LOAD UP

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nino Bosaz

It seems like we’re EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Linas Cernauskas

→
PRODUCTION EDITOR Greg Lickenbrock
living in an alter- ART DIRECTOR/COVER DESIGN Rory Slifkin
nate universe right PREMEDIA Mike Gregory
DIGITAL MANAGER Matthew Hogan
now thanks to the ASSISTANT EDITOR Mark Chesnut*
COVID-19 pandemic, which EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Richard Ortega
has cancelled the school CIRCULATION CONSULTANT Scott Hill/ProCirc
COVER PHOTO Alex Landeen*
year for every kid, shut down
businesses across the country ballisticmag.com • tactical-life.com
personaldefenseworld.com • realworldsurvivor.com
and left many people won- EDITORIAL INQUIRIES editdesk@athlonoutdoors.com
dering, “What’s next?” We’re
still ramping up the testing
and figuring out how to safely athlonoutdoors.com
reopen our country, but we’ve VP/GROUP PUBLISHER Nicholas S. Seifert
& CONTENT DIRECTOR
all been affected by the virus— ADVERTISING SALES
some have lost loved ones, and National Office
212-478-1910; sales@athlonoutdoors.com
many have lost their jobs.
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES
That said, we also have to NORTHEAST REGION Scott Buchmayr; 978-462-6335
pay attention to some of the SOUTHEAST/UPPER MIDWEST Amos Crowley; 216-378-9811
WESTERN REGION Scott J. Cherek; 307-635-8899
craziness seeping in during
MIDWEST/CENTRAL SOUTH Dan Flavin; 248-515-8654
this crisis. Some states have
decided that gun shops aren’t DIRECT RESPONSE ADS Jim Coen; 212-478-1949
“essential businesses,” negating SENIOR DIRECTOR, Carrie Roeder
MARKETING & OPERATIONS
our Second Amendment rights. DIGITAL SALES Brock Norman
DEVELOPMENT &
We’re talking about places like MARKETING DIRECTOR

New York, where “shall not be where you look. Stay-at-home LeMats have been given a 24th MARKETING COORDINATOR/ Maureen Pichner
ADMINISTRATOR
infringed” is always ignored. orders that seem to have no century makeover like none other.
At the same time, gun sales end in sight have given away to While ruminating at his shooting ATHLON MEDIA GROUP
have spiked in places where panic. What if someone needs range somewhere in Michigan’s CORPORATE OFFICERS
Chuck Allen
PRESIDENT, CEO
you can still buy them. The FBI to reopen their restaurant, their wilderness, Editor-in-Chief Linas CFO/TREASURER Mary Lee Vanderkooi
recently reported that it received hair salon, their tattoo shop, to Cernauskas came up with the CORPORATE ADDRESSES
766,739 NICS background put food on the table for their idea for the guns, which Odin’s NEW YORK:
60 E. 42nd St., Suite 820, NY, NY 10165; 212-478-1910
checks from April 13 to April 19. families? Many have taken to the Workshop and Outlaw Ordnance
NASHVILLE:
That’s one week! Guns are liter- streets with their guns to show designed and perfected in record 2451 Atrium Way, Suite 320
ally flying off the shelves in “free their patriotism and their desire time. We’ll let you decide which Nashville, TN 37214; 800-284-5668
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There have been shortages They want to maintain order but the best part is that these ONLINE STORE: outdoorgroupstore.com
of food and other critical sup- and normalcy just like everyone awesome sci-fi blasters are up *Consultant
plies throughout the pandemic. else, even if you disagree with for grabs, too. Turn to page 30 to
Our first responders are also how they’re doing it. You could learn more about the contest. TO THE READERS: Be advised that there may be products
stretched incredibly thin. Then, almost say we’re in the begin- The rest of this issue of represented in this magazine as to which the sale, possession or
interstate transportation thereof may be restricted, prohibited or
to make matters worse, tens of ning stages of some apocalyptic Ballistic is packed with great subject to special licensing requirements. Prospective purchasers
thousands of convicted felons scenario. It sure feels that way! content, but before you dive in, should consult the local law enforcement authorities in their area.
All of the information in this magazine is based upon the personal
have been released from prison Which brings us to our cover we’d like to highlight a few of our experience of individuals who may be using specific tools, prod-
ucts, equipment and components under particular conditions and
in an absurd effort to slow the guns. In keeping with the dysto- awesome digital initiatives that circumstances, some or all of which may not be reported in the
spread of the virus. Naturally, a pian theme, we’re bringing you a are in play online. The second particular article and which this magazine has not otherwise veri-
fied. Nothing herein is intended to constitute a manual for the use
number of violent offenders have wild “Custom Challenge” where season of Ballistic’s “Long of any product or the carrying out of any procedure or process.
This magazine and its officers and employees accept no respon-
already committed crimes again Range Precision” series is now sibility for any liability, injuries or damages arising out of any per-
with their newfound freedom. live on ballisticmag.com/LRP2. son’s attempt to rely upon any information contained herein.
Who didn’t see that coming? And make sure you check out the
BALLISTIC® (ISSN 2573-0290) is published bimonthly by
Meanwhile, President premier seasons of Tactical Life’s Athlon Sports Communications, Inc., 2451 Atrium Way, Suite 320,
Trump’s getting eviscerated by “Reloading Zone” at tactical-life. Nashville, TN 37214. Single copy price: $9.95 U.S. and $10.95
CAN. Subscriptions are six issues for $32.97 per year in the U.S.
the mainsteam media and those com/RZ1 and Personal Defense Periodicals Postage paid at Nashville, TN, and at other additional
mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send subscription requests to:
on the left for his administra- World’s “EDC” video series at Athlon Media Group, PO Box 292167, Kettering, OH 45429.
tion’s response to the global personaldefenseworld.com/ POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Ballistic, PO Box 292167,
Kettering OH 45429. Submissions of manuscripts, illustrations and/
pandemic. Because of this, EDC1. Now hang in there, stay or photographs must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed
envelope. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited
our society has never felt more safe and read on! —The Editors material. Copyright © 2020 by Athlon Sports Communications, Inc.
com to subscribe to
Ballistic and order All rights reserved under international and Pan American Copyright
Conventions. Reproduction in whole or in part, via electronic or any
print and digital copies.
other means, without written permission of the publisher is strictly
Subscribe for a year and prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 6 Issue 4.
you’ll save money to
2 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
spend on things like guns.
 INSIDE
ISSUE

VOL. 6
04
56

44
FEATURES
38 UNDERCOVER 76 “SAY HELLO TO
HELLS ANGEL MY LITTLE FRIEND!”

38 Iron-willed Jay Dobyns on

riding with the devil, ATF
backstabbing and more
BY MIKE DETTY
Brownells and LMT can help you
create a retro weapon system
worthy of Scarface
BY FRANK JARDIM

44 THE BIG, BAD PETRA 92 EOTECH’S EVOLUTION

68 Falkor Defense’s magnum-class
AR keeps the punch downrange,
How the leader in holographic
sights has changed over time
where it belongs BY FRANK MELLONI
BY SEAN UTLEY
98 THE RED OKTOBER
56 DYNAMIC DUO SHOOTOUT
Wilson Combat creates the On the firing line at the world’s
ultimate 9mm combo with largest AK-only competition
its AR9X and EDC X9L BY DAVID BAHDE
BY GARRETT LUCAS
112 RONIN OPERATOR
64 LONE WOLF Springfield’s new 1911 has
Benelli’s first bolt action is everything you need and

68

BY FRED MASTISON

STOM 24 30
CU

RELICS REBORN
Outlaw Ordnance and Odin’s

ST
CU

Workshop have given two classic

LeMats sci-fi makeovers
BY ALEX LANDEEN BY ALEX LANDEEN & PETER SUCIU

4
 INSIDE
ISSUE

VOL. 6
04
14 DEPARTMENTS
10 BREW HA HA
Meanderings of a modern cavalier
BY FRANCIS MACOMBER

14 DIY BUILD
Taking a custom Aero Precision
M4E1 through Thunder Ranch’s 54
top-notch training
BY MITCH HARDIN

54 WILD RIDES
Now you can have your own mini-tank
82 to tackle any terrain
BY WILL DABBS, MD

82 RANGE 101
88 Everything to consider before you start
tearing up your backyard
BY RICHARD MANN
108
86 THE UNKNOWNS
Get to know two small companies
with some pretty big products 108 BOLD CARRY
BY FRANK MELLON The CZ Scorpion EVO 3 is
back and smaller than ever
88 CAN CORNER for CQB domination
Upgrade your favorite Ruger pistols BY TODD BURGREEN
and rifles with these covert add-ons
118 WILD KITCHEN
Demystifying Japan’s ultra-rare
104 and expensive Wagyu
BY JON R. SUNDRA

104 122 ON THE EDGE

Doug Marcaida and 5.11 Tactical
131 team up to create the coolest
122 karambits around
BY ANDY GROSSMAN
128
THREADS
Beat the heat this summer with
these great clothing and gear picks
BY ALEX LANDEEN

118 AFTER HOURS

Three classic drinks to help you
survive the quarantine
BY JUSTIN NEAL

LAST BLASTS
Auto-Ordnance has finally made the
134 Tommy gun available in 9mm
BY FRANK JARDIM

6 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 W H O E VER SAID YOU CAN’T
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 ®
rewhaha [ MEANDERINGS OF A MODERN CAVALIER ] BY FRANCIS MACOMBER

Blowin’ Smoke
I recently had a reunion with a bunch of guys
that I met 15 years ago in Afghanistan. I
packed along a bottle of Redbreast whiskey,
and a buddy brought a box of Montecristo
White Court cigars, which were full-flavored
enough for the experienced smokers who
light up cigars almost every day but mild
enough for the novices among us, too.

, E A S Y M O N E Y
FA S T
The unemployment rate is soaring and
bank account balances are plummet-
ing so everyone is looking for a fast,
easy score. Sure, people with our skills
could drop a cash courier from a mar-
ijuana dispensary or rob Wall Street.
But Jesus said something about
eternal damnation for murder, and Wall

WORTH Street doesn’t actually have any money

on location, so those are out. How

THE PRICE
During my days in the sandbox, we eventually
about some good clean bounty hunting
for people who skipped out on the bail
bondsman? Dog the Bounty Hunter
got up-armored Toyota SUVs to cruise Kabul is about as tactically sound as a pre-
in style. We had bulletproof glass, pre-staged schooler with an Uzi, and he makes a
tow ropes, MREs, bottled water, E&E packs, living at it. Bounty hunters typically get
and a box of porn and booze to use for bribes. 10 percent of the bail money for recov-
Today, it isn’t just preppers looking at bug-out ered bad guys. I have an N95 mask,
buggies. My favorite? Armormax sells a version handcuffs, a few guns and a can-do

WOULD
of the Rezvani Tank that is bulletproof and attitude. Hell, I can buy a Mandalorian
outfit online—helmet and all! Maybe
it’s time to call the local bondsmen and

YOU RATHER...
see who needs retrieving. Hint: If you
sit outside the girlfriend’s house long
enough, you’ll get your boy.

BE INFECTED WITH COVID-19 OR

LOSE YOUR TRIGGER FINGER?
In an online poll that shows the eternal optimism and
unconquerable spirit of our readers, 91 percent chose to
bring on the coronavirus and 9 percent opted to lose their
trigger fingers. Some of the best comments from readers
include “I already had COVID-19!” “I can shoot with a
cough” and “I already lost most of my trigger finger and am
functioning fine. I have to shoot pistols left-handed now, but
I can still shoot my long guns right-handed. So I guess it
can be my finger.” Visit ballisticmag.com to see more.

10 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 CASE HARDENED • LIBERTY • REVOLUTION

Caliber: .45 ACP | Barrel: 5” | Length O/A: 8.6” | Weight: 2.3 lbs | Sights: Blade front, Rear drift adjustable for windage | Magazine: 7 round

MODEL: 1911GCH
The Auto-Ordnance Case Hardened 1911 custom pistols reflect the time honored method of conditioning
s t e e l .  E a c h g u n i s c ov e r e d w i t h d i s t i n c t a n d u n i q u e p a t t e r n s o f c o l o r l o n g s o u g h t a f t e r b y f i r e a r m s
a f i c i o n a d o s .  T h e “ C a s e H a r d e n e d ” 1 9 1 1 i s a w o r k o f a r t , w i t h a b e a u t i f u l , s w i r l i n g f i n i s h .   B e n e a t h t h e
c o l o r f u l s u r f a c e i s a n a l l s t e e l , 5 ”, “ G I ” p a t t e r n 1 9 1 1 p i s t o l , c h a m b e r e d i n p o w e r f u l . 4 5 A C P.  T h e g r i p s a r e
checkered wood with the “US” Military logo.

MODEL: 1911BKOC6
The Liberty 1911 is our latest patriotic commemorative pistol, echoing the sentiments of our Founding
Fathers in warning all tyrants to tread on American liberty at their peril. Freedom loving patriots have
a l w a y s b e e n p r e p a r e d t o o p p o s e t y r a n n y w i t h t h e f e r o c i t y o f a p o i s o n o u s s n a ke . N o b e t t e r s y m b o l o f t h a t
e x i s t s t h a n t h e G a d s d e n F l a g , w i t h i t s l e g e n d a r y m o t t o “ D o n ’ t Tr e a d o n M e ! ” T h i s c u s t o m 1 9 1 1 i s e n g r a v e d
w i t h “ L i b e r t y. . D e a t h ” o n t h e r i g h t s i d e o f t h e s l i d e , s e t a r o u n d t h e o r i g i n a l P r e s i d e n t i a l S e a l . T h e l e f t
s i d e o f t h e s l i d e h a s t h e w o r d s “ D o n ’ t . .Tr e a d ”, s u r r o u n d e d b y t h e s n a k e f r o m t h e G a d s d e n f l a g . C u s t o m
G o n c a l o w o o d g r i p s f e a t u r e 1 3 s t a r s s u r r o u n d i n g t h e L i b e r t y B e l l o n t h e r i g h t p a n e l , a n d “ DT O M ” o n t h e
left. The finish is a custom Cerakote mix of Brown and Black.

MODEL: 1911BKOC7
I n h o n o r o f t h e A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n a n d o u r n a t i o n ’s F o u n d i n g F a t h e r s , A u t o - O r d n a n c e p r e s e n t s “ T h e
Revolution” custom 1911. Each pistol is engraved with historical artwork paying tribute to the brave men
w h o l e a d o u r n a t i o n d u r i n g i t s s t r u g g l e f o r i n d e p e n d e n c e .  O n t h e r i g h t s i d e o f t h e s l i d e i s e n g r a v e d t h e
“Betsy Ross” American Flag, followed by five honored Founding Fathers with their signatures: Benjamin
F r a n k l i n , J o h n A d a m s , G e o r g e Wa s h i n g t o n , J o h n H a n c o c k , a n d P a u l R e v e r e . N e x t i s e n g r a v e d a d e p i c t i o n
o f t h e B o s t o n Te a P a r t y. O n t h e l e f t s i d e o f t h e s l i d e a r e e n g r a v e d t h e G a d s d e n F l a g , a d e p i c t i o n o f
Paul Revere riding to George Washington, and the quote “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” set before
a cannon. The Revolution 1911 comes with solid copper grips, with an eagle and the Declaration of
Independence on the left panel, and the Liberty Bell on the right panel. The finish is a distressed
C e r a k o t e M i d n i g h t B l u e , c ov e r e d w i t h M a t t e C l e a r.

Join us: @auto_ordnance www.auto-ordnance.com

 rewhaha
®
[ MEANDERINGS OF A MODERN CAVALIER ]

GIMME THAT
GADGET
Back when I was training 50 people
a day for the government and had
unlimited ammo, we had a $500 Maglula way over to the oldest brew-
pub in Colorado, the Wynkoop

bian drug lord stuffs kilos into a sub- you bump fists with the gorilla at
mersible. But the boys over at Tactical

ments. The concept is the same, but the

that, the Mag Feeder actually folds up

and can fit inside an ammo can. It even

walk off with it afterward. (tactical.dev)

Read Binge-
This Book
I grew up reading the stories of the brave
Worthy
The folks at Nielsen tell us that TV
men who won the Congressional Medal watching basically eclipsed every-
of Honor. To this day, they bring a tear thing but breathing over the last few
to my eye, and my chest swells as I read months. Well, after watching that
about these heroes sacrificing themselves unbelievable Tiger King documentary
to save their brothers in arms. One such on Netflix, my wife asked me how to
hero is Dakota Meyer, who, in his book find Carol Baskin’s Florida home and
Into the Fire, pulls no punches in relaying if she could “borrow” an untraceable
how cowardice, bureaucracy and human firearm. I don’t think the quarantine
incompetence pervade warzones and cost has been good for her. She ordered
lives. It’s a story about doing the right thing, sardine oil off of Amazon, and I think
no matter the price—and no matter how she’s saving up $2,000 to get us a
horribly those around us fail at their jobs. new house cat, too. Send help.

GOING
A while back, I found myself conducting some training for a few weeks in Moldova.
Don’t try to find it on the map; it rivals Omaha in size. My partner and I tried to
ingratiate ourselves with a bunch of Russian cops at a lakeside cookout complete
more
Join in on
at
fun online

room proved intensely sobering and chilly. The elevators opened right into

are at drinking, never to try to hang with Russian cops. Never.

12 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 THE NEW ULTRA-COMPACT

"BAD" THINGS COME IN SMALL PACK AGES TOO

Packing a punch doesn't mean being big. Our DDM4 ® PDW pistol and SBR may be compact, but these bad boys
are large and in charge when deployed. Built with the same legendary quality as their longer, larger kin, they get
the job done with their accuracy, reliability, and no-compromise durability.

$ IT’S NOT OUT OF YOUR RANGE

FOR FINANCING VISIT: DAN I EL D EF E NS E . C O M
®
DIY BUILD

AERODYNAMIC
BY MITCH HARDIN • SEAN UTLEY PHOTOS

Recently, I had the oppor- demand. But if you’re an Aero Precision

→ tunity to really put an Aero

paces. It wasn’t just any

employee, you’re valued and treated like
a family member—who can assemble a
lower receiver in just under five minutes.
That’s the average time for many of the
assemblers there. I can do it in about 15
to 20 minutes, hopefully without ruining
the finish while installing the bolt catch
roll pin. Duct tape is seriously a blessing.
One really cool aspect is that Aero
Precision does everything in house. The
employees design and create everything
what I was allowed to see. Consequently, themselves, even producing the tooling
that builds the components for each
rifle. The company has also implemented
multiple quality-control steps to keep the
return rate low on its products.
Nothing is wasted at Aero Precision,
either—not even the scraps. Big commer-
cial bins hold all the aluminum shavings
and cut-off pieces. It’s all sold, and the
money is put back into the company.
According to Marketing Manager Jeff
Carson, “Aero Precision goes through the
greatest lengths possible to pass off the
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 ®
DIY BUILD
savings to the customer.” Judging from what
I was shown, that seems pretty evident. It
was really neat getting to see just how the
things are done there.

ASSEMBLY TIME
As I mentioned, I got to put together my
own Aero Precision M4E1 using a Builder
Set that came with a threaded upper
receiver, a stripped lower and an R-ONE
M-LOK handguard, all finished in Flat Dark
Earth Cerakote. Of course, I needed a
few more components, but after a bit of
profanity and some happy thoughts, the
pile of parts came together and started to
resemble an AR-15. So what did I add?
To really squeeze out as much accuracy
as humanly possible, I decided to use a
16-inch, mid-length, 4150 chrome-moly-
vanadium barrel from Ballistic Advantage
with a Hanson profile. Clint Hanson even
helped me put the upper together, because
only a fool would turn down a hand from
the guy who designed these barrels.

16 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 ®
DIY BUILD
to 600 rounds downrange during the course,
and I never cleaned the rifle once, despite
all of the fouling it acquired from shooting in
various positions. This rifle was so properly
abused that I even took off some of the factory
Cerakote in a few spots. Then, when the rifle
was still absolutely filthy, I hit the range again
to measure its accuracy with a wide variety
of ammo. You can see the results, which
show the rifle’s true potential, in the included
performance table.

MAKING THE GRADE

All in all, I was very impressed. I’ve always
heard great things about Aero Precision’s
rifles and components, and I’m constantly
seeing them here and there. Getting to visit
the company’s manufacturing plant was a real
treat, too, and I feel lucky to have assembled
my own M4E1. Finally, I got my ass kicked at
during what Thunder Ranch calls the “Pun- Thunder Ranch, all while breaking in a gun
isher Course.” Next, I loaded up some 55- and that I built. I couldn’t be prouder.
62-grain DoubleTap FMJs and headed over to The bottom line? Aero Precision has it
the Adam Brown Range. With known-distance going on. If you put the right quality compo-
targets from 10 yards all the way out to 700, it nents into an AR, you just can’t go wrong.
includes a burned-out old Jeep Cherokee and Do yourself a favor and don’t go cheap. If
“bad guys” hiding in close proximity. I won’t you have a limited budget, start with matched
offer any spoilers here, but the experience was upper and lower receivers as well as a
truly enlightening. high-quality barrel and bolt carrier group. You
The EOTech VUDU made it easy to tackle can always upgrade the rest from there. The
multiple targets quickly at a distance. Even Rise Armament RA-535 trigger, for example,
with 62-grain FMJs, my spotter had me is a simple upgrade. If you use a quality barrel
engage several targets out to 550 yards. The Thunder Ranch has several purpose-built like the Ballistic Advantage model I chose and
Aero Precision M4E1 kept on punching its structures to help students perfect their some good glass, you’ll be able to knock down
way out there and never once protested. If I marksmanship and handling skills from a zombies in the 300-yard range like a pro.
variety of positions.
had to guess, I’d say I sent approximately 550 Go with Aero Precision for your build, and
when it’s time to train, hit up Thunder Ranch.
I’ve done the “running and gunning” thing for
God and country for just over 20 years, yet I
learned plenty of new things during the Urban
Precision Rifle course. Now I can cross a few
things off of my bucket list.

FOR MORE
INFORMATION
AERO PRECISION
aeroprecisionusa.com
BALLISTIC
ADVANTAGE
ballisticadvantage.com
THUNDER RANCH
thunderranchinc.com

22 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 CUSTOM
®

BY ALEX LANDEEN
 Want one of these badass
PWS MK111 Pro pistols?
Head to primaryweapons.
com to learn more about
these piston-driven ARs
and enter the giveaway!

→ COLD AS ICE

BREATHING FIRE
We all know just how awesome fire is.
Sitting by some crackling pine with a glass

that push this job over the edge, including the

simulated water droplets.
MCM Firearms owner Brock Gardner
is the man behind the mask (or respirator)
on this paint job. He said that he took his
color inspiration from looking up paintings
of ice. Although Brock didn’t tell me how
he accomplished the simulated drops, he
did say that it was difficult. I think he used
actual water in the process, letting the drops
collect the Cerakote before evaporating.
Just a guess on my part. But however it was
done, it’s a pretty gangsta move!
Speaking of “gangsta,” that other detail
that just tickled my heart is the engraving of
Ice Cube on the front of the magazine well.
Apparently, the MCM crew had joked about
putting Ice Cube and Vanilla Ice all over the
gun. Once Brock had finished painting, he
told the guys that the finishing touch would

07 2020 25
 CUSTOM
CHALLENGE
®

be to engrave Ice Cube’s face in a place that

wouldn’t be obvious. And it wasn’t at first, but
once I saw it, it became my favorite detail.

RANGE DUEL
This Ballistic “Custom Challenge” is a little
unique because I actually got to take both
guns to the range for a little shooting practice.
And I couldn’t have been happier to have the
opportunity to test these works of art. The main
reason for my excitement is that I had yet to
experience PWS’ long-stroke piston operating
system in action. It’s a truly unique system in
the world of AR rifles and pistols.
In short, the operating rod is attached to the
bolt carrier group and runs down a sleeve to
where the piston mates up with the gas block.
When fired, the gas strikes the piston head,
pushing the whole system to the rear. Gas is
vented through holes in the bottom of the piston
sleeve as the piston moves rearward. These
holes are designed to vent the gas gradually,
smoothing out the recoil impulse.
The result is a gun that runs both cooler and
much cleaner compared to direct-impingement
designs, and the recoil impulse is smoother
than with other piston systems. Also, because
the whole system is essentially one piece,
there’s no chance of carrier tilt, and the bolt
carrier group takes less of a beating.
All of this is to say that both MK111 Pro
pistols were a pleasure to shoot, and I was able
to repeatedly print 1-inch groups at 50 yards
on a breezy day with an imperfect rest, so we
know there’s precision in that 11-inch, 416
stainless steel, button-rifled barrel.
The MK111 Pro pistol has a lot more features
that I don’t have the space to go into here, but
check out ballisticmag.com to see a video of me
discussing these guns in greater detail.
Also, unlike most past “Custom Challenges,”
the great folks at PWS will be handling the
actual giveaway, so make sure you head to
primaryweapons.com to learn more. As always,
a big thanks goes out to the professionals at
these great custom shops. Michael Sigouin at
Blownbeadline and Brock Gardner at MCM
Firearms are both class acts. Family owned and
operated businesses are the backbone of what
makes this the greatest country on earth, and
they both offer more than just custom coating
work, so check them out at blowndeadline.net
and mcmfirearms.com.

26 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 CUSTOM
CHALLENGE
®

THE MAN STOOD LOOKING out over the went dark. Tube transports failed. Skip-planes
valley, his synthskin duster waving gently in the shut down—some falling to earth, others carrying
afternoon breeze, his hands resting on the butts their occupants forever out into space. Everything
of two large pistols: the Outlaw and Odin. He electronic sputtered and died. Satellites streaked
scanned the red-brown rubble spanning the across the sky, burning in the atmosphere. War
horizon. Here and there, small wisps of smoke and famine followed: the new normal. Then the
poked black fingers into the yellow-gray skyline. space ladder failed. The elevator cable winding its
Long ago, The City sparkled like a mile-high way around the equator like a great angry snake,
diamond, the pinnacle of human achievement. until finally the anchor asteroid struck with mete-
We had reached out, spread ourselves across oric force. The dust from the impact thrust the
the stars, terraforming planets, destroying and planet into a decades-long winter. All the while
rebuilding, carving our name into the bark of the “The Signal,” as it was called, kept broadcasting.
galaxy, only held back by the laws of physics. Then one day, it just stopped.
No one could have predicted what would Nobody knows why it stopped. It had been
happen when The City’s top scientists opened going for the better part of a century, but it didn’t
the portal. It was supposed to be the next step— matter. What mattered was the fact that now The
dimensional travel, a way around the limitations of City was open. For over 100 years, the resources
light speed. It was a door the scientists so badly of the world’s metropolis had been completely
wanted to open. They had been knocking on it for off limits—instant death awaited anyone stupid
years. But they never expected anyone to be home. enough to risk getting too close.
When the portal machine was finally turned Now, in 2389, it was once again bustling with
on, those in close proximity—most of The City’s activity, but of the nefarious kind. The Man drew
residents—died immediately. In some respects, his pistols and checked their charges again,
they were the lucky ones. In the blink of an eye, even though he knew they were ready to go.
everything changed. Earth was thrown into chaos. Like most everything in this world, the guns were
AIs tasked with controlling every aspect of society hand-me-downs. Thankfully, the outland raiders
he had trapped didn’t put up too much of a fight.

OUTLAW ORDNANCE
The guns were functional but definitely needed
some work. He was able to trade two month’s

AND ODIN’S WORKSHOP

rations to a couple of underground custom
shops to have them upgraded.

HAVE GIVEN TWO BY

THE FIREPOWER
The Man’s workhorse was the Outlaw, an old

CLASSIC LEMATS
ALEX nine-shot Athlon Security piece. The custom
LANDEEN shop guys, Nacho and Cheeto, added a finger-

SCI-FI MAKEOVERS
print activator in case the gun fell into the wrong
hands. They also installed a gas assist that auto-
matically rotated the cylinder for faster firing and
powered the 15mm grenade launcher located
under the main barrel. More upgrades included an

30 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 *No purchase
required. Open to
U.S. residents only
and void where
prohibited. Prizes
worth $7,050.
Sponsored by EMF.
Starts 6/9/20 and
ends 8/10/20.
Restrictions apply.
Visit ballisticmag.
com/win-emf-lemats
for details, eligibility
and a complete list
of official rules.

TH
I thE
N
SE

24
W

E
CENTURY
S
L

M AT
EVERY ISSUE OF
BALLISTIC FEATURES A
“CUSTOM CHALLENGE”
GUN GIVEAWAY.
Check out ballisticmag.
com/win-emf-lemats to
learn more and see how
you can get your hands on
these two beauties.*
 CUSTOM
CHALLENGE
®

The Man now stood on the hill, looking out

The masters at Odin’s Workshop in Michigan
over The City. Maybe someday we will rebuild,
used a number of motorcycle parts to turn the
EMF/Pietta LeMat into a sci-fi blaster. he thought, come back to the glory we once
were. Play it a little safer this time. Stay in our
galactic lane. Maybe it could happen.
But right now, it didn’t matter. Right now, he
needed supplies. He cocked the hammers on
the Outlaw and Odin, and set off down the hill.

BACK TO REALITY
As you can tell from my little intro there, I’ve
always been a fan of science-fiction. Dysto-
pian or utopian—give me a cool story set in
the future and I am all in. And when I saw what
Outlaw Ordnance and Odin’s Workshop did
for this “Custom Challenge,” I was inspired.
Everything I love about dystopian sci-fi stories
was painted, engraved or welded onto these
two pistols, which started as Pietta-made
LeMat revolvers from EMF Company.
The finished Outlaw Ordnance piece
arrived at my house first. Opening the box was
breathtaking. I knew that the custom shops
only had these guns for about a week, but the
amount of work that went in was wild.
The details on the Outlaw’s cylinder are
perfect, and the “Athlon Security” addition
gives it a fun backstory. The thumbprint
optics rail and a rebuilt targeting laser. Nacho security pad with the battery is a cool touch,
and Cheeto then finished the whole thing off too. The distressed coating is a combination of
in Armor Black and Patriot Brown Cerakote Patriot Brown, Armor Black and tan Cerakote.
for durability. After all, the Outlaw was built to The KeyMod rail, necessary for adding
be fast and destructive. the optic and laser, was modified to fit and
The other pistol, the Odin, was built for installed with two hex-head screws. As
precision. For this custom job, The Man Outlaw Ordnance’s Chip “Cheeto” Pierce
turned to James Dennis, who was known for said over the phone, “We were told as kids
his welding and torch skills as well as his that lasers were the future.”
ability to make anything out of old motorcycle They also added CO2 cartridges as a
parts. The pistol’s grip had been mostly thought that maybe in the future there would
destroyed in the explosion that got the be some technology of adding gas to the
raiders, so James replaced it with timing chain black powder to create a faster projectile. I
links for added weight. Other steel pieces thought it would be cool if the gas was used
were welded on for balance and heat dissi- to self-cock the pistol upon firing and pressur-
pation. The sighting tube was calibrated for ize the inner shotgun barrel, which in my case
longer distances, and the thumb rest operated would become a grenade launcher.
the stabilization servo-chains located under Soon, the Odin’s Workshop gun arrived,
the barrel. James finished the Odin off with and I was amazed yet again. Beforehand, I
flame anodizing and clear Cerakote to keep spoke to Odin’s James Dennis, who knew the
everything protected and functional. Outlaw guys would turn to engraving, so he
went a different route. He wanted everything
Sanding, welding, engraving—the custom
he added to be weldable, which meant steel.
shops left no stone unturned when it
came to reshaping and retrofitting their He gathered a bunch of old motorcycle parts
blackpowder LeMat reproductions. for his LeMat and went to work. The timing

32 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 four-stroke dirt bike. James told me that he

weld aluminum to steel, so he abandoned the

idea. He also wanted to leave the pistol fully
features a KeyMod rail, special functional, which meant leaving the pushrod on
engraving on the cylinder and the gun, which Outlaw had removed.
James said that Odin’s Workshop doesn’t
advertise much in the way of flame anodizing,
which is how he got the coloring on the steel,
but he wanted to show what they could do in
this regard. After seeing it, I think it came out
great, especially with the clear Cerakote on top.
As James put it, “I put my soul into that gun.”
For a chance to win these sci-fi blasters, visit
ballisticmag.com/win-emf-lemats. Then visit
emf-company.com for more information on the
base LeMats, and outlawordnance.com and
odinsworkshop.com to see more amazing work
from these top-notch firearm artists.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
33
 CUSTOM
CHALLENGE
®

Photo Courtesy EMF

The LeMat revolver is one Beauregard and LeMat, who served

→ of the most unique firearms

to come out of the 19th
century. Developed in time for the Civil
as a colonel in the Louisiana state

Generals Braxton Bragg, J.E.B. Stuart

War, Jean Alexandre LeMat’s creation and Richard H. Anderson.
was a nine-shot blackpowder revolver The gun also wasn’t known for its
that packed a powerful secret: The accuracy, but it was quite deadly in
cylinder arbor was actually a 20-gauge close proximity. It should be noted that
smoothbore barrel, adding a secondary cavalry officers often carried multiple
close-range blast when needed. pistols because of how long it took to
While LeMat was born in France, he load them, and the LeMat was a great
immigrated to the United States and weapon of last resort. You’d get nine
settled in New Orleans, where he was .42-caliber sshots plus that “grape-
a practicing physician and an inven-
tor. With the financing of his wife’s including .36-caliber “Baby LeMats”
cousin, Major Pierre Gustave Toutant with a shorter barrel up top and an
Beauregard—the officer who led the 18-gauge smoothbore barrel below.
bombardment of Fort Sumter that LEMATS TODAY: The LeMat Photo
Courtes
y HBO
began the Civil War—LeMat developed is largely remembered by reenactors
his “grapeshot revolver,” which soon and gun collectors. Given that less
evolved into a standard cap-and-ball than 3,000 were produced, it’s a truly
handgun, but with that extra barrel. rare firearm—and it hasn’t gotten and Pietta reproductions function. While the LeMat
With backing from Beauregard, much screen time, unlike single-action Thus, the gun is quite an anachronism, was originally
a blackpowder
who went on to become a Confed- Colts and Winchester repeaters. It’s but Westworld itself isn’t an accurate revolver with an
erate general, LeMat had just under only been showcased in a few films, depiction of the Old West. Instead, extra 20-gauge
smoothbore
100 of his revolvers produced by John including The Quick and the Dead and it’s an over-the-top adult theme
barrel, Ed
Krider of Philadelphia. Then, when Cold Mountain. But it took a sci-fi TV park based on society’s perception Harris’ Man in
the war broke out, LeMat continued show, HBO’s Westworld, to really put of frontier life, and considering that Black carries a
rare centerfire
production in Liège, Belgium, and the LeMat back in the spotlight. attending the park costs more than version in the
Paris, France. The revolvers were In the first two seasons of West- $63,000 a day, the Man in Black could first two seasons
of Westworld.
proof-marked in Birmingham, England, world, the Man in Black (Ed Harris) carry whatever he wanted!
and smuggled into the Confederate carries a custom centerfire version of Today, reproductions of the LeMat
states through Bermuda. the LeMat. In a few different scenes, are made by Italy’s Uberti and Pietta,
IN THE FIELD: The LeMat he’s shown reloading the weapon as I mentioned, but if those are too
revolver proved popular with officers with .38 Short Colt cartridges and a expensive, you can always get a virtual
in the Confederate army and navy. In brass shotshell by breaking the gun in copy in video games like Red Dead
addition to being carried by General half. While original LeMats were never Redemption II. —Peter Suciu

34 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 PRO SERIES® IS USED UNDER LICENSE.

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•

UNDERCOVER

HellsAngel
JAY DOBYNS
•

IRON-WILLED This same corrupt leadership also

brought us the infamous Operations
JAY DOBYNS ON Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious.

RIDING WITH
Special Agent Dobyns decided to take the law enforcement community—he
a stand and refused to be silent. His was this up-and-coming star. But
THE DEVIL, ATF daring expose of the BATFE’s immoral when I see how he conducts himself

BACKSTABBING
and unethical management brought now, the DOJ Medal of Valor has lost
the full weight of the government’s its luster for me and doesn’t mean

AND MORE resources down on him.

Dobyns’ story is one of great
anything. In the end, the trophies and
plaques and awards that are in the
BY MIKE DETTY strength, perseverance, dogged landfill—I realized that my motivation
ALEX LANDEEN PHOTOS determination and sacrifice. To tell it, was very unimportant to the people I
I traveled with Dobyns to the site of worked for, and that was heartbreak-
Jay Dobyns is a 27-year his first shooting, and we spent an ing. It was soul crushing.

→ veteran undercover agent

of the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (BATFE). His career
afternoon recounting his career.

Let’s start with a rundown of your

awards and citations.
After a standout career in college
football at the University of Ari-
zona, you played some pro ball?
includes being shot during his first Well, I really don’t take myself very You know, I was a great high school
week of work, before even attending seriously. I can tell you where they’re player, I was a good college player and
the academy, and again before he cel- all at—the landfill. Every frickin’ thing I was a terrible pro, to be quite honest.
ebrated his second work anniversary. I ever got from the BATFE is in the I’m a person who never had a Plan B.
His most documented exploit was landfill, with the exception of three I always had a Plan A but never had
becoming the first federal undercover that I felt were hard-earned. I got two an escape route or a backup plan
agent to be patched into the Hells Gold Star awards that are awarded in case it didn’t work out. My Plan A
Angels. Operation Black Biscuit, a for injuries received in the line of duty. was to play pro football, and through
two-year investigation, accounted for I held onto those two for my kids. college I became pretty full of myself.
55 biker arrests. But it didn’t come I also received the Eddie Benitez It turned out I wasn’t as good as I
without great personal cost. Fitness Award when I went through thought I was. When football fell apart
Betrayed by the very agency the academy after being shot. You for me, I was like, what now? I realized
he risked everything for, Dobyns know I got the DOJ’s Medal of Valor, that, at best, I was always going to be
was targeted for death by those he and it was presented to me by James a guy struggling to stay on a roster
investigated, with his BATFE super- Comey. In 2004, James Comey was somewhere. I always played with
visors acting as willing accomplices. very well received, very much loved in teammates who were bigger, faster,

38 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 Armed with two Zev-
upgraded Glocks in a
Galco shoulder holster,
former BATFE Special
Agent Jay Dobyns stands
tall at the site of his first
shooting on the job back
in November of 1987.

stronger athletes, but I was able to

stay competitive in that environment
because I outworked them, I was
tough, and I played recklessly.

So why the BATFE instead of the

DEA, FBI or any other agency?
I wanted to work at the BATFE
because they had the most dynamic
undercover program in the federal
government. And I knew that’s what I
wanted to do. At the time I was trying
to figure out what to do, Miami Vice
was very popular. Sonny Crockett’s
running around South Beach, and he’s
got a Hugo Boss suit on, and he’s
driving a Lamborghini. He’s going to
mansions, meeting slick kingpins, and
he’s negotiating for a ton of cocaine
on a barge in Miami harbor on its way
from Colombia. There were cigarette
boats, Learjets and strippers, and I was
like, “Oh man, I think I could do that!”
In 1987, the BATFE was only
15 years old. I became an agent
when it was still under the Treasury
Department. They were finding people

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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39
 ®
UNDERCOVER Hells Angel
estigators, up, and he fired a round that hit me. mas that year. My boss said, “What
who were seasoned inv are
ps at the state Maybe 20 rounds were fired in that you doing here?” I told him I was goo
detectives and street co d
TFE was always 10-second gunfight. The suspect was and ready to go back to work. He wa
and local levels. The BA s
version of street killed, but his round hit me between angry and told me I still had three mo
considered the federal nths
the job from my shoulder blade and spine. It went of medical leave coming to me. I jus
cops. I wanted to learn t
n’t interested in through my lung, narrowly missed my wanted to get back to work.
them. These guys were
they wanted heart on the left side and exited my I had attorneys begging me to sue
the wiretap-type cases—
-in-the-weeds, chest. I got the door open and fell out the government for being placed in
to build proactive, down that
ses. onto dog turds. I’m lying there in the position without training. They were
get-your-hands-dirty ca
dirt, and a puddle of blood is starting guaranteeing millions of dollars. Bu
t
week. to grow. I tried to move, but something money was never a factor for me. I
Tell us about your first just
E, sworn in and happened and blood started squirting wanted to be an agent and see if I
I got hired by the BATF could
Monday and got out of my chest, like when you put your do right the next time.
did my paperwork on a
was before I had thumb over a garden hose. All I could
shot on Thursday. This
y, so they gave really think was, “I’m gonna f***** die Then you went to the Federal
even been to the academ
gun. I’d never Law Enforcement Training Center
me a vest and a loaner in this dog shit!”
, much less fired (FLETC) in Georgia?
even held a gun before
st opera- I was shot in November and was at
one. I was part of an arre
airport, in FLETC in early spring of 1988. I lov
tion south of the Tucson ed,
Nogales loved, loved being at the academy.
a neighborhood off Old Not
h. It’s all one bad memory. Not one bad thin
Highway called Dogpatc g
there are a to say about anyone involved in the
dilapidated trailers, and
g families process—it was wonderful! When
lot of good, hard-workin I got
ugh area. to the academy, I knew I had made
down there. But it’s a ro the
and we right choice. I was like, “God this is
So, this cat shows up so
and he cool! I’m glad I made the decision
start closing in on him, to be
’t fast where I’m at.”
goes on the run. I wasn
L, but I was actually in the academy when
enough to play in the NF
h of the NFL went on strike. I got a call
I was faster than a bunc from
chased the Dallas Cowboys, and they offered
old federal agents. We me
that a professional football contract. “He
the guy and lost him. At re’s
. Rookie your ticket, fly to Dallas and you will
point, I took off my vest be
n in some They scooped me up and took me playing football for the Dallas Cowb
mistake! He had hidde oys
lked past him, to Kino Community Hospital. the docs this Sunday in Texas Stadium.” I’m
deep grass, and as I wa in
d put the gun were like, “We’re not built for this—we my FLETC gear, on a payphone in the
the dude popped up an
al! Then he don’t do Level One trauma care.” They hallway of the dorm, thinking, “Hey,
to my head. It was surre your
th the gun to my ultimately stabilized me and put a Plan A is still there, dude!” But I kne
started walking me, wi w the
le. He pushed chest tube in my side because I had a strike wasn’t going to last forever. Did
head, to our arrest vehic I
this two-door sucking chest wound. I was in and out want to trade a couple weeks or mo
me into the front seat of nths
back, all while of consciousness and hyperventilating or a season of my dream to play pro
car and hopped in the fes-
t of here! off one lung. I looked up at a nurse and sional football for a life and a career
screaming, “Get me ou of
!” asked, “Am I gonna die?” And I just what I really enjoyed doing? I was like
C’mon, let’s go! Let’s go ,
throw on my remember her looking down at me and “Thank you, I’m going to stay where
My first thought was to I’m
****f***** tele- saying, “We’re not sure yet, baby.” I was at. I’m content with where I’m at.” I’d
seat belt and ram the m*
. But, on second just 26 years old! found a new home and had a new Pla
phone pole in front of us n A.
d up crushed
thought, I might’ve ende
hanging in the How long did it take to recover After graduating, Tucson was out
and shot. The keys were
I took them out after being shot? of the picture if you wanted to
ignition of the car, and
e floorboard. I Well, I was young and in amazing shape. go back undercover, right? What
and dropped them on th
ys and leaned I was fresh off the football field, so my happened next?
told him I dropped the ke
, his gun came recovery was really, really quick. I was off I got transferred to Chicago and wa
forward, and when I did s
ck. Then, the the job maybe six weeks. The shooting shot in August of 1989. We were doi
off my head and to my ba ng
the car opened took place on November 19, 1987, and a machine gun deal with some Vice
agents coming in around
I showed back up to work before Christ- Lord gang members in Joliet. In oth
er

40 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 EXCLUSIVE Q&A: JAY DOBYNS

the from the front, and me and my partne

words, we were selling got out of the car. When I moved to
r
guns to
government’s machine side of the road, I heard their car sta
the
We
Vice Lord gangbangers. accelerate. One of the ’bangers lea
rt to
then our
made the transfer, and out the passenger side of the car and
ned
to follow
surveillance was going started shooting at me. Pressed up
e kids—
our guns to where thes against the edge of this cornfield, I
I regret
they were just kids, and back. During this gun exchange, the
fired
nted to
that—took them. We wa closed in on me and clipped me. I
car
climb
get to the shot callers, to windshield and flipped off the top of
hit the
better
the ladder. For lack of a car and landed in the dirt still firing.
the
st and
term, this was a mini Fa guns. So, they started running. There
ce was
Furious. The big differen was panic—what if these kids get away Did you realize you’d been shot?
re going to let
there was no way we we with our machine guns? The surveillance One leg was like completely inca-
lk. At that time, it
those machine guns wa team didn’t have an airplane up, so they pacitated. The impact even blew my
the guns walk.
was inconceivable to let were just trying to follow them. Me and shoes off. I was sitting in the dirt wit
one thought it
Twenty years later, some my undercover partner weren’t part of no shoes on, thinking “How the f***
h
do that.
would be a good idea to the surveillance, but we actually found did that happen?” I couldn’t get up,
d the load
Our surveillance followe ourselves in a position to block these
I
d been trained couldn’t walk, and a kid came over
around, but the kids ha kids. Police cars were chasing them bicycle and picked one of my shoes
on a
ren’t just going
and were smart—they we from behind, and we’re blocking them a cornstalk. He was like, “Hey mister,
off
and unload the
to drive to JoJo’s house

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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41
 ®
UNDERCOVER Hells Angel
ately, they found We were independent of the Hells Hells Angel Rodney Cox and yet
here’s your shoe.” Ultim
my vest. It was in Angels, but we were making friends another named Doug Wistrom, Ch
the jacket of a bullet in ico
e actual Kevlar. and gaining trust while staying at arm’s put together an assassination tea
between the vest and th m.
t shot,” and I length. Things were going well until a They were coming to kill the Arizon
They said, “Dude, you go a
if it didn’t make an Solo Angel out of Tijuana got in touch Solos. The DEA had an informant
said, “You know what, that
t!” with a very violent faction of the Hells was next to Chico but did not kno
extra hole, it didn’t coun w
gant or that we were working undercover.
I don’t say this in an arro Angels in Phoenix led by Chico Mora. The
e time, I felt Chico was arguably the most wicked, informant called his handler and sai
bragging way, but at th d, “I
gin’ bulletproof! vicious, violent and unstable Hells Angel don’t know what’s going on, but Ch
empowered—I was frig ico
a bullet go of all time, and I’ve met hundreds of just rounded up three guys, and the
I was invincible. I’d had y’re
int blank, and I these dudes. He had served time for on the way to go kill the Solo Angel
through my chest at po s.”
e fitness award manslaughter convictions. While he was The DEA agent called Slats and sai
came back and won th d, “I
break my spirit. locked up, he became the Arizona state don’t know where your boys are at,
at the academy. It didn’t but
over, so I was prison boxing champion. He was bipolar, you better friggin’ let them know Ch
I wanted to work underc ico
where I was is coming for them.”
transferred to Chicago,
. I was like, “Man I was at the undercover house with
shot again and run over
nt to do!” I had my crew when Slats called and sai
I love this! It’s what I wa d,
o thinking I was “You need to get the f*** out. I don
brainwashed myself int ’t
streets. have time to talk about this now, but
the baddest cat on the
get the f*** out of the house.” There
years, after was panic in Joe’s voice, and he
Let’s fast-forward 15
ber of firearms never panicked—he was normally
you’ve handled a num like
How did Oper- ice water. So, we left, and they set
and explosives deals.
me about? up surveillance on our undercover
ation Black Biscuit co
Angels? house. Sure enough, four Hells Ang
Why infiltrate the Hells els
en operating showed up with baseball bats and
The Hells Angels had be
and the Arizona sawed-off shotguns.
with impunity out west,
cially brazen. So we assumed our investigation
Hells Angels were espe
violent and was done. This was unrecoverable—
They were aggressive,
ent, a guy we were outed. They knew the So
unchecked. The case ag lo
oached me Angels were counterfeit. I told Joe
named Joe Slatella, appr ,
a run at these “Let me take one last run at this
and said, “I wanna make
the undercover and see if I can save it.” I decided
guys. I want you to lead
e had guys who to go to the Hells Angels president
portion of this case.” W
gang experts. I in Mesa, “Bad Bob” Johnson, who
were outlaw motorcycle
gig. My cover, he was a drug addict. Other Hells I’d become very close to. Bob invited
wasn’t—that was not my
a kind of thug- Angels told me, “Stay away from that me out to this tavern. Slats said it
or the role I played, was was a
ark hitman. And f***er. He’ll beat the piss out of his own setup, but I said, “I can save this! I
gish, white trash, trailer-p can
ars and years mother!” He carried a bullwhip with him save the case. Let me talk to Bad
I recycled that role for ye Bob!”
that vibe. I had 15 and beat people with it. A bullwhip! Everyone was convinced this meetin
and just always played g
rience behind Anyway, Chico gets this information with Bob was an assassination set
years of undercover expe up.
investigator. from the Solo Angels that the Arizona I got to Bob, and he was like, “This
me, but I wasn’t a biker
didn’t know if Solos, who had leveraged our way in, is what I’m hearing, and I am pissed
“Slats” was relentless. I
this also wasn’t were counterfeit. The Solos told Chico, because I’ve been f***ing vouching
I could play a biker, but for
was the world’s “These guys extorted their way into our you. I’ve been hanging out with you
JoJo’s Biker Club. This ,
er gang. I club and basically bought their patches. doing gun deals with you and drug
most notorious outlaw bik deals
, and he believed Once they got patched, we never saw with you. You look me in the eye and
trusted Slats with my life tell
d intimidated them again. They’re not in touch with me you’re not a f***ing cop!”
in me. So we extorted an
into an outlaw us.” That was an error on my part. In
and leveraged our way
d in Mexico hindsight, we should have continued to EDITOR’S NOTE :
biker gang that was base
We used the develop that relationship. This is only Part I of Jay’ss interview
called the Solo Angels. w. To
eir patch to have So, Chico took it on himself, and catch Part II of his hellish and
Solo Angels and wore th an inc cre
redible
the Hells Angels. he teamed up with another wild Hells journey, visit ballisticmag.com.
credibility in the eyes of
Angel named Dan Danza. Along with ®

42 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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44 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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BAD FALKOR DEFENSE’S
MAGNUM-CLASS AR KEEPS
THE PUNCH DOWNRANGE,
WHERE IT BELONGS

BY SEAN UTLEY

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
45
 For greater shot-to-shot
consistency, the Petra uses
matched, hand-fitted upper
and lower receivers as well
as a special muzzle brake.

®
THE BIG, BAD PETRA

The first time I shot a target only seemed embellished: The AR-platform

→ beyond 400 yards was at

the helm of a semi-automatic
.300 Winchester Magnum
rifle. I sent a 190-grain bullet
740 yards into an IPSC silhouette. And while
rifle was just as accurate as a bolt action.
It was lightweight and easy to maneuver. It
was flawlessly reliable. These are all desir-
able traits in any weapon, but they’re more
likely associated with a smaller caliber like
that’s no major feat by today’s standards, the 5.56mm NATO instead of a monstrous
it was back in 2013, and the life-changing one like the .300 Winchester Magnum. SPECIFICATIONS:
event instantly changed my trajectory. Before That’s right. The Petra falls into the
that moment, I had never really gotten into
long-range shooting because I didn’t really
“magnum AR” class with few other contend-
ers. The only notable examples come from
FALKOR PETRA
CALIBER: .300 Winchester Magnum
know how to do it correctly. I simply didn’t Noreen Firearms and NEMO Arms. This class
BARREL: 22 inches
understand all the inputs necessary for a requires tough guns, too, as the pressures
OA LENGTH: 42.5 inches
proper return. But now I continue to pursue emanating from the belted cartridge are
WEIGHT: 10.3 pounds (empty)
the discipline with just as much fervor as the immense, and taming them enough to operate
STOCK: Luth-AR MBA-1
day I made that rewarding shot. a bolt in proper sequence is no easy task. But
SIGHTS: None
So, when Jason Sonju of Falkor Defense this new gun seems to take that challenge in
ACTION: Direct impingement semi-auto
reached out and asked if I wanted to review stride. While the caliber’s bark must be taken
FINISH: Black, gray
the new Petra in .300 Winchester Magnum, seriously, there is no bite with the Petra.
CAPACITY: 10+1
I couldn’t help but say yes. I tried to keep In fact, the rifle is so light on recoil that it
MSRP: $5,630
my composure externally, but my thoughts feels more like a .308 Winchester/7.62mm
were hectic inside my head. It had been NATO semi-auto. It’ll definitely spoil you, PERFORMANCE:
quite some time since I piloted one of these which is interesting because I remember just LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY

beasts. I’d heard rumors about the Petra that a few years ago when the .300 Winchester Federal 190 SMK 2,973 1.30
Sig Sauer 190 Elite
2,823 0.57
Match Grade
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph
and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 100 yards.

46 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 Magnum was quite intimidating, especially
in bolt-action form without a muzzle brake.
Instead, even recoil-sensitive shooters can
enjoy the Petra and a caliber they might’ve
ignored until now.

ACCURACY DEFINED
Before we get lost in a sea of details about
the Petra, let’s talk about precision. For all
its perceived quirks, the .300 Winchester
Magnum is an accurate round. It drives
a tried-and-true .30-caliber slug that we I then proceeded to shoot a five-shot recommended ammo. With that, I switched
pretty much know inside and out at this group that measured 0.65 inches. Without to a couple of other brands, including Sig
point. And the Dracos Straightjacket barrel the fifth-round flyer, the cluster would have Sauer’s 190-grain Elite Match Grade OTMs
system installed on the Petra takes full been under 0.5 MOA. The gun ran flaw- and Federal’s 190-grain SMKs, both of
advantage of this knowledge and delivers lessly and was gentle as well, but when I hit which ran flawlessly.
outstanding accuracy. I was completely the range again, the Hornady load wouldn’t The Dracos Straightjacket is more or
® blown away within the first six rounds I cycle the gun properly and showed signs less a composite wrap that is applied to the
THE BIG, BAD PETRA

fired from the Petra. My first three rounds of excess pressure. I consulted with Falkor barrel. A barrel blank is turned down to a thin
were just a few inches off from my zero, Defense and found that the Hornady BTHPs profile, then a hollow, thin-walled aluminum
and with a couple of scope adjustments, weren’t on the list of suggested ammunition jacket is fitted around it. After that, the empty
the fourth impacted at the point of aim. Big for the Petra. Gas operation with the .300 area of the aluminum jacket is filled with a
deal, right? Well, after walking out to the Winchester Magnum isn’t like a 5.56mm proprietary composite material. Once done,
target to admire the easy zeroing session, or .308. It’s very specific and quirky at you have a barrel that exhibits less whip,
I got back into position and pumped two this level, so it’s important to only use the dissipates heat quickly and lasts a long time.
more rounds into the center of the target.
Three Hornady 185-grain Match BTHPs
nestled into a 0.18-inch group—after
coming completely off the gun.

The Petra has a long

Picatinny rail on top for
night and day optics,
and shooters can easily
tune the gas system by
adjusting the bolt carrier.

“WHILE THE CALIBER’S

BARK MUST BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY, THERE IS NO
BITE WITH THE PETRA.”

48 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 TANGO6T
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Army SSG Kimberly Jenkins and SGT Brian Micheliche, 1st Stryker Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Public Affairs

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 “I REALLY CAN’T OVER- even hand-fitted, too. They’re a matched set,
and both components are serialized. This
straightforward, utilizing a .308 spring and
an H3 buffer. At the rearmost portion of the
STATE HOW COMFORTABLE kind of craftsmanship improves the Petra’s A2 buffer spring is an aluminum spacer.

THE PETRA IS TO SHOOT.” inherent accuracy, and you’ll need a hammer

and punch to take it down for cleaning and
Most of the recoil is mitigated by the gas
system along with some help from the Falkor
maintenance. Even the fit between the barrel DS-300 muzzle brake out front, which was
I know, it’s always hard to know if these extension and upper is tight—yet another designed specifically for the Petra.
things mean anything beyond their descrip- accuracy-enhancing feature. You’ll find an ambidextrous charging
tions on a piece of paper or website, but I The rigid, free-floating Transition handle up top, and the lower receiver is
have to assume the Dracos barrel system handguard has a full-length top rail as well truly ambidextrous, as the controls are
did its job because the Petra performed so as M-LOK slots on the sides and bottom mirrored on both sides. Even the takedown
well over long strings of fire at the range. for accessories, not to mention numerous pins are ambidextrous. Falkor also includes
lightening cuts all over. The Petra’s gas
MORE FEATURES system is also adjustable through the bolt
While the barrel might be the single carrier and offers a significant adjustment
greatest highlight of the Petra, there are range. Shooters can tune the gun for
many features that contribute to its overall suppressor use or specific types of ammu-
® awesomeness outside of the .300 Win- nition. I tuned the Petra for Sig’s 190-grain
THE BIG, BAD PETRA

chester Magnum chambering. First off, the ammo, and it cycled just right, allowing for
billet-crafted, hardcoat anodized upper and good-looking head stamps on the ejected
lower receivers look great without being too cases and no signs of pressure.
flashy. The gun’s quality is apparent as soon While the buffer system contributes
as you open the case. The receivers are to the Petra’s gentle manners, it’s pretty

Falkor Defense includes a

Hogue rubber grip, a fully
adjustable Luth-AR MBA-1
buttstock and a polymer
10-round magazine.

50 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 The controls are mirrored
on both sides to suit
righties and lefties, and
Falkor Defense even
includes ambidextrous
takedown pins.

®
THE BIG, BAD PETRA

a Geissele SSA-E trigger as well as a fairly if you can afford the Petra, you can probably While I’ve had experience with other
comfortable Luth-AR MBA-1 buttstock that afford to keep it well fed, too. semi-autos in this caliber, this was my
is adjustable for both cheek height and I shot the Petra at various steel targets first time shooting the Petra. I must say
length of pull. The Hogue rubber grip has from 500 yards and out, with the toughest I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish I hadn’t
subtle finger grooves for better handling, being 1 MOA (10 inches) in size at 1,000 waited so long to try it out. No, the Petra
and Falkor includes a 10-round magazine— yards. I’m not going to say it was easy, but isn’t for every shooter. With a starting price
my only real point of contention with the it wasn’t hard to get fairly consistent hits of $5,630, it might be out of reach for many,
Petra. The magazine is tough to load and with the Petra. Any misses on this smaller but I believe that depends on a few factors.
remove from the rifle because of the tight steel target were slight, but again, 1 MOA If you enjoy top-quality products and don’t
fit. I don’t know if it was the magazine or the at 1,000 yards isn’t an easy feat for most mind saving your pennies for good stuff,
magazine well, but that was the only thing rifles. On an IPSC-sized target at the same then such a rifle makes sense. And if you
difficult about the whole system. distance, misses were virtually nonexistent want a magnum-caliber rifle that is easy
and only came when I got sloppy with my and enjoyable to shoot and won’t wear you
BACK AT IT shooting fundamentals. out, this one fits the bill. That said, you’ll still
I really can’t overstate how comfortable the I must also mention how maneuverable need money for an optic and ammo—and
Petra is to shoot. During an extended range the Petra is, which is a trait that could easily things ratchet up pretty quickly from there.
session that included shooting out to dis- be overlooked. For such a big caliber, the Falkor Defense knows the Petra is a
tances of 1,000 yards, I’m sure I put more rifle is compact. And with an unloaded special purchase for a special buyer, and
than 120 various .300 Winchester Magnum weight of 10.3 pounds, I consider it that’s how the gun is made. Would I buy
rounds through the rifle without much of lightweight. I think a comparable bolt action one? Well, if I wanted an accurate .300
a break, and I never felt any discomfort would have to be 18 to 20 pounds to feel Winchester Magnum rifle that could truly
because of the big-bore beast. You can as light on recoil. And with a lightweight go the distance without resorting to a bolt
literally shoot the Petra all day long—as long optic, the Petra could accompany a commit- action, I definitely would. For more informa-
as your wallet can support such antics. But ted hunter and provide plenty of punch. tion, visit falkordefense.com.

52 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
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MAKING
BY WILL DABBS, MD

NOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN MINI-TANK TO TACKLE ANY TERRAIN
Have you ever dreamed of own- favorite is called the MuddTrax MTX, and it MTX-R is available with a soft cab. The heavier

→ ing your own tank? Of course

you have. Anybody cool enough
to be clutching this holy tome
has in weak moments pondered
tearing about the countryside in his or her own
just drips pure, unfiltered awesome.

PICK A STYLE
The MuddTrax is officially titled an “extreme
terrain vehicle,” and it comes in two broad
MTX-C has a hard cab option. Winches, front
push guards, skid plates, flat beds, heaters and
cold-weather packages populate the menu.
Call up LiteTrax with a healthy credit card
in hand, and the company will build you the
personal tracked vehicle. Lord knows I have. flavors: The MTX-R is the recreational version, individualized tracked vehicle of your dreams.
Uncle Sam has a few. Since 1980, and the MTX-C is the commercial variant. The The MuddTrax vehicles will also float, and
American manufacturers have churned out former is driven by a Kohler 38-horsepower their awesome rubber tracks offer ridiculously
some 10,288 M1 Abrams main battle tanks. gas engine and is designed for elevations low ground pressure ratings. The MTX-R base
Adjusted for inflation, those puppies run of less than 6,000 feet. The MTX-C comes model weighs 1,950 pounds and features a
$8.92 million apiece. I tried to figure out with either a 74-horsepower turbodiesel or ground pressure of 0.79 psi. The 2,600-pound
how much one of those 138,000-pound 75-horsepower gas-fed engine. The MTX-C MTX-C version only ups that number to 0.81
beasts costs to operate. The answer: A lot. could likely ferry you up to the International psi. By contrast, a human male puts out around
However, thanks to the Utah-based LiteTrax Space Station should the need arise. 8 psi, while that M1 Abrams is at 15 psi.
company, you can get into your very own The options obviously determine the sticker The MTX-R has a 15-inch ground clearance
amphibious, go-anywhere tracked vehicle price. Either vehicle can be configured to and a max speed of 13 mph. The commercial
starting at around $18,900. My personal accommodate two or four passengers. The version clears another inch and tops out at 18

54 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
 440 Stainless
Steel Blade

[ [
Zinc Black Epoxy
“...LITETRAX...WILL BUILD YOU Powdered Coated
Handle
THE INDIVIDUALIZED TRACKED VEHICLE 9-1/4" Overall Length
OF YOUR DREAMS.” 3-5/8" Blade Length
5" Closed Length
mph. Both vehicles feature front LED light bars doesn’t much care. The only thing better for 5.0 oz. Weight
and two LED taillights. They also include four accessing remote cabins or secluded hunting
convenient lift points if you’d like to sling-load spots would require a pilot’s license. Extras: Hollow
your MTX into the hinterlands underneath your Ice fishing, farm utility chores, winter sports, Ground Blade
personal Black Hawk helicopter. Both MTX search and rescue operations and maintaining
models also feature two-speed transmissions remote sites are all in this vehicle’s bailiwick. In
and hydrostatic joystick controls. A cool fact, LiteTrax’s motto is “Roads Optional!” and
4.3-inch color display keeps track of all the these guys clearly mean it. The MTX would get
important stuff. The MTX-R carries 12 gallons you most anyplace other than a South Seas
of fuel, while the MTX-C packs 20. island and make you look good doing it.
No, you probably won’t be called upon
Model: 114B
PRACTICAL USES to rescue a lonely Dallas Cowboys cheer- BLACK
Aside from just cruising around in your own leader from a desolate swamp or a forsaken BUTTERFLY
little mini-tank being awesome, what else mountain hideaway. However, if you do get
is there to do? LiteTrax offers an optional that call, an MTX will get you there and back.
all-terrain firefighting package, a spray setup, Cool, tough, versatile and unique, the MTX
a rear jib boom and a mower attachment is the all-terrain machine for the rugged
should you wish to be the coolest guy on individualist of distinction.
your cul-de-sac. The MTX-C is perfect for The only way to make the MTX better
mosquito-abatement operations as well. would be to add a turret. When I pointed that
For the normal dude with a little extra cash, out to my buddy Greg at LiteTrax, he said
the MTX-R will take you most anywhere. Snow, simply, “Yeah, we get that a lot.” For more
swamp, lake, stream or desert, the MTX-R information, visit litetrax.com.
KEEP IT SHARP WITH

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
¥
55
 PREMIUM ®
PARTNERS

WILSON COMBAT CREATES THE

ULTIMATE 9MM COMBO WITH
ITS AR9X AND EDC X9L

There is a common expression about

→
how history tends to repeat itself. That
currently seems to be the case with the
resurging popularity of pistol-caliber
carbines (PCCs). They’re great for
competition and defense while being fun to shoot, and
they use ammunition that is definitely less expensive
than most rifle ammo. Because of that, PCCs allow
you to train more often with the platform of your
choice, even if you still use a 5.56mm or .300 HAM’R
for defensive or tactical applications.
So it should come as no real surprise that Wilson
Combat recently introduced the AR9X, a 9mm AR-
style firearm that accepts the same magazines that
feed the company’s innovative and very popular EDC
X9 pistols. I wrote “firearm” because the AR9X is avail-
able as both a pistol and full-length carbine. And I think
pairing the AR9X and EDC X9L creates a formidable
defensive duo for the home or even on the go.

BY GARRETT LUCAS

56 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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57
®

AR9X WARRIOR

from being machined and built almost

(TTU). I could probably write an article on

the trigger unit alone based on its ease
of installation, performance and quality figured the AR9X pistol would be “carbine-
components, like the heat-treated H13 ish” enough to do the job. The only other
steel trigger, disconnector and hammer. request I made was the optional SB team found a way to fit a 15-round 9mm
The AR9X’s upper and lower receivers Tactical SBA3 stabilizing brace, which I’ve
are machined from 7075-T6 aluminum grown to respect and enjoy using.
before being hardcoat anodized and then This wasn’t an easy process since
finished in Wilson’s Armor-Tuff coating. EDC CHAMPION exacting specifications were required to get
The proprietary barrel is also machined for Because of space considerations, I won’t everything to come together perfectly. The
exceptional feeding reliability and carries list every specification or component of heart of the system is the X-frame, which fea-
a match-grade accuracy guarantee. The the EDC X9L. However, it’s important tures machined dovetails into which the G10
muzzle has 5/8x24-tpi threading and to note that the reason this handsome grip panels slide rather than being screwed
into place. This makes for an extremely
low-profile fit, and the grip panels are held in
place by the one-piece backstrap. Different
backstraps and triggers are available so
users can customize their guns as well.

SPECIFICATIONS:
The AR9X is available
WILSON COMBAT
AR9X
as a carbine or pistol,
and the author tested
the latter with an 11.3-
inch barrel, flip-up
front and rear sights, CALIBER: 9mm
and an SB Tactical
BARREL: 11.3 inches
SBA3 arm brace.
OA LENGTH: 27.5 inches
WEIGHT: 5.3 pounds (empty)
BRACE: SB Tactical SBA3
SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rear
ACTION: Blowback-operated semi-auto
FINISH: Amor-Tuff
CAPACITY: 18+1
MSRP: N/A

PERFORMANCE:
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY

Black Hills 110

HoneyBadger +P 1,288 0.88
Federal 147 HST 1,044 1.12
Hornady 135 Critical Duty 1,126 1.06
Sig Sauer 124 V-Crown JHP 1,256 1.03
Wilson Combat 115 XTP +P 1,418 0.63
Wilson Combat 124 XTP +P 919 0.40
Wilson Combat 147 XTP 1,029 0.96
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph
and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 25 yards.
&YMPX-XƅWEWMQTPI[SVHFYXMXMQTPMIWXLEX]SYƅZITIVWSREPM^IH]SYVVMƽIJSVEWTIGMƼGRIIH%IVS4VIGMWMSR1)6IGIMZIVW
ERH%80%7,ERHKYEVHWGSQFMRIXSGVIEXIEVSFYWXTPEXJSVQXLEXIRWYVIWEGGYVEXIWLSXWSRXEVKIXRSQEXXIVXLIHMWXERGI

;LEXEVI]SYFYMPHMRKJSV#

%)6346)'-7-3297%'31
®
DYNAMIC DUO

The EDC X9L features a fluted barrel includes a fiber-optic front sight as well as carbines that take the same magazines as
1 inch longer than the original’s and a one of its Battlesights at the rear, though carry pistols, and since I purchased the
correspondingly longer slide, providing a other options are available. My test pistol original EDC X9 when it was first available,
bit more sight radius for accurate shoot- also came with an accessory rail, but this project was a great fit for me. I honestly
ing. Aside from that, it’s essentially the purists can forgo that as well. didn’t think there would be much difference
same pistol as the original, albeit with a with the EDC X9L, but I was surprised by
couple of tweaks. The EDC X9L is avail- TWO TO TANGO how much I liked the longer barrel and the
able with an optional magazine well that Working with the AR9X and EDC X9L at added mag well with the higher-capacity
blends almost seamlessly into the frame. the range was rather fun and immensely

The EDC X9L retains all of the excellent

molded (MIM) parts are used. Like the

CALIBER: 9mm

The optional magazine WEIGHT: 32.4 ounces (empty)

well on the EDC X9L GRIPS: G10 Starburst
blends seamlessly
into the frame and SIGHTS: Fiber-optic front, Battlesight rear
makes it easier to use ACTION: SA
Wilson Combat’s new FINISH: Armor-Tuff
18-round magazines.
CAPACITY: 18+1
MSRP: N/A

PERFORMANCE:
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY

Black Hills 110

HoneyBadger +P 1,210 2.06
Federal 147 HST 985 1.68
Hornady 135 Critical Duty 1,059 2.31
Sig Sauer 124 V-Crown JHP 1,175 1.81
Wilson Combat 115 TAC-XP 816 2.36
Wilson Combat 115 XTP +P 1,258 1.56
Wilson Combat 147 XTP 946 1.88
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph
and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 25 yards.
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X9L 100-percent reliable with all of those

Both guns were accurate and easy to handle brands, but it was accurate as well.
on the range. The AR9X’s best group (below),
measuring just 0.4 inches, came with
Shooting from a simple rest at 25 yards,
Wilson’s 124-grain +P XTP rounds. I produced multiple sub-2-inch groups,
with the best measuring 1.56 inches with
Wilson’s own 115-grain +P XTPs. There’s
lots of daylight visible in the combat sights,
and if you borrowed my eyes for the day,
you’d realize how good that group was.
I have no doubt that the EDC X9L will
absolutely outshoot any user.
Not to be outdone, the Wilson AR9X
routinely shot groups under 1 inch at 25
yards with the assistance of a Leupold
Freedom red-dot sight for more precise
aiming. One group was just a single
hole measuring 0.75 inches wide. If you
account for the 9mm’s 0.355-inch diam-
eter, that’s a 0.4-inch group using Wilson
Combat’s 124-grain +P XTPs. There was
no point measuring groups out at 50 yards
without a magnified optic because I simply
can’t see well enough at that distance to
do the test justice.

ELITE STEEL
The price of admission for this defensive
Unlike 1911s, there’s no grip safety on duo isn’t exactly cheap, as you’d spend
the EDC X9L, but the thumb safety was nearly $5,000 to own the AR9X and EDC
positive and snappy. The single-action X9L. However, that’s often the case with
trigger was nothing short of excellent at just products that sit atop their class in features
3.25 pounds. The trigger had just a few my druthers, I’d probably change out the and performance and that are recognized
millimeters of take-up before an extra-crisp charging handle for one with thicker, more as the very best. I have personally paid
release. You’ll be hard pressed to find a radiused contact points. But the AR9X more than $1,500 for a custom pool cue
better trigger on a defensive pistol. operated effortlessly, just like the EDC X9L, and more than $6,500 for a camera, and
The trigger on the AR9X was just as and both produced exceptional groups. those purchases were actually on the low
exquisite, with the TTU M2 breaking cleanly Even shooting drills and ringing steel, there end of the “ultimate” products in their class.
at 3.56 pounds on average. It was so good, wasn’t a solitary malfunction that could be The beating heart of this package is the
in fact, that I’m going to buy a few TTU M2 attributed to either firearm. The folks at Wil- EDC X9L, which is a truly unique fighting
units for my other ARs. But that wasn’t the son Combat provided a good variety of the pistol that marries the best qualities of a
only high point of the AR9X. The expertly company’s ammunition, and the 115-grain custom 1911 with the high capacity of
beveled magazine well helped with speedy TAC-XP load would not drive the EDC X9L’s today’s double-stack 9mm pistols, all within
reloads, and the free-floating M-LOK hand- slide back far enough to eject the empty a frame originally sized for a single-stack
guard made it easy to add accessories. case and feed the next round, although that magazine. For those who appreciate
Both the bolt and magazine releases were load ran flawlessly in the AR9X. pistol-caliber carbines as well as Wilson
easy to access and engage positively, and The EDC X9L did not experience any Combat’s finely appointed pistols like the
the magazines dropped free without any such issue with the rest of the Wilson EDC X9L, it naturally follows that the AR9X
assistance when it was time to reload. Combat ammunition. For good measure, I would be on your list. The fact that the
All in all, the AR9X had a robust, quality tested some of my favorite factory ammu- AR9X on its own merits looks, feels and
feel to it with an immaculate appearance nition from Black Hills, Federal, Hornady performs as well as it does is just simply
and finish. It’s everything you would and Sig Sauer. As you can see in the icing on the cake. For more information,
expect from a high-end 9mm AR. Given accompanying table, not only was the EDC visit wilsoncombat.com.

62 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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FIRST LOOK

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64 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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65
 ®
LONE WOLF

The three locking lugs on the

bolt head (left) contribute to
a shorter throw and tighter,
wobble-free tolerances. Also
note the synthetic buttstock
(below left), which is easy
to customize and features
Benelli’s recoil-reducing
Progressive Comfort system.

The detachable magazine is a beautiful piece

of work and is all polycarbonate except for the
follower spring. To my mind, molded polycar-
bonate magazines with integral feed rails are so
superior to any made of sheet steel that it’s no
contest. They are incredibly lightweight, virtually
indestructible, quieter and smoother feeding
because of their natural lubricity. The Lupo’s is
SPECIFICATIONS: especially noteworthy because it stores car-

BENELLI LUPO tridges in a staggered row, meaning its capacity

is greater than those of a single-stack orientation.
CALIBER: .30-06 Springfield In .270 and .30-06, the Lupo holds five rounds,
BARREL: 22 inches yet the box fits absolutely flush with the belly of
OA LENGTH: 44.63 inches pre-installed Weaver-style bases. Two slots on the lower receiver to maintain a pleasing silhou-
WEIGHT: 7 pounds (empty) each base allow for a modicum of fore and aft ette. Most detachable mags that store more than
STOCK: Synthetic scope-mounting latitude. three magnum or four standard rounds protrude
SIGHTS: None The fire control system is sheathed in a below the belly of the stock, which can affect
ACTION: Bolt massive polycarbonate housing. The trigger pull is how the rifle carries in your hand.
FINISH: Matte black externally adjustable from 2.2 to 4.4 pounds using There are many excellent polycarbonate mag-
CAPACITY: 5+1 a provided tool. The trigger, bolt cap and tang azines out there, but this one might just be the
MSRP: $1,699 safety thumbpiece are also polycarbonate. The best. It loads effortlessly by pushing the rounds
safety blocks the trigger’s movement but does straight down—no need to slide them rearward
PERFORMANCE: not lock the bolt. A rather unusual bolt handle is under the feed lips—and it snaps in place with
LOAD ACCURACY
pegged to the bolt body as well, and the striker certainty. Moreover, it can be charged from the
Federal 150 AccuBond 0.82
Norma 170 TipStrike 1.25
top through the ejection port—a highly desirable
Nosler 180 Trophy Grade 0.87
feature that most detachable mags can’t claim.
Remington 150 Premier
The buttstock is deceptively simple in
1.05
Scirocco Bonded appearance because it’s more adjustable than
Bullet weight measured in grains and accuracy in inches any non-AR stock I’ve ever seen. The rifle comes
for best three-shot groups at 100 yards.
from the factory with a 13.8-inch length of pull,
but you can adjust it to 14.7 inches with the pro-
vided spacers. You can also raise and lower the
entire buttstock, or adjust its cast, using included
tapered shims. If that weren’t enough, the soft

The Lupo comes with shims (left) that

allow you to set the stock in 36
different positions to achieve the
perfect drop, cast and trigger
reach, and the polycarbonate
five-round mag (right) fits
flush with the bottom
of the receiver.

66 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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rubber comb can be replaced with one of gun’s performance on the range, the com- respectively. Compare this with their worst
medium or high geometry. The forearm is also bination of the cryogenically stress-relieved groups, which were only 0.96, 1.55, 1.25 and
detachable, but there’s no reason to do so. barrel and chassis receiver bedding doesn’t 1.62 inches. When you can shoot five 3-shot
hurt the rifle’s accuracy. The gun showed a groups that differ only 0.14 inches from

FANGS OUT
decided affinity for one of the four loads, but smallest to largest, that’s extraordinary!
that’s not at all unusual. What was unusual It goes without saying that a sporter-weight
To ready the Lupo for the range, I installed a was the consistency of the group sizes. At hunting rifle won’t stand up to any sub-MOA
Bushnell 4.5-18x44mm Elite Tactical LRTSi 100 yards, the best three-shot groups for claim with just factory ammo, and you’ll usually
scope using Warne steel QD lever rings. As the Federal, Norma, Nosler and Remington see a “with premium ammunition” caveat.
it came from the box, the test gun weighed 7 loads were 0.82, 1.25, 0.87 and 1.05 inches, However, the test gun did manage at least one
pounds unloaded, and adding the scope took sub-MOA group with three of the four loads
it to just over 9 pounds. tried. By the way, the Bushnell scope, which
The Lupo is a highly innovative and has its reticle in the first focal plane, was excel-
well-made rifle. There were no glitches lent optically, and its adjustments were dead
whatsoever in firing some 70 rounds. The on, requiring only three shots to get it zeroed.
action was exceptionally smooth, and This is a nice rifle, but at $1,699, it’s also
cartridges fed almost effortlessly from the a bit pricey—especially in light of the fact
excellent magazine. Despite the high degree that there are several fat-bolt, tri-lug guns out
of buttstock adjustability, I found the length there, both European and American, that sell
of pull and comb height to be just fine right for less than half the price. That said, you’re
out of the box. At 5’10” and 185 pounds, I’m getting a lot of quality and innovation with
about as average as you can get. the Benelli name, and for the company’s first
I did, however, change the nearly 4-pound bolt action, it’s quite impressive. For more
trigger pull to 2.5 pounds. Based on the information, visit benelliusa.com.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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67
SECTION

®
SPECIAL

BY PETER SUCIU

68 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 BUYA
Alex Landeen Photo

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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69
SECTION WANNA BUY A MACHINE GUN?

You’ll need a few grand to take

home a French Chauchat light
machine gun from World War I,
but collectors who favor unique
®
firearms won’t be disappointed.
SPECIAL

Even for those who live in a state where THE MONEY REQUIRED With that in mind, the cost of a
ownership isn’t an issue, buying a machine Simply finding a machine gun for sale machine gun will make most semi-auto
gun can be a long and complex process. can be complex in itself. One of the best “black guns” look downright cheap
One other notable misconception is that places to find a machine gun is via an by comparison. The more “affordable”
you have to be a Class III license holder to auction house like Rock Island Auction machine guns available via Class III
own a machine gun, and this is completely Company or James D. Julia. Expect to pay dealers or auctions include MAC-10s,
wrong. Class III dealers can buy and sell a lot for a machine gun—in part because Uzis and other fairly modern (but still pre-
machine guns, and in most cases this will there are only a limited number available, 1986) firearms, yet these can still cost
be whom you will have to work with to and no machine guns made after May of upwards of $10,000 or more.
buy an NFA device, including a machine 1986 can be owned by most individuals. Unique historic pieces like a vintage
gun, but there are exceptions here, too. There are exceptions for those who import Thompson submachine gun—the weapon
Weapons that are on the BATFE’s “Curios firearms for the military or police, but in that can largely be blamed for this
& Relics” (C&R) list can be transferred most cases, the average U.S. citizen has process—can fetch around $30,000 or
directly between C&R license holders, but far more limited options. more depending on condition. A rare
every other step of the process remains German FG 42 automatic rifle, designed
exactly the same. This is because machine for use by paratroopers during World
guns, as noted, are tightly controlled War II, sold at auction in 2016
thanks to the NFA of 1934, and as such for a record $330,000, and that
aren’t typically the kind of things sold at doesn’t include the 25-percent
gun shops or gun shows. auction fees. Machine guns can
be extremely pricey!

THE PROCESS
Simply finding a machine gun to
buy is only the beginning of the
process, too. After you’ve found the
firearm, worked out the price and
made payment (the money is usually
held in escrow), the paperwork begins.
For most individuals, the legal transfer
begins with the BATFE’s Form 4, which
can be downloaded from its website, and it
needs to be filled out in triplicate with two
copies going directly to the NFA Branch
in Martinsburg, West Virginia, while a
third copy must be sent to the chief law
You can blame gangsters enforcement officer (CLEO) in your area.
and the Tommy gun It’s worth noting that until 2016, the
(above) for the rigorous
process of owning a transferor’s CLEO had to sign off on the
machine gun, but who BATFE forms directly, so you essentially
doesn’t want to get behind had to ask permission to buy the machine
a belt-fed Vickers?
gun. Now you don’t have to ask, but you
do need to notify your CLEO that you’re
buying a machine gun.

70 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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SECTION WANNA BUY A MACHINE GUN?
As the buyer, you become the “trans-
feree,” while the seller is the “transferor.” If
you’re buying a machine gun from a Class
III dealer, they should handle the paperwork,
as this is fairly routine for them. If you’re
doing a private transfer as a C&R holder
from another C&R holder, it can still be
®
worth paying a Class III dealer to handle the
SPECIAL

process, as they will know the key details

better than a first-time buyer.
It’s worth noting that any mistakes or dis-
crepancies can slow the process down and
will result in the forms being returned to the
transferor for corrections. The NFA Branch
will allow one set of corrections to be made,
so try to get it right the first time.
Both parties will need to sign all the
copies and also provide detailed informa-
tion, including social security numbers,
addresses, phone numbers, etc. In other
words, you can’t stay off the grid when trying

While you can

download and fill
out the necessary
paperwork to send
into the BAFTE to
own a full-auto Uzi
or machine gun, it’s
to
ho

easier to go through
kP

a Class III dealer.

oc
iSt

“THE MORE ‘AFFORDABLE’

MACHINE GUNS...CAN STILL COST
UPWARDS OF $10,000 OR MORE.”

72
MULTI
ROLE
ADAPTIVE
A
DESIGN
5 SHOT, SUB-MOA PERFORMANCE WITH FACTORY AMMUNITION

CALIBERS
338 Lapua Mag 300 Norma Mag 300 Win Mag 6.5 Creedmoor
338 Norma Mag 300 PRC 308 Winchester

barrett.net
SECTION WANNA BUY A MACHINE GUN?

“ONE OTHER NOTABLE

MISCONCEPTION IS
THAT YOU HAVE TO BE
® A CLASS III LICENSE
HOLDER TO OWN A
SPECIAL

MACHINE GUN, AND THIS IS

COMPLETELY WRONG.”
The Firearms Owners’

iStock Photos
Protection Act prevents
civilians from owning any
machine gun made after
1986, but you can still get
your hands on a WWI-era
Lewis machine gun or
Russian PKM.

STATE RESTRICTIONS
If you live in California, Con-

→ necticut, Delaware, Hawaii,

Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Rhode collectors, it has been suggested that HURRY UP & WAIT
Island, Washington State, Wisconsin or stating, “for the purpose of historical There are reports that dealers who
the District of Columbia, don’t bother filling research and for all other legal reasons” handle electronic filings can generally
out the paperwork. Those states (and is sufficient and what most dealers have get approval a bit faster, so that can be
D.C.) have laws that, with few exceptions, recommended. Don’t try to be cute or another reason to go with a Class III dealer
make it impossible to buy a machine gun or make a joke—it won’t be appreciated. even if it isn’t required. Help could be on
other NFA device. Even Nevada and Texas, In addition to the forms, you as the the way, too: Recently, the Department of
which are typically seen as “gun-friendly” transferee must supply two current Justice requested funding to address the
passport-style photos as well as two BATFE’s workload and reduce the backlog
places, have certain restrictions that make
fingerprint cards (FBI Forms FD-258). of NFA applications.
it a bit more difficult to buy a machine gun.
The fingerprints must be clear for accurate That fix could take as long as the
That said, it is best to check with both
classification and must be taken by some- current backlog, however, so for now it is
state and local laws—and even consult one properly equipped to do so, and most simply a matter of waiting. However, once
with a firearms attorney in your state—to police stations or sheriff departments can the paperwork is returned with a transfer
make sure you aren’t violating any laws. It accommodate this requirement. Neither the stamp, you can finally take home that
should be noted that if you do live in one passport photos nor fingerprint cards are machine gun and own one of the reported
of those 13 states or D.C., attempting required to be sent to the CLEO, however. 630,019 registered machine guns in the
the paperwork process will only result in Two copies of the forms, along with the United States.
a denial. The BATFE’s NFA office knows photos and fingerprint cards, are mailed to As you can see, it should be clear that
the rules, so don’t waste their time even the BATFE, along with a payment of $200 buying a machine gun isn’t easy, but it
trying. Instead, pack up and move to one by either credit card or personal check also wasn’t meant to be. Nonetheless,
for the aforementioned transfer stamp. according to most records, no legally
of the 37 states where you can legally
Anyone who expects a quick turnaround owned machine gun has been used in a
own one! —Peter Suciu
should know that the process can take up crime since the passage of the National
to a year and rarely less than 240 days. Firearms Act in 1934.

74 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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PIWWJIPXVIGSMPPIWWQY^^PIƽMTERHJEWXIVQSVIEGGYVEXIJSPPS[YTWLSXW

'SQTIXMXMSR7XERHEVHERH'SQTEGXWM^IWSJJIVIHMR&PEGOERH*()XLVIEHIHERHRSRXLVIEHIHFEVVIP
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SECTION

®
SPECIAL

“
Alamy Photo

76 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 BROWNELLS When Hollywood wanted to

AND LMT CAN

HELP YOU CREATE
→ conclude the 1983 film Scarface
with doomed drug lord Tony
Montana going down fighting,
screenwriters armed him with a contraband
A RETRO WEAPON military M16A1 equipped with an M203

SYSTEM WORTHY
grenade launcher. His line, “Say hello to my
little friend!” went down in movie history and

OF SCARFACE remains fixed in popular culture 35 years

later. The launcher was actually a prop, but
BY FRANK JARDIM the real combo represented the maximum

TO MY
firepower a foot soldier could carry short of
a belt-fed light machine gun.
Today, it’s common to see 40mm M203
grenade launchers riding under the barrels
of M4 Carbines wherever American soldiers
deploy. Back in 1969, when M203s first
arrived in Vietnam slung under the barrels of
M16A1s, they were brand new and heartily
welcomed by troops. This marked the end of

LITTLE
the standalone grenade launcher and added
the firepower of another rifle to the fight.
One more rifle might not seem like much,
but for the guys beyond the wire, it was a
big deal. The M203 was never considered
quite as accurate as the M79 “Thumper” it
replaced, but it earned its spot in our military
arsenal in the heat of combat.
Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) currently
makes the M203 for the military, and the
company also makes a 37mm version that’s
a dead ringer for the military model and

FRIEND!
isn’t even considered a firearm. Recently,
Colt offered a limited run of the 37mm
version of the M203 for $2,500. If you were
to compare it to the LMT model, they would
be identical except for the markings. Now
Brownells is exclusively marketing the LMT
37mm M203 as a companion to its retro
BRN-16A1 rifle. The launcher costs only
$1,500, and the brand-new handguard,
sight and mounting hardware runs another
$259. But frugal shoppers can find military-
surplus components with a little effort.
The weapons system has been around for
nearly half a century, so the parts are out
there if you don’t mind looking for them. I
found a used handguard and sight for $70
at the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot in
West Point, Kentucky, last spring, and I
scored a set of fiber barrel bushings from

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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77
SECTION “SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND”

®
Brownells is currently offering 37mm M203 grenade launchers
SPECIAL

from LMT that look identical to their 40mm counterparts, but

because of their smoothbore barrels, they’re easy to obtain.

SARCO for $15 and a front barrel mount for projectile weights and composition: be found online at 37and40mikemike.
from Numrich Arms for $10. flares, smoke grenades, marker pyrotech- com. That site offers basics guides that
nics and report shells. Shooting a solid are critical reading for 37mm enthusiasts.
HOW IT WORKS projectile, like a bullet, is not OK. Firing In addition, a free basic digital guide to
First, a little clarification. The National Fire- into the sky, at a tree or into an open field 37mm reloading is available for the asking
arms Act (NFA) of 1934 regulates the sale is OK. Direct fire against a living target is from American Specialty Ammo.
of rifled grenade launchers and grenades, definitely not OK, even if you’re shooting
requiring the usual paperwork, $200 tax ping pong balls. ASSEMBLY TIME
stamp and restrictions. The military M203, From a practical standpoint, the 37mm Having some parts on hand, I decided to
with its rifled 40mm barrel, is an NFA item. flares are commonly fired into the air for build up my own M16A1/M203 combo.
The 37mm LMT version available through emergency signaling on land and sea. Since Brownells sells all the parts used
Brownells is a smoothbore and can’t even Smoke shells are used on land for signaling to build its production rifles, this was
chamber real military 40mm projectiles. In aircraft and watercraft. Breaker/report very easy to do for less than the cost of a
fact, it won’t accept the military 40mm barrel, shells (bird bombs) are used to frighten complete rifle. The rifle’s upper and lower
either. Thus, despite being an identical twin birds and animals away from farms. Pyro- receivers and bolt carrier group were all
to the 40mm in looks, the 37mm smooth- technic shells are fireworks for celebratory from Brownells.
bore is nothing more than a flare gun under purposes. Marker rounds firing pigmented The barrel and trigger make or break a
the law. Since it isn’t a firearm, no Form payloads are used to, well, mark things. weapon’s accuracy. I wanted to be able
4473 is required as well. Keeping it legal just Detailed explanations of what you can to shoot surplus 62-grain military M855
depends on what you shoot in it and with it. legally do with a 37mm launcher, as well ball ammo, which was designed around a
For example, shooting the following is as loading data and just about anything 1-in-9-inch-twist barrel. And while there are
generally OK provided you follow the rules else you would ever want to know, can a lot of heavy and M4-style configurations
out there, I needed an old-school “pencil”
barrel for this retro build. Thankfully, Sherluk
Defense had one for $175. The company
specializes in U.S. military gun parts, and
it was the only company offering a barrel
with the correct profile and twist rate and
no accuracy-robbing chrome lining. Sherluk
also had the correct front and rear sights
for the M16A1 as well as mil-spec parts to
complete the receivers.
For the trigger, I chose the Geissele
SSA two-stage unit with a crisp 4.5-
pound pull. It was on sale at Brownells for
only $190. This is the civilian version of
Geissele’s military and law enforcement
select-fire trigger unit. Initially, I thought
Mounted under the barrels of this trigger might be a better choice to
M16s and M4s, the 40mm M203
deal with recoil from the launcher, but the
grenade launcher has served
our armed forces well since it latter’s recoil was negligible and presented
DoD Photo

was first introduced in 1969. no threat of an accidental discharge.

I found original military-issue furniture in
decent shape. The prices on this equipment

78 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 It’s the little things
that mean the most™.
Introducing the new Spek™ red dot and Flik5™ magnifier by American Defense Mfg.
Sold individually or together as a Dual Use Optic (DUO™), the 3.7 inch Flik5 is an

duo
DUal use optic
extremely short and ambidextrous 5X fixed power magnifier with generous eye
relief, capable of quick transitioning from 1X to 5X, and adaptable with all red dot
and holographic sight heights. The 2MOA Spek micro red dot is powered by (1)
AAA lithium battery, includes push-button brightness adjustments and offered in low,
co-witness, and lower-third co-witness mounts in either aluminum or full titanium.
ADM is Intentionally Superior.

Spek MSRP starts at $369

Flik3 MSRP starts at $369
Flik5 MSRP starts at $475
DUO MSRP starts at $685

For dealer inquiries, email dealers@admmfg.com www.admmfg.com

SECTION
The author turned to Sherluk Defense
for the correct barrel, iron sights and
smaller parts to complete the receivers.
For the trigger, he chose a two-stage

®
SPECIAL

seem to vary wildly. You could easily pay

$50 for a set, but bargains can be found,
especially if you don’t mind a little wear.
The build required a little gunsmithing
work to get the LMT launcher’s mounting
tailpiece over the barrel and properly seated

LOAD YOUR OWN 37mm ROUNDS

with its locating pin between the barrel nut
teeth. The barrel also had a straight profile,
rather than a tapered GI profile. By remov-
Thanks to a these plastic canisters are ing a little metal from the shoulder and a few

→ devoted 37mm
following, there’s a
sometimes available free
for the asking.
thousandths of an inch on opposite sides in
a small area, I could slip the launcher over
the barrel without marring it. I used a lathe
wide variety of commercially In my experiments, I used
and file, but the whole job could’ve been
produced rounds available, 25 grains of Old Eynsford
done with a file or Dremel tool. Quality parts
typically starting at $8 to $9 FFFG black powder to
tend to go together easily, and the slightly
each. Fortunately, hand- launch a 1-ounce film
oversized barrel diameter was the only
loading 37mm rounds is canister filled with flour at challenge of this build.
both easy and economical. 734 fps. Each one flew over When I finally hit the range, I wondered
The best system I’ve seen 70 yards. The canisters if the weight of the M203 hanging off the
was designed by Mark broke on impact with hard barrel would affect the rifle’s accuracy. If it
Rogers of MLR Distributing soil, making easy-to-spot did, I couldn’t detect it while shooting with
(mlrdistributing.com). He white “poofs” of flour. But I iron sights. In fact, firing from a bench, I was
uses infinitely reloadable, realized that this was a light able to shoot 1-inch groups at 50 yards
two-part, screw-together aluminum shell load because ranges of over 125 yards using Winchester’s 77-grain Match BTHPs.
tubes sized internally to fit inexpensive are common and up to 400 yards possible That left me satisfied—the retro warrior
was certainly up to the task. The complete
cardboard projectile tubes and round with the right combination of powder
M16A1/M203 system is a lot of fun while
wads. The aluminum shells come in var- charge, projectile and wad.
still being practical for things like emer-
ious lengths and cost from $15 to $17. Getting my lighter rounds on target
gency signaling. It’s also an attention-getter
The cardboard projectiles are launched required the 200-yard aiming point on on the range. Anyone who saw my not-so-
with a small blackpowder charge ignited the flip-up front handguard sight. Accu- little friend wanted to say hello!
by a 209 shotshell primer. This system rate shooting at ranges much beyond
requires no special tools, and the cost this would require experimentation with
of a pre-fused cardboard tube and wads the carry-handle sight. The rims of the
can drop to as little as $2 each when MLR shells were slightly too thick for the FOR MORE
INFORMATION
purchased in 50-piece quantities. You M203 extractor to snap over, so I thinned
BROWNELLS
can produce your own smokes, flares, them down on a lathe. Alternatively, I
brownells.com
bird bombs, etc., for less than $3 each. could have just filed down one small
LMT DEFENSE
Cheaper still is a simple marker round edge and indexed that on the extractor lmtdefense.com
made from a flour-filled 35mm film canis- to accomplish the same thing without a
SHERLUK DEFENSE
ter. If your local drugstore processes film, lathe. —Frank Jardim sherluk.com

80 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 ENGINEERED FOR

FEATURING THE

N8TACTICAL.COM
 ®
RANGE 101

EVERYTHING TO
CONSIDER BEFORE
YOU START TEARING
UP YOUR BACKYARD
BY RICHARD MANN

Shooting is a perishable skill.

→ That’s why we have to hit the range

regularly. But you might not always
have access to a range, particularly
after some catastrophic event. (Think of the
COVID-19 pandemic.) No, not all of us have
the real estate to create a shooting range, but
that might be something to consider when
you’re looking at property to purchase for a
home site or an alternate living location.
Not all of us are plastic surgeons or poli-
ticians. This means we must work within our
budget. You can expect to pay about $100
per hour for dozer or backhoe work when
establishing your range. A good operator
should be able to rough out a range in two
days or less. If you own a small tractor, you
can reduce this expense by doing some
of the work yourself. Backstops are
important as well, so check
with the local railroad in Your range will be a lot
your area. Most railroads more useful with reactive
steel targets like the
give away railroad ties from time to time, MGM IPSC Silhouette
and they can be used to help construct your Auto Reset Target.

backstop. But there’s more.

82 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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PLANNING IT OUT
Right off the bat, you need to check
your local zoning ordinances regarding
the discharge of firearms. No, those
ordinances won’t matter when zombies
come, but you need to be able to use
your range now. You also need to con-
sider your proximity to neighbors. The last
thing you want is for those who live near
you to call the cops every time you shoot.
It’ll also make things easier if you find
a location with a natural backstop, such
as a hillside. This reduces the expense
of creating the range and provides a
safe, long-term bullet-impact area. You
also want to work with an experienced
contractor if you go that route, and
remember drainage. You don’t want
your flat range to become a mud bog
whenever it rains. You’ll also need grass
in areas with abundant rainfall.
You should never shoot into trees,
either. You may eventually need those
trees down the line, and chainsaws don’t
get along well with bullets. Clear the
trees from your impact area.
Lay out the range for the firearms you
want to be shoot. A small pistol bay that’s
only 25 yards deep will take care of most
handgun shooting, but if you later decide Dirt work isn’t of through-hardened AR500 steel. This Proper Popper target, which is similar
you need to train with your rifle, 25 yards cheap, but it’s a stuff isn’t available on every corner, so to a standard pepper popper, but by
necessity for those
won’t be enough. You’ll also need good building their own your best bet is to go to a premium steel virtue of an ingenious clamp on the
targets, but we’ll get to that in a minute. range. Bite the target manufacturer like MGM Targets. back, you can cover the target with a
And consider the proximity on your bullet and find a I suggest you pick up at least two shirt to make it seem more realistic.
good bulldozer
property. You might need to place operator who can steel targets from MGM (mgmtargets. This way, the “kill zone” is hidden.
the range a good distance from your handle the job. com). The first is the company’s The other MGM target that offers a
residence. This might be mandated by lot of value for the dollar is the IPSC
safety or the layout of your property. Also Silhouette Auto Reset Target. This
consider a range shack for storing your one will rock backwards when it’s hit
targets and gear. And did I mention rain? with a rifle round, even at
Finally, place signs near your range The MGM 3-Gun
long range. You never have
and around the bullet-impact area. You Cardboard Target to reset it, and it’ll work for
obviously don’t want someone wander- Stand retails handguns, too.
for just $30
ing into the area while you’re shooting. but can be
I’d also strongly suggest
Those are just a few pointers, but be placed virtually you pony up the money for
creative. It’s your personal range, so anywhere several target stands as well.
thanks to its
build it to suit your needs. ground spike.
Over the years, I’ve made my
own out of wood and PVC pipes,
TARGET TALK but they never hold up and can’t
You should really invest in steel targets. handle much wind. MGM’s Card-
Don’t think you can get a local fabricator board Target Stand is a steel base
to cut some steel for you to shoot at. At a with legs and retails for about $40.
minimum, these targets need to be made You’ll never regret buying several of

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 ®
RANGE 101

MGM’s Cardboard Target Stand (below) is a great

choice for flat ground, and the Proper Popper (right)
has a clamp so you can hide the “kill zone” with a shirt.

“YOU SHOULD
REALLY INVEST IN
STEEL TARGETS.”

these. But the company also has what it

Without ammunition, your guns are

→ nothing but expensive, ill-formed

clubs. But factory ammunition isn’t
all that easy to find, even today. Thankfully,
you can limit your dependence on ammo
manufacturers and the stock at your local
gun shop by loading your own. Yes, you’ll
need to stock up on components like
powder, primers and bullets, but you should tool, a bullet puller, a powder measure and lot of training value. There’s nothing else
have your own brass to reload. a good loading manual. like it on the market.
Wait, you don’t save your brass? The brass Probably the best bet for those new to For a static target board, most
for centerfire cartridges can last a long time. handloading is to purchase one of the kits shooters make the mistake of building a
I have some rifle cases I’ve reloaded dozens available from various manufacturers. The permanent structure. I even did this until
of times, and pistol cases I’ve loaded as many RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Master I designed a replaceable target board.
as 20 times. That’s the beauty of handloading Reloading Kit retails for about $400 and You can buy what you need for about
has everything you need to get started. $30, and it’ll last at least a year before
Granted, a single-stage press is slow, but it needs replaced. Build a frame that’s 4
for beginners, it’s the way to go. If you want feet by 4 feet square, and let two sides
to make ammo in bulk, then you might also extend down as legs. Then, bury two
buy an RCBS Pro 2000 progressive press. 2-foot sections of 3-inch PVC pipe in the
With one of these, you can turn out as much ground 4 feet apart. Place a downspout
as 50 rounds per minute, but the process is attachment to the end of these pipes and
a bit more involved, and it’s a good idea to you can slide the target frame down into
start with the single-stage press until you are them. Now you can cover the 4-by-4-foot
confident in your handloading skills. square with plywood or cardboard, and
KNOW YOUR GOAL: Of course, there are when it gets shot up, just replace it.
lots of other helpful handloading tools like Having a place to shoot isn’t just
tumblers or sonic cleaners to clean the brass about having an unoccupied field or
cases, case trimmers to keep cases within a section of woods where no one is
the maximum tolerances and even automatic wandering around. If you have the
powder dispensers. Decide up front what space, you can put together a workable,
your handloading goals are and equip long-lasting shooting range for less than
accordingly. You can never have too much $2,000 that will get you through the
ammo. (rcbs.com) —Richard Mann good times and the bad.

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 GET TO KNOW TWO SMALL COMPANIES
WITH SOME PRETTY BIG PRODUCTS
BY FRANK MELLONI

models used a from retention or

simple photosensor well-aimed shots.
Smart Firearms was created in 2013 with a timer to On the other
out of a need to reduce firearms acci- set off the alarm end, there is nearly zero
dents and increase proficiency among anytime a finger tolerance for finger
our nation’s police officers and private was on the trigger placement during reholstering, as this
citizens. These folks have created a for more than is when most negligent discharges
unique non-firing training system that approximately two occur. Altogether, this suite allows
mimics the most common weapons seconds. However, the company’s every practice session to be a
on the market and is designed to newest products utilize accelerome- skill-builder by not allowing a single
break bad habits before they start. ters and inertial reference units that violation to slip by. The fact that the
A highly intuitive sensor suite tell the alarm system how the gun is weapons are conspicuously inert and
located in the triggerguard audibly and oriented before it goes off. This allows incapable of chambering a round

86 BALLISTIC 06 ¥
several styles and will fit holsters for
the Glock 17, 19, 22 and 23, Smith
&Wesson’s M&P series or, new for 2020,
the Sig Sauer P320. All of the pistols
are crafted with the same exterior
dimensions as their live-fire counterparts
and contain realistic triggers with tactile
resets. They can also survive being
dropped 8 feet onto concrete as well. In
addition to handguns, Smart Firearms
also makes highly functioning M4s and
X2 Tasers to expand their appeal to
SWAT teams and security personnel.
Sadly, many police departments
lack the funding to provide substantial can only soak up so much recoil before drills. The newest version of this versa-
firearms training to their officers, and we’re no longer practicing the way we tile feedback system can read either a
most civilians just don’t have the means should be. This led the owners of Laser red or infrared laser, helping to future-
to conduct realistic training sessions. Ammo to develop the company’s first proof your training plans.
Through the use of Smart Firearms, product, the SureStrike. In addition, the company is very well
police and responsible citizens can train The SureStrike was the first of many known for its Smokeless Range Shooting
for a violent encounter where threats products that introduced realistic training Simulator. Using this system, an instruc-
exist in a 360-degree environment. The to the comfort of your own home. This tor or homeowner can set up a laser
company’s guns are now in service with simple laser cartridge can accept shooting range right in his or her class-
more than 120 police departments in the different adapters to be chambered in room or living room and practice a variety
U.S. alone. Sales are open to any orga- nearly any firearm. Once the SureStrike of scenarios. There’s even a software
nization or individual that is interested is inserted into the chamber, the gun’s add-on that allows you to make a custom
in practicing or teaching safe firearms firing pin activates it and projects either scenario based on your own personal
handling. (smartfirearms.us) a visible red laser or an infrared one for living space, office building or school. For
less distraction. Using the SureStrike, a more affordable and dynamic training

LASER AMMO
Getting to the range is hard—sometimes
shooters can simply dry fire on their
own target or incorporate any number of
reactive targets made by Laser Ammo.
session, Laser Ammo also offers its
Interactive Multi-Target Training System,
or i-MTTS. The three or five targets
really hard. Most ranges aren’t open The company’s most popular target that comprise this kit are electronically
before typical work hours, and many is the LaserPET, or Personal Electronic connected and “speak” to each other
aren’t open much later after we’ve Target. This highly portable device oper- when hit to offer several different training
punched out. Live-fire training is also ates in six different modes that allow options that involve movement and
costly on both the wallet and the shooter. you to work on drawing, consistency, transitioning from target to target. Check
Let’s face it, our budget and our wrists speed and even malfunction-clearance them out. (laser-ammo.com)

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 ®
CAN CORNER

“EUREKA!” is a Greek expression that

→
McQueen while possessing more practical
literally translates to “I have found it!” and utility than anything else in your safe.
always seems to be followed by the obligatory
exclamation point. Eureka is the official state INTEGRAL OPTIONS
motto of California as well—an allusion to the The Pac-Lite IV TSS is a drop-in, integrally
gold rush that first opened the Golden State suppressed upper half that fits directly onto
to both western civilization and prosperity. your Ruger Mark IV or Mark IV 22/45 pistol.
Eureka is also a perfect reflection of my The upper weighs a mere 12 ounces and
heart when first I tore into the parcels contain- features a state-of-the-art titanium, inter-

The author outfitted

his X-Ring Takedown
VR rifle with Tactical
Solutions’ TSS barrel
assembly and a Sig
Sauer TANGO6 scope
to get the most out
of the .22 LR.

UPGRADE YOUR FAVORITE RUGER

 The split-tube design makes it easy to
take each of these suppressors down for
cleaning and maintenance when needed.

.22 rifle that lesser rimfires aspire to become.

E NEW
TH NDARD
STA
CZ P-10 F
FDE

In addition to the
crisp trigger and
engineered ergonomics that have made the
P-10 platform a favorite, the full-size frame of the
F brings a longer sight radius, longer barrel and
longer grip for increased consistency and control.

CZ P-10 F CZ P-10 F
BLACK OD GREEN
Weighing just 12 ounces, Tactical
Solutions’ integrally suppressed Pac-Lite
IV upper assembly is compatible with
any Ruger Mark IV series pistol. CZ-USA.COM

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 ®
CAN CORNER

With the TSS

barrels installed,
the author’s rimfire
hosts were even
more accurate,
quiet and effective
on the range. They
can easily handle a
number of tasks.

guts back into the tube leaves everything

perfectly aligned. The unique stainless steel
split tube means that the baffle stack slides in
and out without a fuss, even when it’s dirty.
To disassemble the can, just thread off the
front cap using the included wrench, slide
rifle system this awesome war- the guts out for servicing and set aside the
rants an equally awesome piece nifty front sight device. Reassembly is just the
of tactical glass. While it certainly reverse. Pay even trivial attention to mainte-
flirts with overkill, I chose the nance, and these cans should outlive your
Sig Sauer 1-6x24mm TANGO6 grandchildren, even if you shoot a lot.
riflescope for this article. This
rarefied combat optic serves HOW THEY RUN
downrange atop Uncle Sam’s As I mentioned in the beginning, these are
newest designated marksman rifle the suppressed .22-caliber weapons I have
(DMR). I can think of no higher been searching for all my life. With subsonic
accolade. Featuring either a first- ammo, you can run these two guns anyplace
or second-focal-plane illuminated you have a safe, legal backstop, even if
reticle, extra-low-dispersion that’s right next door to some gun-hating
HDX glass, and industry-leading hoplophobe. The pistol remained subsonic
light transmission and optical with everything I fed it. When appropriately
clarity, the TANGO6 optimizes the stoked, don’t bother with hearing protection.
X-Ring Takedown TSS from bad-breath First and foremost, these rimfire sup- You just don’t need it.
range out to the limits of the .22 LR. pressors are unnaturally effective. A sound These are both top-tier firearms that per-
suppressor is designed to do just that, and form accordingly. Using CCI Clean-22 ammo
A CUT ABOVE with subsonic ammo, these cans are indeed as well as Winchester’s M-22 Subsonic and
Sound suppressors are big business these movie-grade quiet. However, being quiet Wildcat loads, I was able to produce 1.5-, 1-
days, and the state of the technical art has is just part of the overall equation. A sound and 1.2-inch groups with the Pac-Lite IV TSS
exploded in the last generation. TacSol’s suppressor is a substantial investment, so you at 12 meters, respectively. The velocity figures
innovative rimfire design is the absolute want yours to be easy to service and last liter- were 994, 876 and 971 fps. With those same
top of the heap. Combining trivial weight ally forever. TacSol delivers on both counts. rounds, the X-Ring Takedown TSS created
with state-of-the-art materials science and TacSol’s titanium baffles slide into one 1-, 0.5- and 0.75-inch groups at 25 meters,
groundbreaking design, these are the “cans” another from the side for a rigid stack that respectively, with velocities of 1,159, 1,018
by which others are judged. remains easy to clean. Fitting the suppressor and 1,178 fps. The rifle and pistol were

90 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 Each TSS barrel comes with
a handy wrench that simplifies
the disassembly process.
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, THESE
RIMFIRE SUPPRESSORS ARE
UNNATURALLY EFFECTIVE.”

JOURNEY’S END
I wasn’t kidding earlier. All my life, I have
been searching for a suppressed .22 rifle
and pistol combination that would perform
like these two guns. Yes, you can get by
For general utility tasks, these two rimfire guns to deal with inquisitive skunks, raccoons with lesser quality at a lower price point. I
weapons are without equal. The X-Ring Take- with an insatiable addiction to garbage or any have in the past. But if you want the very
down TSS rifle will stow in some of the most similar farm pests. In addition, this compact, best suppressed rimfire guns that mankind
convenient spots and keep the camp pot full lightweight and quiet little pistol makes for can produce, look no further than TacSol
of bunnies or tree rats as the need arises. great company on my walks around the and the Pac-Lite IV TSS along with the
For general utility work around the farm, this woods. While not really designed for two- X-Ring Takedown TSS system. Lightweight,
rifle is adequate to shoot a water moccasin legged threats, the gun is painless to carry packable, useful and fun, these two top-end
through the head from across the lake or and would serve as good medicine against add-ons are the very tip of the spear. For
clip mistletoe out of a tree around Christmas malevolent bipedal threats as well. more information, visit tacticalsol.com.

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 ®
WEAPONS INSIDER
Wanna feel old? Consider weapon sight intended for use on NOT A RED DOT

→ this: If the Holographic

Weapon Sight (HWS)
were a person, it would
be old enough to vote.
Yes, it’s true. Yet we are at a point in
helicopter gunships and artillery. Then,
in 1993, ERIM formed the Michigan
Development Corporation (MDC) to
commercialize these technologies,
which ultimately led to the creation
Before researching this article, I couldn’t
tell you the difference between a red-
dot sight and an HWS, let alone explain
why the latter merited its higher price
tag. But after a good, long conversa-
history where many shooters cannot of EOTech. The first-generation HWS tion with folks who make their living
recall a time when these simple yet for small arms was introduced to the designing and selling these devices, the
effective devices didn’t exist. Their use shooting public at the 1996 SHOT Show. reasons became abundantly obvious.
has become the “new normal,” and for As a response to its initial suc- When they were done with me, I sort of
this we have EOTech to thank. cess and continued interest, EOTech felt a little dirty for owning some of the
The company’s story started as far launched a second-generation version red-dot sights I have.
back as 1962, when the team at the four years later that further refined the From a technical standpoint, a red
Environmental Research Institute of original’s size and modularity. While the dot uses a light-emitting diode (LED)
Michigan (ERIM), formerly Willow Run new technology certainly had a buzz to make the dot that we see and use to
Laboratories, produced one of the about it, nothing launched interest like aim the weapon. An HWS uses a very
world’s first holograms. ERIM was a the introduction of the military and law sophisticated laser diode to display, or,
world leader in performing research enforcement version. USSOCOM quickly more accurately, “replay” the pre-
and development in the areas of remote adopted it as its close-combat optic, as recorded holographic reticle image.
sensing, satellite imagery and battlefield did several other elite military units. Now LEDs produce light within a certain
surveillance for the U.S. Department of it’s safe to say that EOTech has changed range of a particular wavelength (i.e.,
Defense, NASA and the U.S. intelligence the way we shoot in just a few short color), whereas laser light is produced
communities. Eventually, it presented years, so I set out to take a deeper look in a singly defined wavelength. This nar-
the U.S. Army with a holography-based into the company and its products. row light bandwidth is what is required

EOTECH’S
BY FRANK MELLONI

92 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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to create a holographic image. An LED MOA, but in reality, it’s much smaller.
isn’t capable of producing a hologram, The human eye can only resolve
so the laser is more expensive, but the objects down to about 1 MOA, so
differences to the shooter are obvious. smaller objects that are bright enough
First off, the HWS’ reticle is three to be seen appear to be about 1 MOA.
dimensional. This means that your If you look at the night sky, the stars
eye perceives it as if it were projected tell this tale quite dramatically. While
downrange. This allows the operator some stars are millions of miles further
to bring both the target and the reticle away than others and vary in bright-
into focus at the same time, something ness, they all appear to be about the
unheard of until this technology was same size. EOTech sights exploit this
introduced. This not only makes the natural phenomenon with their laser
shooter more inherently accurate, but and, for this reason, the central aiming
it makes target acquisitions faster and point is perceived as just 1 MOA. Even
both-eyes-open shooting more instinc- when a magnifier is being used behind
tual. Red dots are more like iron sights, the HWS, the aiming dot still appears
where you must pick the component to be just 1 MOA because the actual
of the sight picture you wish to bring dot size is much smaller.
into focus (the target or the dot), as the Red dots cannot do this and are
human eye isn’t capable of focusing at relegated to whatever size the sight is
two different distances simultaneously. built for. A 3-MOA dot will be 3 MOA
The laser diode also allows for an or larger. And because of the LED’s
aiming dot that appears to be only 1 limited capabilities, that dot will only
grow under magnification, just as the
target does. So, without magnification,

HOW THE a 1-MOA HWS dot will “cover” about 1

inch of your target at 100 yards. When

LEADER IN seen through a 3X magnifier, your tar-

get will increase in size by three times,

HOLOGRAPHIC but the aiming dot will not. Instead,

it’ll only cover about 0.33 inches of

SIGHTS your target, or 0.33 MOA. Conversely,

HAS CHANGED
a 3-MOA red dot that covers about
3 inches of your target at 100 yards

OVER TIME
without magnification will still cover 3
inches when seen through the same 3X
magnifier because both the target and

T I O N
the aiming dot have tripled in size. This
provides a clear accuracy advantage to
the EOTech’s holographic dot.

THERMAL DRIFT
About three years ago, a term called
“thermal drift” entered the firearms
discussion, and its effects were exag-
gerated to the point where EOTech’s
largest client, Uncle Sam, took notice.
Those who don’t understand optics (or
physics) well are going to make a big
deal about this, but the reality is that

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 ®
EOTECH’S EVOLUTION

1946 1972 1986 1993 1995 1996 2000 2001 2005

The Michigan State ERIM establishes EOTech introduces the EOTech debuts USSOCOM and
Legislature establishes the Michigan first-generation HWS at the second- the Marine Corps
a non-profit research Development the 1996 SHOT Show generation HWS choose the HWS
institute that would Corporation (MDC) to under the “Bushnell with a more as their standard
later be renamed commercialize ERIM The MDC HoloSight” trade name. It compact and close-combat optic,
the Environmental technology and create creates EOTech, a wins the Optic of the Year modular design. and it becomes the
Scientists from Research Institute of ERIM presents a prototype spinoff, for-profit subsidiary of ERIM, Award from the Shooting EOTech unveils the optic of choice for
Willow Run Laboratories Michigan (ERIM). of a holography-based subsidiaries. to apply wave-front Industry Academy military and law elite Army units like
at the University of weapon sight to the U.S. reconstruction to enforcement HWS, the Stryker Brigade
Michigan approach the Army for use in helicopter small-arms sights. which receives the and 101st Airborne.
U.S. Air Force with a gunships and with Optic of the Year
proposal to create an anti-aircraft artillery. Award from the
anti-ballistic missile Shooting Industry
(ABM) system, known as Academy of Excellence.
“Star Wars” today.

most people—even most warfighters—aren’t their best option and continued using them. their predecessors but are still available with
going to see a noticeable effect. At a typical In addition, a new contract for the next green reticles, making them easier on the
defensive distance, any temperature-related USSOCOM Close Quarter Sight (CQS) eyes in broad daylight. Those looking to add
drift is going to be less than 1 inch, and that is was awarded to EOTech in late 2018. a magnifier should also consider the EXPS,
only noticeable if the shooter, gun and ammu- Of course, EOTech has taken the as its side-mounted buttons make it more
nition are capable of that level of accuracy. not-so-serious problem very seriously and convenient to operate, and the quick-detach
So what causes such a “catastrophic” fail- developed a realistic test protocol referred (QD) base makes installation and removal
ure? Well, it’s just simple, unavoidable physics. to internally as “in situ” thermal testing. In effortless in the field.
All materials expand and contract during these tests, they subject optics to real-world To further expand its brand, EOTech engi-
temperature changes, each at its own specific environmental changes and track their point- neers poured their passion for precision into
rate. The larger the temperature swing, the of-aim shift, if any, in real-time right from inside the magnified-optics arena via the VUDU line.
larger the movement. As these materials move, the thermal chamber. Every production lot is The 1-6x24mm added a midrange solution for
they cause this minuscule drift and can change tested, and the results are all rigidly tracked by shooters looking to reach out with traditional
the point of aim. However, it’s important to EOTech’s quality-control team. Anything that AR cartridges, and it comes with three reticle
note that not only are optics subject to phys- doesn’t meet their specifications is rejected. options, including bullet-drop-compensating
ics, but so are rifle barrels and ammunition. Additionally, experiments with (BDC) editions for the 5.56mm
That’s why military snipers practice cold-bore different glasses, metals, polymers and 7.62mm. For those looking to
shots and F-Class competitors cover their and glues helps the company reach out further, the 5-25x50mm
ammunition while they’re on hot and sunny further improve its products, making VUDU is one of the most compact
firing lines. So this isn’t exactly news, and it thermal drift even more of a distant offerings in its class. This space
certainly isn’t unique to the EOTech brand of memory. The lumps taken for an reduction leaves rail space for the
optics. When USSOCOM tested EOTech issue that was unknown in the addition of a thermal or night-vision
sights against potential replace- industry four years ago have in fact device. Of course, these models are
ments, they found the produced an improved product and merely bookends to what the entire
EOTechs to still be placed EOTech at the leading edge line has to offer. Several products
of optical environmental performance. fit neatly between both examples, with more
being added each year. Regardless of which
TODAY’S EOTECH VUDU scope you decide to peer through,
EOTech continues to develop new they all offer amazing clarity and magnification
models as well as improve existing ones. for less than you would expect to pay when
The 512 and its night-vision-capable compared to other high-end scopes.
counterpart, the 552, are by I enjoyed getting to know EOTech over
far the most popular offer- these past few months. Before this, my
ings. While these are the experience with the brand and its products
EOTech’s bestsellers, they was limited to less than 100 rounds scattered
do take up more rail space throughout sporadic industry events. I found
EOTECH than the compact XPS and that the differences between the company’s
EXPS3-4 WITH EXPS lines. The latter offerings technology and the more popular red-dot
G33.STS MAGNIFIER take up half of the rail space of sights justified the extra expense, particularly

94 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 2005 2007 2009 2010 2010 2016 2017 2018 2020
EOTech introduces EOTech becomes a EOTech unveils the American
EXPS HWS with part of L3’s Warrior first green reticles Holoptics buys
side buttons and Systems Division, for its HWS line. EOTech from
enhances its line of which develops an L3Harris.
an integrated 3X magnifiers. extensive range of
aiming, illumination,
L3, one of for U.S. Special thermal and
the world’s Forces. Several new HWS image-intensified The VUDU
largest defense models are unveiled night-vision optics. EOTech debuts 1-6x24mm FFP
contractors, to meet the specific its VUDU line of scope is awarded
acquires EOTech. needs of customers precision riflescopes. the NRA’s 2018
like USSOCOM, Golden Bullseye
Optic of the
Year Award.

when you consider the functional advantages

that holographic sights have to offer. It was
also interesting to get the entire scoop on
the thermal drift story and evaluate the claim
a bit myself through some erratic winter
weather. One thing is certain: EOTech
continues to improve and expand, and I can’t

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BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 THE RED
MATCH REPORT
®

ounded by Jim Fuller, the owner

of Rifle Dynamics, the Red
Oktober Kalashnikov Champion-
ship is designed as a way for AK
enthusiasts to come together,
compete, test their skills and,
above all, have some fun with their favor-
ite AKs. Held every October, the annual
match coincides with the celebration of
the Russian Revolution of 1917. That
might seem a bit irreverent, but AK fans
have great senses of humor. I know I
can’t help but laugh after outshooting AR
addicts at a local match with an “evil” and
“substandard” AK-47.
As you already know, today’s compe-
titions are heavily AR biased. You won’t
see many competitors using AKs, and
if you do, the guns are heavily modified.
Thankfully, a number of manufacturers
have noticed, and the industry is chang-
ing. Companies like Joe Firearms, Dead
Air Silencers, Arsenal Firearms, Berry’s
Manufacturing, M-13 Industries, Sabre-
werks and a few others all set up booths
at the Red Oktober match I attended
back in 2018 in Salt Lake City. And there
were AKs of every flavor, including vz.
58s, Galils and SKS carbines. One guy
even used an RPK. Some were high-
dollar models, but many had seen lots

SHOOTOUT
of use and were ready to go.

98 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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OKTOBER
ON THE FIRING LINE
AT THE WORLD’S
LARGEST AK-ONLY
COMPETITION
BY DAVID BAHDE

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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99
 THE RED OKTOBER SHOOTOUT
®

holes were welded and finished. Then Joe

Firearms added a custom magazine release, a
magazine funnel and a Krebs Custom safety
that could hold the bolt open. The bolt carrier
was altered for left-side charging, and the
trigger was flattened and expertly tuned by
Palano for a smooth take-up, a crisp 3-pound
break and a short reset. The internals were also
polished and coated for reliable operation.
The Troy Industries KeyMod handguard
covers most of the barrel, allowing for more
reach and a steady rest on barricades. For
the competition, I added a SureFire Scout
light and a ZeroBravo reversible hand stop to
the forend. The factory dust cover and rear
sight were replaced with a hinged, aluminum
Texas Weapon Systems Gen-3 Dog Leg Rail
that allows you to install an optic and maintain
The author hit the Red the rifle without losing your zero. Then, for
Oktober match with a optics, I installed a Leupold LCO and D-EVO
tricked-out Joe Firearms
Enhanced AK-74 with a
for quick targeting at close- and mid-range
custom Cerakote finish. targets. In terms of furniture, we added a
Hogue rubber grip and a Manticore F3 stock
adapter paired with a Luth-AR MBA-3 butt-
stock. Finally, the completed gun was given a
PERSONAL RACE GUN custom camo Cerakote finish.
I’ve been modifying AK rifles to make them
more user friendly for a few decades now. My AT THE MATCH
first experience with an AK-style rifle came Most of the stages at the Red Oktober
when I was still on the SWAT team with a match were a mix of your typical run-and-gun
Galil SAR and then a Micro Galil. No, they rifle variety, with a few more off-the-wall
weren’t precision instruments, but they ran—in obstructions and obstacles thrown in for
the rain, snow, mud, dirty, clean, you name it. good measure. Most matches don’t require
Spent casings flew into the next county; they you to crawl through tubes and climb into
never dribbled out of the guns or got stuck in and out of foxholes and trenches, nor would
the chamber. They were perfect for dynamic you see an 8mm Mauser as a stage gun, but
entries, beginning my affinity for the AK that only added to the fun here. A couple
platform that continues to this day. of stages required some running uphill, but
Eventually, I became friends with Joe nothing incredibly athletic. Instead, the stages
Firearms’ Steve Palano, a combat-hardened provided some interesting and fun challenges
Army Ranger and expert at modifying AKs, for everyone. It’s also important to remember
who only made me appreciate the platform that this match is designed for those shooting
more. His innovations are solid and practical, standard AKs with iron sights. The ranges
making each gun easier to operate. So it only were limited to 150 yards with generous
made sense to use a Joe Firearms rifle for “...THERE WERE AKs IPSC-style silhouettes placed all over.
this particular competition. The owner of the
company, Adam Eaton, was a big supporter
OF EVERY FLAVOR, The match adhered to USPSA rules for the
most part, counting hits on steel, hits in the
of the Red Oktober event, where five different
shooters used his company’s Enhanced AKs.
INCLUDING VZ. 58s, A-zone on paper or two in the scoring area.
The paper targets were all inside 25 yards.
My rifle started as an Arsenal SLR104-31 GALILS AND SKS There were a couple of swinging targets,
in 5.45x39mm before Joe Firearms performed too—mostly “no-shoot” targets swinging in
its Enhanced customization package, this time CARBINES. ONE GUY front of “shoot” targets. Talking to numerous
with an eye toward 3-Gun competition. The
standard scope mount was removed, and the EVEN USED AN RPK.” competitors, I learned that those with the most
basic gear had the most fun, and professionals

100 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 THE RED OKTOBER SHOOTOUT
®

had a good time. The range officers were the running and gunning. That’s because of my
super friendly and helpful as well, and most prior career in law enforcement and all those
left their “range commander” hats at home. years of training. Of course, my time reflected
My squad consisted of shooters with vary- my slowness, moving me to 57th place overall,
ing levels of experience, and we used a few but I expected that. The Red Oktober match
different guns. We actually had two different really offered some excellent training for
Joe Firearms AKs on our roster, including unconventional situations.
mine, and they both ran flawlessly using The optics mount never moved during the
Hornady ammo and Circle 10 magazines. The match or shot loose. The optics held their zero
reloads were fast—as fast as any AR magazine throughout the event, even though I dragged
change—and I never had to remove my control the gun right through dirt in a few stages.
hand from the rifle, which is a boon for safety. Nothing came loose. The extended safety was
My rifle’s accuracy was also excellent, extremely useful as well. And although it was
though I only used the Leupold D-EVO on a bit light for my tastes, the trigger was quick,
one stage. The LCO took care of everything repeatable and very controllable. Even taking
else. I decided to run the stages as I would at the time to establish a solid sight picture with
a “tactical” match, which meant I’d establish a every pull, my split times were quick. The reset
good sight picture with every shot and take my was easy to find, and I didn’t have any light
time moving from position to position. I moved primer strikers or hitches.
carefully, without any extra sprinting. Why? I My optics setup was enjoyable, and I look
wanted to work on my fundamentals without all forward to trying it on other carbines. It’ll prob-
ably become a mainstay on my other compe-
tition guns, even if I didn’t need the D-EVO’s
capabilities here. I know I’m already looking
The match was all
forward to the next Red Oktober match, where
about unconventional
shooting positions, I’ll use a harder-hitting 7.62x39mm rifle.
which helped everyone
push themselves as
well as their gear.
TEAM EFFORT
Everyone on our team had fun, and the event
ran pretty smoothly. There wasn’t much down-
time despite over 200 competitors attend-
ing—many more than at the inaugural match.
You could hear some shooters whining about
their scores on the radio, but not in our squad.
All in all, it was very well run, and like I said, I’ll
definitely be coming back. The 2020 match is
already scheduled for Las Vegas in October.
Everyone who used a Joe Firearms
Enhanced AK did well. None of those rifles
experienced a single issue, which isn’t
something that can be said for a few of the
other guns used at the match. Joe Firearms
rifles work, plain and simple, and can handle
whatever harsh use you have in mind. And
although they’re appropriate for competitions,
each is designed from the ground up to make
it more useful in any setting.
The Red Oktober Kalashnikov Champion-
ship was great. The stages were challenging,
interesting and sometimes even funny. Anyone
could take part, and most importantly, you
could run every stage with an out-of-the-box
rifle and still have a great time. For more, visit
rifledynamics.com/redoktober.

102 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 ®
ROAD TRIP

INSIDE
Century Arms employees
often dig through piles of
imported weapons to find
the gems that are still in
good condition.

CENTURY
ARMS
More recently, I was afforded of Americans to sort, categorize and
the opportunity of a lifetime to sell them for both economical defen-
visit Century Arms and get a peek sive needs and historical preservation.
BEHIND THE SCENES behind the scenes. The nondescript, In fact, when locals in bars asked me
AT THE COUNTRY’S 100,000-square-foot warehouse lies
about 30 minutes outside the home of
what brought me to town, I proudly told
them, “Documenting the preservation
BIGGEST IMPORTER the first Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop of historical items from around the
AND AK PRODUCER in Burlington, Vermont. Despite being
in the home state of Bernie Sanders,
world.” Their toes danced in their
Birkenstocks—I assume. I’ve learned to
Century Arms stands as a shining never look at a hippy’s toes.
BY GRAHAM BAATES celebration of both capitalism and
liberty. The company locates caches of THE GUN SEEKERS
valuable freedom tools abroad, imports Aside from feeling like I won the golden

→ WHEN I TURNED 18, I got my first

rifle: a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 made in
1944 that cost less than $100.
It was big and ugly, and kicked in a way
them to the U.S. and employs dozens ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate
factory, I was curious about how
things really worked at Century Arms.
Acquiring surplus guns isn’t as easy as
choosing a factory and placing an order
that made me wonder if Russian volley like most importers do. These guns
fire wasn’t somehow responsible for need to be discovered first, followed by
many other tasks complicated by inter-
shifting the angle of Earth’s orbit. When
national restrictions. Before Century
I could afford it, my second rifle—the Arms can even consider importing a
first purchase for myself—was a Zastava certain make and model, the company
7.92x57mm Mauser that the Serbs pro- has to understand where the guns
were made, who owned the factory at
duced to support the other side in World
the time, who the guns were first sold
War II. Despite being intended to point at to, where they’re currently located, who
one another, one thing these rifles have in currently owns them and more. Then
common is that they were available in the Century Arms must determine if there
is enough demand for the firearms to
United States thanks to Century Arms.
warrant the rest of the hassle.

104 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 That includes traveling to another The importation game has only gotten Over the years, Century Arms has
country after vetting the seller well enough harder in recent years. Of course, the also experienced a few unexpected
to determine if it’s even a safe journey in very nature of surplus guns is that they “bonuses” with its purchases, too. For
the first place. Once in country, Century aren’t being made anymore, so supplies example, one container came in with a
Arms’ employees brave jungles, swamps dwindle daily as parts decompose and note that said, “I think we got rid of all
and less-than-prosperous nation-states. functional guns are picked away or can- the snakes.” Century Arms called in an
They face language barriers galore while nibalized. The Information Age has also exterminator to bomb the container and
making their way to shipping containers created challenges as more and more waited a few weeks to open it. While
and warehouses that sometimes haven’t people globally are able to check pricing lifting out a pallet, workers were startled
been opened in decades. At times, they worldwide. The problem isn’t Americans to see the long body of a snake swing
On his tour,
spend time literally raking through piles of looking to find the going rate of a firearm down. Fortunately, it had been dead for
the author saw
guns to identify if they’re worth purchas- staff members as much as it is the theoretical exporters a while. The snake had somehow gotten
ing, or if the real gold is in the next one. unload a shipping looking to find out what a gun could into the pallet back at the point of origin.
crate containing
There could be hundreds of inoperable be sold for in the U.S. Perhaps they After everything arrives, a complete
a broad mix
pieces of garbage hiding just a handful of of weapons, had been willing to let a container of a inventory must of course be taken to
jewels. Once discovered, are those jewels including MP5Ks particular model go for $10 per gun, but ensure it matches what was purchased
and a grenade
worth purchasing the pile? Questions like they’ve seen those guns sell for $500 in and approved by the BATFE. This would
launcher.
these must be answered from within dank the U.S., so now they demand a higher be simple with pallets of newly manufac-
containers thousands of miles from home, price. That would be fine if Century tured guns all sorted and stacked neatly
along with more immediate questions Arms didn’t have to ship the guns across by serial number, but that is seldom
like “Did that rifle stock in the corner the globe, wait for BATFE approval, then what Century Arms receives in a surplus
just slither?” and “Did I just bump into a sort, clean and categorize them before shipment. Instead, what I got to expe-
bayonet or get bit by something?” even beginning to look for a U.S. buyer. rience were piles of boxes packed by
what fit best, not make, model or, God
forbid, even serial number. And because
the guns aren’t all in the same condition,
they must also be sorted into functional,
parts-only and waste categories. The
functional guns must then be organized
by their grade or condition. Anyone
who has spent any time in logistics can
envision the nightmare. Each individual
firearm could, in fact, have its own SKU.
I’m pretty sure the only thing that keeps
this fun is that they’re guns!
I was fortunate enough to be on hand
while a container was unloaded. We cut
one box to find about 100 Smith & Wes-
son .38 Special revolvers. The next was
full of Jerichos with some early Glocks
mixed in. A box larger than a pallet was
cut open to reveal a mix of all the fun
stuff, including Model 601 ARs, MP5Ks
and what looked like TEC-9s.
When it comes to Class III and other
items not readily consumable by the
public, Century Arms has a special
area caged off to handle them. Most
of those firearms must be destroyed
within a certain amount of time and
turned into parts kits, but sometimes the
company is able to sell them directly to
government agencies. The drool factor
was strong for me inside this cage.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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105
 ®
ROAD TRIP
The original Skorpions were cool, as were true craftsmen. The U.S. lacks generations of before being spot welded. CNC machines are
the Uzis, but the side-folding East German small-town AK builders, but we have industrial used to drill holes, ensuring precise placement
AK-74s really caught my eye. In beautiful con- experience and an addiction to technology. and that the bit passes through the receiver at
dition and looking like they had only been fired Century Arms’ AK assembly line consists of the exactly right angle. This part in particular
a few times, they were wonderful examples of stations for each step of production. Dedi- really impressed me as a shooter who got into
what happens when German manufacturing is cated presses have preset limits to ensure AKs when crooked sight posts or gas blocks
applied to timeless Russian design. the same pressure is applied to the same were common. Instead, Century Arms uses
spot on every gun. Century Arms also has calibrated sensors and a jig holding the rifle
ALL-AMERICAN AKs acquired and dedicated a machine purely to exactly in place to measure how straight the
Of course, Century Arms was the first tool making. A jig has been built for every rivet, gun is. If it isn’t straight, a worker uses another
company to hit the market with an entirely every press, and even for ensuring the gas specialized tool to correct it and measures
U.S.-made AK. This includes every component block and sight base are even. When a rivet again. Applying any torque to the gun also
and step of the process, which is interesting is driven, it is then checked all the way around results in an additional headspace check.
because building an AK is more akin to a with a feeler gauge to make sure the rivet is In fact, headspace—the tolerance and
craft than assembling an AR. While AR parts seated correctly and evenly. Another in-house space between a locked bolt face and seated
are generally made within certain tolerances tool ensures the guide rails are perfectly plane cartridge—is checked no fewer than five times
to work with just about any other AR part of throughout the production process to ensure
the same caliber and then simply screwed nothing has been compromised from the
together, the AK requires riveting, spot moment the barrel is pressed into the trun-
welding and hydraulic presses. In Old World nion. This is far more effective, accurate and
factories, these processes are handled by true than your favorite social media influencer
jamming a gauge in to make a point. To ensure

“...CENTURY ARMS
the correct amount of pressure is applied
every time during a headspace check, Century
STANDS AS A SHINING Arms has developed a tool for this process,
too. It’s a gauged spring to provide precisely
CELEBRATION OF the right amount of pressure every time,
regardless of how tired or energetic Employee
BOTH CAPITALISM A or Employee B was feeling that day.

AND LIBERTY.” And because there are so many employ-

ees involved in building each gun, many
eyeballs and hands check the quality of the
work done at the previous station. Quality
assurance and quality checks are built into
every piece and every step, then overseen
and checked again. Century Arm’s AK manu-
facturing process brought a smile to my face,
not only because I love the platform, but also
because I could see that classic American
ingenuity that made our country great.

TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF

There was so much to see and describe at
Century Arms that this article could easily
run on for another couple pages. To keep the
length readable, check out the additional cov-
erage on ballisticmag.com and the “GBGuns”
YouTube channel. While you’re there, let us
know your surplus firearm and Century Arms
experiences. Seeing what goes into the
acquisition and preparation of these guns has
certainly given me an extended appreciate of
both imported and American-made AKs. For
more information, visit centuryarms.com.

106 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 ®
BOLD CARRY

MICRO
THE CZ SCORPION
EVO 3 IS BACK
AND SMALLER
THAN EVER FOR

MACHINE
CQB DOMINATION
BY TODD BURGREEN

Private military contractor,

→ mercenary, deniable government

operative—whatever title was
assigned, Ethan had beaten the
odds and retired in his mid-40s. It was a
young man’s game after all, and his back
and knees reminded him of that fact daily.
But he wasn’t going to become some lumpy
marshmallow, either. Old habits die hard,
and he worked out regularly. No matter how
well you can pull a trigger, physical fitness
always factors into your survival.

The Scoripon EVO 3 has been

a big hit since it first hit the U.S.
market, and the new Micro variant
Mitch Hardin Photo

packs all of those features in

a smaller, handier system.

108 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 into direct action. But Ethan knew to
plan for worse-case scenarios like dogs
and roving sentries. Crossing the border
was the easy part. Making it back in one
piece would be a different story.
He smiled as he double-checked his

nestled discreetly in his Eberlestock S25

what kind of firepower was waiting for

OK, writing that little intro was pretty

fun! But there’s a lot we can learn from

your hands on the CZ Scorpion EVO

3 S2 Micro, you’ll honestly feel like a
secret agent. It’s that cool.
The Scorpion EVO 3 platform
traces its development back to a 2002

Laugo, which CZ purchased in 2009

and redesigned. Eventually, the plat-
form came stateside in select-fire and
semi-auto variants for law enforcement
personnel and civilians. A few different
Time spent in the Marines and then that the gun was only about 5.83 inches configurations have been made, and
the NSA served him well, especially in the longer. Now heavy 147-grain 9mms they’ve all been popular. And the new
Middle East and the Balkans. Financially, would spew out at just under 130 Micro variant came about because a
he was secure. He still worked a day job decibels. Plus, Ethan’s experience with drug interdiction unit requested a smaller
as a contractor. The irony amused him, but other CZ products in Eastern Europe version of the EVO 3 S1 carbine for its
he kept it to himself among co-workers. ranked the Scorpion system high on his operations. Civilians can now get their
Specifically
Unfortunately, an early morning phone designed for list for reliability and effectiveness. hands on a semi-auto pistol version that
call from his brother, Nathan, in Texas the Micro, The days of having a million-dollar is just out of this world.
had disrupted his routine. Ethan had to CZ’s S2 Reflex armory were over. Ethan chose each Now, before we go any further, I
suppressor
call in sick for the next couple of days. effectively of his weapons now for their capa- should mention that I got my hands on
The damn flu was bad this year, he told reduces the bilities while maximizing his budget. an early iteration of the Micro that has
his assistant, and instructed that his 9mm report He understood the need for blades, since undergone a few changes. You’ll
while only
schedule be cleared for the upcoming adding 5.83 everyday-carry handguns and large- notice that mine has a collapsible arm
week. The truth: His brother had a client inches to the format pistols like the Micro. In a time brace that rides on two rails, but the
who had run afoul of some nefarious weapon’s when gun rights are constantly under current Micro in the CZ-USA catalog
overall length.
groups across the border. Nathan tried attack, a braced pistol remained a trump comes with a folding SB Tactical brace.
to give more details, but it didn’t matter. card, especially considering that his Out front, the faux-suppressor has
Ethan was already on his way. concealed-carry permit allowed for them also been replaced with a flash can,
His suppressed CZ Scorpion EVO 3 and offered reciprocity with neighboring and Magpul MBUS sights are included
S2 Micro was a natural choice for the states, easing travel concerns. instead of the CZ-designed versions on
jaunt. Compact and lethal thanks to The mission required infiltrating my test gun. But the basic mechanics
the collapsible brace, Ethan had also a warehouse in a remote location to are the same, so let’s dig in.
installed one of CZ’s own titanium S2 recover the “missing property” and Weighing in at 5.3 pounds unloaded
Reflex suppressors under the handguard send a message back to whomever was and just under 14 inches long with the
to up the ante. The 9.6-ounce “can” responsible for the theft in the first place. brace collapsed, the Scorpion EVO 3
slipped over the barrel in such a way Hopefully, the operation wouldn’t turn S2 Micro packs a serious punch. Yet the

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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109
 ®
BOLD CARRY
has M-LOK slots in the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock
Mitch Hardin Photo

The Micro is very easy to take down

positions. CZ also includes a hand stop on the
for cleaning and maintenance when bottom that keeps your support hand locked in
necessary, and you can adjust the place and safely away from the muzzle. Inside
polymer pistol grip’s positioning.
the HB Industries handguard is a 4.12-inch,
cold-hammer-forged barrel wearing a pint-
sized faux-suppressor from SilencerCo. As I
mentioned, the current model has replaced this
with a flash can, which is a more effective muz-
zle device in my opinion. Either way, the gun
looks awesome, and the S2 Reflex suppressor
takes everything up a few notches.
My pistol also came with factory iron
sights that lock onto the top rail but are
removable. Current models come with
Magpul’s MBUS flip-up sights—another
noteworthy upgrade. But to help me get on
target a little quicker, I decided to equip my
test gun with a Trijicon MRO.
To increase its ergonomics even more, the
Micro’s pistol grip, with its generous bottom
flare for easy indexing, can be moved forward

“TRANSITIONING BETWEEN MULTIPLE TARGETS or backward slightly to adjust your length of

pull and trigger reach. You simply remove one
WAS EFFORTLESS, AND THE SUPPRESSED screw, move the grip and reinstall that same
screw. Finally, CZ-USA includes one trans-
SCORPION OFFERED LITTLE FELT RECOIL.” lucent 20-round magazine, and additional 10-,
20- and 30-round varieties are available.
SPECIFICATIONS: shooter won’t feel much more than a love tap
when pulling the trigger thanks to its careful SUPPRESSED FIRE
CZ SCORPION engineering, blowback action and 9mm cham- CZ created the S2 Reflex suppressor

EVO 3 S2 MICRO bering. It has a lot of innovative features, too,

like a forward-mounted charging handle that
specifically for use with the 9mm Micro. The
goal was to keep the overall length as short
CALIBER: 9mm can be swapped to either side. as possible while offering the
BARREL: 4.12 inches Paired with the ambidextrous greatest sound reduction. The
OA LENGTH: 13.88-22.5 inches safety and magazine release, the 2-inch reflex chamber allows
WEIGHT: 5.3 pounds (empty) gun is easy to operate for both the S2 to fit over a portion
BRACE: SB Tactical right- and left-handed shooters. of the barrel, maximizing the
SIGHTS: Magpul MBUS Several parts prone to wear suppressor’s volume without
ACTION: Blowback-operated semi-auto and failure in any weapon, disrupting the Micro’s natural
FINISH: Matte black including the extractor, bolt, balance point. The special
CAPACITY: 20+1 carrier, pins, springs and other reflex chamber’s extra volume
MSRP: $1,227 parts, have all been beefed up reduces the sound signature
to reduce the chances of that by 10 decibels over more
PERFORMANCE:
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY
here. The external parts are rock traditional suppressor designs.
Federal 147 HST 990 2.33 solid, too. While some braces on I tested the Micro at the
Federal 150 Syntech pistols can be floppy or flimsy, range with just the iron sights
855 2.66
Action Pistol the collapsible brace on my test and then with the Trijicon
Hornady 147 XTP 970 2.75 model—a collaboration between SB Tactical MRO installed, unloading several magazines
Sig Sauer 147 FMJ 980 2.33 and Manticore Arms—was super sturdy in the as quickly as I could. The non-reciprocating
Sig Sauer 147 Match Elite 895 2.00 extended and collapsed positions. charging handle was easy to use, but the
Winchester 147 PDX1 988 2.25 The receiver has a full-length rail on top ambidextrous safety took some time get-
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph for sights and optics, and CZ went with HB ting used to. I eventually found it easier to
and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 50 yards.
Industries for the 4.25-inch handguard, which manipulate the lever with either the thumb or

110 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

¥
index finger of my firing hand depending on if
I were setting it on “safe” or “fire.”
The Micro proved very capable at handling
EBERLESTOCK’S CHERRY BOMB
a CQB-style course set up within the Echo

→
Valley Training Center’s HESCO shoothouse. The Eberlestock S25 Cherry
Transitioning between multiple targets was Bomb pack defines discreet carry.
effortless, and the suppressed Scorpion It’s the perfect solution for carrying
offered little felt recoil. Running the Micro a large-format pistol like the CZ Scorpion
through its paces with quick magazine EVO 3 S2 Micro, which will give you the
changes, shooting behind cover and firing edge over a more traditional handgun in a
from a number of unconventional positions, personal-defense situation. The uniquely
the gun never missed a beat. The Trijicon designed S25 Cherry Bomb has two main
MRO really did its part, too, as the red dot compartments, plus an outside pocket under
was quite easy to pick up. the coffin-logo panel. The entire pack is
Thanks to its relative compactness and designed for hassle-free access, and in the
potential firepower, the CZ Scorpion EVO 3 first “public” compartment, you’ll find trans-
S2 Micro represents a true game-changer lucent slip pockets suitable for iPhones with
when it comes to concealed carry, especially a double pen slot between them and a semi-
if you can carry a large-format design in your rigid document/laptop sleeve. In the second
area. The Micro is innovative and sleek, but “private” compartment, you’ll find another
even when you strip away the rave reviews, sleeve suitable for your main weapon. The
you’ll find an efficient 9mm that reliably pack measures 24.5 by 11 by 5 inches,
puts rounds on target in a hurry. For more and a variety of color options are available.
information, visit cz-usa.com. (eberlestock.com) —Todd Burgreen

WORLD FAMOUS
CHIP M C CORMICK

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FIRST LOOK

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 SPRINGFIELD’S
NEW 1911
HAS EVERYTHING
YOU NEED AND
NOTHING YOU DON’T
BY MIKE DETTY
ALEX LANDEEN PHOTOS

By and large, the kind of features a forged Series-70-style,

shooter who chooses a 1911 stainless steel frame and an honest-
for a carry gun is a tradition- to-God, hot-salt-blued, forged-carbon
alist—someone who prefers slide. It also has dovetailed sights, a
blued steel to polymer and the timeless high-swept beavertail and an extended,
Browning design to the latest European strong-side-only thumb safety.
striker-fired gun. The folks at Springfield The slide-to-frame fit on the Ronin
Armory know their market and, with that in is as close to perfect as I’ve seen
mind, just introduced the Ronin Operator, on a production gun. Try as I might,
a retro-styled 1911 built to provide a I couldn’t get it to wobble in the
lifetime of rugged service and look good slightest. I even field-stripped the gun,
while doing it. Offered in both 9mm and removed the barrel and still couldn’t
.45 ACP, the new Ronin Operator is loaded find any play between the pistol’s
with features that savvy 1911 shooters two main components. This kind of fit
look for at a price that will leave Spring- doesn’t happen by accident. It’s also
field’s competitors shaking their heads. worth noting that the lines and transi-
When I first saw the press release tions on the slide and frame are clean
announcing the Ronin Operator, I told and precise. The rounded surfaces
Springfield’s marketing manager that if I have also been bead-blasted for a
was going to spec out a custom gun for matte finish, so Springfield has done a
carry use, it would look just like this. It has great job on the Ronin’s cosmetics.
everything needed for effective opera- The Ronin uses a traditional internal
tion without any extraneous parts. It’s a extractor as well as an extended ejec-
no-nonsense gun set up for serious work, tor. The ejection port is also lowered
and I fell in love with it before I even got and flared for greater reliability, and
my hands on it. There was just one thing the match-grade, stainless steel barrel
that gave me pause: The $849 price tag is paired with a traditional bushing.
made me wonder what corners were cut to The integral feed ramp is polished
be able to offer a quality 1911 at that price. well, and the gun fed every single
round I loaded without a bobble.
The front sight possesses a red
Springfield Armory sent me a 9mm Ronin fiber-optic insert that glows brilliantly
Operator for testing, and I was immedi- in daylight and immediately draws
ately impressed. The two-tone pistol your eye. The rear sight is a robust

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RONIN OPERATOR

one-piece design that is drift adjustable for as crisply as the trigger breaks and will of take-up, and the overtravel was adjusted
windage and made from steel. Springfield never leave you guessing if you’re on safe perfectly. Combined with a firm reset, the
calls it a Tactical Rack sight because its or off. It can also be nudged back into the Ronin’s trigger is as close as a consumer
forward ledge makes it possible to rack the safe position easily, and you’ll hear a sat- can get to a perfect trigger pull with a true
slide with just one hand in an emergency. isfying click when it engages. Little things production gun. You’ll find much more
It also features glare-reducing serrations like this are indicative of Springfield’s atten- expensive guns with triggers nowhere near
on its backside as well as two white dots tion to detail. Personally, I prefer strong- as nice as the Ronin’s!
surrounding the notch. side-only safeties for carry. Ambidextrous
The low-profile laminate grips are laser safeties are exposed, and even the simple TRIGGER TIME
engraved with the Springfield Armory logo. motion of my arm swinging back and forth To test the new Springfield, I decided
The hex-head grip screws are polished as I walked has been enough to disengage to go somewhere I rarely see another
bright, and as I mentioned, the frame one. As I’ve said many times, I have no person while shooting. It’s an hour drive
features a high-swept beavertail that problem carrying a 1911 “cocked and for me, but I thought I’d be responsible
promotes a high grip for better control. The locked,” but no desire to carry a cocked and practice my social distancing. Sonoita,
magazine well is beveled for fast reloads, and unlocked pistol. Only my competition Arizona, is the site of the Empire Ranch,
and the one magazine that comes with the 1911s wear ambidextrous safeties. and it’s my favorite spot on Earth. Its
gun possesses a bumper pad to ensure My test sample’s trigger broke at a very scenic grasslands and rugged mountains
proper seating during a speed reload. The crisp 2.8 pounds after about 0.063 inches have made the perfect backdrop for many
mainspring housing is also machined from Westerns filmed here, including two John
stainless steel and checkered. Wayne movies. On a typical visit, I’ll see
I’ve been shooting 1911s for more than herds of antelope, mule deer and a variety
40 years now, and one thing that I insist on of hawks. Occasionally, I’ll see a bobcat,
for my personal carry and match guns is a coatimundi or mountain lion. This range
crisp thumb safety. Here, the extended, session came on a normal early spring day
single-side-only thumb safety disengages with temperatures ranging from 65 to 72

SPECIFICATIONS:

CALIBER: 9mm
BARREL: 5 inches
OA LENGTH: 8.6 inches
WEIGHT: 41 ounces (empty)
GRIPS: Laminate
SIGHTS: Fiber-optic front, Tactical Rack rear

FINISH: Black, stainless

CAPACITY: 9+1
$849

PERFORMANCE:
VELOCITY ACCURACY

927 1.68
Black Hills 115 JHP 1,271 1.41
Colt 124 National Match FMJ 1,102 0.94
Federal 138 Syntech
1,086 1.47
Defense SJHP
The 9mm Ronin comes with easy-to-use
sights, front and rear slide serrations, Hornady 124 XTP +P 1,159 1.38
checkered laminate grips, a skeletonized Norma 108 MHP 1,118 1.53
trigger and a nine-round magazine.
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph
and accuracy in inches for best five-shot group at 25 yards.

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 REFINED DESIGN.
STRIKING PERFORMANCE.
The all-new Taurus® G3 delivers an extraordinary new take on the
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9MM LUGER (15 + 1 AND 17 + 1) • 10-ROUND VERSION AVAILABLE • 4” BARREL • 25 OZ

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®
RONIN OPERATOR

degrees. Winds, however, were a pain,

averaging about 15 mph and occasionally

out of the Ronin Operator.

without a hitch. Colt’s 124-grain National

average group size of just 1.4 inches!

nose profile that should

Taking the Ronin

Operator apart
can help you see
some of its quality
components,
including the match-
grade barrel and
traditional bushing.

in the Ronin. The slide velocity was good,

Paired with a Kydex
the recoil was very minimal, and the round
IWB holster from shot to the point of aim. While I didn’t have
1791 Gunleather, the time or resources to test the round’s
the Ronin Operator
would make a great
expansion, Norma offers impressive
carry gun for any pictures with four copper petals doubling
1911 aficionado. the size of the projectile. Take a look at
norma-ammunition.com.
Those who spend a great deal of time
running .45 ACP 1911s will find shooting
the Ronin delightful. The first thing I
noticed when handling the gun was how
easy it was to rack the slide due to the
light recoil spring. Shooting a steel-framed
9mm 1911 was sublime! I was able to fol-
low the front sight even as the slide cycled, ster made for the 1911. Fea- gun, I have to admit that I
and it wasn’t a chore to fight the gun back turing a heavy-duty belt clip, haven’t found a single cut
onto target like it can be with a .45 ACP. the holster can be worn in a corner—in fact, not even a
After the group shooting, I set up my variety of positions, and its rounded corner! Its major
MGM BC-C Zone target at about 15 yards open-bottom design allows components are forged, and
and practiced double-taps with Aguila’s for Officer, Commander and the parts are expertly fitted.
147-grain FMJs. Using a PACT electronic Government-sized guns as It possesses a trigger pull
timer to measure my splits, or time between well as those with threaded that would normally only be
shots, I was able to get down to 0.16 muzzles. It’s adjustable for found on high-dollar custom
seconds. That is about as fast as I am retention and cant, and has a guns, and it’s capable of
See the two casings flying out of
physically capable of pulling a trigger. By sweat guard. The front of the extraordinary accuracy.
the Ronin Operator? The author’s
comparison, on this same day, I was only holster is cut low for those split times were incredibly fast On top of all that, it is a
able to manage a 0.21-second split with using a slide-mounted optic, thanks to the pistol’s light recoil. handsome, uncluttered gun
a steel-framed .45 ACP 1911. The Ronin and the sight tunnel allows for that is sure to make any true
performed so admirably that I’m certain many suppressor-height sights, too. Lightweight, 1911 aficionado sit up and take notice.
competitors will buy the gun for USPSA, low profile and secure, it’s a great way to Have you been thinking of buying a
IDPA and 3-Gun competition. The only real carry a 1911 concealed! 1911 for carry or sport but were put off
modifications that I would make would be to with the idea of having to take a new gun
add an ambidextrous safety and a mag well NO CUT CORNERS to a gunsmith to clean up the trigger or put
funnel. But for everyday carry, the Ronin is When I started this project, I wondered decent sights on it? Springfield Armory’s
ready to go from the box to the streets! what corners Springfield cut to get the Ronin Operator might be the solution to
Just prior to receiving the Ronin, 1791 Ronin down to an MSRP of just $849. But your dilemma. For more information, visit
Gunleather sent me a new Kydex IWB hol- after spending significant time with the springfield-armory.com.

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U ?
KITCHEN

WHAT’S
WAGY
produced in Japan, and Kobe is but one
of 10 prefectures in the country where
Wagyu cattle are raised. What must be

UP WITH
understood is that, using an oft-quoted
description, all Kobe beef is Wagyu, but
not all Wagyu beef is Kobe.
All Wagyu comes from one of four

B
breeds of cattle: Japanese Black, Brown,
eing a foodie of the first order, I Polled and Shorthorn (I’ve Anglicized their
found myself reading an article Japanese names). Of the four, Japanese
about Wagyu beef the other
day—you know, those steaks that
DEMYSTIFYING Black accounts for about 90 percent
of all Wagyu. To qualify as Kobe, the
come from Japanese cows that
JAPAN’S ULTRA- animal must be from a castrated bull of
are massaged every day and fed beer and RARE AND the Tajima strain of the Japanese Black
sushi, all while being soothed by the strains
of Mozart. Of course, I knew all of that was
EXPENSIVE BEEF breed and born, raised, slaughtered and
processed all within the Hyogo prefecture
pure BS, but you must admit that such BY JON R. SUNDRA under strict supervision. Every carcass
apocryphal rumors increase the demand is government inspected, stamped and
and perpetuate the mystique of Wagyu. Wagyu steak renders its intramuscular fat accompanied by official documentation
In that article, the author used the famil- (marbling) at around 68 degrees Fahren- tracing that specific animal’s ancestry
iar “melts in your mouth” cliché to describe heit, which means that if you hold one in going back a century or more and includ-
the taste sensation of a top-grade Wagyu your hand, the heat from your hand will ing its date of birth, weight, percentage
steak. What that triggered for me was start melting the fat. The point is, Wagyu of intramuscular fat (IMF) and maybe a
record of how well he played with others.
Only 3,000 or so cattle qualify as Kobe
each year, and not all of them make the
minimum Wagyu standard of A3 on the
Japanese Beef Marbling Standard (BMS).
An A3 rating means that the average cut
of meat from that particular animal must
have at least 21-percent IMF.
To put that into some perspective,
consider that less than 2 percent of our
domestic cattle qualify as Prime—the
highest category on our USDA grading
system. The Prime grade means that the
various cuts from a specific animal must
average 11 percent IMF, which is roughly
half the entry-level standard for Wagyu.
Contrast that with the fact that more than
50 percent of Wagyu meets our USDA
Prime standard. We have to use the
Japanese standard for Wagyu because
our USDA grading system does not go
nearly high enough. A Prime-plus steak
on the USDA system, for example, would
score about a 5 on the Japanese scale,
which goes up to 12.
Like I said, Kobe accounts for about 1
percent of all Wagyu, and only 15 percent
of that is exported to the U.S. That trans-
lates to a mere 500 pounds per month

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 wi d
KITCHEN
for this entire country! In other words, it’s
rare—so rare that only 21 restaurants in the
country actually serve authentic Japanese
Kobe beef, and half the time they’re sold
out. And none of this beef is available at
retail locations. But that doesn’t mean Kobe
beef is somehow superior to A5 Wagyu. It’s
not. Many experts prefer the firmer texture of
an A5 steak from Miyazaki or Olive Wagyu.
The latter are cows raised exclusively in
Japan’s smallest prefecture, Kagawa, which
includes Shodoshima Island, known for its
olives. One enterprising Wagyu breeder,
Masaki Ishii, figured out how to turn the
detritus of olive oil processing into cattle
feed. Olive Wagyu is the rarest form of
Wagyu, as there are fewer than 2,000 cows
in the entire Kagawa prefecture.
As for Kobe, it’s just different in that its
breeders’ association requires a slightly
higher IMF score of 10 out of 12 on the
Japanese overall grade system, meaning
it must have a minimum of 52.9-percent
IMF, whereas an IMF of 43.8 percent is the ribeye is $139, and an 11-pound rib roast is
threshold for A5 certification. The A4 grade $1,055. Their Olive Wagyu is even pricier,
is comprised of IMF scores of 35.7 to 40.6 but there’s a waiting list because it’s usually
percent, and A3, the lowest Wagyu grade, sold out. These, of course, are retail prices,
spans 21.4- to 29.2-percent IMF. Again, to so restaurant prices are far higher. Consider
qualify for our USDA Prime grading, only this: At Wynn Las Vegas, one of those 21
11-percent IMF is needed. It’s worth noting restaurants that serve Japanese A5 Wagyu,
that some A5 Wagyu scores 72-percent prices range from $640 to $880 per pound!
IMF! That means almost three-quarters of
The Japanese Black (top) accounts for about
the steak is fat. And it’s good fat, believe 90 percent of that country’s valuable Wagyu. AMERICAN STANDARDS
it or not—the monounsaturated kind—and For perspective, an A5 Miyazaki strip roast from And this brings us to the other half of the
there’s more of it in Wagyu than in our beef. The Wagyu Shop (above) goes for $1,499. Wagyu story: American Wagyu. Between
1976 and 1997, some 200 full-blooded
HOW IT TASTES The consistency is nothing like what we’re Japanese Black (Kuroge Washu) cattle
But enough of the jejune. We’re talking familiar with. It’s almost like eating butter. were brought here from Japan by a few
steak here, and what matters is the taste, That’s why it’s customarily served as an enterprising cattle ranchers. However,
not a bunch of clinical numbers. So what appetizer in Japan rather than an entree. in 1999, an export ban was initiated by
does Wagyu look like, and how does it I’m talking 2 to 4 ounces at most, often Japan, and since then, no full-blooded
taste? Well, the most noticeable visual skewered and grilled tableside as small Wagyu cattle have left that country. Today’s
difference is in the amount of marbling—the cubes or thinly sliced like carpaccio and domestic Wagyu population, then, is all
percentage of white fat (IMF) interspersed served raw or flash seared. descended from those 200 or so animals.
in the red meat. Whereas our USDA Prime There are precious few sources of Needless to say, each generation has been
steaks show isolated chunks of solid fat Japanese Wagyu here in the U.S., but bred every which way from Sunday so that
and relatively little marbling compared to Crowd Cow is one of them. These people there are some 30,000 Wagyu-influenced
even the minimum grade of A3 Wagyu, the deal directly with four different Wagyu cattle in the U.S. today, but according to the
higher the IMF, the more the steak takes on breeders in Japan. There’s no middleman American Wagyu Association (AWA), only
a pinkish appearance rather than red. Here, involved, and the steaks they offer, including about 5,000 have been bred to retain their
a picture is worth a thousand words. Olive Wagyu, are the real deal. Cost? Well, 100-percent-Wagyu DNA.
As to the taste, the higher the IMF, the an 8-ounce A5 Wagyu filet from Kagoshima The AWA has a grading system for
more the steak breaks down in your mouth. Farms in Japan goes for $100, a 13-ounce domestic Wagyu. F1, the lowest grade,

120 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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encompasses any animal that has up to ribeye, because only boneless cuts can be nese A3 overall quality scale, but a 12- to
50-percent Wagyu as the result of cross- imported from Japan. These cuts, however, 13-percent IMF steak ain’t exactly dog meat!
breeding. The USDA requires 46.9-percent are available with American Wagyu. Which brings us to the obvious question:
Wagyu genetics for any beef sold at retail Getting back to “our” Wagyu, the F2 grade Is Wagyu—American or Japanese—worth
as “American Wagyu,” but restaurants requires 75-percent Wagyu genetics, and the substantial extra cost? I guess it
have no such restriction. In fact, some are 87.5 percent is necessary for an F3 rating, depends on your wallet, your curiosity and
dishonest enough to advertise serving even which is the highest on the AWA’s crossbred how much you appreciate a good steak.
the lowly F1 grade as “American Kobe,” scale. Animals that are 93.7-percent Wagyu Fullblood American Wagyu will have roughly
which is totally misleading. qualify as Purebred, and a Fullblood rating twice the IMF of a USDA Prime steak, and
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of means 100-percent Wagyu ancestry. as such, it’s going to be measurably better
restaurants deceiving customers by using As I already mentioned, there are currently in both taste and tenderness. Moreover,
“Kobe” and “Wagyu” even in the descrip- fewer than 5,000 full-blooded Wagyu cattle it’s much more representative of what we
tions of their hamburgers, but the sad truth in the U.S., and one of the few sources is Yanks expect a really good steak to look
is that as long as they have even a fraction the Double 8 Cattle Company, which offers and taste like. Many who have tried both
of domestic Wagyu of any grade in their a 16- to 18-ounce Fullblood Wagyu bone-in American and Japanese Wagyu actually
ground beef, they could call it a “Wagyu ribeye dry-aged for 28 days for $83; the prefer the firmer texture—bite resistance,
burger” and charge a rip-off price. The same New York strip roast that averages 4.2 if you will—of domestic Wagyu. To me, a
is true with steaks. In fact, there have been pounds goes for $259. When I checked steak can be too tender and too fatty. Even
several class-action lawsuits filed against these prices online, about a third of Double an A3 Japanese Wagyu steak has that “melt
some pretty famous high-end restaurants 8’s various steaks and roasts were either in your mouth” consistency, but it’s one that
and chains for deceptive use of “Kobe” and sold out or had fewer than six available. Do I expect from ice cream, not meat.
“Wagyu” in advertising. Another surefire red keep in mind that even our best dry-aged Of course, you can’t make a fully informed
flag is if you see a menu applying “Japanese American Fullblood Wagyu falls far short of decision unless you try Wagyu. It’s a differ-
Wagyu” to a porterhouse, T-bone or bone-in the 21-percent IMF threshold on the Japa- ent experience—one I highly recommend.

Corey Brossman
Innerloc’s Out-There

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE

NEWEST WAY TO SHOOT ARROWS!
UmarexUSA.com/AirSaber-Ballistic
©2020 UMAREX USA, INC.

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ON THE EDGE

TALONS
BLADE STEEL: D2
BLADE LENGTH: 2.7 inches
BLADE THICKNESS: 0.16 inches
OA LENGTH: 7.1 inches
HANDLE: Clear polymer
MSRP: $95

DOUG MARCAIDA
AND 5.11 TACTICAL
TEAM UP TO CREATE
THE COOLEST
KARAMBITS AROUND
BY ANDY GROSSMAN

5.11 Tactical has always been

→ known for its incredible tactical

clothing and apparel. Working
with some of the best oper-
ators, athletes and first responders, the
company has grown to be one of the best
in this category. However, 5.11 Tactical
offers much more than just clothing. I’m
very fond of the company’s well-built
edged weapons and tools as well.
That said, when 5.11 Tactical teamed
up with edged-weapon specialist Doug
Marcaida, I couldn’t wait to see what
the collaboration brought the world. I’ve
been a huge fan of Doug Marcaida since I
first saw him on the show Forged in Fire a
few years ago. My son and I still watch the
show every week and can’t wait to hear Doug
deliver his famous line, “It will kill!”

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 When I got the opportunity to meet DIGGING IN
Doug at the 2020 SHOT Show, I wasn’t The 5.11 DM Talon series will
expecting him to be one of the nicest, start with two variants—a fixed
most down-to-earth guys I have ever met.
He even introduced me to his brand-new of training models with
line of Talon karambits that he helped the same dimensions
Both Talon
design with 5.11 Tactical. I’ve had little models feature and weight. The designs
experience with karambit-style knives, so retention rings, come from Doug’s Filipino
Doug gave me a private demonstration but the folder martial arts background,
has a reversible
using one of his students that was nearby. belt clip. Also where fast and fluid move-
First off, Doug is a blade and hand- note the jimping ments take precedence. The
to-hand combat specialist who will carve on the spine for knives were purposely made to
extra control.
you up quicker than a bear trying to get a be compact, lightweight and easy
jar of peanut butter. Trust me on this. He to conceal as well. The blades are
grabbed the new trainer that he designed more angled for thrusting and slashing,
to be the same size and weight of the
real Talon karambit and performed some hooking and control when needed.
moves on his student that I still can’t Doug chose D2
comprehend. In mere seconds, Doug had steel for the blades,
his student wincing in pain and tapping and the handles are
out. I still have no idea what happened skeletonized with
right in front of my eyes, but this man clear scales. This
knows how to use a knife. makes it easier for
Doug explained how his new design the knives to blend
is more like an eagle claw. It’s crafted in with clothing
to slash and stab without grabbing like while reducing
a more traditional karambit. This can weight. Altogether,
help you maintain some distance in a the knives feel like
defensive situation. Doug also used the extensions of your
training blade as a pressure-point control hands as well. The
tool to take his student down in one folder also has the
quick movement, leaving a dent in the patented “Bramp”
poor guy’s arm that looked like he had feature from knife
gotten stuck in some sort of machine. designer Bram
The trainers, Doug explained, would be Frank that allows
released in the near future with a series for different kinetic
of instructional videos. openings of the
blade. Its belt clip is
reversible for right-
“THESE NEW and left-hand daily carry, too. The fixed-

TALONS
blade model comes with a Kydex sheath
SPECIFICATIONS:
that features an adjustable, removable
5.11 DM TALON FOLDER
REPRESENT BLADE STEEL: D2
side-release belt clip. The MSRP will be
about $95 for each model.

EVERYTHING
BLADE LENGTH: 2.22 inches These new Talons represent every-
BLADE THICKNESS: 0.16 inches thing you could want in an EDC knife.
YOU COULD OA LENGTH: 4.36-6.71
inches
Both are lightweight, compact, well-built
blades that are really fun to play around
WANT IN
HANDLE: Clear polymer
with and make you want to practice with
MSRP: $95
them. They’re great pieces to add to any
AN EDC KNIFE.” knife collection and very well-thought-
out tools to carry every day. For more
information, visit 511tactical.com and
dougmarcaida.com.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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HOT FROM SHOT

BACK IN BLACKHOT NEW AR-PLATFORM RIFLES AND PISTOLS FOR 2020

BY FRED MASTISON

ANGSTADT ARMS MDP-9

the company raised the bar with the MDP-9 pistol. This new design is unique because it combines the
roller-delayed action of the venerable HK MP5 with an AR-pattern pistol that feeds from Glock magazines.

the bolt is designed to lock back after firing the last round. (angstadtarms.com)

CMMG BANSHEE SERIES

CMMG recently expanded its Banshee series of pistols and rifles to include models in
the high-velocity 5.7x28mm, which was designed in the early 1990s for FN’s Five-seveN
and P90. While the round sort of languished for years, a few companies are reviving it,
including Ruger with its Ruger-57 pistol, and now CMMG. Banshees are offered in three
different levels (100, 200 and 300) with various furniture, including SB Tactical arm braces

CZ BREN 2 Ms
While the CZ 805 Bren was a hit when it first debuted, CZ went back to the drawing
board to create the Bren 2 Ms, which is lighter, more ergonomic and has a number of
features that should suit American shooters. Both pistol and carbine versions are available
in 7.62x39mm and 5.56mm NATO with various barrel length options. The piston-driven system
is now housed in a lightened aluminum upper, and the lower is made from carbon-fiber-
reinforced polymer. The charging handle no longer reciprocates as well, and it’s reversible
for righties and lefties. The bolt catch/release, magazine release and safety are also
ambidextrous, and the carbine variant sports a side-folding buttstock. (cz-usa.com)

DANIEL DEFENSE DDM4 PDW

This new 300 Blackout AR is compact and easy to transport. It’s also perfect for personal
and home defense while being a ton of fun to shoot. The 7-inch, cold hammer-forged
barrel keeps subsonic loads subsonic and provides great ballistics despite being so short,
and Daniel Defense includes an effective Linear compensator. Surrounding the barrel
is a 6-inch MFR XL flat-front rail that makes it easy to add accessories, and you’ll find a
collapsible Maxim Defense CQB arm brace at the rear that can be adjusted to various
lengths of pull when needed. The gun has an overall length of 20.75 inches, so it’s highly
maneuverable and easy to fit into a backpack. (danieldefense.com)

DOUBLESTAR 3GR 2.0 GO-FAST RED

Ready to stand out on the range? DoubleStar has updated its
original 3GR rifle to make it one of the best options available for
3-Gun competition. The rifle now has a shorter 16-inch Wilson
air-gauged barrel fitted with a Bullseye muzzle brake. Surround-
ing the barrel and gas system, with its low-profile gas block,
is a 15.5-inch Cloak M-LOK handguard that’s skeletonized all
over and sports a “Go-Fast Red” finish like the matching Ace ARFX stock, which is fixed in position with padding on the
buffer tube. More features include a 3.5-pound CMC trigger and a Hogue rubber pistol grip. (doublestarusa.com)

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FN 15 SRP G2
FN is known for producing tank-tough ARs for the military, and its FN 15
line carries that same reputation over into the law enforcement and civilian

FN SCAR 20S
This year, FN announced that it would offer the hard-hitting
SCAR 20S in the ever-popular 6.5 Creedmoor for long-range

FRANKLIN ARMORY TITLE 1

Franklin Armory has always been a source for unique and innovative guns,
and this year it debuted the Title 1. Directed primarily at “our friends behind
enemy lines” in California, it technically isn’t a rifle, pistol or shotgun. Instead of using a fixed
magazine or going the “featureless” route to avoid being labeled an “assault weapon,” the
gun lacks a stock or arm brace. Instead, you’ll find a pistol-length buffer tube covered in foam
padding. This 5.56mm design also comes with a 10-round PMAG, a lightweight 16-inch barrel,
an M-LOK handguard, a single-stage trigger and a Magpul pistol grip. (franklinarmory.com)

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 ®
BACK IN BLACK

IWI ZION-15
IWI has long been known for its Tavor bullpups, including the SAR
and X95 rifles as well as the TS12 shotgun, but now the company is
jumping into the AR-15 game with the Zion-15 rifle. This is the first AR-style gun from IWI US, and it
weighs in at just 6.5 pounds without a magazine. It comes equipped with a 16-inch barrel, a free-floating
M-LOK handguard, a collapsible B5 Systems stock and a 30-round PMAG. On top of that, the gun
is proudly manufactured and assembled at the IWI US facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania. (iwi.us)

MARS M19 MUSTANG

The M19 Mustang is a multi-caliber rifle that functions primarily
using a “long recoil” action that operates without gas. The resulting
system runs clean, is free of carbon fouling and fires high-caliber cartridges with minimal to no
perceived recoil. The rifle also features an ambidextrous, non-reciprocating and self-returning forward
charging handle and a folding stock, and you can still fire the M19 Mustang with the stock folded.
The rifle can also be disassembled to its bare components by the operator in the field without
any special tools. It’s a truly innovative design, so keep your eyes peeled for it. (marsrifle.com)

POF-USA REBEL
Patriot Ordnance Factory, or POF-USA, is known for building some of the finest and
coolest 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO ARs on the market, but now the company has
turned its attention to the .22 LR. The brand-new Rebel is a compact .22 that runs on
Ruger 10/22 rotary magazines and includes a Mission First Tactical (MFT) arm brace.
It’s a blowback-operated semi-auto with a one-piece upper. The lower receiver is
injection molded and fitted with an MFT Engage pistol grip. With its 8-inch barrel,
it measures just 21.5 inches long overall and weighs 3.25 pounds. (pof-usa.com)

POF-USA ROGUE
Lightweight ARs are all the rage right now, but nobody
seems to be able to keep up with POF-USA on this front.

PWS MK116 PRO

The year wouldn’t be complete without the team at Primary
Weapons Systems (PWS) coming out with a great new rifle. The
company’s introduction for 2020 is the new MK116 Pro rifle utilizing an AKM-style
long-stroke gas piston system and selling for under $1,000. The gun is designed to
run cooler, more efficiently and cleaner than direct-impingement designs. The gun is
also a tack driver with a .223 Wylde barrel and 1-in-8-inch-twist button rifling. A mix
of the AK and AR worlds, the MK116 Pro is serious business. (primaryweapons.com)

RUGER AR-556
Ruger’s AR-556 lineup has evolved over time, and now
the company is offering a 300 Blackout variant with a
free-floating M-LOK handguard. This new model features a 16.1-inch, cold-hammer-forged, 1-in-7-
inch-twist barrel as well as a pistol-length gas system designed to function reliably with a wide range of
ammo and with or without a suppressor. The dust cover and metal magazine both have caliber markings
for easy identification, and the muzzle has 5/8x24-tpi threading for brakes and suppressors. (ruger.com)

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“WHILE MANY THINGS CHANGE IN THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY, ONE THING IS
CERTAIN: THE AR PLATFORM CONTINUES TO GET MORE POPULAR.”

SIG SAUER 716i TREAD

Sig Sauer has announced a new addition to its 716 series of
rifles. The 716i Tread is a lightweight direct-impingement rifle with a free-floating M-LOK handguard.
It’s chambered for the .308 Winchester/7.62mm NATO and features a 16-inch barrel, a low-profile gas
block, a free-floating handguard, a polished single-stage trigger, an ambidextrous safety and magazine
release, and a six-position-adjustable stock. The rifle also accepts a number of Tread-specific accesso-
ries available from Sig Sauer, creating a turnkey solution for a wide range of shooters. (sigsauer.com)

SPRINGFIELD SAINT EDGE EVAC

Springfield Armory created a lot of buzz at 2020 SHOT Show by announc-
ing a new addition to its Saint Edge product line. This new 5.56mm NATO
pistol is called the EVAC, and it’s designed as a bug-out weapon with a
patent-pending barrel takedown system as well as a folding Gear Head
Works Tailhook arm brace. These components allow it to fit in a seriously
small backpack or case for discreet storage and transport. Then, when you’re
ready, simply assemble the gun and let it rip. (springfield-armory.com)

DON’T PROMISE...PROVE
PRECISION BOLT ACTION RECEIVER SETS

FOR COMPLETE SPECS GO TO: www.falkordefense.com

406.752.4253 | info@falkordefense.com | @falkordefense

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 espressos, which are made with 100-percent Colombi-
an coffee. Available in mocha and “with cream” flavors,

being too sugary. Check ’em out! (blackriflecoffee.com)

5.11 TACTICAL
UPHOLDER
KILT
Are you man enough?
Prove it! Keep your
movement free and
your nether regions
cool this summer with
the Upholder Kilt from
5.11 Tactical, which is
made from a lightweight,
durable, rip-stop fabric.
It also has a comfort-
stretch waistband and
a water repellent finish.
And if you haven’t hit the
range in a kilt, you should
really try it before you
knock it—especially once
the triple-digit tempera-
tures arrive this summer.
(511tactical.com)

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SUN’S OUT,
GUNS OUT!
BEAT THE HEAT THIS
Summer is here,

SUMMER WITH THESE

GREAT CLOTHING
→ and that means hot
range days and cool
clothing. Staying
comfortable while
you’re training when the heat is on
can be tough, so here are some

BY ALEX LANDEEN

INFINITY TARGETS
Infinity Targets are completely American made from high-density
recycled rubber. When rounds impact the rubber, the paint flakes away, as Echo Lite high-rebound outsoles.
leaving a visible hit. When it’s time to reset the target, touch it up with The ATLAS Echo Lite foam midsole
spray paint and you’re good to go. The full-sized targets weigh about enhances mobility and can be paired with
11 pounds, so they’re easy to transport but will still stand up to harsh the ATLAS support plate for even more
weather. The targets are great for many types of training, and because stability to keep you comfortable in rough
they can be shot at point-blank range, they excel at close-quarters sce- environments. (511tactical.com)
narios with no bullet spalling. Want take 15-percent off of your order?
Use “BallisticMag” as a promo code online. (infinitytargets.com)

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 THREADS

MAGPUL
RADIUS GLASSES
Protecting your eyes on the range
and in the field is extremely important.
Magpul’s new Radius glasses provide
full Z87+ ballistic protection in a durable,
lightweight package. All Magpul frames
are constructed from TR90NZZ polymer,
which provides high impact resistance
MAGPUL
even in low temperatures, as well as high
“EL ORIGINAL” TEJAS GUN BELT
fatigue resistance. The oleophobic and
Keeping your pants and gun in place can be a demanding job.
anti-reflective lenses are also designed
Traditional tactical gun belts work great but lack the good looks of
to improve peripheral vision over other
leather. Well, Magpul’s “El Original” Tejas Gun Belt is the whole
full-coverage designs. (magpul.com)
package. Handmade in Texas, it has a full-grain, 100-percent North
American bull hide outer layer and a flexible reinforced polymer inner
layer to provide great support without sagging or stretching. The

and 1.5-inch-wide belts are available. (magpul.com)

PAT MAC TASMANIAN TIGER

GITCHUSUM TAC MODULAR SW PACK 25
RESISTANCE BANDS When I first saw this new pack from Tasmanian
Retired Delta Force operator Tiger, I was impressed. Built for undercover or civilian
and current firearms trainer Pat use, the main feature I like is that the pack can be
McNamara is one kickass dude, opened fully from the back or the front. The remov-
and he’s got all the best fitness able, full-length hook-and-loop divider can work to
tips to engage your total body in separate contents, and the back and side panels of
the gym, at home or on the road. the main compartment feature MOLLE patches for
His new Gitchusum Resistance mounting holsters and accessory bags. The large lid
Bands can help you work compartment has small pockets as well as hook-
in compound movements and-loop panels for more gear, and the removable
for greater overall strength. hip belt has zippered pockets, too. In the bottom
Each kit comes with four bands panel of the backpack is a signal flap for emergency
of varying tension to work on your unit patches, which can be quickly fastened to the hook-
power, strength and flexibility. and-loop front of the pack if need be, and both of the main
(patmcnamara.myshopify.com) compartment zippers are lockable. (tasmaniantigerusa.com)

UNDER ARMOUR
ADAPT PANTS
If you aren’t the kilt-wearing type,

company’s new Adapt Pants offer

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COCKTAILS
THREE
CLASSIC
DRINKS
TO HELP YOU
SURVIVE THE
QUARANTINE
BY JUSTIN NEAL

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 AFTER HOURS

GIN RICKEY
→ COVID-19 pandemic
has started to
While it was created back in the 1800s, the
gin rickey didn’t really gain popularity until
the 1920s and was rather short-lived. But
it’s simple and the perfect refreshment after
you’ve been mowing in the hot sun. The only
you’re reading this. I’m a
key is to use good gin. Don’t be cheap.
I prefer to support craft distilleries and, in
tine started to take a toll on this case, the best gin I’ve come across is
from the Backwards Distilling Company from
Wyoming. Here’s how simple this amazing
perfectly content at my cabin drink is. For ingredients, you’ll need:

8,000 feet above sea level • 2 ounces Backwards Distilling

Contortionist gin
without another being for miles
• ½ ounce lime juice
and miles. The older I get, the • soda water
more people annoy me, my list That’s it. Also, as I learned from trial and
of friends shortens annually (if error, do yourself a huge favor and use real
lime juice from a real lime—not a plastic one.
not quarterly), and I’d rather
Then simply mix the ingredients and you’re
have a conversation with my good to go. Sit back on your porch, look at
dog than most people. But I’m your freshly manicured kingdom and know
that you’re as cool as The Great Gatsby,
social because I crave restau- as the gin rickey was the only cocktail
rants and genuine dive bars mentioned by name in that classic novel.
that serve signature, old-school
cocktails. Especially now, with OLD FASHIONED
summer approaching. Bourbon is pretty hip right now, though I’ve
always been a fan and have spent years
After I finish mowing my yard collecting it. Like wine, you choose bourbon
in the evening, I like to head to based on your tastes, not the label or price
tag attached. If you like it, drink it.
the neighborhood pub and have
That said, for an old fashioned, you’ll want
a refreshing gin rickey. On the a smooth bourbon or even a good rye. More
weekend, I’ll always hit up my than anything, though, it’s the other ingredi-
ents and how they are prepared that make
favorite chophouse and have the drink. Also, for the record, if I order an old
a real steak paired with an old fashioned and it comes with a maraschino
cherry, I’m sending it back. The barkeep just
fashioned. And, about every
ruined a good glass of bourbon and lost
two weeks, I go to a century-old money because I’m not coming back. Now
dive bar and have an extra- then, let’s start with the ingredients.

dirty martini. It doesn’t look like • a splash of soda water

• 2 sugar cubes
I’m going to be able to indulge • Jack Rudy aromatic bitters
in such delicacies this season, • Jack Rudy orange bitters

however, so my routine needs Now this is where an original old fashioned

adjusting. Thankfully, I’ve spent stops. But I like a little more depth and
substance, so I add two Bing cherries that I
iStock Photo

the last couple of weeks per-

smoke “low and slow” in a Traeger grill. Simply
fecting these drinks. place the cherries in a smoker-safe bowl in

132 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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the juice they originally came in, and set your
grill on 165 degrees. Smoke them for four
hours with natural wood pellets.
When that’s ready, I also like to add a
section of an orange to the ingredients.
Then muddle everything together. Pour the
mixture into a large glass, fill it with ice, add
in your favorite bourbon or rye, stir really well
and, using a spoon, strain the cocktail into a
bourbon glass with or without ice. The “meat”
from the muddled cherries and orange will
sink to the bottom, providing flavor throughout
the drink and a nice finish at the end. I’ll also
rub the rim of the glass with an orange rind,
then throw it and another Bing cherry on top.
By the time you get done making the cocktail,
your steak will be done. Enjoy!

DIRTY MARTINI
My version of a dirty martini is very different

iStock Photos
• pitted, extra-large green olives
• 1 tin of anchovies
• 1 ounce cream cheese
• 1 ounce blue cheese

“
In a mixer or bowl, combine the anchovies,
blue cheese and cream cheese. Most people
don’t have cake-decorating equipment, so fill
a Ziploc bag with the mixture and cut a bot-

...I’VE SPENT
tom corner off. Now you can pipe the mixture
into the olives. Then, in a shaker, add:
• vodka

THE LAST
• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• as much olive juice as you want

COUPLE OF
Add the olives to a glass, then pour in the
vodka/vermouth mixture. That’s it. There’s no
wrong time to have this drink, but since we’re

WEEKS
stuck at home, my recommendation is to
pick up a copy of A Farewell to Arms, sit in a
wingback chair and take a selfie to share with

PERFECTING
everyone. They’ll think you upped your game.
I could list several other cocktails that are
definitely worth sharing, but these are three

THESE
drinks that everyone should at least try if not

”
master. In a world full of cutting-edge cock-

DRINKS.
tails and craft beers, this quarantine at the
very least has made me realize that the old is
still the best. Whether it’s these cocktails or a
simple Miller High Life on a tailgate, simplicity,
substance and tradition still reign supreme.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 AUTO-ORDNANCE HAS FINALLY MADE THE TOMMY GUN AVAILABLE IN 9MM
BY FRANK JARDIM • SCOTT BAXTER PHOTOS

fter more than 90 years, the with its original short barrel, the the weight of the internal parts and represents the simplified Thomp-
classic Tommy gun is finally gun would be classified as a short- power of the springs were carefully son that was created to expedite
available in 9mm. Externally, barreled rifle (SBR) requiring NFA balanced so they would only work production during World War II.
the only visual difference registration and a $200 tax stamp. in semi-auto, but there’s a lot more Auto-Ordnance’s M1 Lightweight
between the 9mm and .45 That’s a lot of extra time and money to it than that. This makes the Carbine has the wartime straight
ACP versions, besides the caliber that could be spent at the range. imaginative engineering that went forend, fixed-aperture rear sight
markings, is that the 9mm uses a Converting the Auto-Ordnance into the semi-auto Tommy gun all in a heavy stamped-sheet-metal
slightly scaled-down magazine. Tommy gun to the lighter caliber the more impressive. guard, and a side-mounted cocking
Otherwise, all the classic lines of wasn’t as simple as you might handle. The M1 version has no
this iconic firearm remain, but with expect. The semi-auto varies sig- A CLOSER LOOK Cutts compensator or frame slots
a 16-inch barrel rather than the nificantly from the original full-auto Two 9mm models are available from for drum magazines. (The U.S. Army
original 10-inch one. The longer version. The former fires from a Auto-Ordnance. The 1927A-1C Ordnance Department stuck with
barrel makes the Auto-Ordnance closed bolt and the latter from an Lightweight Deluxe carbine has stick magazines because they were
Tommy gun the same as any other open bolt, and a great deal of effort all the features of the gangster- easier and cheaper to manufacture.)
long gun from a legal standpoint. went into the semi-auto version era “Chicago Typewriter”: the The bolts on these semi-autos
Nothing special is needed to to make sure it stayed that way. A top-mounted cocking handle, lock back after the last round is
buy one over the counter at your mischievous tinkerer with a longing vertical foregrip, finned barrel, Cutts fired, and they have the same
favorite retailer other than the usual for a felony conviction might think compensator, Lyman-style rear sight operational controls as the full-auto
Form 4473 and a background that simply removing the trigger and slots in the magazine well to versions, but the rotating safety
check. On the other hand, if Auto- disconnector would turn it into a accept 50- and 100-round drum selector only has fire (forward)
Ordnance made the Tommy gun full-auto, but it won’t. For one thing, magazines. The second version and safe (rearward) positions. The

134 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 be top notch. In fact, I didn’t even The main culprit is the trigger. This
notice that the receivers were is a closed-bolt semi-auto, but it
aluminum at first. The roll markings still has the long, heavy and irregu-
are beautifully done in an authen- lar trigger pull of an open-bolt sub-
tic style, from the block of patent machine gun. The trigger pull on
dates on the rear of the receiver to my test gun weighed between 7.5
CALIBER: 9mm the Thompson bullet logo on the and 8 pounds. Realistically, most
pinned Cutts compensator. The people will never notice because
OA LENGTH: 41 inches wooden furniture is oil-finished the Tommy gun, even a semi-auto
WEIGHT: American walnut. The buttstock on one, calls to you to fire it as fast as
American walnut this model lacks the push-button you can. It only comes with a single
quick-removal feature of the original 20-round stick magazine, but Auto-
ACTION: Semi-auto and is technically a fixed buttstock. Ordnance says it will likely make a
FINISH: Black The sights aren’t adjustable for 50-round drum for it, too.
CAPACITY: 20+1 windage, but the ladder-style rear Also, it’s worth mentioning that
MSRP: sight has an elevation-adjustable Auto-Ordnance warns against
aperture, which is the one I used in shooting steel-cased ammunition
testing because I couldn’t focus on through any of its semi-auto Tommy
the open sight notch with my aging guns, or you’ll void the warranty.
1,273 3.26
eyes. I prefer the aperture anyway. A lot of people love steel-cased
1,182 At the range, the 9mm had a ammo because it’s cheap, and
lot less recoil than its .45 ACP this warning will be hard for some
Winchester 115 FMJ 1,127 2.95
counterparts, and it was easier to to heed. Without going into great
control in rapid fire. At 50 yards, detail, there’s a good reason for this
my groups were consistently about warning, and it’s sound advice for
1.25 inches to the left of my point any pistol-caliber carbine—espe-
of aim and strung out vertically. I cially one that people like to employ
for rapid fire against tin cans down-
ladder has a tendency to tilt while range. For peace of mind, stick with
firing, especially in rapid fire. It won’t quality brass-cased factory ammuni-
tion for pistol-caliber carbines.
I wouldn’t recommend reload-
miss a tin can. If you can’t tolerate ed ammo, either, because of the
increased chance of a squib load.
You wouldn’t want a bullet stopping
Tommy was made for right-handed sells an exact replica of the original halfway down that 16-inch barrel
and going unnoticed in rapid fire.
I’m not saying that you wouldn’t
got to ambidextrous controls. On The new Auto-Ordnance guns masterpiece of precision made by notice the reduced report and
the closed-bolt semi-auto, it takes feature 6061-T6 aluminum upper Lyman, and the company will install recoil, but somebody else might not.
an unexpected amount of pulling and lower receivers that have been it on your gun for a small fee. As Like the .45 ACP models before
force (over 25 pounds) to cock the hardcoat anodized black—just like of this writing, International Military them, the new 9mm additions to the
gun against the three coil springs the company’s proven “Lightweight” Antiques (IMA) has vintage original Auto-Ordnance Tommy gun line are
inside—two for recoil and one to .45 ACP models. Cosmetically, military Lyman sights in excellent fun to shoot fast, so just make sure
drive the cylindrical hammer home the sharp edges of the ejection condition available on its website you do your part to protect your gun
against the stamped-steel firing pin. port are more vulnerable to getting for $250 that go onto the modern and yourself by using only factory-
The bolt handle doesn’t go back all dinged and nicked, but that’s the Tommy guns with minimal fitting. I loaded brass-cased ammo.
the way in the slot, either. tradeoff for shedding over a pound noticed that IMA also had reproduc- In the end, the 1927A-1C Light-
These characteristics are com- of weight, and it’s nothing a little tion five-cell magazine pouches for weight Deluxe was a lot of fun on
mon in semi-autos reengineered dab of Birchwood Casey Aluminum $25 and nice original ones for $35. the range, and I definitely recom-
from full-auto designs. They may Black wouldn’t touch up. That’s a great deal. mend trying it out for yourself. It’s
look exactly alike on the outside, but The 9mm Tommy gun is great got plenty of historic cache while
they work differently on the inside. PERSONAL TESTING fun to shoot, but despite having being chambered in the affordable
It’s important to understand how I was able to test the 1927A-1C what is essentially a free-float- and easy-to-find 9mm. What’s not
these changes affect the manual of Lightweight Deluxe model and ing barrel, it’s not something you to love? For more information, visit
arms. In the case of this gun, never found the overall fit and finish to should expect fine accuracy from. auto-ordnance.com.

BALLISTIC 06 07 2020
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 ®

hat do the
Mica Peak novel, then AZSA matches are or even a civilian. However, if some non-shooting task—like
Moonshiners, right up your alley, Buster. military uniforms are worn, they making off with a sack of cash
the Western Like Cowboy Action must reflect a Prohibition-era from a bank robbery. The sce-
Torpedoes, Shooting, it’s a costumed role- enforcement action performed narios are limited only by the
the Calamus playing shooting sport, but it’s by military personnel (for imagination of the local clubs
Vigilance Committee and the historically based in the 1920s, example, the Royal Canadian and the safety limitations of
Roy Olmstead Auxiliary Rum- 1930s and 1940s, when the Mounted Police, Mexican Fede- their range facilities.
runners all have in common? deeds of criminals and law rales or U.S. Coast Guard). Right now, there are AZSA
They’re local American Zoot enforcement were front-page The AZSA recognizes clubs in Colorado, Massachu-
Shooters Association (AZSA) news in American papers three divisions for men and setts, Nebraska, Washington,
clubs where you can compete nationwide. This was the era of women: pistol, pistol/rifle and Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minne-
in imaginative shooting stages, Al Capone, John Dillinger, Ma- pistol/rifle/shotgun. Local sota, Missouri and Tennessee.
or “capers,” with your Tommy chine Gun Kelly, Dutch Schultz, clubs organize their own Membership includes an AZSA
gun, old-school 1911, Win- Meyer Lansky, Ma Barker, and matches, typically around T-shirt, an Auto-Ordnance
chester Model 12 or any other Bonnie and Clyde. You can multi-faceted challenges that Tommy gun pin and an ID card
classic, pre-WWII commercial select pretty much any role you require the shooter to fire on with your registered character
firearm. If you’ve watched The want, from a fedora-wearing, multiple targets at various name. (zootshooters.com)
Untouchables 100 times or pinstripe-suited gangster to ranges from cover and on the —Frank Jardim

136 BALLISTIC 06 07 2020

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 LEG DAY. ARM DAY.

RANGE DAY. REPEAT.

®
©2020 Trijicon, Inc. | Wixom, MI USA | 1-800-338-0563 | 20TRIJ14512 | Trijicon.com

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 Rapide Black Ice

All day. Super tough

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undercut
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