Guns & Weapons For Law Enforcement - 2014 12 - 2015 01 (December - January)

Creating Weapons of
a Higher Caliber.
Made In
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FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
CONTENTS
DEC/JAN 2015 /// VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1

tactical-life.com /// guns-weapons.com
38
COLUMNS
Guest Editorial
9mm versus .40? ................. 7
First Responder
survival tactics ..................... 8
18
Agency Spotlight
Kentuckys elite enforcers .... 12
ON THE COVER
On The Job
handcuffing techniques ....... 14
Gear Bag
13 tactical gloves................ 34
High Tech
law enforcement UAVs ........ 58
Hot Pursuit
Chevys new Tahoe PPV ...... 70
14
80
FEATURES
ON THE COVER
LANCER L15 5.56mm NATO By Rich Grassi .............................................................18

A Professional Patrol AR-15 thats demanded by todays officer.
ATI TACPX2 12 GAUGE By Chad Thompson ..............................................................26
Lightweight pump action packs CQB-dominating power and reliability!
GLOCK 42 .380 ACP By Massad Ayoob.......................................................................38
Next-gen deep-cover pistol offers 6+1 rounds of backup firepower.
Less Lethal
next-gen Tasers .................. 80
New Products
new guns and gear ................. 82
Patrol Ready
12 dependable duty belts .... 90
Classified Ads
products and services ......... 102
Police Stories
deadly domestic .............. 106
ON THE COVER
SIG SAUER MPX 9mm By David Bahde ......................................................................46

Ultra-compact submachine gun born for 21st century CQB operations.
ENFIELD MERC415 5.56mm By Rich Grassi .............................................................52
Go beyond mil-spec with this Magpul-enhanced carbine.
WINDHAM WEAPONRY HBC 5.56mm By Jorge Amselle .......................................62
Heavy-Barrel Carbine bred for low recoil and faster follow-up shots!
ELEVEN STREET-READY HANDGUNS By Richard Johnson .................................74
Cutting-edge pistols and revolvers built for primary and backup LEO missions.
SIDEWINDER VENOM 500 12 GAUGE By D.K. Pridgen .........................................84
Adaptive Tactical upgrade takes your Mossberg pump action to the next level!
PRIMARY WEAPONS SYSTEMS MK3 By Todd Burgreen .......................................94
Turn cover into concealment with this sub-MOA .300 Win Mag countersniper!
Lancer L15 Professional

Patrol 5.56mm
By Sean Utley
FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
Publisher
Stanley R. Harris
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Associate Editor
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Assistant Editor
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Art Director
James Allocca
Cover Design
Socrates Gomez
Contributors
Massad Ayoob, Jorge Amselle, David Bahde,
Todd Burgreen, Scott Conditt, Kevin R. Davis,
Rob Garrett, Rich Grassi, Brian Haughton,
Richard Johnson, Richard Mann, Donald J. Mihalek,
D.K. Pridgen, Chad Thompson, Sean Utley, Steve Woods
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6 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
GUEST EDITORIAL
By David Bahde
Photos courtesy Hornady
9mm
VERSUS
.40?
Considering cost, capacity, recoil
and reliability for todays LEOs!
The extinction of the .40 S&W is anything but imminent. It remains a popular cartridge, and its proven itself in many police shootings. Many law enforcement agencies continue to use it. But the fact remains: Many are moving away from itmostly to the
9mmfor several good reasons.
Early on, the 9mm suffered from a lack of efciency, mostly due to its construction,
which resulted in either under- or overpenetration. At the time, the newly developed .40
S&W answered the call. Developed from scratch as a duty round, it seemed to offer some
advantages. Mimicking the 10mm FBI load in a smaller pistol, it simply worked, and its
terminal ballistics were on par with the .45 ACP without the 10mm recoil. It seemed like
a perfect solution.
But the 9mm has been improved. Across the board, it is much more effective, virtually at-lining penetration, expansion, accuracy and effectiveness among common pistol
calibers. Data from actual shootings proves this, showing no measurable difference in
effectiveness amongst the three main 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP chamberings. Shot
placementnot one magic bullet or a minor difference in caliberis the most critical element. And no pistol round facilitates better shot placement than the 9mm.
Reliability & Recoil

Most early .40 S&W pistols were 9mms converted to take the new chambering. This
changed with time of course, but .40 S&W versions can still be problematic by comparison. So I had to wonder: Why deal with reliability issues when the 9mm always works?
While recoil control is not a pistol issue, per se, it remains critical and causes problems for some law enforcement ofcers. When it came to training, if an ofcer was having
trouble with a .40 S&W, my simple solution would be to hand them the same gun in 9mm.
Almost without fail the problems disappeared. And ultimately what you want is for your
ofcer to feel condent with their rearm and hit what they are aiming at. If changing to a
9mm pistol does that, then all the better.
Capacity & Cost
While I understand that ofcers did it with ve shots and a revolver in the old days,
there is a reason those days are over. If you can carry a pistol that is roughly the same
size with a higher capacity, then you are foolish not to, especially in a duty situation. Eight
rounds is neunless of course you needed 10 on that day, or 17! With everything else
being equal, the more capacity the better.
Ammunition is costly, and prices probably wont come down anytime soon. For a police agency, the difference between purchasing 9mm and .40 S&W ammunition can add
up to tens of thousands of dollars. Maintaining the same level of training for less money is
just a budgetary reality. With no proven loss in effectiveness, possible gains in prociency
and thousands of dollars in savings, it is a no brainer.
Making The Switch
Yes, the .40 S&W worksthere is just nothing to prove it works any better than the 9mm.
As long as that remains true, LE agencies are going to keep migrating back to the 9mm, and
in my opinion they should. I carried a 10mm pistol for years, but the pistol on my hip is more
often than not a 9mm these days, and that is not likely to change any time soon.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
DEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 7
FIRST RESPONDER
BY MASSAD AYOOB
SURVIVAL
TACTICS
Over 700 LE experts gathered to offer insight on

limiting risk, mass murder responses and more!
The 10th Anniversary Conference
of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers
Association (ILEETA) drew more
than 700 police trainers from all over
the U.S. and several other countries.
It was an inspirational opportunity for all of us
to recharge our batteries with the best and
the brightest in the profession. There were also
sad goodbyes: Shortly before the seminar, Sgt.
Brian Stover passed away, only a day before
his scheduled retirement. A master instructor
in multiple disciplines, Sgt. Stover worked for
the Los Angeles County
Sheriffs Department
and did much good work
for ILEETA, and before that, for the American

Society of Law Enforcement Trainers (ASLET).
MANAGING RISK
Since The Job often puts you in damned
if you do, damned if you dont positions,
ILEETA gives instructors tools for explaining
their ofcers actions to the public and the
courts. In an excellent
presentation on
police/media
relations,
Rick Rosenthal told us
of Case
One, in which a department spokesman did a

perfect job of explaining why his ofcers had
done what they did. Then, when the reporter
said they were done, the cop and reporter chatted comfortably, with the lawman now leaning
back in his chair with his feet on the desk. The
camera was still running, though, and the TV
station showed him in that position with his
voice from earlier playing
over it. It made him
look overly casual
in dealing with
a serious
matter,
Rosenthal
The 10th Annual

ILEETA conference
offered insight into
modern threats
facing LEOs, such as
active shooters and
how officers must
work together to
stop the threat.
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pointed out. The lesson? You can never be

sure whats on the record.
Risk management expert Steve Ashley
pointed out that police instructors can be their
agencies best risk managers. He cautioned
that excited utterances in the heat of the moment can come back to haunt cops as well
as criminals, citing Case Two. Here, the
pursuit of a dangerous escapee ended with the
suspect hanging off a bridge. He was Tased,
lost his grip, fell a considerable distance and
was seriously injured. In a world of turned-on
microphones, one ofcer was recorded saying,
See that [expletive] fall? Another ofcer was
recorded saying, Some idiot up on the bridge
shot him with a Taser. None of this helped the
involved department in the subsequent lawsuit.
MORE WITH LESS

Police were already dealing with severe
training budget shortfalls when the ammunition drought hit. Many agencies reported
projected waits of nearly a year before their
ammunition orders would be in. Case Three:
a Federal agent reported that ammunition was
in such short supply, it looked as if his agents
would only have enough to qualify with in the
coming year, not enough to actually train with.
Case Four: a federal agent from another
organization mentioned that his agency was
looking at cutting rearms
An entire panel of experts

was devoted to responding
to mass murderers in
public places, with
emphasis on the role of
first responders.
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INTERNATIONAL LESSONS
qualications from quarterly to three times a year.
Many of the instructors suggested dry-drawing and dry-ring time, while others were purchasing airsoft equipment for training purposes.
Some recommended that rather than eliminating
training sessions when ammunition was short,
the time be used to emphasize hand-to-hand and
weapon-retention drills. Defensive tactics and
rearms instructor Larry Hahn gave an excellent
block on teaching action/reaction principles and
retention methods with dummy guns. He cited
Case Five, in which a deputys dashboard
camera recorded him being shot in the face during a routine trafc stop. The deputy went down,
and his attacker jumped from the car and tried
to shoot him again, but his pistol had jammed.
He pistol-whipped the cop, then tried to get the
ofcers Glock. The wounded ofcer successfully retained his pistol, then drew it and took the
ght to his opponent. The attempted murderer is
now serving a 60-plus-year sentence. The ofcer
survived and went back to work.
MASS-MURDER RESPONSES
An entire panel of experts was devoted to
responding to mass murderers in public places,
with emphasis on the role of rst responders. We
were reminded of Case Six, in which Deputy
Justin Garner was able to shoot down a mass
At the ILEETA conference, master instructor

Larry Hahn, right, uses real cops and fake guns
to demonstrate action/reaction lessons.
murderer in a retirement home, using his Glock

.40 service pistol to drop the shotgun-armed suspect at a range of 114 feet. And Case Seven,
where the rst responder to a mass murder at a
USAF base was a lone ofcer on bicycle patrol,
Andy Brown. Under re from a man with a drumfed, semi-auto AK-47 rie at 70 yards, Brown was
able to fatally shoot the man and end the killing
with just his Beretta 9mm service pistol.
Many on the panel noted that the current
term active shooter poorly describes these
incidents. Active killer is the term preferred
by panelist Ron Borsch, the retired SWAT cop
who pioneered the lone-ofcer protocol for rst
responders aggressively hunting down such

murderers. We were told that the Department of
Justice is now using the term active threat for
these incidents. Nor is shooting per se involved
in all such attacks. As the conference hosts
were setting up, Case Eight took place on a
college campus near Houston, Texas. Armed with
a box-cutter-type razor knife, the perpetrator
slashed 14 victims. And none of us needed to
be reminded of the horrors of Case Nine, the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attack perpetrated
by multiple suspects armed with box-cutters.
THE LEGACY CONTINUES

ILEETA membership is open to those who
train in the law enforcement/corrections/criminal
justice community. Visit the ileeta.org website to
see the incredible breadth of the training offered.
For example, each conference includes multiple
full instructor certication schools in various
disciplines, and assorted armorers schools. This
column barely touches the surface of the treasure trove of cutting-edge information that the
International Law Enforcement Educators and
Trainers Association has become world-famous
for delivering to our LEOs.
This article is respectfully dedicated to the
memory of Sergeant Brian Stover of the Los
Angeles County Sheriffs Department.
AGENCY SPOTLIGHT
BY ROB GARRETT
KENTUCKYS
ELITE ENFORCERS
Special Response Team lays down the law with top guns, gear and tactics!
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is

known as the Bluegrass State. The
15th state to join the union, Kentucky
is famous for Jim Bean bourbon, fried
chicken and, of course, the derby.
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is responsible
for providing law enforcement services and support for over 40,000-plus square miles. Since being formed in 1948, the agency has grown to over
1,000 sworn ofcers stationed at 16 posts. Unlike
most state and local agencies, the KSP maintains
a full-time, highly trained Special Response
Team (SRT) that consists of 11 troopers and one
sergeant. The unit is assigned under the Special
Operations Branch, which is also responsible for
the Canine and Hazardous Devices sections.
The KSP SRT unit is the only full-time tactical
team in the state. The unit responds to an average
of 70 calls a year. The unit handles the normal
SRT responsibilities, such as high-risk warrants
and barricaded gunman/hostage situations. However, much of the units time is spent conducting
counter-drug surveillance, assisting the aviation
section with marijuana eradication, and fugitive
investigations. In addition, the SRT assists in providing security for large-scale events such as the
Kentucky Derby and the Quaker State 400.
JACKS OF ALL TRADES

Being a multi-purpose team requires these
troopers to be jacks of all trades, meaning they
must receive a wide variety of specialized training.
While this training includes the normal entry and
tor course consists of 40-plus hours and involves

over 20 basic tactical skills. This ongoing training
also includes members attending the most elite
tactical and shooting schools in the country. The
team has completed Advanced Hostage Rescue,
Urban Sniper and Tactical Medical Integration
courses from Paul Howe at Combat Shooting and
Tactics. Howe is a former Delta Force team leader
who was involved in the Battle of the Black Sea,
also known as Black Hawk Down. The SRT has
also attended training at TMACS and the MidSouth Institute of Self-Defense Shooting.
SPECIAL GEAR
The KSP Special Operations Division consists of

the SRT, K9, EOD and aviation units, which train
together to handle multiple-threat incidents.
hostage-rescue techniques, the team also receives regular training in tactical tracking, wilderness operations, breaching and tactical medicine.
The unit also works closely with the KSP aviation
section and trains in aerial marksmanship, search
and rescue, and aerial rope operations.
To maintain these skills, the unit spends as
much time as possible training. This training
curriculum is made easier by all members of the
team being full-time and
stationed at the same location. The initial SRT opera-
Being constantly on call requires the team

to work from specially equipped SUVs that are
a combination of armory, ofce and camper. The
vehicles carry a variety of equipment, including rearms, ammunition, other munitions, body
armor and surveillance gear. Given their wide
range of missions, the troopers must carry their
equipment with them at all times. The team also
uses a Lenco BearCat when the mission requires
an armored vehicle. In addition, the SRT has two
Chevrolet Tahoes that are equipped to serve as
mobile command posts.
The agencys history of duty weapons is
interesting. During the mid-1990s, the KSP followed the lead of the FBI and issued the Smith &
Wesson 1076 in 10mm. During the late 1990s, the
agency was looking for a reliable and compact
backup pistol in a service caliber. The .40
caliber Glock 27 was evaluated and then
approved. In 2004, after an extensive testing
program, the agency transitioned to the Glock
35 as the standard service pistol. The
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
G35 has a 5-inch barrel and ported slide which

helps manage the recoil of their issued Speer
155-grain Gold Dot hollow-point ammunition.
The agency was impressed with the reliability
of the Glock as well as its magazine capacity. In
2012, the agency upgraded from Gen3 to Gen4
G27s and G35s.
AERIAL MARKSMANSHIP
I recently spent two days with the ne men
of the SRT unit during a Helicopter Aerial Rie
Marksmanship (HARM) program hosted by the
KSP. While the unit had conducted internal training on aerial marksmanship, the HARM program
presented a unique opportunity. The course was
developed by Greg Coker of Shield 91 while he
was serving as an AH-6 pilot with the U.S. Army
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
(SOAR). Coker is an exceptional pilot as well
as an avid shooter. This combination resulted
in Coker developing the HARM program, which
was validated and is currently in use by the U.S.
military and several law enforcement units.
The complete KSP SRT unit attended the
training, along with ofcers from other Kentucky, Florida and Indiana agencies. The SRT
ran their HK416 ries equipped with Aimpoint
optics, SureFire lights and AN/PEQ laser units.
The rest of the class used a variety of M4
5.56mm carbines, with the exception of two
ofcers who ran 7.62mm LaRue Tactical OBRs.
The KSP aviation section provided pilots and
their OH-6 and OH-58 helicopters. The class
emphasized crew coordination and the marksmanship skills needed to engage a target from
a moving aircraft. The initial ight prole started
with the aircraft at an altitude of 100 feet and
a speed of 40 knots. Shooters learned to track

the target, keep the rie moving and sight in.
The HARM class is typical of the advanced
training that the SRT attends.
SHOTS FIRED
One SRT trooper told me about one of
their recent missions, where the team was
activated in response to shots red involving
KSP troopers. The troopers were responding to
a residence because of a reported disturbance,
possibly domestic. When troopers arrived,
a subject opened re from a concealed and
elevated position in the woods. The troopers
returned re, gained cover and set up a perimeter. The SRT was activated. Half of the team
deployed in a helicopter, while half responded
by vehicle. The team used the Lenco BearCat
to evacuate several troopers that were pinned
down during the initial gunre. The helicopter,
with two countersnipers aboard, provided
overwatch. Two SRT operators then rappeled
down onto a ridgeline above the subject. The
troopers closed on the suspect, who was found
deceased from a self-inicted gunshot.
The citizens of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky are protected by one of the most elite
special operations law enforcement units in the
country. During the teams 24-year existence,
only 52 troopers have worn the SRT patch.
With ages ranging from 28 to 42, the members
share a common bond and sense of purpose.
This is reected in the teams motto, Custos
Fratris Mei, or My Brothers Keeper. Should
you travel through the Bluegrass State, rest well
knowing that you are protected by this group of
dedicated professionals.
The KSP aviation unit has several

helicopters, including the ubiquitous
Bell Huey, and trains in tactical
insertion techniques and rescues.
ON THE JOB
BY KEVIN R. DAVIS
Big Stock photo
CUFF EM
Lifesaving handcuffing tactics to stay in control!

ntrol!
Fetters, shacklesthese are ageold terms going back to Biblical
days. Unfortunately, as long as
man has wronged his fellow man
think Cain slaying Abel here
the pursuit of justice has meant at
some point temporarily restraining
the guilty party in the process.
And metallic handcuffs have been a part
of that (and police work) since they were
developed and the rst paladin kept watch
over the sleeping citizenry.
Handcuffs have not changed much since
they were originally developed as oval-shaped
iron or steel rings that could be riveted or locked
shut with a length of chain between the two.
Every modern street cop carries at least one
set of handcuffs on duty. Most active street cops
I know carry at least two; it always seems that
bad guys, like wolves, travel in packs.
RESTRAINT TYPES
New handcuff designs over the last 25 years
include hinged cuffs, larger cuffs for bigger
wrists, models that include polymer in their
construction and ex-cuffs. Hinged cuffs restrict
movement more than conventional chained
cuffs, and they can be used to generate more
Handcuffs are temporary restraints that need to be put on and taken off safely. Here an officer
begins to handcuff a suspect using the LA Method, with his hands interlaced behind his head.
leverage to force a suspects hands behind his

or her back, or to apply pain against the wrist,
forcing the subject to comply and quit resisting.
Considering the ever-increasing amount
of gear cops are forced to carry on their duty
belts, lighter-weight handcuffs that incorporate
polymer in their lock housings can be a boon
for LEOs. ASP, Inc., makes handcuffschain,
hinged or rigid designsthat are made of aluminum or steel and incorporate polymer. ASP even
offers different color housings so that jailers can

segregate offenders based on classication.
Disposable restraints such as ex-cuffs are
essentially beefed-up cable ties that are designed to have a tensile strength of 300 pounds.
There are different makers of these plastic
restraints, which include single-loop versions,
double-loop versions and even plastic cuffs that
have a lock with a standard cuff key so you dont
have to remove them by using safety scissors or
snips.
p These plastic types of cuffs are nice because you can carry a lot for riot-control duties.
caus
IIve known ofcers who used to carry them
inside the brim of their patrol caps or under
ttheir duty belts back in the day. SWAT operators usually have several on their entry vests.
to
SUSPECT TYPES
SU
Pressure Point Control Tactics (PPCT),
P
defe
defensive
tactics or suspect control programs
teach that there are three types of people to
tea
handcuff: the totally uncooperative subject, the
ha
totally cooperative subject and the potentially
to
uuncooperative subject. The rst person, the
For easier handcuffing, you can place a
subjects hands behind their head (A) or
sub
interlaced behind their back (B), but you
int
first must make sure you have control of the
fir
subject (C) before you can apply handcuffs.
sub
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
totally uncooperative subject, must be controlled rst. Too often on the street I saw cops
trying to handcuff a person who was actively
ghting back. Tying up one of their hands
that could be used for striking, grabbing or
joint-locking the suspect, they would attempt
to chase the arm around as the subject ailed
or struck. Put simply, you cannot handcuff
someone who is ghting you. Concentrate on
controlling them rst, then handcuff.
The problems with dealing with the next
two subjects, who are either cooperating or
feigning cooperation, is that ofcers tend to let
their guards down. Ive seen ofcers gingerly
apply handcuffsPut your hands behind your
back, please thinking or operating under the
faulty assumption that if the ofcer acts nice
and handcuffs comfortably, the suspect will be
nice, too. Of course, when the ofcer makes
contact or applies the rst handcuff, the suspect realizes the gravity of the situation, i.e.,
they are going to jail, and the ght is on.
I tell my ofcers that when you penetrate
the reaction gap (move inside 6 feet) your
hands should be up and you should be ready
Make sure you take control,

cuff em correctly and
safely return home at the
end of your shift.
for resistance. Grab the subject rst, establish

control and then apply the handcuffs while
maintaining control. The rst handcuff is like a
switch, and you better be ready for resistance.
If the suspect resists, you can either
escalate your force control or disengage and
possibly attempt a remote control less-lethal
device, such as the expandable baton or Taser.
RULES FOR CONTROL

If the person is under arrest, handcuff them
rst. As soon as you develop probable cause to
make an arrest, handcuff them. It is much easier
to control or search a handcuffed subject.
Handcuff behind the back. There are rare
exceptions, of course, for the elderly, pregnant
or individuals with injuries or physical limitations/disabilities.
Handcuffs are ovals; wrists are ovals.
Match the oval of the cuff to the oval of the wrist.
This means pressing the single bar on the top
or bottom of the wrist, not the inside or outside.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
CUFF EM
Law enforcement officers must remain always

vigilant and anticipate resistance from the
subject once the first handcuff is applied.
Apply the handcuffs in the cufng notch

between the base of the palm and the ulna and
radius bones at the wrist.
Dont grab the arm or wrist where you are
going to cuff. Shake hands (palm to palm) with
the suspect as you handcuff. This offers control
via a joint lock (wristlock) and speeds application.
The chains grow out of the back of the
hands. This is an old rule which simply means you
should ensure the handcuff chains are positioned
to the back of the wrist so that, when both cuffs
are applied, the back of the suspects hands will
be facing each other behind their back, reducing
mobility and the likelihood of being able to bring
the cuffs under the legs to the front.
Handcuff, then check the gap with the tip
of a nger to make sure the handcuffs arent too
tight, and then double lock the handcuffs.
If you want to decrease resistance and
increase control, take the suspect to a kneeling or
prone position. You cannot and should not make
every subject kneel, but if the risk or threat is
greater, reduce their mobility by taking them off
their feet and closer to the ground.
CUFFING TECHNIQUES
Fingers Interlaced Behind The Head:

Known colloquially as the LAPD Method in my
neck of the woods, this technique starts with the
suspect standing or kneeling with their ngers interlaced behind their head. The key to this cufng
technique, which is also used to frisk suspects, is
to take the person off balance to the rear. If you
allow the suspect to stand upright, he or she can
easily escape and/or attack. The single bar of one
cuff is pressed down on the wrist at the cufng
notch. The key is to walk your hand around after
the rst cuff is applied to position your hand for
the second handcuff application.
The cuffed wrist is then moved out from the
body, with the ofcer moving the suspects wrist
and their hand in between the suspects arm and
body. This maneuver positions the suspects arm
for application of the second cuff and offers more
control. The cuffs are gripped between the lock
housings. (Please turn to page 100)
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GUN TEST
LANCER L15
5.56mm NATO
A Professional Patrol AR-15

thats demanded by todays officer!
By Rich Grassi Sean Utley photos
What if you wanted some additional duty accessories
The L15 Professional Patrol features a mid-length
on a patrol carbine and preferred to have them fac-
gas systema smoother operating system than the
tory installed, like a semi-custom/production AR-15?
carbine-length systems. The 14.5-inch, mid-weight-prole
You could contact Lancer Systems, known for its hybrid
barrel features a chrome-lined bore and the NATO-spec
polymer/metal magazines, and get the companys L15
1-in-7-inch twist rate. This is good for rounds weighing
Professional Patrol rie. Guided by a legitimate need for
between 55 and 75 grains. The carbine has a 5.56mm NATO
speed, accuracy and smooth operation, Lancer put toge-
chambernot a .223 chambermeaning it can re both types
ther an AR-platform rie in 5.56mm NATO that has light
of rounds. A Smith Enterprise Vortex ash suppressor is pinned
custom written all over itthe L15 Professional Patrol.
to the barrel, taking it to the non-NFA length of 16 inches.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Guided by a legitimate
need for SPEED, ACCURACY
AND SMOOTH OPERATION,
Lancer put together an
AR-platform rifle in 5.56mm
NATO that has light custom
written all over it
From its carbon-fiber

forend to its modular
lower receiver, the
Professional Patrol has
several custom-grade
features to give LEOs
the edge. Shown with
a Vortex StrikeFire II.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
LANCER L15
The rifle comes with Lancers enlarged

Tactical magazine well funnel, which
makes for faster, fumble-free reloads.
The magazine release is larger and easier

to reach, and the tab above it is the rightside bolt releasea clever innovation.
Surrounding the barrel is Lancers 12inch, carbon-ber LCH5 handguard, which

is smooth on all sides and comes with a
2-inch Picatinny rail at the front, in the 12
oclock position, for mounting a front sight.
The upper receiver itself has a top Picatinny rail for mounting optics. The handguard
is slim and lightweight. I get tired of typical
quad-rail handguards for stateside police/
defense carbines. We dont need to load
them up with gizmos. Just attach a light,
a sling, an optic and backup sights and
youre ready to go to work. The point of
having a short AR weighing between 12 to
16 pounds escapes me. At that point you
might as well get an M14.
The Professional Patrol features Lancers modular lower receiver, which allows
shooters to install three magazine wells
of different sizesStandard, Tactical and
Competition. My test rie came equipped
with the enlarged Tactical magazine well,
which is wide enough to ensure faster,
fumble-free reloads.
The lower receiver also features an
Ergo pistol grip, an ambidextrous bolt release and an enlarged magazine release
that is more like a tab than a buttonits
longer but still low prole. Its easy to reach
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and yet I never accidentally dumped a

magazine during
g testing.
While Ive used Ergo pistol grips
before, its been
en a few years, and this
model was a welcome addition on the
th
he
Lancer carbine.
ne. It has a good grip
angle, and its rubber over-molding
is quite grippy.
ppy. Im a fan of these
grips. As to the ambidextrous
bidextrous bolt
release, its a tab on the right side
ide
of the lower receiver, above the rectangular magazine release. I found the bolt
release handy when I shot the carbine lefthanded. You dont have to take your dominant hand off of the grip to release the bolt.
Farther back, the lower receiver sports
Lancers Single-Point Sling Mount, which
uses a nylon-coated, braided stainless
steel cable for attaching a sling. Its coating
helps it remain silenttheres no metal-onmetal noise from the attachment point.
Finally, the carbine has an adjustable
GL-MAG Survival buttstock from FAB
Defense. A grooved, rubber buttpad keeps
the rie from slipping off of your shoulder.
The base of the stock, just ahead of the
buttpad, is a magazine well, and a pad-
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
dle-type magazine
agazine rele
release
ea
ase is
located on the left side
e of the
stock, just ahead of the
he magazine well. While the stock
ock was a
little weird at rst, it grew
rew on me.
FAB normally sells the
he stock with
a 10-round magazine,
e, but my test
rie only came with two of Lancers
Advanced Warghter
er 30-round magazines (along with a trigger lock and a manual). Indeed, the stocks magazine well is
a handy place to store spare ammunition.
While I wouldnt carry a 30-round magazine
in the GL-MAG as a matter of routine, a reliable 20-round magazine (Lancer
cer makes
20-round magazines) would be great there.
The GL-MAG
stock holds an
extra magazine
and sports a
grooved, rubber
buttpad for shouldermounting stability.
LANCER L15
During testing, magazines held in the
GL-MAG stock never shook loose, but I
didnt get the chance to take the rie to
any tough training courses to really test
st it.
The stock also has ambidextrous, quickuickdetach rear sling swivel attachmentsa
sa
very nice, well-thought-out touch.
RANGE TIME
The rie came without sights
generally a good idea. For a rie of
this class, the user/users agency
will likely determine the best backup
sights and optics for their mission. For
or
testing I chose the Trijicon TA33R-8
8
ACOG, a 3x30mm scope that uses
s
tritium and ber optics to illuminate
te
its Red Chevron .223 Ballistic Reticle.
e.
I locked the ACOG onto the rie with
th
Trijicons TA60 mount.
I like this ACOG. The magnication
on
is helpful for target identication. Can
an
you identify a threat at 50, 100 or 150
50
yards with just your eyes? The magninication is low enough that using the
he
ACOG for close-range encountersfar
ar
more likelyis just ne. The long eye
ye
relief is critical if you need to mount
nt
backup irons. All you need is a quickkdetach mount and youre good to go.. I
collected some ammunition, my chroo-
nograph, a Bushnell spotting scope

and headed out to the range.
I found this carbine to be remarkably
accurate. The data may surprise you, but
after testing as many ARs as I have, Im
somewhat unsurprised. Its a high-quality carbine, and its likely to give you
results in the 1- to 1.5-MOA range
more accuracy than you need for a
carbine of this type. The average
ve-shot group with 55-grain Liberty
Silverado ammo was around 1.4
inches, and the best group measured 0.75 inches. Likewise, the
excellent Federal Premium ammo,
loaded with the 55-grain Barnes
TSX bullet, produced a best group
measuring 1 inch at 100 yards. The
average was just over 1.5 inches.
To say that the other loads
are bad would be silly. These
are great groups from a 16-inchbarreled carbine with a 3x optic
and a mil-spec trigger. Since the
Professional Patrol is designed for
law enforcement ofcers, I met my
friend Lieutenant Chuck Haggard
at the range for him to shoot the
Lancer and give his opinion.
The rst comments he made
had to do with the Trijicon
LANCER L15
PROFESSIONAL
L
PATROL
SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO Barrel: 16 inchess
OA Length: 32.5-35.25 inches
Weight: 6.5 pounds (empty)
Stock: FAB Defense GL-MAG Sights: None
ne
Action: Direct impingement semi-auto
Finish: Hardcoat anodized black
Capacity: 30+1 MSRP: $1,949.99
Another lower
enhancement is
the grooved, overmolded Ergo grip,
which provides a
rock-solid hold.
PERFORMANCE
Load
ASYM 75 OTM
CorBon 55 SP
Federal American Eagle 62 FMJ
Federal Premium 55 TSX
Liberty 55 Silverado LF
Velocity Accuracy
ccuracy
r y
2,510
2,855
2,698
2,893
2,993
1.50
5
1.50
5
50
2.00
0
1.00
0
0.75
7
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocityy in fps

or
by chronograph, and accuracy in inchess for
best ve-shot groups at 100 yards.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
GUNS
WEAPONS com
LANCER L15
ACOGhe really liked it. He was surprised
at the magnication and how much difference it made at 25 yards, and how little
difference there was from the usual 1x
duty optic up close. Its become a favorite
of mine for just that reason. The only real
downside for me is having to dump the optic if I have to use my backup iron sights,
but thats less a likelihood for me than for
an on-duty police ofcer.
The handguard being slim and light was
a plus, as was the mid-weight barrel prole.
These arent light machine guns, theyre
patrol carbines.
He mixed real 5.56mm NATO ammunition into magazines with .223 ammunition to
see if it would create any malfunctions in the
Professional Patrol and to determine if the
chamber as truly NATO-spec. However, the
gun didnt miss a beat throughout the test.
The Lancer
Professional Patrol
we shot was accurate
and reliable. The way
it was set up from the
factory made it easy
to shoot well.
The Smith Vortex ash suppressor is a

great addition to the Lancer carbine. Working with the carbines overall design and
gas system, it helps reduce muzzle ip,
making for a at-shooting AR. With magnied ear protection, we could hear the
hum of the Vortexs prongs after ring.
FINAL NOTES
Most, if not all, agencies have strict
standards on modifying weapons issued or
provided by ofcers. In that situation, getting the patrol rie set up for your agency
needs with the requisite gear from the factory is easier and has administrative advantages. The Lancer Professional Patrol
we shot was accurate and reliable. The
way it was set up from the factory made it
easy to shoot well. The mid-length gas system not only helps its reliability, but it also
makes for a smoother-shooting carbine.
For more information, visit lancer-systems.
com or call 610-973-2600.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
American Tacticals all-business

TACPX2 pump-action shotgun,
based upon a time-proven design,
is ready for mean-streets duty.
GUN TEST
ATI TACPX2
Lightweight pump action packs
CQB-dominating power and reliability!
By Chad Thompson Sean Utley photos
eedless to say, everyone

these days is looking at how
to save money without cutting
corners. Civilians are doing it,
as are law enforcement agencies.
To that end, there is a solid need for proven tactical
shotguns for duty use that will not break the bank. A
great example of one of these is the TACPX2 from
American Tactical (ATI). It is a 12 gauge, 18.5-inchbarreled, pump-action shotgun that is made in
Turkey by Ottomangunsand imported into the U.S.
by ATI. Itd be hard for you to nd a more affordable
pump shotgun ready for duty. Period.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
12 GAUGE
Upon visual examination, it is immediately evi-
a huge difference, and its a great advantage over
dent that the TACPX2 shotgun closely follows the
some other shotguns that weigh as much as twice
design of the Remington 870, and who can blame
what this one does. My test TACPX2 came with an
it for that? If I were to attempt to design a rearm,
appealing all-matte-black nish that included the
I rmly believe replicating one of the bestselling,
polymer stock and forend. Its crossbolt safety is in
most popular rearms of all time would be a great
the same place as the 870sjust behind the trig-
way to start. Just like its inspiration, this shotgun
gerguardand the action release button is just in
features a bottom-loading, side-ejecting receiver
front of the triggerguard as well. If ofcers are used
with a magazine tube under the barrel. The big-gest
to the 870, itll be easy to transition to this shotgun,
difference I noticed came when I picked the shot-
as every control works exactly the same.
gun up: The TACPX2s receiver is made from alumi-
The TACPX2 is capable of ring 2- or 3-inch
num as opposed to steel, and wthe entire gun is a
shells and will hold ve shells in the magazine
lot lighter as a result. For use on the job, this makes
tube plus one in the chamber when fully loaded.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
ATI TACPX2 12 GAUGE
With
its matte
black finish and
polymer furniture, the
TACPX2 is perfect for duty use.
The shotgun features a steel bolt assembly

for durability, while the receiver is made
of aluminum for reduced weight.
The enlarged triggerguard and crossbolt

safety, just behind the trigger, are
reminiscent of the venerable 870.
Because of the aluminum receiver, the

shotgun weighs 5.95 pounds unloaded,
and there are actually two things present on this shotgun that my personal 870
does not have: It features a ramped, riestyle front sight to accompany the rear
sight notch, and scope mounts are milled
into the top of the receiver on either side
of the rear sight.
The TACPX2 came in a cardboard box
with a gun lock and paperwork. After making my initial observations and picking the
shotgun up, I went ahead and took it apart
to see what the t and nish looked like
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
ATI TACPX2 12 GAUGE

SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE
Gauge:
a : 12; 3-inch
3 c chamber
a e
Buckshot
B
s
Barrel:
a : 18.55 inches
h
OA
A Length:
n
39.25
39
255 inches
h
F ra FliteControl
Federal
t n
W h e Super-X
Winchester
Super
p X
We t 5.95
Weight:
Weig
5 995 pounds
u s (empt
(empty)
p )
Slug
Stock: Synthetic
Sights: Ramp front, milled rear
Action: Pump
Finish: Blued
Capacity: 5+1 MSRP: $299.99
Pattern
t n
3.00
.
111 00
11.00
Accuracy
Federal LEO Tactical

Federal Power-Shok
Winchester Super-X
2.00
2.75
2.50
Chad Thompson photo
on the inside. I unscrewed the magazine

end cap and pulled the barrel offjust as
you might with any pump shotgun. Upon
removing the innards of the TACPX2, one
of the biggest things I noticed initially was
that the bolt can easily be removed without
any manipulation of the shell latches
latches. Once
O
the barrel was removed I simply pulled forward on the forend and the entire bolt and
carrier came out on the twin action bars.
Upon removing the bolt, another noticeable difference between this shotgun and
the 870 is that the bolt carrier is actually a
part of the action bars and isnt removable
from the forend assembly.
The bolt is solid steel and has a single extractor on the right-hand side. The
groove located on the left side of the bolt
that would normally allow for an extended
ejector on the inside of the receiver itself
is actually just a groove to allow the bolt to
Buckshot pattern in inches at 25 yards. Slug accuracy

in inches for best ve-shot groups at 25 yards.
move aroundan interesting concept for

an ejector on a shotgun. The entire ejector is simply a bump on the inside of the
receiver and appears to rely on aggressive
manipulation of the action to eject properly.
The last thing I did for disassembly was
take out the two pins holding in the trigger
group, removing the trigger group from the

receiver. The pins were easily removed
with a standard punch but were held inside
the receiver with the appropriate amount
of tension to avoid being worked out while
operating the shotgun. The trigger housing itself is comprised of mostly high-im-
ATI TACPX2 12 GAUGE
The TACPX2s polymer stock has a

newly designed buttpad that helps
absorb some of the recoil from hardhitting 12 gauge slugs and buckshot.
pact polymer, with the parts that take the

wear and tear being metal. There are also
some obvious differences inside the trigger group. The safety, for example, cannot
be readily switched over for a left-handed
shooter as easily as it is on an 870.
RANGE TIME
Satised with what I found internally, I
reassembled the TACPX2 and headed to
the range. One of the rst things I wanted
to test was the shotguns ejector design.
Now, on the 870, Remington actually
stakes the extended ejector through the
left side of the receiver to assist in positive
ejection. But this is a double-edged sword:
It makes the shotgun ultra-reliable in regards to positive ejection, but if the ejector
is broken, then the user is forced to have a
competent gunsmith reinstall and re-stake
a new ejector. Being a separate piece from
the receiver does inevitably make the part
more susceptible to breakage.
With the TACPX2 there is only a small
bump cast into the receiver to serve as
the ejector. Being a part of the receiver
minimizes the chance of breakage, and I
thought the concept was interesting to say
the least. It works in conjunction
with the extractor
and, as I thought, relies upon strong manual

manipulation of the forend in
order to be most effective. To prove
this, I loaded one shell directly into the
ejection port and closed the action. I then
slowly opened the action and moved it all
the way to the rear while observing the
shell in the chamber. The extractor pulled
the shell to the rear and then simply released the shell at the point of contact with
the ejector bump. I then combat-loaded
the same shell and moved the action to the
rear a little fasterthe shell came out, away
from the shotgun, as designed. On the third
try, I combat-loaded the shell and worked
the action as I normally wouldwhich is to
say I did not baby the shotgun but brought
the action all the way back and then all the
way forward briskly and, as I expected, the
shotgun functioned awlessly. I personally
nd this ejector to be functional as well as
interesting in concept.
Shooting the TACPX2 was also intriguing. The shotgun is a straight shooter, and
it ran without any hitches at all. However,
this shotgun isnt soft shooting. That isnt
to say that it is too abusive, but due to its
extremely light weight, the recoil from a
full-power slug or buckshot charge is not
The riflestyle front sight,

paired with the rear sight
groove in the receiver, makes
for a nice, clean sight picture.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Hartland, WI U.S.A. / Fax: 262-367-0989 / Toll Free: 1-877-BRAVO CO / 1-877-272-8626

* MOUNTING HARDWARE ADDS 2.2 OZ
BravoCompanyMFG.COM/KMR
ATI TACPX2 12 GAUGE
Officers accustomed to Remington 870

shotguns will feel right at home with
the TACPX2, as its controls are similar.
something I want to experience excessively. All shotgun shooters understand that

basic physics are applied when handling
something as powerful as 12 gauge slugs
and buckshotand a comfortably light,
easy-to-carry shotgun simply is going to
recoil more than a heavy one. Fortunately,
most agencies today recognize the inherent advantage of reduced-recoil shotgun
ammo, and that should certainly help a lot.
I tested the TACPX2s accuracy at 25
yards with 1-ounce slugs and ran the shotgun through its paces using a variety of
ammo. I tested the shotgun with reducedrecoil Federal Law Enforcement slugs, Win-
The shotgun is
a straight shooter,
and it ran without any
hitches at all.
chester Super-X slugs and Federal PowerShok slugs. All three shot ve-round groups
well at 2.75, 2.5 and 2 inches even, respectively. Two of the ve shots with the reducedrecoil Federal slugs fell into the same hole.
After extensively testing the TACPX2,
I can wholeheartedly recommend it as a
tactical LE shotgun. It is relatively inexpensive and based upon a tried-and-true
design, featuring some extras not even
found on much more expensive offerings from other manufacturers. If you nd
yourself in the market for a lightweight,
economical pump shotgun, give ATI a
chance. I think you will like the result. For
more information, visit americantactical.
us or call 800-290-0065.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
LET THERE BE
LIGHT BEARING.
BLACKHAWK! EPOCH LEVEL 3 LIGHT-BEARING DUTY HOLSTER

accepts most popular weapon-mounted lights and features a fast,
intuitive thumb lock release that reinforces proper grip
2014 BLACKHAWK! NORFOLK, VA U.S.A.
BLACKHAWK.com
GEAR BAG
BY RICHARD JOHNSON
13 TACTICAL
GLOVES
Get a grip and protect your hands
with these new duty-ready designs!
Often undervalued by desk jockeys counting beans at the department HQ, a good pair of gloves can be a street cops best friend.
DAMASCUS PATROL GUARD

The Patrol Guard gloves from Damascus Protective Gear feature synthetic leather palms and
the companys Razornet Ultra liner to protect the
ofcers hands. The Razornet Ultra liner is very resistant to cuts and has an anti-microbial treatment
to help prevent the gloves from picking up an odor
after months of use. For more information, visit
damascusgear.com or call 800-451-4167.
Quality gloves can protect law enforcement patrol and SWAT ofcers from abrasions, cuts,
needle sticks and bites. Gloves are a kind of body armor for the hands.
Like
ike any other
o
tool, there is not a single pair of gloves that is perfect for every occasion.
Many
ny cops have a general-use
gene
pair, another pair for winter duty and a third for high-risk
searches.
arches. Ofcers on a SWAT tea
team will frequently have special needs such as re resistance.
nce. Here is a look at some of the best choices
cho
in tactical gloves on the market today.
HATCH TWG-100 PATROLMAN

Hatch offers a duty glove that uses a soft sheepskin leather for the palm and a nylon spandex
for the back of the hand and sides of the ngers.
TheseTWG-100 Patrolman gloves have a CoolMax liner to wick away sweat from the hand. The
thumb and index ngers of the gloves also have
a conductive material to allow for the operation of
touchscreen devices. For more information, visit
hatch-corp.com or call 800-347-1200.
5.11
11 SCREEN OPS
PATROL GLOVES
Many departments provide of
ofcers
cers with touchscreen computers and tablets for essential
tial job
functions. The 5.11 Screen Ops Patrol Gloves
work with touchscreens but also provide ofcers
with second skin when patting down suspects.
Soft and snug, ofcers can readily manipulate
rearms while wearing these gloves. For more
information, visit 511tactical.com
or call 866-451-1726.
BLACKHAWK
CRG2 CUT-RESISTANT
PATROL GLOVES
When dealing with the dangers of razor
blades, broken glass and other cutting
hazards associated with pat-downs and
drug searches, the BlackHawk CRG2 CutResistant Patrol Gloves can provide a layer
of protection. For more information, visit
blackhawk.com or call 800-379-1732.
CONDOR TACTICIAN TACTILE GLOVES

The Tactician Tactile Gloves from Condor Outdoor Products combines a goatskin leather palm with TouchTec nanotechnology to give
an ofcer good protection and ample dexterity with the ability to use
touchscreen tools. Available in black, tan and MultiCam. For more
information, visit condoroutdoor.com or call 800-552-2554.
HEX ARMOR
SEARCH &
DUTY 4045
Needle sticks are a
very real danger
for law enforcement ofcers
when conducting searches when drugs
are involved. The Hex Armor
General Search & Duty 4045
Gloves will help protect against
them. The material built into the ngertips can
literally bend needles. The palm of the glove is cut
and puncture resistant. For more information, visit
hexarmor.com or call 877-668-3675.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
HWI GEAR
CTS100
The CTS100
from HWI
Gear combines
the ability to
use a touchscreen device with
cut-resistant Kevlar in
the palm. HWI uses
a exible, synthetic
material on the back
of the gloves that
allows for a very good
t and feel. For more
information, visit hwigear.com
or call 805-646-3879.
MECHANIX ORIGINAL
0.5MM COVERT
For general-purpose patrol
gloves that are good
for weapon manipulation, it is hard to beat
the Original 0.5mm
Covert from Mechanix
Wear. The gloves have
a snug-tting elastic
cuff, use anti-bunching
construction and are made
of TrekDry, a material that
allows for good airow. These gloves
are machine washable. For more information,
visit mechanix.com or call 800-222-4296.
OAKLEY SI LIGHTWEIGHT
Light and breathable, Oakleys SI Lightweight
gloves offer superior comfort to ofcers
working in hotter climates. The ngers have a
special surface pattern to enhance grip, and
the suede palms are perforated for increased
airow. These gloves are available in black,
coyote and foliage green colors. For more information, visit oakley.com or call 800-403-7449.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
13 TACTICAL GLOVES
OUTDOOR RESEARCH
COLDSHOT
PATROL INCIDENT
GEAR FDT ALPHA
Ofcers needing a cold weather glove

ve are
are
too often stuck with bulky choices
that severely limit their ability to
use handcuffs and weapons. The
Coldshot gloves from Outdoor Research offer improved dexterity and
feel while still providing insulation. TThe
he
gloves are also water resistant and have
ha
a neoprene cuff to help keep warmthh in and
the elements out. For more information,
tition
on, visit
outdoorresearch.com or call 855-967-8197.
677-81
8 97.
Designed for superior sensitivity and dexterity, the Full

Dexterity Tactical (FDT)
Alpha Gloves from Patrol
Incident Gear (PIG) offer
increased hand protection
while allowing a good shooting
grip. The trigger nger uses a very
thin synthetic leather for maximum
sensitivity. For more information,
visit patrolincidentgear.com.
Ringers Gloves offers exceptional protection to the hand

with the R-21 Tactical gloves.
The R-21 uses 6mm-thick
padding on the top of the
hand, knuckles and ngers to
reduce potential injuries. The
padding is segmented to allow
for better dexterity. For more
information, visit ringersgloves.
com or call 800-421-8584.
Gloves
are a kind
of body
armor
for the
hands.
RINGERS GLOVES
R-21 TACTICAL
TACPROGEAR GRIP
A general duty glove, the Tacprogear Grip offers excellent dexterity
and sensitivity. The ngertips are
tacky for a better grip, and there
is padding over the palm
and knuckles for increased
protection. A hook-and-loop
closure at the wrist helps
keep debris out of the
glove during strenuous
activity. For more, visit tacprogear.
com or call 561-865-7279.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
P320
WE
DROPPED
THE HAMMER
ON THE COMPETITION.
THE NEW P320. We asked leading law enforcement professionals

what they required in a pistol. They told us they needed safe, tool-free
disassembly. A smooth, consistent trigger pull. A proper t for any hand
sizenot just a back strap. We listened. And carefully followed orders. The
result is the P320. A superior pistol in every way.
Learn more at
SIGSAUER.COM/P320
GLOCK
GUN TEST
42
.380
ACP
hen it comes to
LEO duty pistols,
Glock is a trusted
and proven brand.
And, with the introduction of the .380 Glock 42, cops have a
great deep-cover or backup gun option
that works just like their primary duty gun.
The subcompact Glock 42 in .380 ACP
was ofcially introduced in January 2014,
but I was able to get an early sample for
The Glock 42 has an extremely
testing
g in late 2013. Only 0.94 inches thick,
short trigger reach, which will also endear
4.13 inches
ches high and 5.94 inches long,
it to petite female ofcers and male ofcers
this will pistol lie at against your body in
with short ngers. Its cartridge capac-
a pocket or vest holster without bulging
ity is six .380 rounds in the magazine,
through your
ur uniform. Weighing only 13.76
and a seventh carried safely in the ring
ounces unloaded,
aded, its feathery heft will
chamber of its 3.25-inch barrel. The pistols
be appreciated
ed by a uniformed ofcer over-
overall size is roughly comparable to the
burdened with duty gear, and the lightly
S&W Shield and Springeld XD-S, but its
dressed off-dutyy cop in hot weather alike.
distinctly lighter and thinner with much less
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Next-gen
deep-cover pistol
offers 6+1 rounds
of backup firepower!
By Massad Ayoob
Straight 8 photos
The new G42 is extremely

compact yet carries plenty of lifesaving
.380 ACP backup firepower as well as
Glocks renowned simplicity and reliability.
recoil. Though the internals are slightly
Factory specied fo
for a 5.5-pound trig-
lash. For targeting, the pistol has a stan-
different to allow for a drastically reduced
ger pull (gene

(generally measured from the toe
dard Glock white-outlined, square-notch
size, the mechanism and trigger pull are
of th
the trigger), my test G42s trigger had
rear sight and a white-dot front sight. Both
essentially all Glock, a system which has
a 7-pound pull weight when measured
were easy enough to see and align.
proven itself to be extremely shootable

sh
from the center of the trigger, where the
under stress for more th

than a quarter cen-
nger normally lies. However, because
tury. It is much easier to learn to shoot well
the short trigger reach lets shooters get
There is a long history of small pocket
than most micro .380 pistols, which tend

tha
more nger on the trigger, it felt like 5 or
guns being difcult to shoot accurately at
to recoil rather sharply and have relatively
6 pounds. The pull was smooth and the
distance. This is due to their short sight
long, heavy trigger pulls for every shot.
break was clean, without noticeable back-
radius, their very light weight in relation
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
RANGE TIME
GLOCK 42 .380 ACP

With a width of 0.94 inches,
a height of 4.13 inches and
an overall length of 5.94
inches, the Glock 42 is
very easy to conceal.
to relatively heavy trigger pulls and small

grip frames that dont allow for a full hand
grasp. Accordingly, it is customary to test
very small handguns like these at no more
than 15 yards, or as little as 7 yards. However, there are no bad guys whove been
across a parking lot shooting at an off-duty
cop who said to each other, Gosh, Spike,
that poor off-duty cop were shooting at only
has a little gun, so lets be fair to him and
level the playing eld. Lets get closer to him,
so he can shoot us easier. Accordingly, I
Clearly, the police

community is voting with
its feet and its wallets
in favor of these neat
little .380s.
make a point of testing off-duty and backup

guns at the same distance now included in
most service pistol qualications: 25 yards.
Initial testing showed the bullets grouping slightly left of the point of aim at 25
yards, but some quick work with a universal sight-pushing tool brought the point of
impact center and square with the point
of aim. Winchesters affordable, 95-grain,
full-metal-jacket (FMJ) White Box ammo
is a practice load for .380s, but some believe that FMJs are the best choice for a
defensive .380 because they guarantee
sufcient penetration. This load put all ve
shots in 3.6 inches at 25 yards, and the best
three into 1.6 inches. For perspective, a
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE
E
Caliber: .380 ACP Barrel: 3.25 inches
Load
Sean Utley photos
OA Length: 5.94 inches Sights: Fixed

Weight: 13.76 ounces (empty)
Grips: Polymer Action: Safe Action
The G42 has a short trigger reach and, like
all Glock pistols, has the trigger safety
toggle that prevents accidental discharges.
During testing, the Glock 42 pistol ejected

every spent casing reliably, thanks in
part to its external extractor.
Finish: Black, surface-hardened

Capacity: 6+1 MSRP: $480
Straight 8 photo
GLOCK 42
Velocity Accuracy
Remington 102 Golden Saber JHP

Winchester 95 White Box FMJ
871
873
3.55
3.60
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in

feet per second (fps) by chronograph, and accuracy
in inches for ve-shot groups at 25 yards.
group size of 4 inches at 25 yards is widely

touted as acceptable service pistol accuracy for a full-sized duty gun.
However, the round my test G42 liked
best was the heaviest .380 hollow point
out there, the Remington 102-grain Golden
Saber. Five shots went into 3.55 inches at
25 yards, with four of them in 1.45 inches
and the best three in 1.2 inches.
By the time I got to 7- and 15-yard accuracy testing, having run hundreds of
scarce .380 rounds through the G42 to test
its reliability and competed in two matches
with it, I was almost out of .380 ammunition. With some 95-grain PMC FMJ ammunition at 7 yards, ring at PPC competition
pace with a two-handed, standing Isosceles stance, the traditional ve-shot group
measured 1.15 inches, with four shots
just about touching in a 0.55-inch cluster.
Clearly, the G42 is one accurate .380 ACP.
IN PRACTICE
Glock Sport Shooting Foundation (GSSF)
pistol matches are hugely popular all around
the U.S., and they draw many cops. In Feb-
GLOCK 42 .380 ACP

ruary of 2014, I had the chance to compete
with the G42 in the rst two such matches
with the new Pocket Glock category, in
Orlando, Florida, and Grifn, Georgia.
Shooting from a standing, off-hand position and against the clock, I found the short
trigger reach could be a problem. Starting
with my nger out of the triggerguard (as
required) and coming up from a low-ready
position, I found that if I contacted the trigger with the pad of my trigger nger, I pulled
left. I quickly learned to center my ngers
distal joint on the trigger, as if shooting a
double-action revolver. The shots returned
to the center, but not before I had left one
steel plate standing in Orlando.
Otherwise, the G42 sent the bullets
where I held the sights, and I nished in the
MARIETTA PD
ADOPTS THE
GLOCK 42
Early in 2014, the Marietta, Georgia, Police Department
ent adopted the
Glock 42 as a backup/off-duty gun for its ofcers, perhaps the rst law
enforcement agency to do so. Their testing of early samples had shown
that the pistol was sufciently reliable and shootable for the task.
I spoke with Lt. Brian Marshall, the departments lead rearms instructor and a
regular trainer of trainers for the International Association of Law Enforcement
Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). Almost immediately, he told us, 70 of the 100 G42s
were spoken for, requested by working cops. The G42 had captured their attention
with its lightweight and at prole. Each was issued with an Uncle Mikes vest holster, though pocket and ankle holsters are also allowed.
RELIABLE BACKUP: Lt. Marshall is pleased with the transition to the .380 backup guns so far. These small Glocks have proven easy to shoot quickly and accurately
under stress. The ofcers familiarity with the Glock already eased the adoption of
the new backup/off-duty piece; Marietta has been a Glock department since the late
1980s. The agency prides itself on top equipment: They have issued Glock 22s with
Insight Technology M3 weapon-mounted lights for more than a decade. Lt. Marshall
is also one of the leading authorities on the use of weapon-mounted lights.
Training and qualication with the Glock .380
Marietta officer
include stages in which the ofcers sustain re
Jake King carries
with their .40s until they run out of ammunition,
his issued Glock
42 blackup in a
and then transition to the backup guns. Transitions
fast-access pocket
are encouraged at the end of all shooting drills
that is part of his
that run the primary gun empty. Shooting includes
bulletproof vest.
ring while moving, drawing while supine and other
wounded-ofcer survival techniques suited to
using secondary handguns.
The G42s reliability has been topnotch with U.S.-made ammunition, Lt. Marshall reports. The
currently issued load for the
G42s is the Speer Gold Dot,
though the department may
soon switch to Hornady Critical Defense, which
impressed the rearms training staff in IALEFIsponsored ballistic gelatin testing.
In adopting the Glock 42, this forwardthinking police department has made a move
that gives them a great option for backup carry,
allowing them in turn to better protect the public
they are sworn to serve. By Massad Ayoob
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
top ve at both Pocket Glock events. At the

Grifn match, my time was within a second
of my score with the Glock I seem to shoot
best, the subcompact, .45 caliber G30, in
what the GSSF calls the Major Sub category. With one shot per target, the course
of re is identical between Pocket Glock
and Major Sub. This told me that the G42 is
one shootable little .380!
Light and at, the Glock 42 disappeared
under my shirt in a Galco inside-the-waistband holster clipped to the top strap of a
Second Chance ballistic vest in a shoulder-holster-like position. It also carried very
comfortably in a Galco pocket holster in the
left-side pocket of some lightweight cargo
pants. In one department that has made
the G42 an optionally issued backup, along
with snubnose revolvers and subcompact
9mms and .40s already in inventory, the
comfort factor of the G42 is already skyrocketing it to the position of being the favorite backup in that department.
I ran hundreds of rounds through the
G42 in testing with zero malfunctions.
The only two malfunctions I later experienced were (naturally!) in the Glock
Sean Utley photo
GLOCK 42 .380 ACP
G42 magazines, which hold six .380 ACP

rounds, have witness holes so you can
easily see how much ammo you have left.
matches, one with Winchester at-nose ball

ammo in Orlando and the other with a Speer
Lawman round-nose FMJ in Grifn. Both
were premature lock-opens of the slide, and
each was cured by simply thumbing down
the slide-stop lever. One may have been
caused by the median joint of my right thumb
hitting the slide stop during the ring cycle.
UNDERCOVER
The .380 ACP has never been considered powerful enough in this country to be
an on-duty uniform service pistol. How-
ever, when concealability took priority over

power, .380s have been issued as primary
handguns to undercover agents, authorized for detectives and supervisors, and
issued as backups by various prestigious
agencies. The big complaint Ive heard
about the G42 from brother ofcers in person and on the internet is, It isnt chambered for the 9mm! If thats your concern,
I can only say, Wait a while. If thats not
a concern and youre comfortable with the
.380s power level, you know why cops are
ordering Glock 42s for backup and off-duty
carry in droves. We all know that with handgun ammo in general and less-powerful
rounds in particular, it takes precise shot
placement to end a lethal ght. The G42 is
one .380 whose design lends itself to such
precise shot placement.
Gun dealers serving law enforcement
agencies tell me that theyre already
hugely back-ordered on individual ofcers
purchases of Glock 42s. Clearly, the police community is voting with its feet and
its wallets in favor of these neat little .380s.
For more information, visit us.glock.com or
call 770-432-1202.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
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GUN TEST
Ultra-compact submachine gun

born for 21st century CQB operations!
By David Bahde
Early on in my police and

tactical team career, high
speed referred to how you drove
not the weapons or gear you elded.
Operators often made their own nylon, and tactics and
training were ad hoc at best. Training experts were few and
far between. Teams just did not share much, so you were
kind of on your own. Shortly after being placed in charge of my
Sean Utley photo
agencys tactical team, I made it my focus to get as much training

as possible. Thankfully, a friend of mine owned a gun store, allowing
me to get a second job to facilitate out-of-state training at my own
expense. Like most agencies in my area, outside training meant
travel to the next county, and that was about it. Since we elded
Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns at the time, HK seemed the
best place to start when it came to training. After I worked my way
Sig Sauers
new MPX
submachine
gun provides
AR-platform
controls in a
lightweight,
compact package
built for high-risk
entry operations.
through HKs Master Submachine Gun training course, I passed

that knowledge on to my team. My operators began to love the
platform and realize its effectiveness. To my amazement, however,
in each subsequent SWAT school, the guru in charge told me my
submachine gun was obsolete and must be replaced by a rie.
Ive spent close to three decades in the police world, and many
things termed obsolete seem to still be around. Unfortunately,
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Photo courtesy Sig Sauer
The MPX is available

in several calibers
and configurations,
including the MPXSD variant (shown),
which features an
8-inch barrel and an
integral suppressor.
obsolescence is more a product of
systems are almost exotic, and the AR-based systems have
what is popular, not practical. Fortu-
proven to be less than popular for a number of reasons. What
nately, time seems to prove that, with
todays operators really needed was a true submachine gun, built
more than a few weapons coming back
from the ground up, that utilizes all of the advantages of the AR
after being replaced by the next greatest
platform without its problems. It looks like Sig Sauer has just the
thing. Its true of pistols and shotguns, and

its also true of the submachine gun.
Contrary to popular belief, submachine
ticket with its next-generation MPX.
GUN DETAILS
guns remain a viable system for many different
The MPX is available in a number of congurations. The
applications. Some agencies remain unconvinced
standard model that I was able to test has an 8-inch, threaded
of the need for ries, or politics preclude them from elding
barrel. The MPX-P is congured as a pistol using the same
them. Submachine guns are a solid replacement. Truly urban
8-inch barrel with no stock. The MPX-SD model utilizes an
teams who prefer pistol calibers still use submachine guns. Their
8-inch, ported barrel that is integrally suppressed. For those in
compact size makes them a good choice for motor units or those
need of a shorter version, the MPX-K utilizes a 4.5-inch barrel.
working in close quarters. Detectives with my agency continue to
While offered in select-re, Sig Sauer is also doing a 16-inch
use .45 caliber submachine guns with great success. Protective
version for the standard rie market in semi-automatic verisons.
details often prefer pistol-caliber weapons for concealment, ease
All are available with either an aluminum or carbon-ber forend,
of use, efciency and repower, especially when suppressed.
and a folding or collapsible buttstock.
While the MP5 remains the most prolic given its time in
The 9mm SIG-SD silencer is available for use on the threaded
service, several other submachine guns exist today, including
barrels. The standard 9mm SIG-SD is 3.9 inches long, and a
the HK UMP (the MP5s replacement). Several other compa-
longer version like the one I tested will soon be made available.
nies have developed similar systems, and there are always the
Magazines are built specically for the MPX by Lancer Systems,
AR-type ries chambered in pistol calibers. Most of the newer
and they are available in 10-, 20- and 30-round capacities.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SIG SAUER MPX 9mm

The author tested the MPX with
a prototype 9mm SIG-SID
suppressor that did not
affect the weapons
reliability or
accuracy.
Sig Sauers
MPX-C will have a
specially designed muzzle
brake that is permanently attached to the 8-inch barrel, making it
a 16-inch-barreled weapon available for
civilian purchase. Congured in semi-auto,
it is still in the works and should hit the market as soon as it has made it through the
BATFE approval process.
The MPX utilizes Sig Sauers proven
short-stroke gas piston system, congured
specically for this platform. The use of a
fully closed and locked rotating bolt enhances its operation and safety. Barrels can
be changed in the eld to meet varying mission requirements, and the bolt holds open
on the last round. Starting out in 9mm, the
MPX is easily convertible to .357 SIG and
.40 S&W. A monolithic upper receiver with
an integral top rail allows for the use of any
common AR-compatible sighting system,
including red dots and holographic sights.
The MPX utilizes AR-style controls,
which makes for
minimal training
and transition
Sean Utley photos
time. Any AR-compatible trigger can also be installed.

The remaining controls
are also in the AR style,
including the magazine
and bolt release, which
are ambidextrous. The
non-reciprocating charging handle is placed similarly to an ARs, and it does
not interfere with any rail-mounted
accessories. While the excellent SIG516
pistol grip is used, any AR-based grip can
be added. Stocks are interchangeable and
can be congured based on mission needs.
RANGE TIME
I tested an early prototype of a standard 9mm MPX with a 6.5-inch barrel and
a folding stock while I was at the Sig Sauer
Academy. The stock folded to the left and
snapped into place nicely. You will be able
to order a production gun that both folds
and collapses. The prototype 9mm SIG-SD
silencer was attached to the threaded barrel; it measured about 5 inches in length
just a bit longer than the standard model.
For targeting, I had ip-up AR-style backup
iron sights as well as a Sig Mini Red Dot
Sight. Not only was this MPX a prototype,
but it had seen some serious range time
with an estimated 10,000-plus rounds of all
types of ammunition run through it. I used
both 20- and 30-round magazines. For
ammunition, I used Speer 124-grain FMJ
rounds. All of the testing was done in full
kit, minus a helmet.
After a few rounds to nd the proper
hold, I was able to stack three rounds on
top of each other on the head of a steel silhouette target at roughly 40 yards. Using a
similar steel target with a 4-inch swinging
hostage plate, I was able to pretty
much move the swinging
portion back and
SIG SAUER MPX

SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: 9mm Barrel: 8 inches
OA Length: 16.7-24 inches
Stock: Folding Sights: None
Action: Piston-operated, select-re
Capacity: 10+1, 20+1, 30+1
MSRP: N/A
Photo courtesy Sig Sauer
The MPX utilizes

Lancer-made mags
and either a folding
or collapsible stock.
The modular forend

makes it easy to
mount lights, lasers
and other accessories
like Sig Sauers
vertical foregrip.
forth at will. Shooting from roughly

20 yards off-hand,
the MPX seemed
to be as accurate
as a rie, more so
than a submachine gun,
creating one ever-larger hole in paper targets and a solid slab of lead on the steel
targets. As expected, recoil was all but nonexistent, and the SIG- SD suppressor kept
the SMG pretty much exactly where it was
aimed with very little movement. The MPX is
at-out accurate, no matter the conditions.
One of the equalizing factors with a
submachine gun is the ability to administer
controlled bursts on select-re. While possible with a rie, it can be very difcult with
an SMG. The standard during the Master
Submachine Gun and Hostage Rescue
school at HK was putting four rounds into
0.75 inches while moving and ring on fullauto. With practice, failure drills consisted
of getting nine rounds on target while on
the move. Mimicking this standard, shooting doubles and triples with the MPX was a
breeze. With a rate of re exceeding 1,000
rpm, its easy to get a lot of rounds on target
in short order. Shooting on the move, it was
equally easy to keep multiple-round bursts
on target. About the only thing the MPX
would not do easily was allow for singles
on select-re. Honestly, that is a product of
the rate of re and the AR trigger. I could do
it, but not consistentlyits about the same
with my M16 ries. From a practical perspective, it is less an issue with these controls, as moving back to semi-auto is pretty
easy, but it is something to be aware of. For
the most part, trigger presses on select-re
will be doubles or more.
The AR platform seems to dominate the
tactical world in America, and the MPX
uses the same basic controls. Itll
be very seamless to move
back and forth between an
AR-type rie and the MPX.
The MPXs reliability was also
excellent, especially considering that my test gun was a prototype. Ejection was consistent and
reliable. Magazines inserted easily
and t in my M4 magazine pouches.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SIG SAUER MPX 9mm
Sean Utley photos
The MPXs monolithic upper receiver

features a long Picatinny top rail for
mounting optics and sights, such as these
flip-up front (left) and rear (right) units.
Sized very similarly to MP5 magazines, my

guess is any of those would work very well.
FINAL NOTES
Suppressed, the MPX is almost completely ear safe (unless youre shooting
steel plates), and its easily usable on operations without hearing protection. Even
heated up during sustained re, there were
no visible point-of-impact shifts. Because
of the threaded barrel, the suppressor is
easy to remove, making for a really compact package. The 13.5x1 LH thread pitch
keeps the suppressor from coming loose
under sustained automatic re.
Its critical to remember that many ofcers these days have never seen an MP5
outside of video games. Most operators
have only run one system (an AR), and the
MPX is very easy to transition to. This allows
a team to change weapons based on mission without learning a new manual of arms.
The MPXs folding stock made it possible to start from a concealed position one
might use in a protective detail and move
smoothly and easily to well-aimed shoulder
reeven while I was on the move. It may
be the most versatile submachine gun produced in recent history.
Chambered in 9mm, the MPX is an
excellent weapon, and moving to the .357
SIG will add some serious ballistics capabilities to the platform. Given how well the
prototype worked, I am looking forward to
the chance to work with the rst production
guns. If you are looking for a solid submachine gun, make sure you check out the
MPX. For more information, visit sigsauer.
com or call 603-772-2302.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
GUN TEST
The new MERC415

carbine in 5.56mm
NATO is a reliable,
M4-style upgrade
born for LEO patrol
and SWAT details.
Shown with a
Bushnell TRS-32.
Go beyond mil-spec
with this Magpulenhanced carbine!
By Rich Grassi
Photos by Sean Utley
If youve not heard of the modern Eneld

Rie Company, or MERC, dont feel alone.
makes an AR-style rie in the U.S.A. In attempting

to attract buyers interested less in hobby-grade
AR-15 carbines, MERC has arrived at a Mil-
According to MERCs site, the company sought
GRADE standard, as opposed to mil-spec,
to bring the Old World aura to what it refers to as
itself somewhat of a misnomer.
New World technology. As MERC seeks acceptance from law enforcement personnel and citizens,
Mil-spec confers the understanding that the

particular rearm is built from its specied Techni-
the company used a name it says was previously
cal Data Package, or TDP. The TDPs are govern-
reserved for military and security forces.
ment owned and are supplied to manufacturers
The company, the site goes on to note, is 100

percent American owned, Georgia based and
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
attempting to bid on U.S. government contracts. The

prospective bidder has to agree not to use informaDEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 53
ENFIELD MERC415 5.56mm

The flattop upper
provides plenty of
space for sights and
optics, such as the
Bushnell TRS-32.
The Magpul MOE

handguard is made
of durable polymer,
and rail sections can
be added as needed.
tion contained in the TDP for any purpose other than the bidding process.
The information in the TDP is not supposed to be placed into any item made
for commercial consumption. Material
specications, certications of materials
and material suppliers, and military testing protocols are all part of the package.
Among the specications that do become
known are the materials and nishes.
The question then is how far can
you stray from USGI and still make
a quality product? Mission-essential
components and processes need to be
present. What does that mean for an
AR-platform rie build?
For MERC, Mil-GRADE stands for
Military-Government Requirements and
Data Equivalent. Critical raw materials
and components are ordered from the
same suppliers and vendors that supply those materials to Uncle Sam. The
parts dont come from military supplier
assembly lines. The big difference is
that raw material batches arent audited
by government inspectors and samples
arent kept for later government inspections or measurements.
The goal was to sell the most reliable carbine possible without the costs
of government inspection and examination. Non-essential components that are
seen as product improvements on the
original are added, like Magpul furniture.
GUN DETAILS
The MERC415 is an M4-style carbine
without the short barrel and the selectre capability. The 16-inch barrel has
an M4 prole and is made from 4150
chrome-moly-vanadium steel. The rie
has a 5.56mm NATO chamber, and the
barrel features 1-in-7-inch, right-hand
twist riing. The bore and chamber are
chrome lined, and the barrel has been
magnetic-particle (MP) inspected. Yan-
kee Hill Machines aggressive Phantom

ash suppressor is afxed to the muzzle.
The gun appropriately has a carbinelength gas system and M4 feed ramps.
The front sight base is F stamped,
meaning its made for the attop upper receiveran important feature if
you want to zero the carbine with iron
sights. T-marks are engraved along the
top rail, and the upper is mil-spec hardcoat anodized. The bolt is made from
MP-inspected Carpenter 158 steel. The
gas key, according to factory specs, is
properly staked. The extractor has the
appropriate spring and black O-ring.
The lower receiver has a rear sling
loop (MERC apparently prefers singlepoint slings, as theres no forward sling
attachment) and a mil-spec, six-position
buffer tube. The trigger is clean, not particularly heavy. Without putting it on a
rie vise and using a trigger pull gauge,
Im guessing it weighs about 5 pounds
or so, and its very clean.
The Magpul upgrades on the
MERC415 include the MBUS rear sight,
the MOE pistol grip, buttstock and handguard, and the included PMAG and enhanced triggerguard. The rie ships in
a hard plastic case with a foam interior.
RANGE TIME
For accuracy testing, I mounted a
Trijicon 1-4x AccuPoint scope on the
MERC415, loaded up my Shooting
Chrony Beta chronograph, some targets and an assortment of ammunition,
and headed to the range.
I began by patching the barrel and
ensuring we were operating on enough
lube. I set a target at 25 yards and
checked the optic. I had to adjust the focus when I ran the scope up to its maximum magnication and had little hope
I would be very close to center. Five
rounds later, I found we were headed
ENFIELD
D
MERC415
15
5
SPECIFICATIONS
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Barrel: 16 inches
OA Length: 33 inches
Stock: Magpul MOE
Sights: A2 front, Magpul MBUS
BUS rearr
semi
m auto
u
ackk
Capacity: 30+1 MSRP: $1,295
2955
PERFORMANCE
Load
Velocity
cityy Accuracy
c cy
ASYM Precision 75 OTM 2,604

04
Black Hills 68 Match HP 2,736
36
2,852
Hornady 55 TAP FPD
52
1 40
1.40
4
11.60
6
60
11.70
770
Bullet weight measured in grains,

a ,
velocity in fps by chronograph,
aph,
h,
and accuracy in inches for best
s
ve-shot groups at 100 yards.
rds.
ds.
low and left but were easily

asily
on paper.
I began testing the
carbines accuracy, allowing
wing
it to cool between shots. Knowing that the 1994 military
y standard for the M4A1 calls for a 10shot, 100-yard group not exceeding
5 inchesand knowing
ng what I
know about shooters and
d the various carbines Ive tested
d over the
yearsve-shot groups with decent
ammunition out of good
d M4-type
commercial guns tend to
o vary from
2 to 4 inches at 100 yards.
s.
I use a magnied optic to do
these tests, though Ive shot with
zero-magnication opticss and with
irons. As I age, I tend to
o move to-
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
The 5.56mm
MERC415
carbine
comes with
a polymer,
windageadjustable
Magpul
MBUS rear
sight that
flips up
quickly.
ward comfort and away

aw from a Spartan approach when it comes
come to accuracy testing.
The MERC415 w
was closing onto the
short list of the best of the carbines Ive
gotten to shoot. Th
The trigger no doubt
contributed to the sc
score, and the Trijicon
AccuPoint certainly d
didnt hurt. The bullet
weights, from 55 to 75
7 grains, didnt seem
to vastly inuence the groups, either
something Ive noticed
notice in other 1-in-7- and
1-in-8-inch-twist barrels.
barr
These twist rates
are supposed to be too fast for 55-grain
bullets, but they don
dont tend to display the
inaccuracy Ive been given to expect at 100
yards. I imagine greater
gre
distances would
create greater issue
issues for light bullets regardless of the barre
barrels riing twist.
LE INSIGHTS
L
Carbines like the
M
MERC415
are meant
for patrol duties, so I
removed the AccuPoint and zeroed the
P
iron sigh
sights. Using the A1/A2
AR-15 front sight wr
wrench from Brownells,
I got the gun on paper
pape at 25 yards and set
a hard zero out to 75 yards. My friend and
associate Tiger McK
McKee recommends 75
yards as a good compromise zero for
a defense carbine. Holding on
threats be
between 20 and 100
yardsaiming for the center of
yardsaim
their chestwill
chest
get solid hits assuming good trigger control. While
we can debate
debat zero procedures at
25, 50 and 100 yards,
yards for my purposes the
75-yard zero is the best
be compromise.
Having completed that chore, I set an
appointment to mee
meet with Chuck Haggard, a law enforce
enforcement ofcer, to get
his take on the ca
carbine. Haggard ran
three loads through the gun. I provided
Black Hills 55-grain ammunition, and he
brought some ext
extremely light ball ammunition as wel
well as some standard
M193 ball rounds
rounds. The Black Hills and
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
ENFIELD MERC415 5.56mm
The trigger is solid but clean.

The gun, with its chromed chamber and bore,
is more accurate than it has any right to be.
M193 chugged through the

MERC415 regularly. He had
a steel silhouette set up at
50 yards, and it was no
chore for him to smite the
steel with regularity.
He had no trouble hitting the steel with the 55-grain factory ammunition, either, but I noticed that
the empties just barely cleared the ejec-
tion port. At the end of the experience,

the steel badly needed repainting, the
rie needed to be cleaned and wed experienced no stoppages with PMAGs or
USGI-style aluminum magazines.
FINAL NOTES
In the end, its obvious that MERC is
serious about producing a superior product. With a price of $1,295, the MERC415
More upgrades include the

MERC415s F-stamped
front sight post, a YHM
Phantom flash suppressor
and a Magpul PMAG.
isnt exactly cheap, but it comes with enhancements and upgrades such that the
price point isnt out of line.
Further, its more accurate in my limited testing than some brands that have
been around for many years. And before
someone questions why part of the test
included ring with iron sights instead of
adding a zero-magnication optic, heres
the reason: Its not unheard of for a manu-
The upper receiver features M4 feed

ramps for enhanced reliability, and the
MERC415s controls are standard AR.
The lower receiver features a Magpul MOE

grip with a storage compartment as well
as Magpuls enhanced triggerguard.
facturer to put an AR-15 front sight base

on a at-top upper. The result is that you
cant zero the rie with the standard front
sight postit isnt long enough. Instead of
visually conrming the dimensions of the
base, we just shot the carbine with iron
sights. The Magpul furniture is familiar and
works just ne. The handguard keeps your
hand far enough down so you dont get
the unintentional M4 burn if you reach all
the way out to the front with your support
hand. The rear sight was easy to zero, and
the sighting arrangement worked just ne.
The trigger is solid but clean. The gun, with
its chromed chamber and bore, is more
accurate than it has any right to be.
I need another AR like I need a hole in
the head, but the MERC415 is a ne utility
carbine. Id certainly carry it. For more information, visit eneldrieco.com.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
HIGH TECH
BY SCOTT CONDITT
EYE IN THE SKY

Todays unmanned aerial vehicles
are ready for silent, ultra-HD
surveillance duties!
Draganfly
Innovations X-6
Draganfly Tango
fixed-wing UAV
Vanguard Defense
ShadowHawk
Its no secret that aerial reconnaissance and surveillance has played

an important role in both military
and law enforcement operations
worldwide for decades now.
Using air support to identify and track subjects of
interest and personnel on the ground, while relaying important information to central command, has
proven to be an invaluable asset in determining
strategy and keeping operatives safe. The latest
advancements in aerial surveillance technology
have not only dramatically reduced the overall
size of the aircraft required to perform such detail,
but they have also removed the need for a pilot to
be on boardor even at the controls at all.
Routinely referred to as drones, these
small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have
rapidly taken law enforcement operations to
new heights in the last few years. Resembling
sleek, multi-rotor-powered, remote-controlled
hobbyist aircraft, the new-school UAVs can t
into the trunk space of a police cruiser or SUV
and usually host an array of specialized features
for LEOs operating in the eld. From cuttingedge camera arrays to advanced navigation and
tracking systems, these rapid-deployment aerial
surveillance units are far from being a childs
plaything. To explore how agencies worldwide
are utilizing the technology, and where it may be
headed, we spoke with two of the leading UAVs
designers and manufacturers in the industry.
VANGUARD DEFENSE
In the last year, the uptick in [UAV] usage
has been tremendous. Weve worked with local,
state and federal law enforcement in supporting a
number of operations, noted Michael

Buscher, the CEO of Vanguard Defense Industries. With a 165-acre
training facility based in Conroe,
Texas, Vanguard has been
developing and supplying military,
law enforcement and commercial demands for
UAV technology worldwide since 2008. Vanguard
was even recently approached by the California
Highway Patrol and the U.S. Customs and Border
Protection agency for proposals and concept-ofoperations reviews, so it seems the tech trend is
clearly on the rise.
With budgetary constraints and resource
management routinely being scrutinized, an
attractive feature of the overall UAV design is that
they could actually save law enforcement agencies money. They come to us as an alternative to
their full-sized manned aircraft. Theyre trying to
do as much, if not more, with shrinking budgets.
They can now achieve aerial surveillance while
deploying the craft themselves from their vehicle
within 15 minutes versus relying on a third-party
air asset that may take hours to arrive on scene,
noted Buscher. According to the companys website, the operating costs of Vanguards agship
aircraft, the ShadowHawk, are calculated at approximately 11 percent of a manned helicopter,
which includes the difference in fuel costs/expenditure, maintenance and pilot pay.
Beyond the benet of lowering operating
costs, a number of the ShadowHawks operating
features further enhance personnel and public
safety, including military-grade, GPS-based guidance features and fail-safes. Buscher said, Our
aircraft are what is known as fully autonomous,
which means that the aircraft can be launched,
operated and recovered solely from a laptop. We can plug in up to 1,000 individual
GPS waypoints, which are geographical
locations the aircraft can be own to on
command, and its all GPS guided.
In developing a UAV for public safety, Vanguard rst approached the FAA in
order to ensure compliances were met
and to establish a cooperative and collaborative
relationship when designing its systems. While
taking the FAAs considerations to the drawing
board, at the same time, Vanguard approached
law enforcement agencies around the country for
their feedback on what would make a superior
unmanned system. At the end of the day, we sat
down with our team of engineers, we combined
those two lists and came up with an aircraft that
met or exceeded LEO requirements and made
the FAA exceedingly pleased with the way we
met their requirements.
SHADOWHAWK SPECS
Other features that dene the ShadowHawk
as a standout include its ability to maintain aerial
surveillance of an area (i.e., a house, vehicle,
person, etc.) at an altitude of 700 feet for up to
3 hours without being able to be heard or seen
from the ground, unlike a full-sized aircraft. This
presents a great advantage for an entry team
executing a high-risk warrant, rescuing a hostage
or other high-risk scenarios. The ShadowHawk
also employs a Kevlar-reinforced fuel tank, which
protects it in the event the craft should ever take
ground re. In such an instance, the militarized
ShadowHawk is capable of ring back, with either
its 40mm or 37mm grenade launcher or 12 gauge
shotgun rounds, all targeting with laser designator
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
systems. It should be noted that currently no

U.S.-based LE agencies are employing lethal
countermeasures in UAV designs, however,
videos online have featured independent UAV
designers successfully outtting Tasers, gas
canisters and non-lethal 12 gauge rounds to
their crafts in controlled demonstrations.
The ShadowHawks aircraft-mounted,
electro-optical camera, with its 36x zoom, is
so powerful and versatile that it can zoom in
and lock onto suspects below from 1,000 feet
in the air and not only determine if they are
armed, but whether or not there is a magazine
in the magazine well of the weaponand
even identify the weapons make and model.
All of this ultimately translates to ofcer safety.
Operators can also ip a switch to go thermal
with a FLIR camera for night operations.
The FLIR camera is so powerful and
clear that when someone walks through an
area you can actually see their footsteps for
several minutes after, depending on the ambient temperature around them, cited Buscher,
regarding how the ShadowHawk was recently
used during one suspect apprehension.
Vanguard has revealed that two new
models are on the horizon, slated for release
before the years end, including an electric,
hand-launched, tri-copter model and a hybrid
model of the ShadowHawk, which will be
primarily hydrogen powered and should offer
double the endurance of current models (up
to six-hour ight times) as well as reduced
heat and sound signatures. The tri-copter
new-school UAVs can fit

into the trunk space of a
police cruiser or SUV and
usually host an array of
specialized features for LEOs
operating in the field.
will be able to navigate hallways and interior

spaces easily, and users can ip between the
HD camera and thermal imaging systems,
allowing it to detect otherwise invisible thermal
handprints and footsteps leading from one
area of a home to another. The UAVs will even
be able to ascend vertically into crawl spaces
and attics without risking an ofcer or K9s
life. This capability alone is a far cry from the
heavy, loud and clunky ground-based SWAT
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
EYE IN THE SKY
UAV systems come in all shapes and sizes.

Reaching new heights, they provide unparalleled
vantage points for LEOs on the ground.
bots of old, which are still in use today for EOD and
recon in both the military and policing sectors.
DRAGANFLY INNOVATIONS
Dragany Innovations, based in Saskatchewan,
Canada, began its journey within the UAV hobby sector but has since developed a number of unmanned
aircraft now widely used by law enforcement, re,
and search and rescue operations worldwide. Kevin
Lauscher, head of industrial sales and training,
described how feedback from clients and public service agencies has allowed Dragany Innovations to
consistently improve its line of Draganyers to carry
heavier payloads and larger cameras, which are
now being combined with advanced data-collecting,
3D-mapping, forensics analysis and crime scene
software capabilities to aid in LE investigations.
Lauscher noted, As more people dig into these
systems and use the technology, it will become more
accepted and the true value of it will be seen. One
such demonstration revealed how a single Dragany
unit can y over a crash or crime scene and effectively stitch together a number of ultra-high-resolution photographs from multiple angles, combining
them into what is called an orthomosaic composite
3D image. This 3D image allows investigators to
virtually walk the scene later and zoom in on details
within approximately 5 centimeters in astonishing
clarity. According to Lauscher, the level of reliability,
quality of data, ease of use and cost efciency of the
unmanned aerial systems are major factors that have
driven interest from agencies worldwide.
Approaching and engaging suspects on the
run often involves a high degree of risk for ofcers.
Pursuing a suspect into the night can prove not only
be challenging, but it can also be fatal. For LEOs
everywhere, utilizing the
best possible tools available
CONTACT
within their agencies to
Draganfly
ensure that they make it
home to their families at the Innovations
draganfly.com
end of shift is priority one. In 800-979-9794
this respect, new UAV sysVanguard
tems offer law enforcement
Defense
agencies technologically
Industries
stunning and formidable
vanguarddefense.com
guardian angels.
877-436-9192
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
GEM-TE
CH.COM
Photo: Josh Wolfe
THE STRE
OF EACH NGTH
M
IS THE TE EMBER
AM
GMT-5
EXTR
SHOT
BOOTH SHOW
#20521
56LE:
EME D
UTY S
TESTE
ILENC
ER
D TO
SOCO
M STA
NDAR
GEMTECH 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
DS
GUN TEST
WINDHAM WEAPONRY
mm
HBC 5.56
In many parts of the world,
it is not unusual to see military
units patrolling tourist areas and
government buildings armed with
their standard-issue battle ries.
Likewise, specialized police units armed with
ries or submachine guns are common sights at
airports and other facilities overseas. These are
standard security and visibility operations that, to
some American civilians, might seem disconcerting when seen for the rst time.
American police ofcers, of course, dont use
their patrol ries to patrol in the traditional sense.
Rather, they use it as a specialized piece of
equipment with a specic purpose, and it stays in
the patrol car until its needed. As such, the ries
weight is less of an issue and the benets of a
heavy-barreled AR may be better appreciated.
Windham Weaponry, by now a well-known
and well-established player in the AR market, has
released the new HBC (Heavy-Barrel Carbine),
which offers all the advantages of its standard
ries and then some. Made in Windham,
Maine, by a cadre of veteran ARmakers with decades of experience, these ries have
found increased
62 GGU
62
GUNS
UUNS
NNSS & W
WEAPONS
EAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015
acceptance among law enforcement,

including Maines Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife.
GUN DETAILS
The HBC is a semi-automatic, directgas-impingement AR carbine chambered in
5.56mm NATO with a heavy-contour, 16-inch
barrel. Notably, the barrel is made from 4150
chrome-moly-vanadium Mil-B-11595E steel,
which makes it truly mil-spec with the proper
amount of carbon and vanadium to strengthen
the barrel. This high-quality level of steel isnt necessary for most sporting uses, but it is perfect for
a rie designed for serious duty or full-auto
re. The barrel is also chrome-lined for
added durability and reliability.
There are a few advantages in having a
heavy barrel.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Heavy Barrel Carbine bred for low recoil

Heavy-Barrel
and faster follow-up shots!
By Jorge Amselle Photos by Sean Utley
The heavier barrel of the HBC

adds weight up front, reducing
muzzle rise and improving its
accuracy to sub-MOA levels.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
WINDHAM WEAPONRY HBC
The six-position-collapsible stock makes

the rifle adjustable for various officers,
off
including those wearing body armor.
Heavy barrels on ARs are more

durable than standard barrels and
perform better during full-auto fire.
The extra weight towards the front of the rie

not only dampens recoil, but it also helps prevent
ent muzzle rise and keeps the rie on target
for easier,
ier, faster follow-up shots. The thicker
and stiffer barrel
rrel prole also helps minimize
point-of-impact shifts
ifts as a result of using a
sling or bipod, which can
n improve accuracy.
A thicker barrel also takes longer
onger to heat
up, which can improve user comfort.
rt Plus,
the Windham Weaponry HBC only weighs
hs
about half a pound more than the companys
comparable M4-prole AR carbine.
The barrel has a fairly standard 1-in-9inch twist rate, which does a good job of
stabilizing a wide range of bullet weights,
including very low-weight ones for specialized uses. A faster twist rate, such as a
1-in-8-inch or 1-in-9-inch, will better stabilize
much heavier .223 ammunition, bu

but this
is hardly necessary in most ap
applications, especially in the short ranges
typically encountered in law enforcement. I found that this ri
rie actually
performed best with 55-grain
55-g
ammunition.
Another mil-spec fea
feature is the addition
of M4 feed ramps at th
the back of the chamber. These are cut wider and lower than
those for the stand
standard AR rie, and are designed to improve reliable feeding of rounds
from the magaz
magazine into the chamber. This
can be especially
ecia important in carbines and
under less than ideal conditions where dirt,
grime and moisture can be introduced.
The standard threaded muzzle is topped
off with a removable A2-style ash suppressor, and the front sight base is elevation
adjustable.
Some folks are
sticklers for properly Fmarked bases on carbines, and
while the Windham Weaponry HBC is not
so marked, this is a distinction with very little
real-world application. Because of the difference in sight radius with a carbine over a
rie, an F-marked sight base is innitesimally lower than a standard base. This is only
an issue when using iron sights at distances
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
ETYMOTIC
RESEARCH
EB15
EAR PROTECTION
ELECTRONIC EAR PROTECTION

IS BECOMING THE NORM, ESPECIALLY FOR TACTICAL TRAINING.
While large muffs work, they can make
training with your entire kit problematic. Helmets often wont t, rie cheekwelds can be difcult, and muffs can be
easily dislodged by equipment, causing
hearing damage. The smaller the better,
and inside-the-ear
he-e
ear
protection iss
excellent.
I recentlyy
attended a
training session by Orion
n
Applications
that provided
d
a test bed forr
EB15 earplugs preserve
several solid
d
natural hearing yet protect
ear protection
ears from loud noises like
devices. Among gunfire and explosions.
the units used
was Etymotic Researchs compact, insidethe-ear EB15. It amplies ambient sound
while compressing rie and other gunre.
Its compact size allows for use with masks,
helmets and other tactical gear. Clear and
consistent impulse noise protection allows
for clear and consistent communication
during training and operations.
The EB15 has two modes of operation.
The high setting provides enhanced amplication (5X) when detailed hearing is
required. The low setting allows for normal speech while maintaining 15 decibels
of hearing protection. Along with several
foam inserts, there are a number of Accutip medical-grade eartips, allowing for
proper tting into just about any ear.
Used during a solid day of very vigorous training, the EB15 never fell out or
came loose. Once properly tted, they
remained comfortable and snug. After
a few minutes, you forget they are even
there. Priced at $499, the EB15 offers
state-of-the-art ear protection at half the
cost of its competitors. If you need compact ear protection at a reasonable price,
be sure to give the EB15 a look. For more
information, visit etymotic.com or call
888-289-6684. By David Bahde
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
The handguards have double aluminum

heat shields that protect the carbine-length
gas tube as well as the users hands.
past 200 yards, and it can be easily corrected by installing a taller front sight post.
Both the upper and lower receivers are
manufactured from forged 7075-T6 aluminum and feature a well-applied black hardcoat anodized nish. The upper receiver
features a attop design with a removable
carry handle with A4 dual aperture sights,
which are elevation and windage adjustable. There are no indexing marks on the
top Picatinny rail, so users will need to take
care when removing and replacing optics in
order to maintain proper zero.
The CAR-style black plastic handguards
feature double aluminum heat shields that
are extremely effective at protecting the
carbine-length gas tube as well as the users hands, as I can attest after a full day of
range testing with a hot barrel.
The bolt is made from Carpenter 158
steel, and it is both high pressure
(HP) and magnetic particle (MP)
tested. While many manufacturers will pressure-test their bolts,
The HBC comes with a removable carry

handle/rear sight that is adjustable for
both windage and elevation.
All of the controls are in standard AR

positions, and the trigger is a mil-spec,
single-stage unit that is ready for duty.
most do not bother with MP testing, which

is only required of true mil-spec bolts. This
consists of using a magnetic eld to detect any imperfections in the surface or
subsurface of the part, ensuring that only
the highest-quality parts are being used.
The bolt and bolt carrier are also both
phosphated and chrome-lined. The bolt
carrier has a mil-spec M16 contour, as opposed to a cheaper commercial bolt, which
is stronger and heavier to ensure longer
and more reliable operation, and its paired
off with a standard carbine buffer. It should
be noted that mil-spec M16 bolt carriers are
legal to install in semi-auto ries. The gas
carrier key is also properly staked.
The controls on both upper and lower
receiversdust cover, forward assist
assist,
ssist, bolt
release, magazine release, charging
cha
handle
and safety selectorare
are all located in the
familiar places, with
ith nothing being ambidextrous. There
e are clear safety selector
indicator markings
mark
arkings
on both sides of the receiver, so the ries

condition can be visually veried from either
side. The triggerguard is also the fold-down
aluminum type, which makes it easier to
use the HBC while wearing gloves.
The M4-type collapsible buttstock, which
features the Windham Weaponry logo, can
be adjusted for six different length-of-pull
positions, allowing ofcers with different
statures or wearing body armor to use the
same rie. The stock on my test HBC was
well installed and exhibited an excellent t
with very little play. Also, the t between the
upper and lower receivers was very tight, and
there was virtually no play between them.
On the range, the HBC was

handy and very comfortable to
shoot, with zero malfunctions
and excellent accuracy.

SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCE
Caliber: 5.56mm NATO Barrel: 16 inches

OA Length: 32.37-36.15 inches
Weight: 7.45 pounds
Stock: Six-position collapsible
Sights: A2 front, removable A4 rear
Load
Velocity Accuracy
Black Hills 60 V-MAX
2,895
1.40
HPR 75 BTHP
2,574
1.40
Winchester 55 FMJ
3,086
0.98
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by

chronograph, and accuracy in inches for best
ve-shot groups at 100 yards.
Jorge Amselle photo
GGUNS-WEAPONS.com
GU
UNS
NS-W
NS-W
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WEAAPO
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co
NEW
RAPiD SAFE
Fast, touch-free entry | Child-resistant design
KEY FOB
Place the bracelet, keyfob

or card over the RFID reader,
and the RAPiD safe opens
to present your handgun.
AC C E S S CA R D
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RAPiD.
Protection when you need it most. The patent pending RFID

technology affords the fastest access to your handguns. Simply
place the RFID bracelet, card or key fob over the reader, or punch
in your personal keypad code and the safe springs open to
present your handgun. A traditional key is also included.
FAST, TOUCH-FREE ENTRY
CHILD-RESISTANT DESIGN
MULTIPLE ACCESS OPTIONS
16-GAUGE STEEL CONSTRUCTION

WITH MOUNTING HOLES
READY 24/7 WITH AC POWER
& BATTERY BACKUP
1,500 LB.-RATED SECURITY CABLE

Do not store loaded rearms in any safe. Follow local laws for rearm storage.
800.338.3220 | HORNADY.COM
WINDHAM WEAPONRY
The lower receiver also features a standard military-type plastic pistol grip with a
nger groove and a slightly ared magazine
well. The Windham Weaponry logo is prominently displayed on the left side of the magazine well and consists simply of the company name in a cursive-type script, doing
away with a more aggressive logo that may
be off-putting to some department heads.
RANGE TIME
On the range, the added weight did indeed soak up some of the already low recoil of the 5.56mm NATO round and made
shooting signicantly more enjoyable. It
was denitely easier to keep the sights on
target for faster follow-up shots. I tested the
rie right out of the box and experienced
no malfunctions of any sort over two days
of range testing, with no maintenance performed in between.
For accuracy testing at 100 yards, I used
a 3-9x40 Trijicon TR20-2 AccuPoint scope
with a mil-dot crosshair reticle while ring
from a stable benchrest. The excellent ber
optics on the Trijicon scope gather ambient
light to illuminate the center amber dot of
the reticle without batteries.
From a benchrest at 100 yards, the
HBCs accuracy was actually quite good,
especially for a patrol rie. The average
spread for all types of ammunition tested
was under 2 MOA, and one ve-shot group
of Winchester 55-grain FMJ ammunition
produced a sub-MOA group. Once again,
this just proves how dependent each individual rie is on the type of ammunition
used. I have seen good-quality ries go
from sub-MOA to 4 MOA just based on ammunition selection.
Windham Weaponry ships its ries in a
black, hard-plastic case with one 30-round
magazine, a sling and a well-illustrated operators manual. A fully transferable lifetime
warranty is also included with every rie.
Those departments seeking a high-quality AR need only look to the good folks in
Maine for a very consistent selection. I have
tested nearly all of Windhams offerings and
have never had a single malfunction or poor
accuracy results. The company is also continuing to expand its offerings while striving
to meet growing consumer demand. Regardless, Windham Weaponry isnt cutting
any corners or sacricing on quality, and
this is a level of dependability that is sure
to be appreciated by any ofcer assigned
the HBC as his or her patrol rie. For more
information, visit windhamweaponry.com or
call 855-808-1888.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
HELD IN
HIGH
REGARD
The M&P15 series gives you the control and comfort you need
to stay on target. This lightweight modern sporting rifle offers a
6-position buttstock to adjust your length of pull, barrels that offer
superior accuracy, and customizable sights. These features help
you focus on just one thing taking your best shot.
See the full M&P Series at www.smith-wesson.com/mprifle
M&P 15T
5.56mm NATO
)&$%T4"&$%T A 2/AT"
HOT PURSUIT
BY DONALD J. MIHALEK
CHEVYS NEW
TAHOE PPV
Built from the ground up for maximum space, speed and power!
Photos Courtesy Chevrolet
In 1899, the rst police car hit the

mean streets of Akron, Ohio. Technically a wagon, it was built by city engineer Frank Loomis and ran on electricity with a maximum speed of 16
mph. It could travel 30 miles before
its battery needed to be recharged.
Akron Police Ofcer Louis Mueller, Sr. had the
distinction of driving the worlds rst police car,
which cost the whopping sum of $2,400 to build.
The vehicle was equipped with electric lights,
gongs and a stretcher, and its rst call was to
pick up a drunken man at the junction of Main
and Exchange streets.
Over the last century, the police cruiser has
changed with the times and needs of law enforcement, enabling ofcers to patrol more effectively. Over time, every type of vehicle has been
adapted for patrol uses, including cars, trucks,
vans, pickups and SUVs. In the past, a cruiser
would be generally equipped with lights, sirens,

jumper cables and, when they became available,
a car radio. These days, to address modern
threats and the expanded scope of law enforcement operations, most cruisers are geared up as
mobile tactical assault vehicles, all necessitating

the need for space and versatility.
In the past, vehicles were also converted
from existing automobile manufacturers eets
and equipped with a police package, turning
the regular car into a police cruiser, but now the
Chevrolet division of General Motors, the creator
of the beloved Chevy Caprice, has now gone
much further for todays LEOs.
MEET THE PPV
Chevrolet equips the Tahoe Police Patrol

Vehicle with an onboard tactical command
center to meet every officers needs.
The Chevrolet Tahoe Police Patrol Vehicle

(PPV), available in automatic two- or fourwheel-drive Pursuit models or four-wheel-drive
Special Service models, features an all-new
interior, exterior and EcoTec3 powertrain. The
new Tahoe PPV offers more power, greater
efciency and enhanced features that were
specically developed for law enforcement.
Designed with an ofcers comfort in mind,
the Tahoe PPV is one of the largest police vehicles on the market. It has additional space in the
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SPECIFICATIONS
CHEVROLET
TAHOE PPV
rear seat, which provides more legroom

Length: 16.8 feet
and easier access
Height: 6.2 feet
to individuals and
Width: 6.6 feet
equipment in the back
Weight: 6,800 pounds
seat. The Tahoe PPV
Wheelbase: 9.67 feet
is also lower to the
Engine: 5.3-liter Vortec V8
ground for improved
Displacement: 5,328cc
handling, especially
Horsepower: 320
at high speeds. It also
has front and rear
suspension systems that include stiffer springs
and shocks, and there is a stiffer jounce bumper
more ideally suited for police loads.
With a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of 6,800 pounds and able to carry a payload of
1,516 pounds, the Tahoe PPV is powered by
a 5.3-liter Vortec V8 engine that delivers 320
RSA steel-belt radial tires mounted on 17-inch
horsepower and 335 foot-pounds of torque. The
steel wheels. The Tahoe PPV also receives
Vortec V8 engine features Active Fuel Manageheavy-duty cooling from a higher-capacity radiament technology for improved fuel economy, and
tor and engine oil cooler, and heavy-duty ABS
it operates on fuel that contains up to 85-percent
brakes enable the vehicle to handle the rapid
ethanol. The engine is mated to a fuel-efcient,
starting and stopping inherent with police work.
heavy-duty, six-speed automatic transmission.
The Tahoe PPV also used a standard StabiliTrak
For catching crooks, the Tahoe PPV is
electronic stability control system with Proactive
equipped with V-rated, P265/60R17 Goodyear
The Tahoe PPV has

plenty of space and
a 320-horsepower
Vortec V8 engine.
Roll Avoidance and traction control to keep the

vehicle straight and balanced at high speeds
and during rapid turns, incorporating an electronic trailer sway control and hill start assist.
For underbody protection, Tahoe PPV
comes with a skid plate package that includes
a front underbody shield from behind the front
bumper to the rst cross-member. This package
CHEVYS NEW TAHOE PPV
The Tahoe PPVs StabiliTrak electronic stability

control system with Proactive Roll Avoidance
helps the vehicle handle high-speed turns.
protects vital vehicle components, such as the

oil pan and other drivetrain parts.
Additional standard equipment includes a
26-gallon fuel tank, a 160-amp alternator, a
660 CCA battery with run-down protection and
extended-life spark plugs. Dual 660 CCA batteries are also available. A fully integrated electrical
system makes it easier for the aftermarket installation of police-specic equipment, such as light
bars and police radios, saving time and money.
ON PATROL
According to the Michigan State Police,
who recently tested the vehicle, the Tahoe PPV
creates a comfortable ride for ofcers, with
an ergonomic rating that tops all other police
The new Tahoe PPV offers

more power, greater efficiency
and enhanced features that
were specifically developed
for law enforcement.
vehiclesand that agency ranked vehicles in 28

categories, including front seat comfort, ease of
entry/egress, outward visibility, control accessibility and more. The Tahoe had the highest score of
all the 2013 vehicles tested.
Federal, state and local agencies use the
Chevrolet Tahoe PPV for patrol, rst response,
tactical, HAZMAT, Border Patrol and K9 purposes. Its roomy enough to allow ofcers to
bring all of their gear to the ght, yet its agile
enough to be able to respond to any natural or
manmade disaster.
Police cars have come a long way since
1899, but the one thing that remains the same
is when the call goes out and the police need to
respond, their response needs to be with speed,
surprise and violence of actionall possible with
the Chevy Tahoe PPV. For more information,
visit gmeet.com.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
11HANDGUNS
STREET-READY
Cutting-edge pistols and revolvers built
for primary and backup LEO missions!
By Richard Johnson Photos by Manufacturers
Few things are more symbolic of a police ofcers authority than the duty pistol he
or she carries. From blued-steel wheelguns to modern polymer pistols, the handgun
has been an essential law enforcement tool throughout history. Here are todays
most popular law enforcement handguns for service and backup duties.
Photo courtesy Beretta
BERETTA
PX4 STORM
FNS-9
The Beretta Px4 Storm is

a thoroughly modern duty
pistol that uses a polyme
polymer fframe and
comes in th
three caliber choices: 9mm, .40
and .45 ACP. The Px4 Storm has interchangeable backstraps, allowing ofcers
to get the best hand-to-gun t. The Px4s
MSRP is $575. For more information, visit
berettausa.com or call 800-929-2901.
The FNS-9 from FNH USA is

a full-sized duty pistol in 9mm.
It has a polymer frame and a stainless steel slide. Each magazine h
holds
lds
17 rounds. This striker-red gun has
a frame-mounted safety and a pair of
interchangeable backstraps. Its MSRP
starts at $599. For more information, visit
fnhusa.com or call 703-288-3500.
GLOCK 22
GEN4
GLOCK 27
GEN4
The Glock 22 is a full-size

pistol that holds 15 rounds of
.40 S&W in a magazine. The current
G22 pistol has Glocks Gen4 treatment,
which includes an aggressive grip texture,
a dual recoil spring assembly and interchangeable backstraps to adjust the grip
size to better t an individual ofcers hand.
Its MSRP is $649. For more information,
visit glock.com or call 770-432-1202.
The Glock 27 Gen4 is a

compact pistol chambered for the .40
S&W. It operates the same as the larger
Glock 22 and can even use the larger
guns magazines. Its standard capacity
is nine rounds. While heavier than some
other options, the G27 Gen4 makes for
an excellent backup gun. Its MSRP
starts at $649. For more information,
visit glock.com or call 770-432-1202.
STREET-READY HANDGUNS
HEC
H
HECKLER
& KOCH USP
SP
The
e Heckler & Koch USP pistol was
designed
gned with law enforcement in
mind. The gun uses a polymer frame
with an oversized triggerguard for
gloved use. USP pistols come in a
variety of congurations, including
with a frame-mounted safety/decocker. USPs are available in 9mm,
.40 and .45 ACP. Its MSRP starts at
$952. For more information, visit
hk-usa.com or call 706-568-1906.
RUGER LCR
The Ruger LCR is a compact
ompact
revolver that uses an ample helphe
ing of polymer parts to reduce its
overall weight. Chambered in .38
Special, the gun can handle +P
loads. The trigger is very smooth in
large part due to Rugers innovative trigger cam system. The recoil
is surprisingly mild compared to
similar guns.Its MSRP is $529. For
more information, visit ruger.com.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SIG SAUER
P226
P226
26
SM H &
SMITH
WESSON
WESSO
WES
SSON
S
SON 642
SM
S
SMITH
&
WESSON
W
WESSO
SSON M&P
Unlike
nlike other modern d
duty pistols,
s, the Sig Sauer
S
P226 uses a
traditional metal frame. The gun
is extremely durable and very
accurate. Originally developed for
the 9mm cartridge, the P226 can
be had in .40 S&W and .357 SIG
as well. The MSRPs for Sig Sauer
P226 pistols start at $1,015. For
more information, visit sigsauer.
com or call 603-610-3000.
For a backup gun

gun, it is hard to
beat
eat the Smith
S
& Wesson Model
642. This .38 Special revolver has
an internal hammer to reduce
snagging during the draw. The
double-action trigger is heavy
but smooth, and the revolver can
handle +P ammo in its lightweight
frame. Its MSRP is $469. For
more information, call 800-3310852 or visit smith-wesson.com.
Smith
mith & Wesson M&P p
pistols are
polymer-framed
mer-framed handguns that use
a stainless steel inner chassis for
durability. Interchangeable palmswell grips are a standard part of
the M&P line. The guns are available in 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W
and .45 ACP. The MSRPs for the
M&P service pistols start at $569.
For more information, visit smithwesson.com or call 800-331-0852.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
STREET-READY HANDGUNS
SMITH
SM
MIT &
WESSON M&P
BODYGUARD
BOD
DYGUARD 380
DYGUARD
A recent addition to the M&P line
is the new Bodyguard 380,
0 a pisto
pistol
chambered for the .380 ACP round. It
has a double-action-only trigger and a
six-round magazine. Very at, the gun
is easy to conceal in an ankle holster
or on a vest. Its MSRP is $379. For
more information, visit smith-wesson.
com or call 800-331-0852.
SPRINGFIELD
D
ARMORY XD-S
XD
DS
The S
Springeld Armory XD-S is
a compact pistol that is available
in 9mm or .45 ACP. Single-stack
magazines keep the pistols grip
thinonly 0.9 inches wide. Yet, the
guns still hold a potent 7+1 rounds
of 9mm or 5+1 rounds of .45 ACP.
Its MSRP starts at $599. For more
information, visit springeld-armory.
com or call 800-680-6866.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
LESS LETHAL
BY RICHARD JOHNSON
NEXT-GEN
TASERS
Conducted-energy devices can defuse

fuse
a potential lethal-force encounter!
r!
Waving a sword, an emotionally

disturbed man stood on his Florida
porch screaming at ofcers.
What the irrational man did not realize was that
one ofcer was able to get close enough to
the porch to use his Taser X26. Moments later,
there was a pop as the darts shot from the
device, and with a chattering of electricity, the
man fell to the deck, rendered immobile.
In that incident, ofcers were able to successfully deploy a conducted-energy device
(CED) to take an armed subject into custody
without any injuries. Without the CED, there was
a very real possibility that the situation would
have escalated to the point where ofcers would
have been forced to shoot the subject.
WHAT IS A CED?
A conducted-energy device is a law enforcement tool that delivers electrical pulses to a
combative subject to cause a disruption of
muscle control. The CEDs from Taser International have been adopted by more than 17,000
law enforcement agencies in the United States.
Tasers less-lethal
weapons, like the X22
and X26, ride on thee
duty belts of more than
han
500,000 police ofcers.
ers.
Tasers shoot a pair
air of darts at the target. The
darts are connected to the handheld unit by thin
wires. The unit sendss the electrical pulses down
the wires to the target.
et. When properly deployed,
the suspects muscles
es lock up, preventing him or
her from attacking or resisting ofcers.
Numerous departments
rtments have reported that
injuries to suspects and ofcers decreased after
Taser CEDs were issued
sued to ofcers. Independent research also indicates
ndicates a reduction in
suspect and ofcer injuries
njuries when CEDs are
used instead of otherr forms of physical control.
One such study involved
ved 12 law enforcement
agencies and found that
hat the odds of suspects
and ofcers being injured
ured were signicantly
reduced when ofcerss used a CED.
In Study of Deathss Following Electro
Muscular Disruption, a 2011 National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) report, the authors stated that when
used properly a CED has a margin of safety as
When deployed, two dart-like probes shoot from a

replaceable cartridge loaded in the Taser X2 and conduct a
regulated pulse of electricity to incapacitate an aggressor.
Currently,
there are
more than
250,000 Taser
conducted-energy
devices on duty with
law enforcement officers
around the world.
great or greater than most

[less-lethal force] alternatives. This is not to say
that there are no risks
associated with CED
use. Rather, the
CEDs have
a risk factor
that, when
properly used
used, is the same as or less than other
accepted use-of-force options.
One thing ofcers should consider is that
applications of electrical impulses to someone for
longer than 15 seconds are not generally recommended. The potential health affects of long
exposures to CED discharges have not be adequately studied, and, frankly, if compliance isnt
gained after 15 seconds, continuing to apply the
CED isnt likely to increase the odds of success.
TASER TACTICS
In certain situations, a Taser can be used
to deescalate a deadly-force confrontation.
However, its deployment must be a coordinated
effort to maximize the safety of the ofcer
deploying the CED.
Consider the scenario presented at the beginning of this article. The suspect was armed with
a deadly weapon and was acting in an irrational
manner. Though the circumstances could have
changed in a heartbeat, the subject was not an
Photos courtesy Taser
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
immedi threat to citizens because he was on

immediate
a porch
porch. While several ofcers stood ready to
employ immediate lethal force, one ofcer was
able to get close enough to deploy his Taser
X26. If tthe subject had rushed the ofcer, the
cover of
of cers would have been able to shoot
and stop the attacker.
Recently in Canada, ofcers located and
Rec
cornered a stabbing suspect. While other ofcers
provided cover, one ofcer deployed his Taser
and successfully incapacitated the suspect,
who was then taken into custody.
wh
In an Arizona case, ofcers respondeed to a suicidal man who was armed
with a pistol. One ofcer covered the
w
man with his duty gun, while his partm
nner, unseen by the subject, successfully
ddeployed his Taser. Subsequently, the
man was taken into custody without injury.
Without tthe Taser, ofcers in both of these
incidents might have been forced to shoot their
respective subjects.
respectiv
The T
Taser is an amazingly effective intermediate-force option that has worked very well
mediatefor many ofcers. However, this effectiveness
may have built an unreasonable expectation
of succes
success into some ofcers. CEDs are not
magic too
tools that work perfectly every time they
are deplo
deployed. (Please turn to page 105)
The Taser X2 has a two-shot capacity in case
an officer misses or is facing multiple suspects.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
TACPROGEAR BONZ
GRID-HERCULES
BLACKHAWK
EPOCH HOLSTER
The EPOCH Holster delivers three
levels of weapon retention. The retention
system engages the pistols ejection port
and wont let go until actuated by the
single-phase, thumb-activated release.
Upon release, the Pivot Guard remains
open for one-handed holstering and
prevents users from being locked out
of the holster. This unique design accommodates popular under-barrel lights
such as the TLR-1 and X300 for added
versatility. The position of the Auto Lock
thumb release and outboard index nder
groove properly align the hand for a full
master grip. For more information, visit
blackhawk.com or call 800-379-1732.
CHRISTENSEN
ARMS TFM
The Tactical Force Multiplier (TFM)
rie was named for the combination
of attributes that make it more effective and accurate than others of
its kind. It dees traditional tactical
ries by providing the accuracy you
need while weighing half of what
youre used to carrying. The TFM
is available in several chamberings, including .223, .308, .300
Win Mag and .338 Lapua. The
.223 and .308 models come
with 24-inch barrels and weigh
8 pounds unloaded, while
the .300 Win Mag and .338
Lapua models feature 26-inch
bull barrels. All TFM ries
come with Timney triggers and
0.5-MOA accuracy guarantees.
For more information, visit
christensenarms.com or
call 888-517-8855.
The Tacprogear (TPG) Black Bonz GRIDHERCULES plate carrier is designed to hold any
of TPGs new NIJ-certied hard armor plates for
front and back rie protection in the full range
of military SAPI-shaped sizes as well as most
10-by-12-inch plate variations. The outer shell
is water, chemical, ame, abrasion and impact
resistant to help protect the tactical operator from
any scenario. In addition, the
Bonz GRID-HERCULES plate
carrier comes with
fully adjustable
bungee side
straps, allowing this plate
carrier to t
most individuals.
It is compatible with
MOLLE equipment
and an array of auxiliary components. For
more information, visit
tpgblack.com or call
561-865-7279.
MESA
TACTICAL
LUCY
ADAPTER
Mesa Tactical has
introduced an adapter
for 20 gauge Remington 870 shotguns
to use 12 gauge 870
buttstocks. Called the
Lucy Adapter, this
simple coupler simply bolts to the back
of a 20 gauge 870 receiver, allowing
the 12 gauge stock to then rigidly bolt
to the adapter. This greatly increases
the options and availability of buttstocks for the 20 gauge shotgun. The
20 gauge Remington 870 is an excellent platform for personal defense, but
it suffered from fewer tactical buttstock
offerings than its 12 gauge counterpart.
The Lucy Adapter solves this problem.
For more information, call 714-5453332 or visit mesatactical.com.
CTK P3 ULTIMATE
TARGET STAND
CTK Precision recently unveiled its P3 Ultimate
Target Stand, which is designed to give shooters
a stable target stand that can be adjusted to
accommodate paper and cardboard targets of
virtually any size. It sets up and breaks down in
seconds, with no tools required. Innovative clamping plates apply pressure to the furring strips over
a large area, providing a rm grip and hold on
the furring strips (not
provided). The 24-inch
angled legs provide
a stable four-point
stance, allowing the
stand to be set up on
uneven terrain. For
more information, visit
ctkprecision.com or
call 715-754-2891.
FRASER OPTICS
MONOLITE
Fraser Optics has launched its new
Monolite gyro-stabilized monocular with day
and night-vision eye pieces. This unit is especially unique since it has magnied and
stabilized night-vision capabilities. With the
12x night-vision eye piece, objects can be
identied in low-light conditions at long distances. Engineered with Stedi-Eye technology, the military-grade, lightweight Monolite
is the worlds rst gyro-stabilized monocular.
Ideal for law enforcement use, the internal
gyro will remove up to 98 percent of image
motion, providing crystal-clear, razor-sharp
images at great distances. Its also 100
percent sealed, buoyant, submersible
and waterproof. From more information,
fraseroptics.com or call 215-443-5240.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
GUN TEST
SIDEWINDER
The Sidewinder Venom kit can

convert your pump action into a
fast-handling, drum-magazine-fed
fight stopper. Shown equipped with
a Bushnell First Strike reflex sight.
84 GUNS
GUNS && WEAPONS
WEAPONS FOR
FOR LAW
LAW ENFORCEMENT
ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN
DEC/JAN 2015
2015
84
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
VENOM 500
12 GAUGE
Adaptive Tactical upgrade takes your
Mossberg pump action to the next level!
By D.K. Pridgen Steve Woods photos
he shortcomings of the most common shotguns found in

law enforcement work are twofold: capacity and relatively
slow reloading or unloading. With traditional shotguns, the capacity
problem is related directly to the tubular magazine length. To increase capacity, magazine
tubes have to be lengthened, a problem because most agree that the optimum barrel
length for an easy-to-maneuver shotgun is 18.5 inches, barring incursion into NFA territory.
An 18.5-inch barrel usually matches pretty close to a ve- or six-round magazine
tube with nothing protruding beyond the barrel. This is nice because the tube
does not extend much, if at all, beyond the muzzle, keeping the package
compact. Add a magazine extension and more rounds appear, but
the tube begins to protrude and now you have extra weight
created by more rounds toward the muzzle. Neither is
good for a ghting shotgun, so what can you do?
Then there is the loading/unloading slownessnot quite as slow as cold molasses, but it might feel that
way compared
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SIDEWINDER VENOM 500

ciency without breaking the bank. It
should come as
no surprise that a
company wanting
to modify an existing shotgun for tactical advantages would choose the Mossberg 500/590 platform for its subject.
MOSSBERG 500
The Mossberg 500, upon which
all of Mossbergs pump actions
The converted
are based, is a robust very usMossberg shotgun
able slide-action shotgun. Its built
sports an 18.5-inch
with an anodized aluminum alloy rebarrel and a bead front sight. The Adaptive
ceiver, twin action bars and an ambidexTactical kit includes a new magazine tube.
trous thumb safety located on top of the
receiver, making it easy to access with your
to a magazine-fed weapon. Stufng six ring-hand thumb from a traditional stock.
to seven shotshells into a long tube can
The twin action bars prevent binding
take a while. Removing them one at a time that might be found in single-action-bar
might take even longer. What if you could shotguns. Designed to be durable enough
bring magazine loading to your slide- to keep working even when dirty, and easaction smoothbore?
ily cleaned after the fact, Mossberg 500s
Since the companys introduction in are machined with tolerances that allow
1961, Mossberg shotguns have been dirt to collect without seizing up.
used by many law enforcement agencies
Mossberg 500s load easily and smoothand individuals wanting quality and ef- ly, and the magazine tube is straightfforward and simple to
emptywithout worke
The Adaptive Tactical forend, with its Kelly grip,
ing the slide in the proprovides an added layer of control and
cess. S
Strong dual extractors
makes it easy to fire the
provide redundancy to ensure
Mossberg 500
a recalcitr
recalcitrant, even dirty, shell
quickly.
ejects, should one
o extractor break.
The Mossb
Mossberg 500 Special Purpose shotgun I used (specically
Model 50421) for this article possesses all of tthe traits previously
mentioned with several additions.
With its 5+1 ccapacity, black poly-
LEOs
can opt for
a Sidewinder
Venom conversion
that includes an
M4-style collapsible stock.
mer furniture and matte-nished, 18.5inch, cylinder-bore barrel, the Special Purpose is very usable from the get-go. The
well-grooved black polymer forend includes
a nylon hand strap to increase your control.
The functional modications dont stop
there. The traditional buttstock has been
eschewed and an Advanced Tactical International (ATI) glass-reinforced polymer
Adjustable Shotgun Pistol Grip Stock with
a Scorpion Razorback recoil pad has been
added. Imagine an AR stock assembly,
with a buttstock and buffer tube, attached
to the Mossberg 500 Special Purpose by
an adapter that ts securely in place of
a traditional buttstock. An included ve-
ADAPTIVE TACTICAL 500

ADAP
A
SPECIAL PURPOSE
D.K. Pridgen photo
SPECIFICATIONS
S
SP
ECIF
PERFORMANCE
Gauge:
a : 12 (3-inch
( c chamber)
a e
Barrel:
a : 18
18.55 inches
h
OA
A Length:
n
36.33 inches
36
e
We g t 6.75
Weight:
7 pounds
p u s ((empty)
p y)
Stock:
t
Collapsible
a bl
Sights:
ig : Front
n bead
a
Action:
c n: Pump
m
Finish:
in : Matte
tt black/Multi-Cam
a M C
Capacity:
ap i y 5/
5/10+11 (2-inch
( ch shel
shells)
e
MS : $5933
MSRP:
Buckshot
Pattern
Federal FliteControl LE Low Recoil (8 pellets)

4.20
Remington Managed Recoil (8 pellets)
6.80
Remington Reduced Recoil LE (9 pellets)
8.66
Winchester Ranger LE Reduced Recoil (8 pellets) 10.00
Slug
Accuracy
Federal 1-ounce Hydra-Shok HP
Winchester 1-ounce Ranger LE
2.70
3.90
Buckshot pattern in inches at 15 yards. Slug accuracy

in inches for three-shot groups at 25 yards.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
round sidesaddle can be attached to either side of the six-position stock.

The Mossberg 500 Special Purpose is
an excellent shotgun for ofcers interested
in a ready-to-go LE scattergun. The simple front bead sight, without a rear sight,
is quite functional. Smooth-topped shotguns with only a front bead can do a great
job handling buckshot, and, for those who
practice, a good job with slugs. An ofcer
who wants a sight system can add one
of several complete ghost ring sight kits,
or order the Mossberg 51523, identical in
every way except possessing ghost ring
sights. Alternately, they can drop one of
Mossbergs Picatinny rails atop the drilled
and tapped receiver and install one of
Bushnells new 1x 28mm Multi-Reticle red
dot sight, such as the one I chose.
The 1x28mm Multi-Reticle sight is suitable for shotguns and ARs. It offers four
EACH MAGAZINE
LOADED SMOOTHLY,
inserting and locking into

the magazine well. Cycling
the new slide action was
smooth, and I experienced
NO PROBLEMS.
selectable reticle congurations, in either

red or green, with ve brightness settings. It arrived with everything needed,
including two mounts and a battery. The
non-magnifying sight was clear, crisp and
quick on target. With four reticles and two
reticle colors, each person can determine
the best setup for different situations. The
unlimited eye relief makes this new offering perfect for forward mounting and its
100-percent waterproof, fog-proof and
shockproof construction means it will hold
up well to 12 gauge recoil.
As mentioned, the 18.5-inch Mossberg
500 Special Purpose has a capacity of
5+1. Jumping to a model with a 20-inch
barrel will give you a 7+1 capacity. But
many people nd the additional inches
more cumbersome for working in close
quarters, offsetting the two-shell capacity
increase. Seemingly stuck between a rock
and a hard place, I needed an upgrade for
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
The Sidewinder Venom rotary magazine

is extremely durable, holds 10 rounds
and helps center the shotguns balance.
the 18.5-inch-barreled 500 that retained

its handiness. Enter Adaptive Tactical.
ADAPTIVE TACTICAL
For LE users, magazine-fed shotguns
have special advantages beyond capacity
and ease of reloading. Transitioning from
buckshot to slugs is a simple magazine
swap and cycle of the bolt. In fact, that
goes for anything an ofcer needs to ll
his or her shotgun quickly: accurate slugs,
fragmentary slugs, less-lethal munitions,
breaching rounds, etc. All can be loaded
in specially marked magazines. (With
less-lethal ammunition destined for a designated shotgun, of course.) Adaptive Tactical makes this possible.
A modern company, polymer is the
primary building block for Adaptive Tacticals Mossberg 500 conversion kit, but
there is also metal. For example, the veround box and 10-round rotary Sidewinder
Venom magazines that Adaptive Tacticals
conversion kits utilize are made of polymer and metal. And nowhere did I nd any
manufacturing defects in the metal or polymer. There were no ashing or unnished
areas in the polymer.
Converting a Mossberg 500 for the
Sidewinder Venom Magazine Kits is fairly
straightforward if you are capable of stripping the shotgun down to the bare receiver. A number of the parts from the Mossberg are retained; others are replaced,
including the action slide assembly and
the magazine tube, which are substituted
with metal counterparts.
The sturdy Adaptive Tactical magazine
tube contains a slide-action-operated piston. The piston moves shotshells from the
box or rotary magazine to the original lifter,
which raises it for pickup by the bolt, then
into the chamber. (Please turn to page 100)
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
PATROL READY
BY DONALD J. MIHALEK
12 DEPENDABLE
DUTY BELTS
Safarilands 851 belt

is curved to fit the
contours of the body.
Plainclothes and duty belts that will keep your gun and gear at the ready!
support. Riggers belts are 1.75 inches wide
and, depending on the model, have tensile
strengths ranging form 5,000 to 7,000
pounds. For more information, call 800-6945263 or visit blackhawk.com.
One day, while off-duty, an

ofcer walked into a store to
buy a cup of coffee. As he stood
in line waiting to place his order,
another individual walked up to
the counter and pulled a gun.
2 BULLHIDE BELTS
Jeff Goldberg photo
The criminal demanded money from the

register. The ofcer, seeing the danger,
instinctively reached to his right side, feeling for his gun. The ofcer always carried
off-duty. Patting near his waist, the ofcer
was shocked: His gun was not there. The
suspect ordered the clerk to clean out the
register. His pockets full, the criminal turned and
pointed the gun toward the customers, telling
them not to move. As a cold sweat broke out, the
ofcer kept thinking about his missing gun. Had it
fallen to the oor? Had he forgotten it? Thankfully, the suspect left without further incident.
When the ofcer returned to his car, relief
washed over him. Apparently, his belt, a imsy
superstore-bought piece of gear, had failed: In
the drivers seat of his car sat his gun.
Whether youre on duty, in plainclothes
or off-duty, the belt you wear may mean the
difference between life and death. If the belt is
imsy, thin or worn out, your gear could drop;
or, while rolling around, the belt could break
when its needed most.
3 BLACKHAWK
BlackHawk offers a range of duty, covert
and tactical belts that cover the spectrum in
terms of style and function. Perfect for plainclothes or off-duty wear, the CQC
Pistol Belt is both stable
and discreet.
LEOs must carry more gear than ever before to

be able to respond to every possible threat, so
their duty belts must be extremely durable.
Rendered in carbon ber and is available in

several nishes, the CQC looks like any other
1.25-inch dress belt, yet the belts reinforced
spine gives it the strength to handle a full
complement of gun and gear. CQC belts feature
ve belt holes and come in a variety of colors.
BlackHawks 2-inch Web Duty Belt is made
from two layers of nylon webbing reinforced with
a polymer spine for durability and strength. The
nylon binding provides a smoother edge, more
comfort and a more professional appearance.
The all-purpose Web Duty Belt has the strength
necessary to handle all-day duty wear.
For tactical work, the CQB/Riggers Belt is
mil-standard certied and built with parachutegrade buckles and adapters for unparalleled
strength and
Ohios Bullhide Belts makes leather belts

with the best, most expensive, top-grade
U.S.A. belt leather available. Not found in
stores, each Bullhide belt is custom-made
to the exact specications of the customer.
Among the available materials are leather
and nylon, as well as such exotic hides as
python, cobra and sharkskin. Choices of belt
buckle include stainless, brass or Paul Revere
style. Belt widths range from 1.25 to 1.75 inches,
and customers have the option of having ve or
seven belt holes. Every Bullhide belt comes with
a three-year warranty.
The bottom line is, whatever the style and
material, a Bullhide belt can handle, for years
and years, a full array of gear and keep each
item exactly where it belongsright at your
side. For more information, visit bullhidebelts.
com or call 330-433-9182.
3 GALCO GUNLEATHER
Arizonas Galco Gunleather designs duty
belts capable of supporting the weight of a handgun for plainclothes carry. Galco claims to use
only top-quality leather: premium-grade, full-grain,
vegetable-tanned steerhide, grown and tanned
in the U.S.A. Every Galco belt, whether dress or
casual, is individually handmade and
contoured for stability.
Galcos CB2
Firm
Galcos CB3 belt

(above) is perfect for concealed carry, while the
BlackHawk Web Duty Belt (below) was born for patrol.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
12 DEPENDABLE DUTY BELTS

Contour Belt is a 1.25-inch-wide, ber-reinforced
dress/duty belt fully lined with premium saddle
leather. Galcos 1.5-inch-wide CB3 Concealable
Contour Belt, as its name implies, is a concealable holster belt that tapers near the buckle to 1
inch wide and, like the CB2, is made from and
fully lined with premium saddle leather.
The CSB7 Cop belt is a 1.25-inch-wide
holster belt constructed from full-grain cowhide
and lined with premium, center-cut steerhide.
Included with the CSB7 is a nickel-plated,
solid-brass buckle. For more information, visit
galcogunleather.com or call 800-874-2526.
4 SAFARILAND
Safarilands belt offerings span from covert to
casual to duty to tactical. Designed for plainclothes or off-duty wear, the Models 851 and
L830 are 1.5-inch-wide belts lined along the
interior with a strip of vegetable-tanned cowhide
for added stability. The 851 belt is curved to t
the contours of the body and features two hidden
cuff keys, one on the back of the waistband and
one behind the buckle for easy accessibility.
The Model 4832 is a lightweight duty belt
featuring a buckle-less design. Measuring 2.25
inches wide, its made with a durable, leather-
looking material thats 30 percent lighter than

standard duty belt materials.
The 2.25-inch-wide Model 832 duty belt is
designed to be used with Safarilands Quick
Attachment System (QAS), which includes
Equipment Locking System (ELS) and the
Quick Locking System (QLS) forks and plates. It
features four rows of pre-cut holes running the
full length of the belt, through which ELS 35 or
QLS 22 receiver plates can be afxed at various
angles, allowing for customization of the rig as
the mission demands. For more information, visit
safariland.com or call 800-347-1200.
Shomer-Tec claims it designed the Undercover Bracelet at the request of undercover operatives of a federal agency, and the bracelet should be considered
survival gear for any law enforcement ofcer, undercover or military operative.
SHOMER-TEC
UNDERCOVER
BRACLET
By Matt Berger
The bracelet is styled to look identical to gummy bracelets popular with men and women alike, including those in uniformed and undercover roles. A non-metallic emergency handcuff key is concealed
in one of two connecting ends, hiding the key in plain sight, and the beauty of the design is that a
bracelet is worn exactly where an operator needs it as a last optionwhere handcuffs will be applied.
Handcuffs are extremely common restraint devices, and uniformed ofcers and guards carry
them with them everywhere; thus, a countermeasure should go along with them in the event that
the ofcers ever nd themselves the victims of their own restraints.
Distributed by U.S. Tactical Supply, the Undercover Bracelet is made of matte rubber and is available in three colors: black, red and blue. The open end of the 10-inch bracelet may be trimmed to t
the individual. Larger sizes are available by special order. The Undercover Bracelet weighs a scant 0.2
ounces and is made in the U.S.A. For more information, visit shomer-tec.com or call 360-733-6214.
GUN TEST
PRIMARY WEAPONS
The .300 Win Mag MK3 is a significant ballistic
step up from the 5.56mm and 7.62mm rifles
more commonly found in LE use today.
Photo courtesy PWS
By Todd Burgreen
Its nice to
see a company
evolve over time.
This evolution is most obviously traced in the products
offered. Primary Weapons
Systems (PWS) has recently
expanded its product line.
Joining PWS existing 5.56mm
MK1, 7.62mm MK2 pistondriven ARs and T3 rimre is
the MK3 precision bolt action,
which I recently got a chance
to test. PWS has also decided
to enter the direct-impingement AR world with its own
Modern Musket offering.
PWS rst emerged as a
leader in the quest for improving the AR operating system.
In the process of doing this,

PWS cultivated an almost cult
following based on superior
customer service, a unique interaction style with consumers
and, most importantly, coming
through on its promise to build
superior AR ries. PWS did
not solely hang its hat on going with a short-stroke piston
to improve Eugene Stoners direct-impingement
AR design. The company
took the less-traveled path
by utilizing a long-stroke operating piston for its AR ries,
much like the AK-47s, where
the operating rod is connected
to the bolt carrier. A shortstroke piston system consists
of a more complex arrange-
ment of
tapped
gas imparting
force to an
operating rod
that impacts
another part of
the mechanism
that acts on the
bolt carrier. PWS
did not stop with the
long-stroke piston;
rather, the company
insisted on top-quality
components as well modifying
the buffer tube connection to
the receiver.
While PWS AR ries are
well known and respected,
the companys entry into the
tactical bolt-action market

is much less known. In the
world of modern marketing, it
is nice to discover a product
in the catalog you feel should
be the main story. Of course,
Im referring to the PWS MK3.
Any law enforcement agency
considering a bolt-action rie
should be comforted in knowing that the MK3 comes with
a 0.5-MOA accuracy guarantee. Going further, PWS has
balanced the MK3s accuracy,
weight and enhanced cartridge capabilities. The MK3
is designed so you can carry
it for lengthy amounts of time
and still be able to take a nonprone shot if dictated by the
mission. The MK3 would make
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
SYSTEMS
MK3
Turn cover into concealment with this
sub-MOA .300 Win Mag countersniper!
an excellent tactical rie for

law enforcement agencies, so
lets dig in further.
GUN DETAILS
The same principles
that guided PWS AR
journey are present
in the MK3, a nononsense bolt action.
Only after thoroughly
surveying the precision
bolt-action landscape did PWS
move forward with the MK3
project. Currently, the company
offers the MK3 chambered
in .308, .338 Lapua Mag and
.300 Win Mag, the latter of
which I was able to test.
The tale of the tape shows
the MK3 is not a compact
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
rie; however, it is reasonably

balanced and carries well. The
.300 Win Mag variant features
a 21.75-inch-long, 1-in-10inch-twist barrel, bringing the
ries overall length to 44.24
inches. The rie weighs 12.24
pounds unloaded. The heavy,
uted barrel is capped with
PWS PRC compensator/
muzzle brake, which gives the
rie a unique look. The PRC
compensator is closed on the
bottom and designed in a way
to limit muzzle blast disturbance of surroundings.
PWS chose to outt the
MK3 with a KRG Whiskey-3
stock, or chassis, as well as a
customized Model 700 action
modied with a Sako-style
extractor. The Whiskey-3 chassis side-folding buttstock pays

homage to earlier USSOCOM PSR specications and
reduces the overall length by
nearly 10 inches when folded
for easier transportation. The
Whiskey-3 chassis is rock
solid, with design characteristics making it conducive
to long-range shooting. The
chassis reinforces the receiver
like a sleeved benchrest rie.
The wide, at forend
handles bipods or sandbags
with equal aplomb. However,
it is not exclusively designed
for shooting from supported
prone or benchrest positions.
The MK3 allows for off-hand
and other types of supported
re if needed. The ergonomics

of the chassis allow for a comfortable, repeatable cheekweld
combined with hand placement conducive to pulling the
ries Jewell trigger precisely.
The Whiskey-3 chassis combines precise aluminum V
bedding with tool-less adjustments in terms of length-ofpull and cheekpiece height.
All of these elements contribute to the MK3s ruggedness,
ensuring constant and repeatable accuracy no matter
the conditions.
As mentioned, the MK3
sports a single-stage Jewell
unit with a pull weight between 3.5 and 4 pounds. The
optics rail atop the receiver
Photo courtesy PWS
PWS MK3
PRIMARY
WEAPONS SYSTEMS MK3
The flat forend is
perfect for bipods
and sandbags.
RANGE TIME
To wring out the MK3s accuracy, I
chose three .300 Win Mag loads: Black Hills
Match 190-grain BTHP, Federal Premium
190-grain Sierra MatchKing and Hornady
178-grain TAP A-MAX. Black Hills, Federal and Hornady are industry leaders, and
PERFORMANCE
Caliber:
a r .300
300
0 Win
i Mag
a
Barrel:
a : 21.75
21 775 inches
c
OA
A Length:
n
44.255 inches
h
We t 12
Weight:
12.25
25 pounds
o ds (empty)
m )
Stock: Skeleton, folding Sights: None
Action: Bolt Finish: Teon
L
Load
Blackk Hillss 190 Match

B
c BTHP
T
FFederal
ederaa Premium
e um 190
90
9 Match
ac
Hornady
H
d TA
TAP 178
7 A-MAX
A MAX
X
Steve Woods photos
features a 20-MOA offset, allowing for extended-range zeroing.

The MK3 uses detachable Accuracy International AICS magazines, and a steel,
single-stack, ve-round mag comes with the
rie. The single-stack magazine design minimizes the amount of material removed from
the stock and action for extra rigidity. The
thought process behind using a single-stack
magazine further exemplies the attention
to detail that went into making the PWS
MK3; rounds are stripped straight from the
magazine into the chamber, compared to
other magazine designs where rounds are
set at an angle to the ries centerline.
SPECIFICATIONS
The MK3 utilizes AICS-style magazines.

Also note the 20-MOA offset rail on top of
the receiver and the crisp Jewell trigger.
The skeletonized stock

folds to the left side, and users can adjust the
length of pull and cheek height without tools.
Velocity
e
t
Accuracy
A u y
22,815
8155
22,890
,8900
22,922
9222
0 550
0.50
00.30
330
00.75
775
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps

by chronograph, and accuracy in inches for
best ve-shot groups at 100 yards.
these loads have proven themselves in

other ries Ive tested.
At the range, I tested the ries accuracy
from a bench as well as from a prone position using a bipod and a rear sandbag. The
accuracy gures are based on ring three
5-shot groups. The Federal and Black Hills
ammunition produced the best 100-yard
groups at only slightly above 0.5 inches.
I didnt spend a lot of time at the bench
on the 100-yard range at the Echo Valley
Training Center (EVTC). There are more indicative evaluations for a precision rie than
merely ring from a bench at a 100-yard
target. So I also red groups at 300 yards
from eld-expedient positionsprone with
support from a bipod and a pack as well
as from prepared dug in positions offered
at EVTCto further evaluate the MK3s
intrinsic accuracy. Again, the Federal and
Black Hills loads performed the best. And,
most importantly, the groups were still subMOA (smaller than 3 inches at 300 yards).
Next, I tested the PWS MK3 using a
competition format I discovered at a local LE
shoot that I attend annually. Competitors are
tasked with engaging multiple hanging clay
pigeons at 220 yards, more clay pigeons at
285 yards and then TacStrike quarter-scale
steel targets placed at 350 yards. For this
setup, shooters re from a prone position
supported by a bipod in front and a bag
under the buttstock. The inherit accuracy
of the PWS MK3 made short work of the
course of re. The oversized bolt handle
and smooth action allowed for fast follow-up
shots when engaging multiple targets. The
MK3 stoutly ejected empty cases. The large
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
PWS MK3
Steve Woods photos
The MK3s oversized bolt handle and

smooth action make it easy for LEO
marksmen to fire quick follow-up shots.
ejection port also makes it quick and easy to

load single cartridges into the chamber once
the ve-round magazine runs dry. The adjustable, well-designed buttstock, along with the
PWS PRC compensator/muzzle brake, allowed me to rapidly engage multiple targets.
It was no problem riding the ries recoil,
working the action and engaging the next
target. The Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20x scope
I used at the range enabled effective holdovers with its mil-dot reticle. If preferred, a
shooter can dial in the changes with the
M1 turrets, especially as ranges beyond
600 yards. The PWS MK3 impressed me
with its ability to place rounds on target,
instilling condence in its capabilities. I
took a cold-bore shot at every opportunity
during several visits to the range. The shot
always landed where intended. Nothing instills more condence in a tactical weapon
systemthe rie, ammunition, optics and
marksmanthan the ability to place the
rst shot exactly as aimed.
MARKSMANS NOTES
The PWS MK3 chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum is a signicant ballistic step
up compared to the more common 5.56mm
and 7.62mm NATO found in LE use. The
.300 WM offers superior terminal and ight
ballistics as well as barrier penetration capabilities. Some of the tactical ries available todayweighing over 16 pounds
reect more of a target-shooting heritage
than a tactical foundation. The PWS MK3s
12.25-pound weight translates to a rie that
can be deployed or carried aeld without
overly fatiguing the marksman and is easier
to adapt to non-standard ring positions,
even off-hand, when needed. The .300
Winchester Magnum PWS MK3 should
seriously be considered by any law enforcement agency requiring an upgrade in
performance from its 5.56mm and 7.62mm
NATO weapons. For more information, visit
primaryweapons.com.
GUNS-WEAPONS.com
Continued from page 88
A magazine well with an AK-style magazine release is added in front of the receiver along with the new magazine tube.
The magazine tube is also where a gunsmith may have to do a little work. For the
aforementioned cycling to work, the magazine well has to be aligned perfectly, with
the mouth oriented straight down. When
the Adaptive Tactical tube is rst screwed
in, the odds favor incorrect orientation, as
it bottoms out on the receiver. Emory cloth
is included with the conversion kit to carefully remove metal from the Adaptive Tactical magazine tube, allowing it to be twisted
deeper, rotating the magazine well into place.
An upgrade to the basic Sidewinder
Venom package is the addition of a collapsible buttstock system.
An adapter, featuring
CONTACT
a comfortable integral
Adaptive
pistol grip with internal
Tactical
storage, allows for the
adaptivetactical.com
attachment of an AR208-442-8000
style buffer tube. The
Bushnell
Adaptive Tactical M4bushnell.com
style stock slides on
800-423-3537
the buffer tube, which
Mossberg
should also take your
mossberg.com
favorite stocks.
800-363-3555
CUFF EM
The second wrist is moved out and in

with the ngers exed downward. Try not to
let loose of the ngers as you move the hand
back to position for cuff application. Once the
wrist is positioned, push the single bar onto
the wrist and it should pivot and lock. If not,
some manual manipulation may be needed.
Fingers Interlaced Behind The Back:
There are several different variations on this
technique. I prefer the method where the suspects ngers are interlaced and their palms
are facing out toward you. It is more complicated and takes more practice to master, but it offers more control than the LAPD Method and
other behind-the-back techniques. Once you
have the suspect in this position, which may require you to physically move his hands where
you want them, this technique locks the arms
at the shoulders and elbows, reducing any
leverage the suspect might need for escape.
The suspect is ordered to put his hands
behind his back, palms together like hes
RANGE TIME
A couple of trips to the range determined several things, none negative. Each
magazine loaded smoothly, inserting and
locking into the magazine well. Cycling the
new slide action was smooth, and I experienced no problems.
I need to make a point about the magazines and conversion kits. The magazines
praying, and then interlace his ngers. Then

you say, Show me your palms, which places
the palms outward. You approach and grab
the hand so that your palm is on the back of
the suspects hands. The key is to grab the
pinky ngers. With very little pressure, you
can maintain control of the suspect and they
cannot easily pull their hands apart.
To handcuff, the ofcer grabs the handcuff chain with the cuff at the pinky single bar
Proper cuffing and

searching saves officers
lives. Dont shortcut or poorly
perform the process.
For those who would prefer not to delve

into their shotguns inner workings, Adaptive Tactical will do the installation, or the
company has complete packages based
on the Maverick 88 ready to ship. I requested the full monty: the base conversion kit
with a comfortably shaped forend including
a Kelly gripan offset forend grip movable
between two locationsthe collapsible
stock system, and one each of the veand 10-round magazines.
The conversion kit arrived wearing an
eye-catching Multi-Cam pattern. A sister
company, Adaptive Graphx, uses watertransfer printing to apply one of three durable and good-looking Adaptive Tactical
nishes, or the kit can be left in black. For
other applications, Adaptive Graphx can apply many more than three patterns/nishes.
With the conversion completed, the
new shotgun was just as handy and ergonomic as the original Mossberg 500, with
the weight of the magazines centering well
between my handsnot affecting the muzzles easy movement.
facing outward. In this technique, you handcuff with the palm facing downward. Press
the cuff onto the wrist at the cufng notch. If
the single bar does not pivot and lock, lift up
your knee and press the cuff onto your knee
or onto their back to lock it. After the rst
are inserted just like an AKs. Put the front

in rst and then rock the rear into place.
Thats about it, and it is a quick learning
curve that anyone can learn with enough
hands-on practice.
The quick-to-acquire Bushnell 1x28mm
Multi-Reticle was a great help with slug
and buckshot testing. Results at 15 yards
for buckshot held no surprises, nor did the
slug testing at 25 yards. Mossbergs shotgun barrels dont seem to vary much from
shotgun to shotgun. The Mossberg shot
and handled like, well, a Mossbergit
was tough and durable, even if it had been
converted to a magazine-fed smoothbore.
It worked every time. I really like the Adaptive Tactical forend design, especially the
raised lip in front of the magazine well. If
you are not using the Kelly grip, the shelf
provides an index point and will secure
your hand.
I was impressed and pleased by Adaptive Tacticals conversion of the Mossberg
500 Special Purpose shotgun. It did everything Adaptive Tactical promised, producing an excellent and reliable magazine-fed
shotgun. I can see the shotgun being kept
with the 10-round magazine in place with
an empty chambercruiser readyand
one or more ve-shot magazines with slugs
sitting nearby. It would sure make me more
condent if I were patrolling lonely country
roads late at night! Im so impressed that I
am keeping this Adaptive Tactical shotgun
conversion for myself.
cuff is applied, separate the hands and then

push the second cuff against the other wrist.
If the person is under arrest, handcuff
them rst. After the subject is handcuffed, a
detailed search is required. Last year a subject under arrest for receiving stolen property, during which he resisted, was placed
in the backseat of a police patrol SUV. After
the door was closed, he quickly moved his
hands under his legs and around to his front.
After wiping the residual pepper spray from
his face, he reached into his left front pants
pocket and drew a small semi-auto pistol. The
suspect then red a shot through the drivers
side rear window and pushed himself out,
attempting to escape. Ofcers reacted and
shot and killed the armed suspect. This incident could have ended a lot worse had the offender waited until the police ofcer driver sat
behind the wheel and then shot him. Proper
cufng and searching saves ofcers lives.
Dont shortcut or poorly perform the process.
Since the days of old, evil and guilty men
have been fettered, shackled or handcuffed
to be controlled by the good men protecting
the citizens of the day. Make sure you take
control, cuff em correctly and safely return
home at the end of your shift.
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FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
NEXT-GEN TASERS
The X2
comes in
yellow to
help identifyy
it as a lesslethal tool.
WEB
DIRECTORY
AGUILA AMMUNITION
Aguilaammo.com
GLOCK
Glock.com
PRIMARY WEAPONS
Primaryweaponssystems.com
Ofcers who deploy

depl a Taser must be prepared to implement a backup plan should
the CED fail to gain compliance from the
suspect. In a deadly-force situation, ofcers
must be ready to immediately act to protect
the life of the ofcer deploying the CED.
Also keep in mind that the Taser is not
a substitute for a rearm. While there are
numerous incidents where dangerous situations were resolved with a Taser, the weapons are generally not an appropriate response to a deadly threat. There have been
numerous incidents in which an ofcer tried
to deploy a Taser when deadly force was
the more appropriate choice. Unfortunately,
these decisions have resulted in ofcers being injured and killed.
Consider a case in Florida where a
deputy responded to a report of an emotionally disturbed person with a knife. When
the deputy arrived on the scene alone, he
attempted to control the armed subject with
his Taser. The Taser deployment was ineffective, and the deputy was stabbed multiple times before he was able to shoot the
attacker. When alone and facing a subject
armed with a deadly weapon, a rearm
should be in the ofcers hands, not a Taser.
As a whole, police ofcers are reluctant
to use deadly force. The taking of a human
life is a serious matter, and as clich as it
may sound, many ofcers chose the profession to help others. This can create a situation where the ofcer elects to use a lower
level of force even when lethal force is justied and can place the ofcer and the public
in greater danger than necessary.
AMERCIAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE

Americangunsmith.com
GTUL
Mygtul.com
PYRAMID TRIGGER
Pyramidtrigger.com
ASHBURY PRECISION ORDNANCE

Ashburyprecisionordnance.com
HINTERLAND OUTFITTERS
Hinterlandoutfitters.com
ROCK RIVER ARMS

Rockriverarms.com
AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK AMMO

Outbackammo.com.au
HKS SPEEDLOADERS
Hksspeedloaders.com
SAVAGE ARMS
Savagearms.com
BLACK HILLS AMMO

Black-hills.com
HOGUE
Getgrip.com
SCCY
Sccy.com
BLACKHAWK
Blackhawk.com
HORNADY
Hornady.com
SIG SAUER
Sigsauer.com
BLUE STONE SAFETY

Bluestonesafety.com
IWI US
Iwi.us
BRAVO COMPANY USA

Bravocompanyusa.com
KERSHAW KNIVES
Kershawknives.com
CASECRUZER
Casecruzer.com
KIMBER
Kimberamerica.com
CHARTER ARMS
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When used appropriately, Tasers can

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POLICE STORIES
IT HAPPENED TO ME!
ld
or
As I made my way
up the sidewalk, a
woman ran out of one
of the apartments
toward me, yelling,
ne
I was dispatched to a domestic, and upon arriving at the location, I exited my patrol car and approached the small row of run-down apartments.
As I made my way up the sidewalk, a woman ran
out of one of the apartments toward me, yelling,
Get him away from me, hes beating me!
As the woman ran toward me, a large male
walked out behind her, and my attention moved
primarily to him. I engaged him and asked him
what was going on, while telling the woman to
calm down. I could immediately see that he was
heavily intoxicated. I asked that he turn around
and interlace his ngers behind his head so I
could check him for weapons. He seemed to begin
to turn in compliance, but as soon as I grabbed
one of his arms, he whipped around toward me
and began trying to wrestle from my grasp.
At the time, we were issued CS spray; I
withdrew it and began to spray him in the face.
As I did so, he grabbed my wrist with both hands
and actually turned the can and nozzle toward
my face, causing some of the spray to hit me
in the eyes. I managed to work my way behind
92 pistol and warned him to drop it or I would

shoot him. He was, by then, standing with his
back to a mini-refrigerator. His response was to
raise the baton over his head in an overhand
grasp with both hands. I red one round, which
struck him in the upper thigh. He fell to the oor
and exclaimed, You shot me!
The cavalry arrived, the suspect was taken
into custody and charged with assault with a
dangerous weapon on a police ofcer, and an
investigation ensued. The 124-grain Hydra-Shok
bullet would be recovered lying atop a beer can
inside the mini-fridge. The suspect and wifes
blood were drawn, and he had a 0.11 bloodalcohol concentration level, and she was found to
have PCP and meth in her system. My ght with
the suspect had lasted over four minutes from
the time I called in the 11-11 to the time that it
ended as backup ofcers arrived. The suspect
had a criminal history, which included assault
and battery on a police ofcer, resisting arrest
and multiple violations of protective orders.
I was found justied in the shooting, no
charges were led, and the suspect led a suit,
which went to trial four years later. The couple
made outrageous false claims on the stand,
which they had obviously orchestrated prior. My
attorney queried each of them as to whether they
knew their interviews directly after the incident
had been recorded by investigators. Their stories
didnt match the recorded interviews, and their
case fell apart, once again exonerating me.
MB, OK
gs.
In November of 1992, I was working

as a patrol ofcer in a large metropolitan police department in southern California. I was actually only one
day off of my initial one-year probationary period, and my future wife
was doing a ride-along with me.
him and grabbed him around the neck. I tried to

grab my radio mic with one hand and broadcast
an 11-11! (ofcer safety compromised, backup
needed). In my struggle to manipulate the mic
with one hand and control the suspect with the
other, the transmission was garbled, and it gave
the suspect just the opportunity to break free
and run back to the apartment, where the door
was still standing open.
Eyes burning and struggling to see, I ran in
after the suspect and caught up to him as he got
to the kitchen sink inside the small apartment,
where there were a number of knives. I grabbed
the suspect again, attempting to pull him away
from the sink. Having about 40 pounds over
me, the intoxicated suspect was quite difcult to
control. I drew my PR-24 baton and struck the
suspect in the leg and side a few times, though
I couldnt get much power into the strikes since
the suspect had pulled me closer to him by the
arm I was using to grasp him.
At some point, with my baton in my right
hand, he had shifted both hands to the baton,
one above my hand at the long end and the
other at the handle, below my hand. He began
trying to wrest it from me, and his strength with
two hands to my one was overwhelming. Though
I maintained a grasp of the baton, hed gained
control over it.
At that point, I heard the wife screaming at
me from behind, and as I turned to look, the
suspect broke the baton free of my grasp; I
shoved him away hard, drew my issued Beretta
ma
DEADLY DOMESTIC
Big Stock photo
Get him away

from me, hes
beating me!
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ld
or
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All pricing is subject to change without notice. Please see our website for current pricing.
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Kimber
CDP
Pistols
.
Unequaled Quality. Unmatched Performance.
ld
or
W
Easy to carry and conceal, the Ultra CDP II .45 ACP has a 3-inch barrel and
weighs 25 ounces. It is also ofered in 9mm and with Crimson Trace Lasergrips.
ma
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Quality and performance are the true measures of value and Kimber pistols
set the industry standard. Nowhere is this more evident than in a CDP.
Visit the nearest Kimber Master Dealer and see for yourself.
ne
gs.
CDP pistols have custom features like

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(888) 243-4522
Kimber ofers nearly 200 purpose-built pistols and rifes to meet any need.
2012, Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Information and specifcations are for reference only and subject to change without notice.

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Creating Weapons of

www.windhamweaponry.com Tel.: Toll Free: 1 855 808 1888

FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

DEC/JAN 2015 /// VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1

LANCER L15 5.56mm NATO By Rich Grassi .............................................................18

SIG SAUER MPX 9mm By David Bahde ......................................................................46

Lancer L15 Professional

FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

Production Director Spiro Maroulis

6 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015

Photos courtesy Hornady

Reliability & Recoil

DEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 7

Over 700 LE experts gathered to offer insight on

for ILEETA, and before that, for the American

One, in which a department spokesman did a

The 10th Annual

Big Stock photo

8 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015

pointed out. The lesson? You can never be

MORE WITH LESS

An entire panel of experts

DEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 9

At the ILEETA conference, master instructor

murderer in a retirement home, using his Glock

responders aggressively hunting down such

THE LEGACY CONTINUES

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is

JACKS OF ALL TRADES

tor course consists of 40-plus hours and involves

The KSP Special Operations Division consists of

12 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015

Being constantly on call requires the team

G35 has a 5-inch barrel and ported slide which

a speed of 40 knots. Shooters learned to track

The KSP aviation unit has several

DEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 13

Big Stock photo

Lifesaving handcuffing tactics to stay in control!

leverage to force a suspects hands behind his

offers different color housings so that jailers can

14 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT DEC/JAN 2015

Make sure you take control,

for resistance. Grab the subject rst, establish

RULES FOR CONTROL

DEC/JAN 2015 GUNS & WEAPONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT 15

Law enforcement officers must remain always

Apply the handcuffs in the cufng notch

Fingers Interlaced Behind The Head:

A Professional Patrol AR-15

The L15 Professional Patrol features a mid-length

on a patrol carbine and preferred to have them fac-

gas systema smoother operating system than the

tory installed, like a semi-custom/production AR-15?

carbine-length systems. The 14.5-inch, mid-weight-prole

You could contact Lancer Systems, known for its hybrid

barrel features a chrome-lined bore and the NATO-spec

polymer/metal magazines, and get the companys L15

1-in-7-inch twist rate. This is good for rounds weighing

Professional Patrol rie. Guided by a legitimate need for

between 55 and 75 grains. The carbine has a 5.56mm NATO

speed, accuracy and smooth operation, Lancer put toge-

chambernot a .223 chambermeaning it can re both types