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THE SIG P226

GRIZZLY
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HISTORY

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 ON THE COVER:
THE COLT
GRIZZLY:
A BEAR OF A SNAKE
Roy Huntington

JUNE 2025, VOL. 71, NUMBER 6, 846TH ISSUE

20

50
CROSSFIRE
8 Letters To The Editor
GUNS Staff

OPTICS
18 New Standard: 30mm Tubes
Wayne van Zwoll

RIFLES
20 Creedmoor’s Grandaddy: 6.5x55
Dave Anderson
24
SHOTGUNS
22 The Auction House
Tom Keer SURPLUS & CLASSIC

24 SHOOTERS RX 50 Colt Colteer 1-22

Payton Miller
DEPARTMENTS
Review — The World’s
QUARTERMASTER
55
Assault Rifles
Will Dabbs, MD • Hornady High Speed
HANDLOADING 52 Case Trimmer

52 Brace of .45 Colt Recipes

• REV Speed Loader
• Sinclair International
COLUMNS

Dave Workman Hand Press

• Wheeler Scope Mount Kit
KNIVES
54 Spyderco Disarray
Pat Covert
Frank Jardim

2A DEFENSE

62 THINK TANK
Copper Conclusions
56
23
We’re Just Getting Started
Dave Workman
CUSTOM CORNER
Jeff “Tank” Hoover
58 NEW PRODUCTS
GUNS INSIDER
66 Dinosaurs Still Roam
Brent T. Wheat
22 60
64
GUN OF THE MONTH
ADVERTISER INDEX

GUNS Magazine (ISSN 1044-6257) Copyright © 2025 by Publishers’ Development Corporation, is published monthly by GUNS Magazine, P.O. Box 488, Escondido,
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 3-9x32 PRECISION RIFLESCOPE

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 GUNSMagazine.com Online Feature:
Follow Us Today!
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Watch GUNS Magazine Podcast youtube.com/fmgpubs
Episode #273 on YouTube @FMGPubs
Hosted by Brent T. Wheat

30
GRIZZLY
A Field Python?
Roy Huntington

CAMPFIRE TALES
10 60 Years of Ruger Blackhawks
John Taffin
FEATURES

AYOOB ON HANDGUNS
14 The SIG P226
Massad Ayoob

IN PRAISE OF THE OFFHAND PLINKER

26 Sometimes Benchrest Isn’t Best
Clayton Walker

COLT GRIZZLY
30 A Field Python?
Roy
Roy Huntington
Huntington
SAUER 505 RIFLE
36 Quality and History Intersect
Wayne van Zwoll

FG-42 TYPE I
40 Coolest Rifle in the World?
Will Dabbs, MD

CENTURY WASR-10 AK-47

46 Romanian Authentic
Jeremy D. Clough

6 JUNE 2025
 LONG LIVE THE LEVER GUN
™

SBL SERIES

CLASSIC SERIES

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DARK SERIES

Ruger-made Marlin® lever-action rifles are American-made with great pride and attention to detail. You can expect
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The acquisition, ownership, possession and use of firearms are heavily regulated.
LEARN Some models may not be legally available in your state or locale. Whatever your purpose
MORE for lawfully acquiring a firearm – know the law, get trained and shoot safely.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 7
 CROSSFIRE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Your Next Gun Story Begins Here!

GUNS Magazine ® welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit all published
letters for clarity and length. Due to the volume of mail, we are unable to individually answer CORPORATE OFFICERS
your letters or e-mail. In sending a letter to GUNS Magazine, you agree to provide Publishers’ Randy Moldé • Marjorie Young • Amy von Rosen
Development Corp. such copyright as is required for publishing and redistributing the contents Editor: Brent T. Wheat
of your letter in any format. Send your letters to Crossfire, GUNS Magazine, P.O. Box 460130, Associate Editor: Jazz Jimenez
Escondido, CA 92033, GUNSMagazine.com; e-mail: [email protected] CSM/Video Producer: Joe Novelozo
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Check out GUNSMagazine.com for our digital edition, news, our exclusive Product Index, web Production Manager: Jim Kirschbaum
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[email protected]! Special Projects Editor: Roy Huntington
Editorial Review: Consol Torres

CANCELED CANADIAN DUNCE CAP REQUIRED CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

John Taffin, Dave Anderson,

I
I write today with a very heavy heart. need your guidance. I want to believe Massad Ayoob, Will Dabbs, MD,
I will not be renewing my subscription everything I read in your fine maga- Dave Workman, Jeff “Tank” Hoover

until such time as your Government zine is the truth, the whole truth and
FIELD EDITORS
decides to stop talking about annexing nothing but the truth. However, either Holt Bodinson, Payton Miller,
Canada or damaging our economy. I’m my 7th grade math skills have severely Alan Garbers, Tom Keer
truly sorry to be doing this, as I really diminished or “new” math has become
enjoy your magazine, love travelling to even newer. FMG PUBLICATIONS
GUNS: gunsmagazine.com
the U.S., see “Made in USA” as a byword In Mr. Anderson’s article on rifling
Editor: Brent T. Wheat
for quality and consider Americans to be (Rifles March 2025), I followed along
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER: americanhandgunner.com
friends and good neighbors. However, nicely until midway through. Hun- Editor: Tom McHale
what has been happening since your new dredths and thousandths seem to be AMERICAN COP: americancop.com
government took power is unacceptable used interchangeably, such as 0.04" Editor: Erick Gelhaus
to me. Frankly, it feels like a betrayal. If (4/1000 of an inch) and a .30 caliber SHOOTING INDUSTRY: shootingindustry.com
the only way I can express my displeasure barrel plus 0.04" grooves produces a Editor: Jade Moldae

is with my wallet, so be it. 0.308" groove diameter. These com- FMG SPECIAL EDITIONS: fmgpublications.com
Editor: Tom McHale
I hope and pray that this nonsense is ments set the stage for further con-
sorted out soon. I want to make it clear fusion with the rest of the calibers
that I bear you, your country and your discussed. Are the grooves for .22 cen-
magazine no ill will at all. So I hope this terfires really one-tenth of the depth of
is au-revoir and not Goodbye. everything else? 0.218 plus 0.06 does
Joshua Burditt not yield 0.224, but 0.006 does.
I don’t imagine I’m the first or only
reader to comment on this. Regard-
CUTE AS A BOBCAT less, I know what Mr. Anderson is
Regarding the cover story “Too Cute talking about and the article was
to Shoot” (April 2025) — Please tell Roy informative. Unfortunately the editor SUBSCRIPTION
that calling some firearms “cute” is per- must not have been paying attention CUSTOMER SERVICE
866.820.4045
fectly acceptable. I can’t come up with a when decimals were taught. I know ... Email: [email protected]
better description for my Beretta Bobcat. you’re policy, not detail, right?
Dave in Saratoga Springs, Utah Jeff Swander EDITORIAL
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continued on page 65

8 JUNE 2025
GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 9
CAMPFIRE TALES YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

ELMER KEITH’S #5 IS A 10!

PART 1 OF 4
By John Taffin Keith was just a young cowboy
trying to survive on his own little

O
n the Fourth of July in 1925, a ranch but he was also, as he called it,
young cowboy decided to cele- a “gun crank” and as such not being
brate the day by firing his Colt satisfied with stock factory sixguns,
.45 Single Action. He was using black he enlisted the help of some of the
powder loads; however, the bullets top gunsmiths and engravers in the
were oversized and he had ground country to customize his sixguns. On
the black powder to finer granules. page 103 of Keith’s classic Sixguns, one
The top half of the cylinder and the finds a picture of four beautiful Colt
top strap parted company from that Single Actions, all of which I have been
old Colt. This not only caused him to privileged to handle. Most of his .44 Elmer Keith (right) and Harold Croft,
switch from the .45 to the .44 Special, it Specials and .44 Magnums as well as Durkee, Oregon, 1928.
also started a writing career that would his rifles and trophy animals are part
span six decades. of the Keith Collection displayed at a steer head carved on the right grip,
the Boise, Idaho, Cabela’s Elmer Keith a wide hammer, a Smith & Wesson
SPECIAL DELIVERY Museum. It is worth the trip just to see
type rear sight, a front sight held on
From the late 1920s until 1955, Keith’s No. 5 S.A. as he called it by a barrel band and even though it
Elmer Keith continually promoted the Keith’s four Colt Single Action .44 shows extensive blue wear, it is still
.44 Special as the ideal sixgun cartridge Specials were a King short action job, quite tight.
using his personally designed #429421 7 ½" barrel; an original, one of a kind 7 Colt #2 has been kept as original
Keith bullet weighing in at 250 grains ½" Flat-Top Target; a custom 5 ½" Flat-since it is the only .44 Special Colt SA
with a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps using Top Target with a Keith-designed folding
Flat-Top Target Model to ever leave
Hercules #2400. Over the years, Keith three leaf rear sight; and the No. 5 S.A.
the Hartford factory. Its finish is all
featured his sixguns in his articles, and Colt, an extensively customized 5 ½" blue with “eagle-style” hard rubber
as a teenager, I purchased a copy of Flat-Top Target Model with a special grips. It also shows much use. Colt #3
Sixguns By Keith, subsequently spending grip made by combining a Bisley back- is another 5 ½" Flat-Top Target single
many hours carefully studying the pic- strap and Colt SA trigger guard. action made up by Neal Houchins with
tures of his many custom sixguns. After special one-piece rosewood grips made
I met Keith for the first time, he supplied THE RUNDOWN by Pachmayr. This was Keith’s long-
me with a list of all of his old sixgun arti- Colt #1 was an obvious favorite as range sixgun as it has a folding rear sight
cles from the American Rifleman and I it shows much use. This short-action with three different blades for different
was able to add all of those to my file. 7 ½" .44 Special has ivory grips with ranges and it also has a dull blue finish
so it would not reflect sunlight.
The 4th Keith Colt came about
because one man was skeptical, and it
was subsequently written up as “The
Last Word” in the April 1929 issue of
the American Rifleman. The title for
the article comes from the fact that this
revolver was designed as the epitome of
the single action sixgun. Every possible
improvement was incorporated in The
Last Word sixgun; Keith tried to inter-
est Colt in making it a factory-offered
Keith’s original single action but to no avail.
No. 5 S.A.
compared to the NUMBER FIVE ALIVE
TLA Improved
The seeds for Keith’s #5 were
Number Five.
planted by another gun crank, one
Harold Croft of Philadelphia. In the

10 JUNE 2025
 ONE GUN,
ONE GUNSMITH

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 CAMPFIRE TALES
late 1920s, Croft had packed a suitcase
full of sixguns and took the train all
the way across the country to Elmer
Keith’s small ranch in Durkee, Oregon.
Today that trip would take a few hours
of actual flight time; in those pre-
Depression days it took several days.
Croft made his long trek because
he was curious and skeptical and his
friends were also skeptical. Keith had
been writing about long-range shoot-
ing at several hundred yards with
a sixgun; Croft wanted to see it for
himself. In his book Sixguns, Keith
says: “He brought a suitcase full of
good sixguns, mostly .44 Special
or .45 Colt caliber and asked me to
demonstrate some of the long-range
shooting I had been writing about. Keith’s No. 5 S.A. in his favorite #120
Seven hundred yards across a dry, Lawrence holster.
dusty field I had a target four feet
square. By lying on my back with my
saddle used for a head and shoulder
rest, and shooting with both hands
held between my drawn up knees, I
proceeded to lob slugs on that target.
I hit it with every gun he brought along
before the gun was empty except a
2"-barreled .45 single action slip gun
with a Newman hammer. It required
11 shots to find the target with that
short-barreled gun…. With the good
.44 Special and .45 Colt guns with
barrels of four to 7 ½", it was no trouble
to find the target in a shot or two, and John notes, “Every true sixgunner easily
with some I hit the four-foot target recognizes Elmer Keith’s hat and .44
with three out of five shots. Croft was Special No. 5 S.A.”
soon convinced I had been writing
facts and not fiction, but was very the frame work and the latter doing
skeptical before the shooting started. sights, stocks and action work. Croft
We experimented most of the month took four Featherweight .45 Colts, with
and during that time I designed the numbers M1 and M3 on Single Action
first of my line of Ideal Keith bullets frames while M2 and M4 started out as
in caliber .44 Special Ideal #429421.” Bisley models, to Durkee. To produce the
Harold Croft had a lot to learn. Featherweights, the recoil shield was hol-
However, he also had a lot to teach to lowed out, the ejector rod was removed,
Elmer Keith. At the time Croft was the frame narrowed down in front of
having lightweight pocket pistols the trigger guard, and the loading gate
built on Single Action and Bisley plat- hollowed out. The frames were also flat-
forms while Keith was more interested topped and fitted with adjustable sights.
in full-sized single actions for long- All of the Croft Featherweights weighed
range shooting and everyday packing. between 30 and 32 oz. and were written
Croft’s ideas for perfect sixguns had up by Keith in the American Rifleman
been turned into reality by Sedgley and in 1928.
Houchins, two well-known gunsmiths Next month — Number Five Takes
of the time. With the former doing all Shape

12 JUNE 2025
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FOUR DECADES WITH THE SIG P226

ONE OF THE GENRE-DEFINING CCW PISTOLS
Massad Ayoob ’80s, I cracked the aluminum frames The first, approved by NYPD and
Photos: Gail Pepin of two P226 pistols with heavy use of still found on the streets of the Big
115-grain bullets at the +P+ veloci- Apple, was heavy as hell and — in my

2
024 marked the 40th year of the ties of 1,350 feet per second or so. The opinion and several others — sub-
SIG SAUER P226 pistol. A tradi- company replaced both, and in the ’90s optimal. The DAK (Double-Action
tional double-action (TDA) with when the P226 was upgraded for the Kellerman, named after its designer)
a long DA pull for the first shot and ferocious slide velocities generated by proved much better. In the 2000s, SIG
short single action pull for subsequent .40 S&W and .357 SIG, the problem made its single-action-only versions
self-cocked rounds, it was followed by went away. with very sweet trigger pulls and the
a couple of double-action-only (DAO) When police departments were only thumb safeties ever catalogued
variations and even single action only leery of pistols with light trigger pulls for P226s.
(SAO) cocked and locked versions after the first shot was fired, SIG Like most double-stack 9mms with
with ambidextrous thumb safety. The offered double-action-only versions. double-action triggers, the reach for the
9mm was its first cham- finger to the trigger was long.
bering, and by far its most SIG solved this a couple of
Four of the SIG
popular, but it was also SAUER P226’s many
ways. The most effective pal-
made in .40 S&W and .357 stages of evolution. liative was the option of the
SIG, and there was even a short-reach trigger. Another
very functional .22 Long approach was the E2 grips,
Rifle conversion unit for it which solved one of my own
produced by SIG. SIG pet peeves — grip screws
Being a gun writer, I got working loose and even falling
early access to the P226 out.
and immediately learned One complaint with the
to appreciate it. I taught P226 was it was ill-suited to
classes with it. I carried southpaws and I’ve always
one for a while on police thought that was bunk. With
duty in the 1980s and the left hand, use the tip of
more often on my own the index finger, pointed
time over the decades. down, and you’ll find the
I shot matches with it de-cocking lever easy to
and taught the instruc- manipulate. No, you don’t
tors of police departments have to change hands to lock
that had adopted it. And, the slide back if you’re a lefty.
perhaps more importantly, Just hold the grip-frame in
watched many of my train- your left hand, put the right
ees in Lethal Force Institute hand on the slide with the
and Massad Ayoob Group right thumb level with the
courses shooting them fast ejection port, and retract the
and furious for hundreds of slide. Your right thumb will
rounds apiece. Wrote two be perfectly positioned to
editions of the Gun Digest bring the slide lock lever up
Book of SIG SAUER. into place.
P226s worked great
then. They still work great ASK THE PERSON WHO
now. Here’s why. OWNS ONE
The SIG SAUER P226
EVOLUTION was widely adopted by law
When problems showed enforcement. Approved by
up with the P226, SIG our two largest municipal
fixed them. Back in the police departments (in the

14 JUNE 2025
GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 15
 P226 SAO with
multiple generations
of 10-, 15- and
20-round mags.

The P226 is accurate

out of the box. This
is a 25-yard target
with Federal
119-grain +P+
practice ammo.

DAO version), NYPD and Chicago 9mm and the P229 in 9mm, .40, and
PD, and adopted by numerous state .357 — adoptions included FBI, DEA,
and city and county police depart- Secret Service, Air Marshal Service
ments. Gordon McNeill, the FBI and many more. Today, in the time of
supervisor who was shot and crip- striker-fired polymer guns, the ear-
pled when his revolver went dry in ly-adopting Orlando (FL) Police have
the infamous 1986 Miami shootout, only now transitioned to the SIG P320
bought a 16-shot P226 to carry when from the P226 9mms that served them
he returned to duty. so well for decades. At this writing, the
ONLINE!
WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM
Between the full-size P226 and
smaller pistols it spawned — the P228
San Francisco Police still carry the .40
caliber P226.

16 JUNE 2025
 A SIG P226 SAO (above) in the
foreground, along with the more
common TDA format behind. Don’t
believe SIGs are southpaw unfriendly.
Mas shows how to de-cock (below, top)
and lock the slide open left-handed.

The 226 is accurate. The ones I’ve

tested in 9mm will do 1.25"–1.50" five-
shot groups at 25 yards with the best
ammo, and I once shot a 1.0" five-shot,
25-yard group with .357 SIG 125-grain
Gold Dot from the bench.
The 226 is reliable. That’s why the
SEAL teams insisted on keeping them
for so long when the rest of the U.S.
military had gone to something else.
Personally, I’m very comfortable
with the SIG P226. I was carrying
one under my suit jacket at a high
point in my career, the evening in
June of 1998 when I accepted the
Outstanding American Handgun-
ner of the Year award.
The SIG P226 endures. Go to SIG-
SAUER.com and you will see how
many variations SIG SAUER is still
producing. There are some very good
reasons why people are still buying
them as the P226 enters its fifth decade
of manufacture.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 17
OPTICS

30MM: THE NEW 1"

SCOPE TUBES HAVE GROWN AGAIN
Wayne van Zwoll lust for expanded power ranges in vari-
able scopes. To keep targets from sinking

S
copes are bigger and heavier now from the reticle’s adjustment range at a
because we demand more of them. mile, we want more elevation in dials that
We want brighter images in low help us count rotations.
light and at the same time, higher mag- The sharp, brilliant images and reli-
nification, so scope-makers install biggerable performance of hunting scopes of all
objective (front) lenses to increase the dimensions, and the amazing hits scored
bundle of light that reaches our eye (the at extreme range with target scopes, are
optic’s exit pupil). We want a big field possible only because shooters have
of view (FOV) with high magnification chased such features — and manufac-
and, at the same time, enough eye relief turers have supplied them.
to keep our noggins intact during recoil. Progress is a constant re-shuffling of
Jack O’Connor once owned this .30-06, a
So the ocular (eyepiece) lenses grow. priorities and a sifting of trade-offs. Sukalle Mauser with popular 7/8" Lyman
To eliminate parallax and sharpen Alaskan scope.
target focus at all ranges, we get a left-side GETTING BIGGER
turret dial. Lighted reticles add batter- One of the most obvious changes in the internal erector assembly — lenses
ies and circuitry and yet another dial. the evolution of rifle-scopes is in tube that move with windage and elevation
In a frenzied stampede to versatility, we diameter. Because the tube size limits (W/E) adjustment — it affects what you
see, how well you see it and how much
you can dial for a zero.
Weaver’s B4 and B6 appeared in
1954, follow-ons to the G4 and G6 pro-
duced from 1947. All had ¾" tubes per
Bill Weaver’s first scope, the 3x 330. He’d
designed it, and tooling to build it, in
1930 in a small shop in Newport, Ky. The
4x 440 followed. Subsequent 333, 344 and
355 models failed as hunting scopes due
to their short 2" eye relief. The 3x 329,
which retailed at $4.75, came in 1935.
The 40mm tube
Popular sights on rimfire rifles,
on Swarovski’s
dS scope (top) is
Weaver B-series and concurrent J-series
about as big as scopes endured through 1966. A “C”
tubes get now. version of the 330 served the U.S. Army
Below is a 1" on Springfield 1903A4 sniper rifles
tube on their Z3. during WWII.
In the 1930s and ’40s, other scopes
with ¾" tubes appeared. Most sold under
the maker’s name: Fecker, Lyman, Nor-
man-Ford. Gun-maker O.F. Mossberg
produced a flurry of affordable hunting
scopes. Target shooters bought R.A.
Litschert’s target models in 10x to 30x.
At Depression’s end, the 2.5x Lyman
Alaskan and Rudolph Noske’s 2.5x and
4x scopes had 7/8" tubes. All else equal,
bigger lenses boost resolution.
This Heineke-stocked Springfield
sports a Weaver K2.5, which with
Credit Bill Weaver for pioneer-
the K4, popularized the 1" tube. ing the 1" tube. Appearing on his
K2.5 and K4 in 1946, it would soon be

18 JUNE 2025
 YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

adopted industry-wide. At the same

time, however, European and some
North America-based optics compa-
nies peddled scopes with 26mm tubes
(1.02"). Notable among these: Kollmor-
gen (and those sold as Stiths and
Redfields), Pecar (an imported Koehler
scope, from Germany) and the Lyman
Challenger and Wolverine. Zeiss listed
26mm scopes into the 1970s, Kahles into
the mid-’80s.
Having owned several scopes with
26mm tubes, I can’t recall the first 30mm The scope on this Winchester ’85
scope to follow me home. During the has a ¾" steel tube, external W/E
mid-1980s, when Kahles was still build- dials, common into the ’30s.
ing fixed-power Helia scopes on 26mm
tubes, it listed Helia variables with four-
times magnification ranges that had
30mm tubes. Since then, 30mm has
become the new standard for top-end
hunting and target scopes.

THE LATEST
New-for-’25 scopes that impress me
include Swarovski’s Z5+ series. Like 1" Z5
models, each Z5+ has five-times power
range. But all three — 10x42, 3.5-18x50
and 3-25x56 — boast 30mm tubes. This
increase in diameter is largely responsible
for a greater W/E adjustment range: three
times the range of original Z5s, accord-
A rail mount makes the 30mm Blaser scope on Blaser’s R8 rifle look trim, though it
ing to Swarovski. The 3.5-18x and 5-25x has 20x capability.
have focus/parallax dials. All Z5+ scopes
are offered with illuminated reticles (“i”)
and what the company has dubbed its Compensating (BDC) crosswire. All are and dialing for center holds, he pulveriz-
ballistic turret (“BT”) to help with long- second-plane reticles. es rocks at 1,300 yards. At 1,700, he adds
range shooting. Each of these features Vortex has earned a place in long- 9 minutes of lift with the reticle’s one-
adds about 1 ¼ oz. to the scope’s weight range matches with powerful glass minute hash marks. His 140-grain Berger
and $100 to its price. All reticles save in 34mm tubes. A 6-36x56 Gen III bullets fly for over three seconds.
the non-illuminated 2-10x42 are glass- Razor HD with graduated first-plane Having long championed the light
etched. Add a Personalized Ballistic Ring reticle weighs in at 45 oz. and $4,800. weight and slim profile of 1" hunting
(PBR) for “dial-to-the-distance” conve- Shooters with kids in college can get scopes, I’ve taken up with 30mm 1.5-6x
nience with your pet load. The 2-10x42 the 34mm tube and FFP reticle in the scopes. At 4x, my preferred setting, the
weighs less than 15 oz. and starts at 30-oz. Strike Eagle 5-25x56 for $1,150, 24mm clear objective yields a 6mm exit
$1,649. It’s a handsome scope that would the 35-oz. Venom 5-25x56 for $700. pupil, about as much light as the human
excel on any rifle for hunting any game But of 50 models on Vortex’s website, eye can use in dim shooting light. To
anywhere. I find the Razor HD LHT 3-15x42 discern detail at, say, 300 yards, I can
Trijicon too, has new 30mm scopes. most fetching. At 19 oz. with a 30mm get 6x from the dial and a view like that
The Huron and Ascent series have each tube and SFP reticle, it mates well with with the naked eye at 50. Power enough.
added a 1-6x24 and a 4-16x50. There hunting rifles but has the power for Without a front bell, the scope sheds
are a few minor cosmetic differences. hits out yonder for $1,900. weight, doesn’t interfere with a rear sight
I’m told the Ascent clears some military A 30mm tube can house all the reach and can be mounted low on the receiver.
bar. The Hunter BDC reticle should sell and precision and optical excellence Yes, a 1.5-5x20 with 1" tube is
well in the Huron, which is also avail- you’d want in a scope. A friend has a mighty fetching too. But you wouldn’t
able with my favorite, the German #4. Nightforce NXS 5.5-22x50 optic on a want to be the only sod in deer camp
The Ascent comes with a Ballistic Drop Sterling Precision rifle. With this outfit without a 30mm scope.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 19
RIFLES

THE 6.5X55 CARTRIDGE

CREEDMOOR’S GRANDPA
Dave Anderson

T
he 6.5x55 is one of the all-time
great classic cartridges. Even
so I probably would never have
tried it except for a combination of
circumstances.
My friend Barrie Gwillim was
one of the best riflemen I ever knew
— a collector, hunter, handloader
and competitive marksman. He was
one of those rare individuals — one
meets so few in a lifetime — with the
gift of being able to live a hundred
percent in the moment, to derive the
maximum enjoyment from even the
most mundane events.

BON VIVANT
We used to drive around back
country roads, ostensibly varmint
hunting but mainly to talk guns and
shooting. Sometimes we’d pull over
to sit on the tailgate with coffee and
sandwiches we had made. I remember
how Barrie would relish a sandwich,
savoring each bite (“Is this ever
good!”) as though it was some great
chef ’s signature dish. Meanwhile I’d
be thinking, “Good heavens, man! It’s
baloney and cheese on store bought
bread!” I guess I don’t have the gift.
Around 1966, when Barrie would
have been about 21, a department
store advertised the “new improved”
model 70 for (as I recall) around
$130. Previously, like most of us, he
had owned military surplus rifles but
this was his first opportunity to own
a modern sporting rifle.
When he got to the store, he
found the new rif les were sold out.
A helpful clerk said he’d search in
back and see if possibly one had
been overlooked. After a long wait
he emerged carrying a dusty box
On left is an old favorite deer rifle of Dave’s, a
marked “Winchester.” The clerk
Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in .280 Rem. with
Swarovski scope. On right is the new favorite, a Tikka T3
apologized, saying all the new
in 6.5x55 with Nightforce NXS 2.5-10x42 scope. models were sold and all he could
find was this discontinued model,
tucked away and forgotten, a pre-’64

20 JUNE 2025
 YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

Featherweight in .270 Win. And, he

offered to knock $20 off the price…
One hears a lot of talk about shot-
out barrels. My experience has been
most barrels die of neglect, not from
overuse. Barrie was meticulous about
cleaning the bore but after a decade
or so accuracy began to fall off so he
had the model 70 re-barreled to 6.5x55.
Incidentally, the gunsmith asked per-
mission to section the .270 barrel and
found it worn smooth for about eight
inches ahead of the chamber.
My friend died in 2012. The favorite Dave’s old friend and baloney gourmet Barrie Gwillim, shown here demonstrating
Winchester 70 Featherweight 6.5x55, the standing hunting position. Rifle is a pre-’64 Winchester 70 .30-’06.
of course, went to his oldest son. I
had some experience with 6.5mm to my old friend and also because it is In its early days, the 6.5x55 was loaded
cartridges including 6.5x54 Mann- simply an excellent cartridge. with a round-nose 156-grain bullet.
licher-Schoenauer, a light Savage This long bullet needs a fairly fast twist
.260 Rem. and a model 70 Western- BEGINNINGS to stabilize. Original barrel twist was
er in .264 Win. Mag. When it became The 6.5x55 was adopted by Sweden 1-220mm, or 1 in 8.66". My T3 has a
obvious the 6.5 Creedmoor was not a and Norway as a military cartridge 1-8" twist, which seems to be the Tikka
passing fad, I bought one, a Weatherby in 1894, the year Coca-Cola was first standard for all its 6.5mm cartridges. It
Vanguard, and was impressed by the offered in bottles, 11 years before the is well-suited to current 6.5mm bullets
excellent accuracy, light recoil and first airplane. With its short neck and with high ballistic coefficients. A plus for
highly efficient bullets. 25.6-degree shoulder angle, it is a mod- handloaders is the availability of 6.5x55
The Creedmoor, so I’ve read, is a ern-looking cartridge. The official Lapua brass. I won’t say Lapua is the best
modern version of the old 6.5x55. Well, European designation currently is 6.5x55 but I will say I know of nothing better.
I like old things and old ways. A local SE. “SE” is the ISO two-letter abbrevia- The 6.5x55 has a couple of negatives
dealer had a Tikka T3 in 6.5x55 on tion for Sweden. In America it is often for American shooters. One is the limited
sale. It’s become a trusted and regularly called the 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser or selection of factory ammunition, espe-
used hunting rifle, maybe out of loyalty 6.5x55 Swedish. cially compared to the seemingly endless
choices in 6.5 Creedmoor. Factory bal-
listics of the 6.5x55 are relatively modest
in deference to the many older military
surplus rifles still in use. The selection
of rifles chambered to 6.5x55 is rather
limited. Remington, Ruger and Win-
chester make a run of 6.5x55 rifles once
in a while but they seem to end up as
cult classics.
In my T3 I load the Hornady 143-
grain ELD-X bullet with its impressive
G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.625 (G7 BC
is 0.315) to 2,700 fps muzzle velocity
with Alliant RL-22 powder. The long
action and magazine let me load to an
overall length of 3.25". In the strong T3
action with Lapua brass, higher velocity
could be achieved but frankly, I see no
point. I like the light recoil and moder-
ate report, and the slick Hornady bullet
From left — 6.5x55 Swedish, 143-grain Hornady ELD-X; ,270 Win. 145-grain Hornady provides all the downrange performance
ELD-X; .270 Win. 150-grain Berger VLD Hunting; 7x57 Mauser 150-grain Nosler I need. And on that note, I’m going to
Accubond Long Range; .280 Rem. 245-grain Barnes LRX BT; .280 Rem. 150-grain make myself a baloney and cheese sand-
Hornady ELD-X. wich. Yum!

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 21
SHOTGUNS

THE AUCTION HOUSE Whoop fetch just south of a quarter

million dollars while Burt Spiller’s
NO HAT REQUIRED! Parker VH commanded under $10K?
Condition is a big factor, and the
better the condition the more money
Tom Keer all potential buyers are ready to it commands. Unusual and unique
Photos: Lars Jacob bid. The auctioneer is responsible items considered rare fetch a better
for firing up the crowd to get them price than more common and pedes-

T
he auction chant, those rhyth- engaged in the process. trian models. Provenance, especially
mic filler words no one really Payment — Congratulations, you if that history of ownership is prop-
ever understands, were audible were the highest bidder. Now it’s time erly documented, ratchets prices up
in the back of the room. I wanted the to pay for and enjoy your purchase. and if a famous person owned the
Winchester enough to consistent- One question that frequently shotgun then that’s usually a good
ly raise my hand until it looked like comes up is why did Nash Buk- thing. Trendiness in the market can
I was the new owner. I smiled when ingham’s HE Grade Super Fox Bo play a role. Right now there is a glut
the auctioneer said, “going twice,”
but then that pesky fella wearing the
Panama hat signaled his entry into the
bidding. The Humphrey Bogart imper-
sonator took the bidding up far beyond
my threshold but I didn’t flinch, even
when my nose itched from the dust
and I had to sneeze.
But things have changed since the
days of the ancient Greeks and Romans
who created a live auction to sell items
seized during wars. Virtual auctions have
revolutionized the processes and offer
convenience and flexibility to anyone
who can connect to the internet. Some
auctions offer live bidding while others
accept bids over an extended period as
long as a few weeks. Think about it — not
only can you find the shotgun of your
dreams, but you don’t need to leave your Before bidding on a shotgun at auction, consider working with a gunsmith like Lars
home to buy it. Jacob. Finding one who can personally inspect the firearm is ideal, but even just a
But while the log-in/bid/pay if you review of images and information is worthwhile.
win concept is easy, it also comes with
a risk — if you’re not careful you just
might wind up with a lemon. Here’s
how the process usually works and how
you can safeguard your investment.

AUCTION 101
Auctions work on consignments.
Sellers bring items to the auction house
for appraisal and sale. Sometimes they
bring an individual item while other
times it’s an entire collection.
The Inspection Period — The day
before the live auction is the time to
preview all items. This is the time to
determine if the shotgun is not just of
interest but how high you’ll want to bid. Measuring bore diameters is another common indicator (left) the shotgun has been
Let the Games Begin — If the altered. Older shotguns had a variety of chamber lengths. Measuring the candidate
buzz has been properly created then can reveal if the chamber has been lengthened (right) as it affects the value.

22 JUNE 2025
 YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

an incredible amount of information

among the members.”
Pay attention to the listing details

Custom
— “Listing details describe the make,
model, gauge, and other normal infor-
mation. But asking questions that aren’t

CORNER
included in the listing illustrates origi-
nality and helps properly price out the
shotgun.” Frequently altered things
include chamber length, choke constric-
tions and stock dimensions. Screws will
indicate if the shotgun has been taken
apart. Make sure you ask questions that Ruger MK Pistols
aren’t answered in the listing.” Reassemble Quickly &
Market demand — “One of the
biggest recent changes is in market
Correctly Every Time
demand. Many collectors are aging,
and in the event of a passing the disin-
terested family members put them up for
auction. Currently it’s a buyer’s market One-Time Fix
Online auctions have made finding a unique
next shotgun easier than ever before.
as there are a lot of unique shotguns * Stays in Pistol
coming up every month.” * No Experience Needed
Set reasonable expectations — “There * Easily installed in Minutes
of large bore shotguns while small are some variables that can be opinion * Not for 22/45 or MK IV models
bores command more attention. driven and need proof. Case color or
For Lars Jacob of Lars Jacob Wing- barrel blue/brown needs to be clari-
HammerStrutSupport.com
shooting in Manchester, Vt., the calls fied as does any kind of provenance.
for shotgun appraisals increases every Reasons why case color or barrel blue/
year. “There’s no question that the brown land at 40% is important, just as
digital world has had an impact of having authenticating certificates, bills
shotgun sales,” he said. “There are a of sale and the like establish provenance.
number of online auctions, and there They all factor into the value.”
are firearm listing services, too. No Work with a reputable auction house
longer is a customer confined to a gun — “These days, the ability to list or
shop, a gun show or a live auction. The promote anything online is very easy.
entire world of shotguns has come to Reputations are hard earned, so work
everyone’s living room.” Here are some with auction houses that have been
of Jacob’s points. around for a while. If a venue offers a
Develop a relationship with a gun- lot of different types of auctions, like
smith or gun appraiser — “Good deals home furnishings, art, or the like, do
can be had at an auction, but you lose some research to make sure they are a
the ability to touch and hold the firearm. well-respected authority of firearms.”
You’re looking to assess condition and Set a budget — “Decide how much
authenticity which helps determine you want to spend before the bidding
price. Area gunsmiths or gun apprais- starts. That should include any other
ers and their knowledge can clearly help. fees, taxes, shipping, insurance, and
We typically charge a finder’s fee that buyer’s premiums. It’s important to
ranges between 8% and 15% of the shot- have a budget so that you don’t have
gun’s sale price. Oftentimes we’ll source buyer’s remorse.”
a particular shotgun as well.” The only bad parts of online auctions
Collector’s Associations — “If you’re is the interpersonal relationships, con-
focused on buying and collecting nections and rituals are missing. There
shotguns made by one particular man- well may be a bidder wearing a Panama
ufacturer then you might be able to find hat online but you’ll never know it. But,
the information you need from a col- maybe this time your name will be
lector’s association. Those groups have called when the gavel drops!

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 23
SHOOTER’S Rx

BOOK REPORT —
THE WORLD’S ASSAULT RIFLES
‘MR. DABBS, PLEASE SHARE WITH THE CLASS …’
Will Dabbs, MD an extensive collection of mili-
tary history including plenty of

D
o you guys remember what it picture books about military air-
was like to do book reports craft, tanks and weapons.
back when we were in school? My two favorites were Walther
I always seemed to draw something H.B. Smith’s Small Arms of the World
vile like Little Women or The Scarlet and Daniel Musgrave’s German
Letter. My early efforts will likely Machineguns. Each volume was an
not be in the running for a Pulitzer enormous thing with hundreds of
anytime soon. I love to read; I just illustrations guaranteed to keep a
didn’t like reading that. miniature gun nerd simply mes-
I grew up in the heart of the Mis- merized. I checked them both out
sissippi Delta. We didn’t have much, dozens of times, carrying the big
but we enjoyed a simply spectacu- books home on my bicycle. In fact,
lar little public library. They carried mine was the only name stamped

The World’s Assault Rifl es (above) will

remind you of those glorious days of old
when we would all pore over actual gun
books to learn about our favorite
firearms. Curiously, the sections on
Taiwanese guns is included separately
(left). This book is sold in Chinese
markets, and the Red Chinese
government still subscribes to the
fiction that Taiwan does not exist.

in the date register inside the cover. I use

stuff I learned from those two books to
craft gun articles most every week.
Now fast-forward half a century and
a great deal has changed. Nowadays, all
those delightfully musty old libraries
seem to be being replaced with Inter-
net connections. Instead of having to
trudge down to the library and keep
track of some bulky book, I just Google
stuff like, “What was the production
run of the Madsen M50 submachine
gun?” and Google dutifully does the
legwork for me. However, we lost
something along the way. There was
a certain purity to poring over those
yellowed, desiccated old pages. I miss
that today.

24 JUNE 2025
 YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

A MOST
DELIGHTFUL THROWBACK …
To paraphrase The Princess Bride —
arguably the best movie ever filmed
— “Back in my day television was
called books.” I recently tripped over
a book titled The World’s Assault Rifles
by Gary Paul Johnston and Thomas
B. Nelson. The World’s Assault Rifles
hearkens back to those golden years
when prose was crafted by men and
not some faceless sentient AI toaster.
The World’s Assault Rifles is a simply
magnificent read.
By way of example, what might you
opine was the world’s first assault rifle?
I would reflexively say the German
MP43. In fact, I have claimed as
much in print. If an assault rifle is a
selective-fire shoulder arm firing an
intermediate cartridge then it seems Imagine Will’s surprise when he was first
the MP43 checks all those blocks. paging through The World’s Assault most commonly used in these ubiqui-
However, it was not the first. Rifles and found a picture of his very own tous weapons. There are entire chapters
According to The World’s Assault 1980’s-vintage HAC7 rifle purchased devoted to the FG42, the AK74-series
Rif les, the first assault rif le was from Robert K. Brown. of weapons, the Russian AN94, the
actually the Model 1917 Win- BAR, the Mini-14, and the Stoner
chester-Burton. The Model 1917 Weapon System. I could kill hours
was first developed for aircraft use just paging through the details.
against hostile balloons. It fired the
intermediate-sized .345 Winchester RUMINATIONS
Self-Loading cartridge. I had never On page 1190, I was sur-
heard of it before reading this prised to find a photograph of
book. LTC Robert Brown, the publish-
er of Soldier of Fortune Magazine
DETAILS holding the HAC7 rifle I bought
The developmental history of all from him several years ago.
the world’s major assault rifles is The book includes pages 938
discussed in glorious detail. Across through 944 stapled together
1,238 magnificent pages, the stories and tucked loose inside. These
behind the M1 Carbine, the FG42 are the weapons used by Taiwan.
parachute rifle, the Johnson infan- That’s because this book is sold
try combat rifle, the FAL, the HK in Hong Kong, and the com-
G11, and the Israeli Galil ACE are munist Chinese will not allow
laid out in engaging prose. The book any mention of an independent
is arranged by country and covers Taiwan. As a result, the pub-
everything from the aforemen- lishers decided to include those
tioned M1917 Winchester-Burton pages separately.
up through the latest commercial pistol well as the guns that led to its develop- The World’s Assault Rifles is a throw-
brace-equipped AR variants. ment are outlined herein. Everything I back to a better time. Heavy, bulky, and
Paging through this delightful book could imagine in the world of assault delightfully thorough, this is the book
offered a great many surprises. The rifles is in this one book. that answers most every question you
Chinese QBZ95 is the standard-issue The first chapter goes into great might ever have had on a subject near
service rifle for the Red Chinese Army detail on the development of assault and dear to us all. The World’s Assault
but it is literally unobtainium on this rifle ammunition. Chapter two con- Rifles is available at ChipotlePublishing.
side of the pond. Sundry subvariants as cerns the operating and locking systems com or from Amazon.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 25
 raise Of The
In P

Clayton Walker Unfortunately, my dreams of owning these legends

dissipated once I picked them up. Today, I’m a lot more

E
arly into my shooting career, some of my abso- excited by those rifles that, to me, represent a golden
lute favorite moments resulted from cool, calm mean between raw accuracy and ease of use. Indulge
days where I had all of the time in the world me and I’ll tell you what I think makes for a perfect
to sling .22 rounds at dime-sized targets — and with “offhand plinker.”
little concern about ammo cost or being battered by
the forces of recoil! TWO ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM
As I investigated what else the rimfire world had On one hand, we’ve always been awash with lightweight,
in store for me, I would repeatedly come across arti- affordable rifles and many of them have been of extraor-
cles referencing some of the kings of the category: the dinarily high quality. I learned recently that Ruger has
Winchester 52 and the Remington 37, for example. produced more than 5 million of its famous 10/22 rifles. I
Many of these designs were once considered the gold would reason that within a half-hour drive of your current
standard of accuracy within 100 yards and my inter- location, you can find a gun store with a 10/22, new or used,
est was firmly piqued. currently sitting on the shelf.

Most of us have shot a classic .22 plinker but

moved on to “bigger” and “better.” However
— sometimes — simple pleasures are the best!

26 JUNE 2025
 The Walther KKJ is an exceptionally
well-made “sporter” rimfire rifle. If
you can see it with the naked eye,
you’ll hit it with this.

‘Hulkmania’ Should
Only Be For Wrestling
It’s no mystery why the rifles are beloved. The 10/22 is their humble origins and no-frills materials, they tend to
easily shouldered and aimed. It is robust and reliable, and shoot surprisingly well!
tolerant of a wide variety of ammunition. When I was in my Still, spend some time with them and their limitations
late teens, I had fired a gun before. However, the groups I come into focus. Most have very simple folded metal or
coaxed out of a 10/22 got me to think about shooting dif- “buckhorn” sights, thin barrels prone to heating up quickly
ferently. “Maybe I have some talent for this,” I told myself. and stiff triggers. Budget price points often necessitated
Additionally, America’s used gun market is awash with a budget materials so expect beechwood or plastic stocks,
number of .22LR rifles intended as either entry-level tools for along with stamped steel construction of various small parts.
pest control or “boy’s” or “youth” rifles that would serve as a
child’s first introduction to marksmanship without mom or THE OTHER END
dad having to break the bank. The Winchester 67, Reming- As one moves from “budget” to “premium” in the rimfire
ton 514, and Stevens 15 are all prototypical examples of the rifle category, the upgrades are obvious. At the upper tier
type. In general, they are light, easily operated and despite of the quality spectrum, buyers can expect to find longer,
thicker barrels that aid accuracy. A 26" tent-pole of a barrel
not only offers more runway for the powder of a rimfire car-
tridge to fully and completely burn, but it gives open sight
users more distance to ensure perfect alignment between
the front and rear units. The barrel thickness also ensures
it heats and cools in a more uniform manner, which reduces
any temperature-based point of impact shifts.
Along with those long, gorgeous barrels and hand-fit
actions, you’ll also usually find very generous and beau-
tiful walnut furniture, often with metal fixtures for the
buttstock, sling attachments and other accoutrements.
One look at these guns and you’ll immediately be trans-
ported back to an era where no cost was spared to provide
“Seeable” reactive targets don’t much care for minor the rimfire shooter with the best accuracy the day’s engi-
point-of-impact shifts. A rifle with a pencil barrel can zap neering and experience could allow.
them, hot or cold. The trade-offs, however, are size and weight. Most of
the .22s you’ll find in rimfire competitions tend to be big.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 27
 Extra mass provides more stability and preci-
A sion, but makes it a rifle much harder to heft
and shoot offhand. It’s not to say one can’t do
so but those interested in the attempt normally
have specialized shooting jackets dedicated to
such a purpose.
The same goes for adding one of the most
common and historic tools for improving one’s
group: the scope. As my military buddies like
to say, “Ounces make pounds.” Where rimfire
rifles are concerned, I’ve found a 24-oz. scope
moves offhand shooting on a big, wood-
B stocked rifle from the realm of “challenging”
to “impromptu strength training.” Show me a
guy who can heft a scoped Winchester 52D and
shoot a great group offhand, and I’ll show you
a guy who looks like Hulk Hogan.

THE MIDDLE PATH

For the rest of us, many of the design specs
and equipment choices maximizing mechani-
cal precision come at the expense of practical
accuracy. In simpler terms: Bring the scope to
eye level, and your arms will almost instantly
begin to feel like wet noodles and the reticle will
wobble all over the place. To quote the old info-
mercials: There has to be a better way!
Indeed, there is no shortage of rimfire rifles
C which got an extra degree of TLC from the
maker over the budget model yet weren’t fully
optimized for bench work. The Winchester 69
remains perhaps my favorite rifle of all time.
Yes, the trigger guard is stamped steel and the
trigger pull isn’t astoundingly light, but the gun
is like a laser in my hands. Within 75 yards, if I
can see it, I can hit it. Of course, beyond that I
probably can’t see it!
I also have a tremendous affinity for a
number of quality pump-action rifles. Often,
models like the Remington 12, Winchester 62
and Browning Trombone exhibit very high
quality workmanship, are fast into action, and
shucking rounds in and out of these platforms
D is a joy.
Still, I’m not picky. Just about any mag or
tube-fed rifle with a thinner barrel, decent wood
and a good set of aperture sights has my eye. To

A The Winchester 69 has Clayton’s vote for

offering buyers the most usable accuracy for
the least spend. B The Bergara BMR — Its
light weight makes for a rifle that can still be
comfortably shot offhand even with a
mounted scope. C Winchester 63 with a
period-correct Weaver low-magnification
scope. Light and simple is often best! D
Winchester’s vaunted Model 52 is of the
perennial kings of rimfire accuracy and
craftsmanship, it’s also a boat anchor!

28 JUNE 2025
 Above, the Ruger 10/22 is
well-represented in America’s
gun stores, and for good reason.

this latter point, I find “peep” sights allow for tremendous

practical accuracy without the weight of a scope and mounts,
yet they also eschew the alignment imprecision that often
goes hand-in-hand with buckhorns or folded steel sights.
One key to finding a great offhand plinker is to look
for the phrase “sporter.” Through the generations, the
term has defined guns designed to be used afield — i.e.,
picked up and shot. Winchester made its storied 52 in a
“sporter” configuration (a gun perpetually on my “one
day” list), and Browning still makes its excellent T-bolt
rifle as a sporter. The wood-stocked version of Spring-
field’s new 2020 Waypoint rimfire rifle also comes with
an accuracy guarantee and a stated weight of 6 lbs., 3 oz.
Truly, a “best of both worlds” deal. Many sporter-weight rimfire rifles feature simple sights often
Elsewhere, composite materials help to keep the challenging to aging eyes, but (right) the aperture sight is a
godsend on a small-caliber rifle, enabling high precision
weight down. I purchased my Bergara BMR not only
with hardly any additional weight.
because of the Spanish gunmaker’s well-established
reputation but because it was light enough for me to
heft even with a scope included. With a user-adjustable playing cards and wood chips obliterated by my ugly,
trigger — currently set at 2.5 lbs. exactly — and capable dinged-up .22 and the slight impact shift between a hot
of eye-popping groups from the bench, I don’t feel like and cold barrel doesn’t normally matter on targets I don’t
I’m giving up much to the walnut-stocked, bull-bar- need magnification to see.
reled monsters of yore. Ironically, the older I get, the more time I seem to
spend with designs historically positioned as youth rifles.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE That is, they’re lithe, simple and inexpensive. To me, the
Our own Massad Ayoob recently wrote he didn’t like feats of marksmanship putting a smile on my face are
the finger grooves on the third-generation GLOCKs those coming as a result of me using my own two eyes
because he didn’t like a gun telling him how he needed and hands to zap something just at the threshold of my
to shoot it. The same goes for me with the weight of many vision. Almost always, I’m going to reach for a .22 rifle
.22 rifles — a gun telling me it needs to live on the bench to scratch the itch.
isn’t usually one that’s fun for me to work with. If it’s been some time since you’ve gotten away from
Sure, the long guns I’ve gravitated to might very well the bench rest, or if you’re the kind of shooter who has
give up some accuracy at the 50-yard line and beyond. I regarded any sort of .22 as a novelty, here’s your invita-
don’t know how many dudes are winning rimfire matches tion — buy a svelte, light rimfire rifle. It probably won’t
with clapped out “department store” rifle. Regardless, cost you very much and I bet you’ll immediately redis-
there have been countless golf balls, shotgun shells, cover just how fun offhand shooting can be.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 29
 A Working Person’s Python!
Roy Huntington • Photos: Rob Jones/The Imagesmith LLC

L
egions of Colt enthusiasts are clapping their hands and at first glance, “Oh, it’s trying to be a Python” — but very
stomping their collective feet due to the burgeoning much not. While it shares the frame and many features,
renaissance at Colt. Since CZ purchased them a few rather than being a showy safe queen to me the Grizzly is
years ago, Colt’s offerings have expanded exponentially — specifically made to work hard, outside, in the weather, pro-
along with their quality. More consistent, more reliable and tecting you, your family and doing any job you might toss at
more innovative than anything we’ve seen from Colt in, dare it. It feels significant in your hand and at about 41 oz. (two
I say it … decades. Welcome back, old friend! more ounces than a 5" 1911), you get wheelgun reliability,
With the launch of the various “Snake” revolvers over the .357 Magnum versatility and the guilt-edged accuracy this
past few years, including the “Be Still My Heart” Python, type of Colt revolver is world-famous for. If it sounds like
Colt has kept the heat turned up. With the release of the I’m impressed, it’s because I am.
Grizzly, Colt has neatly filled in the spot for a high quality, Between us, I always sort of considered the “fancy” Colt
easy-to-pack, general duty .357 Magnum for the field. With revolvers like the Python, Anaconda, Diamondback and
its unfluted cylinder, ports, adjustable sights (with replace- others to be like an overly made-up debutante who was used
able front blade, thank you very much), user-friendly Hogue to looking very good but not actually doing anything to
OverMolded rubber grips and near-impervious stainless get dirty. I know, I know, you’ll argue with me and you’d
steel construction, it just might steal the nebulous position be right but when you say, “Oh that? It’s my minty 1958
of the “Perfect Packin’ Pistol.” Did I just say that? vintage blued Python” people stop talking and stare at it.
It’s a bit “shades of the old Trooper,” which attempted to They don’t do that when you say, “Oh that? It’s my old
fill a more working-gun price and feel for those who couldn’t police duty S&W Model 10.” You expect the 10 to be a
afford a Python. But it’s very much more. It’d be easy to say, workhorse. But a Python?
Except you’d be wrong about the Grizzly. I think
this gun will look best with some scratches on
it, discolored cylinder face from shooting too
many hot loads — it can take it — nicks and
abrasions on the grips and a ready-willing-
ness to keep working if you want it to.
Bring it on.

DETAILS PLEASE
Released in 2024, the look
of the Grizzly’s unfluted cyl-
inder caught the eye of the
Colt cognoscenti, right along

The rear sight (left) is the classic Colt

adjustable. “It’s bold and easy to see and
isn’t cluttered with white outlines or any
such nonsense. Sometimes, old school is
good school in my opinion,” says Roy.

30 JUNE 2025
 The Grizzly non-fluted cylinder
is plenty strong for the six
.357/.38 spl rounds (right),
making it an ideal field gun
where toothy critters live. Full
of hard-cast .357, you’re
literally “Loaded for bear.”

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 31
32 JUNE 2025
 COLT GRIZZLY GEAR LIST
Ammo: Freedom Munitions 125-grain JFP
Speedloaders: HKS Bowling Pins courtesy of Ravishing Robert’s Bowling Pin Museum

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 33
 with the idea of a rough-and-tumble opposite to balance
the pampered Python. It’s a bit like the good looking but
hard-working Ford F150 in your driveway — parked next
to the Lexus.
I’ve got about 350 rounds through my test gun, which I
promptly bought by the way because it’s, well, that good. I’ve
had zero issues. The sights stay put and are easy to see, the
action is smoother than a current production Python I have
(heresy!), the grips are businesslike and do the job, the cylin-
der opens neatly with a nice click and the full-length ejection
rod knocks out the empties toot-sweet. The chamber mouths
are beveled ever-so-slightly but enough to ease loading, the
trigger is grooved but very smooth, allowing your trigger
finger to slide when pressing and the hammer spur is the
wonderful spade-shape we’ve come to know and love on the
Python. Thank you, Colt.
The full underlug looks darn good and offers a bit of
weight forward to help steady things, while the rib looks
just right. I did notice it has the very classic two cuts as
opposed to the new Python’s three cuts. I’m not sure why
Colt elected to put three in the Python but it is what it
is. Python fans are still wringing their hands over that
mystery. Oh, the humanity …
Do we need an unfluted cylinder? I doubt it and predict
Colt did it to set the Grizzly apart (after trying it with a
Python lately). The cylinder bolt cut-outs are slightly off-set
from the charge holes so I’m sure there’s plenty of strength
to begin with. But it does offer a sort of burly, business-like
look to things. It also adds exactly one lonely ounce to the
weight. And if you favor engraving, it offers a blank canvas
for a talented artist. So there’s that too.
I noticed the barrel is crowned beautifully and the forcing
The non-fluted cylinder is the most visually
distinctive element of the Grizzly. It would cone mirrors the same quality of workmanship. Those are
also make a great canvas for engraving if the two most important points to final accuracy — other
you were so inclined. than the unpredictable nimrod on the trigger. This sort of
attention to detail shows it’s “Old Colt” thinking rather than
crank-’em out profit-making. Thanks again, Colt.
The Hogue OverMolded rubber grip is a perfect
choice for a gun intended to spend its life outdoors SOME SPECIFICS
in all kinds of environments and weather. The Python was resurrected in Colt’s lineup in, as I recall,
2020. Since then, 17 revolver models have been introduced
and the Grizzly is number 18. Lucky 18? Just maybe so. The
bigger brother is the Kodiak, based on the Anaconda frame
and it’s in .44 Magnum. The Kodiak was originally a run of
special Anacondas with unfluted cylinders and ports (sound
familiar?). It sold so well Colt expanded on the idea much
to our benefit.
Being chambered in .357 Magnum, the Grizzly can, of
course, handle any .38 Special load you might think up.
The capacity is a traditional six rounds, it’s stainless steel,
has a 4.25" barrel and six ports in a “V” on either side of the
barrel below the front sight. In my shooting, I found they
did reduce muzzle flip a tad if you’re shooting hotter loads
but didn’t have much effect with .38 loads. This is, after all,
a moderately heavy gun to begin with.
The front sight is red, but can be changed easily by the
owner. The rear is a classic Colt adjustable, sort of blend-
ing the old style Colt Elliason with an S&W rear. It’s bold

34 JUNE 2025
 and easy to see and isn’t cluttered with white outlines or
any such nonsense. Sometimes, old school is good school
in my opinion.
The DA pull has a very faint “stack” to it like a typical
Python action might, but Colt has smoothed it out wonder-
fully and you almost can’t feel the stacking at all. It flows
effortlessly, offering a single “click” as the cylinder bolt finds
the cylinder, then continues to a compellingly predictable
DA let-off. The term “silky-smooth” seems camp, but it
describes it well. The really interesting thing is in this age
of 12- and 14-lb. crunchy DA pulls, my sample gun rolled
off at around the 8.5- to 9.5-lb. mark. It honestly felt lighter
and when I first tried it I anticipated some misfires since it
was so light. But there were no issues — ever.

“Once I dialed in the elevation

with the wadcutters I could hit it
at least three out of six shots
for each cylinder full. This is
great fun at every level!”

The single-action pull averaged right at what Colt said

it should be, 4.5 lbs., give or take a few ounces. Like the DA Rest and try it later. I just don’t see well enough to shoot at
trigger, it was a delight to experience. When pressed, there 25 as well as I’d like to but this 20-yard distance shows what
was no movement, then suddenly the hammer dropped. Not the Grizzly can do.
like that glass rod people talk about, but more of an “If this, This gun is a shooter in every category, regardless of the
then that” situation. The sear was either engaged — or not load. Call it “always less than 2" at 20 yards” for everything
engaged, and it somehow moved from one position to the and likely close to that at 25. I have a 6" steel plate at 100
other magically. It was, and is, great fun to shoot SA, some- yards here. Once I dialed in the elevation with the wad-
thing I don’t normally do very much of. cutters I could hit it at least three out of six shots for each
Also, while not exactly “melted” as you often see on carry cylinder full. This is great fun at every level!
guns, the various sharp edges are more smoothed than I’d
have anticipated. Too many stainless guns remain sharp, BEAR GUNS?
but the Grizzly is comfy to handle. The cylinder even has a Everyone seems to be touting this gun as an “ultimate
slight bevel on the front edge as every proper revolver should. bear” gun for the backwoods trekker. That’s fine, but
between 2000 and 2017, from what I could find out, there
SHOOTING were 68 known hospitalizations from bear attacks and
I expected the Grizzly to shoot well, with the Python her- 10 fatalities. More people were killed by simply falling
itage in its blood, but it outdid itself in spades. The barrel is a down, drowning, etc. in the outdoors so bears are not a
1:14" LH, 6-groove rifling system. Colt has done many things huge threat for most of us.
wrong over the years but they’ve always done barrels right. Regardless, what the Grizzly does — the gun, not the
During testing I fired a bunch of loads, including one bear — is offer a dead-nuts reliable, accurate, beauti-
nasty 180-grain hard-cast lead “Castcore” .357 from Federal fully constructed, handsome revolver, well equipped to
(1,130 fps, ouch), and the Grizzly seemed to enjoy them all. protect someone from just about anything, even the bear
Velocities were as you would expect from a 4.25" barrel so you stumble onto someday. Pair the Grizzly with a good
there’s no need to go there. But my favorite load was a 148- field holster and you’re pretty much good to go for any-
grain Berry’s Bullets target wadcutter (copper plated) I load thing. Even a field of dangerous dirt clods waiting to
with 3.6 grains of HP-38 powder. I found a load averaging pounce wouldn’t be anything to fret over. Bang, gotcha.
about 750 fps which just seems to shoot like a laser out of “Fun” — another good word for the Grizzly!
any .38 Special. Sure enough, from a comfortable, muzzle-
rested position on my bench, it delivered the best group of MSRP: $1,599
the day at just a tad under 1" at 20 yards. Frankly, I think the
gun will do better than that so I need to dust off my Ransom Colt.com

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 35
 Wayne van Zwoll
CLASSIC & CLEAN

T
he German company of J.P. Sauer & Son began A chassis holds the 505’s cleanly sculpted receiver,
life in Suhl, an old town in the iron-rich region which has no external moving parts between bridge and
just southwest of the Thuringian Forest. Celtic receiver ring. It is not drilled and tapped for a scope.
miners had plied the valleys of the rivers Hasel and Dimples either side of its nicely rounded crest accept the
Lauer from the fifth century B.C. The boulder-littered clamps of Blaser’s saddle mount, known officially as the
landscape prompted the Celtic name “sol,” and its deriv- Sauer Universal Mount. It secures even heavy scopes,
ative, “Suhl,” showing up in a feudal document in 1318. detaches in a blink and returns the sight reliably to zero
The first written account of arms manufacture in Suhl when re-latched. The 505’s six-lug bolt (three in-line
appeared in 1503. pairs) has a 60-degree lift and glides like a race-engine
In 1753, a fire leveled much of Suhl’s manufactur- piston. Excepting a slot for the Sako-style extractor oppo-
ing infrastructure and took many lives. It destroyed site the plunger ejector, the bolt face is enclosed. The bolt
the shops of 82 gunsmiths, 60 stockers and nine of the release is a small tab on the rear left side of the trigger
town’s 10 barrel-makers. Gone too were records con- bow. Nudge it up, and the bolt slips free.
firming the genesis of Sauer as a gun-builder in 1751. Instead of a safety, the bolt has a cocking switch per
Yet, the company continues onward to the present day Blaser’s straight-pull R8 so the 505 can be carried safely
and lays claim to being the oldest arms manufacturer with a loaded chamber. Unlike the Blaser switch, which
in Germany. Standing on the foundations of this rich releases to the rear with an upward press of the thumb,
history is Sauer’s latest carriage-class hunting rifle — the Sauer has a separate red button in the switch that
the Model 505 bolt-action. relaxes the spring and makes the rifle safe.

Fitted with a Minox scope in a Blaser

mount, this sample 505 in .308
shows the rifle’s sleek receiver.

36 JUNE 2025
 Accurate? The mid-weight 20"
barrel with 1-11 twist on the 5050
delivered this snug three-shot
group (above). Have a range like
this? Sauer rifles are rigorously
tested for function, even if the
shooters are pampered!

New Rifle For An Old Name

The 505’s polymer single-stack magazine fits flush. A The receiver has no scope-mount holes but machined
recessed release button nixes accidental drops. recesses accept Blaser’s optic mount.

To fire, thumb the switch ahead. Its center is just below range in length from 20" — as on the .308 sample rifle
bore-line so your thumb won’t contact the scope’s ocular borrowed for this review — to 24" magnum chamberings.
bell. Pushing a switch is faster than pulling a hammer, Sauer offers several other special-order lengths. Standard
and the motion brings your hand into the grip instead of contour appears as 0.67 on the spec sheet (muzzle diam-
lifting it off firing position. Unlike a hammer or a safety eter for the .308) and there’s a 0.75 option. The blued
that blocks the trigger or firing pin, the switch makes chrome-moly steel barrels are plasma-nitrated for a hard
accidental firing impossible as it relaxes the spring that surface. “DLC” or Diamond-Like Coating is optional; so
powers a blow to the primer. It also yields a clean-look- too sights. I’m told German 15x1 muzzle threading will be
ing, almost weather-proof bolt tail. replaced by 5/8x24 threads on standard barrels stateside.
The 505’s single-stack magazine is a slim, essential- Want to change barrels? Switching is straight-
ly flush polymer box with a recessed release button up forward on the 505, if not as quick as on your 870
front. The box, and a follower with radiused trough, are Remington pump.
of sturdy, lightweight polymer. Capacity is three stan-
dard or two magnum cartridges. Optional magazines QUICK CHANGE ARTIST
for each hold five rounds. A 5mm hex key, integral with the push-button rear sling
Cold-hammer-forged barrels for the 505 are cham- swivel, fits the forend release and three screws securing the
bered for 19 cartridges — .222 through 10.3x60 R. Barrels free-floating barrel. The release is not a screw and won’t

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 37
 respond if treated as such! Insert the key in the belly of the slender where my hand grasps it. Prone or sitting, I can
forend and push against light spring pressure while giving snug a leather sling as quickly and comfortably with
the key half a turn counter-clockwise. The forend slips off the Sauer as with the Winchester.
forward. To swap barrels you must loosen two clamp screws
and remove the third. The key fits these fasteners but they’re QUICK-CHANGE TRIGGER
snug enough (recommended 45 inch-pounds) you may need A surprise on the 505 is its trigger. Expecting adjust-
more torque than can be applied with a sling swivel between able weight and a crisp break, I was treated to what may
thumb and finger! be the best trigger pull I’ve ever felt on a sporting arm
At this writing, Sauer’s — this after many years and
505 is cataloged with stocks hundreds of rifles! Sauer’s
of polymer, carbon-fiber trigger has weight settings of
and graded walnut, vari- 350 to 1,250 grams (0.8, 1.7,
ously available in pistol-grip 2.2 and 2.8 lbs.). The heavi-
and thumbhole style, with est 505 pull is what you might
or without adjustable comb. expect from ordinary sporters
Compact versions are listed at their lightest!
too. The .308 overnighting To adjust the Sauer
in my rack has a thumbhole trigger, remove the forend
stock of black polymer. Loos- to expose a hole on the left
ening the top butt-pad screw side of the chassis in front
with the hex key releas- of the trigger. The hex key
es the comb for adjustment. rotates an internal block to
Rubbery grip panels fore and A thumb-switch cocks the Sauer 505. Push the red center four detent positions from
to de-cock for safe carry with a loaded chamber.
aft help with rifle control in light to heavy pull.
rain and snow. Consistent, creep-free
The forend is pleasingly slim and tapered while the trigger pulls just shy of 3 lbs. should satisfy any hunter.
push-button front swivel is intelligently placed on the While a long-accepted standard on hunting rifles, a clean
nose of a smartly shaped Schnabel where it won’t snag. consistent 3-lb. break is elusive on many. The rare 2-lb.
The 17 ½" measure from trigger to swivel is just an inch trigger sends me to a glass of celebratory Merlot.
greater than the trigger-to-swivel span on my age-sil- Adjusted to its second-lowest (II) position, the 505
vered .270 Winchester Model 70 and the forend is more fires at 1.6 lbs. on my Timney scale, same as my rimfire

Oddly enough as it is
a Hornady cartridge,
Sauer’s Pantera was
the first commercial
rifle in 6.5 PRC.

38 JUNE 2025
 match rifle. Delightful! The “I” setting barely registers
half a pound on the scale yet the sear won’t release on
bolt closure. The two heaviest settings gave me 2.2 and
2.8 lbs. on the scale. Spot on! The trigger holds varia-
tion in pull weight at each setting within about 10%.
Firing the 505 with its 1.7-lb. trigger pull is almost like
wishing a bullet away. The benefit of such a light, clean
release to field accuracy is hard to overstate!
Rifles with outstanding triggers and interchange-
able barrels are not new from Sauer. The modular
202 arrived in 1993 with a traditional safety. In 2016
I reviewed the then-new 404, Sauer’s first rifle with a Here with Blaser’s superb scope mount, Sauer’s new 505 is
cocking switch. Its alloy receiver trimmed ounces. The chassis-built, with interchangeable barrels.
six-lug bolt locked directly to the barrel and the bolt
head could be changed with the magazine and barrel
so one action accommodated the full range of 13 cham-
berings, .243 to .375 H&H. The 404’s trigger had four
settings, 1.2 to 2.2 lbs. The trigger face could be slid
0.3" fore and aft with the take-down key incorporat-
ed in the front swivel.
The 505 is in many ways an updated 404. Unlike the
404, it does not have a detachable bolt head. To swap a
barrel for one using a cartridge of a different head size,
you need another bolt. It comes dear at over $500. Figure
double that for each barrel. Four detent settings for key-adjusted trigger weights — .08
to 2.8 lbs. — shown here around the key hole.
FIELD TRIALS
While I’ve yet to hunt with the 505, I got to know
its predecessor on the windy steeps of western Scotland
where rain lashed us at the shooting bench. But even
the handsome Turkish walnut on the 404 in my custody
shrugged off the weather. I rang steel plates to 1,000
yards. Feeding was faultless; twin ejectors kicked cases
briskly. An afternoon of hammering from .300 Magnum
recoil couldn’t tug the Leica scope from the grip of Sauer’s
Universal Mount.
Reluctantly yielding the walnut to hunt with a syn-
thetic-stocked 404, I slipped through a soggy Scottish
fen toward a red deer my ghillies had spotted from afar. A hex key integral with the snap-in rear swivel is all you need
Squall’s wind in our faces and horizontal rain in our to remove the forend and adjust the trigger.
teeth, we bellied to a rise. The stag was quartering off.
The Leica’s crosswire on a rear rib, I crushed the trigger.
My Hornady ELD-X bullet landed audibly and powered whippy barrel. The 40-degree air was nearly still, the
through to the off shoulder. The deer collapsed. mid-weight barrel stiff at 20" and allowed to cool from
While not enamored of thumbhole stocks on the carry, shot to shot. The trigger was hardly to blame; and I tried
I had to admit that rifle’s was comfortable at cheek. So is more than half a dozen proven commercial loads. Perhaps
the 505’s. With long arms and big paws, I simply prefer my pulse was stronger that it appeared at 12x. Still, the
an open grip that does not lock the palm of my trigger 505 is clearly capable of fine hunting accuracy with fac-
hand so near the trigger where my finger then must curl tory-rolled soft points. Five 165-grain Sierra GameKing
scorpion-like to press with its first joint. I also find the held within 1 ¼".
polymer thumbhole stock and short barrel give the 505 a Inexpensive? No. Sauer’s 505 starts at just over $3,000.
tilt to heel. Balance would improve with a slightly longer But it’s a cleverly engineered, supremely well-fitted sport-
barrel or a suppressor up front. ing rifle whose quality and attention to detail come
The sample 505 delivered good accuracy with a variety through the first time you cycle that buttery bolt or caress
of hunting and match ammo. Three 152-grain hollow the trigger. The Sauer 505 is a top-shelf hunting arm in
points from Lehigh Defense loads nipped into 0.4", a trio every respect!
of Sako 162-grain Powerheads into 0.7. But getting five
JPSauer-usa.com
bullets to behave was harder. I can’t fault wind or a hot,

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 39
 The Type I FG-42 can be readily identified at a glance by
the rakishly swept pistol grip. The rifle would also
accept the superb 4X ZF4 optical sight.

40 JUNE 2025
 In late July of 1943 after the success-
ful Allied invasion of Sicily, the Italian
King Victor Emmanuel III sacked
the fascist dictator and replaced him
with Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Musso-
lini was arrested and whisked away in
secret to the Hotel Campo Imperatore,
Will Dabbs, MD an imposing structure located atop a
remote and readily defensible mountain Otto Skorzeny was

I
n the Autumn of 1943, the entire world was on fire. plateau. The only access to the facility Hitler’s go-to man for
World War II was grinding through its fourth year was via a single funicular railway rising his most audacious
and blood soaked the earth. The insular decisions to the mountaintop some 2,112 meters special operations.
of a handful of megalomaniacal dictators sowed misery above sea level. James Bond author Ian
incalculable. Within this sordid milieu, national alliances Fleming could not have conjured a more exotic location.
spelled the difference between victory and defeat. Dictatorships are universally characterized by dis-
The Germans, the Italians and the Japanese were all trust and intrigue. As a result, Hitler gave several
aligned via a common enthusiasm for fascism, tyranny
and conquest. Germany’s Hitler and Italy’s Mussolini
were both political allies and personal friends. However,
by the summer of 1943, the Italian people were growing
weary of serving as Hitler’s vassals.

The bipod legs on the Type I FG-42 folded backward

and did not lock. Those of this SMG Guns
reproduction include a handy locking mechanism.
The side-mounted 20-round magazine (right) of the
FG-42 was arguably its most arresting feature.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 41
 of his subordinates the identical task of finding and
retrieving his friend Mussolini in hopes that one of
them might actually succeed. The end result was
inadvertently one of the most successful joint special
operations of the Second World War.

THE PLAYERS
Nazi propaganda subsequently made Waffen SS
Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Skorzeny out to be the primary
hero. Standing 6'4" tall and sporting a sinister dueling
scar on his left cheek, Skorzeny was right out of central
casting. He and a small contingent of highly trained SS
commandos led the ground assault.
The other serious players for Operation Oak, as the
rescue mission was called, were Luftwaffe Major Harald
Mors and his 2d Parachute Division fallschirmjagers.
Mors did most of the tactical planning for the operation
and really deserved more credit. However, Skorzeny had
Hitler’s ear and was therefore destined for glory.
When the dust settled, Skorzeny was awarded the
Knight’s Cross, Nazi Germany’s highest award for valor
in action. He also parlayed his success into a meteoric
spec-ops career spanning the remainder of the war and
beyond. However, the big man’s vanity very nearly scup-
pered the op at its most critical junction.

THE MISSION along captured Italian General Fernando Soleti as a hostage.

The concept of the operation was undeniably bold. Skorzeny hoped to use Soleti’s influence with the Italian
Skorzeny and 16 highly-trained SS special operators drawn defenders to help avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
from the 502d SS Jager Battalion joined a further 76 heavily The air mission commander was Luftwaffe pilot
armed fallschirmjagers in ten DFS230 gliders. They brought Oberleutnant Georg Freiherr von Berlepsch. In a simply

German fallschirmjagers helped

pioneer modern airborne
infantry tactics. Their FG-42
paratrooper rifle was a
groundbreaking design.

42 JUNE 2025
 Their well-documented moral failings
notwithstanding, the Germans during
WWII built some simply magnificent
weapons. Here we see the Type I FG-42
(top) alongside the comparably
revolutionary MP-43.

phenomenal bit of aviating, Berlepsch and his fellow tiny little STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft
glider pilots landed successfully atop the remote moun- only had two seats and was stressed to take off carrying
tain plateau, crashing but a single glider. Simultaneously, only the pilot and Mussolini. However, Skorzeny insisted
Major Mors seized the lower end of the funicular railway upon squeezing in as well so as to be physically present
with two fallschirmjager companies. when Mussolini was presented to the world. The terri-
The ground force killed an Italian forestry guard and bly overloaded plane just barely got airborne. Skorzeny’s
a local policeman while seizing the railway. Skorzeny’s air hubris very nearly ruined everything.
assault contingent quickly overwhelmed some 200 Italian
Carabinieri guards up top and freed Il Duce without inci- THE TACTICS
dent. The German assault forces destroyed the Italian radios The German fallschirmjagers were some of the most
and cut telegraph lines in the opening stages of the operation. audacious combat troops of the war. The 1941 airborne
The plan was to fly Mussolini off of the mountain in assault on the island of Crete was successful but at an
a small Fieseler Fi-156C-3 Storch observation plane. This enormous cost. So many elite paratroops were lost that

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 43
 Hitler never again authorized large-scale parachute oper- belt-fed guns. Eventually, German industry developed
ations. For the rest of the war, the fallschirmjagers fought the rifle-caliber FG-42 in an effort at producing one
as elite infantry. They were, however, afforded some of weapon that could serve in all roles. The FG-42’s rev-
the German military’s finest weapons. Principal among olutionary design shaped small arms development to
them was the enigmatic FG-42 parachute rifle. this day.
Fallschirmjagers were said to jump naked. Their
single-point parachute harnesses necessitated they THE WEAPON
leave the aircraft with nothing more than a knife, a They only made around 7,000 copies. While we catego-
handgun, and a few grenades. Small arms, ammuni- rize the gun as either a Type I or a Type II, the Germans
tion, and supplies were simultaneously dropped in a actually produced seven different sub-variants. Designed
fallschirmbombe, a cylindrical bomb-like container by Louis Stange in 1942, all versions fired standard
that was carried on the belly of the drop aircraft and 7.92x57mm ammunition from a 20-round side-mount-
also descended via parachute. As a result, the opening ed magazine. Operation Oak was actually the combat
moments of a parachute assault were critically impor- debut of the Type I FG-42.
tant. If the parachutists could retrieve their weapons The Type I FG-42 was 37.2" long and weighed 9.3 lbs.
and achieve fire superiority, they had a chance of It was a selective fire weapon and cycled at around 900
success. If not they were slaughtered on the drop zone. rounds per minute on full auto. Curiously, the gun fired
As a result, the fallschirmjagers needed all of the por- from the closed bolt on semiauto and from the open bolt
table firepower they could get. on rock and roll. It included a cruciform spike bayonet,
Early on, this meant an inordinately large issue of a complex muzzle brake and a pressed steel bipod whose
MP-38 and MP-40 submachine guns along with MG-34 legs folded forward and did not lock.

The Type I FG-42 (bottom)

eventually evolved into the
improved Type II shown on top.

44 JUNE 2025
 The Fieseler Fi-156C-3 Storch was an exceptionally versatile
reconnaissance and utility aircraft. Photo: Bundesarchiv

The Type I FG-42 featured a pressed steel spring- that was swept rakishly to the rear and a wooden forearm.
loaded buttstock of unique design. The rifle’s receiver The later Type II sported a forward-folding bipod, a
actually cycled back into the stock as it was fired to help redesigned muzzle brake, wooden furniture and a more
mitigate felt recoil. It also included a curious pistol grip conventional pistol grip. Both guns could be fitted with
the superb ZF4 4X optical sight. After the war, the basic
action of the FG-42 was copied directly into the Amer-
ican M-60 general purpose machinegun.
Like most ballistic compromises, the FG-42 was too
heavy and bulky to be a submachine gun but too light
and insubstantial for sustained fire using full-power car-
tridges. It was also complicated and expensive to produce
at a time when the Germans could ill afford such frivol-
ities. However, up close the FG-42 was indeed a thing of
mechanical beauty.

WHERE DO YOU GET ONE?

The last original transferable Type I FG-42 I found for
sale went for a tidy $411,250 at auction in May of 2023. If you
don’t have that kind of cash just loitering about, Rick Smith
at SMG Guns can hook you up. Rick hand builds absolute-
ly gorgeous semiauto reproductions of both the Type I and
Type II FG-42 at his shop in Texas. They’re not cheap and
there’s a waiting list, but his guns are frankly magnificent.
You get to pick the receiver markings, wood and finish.
Original FG-42 magazines cost thousands of dollars on
the rare occasion they can be found. Rick’s versions feed
from Czech ZB-26/30 magazines. They look about the
same and, while still tough to find, are much cheaper.
I waited more than two years for a Type II FG-42. My
Type I did not take as long, but it was just because I was
lucky when I got on the list. They were worth the wait.
Everything about these weapons is perfect.
Several of the Gran Sasso raiders carried Type I FG-42
rifles. At least one example can be seen in period photo-
graphs with a ZF4 scope. Thanks to the tireless efforts of
Rick Smith at SMG Guns, we mere mortals get to touch
a little bit of that extraordinary history as well.
Special thanks to WorldWarSupply.com for the cool
replica gear used to outfit our fallschirmjager.
SMGGunsStore.com

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 45
 Jeremy D. Clough REAL DEAL
The closest to the original Russian spec, the WASR is

N
ot all AKs are created equal, something I learned a classic AK though “AKM” — “m” for Modernizirovan-
the hard way taking Gunsite Academy weeklong niyi, the updated version introduced in 1959 — is the
AK Armorer/Operator Course with a borrowed more correct term. The receiver is stamped steel with
rifle. Having left the class with a new appreciation for a businesslike black finish that looks more sandblasted
the platform — and a suite of skills I didn’t want to lose than bead-blasted. The forend and buttstock are light-
— I decided it was time to get my first AK. colored wood, think “that Swedish furniture store,” not
As a bit of a traditionalist, I wanted a faithful, basic “English pub.” The controls are dead simple, down to the
rif le in the original 7.62x39mm (M43) chambering stamped steel safety which, true to form, lacks any way
but wasn’t comfortable choosing one with my limited to lock the bolt to the rear. For those of us who came of
knowledge. Lean not on your own understanding: AK age with the AR, the angled flash hider looks a bit like
guru Jim Fuller of Fuller Phoenix (and founder of Rifle one of Roy Huntington’s wood gouges but it’s shocking-
Dynamics) taught the armorer portion of the class, so ly effective. Indeed, the Century AK next to me at the
I asked his advice. This is exactly what you do when Gunsite night shoot had by far the lowest flash signa-
you have access to someone with his level of exper- ture on the line.
tise. A few emails later and in the due time a Century If the lines of the muzzle look just a bit cleaner than
Arms WASR-10 arrived at the FFL. expected, it may be the absence of a cleaning rod, which is

Not all AKs are created equal.

The Romanian WASR-10 is
imported by Century Arms and
is unique in being built overseas
in one of the original arsenals.

46 JUNE 2025
 In addition to the 30-round black US Palm mag that came with the rifle, Jeremy used a handful of translucent US Palm
magazines, a couple from FAB Defense, and a Magpul PMAG 30, all of which performed well.

omitted as a cost-cutting measure. The alert eye will also the market built in a military arsenal. Located in the part
miss a trapdoor for a cleaning kit in the stamped steel butt- of Romania known as the “Iron Gates of Transylvania” (I
plate as neither are present. Things like these keep the retail swear I didn’t just make that up), the Cugir factory dates
price of the WASR hovering around a grand or below. back to the late 1700s. Like many arms manufacturers in
Unlike many modern sporting rifles assembled in the that corner of the world, it has operated under many flags
U.S. from parts kits, the WASR is manufactured overseas including the Kingdom of Hungary, British Vickers, Czech
in the Cugir arms factory, making it one of few AKs on BRNO and occupying Nazi forces. It has manufactured

The WASR-10 AKM got its name from

the Wassenaar Arrangement (left).
Created during the 1994 Assault
Weapons Ban, magazine capacity
was limited to 10 rounds so the
receiver was made with a narrow
magazine slot to only accept a single
column 10-round magazine.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 47
 select-fire AK variants for military use in addition to the
The lines of the WASR semiauto-only WASR rifles intended for export.
are classic AK from the Guns from the original factories are desirable partial-
gas tube and front sight
ly because of the coolness factor and partially because
tower to the slant flash
they often know things others don’t. A favorite
hider. It may look like a
wood gouge, but it’s example is when the U.S. military adopted the 1911
shockingly effective. and the plans were sent from Colt to Springfield
Armory, who was unable to successfully man-
ufacture the new gun. Turns out there were
things Colt engineers knew that just weren’t
on the blueprints and Colt had to step in
to fill those gaps.
Similarly, while it’s possible to
The FAB Defense reverse-engineer a gun, some things
top cover isn’t a are harder to figure out than others. Part
perfect solution but the dimensions are easy. Tolerance ranges are
latch is click-adjustable harder. So is what steel is used, can be used or
so you can tighten it down
must be used, as is part hardness and hardening tech-
to remove as much play
as possible.
nique. Miscalculations on all of these can lead to rapid
wear or catastrophic failure, which explains why clones
don’t always perform or last as well the originals.

MAGAZINE MACHINATIONS
At the time of its introduction shortly after the Was-
senaar Arrangement from which the WASR (pronounced
“wah-ser”) gets its name, the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban
was in effect and magazine capacity was limited to 10
rounds. Christened the WASR-10, the receiver was made
with a narrow magazine slot to only take a single column
10-round magazine. This manufacturing practice contin-
ues today, with the magwells being opened up by Century
to accept a standard 30-round mag prior to sale in the U.S.
One other change — the WASR uses a pair of welded-in
Jeremy used the FAB
brackets inside the magazine well to locate the mag, unlike
Defense (FABdefense.
com) railed top cover
the divots on either side found on most stamped steel AKs.
and Aimpoint Duty Machined AK receivers have a similar-appearing trough on
RDS he previously either side. The Romanian barrel is 16.25" hammer-forged
used at Gunsite. and chrome-lined with an optic mount securely riveted to
the left side of the receiver.
In addition to the 30-round black US Palm mag that
came with the rifle, I also used a handful of translu-
cent US Palm magazines, a couple from FAB Defense
and a Magpul PMAG 30. Magpul offers its AK mag
in two variants: the MOE with a polymer locking
shelf and the Gen M3 they supplied for
this article with a steel insert
in the shelf to ensure long
life. For most uses, the
MOE will be fine but
I’ll happily pay for

48 JUNE 2025
 the extra insurance year ago, my first thought — likely the same as
of the steel locking shelf. yours — would be “of course, it’s an AK,” but again, not
That said, the FAB and US all AKs are created equal. During the Gunsite course I
Palms went through a week of saw a broad range of surprising failures with AKs and
hard use at Gunsite with me, and my initial experience of putting 1,200 rounds through
their plastic shelves never failed. Mag insertion on the a different model was not encouraging.
WASR was a little sticky at first, likely due to burrs From the first separated case to the final misfire
from the magwell machining referenced earlier but during the class shootoff — on the last target of the
quickly ended with use. tiebreaker for first place, no less — my enthusiasm for
What I did not use was imported steel magazines. the AK’s legendary reliability was somewhat damp-
Although I’m sure they’ll work fine, the ened. It was nice to see the WASR live
imported WASR is bound by the parts-count up to the reputation.
rules of Federal Law 922(r). This regulation Sights are a classic weakness of the AK
states only a certain number of a specified list and while the post-and-notch ones of the
of parts can be imported (no more than 10 WASR are no worse than any other, they
on the AK) while the rest must be U.S.-made. were still hard for me to manage. I’m too
The magazine counts for three: body, follow- used to optics and the aperture sights on
er and floorplate. While it didn’t specify what AR and HK-pattern firearms.
the exact count is, the WASR came with a The WASR comes equipped Part of what makes the AK easy
label warning that using an imported maga- with an optic side mount. to clean is that the whole top of the
zine will push the gun beyond the maximum The test gun’s assembly gun comes off in a couple of chunks.
allowable part number. seemed quite different from Unfortunately, these are the chunks to
The solution, of course, is to swap out the WASR’s advertised which it would be most easy to mount
some of the other imported parts with U.S.- RAK-1 trigger but contains a an optic. Although the WASR comes
made to keep the count low so you can use helpful sleeve to allow equipped with an optic side mount,
whatever mags you want. This rifle is des- removal as a unit with the for this article I chose the simpler FAB
disconnector installed.
tined to receive Magpul furniture and other Defense railed top cover and Aim-
modifications so it’ll get its steel mags in time. point Duty RDS I had previously used
at Gunsite. While not a perfect solu-
TRIGGER TIME tion, the cover has a click-adjustable
Although the AK is not known for its mounting surface at the rear that lets
trigger, the WASR is usually advertised you tighten it down in place to remove
with the upgraded RAK-1 trigger group. I as much play as possible.
have no prior familiarity with the RAK-1 Accuracy was as expected. As per Jim
but the trigger assembly in the test gun is Fuller, 3" at 100 yards is the standard for
quite different than online photos of the AK accuracy. I was able to shoot a couple
RAK-1. Among other things, it has only a single hook to groups of this size or perhaps a bit tighter resting the forend
hold the hammer back. Mercifully, though, it contains on a Ransom RifleMaster front rest.
a sleeve for the trigger pin to keep the disconnector in The WASR-10 is everything an AK should be and its
place during assembly. only limits are those such as ergonomics inherent in the
The trigger pull averaged 5 lbs., 14 oz. on my Lyman design itself. And we’ll sort those out next time we talk!
digital scale with the roll and slight roughness you would Special thanks to Lt. Col. Freddie Blish, USMC (ret),
expect of a military trigger. A little light stoning would clean Jim Fuller and Robert Jordan.
it up but we’ll leave modifications for another article.
CenturyArms.com
I experienced zero malfunctions in firing 350
FullerPhx.com
rounds of Federal ball ammo through the WASR. A

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 49
SURPLUS & CLASSIC

John Wightman lines up a shot with

his Colt Colteer 1-22 in .22 Magnum. It
proved to be a peach of a shooter.

COLT COLTEER 1-22

COLT’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SMALL GAME SCENE
Payton Miller until 1966. As an interesting sidelight, But the little I-22 bolt action has all

T
hroug hout its 170 -yea r Kodiak made the first semiauto .22 the charms of a blued steel and walnut
existence, Colt Firearms Magnum — the Model 260 — which .22 classic, not to mention the slow
established itself as one of was on the market under the Kodiak but simple joys of a single shot — you
the country’s top two purveyors of name for about three years. never have to worry about feeding and
handguns. But now and again the Colt also offered a couple of semi- functioning problems from a worn or
company saw fit to try its hand at auto .22s in the Colteer line, one of faulty magazine. Plus, you can spend
rifles. For now, we’ll skip such his- which was billed in frontier fashion as a leisurely morning working your lazy
torically significant items as the 19th the “Stagecoach.” These autoloaders, way through one or (perhaps) two
century pump-action Colt Lightning incidentally, outlasted the production 50-round boxes of ammo.
and the legendary AR-15/M16. life of the I-22 up until the mid-1970s. We recently had the opportunity
Other relatively recent and to shoot a well-kept speci-
less heralded Colt rif les of men in .22 WMR courtesy of
note include the Colt Sauer, an incurable rimfire buff and
introduced in 1971 as a super- shooting buddy, John Wight-
premium bolt-action sporter. It man. Made by Kodiak, it came
enjoyed a 14-year production run with an elderly 5/8" Weaver 4X
and was built for Colt by Sauer scope mounted on its grooved
YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

to compete with the Weath- receiver that spared our aging

erby Mk. IV in the high-end eyeballs from having to rely
hunting rifle market. In 1982, on the open elevation-adjust-
the Colt Sauer retailed for just able rear sight.
about a grand — a bit more than The trigger was a little rough
the Weatherby and more than but reasonably light at about 3.5
twice as much as a Remington lbs. The plain walnut stock was
700 ADL. “no-frills” nice with a slight
ding just below of the ejec-
DOWNSIZING tion port. As far as the action
On a more modest scale, goes, the Colteer 1-22 cocks
however, Colt had earlier offered on closing and features a side-
the 1-22 Colteer, a modest yet mounted red-painted safety.
nicely finished single-shot bolt In 22" barrel trim it weighs in
action in .22 Long Rifle and around 5 ½ lbs. — a nice mid-
a couple of years later in .22 point between what old-timey
Magnum. It was initially made ad copy would describe as
in 24" barrel configuration for “man-sized” and “boy-sized.”
Colt by Jefferson Arms from John had rescued it from
1957 to 1963. Jefferson was taken permanent safe queen status
over by the Kodiak Company In the December 1957 issue of GUNS, the Colteer I-22 was after finding it in the “wayback
which then made a 22" version advertised for just under 20 bucks, about $226 today. section” of his collection.

50 JUNE 2025
 Our Colteer preferred hot 30-grain
loads from CCI and Federal at 50 (left)
and 25 yards (right). Both clocked
between 2,200 and nearly 2,400 fps.

Having known of the model only by

vintage ads and some word of mouth,
we decided to give it a whirl at our
upcoming range session.
We chronographed the rifle with
what we had on hand in the way
of .22 Magnum ammo, consisting
of three different loads including
Federal 30-grain V-Shok, CCI 30-grain
Maxi-Mag +V and Hornady’s heavier
45-grain Critical Defense FTX. Ejection for the most part was brisk and
The Federal and CCI 30-grain loads positive from the Colteer. Loading
clocked 2,155 and a smokin’ 2,383 fps. — even with a scope — was easy thanks
respectively. Obviously, either would to the wide, well-designed loading tray.
be ideal for smaller varmints. The
Hornady stuff — originally designed
for defensive pocket revolvers at an sand berm, Yep, .22 Mag ammo is dimpling or after repeated hits, maybe
advertised 1,000 fps — clocked 1,788 pricey by rimfire standards, but a small piece knocked off. But the
fps from our rifle and would most somehow — as juvenile as it may sound near-2,400 fps 30-grain CCI number
likely get the nod for edible small game
to some — the heavier whack and more instantly turned a yellow No. 1 ball
or perhaps close-range coyotes. dramatic impact seems to justify the into a fragmentation grenade with very
Our preliminary “get acquainted” cost. At least it always has to me. small fragments.
shots at the range showed the rif le A simple, reliable .22 Magnum According to Fjestad’s Blue Book
printed slightly to the left at 25 andrif le has always been an excellent of Gun Values, more than 50,000
50 yards with both of the 30-grain idea. I went through a lot of .22 Mag Colteer 1-22s were produced. In 1957,
loads the rifle seemed to prefer. Five-
ammo when I was much younger, the initial rifle in .22 LR listed for just
shot groups sizes at both distances but always with the original 40-grain about 20 bucks although before you get
were about 1/2" and 1" respective- loads and usually from a 6.5" Ruger excited enough to start looking for a
ly. As might be expected, there were Single Six Convertible. But these time machine, you should be cogni-
no malfunctions, save for one failure lighter, speedier loads from a rif le zant of the fact the price tag translates
to extract with the Hornady Criti- impressed the hell out of everyone. to about $226 today. Recently, I’ve seen
cal Defense. A longer tube simply turns the .22 used specimens go from $300 to $600,
Mag into a whole ’nother animal. depending on condition. They’re not
BUSTIN’ STUFF A favored plinking target of my all that easy to find but worth keeping
We spent an inordinate amount of little weekly range group are old balls an eye out for. And if I was lucky
time and ammo breaking clay birds from long-gone pool tables. Usually a enough to have one, I’d sure as heck
and assorted small rocks on a 75-yard .22 LR leaves a smudge, some slight hang onto it.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 51
HANDLOADING

A BRACE OF .45 COLT

TWO GOOD BULLETS, TWO RELIABLE POWDERS

Dave worked up loads for his pair of Ruger New Vaquero

sixguns in .45 Colt. He used two reliable propellants, two
different bullets but came up with one satisfactory result!

Dave Workman “perfect load” — and besides, the black powder load through its transi-
process results in wear and tear on a tion to smokeless propellants. Today,

W
yatt Earp is credited with firearm and my gun hand. there are even juiced-up loads specifi-
observing “Fast is fine, but The .45 Colt is a proven and cally for use in either Ruger, Freedom
accuracy is final,” so when time-honored cartridge from its intro- Arms or Thompson/Center handguns
YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

I went looking for a reliably accurate duction more than 150 years ago as a that can handle higher pressures than
.45 Colt load for use in my two Ruger the Colt SAA and its clones. Overall,
New Vaquero wheelguns — one with a for work in the woods or the street,
4 ⅝" barrel and the other wearing a 7 ½" the .45 Colt is a formidable choice
tube — the chore was to find something and back in my wasted youth, I once
with enough punch to pop small game considered carrying a short-bar-
yet also deliver the hurt on something reled single-action .45 as a defensive
bigger in an emergency. sidearm. Alas, a tight budget got the
Oh, and since I dislike missing, the better of me and so did a good deal on
bullet needs to go wherever I’m aiming. a 1911 in .45 ACP.
Back when I was more actively involved For my current exercise, I focused
in teaching firearms safety and personal on two propellants with which I’ve
protection classes, one of the first thing had repeated success: Hodgdon’s
I’d tell the class was “a bullet that misses HP-38 and CFE Pistol. The goal was to
the target will hit something else.” produce accurate loads in the 750-850
fps realm. It was “Mission Accom-
LIMITING FACTORS plished,” and with a couple of recipes,
I’ve never been eager to push guns, Dave’s setup involved using a Redding better than anticipated.
propellants or bullets to the limit; seating die for his XTP-topped For brass, I used a mix of Star-
it’s really unnecessary and in my cartridges (shown here) and a Hornady line, Winchester, Remington, Black
experience, the effort doesn’t always seating die for rounds featuring the FP Hills and a handful of nickel-plated
accomplish what we’re all after — the 255-grainers. Speer cases, all previously fired and

52 JUNE 2025
 trimmed to Hornady’s recommend- pistol primer. Recoil is easily manage-
ed 1.275". All cases were wet-tumbled able, and it’s a rather comfortable round
to a sparkling shine. Primer pockets to shoot.
were individually hand-cleaned for I have used 250-grain commercial
positive primer seating. LSWC bullets in the past over 7.0 grains
Because I have two sets of .45 Colt of HP-38 and they have also performed
dies, one from Redding and the other satisfactorily. However, truth be told, I
from Hornady, I set the Redding for was at a reloading shop last fall when I
seating the XTPs and the Hornady for found a big box of the 255-grainers with
seating the lead bullets so as to avoid a good price tag and simply couldn’t
having to re-adjust things. resist. Shame on me, the self-admitted
impulse buyer.
THE FREEDOM DUST Shooting off a rest, Dave’s 4 ⅝" Ruger I was favorably impressed by the per-
HP-38 is a spherical powder and loaded with 255-grainers over HP-38 formance of the 255-grain lead bullet,
in my opinion, a reliable and versa- delivered the goods. using the same powder charge as with
tile mid-range propellant with which the XTP. Out of the 7 ½" barrel, this
I’ve brewed up accurate loads in 9mm, bullet gave me an impressive average
.38 Special, 45 ACP and .45 Colt. It velocity of 927.2 fps and a tight little
flows consistently in my progressive group at 15 yards that would easily
press and downrange performance translate to rabbit stew.
has never been disappointing. It has a On the other hand, loading 6.9 grains
higher burn rate than CFE Pistol and of HP-38 behind the same 255-grain lead
I’ve been using it for many years. bullet, my longer Ruger delivered veloci-
CFE Pistol is also a spherical propel- ties of 814.5 fps average with a high mark
lant and has also delivered the goods of 849.7 fps over my chronograph.
since my early experience with the stuff Naturally, my velocities using the
when it first appeared some 10 years ago. shorter-barreled sixgun with the same
It burns clean while delivering slightly load were a bit slower, but that was antic-
better velocities and performs as adver- ipated. Still, my short gun produced
tised in the virtual elimination of copper muzzle velocities averaging 739.9 fps,
fouling. While it is promoted primarily which could easily stop a bobcat, coyote
for semi-auto pistol cartridge reload- or some other live target. A few decades
ing, I’ve been satisfied with CFE Pistol ago, a deputy sheriff of my acquain-
in loads brewed up for use in my vintage tance once professed a love for “a big,
Colt Diamondback using 6.2 grains The .45 Colt is a time-tested, formidable slow-moving bullet” for social work and
behind a Hornady 125-grain XTP with a cartridge made even more so with the years have not proven him wrong.
modern propellants and good bullets
small standard CCI primer. At 25 yards, Likewise, over 8.6 grains of CFE
— a 250-grain Hornady XTP (left) and a
I manage to keep ’em in the black and I Pistol, the bullet still clocked an average
255-grain Hornady RNLFP.
don’t beat my classic wheelgun to pieces of 796.9 fps out of the 4 ⅝" tube with a
in the process. high mark of 819.9 fps, and I managed
My two bullet choices for the .45 Colt to average 795.1 fps using the 250-grain
this time around were the superb 250- XTP over the same powder charge. Sure,
grain Hornady XTP (0.452"), a bullet I could up the powder charge and stay
the company says was developed to within SAMMI specs while achieving a
expand at a “wide range of velocities.” little more velocity, but that was not my
The second was Hornady’s 255-grain intention here.
FP (0.454"), a projectile primarily aimed One could easily conclude Wyatt
at the cowboy action crowd but for my Earp’s principle was based entirely
purposes, putting the hurt on whatever on wanting to stay out of a grave and
I happen to shoot at. While admitted- putting someone else in it. My purpose
ly my results with the XTP were what is to consistently punch holes in paper
might be considered modest by some, and tin cans, occasionally filling a stew
out of the longer-barrel gun the XTP Dave’s two propellant choices for this pot and to avoid being the main course
leaves the muzzle at just over 850 fps exercise, HP-38 and CFE Pistol, are both at a mountain lion banquet. I’ll leave it
over a charge of 8.6 grains of CFE Pistol proven commodities, and they work well to the reader to determine which is the
ignited by a standard Remington large in the .45 Colt. better motive.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 53
KNIVES YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

Here the Spyderco Tenacious Disarray

and one of its Cobalt brethren. Spyderco
chose the hot-selling Tenacious for major
upgrades in their 2025 line.

SPYDERCO
DISARRAY SERIES
TENACIOUS HOT!
Pat Covert of anodizing in a vivid Cobalt theme
on the frame. The Tenacious Disarray

S
pyderco is usually thought of has an overall length of 7.74" and when
as a “steady as you go” type of folded, checks in at 4.38". The blade is
company but in 2025, they’ve a Spear Point style 3.35" in length and
put their foot on accelerator. There replete with the signature Spydie hole. The new Spyderco Tenacious models with
is a new color to crow about — Cobalt The Disarray anodizing carries over to Titanium frames are outfitted with the
— and new handle textures and pat- the rear locking slab and a black pocket Reeve Integral Lock (R.I.L.) as their blade
terns, plus more Titanium frames clip completes the equation. locking mechanism — a major upgrade.
than ever. The Spyderco Tenacious
model, originally inserted in the line WHY YOU’LL LIKE IT knives with it, all types of situations
as a low budget satisfier, has sold very Hey, you only live once. Seriously, I’ve never had so much as a spec of
well and bloomed into the beneficia- it’s good to see the deserving Tena- rust — and it cuts like a house on fire.
ry of many of these niceties. cious get its due. I suspect its size has Kudos to Spyderco, the Tenacious has
We’re featuring the new Spyderco appealed to a lot of Spyderco fans and gone from budget bin to top-shelf fare
Disarray with a Titanium frame and D2 D2 Steel is enjoying a revival of late. in 2025. MSRP for the Disarray model
steel blade. This model is designed with D2 Steel is not a true stainless steel as it is $225.
the Reeve Integral Lock (R.I.L.) — a huge lacks a hair of Chromium content, but
Spyderco.com
upgrade in itself — with wild splashes in my 30+ years of using and storing

54 JUNE 2025
 QUARTERMASTER
REV INDUSTRIES HIGH-CAPACITY
REVOLVER SPEED LOADER
I t’s hard to dream up new and practical accessories for a
189-year old weapons system, but REV Industries has done
it with their 18-round RI Speed Loader.
With a lightweight body made of hardened ABS plastic, the
patented design holds three reloads for six-shot, .38 Spe-
cial/.357 Magnum revolvers. Cartridges are released to drop
into the chambers when a
HORNADY HIGH SPEED 3-IN-1 central button on the face
of the loader is pressed
POWER CASE TRIMMER against the revolver’s cylin-
I n terms of performance, Hornady just created the
F-35 fighter jet of case neck preparation tools. If
your appetite for rifle shooting led you to become a
der ratchet.
Like all speed loaders,
this one can require some
handloader, this time-saving, high-precision, produc-
finesse to use but less than
tion-grade tool is worth every nickel. Insert the case
many others I’ve tried. It is
in the collet chuck and slide it forward so the absurdly
also possible to reconfig-
quiet 2,000 RPM trimming, deburring and chamfer-
ure the front portion of the loader into a conventional, six-
ing cutters do their work. Total elapsed time per case,
round speed loader by removing some screws and attaching
including inserting and removing it from the chuck, is
the enclosed knob. Loaders for five-round cylinder snub noses
about three seconds!
and a .44 Magnum model are in the works.
The trimmer handles cases from .22 to .30 caliber
from 1.45" to 3.50" long. The chuck’s rigid hold on the
MSRP: $19.95
case base in conjunction with the dual guide rods keep
REVIndustries.com
it perfectly aligned with the tool head, allowing for
extremely consistent results. I’ve never been able to do
these operations as perfectly with hand tools.

MSRP: $620
Hornady.com

SINCLAIR
INTERNATIONAL
HAND PRESS
W ith this solid but compact
stainless-steel bench-top
press, precision handload-
ing of rifle cartridges during
load development can be an
easy operation on the range.
Designed for use with precision
WHEELER PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
reloading dies, this arbor press SCOPE LEVEL AND LASER BORE SIGHTER
eliminates the need for repeated
mallet blows to de-prime and T his two-piece tool greatly simplifies and expedites proper
scope mounting and bore sighting. It includes a small digi-
tal level (accurate to 0.01 degree) and a magnetized, clamp-on
neck size your brass in the field and is ideal for all bul-
let seating applications. laser emitter that projects an easy-to-see green crosshair on
FRANK JARDIM

The Sinclair/L.E. Wilson Micro-Adjust Bullet Seater the target of your choice.
shown on the press holds the bullet in perfect align- The rifle is first leveled in a vise and then the laser emitter
ment with the case mouth and has a 0.0005" click- is mounted and leveled on the barrel’s muzzle with the aid
adjustable micrometer to tailor bullet seating depth of a magnet and a pair of padded, self-centering arms. The
to your rifle barrel’s throat. Add the neck sizing and green laser is projected on a target at a convenient range and
de-priming components and you’ll have everything you the scope crosshairs are moved to match up with the laser
need to fine tune your loads in the field. projected ones. It runs on USB-C rechargeable batteries and
includes a latching storage case.
MSRP: Press $150.
Micrometer bullet seater $130–$160 MSRP: $249
Brownells.com WheelerTools.com

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 55
2A DEFENSE

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED

THE JOB ISN’T FINISHED
Dave Workman Perhaps the Trump administration institutions from using special “Mer-
should take it to the next level. Attor- chant Category Codes” (MCC) to track

D
onald Trump’s return to the ney General Bondi could turn loose the gun and ammunition purchases made
White House in January and Justice Department’s Civil Rights divi- with credit cards.
his quick actions dissolving sion on state gun control laws. Ever hear Of course, one partial solution to
the Biden-Harris White House Office of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of the despicable merchant’s code would
of Gun Violence Prevention, plus his Law? Write that down somewhere, or be to pay cash only for guns and
executive order essentially disman- just look it up. ammunition, but the issue here is to
tling the past four years of gun control Moving right along, Trump’s prevent invasions of consumer privacy
doesn’t mean it is time to fold up your return to the Oval Office and his by making it illegal.
tent and go home. February executive order protecting
Not a chance. There has been the Second Amendment triggered START MAKING A LIST
much damage to the rights of Ameri- anti-gun Democrats and the Far If you are serious about restoring the
can gun owners over the years and it Left in ways that showed just how Second Amendment to its full and orig-
will take time, energy, patience and off-the-rails they are. In blue states, inal cornerstone position in the Bill of
perseverance to make it all Rights, start making a list of
come together. Don’t be frus- politicians in your state leg-
trated if everything isn’t fixed islature, as well as your state’s
all at once. Whoever heard of congressional delegation,
rebuilding a house in one day? who have consistently voted
against your gun rights.
AROUND THE CLOCK Also pay attention to
S e c on d A m e n d m e nt which politicians go out of
defense is not a season- their way to interfere with
al thing. It’s a 24/7/365 job gun rights progress — those
assignment and if you want who vote against pro-rights
to make sure Trump’s actions legislation or habitual-
are long-term propositions, it ly show up at gun control
is time to take the fight to the rallies. Pay particular atten-
opposition. The opportunity tion to any elected official or
YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

is here, and the time is now to right anti-gunners have doubled down, candidate who says nobody needs this
the wrongs of not only the Biden- while in red states their whines and or that gun. This isn’t about needs, it’s
Harris gun control crusade but to go protestations have been refreshing. about rights.
back farther and look at other Second Those protestations have also been Make it your goal to remove as
Amendment erosions. educational. There can no longer be many of them from office as possible
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed any misunderstanding about the inten- in the next election. Virginia, with
to sign national concealed carry reci- tions of the gun prohibition lobby and elections coming this fall, is a good
procity. Legislation was introduced in its political allies in state legislatures place to start. Current Gov. Glenn
January and if it hasn’t advanced by and on Capitol Hill. Their goal has Youngkin cannot run for a second con-
now, it’s time to demand it move, and always been public disarmament and secutive term, so elect someone Pro-2A
move fast. Back in 2017, reciprocity legis- removal of the Second Amendment to take his place. What happens this
lation passed the House, but then-Senate from our Bill of Rights, turning gun year in the Old Dominion might well
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell let ownership into a government-regulat- be a bellwether of what to expect in the
it gather dust in the Senate. He’s not in ed privilege. For any of them to claim 2026 national midterm elections. It will
charge anymore. otherwise is a lie, and they know it. be up to grassroots activists to turn
In his executive order, the president Has anyone checked on the prog- out at the polls and not simply retain
said Attorney General Pam Bondi was ress of West Virginia Congressman control of Congress, but to enhance
to review all presidential and agency Riley Moore’s Protecting Privacy and strengthen it.
actions from January 2021 through in Purchasing Act (PPPA)? Intro- Identify good candidates and start
January 2025 that may have impinged duced in February with Rep. Richard working to help them. Donate to polit-
on the Second Amendment rights of law- Hudson (R-NC) as the lead co-sponsor, ical campaigns. Volunteer to help
abiding citizens. this measure would prevent financial wherever and whenever possible.

56 JUNE 2025
 START MAKING PLANS WWW.RITONOPTICS.COM
If you have never before attended a
Gun Rights Policy Conference, put this
on your “To Do” list for 2025.
For those who don’t know about the
“GRPC,” one question: Where have
you been?
The annual event is co-sponsored
by the Second Amendment Founda-
tion and Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and
this year’s gathering is special. It is
the 40th anniversary conference, to be
held Sept. 26–28 at the Salt Lake Mar-
riott Downtown at City Creek. Utah in
September is beautiful and this year it
ought to be lively!
For four decades, GRPC has been
the go-to event for Second Amend-
ment advocates. It brings together the
nation’s top 2A advocates, attorneys,
activists, and industry leaders to strat-
egize and strengthen the never-ending
fight to protect the right to keep and
bear arms. You can register right now
to secure a spot for this year’s gather-
ing and join some of the nation’s top
gun rights leaders.
Go to the Second Amendment Foun-
dation website at www.saf.org and click
on “GRPC” to register.

LASTLY …
We really have about 15 months to If you’ve been waiting to enter the world of pistol-mounted optics,
truly make progress, prior to the mid- the excuses are gone. Riton has a full assortment of red dot
term elections. There is no guarantee solutions. Open and closed emitters, common footprints, and prices
President Trump will be facing a com- that eliminate any excuse you have to be tied to your iron sights.
pletely friendly Congress beginning in
January 2027 — it’s up to us to prevent
it from happening — and the real heavy
lifting must start now.
We have a Republic, and now is our SEE THE DIFFERENCE
best chance to make sure we keep it,
with all of our liberties, intact. What this
means is that we cannot let down our
guard, as the firearms community has,
unfortunately, done out of habit over the
years. The other side — the people who
think they know better than you how
you should live your lives — never sleeps.
As of June 20, we are five months
into a second Trump term. Don’t sacri-
fice the “good” in a frustrating pursuit
of the “perfect.” Accomplish good, and
endeavor to make it better.
And then, tomorrow, do it all
over again.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 57
 NEW PRODUCTS

BASE RIFLE
POF-USA

P atriot Ordnance Factory Inc. (POF-USA) released their newest

rifle — the P-15 BASE Rifle. It combines high-quality craftsman-
ship with a feature-rich AR platform at a competitive entry-level
price. With an OAL of 34" (collapsed), the 100% American-made
rifle features a 16.5" Match-Grade 5.56 NATO barrel, POF-USA’s
patented E2 Extraction Chamber, Roller Cam Pin and Anti-Tilt Buffer
SAVANNA FUSE JACKET Tube. MSRP: $999.99. For more info: POF-USA.com
SCENTLOK

T he Savanna Fuse Jacket features

Carbon Alloy technology for
odor adsorption. Its touch-acti-
TA21 POCKET CARRY
TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT
vated, cooling-infused polyester NEXTORCH
fabric actively helps to keep you
cooler in warmer weather. It has
articulated elbows for improved
T he NEXTORCH TA21 Pocket Carry
Tactical Flashlight is designed for
everyday carry, but built to endure tactical
mobility, three pockets for stor- use. Measuring just under 4" and weigh-
age and stretch fit cuffs to keep ing 3.13 oz., this powerful pocket flashlight has a
sleeves secure. Comes in five 1,300-lumen beam capable of reaching 175 yards.
patterns including Realtree Original and Mossy Oak MSRP: $94.99. For more info: NEXTORCH.com
Original Bottomland. MSRP: $129.99. For more info:
ScentLok.com

RIFLE SLING SERIES

CROSSBREED HOLSTERS

T he new CrossBreed Rifle Sling Series debuts

with three stylish, high-performance
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Tracker are made of premium 5-oz. cowhide
leather and offered in black or brown finishes.
Each sling is stitched with industrial-grade ny-
lon thread for durability. MSRP: Scout $24.95;
Walker and Tracker $49.95; Tracker. For more
info: (888) 732-5011, CrossBreedHolsters.com

DXT2 PRO SERIES FINISHER EXTREME PARKA

XS SIGHTS
HARDCORE WATERFOWL ACHRO
T he lightning-fast DXT2 PRO
Series is now avail-
able to fit SIG SAUER,
H ardcore’s Finisher Extreme
Parka is fortified with 100g
CHEST PACK & HARNESS
MISSION FIRST TACTICAL
Primaloft insulation for warmth
Springfield Armory,
Smith & Wesson and
FN pistols. The improved
without the weight. Thermal
body mapping gives just the
M ission First Tactical’s ACHRO
Chest Pack & Harness is a
multi-functional pack with a rug-
right amount of insulation ged construction and adaptable
Big Dot line for self-defense offers
where needed. Abrasion- mounting system. With a desig-
increased durability and corrosion
resistant overlay panels nated pistol compartment, it’s also
resistance due to the upgraded tri-
ensure your parka doesn’t the ideal companion while hunting
tium lamps and Black Nitride surface
wear out before you do. in dangerous predator situations.
finish. The PRO Series is available
Spacious pockets leave Features include ambidextrous
with a green glow dot front sight de-
plenty of room for extra firearm access, customizable
livering high contrast in bright light
gloves, ammo, etc. MSRP: fit and essential gear storage.
while glowing extremely bright in
$299.99. For more info: MSRP: $149.99. For more info:
low light. MSRP: $153.99. For more
HardcoreWaterfowl.com MissionFirstTactical.com
info: (888) 744-4880, XSSights.com

58 JUNE 2025
 MSRP is subject to change without notice. FMG Publications presents the MSRP in good faith and is
believed to be correct at the time of printing. To feature your product, contact: [email protected].
For more New Products visit us online at GunsMagazine.com

WOOD NYMPH
TOPS KNIVES

D esigned by Bushcraft Kelso, the Wood Nymph from TOPS Knives is a simple,
yet effective workingman’s tool. It has a sharp, pointy, 3/32"-thick blade made
of 1095 RC 56-58. With an overall length of 5.75", the knife has a tan/black G10
handle that is well-rounded and longer than the 2.25" blade. A simple brown
leather sheath makes this knife easy to carry. MSRP: $190. For more info: (208)
542-0113, TOPSKnives.com

COACHWHIP
TROOPER GTX SIDE ZIP BOOT HERITAGE MANUFACTURING
HAIX

T he Trooper GTX Side Zip Boot from HAIX is waterproof

and protects against hazardous fluids and bloodborne
T he Coachwhip from Heritage Manufacturing
transports shooters back to the rug-
ged beauty of the American frontier. With its
pathogens, thanks to the GORE-TEX CROSSTECH lining. case-hardened frame and rich walnut stock,
The boot has durable leather with abrasion-resistant textile the Coachwhip is not just a shotgun — it’s an
upper. An anti-slip sole and thin GORE-TEX THERMIUM heirloom-quality firearm that captures the spirit
insulation in the toe box keeps the boot ready for action of the Old West in every detail. The side-by-side
in any weather. MSRP: About $250. For more info: (866) 12-gauge coach gun has 18" barrels, an exposed
344-4249, HAIXUSA.com hammer and double triggers. MSRP: $984.99.
For more info: HeritageMfg.com

BLODJEGER FLANNEL JACKET

VIKTOS

V IKTOS introduces the Blodjeger Flannel Jacket. It has

reinforced forearm and shoulder overlays to ensure
you can use it long enough to become an heirloom. The
flannel jacket features a robust poly/spandex chassis and
interior stretch panels to allow a dynamic range of mo-
tion without a bulky fit. FiteLite insulation can be found
in the body and sleeves for warmth and comfort. MSRP:
$195. For more info: (800) 597-7179, Viktos.com

RANGER 2.0 MID

5.11 TACTICAL
T he Ranger 2.0 Mid offers a rugged yet comfortable design
for outdoor use. Coming in multiple colors, this boot fea-
tures a durable suede upper combined with breathable mesh
construction that ensures both protection and ventilation
on-the-go. The removable 5.11 A.T.L.A.S. (All Terrain
Load Assistance System) technology offers
additional stability and support, especially QD SUPPRESSOR & FLASH
when carrying heavy loads on uneven terrain. HIDER SYSTEM
MSRP: $140. For more info: 511Tactical.com MAXIM DEFENSE

M axim Defense announces its new

QD Suppressor & Flash Hider
System. This new system uses a
9MM COPPER SUBSONIC AMMUNITION proprietary flash hider to quickly attach
G9 DEFENSE
and remove the suppressor without the
G 9 Defense is pleased to announce
its new 9mm Copper Subsonic
Ammunition. The 126-grain Subsonic
use of tools. The QD Suppressor and
flash hider are multi-caliber compat-
is an External Hollow Point (EHP) made ible, making them ideal for military, law
completely of copper. It penetrates com- enforcement, hunters, sports shooters
mon barriers shot in defensive scenarios and firearm enthusiasts. MSRP: $1,150
without loss of performance. Crafted with to $1,550 (includes suppressor and QD
self-defense in mind, this round blends EHP muzzle device). For more info: (239)
design with subsonic delivery, setting a new benchmark for those who prioritize stealth and 580-7800, MaximDefense.com
efficiency in one package. MSRP: $36.99 for a box of 20. For more info: G9Defense.com

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 59
 FIREARMS PA
SUBMIT
YOUR
ENTRY
ONLINE:
GUNS Magazine
GOM June 2025
PO Box 488
Escondido, CA
92033
If you are unable to
enter online, mail a
postcard with your
name and address
(no envelopes
please). Entries
must be received
by June 30, 2025.
Limit one entry per
household.
SAR9 FULLSIZE
Manufacturer: SAR USA
WINNERS CHOSEN BY RANDOM SARUSA.com
DRAWING. Limit one entry per (833) 727-4867
household. To protect the privacy Caliber: 9MM; Capacity: 17x2;
and security of winners, their names Barrel Length: 4.4"; OAL: 7.5";
will NOT be made public. Contest Weight: 26.8 oz.
void where prohibited by law. Win- Value: $519.99
ners must undergo a background
check and comply with all other fed-
eral, state and local laws. Taxes and
fees will be the responsibility of the
winner. Contest open to U.S. resi-
dents only. Employees and agents of
Publishers’ Development Corp. are
not eligible. No purchase necessary.
Attention deployed military: Use
stateside address! Giveaway guns
and accessories may have evidence
of being test fired or exhibit minor
handling marks. Factory warranties
may apply in some cases.The Gun of
the Month package is awarded only
TLR-7 HL-X USB
Manufacturer: Streamlight
to the entrant drawn and will not be
Streamlight.com
awarded if the firearm presented is
(800) 523-7488
illegal in the jurisdiction of the win-
Value: $295
ner. An alternate, authorized winner
will be selected. No substitutions or
transfers to a third party are allowed.

60 JUNE 2025
 GUNSMAGAZINE.COM/GIVEAWAYS

ACKAGE GIVEAWAY

TOTAL VALUE:
$1,123.99
know where the edge is oriented based on where that

SAR9 FULLSIZE divot is felt. It also helps when extracting a knife that has
been stabbed into something and may be stuck. It comes
Pistol Package with a Kydex sheath that’s easily customized by the user.
Streamlight’s TLR-7 HL-X is a 1,000-lumen, multi-

M
eet the June issue’s Gun of the Month — the fuel, rail-mounted light that produces a longer reach-
Sarsilmaz SAR9 Fullsize. It’s the do-it-all pistol ing, tighter beam. It accepts either Streamlight’s SL-B9
with military-grade reliability. From gun nerd to USB-C rechargeable protected lithium-ion battery
first-time gun owner, this striker-fired pistol delivers the pack or a single CR123A lithium battery. The TLR-7
confidence that comes from knowing your firearm will HL-X has a beam distance of 297m and run time of
perform when it matters most. Born from NATO-spec 30 minutes.
requirements and proven through exhaustive testing that Like an ammunition Bandolier, the Bando Bag is a
would make other manufacturers blush, the SAR9 Fullsize lightweight and convenient way to transport your EDC
has earned its stripes by thriving in conditions from Arctic items. A full-zip back pocket on the Bando measures
cold to desert heat and salt exposure. While other brands 5.25"H x 9.25"W x 3"D, large enough to secure most
talk about quality, Sarsilmaz puts ours through 150,000 sub-compact and compact sidearms. A small zippered
rounds of live fire testing — because your safety shouldn’t front pocket can hold keys, cords and other small items.
be left to chance. Don’t miss your chance to win the SAR9 Fullsize pistol
The El Pionero from TOPS Knives has many useful and more. Go to GUNSMagazine.com/giveaways to enter!
features. The finger divot is designed to make it easy to Or you can send a post card! —Jazz Jimenez

BANDO BAG
Manufacturer: Eberlestock
Eberlestock.com EL PIONERO
(208) 424-5081
Value: $59 BLACKOUT EDITION
Manufacturer: TOPS Knives
TOPSKnives.com
(208) 542-0113
Value: $250

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 61
THINK TANK

CONFESSIONS OF A
LEAD & COPPER SHOOTER
IT AIN’T ALCHEMY!
Jeff “Tank” Hoover and so-called magic. Alchemists first
attempted turning lead into gold during

W
hile everyone considers medieval times. I’ve always considered
silver and gold precious bullet casting the same way. Only I
metals, I have other ideas. called it more art than science, espe-
For me, good old lead, or Pb #82 as cially when I didn’t know the answer to Lehigh Defense, now owned by Wilson
it’s known on the periodic table, is my something someone asked me. It usually Combat, makes dandy copper slugs and
loaded ammunition (above). Tank used
precious metal of choice. Of course, quells further questioning.
the 180-grain TCC slug to kill a
I like my Pb alloyed with some anti- For the past 40 years I’ve sweated Pennsylvania whitetail buck (below).
mony, (Sb #51), some tin, (Sn #50) and over a propane turkey fryer, melting
a smidge of arsenic (As #33), for heat different lead alloys consisting of
treating capabilities. Without arsenic, roofing material, wheel-weights,
heat treating is impossible for harden- lead BBs from carnival machine gun
ing lead alloys for reasons above my games, radioactive medicine con-
cranial intellect. tainers, you name it and I melted it,
As a committed lead head, I’ve cast thinking I was being self-sufficient.
thousands of pounds of lead alloy into But I was recycling, making “green”
beautifully shaped bullets born from bullets out of discarded lead alloy.
a varied collection of bullet molds. Ironic, eh?
While never considering myself liberal And since lead is a naturally-occur- I’ve killed deer, elk, and hogs, as well
— I perish the very thought — I guess ring element, shooting these recycled as a bunch of rodents with cast bullets
casting bullets is a left-leaning activi- “green” bullets returns the lead back to shot from sixguns.
ty. Huh? For bullet casters recycle lead Mother Earth, in the form of a berm. I even shoot cast bullets in my poly-
alloys into usefully shaped projectiles So, this makes shooting cast slugs envi- framed striker-fired semi-autos, with
for shooting in our guns. ronmentally sound. Who knew? excellent results mind you, upping
I guess that’s paradoxical. I never their coolness factor a few notches.
thought of it that way until just now SHOTGUNS, SIXGUNS As a cop in my former life, I’d have
but find it funny. & SEMI-AUTOS to shoot a lot of deer struck by motor
For big bore sixguns I still think vehicles. While floundering in the
MAGIC MUMBO JUMBO cast bullets are the best for most appli- roadway, a shotgun was my preferred
Alchemy is a spiritual belief system cations. They kill things way out of gun, especially when using a lead slug
that is a combination of experimentation proportion to what they should do. of my own making.
They were more effective than the
issued 00 buckshot. I simply made a
“hot” tactical swap with my handload-
ed slug. I only did this during the wee
hours on the midnight shift, when there
was no traffic, or witnesses around.
When a shotgun wasn’t handy, I
always had a few hard-cast rounds in
my cruiser for deer duty. They pene-
trated better for head shots, making
instantaneous kills. I learned our
issued hollowpoint ammo tended to
bounce or skip off the skull.

COPPER KILLERS
I never used copper bullets until
a couple of years ago. Barnes bullets

62 JUNE 2025
 YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

has been making Copper (Cu #29)

bullets since 1985. I’ll admit prejudice
to copper bullets. I thought of them as Four Barnes TSX
“green” beatnik bullets for tree huggers 250-grain 9.3mm
recovered bullets
who lived out west. Who wants to
next to a .510"
shoot copper bullets when good old Hammer “Punch”
lead was around? But then I noticed bullet weighing 570
two guys who I deeply respect and grains that killed
killed more game than anyone I know. Tank’s Cape
Both Tim Sundles of Buffalo Bore and Buffalo with one
Andy Larsson of Skinner Sights are shot. Copper
stout believers of copper bullets. Killers? You bet!
Two years ago, I was invited to Tim
Sundles African Game Reserve in
South Africa. The bullets I used were
copper, Barnes TSX .375 bullets weigh-
ing 270 grains and Lehigh Defense 380
grain mono metal solids loaded in
.45-70. I killed a Cape Buffalo, Sable
and Blue Wildebeest with the .45-70
loads and loads of game with my Ruger
African rifle chambered in .375 Ruger.
It was my indoctrination into the world African rifle chambered in .500 Jeffer- bullets. The bullets were very accu-
of copper bullets and I was impressed ies. A single shot from 70 yards decked rate. I made two shots over 300+
by the performance of these copper the large 46" bull with the 570-grain lasered yards on a red hartebeest and
killers. Weight retention was almost bullet. The slug penetrated the bull’s springbok, as well as several wart-
always 100% with very fast killing scapula and broke through the massive hogs, waterbuck, impala and other
power whenever we ever recovered one. 6" spine. The hollow-pointed nose broke culling duties. Only four bullets were
off in four pieces in textbook fashion as recovered as the copper slugs pene-
ROUND II the shank kept penetrating to the offside, trate so well.
I just recently returned from the same causing the skin to bulge.
South African ranch and used a copper I also used a CZ 550 9.3X62 loaded LEHIGH DEFENSE
Hammer Punch bullet in a CZ 550 with Barnes 250-grain TSX copper This past deer season I was using
a Wilson Combat NULA rifle cham-
bered in .358 Winchester. I was
shooting some Lehigh Defense (also
owned by Wilson Combat) ammo.
The bullet was their copper 180-grain
TCC “tipped controlled chaos” bullet.
I took a nice 10-pointer at around
75 yards and the deer just crumbled
after two steps when shoulder shot. I
was impressed with the copper bullet,
yet again.

LESSON LEARNED
Using copper bullets taught me
they weren’t a west coast, left-winged,
conspiracy driven “tree-hugger”
program. These things work! They’re
tough, accurate and perform f law-
Tank’s a firm believer in casting
lessly with their expansion. You
his own lead bullets but can keep your silver and gold, as for
appreciates the performance of me, I’m sticking with copper and
modern copper bullets too! lead for my precious metals for field
performance.

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 63
 AdvertiJer Index
JUNE 2025
The companies listed have featured advertisements in this issue.
Look to them first when you are ready to make a purchase.

ADVERTISER PAGE ADVERTISER PAGE

Bravo Company USA. . . . . . . . . .2 SDS Imports, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . .9

EOTECH Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Spartan Blades USA . . . . . . . . .17
FALCO SK s.r.o.. . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Springfield Armory . . . . . . . . . .68
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HSS Corp1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
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Kirkpatrick Leather Co. . . . . . . .16
Nighthawk Custom . . . . . . . . . .11 Taylor’s & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
O.F. Mossberg & Sons . . . . . . . .3 Trijicon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Riton Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Turnbull Restoration . . . . . . . . .17
RUGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 WRB Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

64 JUNE 2025
GUNS INSIDER CROSSFIRE
continued from page 8
GUNS INSIDER So where does all this leave us?
continued from page 66 First, I’ll agree there are younger POST OFFICE BLUES
folks out there who have shot a Most Exalted Editor — I received all
coherent sentence. It certainly didn’t revolver more than once and know three of my Gun of the Month postcards
certify you knew what the heck you why John M. Browning was famous. back from the post office on the same day.
were talking about. Now we have However, when you compare the
easy-to-use social media serving this
same function.
average modern Gun Tube “star,”
influencer or blogger to John Taffin, thank you for a great
In the end, folks using this newfan-
gled path into gun journalism weren’t
Mike Venturino or Mark Hampton,
the comparison is so poor as to be
magazine, this one and
forced to learn a single thing, weren’t sad and laughable. American Handgunner
vetted and have no real requirement Those guys were single-minded
for even basic knowledge of the sub- enough that writing was really a vehicle are the only ones I take.
ject at hand. The main currency of for them to continue focusing on the
this Brave New World is personality things they loved. It paid the bills and I know there is nothing you can do
coupled with outlandish opinions. If allowed them to revel in their chosen about this but I thought you should know
you embody those two things, you pursuit. Actually, shooting wasn’t a about it. I have started to do my entry
can become a massive star literally topic to these men, it was life. Not a online this month. But I also want to say
overnight even though you’re not “lifestyle,” whatever that means, but thank you for a great magazine, this one
completely sure which end of the gun simply and completely “life.” and American Handgunner are the only
makes all the noise. ones I take.
THE DIFFERENCE Eric Cooper
BUT WAIT … Make no mistake, they were proud
Now, if there are one or two to be writers but even if they had only Eric and many others had their Gun
younger people reading this, I’ll cut appeared in the local Jaycees news- of the Month Contest Entry postcards
off your protest before it starts — I’ll letter, they would have continued to returned as undeliverable around the
admit there are people doing good immerse themselves in their shared first of the year. We sincerely apologize
work on YouTube. In fact, the FMG passion regardless. Guns were their for the inconvenience and the problem
family is doing quite well on The Tube only love, not the fame that came has been corrected. As they say, “Keep
and my own podcast is destined to from talking about guns. I guess this those cards and letters coming!” —BW
rule the entire known gun talk world is the biggest difference between them
someday soon. So, I love “new media” and today’s average “content creator.”
and believe it can be a force for good, I don’t have an answer to this CLASSIC REMINGTONS
or at least provide good information supply-side problem affecting most Just received my April edition of
and entertainment. hobby-focused media. Maybe there GUNS Magazine and was quite happy
However, there is all the rest. isn’t one. However, due to the passing to see an article on the Remington 16 by
When you consider YouTube receives of John, my main goal was to point Payton Miller (Surplus & Classics). The
approximately 30,000 hours of out we’re living in what I believe is Remington 8 in 35 Remington is one
uploaded video per hour every day, possibly the final stand of the old- of my favorite all time rifles but a little
there’s a lot of folks creating content. school gun writer. Someday soon, punishing to just plink with.
This is the world younger people have these unique individuals won’t be I found an old ad describing the 16
grown up within and they don’t see a around to share the lifetime of as a mate to the 8, so I had to have one.
need to learn something, anything, hard-earned information, opinion Bought a “project” 16 at a gun show and
before waving their arms in front of and adventures we got to experience started on my project to convert it to 22
their own camera. It’s a proven path vicariously — and joyfully. LR. Took more than a little work but was
to fame and glory. Fortunately, we’re not there yet, but successful. The best ammo for the con-
But that doesn’t mean it’s right. don’t take it for granted that great gun version is the Federal 31-grain LR. The
And this, I believe, is why we have stories written by thoughtful experts original cartridge was rather short and
a hard time finding writers — oops, will always be around. Enjoy it all now the short 31-grain bullet was a perfect
I used that word again. It’s “Content because just like dinosaurs, the day will match to ensure proper cartridge feeding.
Creator” — worth a damn. Those who come when we’re all buried under the These are great little rifles but as
really know their stuff get snatched shifting sands of time. Payton says, the 22 Remington Auto-
up like gold nuggets lying on the Even worse, those buried gun writer matic was doomed but it is possible to
street, while the rest promise tons remains won’t decompose into crude convert these for an enjoyable afternoon
of good “analytics,” “engagement” oil reserves in a couple of million years of plinking.
and other such buzz words but always … it’ll undoubtedly turn into natural Mike Harmon
fall short. gas. (rimshot!)

GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 65
GUNS INSIDER YOUR NEXT GUN STORY BEGINS HERE!

END OF AN ERA
THE DINOSAURS ARE DISAPPEARING
Brent T. Wheat tough standard to meet and I feel like harried and sometimes-gruff editors,

I
’m writing this the same day I the crew we currently have assembled you perfect your craft. It takes years
learned John Taffin had passed. here at GUNS is truly a “who’s who” of and along the way you kiss a lot of
His death wasn’t unexpected so working gun writers — but the bench toads and dash many, many hopes.
unlike the situations with writers is nearly empty. But, if you keep at it through thick
Mike Venturino and Mark Hampton and thin, you eventually make the
last year, we’re saddened more than POINTING FINGERS big time.
shocked. Much more has been and The blame clearly lies with the inter- Throughout this process of “mak-
will be said about John and his place net, specifically YouTube. I know, it’s ing it,” you continued to learn more
among gun writers, but suffice it to say a “boomer thing” to fault the internet about guns, hunting, competition,
that he was a giant — or more accu- for everything bad in the world, but firearms self-defense and all the
rately, a dinosaur. let me explain my position and see if other stuff necessary to develop
I don’t mean the term disparag- you don’t agree. informed and educated opinions peo-
ingly. It’s an apt metaphor ple want to hear. And,
because dinosaurs abso- even after your byline
lutely ruled the landscape finally appears some-
during their time but they place “important,” you
eventually disappeared continue to study both
due to a changing world. shooting and the prac-
John certainly was among tice of slinging words.
the “writer royalty” of But now, let’s look at …
this word-slinging busi- 2. The New Way of
ness but it’s the last part of Becoming A Famous
that statement I wanted to Gun “Content Creator”
touch upon further. — Buy a cell phone.
Today someone with
END TIMES a phone camera can start
You see, I’m afraid ranting, record a few
once guys like Taffin are minutes of their mostly
gone, they won’t be com- fact-free opinion, edit
ing back. In fact, I’d wager with free software then
you’ll see a wooly mam- upload the result to You-
moth stumbling across the plains again 1. The Old Way of Becoming A Tube. If you are outrageous enough
before you find another gun writer who Nationally-known Firearms Writer — arm-waving, cursing, trashing man-
had the power to change an industry — You start out writing a shooting or ufacturers — the algorithms that drive
with a few keystrokes. outdoor column for the local newspa- these things will soon reward you with
I’m not alone in this supposition. It’s per, perhaps for free. You grow more viewers. Another popular cinematogra-
been a topic of conversation among the popular and they agree to pay you a phy technique known as “T&A” works
principals here at FMG after we faced pittance. If you keep at it, you eventu- well if you are so-equipped biologically.
the loss of the three legendary figures ally develop a bit of a following, which The starting point for this new
I mentioned. While you can never fill opens other, bigger, doors. Alternately, paradigm was “The Blogger.” Twenty
the shoes of someone so imposing as you send out dozens of queries and years ago, if you had basic internet
John Taffin, we still need to fill our finally get picked up to write “shorts” savvy and could build a website, you
pages with writings from people who or news items for a regional or asso- were now “a publisher” and could
have some comparable level of skill, ciation magazine. Either way, you’ve “print” whatever you had the temerity
expertise and personality. The trouble started the long journey to becoming to say. This was the moment when the
is, there aren’t any. a gun journalist. world started to tilt off-axis because
I know, because we’re always try- In every case, through lots of trial- understanding HTML coding didn’t
ing to find people who can write like and-error — mostly error — mil- necessarily mean you could write a
the scribes of old, people like Hamp- lions of words of practice and hours
ton, Venturino and now Taffin. It’s a of counselling (or screaming) from continued on page 65

66 JUNE 2025
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