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APRIL 20, 2021

Hornady congratulates Jessie Harrison and Ashley Rheuark on their performance at the World Speed Shooting Championship, April 15-18, 2021 in Talladega, Alabama.
SIG SAUER is honored to announce the creation of the U.S. Army Best Ranger Competition M17 Trophy Pistols for the upcoming 2021 Best Ranger Competition being held at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Plano's Stealth Pistol Case is made from high-density interlocking foam that is more than sufficient to contain and cushion a firearm. It not only will protect the firearm from abuse but also help to keep it free from unintended damage.

Galco's Underwraps 2.0 is an update of the traditional belly band. It allows concealed carry of multiple weapons and accessories around the midsection, in a variety of configurations.
GunMag Warehouse is proud to announce the launch of GunMag Training. GMT will be the instructional arm of GMW. It will be led by Daniel Shaw, formerly of Shaw Strategies and the USMC.
Tac Shield expands their sling category with a new Tactical 2-Point Padded Sling. This Tactical 2-point sling offers padded sling webbing and comes with sewn-in Push Button QD swivels and a quick-adjust slider pull.

High Speed Gear grew its distributor base even further by signing on one of the nation’s premier firearm wholesalers, the New York-based AmChar Wholesale Inc.
Firearm industry eCommerce leaders Guns.com, Brownells, Davidson’s / Gallery of Guns, AmmoReady, Silencer Shop, and Everest will present at the 2021 Firearms Industry Compliance Conference.
Celerant Technology today announces a new partnership and integration with AmChar Wholesale, one of the largest shooting sports and law enforcement distributors in the United States.

The Beretta USA Oak Forest Police Department 92/96 Beretta Armorer course scheduled for April 28 has been moved to Monday, August 9, 2021. There are openings for the 92/96 Beretta Armorer course at the Broward Sheriff’s Office Training Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Primary Arms Optics has released a brand-new reticle option for their GLx 2x Prism Scope: the ACSS Gemini. Designed for 9mm carbines and AR pistols, the ACSS Gemini reticle incorporates all the advanced features of ACSS and adapts it for a PCC format.
New in the lineup of 1791 holsters, the Single Action Revolver holster is designed to be fully ambidextrous. It works great in both cross draw and strong side carry positions.

In the June issue of GUNS Magazine, the spotlight is on the historically accurate, impeccably crafted No. 3 American in .45 Colt from Cimarron Firearms. Additional highlights of the June issue include why Massad Ayoob believes the 10mm is too good a cartridge to be kept down in the Handguns column. 
Celerant Technology announces a partnership and integration with Everest.com, the nation’s first outdoor lifestyle-focused marketplace. Through the integration, retailers can upload and sell products on Everest marketplace while maintaining data consistency across all channels, including their physical store(s) and/or eCommerce website.
 

Annually, retirees gather to fire the state mandated qualification course to ensure compliance in carry of a concealed sidearm under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. In our state, the course is the same as the course required for active members of service.

Under the statute, guns ‘similar’ to the firearms to be carried must be used in a demonstration of competency. In our state (and in some others) that’s taken to mean revolver and/or semi-auto. For us that’s a pair of fifty round courses – pricey in the current crazy economic environment.

I used a pair of guns from last year, still here on evaluations of their own, on loan from the manufacturers. As ammo availability had become such a mess, I was unable to get new ammo for one of the guns. Shooting that one for qualification with old ammo should suffice to end the evaluation.

The other was a matter of curiosity; could I manage a decent score with a ca-11 oz. 22 Magnum snub nose?

The auto was the Gen5 GLOCK 23. The beefy slide of the new generation 40 Auto makes it more manageable and less problematic for the arthritic shooter. The Ameriglo BOLD sights that were factory supplied are very easy to see. The Talon Grip Pro treatment I’d put on the frame helps keep the gun tightly in hand while not being so abrasive as to compromise comfort in concealed carry. It’s a compromise between the same firm’s granulate and rubber textures – and I really like it.

I backed it up with a pair of Universal Mag Carriers - Gen 2 -- from Pitbull Tactical. Practically fitting everything from a 1911 and a Shield to a double stack polymer mag, I’d seen these on Yamil Sued’s Gunstock Reviews YouTube channel and ordered a pair. This was my first outing with them and they worked like a charm.

With the proliferation of micro-compact/moderate capacity 9mm pistols, it got to be too much of a chore to find support gear. The Pitbull Tactical Universal Mag Carrier was my attempt to sort that out.

The revolver evolution was fired with the Smith & Wesson M351PD. I first reported on the pint-sized cannon here, a seven-shot .22 Magnum with a fiber optic front sight, a sub-two-inch barrel and an empty weight of 11.2 ounces with the factory lumber stocks. The frame and cylinder are aluminum alloy, the barrel is stainless steel and I added Crimson Trace Laser Grips (LG-350) to the M351PD – more for assistance with my hold than the laser aiming aspect.

Ever try to hold an eleven-ounce revolver still against a ca. 10-pound DA trigger press? It’s … interesting.

I shot CCI Maxi-Mag ammo – yes, I still had some left – and used a Galco Concealable belt holster. The CON158B is a nicely molded two-piece leather holster, contoured to the hip without molding, but detail molded in the front for appearance and security. The gun is virtually invisible under a shirt, let alone the field jacket I wore on that blustery April morning.

I figured the S&W “Kit Gun” would go the distance, but it was backed up by a S&W M351C – a “Centennial” (concealed hammer) version of the same gun. Had there been an issue, I’d have drawn the “Charlie” from the Mika Pocket Holster in the left trouser pocket and finished the string.

I needn’t have bothered; the M351PD sailed through the course and rewarded me with a (barely) 100% … came close to the edge of the ‘bottle’ with one round.

Now I know … it can be done.

With the Gen5 GLOCK 23, I contrived to shoot ‘unlocked’ one time … that’s all it takes to end up with a 98%. The center cluster of the G23’s group tore out a hand-sized hole in the center of the target. These Gen5 GLOCKs can shoot even if the elderly shooter can’t.

I found the 40 and 45 GLOCKs were always more accurate than the 9mm guns (excluding the G26 “Baby GLOCK” pistols). The Gen5 has remediated that in the 9mm versions and has lost nothing in the transition to the Forty. The characteristic Gen5 refinements include the nDLC finish, flared magazine well, enhanced GLOCK Marksman barrel and bilateral slide stop lever.

The newly outfitted, slightly larger Gen5 40-caliber gun has been reliable, quite accurate and requires only a slightly bigger holster … something that, like ammo, I did not find by the end of the evaluation.

Agencies staying with the 40 Auto and upgrading to the Generation 5 guns will be well served by the transition if my sample is representative of the line. It’s simply a great fighting pistol.

-- Rich Grassi

Tactical Wire - 155 Litchfield Rd., Edgartown, MA 02539
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