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NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Norma is making their quality components – including projectiles and precision-manufactured brass – available for hunters and shooters.
Henry Repeating Arms announces release of the new Side Gate Lever Action Rifle in .45-70 Gov’t and Side Gate Lever Action .410 Shotgun. The firearm’s loading gate is coupled with Henry’s historically inspired removable tube magazine. Having these two methods of loading and unloading allows the shooter to safely unload the firearm without working live rounds through the action and keep the magazine topped off through the side gate.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. announces a new configuration of the popular 10/22 Carbine which ships with the new Viridian EON 3-9x40 scope factory mounted.

Designed specifically for demanding LEO and military operators, hunters and precision shooters by two high-speed, low-drag Dallas SWAT officers, Kopfjäger Reaper Grip Gun Rests are designed to the provide the best, most versatile, high-stakes, SHTF stability on the market.
Mossberg announced that they will begin selling its products factory-direct to international distributors on November 1, 2019. Mossberg previously utilized Essex International Trading, Inc.
Sovereign Sportsman Solutions (“Sovereign”) is pleased to announce that Richard Bonazzoli has joined the company as senior vice president of technology innovation. In this newly created role, Bonazzoli is responsible for technology strategy and integration across all of Sovereign’s increasing number of products and services.

Honor Defense and Hyve Technologies have partnered on outfitting existing and new models. Honor Defense pistol owners now have a Hyve Technologies magazine extension available for their pistols.
Beretta USA announced two new sponsored locations for armorer training. In-field course locations include the Los Angeles Police Academy and Las Vegas Metro PD. Beretta also offers APX and 90 Series pistols and 1301 shotgun courses at the Beretta USA headquarters, Accokeek, Maryland.
Now bolt-action shooters can get in on the 24/7 hunting action provided by the Wraith too, thanks to the new Wraith Long Mount -- designed specifically for use on bolt-action rifles.

Luth-AR announces the latest addition to the Luth-AR MBA line of carbine buffer tubes. The new design allows a quick visual indication of the position of the buttstock by the number of scallops exposed.
Galco is excited to announce a Concealable belt holster for the compact SIG-Sauer P365/Streamlight TLR-6 combination. The Concealable is constructed of premium saddle leather and made to fit belts up to 1 1/2" wide.
SIG SAUER is pleased to announce the SIG SAUER Super Target .177 caliber, single-shot pneumatic air pistol is now available, along with a new line of pellets from SIG AIR.

Samson Manufacturing introduced their new PC Scout Rail at the 2019 NASGW Expo, and now it is available to order on their website. The 15" PC Scout Rail replaces the front and rear sights on the PC Carbine.
High Performance Technology white papers #1, and #2 explained how HIPERFIRE's trigger technology reduced trigger pull weight without compromising hammer fall power. White paper #3 shows the pull weight data that backs up HIPERFIRE's technology claims.
GUNS Magazine announced the release of the initial episodes of the GUNS Magazine Podcast. Featuring GUNS Magazine Editor Brent T. Wheat, the podcast offers gun enthusiasts interviews with some of the most interesting people in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industries.

Viridian Weapon Technologies has announced the launch of Viridian Optics. Viridian Optics are available online as add-on accessories or as an inline SKU with pre-installed scope on the Ruger 10/22.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is hailing the courage and tenacity of a Florida woman who, despite being eight months pregnant, used an AR-15 rifle to defend her husband and daughter from violent home invaders.
Riton Optics is committed to creating the industry’s best Christmas event by giving a lucky winner a shipment of amazing industry gifts. In addition to a Riton Optics riflescope, binoculars and a red dot, the selected winner of the MCGA event will receive products from Aero Precision, InForce Lights, 1791 Holsters,and more.

Vihtavuori is excited to announce our 2019 holiday season rebate. The “Keep Your Cash” rebate, gives consumers up to $100 cash back on qualifying Vihtavuori powder purchases from November 1 to January 1, 2020.
November is Military Appreciation Month at ERGO. The company offers active duty members of service and military veterans 25% off their orders from November 1st through the 30th, 2019.
Sales of safety-related products represent a key category for dealers and range operators in the competitive fight to win margins. The November issue of Shooting Industry explains how merchandising these products can have a significant impact on the bottom line in “Getting Your Safety Sales Strategy Right.”
Beretta recently implemented a new, lower price strategy for its APX series of striker-fired, polymer pistols, which means lower prices at retail for the consumer. The Beretta APX pistol is offered in Full-Size, Centurion, Compact, and Carry models and in both 9mm and .40 calibers.
 

With all the ammo options out there, which is best? Evaluate ammo with the Triumvirate.

One thing great about social media is the assistance it lends to the ongoing battle for wire content. One thing bad about social media . . . wait, how to keep it down to “one bad thing?”

This time it was the “wadcutter in the snub revolver” question. Except it’s not a question. It quickly devolved into the “stopping power” eyewash with people chatting up their favorite loads and explaining why wadcutters will “get you killed in the street.”

It’s all about myth and magical thinking. Every scenario that ends with a shot resulting in cessation of action predictably leads to “what was used?” and the resulting “that must be good stuff.” Except it’s essentially meaningless.

When you have (1) an animal weighing between 150 and 300 pounds, (2) in full-tilt rage behavior, (3) loaded with abused substances or just loaded up with rage induced hormones and (4) fully intending to exterminate you, should you expect something weighing less than a pound projecting a fraction-of-an-inch size missile at 1900 fps or less to induce a complete shut-down, regardless of where the round hits?

If you have that expectation, that’s magical thinking.

Magical thinking” – “irrational belief that one can bring about a circumstance or event by thinking about it or wishing for it; normal in preschool children, it also occurs in schizophrenia.”

Don’t get irritated with me; it’s far more common in adults than it should be and, embarrassingly, I can call myself out on it. I once thought the .45 Auto was significantly better than the .38 Special in terms of self-defense.

It’s not. The data don’t support the conclusion.

I recommend the ammo triumvirate. These are the top three aspects of commonly employed handgun cartridges for defense use – and I do mean the top three. Once you get past these characteristics, criticality plummets catastrophically to the point that they likely just don’t matter.

The triumvirate follows:

1. Does the round possess ignition reliability?

2. Does it function in the gun?

3. Does the round strike to your sights?

Everything else is just stuff.

In order, ignition reliability is critical; if the round won’t reliably ignite, you get a “click” when you need “BANG!” Nothing could suck quite so much as the small noise when the big one is needed.

Next, if the round chokes the gun, it’s worthless. It has to chamber, extract and – with autoloaders, work the action. It has to reliably work within the system to provide the entire cycle of operation.

As to point of aim versus point of impact, a round that doesn’t hit to the sights can create a miss on the range. On the street, it’s not a “miss” – it’s an unintentional hit. And you’re responsible for it. I don’t care how much Jello the round ploughs through after perforating a range of barriers nor how big it expands – or if it doesn’t. A round that misses (1) wastes time in a fight, something you have little of; and it (2) creates the moral, ethical and legal problem of the errant missile clattering around the neighborhood.

22 LR is known for shaky ignition reliability - though I don't see that very often. It is a great trainer especially for DA revolvers as the triggers are usually tough - better a tough time in practice than during the game.

Why am I not a fan of 22 LR for personal defense? Ignition reliability – and it works quite often. Otherwise, it can turn the trick especially from a rifle. I do practice quite a bit with 22 caliber DA revolvers. They tend to have rather difficult triggers, making the practice a chore – but making the employment of centerfire guns a relative cakewalk.

Why am I not a fan of low-cost, bulk packed ammo for defense? Aside from ignition reliability – something I’ve not noted a lot of problems with – functional reliability can be compromised. They load lots of bulk-packed ammo. Premium defense stuff seems to have greater reliability in both (1) and (2) factors. It still has to hit to your sights on your gun looking through your eyes. That is a variable.

For me, I check zero on a B-8 repair center from 10 yards, standing, two-handed. That tells me what I need to know for commonly employed defense guns. As I went to a (slightly) smaller gun for purposes of wandering in and out of less-than-permissive environments, I shot up the old carry ammo from a pair of S&W M&P Shield pistols.

An earlier attempt at fifty yards - the bottom three are from fifty yards with that Shield and that ammo. The most recent attempt was on a similar size target.

I reloaded with current ammo, checking the point of impact at 10 yards. As I had some extra ammo, I checked my ‘asym’ drill from fifty yards on a BC-zone analog steel target. I went three-for three.

Cleaning both guns and reloading with fresh ammo from the same batch, I was ready to go. Which round?

Why does it matter? ;-)

- - Rich Grassi

 
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