FORMERLY

GUN SALES, REVIEWS, & INFORMATION VOLUME 70 | ISSUE 25 | 2016

PAGE 2 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 3

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PAGE 4 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

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PAGE 12 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 13

THE BEST OF
BOTH WORLDS
1911 + 9MM = LOVE AT FIRST SQUEEZE
By David Hunter Jones, Editor

I
n Firearms News issue No. 7, I wrote a story about As a company, Legacy Sports spawned from Inter- into making chassis rifles for precision shooters. All of
American Tactical’s FXH-45 polymer-framed 1911. arms after the owner died and the family sold the com- that said, let’s take a closer look at the Citadel, Legacy
I was thinking I’d get raked over the coals for sug- pany. The Interarms VP of marketing and sales became Sports’ bargain 1911.
gesting that a polymer-framed 1911 can be a solid gun the CEO of what is now Legacy Sports and has brought
(this one is), but the feedback from readers was more the company to where it is today, a manufacturer of shot- Citadel 1911
positive than I expected. The chief knocks against tra- guns, bolt-action rifles and for the past 10 years, 1911s I received a Citadel model M-1911 (marked
ditional metal-framed 1911 are that they’re large, heavy, under the Citadel name. The company also sells the Nik- “M1911A1-FS” on the frame) chambered in 9mm, but
and the capacity—by today’s standards—is somewhat ko Stirling brand of optics, and most recently has gotten the gun can also be had in .45 ACP. My sample sports
limited. While the FXH-45 won’t hold any more am-
munition than other government-sized models and isn’t
any smaller, it’s lighter than the lightest commander- Citadel’s 9mm
sized 1911. You can remedy the capacity problem with 1911 offers
a 10-round Chip McCormick Power Mag, but you get outstanding
a less-than-desirable looking pistol because of the mag’s features at
extra length. What to do if you want to retain the classic a very nice
price.
1911 look but increase firepower? This is where the 9mm
enters into the equation.
In case you haven’t heard, shooters are abandoning
the .40 S&W en masse in favor of the 9mm. I recently
gave away my .40 S&W dies, brass and projectiles. I only
have one .40-caliber pistol that never leaves the safe and
is dustier than a mummy. Many .45 devotees are seeing
the redeeming qualities in the smaller 9mm round, given
the quality of today’s expanding ammunition and the in-
crease in capacity in a given firearm. But there will always
be holdouts who worship at the altar of John Browning
and praise the hardball gun and its .45-caliber slugs. For
those with an open mind, a 1911 chambered in 9mm truly
is the best of both worlds; you get the capacity (generally
9 or 10 rounds) and lower recoil of the 9mm and the de-
sign and function of the time-tested 1911. Plus, the 1911
has been successfully chambered for a host of non-stan-
dard calibers like 10mm Auto, .38 Super, .357 magnum
and the 9mm Largo.

Legacy Sports
If you haven’t heard of Legacy Sports, certainly you’ve
heard of Howa. Howa’s most famous product is the 1500
series of bolt-action rifles, which are known for their
silky-smooth action and ruggedness.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

PAGE 14 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The grips on this base model gun The Citadel’s safety

are wood, but Hogue Overmolded is a bilateral unit
grips are available as an upgrade. and the ejection
port is lowered
and flared, as is
common
anymore.

a blued finish, but Cerakote OD Green and Flat Dark built right in to it. Of note is that the gun
Earth are available as well. All Cerakoting is done in- is one of precious few handguns that are
house by Legacy Sports. Mine has wood grips, but still legal in California. The Rock Island
Hogue Overmolded grips can be had in black, olive drab pistols—the frame of which the Citadel is
green and sand color. Full-size government models and built upon—were deemed acceptable and
smaller officers’ models are available. The government therefore the Citadel was grandfathered
model has a 5-inch barrel while the officer has a 3½-inch into legality. and this particular one has sharp corners and was abu-
barrel. Both models feature the series 70 fire control and The first thing you notice when you pick up the Citadel are sive to my thumb. That said, it did snap on and off posi-
an internal extractor. If you don’t know the difference the sights. They’re three-dot design, but the rear dots are sim- tively. The mainspring housing is checkered nicely, while
between the series 70 and series 80 fire control groups, ply round indentations. Some would be tempted to fill them the front of the frame is untextured steel. Controlling the
the series 70 lacks the firing pin safety plunger and sev- in with white or red, but I’d argue that a better modification pistol under recoil isn’t a big deal given the 9mm cham-
eral other parts that the 80 incorporates. In my opinion, would be swapping out the plain front post with a red or bering and heft of the pistol (2.32 pounds). The magazine
why add unnecessary stuff to a time-tested design? Oh, green night sight. After all, your attention should be focused well is beveled and facilitates smooth insertion of maga-
right —lawyers. Let’s not forget that the most important there and not the rear sight. As my colleague Jim Tarr says, zines. As previously mentioned, the extractor is of the in-
safety on any gun lies between our ears. you look through the rear sight, not at it. Meprolight night ternal style as Browning intended. Again, why mess with
As it comes out of the box, the Citadel is a no-frills sights are available on the Citadel series for an extra charge, success? There are many debates surrounding the 1911,
1911 with some of the most popular custom touches and you might consider adding them from the get go. The and internal vs. external extractors seem to be as hotly
front sight is a bit of a bummer because it’s contested as Chevy vs. Ford, and both will continue as
a plain black post and the edges of the base long as the sun is burning.
The mainspring
aren’t machined down to match the contour The trigger also has an overtravel screw. The trigger
housing is checkered of the slide. To their credit, both sights are is my favorite part of the gun; there’s no reason that it
nicely. One would be steel.
better served to Grasping the pistol depresses the ex-
upgrade the sights tended beavertail safety, which can hardly
to the available be considered an upgrade anymore be-
Meprolight tritium
three-dot variant.
cause they’re so common. But their com-
monality is a good thing as they were
always upgraded “back in the day” for
good reason; they’re better and more eas-
ily depressed than the original GI-style
grip safety. Anymore, a standard GI-style
safety raises more eyebrows than does an
extended model. The hammer is skeleton-
ized, which is also standard fare these
days. The thumb safety is a bi-lateral unit,

The front
sight is a
plain black
blade and
could use
some fit- The cocking
ting, or serrations
could be are equally
replaced aggressive
altogether on the front
by a dot of of the gun.
some sort.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 15

Besides the chambering and a few upgrades

such as the skeletonized trigger and hammer,
beavertail grip safety, beveled magwell and
sights, the Citadel 1911 is all Browning design.

AS IT COMES OUT OF THE BOX, THE CITADEL IS A NO-FRILLS

1911 WITH SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR CUSTOM TOUCHES
BUILT RIGHT IN TO IT.

should be a nice as it is, but I’ll be darned

if it isn’t the nicest 1911 trigger I’ve ever
squeezed on a 1911 at this price point. The
trigger on my sample broke cleanly at 4.92
lbs. as an average based on five pulls on
a Lyman Trigger Pull Gauge. No part of
the triggerguard is checkered. cept for its 9mm chambering. Field stripping reveals the
The slide features forward and aft cock- full-length guide rod and non-captive recoil spring.
ing serrations and along the left-hand side Again, this is a no-frills basic 9mm blaster that’d be a
of the gun “CITADEL” and the Citadel great buy for someone looking to get into 1911s without
logo are etched. I’m a fan of forward the muzzle flip and cost of shooting that comes with a .45
cocking serrations because I press-check gun. Now for the $64,000 question: How did it shoot?
my pistols to the point of an obsessive
compulsion. Inside the slide is the 5-inch Range Time
barrel that’s roll marked “CAL. 9mm” on If you haven’t shot a 1911 chambered in 9mm, it’s a
the barrel hood. The barrel is not ramped pretty rewarding experience. I enjoy the ergonomics of
Note the skeletonized hammer and extended beavertail safety. and is a pretty standard GI-style unit ex- the 1911 and the low recoil impulse of the 9mm round,

The magwell is flared to ease insertion of magazines. This is one of several out-
standing upgrades to the Citadel. The overtravel screw is easily accessible and very useful.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

PAGE 16 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The Citadel logo is handsomely

marked on the slide.

Anytime a 1911 frame is produced in the Philippines, Armscor (Rock Island) likely
made it. However, don’t let it be a deterrent, they’re just fine.

WITH THE 5-INCH BARREL, YOU’LL SEE BETTER BALLISTICS

AND VELOCITY FROM THE 9MM THAN YOU WILL WITH
SMALLER GUNS MADE FOR CONCEALABILITY.

so fast and accurate shots with the Citadel were easy to on grasping the pistol firmly, there were no issues. I be-
come by. lieve these issues were due to my limpwristing the pistol
In my testing, I put 390 rounds through the Citadel in when concentrating on accuracy. I used two magazines, a
two range sessions, which is more than I had intended, Mec-Gar that was supplied with the gun and a Chip Mc-
but shooting the thing was so much fun that I kept re- Cormick mag. Each magazine produced two failures to
loading the magazines until I ran out of ammo. The first feed, and this supports my theory that the malfunctions
time out I shot 200 rounds offhand at a number of differ- were operator-induced; both Mec-Gar and Chip McCor-
ent targets and the gun proved to be 100% reliable. I fired mick make high-quality mags and they never failed at
a mix of ball and various hollowpoints. The second time any other point during my testing, or testing with other
This is what you’ll get with lots of pistols when you out I shot it for accuracy and velocity and ran into a few pistols.
“limpwrist” it. The bullet takes a nosedive onto the
hiccups when shooting it off of a rest. When I sat down What happened during the jams was the rounds that
feedramp and jams.
and focused hard on trigger control, I experienced four malfunctioned took a nose-dive onto the lower part
failure-to-feed malfunctions. When I concentrated more of the two-piece feedramp. Because the barrel is not

The Citadel ships with a

full-length guide rod.
When firing offhand, the Citadel eagerly
digested a number of different loads.

The Citadel is a
series 70 variant
as evidenced by
the lack of a firing
pin safety plunger
in the slide.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 17

The feedramp on the Citadel

is part in the frame and part
on the barrel.

ramped, the feed ramp is really two small ramps – one

built into the frame and the other in the barrel. When the
gun jammed, the bullets sat with the point smashed into
the lower ramp. However, when it came time to have fun
with the gun, and shoot targets for speed, it was 100%
reliable.
Could this gun benefit from a few upgrades? Sure, and
this gun would make a great platform for a custom build.
Or, you could use it as it was intended, as a fun range
The Citadel exploded, with a Chip gun and effective self-defense tool. With the 5-inch bar-
McCormick mag. rel, you’ll see better ballistics and velocity from the 9mm
than you will with smaller guns made for concealability.
All in all, to fully “trust” the gun, I’d put a couple hun-
dred more rounds through it, just to make sure it func-
tioned flawlessly. Based on all of my offhand shooting, I
feel confident that it would do just that, and I’ll definitely
be shooting this pistol more. The Citadel is a perfectly
accurate and pleasant gun to shoot that benefits from a
storied and time-honored heritage and design as well as a
potent yet easy shooting chambering. Again, what’s not
to love?

SPECIFICATIONS
CITADEL M-1911
Type: Semi-automatic, recoil operated
Caliber: 9x19 Parabellum
OAL: 8.87 inches
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Weight: 2.32 lbs.
Capacity: 9, 10 rounds
Grips: Wood
Sights: Plain black post (front), plain notch
When your wife tells you that the old with dimples (rear)
frying pans are no longer needed, go
ahead and recycle them. Trigger: 4.92 lbs.
MSRP: $592

ACCURACY AND VELOCITY

Manufacturer Weight Velocity SD Average Group Best Group
SIG Sauer FMJ 115 1,180 14 1.32 .81
Hornady Critical Duty 135 1,096 28 1.76 1.42
Black Hills EXP 115 1,402 104 1.62 1.44
Federal Syntech TSJ 115 1,169 13 1.16 1.55
SIG Sauer V-Crown JHP 147 1,017 15 1.57 1.26

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

PAGE 18 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The “Battlestar Galactica” look of the Scorpion Car-

bine may throw off some buyers, but Tarr likes it.

CZ SCORPION 3 S1 EVO

CARBINE
By Jim Tarr
THE NEXT GENERATION
OF SUBGUN GOODNESS
I
t was not quite two years ago that CZ introduced the The completely new Scorpion EVO 3 A1 was intro- mount arm braces to create something that looks like
pistol version of the new CZ Scorpion EVO to the U.S. duced in 2009, and this 9mm submachine gun has been an SMG but is only semi-auto. However, a lot of people
market. I reviewed that pistol here in these pages, and very successful. I had an opportunity to fire one at the want an actual rifle and/or don’t want to have to worry
while the design isn’t perfect, I bought the pistol and still same event where I shot the Skorpion vz.61. The larger about what the BATF said this week that contradicts
have it. That should tell you all you need to know about my gun looks more sci-fi than Cold War, and has a little bit what they said last week about how you can use an arm
feelings toward the design. CZ has now introduced a car- more recoil than the older .32 version, but it is still very brace without going to prison, so CZ has now introduced
bine version of the Scorpion, and I secured a sample to test. controllable even on full auto. EVO 3 indicates that it is a carbine version of the Scorpion EVO 3 S1 (S1 indicat-
First, let’s have a quick history primer on the CZ Scor- the 3rd generation of the Scorpion. The Scorpion EVO ing semi-auto).
pion. The original Skorpion machine pistol, officially the 3 SMG is currently in use by military and police forces The Scorpion Carbine is available in two flavors, both
Skorpion vz.61, has a very distinctive profile and is one of in eight countries, and I suspect this relatively new design with a 16.2-inch barrel. One features a standard barrel
the darlings of the Cold War-era spy novel. This straight will soon see much further use by forces around the globe. tipped with a compensator, the other has a faux suppres-
blowback hammer-fired gun featured a 20-round maga- Until our government starts interpreting the 2nd sor built for CZ by SilencerCo covering the last 8.5" of
zine in front of the pistol grip, a wire stock which folds Amendment as written, the Scorpion SMG won’t be barrel. While I am no fan of “faux” anything (if there’s
over the front of the firearm, and is chambered in .32 ACP. available for commercial sale,
Why .32 ACP? Because it was the standard service car- so CZ has been offering buf-
tridge of the Czechoslovak security forces. The .32 ACP fer tubes and adapters for
is not a very powerful cartridge, and when combined with the pistol on which users can
the Skorpion’s very muzzle heavy nearly 3-pound weight,
controllability on full-auto wasn’t a problem. I know; I
got to fire one last year. The only problem I had was keep- The suppressor is fake and
ing the magazines loaded. covers a legal 16.2-inch
barrel, but it looks authen-
Semi-auto pistol versions of the original Skorpion have
tic because it is manufac-
been sold in the U.S. for years. But the Skorpion has that tured by none other than
“vz.61” in the title because the little buzzgun was final- SilencerCo. A bare barrel
ized in 1961—not exactly a modern design. model is available.
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 19

The controls are big, simple, and

intuitive. The safety is disengaged by
pushing down and forward. The big ser-
rated metal lever above the magazine
well is the bolt catch, and pulling down
on it releases the bolt. The magazine
release is an ambidextrous paddle on
the front of the trigger guard.

While you can reach the magazine

release with the tip of your trigger
finger, empty magazines usually won’t
drop with the bolt locked back. Grab-
bing the mag release with your off hand
thumb, as seen here, is a very instinc-
tual way to release the magazine.

techniques. It is not any more complicated than it needs Ambi Control Delete” for $12.95, which I’m thinking
to be, something that could never be said about the Heck- about buying for my Scorpion pistol; it simply eliminates
ler & Koch MP5. And yet it offers a multitude of features the safety lever on one side. The Scorpion SMG I shot
combined with a very unique and striking appearance, had this and I found I much preferred it.
with a suggested retail of only $849 for the pistol, $999 If the hammer is cocked, you can work the charging
for the plain barrel Carbine, and $1,049 for the faux sup- handle even if the safety is on. If the hammer isn’t cocked
pressor version. and the safety is on, the bolt will only pull back about
Like most 9mm SMGs/carbines, this is a straight half an inch, just enough to see if the chamber is loaded.
blowback design. With the faux suppressor this carbine The magazine release is a serrated polymer paddle
The carbine ships
with two 20-round
only weighs 6.1 pounds. Because it is not a real suppres- on either side of the front of the trigger guard. Move
magazines, but as a sor with weight-adding baffles this carbine is not muzzle it forward to drop the magazine. It is possible to push
red-blooded American heavy and balances over the front of the magazine well. the magazine release with your trigger finger, however I
Tarr is opposed to any The plain barrel version weighs just over half an ounce found that with the bolt locked back empty magazines
magazine sporting less less. New for the carbine version is a polymer handguard usually didn’t drop free.
than full capacity or that features M-LOK attachment slots for all your acces- I’d recommend stripping the empty magazine out with
length. As a result he
only photographed the
sory mounting needs. your left hand, as your left thumb sits right on the maga-
carbine with his own The charging handle of the Scorpion will be in a famil- zine release as you grab the magazine. The bolt catch is a
personal 30-round mag- iar place for anyone who has handled an MP5—on the very large serrated steel lever on the left side of the weap-
azines, as seen here. left side, forward. Unlike the MP5, though, the bolt of on above and slightly to the rear of the magazine well.
the Scorpion locks back on an empty magazine. The bolt After seating a fresh magazine into the magazine well,
can be locked to the rear by moving the charging handle just pull down on the magazine catch with your thumb to
all the way back and pivoting it upward, or by pushing chamber a new round.
one sure way to make sure no one takes you seriously it up on the bolt catch when the bolt is pulled all the way to The magazine well is nicely beveled, and the trigger
is to sport a fauxhawk hairstyle) I think the faux sup- the rear. Get this—the charging handle is reversible, and guard is large enough for use with gloves. The pistol grip
pressor version looks better, and secured one of those switching it to the right side is a very simple process. is angled a bit much for my taste, and rather smooth.
for testing. The safety level is polymer and ambidextrous. Push- Sharp eyes will note a screw through the top of the pistol
While the Scorpion EVO 3 shares the name of its ing it down/forward moves the weapon from Safe to Fire, grip—remove it and you can move the pistol grip rear-
predecessor, you will see that in just about every other marked respectively with a white circle and red dash. ward to fit your hand and get a proper reach to the trig-
way it is completely different. The EVO 3 is chambered Flicking the safety off with my thumb was no problem, ger. However, moving the pistol grip back will create a
in 9x19mm and the entire receiver is a polymer shell. In but I found I just couldn’t get an angle on it to flick it gap between the front of the grip and the triggerguard.
fact, the rear of the receiver is two polymer halves that back up and on with my thumb. Pulling back my trigger On either side of the receiver at the rear of the barrel
are connected by screws. finger on the right side of the gun, however, made engag- there is a steel ring meant as sling attachment points.
This sounds cheap and/or the opposite of durable, but ing the safety simple. There are additional sling-mounting points at the rear
plastics are the future. Examining the Scorpion I realized The safety is my only real complaint about this design. of the receiver, including slots meant for threading
it is the modern equivalent of the Sten SMG in that it is Most people can’t engage it with their thumb, and the through 1-inch slings, and of course you can mount
made as efficiently and simply as possible to do its job— right side of the ambi safety pokes most people in the slings to the M-LOK slots on the handguard with the
it’s just made using modern materials and manufacturing trigger finger when firing. CZ does sell a “Scorpion EVO proper hardware.

The folding stock

is adjustable for
length of pull. It also
sports a magnet (the
silver circle seen here)
to help keep the stock
closed when folded.

The carbine can still

fire with the stock
folded, but its utility
really lies in making
the carbine easier to
transport and store.

CZ SCORPION EVO 3 S1 CARBINE

PAGE 20 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

Tarr liked that the

Scorpion came not
just with iron sights,
but very good ones.
The front sight
uses a standard
AR front post
set into a very
beefy aluminum
base, serrated
to reduce
glare. The lower receiver,
which contains the fire
control group, comes
out in one piece. It is
rather simple. Note the
very beefy fixed ejector.

black. While the magazine bodies are thicker than steel The carbine can be fired with the stock folded, al-
or aluminum, they are very size efficient. 30-round maga- though I’m not sure why you’d want to. Then again, peo-
zines are only 7¼ inch long. ple do all sorts of things that make no sense to me, like
The entire top of the carbine features an uninterrupted eating kale and believing in man-made global warming.
MIL-STD-1913 rail. Yes, the rail is polymer as opposed The trigger on the Scorpion is polymer. It does not have
to aluminum, but that shouldn’t make any difference a serrated face but rather is stepped, with the center more
when mounting optics—after all, this is a 9mm carbine, prominent than the edges. I don’t really like it as much
not a long distance rifle. CZ could have slapped cheap as I do smooth-faced triggers, but remember this weapon
plastic sights atop the Scorpion, or only offered them was originally designed as an SMG (and one with a sig-
separately at additional cost, but instead what you get nificantly high RPM). With the trigger’s texturing, your
with the carbine are sights as good as any aftermarket finger will not slip off.
choices available for ARs. Trigger pull weight on my sample was 8 pounds even,
Both the front and rear sight bases are constructed of which is heavier than I like but seems to be pretty average
beefy aluminum. The rear sight offers not one or two peep for this design. Reliability was 100%, and felt recoil was
apertures but four, protected by substantial ears. The peep negligible, of course, which just adds to the fun factor. In
apertures are mounted on a crossbar in a sort of paddle- fact, I was at a local USPSA match recently, and one of
wheel setup and click into place. The apertures range in size the guys on my squad was shooting the non-faux-suppres-
from very small to ghost ring large, and are adjustable for sor version of this carbine and was having a great time.
windage. This may sound cheesy or flimsy, but is neither. Not surprising at all to me was that his CZ carbine,
The rear sight features four different size apertures The front sight base has a serrated front to reduce even with the factory muzzle brake, was quieter than
on a paddle-wheel type setup, in a serrated, beefy
aluminum base. While the stock and receiver of the
glare. The front sight post itself appears to come from an any of our 9mm pistols because of the longer barrel—
Scorpion are polymer, the lockup of the folding stock AR, and is adjustable for elevation. The sight post is pro- which is one of the reasons pistol-caliber carbines are a
and its mount to the receiver are aluminum. tected by large wings, and they form a semi-circle which good choice for home defense in addition to training new
perfectly complements the peep apertures in the rear shooters.
sight. Distance between the two sights is just a hair over
The carbine ships with two 20-round magazines. The 14 inches. FYI these iron sights are too low for use on
original SMG was fed by 30-round magazines, and nei- an AR, which means you won’t need a tall “flattop AR”
ther the pistol nor the carbine version of the Scorpion base on whatever red dot/optic you choose to mount on
SPECIFICATIONS
look right with the stubby 20-rounders in place. Never the piece. You should be able to mount most red dots CZ-USA SCORPION EVO 3 S1 CARBINE
fear, 30-round magazines are available from CZ-USA for directly to the rail without a spacer.
Caliber: 9mm Luger
only $20 apiece (when they’re in stock—CZ can’t seem The carbine features the same folding adjustable stock
to ship them fast enough to keep up with demand). The as seen on the original SMG. It is a polymer piece with an Action Type: Straight blowback
Scorpion magazines (except for the spring) are com- adjustable length of pull from 12–14" through the use of Barrel Length: 16.2" CHF
pletely constructed of polymer. The magazine bodies are a simple lever. It has a smooth rubber buttpad. Press the
translucent, while the follower and basepads are solid large button on the left side of the stock near the receiver Receiver: Fiber-reinforced polymer
and it folds to the right. The stock Muzzle Device: Faux suppressor,
itself is polymer, but the lockup compensator on other models
on the folding latch is all alumi- Overall Length: 34.75" stock fully extended,
num. A strong magnet on the side 24.5" stock folded
of the stock mates with the steel
plate on which the serial number Height: 9.4"
is engraved just below the ejec- Weight (w/out
The heavy bolt/carrier
tion port, so the stock will remain 6.1 lbs
is roughly 25% of the Magazine):
weight of the carbine. folded unless it is jarred.
Safety: Ambidextrous manual
This is typical for straight
blowback designs to Magazine CZ, 20 rounds
help reduce recoil. Type: (30 rounds available)
Sights: Post front adj. for elevation
ACCURACY RESULTS Four-aperture rear adj. for windage
Load Bullet Weight Velocity SD Avg Group (in.) Trigger: 8 lbs (as tested)
Black Hills FMJ 115 1,302 14 2.7 Accessories: Two 20-round magazines,
sight adj. tool
Hornady American Gunner +P 124 1,311 11 2.8
MSRP: $1,049.00
Winchester Ranger +P+ 127 1,384 19 2.1
Winchester Train & Defend FMJ 147 1,166 22 4.0
MANUFACTURER
Accuracy results are the averages of five five-shot groups at 50 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are
averages of ten shots measured with an Oehler Model 35P 12 feet from the muzzle. CZ USA—www.cz-usa.com, 1-800-955-4486

CZ SCORPION EVO 3 S1 CARBINE

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 21
PAGE 22 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The Winchester M1907 was the

firearm of choice for both lawmen
and outlaws in Prohibition-era
America. The M1907 was also the
precursor to the M1 Carbine.
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 23

THE
WAR BABY’S
DADDY WINCHESTER’S M1907
AUTOLOADING RIFLE
By Will Dabbs MD Photos by Sarah Dabbs

T
he United States was once a nation of riflemen. The The M1 Garand entered service in 1936 and far out- pean population centers or the fetid jungle wastes of the
biased hallucinations of revisionist historians not- paced any other infantry weapon employed by any other South Pacific.
withstanding, guns have always been an integral major combatant at the time. However, at 9.5 pounds
part of the early American experience. Such stuff shaped and nearly 44 inches long it was heavy and ungainly to Vital Statistics
who we are. When the U.S. found herself suddenly thrust maneuver in tight spaces. As handguns were difficult to The M1 Carbine is just a spot under 36 inches long
into the Second World War we needed weapons in vast use effectively by most conscript soldiers, the Army so- and weighs a mere 5.5 pounds unloaded. It is easy to
quantities. Where our allies filled this need with mass- licited designs for an intermediate cartridge and a revo- maintain at the shoulder ready position and maneuvers
produced submachine guns, we American rugged indi- lutionary new rifle to fire it. By late 1942 the M1 Carbine around corners and inside buildings with ease. The sling
vidualists did what we did best. We built rifles. was being widely issued to officers, noncommissioned attachment points are appropriately arranged on the side
The handgun, no matter the reverence onto which we officers, and support troops such as truck drivers and of the rifle so the sling can be employed tactically while
heap John Moses Browning’s inimitable 1911, has always supply personnel. carrying the weapon. Wartime M1 Carbines fed from
been a sorry substitute for a proper rifle. The only really Literally volumes have been penned about the M1 compact, reusable 15-round box magazines that sported
incontrovertible attributes of the handgun are easy por- Carbine. American industry produced more than six mil- a prominent ridge along the front aspect that facilitated
tability and maneuverability in tight spaces. Discounting lion of these lithe weapons in several variants by nine dif- orientation in the dark.
top-tier special operators, any sensible gunman will opt ferent manufacturers during the course of World War II. There was a selective-fire variant titled the M2 that
for a long gun over a pistol every time. At the height of production we turned out 65,000 of the saw very limited use at the end of World War II. The GI
little rifles per day. supply system eventually offered conversion kits to bring
The War Baby The M1 Carbine was originally envisioned as a per- M1s up to M2 specifications. These kits could be installed
In 1942 America’s military fortunes appeared bleak. sonal defense weapon of sorts. The intent was to give using basic tools by unit armorers. As a result the M1
The Japanese had decimated the vaunted Pacific fleet in a rear echelon and support troops a weapon that was Carbine is the only readily available rifle on the American
single morning, and the Nazi juggernaut held possession handier and more compact than a service rifle yet more gun market that can be converted to selective fire simply
of most of mainland Europe. Despite our best efforts, the terminally effective than a handgun. Line soldiers ad- by swapping out parts. Possession of the seven conver-
United States had been dragged into yet another global ditionally found the lightweight rifle to be just the ticket sion parts in totality, even without a host rifle, is against
war on an industrial scale. for fighting through the bombed-out rubble of Euro- the law absent appropriate registration.

The Winchester Model 1907 was a sleek

semi-automatic rifle. Groundbreaking for
its time, the M1907 paved the way from
the subsequent M1 Carbine.
PAGE 24 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The Winchester M1907 was developed fully 35 years

before the M1 Carbine to fill generally the same tacti-
cal niche. Firing a semi-rimmed .351SL cartridge of-
fering roughly the same power as a modern .357 Mag-
num round, the M1907 found a following with early
20th century sportsmen, lawmen, and criminals.

The .30-caliber Carbine cartridge is as much a part of

this system as is the rifle and has been maligned by some
as being too anemic for general military use. Standard
Carbine ammunition pushes a 110-grain FMJ bullet at
around 1,970 feet per second at the muzzle. Such animus
is really unjustified, however. The Carbine was intended
to replace the handgun, not the service rifle. In this ap-
plication it remains a tremendous improvement over even
such a superb pistol as the 1911.
Acrimonious armchair ballisticians notwithstanding,
I have a friend who landed on Omaha Beach at around
2 o’clock in the afternoon on June 6th 1944. He spent
nearly a year in combat in Europe and was completely
comfortable with the terminal performance of the M1
Carbine round. Having used it up close on many occa-
sions he respected the weapon’s prodigious firepower and
portability. Considering his pedigree, I trust his opinion.

Analysis of A Legend
In its fully automatic M2 form, the Carbine actually This array of Dillinger’s weapons as well as one of his four death masks and a bulletproof vest used by the
does an excellent job of meeting the definition of an as- bandit are all on display at the FBI building in Washington DC.
sault rifle. The gun is lightweight and controllable, and
the intermediate cartridge falls nicely between that of a
pistol and a full sized rifle. Despite concerns over termi- several major American firearms companies submitted However, at the time of its introduction the M1 Carbine
nal performance, the Carbine was popular with both rear candidates for the competition. already had some established roots in the Winchester
echelon personnel and front line troops who admired its The origins of the M1 Carbine are both fascinating stable. It seems 1942 was not the first time that the Win-
compact geometry, firepower, and modest weight. When and well documented. Dramatized source material even chester Repeating Arms Company had designed a com-
compared to modern high-tech combat rifles, the M1 includes a full-length Hollywood movie starring Jimmy pact semiautomatic rifle.
Carbine renders respectable service in a CQB environ- Stewart. Winchester ultimately took the day, though they
ment even today. had not originally intended to submit a rifle for consid- Family Tree
While the Carbine was indeed a revolutionary weapon eration. Remarkably, the Winchester Carbine prototype Starting in 1906, Winchester began production of a
for its time, its origins were comparably extraordinary. was cobbled together in a mere thirteen days. The devel- blowback-operated, semiautomatic rifle chambered for
The original request from the Chief of Infantry for a light opment of the Carbine subsequently became one of the the semi-rimmed .351SL centerfire rifle cartridge desig-
rifle went out to industry in 1938. The formal require- most extraordinary examples of wartime exigency driv- nated the M1907. This rifle descended from the similar
ment was not subsequently approved until 1940. In 1941 ing military design to come out of the Second World War. Winchester Model 1905 and remained in production

WAR BABY’S DADDY

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 25

One of the more notorious weapons

used by the Dillinger gang was
the so-called Lehman conversion
of the M1907. Texas gunsmith Hyman
Lehman added a muzzle compensator
and extended magazine as well
as the foregrip from a Thompson
submachine gun to make the M1907 a
more efficient rapid-fire tactical tool.

The Winchester M1907 saw limited use in World War 1. Here we see a John Herbert Dillinger is generally recognized as the most notorious of all the gang-
French dispatch rider armed with one of these groundbreaking weapons. ster villains to arise out of the Great Depression. He and his murderous gang robbed
The French version fired full auto and utilized a 20-round magazine. 24 banks and four police stations.

until 1958. The M1907 fed from a detachable 5- or M1905, the M1907, and the M1910 rifles.
10-round magazine and charged via a clever operating While the basic rifle was suitable for civil-
rod that protruded from the front of the handguard. The ian use hunting small to medium game, a
.351SL round is ballistically similar to the modern-day subsequent Police Rifle variant was offered
.357 Magnum cartridge. Additionally, this clever little in 1935 that included sling swivels, an en-
rifle readily breaks down into two components at the re- larged magazine release, a fixed rear sight,
ceiver via a thumbscrew. and a barrel sleeve with a bayonet mount
The Winchester 1907 came at a time when the state for the standard Krag bayonet of the day.
of the art in military rifles was the Mauser bolt action. The M1907 had much to commend it.
Firing a full-sized cartridge as long as a man’s finger, in- Lightweight and fast handling, the M1907
fantry arms like the M1903 Springfield, Short-Magazine arrived at a time wherein it might very well
Lee-Enfield, and Mannlicher-Carcano ranged out to a ki- have revolutionized infantry combat. The
lometer but were relatively slow to reload and suffered a rifle was indeed marketed for military use
modest rate of fire. In close quarters domains these pow- during World War I, and a modest num-
erful rounds also wasted a great deal of their energy use- ber of the unique guns actually saw action
lessly downrange. They additionally offered a degree of with Allied militaries during the Great
penetration that was dangerous in built-up areas, partic- War. The 1st Aero Squadron of the U.S.
ularly for law enforcement applications. The Winchester Army Signal Corps Air Service took re-
Model 1905 and subsequent Model 1907 were designed ceipt of nineteen M1907 rifles along with
to fill the same tactical niche as the M1 Carbine that came 9,000 rounds of .351SL ammunition for
about a full generation later. use in arming the earliest American com-
The patent for the M1907 was issued on August 27, bat aircraft. These rudimentary planes
1901, two years before the Wright brothers’ first powered were purportedly flown in support of Gen-
flight. The principal designer of the gun was one Thom- eral Pershing’s Punitive Expedition against
as Crossley Johnson, and the same patent covered the Pancho Villa.

Dillinger was once

forced to flee in a hurry
when ambushed by law
enforcement officers and
abandoned these
weapons in the process.
In addition to the two
Thompson submachine
The compensator used on the Lehman conversion guns you can see an
M1907 rifles was a unique device of his own design. unmodified Winchester
M1907 rifle.

WAR BABY’S DADDY

PAGE 26 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

This highly modified cut-down M1907

rifle sports a high capacity drum magazine
and was used in the Cuban revolution.

Both the M1907 and its precursor, the .22-caliber Win-

chester 63, used a forearm-mounted charging system.

.351SL ammunition to Great Britain’s London Armory.

These rifles were modified specifically for aerial use in the
days preceding proper armed aircraft. Reliable belt-fed
machineguns, sturdier aeroplanes, and in particular syn-
chronization gear that allowed these machineguns to fire
safely through a spinning propeller arc all conspired to
render the M1907 obsolete for aerial applications.

The Roaring Twenties

The Winchester Model 1907 rifle found a warm recep-
tion among U.S. law enforcement agencies as American
police departments bolstered their arsenals in response to
the threat of motorized bandits. Many Americans were
uncomfortable with the idea of a Federal police force in
those early days, and the FBI struggled for a time to find
its proper place as a result. The earliest FBI agents were
not actually authorized to carry firearms and had to de-
tain suspects via citizen’s arrest powers.
The semi-rimmed .351SL cartridge fired by the Win- During the 1933 Kansas City Massacre, gangsters
chester M1907 rifle is a nice approximation of the
armed with automatic weapons killed four law enforce-
sorts of intermediate cartridges used by the world’s The .351SL round fired by the Winchester M1907 rifle
first assault rifles. The German 7.92x33mm Kurz approximates the power of a modern-day .357 Mag- ment officers in a brazen but failed daylight effort to free
round fired by the StG44 assault rifle is shown on the num cartridge, shown on the right. On the left we see a federal prisoner named Frank “Jelly” Nash. Nash him-
left. On the right is the 7.62x33mm M1 Carbine round. the 7.62x33mm M1 Carbine round. self died in the resulting fusillade. In the aftermath of this
attack, the FBI received authorization to carry weapons
and subsequently ordered their first Winchester M1907
Beginning in 1915 Winchester began shipping M1907 particular weapons subsequently carried the designation rifles as well as their iconic Thompson submachine guns.
rifles and ammunition to Europe for use by the French M1907/17 and fed from either 15- or 20-round maga- While there was widespread use of the M1907 among
Army. A total of 5,000 rifles along with more than 1.5 zines. The Russians also ordered 500 M1907 rifles and 1.5 law enforcement agencies of the day due to the gun’s mod-
million rounds of ammunition made it to France before million rounds of ammunition in May of 1916. est weight, prodigious firepower, and compact dimen-
the armistice. These French rifles were modified to ac- The British saw in the Model 1907 a lightweight and ef- sions, criminals gravitated toward the arm for the same
cept Lee-Navy bayonets and fire fully automatically. The fective weapon with which to arm observers in the Royal reasons. By the Gangster Era the M1907 was a common
cyclic rate of fire for these modified M1907’s was pur- Flying Corps. On November 1, 1916, Winchester shipped and proven weapon. John Dillinger was known to have a
portedly between 600 and 700 rounds per minute. These 120 Model 1907 rifles along with 78,000 rounds of fondness for the gun.

The craftsmanship on these two classic old Winchester guns is simply incredible. Curved machined surfaces fit together with an almost sensual grace.

WAR BABY’S DADDY

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 27

The rear sight on the M1907 is

ramp adjustable for elevation
and includes a tiny sliding insert
secured with a setscrew for
zeroing purposes.

The safety on the M1907 is a crosshatched machined The single-stack magazine on the M1907 is cumber-
pushbutton. The magazine release is stiff and awk- some to load due to the semi-rimmed nature of the
ward. round yet remains utterly reliable.

Note how the use of nickel steel for the barrel allowing employment of high-pressure smokeless powders
was a selling point in the early 20th century.

charged with a single homicide, the murder of a police The Dillinger gang used several M1907’s. We know
officer in East Chicago, Ind., the gang he led left a trail of of three of these rifles recovered from crime scenes
death wherever their illegal pursuits took them. with which he was involved. At least one of Dillinger’s
Both the Winchester M1907 and its predecessor, the
One of Dilinger’s primary shooters was a man named M1907’s was modified by Texas gunsmith Hyman Lehm-
Model 63 .22, break into two parts for easy storage Homer Van Meter. Dillinger and Van Meter were close an to make it a more efficient close combat tool. While
and transport. The thumbscrew at the back of the and actually underwent illicit plastic surgery simulta- original conversions are about as common as unicorn
receivers keeps the two halves securely joined. neously in an effort at disguising their appearances. horns today, newly made replicas can be had for a price
Van Meter was displeased with both the cosmetic re- built upon original M1907 rifles.
sults and the pain of the procedure and subsequently The Lehman conversion involved adding a custom
Public Enemies attempted to kill the surgeon, Wilhelm Loeser, on the muzzle brake of unique design along with an extended
John Herbert Dillinger was the most notorious gang- spot. 20-round magazine. The guns were also fitted with a spe-
ster in the Depression-era United States. His gang of On June 30, 1934, Van Meter used a Winchester M1907 cially designed forearm that mounted a standard Thomp-
criminals robbed multiple banks along with four police to kill police officer Howard Wagner during a robbery in son vertical foregrip to enhance control on rapid fire. It is
stations, stealing weapons as they went along. Dillinger South Bend, Ind. This robbery of the Merchants Nation- estimated that Lehman made no more than six or seven
escaped from jail twice, once while famously using a fake al Bank by Dillinger, Van Meter, “Baby Face” Nelson, of these guns.
wooden gun he carved himself and blackened with shoe and a fourth gangster whose identity was never reliably
polish. established was the last of 24 known bank robberies com- Baby Brother
Dillinger courted publicity and portrayed himself as mitted by the gang. In this case, Van Meter was the look- The M1907 was itself actually descended from the
an altruistic Robin Hood figure. In reality, the man was out while the other three men entered the bank. Van Me- smaller .22-caliber M1903. Minimally modified later
a cold-blooded killer who surrounded himself with men ter gunned down Patrolman Wagner with his Winchester during its production run into the definitive Winchester
of comparable ilk. While John Dillinger was only himself rifle during the getaway. Model 63, this was Winchester’s first semiautomatic rifle.

The GI M1 Carbine was introduced in

late 1942 and became the most-produced
American combat rifle of the war.

WAR BABY’S DADDY

PAGE 28 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

The .22-caliber Winchester Model 63

was the first Winchester self-loading rifle.
Its influence on the centerfire M1907 is obvious.

The .22-caliber Winchester 63

feeds via a tubular magazine in
its buttstock. Loading is through
Elegant, well balanced, and exquisitely executed, the a right side loading port.
classic Winchester 63 is what other .22 rifles aspire to
become.
The .22-caliber Winchester 63 feeds through a tubular
magazine in the buttstock. To load the rifle, the shooter
removes the spring-loaded plunger through the buttplate
and then feeds .22 LR rounds into the loading port on the
right side of the stock. Once the magazine is topped off,
the plunger is replaced and the weapon is charged via the
same forearm-mounted charging piston as its larger sib-
ling. Like the later M1907, one can loosen a thumbscrew
on the back of the receiver and easily split the rifle into
two parts for storage or transport.
The standards of workmanship for both the Models 63
and 1907 are simply breathtaking. The seamless curved
junctions between steel components are perfect, and
the oiled walnut used in the stocks, once properly aged,
develops a uniquely pleasing personality. This is all the
more impressive considering these weapons were cut us- in the Mississippi Delta. She would subsequently use the by-side the M1907 has the sharper personality, but both
ing manual milling machines in the days when using a cut pieces of this decorative parasitic plant to adorn the weapons are a joy to run.
computer meant removing your shoes so you could count house for the Christmas holidays. Mom always had good Unlike the gas-operated M1 Carbine, the M1907 oper-
on your toes. eyes, but that is one straight-shooting .22 rifle. ates via unlocked blowback. Despite being about a cen-
As regards accuracy, a tradition in my family when I tury old, my high-mileage M1907 still runs like a sewing
was growing up was for my mother to use my dad’s Model Play Time machine. Were it not for the fact that current production
63 to shoot sprigs of mistletoe out of towering oak trees The esoteric similarities between the M1907 and the ammo runs about $2 a pop, I could really enjoy an af-
subsequent M1 Carbine are uncanny. Although the man- ternoon burning through a crate of the stuff. Modern
ual of arms is obviously quite divergent, the recoil and .351SL rounds typically push 180-grain bullets and are
muzzle jump between the two rifles are similar despite formed from .357 Maximum brass, itself hardly a ubiq-
their disparate operating systems. When compared side- uitous caliber.
M1907 magazines are single stack and unpleasant to
load. Feed geometry is utterly predictable as a result,
however. The magazine release on the M1907 is both
awkward and stiff, and magazine changes are tough to
manage in a hurry. The nifty handguard-mounted charg-
ing system is novel, intuitive, and user-friendly, even in
the dark. The crosshatched pushbutton safety works just
fine, particularly for right-handed shooters. The rear
sight is ramp-adjustable for elevation and includes a

Weapons used by Prohibition-era

gangsters seem dated by today’s
standards yet were terribly effective
in the hands of period ne’er-do-wells.

WAR BABY’S DADDY

VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 29

Though they were mechanically completely

dissimilar, the general influence of the M1907 on the
design of the subsequent M1 Carbine is obvious.

tiny sliding leaf component for zeroing purposes that is rifles performed comparably downrange. I could thump Winchester engineers were not necessarily starting from
held in place with a miniscule machine screw. They just stumps out to a football field consistently so long as I did a clean piece of paper. Some 35 years earlier Winchester
don’t make them like that any more. my part. launched another lightweight semiautomatic rifle that
Updating the 19th-century semi-rimmed cartridge was fired an elongated straight-walled round not grossly un-
arguably the greatest improvement bestowed upon the Ruminations like that of the M1 Carbine. That early .351SL M1907
subsequent M1 Carbine. Rimless 7.62x33mm Carbine The M1 Carbine helped our forebears free the planet established its own following among American sports-
cartridges possess an almost undetectable taper and feed from tyranny and oppression. While this legendary in- men as well as storied men of action on both sides of
much more readily in a magazine than .351SL rounds. fantry weapon was indeed hurriedly designed under the law.
Regardless, when fired alongside an M1 Carbine both desperate circumstances during desperate times, those History is a fickle thing subject to the whims and
filtration of historians. While words can be dry and
photos by definition two-dimensional, nothing brings
When fired
offhand over
history to life like handling the tools and artifacts that
open sights, both defined it. Embodied within the M1 Carbine and its
the Winchester progenitor, the Winchester M1907, are sordid tales of
M1907 and the M1 crime, war, deprivation, and violence. By assessing the
Carbine rendered common things that define these two guns we can get
decent hits at a fascinating glimpse of industrial evolution in action.
50 meters.
Rendered in blued steel and oiled walnut, these two
fine Winchester rifles armed generations of American
riflemen.
Special thanks to my new friend Les Hooper for his
assistance in the preparation of this article.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Type M1 Carbine Winchester M1907
Caliber: 7.62x33mm .351SL
Operating System: Gas-operated via
Blowback
short-stroke piston
Weight: 5.2 pounds 8 pounds
Length: 35.6 inches 40 inches
Barrel Length: 18 inches 20 inches
Magazines: 15- and 30-round box 5- and 10-round box

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS
Firearm Load Velocity Group Size
Winchester M1907 180-gr. FMJ 1,431 2.65
M1 Carbine 110-gr. FMJ 1,999 3.45
Groups represent the best 4 of 5 shots fired from a simple rest over
open sights at fifty meters. Velocity is the average of three shots clocked
through a Caldwell Precision chronograph ten feet from the muzzle.

WAR BABY’S DADDY

PAGE 30 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

CARRY OPTIONS
By Sammy Reese

RAVEN CONCEALMENT Higher body

F
or the better part of my adult life I’ve been on a shield keeps the
quest to find the perfect concealed carry holster. De- gun off your skin
pending on the type of gun and mode of carry, I’ve and the wedge aids
come close a few times but I can’t say I’ve found the “the in tucking the butt
of the gun close
one.” A few years ago I gave appendix carry (AIWB) a se- the body.
rious look. By serious I’m talking about a proper holster
and a realistic size pistol. My first attempt many years
ago was with a gun that was way too big (full size 1911)
and a holster not really designed for this type of carry.
I downsized to a Smith & Wesson Shield and Glock 26
and I found appendix carry worked for my body type and
life style.
Like IWB, AIWB requires some clothing modifica-
tions. Your pants will need to be at least one size bigger, a
proper belt designed for carrying a gun is a must and you
will have to wear your shirt un-tucked and the colors of
the cover garment will have to be darker to help break up
the outline of the gun. In addition to the clothing mods,
you will also have to practice your draws and more im-
portantly slow way down and look the gun back into the
holster to insure you aren’t pointing the muzzle at body
parts you really need. AIWB is one of those topics that
gets the forums and my email to light up like a pinball Eidolon set up using
only single belt clip
machine. If you have questions or concerns, drop me a holes on the right are
note and we can talk in more detail about it. for additional belt clip.
One of my biggest issues carrying AIWB has been the
butt of the gun printing. With smaller guns it wasn’t re-
ally an issue, but my preferred gun for CCW is my Glock exclaimed—“Bro you gotta check out this holster.” I’ve Unique Features
19. I made allowances for the G19 by wearing baggy know John for a long time and I can’t ever remember Unboxing the full kit reminded me of the erector set I
shirts—until now that is. seeing him this excited especially early in the morning. had as kid—there were all kinds of parts to make all kinds
Before I could speak he was telling me about all the fea- of things. I followed the directions to set up the Eidolon in
Raven Concealment Eidolon tures—like a car salesmen motivated to make a sale—then about 10 minutes. As I mentioned earlier, AIWB carry is
When I arrived at the range to set up for a class, my I tried it on and found the Glock 19 disappeared under plagued by the butt of the gun printing. Raven fixed this
buddy John was staring at me, and had the “I just ate my light-colored T-shirt. It wasn’t magic; it was all in the problem with two unique features. The first one is called
the canary” look on his face. It was too early for practi- design, specifically two unique features that I’m sure by the claw. The claw’s mission is to ride inside the pants under
cal jokes I thought, but I was on my toes for who knows now are being copied by other holster makers. the belt and pull the butt of the gun into the body. The claw
what was coming. “Can you see it?” as he turned 360. He When I got home that night I ordered the full kit so I is supported on the back of the holster with the wedge at-
could tell by my face the coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. He could use all the possible options. Like a kid waiting for tachment. The wedge fills in any gaps created by the claw
lifted his polo shirt to show me he was carrying his Glock Santa, the next few days I ran to the door every time I pulling the butt into the body. I will say looking at the hol-
19 AIWB. He started to remove the holster while he thought I heard a delivery truck. ster in your hands will cause some eyebrows to go up. It
doesn’t look like it should work, but I’m telling you it lives
up the definition of Eidolon—a phantom; an apparition—
the concealed gun disappears under the cover garment.
The body of the holster is designed to support any type
of sights—to include a mini red dot if that’s how you roll.
The tension devise is adjustable and stays at the tension
desired without having to mess with it. I have mine set up
so I can get a full firing grip—the gun rides a bit higher.
John and now a few other buddies like theirs to ride a
bit lower in the waistband. I started out using a two-clip
configuration; it works great with Wranglers. For wear
with most of my shorts a single clip works the best and
I’ve had no retention issues at all.
The bad news: As of this writing the Eidolon is only
available for the Glock family of guns (17, 19 and 26
which translates to other similar sized frames in different
The wedge and calibers) I’m hoping the line up grow to other pistols soon.
other accessories
The unique design of the claw has it positioned to mount securely to
The full kit comes with too many options to list so
ride behind the belt pulling the gun butt in tight to the holster body. please go to www.raven-concealment for more informa-
the body. tion on this amazing holster system.
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 45
PAGE 68 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25
PAGE 70 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 71

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Consignments Wanted
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Wanted: Quality Sporting Arms

Four Bore H&H Hammer Dbl Rifle
Made For Nizam of Hyderabad
(est. $80,000-120,000)

0
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Sold for $258,750 on High Value

Items as low as...

Contact: Francis Lombardi | Email: [email protected]

Tel: + 1 207 453-7125 | Fax: (207) 453-2502 | Web: www.jamesdjulia.com
Auctioneer: James D. Julia | Lic#: ME:AR83 | MA: AU1406 | NH 2511
PAGE 72 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25
VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com PAGE 73

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PAGE 74 FIREARMS NEWS - firearmsnews.com VOLUME 70 - ISSUE 25

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