGTH: 2.5 inchesLENGTH: 9 inchesWEIGHT: 28.2 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:17 PM



www.armalite.com


www.glock.com

GLOCKG22

MSRP: $641ACTION: STRCALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.5 inchesLENGTH: 8.0 inchesWIDTH: 1.2 inchesHEIGHT: 5.4 inchesWEIGHT: 23 ounces

FEATURESWhite outline rear sight, polymerframe for light weight, combat trig-ger guard,, double stack magazine

Featured SidearmThe handgun trusted by an enormous number of law enforcementagencies, and legions of civilians, this full size .40 SW handgun issomething of a standard in duty-issue carry. With a 16-round capacity(15+1), fixed sites with Glock’s white rear outline style, extremely lightunloaded weight, steel rails and chassis inside the polymer frame, andsafety built right into the trigger, the Glock is built both tough andlight... and features the kind of universal design and straightforwardoperation that make it a clear winner for many departments.

GLOCKG21SFMSRP: $637ACTION: STRCALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 13+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.6 inchesLENGTH: 8 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 26 ounces

FEATURESWhite outline rear sight, polymer frame for lightweight, combat trigger guard, double stack magazinerelieved backstrap to fit medium/smaller hands

ARMALITEAR-24 TACTICAL

CUSTOM



LENGTH: 7.5 inchesWEIGHT: 32 ounces

FEATURESAdjustable sights, extensive grip checkering,hammer spur

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:17 PM



www.taurususa.com

www.sigsauer.com

www.eaacorp.com

FEATURESAdjustable rear sight, cocked and locked carry, verylarge capacity for caliber, integral accessory rail

MSRP: $641ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 17+1BARREL LENGTH: 5 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.6 inchesWEIGHT: 34 ounces

FEATURESSiglite night sights optional, ergonomic stylefor its diminutive size, non-slip grips

SIG SAUERP232

MSRP: $649ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .380 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.6 inchesLENGTH: 6.6 inchesWIDTH: 1.2 inchesHEIGHT: 4.7 inchesWEIGHT: 19 ounces

FEATURESImproved capacity (17+1), combat-style trigger guard,multi-position frame-mounted safety/decocker

TAURUSM92

SAR ARMSK2

MSRP: $657ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 14+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.7 inchesLENGTH: 8.3 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.7 inchesWEIGHT: 40 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM



www.waltherarms.com

www.glock.com

FEATURESSafety/decocker button, ambidextrous mag release builtinto trigger guard, three-dot adjustable combat sights

WALTHERP99

MSRP: $679ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 12+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.1 inchesLENGTH: 7.2 inchesWIDTH: 1.3 inchesHEIGHT: 5.3 inchesWEIGHT: 26 ounces

GLOCKG17

MSRP: $690ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 17+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.5 inchesLENGTH: 8 inchesWIDTH: 1.2 inchesHEIGHT: 5.4 inchesWEIGHT: 22 ounces

FEATURESWhite outline rear sight, polymer frame for light weight,combat trigger guard, double-stack magazine

FEATURES3-inch chambers, integral sights, shoots both .45 Coltcartridges and .410 shotshells interchangeably

TAURUSJUDGE 3

INCH MAG

www.taurususa.com


CALIBER: .45 Colt / .410 ShotshellCAPACITY: 5


TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM


www.kahr.com www.springfield-armory.com

www.fnherstal.com

FEATURESBar-dot-style combat sights, singlestack design for easy concealability,beneficial sight radius

KAHR ARMSTP45

MSRP: $697ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 7+1BARREL LENGTH: 4 inchesLENGTH: 6.6 inchesWIDTH: 1 inchHEIGHT: 5.3 inchesWEIGHT: 23 ounces FEATURES

Grip safety, trigger safety, fiberoptic front sight, outstandingcapacity, snag-free rear com-bat sight

SPRINGFIELDXD(M) 3.8 9MM

MSRP: $697ACTION: STRCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 19+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.8 inchesLENGTH: 7 inchesHEIGHT: 5.6 inchesWEIGHT: 28 ounces

FN HERSTALFNX 9


CAPACITY: 17+1BARREL LENGTH: 4 in

LENGTH: 7.4 inWEIGHT: 22 oz

SPECIAL FEATURESStainless steel construction, loadedchamber indicator

Featured SidearmThis high-capacity 9mm puts 18 (17+1) rounds in your holster, via nickel-plated steel magazineswith low-friction polymer followers for smooth feeding even during rapid fire. The slide is milledwith front cocking serrations, as many professionals prefer, and the fixed sights are of the three-dot, combat-style, no-snag variety. The polymer frame helps keep the weight down, and featuresinterchangeable steel rails to greatly extend your pistol’s longevity. The easily cocked hammer (fortrue DA/SA operation) is somewhat unique among polymer-framed pistols, giving you an interestingdepth of utility for this construction style.

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM



www.cz-usa.com

BERETTA90-TWO



BARREL LENGTH: 5.5 inches

FEATURESUpdated 92FS, lighter weight, wraparound mono-grip, accessory rail

www.berettausa.com www.smith-wesson.com

SMITH & WESSON640

MSRP: $729ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .357 MAGCAPACITY: 5BARREL LENGTH: 2.1 inchesLENGTH: 6.6 inchesWEIGHT: 23 ounces

FEATURESFully shrouded hammer, snag-free design, powerful cartridge

CZSP-01 TACTICAL

MSRP: $737ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 12+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.72 inchesLENGTH: 8.15 inchesWEIGHT: 38.4 ounces

FEATURESTritium sights, integral accessory rail, fore andaft slide serrations, combat-style trigger guard

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM



www.berettausa.com


www.chiappafirearms.com

FEATURESAccepts .410 shotshells, .45 Colt, and .45 ACP,features integral sights, rifled barrel

FEATURESFires from bottom cylinder, concealed hammer,extremely low-bore axis

BERETTA96 A1




HEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 34.4 ounces

FEATURESAccessory rail, safety/decocker, internal recoil buffer

SMITH & WESSONGOVERNOR


CALIBER: .45 Colt / .410 ShotshellCAPACITY: 6

BARREL LENGTH: 2.75 inchesLENGTH: 8.5 inchesWIDTH: 1.75 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 30 ounces

CHIAPPARHINO 40DS


CALIBER: .357 MAGCAPACITY: 6


TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM




www.fnherstal.com

www.kahr.com

FEATURESPolymer and steel construction, snag-freesights, easily concealable dimensions

SPECIAL FEATURESDeep-notch rear sight, accessory rail, interchangeable backstraps

SMITH & WESSONM&P40 VTAC

MSRP: $779ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .40 SWCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.25 inchesLENGTH: 7.63 inchesWEIGHT: 24.25 ounces FEATURES

VTac Warrior sights, ambidextrous controls, integralaccessory rail, multiple color options

FN HERSTALFNP 45



BARREL LENGTH: 4.5 inLENGTH: 7.9 inWEIGHT: 32 oz

KAHR ARMSP45MSRP: $805ACTION: DAOCALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 6+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.6 inchesLENGTH: 6.07 inchesWIDTH: 1.01 inchHEIGHT: 4.8 inchesWEIGHT: 21 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM




www.sig-sauer.com

www.hk-usa.com

FEATURESAdjustable sights with white outline, orangeinsert front sight, comfortable grip

FEATURESAccessory rail, interchangeable backstraps, easily engagedcontrols, scaled-down HK USP design

SMITH& WESSON

686


CALIBER: .357 MAGCAPACITY: 6

BARREL LENGTH: 2.5 inchesLENGTH: 9.6 inchesWEIGHT: 40 ounces

SIG SAUERP226MSRP: $975ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.4 inchesLENGTH: 7.7 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 34 ounces

FEATURESDecocking lever, ergonomic controls for one-hand opera-tion, steel construction, wide range of custom features

MSRP: $998WEBSITE: Action: DA/SA



HEIGHT: 5 inchesWEIGHT: 23.5 ounces

HECKLER & KOCHUSP COMPACT

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM



www.hk-usa.com

FEATURESDecocking lever, anti-corrosion coatings on controls,anchor engraving, SIGLITE night sights

FEATURESAccessory rail, interchangeable backstraps,easily engaged controls

SIG SAUERM11-A1

www.sigsauer.com

MSRP: $1,125ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.9 inchesLENGTH: 7.1 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.4 inchesWEIGHT: 32 ounces

FEATURESSiglite night sights, decocker, civilian versionof Navy issue sidearm, steel construction

P226 MK25

MSRP: $1,142ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 4.4 inchesLENGTH: 7.7 inchesWIDTH: 1.5 inchesHEIGHT: 5.5 inchesWEIGHT: 34 ounces

HECKLER & KOCHP30

MSRP: $1,023ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mm


LENGTH: 7 inchesWIDTH: 1.4 inches


TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM

FeaturedSidearmThis tactical pistol is made to be used, and used a lot. It hasfront slide serrations for those who value being able to rack theslide easily from a number of different positions, a short resettrigger to help with rapid follow up shots, the accessory rail and“combat” trigger guard you expect, and particularly interestinggrips that are a great bonus aesthetically (and provide goodtraction without “biting” during extended shooting of +Pammunition).



www.hk-usa.com

www.sigsauer.com

www.fnherstal.com

SPECIAL FEATURESAmbidextrous controls, low bore axis, threaded barrel

FEATURES:Accessory rail, interchangeable backstraps,easily engaged controls, scaled-down HKUSP design

HECKLER & KOCHHK 45 COMPACT

MSRP: $1,193ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: .45 ACPCAPACITY: 10+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.9 inchesLENGTH: 7.2 inchesWIDTH: 1.4 inchesHEIGHT: 5.6 inchesWEIGHT: 28 ounces

SIG SAUERP229 EXTREME

MSRP: $1,213ACTION: DA/SACALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 15+1BARREL LENGTH: 3.9 inchesLENGTH: 7.6 inchesWEIGHT: 32 ounces

FEATURESSiglite night sights, Hogue G-10 grips,short-reset trigger, accessory rail

FN HERSTALFNX 45 TACTICAL

MSRP: $1,395ACTION: DA/SA


BARREL LENGTH: 5.3 inLENGTH: 7.4 inchesWEIGHT: 34 ounces

TW_1402-SidearmsB 11/26/13 10:18 PM

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A modern tactical stock — with a serviceable magazine and adapter, no less— really brings this inexpensive shooter up to speed for modern use.


TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


Remember when a day at the range literally meant aday at the range? Ammo was affordable and youcould sit there and have fun honing your skills.

Well, now the price of ammo has gone up, but even before thelast rush on ammo, shooting wasn’t exactly cheap. What if I toldyou there is a way to get around the high price of ammo... and stillhone your skills at 200 yards? We have seen a number of battlerifles get a new lease on life when they become popular with thepublic. People used to rebuild Mausers, P17 Enfields and Enfields.Today, the Mosin is the new guy on the block.Mosin enthusiasts now have more after-market accessories

available than ever before, making it prime for a rebuild... and areinvention into a rifle that might be useful tactically. (Or at leastfor fun, tactical-style training.)So let’s look at a couple of Mosin rebuilds I did and what was

involved short of re-barreling. To start with, joining the Mosin clubis cheap since the Nagant runs anywhere from $139 to $200, pro-viding it isn’t a sniper model. After we have selected a rifle, wethen move on to cleaning it up for the rebuild.

SELECTING THE MOSINYou will want to do some research when selecting a Mosin.

First, keep in mind that the round receivers are the ones peopleare making the most aftermarket parts for since they are the easi-est to work with. Obviously you want to check the bore on anyrifle you buy, but the Finnish models have a reputation for the bestbarrels. If you find one and can afford the extra cost, get it. Tulamodels have some of the best receivers. There were many Mosins

TacticalCentenarian

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ABE ELIAS

The Mosin-Nagant Goes Tacti-Cool

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


made in many factories and the machiningvaries from awfully sloppy to pretty clean.Don’t expect today’s standards, but thenthat is one of the beauties of the Mosin —it’s a sturdy, serviceable rifle that you don’thave to worry about banging around. Thereis a carbine version, too, but they run extra.For the purpose of this rebuild, a Model

1891/30 is perfect. This model has been inservice since 1891 and was pulled out ofservice in 1945, so there have been millionsof these made.

THE CLEAN UPBefore getting started, keep in mind these

guns have been in storage for many yearsand the Russian version of Cosmoline cangum up a rifle something fierce. Start clean-ing by giving it a good scrub down withsome hot water and Simple Green. I havealso found Shooter’s Choice Aqua Cleanproducts to work well. Once you havecleaned off all the Cosmoline on the outsidethen clean the barrel and bore. Some of therifles are so gummed up the bores and bar-rels will actually look dark. To brightenthose back up you can use either polishingcompounds or Nevr-Dull.For the polishing compounds take a 20-

gauge gun swab and load it up. If you want,you can insert it into the chamber and spinit using a drill; by hand will work too. Aftercleaning the chamber out you can run someswabs of Nver Dull down the barrel or justgive the barrel a good cleaning. To use NverDull I simply wrap some cloth around a

small brush and build it up till it fits in thechamber, then I do the same again with thebarrel. With a shiny bore and barrel you areready to go.Before you start to build you will have to

take a look around at what is available andwhat format you want to build. Do you wantyour Mosin to be a bench rifle, a “tacti-cool”marksman rifle or maybe even a Scout rifle?

DRILLING THE RECEIVERThere are plenty of jigs that will accu-

rately drill and tap a receiver. I normally usethe Weaver drilling and tapping jig. Strip

the action from the stock and set the maga-zine aside.A number of companies make scope

mounts for the Mosin: ATI makes an over-the-receiver mount and Rock Solid Indus-tries makes both over the receiver and for-ward scout mount. If you choose RockSolid’s Scout system you will have to disas-semble the rear iron sight. Rock Solid makestheir mounting holes to the exact samespecs as ATI, so once you have drilled andtapped for one, you can use either. With theaction stripped and the bolt out, clamp the

barrel in a vise, then line up the scopemount, using a woodworker’s soft-jawedclamp. You can clamp the scope mount tothe receiver using the flat top of the baseand flat underside of the receiver.

Check to make sure it runsstraight with the barrel when installing theScout mount; you might want to install itstraight with the receiver if the barrel isover clocked. Each company provides fulldirections for this.Once they are clamped into place, mark

the hole placement with a set punch. Bothcompanies provide a drill and tap; however

you might need to buy a set just for thehandles. When you go to drill, make a pointof re-punching your marks to ensure theyare clear and crisp. Remarking will helpmake sure the bit doesn’t walk.Use plenty of cutting fluid when drilling

and tapping. I use Brownell’s cutting fluid tokeep the chips flowing and prevent the tapfrom binding. Once you have drilled andtapped the first hole, install the scope mountusing one screw and check for alignmentagain. With the scope mount in place youcan use the mount as a guide to mark the

A simple, black synthetic stock with a modern bipod already does wonders for the Mosin...and we haven’t even cleaned upthe insides yet.

What if I told you there is a way to get around

the high price of ammo...

and still hone your skills at 200 yards?

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM

second hole again and then drill. Clean thechips away using compressed air anddegrease the holes with brake cleaner.

The screws provided will be too long andhave to be ground to size. At this point Ireassembled the rifle and took it to the rangeafter mounting a scope so I can do a before

and after comparison with the rebuild.I found it easier to line the scope mounts

up on the next project by first cleaning thereceiver surface up on the slack belt sectionof my belt sander using a 220 grit belt. Itremoved any of the irregularities from themachining on the receiver. After sandingthe receiver I used cold blue to blue thenewly exposed metal. I also found it easierto line the scope mounts up using my laserbore sight.

STIFFENING THE BARRELPractically all the 91/30 barrels are close

to 29 inches long. If you want to increasetheir accuracy you will want to stiffen thebarrel and the only way to do that is toshorten it. You can chop it down to any-where between 22 inches and 24 inches; Iwent with 22 inches. I put the bolt back inand measured with a rod down the barrel tothe bolt face, took that measurement andsubtracted enough to end up with 22inches.

After I had made my mark I used a handhacksaw to make my cut. There are a cou-ple of ways to help you make a square cut:one is to use a tube cutter and mark thebarrel, just as if you were going to cut somecopper pipe. Clamp it on and rotate and use


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Before and after the overhaul: never thought you could wring MOA groups out of a Mosin, did you?

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


the scored mark of the cutter for a guide.The second way is to take some tape andwrap the barrel, making sure the wrap iseven and meets up perfectly. Line your sawup with the edge of the tape and start cut-ting. After you cut the barrel you can use afile to even up the cut and clean up theedge.

THE CROWN IS KINGWe are using the original barrel and cut-

ting it to increase its accuracy by stiffeningit. All the work to stiffen the barrel will beworthless if we don’t have a good crown onit. I used the Brownell’s crowning kit, whichcan be used by hand or mounted in a powerdrill. A well-formed crown allows the gas tovent evenly from the barrel.

The first part is the 90-degree cutter andpilot to ensure the face is square. The sec-ond part is an 11-degree cutter to give thebarrel its crown; you want to only sink thecutter in about one-third the thickness ofthe barrel. To finish off the barrel, take a fileand gently break the sharp edge on the out-side of the barrel and use the tang of thefile to remove any burrs on the inside lip ofthe barrel.

TAKING STOCKFor this article I built three different plat-

forms using three different stocks: ATI,Archangel, and Bluegrass Gunstock. ATI’sstock is a straightforward Monte Carlo-stylehunting stock, the trimmest of the three. ATImakes their stock out of a Dupont extremetemperature glass reinforced polymer and isbasically a straight drop in stock that usesthe Mosin’s original box magazine. It’s veryeasy to use and comes with a recoil padpre-installed.

This year Archangel came out with astock for the Mosin in a tactical benchshooter’s format. The stock is made fromcarbon fiber reinforced polymer. As for easeof installation I just dropped the action inwith a couple of minor adjustments. I had todrill a hole for the forearm sling swivel (itcomes that way) and I had to cut a relief forthe bolt handle since I used the Rock SolidIndustries bolt.

The main feature of the Archangel stockis that it takes a removable magazine,which is available in either 5 or 10 rounds.Due to the interrupter on the Mosin action,you have to insert the magazines with thebolt closed, and then give it a good slap toseat the first round. Initially the magazinegave me a few feeding problems, but as Ihave been using it, it is breaking in...so be

After shortening the barrel, you need to cut (and polish) a new crown. Luckily, thereare tools that make this easy.

While more professional tools are great, all you need at minimum is a hacksaw anda good vise to cut your barrel to length. (Just leave it long enough to satisfy legalminimums.)

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


One stock (and its detachable magazine!) and a little elbow grease can update the Mosin-Nagant at least a hundred years...injust about one long afternoon’s work!

The do-it-yourself crown (left) is a definite improvement over the as-issued configuration (right), and should be consideredeven if you don’t plan to cut the barrel down in length.

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


prepared to allow a break in period.Lastly I used the Bluegrass Tactical Stock,

made from maple, and Duracoated it. Iwanted it to be set up for bench shooting,so I splurged and got some of the extras.Base price for the Tactical model is only$98, and you add your features from there.Only a little fitting work had to be donewith a small chisel and if they Dura coat ityou will have to clean the holes out. Blue-

grass Stocks use the original box magazineand feature a cross grain pistol grip foradded strength. In the end, personally Ithink you get more than your money’sworth with the Bluegrass stock.

TRIGGERS AND BOLTSThe original trigger leaves much to be

desired since it has a lot of travel and aheavy pull. Trigger jobs are not somethingto be done with no experience, so by allmeans take it to a skilled gunsmith; if you

want the best results possible, you can dowhat I did and replace your trigger with aTimney trigger (have a gunsmith do this foryou).

Using a Timney is straightforward and Ialways have great results. If you are goingto mount a scope on your Mosin, you aregoing to want to bend the bolt. ATI makes ado it yourself kit which is easy enough to dowith a few simple hand tools, the only thing

a person doesn’t normally have is a taphandle. For the most part it requires: ahacksaw, bench grinder, hand drill, andvise. Another route is to get a bent bolt thathas been cut and welded for you by eitherBluegrass or Rock Solid Industries. If youwant to keep all your numbers matching,you can even ask to send in your bolt sleeveto get it done. I also bought a firing pinspring from Socamo.com.

The end results were better than just anaccurate shooting rifle that I could shoot

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Tactical Triggers...Timney Triggers LLO2020 W Quail AvePhoenix, AZ850271-623-223-1111www.timneytriggers.comcustomerservice@timneyuse.com

The Mosin-Nagant is pretty fun to shoot in its original configuration...but why not bring it into the 21st century?

Do you want your Mosin to be a bench rifle,

a ‘tacti-cool’ marksman rifle or

maybe even a Scout rifle?

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


cheaply. My rebuilt Mosin was a rifle that Ihad a hand in building, and that I could usefor a number of things from hunting toplinking. My groupings tightened up andthe Timney trigger made a world of differ-ence.As for the stocks, all of them lessened the

effect of the recoil and provided a solid plat-

form so that you wouldn’t even guess youwere shooting a Mosin if you didn’t alreadyknow.Shortening the barrel helped tighten the

groups without a huge loss of velocity; how-ever, the muzzle report increased notice-ably.You have to like it when you get a chance

to get in there and get your hands a littledirty and come out with something you canhave fun with! Most of the tools were toolsanyone would have; and besides the partsthemselves, one stop at Brownell’s will getyou the rest of the supplies. The rebuiltNagant is a great shooter, and when you arefinished, people will be hard-pressed toguess that it started out as a $139 rifle! TW

CriticalCleanersSimple GreenAvailable at Home Depot

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A modern tactical stock, aftermarket bolt handle, extended length of modernPicatinny-style rail...you can add these to your Mosin-Nagant this weekend!

TW_1402-Nagrant 11/25/13 12:23 AM


TW_1402-RiflePlatA 11/25/13 9:48 PM


With patrolmen receiving more SWAT-type training, and increasinglybeing called upon to provide first response to active shooters, squadcars across the country (and in many other parts of the world) are

getting AR-type rifles right there in the cab. Where once a shotgun might ridebetween driver and partner, now there’s at least as often an AR-type rifle at theready...

...and a lot of ammo in the trunk.Tactical rifles have crossed from the military to civilian law enforcement, including

federal service with federal agencies like the DEA and ICE as well as state highwaypatrols and local police departments. Overwhelmingly, they turn to the AR/M16 plat-form, with its unparalleled ability to accept accessories that can adapt it to virtually anymission — night and thermal scopes extending their use well after dark, long barrels andlarge optics optimizing them for designated marksman roles, lights and lasers for closequarters work inside buildings.

So we’re proud to bring you this Buyer’s Guide of models from across the industry,featuring standard and specialty chamberings and a wide array of configurations. Sincethere is yet more to the world of tactical rifles than the AR/M16 platform, we’ve includedsome of the most exciting platforms from the rest of the wide world of modern defense.All in, you’re bound to find exactly what your mission requires...or at least a startingpoint to which you can add the mission-adapted accessories required!

—Editor

TacticalRifles

Primary Weapons for Professi onals




SPECIAL FEATURES14.5-inch length barrel with pinned YHMPhantom flash hider, aluminum triggerguard and mag catch button are hard-coat anodized

MSRP: $799.95ACTION: Semi-automatic, blowback

CALIBER: 5.7x28mmCAPACITY: 20 rounds

BARREL LENGTH: 8 inchesSIGHTS: Aperture/post

STOCK: Steel, collapsibleGRIP: Synthetic pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

The MVP Patrol accepts AR/M16-type magazines,and provides an extremely accurate bolt-action plat-

form for police sharpshooters, patrol officers, andother professionals. The ability to accept those

common magazines make it a natural to pairwith a super compact M4-type firearm, using

the M4 for entry work and the MVP for longerrange work... with the same ammunition andmagazines. The 5.56mm chamber will shoot.223 rounds as well, and the medium bull bar-rel helps deliver them with incredible accu-racy. Many ballistic-compensated scopes

will work perfectly with the MVP, too, ifyou wish to swap out the included 3-9x32mm scope.

DEL-TON DTI ECHO 314/15

www.del-ton.com

MSRP: $775ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inches

TWIST: 1:9STOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: A-2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6 poundsLENGTH: 35 inches

MASTERPIECE ARMSMPA 570 SST-SBR

www.masterpiecearms.com

SPECIAL FEATURESQuad rail, side cocking, threadedbarrel is suppressor-ready

MOSSBERGMVP PATROL

MSRP: $813ACTION: Bolt

CALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 rounds

BARREL LENGTH: 16.25 inchesTWIST: 1:9

SIGHTS: 3-9x32mm scopeSTOCK: Composite fixed

GRIP: IntegralFINISH: Matte blueWEIGHT: 8 pounds

LENGTH: 35.25 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESAccepts AR-15 magazines, includes3-9x32mm scope, medium bull barrelwith 11-degree tapered crown

FeaturedRifle

www.mossberg.com




SPECIAL FEATURESForged 7075 T6 aluminum mil-spec upper and lowerreceivers, chrome lined or nitride barrel

www.adeqfirearms.com

www.centuryarms.com

ADEQ FIREARMSPALADIN PATROL RIFLE

MSRP: $840ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingement


BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7 or 1:8

SIGHTS: Aperture/post, adjustableSTOCK: Composite, collapsible

GRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 6.2 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches

CENTURY ARMSYUGO N-PAP (T6 COLLAPSIBLE STOCK)

SPECIAL FEATUREST6 collapsible stock, accessory rail built into the receiver

MSRP: $904ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas piston operatedCALIBER: 7.62x39mmCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.25 inchesTWIST: 1:10SIGHTS: AdjustableSTOCK: T6 collapsible stockGRIP: Black polymerFINISH: BluedWEIGHT: 7.8 poundsLENGTH: 35 inches




SPECIAL FEATURESBlack polymer grips, made in the same factory thatproduced top-quality rifles for the former Yugoslavia

SPECIAL FEATURES16-inch hammer with forged CMV chrome-linedbarrel, phosphated 8620 steel carrier assembly

SPECIAL FEATURESSide-charging handle, top and bottom rails with sidesections, side-folding collapsible stock

www.centuryarms.com

www.del-ton.com

CENTURY ARMS YUGO N-PAP (POLYMER STOCK)

MSRP: $904.95ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas piston operated

CALIBER: 7.62x39mmCAPACITY: 30 rounds


SIGHTS: AdjustableSTOCK: Plastic

GRIP: Black polymerFINISH: Blued

WEIGHT: 8.05 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

MSRP: $989ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operated


BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7

SIGHTS: Troy DOA folding rear sightSTOCK: M4 stock

GRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte black


DEL-TON DTI EXTREME DUTY 316

MASTERPIECE ARMS MPAR 556

www.masterpiecearms.com

MSRP: $999ACTION: Semi-automatic, short stroke pistonCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: NoneSTOCK: Side-folding, collapsibleGRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Black phosphateWEIGHT: 7.8 poundsLENGTH: 35 inches




SPECIAL FEATURESChoice of LEF-T carry handles or standalone rearsights, mid-length RRA wraparound half quadfree float handguard with three rail covers

MSRP: $1,079ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas impingement systemCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: MBUS flip-up rear, fixed A2 front sight baseSTOCK: Magpul MOE six-positionGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 5.2 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

ROCK RIVER ARMSLAR-15H LEF-T OPERATOR


MSRP: $1,050ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: RRA stand alone rear sight (shown)STOCK: Composite, adjustableGRIP: ERGO SureGrip pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8 poundsLENGTH: 37 inches

COREMOE M4 RIFLE

www.core15.com

SPECIAL FEATURESM4 profile chrome-lined barrel, forgedaluminum lower, chrome-lined steel boltcarrier and bolt carrier key




SPECIAL FEATURESRRA two-stage trigger, overmolded A2 grip,forged A4 upper, forged RRA LAR-15 lower, 16-inch chrome-moly barrel


www.dpmsinc.com

ROCK RIVER ARMSLAR-15 MID-LENGTH A4

MSRP: $1,090ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: NoneSTOCK: Composite, adjustableGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.1 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

FeaturedRifle

Stripped down so you can build it up, the 308 Ora-cle is an A4-configuration “flat top” AR-based riflewith direct gas impingement operation and a 16-inch barrel, chambered for the .308 round. That’swhere this model gets really interesting. Commonmagazines for DPMS’s .308 rifles hold 4, 10, or 19rounds of .308 ammunition. The upper receiver andthe top side of the gas block are milled to offer fulllengths of Picatinny rail for mounting accessories(including fore and aft metallic sights), and the grip,handguard, and multi-position collapsible stock areall both perfectly serviceable...and easily swappedout for your choice of custom aftermarket furniture.This base model is ready to be worked up intowhatever solution your mission requires.

MSRP: $1,099ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:10STOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8.3 poundsLENGTH: 32.5 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESPardus adjustable stock, GlacierGuard hand-guard, 16-inch 4140 HBAR chrome-moly barrel

DPMS308 ORACLE




SPECIAL FEATURESChrome-lined barrel with phosphate finish,detachable carry handle, forward assist

SPECIAL FEATURES20-inch barrel & straight A2 buttstock forlong range shooting, Magpul MOE forendand grip, also available with componentsin camo pattern

SPECIAL FEATURES16-inch mid-length HBAR bead-blasted 416 stainlesssteel barrel, AAC Blackout flash hider

M400

www.sigsauer.com

www.dpmsinc.com

MSRP: $1,099ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gasimpingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: A3 rear, A2 frontSTOCK: Tactical compositeGRIP: Textured pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.5 poundsLENGTH: 39.5 inches

M400 HUNTERMSRP: $1,099

ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATO

CAPACITY: 10 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 20 inches

TWIST: 1:8STOCK: Fixed A2 style

GRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte black


DPMSRECON

MSRP: $1,129ACTION: Semi-automatic,

direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATO

CAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inches

TWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: Flip-up

STOCK: CompositeGRIP: Synthetic pistol grip

FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.65 pounds

LENGTH: 37 inches

SIG SAUER




SPECIAL FEATURESBUIS, bayonet lug, direct gas system

SPECIAL FEATURESM4 profile chrome-lined barrel, forged aluminum lower,chrome-lined steel bolt carrier and bolt carrier key

SPECIAL FEATURESForged 7075 T6 receivers, 16-inch 4140 HBARbarrel with AAC suppressor adapter/flash hider

COLT AR6720 CARBINE LIGHTWEIGHT

www.coltsmfg.com

www.core15.com

www.dpmsinc.com

MSRP: $1,136ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.1 inches, lightweightTWIST: 1:7 SIGHTS: Front adjustable, rear flip-up/adjustable STOCK: MOE carbine stockGRIP: MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.2 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches

CORETAC M4 RIFLE

MSRP: $1,199ACTION: Semi-automatic, gasimpingement systemCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7

SIGHTS: MBUS flip-up rear, fixedA2 front sight baseSTOCK: Magpul MOE six-positionGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.2 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

DPMSMOE WARRIOR




SPECIAL FEATURESRRA Operator A2 stock, Hogue carbine-length free float tube,16-inch chrome-moly HBAR with Smith Vortex flash hider

SPECIAL FEATURESFlat Dark Earth Magpul MOE furniture,bayonet lug and flash hider

SPECIAL FEATURES16-inch fluted and button rifled 4140chrome-moly steel barrel, upgradedstock standard

MSRP: $1,199ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable box BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: Flip-up rear, A2 frontSTOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: Polymer pistol gripFINISH: Flat dark earthWEIGHT: 7.35 poundsLENGTH: 33.75 inches

ROCK RIVER ARMS LAR-6.8 COYOTE CARBINE


MSRP: $1,200ACTION: Semi-automatic, directgas impingementCALIBER: 6.8 mm Rem SPC II CAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:10

SIGHTS: NoneSTOCK: RRA operatorA2 stockGRIP: Hogue pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

COLT LE6920MP – FDE CARBINE

www.coltsmfg.com

MSRP: $1,229ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.1 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Front adjustable, rear flip-up/adjustableSTOCK: Magpul MOE carbine stockGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Flat Dark Earth /matte blackWEIGHT: 6.9 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches

OLYMPIC ARMS CO.LIGHTWEIGHTTACTICAL (FLUTED)

www.olyarms.com

MSRP: $1,240ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9STOCK: ACE FX Skeleton GRIP: Polymer pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.44 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches




MSRP: $1,259ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:8SIGHTS: M4 A2 post, folding

Magpul MBUSSTOCK: Magpul MOEGRIP: Magpul MVG (verticalgrip)/MOEFINISH: Flat Dark Earth,}polymer WEIGHT: 6.54 poundsLENGTH: 37 inches

MSRP: $1,275ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATO (.223 Wylde chamber)CAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable box BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:8SIGHTS: Magpul MBUSSTOCK: Magpul MOE adjustable GRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte black hard-coat anodizedWEIGHT: 6.9 poundsLENGTH: 33.4 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESDPMS Panther Flash Hider, Forged 7075T6 lower receiver, full-length gas system

SMITH & WESSON M&P15 MOE MID MOE


www.barnesprecision.com www.dpmsinc.com

SPECIAL FEATURESChromed gas key and bolt carrier, 7075T6 aluminum receivers have a hard coatblack anodized finish, flared magwell forimproved magazine insertion

BARNES PRECISIONCQB PATROLMAN’SCARBINE MOE

SPECIAL FEATURESBPM stainless steel match barrel,12-inch free-float quad rail forend

DPMSTAC2

MSRP: $1,299ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: Flip-up rear, A2 frontSTOCK: Magpul ACSGRIP: Magpul MOEFINISH: BlackWEIGHT: 8.5 poundsLENGTH: 34.25 inches



SPECIAL FEATURESForged LAR-8 lower, forged A4 upperwith forward assist, cryogenicallytreated 20-inch chrome-moly barrel,Hogue rubber pistol grip

SPECIAL FEATURESCold hammer forged mil-spec 41V45 barrel,threaded muzzle with flash suppressor,chrome-plated two-stage piston driven oper-ating system

SPECIAL FEATURESGeissele match trigger, Samson free float handguard,proprietary muzzle brake, Magpul components

ROCK RIVER ARMS LAR-8 STANDARD A4

www.rockriverarms.com www.ruger.com

www.stagarms.com

MSRP: $1,300ACTION: Semi-automatic, directgas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATO CAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 20 inchesTWIST: 1:10SIGHTS: NoneSTOCK: A2 buttstockGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 9 poundsLENGTH: 42 inches


gas piston operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATO

CAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.12 inches

(with flash suppressor)TWIST: 1:9

STOCK: Synthetic collapsibleGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte black


MSRP: $1,459ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas pistonCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18 inchesTWIST: 1:8

STOCK: Magpul ACSGRIP: Magpul MOEFINISH: AnodizedWEIGHT: 7.9 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

STAG ARMS


STURM, RUGER & CO.SR-556E

TW_1402_RiflePlatA_cx 11/27/13 11:29 PM



MSRP: $1,471ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operating systemCALIBER: 300 AAC BLKCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7STOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: Composite pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.5 poundsLENGTH: 32.5 inches

SPECIAL FEATURES16-inch chrome-lined HBAR, RRA Delta muzzle brake,chromed 7.62x39mm bolt carrier group, RRA LAR-47lower and A4 upper

MSRP: $1,499ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas piston operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:8SIGHTS: MBUS flip-up frontand rear sightsSTOCK: Magpul MOE six-positionGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 5.8 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

BUSHMASTER300 AAC BLACKOUT

www.bushmaster.com

SPECIAL FEATURESNitrite coated bore and chamber, AACBlackout muzzle brake


MSRP: $1,475ACTION: Semi-automatic, directgas impingementCALIBER: 7.62x39mmCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:10

SIGHTS: AR front sight housingSTOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: RRA Delta pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.75 poundsLENGTH: 36.5 inches

COREMOE M4 PISTON RIFLE

www.core15.com

SPECIAL FEATURESForged aluminum lower, M4 flattop upper,dry lube internal finish

ROCK RIVER ARMSLAR-47 DELTA CARBINE




MSRP: $1,500ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH:16.1 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Folding front sightSTOCK: MOE carbine stockGRIP: MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.8 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches

MSRP: $1,602ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.1 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Front and rear flip-up adjustableSTOCK: MOE carbine stockGRIP: MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7 poundsLENGTH: 35.5 inches

www.colt.com

SPECIAL FEATURESMil-spec parts includingbackup iron sight and foldingfront sight, patented one-piecemonolithic upper receiver withmil-spec rail

DANIEL DEFENSEDDM4V7

www.coltsmfg.com

SPECIAL FEATURESDirect gas system, chromed bore

COLTLE6940ADVANCEDLAWENFORCEMENTCARBINE

MSRP: $1,549WEBSITE:ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable box BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7 STOCK: Composite tacticalGRIP: Polymer pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.4 poundsLENGTH: 32.5 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESModular Float Rail with threePicatinny rail sections, cold ham-mer-forged chrome-moly govern-ment-profile barrel

www.danieldefense.com

COLTLE6920SOCOM CARBINE


Featured RifleFinished with a maritime-grade finish that protects the receiver from saltwater, high saline humidity, andother maritime threats to metal, this AR-based rifle comes with a lot of goodies right out of the box. The.223 Wylde chamber is designed to accept .223 REM and 5.56mm ammunition interchangeably with bet-ter accuracy (and reliability of feeding) than either chamber alone (used with both types of ammunition).The 16-inch barrel is crowned with an aggressive muzzle brake that is easily replaced with the aftermar-ket brake of your choice, if you so desire... and the furniture it comes standard with includes Magpul’smulti-position collapsible stock and pistol grip. Each one ships with Magpul’s MBus sights. The rifle alsocomes with the amazing Ultralite Extreme 12 inch Handguard, which features quick detach sling swivelinserts and a removable bipod stud.



SPECIAL FEATURESM4 profile stainless steel match-grade barrel,adjustable gas block with rail

SPECIAL FEATURESForged 7075-T6 aluminum M4 upper, lowerreceivers, internal dry lube finish, adjustablegas block with Picatinny rail

CORETAC M4

PISTON RIFLE

www.core15.com

www.core15.com

MSRP: $1,639ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas pis-ton operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18 inchesTWIST: 1:8

SIGHTS: MBUS flip-up front andrear sightsSTOCK: Magpul MOE six-positionGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.4 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

BARNES PRECISIONCQB PATROLMAN’S CARBINE MARITIME

www.barnesprecision.com

MSRP: $1,695ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATO (.223 Wylde chamber)CAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable box BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:8SIGHTS: Magpul MBUSSTOCK: Magpul adjustableGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: ROBAR NP3 PLUS WEIGHT: 6.9 poundsLENGTH: 33.4 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESAll-weather treated with marine-gradeROBAR’S NP3 PLUS electro-less nickelcoating on all ferrous metal surfaces

CORE MOE MID-LENGTH PISTON RIFLE

MSRP: $1,699ACTION: Semi-automatic, gaspiston operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18 inches

TWIST: 1:8STOCK: Magpul UBR buttstockGRIP: Magpul MOE pistol gripFINISH: Coyote tanWEIGHT: 6.5 poundsLENGTH: 38 inches




SPECIAL FEATURESTroy BattleRail TRX free float forend,Barrett muzzle brake

SPECIAL FEATURESMil-spec upper with indexing marks and M4 feed ramps,cold hammer-forged chrome-moly M4-profile barrel

SPECIAL FEATURESFast-handling 18-inch barrel with proprietarymuzzle stabilizer, military-style aperture/postiron sights, fiberglass or walnut furniture

ADEQ FIREARMSVENATOR BATTLE RIFLE

www.adeqfirearms.com

MSRP: $1,700ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:10SIGHTS: Aperture/post, adjustableSTOCK: Composite/collapsible GRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8 poundsLENGTH: 37 inches

DANIEL DEFENSEDDM4V1

www.danieldefense.com

MSRP: $1,799ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gasimpingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable box BARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:7 SIGHTS: Fixed rear, front sight housingSTOCK: Composite tacticalGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.1 poundsLENGTH: 32.5 inches


SPRINGFIELD ARMORYSCOUT SQUAD

MSRP: $1,848ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 10 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18 inchesTWIST: 1:11SIGHTS: Aperture rear, post frontSTOCK: Composite (walnut available)GRIP: Integral with buttstockFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8.8 poundsLENGTH: 40.3 inches




SPECIAL FEATURESHammer-forged mil-spec barrel with chrome-lined bore and chamber, improved multi-lug E3bolt, extractor, and bolt body

SPRINGFIELD ARMORYM1A SOCOM 16

MSRP: $1,893ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 10 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.25 inchesTWIST: 1:11SIGHTS: Aperture rear, post frontSTOCK: CompositeGRIP: Integral with buttstockFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8.8 poundsLENGTH: 37.25 inches

SPECIAL FEATURES16-inch version of the M1A, XS front sight postwith tritium insert, enlarged military aperturerear sight, proprietary muzzle brake

FeaturedRifleMilitary sharpshooters in the Middle East have clamoredfor 7.62mm rifles, and many have found the answerthey seek in the M1A SOCOM 16 from SpringfieldArmory. With the .30-caliber round’s massivelyincreased kinetic energy retention at extended ranges(compared to 5.56mm projectiles), the M1A SOCOM 16can score one shot stops with much more reliabilitythan an M16-based rifle. This gas-operate semi-autohas standard rear aperture and front post metallicsights, but is ready to accept your choice of high-endoptic. Its base weight of 8.8 pounds recommends it as asufficiently light rifle for even the longest missions,

where you might not want (or be able) to lug a heavier.338 Lapua around with you. Plus, the gas-oper-ate semi-auto cycling increases your firepower

greatly over bolt action rifles... while thatcaliber elevates your firepower above

and beyond those shooting5.56mm rounds.

KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT CO.SR-15E3 IWS CARBINE

www.knightarmco.com

MSRP: $1,937ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingement



SIGHTS: Flip-up, front and rearSTOCK: Composite adjustable

GRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Taupe (optional)



TW_1402-RiflePlatB 11/25/13 9:56 PM



SPECIAL FEATURESMid-length system for lower recoil and bet-ter accuracy, 4150 CMV steel and Melonitefinish, S&W enhanced flash hider

SPECIAL FEATURESQuad-rail handguard with rail covers,folding BattleSights, chrome linedcold hammer forged mil-spec 41V45barrel with flash suppressor

SMITH & WESSON M&P15 VTAC II VIKING TACTICS


STURM, RUGER & CO.

www.ruger.com

MSRP: $1,995ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas piston operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.12 inches(including flash suppressor)TWIST: 1:9STOCK: Synthetic collapsibleGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.17 poundsLENGTH: 31 inches

MSRP: $1,995ACTION: Semi-automatic,gas piston operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.12 inches(with o flash suppressor)TWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: Folding backup STOCK: Synthetic collapsibleGRIP: A2 pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.94 poundsLENGTH: 32.75 inches

MSRP: $1,949ACTION: Semi-automatic gas operatedCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 rounds, detachable

BARREL LENGTH:16 inchesTWIST: 1:8STOCK: VLTOR IMod stock/6 position collapsible

GRIP: VTAC/Troy 13 inch Extreme TRXHand GuardFINISH: Matte black WEIGHT: 6.28 poundsLENGTH: 36.75 inches

SR-556CLA SR-556FB

SPECIAL FEATURES16.12-inch chrome-lined flutedbarrel with integral flash sup-pressor, adaptable handguardwith accessory rails, chrome-plated bolt carrier group




MSRP: $1,999ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas pistonCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Flip-up aperture/postSTOCK: Composite, bullpupGRIP: Synthetic integrated pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 8.1 poundsLENGTH: 27.5 inches

IWITAVOR SAR 16.5

www.israel-weapon.com

MSRP: $1,999ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas pistonCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.5 inchesTWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Flip-up aperture/postSTOCK: Composite, bullpupGRIP: Synthetic integrated pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.9 poundsLENGTH: 26 inches

Featured RifleWe were blown away by IWI’s Tavor at SHOTShow, and have heard great things about itsperformance in the field ever since. The rifle’sbullpup design means that the whole rifle, com-plete with standard 16.5-inch-long barrel, isonly 26 inches in total length... and its compactdesign means it weighs only 7.9 pounds (beforeyou start hanging gadgets all over it). It accepts

standard AR/M16 magazines, meaning that youcan use the mags you probably already have,and can easily scrounge up more just aboutanywhere you deploy. The gas-piston operationalso reflects the cold-running, clean-cyclingdesign favored by many high-volume shootersthese days, making the Tavor an all-aroundknockout for a modern defensive rifle.

SPECIAL FEATURESAccepts AR/M4 magazines, mid length barrelin bullpup package, truly military grade

IWITAVOR SAR 18

SPECIAL FEATURESDramatic bullpup configuration,accepts AR/M16 magazines,official rifle of the IDF




SPECIAL FEATURESTwo-position magazine converts rifle from a manuallyloaded single shot to a magazine-fed repeater, SafeBolt System (SBS) for loaded carry

MSRP: $2,100ACTION: Select fire, gas operatedCALIBER: 9mmCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 6.5 inchesTWIST: 1:10SIGHTS: Flip-up metallicSTOCK: CollapsibleGRIP: Pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.4 poundsLENGTH: 28.1 inches

MSRP: $2,129ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas operatedCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16.1 inches, heavyTWIST: 1:12SIGHTS: Flip-up adjustableSTOCK: MOE carbine stockGRIP: MOE pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 9.4 poundsLENGTH: 37.5 inches

STEYRSCOUT

www.steyrarms.com

MSRP: $2,099ACTION: Bolt action repeaterCALIBER: 7.62 NATO; 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 5 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 20 inchesTWIST: 1:12; 1:9SIGHTS: Flip-up iron sightsSTOCK: Flat black polymer, integrated bipod, UIT railGRIP: Semi-pistol grip FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.6 poundsLENGTH: 39.4 inches

SIG SAUERMPX

www.sigsauer.com

SPECIAL FEATURES:Internally suppressed, features multi-position collapsi-ble stock, select fire capable, restricted to law enforce-ment or military with a civilian model also available

COLT LE901-16S CARBINE

www.coltsmfg.com

SPECIAL FEATURES:One-piece upper receiver, full-floated barrel




www.steyrarms.com

www.bushmaster.com

MSRP: $2,295ACTION: Semi-automatic,short-stroke gas pistonCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 18.375inches with muzzle brake

TWIST: 1:9STOCK: Synthetic bullpupGRIP: Integral pistol gripFINISH: Matte black MannoxWEIGHT: 8 poundsLENGTH: 28.15 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESIntegrated bipod, adjustablebuttplate and cheekpiece,22.4-inch cold hammerforged heavy barrel with tar-get crown muzzle

SPECIAL FEATURESMelonite-coated barrel, two-positiongas piston system

SPECIAL FEATURESBullpup design, flattop upper with 25-slotPicatinny rail, tool-lessdisassembly/reassembly

STEYRAUG/A3 SA USA

ELITE

MSRP: $2,295ACTION: Bolt action repeaterCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 5 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 22.4 inchesTWIST: 1:12

STOCK: Synthetic, adjustableGRIP: Semi-pistol grip integrated into buttstockFINISH: Matte black MannoxWEIGHT: 9 pounds, 8 ouncesLENGTH: 42.9 inches

BUSHMASTER ACR BASIC FOLDER

MSRP: $2,490ACTION: Semi-automatic, gas piston operated



SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rearSTOCK: Polymer folding, adjustable

GRIP: CompositeFINISH: Matte black




www.knightarmco.com


SPECIAL FEATURESURX handguard that extends for the fulllength of the barrel, hammer-forgedmil-spec barrel with chrome-lined boreand chamber

SPECIAL FEATURESURX3.1 13.5-inch rail system, 14.5-inchdimpled, chrome-lined medium profilebarrel

KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT CO.SR-15E3 IWS SBR CQB

MSRP: $2,500ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gasimpingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 11.5 inches TWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rearSTOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.39 poundsLENGTH: 28.5 inches

SR-15E3 IWS CARBINE SBRMSRP: $2,750ACTION: Semi-automatic, direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 14.5 inches TWIST: 1:7SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rearSTOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.89 poundsLENGTH: 31.5 inches

ROCK RIVER ARMSLAR-15 PRO-SERIES ELITE

MSRP: $2,750ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 5.56 NATOCAPACITY: 30 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 16 inchesTWIST: 1:9SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rear

STOCK: Composite,adjustableGRIP: ERGO pistol grip

FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 9.3 poundsLENGTH: 36 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESMid-length wraparound quad rail,EOTech XPS2-0 sight, A.R.M.S.#40L rear sight, SureFire ForegripWeaponLight




KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT CO.

www.knightarmco.com www.steyrarms.com

MSRP: $4,125ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 20 inchesTWIST: 1:11SIGHTS: Flip-up, front and rearSTOCK: Composite fixedGRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 10.4 poundsLENGTH: 39.4 inches


direct gas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 rounds


SIGHTS: Flip-up, front and rearSTOCK: Composite adjustableGRIP: Synthetic pistol grip

FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 10.2 poundsLENGTH: 35.25 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESMatch chamber and 5R cut match chrome-moly barrel,improved multi-lug E3 bolt, extractor, and bolt body

SPECIAL FEATURESSpecial features to enhancereliability when using a sup-pressor, 5R cut rifled matchbarrel with target crown

SR-25 ER SR-25 EC

STEYRELITE 08

MSRP: $5,999ACTION: Bolt action repeaterCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 10 rounds, double-stackdetachable boxBARREL LENGTH: 22.4 inchesTWIST: 1:12

STOCK: Hard Eloxal-coated aluminum,adjustableGRIP: Polymer pistol grip with inter-changeable insertsFINISH: Matte black MannoxWEIGHT: 12 pounds, 6 ouncesLENGTH: 46.5 inches, 38.3 inches withstock folded

SPECIAL FEATURESHard Eloxal-coated aluminum receiver, adjustable fold-

ing stock, full-length Picatinny top rail, cold ham-mer forged heavy barrel or optional stainless

steel barrel




KNIGHT’S ARMAMENT CO.

www.knightarmco.com

MSRP: $5,618ACTION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingementCALIBER: 7.62 NATOCAPACITY: 20 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 20 inches

TWIST: 1:11SIGHTS: Flip-up, front and rearSTOCK: Composite fixedGRIP: Synthetic pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 10.4 poundsLENGTH: 39.5 inches

SR-25 ECRSPECIAL FEATURES5R cut rifled match barrel with7.62 QDC flash hider, carboncutter bolt carrier, 45-degreeoffset sight


For decades a favorite of sportsmen, the .22-250 REMoffers much as a tactical precision rifle as well. Capable ofexceptional accuracy, it also generates ultra-high veloci-ties, making it flat shooting but with a low recoil impulse.


TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM


These days, there seems to be no limit to the rifle/cartridge combina-tions used for tactical precision shooting. And, probably to no one’ssurprise, the arguments and controversies as to which one(s) are “the

best” abound.Traditionalists tout the .308 WIN (7.62x51mm NATO) with either a 168 grain or

175 grain BTHP as being “the ultimate” for general-purpose employment, whilebecause of their superior ballistics and resulting wider mission capability, the innova-tors prefer the .300 WIN MAG or .338 Lapua.Without a doubt, however, the .308 WIN is by far the most popular ... and under-

standably so. It’s accurate, ranges well, generates moderate recoil, shows good pene-tration through intermediary obstacles and offers at least acceptable terminal ballis-tics on living targets. All of these things are true, but what if there is an even bettercaliber out there?

UP CLOSEA close look at the much-touted 168 grain or 175 grain BTHP target bullet paints a

less impressive picture than seen at first blush. Muzzle velocities with those bulletsare in the 2,500-2,600 fps range, which means that in spite of the excellent ballisticcoefficients both bullets possess, the trajectory they produce is anything but flat. Infact, its detractors often refer to the .308/168 or .308/175 as “having the trajectory ofa mortar round.”Penetration, too, against both intermediary obstacles and light vegetation isn’t

always satisfactory. Because both bullets are intended for use on paper targets ratherthan living organisms, their construction often causes premature fragmentation andresulting bullet disintegration when intermediary obstacles such as doors, windowglass and automobile bodywork, are struck.During a recent CT/ASAA Tactical Precision Rifle course, the students were stunned

to discover that from 100 meters, both the .308 with 168 grain and 175 grain BTHPswere the worst penetrators of light vegetation, doors, window glass and other real-world mediums. To their surprise, the 7mm REM MAG with 140 grain bullets (at2,900 fps), .300 WIN MAG with 150 grain bullets (at 3,200 fps) and the venerable.30-06 with 150 grain bullets (at 3,001 fps), all with boat tail soft point “hunting”bullets, out-performed them by a considerable margin.And even more surprising was the fact that of the cartridges used in the class, the

best penetrator against those mediums proved to be the .243 Ackley with 85-grainbullets! Generating a whopping 3,550 fps from a 26-inch barrel, it sailed throughevery obstacle with relative ease, striking a target placed six feet beyond, point-on,

SurprisinglyFormidable

The .22-250 as a Tactical PrecisionRifle Cartridge

BY CHUCK TAYLOR

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM

with little or no deflection. As far as ranging is concerned, the .308

with 168 grain and 175 grain BTHPs bothhave ballistic coefficients in the .480 - .505range, which is excellent. However, it isn’t

until the target is more than 600 metersaway that their high ballistic coefficientsbegin to show, and by then bullet velocityhas dropped off to the point where the bul-let won’t even scratch off the paint on asteel target.

This is one of the reasons why the vastmajority of so-called “sniping” takes place atranges well less than 300 meters. The otheris that at ranges beyond 600 meters, moreoften than not, the target is either too diffi-

cult to see or won’t stand still long enoughfor the shot to be made.

TERMINAL BALLISTICSTerminal ballistics, the real damage a

bullet causes as it passes through the target,

are a critical—if often overlooked—issue, too. Being designed for target shooting, the

168-grain and 175-grain BTHPs are infa-mous for poor terminal ballistics. So muchso, in fact, that they aren’t even legal fordeer hunting in most states.Lest you misunderstand, my purpose in

critiquing the .308 cartridges is not toderide them or label them as worthless.Instead it’s to build a clear perspective oftheir actual, versus their perceived, capabili-ties; no more, no less. Otherwise, objectiveanalysis and discussion is impossible.The truth is that the only reason they’re

used as tactical precision rifle loads is—and Iheard this directly from a senior instructor atthe U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit—because they perform adequately for mili-tary needs out to 600 meters and generatethe maximum amount of recoil most shoot-ers can tolerate on a sustained basis.In short, they aren’t “magical” loads by

any stretch of the imagination. Instead,they’re just two among many other (even.308 WIN) loads and cartridges, the majorityof which have equal or superior capabilities.Over the years, these truths have been lostor ignored and the .308 WIN elevated to itscurrent grossly over-rated status.

THE .22-250 SOLUTION?Conversely, the ultra-high velocity .22-

250 REM, though it too utilizes a light-weight bullet, is exceptionally accurate,generates virtually no recoil, shoots muchflatter out to 600 meters than most car-tridges (including the .308 with those


Tactical .22-250 RiflesYou can build a tactical rifle from many base models, and these models are available fromthe factory in .22-250 to get you on your way!

Savage AxisStevens 2

Remington 700 VTRRemington 700 VTRDesert ReconRemington 700 VSSF IIRemington 7Predator

Winchester 70 Stealth IIWinchester 70 FeatherweightWinchester 70 Coyote Varmint Suppressor ReadyWinchester 70 Pro Shadow

… for the cartridge to perform to itsabsolute best potential under the widestpossible variety of tactical conditions,

custom loading is needed.

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM


168grain and 175 grain projectiles), andwill, with intelligent bullet selection, pene-trate at least adequately through intermedi-ary obstacles; and last, but probably mostimportant, the .22-250 produces excellentterminal ballistics at all practical ranges.

Like any other high-performance car-tridge and load, the .22-250 REM needs agood weapon platform to reach its maximumpotential. Thus, a Remington M700 or Win-chester M70 action is needed, with a high-quality, bipod-equipped synthetic stock, 24-or 26-inch heavy, target crowned, free-floated and 1-in-9 twist barrel, and prop-erly-selected telescopic sights, rings, andbase.

I personally prefer scopes from either U.S.Optics or Leupold, and specifically, ones that

feature high-profile, clearly marked (readthat as “user-friendly”!) elevation andwindage turrets, with either a mil-dot or(my preference) duplex reticle. If your mis-sion requirements include lowlight scenar-ios, an illuminated reticle is quite helpful.

The scope should then be fitted with a 2-or 4-inch sunshade to prevent glare, flip-upobjective and ocular lens caps to protect thelens from water and dust, an anti-cantdevice to insure shot-to-shot consistencyand angle indicator to provide precise scope

data for up and downhill shots.The whole package then must be

mounted on either a standard or Picatinneyrail base, with solid, all-steel rings to insureabsolute rigidity. Aluminum rings and basesshould be avoided, because they flex exces-

sively under field conditions.Most factory .22-250 REM loads are fine

for unprotected targets in the open. They’requite accurate, penetrate well enough toreach vital organs and generate excellentterminal ballistics. However, for the car-tridge to perform to its absolute best poten-tial under the widest possible variety of tac-tical conditions, custom loading is needed.

FIELD-TESTED TACTICAL LOADSTo offset the tendency of light, high

velocity bullets to disintegrate either uponimpact or within a few inches of penetra-tion, the Barnes 50 grain Triple Shock bulletis unbeatable. A solid copper JP bullet, itretains its structural integrity, exhibitsexceptional accuracy, and because of the

A synthetic stock that allows the barrel to be free-floated and bipod are importantfrom an accuracy standpoint and make the weapon easier to use in the field as well.

High quality, yet user-friendly, tactical scope suitable for the weapon’s tactical mis-sion is a must. Without it, the capabilities of the rifle/cartridge become irrelevant.

About Chuck TaylorThe author of well more than 1,000 published magazine articles and four successfulbooks on weapons & tactics, Chuck is an adjunct professor of police science, court-recog-nized expert witness and is the first 4-weapon combat master. A decorated Vietnam Vet-eran of two combat tours in that conflict, he is both Airborne and Ranger qualified withadditional expertise in SWAT, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations.

Over the years, these truthshave been lost or ignored and the.308 WIN elevated to its current

grossly over-rated status...

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM

.22-250’s ultra-high velocities, it demon-strates excellent terminal ballistics. Yet, italso demonstrates even better penetrationon intermediary obstacles than is generallyassociated with the .22-250 cartridge.

Careful load development is also neededto determine what loads perform best inyour rifle. In my case, one load in particulardistinguished itself in my custom-built 26-inch barreled Remington M700. Using virginRemington cases, Remington #9½ primersand 41.0 grains of Hodgdon’s H-414 pow-der, I was able to obtain a whopping 3,770fps with only a 17 fps extreme spread and¼ MOA accuracy.

Subsequent use in the field on both muleand whitetail deer, elk, javelina and coyotesshowed the load to be spectacularly effec-tive. Though tremendously high velocitiesare generated, the solid copper constructionof the Barnes Triple Shock bullet prevented


What About the .223 REM?Some agencies use the .223 REM, particularly in urban environments, but have had prob-lems with its poor penetration through intermediary obstacles, particularly window glass.Some say this is because its light-weight projectile lacks mass, but while that’s no doubtpartially true, I opine that there is more to it than that—it also lacks the velocity to make upfor its lack of mass.

ABOVE: The author prefers scopeswith easily adjusted, clearly labeled tur-rets, such as those on tactical scopesfrom Leupold and U.S. Optics.

LEFT: Once your rifle package is com-plete, protect it with a high quality hard-shell case to prevent damage or loss ofzero/scope calibration data during han-dling.

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM


premature bullet upset/fragmentation in thetarget, penetrated completely on broadsideshots and exhibited awesome terminal bal-listics. None of the animals moved morethan a few feet from the spot at which theywere hit, with most collapsing in theirtracks.

Though it will come as a surprise to mostreaders, even elk, a species well known forits shock resistance, were downed with asingle thoracic hit, even at ranges beyond300 meters. Post-mortem examination ofthe animals taken showed that as long asthe shot was placed in the thoracic cavity,virtual destruction of the organs thereinwas achieved.

Several quartering-away shots were alsotaken on mule deer, with the bullet impactpoint being a foot or so behind thediaphragm, but the Barnes 50 grainerpunched right on through into the thoraciccavity. Amazing as it may seem, the bulletcontinued onward, exiting in front of theoffside shoulder. On a 200-pound deer thatmeans that more than three feet of animalwas penetrated! You can imagine the impli-cations for tactical use when a one-shot

The “Likes”.22-250 REM Tactical Precision Rifle Cartridge

• It’s highly accurate• Generates exceptionally high velocities • Exhibits little recoil• Produces excellent terminal ballistics at all practical ranges

The author shot this five shot 100-meter group with his Remington M700 heavy-barreled custom rifle and Leupold 6½-20x40mm EFR scope with custom-loaded ammunition. The black dot in the center of the target is 1/3 MOA.

With some loads, the .22-250 can produce substantial muzzle flash, so a flash sup-pressor is also a viable option.

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM


stop on a bad guy can save an innocentperson’s life.

TACTICAL PERFORMANCENext, I tried the load on automobile wind-

shields, with a silhouette target placed threefeet beyond. Again, the Barnes 50-grainTriple Shock penetrated perfectly and struckthe intended aiming point point-on, withvirtually no defection. Even shots taken at10-degree angles to the left and right pene-trated perfectly and struck the target point-

on with only minimal deflection.Another virtue of the .22-250 REM is that

because its recoil impulse is so low, you canactually see your target through the scopeat the instant of your bullet’s impact, thusgiving you faster input as to the effective-ness of your shot. On game or men, whenlife itself is on the line, this asset alone isworth a lot.

ATTRACTIVE PACKAGESo, to summarize, with proper loads and

a properly conceived weapon platform, the.22-250 REM can indeed be a formidabletactical precision rifle cartridge. It’s highlyaccurate, generates exceptionally highvelocities (thus producing a super-flat tra-jectory out to 600-meters or so and gener-ating awesome terminal ballistics), andexhibits very little recoil.

As such, it offers an attractive packageand is well worth a serious look by anyone.Based on my own testing on game as wellas on the range, I find it to be a winner.Check it out; I think you’ll agree. TW

One TestTactical PerformanceTESTEDOn automobile windshields, with a silhouette target placed three feet beyond.

CARTRIDGEThe Barnes 50-grain Triple Shock penetrated perfectly and struck the intended aimingpoint point-on.

ONE MORE VIRTUEBecause its recoil impulse is so low, you can actually see your target through the scopeat the instant of your bullet’s impact, thus giving you faster input as to the effectivenessof your shot.

An Anti-Cant Device (ACD) providesconsistency and exact scope settingsfor repeatable accuracy.

I was able toobtain a whopping3,770 fps with onlya 17 fps extremespread and¼ MOAaccuracy...

TW_1402-250 11/25/13 12:27 AM

Tactical World

Free Tactical World app

Now

TW_1402_95 11/22/13 4:07 AM

GX2 Defense’sAwesome NewSelf-Healing Target

ShootThis!

BY EDITOR

GX2

DEFE

NSE

A range of target shapes,colors, and configurations,puts the fun back in targetshooting.


TW_1402-Shoot 11/25/13 12:29 AM


We don’t like having to call “range cold!” andshut down the whole range every time we wantto change a target, and neither do the shooters

around us. So the idea of “self-healing” targets that aremoderately interactive, yet pose no ricochet hazard anddon’t require replacement every few dozen rounds, ispretty appealing.

Enter the GX2 Defense targets, and specifically, the brightyellow silhouette we have in for testing. It has three red dia-monds on the head, and a red square right over the heart, sur-rounded by scoring rings. That’s not a configuration we’veencountered before, but...it provides a fun challenge for pistolshots (mainly targeting the red square) and rifle shots (the threediamonds, interchangeably, as called for by our spotter) alike.

The target wiggles ever so slightly against the backstop whenhit, and you can see friction burns and grease streaks (if shoot-ing lead cast bullets) on the entry holes. You can wipe the foul-ing off to a certain extent... and the hits shrink from the diame-ter of the bullet back down to just a ragged pinprick.

These targets are a great alternative to steel for shootingsomething more interesting, and durable, than paper targets.They don’t clang — though GX2 has some hybrid steel-and-polymer targets that should be out very soon — but they dostand up to several thousand hits, meaning that you can train inthe fundamentals, use them for combat shooting practice, andsave big time over buying paper targets.

“We want to offer (shooters) a new shooting experience,” saysGary Hernandez of GX2 Defense. “We’re not trying to replacepaper or other traditional targets, but we do want to provideshooters with another option that is a great change of pace, funand safe.” They offer a “Tactical Torso” target that is similar to aUSPSA target, but they don’t — as yet — offer a polymer versionof FBI, IDPA, or USPSA standard targets, which would likely helpthem sell more.

But what they do offer is an interesting selection of novel col-ors and styles, including those with the diamonds that are devil-ishly challenging to hit at 100 yards.

The mounting options for these targets are also interesting, asthey feature two big holes through which you can pass par cordor rope, mounting posts or nails for hanging them on just aboutany manner of backers—it’s about the most universal system wecan imagine for a four to ten pound (depending on configura-tion) polymer target.

And the biggest advantage: they pass the Grumpy Old RangeMaster test at our local range, where “if it ain’t paper, it don’t godownrange.” Finally — a target that’s way more fun than paper,with no mess or ricochet hazard, that we can use at a strictrange! TW

Do:n Use this target for tactical trainingn shoot your service handgun at itn Take it to 100+ yards for rifle work

Do Not:n shoot it with buckshotn shoot it with any wadcutter or

semi-wadcutter roundsn Try to hang it from an indoor range’s

target-run system

Full metal jacket and lead round nose ammunitionworks best for extending the life of your target—avoid wadcutters and hollowpoints, as they cutmaterial out of the target!

GX2 Defense

That’s not a configurationwe’ve encountered before, but ...

it provides a fun challenge

ContactGX2 [email protected]

TW_1402-Shoot 11/25/13 12:29 AM

Designated marksmen provide invaluable overwatch security to teams in thefield, whether military units searching a village or a tactical response teamextracting a barricaded suspect.

They observe (and report on) more of the scene than anyone caught up in it canobserve, and they are, by the nature of their jobs, in unique positions to take long-range shots that fundamentally alter the course of the engagement.These personnel use a wide range of tools in their jobs, from ghillie suits and

other specialized forms of concealment to mission-adapted optics and specializedrifles. Half-minute accuracy is a starting point for them, and many of their rifles arecapable of neutralizing a man-sized target beyond 1,000 meters.These rifles represent the models trusted by military and police sharp shooters

and designated marksmen across America and around the world, with entries fromthe top companies in tactical shooting. If you’re serious about long-range accuracy,your next rifle is likely among these entrants or one of the highly specialized deriva-tives thereof.

—Editor

These rifles representthe models trusted by

military and policesharp shooters …


TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:34 AM

TacticalPrecision

Rifles

AIMPOINT


TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:35 AM

BARNESPRECISION MACHINETACTICAL MATCHCARBINE



MSRP: $850OPERATION: Bolt-action repeater

CALIBER: 5.56 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: 5 rounds, hinged floorplate

BARREL LENGTH: 20 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:9

STOCK: Synthetic adjustableGRIP: Synthetic pistol grip


OVERALL LENGTH: 41.6 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESBPM stainless steel match barrel, .223 Wyldechamber, Miculek muzzle brake, JARD triggersystem, BPM handguards

MSRP: $1,537OPERATION: Semi-automatic,direct gas impingement system

CALIBER: 5.56 NATO (.223Wylde chamber)

MAGAZINE TYPE:30 rounds, detachable

BARREL LENGTH:16 or 18 inches

RATE OF TWIST: 1:8STOCK: ACE SOCOM adjustableGRIP: Magpul MIAD pistol grip

FINISH: Matte blackhard-coat anodized

WEIGHT: 7.5 poundsOVERALL LENGTH:

36 inches

MCMILLANCS5 “STUBBY”

REMINGTONMODEL 700 SPS TACTICAL BLACKHAWK!


www.remington.com


BARNES PRECISION MACHINEDESIGNATED MARKSMANRIFLE

MSRP:$1,454

OPERATION:Semi-automatic,

direct gas impingement system

CALIBER: 5.56 NATO(.223 Wylde chamber)

MAGAZINE TYPE:30 rounds, detachable


STOCK: Magpul PRS adjustableGRIP: Magpul MIAD pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black hard-coat anodizedWEIGHT: 7.9 pounds

OVERALL LENGTH: 38.1 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESBPM enhanced barrel nut,BPM ultralite handguard,Miculek muzzle brake, Mid-length gas tube, BPM low-profile adjustable stainlesssteel gas block

SPECIAL FEATURES6-position Hogue overmolded stock, integral Knoxx dual recoil-compensation system, heavy contour barrel, Pillar-beddedaction, X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger

TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:35 AM

WWW.VIAMEDIC.COM800-467-0693

HABLAMOS ESPAÑOL

PROPECIA, STAXYN AND MORE MEDICATIONS

BUY THE REAL VIAGRA



MSRP: POROPERATION: Bolt action, McMillan T2K action

CALIBER: 7.62 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: 10 rounds, detachable

BARREL LENGTH: 12.5 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:8

STOCK: Aluminum, adjustableGRIP: Textured polymer


OVERALL LENGTH: 38 inches

MSRP: $2,245OPERATION: Bolt actionCALIBER: 7.62 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: 4 rounds, detachableBARREL LENGTH: 20 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:12STOCK: Composite tacticalGRIP: Semi-pistol grip buttstockFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 10 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 40 inches

www.mcmillanusa.com

SPECIAL FEATURESForged steel receiver; short magnum action length;controlled round-feed action with external clawextractor; blade ejector; integral recoil lug; hammer-forged, chrome-lined, free-floating 20-inch heavyfluted barrel; 2-lever Model 70-style trigger, three-position safety; McMillan A3 fiberglass tactical stock

FN HERSTALSPR A1A

www.fnhusa.com

SPECIAL FEATURESConcealable precision rifle, 0.75 MOA accuracy, highly adjustablebuttstock, Anschutz trigger and includes muzzle brake, suppressor

TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:35 AM



SPECIAL FEATURESMelonite-treated 416 stainless steel barrel, AAC flashadapter. A3 flattop upper, two-stage match trigger,Magpul PRS adjustable sniper buttstock

SPECIAL FEATURES0.5 inch, three-shot group–rated, adjustable match-gradetrigger, full-size Mauser claw extractor, extended bolt han-dle, individually hand-finished

SPECIAL FEATURESDual-ported muzzle brake, bullpup action, billet-aluminumreceiver, interchangeable caliber platform

DPMSNATO REPR

MSRP: $2,589OPERATION: Semi-automatic, direct gas

impingement



STOCK: Composite adjustable

GRIP: Hogue pistol gripFINISH: Desert tan

WEIGHT: 9.8 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 40.3 inches

www.dpmsinc.com

KIMBER MODEL 8400 ADVANCED TACTICAL


MSRP: $2,634OPERATION: Bolt-action repeaterCALIBER: .300 Win Mag

MAGAZINE TYPE: 4 rounds, internalBARREL LENGTH: 26 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:10STOCK: Composite adjustable

GRIP: Semi-vertical integral

with buttstock

FINISH: KimPro II, matte black

or desert tan camo

WEIGHT: 10 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 43.5 inches

BLUEGRASS ARMORYMOONSHINER

www.bluegrassarmory.com

MSRP: $2,995OPERATION: Bolt-action repeaterCALIBER: 7.62 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: 5 rounds, detachableBARREL LENGTH: 21 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:10STOCK: 7075 T-6 aluminum

GRIP: Contoured pistol gripFINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 11 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 36 inches

TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:36 AM



SPECIAL FEATURESThumbhole stock is adjustable, threaded barrel with brake isavailable, superior fit and finish, nearly flush-fit magazine,enlarged bolt knob

SPECIAL FEATURESPossibly the shortest designated marksman rifle in theworld; Monolithic receiver, modular—chassis accommo-dates many barrels, calibers; engages targets effectivelyat 1,000 yards

ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL AE MKIII

www.accuracyinternational.com

MSRP: $3,600+OPERATION: Bolt action

CALIBER: 7.62 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: five-shotBARREL LENGTH: 20 inches

RATE OF TWIST: 1:12STOCK: Adjustable

GRIP: Thumbhole stockFINISH: Weather resistant

WEIGHT: 12.1 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 40 inches

www.deserttacticalarms.com

DESERT TACTICAL ARMSSRS COVERT

MSRP: $4,156OPERATION: Bolt action



STOCK: Aluminum adjustableGRIP: Composite pistol grip

FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 10 pounds

OVERALL LENGTH: 26 inches

CQB MeetsSharpshooter Rifle

The words “bullpup” and “tactical precision rifle” don’t normallybelong in the same sentence … though the world of designated marks-men is anything but normal.

With the shift in global conflicts continuing toward urban campaignsand guerrilla warfare, tactics and gear have adapted. You see that clearlyin Desert Tactical Arms’ SRS Covert, which puts a 16-inch barreled pre-cision rifle—with monolithic upper receiver and 1/2 MOA accuracy—into a package only 26 inches long. Total.

A relatively fast-for-caliber twist rate helps stabilize the projectiles inthe short barrel, which can be outfitted with a suppressor or easilyreplaced with a full-length barrel (or a barrel of a different caliber)thanks to their “Quick Caliber Conversion” feature. It’s also available in.300 WIN Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum (with a 1:9 twist).

TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:36 AM



SPECIAL FEATURESFluted, free-floating barrel is cold hammerforged; massive three-chamber muzzlebrake; two-lug bolt locks in barrel block, 20-MOA declination rail; rail mounted to barrelblock to retain zero

SPECIAL FEATURESDisassembles like an AR, free-floatedbarrel, Magpul PRS adjustable stock,LimbSaver recoil pad, aggressive muz-zle brake

STEYR HS .50

www.steyrarms.com

MSRP: $5,299OPERATION: Bolt actionCALIBER: .50 BMG


STOCK: Aluminum

GRIP: A2-style pistol gripFINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 28.5 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 54 inches

BUSHMASTER BA50 CARBINE

www.bushmaster.com

MSRP: $5,519OPERATION: Bolt actionCALIBER: .50 BMG

MAGAZINE TYPE: 10 rounds, detachableBARREL LENGTH: 22 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:15


GRIP: Polymer pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 27 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 50 inches

TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:36 AM



SPECIAL FEATURESPistol grip contours/angle reduce muscle fatigue, full-receiver-lengthaccessory rail for optics, bore axis directly in line with stock, adjustablecheek piece, skeletonized stock

SPECIAL FEATURESMatch-grade, free-floating barrel, 5R rifling designed for 175 gr. M118LRammunition, Easily switched between suppressed/unsuppressed fire,ambidextrous safety selector and controls, adjustable two-stage matchtrigger

SPECIAL FEATURES“Smart” rifle integrated with Tracking Point scope, built upon.300 Win Mag Surgeon action, Krieger Palma profile barrel,muzzle threaded at 5/8-24, electronic shot release system

BARRETT98B

www.barrett.net

MSRP: $4,849OPERATION: Bolt actionCALIBER: .338 Lapua

MAGAZINE TYPE: 10 rounds, detachableBARREL LENGTH: 27 inches

RATE OF TWIST: 1:10STOCK: Skeletonized aluminum, adjustable cheekpiece

GRIP: Contoured pistol gripFINISH: Matte black


KNIGHTS ARMAMENTM110 SASS

www.knightarmco.com

MSRP: $11,619OPERATION: Semi-automatic,

direct gas impingement system

CALIBER: 7.62 NATOMAGAZINE TYPE: 20 rounds,detachable

BARREL LENGTH: 20 inches

RATE OF TWIST: 1:11STOCK: Composite, adjustable

GRIP: Composite pistol grip

FINISH: Flat dark earthWEIGHT: 16 poundsOVERALL LENGTH: 46.8inches

TRACKING POINTXS3 PGF

www.tracking-point.com

MSRP: $17,500+OPERATION: Bolt actionCALIBER: .300 Win Mag

MAGAZINE TYPE: 5 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 22 inchesRATE OF TWIST: 1:10 inch

STOCK: McMillan A5

GRIP: StandardFINISH: Weatherproof


TW_1402-PrecRifles 11/25/13 12:37 AM

SWAT Capable Trainingfor Everyday Cops

Students who successfully complete the non-traditional program leavewith college credits, course certificates, and are basic special operationscapable, certified to perform as a basic operator with a unit if so desired.


TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:39 AM


For police officers, proper training is amatter of life or death.

But even when practiced regularly, policeresponses and tactics often don’t measure up to theneeds of the situations confronted.However, if regular officers may be responsible

for resolving a critical incident involving intelli-gence gathering, surveillance, covert or dynamicentry, hostage rescue, fugitive apprehension, pro-tective operations, barricaded subject, the servicingof dangerous person warrants, etc., why are manynot trained for these tasks? Some of the reasonsmay be old-school thinking, inadequate leadershipand supervision, and budget considerations.Is there a need for all officers to be trained in

special operations beyond patrol response? Theanswer is yes.

HISTORYIn the late 1990s, crimes by aggressive and vio-

lent criminals with the ability to wreak havoc andcreate massive casualties were on the rise. Beforethese “active shooter” crimes in America beganclimbing, the local law enforcement doctrine forprotracted, tactical, critical incidents was “Contain,Control, Communicate, and Call SWAT.” Contain-ment worked if the situation was not evolving andthe suspects’ actions were confined. Police priori-ties were: victims, innocent bystanders, lawenforcement personnel, and suspects.The philosophy of “Contain, Control, Communi-

cate, and Call SWAT” didn’t work during theColumbine High School massacre (1999), nor duringthe North Hollywood shootout between two heav-ily-armed, armored bank robbers, and officers ofthe Los Angeles Police Department. It also didn’twork in the schoolyard shootings at Pearl (MS),Paducah (KY), and Jonesborough (AR), wherefemales were prime targets.

BY MARK PRINCE, JIM WEISS AND MICKEY DAVIS

The philosophy of‘Contain, Control, Communicate,

and Call SWAT’didn’t work in regard to the

Columbine High School massacre...

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:39 AM

TERRORIST ACTIVITYHave actual terrorists ever massacred stu-

dents and teachers in a school? Yes. In theMa’alot massacre, 22 Israeli high school stu-dents were killed by three Palestinian ter-rorist organization members who had assas-sinated others on their way to the school. InRussia, there was the terrorist attack on aschool in Beslan in which over 380 peopledied.

All of these critical incidents emphasizedthe failure of old-style police response, locallaw enforcement-developed training, andthe educational programs that addressedthem.

Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)teams evolved in some police agencies inresponse to civil unrest as seen in massprotests, burning of areas of cities, and thetargeting of law enforcement officers andothers, including off-duty military personnelat airports. Police tactical training in crowdand riot control increased within some juris-dictions, as well as firearms skills and quali-fications, and control tactics.


Training topics should include policeintelligence, fitness, individual andsmall team tactics and techniques, andspecial topics such as breaching, des-ignated precision marksman, etc.

Proper stacking, along with weapon discipline, is of the utmost importance...and needs to be taught to every SWAT-capableresponder.

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


However, what also followed were manyrestrictive policies, rules, and regulations,that 1) were often discouraging to the policepatrolling the streets, and 2) perhaps madeit difficult for a police officer trying to beeffective against crime to make it through aday without violating some regulation orpolicy.

A CHANGE FOR FIRST RESPONDERSBut could the levels of training for every-

day street cops be further addressed?Military special operations lessons were

looked at and often borrowed from. Exam-ples include building and room-clearing tac-tics, the use of flash bangs, tactically goingup stairs, perimeter control, and so forth.Combat-armed military units in the FreeWorld have their forms of special opera-tions: SAS (Great Britain), SEAL (U.S. Navy),Green Berets, (U.S. Army), etc.

Law enforcement special operations unitsfollowed. These included GSG 9 (Germany),Cobra (Austria), and SWAT (USA).

Then everyday police officers and trainersadapted selected ways of doing businessfrom the various SWAT teams and militaryforces. Changes were made to the gear andweaponry used by street cops. A few yearsago as a general rule, rifles were only

assigned to SWAT. This is no longer true,and many police and sheriff’s departmentsequip uniform patrol units with tactical riflesor carbines. Commonly, revolvers werereplaced by pistols. Less-lethal devices likeTASER, and such other accouterments likeballistics vests and gun-retention holsters,became common issue.

SWAT and revised police training pro-grams had their effect as more bad guyswere successfully dealt with. Theseincluded active shooters, hostage takers,wanted criminals, drug dealers, and barri-cade suspects. In addition, fewer lawenforcement officers were being killed inline of duty.

Courses cover counter terrorism and intelligence, physical security, protective operations, and tactical crisis resolution.

These Factors TransformedPolice Tactics:n 9/11 terrorist attackn Al-Qaeda declared war on USA, 1996 and 1998n Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s Fort Hood shooting rampagen Rogue ex-LAPD cop whose murderous shooting rampage terrorized

all of Southern Californian Boston Marathon deadly terror bombingsn 1.4 million acting gang members in 33,000 gangs who were responsible

for 48 percent of violent crime (FBI)n 19,981 law enforcement officers killed in line of duty between 1791 and April 2013,

(National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund)n Failure of the executive branches of government to enforce or very selectively

enforce lawsn Illegal immigration and its drain on resourcesn Illegal drugs and their drain on resources

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


First responding police officers developedrevised approaches, with variations, whenresponding to the sound of gunfire. Whenaddressing an active shooter situation, lawenforcement’s response became to first neu-tralize the threat, and then evacuate victimsand innocent bystanders. Simply put, active

shooter situations were elevated to mur-ders-in-progress.In addition, SWAT trainers passed their

lessons on to police first responders,emphasizing deadly force decision-making.These lessons included how to make a tacti-cal approach, noise disciple, being methodi-

cal, setting up perimeters, identifying thethreat if it is active, getting through doors,and clearing buildings and rooms. In thecase of active shooters, the police responsehad to be immediate, a lesson learned fromthe Columbine High School shooting/mas-sacre.Does this mean that special operations

units like SWAT units are no longer neces-sary? Not at all. However, in the Clearwater,Florida, Police Department’s experience, thetactical training techniques and upgradedweapon issues that regular uniform patrolofficers received meant that they were ableto handle more situations themselves with-out calling out the SWAT team.This is where we are today.

ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT– SPEC OPS CAPABLESince Sept. 11, 2001, the world has

changed. As a result, law enforcement inAmerica has needed to change as well. Fora variety of reasons, this transition has beenneither smooth nor fast. One reason for this,which the government administration mostoften voices, is the cost. The cost to retool

Societal, Political and MediaPressures on Policen Political pressures — protecting law enforcement officer against political reprisals

for doing their jobs n Court-enforced quota hiringn Changes in hiring standards — hiring of applicants with drug abuse backgrounds

and criminal convictionsn Shifting cultural valuesn Active use by citizens of cellphone cameras and video cameras wherever they

observe police making an arrest or using defensive and control tacticsn Harsh adjudication by an unsympathetic median Aggressiveness on the part of many lawyers in filing lawsuits against police officersn Politically popular “community policing,” which caused further rifts within the law

enforcement communityn The corruption involved in President Clinton’s 100,000 Cops program

Each and every officer should be equipped with intellectual, legal, and kit support for special operations duties in the field.

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


an agency is very expensive. This includesnew selection criteria, new standards, newtraining, new deployment of resources andmanpower, and new equipment.

However, the timeline of violence is shortin a terrorist or active threat incident. Rapidrecognition and assessment, coupled with aswift response plan and fast action, are nec-essary to resolve such an event positively.This requires a new type of law enforce-ment agency and a new type of officer.

SWAT CAN’T DO IT ALONEThe term SWAT has been used since the

late 1960s in America. The idea of a fewofficers in an agency specially equipped andtrained to handle long and protracted criti-cal incidents such as the Texas Tower inci-dent, or the Munich Massacre in 1972, as

well as the increase in violent crimes,proved to be somewhat effective.

However, most SWAT teams today arepart time. A dedicated, full-time unit will becomposed of full-time personnel performingSWAT ONLY tasks. In an organizationalstructure such as current American lawenforcement, this is rare. Each state mayonly have a couple of dedicated SWATteams. Also, some part-time SWAT teamsare multi-jurisdictional, and are comprisedof several law enforcement agencies in ageographic area.

Surprisingly, some law enforcementtraining organizations may not have anySWAT capability, nor do they have an offi-cial response plan established with a

nearby SWAT team to provide one.Because of the above issues (and a few

others), and the ever-evolving crime picturein America coupled with the current time-line of violence, SWAT is no longer as effec-tive as it once was.

THE SOLUTION: A CASE STUDYTo address many of these shortcomings, a

new model must be developed, embraced,and executed to increase the capabilities of

the law enforcement community in the U.S.The development of special operationscapable officers in our communities is now areality. This concept, although very original,is doable.

An effective, efficient, and cost-savingway to create, develop, and field the nextgeneration of counterterrorism cops is topartner with a college, specifically a techni-cal college that can develop state-of-the-arttraining in this area. For years technical col-

Weapon discipline and tactical procedures become imperative when working as ateam in close quarters. They are learned skills!

SWAT teamsevolved in some

police agencies inresponse to civilunrest as seen in

mass protests,burning of areas of

cities, and thetargeting of law

enforcementofficers...

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


leges and some community colleges havebeen where many police academies certi-fied by the state have existed.One such college that has developed

courses in special operations programmingis Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) inNewark, Ohio. One of six technical collegesin Ohio, COTC redesigned its Law Enforce-ment Technology degree in 2006. It insti-tuted a Special Operations option that couldbe selected by students once they success-fully completed the 600-hour-plus, state-certified police academy. If they selected“Spec Ops,” they began 240 hours of realcounterterrorism training that includedmany nationally recognized certificate pro-grams.Recently, COTC morphed again, and now

makes it mandatory for all law enforcementtechnology students to complete a hybrid ofadvanced patrol topics and special opera-tions courses to address the needs of today.The college is able to offer a multitude ofspecial operations courses and programs atagencies’ requests. Graduates from this Law Enforcement

Technology program have been hired bymany local community police agencies.Some graduates serve in SWAT-type units,others are patrol officers, and still othersconduct joint operations with federal agen-cies, providing highly specialized functionssuch as high-threat dignitary protection.These officer teams provide special opera-tions services when the need arises.Special operations training at this partic-

Every officer who may be tasked with solving a critical incident needs to beequipped with the right intellectual and physical resources...meaning reliable gearand fresh, relevant training!

Tactical rifle training should cover marksmanship as well as team maneuvers, mechanical failures drills, and weapon transi-tioning drills.

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


ular college has been so significant that ahandful of its graduates have gone into thespecial operations community of the U.S.military.

THE FUTURELaw Enforcement Special Operations

Capable certification for all police officers inAmerica should be made mandatory by statetraining certification commissions. If it isinstituted at the basic academy level, allacademies will have to comply. Once thesegraduates are hired by agencies andbecome officers, then those agencies willutilize their resources. Whether it is a single

officer in a small town, or a shift made up ofLESOC officers in a city or county, theagency’s capabilities to resolve a criticalincident successfully will increase dramati-cally.Most communities would be appalled at

the lack of preparation and protection theirpolice can currently provide for an activeshooter –type threat. Sadly, many communi-ties have witnessed such a shortcoming inrecent years.The old-but-true adage of “lead, follow,

or get out of the way” is very appropriate forthe mission of resolving such an issue. Com-missioners, chiefs, sheriffs, and officers mustembrace today’s reality, and see lawenforcement special operations capable offi-cers as the future. If the police cannot pro-tect us, then who will? TW

About the AuthorsMark Allen Prince is a professor of Law Enforcement Technology/Special Operations atCentral Ohio Technical College. He is a former USDOE SRT operator and in addition hasspent 18 years in local law enforcement special operations and training.Jim Weiss is a former school-trained combat engineer light infantryman, a former regularArmy school-trained Army military policeman, former State of Florida Investigator, and aretired police lieutenant from the Brook Park (OH) Police Department.Mickey (Michele) Davis is an award-winning, Florida-based writer and author. She is thewife of a Vietnam War veteran Army officer.

This is basic SWAT School, hosted by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.Deputies, police officers, and military police from a number of agencies attended.

Specialoperations training

at this particularcollege has been so

significant that ahandful of its

graduates havegone into the

special operationscommunity

of theU.S. military...

TW_1402-swat 11/25/13 12:40 AM


TacticalShotguns

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:43 AM


It is probably the most dynamic and adaptable firearm onthe battlefield.

From breaching doors and shattering locks with powdereddust rounds to shredding adversaries with buckshot todefeating vehicles with high-velocity slugs… it is the com-bat shotgun. It’s not right for every occasion, but where itexcels, nothing can touch it.

These shotguns represent the top brands in military andpolice models, some interesting options outside the main-stream, and many of the tried-and-true arms that haveproven themselves in warfare and police work for decades.

—Editor

FN-HERSTAL

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM



MSRP: $509OPERATION: Semi-automatic, recoil operated

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 4 rounds


SIGHTS: Blade front

STOCK: Synthetic pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 6.5 pounds

LENGTH: 39.75 inches

SAR / EAAPUMP ACTION SPECIAL PURPOSE

STOEGER

DOUBLE DEFENSESIDE-BY-SIDE

www.stoegerindustries.com

MSRP: $499OPERATION: Break action

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 2


SIGHTS: Fiber optic front

STOCK: Hardwood

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 6.5 pounds

LENGTH: 36.5 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESPorted barrels, inherently straightforward operation,top rail for optics, additional rail for accessories

M2000DEFENSE

SPECIAL FEATURESIntegral pistol grip, “Inertia Driven” operating systemis simple and reliable, generous recoil pad

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM



SPECIAL FEATURESMade by a Turkish military small arms manufacturer, polymer stock with com-fortable pistol grip, ghost ring sights, Picatinny receiver rail

SPECIAL FEATURESTwo-shot magazine extension with barrel clamp andPicatinny rails, ported and extend tactical Rem Choke,HiViz fiber optic sight

SPECIAL FEATURESSeven-position adjustable stock,recoil reduction system, extendedmagazine

SPECIAL FEATURESMarinecote finish combats corrosion, adjustabletactical stock, sling swivels, traditional bead sight

www.eaacorp.com

MSRP: $369OPERATION: Pump action

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 5 rounds


SIGHTS: Ghost ring

STOCK: Polymer w/pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 5.75 pounds

LENGTH: 38.9 inches

REMINGTON887 NITRO MAG TACTICAL

www.remington.com


GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 6 rounds


SIGHTS: HiViz

STOCK: Synthetic

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 6.8 pounds

LENGTH: 39 inches

870 EXPRESS TACTICAL BLACKHAWK! SPEC OPS II


GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 6 rounds


SIGHTS: Bead

STOCK: Composite pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 7 pounds

LENGTH: Adjustable

MOSSBERG 500 TACTICAL

www.mossberg.com


GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 5 rounds


SIGHTS: Bead

STOCK: Synthetic adjustable

FINISH: Marinecote

WEIGHT: 6.75 pounds

LENGTH: 38.5 inches

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM




GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 8 rounds


SIGHTS: Ghost ring aperture

STOCK: Aluminum adjustable

FINISH: Parkerized

WEIGHT: 7.5 pounds

LENGTH: 41 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESFull length synthetic stock with pistol grip, extendedmagazine tube, ghost ring aperture rear sight, wing-protected fiber optic front sight

MOSSBERG

590A1 ADJUSTABLE

www.mossberg.com

www.remington.com

SPECIAL FEATURES20-inch heavy-walled barrel, six-position aluminum stock, A2style pistol grip, ghost ring aperture rear sight

930 SPX

MSRP: $848OPERATION: Semi-automatic, gas operated

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 7 rounds


SIGHTS: Ghost ring


FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 7.75 pounds

LENGTH: 38 inches

REMINGTON1100 TAC 4

SPECIAL FEATURESReduced felt recoil, 22-inch barrel, 4-round mag extensionfor eight rounds total, receiver drilled and tapped for scope

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM



MSRP: $1,015OPERATION: Semi-automatic, gas operated

GAUGE: 12CAPACITY: 8 rounds

BARREL LENGTH: 22 inchesSIGHTS: HiViz

STOCK: SyntheticFINISH: Matte black


SPECIAL FEATURESConcealable, Zytel pistol grip stock, upperPicatinny rail, lower accessory rail

MSRP: $1,399OPERATION: Semi-automatic,gas operated

GAUGE: 12CAPACITY: 8 roundsBARREL LENGTH: 22 inchesSIGHTS: HiVizSTOCK: Synthetic withover-molded grips

FINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 7.75 poundsLENGTH: 43.9 inches

www.remington.com

KEL-TECKSG TACTICAL

www.keltecweapons.com

MSRP: $1,197OPERATION: Pump actionGAUGE: 12CAPACITY: 10 rounds, multiple tubesBARREL LENGTH: 13.7 inchesSIGHTS: NASTOCK: Zytel pistol gripFINISH: Matte blackWEIGHT: 6.2 poundsLENGTH: 21.4 inchesNFA RESTRICTED: LE/Military/Government Agencies

SPECIAL FEATURESVersa Max–based autoloader, oversizedbolt release button, Picatinny rail onreceiver, forward barrel-clamp side rails

REMINGTONVERSA MAX

TACTICAL

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM



MSRP: $1,589OPERATION: Semi-automatic or pump action

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 5 rounds


SIGHTS: Ghost ring


FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 7.2 pounds

LENGTH: 45.6 inches

SPECIAL FEATURESNP3 finish is impervious to the elements, it features a fully adjustable ghostring rear sight, the front sight adjusts for windage, extended magazine tube

M3 CONVERTIBLE

This thoroughly modern shotgun from Benelli USA, whichmakes combat-ready shotguns for the US Marine Corps, featuresan intriguing hybrid action: it’s both a semi-auto and a pump.

Should you transition to rounds beyond the operating pres-sure range of the gas-powered semi-auto action, as whenswitching to lower-powered less-lethal rounds or flares, youcan easily transition the M3 into pump action.

Need the fastest firepower possible with one-hand opera-tion? Switch back to semi-auto and empty the five round maga-zine tube in a heartbeat. Either way, the integral sights keep youon target and the integral sling attachment points are ready foryour choice of tactical sling.

www.benelliusa.com

SPECIAL FEATURESConverts from semi-auto to pump action, military-style fixed blade frontsight with adjustable ghost ring rear sight

M4 H2O TELESCOPING STOCK

SPECIAL FEATURESHard-chromed bore, active valve gasoperation, three-inch chamber,extended magazine tube

www.fnhusa.com

FNH USASLP TACTICAL

MSRP: $1,413OPERATION: Semi-automatic,

gas operated

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 8 rounds


SIGHTS: High profile, adjustable rear

STOCK: Synthetic with pistol grip

FINISH: Matte black

WEIGHT: 7.4 pounds

LENGTH: 39 inches

MSRP: $2,399OPERATION: Semi-automatic, gas operated

GAUGE: 12

CAPACITY: 7 rounds


SIGHTS: Ghost ring


FINISH: NP3 metal, matte black furniture

WEIGHT: 7.8 pounds

LENGTH: 40 inches

BENELLI

FeaturedShotgun

TW_1402-Shotguns 11/25/13 12:44 AM

*Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of fi rst issue. Outside US, add $26 postage per year and prepay in US funds only.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY& SAVE 66%CALL 800-764-6278

OR VISIT US ON-LINE AT

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In Every Issue You Will Find ...

JUST $ 1995*for 12 issues

PM 5:16:12

TW_1402_121 11/25/13 9:29 PM

LaserLyte’s new Kryptonyte Center Mass CM-15Laser — with its expanding circle of green laserdots that mimics a typical 12-gauge shotgun’s pat-

tern downrange — certainly will be “kryptonite” for anybad guys who try to break into your home or workplace.

ONE OF A KINDAccording to the LaserLyte engineers, the unique design of

the CM-15 laser was born out of necessity. Historically, therewas no way to present a laser downrange to simulate the typi-cal 12-gauge, smooth-bore shotgun pattern using a standardsingle-beam laser. The engineers suspected that designing alaser that telegraphed the rough shot dispersal area — alongwith providing service as a laser aiming device — would bewildly popular.

Seems they were right.Incorporating a unique refractive lens system with a 1.7-

degree divergence angle is the secret to creating the laser’sexpanding circle of hi-vis laser dots downrange. This allowsthe CM-15 to serve for both precision (as with slugs) and areashooting (as with shot). It accomplishes this via shining a singlecenter targeting green dot that is surrounded in a 360-degreecircle by eight outer boundary green dots. The closer your tar-get you get, the tighter the circular dot pattern appears (just asyour shot pattern will be tighter). The farther the target isdownrange, the more the laser dot pattern “opens up” toapproximate where your pellets, BBs, or buckshot will likelystrike the intended target.Like the typical smooth-bore or cylinder-bore shotgun barrel

that will expand your shot grouping approximately one inch forevery yard you are downrange, the CM-15’s eight-dot outerring opens up in a similar pattern, affording the operator excel-lent situational awareness and the knowledge of where theshotshell pellets are likely to strike. If you are using rifled slugs

instead of a BB or buckshot load, noproblem: Simply focus on the laser’scenter green dot and ignore the outercircle. As long as your point of aim andpoint of impact are in sync, the slugwill go exactly where the center greendot indicates.The green laser, which aids in day-

light visibility, gives the user the

The NewShotgun Laser

BY CAPT. JOHN N. RAGUSOPHOTOS BY LASERLYTE

The 9-Dot Kryptonyte Put to the Test!

The green cir-cle telegraphs the outer

limits of your shotpattern...and it spreads apace your

shot pattern’s spread from contact range andall the way downrange.

Inside Scoop!The cool benefit of that eight-dot outer circle, when using the CM-15 on a handgun orrifle, is how easy it makes finding your laser dot downrange... and up close, where allnine dots are clustered closely together, it makes something of one giant laser dot that’sabsolutely impossible not to see immediately!


TW_1402-Laserlyte 11/25/13 12:49 AM


advantage of a wide field of view whileusing both eyes for seeing more of the tar-get area and instant aiming when a targetis acquired. The user-friendly, military-styled laser features clear laser engravedmarkings, will run for approximately 6 hoursof “normal” use with its CR123 lithium bat-tery, and is operated via a recessed three-way activation selector that can be set to“off,” “constant on,” and “momentary on.” Aremote switch is included in the packagethat features a 10-inch copper braided cordwith a 2 inch long momentary membranepressure switch that can be taped to a pistolgrip, forend, on the stock, or any convenientspot on your weapon that’s within reach.

The LaserLyte CM-15 will attach to yourweapon via any mil-spec standard Picatinny

rail. If your shotgun doesn’t have one, not toworry… it is a perfect match for LaserLyte’sproven Tri-Rail mount, which can friction-fitonto your shotgun’s barrel or magazine tube(which is available for $25 to $30 at a vari-ety of the usual internet outlets). I have usedthe Tri-Rail mount in the past on a numberof my Mossberg 590 shotguns, and it is asimple add-on that attaches quickly, doesn’tmar the metal finish, and works flawlessly.

NOT JUST FOR SHOTGUNSAlthough the CM-15’s expanding circle

dots green laser pattern is ideal for using ona 12 gauge smooth bore shotgun, you caneasily expand this Kryptonyte Center MassLaser’s mission operations specialty byusing it on your favorite pistol caliber car-bine, AR-15, AK, rifle, handgun, or what-ever. So long as that weapon has a standard

Picatinny-style rail, you’re in business.If you are looking to use it on a single

projectile weapon, simply ignore the laser’souter rings and focus on the center aimingdot.

Although the CM-15’s 5mw green laser istheoretically visible under ideal conditionsfor up to 1 mile, from a tactical/practicalstandpoint I had no trouble picking up thebright green dots at ranges up to 75 yards

away duringbroad daylight

and significantlyfurther downrange during the

low light hours of dawn and dusk,both on cloudy days and at night.Once mounted on your weapon, you

can adjust the laser’s beam for bothwindage and elevation. Built from aircraftgrade 6061 aluminum, made in the USAand backed by a three-year warranty, thismilitary-style laser unit can be used on theheaviest hitting 12-gauge shotguns on themarket without a hiccup! TW

LaserLyteCM-15Compatible Firearms: Any with aPicatinny rail 3” or longerPower Output: Class IIIA, 5mwProgrammable: Constant On, MomentaryOn, OffBatteries: 1 x CR-123Battery Life: 6 hours (normal usage)Weight: 5.4 ouncesMaterial: Aircraft Grade 6061 aluminumLength: 3 inchesWidth: 2.43 inchesHeight: 1.37 inches MSRP: $313.95www.laserlyte.com

The laser circle is easily seen in manydifferent tactical environments, andunder many different lighting condi-tions.

CAPT. JOHN N. RAGUSO

The CM-15’s 8 dot outer ringopens up in a similar pattern,

affording the operator...the knowledgeof where the shotshell pellets

are likely to strike.

The unit is low-profileenough to mount to mosttop Picatinny rails whilestill permitting the unim-peded use of optics.

TW_1402-Laserlyte 11/25/13 1:44 AM


Extreme Beam makes flashlights for profession-als and demanding end-users, with the expec-tation that their gear is going up mountains and

down ravines and possibly for an unexpected swim...and needs to come out shining on the other side.

MULTI-MODE HANDHELD SPOTLIGHTThe XT8-M is one of Extreme Beam’s pocket-sized offer-

ings designed to compete well in the “pocket spotlight” racethat’s swept up so many high-end tactical light manufactur-ers. To this end, it puts out 290 lumens of blinding light —sufficient to knock out the ability of anyone (or animal) tosee in low-light for quite a while, and plenty powerful to

illuminate a 30-yard wide shootinglane at around 50yards (as tested)with a white-hotcenter like a Broad-way spotlight.

That’s a lot of power when you need a lot of power... buttoo much to read a map by, or to perform many of themenial challenges at camp or inside a vehicle. For thosetimes, the XT8-M has a much lower output mode that sup-posedly gets upward of 20 hours of runtime from a fresh setof CR123A batteries (we tried to test this, and... well, 20

Extreme(ly Useful)

Beam

BY EDITOR

A 90-degree MOLLE Light!

ContactExtreme Beam(877) [email protected]

The Extreme Beam XT8-M has someseriously rugged design elements,including a refreshingly burly milledaluminum body.

TW_1402-Beam 11/25/13 12:51 AM


hours is a long time topay attention to a flash-light). More importantly,that lower power settingwon’t blind you whenyou use it for arm’s-length tasks.The other modes

include a tactical strobemode, and the curious SOSmode — set it, aim it sky-ward, and forget it, andthe flashlight will blink a Morse Code SOS

until the batteries run dry many hours later.The modes are indexed easily enough.

Turn the light on, then press the tail switchdown until the light turns off, but beforeclicking it off for good. Let it up a heartbeatlater and see what’s different. Ours cyclesfrom bright to dim to tactical strobe to SOS,and turns back on to whatever mode youleft it in.

RIGHT ANGLEADAPTEROne of the more inter-

esting innovations in tacti-cal lights recently isExtreme Beam’s “MetalMOLLE” right-angleadapter, which turnsmany of their straight-tube tactical lights intoright angle flashlights.Detach the head from your

Extreme Beam light, and thread it onto thefront of the Metal MOLLE. Thread thebase of the light onto the bottom of theMetal MOLLE.

It now works just the same asbefore, but you have a proper rightangle light, with a seriouslysturdy clip for attaching to MOLLEloops, shirt pockets, or otherattachment points for hands-free,forward-facing use. Use it to clip on

your light for hands-free illumination, orhang it from a string overhead for

improvised area lighting just about any-where.The Metal MOLLE uses a double O-ring

seal on the male threads, just like the baseof the flashlight, so the whole thing seals upjust about as watertight as you could ask

for. TW

Tech SpecsXT8-MBody: AluminumLength: 7.4 inchesWidth: 1.25 inchesIllumination: 290 LumensBatteries: CR123A 3volt (x2)Switch Style: Multi-Mode Tail SwitchModes: 4MSRP: $69.95Hot Features: Weapon-mountable,recoil-resistant to .50 caliber, includesnylon holster

Tech SpecsMetal MolleBody: AluminumLength: 1.7 inchesWidth: 1 inchThreads: Extreme Beam 7/8 inchSeals: Double O-RingMSRP: $29.95Hot Features: Spring-loaded contactpoint, pocket clip, double sealed malethreads

What We Loven Double O-ring sealsn Common tactical light battery

n 3 useful modes (and one more)n Unique right-angle capability

n Replaceable lampn Extremely bright!

The Metal MOLLE is an exceedinglysimple device that revolutionizes thehands-free possibilities of your ExtremeBeam flashlight.

Taken together, the XT8-M and Metal MOLLE are adynamic — and very durable — illumination team.

Hot Modes:HighLow*

Quick-StrobeSOS-Strobe*20-hour battery life!

The lamp can be replaced with anExtreme Beam or aftermarket lamp,should something happen to it.

TW_1402-Beam 11/25/13 12:51 AM

TacticalGear

Probably the most enjoyable part of owning a tactical rifle (or shotgun or pistol) is shopping around forthe perfect accessories to mount to it...and the right gear to help adapt it to your changing missionrequirements. Then to get completely outfitted for tactical action, you’ll need the right softgoods and

innovative tech to stay safe out there—to do more, and do it faster.So we’ve put together this quick glance at some of the gear you ought to check out this spring. There’s body armor and

sights, ammunition and scopes, innovative hearing protection, targets, and the list goes on. We couldn’t possibly fit everyhot new item in here, but we chose some gear we like and hope that some of it might serve you well.

—Editor126 TACTICAL WORLD | SPRING 2014

TW_1402-Gear 11/25/13 1:00 AM


TACTICAL RANGE BOXMTM Case-Gard helps you keep your tactical rifle clean

despite heavy shooting. Their Tactical Range Box is made to hold

all of your cleaning gear and includesmultiple stands that turn it intoa cleaning platform. Onestand has a fork sized for themagwell on a standard AR,so you can slip your receiveronto it and have a really easy timeaccessing the action’s interior.

FNH’S UNIVERSAL SLING

MTM

CASE-GARD

www.mtm-casegard.com

MATERIAL: PolymerCOLOR: BlackINCLUDES: AR magwell forkACCEPTS: Tactical rifles, other rifles

LENGTH: 24.6 inchesWIDTH: 8.3 inchesSTREET: $50.75

BRAND: FNHATTACHMENT: UniversalCOLOR: BlackMATERIAL: Ballistic nylonINCLUDES: Swivels, J-hooks,shotgun saddleSTREET: $79

www.fnhusa.com

FNH

Three-point tactical slings arerequired gear for tactical rifles andshotguns—so you can stay armedwhile keeping your hands free tomanipulate your environment. FNH’s kit comes complete with

the hardware to mount the slingto any rifle or shotgun and ismade durable enough to earn itsplace on their thoroughly mod-ern SCAR rifles.

REVISION’S BATLSKINBULLET RESISTANT PLATES

REVISION

www.revisionmilitary.com

These exceptionally light ceramic-type plates provide soldiers with pro-tection against shrapnel and smallarms fire and are rated to stop 5.56mmand 7.62mm ammunition at pointblank range, including 7.62mm steelcore ammunition at “close range.” Revision just secured a contract for

$9.5 million to supply the Canadianmilitary with these plates.

MANUFACTURER:RevisionTYPE: Armor PlateRATING: 3+STOPS: 5.56mm,7.62mm BallSALES: RestrictedLEO / Military

BARNES’ POLICE AMMUNITIONBarnes Bullets has a new cartridge that applies

the tried-and-true concept of “lighter projectile,faster speed” to their all-copper Tac-XP bullet. The cartridge is intended for law enforcement

end users (and is available to civilians) and fea-tures design elements popular for LEO use, such as low-flash powder

(to preserve your vision when shooting in low-light conditions), Techni-Chrom casings (for reliable feeding) and an all-copper bullet for controlled expan-

sion despite the FBI’s ballistic testing barricades.

BRAND: BarnesCALIBERS:.380 ACP thru

.45 ACPPROJECTILES: Tac-XP

CASE: Techni-Chrom

www.barnesbullets.com

BARN

ES

TW_1402-Gear 11/25/13 1:00 AM


Plinker Tactical is an innovator in .22 LR conversions for AR-15–pattern rifles and recently released this dedicated .22 LR upperreceiver. It’s designed to drop onto any mil-spec AR/M4 patternlower receiver, and the unit includes a high-capacity magazine, a“load assist tool” and is covered in mil-spec accessory rails.

Tacprogear makes awide array of soft goods forpolice and military-end users,including armor and armor carry-ing solutions and awesome gloves.

They’re designed to improveyour grip in hot climates, so you canconfidently handle metal tools, climbingtasks or otherwise get a positive grip onyour tools and environment, no matter theweather, sweat orother fluids. Theventilated topkeeps your handsfrom overheatinginside.

Hawke Sport Optics makesquality tactical optics for precision rifles

and offers a rather deep Sport HD IR familyof scopes.

Their latest addition will be at home on many tacti-cal rifles, but none more so than the .22 LR practice/training/recre-ational versions of your favorite rifle. The new HD IR Rimfire scopehas a ballistic compensatedreticle that’ll help you getshots on target from 50 to200 yards, which is awe-some for a rimfire scope.

HAW

KE

www.hawkeoptics.com

POWER: 3x-9xOBJECTIVE: 40mmLENSES: High definition (coated)TUBE: 1 inchMSRP: $139.99

PLINKER TACTICAL DEDICATED UPPER

MATERIAL: Forged 7075 T6 Alloy, PolymerCALIBER: .22 LRCAPACITY: 25 RoundsBARREL: 16.25 InchesTWIST: 1:16RAILS: Mil-Spec x4 railsMSRP: $499.99

www.plinkertactical.com

PLIN

KER

TACT

ICAL

TACPROGEARSHOOTERGLOVES

MATERIAL: Tacky polymer, NeopreneCLOSURE: Velcro strapSIZES: M, L, XLKNUCKLES: PaddedPALM: Anti-vibration paddedMSRP: $34.98

www.tacprogloves.com

THERMBRIGHT PASSIVE THERMAL TARGETSRange Systems makes target retrieval systems as

well as targets, including these fascinating PassiveThermal targets that “utilize a proprietary advancedcoating process that effectively reflects the cold energyof space when tilted backward by 10 degrees,” accord-ing to company documents.

The result?A target you can see with thermal imaging scopes,

and thus, sight in on. Normal targets just appear asindistinct squares, but these give realistic silhouettes ofpersonnel, vehicles and animals, on which you canzero your rifle and train hard.

MSRP: $60.18

www.range-systems.com

RANGE SYSTEMS

TACPROGEAR

HAWKE SPORT OPTICS –SPORT HD IRRIMFIRE SCOPE

TW_1402-Gear 11/25/13 1:00 AM


MINOX ZV3 SCOPE –AFFORDABLE HIGH-END

Minox offers scopes engineered in Germany and built for shoot-ers and hunters, and they are available in popular magnificationranges. Their 3-9x40mm scope, a popular model, is nitrogenpurged, waterproof, and has a total travel for windage and eleva-tion of 60 minutes each.

POWER: 3x-9xOBJECTIVE: 40mmTUBE: 1 inchMSRP: $279

www.minox.com/usa

This interesting technology isn’t something you’ll wield, butshould you be involved in use of force in a major city, it mightbe used on you.

The system is simple in concept (though complex in its sci-ence): a series of sensors are mounted to utility poles through-out targeted areas of major cities like Boston, San Francisco andCharlotte. The censors are tuned to only record gunshots andthen to relay data about time and location to a central com-

puter. The computer then takes input from several sensors andtriangulates, within 10-15 feet or so, where the shot camefrom. It reportedly can also tell with a certain degree of cer-tainty which direction the shot was fired. As part of your legaldefense, see if any Shot Spotter or similar systems recordeddata about your encounter. It could help exonerate you. At theleast, it would be relevant to your defense.

PROTECT SENSITIVEELECTRONICS

Many professionals are duly cautiousabout their RFID technology andsensitive electronics, trying to

keep them from being scannedor hacked, especially whileoperating in urban areasoverseas or even detected. Blackhawk makes a series of

bags that address those con-cerns and use “Zero Trace” signal

blocking lining to keep all cellular andRFID signals safely locked both out andin, respectively. Slip your laptop, phone,passport or other sensitive material inthere, and boom: no electronic snooping,no electronic detection.

BLAC

KHAW

K

www.blackhawk.com

MATERIAL: Zero Trace lining, 1050denier nylon, VelcroSIGNAL ATTENUATION: 33dbmPREVENTS: Device detection, RFID read-ing, device tracking

WEIGHT: 0.05 pounds (cell phone pouch)to 0.6 pounds (laptop pouch)FITS: VariousMSRP: $14.99 - $52.99

ADVERTISER PAGEBattenfeld Technologies .........63Blue Force Gear......................87Daniel Defense .........................7Major Surplus & Survival ..........2MG Arms, Inc. ..........................3Ontario Knife Company ..........35Secure Medical.....................101TOPS Knives ........................131Yankee Hill Machine Co........132

Advertiser

INDEX

SHOT SPOTTER

FeaturedGear

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Our society faces asymmetric threats on a shifting battlefield.Combat now lasts only seconds and erupts in some of our most sacred places.Training, then, must be carried out in places never before imagined, and every

officer must be armed, trained and ready.

AIMPO

INT


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