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2 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
4 LETTERS8 SPEEDLOADS
• Marijuana and guns
• Super Test drill
• .32 S&W Long
14 AMMO SHELFPATRICK SWEENEY
Gorilla Silverback all-copper
defensive ammunition.
16 ESSENTIALSJAMES TARR
High Threat Concealment’s
versatile new EVO holster.
20 EN GARDERICHARD NANCE
Train with your carry gun, not
just what’s handy for the range.
24 GUNS & GEARJ. SCOTT RUPP
64 BACK PAGEBEAUTIESSTAN TRZONIEC
The sought-
after Colt
Python
FEATURES
26 A TRUE HAND CANNONBy JOSEPH VON BENEDIKT
Magnum Research’s BFR is now available in .45-70, making it the most
powerful production single-action revolver around.
34 SEEING DOUBLEBy JAMES TARR
The new PHD from DoubleStar is a full-size 1911 just right for home
defense uses.
40 POCKET POWERBy J. SCOTT RUPP
A look at pocket carry guns, ammunition and holsters designed for this
popular and convenient style.
48 STREET SMARTSBy RICHARD NANCE
There’s more to staying safe than simply being proficient with a hand-
gun. Here are the other attributes you need.
CONTENTSFEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 | VOLUME 31, NUMBER 1 | PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY | www.handguns.com
DEPARTMENTS
26
34
40
48
FIRING LINE REPORTS
54 SIG TACOPS1911R .357 SIGBy JEFF CHUDWIN
56 KIMBERAMETHYST IIBy KAT AINSWORTH
60 RUGERLCP IIBy JAMES TARR
www.smith-wesson.com/pc
9 MM .40 S&W
#PerformanceCenter
PERFORMANCE CENTER®
PORTED M&PSHIELD®
• HI-VIZ® FIBER OPTIC SIGHTS FOR FAST TARGET ACQUISITION
• LIGHTENING CUTS ON THE SLIDE TO REDUCE MASS
• PORTED BARREL TO REDUCE FELT RECOIL & MUZZLE FLIP
• PERFORMANCE CENTER ENHANCED TRIGGER FOR
SMOOTH TRIGGER PULL
PERFORMANCEWHEN IT MATTERS MOST
4 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
R51 AdviceI just finished reading James
Tarr’s review on the second genera-
tion Remington R51 (December/
January), and I agree with most
of his comments. However, he did
not address a magazine problem
with the R51. I have had a continu-
ous problem with racking the first
cartridge into the gun with a fully
loaded magazine. He also did not
address the difficulty of breaking
down and reassembling the R51.
Aside from this trivia, I love shoot-
ing the gun. It eats everything I put
in it—although I have to put one
cartridge in the mag, rack it, then
load the magazine.
Joe Black
COPPERAS COVE, TX
Mr. Black: I didn’t notice this
problem during testing, but after
reading your letter I went back and
was able to replicate the problem if
I didn’t rack the slide back on a full
magazine very forcefully. And you
are correct. This gun takes a bit of
grip strength and, being an older
design, is somewhat of a bear to dis-
assemble. Every gun has its quirks,
and sometimes catching them before
a deadline doesn’t quite work out.
—James Tarr
A Matter of ScaleI believe you did Browning a dis-
service with the opening photo you
used in the “Black Beauty” article
by Brad Fitzpatrick (October/No-
vember 2016). The photo of this
1911 in .380 is so blown up it is 47
percent larger than the gun itself,
and there are no pictures for com-
paring its size—unlike elsewhere
in the issue where the Rock Island
Armory Baby Rock is compared to
a full-size 1911. Hopefully the next
time you feature a small gun that
is a downsized version of a well-
known model, you will not blow up
your shrunken piece to enormous
proportions.
a.M. Springer, Jr.
FONTANA, WI
CONTACT US For letters and comments on the magazine, contact us at [email protected] or write
to us at Handguns, P.O. Box 13786, Torrance, CA 90503. Please include your town and state of
residence. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity.
ADDRESS CHANGE OR SUBSCRIPTION QUESTION? Note we have a new email address for this.
Please email [email protected] or write to Handguns, P.O. Box 37539, Boone, IA
50037-0539. If changing address, please send both old and new addresses.
Grip It and Clip ItThe “Front and Center” article
by Richard Nance (October/Novem-
ber 2016) did a fine job of explain-
ing appendix carry. Years ago I
purchased a .38 S&W snubnose,
and I have carried it most days
since. The primary reason I favor it
over other options for my concealed
carry handgun is largely due to
the clip-grip that comes with it, a
design that works well for appendix
carry. I see DeSantis offers a Clip-
Grip for $30, and frankly I wish
this style of grip were available for
every concealed-carry handgun.
loran Braught
WEST TERRE HAUTE, IN
Snake SolutionHave loved your magazine for
years, but I wonder if you’re doing
a disservice to your readers by not
explaining that .22 semiautomatics
will not cycle with .22 shotshells.
I suspect many buyers of .22 guns
are doing so to protect from snakes,
and shotshells are effective—but
they’re not powerful enough to
cycle the slide. When you review a
.22 automatic, such as the S&W Vic-
tory (August/September 2016), you
should say whether or not the slide
will cycle with shotshells.
Bill StinSon
GULF BREEZE, FL
Praise for the TokarevNice piece by Bob Campbell on
one of the most neglected pistols
and cartridges around. I’ve owned
a couple Tokarevs and a CZ 52,
and the ballistics and accuracy are
impressive. One of my favorites is a
Chinese 54 with thin custom grips.
It’s easy to carry in Condition 3, has
a four-pound trigger and cost me
only $100 back in the 1990s. Sellier
& Bellot has an 85 grain clocked at
1,647 fps; that’s a 200 yarder.
Beto origoni
TOPAZ LAKE, NV
| LETTERS
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 5
THESE DAYS, AMERICA’S SHOOTERS
are clamoring for more handgun
information—more articles, more
television shows, more website info.
Outdoor Sportsman Group—which
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It’s a resource like no other, a
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OF GUNS AND DOPECIRCUIT COURT RULES THAT GUNS AND LEGAL MARIJUANA ARE AT ODDS.
By John Alan CohanFEDERAL LAW CLASSIFIES MARIJUANA
as a Schedule I controlled substance
deemed to have “no currently ac-
cepted medical use,” lacks accepted
safety for use under medical super-
vision, and has a high potential for
abuse.
Federal firearms law under 18
U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) provides that no
person “who is an unlawful user
of or addicted to any controlled
substance” may “possess…or…re-
ceive any firearm or ammunition.”
In addition, it is unlawful to sell
any firearm or ammunition “to any
person knowing or having reason-
able cause to believe that the person
is an unlawful user of or addicted to
any controlled substance.”
This law, as recently clarified,
extends to users of medical mari-
juana in states that allow it. Ne-
vada, among 24 other states and the
| SPEEDLOADS | Compiled by J. SCOTT RUPP
District of Columbia, legalized the
use of medical marijuana so that a
holder of a valid medical marijuana
registration card is exempt from
state prosecution for marijuana-
related crimes.
Still, the Second Amendment
does not protect the right to keep
and bear arms for users of illegal
drugs such as marijuana and other
Schedule I controlled substances.
The Ninth Circuit said in a 2011 case
entitled United States v. Dugan that
“Habitual drug users, like career
criminals and the mentally ill, more
likely will have difficulty exercising
self-control, particularly when they
are under the influence of con-
trolled substances.”
A drug addict or occasional user
of Schedule I substances such as
marijuana “may regain his right to
possess a firearm simply by ending
his drug abuse”—unlike the restric-
tion affecting felons and the men-
tally ill, who face a lifetime ban.
What about people who obtain a
medical marijuana ID card but who
insist they never use the substance?
A new ruling in the Ninth Circuit
considered the case of an individual
who was an advocate of medical
marijuana, had obtained a medical
marijuana card, but who insisted
she never used the drug and sued
because she was denied the right to
purchase a gun. Wilson v. Loretta E.
Lynch—decided in July 2016—held
that holders of medical marijuana
registry cards are prohibited from
buying firearms, even if they do not
actually use marijuana. The plain-
tiff, S. Rowan Wilson, had a Nevada
medical marijuana registry card.
She sought to purchase a firearm,
but the dealer refused to sell her
8 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
a gun because he knew she held a
registry card.
Wilson claimed she was not actu-
ally a user of any illegal drugs and
had obtained a medical marijuana
card as a way to express her support
for medical marijuana use. She sued
the government on several theories,
most notably that the government’s
policy violated her Second Amend-
ment rights.
As you all know, purchasers of
firearms are required to fill out
ATF Form 4473, which asks if the
individual is “an unlawful user of, or
addicted to, marijuana” or any other
controlled substance. The ATF,
in an “Open Letter to All Federal
Firearms Licensees” issued in 2011,
states that any person who uses or is
addicted to marijuana—even if pur-
suant to state laws authorizing medi-
cal marijuana use—is an unlawful
user of or addicted to a controlled
substance and is prohibited from
possessing firearms or ammunition.
Even if an individual merely pos-
sesses a state medical marijuana ID
card, the person is presumed to be
an unlawful user of a controlled sub-
stance and therefore ineligible to
purchase firearms or ammunition.
The Ninth Circuit said the burden
on Wilson’s Second Amendment
right “is not severe” because she is
only barred from purchasing fire-
arms, not from possessing or using
previously purchased guns because
ATF regulations do not impede her
right to keep or use them.
The court came to this conclusion
based on a portion of the ATF letter
that instructed firearms dealers:
“Further, if you are aware that the
potential transferee is in possession
of a card authorizing the posses-
sion and use of marijuana under
State law, then you have ‘reasonable
cause to believe’ that the person
is an unlawful user of a controlled
substance. As such, you may not
transfer firearms or ammunition to
the person, even if the person an-
swered ‘no’ to question 11.e. on ATF
Form 4473.”
In addition, Wilson could pur-
chase firearms at any time in the
future simply by “surrendering her
registry card, thereby demonstrat-
ing to a firearms dealer that there is
no reasonable cause to believe she is
an unlawful drug user.”
USPSA OPEN, LIMITED EQUIPMENT SURVEYSRecently, the U.S. Practical Shooting Association held national champi-
onships for its Limited, Limited 10 and Open divisions, and it released
a survey of the gear competitors used. Open is for true “race guns”;
any type of sight is permitted, and guns can have compensators, barrel
porting, slide porting and so forth. Minimum cartridge requirements
start at 9mm and .38 Super. In Limited and Limited 10, only open
sights are allowed, and guns cannot have compensators or porting. The
difference between them is Limited 10 guns are restricted to 10-round
capacity. Minimum cartridge is the 9mm, with the minimum to make
Major caliber (which essentially gets you more points over those who
shoot lower-recoiling Minor) is .40/10mm.
GUNS A lot of guns are custom-built, but the STI ruled the roost
in all three divisions as the top manufacturer of gun or frame with more
than half the competitors choosing that make. In Limited 10, those who
didn’t pick STI chose Glock or Springfield in nearly equal numbers.
CALIBER In Open, where speed is king, 60 percent of competi-
tors shot .38 Super or .38 Super Comp (a rimless version of the .38
Super), while 39 percent shot 9mms. Limited and Limited 10 were
ruled by the .40 S&W with 90 percent and 86 percent respectively; the
remainder shot 9mm, although in Limited 10 six percent shot .45 ACP.
RELOADING 94 percent of Open shooters loaded their own
ammo, while 70 percent of Limited 10 shooters and 80 percent of
Limited shooters did. Vihtavouri, Winchester and Hodgdon accounted for
the bulk of the powders. Winchester held the top spot for primers with
40 to 48 percent making that choice in all three divisions. Jacketed bul-
lets dominated in Open at 90 percent and also accounted for about half
in the other two divisions. For the remainder, Limited shooters leaned
toward moly-coated bullets over plated bullets while the Limited 10
competitors were split.
SIGHTS C-More Systems was far and away the top choice in
Open, while nearly all shooters in Limited and Limited 10 used a fiber-
optic insert in their front sights.—JSR
The court said the government’s
rationale behind prohibiting the
purchase of guns by illegal drug
users, including marijuana users, is
that these people are more likely to
be involved in violent crimes.
The court noted that reliable stud-
ies suggest there is “a strong link
between drug use and violence” and
that unlawful drug users are “pre-
sumptively risky people” to justify
keeping firearms out of their hands.
The court said, “It is beyond dis-
pute that illegal drug users, includ-
ing marijuana users, are likely as a
consequence of that use to experi-
ence altered or impaired mental
states that affect their judgment and
that can lead to irrational or unpre-
dictable behavior.”
Congress has been unmoved to
remove marijuana from Schedule I.
Until and unless that happens, users
of medical or recreational marijua-
na will continue to be barred from
new firearm purchases.
John Alan Cohan is a Los Angeles
attorney and a long-standing sup-
porter of the Second Amendment.
He can be reached at 310-278-0203 or
email at [email protected].
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 9WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
| SPEEDLOADSSKILLS DRILLS | BY DAVE SPAULDING
SUPER TEST
THE CREATION OF FORMER LAW EN-
forcement officers Wayne Dobbs and
Daryl Bolke of Hardwired Tactical
Shooting, the drill is designed to
test a shooter’s ability to deploy the
handgun from Ready or a holster,
control the trigger and fire accurate
rounds at varied distances, which
also affects shot to shot time/splits.
It is a solid test of the two variables
of combative shooting: the balance
of speed and accuracy.
SPECIAL GEAR shot timer (or
have someone time you)
DRILL The drill is easy to
remember; the yard marker is the
same as the time required, and all
stages are 10 rounds. Using an NRA
B8 repair center bullseye, start at
15 yards in a Ready position and fire
10 rounds in 15 seconds. Move to the
10-yard line and fire 10 rounds in 10
seconds. Finish on the five-yard line
with 10 rounds in five seconds.
GOAL A hit in the 10 ring is 10
points, a nine ring hit is 9 points,
etc. Total is 300 possible points,
with 270 required for a passing
score. Once you become proficient
from Ready, do the same drill from
the holster, then from a concealed
holster. I tried a variation of it in
my classes by adding some forward
movement. After firing each stage,
the shooter had five seconds to move
to the next, reloading along the way.
No one made the 270-point standard
doing this due to breath control.
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SIG SAUER is moving its Elite Perfor-
mance ammo manufacturing facility from
Kentucky to Jacksonville, Arkansas. “The
new location in Jacksonville gives us the
room we need to expand as we continue
to grow and is also beneficial from a
shipping and logistical standpoint,” said
Dan Powers, president of SIG’s ammuni-
tion division. At press time, the company
believed it would be up and running about
the time you read this.
SMITH & WESSON is expanding its
relationship with the Smith & Wesson
Historical Foundation. The foundation will
now assume full responsibility for the
company’s letter of authenticity process,
which was begun by famed S&W historian
Roy Jinks more than 50 years ago. The
service provides collectors a letter of
authenticity for their guns, and Jinks will
continue to lead research and corre-
spondence for the service. (On another, if
unrelated, note regarding Smith & Wesson,
the company recently purchased Crimson
Trace and is creating a new electro-optics
division.)
REMINGTON continues its southward ex-
pansion with a new worldwide distribution
center in Southaven, Mississippi. “We are
looking forward to a great partnership with
the state of Mississippi and the wonderful
community of Southaven,” said Remington
Outdoor Company CEO Jim Marcotuli.
The latest data from NSSF shows gun-
related crime and accidents dropping
while firearms sales continue to climb.
Homicides with firearms have declined
43 percent since 1911, and other crimes
involving firearms are down 70 percent
over the same period. Unintentional fire-
arms fatalities have fallen from more than
1,250 as recently as 1994 to just over 500
in 2014.
INDUSTRYNEWS
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Bridging the gap from production to custom since 1968.
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 11WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
THE .32 S&W LONG WAS BROUGHT OUT
in 1896 as a lengthened version
of the .32 S&W Short. It was origi-
nally loaded with blackpowder, but
smokeless replaced it a few years
later. The police commissioner of
New York City at that time was Ted-
dy Roosevelt, and he liked the .32
S&W Long so much—it was hailed
for its accuracy—it was adopted
as the police round. At one time,
various revolvers were chambered
for it, including Colt, Harrington &
Richardson and Iver Johnson.
I have a Colt Pocket Positive
with “.32 Police CTG” stamped on
it’s barrel. According to the serial
number, it was made in 1920. It is a
double-action revolver, and the rear
sight is a groove, which was com-
mon with those guns. On the frame
it is stamped “DP 52,” which may
be a reference to the Detroit police
department and possibly the retire-
ment year of the officer to whom it
was given.
The gun is nickel plated with
almost all of the plating intact. It is
in good shape and very tight, and I
doubt it saw much service. The guns
typically aren’t worth very much on
the collector market, just a couple
hundred bucks. However, accord-
ing to a couple of sources I saw, Al
Capone carried one that was made
in 1925 and recently sold for more
than $100,000 at an auction.
There is some confusion relating
to the cartridges. Colt also came
out with a .32 Short and a .32 Long,
but they are not the same as the
much more popular Smith & Wesson
rounds. The Colt round uses a .300
diameter bullet, and the case is
smaller in diameter. It can be fired
.32 SMITH & WESSON LONGOLD SCHOOL | BY BOB SHELL
in the Smith & Wesson
chamber, but it will split
and give poor accuracy.
The Smith & Wesson
round will not fit in a
chamber designed for
the Colt round. To fur-
ther muddy the waters,
according to Cartridges
of the World, the .32 S&W
Long when loaded with
a flatpoint bullet was
known as the .32 Colt New Police.
As mentioned, at one time black-
powder was used in the Smith &
Wesson round, and the common
load was 13 grains of powder and
a 98-grain bullet that produced 800
fps. The smokeless factory load
was a 98-grain lead bullet at 705
fps giving 115 ft.-lbs. of energy. It
was considered adequate for police
work, though it was considered the
minimum caliber for such use.
Ammo for the .32 S&W Long is
still relatively easy to find, unlike
the Colt round. Handloading com-
ponents are available and in a good
gun is capable of excellent accuracy.
The .32 S&W Long is popular in
Europe for competition—with high-
dollar guns such as Walthers, Benel-
lis and Pardinis found on firing
lines over there. A Lapua 98-grain
wadcutter is a favored bullet for
competitive shooting.
<
The .32 Colt Pocket Positive was at one time popular with many police departments. It was chambered for several variations of the .32 caliber, including the .32 S&W Long.
12 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
<
(From l.): .327 Federal Magnum, .32 H&R Magnum, .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W Short, .32 Auto.
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GORILLA AMMUNITION’S SILVERBACK LINE
is loaded with solid-copper hollow-
points, manufactured on Swiss-style
lathes. Wait, what—“Swiss” lathes?
Yes. Monolithic-material bullets,
what we confusingly call solid-copper
hollowpoints, have to be produced on
a lathe.
Copper is too strong a material
to be hydraulically shaped, at least
when it comes to bullets. So they have
to be turned on a lathe: A bar of cop-
per is clamped in the chuck, and the
end of it gets cut by the tool, guided
by the computer controlling things.
The finished bullet falls off, the bar
is extended, and the sequence is
repeated.
The only problem is the pressure
of the tool can flex the bar out of
alignment. This is not a problem with
materials like steel, as it doesn’t flex
much, but copper does, and that’s
where the Swiss-style lathe comes
into play. This type of machine holds
the material at both ends so it can’t
flex, and Gorilla’s copper bullets have
less than 0.0005 inch of dimensional
deviation.
The Silverback pistol line currently
comprises .380, 9mm Luger and .45
ACP. The bullet weights are 95 grains
for the .380, 115 and 135 for the 9mm,
and 230 and 230 for the .45.
The weights for the .380 and the
9mm are understandable. The .380 is
your basic weight, 95 grains, but the
bullet is longer because copper is less
dense than lead so therefore needs to
be longer to achieve a certain weight
for a certain diameter. The 9mm load-
ings are a high-velocity 115 grain and
a subsonic 135 grain.
The two 230-grain .45 ACP bullets
are designed and engineered for two
| AMMO SHELF | By PATRICK SWEENEY
different uses. The FBI load is a bul-
let designed for maximum perfor-
mance in the FBI tests, designed to
give penetration and expansion even
with intermediate barriers. The .45
Self Defense load is designed and
engineered for maximum expansion
and not with a barrier in mind. Why
the two? Not everyone needs or wants
a bullet that maxes the FBI score.
In each, the hollowpoint’s cavity is
impressively large and has slits down
the ogive. The bullets in the 9mm
subsonic and the .45 FBI loads have
visible grooves machined in them.
That way it will be easy to pick one
or the other if you happen to jumble
your ammo supply.
All Silverback ammunition is load-
ed in nickel-plated cases, and Gorilla
<
In addition to two 9mm loads and a .380, Gorilla offers two .45 loads: one intended to meet FBI specs (shown) and the other designed for everyday citizens. All feature monolithic copper bullets.
ACCURACY RESULTS | GORILLA SILVERBACKBullet Muzzle Extreme Standard Avg.
Gun/Caliber Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Spread (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
9mm
Nighthawk T3 115 1,179 11 4 1.8
Ruger American 115 1,133 5 34 2.5
Nighthawk T3 135 950 48 25 1.7
Ruger American 135 962 12 4 2.7
Nighthawk T3* 135 976 70 37 1.9
.45
Springfield 1911A1 230 766 22 9.2 1.8
Springfield 1911A1 230 737 33 13.8 1.5
Notes: (*Fired with GM9 suppressor.) The first .45 load is Self Defense, the second is FBI. Accuracy results are the aver-ages of four five-shot groups over a Sinclair shooting rest at 25 yards. Velocities are averages of 10 shots, measured by a LabRadar chrono, programmed to measure velocity 15 feet from the muzzle.
GO GORILLASILVERBACK AMMO FEATURES A HIGH-END COPPER BULLET.
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
has designed and built a proprietary
system for loading ammunition that
takes full advantage of the precision
lathe-turned bullets can provide.
The process that Gorilla uses to plate
the cases, and the resulting finish is
called Technichrome, and it produces
a case with a high lubricity. It will
be slick in feeding, and it will resist
oxidation and shrug off grime.
For the 9mm, I selected two
handguns and one suppressor. The
115-grain load was tested in a Ruger
American and a Nighthawk T3
with suppressor-ready barrel. The
135-grain subsonic went through the
Ruger and the Nighthawk with and
without the suppressor. For the .45, I
used a Springfield Armory 1911A1.
The accuracy was stellar. The
groups were brag-worthy, and they
were consistent. The velocities were
not as great as the specs Gorilla
publishes, but that doesn’t worry me.
Handguns vary in the velocity they
deliver, and the velocities recorded
in actual handguns are often a bit
behind the speeds recorded from test
barrels.
The expanded bullets I recovered
were impressive. When you can get
a 9mm bullet to expand to .805 inch,
you have yourself a spectacular
performer.
The .45 was off the charts. Some of
the bullets actually had their petals
bend back past perpendicular and
would potentially lose points on the
FBI scale because the overall diam-
eter was smaller than it could have
been had the petals been perpen-
dicular. The .45 Self Defense load
achieved just the FBI minimum of 12
inches of penetration, which some
may or may not like—although this
ammo wasn’t designed to meet the
spec. Expansion was more than 1.25
inches. If you want more penetration,
then obviously the FBI load is your
choice, where you get a nice 15 pen-
etration inches and expansion that is
“only” just under an inch.
In the end, with Gorilla Silverback
we have brilliantly accurate ammuni-
tion, using bullets that penetrate to
useful depths, and they expand well
in test media.
What’s not to like? Maybe the price.
The 9mm 115-grain Self-Defense
load is available directly from the
manufacturer and sells for more than
$30 per box of 20. By comparison,
Barnes TAC-XPD monolithic cop-
per 115-grain 9mm hollowpoint—a
+P load—sells for less than $20 for a
20-round box, based on prices from
major retailers.
PENETRATION/EXPANSION | GORILLA SILVERBACKBullet Muzzle Penetration Expanded
Caliber/Load Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Depth (in.) Diameter (in.)
9mm
Self Defense 115 1,129 14 0.81
Subsonic 135 965 14 0.75
.45
Self Defense 230 761 12 1.36
FBI 230 741 15 0.95
Notes: 9mm loads fired with a Ruger American. .45 loads fired with a Springfield 1911A1. Velocities are averages of 10 shots, measured by a LabRadar chrono, programmed to measure velocity 15 feet from the muzzle.
<
As both a visual and tactile indicator, the .45 FBI load (second from l.) and subsonic 9mm load (r.) are marked with a groove.
www.magnumresearch.com
®
STEEL FRAME
Full size
Barrel: 4.43”
Calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP
EVOlutionA VERSATILE NEW HOLSTER FROM HIGH THREAT CONCEALMENT.
I’VE MENTIONED HIGH THREAT CONCEAL-
ment holsters in this column before.
The company is most well-known for
developing an integrated belt/holster/
pouch Low Profile System where the
Kydex pieces interlock on an easily
removable outer belt. The outer belt
with its attached pouches secures to
the inner belt threaded through your
belt loops with the use of Velcro.
While a bunch of gear stretching
from hipbone to hipbone designed
to carry pistol and AR magazines,
radio, first aid kit, holster, handcuffs
and/or whatever else you think you
might need might be a bit overkill
for most Handguns readers, HTC
has now come out with a convertible
inside-the-waistband/outside-the-
waistband holster designed to ap-
peal to everyone—the HTC EVO.
A little background first. The
founders of HTC were working as
contractors in Afghanistan about a
decade ago when the U.S. government
announced that the Taliban was no
longer a threat. Instead of wear-
ing tactical vests and carrying M4s,
contractors had to go low profile and
wear casual attire—which meant they
could carry only what would fit under
a blazer.
Unfortunately, no one told the
Taliban it was no longer a threat. As
a result, the contractors began doing
everything they could to stuff more
and more gear under their blazers.
However, the more HTC’s founders
experimented with the holsters/
pouches/belts on the market, the
more dissatisfied they were.
They bought some Kydex and an
oven to form their own holsters and
mag pouches and went to work. At
first they just made equipment for
| ESSENTIALS | By JAMES TARR
themselves and their teammates,
but then everyone they worked with
started asking them where they got
their gear and could they make some
for them. And soon High Threat Con-
cealment was born.
Its new EVO holster in military-
speak is “user configurable,” which
means that by deciding which at-
tachment hardware to mount on the
holster you decide whether it will be
an outside the waistband or inside
the waistband holster (including ap-
pendix style).
HTC doesn’t use Kydex anymore
but instead manufactures its holsters
out of Boltaron, which is now the
preferred holster material for many
non-animal-hide holster manufactur-
ers. Boltaron has 10 times the impact
resistance of standard plastics, is fire
retardant and is resistant to many
acids. It resists cracking in cold and
deforming in high heat much better
than Kydex.
The EVO holster body is two
sheets of formed Boltaron connected
forward and aft of the gun by rivets,
which sounds a bit old school, but
those rivet holes are the mounting
points for the attachment hardware.
The Boltaron is thick enough to keep
the holster sturdy, but there is some
flex as well, which you absolutely
need.
If your holster is so rigid it doesn’t
flex at all, at some point it will crack.
When working as a private investiga-
tor, I spent an average of 50 hours a
week for over a decade sitting on my
gun in my car doing surveillance, and
I cracked the belt loops on a number
<
The provided belt loops can be mounted at various heights and angles on the holster for outside-the-waistband carry. The EVO can also be set up for inside the waistband and appendix carry.
16 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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of Kydex/plastic OWB holsters.
And I’m skinny. I don’t have any wor-
ries about that happening with the
EVO.
If I squeeze the EVO when it’s
empty, the top of the holster will flex
a bit. With a pistol inserted, the hol-
ster doesn’t flex under finger power,
but that “empty flex” means when it’s
mounted on your belt and you bend
down or sit, and your body and belt
pull the holster in different direc-
tions, the holster will work with you,
not against you.
The “wings” to either side of
the holster with the rivets (for the
mounting hardware) are only as big
as they need to be and are angled in
toward the wearer’s body, ensuring
that when mounted on a good belt
the holster will pull in close to your
body. There is a tension screw on the
holster just below the trigger guard
to adjust the force needed to draw
the pistol.
With the holster you’ll get a small
resealable plastic bag with all the
mounting hardware you need to
personalize the holster. You have
your choice of belt clips or closed
belt loops for 1.5- or 1.75-inch width
belts, plus all the screws and rubber
washers you’ll need for mounting.
All the rivets, screws and assorted
metal mounting hardware are stain-
less steel.
The closed belt loops are for OWB
carry, the belt clips for IWB or appen-
dix carry. HTC recommends one belt
clip and one closed loop for secure
appendix carry, and it provides an
info sheet with photos for quick refer-
ence. Because you have your choice
of numerous mounting holes for the
hardware, you can set up the holster
for vertical or canted orientation and
adjust its height on the belt.
Right now the EVO holster is
offered for Glock pistols from the
Glock 17/22 on down to the subcom-
pacts, as well as most of the SIG
Sauer P220/226/227 models. It is also
offered in left-handed versions. I
obtained one for the SIG P226 and
have worn it for about two weeks,
switching between OWB carry (my
preferred) and IWB. No appendix
carry; I’m not fat, but the SIG P226 is
way too big to stick down the front of
my pants.
When carrying OWB I had the
holster set up to ride a little low
because I’m short-waisted and high-
riding belt holsters park guns close
to my armpit. That’s the beauty of
the EVO; you can easily adjust ride
height and angle, at least when it’s
set up for OWB carry. For IWB carry
you can’t adjust the height of the
holster on the belt, just the angle.
The holster encloses the muzzle of
the pistol and almost all of the trig-
ger guard while allowing a full grip
on the pistol. And here’s a tip for
you: One sure way to spot someone
who doesn’t know how to make a hol-
ster is the presence of sharp edges
or material at the rear of the trigger
guard that hit the knuckle of your
middle finger when you’re trying to
obtain a firing grip.
Right now the EVO is available
only in black, but since HTC offers
many of its other holsters in flat
dark earth, I’m sure that color is
probably in the EVO’s future. As I
mentioned, the EVO comes with all
the mounting hardware you’ll need,
and it retails for $115.
<
The EVO comes with all the hardware you’ll need to customize it for your needs.
| ESSENTIALS
18 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
Flawless performance on the range
or at the ready. With its lightweight polymer
frame, thin profile, and ramped 3.2” barrel,
the Taurus Millennium® G2 is the perfect
Everyday Gun™—at an unbeatable price.
Available in 9mm Luger or 40 S&W
Ideal for concealed carry
Proven performance
Picatinny accessory rail MIL-STD-1913
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20 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
DRESS REHEARSALLEAVE THE TACTICAL STUFF AT HOME. TRAIN AS YOU REALLY LIVE.
I OFTEN FIELD QUESTIONS FROM PO-
tential students such as, “Hey, I
wanted to run my carry gun in your
close-quarter pistol course, but it’s
a subcompact pistol that only holds
six rounds. Is that okay?”
Of course it is. Why would you
pay for a course designed to help
you prevail in a deadly confronta-
tion at arm’s length and use any-
thing but the gun you will actually
be carrying? I scratch my head
when a shooter practices with a
full-size pistol with umpteen spare
mags then stows them in a range
bag before strapping on a subcom-
pact pistol with a single, reduced-
capacity magazine to go out and
face the world.
I understand the desire to don
several of the highest-capacity
pistol magazines you can find for
your training sessions because it’s
convenient. However, unless you’re
a police officer or in the armed
forces, filling every square inch
of your belt with magazines—or,
worse yet, wearing a chest rig with
a row of magazine pouches—is
incongruent with your real life.
When carrying a concealed pis-
tol, you won’t have a limitless sup-
ply of magazines at your disposal.
Quite frankly, in close quarters,
you probably won’t have time to
reload mid-fight even if you did.
While standing toe to toe with your
adversary, you’re more likely to use
your empty pistol as a bludgeon
than to reload. Don’t train for con-
venience; train for your reality.
During a training course, it’s a
good idea to have several loaded
magazines on hand so the other
students aren’t waiting for you to
load magazines, but don’t wear
| EN GARDE | By RICHARD NANCE
six magazines and pretend you’re
training for a gunfight—unless car-
rying a half-dozen spare magazines
is normal for you. And why train
with an extended magazine if you
plan to carry a flush-fitting mag?
I also find it odd so many sup-
posed self-defense-minded shoot-
ers wear clothes on the firing line
that differ dramatically from their
typical street clothes. There’s no
denying that many of the pants
being marketed to shooters are
comfortable. They afford the
wearer freedom of movement that
far exceeds most jeans and have
large cargo pockets that can ac-
commodate extra magazines and
other essential gear. But will you
be wearing those fancy pants any-
where other than the range? Most
people don’t. If your normal attire
is jeans, you should train in them—
at least occasionally.
Cover garments (or lack thereof)
are yet another inconsistency I see.
People who carry concealed every
day with their guns in an inside-
the-waistband holster will go to the
range or training course sporting
an outside-the-waistband holster
and no cover garment. Why? Be-
cause it’s easier to draw that way.
Closed garments such as
<
If you carry a subcompact semiauto on a regular basis, that’s exactly the gun you should be taking to the range or training course—not some full-size gun that’s easier (or more fun) to shoot.
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| EN GARDE
T-shirts, zipped-up jackets and
the like tend to hide waist-carried
guns well, but they are slower to
draw from than open garments like
an unbuttoned shirt or unzipped
jacket.
Because open garments produce
faster draw strokes, they are very
popular cover garments on the
range—even with those who don’t
ascribe to open garment carry on
the street. It seems many would
rather leave the range feeling good
about themselves than leave feel-
ing more prepared to win an armed
encounter.
As a case in point, the so-called
photographer’s vest, which facili-
tates a much faster draw stoke than
other garments, is a red flag that
you’re concealing a gun. Unless
you’re also wearing an expensive
camera around your neck, leave
the photographer’s vest hanging in
the closet.
Ammunition is another potential
obstacle to realistic training. It’s
common to shoot cheap, full-metal-
jacket ammunition during training
yet carry expensive hollowpoints
for personal or home defense.
While this is not too big of a deal, it
would be wise to occasionally shoot
hollowpoint ammunition during
training. This exposes you to the
nuances of shooting carry loads
and ensures your handgun will
feed and fire your defensive ammo
without issue. It also enables you to
diagnose any problems at the range
as opposed to during a life and
death encounter.
If you carry a .357 Magnum
revolver, it’s okay to conduct the
bulk of your training with the much
more economical, softer shooting
.38 Special cartridge. However,
if you plan to load the cylinder of
your revolver with .357 Magnum
rounds before walking out the door
or staging it for home defense, you
need to inoculate yourself to the
louder sound, more violent muzzle
flash and the increased felt recoil
inherent with the much more pow-
erful .357 Magnum.
At your next practice session, use
your carry gun and holster. Carry
only the amount of ammunition you
would on the street and put a box
of duty ammo through your gun.
Dress as though you were going to
work, not the range.
There will always be a gap
between range training and real-
ity, but if your goal is to prevail in
armed conflict, it’s your job to nar-
row that gap. After all, the range
is the stage for your gunfight dress
rehearsal.
It seems many would rather leave the range feel-ing good about themselves than leave feeling more prepared to win an armed encounter.
A Targeting CallThose who are new to defensive handgunning may not understand the importance of choosing the
right targets. I know I see a lot of new shooters banging away on bullseye-type targets with visible
scoring rings and even brightly colored centers. There are better choices out there. Cardboard ac-
tion-shooting targets such as those used in IDPA and USPSA and generic silhouette paper targets
can help you focus on getting vital zone hits. Photo-realistic targets are also great for this, and in
addition they show what parts of an attacker’s body would be affected by your rounds.—RN
REMINGTONfiUMCfiRANGEfifiUCKET
24 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
| GUNS & GEAR | By J. SCOTT RUPP
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©2016 REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LLC.
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THE ENHANCED R5I SUBCOMPACT
HE’S NOT HERE TO FIX YOUR FLAT.
MAGNUM RESEARCH’S BFR IN .45-70 IS THE BIGGEST, BADDEST REVOLVER YOU’LL EVER SHOOT.
A TRUE HAND CANNONBY JOSEPH VON BENEDIKT
26 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
I was just 17 when blacksmith and knife maker
Chris Petersen told me he had a new favor-
ite smallbore handgun. Even at that age I was
perceptive enough to know one had better pay
close attention when Petersen got a twinkle in his
eye—especially because I knew he disdained small
cartridges. Cautiously, I asked about this “smallbore,”
and he simply suggested we should go shoot it.
Out in central Utah’s dusty hills, Petersen uncased
a single-shot .45-70 handgun. “It’s just right for squir-
rels,” he offered. “The other day a corn-raiding squir-
rel stopped behind a railroad tie back of my shed.
Shot right through the tie and killed it.”
Instructing me to clench it hard and brace one foot
well back when I shot, he loaded the 10-inch .45-70
with one of his substantial 405-grain handloads and
passed it to me.
“It will make you take two steps back when it goes
off,” he said. I was young and tough, so I figured
maybe it wouldn’t. It did.
Although few firearms are less practical or less
versatile than a .45-70 handgun, since that day I’ve
always kind of wanted one. And although single-shot
big bores are cool, Magnum Research’s BFR (no, it
means Big Frame Revolver) is sort of like today’s ver-
sion of a Colt’s Walker revolver: big, heavy and more
powerful than just about anything else. Had it been
available during the War of Northern Aggression,
Josey Wales surely would have traded in his Walkers
on a pair of BFRs.
Designed by Jim Tertin around 1999, the BFR was
purchased by Magnum Research in 2005. The com-
pany also hired Tertin as director of manufacturing,
and he currently serves as director of design, re-
search and development.
What is such a revolver actually useful for? Louis
L’Amour would have written that if it had wheels it
would make an admirable piece of artillery. Aside
from sweeping raiding Yankee guerilla fighters from
their saddles, a BFR in .45-70 is particularly well
suited for big game hunting. Some “shotgun only”
states allow straight-wall centerfire cartridges in
handguns for use during deer season, and BFR-toting
hunters are well served.
Such handguns are heavy, difficult to get into action
quickly, and recoil so heavily that fast follow-up shots
are all but impossible. They really aren’t great for pro-
tection in big bear country, but they are accurate and
hit with bona fide authority. In deer country, they offer
an ideal combination of modern muzzleloader-like ac-
curacy and repeating-shotgun-like follow-up shots.
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 27
A TRUE HAND CANNON
While they’ll never match
a centerfire rifle for range and
precision, they do provide astute
handgun hunters solid 200-yard
capability. However, most folks
aren’t hunters. For them, like me,
the best reason to own a BFR is
simply because you can.
Let’s take a closer look at the
bones of a BFR and how one per-
forms in accuracy and reliability
tests, but first, here’s a list of avail-
able cartridges and configurations.
Two primary variations en-
able use with traditional-length
cartridges such as the .44 Magnum
and with long cartridges such as
the .45-70. The former category
houses .44 Magnum, .454 Casull,
.480 Ruger and .500 JRH. The
latter platform handles the .30-
30 Winchester, .444 Marlin, .45
Colt/.410, .45-70, .450 Marlin, .460
S&W and .500 S&W. Available bar-
rel lengths (depending somewhat
on caliber) are 5.0, 5.25, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5
and 10.0 inches.
I chose the 7.5-inch barrel. It’s
long enough to provide adequate
velocity and sight radius but not so
long I feel like a Stooge drawing
out a never-ending barrel when I
<
The BFR doesn’t need to be on half-cock to load or unload. Opening the loading gate allows the cylinder to rotate freely—in either direction.
28 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
bring the big wheelgun into action.
All BFRs are constructed of
stainless steel, which is given an
attractive brushed finish. Frames
are robust, featuring a massive flat
topstrap fit with a sturdy adjust-
able rear sight and drilled and
tapped for a rail-type Weaver-spec
scope base (one of which is includ-
ed with each revolver). Cylinders
feature five-round capacity and
rebated-rim chambers, and most
are not fluted.
Barrels are cut rifled and
<
Most BFR cylinders are left un-fluted to maintain maximum strength. The cylinder pin is prevent-ed from moving via a screw that secures it to the barrel.
MAGNUM RESEARCHBIG FRAME REVOLVERTYPE: single-action revolver
CALIBER: .30-30, .44 Mag., .444 Marlin, .45
Colt/.410, .45-70 Gov’t (tested), .450 Marlin,
.454 Casull, .460 S&W, .480 Ruger, .500 S&W
CAPACITY: 5
BARREL: 7.5 in. (as tested)
OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 15.00/6.00/1.75 in.
WEIGHT: 69 oz.
CONSTRUCTION: machined stainless steel
SIGHTS: ramp front, adjustable rear
TRIGGER PULL: 3 lb., 2 oz. (measured)
GRIPS: Hogue rubber
FINISH: brushed stainless
PRICE: $1,184
MANUFACTURER: Magnum Research,
MagnuMReseaRch.coM
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Code
#2800501
stress relieved. A target-type
recessed crown maximizes accu-
racy while providing a modicum of
protection against damage in the
field. A ramp-type front sight is
screwed down atop the barrel just
aft of the muzzle.
“Magnum Research, Pillager
MN” and the cartridge for which it
is chambered are engraved on the
left side of each barrel. Beneath at
about four o’clock is a steel ejector
rod assembly, and a kidney-shaped
ejector button provides plenty of
purchase and adds a little tradi-
tional single-action flair.
To ensure that the cylinder pin
doesn’t walk forward and disen-
gage during the rather heavy recoil
most BFR revolvers generate, it is
screwed to the bottom of the bar-
rel. To remove the pin and cylinder,
the locking screw must first be
spun out.
As of mid-2016, an “upgraded”
version of the BFR became avail-
able with a taller, narrower ham-
mer spur and a new, one-piece,
screwless Hogue rubber grip.
My .45-70 sample was fitted with
the new hammer but not the new
grip. My sample’s grip is also from
Hogue, but it’s checkered and
slightly shorter than the stippled
one-piece grip found on new revolv-
ers. All BFRs manufactured since
2000 will accept the new hammers
and grips.
The hammer is precision ma-
chined to very tight tolerances and
is touted to provide a smooth, con-
sistent trigger pull. Measured with
a Lyman digital trigger gauge, mine
averages three pounds, two ounces
with almost no measureable varia-
tion over a series of five measure-
ments. It’s clean and crisp, too.
Fully StokedTo enable shooters to safely car-
ry BFR revolvers with the cylinder
fully stoked with five cartridges,
the hammer/firing pin relationship
is consummated via a trigger bar.
Unless the trigger is squeezed fully
rearward the bar does not engage,
so the hammer can’t knock the fir-
ing pin and detonate a cartridge if
dropped or accidentally bumped.
The grip frame is attached to
the main frame with Allen-head
screws, minimizing the chance that
some well-meaning pseudo gun-
smith will bugger up the heads.
Each BFR comes with a Weaver
rail scope base, one machined with
a massive recoil lug that fits firmly
against the rear of the revolver’s
frame—providing metal-on-metal
contact and reducing the chance
the attachment screws will sheer
off under extensive firing.
Three screws secure the optics
rail atop the frame, and it’s impor-
tant to note the rearmost screw
is of a small diameter and has a
smaller head than the other two
and is designed to be compatible
with the rear sight elevation screw
threads.
A small tool is included with each
revolver, and I used it to remove
the filler screws in the frame’s
topstrap and unscrewed the click-
adjustable elevation screw in the
rear sight. A stout leather needle
served to press the sight pivot pin
out so the rear sight assembly could
be lifted out of the frame.
With the Weaver base installed
and my trusty old Leupold Vari-
X 2.5-8X EER handgun scope
mounted in one-inch Mark 4
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM30 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
A TRUE HAND CANNON
<
The BFR’s hammer has been redesigned to be higher and more slender. The two-piece checkered Hogue grips on von Benedikt’s sample have since been replaced with a stippled Hogue one-piece.
<
Magnum Research provides a Weaver scope rail with each BFR, along with a tool to aid in installing it. The rail has a shoulder machined in to help it withstand the gun’s hefty recoil.
rings, I collected a variety of
.45-70 ammunition, including a
300-grain TSX/FN Barnes VOR-TX
load, a 300-grain Ballistic Silvertip
load by Winchester, Hornady’s in-
novative 325-grain LeverEvolution
load, and a traditional 405-grain
cast lead bullet load by Black Hills
Ammunition.
Unlike traditional single-action
revolvers, the BFR’s hammer does
not need to be placed on half-cock
to allow the cylinder to rotate.
Instead, the cylinder is unlocked
by opening the loading gate. Once
said gate is fully open, the cylinder
A TRUE HAND CANNON
rotates freely in both directions
without clicks.
Purists may view this design with
revulsion, but such modern innova-
tion makes the revolver far easier
to manipulate under stress. Shak-
ing hands and fingers functioning
under gross motor control can still
make sense of a freely rotating
cylinder and get the fired cartridge
cases ejected and replaced with
live rounds.
With a target placed at 50 yards,
I rested the .45-70 BFR over a
sandbag and fired a series of three
five-shot groups with each type of
ammunition. Like most firearms,
the massive revolver showed a
marked preference in ammunition.
While all ammo—including
the cast-bullet load—averaged
less than 3.5 inches at 50 yards,
Barnes’s 300-grain TSX/FN proved
to be an absolute hammer, turning
in both the highest velocity (1,502
fps) and by far the tightest groups.
Amazingly, it averaged only 1.13
inches at 50 yards and had a gust-
ing 12-mph wind not been buffeting
me at the bench, I have no doubt
it would have averaged sub-inch
groups.
With official testing complete, I
left the sandbag and shot offhand
and from field positions to evaluate
the practical accuracy and ergo-
nomics of the massive wheelgun.
No surprise, it’s pretty heavy for
unsupported shooting, although its
inherent weight gives it a natural
stability.
When rested on shooting sticks it
ACCURACY RESULTS | MAGNUM RESEARCH BFRBullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.45-70 Gov’t Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
Barnes TSX/FN 300 1,502 19 1.13
Winchester Ballistic Silvertip 300 1,456 21 3.09
Hornady Flex Tip 325 1,470 15 2.96
Black Hills Cast flat point 405 995 17 3.41
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of three five-shot groups fired from a sandbag rest at 50 yards. Velocity is the average of five rounds measured 12 feet from the muzzle with a Shooting Chrony chronograph.
aimed steadily and provided admi-
rable accuracy.
Throughout my testing the BFR
functioned in stellar fashion, but
that was to be expected. It’s a
single-action revolver, after all.
Recoil with the stouter jacketed
loads was attention-getting, but I’ve
fired far more vicious handguns.
Even a lightweight .44 Magnum
with heavy loads kicks more
painfully than the BFR, which
produced a long, rolling recoil
impulse.
Most of the loads tested pro-
duced about 500 fps slower ve-
locity in the handgun’s 7.5-inch
barrel than the factory-advertised
numbers fired from rifle barrels.
Interestingly, every cartridge case
contained unburned grains of
gunpowder. Clearly, the barrel isn’t
long enough to provide complete
burn.
For recreational shooting, the
Black Hills cowboy action load pro-
vided considerably less recoil than
the others yet still had impressive
downrange results. Plus, it has
considerably less impact on one’s
wallet.
Field Use OptionsHornady’s zesty, pointed Flex Tip
325-grain LeverEvolution load is
the best for extended-range work,
providing your particular BFR
shoots it well (accuracy with mine
is just so-so, but every gun is indi-
vidual in its taste for ammo). Given
careful shot placement, it’s suitable
for just about any big game out to a
couple hundred yards.
For toothy critters of uncivilized
intention, on the other hand, I’d
opt for Barnes’s 300-grain TSX/FN,
which offers enough velocity and
won’t shed any weight. Typically,
the homogeneous bullet design
offers deeper penetration than cup
and core bullets.
Taking penetration a step fur-
ther for use on the biggest bears
or Alaska/Yukon moose, a heavy
hard-cast semi-wadcutter bullet
will penetrate deeper than any ex-
panding design, while still severing
arteries and wreaking havoc on vi-
tal organs, heavy muscle and dense
bone virtue of its sharp-shouldered
profile.
Do you need a Magnum Research
BFR? That depends. If you prefer
single-action revolvers to those of
double-action design but want to
hunt with the most powerful car-
tridge available, then the answer
is a resounding yes. If you simply
admire the wheelgun’s unique com-
bination of tradition, quality and
jaw-dropping authority, the answer
is also yes.
Big Frame Revolvers are any-
thing but versatile. They’re not
a “one-gun-for-every purpose”
sort of six-shooter. Rather, a BFR
is a specialty tool, and within its
sphere nothing else touches it.
The TAC-XPD® Defense Ammunition–the optimized solution for carry or home defense.
• Nickel plated cases • Coated, all-copper bullets
• Smooth, reliable feeding • Virtually no muzzle fl ash
Available in 380 Auto, 9mm Luger, 357 Magnum, 40 S&W, and 45 Auto.
1-800-574-9200 www.barnesbullets.com
DoubleStar is located in Winchester,
Kentucky, and while you might not
recognize the name, you may have
heard of J&T Distributing, which
has been selling AR-15 parts and
accessories for more than 25 years—includ-
ing many the company designed and manu-
factured itself. Soon just making parts
wasn’t enough, and the firm began offering
complete ARs and 1911s through its spinoff
company, DoubleStar Corp.
The PHD is DoubleStar’s first complete
1911. PHD is a clever moniker for a pistol,
and in this case the letters stand for Per-
sonal Home Defense. It is meant to provide
defense shooters everything they need and
nothing they don’t. The question, of course,
is whether the company succeeded.
DoubleStar makes only .45 ACPs, and the
PHD is a full-size, five-inch, all-steel pistol.
It has a businesslike manganese phosphate
Parkerized finish, and the first thing you’ll
DOUBLESTAR’S NEW PHD 1911 HAS MUCH TO COM-MEND IT AS A 1911 FOR DEFENSE-MINDED SHOOTERS.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 35
SEEING DOUBLEBY JAMES TARR
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
notice is the slide. The rear of it features
three wide, flat, aggressive serrations, and
the front of the slide has a reduced Brown-
ing Hi Power-style cut in which the slide is
narrowed forward of the frame. The nar-
rowing on the PHD is minimal, and I would
prefer forward slide serrations or a deeper
Browning cut so it can more easily be used
to work the slide from the front. “PHD” is
engraved in big letters on the right side of
the slide.
The slide has been flat-topped, and there
are three attractive serrations running
down the top of the slide. Fore and aft of
them are XS Express sights—a big white
outline tritium dot in the round-topped
front sight teamed with a shallow V-notch
rear sight featuring a vertical white line.
These sights are popular with a lot of
folks, and the “lollipop” sight picture is
quick to use at indoor distances. However,
I’ve never been a fan of this design be-
cause it has limited utility when compared
to traditional notch/post sights. And I’ve
found the shallow V of the rear sight makes
windage errors easy past 10 yards or so.
However, I consider them usable for quick
body shots inside seven yards—the distance
for most but not all self-defense scenarios—
and to work great for people who don’t
practice much.
The PHD’s barrel is stainless steel and
hand fit and mated to a National Match
bushing. The bushing was finger tight (no
wrench required for removal), and overall
the fit of the PHD was excellent—honestly
on par with most of the custom 1911’s I’ve
handled. There was absolutely no play
between the slide and frame.
SEEING DOUBLE
The first complaint the tactical
types might have upon seeing the
PHD is it doesn’t feature a frame rail
for mounting a weapon light. I un-
derstand their position, but rails add
weight, cost and affect holster fit.
You’ll find a standard GI-type
recoil system (short guide rod) in the
PHD, but a heavier than standard
recoil spring, making the slide a
bit harder than usual to work. The
standard recoil spring weight for an
all-steel Government Model .45 ACP
1911 is 16 pounds, but many gun-
smiths who build guns designed for
carry use heavier springs to reduce
battering of the frame when shoot-
ing +P carry loads, and that’s what I
found in the PHD.
I don’t agree with this for sev-
eral reasons. First, nobody shoots
thousands of rounds of expensive
premium defensive carry ammo.
People practice with practice ammo
and carry carry ammo. Second, the
steel frame of a 1911 can take untold
abuse.
My first gunsmith, the late Russ
Carniak, owned a 1911 that had
digested 175,000 rounds of ammo
and only occasionally needed a little
tightening. Russ was also in favor of
lighter recoil springs because if you
experienced a slightly under-loaded
round there was a better chance the
slide would cycle, and as an avid
competition shooter, I’ve found heavy
recoil springs make the muzzle dip
as they slam the slide home, whereas
lighter springs keep the muzzle flat-
ter and could improve a defensive
shooter’s ability to make accurate
follow-up shots.
Enough soapbox. With regard
to fit, the DoubleStar’s slide and
frame were perfectly mated, and the
single-sided extended thumb safety
was perfectly installed—with loud
clicks up and down and just the right
amount of resistance. All the sharp
edges and corners were also removed
from the rear of the safety, something
not done on factory guns (but desper-
ately needed when you’re shooting
with a thumb-high hold). When shoot-
ing a steel-framed gun chambered in
.45 ACP, you’ll notice every edge and
corner in the web of your hand, es-
pecially if you have thin, bony hands
like I do.
The beavertail on the pistol is a
Wilson Combat High Ride, and it is DOUBLESTARPHDTYPE: 1911
CALIBER: .45 ACP
CAPACITY: 8+1
BARREL: 5.0 in.
OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 8.6/5.4/1.3 in.
WEIGHT: 34.5 oz.
SLIDE/FRAME: Parkerized carbon steel
GRIPS: Magpul polymer
SAFETIES: single-side thumb, Wilson High
Ride beavertail, Series 80 firing pin
SIGHTS: XS Express, tritium front
TRIGGER: 3-hole extended aluminum, 4.75
lb. pull (measured)
PRICE: $1,364
MANUFACTURER: DoubleStar Corp.,
star15.com
<
The PHD features XS Sights’ Express, which pairs a shallow V notch with a white index line and a large tritium dot—a good setup for close-range work.
36 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
the highest-riding and best-fitting
Wilson beavertail I’ve come across.
The beavertail is paired with a
Commander-style hammer.
The trigger is the ubiquitous
extended aluminum type with three
holes now seen on just about every
1911 except “retro” models. Double-
Star’s specs for this gun call for a
trigger pull between 3.5 and 4.5
pounds. Trigger pull on my sample
was 4.75 pounds.
The PHD employs a Series 80-type
firing pin block safety. These safeties
were introduced to prevent dropped
1911s from going off, which while
unlikely was possible. They’re notori-
ous for screwing up the tradition-
ally excellent trigger pulls found on
1911s, so to DoubleStar’s credit, a
4.75-pound trigger pull on a Series 80
gun is rather impressive considering
how many extra parts get thrown into
both the frame and slide.
Still, I consider this design un-
necessary, and the modern solution
to preventing a dropped 1911 from
firing is to install a heavier firing pin
spring and a lighter (usually tita-
nium) firing pin.
The mainspring housing on the
PHD isn’t checkered but rather fea-
tures three vertical ball radius cuts
that serve as stylish serrations. At
the bottom of the frame you’ll see the
PHD features a round butt, although
it’s the most minimal round-butt
<
Of particular interest are the Wilson Combat High Ride beavertail safety and the Magpul grips, which feature a left-side cutout for easy access to the mag release button.
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conversion I think I’ve ever seen.
Designers rounded the corner of the
frame and not a lot more, but it feels
nice in the hand. The serrations on
the mainspring housing don’t go all
the way down, and my only complaint
about this section of the frame is the
round butt is too smooth.
The trigger guard comes straight
back to meet with the frame—not as
good as an undercut trigger guard for
allowing you to choke up on the gun,
but much better than the original
GI radius. The magazine release is
slightly longer than usual and is eas-
ily accessed thanks to the cutout in
the Magpul grips.
A few years ago Magpul intro-
duced its polymer 1911 grips, which
I like. Not only are they inexpensive,
they are thin and more aggressively
textured than they appear. The left
grip also features a substantial relief
cut to ease access to the magazine re-
lease. Checkering or texturing on the
frontstrap on the PHD would increase
the secure handling of the pistol but
would of course add cost to what is
meant to be an entry-level 1911.
Supplied with the gun is one eight-
SEEING DOUBLE
ACCURACY RESULTS | DOUBLESTAR PHDBullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.45 ACP Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
Hornady American Gunnner 185 966 16 2.5
Black Hills JHP 185 972 14 2.8
Nosler JHP 185 981 17 3.4
Winchester JHP 230 868 21 3.1
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are aver-ages of 10 shots measured with an Oehler Model 35P 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviation: JHP, jacketed hollowpoint
round PSI ACT-Mag. I consider these
to be the finest 1911 magazines on the
market today, the spiritual successor
to Jeff Cooper’s favored but now-
discontinued Mag-Pak magazines.
My only complaint is that the pistol
comes with only one.
The magazine well in the frame
is slightly beveled—so slightly, in
fact, that I had to put on my reading
glasses to double-check it had in fact
been beveled. The edges of the maga-
zine well opening had been smoothed,
but that’s about it. A more aggressive
bevel would have been welcome.
When I first picked up the PHD
it felt so light I assumed it had an
< The flat mainspring
housing features
three ball radius cuts, and the butt
is slightly rounded.
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aluminum frame. A quick check with
a magnet showed me the frame was,
in fact, made of steel. My home scale
put the gun’s weight at 34.5 ounces
(the specs call for a 33-ounce weight),
which is light for an all-steel full-size
1911.
But the weight isn’t the whole story.
When it comes to pistols, size matters.
In this case, we’re talking girth. The
PHD’s grip simply felt slimmer in my
hand, and so my brain automatically
translated that into lighter weight.
And I didn’t think it was all due to the
small rounded butt, so I pulled out
the calipers.
Measuring the PHD’s frame at
the top of the mainspring housing
square across the frame, the pistol
measured 1.975 inches front to back.
Width across the relatively slim
Magpul grips was 1.295 inches. For
comparison I pulled out a Spring-
field Armory Range Officer Operator.
Springfield frames have always felt
long to me (front to back), and the
calipers showed the Operator was
2.15 inches—over a tenth of an inch
longer. It also measured 1.325 inches
across the wood grips—bigger in both
dimensions.
Those tenths and hundredths of
inches might not seem like much, but
you can definitely feel them in your
hand. Combine the slightly reduced
dimensions with a rounded butt and
you’ve got a pistol that feels surpris-
ingly svelte in your hand.
This pistol got a lot of trigger time
before, during and after a trip to Gun-
site for filming last season’s “Hand-
guns & Defensive Weapons” episodes.
There is something very satisfying
about shooting a 1911 at Gunsite,
where Jeff Cooper expounded on this
design’s merits. The pistol was fed
via the provided magazine as well as
a stainless seven-round Ed Brown
magazine.
It never choked once even though
it got a bit dusty and was fed a steady
diet of Hornady’s 185-grain American
Gunner ammo. This load features the
XTP bullet, which has a flat point pro-
file and a large cavity, and I’ve seen it
jam up a few guns over the years, but
the PHD ran on and on and on.
The PHD is probably a bit more in-
herently accurate than the accompa-
nying chart would lead you to believe.
That big XS round-topped front sight
isn’t designed for precision work but
rather for speed, and I did all my ac-
curacy work off sandbags rather than
locking the gun in a vise.
DoubleStar indicates the PHD is
the first in a line of pistols designed
to provide in a production gun the
“features of a high-end 1911 without
the lengthy wait or a high price tag.”
There might be some argument as
to whether a $1,364 suggested retail
price is “high” or not, but compared
to the pistols most of the custom
shops are putting out, the PHD is half
the price. And when you consider
that DoubleStar is small enough to
be considered a custom shop, where
every pistol is treated to hand fitting,
it is no wonder the pistol is so well put
together.
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I was sitting around a campfire one night with a crew
that included cops and ex-cops. Eventually the topic
turned to—what else?—favorite carry guns. I expect-
ed to hear a lot of votes for high-capacity 9mms, but to
my surprise, many of the LE guys said their favorite
off-duty carry gun was a J-frame revolver.
And when you think about it, it makes sense—not nec-
essarily the platform but the size. Smaller guns are more
comfortable to carry, and when your everyday non-work
life involves running around town doing chores, it’s a
heck of a lot easier to drop a gun into your pocket than it
is to strap on a belt holster and change your clothes. Not
that you don’t need a holster or to dress properly with a
pocket gun, but the process is a heck of a lot easier. And
that’s why the smallest semiautomatics and revolvers are
so hugely popular.
The information presented in the next couple of pages
is largely intended for those who are new or relatively
new to concealed carry guns, but I think even veteran
carry types will find some interesting tidbits. This isn’t in-
tended to be an all-inclusive array of guns but rather what
we think are significant examples of the variety you can
find in gun stores today. The definition of pocket gun sub-
jective because, like people, pockets come in all shapes
and sizes. But we settled on pistols less than 6.5 inches
long, 4.5 inches tall and with an unloaded weight of less
than 20 ounces. For revolvers we stuck with a weight of
around 20 ounces and barrels around two inches.
BY J. SCOTT RUPP
POCKET POWERSOMETIMES THE BEST THINGS COMEIN SMALL PACKAGES.
40 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 41WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
Semiautomatic pistols are the most
popular guns today because they’re
easy to conceal due to their flat de-
sign, they offer more firepower and
they’re easy to reload. But they’re
also more complicated to operate,
and they can malfunction. Here are
the different types.
DOUBLE-ACTION ONLY Every pull of
the trigger cocks the gun and fires it.
Trigger pulls are therefore long and
heavy. That makes DAO guns harder
to shoot but also safer in a pocket
because of the necessity of a deliber-
ate trigger pull.
STRIKER-FIRED Similar to DAO except
the striker, which fires the gun, is
pre-loaded—resulting in a consis-
tent and relatively light trigger pull.
Some designs include a manual
safety, some do not.
SINGLE-ACTION When carried with
a round in the chamber, hammer
cocked and thumb safety on—known
as “cocked and locked”—deactivat-
ing the thumb safety and squeezing
the grip safety (if present) produces
a light, crisp trigger pull every time.
Therefore most people shoot this
type well.
DOUBLE-ACTION/SINGLE-ACTION Initial
pull of the trigger cocks and fires
the gun, so it’s long and heavy. But
subsequent pulls are light and short
because the gun is cocked with each
shot. The advantage is, in most cases,
the first shot requires simply press-
ing the trigger. The disadvantage is
transitioning from the heavy first
pull to the light second pull, which
can make it hard to shoot accurately
unless you practice a lot.
SEMIAUTOMATICS
Taurus Curve• double-action only
• 5.2x3.7 inches
• 10.2 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $392
This novel gun was designed to fit the curves of
the human body, and while it’s not for everyone
(like traditionalists or lefties), our reviewer found it
to be a capable if offbeat choice.
SIG Sauer P238• single-action
• 5.5x3.9 inches
• 15.2 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $738–$766
Available in a variety of grips and finishes, but
common eatures include SIGlite night sights
and six-round capacity. Offered in versions
with and without ambidextrous thumb safety.
Smith & WessonM&P Bodyguard .380• double-action only
• 5.3x3.8 inches
• 12.8 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $379–$519
A polymer-frame DAO, the Bodyguard is available with
or without a Crimson Trace green or red laser and
with or without thumb safety.
POCKET POWER
42 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
Beretta Pico• double-action only
• 5.1x4.0 inches
• 11.5 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $399
One of the slimmest autos on the market at only
18mm wide. It’s modular, meaning you can cus-
tomize the grip frames. Sights are easy to change,
and the magazine release is ambidextrous.
Remington RM380• double-action only
• 5.3x3.9 inches
• 12.2 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $417–$609
Selling point for many people will be the small
amount of force to rack the slide. Also, the trigger
guard is undercut, allowing a high-hand hold for bet-
ter control. Available with or without laser grips.
SCCY CPX-2 CB• double-action only
• 5.7x4.0 inches
• 15 ounces
• 9mm
• $314
Aluminum alloy frame and Zytel polymer frame keep
this gun very light. Comes with finger-extension mags
installed, but flat bases are included for better conceal-
ment. CPX-1 is same gun but with manual safety.
Ruger LC9s• striker-fired
• 6.0x4.5 inches
• 17.2 ounces
• 9mm
• $479
The LC9s is notable because it’s not only a striker-
fired gun with integral trigger safety but also a 9mm,
which means more power in what is still a pocket-size
pistol. Available with or without manual safety.
Kimber Micro 380• single-action
• 5.6x4.0 inches
• 13.4 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $993 (as shown)
Available in a wide variety of configurations (RCP
with laser grips shown), and there’s a new 9mm
version too. Like a 1911 in every way except it lacks
a grip safety. Thumb safety is ambidextrous.
Kahr PM40• double-action only
• 5.5x4.0 inches
• 17.7 ounces
• .40 S&W
• $810–$987
Kahr offers several models that would qualify
as pocket pistols, but if it’s power you want, you
won’t find many .40s this small. Offered in stain-
less, black, with night sights and thumb safety.
Pocket guns by their nature have short barrels,
and they’re light. This presents two consider-
ations. One, the shorter barrels will produce less
velocity than standard-length tubes, and this
lower velocity can translate to less-than-optimal
performance. Two, recoil can be stout in these
little guns, and heavy recoil makes accurate
follow-up shots difficult. While pocket guns are
typically deployed at close range, you still need
to be able to hit your target and not launch bul-
lets in an unintended direction.
Standard defensive ammo works, mind you,
but another option is to look for ammunition
specifically designed to be fired in short-
barreled guns and/or loads with reduced recoil.
Here are some to consider.
FEDERAL MICRO HST Heavy hollowpoints at
low velocity for good terminal performance and
less recoil; .380 and 9mm.
HORNADY CRITICAL DEFENSE FTX polymer
tip prevents hollowpoint from clogging. Opti-
mized for less recoil and low flash. Offerings
include defense loads from .22 WMR to .45
Colt. There’s also a Lite option in 9mm and .38
Special that reduces recoil even more.
REMINGTON ULTIMATE DEFENSE
COMPACT Golden Saber bonded hollowpoint
specially designed to expand at lower velocities;
.380, .38 Special, 9mm, .40, .45 ACP.
SPEER GOLD DOT SHORT BARREL Built to
provide performance in small guns. Bonded Gold
Dot hollowpoint, low-flash powder, extensive
caliber selection from .22 WMR to .44 Mag.
AMMUNITION
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 43WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
POCKET POWER
44 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
Revolvers enjoy a long history as
“hideout guns,” and while today
they’re overshadowed by semiautos,
as the story at the beginning of this
article illustrates, some people still
prefer them.
Why? Ease of use and complete
reliability. And unlike semiautomat-
ics, with a revolver you have fewer
decisions to make because revolvers
come in only two flavors: double ac-
tion and single action, and single-
action revolvers aren’t found in the
pocket gun universe.
With a double-action revolver,
pressing the trigger rotates the
cylinder, cocks the gun and fires it,
so the trigger pull is typically long
and heavy. If you choose a gun with a
fully enclosed internal hammer (a so-
called “hammerless” revolver), you’ll
always have to deal with that trigger
pull. If you choose a revolver with an
exposed hammer, you have the op-
tion of drawing back the hammer to
rotate the cylinder and cock the gun,
then firing the revolver with a single-
action trigger press.
The advantage of the hammer-
less design is clear when it comes
to pocket guns: no hammer to snag
on clothing when you draw the gun.
Still, some like the single-action
trigger-press option of the exposed-
hammer gun because it allows for
more deliberate and accurate fire.
REVOLVERS
Smith & WessonM&P Bodyguard 38• hammerless
• 1.9-inch barrel
• 14.4 ounces
• .38 Special
• $539
Upper frame is aluminum alloy, which keeps weight down,
and it features an ambidextrous cylinder release for easy
loading and unloading. Comes standard with integral laser.
Ruger LCR• hammerless
• 1.9-inch barrel
• 13.4 ounces (.38)
• .22 WMR, .38 Special +P, .327 Federal, .357 Magnum
• $579–$669
Monolothic aluminum frame in .38 and .22;
steel in .327 and .357. Cam trigger system gives
smooth trigger pull. The LCRx version of the
gun features an exposed trigger.
Walther PPK• single-action/double-action
• 6.1x3.8 inches
• 21.1 ounces
• .380 Auto
• $700
I bent the weight rules, but no pocket pistol
guide would be complete without Mr. Bond’s
iconic pistol—the lone SA/DA gun in our list.
A classy if somewhat dated choice.
POCKET POWER
46 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
Rock Island Armory 206• hammerless (shown)
• 2.0-inch barrel
• 24 ounces
• .38 Special
• $492
It’s on the heavy side for a pocket gun, but it’s
one of the few in its class that has a six-round
capacity; others hold only five shots. Available in
an exposed-hammer version as well.
Taurus 605 PLYSS2• exposed hammer
• 2.0-inch barrel
• 19.8 ounces
• .357 Magnum/.38 Special
• $371
Polymer frame makes this a light .357, and
the fiber-optic front sight is a great option for
low-light situations. Rubber grips will help
control the gun with magnum loads.
S&W 640 Pro• hammerless
• 2.125-inch barrel
• 22.4 ounces
• .357 Magnum/.38 Special
• $839
The classic J frame, but as a Pro series gun it’s
an upgraded model with a better trigger and also
tritium night sights. Fluting on the barrel shaves a
bit of weight. This is my gun, and I love it.
Pocket guns go in a pocket, sure, but they also
should go into a holster specifically designed
for pocket carry. Pocket holsters help disguise
the outline of a handgun and prevent objects
from getting inside the trigger guard and pos-
sibly causing a discharge (but you shouldn’t
have keys or other objects in a pocket contain-
ing a gun in the first place). On the draw, the
holster stays in the pocket and the gun comes
free. Companies typically offer several basic
sizes that will accommodate most guns.
DESANTIS sells several styles, including
the Nemesis ($26), which is perfect for my
S&W 640 Pro. I like it because it fits nicely into
jeans. Its pebbled non-slip outer shell guaran-
tees it will stay in my pocket, and the slick liner
releases the gun with ease. The company also
sells a nifty leather holster called the Pocket-
Tuk ($29) that converts to an inside-the-waist-
band holster via a removable clip. This one isn’t
ambidextrous, so order left or right hand.
WRIGHT LEATHERWORKS sells the
Insider ($68)—a handsome leather rig avail-
able in black, mahogany, walnut, coffee and
saddle tan. The low-profile holster is made to
fit specific models, and based on its website it
looks like it has all the essential guns covered.
ELITE SURVIVAL SYSTEMS has the Elite
Pocket ($16), a simple design constructed of a
non-slip outer shell and memory foam. It’s also
available in a combo kit that includes a pocket
mag pouch.
New from BLACKHAWK is the TecGrip
($19), with an outer layer that promises a
firm grip on pocket material and high-density
closed-cell foam that contours to your body.
UNCLE MIKE’S has the Advanced Con-
cealment pocket holster ($21) with an adjust-
able shield that helps prevent gun “printing”
by making it look like a wallet or phone. An
abrasive, tacky finish keeps it securely in the
pocket on the draw.
HOLSTERS
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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For as long as I can remember,
I’ve always had an interest
in law enforcement. In my
early 20s, I began to seri-
ously consider becoming a
police officer. My dad,
an electrical fore-
man at the nearby power plant, did
his best to dissuade me. I remember
him saying, “Why would you want
to deal with the scum of the Earth
every day?”
It’s a fair question. As a police
officer you do tend to deal with
the same people, or at least the
same type of people, day after day.
They’re called criminals, and inter-
acting with them on a regular basis
gives you a keen insight into their
behavior.
When you’re around liars,
thieves and predators long
enough, you learn to spot
certain “tells” that could
indicate trouble is
afoot. Over time,
you learn not only what to look for
but also how to position yourself so
that when something bad happens,
you’ve given yourself every advan-
tage.
A good street cop has certain at-
tributes: an aura referred to in the
law enforcement arena as “command
presence,” keen observation skills,
effective verbal communication,
sound tactics and, above all, the will
to win.
While John Q. Citizen doesn’t have
the same training, equipment, arrest
authority or duty as a police offi-
cer, many of the same skills cops
rely on to keep them and society safe
from those who would do us harm
are just as applicable to the rest
WHAT COPS HAVE LEARNED IN EVERYDAY DEAL-INGS WITH CRIMINALS CAN HELP YOU STAY SAFE.
STREET SMARTSBY RICHARD NANCE | PHOTOS BY ALFREDO RICO
STREET SMARTS
of our citizenry—particularly
those who carry a gun.
Command presence is hard to de-
fine but easy to recognize, especially
to a criminal. It’s an air of assured-
ness, competence and professional-
ism. Command presence has little to
do with size or gender and every-
thing to do with an officer’s per-
ceived willingness and capability to
do the job. You can’t fake command
presence—not even with a tough guy
scowl or bulging biceps—because it
is a byproduct of the hard work that
went into developing the quiet confi-
dence that lets others know you’re a
force to be reckoned with.
Command presence isn’t achieved
by putting on a uniform, so everyday
citizens can develop this attribute.
Awareness of your surroundings,
confidence in your training and a
willingness to do whatever it takes
to protect yourself and your loved
ones will make you an undesirable
target for criminals, even if they
can’t quite put their finger on why.
Cops are masters of observation.
They’re on the lookout for anything
out of the ordinary, like noticing that
the person who just walked into the
restaurant on a cool day is sweating
profusely, is glancing over his shoul-
der, appears fidgety and has a hand
tucked under his shirt near the front
waistband of his pants (a favorite
hiding spot for concealed weapons).
Forget all the BS you’ve heard
about looking in someone’s eyes to
gauge intent. Cops know that hands
kill. Always watch the hands. If
someone’s hand is in his pocket, hid-
den behind his leg or tucked under
his shirt, be wary because could be
clutching a weapon. If you can’t see
that both hands of a potential adver-
sary are empty, the hairs on the back
of your neck should be standing tall.
Sure, there could be a reason-
able explanation for the subject’s
unusual behavior, but he also could
be high on drugs and looking around
to make sure the coast is clear and
preparing to draw a pistol from his
waistband to commit an armed rob-
bery. In any event, observing this
subject’s behavior enables you to
start developing a plan long before
the robber is pointing his gun and
<
Take a note from the cop handbook: Sit where you can see people coming in and always be aware of where the exits are.
50 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
yelling demands.
Police officers are sometimes
targeted for no other reason than
they wear a badge and are the most
recognizable representatives of the
government, so they learn quickly
to give themselves every advantage,
including spotting a criminal before
the criminal spots them. I doubt
you’ve seen a uniformed police
officer inside a restaurant with his
back to the main door unless a fellow
officer is sitting across from him.
Cops are also aware of exits. The
benefits to this are twofold. For
starters, knowing where the exits
are located can help an officer pre-
dict the direction a fleeing criminal
might run. Second, it’s criti-
<
Hands are a big clue to someone’s intentions. If you can’t see both hands, you have no idea what someone may be hiding.
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cally important in the event of
an emergency, when panic-stricken
occupants all try to squeeze out the
same door they entered from. One of
the first things you should note upon
entering any room is the number of
exits and where they are.
Despite Hollywood’s portrayal of
cops as cowboys constantly chas-
ing or fighting bad guys, the vast
majority of real-life police contacts
are far less dramatic. In fact, only
a small percentage of them involve
any degree of force. Most often, it’s a
cop’s verbal skills that help resolve
or at least mitigate some sort of
dispute. As such, veteran cops are
usually verbally persuasive. Even
when faced with an arrest situation,
voluntary compliance is the goal.
Oftentimes, a nonchalant or even
reassuring tone yields compliance.
Slow-playing it, even when you know
the suspect is wanted for a violent
felony, is typically a good starting
point. Of course, cops know all too
well that being “Officer Friendly”
doesn’t always work.
While the officer appears outward-
ly calm, he is anticipating resistance
and totally prepared to respond
with reasonable force. Cops know
that when dealing with a combative
suspect telling him, “Sir, please get
on the ground” is probably wasting
breath that would be better spent
oxygenating the body to establish
physical control of the suspect.
Communication skills are equally
as important to those not in law en-
forcement. It’s great if you can defuse
a situation verbally without having
to respond physically. Depending
on the situation, this may involve
apologizing, as in the case where you
accidentally bump shoulders with
someone walking past you.
But even as you’re saying, “Excuse
me,” or “I’m sorry,” your open hands
are held up between you and a poten-
tial attacker. He will likely view your
hand placement as a sign of submis-
sion. What he doesn’t know is that
your hands are strategically placed
to strike or fend, as appropriate.
Other situations will call for a
more assertive verbal response. For
instance, if someone you don’t know
suddenly changes course and makes
a beeline for you in the deserted
parking lot, clear and concise verbal
commands such as “Stay back!” or
“Don’t come any closer!” send a clear
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM52 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
STREET SMARTS
<
Avoid getting blocked in by leaving plenty of room between your car and the car in front of you so you can escape or maneuver as need be.
message that you mean business
and you are ready and willing to
defend yourself.
When communication fails, cops
rely on sound tactics to see them
through. There’s really nothing
mysterious about using sound tac-
tics. More often than not, it’s about
understanding the situation you’re
up against and incorporating a com-
monsense approach to achieve the
desired result. As disappointing as
it may seem, there really aren’t any
super-secret ninja/high-speed oper-
ator techniques that, once learned,
can be employed at the first sign of
danger to ensure your safety.
One common-sense tactic used
by cops that’s 100 percent trans-
ferable to everyone pertains to
driving. Before obtaining a driver’s
license, you’re taught about stop-
ping distances and the importance
of leaving a cushion between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of
you. This is a good practice not only
from a defensive-driving standpoint
but also from a self-defense per-
spective.
When I was a rookie cop, my
field-training officer stressed to
me the importance of leaving a gap
between our patrol vehicle and the
vehicle in front of us when we were
stopped. If we were ambushed—
or, far more likely, dispatched to
an emergency call or witnessed
a crime in progress—leaving a
gap would enable us to maneuver
through traffic.
The same logic applies to all
drivers. If you allow your vehicle
to creep too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you’re essentially
boxed in and unable to escape in
your vehicle in the event of an emer-
gency. A good practice is to stay far
enough back to see where the tires
on the vehicle in front of you meet
the road.
As important as tactics are, they
pale in comparison to the single
most important attribute a police
officer must possesses: an unwaver-
ing will to win the encounter.
Unfortunately, in many cases,
cops aren’t as highly trained as the
general public may assume. For
instance, it’s not uncommon for
an avid recreational shooter to be
more proficient than a police officer.
But the big difference between the
minimally trained police officer and
recreational shooter—the cop’s one
saving grace—is the cop is used to
being in dangerous situations and is
willing to go into harm’s way.
Cops would love to be there in your
moment of need, but that’s not always
possible. “When seconds count,
police are minutes away,” as they say.
That means you need to be not only
physically prepared to handle a de-
fensive situation—through firearms
and other self-defense training and
regular practice—but also mentally
prepared and willing to defend your-
self and your loved ones.
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| | BY LINE HEREFIRING LINE REPORT | FIRING LINE REPORT | BY JEFF CHUDWIN
SIG SAUER ADDED THE TACOPS TO ITS
line several years back and recently
released a new version: the SIG
TacOps 1911R in .357 SIG. In our law
enforcement training courses, we see
a number of the SIG .45 ACP 1911s in
use, and my initial thought was why the
.357 SIG? The short answer is power
and performance.
The TacOps is an enhanced 1911,
the “R” designation indicating the gun
includes an integral dust cover rail to
mount accessory lights or lasers. It
has a five-inch barrel with the standard
barrel bushing. The all-steel TacOps
is finished in a matte black Nitron that
proved durable and resistant to wear.
Empty weight is a bit over 40 ounces,
putting it into the heavyweight divi-
sion of both duty and concealed-carry
pistols.
I prefer checkering on my 1911s
because it provides a better gripping
surface, and this pistol has nicely cut
25 lpi checkering on the frontstrap and
mainspring housing. The top of the
frontstrap is undercut where it joins the
rear of the trigger guard, which allows
a high grip. The mainspring housing
has an attached flared mag well for fast
magazine insertion and easy reloads.
The sculpted beavertail grip safety
is well fit and, combined with the high
undercut of the frontstrap, offers excel-
lent feel and handling. The grip safety
includes a raised section—a so-called
speed bump—at the bottom to ensure
it is fully depressed regardless of hand
SIG SAUER TACOPS 1911R
SIG SAUERTACOPS 1911RTYPE: 1911
CALIBER: .357 SIG
CAPACITY: 8+1
BARREL: 5.0 in.
OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 8.7/5.5/1.5 in.
WEIGHT: 40.3 oz.
CONSTRUCTION: matte black Nitron-fin-
ished steel; railed dust cover
GRIPS: Ergo black pebbled polymer
SIGHTS: fixed SIGLite 3 dot tritium; Novak-
style slide cut
SAFETIES: Series 80 firing pin, ambi thumb,
speed bump beavertail
TRIGGER: mid-length skeletonized alumi-
num; 4.75 lb. pull (measured)
PRICE: $1,174
MANUFACTURER: SIG Sauer, SigSauer.com
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM54 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017
size or if the shooter is wearing gloves.
The ambidextrous thumb safety
is tightly fitted and has a detent for
positive on/off movement. As a lefty
shooter, the ambi feature is an added
bonus for me, and righties will find it
doesn’t extend so far it creates any
handling or holstering issues.
The slide has the unique SIG profile
and incorporates a beefy external ex-
tractor. I’m a fan of internal extractors,
but the SIG extractor worked flawlessly.
The advantage of the external design is
that it doesn’t require fitting, tweaking
or tensioning.
The slide stop is slightly extended to
the rear for better leverage. Front and
rear sights are snag-free, low-profile
tritium night sights. Grips are black with
pebble texture made by Ergo.
The trigger is a mid-length alumi-
num type with a distinctive hourglass
cutout. SIG uses the Series 80 firing pin
safety, but the trigger broke at a clean
4.75 pounds and evidenced none of the
Series 80 trigger creep shooters often
complain about.
For those new to the .357 SIG, it is
essentially a .40 S&W necked down to
.357 caliber. It is a high-velocity load
chosen for use by the U.S. Secret
Service that equals or exceeds the
traditional 125-grain loading in a .357
Magnum revolver.
Over four months and several
classes, I fired more than 1,400 rounds
through the TacOps with bullet weights
from 100 to 125 grains without a single
malfunction. Since it just kept running, I
purposely didn’t clean it—just adding a
little bit of lubrication—to see how long
it would go. It never choked. The two
supplied eight-round magazines are
marked .40 caliber and have a spacer
at the rear to place the cartridge closer
to the front for feeding reliability.
The TacOps was passed along to a
number of shooters and officers in our
classes who had shot the .357 SIG in
other handguns. They expected a hard-
recoiling pistol, and all commented on
how much different the TacOps shot,
saying it just felt like shooting a hot
9mm. The TacOps in .357 SIG is easily
controlled in rapid fire.
I also shot the SIG side by side with
the Smith & Wesson four-inch Model 66
I carried in my early police days. While
the ballistics of the two handguns are
similar, there is a big difference in felt
recoil. With full .357 Magnum loads, the
Model 66 is a handful, and a cylinder
or two is enough for me. With the .357
SIG in the TacOps I shot more than 300
<
SIG attached a flared mag well for sure reloads. The combination of the pebbled Ergo grips and 25 lpi check-ering makes the gun controllable.
rounds on two consecutive range days
with no discomfort.
Shooting the TacOps on a variety
of courses of fire and targets from
extreme close range to beyond 200
yards demonstrated the value of the
flat-shooting .357 SIG. I also fired
rounds into ballistic gel faced with
heavy clothing and got nearly 0.60-inch
expansion for the V-Crown, Federal
HST and Speer Gold Dot—with pen-
etration between 16 and 19 inches. The
only downside I find with the .357 SIG
round is muzzle blast when compared
to our other carry calibers. It is a true
magnum cartridge in performance;
there is no free lunch.
For the citizen defender or law officer
or who chooses to carry a full-size 1911
and wants a hard-hitting cartridge, the
SIG TacOps is a well-built, accurate
and highly functional choice. I am writ-
ing a check to SIG. This TacOps has a
new home.
<
Instead of the traditional internal extractor, SIG uses an external extractor. It and the gun performed flawlessly through more than 1,400 rounds.
< The TacOps features a stylish
skeletonized trigger that’s crisp for a Series 80, and the sculpted beavertail safety features a speed bump.
ACCURACY RESULTS | SIG SAUER TACOPS 1911RBullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.357 SIG Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
Federal HST JHP 125 1,392 13 2.25
Federal JHP 125 1,361 4 2.25
SIG Elite V-Crown JHP 125 1,344 19 2.30
SIG Elite FMJ 125 1,337 27 2.50
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots measured on a ProChrono chronograph set 10 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal jacket; JHP, jacketed hollowpoint
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 HANDGUNS 55
| FIRING LINE REPORT | BY KAT AINSWORTH
IN RECENT YEARS THERE’S BEEN A STEADY
rise in female shooters, and in response
the industry has been marketing certain
firearms to women. Far too many of
those guns take stereotypes into ac-
count with pink grips, small calibers and
diminutive frames. With the Amethyst Ul-
tra II, Kimber has taken its “what all guns
should be” slogan to heart by creating a
gun any and all shooters will want for an
everyday carry gun.
In ancient times the amethyst was
known as the “gem of fire.” Medieval
knights wore the gem into battle for
protection, and travelers used it to stave
off surprise attacks. Its purple hue has
long been associated with nobility, and
in 1782 George Washington assigned
the color to the forerunner of the Purple
Heart, the medal currently awarded to
service members wounded or killed
while serving this nation. Today, Kimber
is redefining the gem’s protective quali-
ties with this new pistol.
Two things immediately strike you
about the Amethyst: its compact 1911
frame and its glossy purple slide. It’s a
rugged, reliable platform and perhaps
the perfect choice for a purple pistol. The
Amethyst is chambered in 9mm and .45
ACP, which I chose for testing.
The Ultra is essentially the company’s
Officer’s 1911 platform and features a
ramped three-inch stainless steel barrel
that has a 1:16 left-hand twist. The recoil
spring is an 18-pounder, and the gun
employs a full-length guide rod.
The Amethyst has a satin silver
aluminum frame with purple highlights,
and the heel of the frame is rounded so
it won’t print or snag on clothing. The
stainless steel slide is finished in a vi-
brant purple PVD coating. The G10 grips
are purple-and-black ball-milled, and
components such as the ambidextrous
thumb and grip safeties are finished to
KIMBERAMETHYST ULTRA IITYPE: 1911
CALIBER: 9mm, .45 ACP (tested)
CAPACITY: 7+1
BARREL: 3 in. stainless steel, ramped, 1:16
LH twist
OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 6.8/4.8/1.2 in.
WEIGHT: 25 oz.
CONSTRUCTION: aluminum frame, stainless
steel slide
GRIPS: purple and black G10
SIGHTS: Tactical Wedge 3-dot tritium night
sights, fixed
SAFETIES: ambidextrous thumb, grip
TRIGGER: 4 lb., 10 oz. pull (measured)
PRICE: $1,652
MANUFACTURER: Kimber, KimberAmericA.com
match the slide.
Weight is 25 ounces empty. It has
a height of 4.75 inches, length of 6.8
inches and width of 1.15 inches. I have
large hands, with fingers longer
KIMBER AMETHYST ULTRA II
56 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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pistol. However, once I began shooting,
it became clear this isn’t just another
pretty face.
For accuracy testing, I used a wide
array of suitable ammunition. Results are
shown in the accompanying table. The
Amethyst was accurate and precise from
the bench, and it also delivered 10-yard
offhand groups of 0.58 inch with a frangi-
ble from Team Never Quit and 0.60 inch
with G2 Research RIP.
Felt recoil was manageable and
muzzle rise was negligible, simplifying
follow-up shots. Those features were
complemented by the clean, crisp four-
pound, 10-ounce pull and short reset of
the solid aluminum trigger.
On separate occasions the Amethyst
was referred to as “cute” by visitors at
the Central Wisconsin Sportsmen’s Club
where I spend a significant amount of
range time. One commenter was im-
pressed into silence once he was given
<
As a Special Edition, the Amethyst Ultra gets special embellishments. But it has the same crisp trigger Kimber guns are known for.
<
The Amethyst has all the usual controls, but in this case they’re purple, contrasting nicely with the aluminum frame. The grips are thin G10.
| FIRING LINE REPORT | KIMBER AMETHYST ULTRA II
than the average shooter—regard-
less of gender—and palms wide enough
to make holding many compact guns
awkward. This is a compact gun, but
one I can grip comfortably with room for
my entire hand. No dangling pinkies is a
significant point in its favor.
The pistol is topped by fixed Mepro-
light Tactical Wedge three-dot tritium
night sights. The gun has a sight radius
of 4.8 inches and enough visible space
on either side of the front sight to make
sight alignment easier, which leads to
a clearer sight picture. I found target
acquisition quick to obtain.
From its polished purple slide to the
elaborate silver engravings marking it
as the “Special Kimber Edition–Am-
ethyst Ultra II,” it’s obvious substantial
thought went into this eye-catching
Guide R
od Laser
™
THE ORIGINAL SELF-CONTAINED LASER SYSTEM
The most technologically-advanced, hardened laser sighting system ever developed, the Guide Rod Laser™ replaces the spring guide assembly in semi-auto pistols. No laser sight in the world gets subjected to more rigorous testing or can result in more accurate shots. Don’t skimp. Make it a LaserMax Guide Rod Laser.
GLOCK 42/43
<
The pistol is not an Ultra+ model, which features a full-length grip, but Ainsworth found the short grip worked well even for her large hands.
ACCURACY RESULTS | KIMBER AMETHYST ULTRA IIBullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.45 ACP Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
PolyCase Inceptor ARX 118 1,150 24.3 1.48
G2 Research RIP 162 835 14.6 1.38
Hornady Critical Defense FTX 185 840 13.1 1.55
Creedmoor HAP 185 798 28.2 2.37
SIG Elite V-Crown JHP 200 776 26.1 1.51
Federal Hydra-Shok JHP 230 744 26.6 1.79
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of five five-shot groups at 15 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots measured with a PACT Professional XP 10 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviation: JHP, jacketed hollowpoint
the opportunity to try the pistol himself,
and another began debating purchasing
one as his new carry gun after run-
ning through a couple magazines. The
Amethyst may be aesthetically “cute,”
but there’s nothing cute about half-inch
groups or drilling the bullseye one-hand-
ed from 15 yards.
If you’re in the market for a concealed
carry pistol and prefer the punch of
.45 ACP, take a look at the Amethyst. If
you’d rather have a 9mm, as I men-
tioned you’re in luck because it comes
chambered in 9mm, too.
The price tag is a bit steep at $1,652
but the Amethyst is well crafted, reliable
and accurate. Yes, it’s accented with
pops of purple, but color is the last
thing you notice while standing your
ground against an assailant. And when
you do notice, remember it’s the color
of an amethyst, the gem knights wore
into battle for protection.
G U N C O M P A N Y
ITHACA
| FIRING LINE REPORT | BY JAMES TARR
RUGER HAS SOLD MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION
LCPs. In fact, one of the executives
at Ruger recently admitted to me that
the success of the LCP was one of the
leading reasons for the shortage of
.380 ACP ammo in the last few years.
Just do the math. If every LCP owner
simply bought one 50-round box of
ammo, that’s 75 million rounds of a
caliber that historically was never in
demand.
The LCP was quietly upgraded
about three years ago with incremen-
tally larger sights and a slightly shorter
trigger pull, but even so, there were
people, including myself, who weren’t
fans of the design for various rea-
sons—usually the long trigger pull and
equally long reset.
With the introduction of the LCP
II, Ruger has addressed all of the
complaints about its original hugely
successful design, which probably
will cause another run on .380 ACP
ammunition.
What’s different? At first glance, if
you put an LCP II next to an original
LCP, you’ll see the two pistols are
similar in size and overall appearance,
although the LCP II tends to have
angles where the LCP has curves.
Overall, at 5.17 inches the LCP II is just
one-hundredth of an inch longer than
the original LCP, and 0.11 inch taller.
At 10.6 ounces it is exactly one ounce
heavier.
The LCP II has the same 2.75-inch
barrel and the same 6+1 .380 ACP
capacity. The biggest difference is the
operating system. The original LCP
is a double-action-only semiauto,
whereas the new LCP II is a single-
action pistol. The main benefit of that
change is a trigger pull that is not just
lighter but noticeably shorter.
Total trigger travel on my sample is
RUGER LCP II
RUGERLCP IITYPE: hammer-fired, single-action semiauto
CALIBER: .380 ACP
MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 6+1
BARREL: 2.75 in.
OAL/HEIGHT/WIDTH: 5.2/3.7/0.9 in.
WEIGHT: 10.6 oz.
CONSTRUCTION: glass-filled nylon frame,
blued alloy steel slide
SIGHTS: serrated ramp front, notch rear
TRIGGER: 5.75 lb. pull (as tested)
PRICE: $349
MANUFACTURER: Ruger, ruger.com
5/8 inch, and—get this—over half of
that is take-up. Once you take up the
slack, the actual trigger pull length is
just a quarter-inch.
Perhaps even more importantly, the
reset on the trigger is just a quarter-
inch as well. This means not only
do you not have to worry about
60 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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ou
r facto
ries, so
ou
r too
ls w
ill go
toe
-to-to
e w
ith th
e
top
pro
fessio
na
l bra
nd
s. A
nd
we
can
sell th
em
for a
fra
ction
of th
e p
rice b
eca
use
w
e cu
t ou
t the
mid
dle
ma
n
an
d p
ass th
e sa
ving
s on
to
you
. It’s just th
at sim
ple
! C
om
e visit o
ne
of o
ur
70
0+
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res N
atio
nw
ide
.
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on
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20
%O
FF
AN
Y
SIN
GLE
ITEM
VA
LID
ON
5,0
00
+ IT
EM
SNOW
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
SAV
E $5
0
SAV
E $2
59
3-1
/2" S
UP
ER
BR
IGH
T
NIN
E L
ED
ALU
MIN
UM
FLA
SH
LIG
HT
ITEM 69052 show
n69111/62522/62573
VA
LU
E
$497
$9999
ITEM 61849
6271968887 show
n
90 A
MP
FLU
X
WIR
E W
ELD
ER
•
No G
as R
equire
d
WE C
AR
RY
A
FU
LL LINE O
F
WELD
ING
WIR
E
$109
99
109
99
$54
99
$5
49
9
$89
9
$8 $89
9
$89
99
89
99
comp at
$149.99
Cu
stom
er R
atin
gSAV
E $7
0
20-6
0 x
60m
m
SP
OTTIN
G S
CO
PE
W
ITH
TR
IPO
D
$39
99
comp at $109 .99
ITEM 62774/94555 show
n
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
SAV
E 8
2%
AU
TO
MATIC
B
ATTER
Y F
LO
AT
C
HA
RG
ER
ITEM
69594/6995542292 show
n
$59
9
comp at $34 .99
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
$59
99
$99
9
comp at
$119 .99
RA
PID
PU
MP
® 1
.5 T
ON
A
LU
MIN
UM
RA
CIN
G J
AC
K
• 3-1
/2 P
um
ps L
ifts M
ost V
ehicle
s•
Weig
hs 3
4 lb
s.
ITEM 69252/62160
62496/62516/68053 60569 show
nS
AVE
$60
$21
99
$21
21
99
comp at $29.99
SAV
E 66%
TO
RQ
UE W
REN
CH
ES
YO
UR
CH
OIC
E
• A
ccura
cy w
ithin
±4%
DR
IVE
ITEM
1/4"2696/61277
3/8"807/61276
1/2"62431/239
LIMIT 3 - G
ood at o
ur sto
res or H
arborFreig
ht.co
m o
r by callin
g 8
00-4
23-2
567. C
annot
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ith o
ther d
iscount o
r coupon o
r prio
r purch
ases after 30 d
ays from
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purch
ase with
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t. Offer g
ood w
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pplies last. N
on-tran
sferable. O
rigin
al
coupon m
ust b
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ted. V
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rough 4
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7. L
imit o
ne co
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er custo
mer p
er day.
WOW
SU
PER
CO
UP
ON
$89
99
$89
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SAV
E $1
05
2500 L
B.
ELEC
TR
IC W
INC
H
WIT
H W
IRELESS
REM
OTE C
ON
TR
OL
ITEM 61258 show
n
61840 /61297/68146com
p at
$159.99
$54
99
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Item
239
show
n
$139
99
comp at $399
ITEM 69684 show
n 61969/61970
12" S
LID
ING
CO
MP
OU
ND
D
OU
BLE-B
EV
EL M
ITER
SA
W
WIT
H L
ASER
GU
IDE
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
$19
99
9
19
99
9
$39
99
39
39
99
$14
99
$1
4$1
49
9
SAV
E 63%
$21
99 com
p at $60.95
3/8
" x 1
4 F
T. GR
AD
E 4
3TO
WIN
G C
HA
IN
Not fo
r overh
ead liftin
g.
ITEM 60658
97711 shown
• 5400 lb
. capacity
SAV
E 5
0%
comp at
$20.26
$99
9
$39
99
$59
9
ITEM 95578/69645 /60625 show
n
4-1
/2" A
NG
LE G
RIN
DER
SAV
E 5
9%
$59
99
$$59
99
comp at
$98.62
3 G
ALLO
N, 1
00 P
SI O
ILLESS
AIR
CO
MP
RESSO
RS
ITEM 69269
97080 shown
ITEM 60637/61615
95275 shown
A. H
OT D
OG
B. P
AN
CA
KE
YO
UR
CH
OIC
E
A
B
PO
WD
ER
-FR
EE
NIT
RIL
E G
LO
VES
P
AC
K O
F 1
00
YO
UR
CH
OIC
E
• 5 m
il th
ickness
SAV
E 6
2%
$79
9
$7 $79
9
comp at $15.99
SIZE
ITEM
MED
68496/61363
LG68497/61360
X-LG
68498/61359
Item
68498
show
n
LIM
IT
5
- G
ood
at
our
sto
res
or
Harb
orF
reig
ht.c
om
or
by
callin
g
800-4
23-2
567. C
annot b
e u
sed w
ith o
ther d
iscount o
r coupon o
r prio
r
purc
hases afte
r 30 days fro
m orig
inal
purc
hase w
ith orig
inal
receip
t.
Offe
r good w
hile
supplie
s la
st. N
on-tra
nsfe
rable
. Orig
inal c
oupon m
ust b
e
pre
sente
d. V
alid
thro
ugh 4
/12/1
7. L
imit o
ne c
oupon p
er c
usto
mer p
er d
ay.
WOW
SU
PER
CO
UP
ON
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
$79
9
$79
9
comp at $14.99
$49
9
SAV
E 66%
AM
MO
BO
X
ITEM 63135/61451 show
n
LIMIT 4 - G
ood at o
ur sto
res or H
arborFreig
ht.co
m o
r by callin
g 8
00-4
23-2
567. C
annot
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sed w
ith o
ther d
iscount o
r coupon o
r prio
r purch
ases after 30 d
ays from
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purch
ase with
orig
inal receip
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ood w
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pplies last. N
on-tran
sferable. O
rigin
al
coupon m
ust b
e presen
ted. V
alid th
rough 4
/12/1
7. L
imit o
ne co
upon p
er custo
mer p
er day.
WOW
SU
PER
CO
UP
ON
$159
99
159
99
SAV
E $2
19
$99
99
comp at
$319.01
26", 4
DR
AW
ER
TO
OL C
AR
TITEM
6163461952
95659 shown
• 580 lb
. capacity
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
LIMIT 5 - G
ood at o
ur sto
res or H
arborFreig
ht.co
m o
r by callin
g 8
00-4
23-2
567. C
annot
be u
sed w
ith o
ther d
iscount o
r coupon o
r prio
r purch
ases after 30 d
ays from
orig
inal
purch
ase with
orig
inal receip
t. Offer g
ood w
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pplies last. N
on-tran
sferable. O
rigin
al
coupon m
ust b
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alid th
rough 4
/12/1
7. L
imit o
ne co
upon p
er custo
mer p
er day.
WOW
SU
PER
CO
UP
ON
$339
99
339
99
4000 P
EA
K/3
200 R
UN
NIN
G W
ATTS
6.5
HP
(212 C
C) G
AS G
EN
ER
ATO
RS
comp at $469
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Wheel
kit s
old
separa
tely. $28999 ITEM
69675/69728
63090/63089
CA
LIFOR
NIA
ON
LY
ITEM 63079/69729
63080/69676 shown
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Cu
stom
er R
atin
g
Ruger supplies the pistol with one
magazine with two baseplates—one
flat and one with a finger hook. I have
small hands, and I can still barely get
two fingers on the LCP II’s grip with
the finger-hook baseplate installed, so
I prefer it.
The pistol sports aggressive, angled
slide serrations front and back, which
really make sense on a gun this small.
And let’s not forget the sights. While
still plain black and small, the LCP II
has real sights. They are one piece
with the slide—a no-snag rear and
ramp front with serrated faces. I can
see a lot of people putting bright paint
or nail polish on the front sight so it
sticks out in low light.
Not only is the texturing on the
frame more aggressive on this model
compared to the original LCP, but also
the rear of the frame has been thick-
ened for shooter comfort. The fatter
part of the grip is actually designed to
look like the replaceable grip module
of the American pistol, but it is one
piece.
The LCP II also comes with a
smooth on the inside/tacky on the
outside soft pocket holster that is
designed to stay in your pocket during
the draw. The holster also helps mask
the shape of the pistol.
All of these improvements mean the
LCP II at $349 has a suggested retail
$90 higher than that of the original
LCP, but I think they’re worth it. I
would never carry an LCP because I
know my limitations: I short-stroke that
long trigger pull on the original LCP
even when I’m not under stress. On
the other hand, I’m buying my LCP II
sample—voting with my wallet, as they
say.
Ruger has no plans to discontinue
the original LCP. While a few people
might opt for the original LCP because
the longer heavier trigger pull is “saf-
er,” I can’t see anyone who compares
the two pistols side by side not picking
the LCP II.
<
This pistol may look like a striker-fired gun, but it’s actually got a hammer, which you can see from the back. The rear sight is a serrated notch.
<
With the slack taken up, the trigger pull on the LCP II starts here and ends at the stop on the bottom of the trigger guard, a distance of a quarter-inch. Reset is just a quarter-inch as well.
<
The frame texturing on the LCP II is more aggressive than the original, and the rear of the frame is wider. The extended magazine baseplate will provide a better grip for most.
| FIRING LINE REPORT | RUGER LCP II
short-stroking the trigger under
stress, but also the average gun owner
can actually shoot the pistol with some
speed.
Also important, the shorter trig-
ger pull means it’s easier to keep
the sights on the target while you’re
pulling the trigger. This translates to
ACCURACY RESULTS | RUGER LCP IIBullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.380 ACP Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
Hornady XTP 90 844 18 2.4
Hornady American Gunner XTP 90 848 22 2.9
SIG Elite FMJ 100 803 15 3.8
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of four five-shot groups at 15 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages of 10 shots measured with an Oehler Model 35 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal jacket.
an increase in what I’ll call “curb-side
accuracy.” Trigger pull weight on my
particular sample measured 5.75
pounds, which seemed about average
for the LCP IIs I’ve gotten my hands on
thus far.
As this is a single-action auto de-
signed for pocket carry, the engineers
at Ruger have put a safety lever on
the trigger to reduce the chances of it
being pulled accidentally. As a result,
the pistol now looks like the aver-
age striker-fired pistol, but it is in fact
hammer-fired, and the hammer can be
seen through the slot in the rear of the
slide.
Other improvements include a slide
stop that will lock back the slide on an
empty magazine. Original six-round
LCP magazines will work in this gun,
but they won’t lock the slide back.
Seven-round LCP magazines won’t
work with this gun.
62 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months Has Changed During the Preceding 12 Months 13) Publication Title
HANDGUNS14) Issue Date for Circulation Data Below
October/November 201615) Extent and Nature of Circulation
Average No. No. Copies of Copies of Single Each Issue IssueDuring Published Preceeding Nearest 12 Months to Filing
Datea) Total Number of Copies 159,392 151,333b) Paid and/or requested circulation
1) Paid/requestedoutside/county mailsubscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 102,121 101,7502) Paid in-countysubscriptions 0 03) Sales through dealersand carriers, street vendors and counter 11,198 10,2504) Other classes mailedthrough USPS 0 0
c) Total paid and/or requested circulation 113,318 112,000
d) Free distribution by mail1) Outside-county as stated on PS Form 3541 35 382) In-county as stated on PS Form 3541 0 03) Other classes mailedthrough USPS 0 04) Free distributionthrough the mail 164 85
e) Total Free Distribution 199 123f) Total Distribution 113,517 112,123g) Copies not Distributed 45,875 39,210h) Total 159,392 151,333i) Percent paid and/or
requested circulation 99.8% 99.9%16) Electronic Copy Circulationa) Paid Electronic Copies 8,046 7,998b) Total Paid Print Copies 121,364 119,998c) Total Distribution 121,563 120,121d) Percent Paid 99.84% 99.90% 17) This statement of ownership will be printed
in the February/March 2017 issue of this publication.
18) Signed by Peter J. Watt, Vice President, Consumer MarketingDate 10/1/16
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or mislead-ing information on this form or who omits material or informtion requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).
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PRODUCTS COME AND GO, AND THE COLT
Python came to us in 1955, the same
year as the S&W Model 29. Sadly, all
good things end, and in October of
1999 Colt terminated the production
of this famous revolver after a pro-
duction run of more than 40 years.
It was literally a handcrafted
gun—cited by many as one of the
most challenging and difficult
handguns to manufacture—so ris-
ing costs and a changing market
made the decision easy for Colt. Yet
surprisingly, the custom shop was
making Pythons on special order for
several years thereafter—ceasing, I
assume, after its stockpile of frames
and parts ran out.
My Python was made in late 1977,
and it came with a letter detailing
the serial number, barrel length,
caliber and other items signed
by H.S. Huber, then the company
historian. I have used the gun in
PPC competition with lead bullets
on indoor ranges, some small game
hunting and just shooting for plea-
sure. I still enjoy it immensely; it is
as tight and accurate as ever.
The Python is a double-action re-
volver that started out as an offshoot
of the Colt Officer’s Model, which
was built on the “I” frame that was
also the basis for the Trooper and
Lawman guns.
At first, Colt made the guns with a
hollow underlug, but it later re-
versed course, leaving the underlug
solid. In the beginning, the top rib
was solid as well, but the Python was
initially marketed as a target gun,
and the two features combined to
make the gun too heavy to shoot for
an entire match. Colt wound up mill-
ing the rib to a vent rib configura-
tion, something appreciated by all,
balancing the gun perfectly.
Another interesting feature is the
way the cylinder locks up during the
strike of the hammer. At full cock,
you can feel the lateral movement of
the cylinder, but when the hammer
falls, everything tightens right up.
The Python is a joy to shoot. The
trigger pull is outstanding thanks to
all the handwork. The Elliason rear
sight is perfect in every way with a
notch that mates flawlessly with the
front blade. At 50 feet, I can shoot
1.25-inch groups.
In the course of its run, the gun
was available with 2.5-, 3-, 4-, 6-
and 8-inch barrels although I have
never seen one with the three-inch
tube. Rare, maybe; definitely highly
collectable. Naturally, a gun of this
pedigree has to have many finishes
to choose from including Royal Blue,
nickel, stainless and a bright stain-
less that comes darn close to being
nickel in appearance.
To many the Colt Python is often
termed as “the best revolver in the
world.” I happen to be one of the
many.
THINK (SORT OF) FASTACTING WITHOUT THINKING IS NEVER A GOOD PLAN.
COLT PYTHON
| BACK PAGE BEAUTIES | By STAN TRZONIEC
Creed: A set of fundamental beliefs that guide one’s actions. Walther believes in superior ergonomics, excellence in trigger design, and unparalleled accuracy, quality, and reliability. The new Walther Creed is built on these principles. We live our Creed so you can believe in it.
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EXCELLENCE IN
TRIGGER DESIGN
SUPERIOR
ERGONOMICS
U E
Kimber Two-Tone II and Stainless IIThe new look for an iconic foundation.
Transforming our foundation, the 2016 Kimber
Two-Tone II and Stainless II families have the custom
features that promote intuitive operation and
absolute dependability. As with all Kimber pistols,
each part is manufactured to the tightest tolerances
and fi t together by hand. Three sizes and 2 calibers
are available in each family; the Ultra Carry II,
pictured here, features a 3-inch barrel and weighs
in at 25 ounces.
The sophisticated two-
tone slide and frame fi nish
features brush-polished fl ats
on slide and is accented by
rosewood grips. Off ered in
45 ACP and 9mm.
The Stainless II family off ers
models in stainless steel
and aluminum construction.
Kimber logo rosewood grips
complete the classic look
on all Stainless II models.
Available in three sizes
and in .45 ACP and
9mm.
W H A T A L L G U N S S H O U L D B ET M
©2016, Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Information and specifi cations are for reference only and subject to change without notice.
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