ShootingTheBull410 writes:
Well, that’s mildly interesting! I love revolvers, but — 9mm in a revolver has never made much sense to me. It’s rimless, meaning you need moon clips, and the gun ends up being about 4 ounces heavier than … Continue Reading
I talked yesterday about the recently passed emergency concealed carry law that has been enacted in Washington, DC. As you can tell from the video, the council members certainly don’t like it. One member went as far as to … Continue Reading
There will be some who will say that the only thing incendiary about the above NRA Facebook post image is the fact that I chose to use it for our Incendiary Image of the Day feature. After all, the … Continue Reading
I recently had the pleasure of attending a factory tour and product demo for Inter Ordnance (IO), located in Palm Bay, Florida. If you haven’t heard of Inter Ordnance, or IO Inc., they manufacture various models of AK-47s, AR-15s, … Continue Reading
If you haven’t heard of Inter Ordnance, or IO Inc. yet, they manufacture various models of AK-47s, AR-15s, a couple variations of 1911s and are working on more. Many of their AR/AK variations are 100% American-made, with some having a …
The post First Look: Inter Ordnance Venom Pistol appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
You could hear the exasperation in the SIG PR guy’s voice when he said it: “After every press release [for a new handgun], the very first question we get is ‘when are you going to make it in 10mm?’ It …
The post SIG SAUER Working on a P220 in 10mm appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
“Cuddlr is a location-based social-meeting app for cuddling,” cuddlrapp.com explains. “Find people near you who are up for a cuddle. Have a cuddle with them. No pressure.” What could possibly go wrong? A question gigaom.com journalist Carmel DeAmicis set out to answer. Reading the headline above the article – I snuggled with a stranger using new app Cuddlr, and my fellow cuddlee had a gun – you’d know that Ms. DeAmicis wasn’t the gun-toter in this close encounter of the Apple walled garden kind. Not so smart, eh? And you might think she penned an anti-gun piece. Nope. Here’s how it went down, gun-wise . . .
We cracked beers and hung out in the kitchen for awhile, chatting with relative ease. We talked about life, and what led us to the Cuddlr app – she lost a close family member last week and was looking for something to take her mind off it. We talked about safety and security and the city, and she confessed that she checked the rooms in her home every night with a gun before she went to sleep.
“You’re not a serial killer are you?”
Monica, My fellow cuddlee
There’s nothing you want to hear more when meeting a stranger you’re going to cuddle with than that they have a gun. I had never actually seen one in person, aside from on a cop’s holster, so she led me into the bedroom and took it out from its hiding place, discharging the holster before teaching me how to aim. As I held its weight in my hand, I thought – I am the world’s biggest idiot for walking into a stranger’s home. Sure, I had set up a safety system with my colleague to call the cops if she hadn’t heard from me, but a lot could happen before that.
Cuddlr creator Williams agreed when I told him about it later. “That sounds terrifying,” Williams said. “You should meet up in person and have one of the many types of cuddles that preserve your personal space. That is the best way to manage the risk of cuddling with a new person.”
Sigh. There just had to be some anti-gun hysteria somewhere in the piece. But there mostly isn’t. In fact, the gun fondling seems to have been Ms. DeAmicis’ favorite part of the girl-on-girl action (or lack thereof).
The rest of my hangout with Monica was sweet and uneventful. After she taught me how to hold a gun – awesome – we spooned on the bed for awhile. I was the big spoon, in case you’re wondering. I pet her head, later she massaged my shoulders. It wasn’t too awkward, although it wasn’t the most comfortable situation I’ve ever been in.
So what could have easily been a prime example of anti-gun agitprop – connecting dangerous encounters with dangerous weapons – instead became a gun normalization article. Now that’s what I call winning. Now, shall we talk about the best carry rig for first-time cuddling?
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Written by Rock Island Auctions’ Joel R. Kolander:
In the business of firearms auctions, it is simply an unavoidable fact of life that one is going to come across what is known as a spurious firearm. For those unfamiliar with the term, “spurious” is the most gracious way of calling something a fake. Phony. Bogus. At its most innocent, a fake or counterfeit item can be sold as such. Someone may want that Russian Contract 1911 pistol with spurious Cyrillic text, as a representation of the original but at only a fraction of the cost. In fact, many replica cars are sold just the same way. You wouldn’t find me turning down a replica of a 1968 AC Cobra, but I’m definitely not going to pay the same price as the original. There is a market for such pieces given that they are priced accordingly and disclosed as such to the buying public. Much like the AC Cobra example, replicas can be extremely desirable and a lot of fun . . .
Sometimes, either collectors, and even auction houses, can make mistakes in good faith. Perhaps they in possession of such a meticulously crafted forgery that it is impossible to tell the difference save for some of the world’s foremost experts. Is anyone to be held to blame in such an event except the forger? No, for both parties acted in good faith and intent with what they thought was a “real” object. However, if after the fact the buyer were to find that their item was not 100% as claimed, then it would be the duty of the seller to make it right. It is exactly scenarios like this why Rock Island Auction Company offers a guarantee of the headline of every single item in their Premiere Firearms Auctions. Should that item not be as advertised in the item’s headline, RIAC will make it right via a full refund. We even put it in the front of every Premiere Auction Catalog right there in the Terms and Conditions.
Honesty and integrity are two qualities indispensable to an auction house, or any selling business. It’s as simple as knowing that if you burn someone once, they’re not going to return, and if there are too many people who question their transactions, the sellers carefully built reputation can nose-dive faster than German U-boat. Businesses stand to gain much more from positive experiences and good word-of-mouth advertising, then they could ever achieve by being less than completely truthful.
It is with that dedication and responsibility to fairness, that we can examine the last kind of spurious arms: out and out fakes maliciously sold as the genuine article for profit. It goes without saying that the faking of firearms hurts the collecting community. Not only is it fraudulent, it erodes trust, and could potentially lower the prices of authentic items. Jim Supica, current Museum Director of NRA Museums, once detailed several types of fraud in an article he wrote for the Blue Book of Gun Values.
– Aging and modifying a modern reproduction or replica firearm to pass it as an original
– Altering a common model to make it appear to be a rare model
– Adding modern engraving to an older gun, and passing it as original period engraving
– Creating false historical documentation or attribution of historical usage.
– Altering a firearm to a more valuable configuration – for example, rare barrel length, uncommon finish, special grips, or fancy stock, rare caliber.
– “Upgrading” a low grade gun to resemble a higher grade by the same maker.
As we mentioned before, even Rock Island Auction Company is not immune to these types of guns, and the obvious recourse is to make it right. We have done so on numerous occasions, most notably on an episode of our T.V. show “Ready, Aim, Sold!” when we found we were dealing with a fake Winchester 1 of 1,000.
You may wonder why we wrote this article. It is the need to distance ourselves from several potentially spurious firearms previously in our possession and sold by RIAC and currently being offered for sale at James D. Julia Auction. In their auction is a collection with many firearms with claims of provenance to the Battle of Little Bighorn, Gen. George Custer, and several Native American warriors. However, the claims of provenance appear downright false and we know because we have previously sold some of the firearms in question.
We would like it to be known that Rock Island Auction Company never sold any of the guns in this collection with any of their current provenance claims and did not sell them to the current consignor of James Julia. Two of the firearms in question were sold by RIAC, to a dealer, within the last 14 months. A third, a single action revolver with alleged ties to Cheyenne chief Two Moons, was previously turned down by RIAC from this same Julia consignor when its lack of documentation was discovered. However it was sold in a previous James Julia sale for an enormous amount of money.
A fourth firearm was sold by Little John’s auction house during their May 2011 sale. It is also being listed again with questionable claims.
Now, since we have discovered these questionable guns, James D. Julia has pulled them from their website catalog. We do not know what their plans are with these guns, but we are hoping it is a transparent act in the spirit of honesty to help return some peace of mind to the collecting community. Further we wonder what recourse the buyers of the same consignor items in the Julia sale in March have? However, as it currently stands, we are not optimistic for a positive outcome for the people for the following reasons.
The first reason lies in the listing for a facsimile Colt Walker sold by them in their sale held in the spring of 2014. In the items description, after touting what an excellent fake the gun is, the following sentence appears in the item’s official description: “Fool your enemies, sell them this great fake.”
Those are words you will never find at Rock Island Auction Company. As discussed earlier, to sell guns openly disclosed as fakes or replicas is one matter, but to encourage deception of another firearms collector is something that no collector or investor should abide. This sort of sentiment, in combination with the wild claims of provenance, should cause grave concern to any buyer who purchased some of the $240,000 of items sold by this collector in the James D. Julia March 2014 auction.
We began this article by stating that every auction house will, from time to time, receive fake guns. Julia’s is no exception and we await to see how they not only handle the items currently removed from their website, but also the $240,000 worth of items sold this past March. Let it be known that, yes, we sold some of these guns previously, we as in RIAC yet we have no ties to this obvious deception now on going in the next James Julia sale.
The post Rock Island Auctions Distances Itself from James D. Julia’s “Fake” Guns appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
We say it all the time here at TTAG: the only two places a gun should ever be stored are on your hip or securely locked away. There’s been a boom recently in the number of bedside handgun vaults coming onto the market, but they all suffer from the same problems — namely they all look butt-ugly. Enter The Gunbox, a beautifully styled single firearm occupancy vault designed to not only provide some high-tech security, but to also look stylish while doing it. The only question left is does it work? . . .
There are two things that separate The Gunbox from the competition: aesthetics and security.
The problem with most firearms accessories is that they all conform to the “tactical chic” style. Sharp edges, diamond plating, and boxy designs that would work great in a military barracks but don’t really fit in with a modern home. The Gunbox seeks to fix that by providing a modern stylish exterior that looks exactly nothing like a firearms accessory and instead could be at home in any room of the house.
On the inside, The Gunbox provides plenty of space for whatever firearm you want to stash in there. I tried to fit my SIG SAUER Mk25 and AAC Ti-Rant 9mm silencer in at the same time, but as it turns out The Gunbox will only fit one at a time. There’s plenty of room for a full size handgun and a pair of extra magazines though, as this 5″ SIG SAUER P320 shows.
The only complaint I have about the interior is that it is a bit vertically cramped. The roof of the compartment is slightly sloped, and as a result there isn’t much clearance at the front of the box. However, if you keep your handgun flush against the back of the box it should close without a problem.
Getting into the box, however, is the other way in which The Gunbox separates itself from the competition.
There are two methods of getting into the box — well, three actually — and neither require the push of any buttons.
The first metod of entry is using a pre-programmed RFID device. The box ships with an RFID bracelet that can be worn by the user, but that’s somewhat less useful if there are two people living in the house and both need quick access to the device. The solution is multiple RFID devices, and The Gunbox sells additional accessories on their website for just that purpose. You can program in a new RFID ring or perhaps an RFID sticker to open your box, but then there’s the problem.
The more RFID chips that can open your box, the less secure it is. So as a second option, The Gunbox can be programmed to open when a number of fingers are pressed against the fingerprint reader. The reader does indeed seem to work, but a simple hack seems to defeat the lock completely.
The above video shows me defeating The Gunbox’s fingerprint reader with nothing more than a piece of paper, some Scotch Tape, and a pencil. There was a talk a few years ago at DEFCON about defeating fingerprint readers using everything from this simple trick to dental grade silicone and I was so jazzed to be able to try every trick in the book on this device, but alas the box opened after the very first attempt.
Option #3 is probably the most secure, and it can be activated by flipping a switch on the under side of the lid. In this third mode, the person opening the box would require both a valid RFID chip as well as the proper fingerprint at the same time to access the firearm. More secure, but also easy to screw up when seconds count.
Speaking of things going wrong, having a battery powered gun safe might seem to be as smart as having a battery powered gun, but The Gunbox seems to have that area under control. The box is powered by a wall-mounted charger, and in the event of a power failure the box will continue to work for up to 8 hours. After that, you’re on your own.
The entire point of a gun vault is to buy you time. No gun safe is impenetrable — every storage medium has their failure point. I was a little disappointed to see that the fingerprint reader could be so easily tricked, but I was glad that it was at least somewhat functional. In the end The Gunbox seems to work acceptably well at its task, namely that of preventing unwanted people from accessing your firearms. It leaves the choice to the end user of which access method to use and how much security they want to implement, which was definitely an appreciated touch.
It works, and it looks good doing it. It’ll keep most of the curious fingers off of your gun, but determined attackers will still not have any issues. Then again, if you have a determined attacker in your house, you should be counting on the contents of the box and not the sleek silver exterior.
Specifications: The Gunbox
Internal Dimensions: 8.9in Wide x 6.5in Tall x 1.5in Deep
Price: $299
Rating (out of five stars):
Overall * * * *
Twice the price of the other biometric gun safes, but also comes with twice the options. And a better appearance. Not bad.
The post Gear Review: The Gunbox appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
Why do governments always have to screw things up? Take the US Army’s attitude towards our service pistol used successfully through two world wars, for example. After WWII, some desk-pogue decided that the 1911 in .45 ACP had to go; it wasn’t “continental” enough, I guess. The first time the US Army tried to get rid of the 1911 Government model in .45 ACP was in 1949. Back then, US Government requirements were issued stating that the new pistol had to be chambered in 9mm parabellum (Latin is even neater than French) and couldn’t exceed seven inches in length or weigh more than 25 ounces. Colt’s entry –a shortened 1911 with an aluminum frame (called Coltalloy) wasn’t adopted (neither was the Smith and Wesson M39). So in 1950, Colt started producing their version for the retail market, calling it the Commander. Colt wisely brought it out in .45 ACP as well as 9mm and also in the red-headed stepchild, .38 Super. In 1970, Colt began making the Commander with a steel frame, calling it the “Combat Commander” and it’s still produced today. . .
Perhaps it’s like superposition, existing only in the mind of the observer, but some people (like me) believe that to be a real 1911 (small, medium, or large) it must say COLT’S on it. Today’s version is built on the Series 80 platform, utilizing a firing pin block that (in theory, at least) prevents an accidental discharge if the pistol is dropped on its muzzle from a height of six feet onto a concrete surface. Lord knows we need that. The safety makes it harder to get a really nice, safe 3.5 to 4 pound trigger pull, at least according to most gunsmiths who specialize in such things. And most of us don’t drop our pistols.
My sample did not say “Combat” on the slide; just Commander, but the workmanship was first rate. Metal-to-Metal fittings were tight and smooth working. Machine marks were noticeably absent. Blue finishes were as you would expect from Colt: Deep and Excellent. The pistol had the “Standard” grip safety (according to Colt), but some Geezers like me refer to it as a Rat-Tail grip safety. It’s thin but covers the round, trademark Commander hammer nicely to prevent “bite”. The thumb safety is the standard job; the one everybody wants to replace right away. Maybe that’s the idea. 1911’s are the most customized pistols ever made. The thumb and grip safeties are usually the first things that go. The trigger is the long, solid aluminum model (in black); which I dislike. I much prefer the short white aluminum jobs, whether adjustable or not.
The all-steel frame and slide upped the weight to 33 ounces, making the Colt less pleasant to carry, but nicer to shoot. The now de rigueur three dot sights were easy to see and perfectly regulated for 230 grain loads right out of the box. The ejection port is slightly lowered, but not flared. The recoil spring assembly is the tried-and-true (so-called) GI system. This is the one John M. Browning invented and nobody has improved upon; instead they are now making take-down and re-assembly more difficult with the “sound good” –but less reliable- Full length guide rod.
I put about three hundred rounds of various description through the Commander, using bullets weighing from 200 to 230 grains; from +P hollow points to standard pressure full metal jacketed. The Colt Commander ate them all without a burp or hiccup. Feeding and ejection were 100% and then some. No empties hit me in the head, landed on my hat, or tried to burn out my eyes; something I really appreciate in any 1911 design. The Commander version just “hangs” better than the Government model; to me, at least. Most disagree (the story of my life). At any rate, it was really easy to place shots in the proper locations, even when trying to do so fast. It’s little wonder the Marines have come full circle from the Beretta Wonder-nine. Their newest CQC pistol is a full-size COLT 1911 in .45 ACP; and it’s just hard to argue with that kind of endorsement.
FINAL RATING: * * * *
THE GOOD: Easy to shoot and completely reliable. Great looking gun, too.
THE BAD: Two things detracted from the Commander being all it could be. The first was the thumb safety. It was very (that’s very) hard to engage (two thumbs helped), and even harder to disengage. The other is the price. Even if it is a genuine Colt, the price is too high. FOUR STARS; and that’s just being mean.
THE UGLY: Nothing comes to mind. Despite the tight thumb safety, I can recommend the Commander without reservation. After all, it said COLT right on it.
SPEC BOX
Model: Colt 1991® Commander—04691
Material: Carbon steel Frame and slide, Blue
OAL: 7.75 inches
Barrel: 4.25 inches
Weight: 33 ounces
Sights: 3-Dot, White
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 7+1 rounds
Retail Price: +/- $885.00
SOURCES
www. coltsmfg.com
www. Winchester.com
www. Blackhawk.com
The post Gun Review: Colt Combat Commander appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
“You have problems,” lamperdtraining.com asserts, “and Lamperd Less Lethal has the solutions to those problem. You are worried about Officer safety, public safety and subject safety. Lamperd Less Lethal is worried about Officer safety, public safety and subject safety. It is with these objectives in mind that Lamperd has created an exceptional line of Less Lethal firearms/delivery systems and munitions ranging from 9mm to 50 caliber and impact rounds from 37 to 40 MM. The Defender I is the only true solution to these challenges. It is a five shot, compact, lightweight handheld revolver delivering 20-Gauge incapacitating projectiles.” Kuwait loves it! Me, not so much. You?
The post What Could Possibly Go Wrong: Lamperd Less Lethal Edition appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
In recent years there has certainly been no shortage of sub-compact, “pocket-sized” 9mm pistols to choose from. Market demand has spoken, and manufacturers have answered with available products. However, if you’re a “cocked & locked,” hammer-fired kind of a gal (or guy) you’ve been almost completely overlooked. Thankfully, one of the only options out there happens to be a pretty good one — the SIG SAUER P938 . . .
In The Box
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO SEE FULL SIZE
SIG makes at least 10 variations of the P938, and my loaner is in the form of the P938 Rosewood flavor, which sports nice Hogue rosewood grips. In the lockable plastic case you’ll find the pistol, one stainless steel magazine, a chamber flag, gun lock (may vary depending on where the gun is shipped), owner’s manual, trial-sized tube of Mil-Comm TW25B grease & Mil-Comm promo flyer, and a minimalist Kydex holster with lanyard.
Holster
NOT A NECK LANYARD
Let’s start with the “holster” just to avoid any confusion and ensuing accidental deaths. While the P938 is an attractive pistol, it is not jewelry and this lanyard is not designed to be a necklace. Wearing it as such positions the muzzle within a foot of your chin, pointing at…your chin. So, not high on the recommended list (okay, maybe as the last item on your bucket list). This is probably obvious to you, but as the intended function of this holster does not seem to be mentioned in the owner’s manual or on SIG’s website I figured we’d briefly cover it here.
This tiny kydex piece clicks solidly over the trigger guard and ensures that the trigger cannot be depressed by objects in your bag, purse, pocket, waistband, tackle box, glove compartment, desk drawer, etc. The lanyard allows you to anchor the holster — maybe it’s more of a sheath, really — in said bag or clothing or container, so when the gun is drawn the holster is pulled off and stays behind. Shove the little gat down your pants or into your pocket and tie the lanyard to your belt. Drop it in your “go bag” and affix the lanyard to a handle or other point. Options are limitless, really. Just…you know…maybe not around the neck.
Build
All configurations of the P938 feature a stainless steel slide on an aluminum alloy frame. All are single action only, hammer fired, and sport an ambidextrous thumb safety. While some of the mechanics are different, at a high level the pistol is a miniature 1911.
Parts machining, fit, and finish are all good. Solid quality look and feel like you expect from most of SIG’s products.
A ball detent provides a tactile click when snicking the safety on or off. It requires specific intent to engage, but disengages easily and naturally with a downward sweep of your thumb. Very familiar to 1911 shooters.
Same familiarity, then, with the magazine release button and the slide stop lever. Not all “microcompact” pistols have their controls in the normal or expected locations, but once again the P938’s are in the “right” relative places for those familiar with a 1911 or, for that matter, with the vast majority of pistols.
Takedown is accomplished by pulling the slide back until the disassembly notch lines up with the slide stop properly, and then pushing/pulling the slide stop out of the frame. The slide is now free to slide off the front. Some similarities and some differences from your traditional 1911 design can be seen in the photo below.
One thing I found interesting is that there is no channel in the slide for the ejector — the ejector is actually spring-loaded and, to allow the slide back onto the frame, you must push and rotate the ejector forwards and down below the back of the slide. Once the slide is over it, the ejector springs back up into position.
A useful departure from the standard 1911 design is that an engaged safety does not lock the slide in place. This means you can rack the slide — thereby chambering or ejecting a round — with the safety on the entire time. The P938 also has a firing pin block safety. Some 1911s have both of these things as well, and an argument could be made that they’re desirable features in an everyday carry piece. Typical 1911s do have a grip safety, while the diminutive P938 does not.
Finish
The P938 Rosewood sports a Nitron-coated slide and a black, hard coat anodized frame. Some versions have bare stainless or two-tone slides, and some have nickel accents (slide stop, mag release, safety, mainspring housing pin). The P938 Scorpion is the only model without a black frame, instead rocking a Flat Dark Earth coating on frame and slide. I think it’s also the only one with front slide serrations. Grip styles and materials vary across the P938 line.
Sights
SIG’s P938 line comes with SIGLITE Tritium night sights dovetailed into the slide. A flat front ledge on the rear sight will allow tactical operator types to manipulate the slide one-handed (hook the rear sight on your belt or other object, and rack away). They’re actually the same, normal-sized sights you would find on a P226 and many other SIG models…
…which is actually a small point of contention for me. Take sights designed for a full-size slide and put them on a pocket gun and the distance between them shrinks, which makes the front sight grow in comparison to the rear sight.
Basically, the notch in the P938’s rear sight needs to be wider, and if this were my gun I would open it up a bit. There isn’t much light on either side of the front blade in the close-up photo above, and when you’re actually holding the gun out at arm’s length those gaps no longer exist. I know my offhand accuracy suffered a bit because of this, and if it weren’t for the nice dot on that front blade I think I’d be all over the place to the left and right.
Magazines
Most P938 variants come with the flush-fitting, stainless steel, 6-round magazine with flat, stainless steel follower seen here. SIG does make a 7-round mag with extended baseplate, and it’s included with a few of the P938 models instead. They’re both available for about $36 at a retailer. I’m not actually sure if any of the P938 configurations ship with multiple magazines in the box.
Trigger
A curved, serrated trigger rests in the undercut trigger guard. Mechanically it deviates from a 1911’s in that it’s actually hinged at the top (see pin below slide stop), so it rocks or swings like most modern pistol triggers do rather than pulling straight backwards like a 1911 trigger.
The trigger pull is quite good. Just a bit of slack (aka take-up or pretravel), basically no perceptible creep, and then a crisp break. Reset distance is a bit longer than a decent 1911 (possibly thanks to the firing pin block, which would explain the vast majority of the pretravel), but is still very short compared to the P938’s peers. There’s just a bit of grit in the trigger’s travel, which actually seemed to smooth out as I broke the gun in. The reset is a nice click that you can easily feel. I suppose it really isn’t fair to compare the P938’s trigger fundamentals to a quality 1911, so gauged against its microcompact peers I’d easily say it’s in the top tier.
With that said, a light pull weight doesn’t mean “good trigger” to me as it does to some folks, so SIG’s spec of 7.5-8.5 lbs sits just fine with me. Especially for a self defense pistol with a short trigger pull. My own testing with a Timney trigger pull gauge had this example coming in between 7 and 7.5 lbs each time, averaging out closer to 7.
Accuracy
Five-shot accuracy groups from a sandbag rest at 15 yards:
On The Range
With only one, 6-round magazine it was a bit of a slow process to really put a lot of lead on target, but I went through over 250 rounds of 115 grain reloads and 50 rounds of various factory ammo ranging in weight from the 92.6 grain Magtech to the 147 grain Federal American Eagle that were both also used in the accuracy testing above. I had no malfunctions of any sort.
The closest thing I could consider even approaching a malfunction is that the bottom of the slide seems to drag particularly hard on the top round in the magazine (and/or the feed ramps are particularly slippery). For example, insert a fully-loaded magazine and chamber a round. Pop the magazine out in order to top it off so you can carry the P938 at full 6+1 capacity. Well, when you eject the magazine — and it may not drop free in this case for the following reason — the top round is going to be pulled forwards toward the front of the feed lips. It will need to be put back in place before you can load that final round. My H&K P7 does this also, as do a decent number of other unquestionably high quality pistols, but they don’t all do it. The workaround would be loading a single round or at least some amount less than 6 into the mag, chambering your one-in-the-hole, then filling the mag the rest of the way. For the record, chambering from the magazine is suggested over dropping a round into the chamber and releasing the slide for safety’s sake as well as for extractor preservation. Pistol extractors, with very rare exception, don’t actually pop over the rim of the rounds, rather the rim slides up the breech face and under the extractor as the round is moving up into the chamber. The front of the extractor is almost certainly beveled so it’s capable of popping over the case rim, but it usually isn’t intended to and this can shorten its life or break it outright.
Considering the lilliputian SIG’s extremely light weight and the fact that one’s pinky finger has no home on it, I found its felt recoil to be pretty comfortable. Even the Magtech +P fireball monsters were surprisingly pleasant to shoot. At first, the safety was drilling me on the strong hand thumb but wrapping it a bit more to the side of my weak hand thumb rather than right over the top cured this. A larger beavertail would prevent the touch of hammer bite I got a couple or few times, but would obviously make the pistol longer as well and potentially less comfortable to carry.
Trigger pull was very nice. Consistent and repeatable with a clean break is always appreciated. My only gripe here would be slight discomfort in recoil. Despite otherwise softer-than-expected felt recoil as described above, there is some movement and muzzle flip that’s hard to avoid with such a light gun, and the bottom of the curved trigger gnawed away at my finger over time. Some combination of the muzzle going up, the steel trigger curving forwards at the bottom, and the trigger’s fairly square edges and gap at the front, bottom above the trigger guard. Only a minor annoyance.
On the range, SIG’s P938 was combat accurate for me. I don’t think I ever missed the hit zone of a torso target at 5 yards, but at 7 or farther when trying to shoot about as quickly as I could get a legitimate sight picture I would wander left or right towards the edges or totally off at longer ranges. Usually left, as the very slim grip and short reach to the trigger tend to slightly screw with my grip and trigger pull fundamentals until I get used to it. However, I’m blaming my just slightly-disappointing left/right accuracy on the sights. Again, I’d open up that rear notch a bit if it were mine.
Conclusions
Overall, the SIG Sauer P938 is more pleasant to shoot than you’d likely expect. I’m sure it would be even better with an extended mag that allows all five fingers to join in on the fun. It’s super light, feels like a “real gun,” runs reliably, and is one of the easiest-to-conceal 9mms available.
The cost of entry is on the high side, but the quality is commensurate. Where I really think the P938 is worth it is when you’re used to shooting a hammer-fired pistol with manual safety — especially and particularly a 1911. If you compete with a 1911, target shoot with one, carry one when your attire affords it, etc etc, then the P938 is a no-brainer. Same manual of arms in a carry piece or backup gun as your primary or as what you’re most used to and trained on? Yes, please.
Specifications: SIG SAUER P938
Caliber: 9×19 (there is a .22 LR variant as well as two 9mm-to-.22 LR conversion kits)
Capacity: 6+1 or 7+1 with extended magazine
Barrel Length: 3.0″
Overall Length: 5.9″
Height: 3.9″
Width: 1.1″
Weight: 16 oz with unloaded magazine
Sights: SIGLITE Night Sights
Grips: Hogue Rosewood (varies by P938 sub-model)
Trigger: Single Action Only. 7.5-8.5 lbs pull weight (7 lbs as tested)
MSRP: $805 for Rosewood (varies by sub-model. Most are $836. Scorpion is $893). Street price for Rosewood: ~$589+
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
Accuracy: * * *
It’s there mechanically, and the rear sight thing is an easy enough fix.
Ergonomics: * * *
I’d say it’s par for the course for tiny nines. If you’re a huge 1911 fan you’ll probably feel more generous here, but it definitely isn’t as ergonomic in the grip as, say, an S&W M&P Shield. Also the trigger nitpick.
Reliability: * * * * *
Works out of the box. Fed a variety of ammo including three brands of hollow points and cheap reloads. Zero stoppages. High quality.
Trigger: * * * * 1/2
Very good among pocket pistols.
Customize This: * * * *
Lots of holster options. Some sight, grip, and laser options as well. Swappable grip panels alone put it above the norm. No accessory rail, though.
Overall: * * * *
Okay here’s the deal. I personally like some other options a little better, especially for the price. The P938 isn’t going to replace my Beretta Nano, which is still my choice in this size category and my EDC. BUT…if my primary were SAO, cocked-and-locked, hammer-fired, and especially if it was a 1911 and/or my experience, training, etc. was on this manual of arms, I’d CCW a P938 in a heartbeat. It would be the choice without question, and it will be my recommendation for anyone who falls into this category (e.g. Nick Leghorn, who CCWs a commander-sized 1911 IIRC).
The post Gun Review: SIG SAUER P938 appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
You may have seen the commercial GLOCK produced for their G41 pistol, a.k.a. the other gun they introduced at SHOT in January. Now the Atlanta-based production company they hired, Modest, is out with a not-so-modest ‘making of’ behind-the-scenes look at how they created the spot, depicting some of the challenges they took on in bringing the creative types’ vision from story boards to YouTube. Hey, everyone has to earn a living, right? The premise here is a hijacked plane on the tarmac and a special forces team of operators operating specially, moving in on the target. Naturally, the G41 is the key to the whole operation’s success. Or not. As someone with a son who does this kind of stuff for a living (videos, movies, etc.) it’s six minutes well spent.
The post The Making Of GLOCK’s G41 Tactical Commercial appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
“A Castaic man fishing on the dam at Castaic Lake found a backpack that had been exposed as the water line has gone down 151 feet,” losangeles.cbslocal.com reports. “The bag contained a gun and a badge issued to an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.” So, how you ask, did an ATF agent lose his badge and gun in Castaic Lake, a 320k acre body of water formed by Castaic Dam on Castaic Creek, in the Sierra Pelona Mountains of northwestern Los Angeles County, California, near the town of Castaic? Oddly enough, the not-unexpectedly-unidentified ATF Agent in question has an explanation, of which I’ll share with you . . .
The ATF agent, who was not identified, said that he and a friend from the Los Angeles County Probation went to Castaic Lake in 1992 to enjoy a day on the lake. The duo decided to put their valuables in a backpack they took on the boat instead of leaving it in the soft-top Jeep they had driven, officials said.
t some point, the boat was swamped and the backpack, containing a gun, badge, pager, watch, what appears to be a class ring and a credit card-size calendar, went over the side and into the lake.
“As I opened it up a gun fell out,” said Poore. “I opened the wallet and there was a badge. I knew that I better go find the sheriff’s and give it to them.”
The officers told sheriff’s officials they got a lot of grief from their peers about losing their badges and weapon in the lake but were glad the items have been found and their story was validated.
Question: did the ATF record the gun’s loss in its database? Did the ATF agent suffer any consequences for his or her negligence? Did he or she report the loss of the gun to local police? Good thing Governor Brown didn’t sign SB 299 in 2013, which would have required “any person whose firearm is lost or stolen to make a report to local law enforcement within 7 days from the time the person knew or should have known [ha!] that the firearm was lost or stolen.”
Anyway, remember to save that excuse for as and when. “I lost it in a boating accident, just like your agent did in 1992 at Castaic Lake.”
The post ATF Agent: I Lost My Gun in A Boating Accident appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
“On Oct. 9, a Mexico City parking valet named Luis Martín Rocha Pérez, 26, posted to his Facebook page a few images that people had a hard time believing,” latino.foxnews.com reports. “In them a grown man – who turned out to be Rocha Pérez himself – appears to be holding a gun to the head of a toddler. The images quickly were redistributed by thousands of people across a number of social media platforms, often accompanied by comments like, ‘You are a horrible person and that baby should be taken from you.'” And worse. Sr. Perz removed the images and posted a YouTube video [after the jump] explaining that he meant no harm. It was a toy gun. A broma. In country where 43 student protestors were kidnapped and [presumably] murdered. And worse. Go figure . . .
The post Incendiary Image of the Day: Broma My Culo Edition appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
Today’s video is quite different from my normal testing. In this installment, I attempt to create the world’s first 9mm conversion of a .45 ACP GLOCK 21… a FrankenGLOCK. As far as I know, having Googled and consulting two GLOCK armorers, this hasn’t been done be-fo. One even told me it can’t be done. My purposes for wanting to try are similar to many folks who attempt wacky projects . . .
1) For the hell of it
2) Because I am cheap
What I really wanted was a long-barrel 9mm pistol for ammo testing purposes, GLOCK isn’t currently making a G17L, and I didn’t want to spend $600 for a test pistol. Thanks to Lone Wolf’s conversion barrel, I had hope for a much lower cost alternative. While the result isn’t perfect, it surpassed my expectations and it will certainly serve the purpose.
Now I’m inspired to convert this G21 into a do-everything pistol. Future installments will show my attempts to convert it to 10mm, to .40 S&W, to 460 Rowland, and even to a .50-caliber 50GI.
The post Just in Time for Halloween – ShootingTheBull410 Creates a G21 FrankenGLOCK! appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
The U.S. military has been thinking about trading up from their hodgepodge of 1980s era handguns to something a little more modern and modular. At the moment there is an array of different guns in service, from the Beretta 92FS to the SIG SAUER Mk25 to the venerable Colt 1911 and compact versions for the criminal investigation units. Simplifying their arsenal and ensuring interoperability even across branches of service would make acquisition, maintenance, personalization, and even sharing ammunition in combat far easier than today. The Modular Handgun System competition aims to do just that, and SIG SAUER just started showing off their entry in the competition at AUSA this week . . .
Thanks to an article by Rob Curtis over at GearScout, we have our first look at the new handgun. Using the SIG SAUER P320 design as the base, the MHS entry also seems to sport a manual thumb safety in addition to the striker mechanism.
Given the way the competition is being billed, it seems like SIG’s P320-based entry would be a shoe-in. In fact, that was one of the driving motivators behind the design of the firearm. The serialized part is a small removable aluminum chassis. The components can be then re-configured for almost any kind of firearm you could want. Moving from a 6″ 9mm competition handgun to a 3″ .45 ACP concealed carry gun is as easy as pie, and replacing major components is a snap as well.
The main competitors are still apparently using built-in chassis systems, where the aluminum chassis is permanently molded into the grip of the handgun. That makes changing grip sizes nearly impossible and severely limits the dimensions of magazines that can be used, as well as increasing the replacement cost should something happen to the grip. Drop a GLOCK from a helicopter and a cracked magazine well means the whole thing needs to be replaced. Do the same with a P320 and all you need to swap out is the grip. For $25-ish.
The post SIG SAUER Unviels the P320 MHS Edition appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
The 1911 handgun is the gold standard, in my opinion. The sleek and sexy look of the gun is just pure old school cool, and there are enough big name manufacturers of the firearm to keep the cost of getting your very own model pretty reasonable. But for those who bought a standard “mil spec” 1911 and want to tack on some accessories, the lack of rail space and the distinctly un-tacticality of the gun can be a problem. Enter the Recover grip for 1911 handguns . . .
The concept behind the Recover grips is simple: by replacing the grip panels with custom side pieces, you can use the existing screws to keep everything in place and not have to change anything on the gun itself. It’s a simple, non-destructive modification that allows you to quickly and easily strip the grips off if you decide you don’t like them. Which is entirely possible.
In addition to the screws in the grips, the Recover grip use the triggerguard as an additional anchor point to keep everything right where it should be. Two cross-bolt screws with nuts on the other side add some rigidity to the apparatus and keep the two sections from separating under stress. It makes for a fairly solid product, but the front section of the grip — the part that actually matters — is still cantilevered out in front of the anchor points. As a result, the weight of whatever you attach to that rail section will constantly be stressing the Recover every time the gun fires and may lead to the front section eventually snapping off. Time will tell.
I wasn’t able to make it snap during my testing, but I only put about 100 rounds through the gun. The reason: sucky ergonomics.
Let’s start with the obvious fit and finish issues. The grips look good at first blush, but when you look closer there is all kinds of excess material that could have been removed at the factory with about ten seconds of running a Dremmel around the edges. The most obvious of this excess material is on the inside of the trigger guard, where it has a tendency to cut into your trigger finger when firing if you don’t trim it off.
As a quick aside, it’s entirely possible to remove this material by hand as an end user and therefore eliminate the problem. However, here at TTAG we review guns and gear in the condition in which they arrive from the factory. In this case, the condition in which the item arrived can best be described as “unfinished” — in need of some finishing touches and a quick QC check.
Speaking of the rail section, the addition of the rail and the larger triggerguard section means that the gun will no longer fit into 99% of 1911 holsters out there. There are a couple that Recover has tested and confirms will fit, but for the most part your existing 1911 holsters will be rendered useless when you tack this onto your gun.
Moving to the rear of the grips, another issue presents itself. The grip on a 1911 is already sometimes too much for people with smaller hands. Adding slimmer grip panels is the typical solution to the problem. The Recover grips are not only as large as standard 1911 grips width-wise, but they also add a bit of material to the front of the grip (to stabilize the grips during recoil apparently). That makes them even longer than normal. Given that, people with smaller hands will probably want to steer clear, since the Recover-equipped grip seemed a touch large even for my huge paws.
The Recover grips are an interesting solution to a real problem, but honestly I don’t see the value. The grips cost $50, and that doesn’t include the light or laser or whatever you want to slap on the rail section. For comparison, a set of Crimson Trace laser grip panels for the 1911 handgun will run you about $299, all while still allowing you to fit your gun in its existing holster. If you want a flashlight too, that’s cool — Crimson Trace’s 1911 white light attaches directly to the triggerguard and works with their laser grips, all for $199. If the other alternatives weren’t available, I might be able to see how this would be a benefit to shooters, but given the other products on the market I think I’ll throw this in the “mall ninja” box along with the No Stock Needed.
Recover Rail Grip for 1911 Handguns
Price: $49.99
Colors: Black, green, FDE or camo (extra)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Ease of Installation * * * *
Just as easy as installing standard 1911 grips, except you need to also install two cross bolts.
Build Quality * *
Eh. Rough edges all over the place, excess material not removed from obvious locations. It just looks like they did a half-assed job.
Functionality * * *
It works, but unless you really want a rail section under your standard 1911 (like for a UM3 pistol sight) there are other products that can get you the same results for lights and lasers.
Overall * * *
For the stated purpose the thing works. It adds a rail section to your existing 1911 handgun. But all I keep thinking is, “why?”
The post Gear Review: Recover Tactical 1911 Grip appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
You’re looking at my new EDC holster, an “IWB w/ Adjustable Belt Clip” from Cook’s Holsters. I picked up the Beretta Nano version for testing in July and liked it so much that I couldn’t live without buying another one for my Taurus TCP. These things are beautifully simple, flawlessly finished, and add almost nothing to the footprint or thickness of a pistol, yet they offer quite a bit of adjustment options. For a lightweight pistol, this design is far and away my preference, and here’s why . . .
I’ve packed my Nano in a pretty good assortment of IWB holsters since I picked it up about 2.5 years ago, but have previously gravitated towards holsters with something flexible on the body-facing side. For most of this period, my go-to was a single-clip hybrid much like the Theis EZ-Clip I reviewed not long ago. However, the Nano occasionally found its way into a Remora for IWB and sometimes pocket carry. At first, since my previous carry experience was with a larger, significantly heavier pistol, the Nano went on a dual-clip hybrid holster. In my case a White Hat, but it’s similar in basic format to dozens of other holsters on the market from CrossBreed to Alien Gear (actually, I’ve been carrying Alien Gear’s Cloak Tuck 2.0 with three different guns for a couple weeks now and will review that in another month or so).
Right away I found a dual clip holster of that sort to be completely excessive for a small gun. With a large pistol — and by large I mostly just mean heavy — two clips help to distribute the weight on your belt and that backing does a good job of spreading out the weight and keeping much of it off your belt in the first place. But they’re a PITA to put on and to take off, and all of that extra surface area serves no purpose with a lightweight pistol but to bother you in various ways.
I then downsized to a single clip hybrid plus the occasional Remora (the TCP lived in a Sticky Holster, as my local shop carried that rather than Remora, and saw mostly pocket carry) and was completely happy. That is, until July, when I tried out the Cook’s IWB.
Svelte
Putting a pistol in a holster means adding to its size. If you’re sticking that holster in your waistband, any extra thickness, height, and width will be noticed.
Cook’s IWB is molded about as close to the lines of the host gun as can be. There’s just enough of a ridge on the top to allow for sight clearance, there’s a small flap of kydex in front of the trigger guard to allow for retention adjustment (more on that later), and the kydex wraps around the muzzle a bit for protection. It otherwise doesn’t pass the edges of the pistol, with the kydex trimmed exactingly along the bottom of the trigger guard, over the magazine release to protect it from accidental depression, and then up to the back of the slide to protect it from you and you from it.
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO SEE FULL SIZE
Standard kydex thickness is 0.080″, but Cook’s will whip up the holster in 0.060″ or 0.093″ for an extra $5. I called the owner to discuss these options when picking up the Nano holster, and he talked me into sticking with their standard.
This I found to be basically perfect and it’s definitely the choice for like 95% of applications. It’s stiff enough to give a really positive “snick” when the gun snaps into place, it’s extremely tough and durable, and the retention adjustment is very effective. I have a handful of other kydex holsters that use thicker kydex and it now bothers me. Cook’s standard choice hits that balance of durability, retention, and slimness right on the head.
For the TCP, however, which is such a freakin’ thin gun, I decided to give the lighter stuff a shot. Although I’d probably order the 0.060″ again for any other teeny micro compact .380-type guns, it flexes much more easily and doesn’t offer the same satisfying retention click without some assistance from your belt squeezing down on it to some degree. I have no fears of it breaking, but would not choose it for pistols larger than the mouse gun category.
Adjustment
Cook’s IWB w/ Adjustable Belt Clip is adjustable for cant as well as for retention. Ride height (depth in your waistband) is not adjustable, but Cook’s will gladly build yours with a custom ride height and there’s a field for requesting that as well as for uploading a photo of your desired ride height on the product page. Both of my holsters are in the standard ride height, and it’s right where I’d put it anyway.
To adjust for cant, simply loosen the mounting screws on the belt clip and then pivot it one way or the other. With the belt clip removed, you can see how nice and simple the design for this is:
Additionally, the range of cant adjustment is more than I’m used to seeing among holsters that offer adjustment. Basically from 0 to about 23 degrees, which allows it to work in a much broader range of locations along your belt and can help prevent printing:
Retention is adjusted by tightening down or loosening up on the screw in front of the trigger guard. This squeezes the two sides of the clamshell closer together or allows the rubber grommet in the middle to spread them farther apart.
I absolutely love the positive “click” sound and feel you get when inserting a pistol into a kydex shell like this, and I like the fact that I can turn it upside down and shake it a bit and the gun stays put. However, they still draw very smoothly.
Fit & Finish
This is the nicest finished kydex I have ever seen. All edges are rounded and smoothed out and there are no flashings/shavings or tool marks. Check out the round edges in the grommet photo above. The cut is perfectly precise. For instance, it’s so flush with the bottom of the trigger guard that it’s not easy to tell when your finger slides from gun to holster and back.
Molding is perfect. Retention is spot on and they haven’t dipped the kydex into the trigger guard. I’ve seen a lot of holsters where the trigger shape actually shows in the mold and the kydex is indented behind the trigger, which seems like a possible ND waiting to happen. The Cook’s is exactly as I would want it in every last way.
Concealment
Due to the extremely small footprint and the holster’s ability to hold the gun snugly to your body, plus the generous cant adjustment, concealment is basically as good as it gets. I don’t mind a clip that goes over my belt like these do, but for folks who don’t even want the clip visible externally there are options for that. Additionally, Cook’s makes a tuckable version of this holster that allows you to tuck your shirt between the holster and its clip.
If you want, you can also run holsters like this outside of your waistband but under your belt (not pictured).
Every Day Carry
As you can see in the photo above, I am not wearing a gun belt. In fact, it’s a cheapo stretchy belt from Target. The Nano is just light enough to get away with this and is totally solid on even a cheap, floppy leather belt. My normal attire would be jeans, this belt, and a t-shirt (untucked. It’s only tucked in for the purposes of that photo).
If you’re going to carry a pistol that’s a decent amount heavier, I’d suggest going with a stiffer belt or a legit “gun belt” (e.g. a leather one with stiffening insert or something like the Wilderness Tactical Instructor Belt I use for competition). Whereas a hybrid holster with leather backing tends to spread out the weight more and stick to your person a bit more, the slicker kydex doesn’t do this as much so your belt is going to do a bit more work. I’ll continue to use a hybrid style holster for heavy pistols, but only because I don’t enjoy wearing a gun belt on a normal, day-to-day basis. If I didn’t mind the stiffer belt I’d have a Cook’s IWB for all of my pistols.
Another benefit of this model, thanks both to its slim size and its smooth design, is that it’s a cinch to put on and to take off. No need to unbuckle your belt or do anything more extreme. Just stick the holster in your waistband and be done with it. Lift up on the bottom of the belt clip to pull the entire rig out. In and out, easy as pie. Of course, the flat ridge inside the belt clip ensures that it won’t pop over your belt unless you want it to.
Again, the Cook’s IWB adds almost nothing to the pistol’s footprint so it’s as unlikely as possible that you’re going to be poked or prodded somehow. I have trimmed the backings of leather and hybrid holsters in the past, because the leather has jabbed into me — sometimes multiple inches away from the firearm. That’s a good sign that your holster is adding too much size to the gun. What the Cook’s piece does add to the footprint, it rounds out. Many of the pistol’s square edges and corners are now covered in rounded out, smooth kydex.
The next step in creating a smaller holster is going to the trigger-guard-only style. Those have their applications, but for IWB carry it’s difficult to argue with muting hard edges and covering the slide and controls with a smooth surface. Plus the obvious sweat and gun oil barrier provided by the kydex, protection for the magazine release, etc.
Conclusions
For lightweight pistols with any ol’ belt, it doesn’t get better than this. I won’t be going back. It’s just so comfortable, so slim, and so very easy to put on and take off. For heavier pistols, I’d suggest either a hybrid holster or a stiffer belt, at your preference. If I eventually come across a stiff belt that I don’t find uncomfortable for daily wear, it’ll be Cook’s IWB w/ Adjustable Belt Clips for CCW across the board in my safe.
Quality and comfort here are absolutely top notch.
Specifications: Cook’s Holsters IWB Holster w/ Adjustable Belt Clip
Ratings (out of five stars):
Build Quality * * * * *
The best kydex finishing I’ve seen. Made in Georgia, U.S.A.
Fit * * * * *
Flawless.
Comfort * * * * *
A heavy pistol may benefit from the surface area provided by a hybrid style holster, but for a small pistol this thing rocks harder than a convertible on prom night.
Customize This * * * * *
Although there are plenty of selectable options on the product page, Cook’s will work with you on custom requests. J hooks, C hooks, other kydex thicknesses, colors, or patterns, custom cuts (e.g. leave the mag release uncovered or don’t wrap around the muzzle at all, etc), and more are all possible.
Overall * * * * *
Big fan.
The post Gear Review: Cook’s Holsters IWB w/ Adjustable Belt Clip appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
I would lay odds that the retired RCMP officer used a Smith & Wesson 5946 in 9mm. They come with 15-round magazines. I doubt that the RCMP used the politically correct 10-rounders. If you look at the video above, you can see the characteristic outline with the ejection port and the telltale stainless finish . . .
Another source confirms that the Smith is the choice of the RCMP. From Silvercore Firerams Training, BC (pdf):
Smith & Wesson 5946 – The Side Arm of the RCMP
Manufactured 1990 – 1999 A double-action-only (DAO) variant of the 5906, this can be visually distinguished from other models by the complete lack of decocker levers. Note that the hole is still there, and is just plugged, so it is hard to tell on a right side shot. The slide is also slightly longer at the back, almost concealing the rounded-off hammer, and the frame matches this contour. Issued at one time to numerous law enforcement agencies, notably the NYPD (not exclusively) and the RCMP.
Here is Sergeant at Arms Vickers getting an extended and well-deserved standing ovation as the House of Commons resumed business yesterday.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch
The post What Pistol Did Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers Use to Kill the Canadian Parliament Terrorist? appeared first on The Truth About Guns.
