Combat

HANDGUNS
®

January/February 2019 • Volume 39, Issue 5

FEATURES
14
14 CCP M2: CONCEALED
CARRY PERFECTED
When shooters called for more performance-
enhancing features, Walther delivered
By Everett Deger

24 XD-S XCELLENCE
Springfield’s latest 9mm Mod.2 reboot
takes discreet carry to new heights
By Will Dabbs, MD
CONTENTS

34 MASTERFUL MPX-K
Sig Sauer proves that it’s still on the cutting 24
edge with this piston-driven powerhouse
By David Bahde

40 REMINGTON STEEL
Priced right, the new RP is the
everyman’s high-cap, full-sized .45
By Greg Lickenbrock

54 VICTORY IN SIGHT
Smith & Wesson’s latest target .22
is primed for bullseyes 34 66
By Denis Prisbrey

66 RIMFIRE RIOT
Five semi-autos compete to prove
that they aren’t your granddad’s .22s
By Paul Scarlata

76 PERFECT PAIRING
It’s hard to beat these 10mm Auto
EAA and Hi-Point protectors
By William Bell
82
82 THE M1 RETURNS
Inland and Sage team up to bring the
M1 Carbine into the 21st century FIRST SHOT: Let’s face it. Sequels and reboots are tough. Some-
times they work (think Godfather: Part II), and sometimes they
By Dr. Martin D. Topper
absolutely fail compared to the original (remember Predator 2?).
That’s why we’re celebrating follow-ups that far exceed their earlier
88 TURKISH DELIGHT brethren this issue with the Walther CCP M2 and Springfield XD-S
Affordable, accurate and easy to shoot— Mod.2. Both of these 9mms break new ground in the world of con-
the combat-ready SAR9 striker has arrived cealed carry, and we’re all for it. Speaking of successful sequels,
By Mitch Hardin make sure you check out our review of the semi-auto MPX-K on
page 34—a reminder that the Sig Empire always strikes back.
We try to cover a wide variety of handguns in every issue of
92 HOT WHEELS CH, and this issue continues that trend with more 9mms, .45s,
The year’s best new revolvers 10mms and even .22s like the SW22 Victory Target. Want more
lighting up the handgun market rimfire action? We’ve got another “Battle Royale” this issue pitting
By William Bell five .22s against each other. Read on to see who won the crown.
Finally, guns are only part of the equation. You need the right
skills and mindset, too. Luckily, Pat McNamara and J.J. Racaza
have got plenty of range tips for you in the pages ahead, along with
DIY projects, handloading tricks and more. —Greg Lickenbrock

| |
2 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nino Bosaz
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Linas Cernauskas

Combat
PRODUCTION EDITOR Greg Lickenbrock
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kenneth Ross
ART DIRECTOR/COVER DESIGN Rory Slifkin
HANDGUNS ®
PREPRESS MANAGER
PREMEDIA OPERATOR
Michael Toppin
Franco Nguyen
DIGITAL MANAGER Matthew Hogan

COLUMNS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
CIRCULATION CONSULTANT
06 COMBAT STOCKPILE COVER PHOTO
Amelia Wilhelm*
Richard Ortega
Scott Hill/ProCirc
Courtesy Manufacturers

Rounding up some of the best personaldefenseworld.com • tactical-life.com

realworldsurvivor.com • ballisticmag.com
new guns and gear available
EDITORIAL INQUIRIES editdesk@athlonoutdoors.com
By CH Staff

10 SELF-DEFENSE
& THE LAW athlonoutdoors.com
VP/GROUP PUBLISHER Nicholas S. Seifert
Nine cases prove why we need 10 & CONTENT DIRECTOR
AR-15-style carbines and pistols ADVERTISING SALES
By Massad Ayoob National Office
212-478-1910; sales@athlonoutdoors.com

20 FULLY LOADED Independent Account Representatives

CONTENTS

Win a Walther CCP M2 and some NORTHEAST REGION Scott Buchmayr

Elite Survival Systems gear 978-462-6335
SOUTHEAST & UPPER MIDWEST Amos Crowley
By CH Staff 216-378-9811
WESTERN REGION Scott J. Cherek
22 QUICK HITS MIDWEST/CENTRAL SOUTH
307-635-8899
Dan Flavin
Forget the range training fads—it’s 248-515-8654
time for realistic gunfight practice
DIRECT RESPONSE SALES Jim Coen
By Pat McNamara 212-478-1949
SENIOR DIRECTOR Carrie Roeder
30 RELOAD ZONE MARKETING & OPERATIONS
DIGITAL SALES DEVELOPMENT & Brock Norman
How to get the most from MARKETING DIRECTOR
22
your pet handloads
By Stan Trzoniec ATHLON MEDIA GROUP
Corporate Officers
44 ASK THE PROS PRESIDENT, CEO Chuck Allen
CFO/TREASURER Mary Lee Vanderkooi
Being on top of your game means CORPORATE ADDRESSES New York:
more than just slinging lead 60 E. 42nd St., Suite 820,
By J.J. Racaza NY, NY 10165; 212-478-1910
Nashville:
2451 Atrium Way, Suite 320
48 TALE OF THE TAPE Nashville, TN 37214
Sig’s We The People .45 takes 800-284-5668
on its airgun counterpart SUBSCRIPTIONS / SINGLE COPIES
800-284-5668; subscriptions@athlonmediagroup.com
By Dennis Adler ONLINE STORE
outdoorgroupstore.com
60 EDC UPGRADE * Consultant

Here’s the best way to make your
favorite Glock lighter yet stronger
By Fred Mastison
63 RANGE READY
Zero in on the cheap with these
three easy gun-guy projects
By Jason Hanson
72 RIGHTEOUS RIGS
Discreet-carry outerwear to help
you stay armed in colder weather
By Mike Detty
96 COOPER’S COMBAT
Part one of Col. Jeff Cooper’s
Principles of Personal Defense
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4 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
TO THE READERS: Be advised that there may be products
44 represented in this magazine as to which the sale,
possession or interstate transportation thereof may be
restricted, prohibited or subject to special licensing
requirements. Prospective purchasers should consult the
local law enforcement authorities in their area. All of the
information in this magazine is based upon the personal
experience of individuals who may be using specific tools,
products, equipment and components under particular
conditions and circumstances, some or all of which may not
be reported in the particular article and which this magazine
has not otherwise verified. Nothing herein is intended
to constitute a manual for the use of any product or the
carrying out of any procedure or process. This magazine
and its officers and employees accept no responsibility for
any liability, injuries or damages arising out of any person’s
attempt to rely upon any information contained herein.
COMBAT HANDGUNS® (ISSN 1043-7584) is published six times
per year by Athlon Sports Communications, Inc., 2451
Atrium Way, Suite 320, Nashville, TN 37214. Single copy
price: $7.99 in U.S.A., $8.99 in Canada. Submissions of
72 manuscripts, illustrations and/or photographs must be
accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The
publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.
Copyright © 2018 by Athlon Sports Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved under International and Pan American
Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in whole or in
part without written permission of the publisher is strictly
prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A.

CROSSBREED
FREEDOM CARRY
CrossBreed has now created
a Freedom Carry holster
specifically designed for the
new Taurus 856 revolver in
.38 Special. The Freedom
Carry is a versatile holster that
can be worn in various IWB
positions with a straight-draw
design and a cant-adjustable
clip. The rig is available in
dyed-black cowhide, premium
tan cowhide or natural tan
horsehide. If you’d prefer an
OWB rig, the SnapSlide is
available for the Taurus 856.
CROSSBREED
SPRINGFIELD XD-S
MOD.2 HOLSTERS
There’s more from
CrossBreed. The company
has announced several new
holsters for the Springfield
XD-S Mod.2. Inside-the-
waistband options include the
SuperTuck IWB, Founder’s
Series SuperTuck IWB and
Designer Series MiniTuck
IWB. The SuperTuck models
feature premium leather
backings and Kydex pockets
for excellent support. The
powder-coated steel belt
clips allow you to customize
the cant and ride height. For
OWB carry, you can get a
few variants of the SnapSlide.
(crossbreedholsters.com)
GLOCK 45
By now you’ve seen the G19X,
a coyote tan 9mm that Glock
originally submitted for the
U.S. Army’s MHS competition.
While that pistol is now avail-
able for civilians, Glock has
also unveiled a new version
with a black nDLC slide and a
matching black frame. Like the
G19X, the new 9mm Glock 45
has the same G19 slide/G17
frame setup, but you’ll notice
front slide serrations. Glock
has also removed the G19X’s
lanyard ring, half-moon cut on

Rounding up (crossbreedholsters.com) the mag well and frontstrap

extension so the G45 can use

some of the best Gen5 mags. (glock.com)

new guns and HOGUE

HANDALL
gear available BEAVERTAIL
GRIP SLEEVES
BY CH STAFF Hogue has introduced two
new HandALL Beavertail Grip
Sleeves to fit the compact G19,
G23, G32 and G38. One is
designed for Gen1, Gen2 and
Gen5 Glocks while the other will
work for Gen3 and Gen4 mod-
els. The HandALL is made from
a durable thermoplastic
elastomer compound
that ages gracefully
and keeps a firm, tacky
feel. Once installed,
the HandALL sleeve’s
finger grooves offer a
new level of control for
your firearm, with a cush-
ioning beavertail area to
help with recoil. Several
colors are available.
(hogueinc.com)
KAHR
THIN BLUE
LINE PM9
Kahr Arms has chosen
to honor the men and
women of law enforcement with
a new special-edition PM9 called
the “Thin Blue Line.” The slide is
finished in durable Armor Black
Cerakote. All of the other exposed
metal parts are blacked out, and a
blue line encircles the slide. This special model also comes
equipped with easy-to-see TruGlo night sights. Two flush-
mount, six-round magazines are included as well as one
seven-round extended magazine. Each of the magazines has
also been blackened for better concealability. (kahr.com)

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6 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 COMBAT STOCKPILE

REMINGTON
PERFORMANCE
WHEELGUN AMMO
Remington has added three new
loads to its popular Performance
WheelGun line: a 148-grain .38
Special Target Master wadcutter
(TMWC), a 158-grain .38 Special
lead semi-wadcutter (LSWC) and a
225-grain .45 Colt LSWC. All three
loads use high-quality components
and Remington Kleanbore priming
that will not rust or corrode barrels.
Essentially, these rounds are ideal
for casual shooting, target practice
and training. So if you own a revolver
MAGPUL or lever gun, make sure you check
LOGGER SHIRT out this ammo. (remington.com)
Designed with performance and OUTDOOR EDGE
movement in mind, the Magpul PARACLAW
Logger Shirt combines a warm syn- CQD WATCH
thetic flannel material with a technical Hot on the heels of
design and articulation features. the popular ParaClaw
Appropriate for cool-weather trips to bracelet comes the
the range, it supports activities like Paraclaw CQD Watch.
chopping wood and spending a night The stainless model
out in the outdoors, but it’d also fit in features Miyota quartz
for casual Fridays at the office. The movement, mineral glass,
shirt features snap buttons and two a titanium PVD coating,
secure chest pockets that will keep a Lume indexed display,
contents in and debris out. Several and it’s water resistant
colors are available. (magpul.com) to 170 feet. The propri-
etary buckle discreetly
houses a 1.5-inch,
stainless, hawksbill
MORE ALIEN GEAR blade that can be
SHAPESHIFT OPTIONS deployed quickly
Alien Gear Holsters has expanded the if needed.
compatibility of its ShapeShift Modular Available in
Holster System to work with two additional two sizes, the
handguns: the Springfield XD Mod.2 3.3" paracord bracelet
in .45 ACP as well as the Heckler & Koch has an adjustable loop
VP9. Those who carry these handguns can for the perfect fit.
now benefit from some truly advanced con- (outdooredge.com)
cealed-carry equipment. Essentially, one
holster core can be installed on several
different mounts, letting you carry
your gun however you want.
(aliengearholsters.com)

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8 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 VERTX
ASSESSOR POLO
Designed specifically for
easy draws from conceal-
ment, the Assessor features
a traditional polo design
with an athletic fit. It also
has a semi-compression
WeaponGuard under layer
that is designed to remain
tucked into your pants,
protecting you from any skin
irritation caused by your
concealed-carry gun. This
layer also helps regulate heat
and humidity to provide more
comfort. The short-sleeve
Assessor polo is available
in three heathered colors.
Loops and pass-throughs
also make it easy to hide
comms gear. (vertx.com)
personaldefenseworld.com
ZEV TECHNOLOGIES
GEN5 PRO MAGWELL
Known for its top-notch Glock
upgrades, ZEV Technologies
has once again added to its
growing catalog of Gen5
offerings with the introduction
of the PRO Magwell for the
compact G19 Gen5. The Pro
Magwell is a slimmed-down
version of the PRO Plus that
is suitable for concealed carry
because it doesn’t add much
to the gun’s profile. Yet the
slightly flared base is wider
than the stock opening for
faster reloads. This upgrade
is made from hardcoat anod-
ized 6061-T6 aluminum, and
ZEV includes the required
mounting screw and wrench.
(zevtechnologies.com)
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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 9
 SELF-DEFENSE & THE LAW
T
Though no military on the
planet has ever adopted the
semi-automatic AR-15 rifle for
its armed services, anti-gun forces
disparage it as a “weapon of war
that has no place in civilian hands.”
Oddly, the mayor of London says
the same of any pocket knife with
a blade that comes to a point.
The yeoman warriors of England
and the patriots of the American
Revolution must be rolling in their
graves. The prohibitionists use a
philosophy of “the pet reflects the
personality of its owner” to damn
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10 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
A SOLID
AR -GUMENT
AR-15 owners as bloodthirsty
monsters who care more for their
guns than for the lives of children.
There is no question that this
same rhetoric can and very likely
will be used against you in the
court of law if you have success-
fully defended yourself or other
innocent persons with such a
firearm. You need only look at the
moot court research of my friend
Glenn Meyer, a now-retired psy-
chology professor who found that,
given a situation of a homeowner
shooting a burglar, the mock juries
NINE CASES
PROVE WHY WE
NEED AR-15-STYLE
CARBINES AND
PISTOLS
BY MASSAD AYOOB
Steve Woods Photo
were harsher on those who used
an “assault rifle” than those who
used a typical “sporting gun.”
With that in mind, should I trade
in all my AR-15s and similar rifles
for the double-barreled shotguns
of Elmer Fudd and Joe Biden, and
advise you to do the same? Oh,
hell no! Instead, I will advise you to
be able to explain your choice of
firearm in such a way that even 12
people expressly selected by your
accusers for their lack of knowl-
edge of firearms and self-defense
can understand it.
personaldefenseworld.com
 SELF-DEFENSE & THE LAW
“IF THE AR-15 IS SO LETHAL AND SCARY
THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK IT SHOULD BE
BANNED, DON’T YOU THINK IT’S EQUALLY
SCARY TO CRIMINALS FACING ONE?”
BRINGING THE HEAT
Let’s start with Case One, the mass
murder at a church in Sutherland
Springs, Texas. Upon hearing that the
church was under attack, a neighbor,
Stephen Willeford, grabbed his AR-15,
loaded it on the run and confronted the
killer. The AR-15 lends itself to fast,
accurate, powerful hits, and Willeford
inflicted exactly that on the murderer,
who fled. While driving away, the killer
reportedly phoned a relative and told
the man he thought he was dying, and
then he shot himself and finished the
job. Speaking recently at the 2018
NRA show, Willeford said, “He had
an AR-15, but so did I, and it’s not the
gun—it’s the heart.”
If the AR-15 is so lethal and scary
that some people think it should be
banned, don’t you think it’s equally scary
to criminals facing one? And isn’t it bet-
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12 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
AR-15s are so
popular among
shooters because
they’re easy to
customize and use
for a number of
tasks, including
home defense.
ter for all concerned if the criminal assail-
ant is so scared of the AR-15 the lawful
defender points at him that he breaks off
his assault and flees or surrenders?
DETERRENT EFFECT
Cases Two and Three, the Rodney
King riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and
the Ferguson, Missouri, riots of 2014,
stand to prove the preventative power
of the AR-15. In both of these events,
when looters and arsonists were running
wild, they conspicuously avoided and
fled from storeowners who guarded
their properties with weapons, including
the AR-15. At the time of the LA riots,
the violent criminals knew two things:
The police had been held back from
the scene, but the storeowners were
definitely there, and while at that time
the only LAPD officers with “black rifles”
were the SWAT team, the armed citizens
damn sure had theirs visible.
Let’s look at some more localized
incidents. Writing for The Daily Signal,
Amy Swearer reported that in Rochester,
New York, in 2013, “Two armed burglars
retreated from a college student’s apart-
ment after coming face to face with an
unloaded AR-15. The rifle itself instilled
enough fear to cause them to flee.” We’ll
consider that Case Four.
Also from Swearer comes Case Five
in Oswego, Illinois, earlier this year: “A
man with an AR-15 intervened to stop
a neighbor’s knife attack on a pregnant
woman. The rifle’s ‘intimidation fac-
tor’ was credited as a reason why the
attacker dropped his knife.”
Another writer, Wesley Messamore
of Mic.com, brings us two more exam-
ples. Case Six occurred when “a man
and woman attacked a tax preparation
business near Detroit, pointing handguns
at the receptionist and owner. What hap-
pened next was caught on video…when
one of the attackers advances past two
horrified victims to check out the next
room of this house converted into a small
business office, a security guard behind
the door enters with an AR-15 and
scares off the intruders with two shots.”
Case Seven also comes from
Messamore, in which “two men with
a handgun broke into the New York
apartment of a Rochester Institute of
Technology student named Raymond…
the two intruders broke into the base-
ment of the apartment and waited for
a victim to come down to check out
the noise. Raymond’s roommate, Chris
Boise, told a local television station:
‘They were waiting for me at the bottom
of the stairs’…One of the intruders
pointed the barrel of a handgun at
Chris. Chris says he instinctively let
out a blood-curdling scream to warn
Raymond, who went to get his AR-15
out of its gun bag.
“By then, one of the intruders began
to open the door to the room where
Raymond was waiting with his assault
prevention rifle. ‘By the time I had it out
and ready, one of the men came at my
door, slowly opened it, saw that there
was a barrel on the other side and from
there backed out.’ The intruders then
fled. No shots fired.”
personaldefenseworld.com
AR-15 ADAPTABILITY
While a concealed-carry firearm tends
to be a personal gun worn by a sin-
gle dedicated user, the AR-15 kept
for home defense is more of a “pool
weapon” generally accessible to multi-
ple members of the household who have
been authorized to use it in an emer-
gency. This means it has to fit the short
and the tall, the experienced and the
inexperienced, the strong and the weak
alike. The typical format of the AR-15
offers a lightweight gun with mild recoil,
and where ridiculous “assault weapon”
laws don’t prohibit it, a telescoping
stock that can be instantly adjusted to fit
users of different sizes, affording them
maximum control and confidence.
Here are some examples. Again from
Amy Swearer, Case Eight tells of a
15-year-old boy in Harris County, Texas,
who “saved both his life and the life of his
12-year-old sister by fending off a pair of
home invaders with his father’s AR-15.”
personaldefenseworld.com
Kim and Jeff Chudwin, the power
couple of AR-15 shooting, exemplify the
platform’s attributes as a “family gun.”
And for our Case Nine, Swearer
reports that just last year in Broken
Arrow, Oklahoma, “A homeowner’s
19-year-old son used an AR-15 to
defend himself against three would-be
burglars who broke into the home in
broad daylight. The 19-year-old was
later determined to have acted in
justifiable self-defense.”
There are many more cases where
law-abiding Americans have used AR-15s
and similar arms to save innocent lives,
both their own and those of others. Don’t
trade your AR in for an Elmer Fudd sig-
nature model shotgun, but do be able to
explain with the common-sense reasons
listed here why you chose that particular
firearm as the lifesaving emergency res-
cue tool it was designed to be.
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 13 |
 ON THE COVER

CONCEALED
CCP
CARRY
M2
PERFECTED
WHEN SHOOTERS CALLED
FOR MORE PERFORMANCE-
ENHANCING FEATURES,
WALTHER DELIVERED

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14 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
personaldefenseworld.com | |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 15
 CONCEALED CARRY PERFECTED

Like the original,

the new CCP M2
uses proprietary
Softcoil technology
to reduce recoil.
A side benefit is an
easy-to-rack slide.

magazine release for an American-style button as well

as sculpting in ergonomics that lead the industry.

THE SEQUEL
The CCP M2 follows in these footsteps. When the
original was announced in 2014, it too capitalized on
unparalleled ergonomics that literally felt too good to
be true. This has since become a staple for the entire
Walther line. The trademarked “Softcoil” technology
takes the blowback piston design from the venerable
HK P7 and brings it into the 21st century. Combining
this recoil-fighting concept and blending it with a
polymer frame that vents cartridge gas through a port
in the front creates a dynamic where the pistol uses
its own kinetics to help reduce felt recoil depending
on the cartridge you shoot.
Walther captured a lot of attention with the M2,
or the past 10 years, the which, unlike the original, does not require any tools
for disassembly. Cleaning is a necessity due to the
ever-burgeoning world of concealed-carry and
piston design and its gas and carbon venting. The
personal-protection firearms has continued to original also had a rather long and deliberate trigger
grow and dominate the world of handguns and pull. The team at Walther states that this is inten-
their development. I have had the privilege of tional to prevent accidental discharges. Either way,
testing a wide variety of firearms to scale the
performance of one design versus another and
how the consumer has driven the change in
features for the needs of today.
With the invention of metal-injection molding,
three-dimensional printing and CNC machining,
manufacturers have become far more reflexive to the
needs of consumers and more adaptable than ever
before. As a one-time marketer, I understand the
importance of making sure you build a product that
works, is as advertised and delivers on the promises
you describe. This is evident in the evolution of the
CCP (Concealed Carry Pistol) M2 from Walther.
The legendary manufacturer from Ulm, Germany,
has made it very clear over the last decade that it is
dedicated to capturing your heart and mind when it
comes to concealed-carry firearms. The debut of the
PPS over 10 years ago broke the mold for the mod-
ern, slim single-stack, and its brother, the PPS M2 of
2016, abandoned the signature triggerguard-mounted

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16 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
 CONCEALED CARRY PERFECTED

Walther outfits
the CCP M2 with
three-dot sights, and
the entire gun is just
1.18 inches wide,
making it easy to
conceal all day long.

the CCP had already become a favorite among many
looking for an alternative to other larger 9mm pistols that
weren’t built for everyday carry.
Comparing the CCP M2 side by side with the original,
the dimensions are identical top to bottom and front to
back. A feature that Walther decided to bring back on
the CCP M2 is the red cocking indicator at the rear of
the slide, which is a welcome addition. I have been a fan
of this feature since I first saw it on the P99 years ago. It
allows the user to know if the gun is ready to fire in the
heat of the moment and was absent on the original CCP.
The front and rear sights are adjustable, and the
thumb safety is a welcome feature for those looking for
something other than a Glock copy. It’s just another
example showing that Walther wants you to know what
you’re doing when you bring the CCP M2 to bear.
Walther also takes the guesswork out of any aftermarket
stippling with its signature grip texturing and molding.
You shouldn’t have to sit at home in your garage with
a soldering iron and hope you don’t suck at making a
pattern with some piece of steel you bought online.
PERFORMANCE
To test the CCP M2 in its role for concealed carry, I
pulled a few common loads from Hornady, Winchester
and Inceptor that represent everything from reactive
ammunition to a full-on injection-molded bullet design. I
always test Hornady’s Critical Defense ammo right out
of the gate because I’m biased. It’s like using Snap-On
or Milwaukee tools. If I could eat apple pie while shoot-
ing without a hint of carbon, I would do it. Hornady has
become as American as Winchester used to be. I have
relied on the team from Grand Island, Nebraska, since I
was very young and have yet to see its ammo malfunc-
tion in any firearm I have fired it through.
Here my Critical Defense groups were tight and
predictable. It’s not hard to believe that the pinned-barrel
design of the CCP delivers incredibly tight groups and
promotes flat shooting. This makes you feel confident
that you can place your shots exactly where you want
them to go, whether it’s on the range or in a life-and-
death circumstance. I’ve shot the original CCP and
things were very familiar. And by that I mean that this
Deutsche dynamo doesn’t produce a whole lot of recoil.
The Critical Defense FTXs did their job and delivered
groups under 3 inches at 15 yards.
Up next was the Inceptor ARX load, which origi-
nally made me skeptical because it looks like space
ammo. But there is genius in the design of the slopes
molded into the ARX bullets. In the CCP M2, this load
shot every bit as well as the Hornady and delivered far
less recoil—which is inexplicable because the bullet

SPEC BOX

WALTHER
CCP M2
CALIBER: 9mm
BARREL: 3.54 inches
OA LENGTH: 6.41 inches
WEIGHT: 22.33 ounces (empty)
GRIP: Polymer
SIGHTS: Three-dot
Along with a fixed
ACTION: Striker-fired barrel, the CCP M2
FINISH: Matte black boasts a squared,
undercut triggerguard,
CAPACITY: 8+1 a short accessory rail,
MSRP: $469 a thumb safety and
non-slip grip texturing.

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18 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
is lighter. But Inceptor argues
that its ammo offers consistency
that traditional cup-and-core
bullets simply can’t replicate.
The overall design vaporizes on
impact, and if you’re hit with one
of these rounds, you’re out of the
game. I don’t believe you would
recover from the impact of these
fragmenting-type bullets.
Bringing up the rear were
Winchester PDX1s. I grew up
with Winchester and was amazed
with what used to be the industry
leader relying on its old technol-
ogy, which is essentially a bonded
bullet. The recoil here was greater
than the two previous loads with
groups that were just as respect-
able. However, I would be more
tempted to load my 21st century Walther with newer
and more innovative ammo. Nonetheless, group after
group was consistent from my strong and off hands at
15 yards. The CCP M2 is identical to all other Walthers
in its ability to deliver a highly accurate shooting experi-
ence—essential for any handgun but downright critical
for anything in the realm of everyday carry.
A WELCOME ADDITION
You want it? You got it! People love the CCP, and
those who were grumpy about the original’s clumsy
takedown procedure will find the CCP M2’s sliding
tool-less disassembly a welcome fix. The red cocking
indicator is another great addition, too.
The magazine release can still be changed from left
to right sides, and the ergonomics easily put this pistol
in the top five among single-stack 9mm pistols. The
Achilles’ heel, however, continues to be a trigger that
will leave most devout PPQ lovers wanting. The lack of
a true measureable break and reset makes for the only
personaldefenseworld.com
PERFORMANCE
WALTHER CCP M2
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY
Hornady 115 Critical Defense FTX 1,200 2.10
Inceptor 65 ARX 1,540 2.20
Winchester 124 PDX1 1,230 2.80
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and
accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 15 yards.
negative mark against an otherwise solid, accurate and
consistent performer. In front of the target, the pistol is
easy to handle and returns to the target smoothly, and
when you focus on it, the ergonomics really work hand
in hand with the piston to give you a comfortable shoot-
ing experience even if the trigger isn’t match grade.
When it comes to everyday carry, Walther knows
what it is doing. I’ve been to both of the company’s
factories in Germany, and the reputation for relent-
less reliability rings true. The CCP M2 will certainly
be a top pick for anyone looking for a smaller 9mm.
I recently tested some counterparts in the foreign
market, and the CCP M2 delivers where it counts:
comfort, accuracy and dependability.
This isn’t the highly machined masterpiece of the
venerable PPK, but for the 21st century, it doesn’t
have to be. Walther has listened to all of the criticisms
that the American market has bestowed upon it, and it
shows in spades. You would be hard pressed to find
this type of desire to satisfy the consumers’ needs from
most firearms manufacturers. Walther has built a pistol
dedicated to what you have asked for while fulfilling a
promise to the American market. For more information,
visit waltherarms.com.
Editor’s Note: The hits keep on coming on the
digital side of things. Visit personaldefenseworld.com
to learn more about the Walther CCP M2 and see how
you can enter to win your very own.
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 19 |
 READY
TO WIN?
To win this Wa
lther CCP M2
and related ge
ar, check out
personaldefe
nseworld.com
win-walther- /
E SS

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO

SCORE A WALTHER CCP M2
AND SOME SWEET ELITE We at Combat Handguns
are proud to present our
SURVIVAL SYSTEMS GEAR first-ever Fully Loaded
Guns & Gear Giveaway.
Entering to win a new gun—in this
case the Walther CCP M2 shown
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But what do we mean by “related
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No purchase required. Open to U.S. residents only and void where prohibited. Prizes worth $723. Sponsored by Walther Arms and Elite Survival Systems.
Starts 10/30/18 and ends 12/24/18. Visit personaldefenseworld.com/win-walther-ESS for details, eligibility and a complete list of official rules.

| |
20 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com

LOADOUT RANGE BAG
This range bag is the perfect partner
1
for a day at the range. Made of
1,050-denier nylon, the bag mea-
sures 17 by 10 by 11 inches and
has plenty of easy-to-access storage
compartments, mag and accessory
pouches, MOLLE slots and more.
Features include closed-cell foam
padding, wraparound handles, lug-
gage rails, a removable dump pouch
that attaches to belts and MOLLE
platforms, a water bottle pocket, an
eyewear pouch, side pockets, and a
large main compartment that holds at
least four guns. (MSRP: $160)
personaldefenseworld.com
MAINSTAY HYBRID
IWB/POCKET HOLSTER
The Mainstay is a clipless IWB rig
that can also be used as a pocket
holster, providing immediate access
2
to your firearm. Its silicone-coated
outer shell helps keep the holster in
place while you draw yo ur weapon.
The Mainstay is also ambidextrous
and is made from water-resistant
materials. (MSRP: $25)
DURA-TEK HIP HOLSTER
If you’d prefer to carry your gun
on your hip, it’s Dura-Tek time.
Made from dense, padded ballistic
4
3
nylon, this holster fits belts up to
2.25 inches wide with an injection-
molded polymer belt panel. This
rig’s SightStrip channel will protect
your gun’s sights during draws and
reholstering, and the retention strap
is Velcro adjustable. (MSRP: $33)
PISTOL CASE
WITH POCKET
Ready to go low profile? Use ESS’
new thick padded Pistol Case. This
4
durable nylon case is lockable and
features an exterior pocket as well as
a full-perimeter zipper that allows the
case to open flat. (MSRP: $33)
Alex Landeen Photos
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 21 |
 HITS

BAD HABITS
someone else’s word for it.
You can now make the deter-
mination of whether to scrap
or to maintain a technique

& THEATRICS
FORGET THE RANGE TRAINING FADS—IT’S
TIME FOR REALISTIC GUNFIGHT PRACTICE
BY PAT McNAMARA • BRANDON WILLIAMS PHOTOS
I have been in the
tactical training
industry since 2005
and have seen an unnec-
essary evolution of tactical
gimmicks. I refer to these
acts of buffoonery as “range
theatrics.” Some of this ass-
clownery is in the verbiage,
and some is in action.
On the verbiage front, the
phrase “train like you fight”
has become an overused and
misunderstood axiom. Does
it mean that we must train in
full combat gear all the time?
Does it mean that we have
to train until we drop? The
answer is no. It has nothing
to do with how much black
Velcro and MultiCam you
strap onto your person. The
term comes from athletics
of yore: “Practice like you
play.” Instead of practicing
on half of the court, practice
on the full court, for example.
So, by that rule, if you want
to ensure that your combat
chassis is more effective and
capable, do you work out
in full kit? If not, then why
do it? By that same logic, if
your objective to marksman-
ship training is to dissuade
a home invasion at night,
shouldn’t you be training in
your boxer shorts?
KNOW THYSELF
-There are many techniques
in practice, and there are just
as many gun-related gizmos,
gadgets and gimmicks.
Firearms upgrades and
apparel additions, theatrical
movements and dance steps,
tales of woe or implausible
performance enhancers—
some of these live long and
become debated issues
while others die off quickly.
One of the things I
encourage on the range is
discovery, or tactile, learn-
ing. In other words, learn by
doing rather than just taking
or piece of gear because
you see for yourself that it
will or will not offer positive
development in a gunfight.
Combat multipliers are often
the simplest solutions versus
high-tech gear or fine-motor-
skill movements.
“Train like you fight”
means training beyond the
drill. If the drill requires six
shots to complete, think
about seven, eight or nine
shots. Do not let the drill
dictate to you when you
should stop thinking.
Instead, try to perform a
focal shift and see things full
spectrum. Once again, work
beyond the drill. If the targets
are directly in front of you,
look around them so you’re
aware of what’s in front of
and flanking these targets.
Train during periods of lim-
ited visibility, such as adverse
weather conditions. Train to
stay in the fight. Get out of
the flat-range mindset.

| |
22 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
MORE RIDICULOUSNESS
-I’m often perplexed by
some of the post-shoot
motions used during range
practice. And that’s exactly
what it is—range practice.
One of my favorites is
the post-shoot “scan and
assess.” This is where the
shooter draws, fires and
quickly snatches his gun back
into a compressed-ready
position and moves his head
from side to side. What’s he
doing? Hell if I know. Looks to
me like he’s moving his head
from side to side. There’s
no regard for picking up a
secondary sight picture and
getting ready for the next shot
because the theatrical move-
ment has taken precedence
over what he should be doing.
Put yourself in a situation
where you would have to fire
at someone with the intent
of deadly force. After you fire
and he is no longer a visible
threat, what are you going to
do? You’ll probably close in
on the target in a semicircular
movement to ensure that he
is no longer a threat and clear
his gun from him or render
aid in the event that you have
not dispatched him. You
would definitely not shake
your head from side to side
“‘TRAIN LIKE YOU FIGHT’
MEANS TRAINING BEYOND
THE DRILL…DO NOT LET
THE DRILL DICTATE TO YOU
WHEN YOU SHOULD STOP
THINKING.”
personaldefenseworld.com
and quickly reholster. Never
would this happen.
Another one of my favor-
ites is the “follow the target
to the ground” shitshow. This
is where the shooter fires at
his target and slowly starts
to aim his pistol toward the
ground. The first time I saw
this, I asked the shooter what
he was doing. His answer:
“I’m following the target to
the ground.” I approached his
target, pointed to it and said,
“But your target is still stand-
ing.” To which he replied, “I
am simulating following the
target to the ground.” Hmm.
Would a person fall straight
down in slow motion after he
is shot, or might he take two
hobbling steps to the left or
right before he falls? If so,
shouldn’t you practice mov-
ing your pistol up and down,
left and right after shooting?
What if he were in a car or
a basement? Once again,
you would probably advance
on this person and secure
your 6 o’clock, clear him of
his weapon, check his vitals,
calm down any bystanders
and call the police.
The “flat-range mindset”
breeds contempt for real-
ism as well. Guys running
backwards with complete dis-
regard for what’s behind them
is common range practice.
This is done as an administra-
tive range safety requirement
and is justified by believing
that we should run backwards
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 23
while facing our target so as
not to lose sight of it. Please
try this at midnight in the
Walmart parking lot, what I
call the “epicenter for disaster
planning.” You’ll see the flaw
in this mindset quite quickly.
Before I run a drill
involving kinetics, where the
shooter will have to run from
one cover position to another,
I ask, “How do we run with a
pistol or a rifle?” The answers
are astonishing. Some people
will show me how they were
taught to hold the pistol or
rifle oriented up and close to
their head. In this position,
they no longer have a positive
visual with their muzzle, and
they have relinquished their
firing-side peripheral vision
because there is a gun in
the way! I’ve also heard it
explained that running like
this is more efficient. What?
My sarcastic response: “So
they should bring this to the
NFL and Olympic relays.
The runners will hold the ball
and the baton in the same
manner!” Imagine that.
My answer to “How do we
run with a pistol or a rifle?” is
this: the same freaking way
we’d run without a pistol or
a rifle. You can see plenty of
visual examples on my Pat
Mac YouTube channel.
There are many people
who will read this and think
I’m smoking crack. That’s
OK. Continue with your
“range practice.” I will con-
tinue to train for a fight!
|
|
 ON THE COVER

SPRINGFIELD’S
LATEST 9MM
MOD.2 REBOOT
TAKES DISCREET
CARRY TO
NEW HEIGHTS
BY WILL DABBS, MD

| |
24 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
 | |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 25
 XD-S XCELLENCE |

T he 9mm Springfield
Armory XD-S Mod.2 is the end
result of a generation of mechan-
ical evolution. Every millimeter
of the thing has been tweaked,
refined and polished. The outcome
is a pocket-sized defender that car-
ries like it’s not there, shoots like a
dream and packs quite a punch.
I have been blessed to carry and
run just about everything. With a
many-splendored ills. Thank the Lord
I never had to use that thing for real. I
most likely would have been better off
throwing it than shooting it.
I packed that little gun loose in my
pocket with an empty chamber. That
may seem like heresy these days, but
pickings were pretty slim back then.
To put the weapon into action, I would
have had to fish it out of my pocket—

quarter-century’s worth of gun writing
under my belt, it has been my privilege
to squeeze quite a few triggers, all the
while pretending like it was work. It is
tough to impress me with a carry gun
these days. However, the Springfield
Armory XD-S Mod.2 is indeed con-
cealed carry perfected.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
When I first got into this gig, my initial
carry gun was a $50 FIE Titan in .25
ACP. It was a gift from my precious
bride, and it was all that we could
afford. I loaded that pathetic little
pistol with little quarter-inch-diameter
Glaser Safety Slugs and struck out
into the world confident in my ability
to defend my woman against life’s
SPEC BOX
hopefully muzzle end out—and rack
the slide before somebody caught,
killed and ate me. The single-action
trigger wasn’t too shabby all things
considered, but the safety was pretty
tiny and inaccessible. Additionally, the
dimensions and ergonomics of the
weapon were not designed for real
human beings. Sometime between
then and now, every single thing about
concealed carry changed.
Who saw this coming? I sure
didn’t. As of the summer of 2016, 14.5
million Americans held concealed-carry
SPRINGFIELD permits. That is just over 6 percent of
ARMORY the adult population. A dozen states
XD-S MOD.2 embrace constitutional carry without
a permit. Current estimates are that 3
CALIBER: 9mm million American civilians carry a gun
BARREL: 3.3 inches every single day. In a nation of roughly
OA LENGTH: 6.3 inches 326 million people, those numbers are
WEIGHT: 21.5 ounces (empty)
staggering. In the face of this simply
breathtaking market, today’s firearms
GRIP: Polymer manufacturers have been burning the
SIGHTS: AmeriGlo Pro-Glo midnight oil pursuing state-of-the-art
tritium front, concealable firepower. The end result
Tactical Rack rear
is the XD-S Mod.2.
ACTION: Stiker-fired
FINISH: Matte black A CLOSER LOOK
CAPACITY: 7+1, 9+1 The XD-S Mod.2 is fairly tiny. The
footprint is more akin to what you might
MSRP: $586
expect of a .380 ACP pocket gun.

| |
26 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
Carrying this gun in a dedicated pocket
holster would be all but painless.
Everything about the XD-S Mod.2
is optimized for its mission. Both
sights are steel. The front sight is an
AmeriGlo Pro-Glo tritium unit, and the
“Tactical Rack” rear sight has a little
ledge so you can charge the gun on a
shoe or a piece of furniture if your day
turns out extra sucky.
The grip is pleasantly textured
throughout for easy purchase when life
goes sideways. The triggerguard is as
undercut as the laws of physics might
allow. The dust cover sports a tiny bit of
Picatinny rail, and the guide rod sports
a little intentional standoff up front that
prevents the gun from becoming dis-
abled when pressed against something
firm. Springfield really has thought of
just about everything.
The gun is designed specifically
around the 9mm and is super skinny as
a result. At its broadest point, the gun is
still less than an inch wide. The overall
design strikes the sweet spot between
pointability and tactical efficiency. Were
the gun any smaller, it would be uncom-
fortable to use on the range.
The slide release is one-sided and
the perfect size for quick access without
snagging. Deep slide serrations make
the gun easy to charge. There is also a
loaded-chamber indicator on top that
works in both daylight and darkness.
The magazine release is a handy button
in the expected spot that is perfectly
replicated on both sides of the gun.
This brings us to the magazines,
which are inspired. There are three
options here, all of which are single-
stack to keep the gun thin for easy
The XD-S Mod.2
has several note-
worthy features,
including a Tactical
Rack rear sight, an
AmeriGlo Pro-Glow
front sight, a loaded-
chamber indicator,
GripZone texturing
and a grip safety.
portage. Think of them as small,
medium and large. The gun comes
with the small (seven-round) and large
(nine-round). Medium (eight-round) is
available as an option if desired.
Each magazine comes with a poly-
mer baseplate or sleeve that interfaces
seamlessly with the grip. The stubby
seven-rounder comes with both a
pinky-rest floorplate as well as the flat
sort for those times when it needs to
be really small. This magazine seems to
occupy very little space. I have no idea
how it does that—by warping the time-
space continuum, perhaps?
The last bit that really sets the
XD-S Mod.2 apart is its magnificent
grip safety. The gun has the obligatory
blade safety built into the trigger as
well as an internal drop safety in the
striker block. Additionally, there is a
third separate safety mechanism built
into the grip. Now, there are those who
feel that this grip safety is redundant
and unnecessary. We shall refer to this
group as “those who are more likely to
shoot their manhoods off if the trigger
catches on a shirttail while stowing the
gun in an appendix holster.”
I know I’m paranoid, but I’m com-
fortable with a bit of paranoia when it
comes to tools that are designed to
incapacitate a human being as effi-
ciently as possible. I am personally
aware of five episodes where trained
police officers had negligent discharges
while packing the most popular poly-
mer-framed pistol in the world. Four
of those episodes resulted in severe
injuries to the officers. In each case, the
gun performed precisely as designed.
The XD-S Mod.2 will go bang every
single time you pull the trigger, all while
remaining just a little bit safer than
everybody else. I see no downside.
HOW DOES IT CARRY?
Wow. Just wow. I have packed full-
sized 1911 pistols underneath my
scrubs at work that offered the same
magazine capacity as the XD-S Mod.2
and were bulky and heavy enough to
induce lumbago. By contrast, this little
gun really does all but disappear.
The dimensions of the XD-S Mod.2
put it into the same category as the
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 27 |
 XD-S XCELLENCE |

Springfield includes a seven-round

magazine with flat and pinky-rest
baseplates as well as a longer nine-rounder
(shown) with a pinky-rest baseplate for
more comfortable shooting sessions.

PERFORMANCE

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY
XD-S MOD.2
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY

Armscor 124 FMJ 1,049 1.00

NovX 65 ARX +P 1,667 2.25
Sig Sauer 115 V-Crown 365 JHP 1,073 2.10
Sig Sauer 124 V-Crown JHP 1,022 2.00
Winchester 115 Forged FMJ 1,105 0.80
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and
accuracy in inches for best four-shot groups at 15 yards.

Glock 43. I even found that it rode
fairly well in a G43 holster. The gun is
small without being anorexic and yet
still fills the hand comfortably.
If this pistol were any thinner, it
would be unwieldy. If it were any
thicker, it would print. As it is, the XD-S
Mod.2 is just the right size for pack-
ing underneath my surgical scrubs
throughout a hectic 13-hour day at the
clinic. I can legitimately forget that it’s
there. If you are one of those 3 million
Americans who packs a gun every sin-
gle day, as I do, the XD-S Mod.2 really
can make that chore easy.
HOW DOES IT SHOOT?
In a word, beautifully. A Walther PPK/S
.380 batters you way worse than this
thing does. All that cool-guy stuff we
talked about earlier synergistically con-
spires to make this tiny little defensive
gun surprisingly placid on the range.
The recoil is not nearly as snappy as
it could be, and the combat-proven
controls make the gun run quickly.
A lot of small defensive pistols are
fairly miserable to shoot. A PPK/S
is surprisingly harsh while some tiny
locked-breech .380s will still buzz your
hand a bit after an extended shooting
:
Despite its compact dimensions,
the XD-S Mod.2 is still easy to aim and
shoot thanks to Springfield engineering.
session. By contrast, the 9mm XD-S
Mod.2 is positively sublime.
The trigger is just firm enough to
be safe while remaining sufficiently
crisp as to be accurate. As expected,
the long magazine shoots best, but
the stubby version isn’t shabby. I’m a
skinny guy with big hands. With the
pinky-rest floorplate installed on the
short magazine, the gun will just barely
accommodate all of my fingers. As with
everything else, it is just well designed.
There were naturally no failures. The
folks at Springfield Armory purportedly
ran 25,000 rounds through a single
copy during the pistol’s development
without a failure. That is simply a
breathtaking performance for a gun
of such compact dimensions.
In addition to sterling reliability and
optimized ergonomics, the XD-S Mod.2
shoots unnaturally straight. Out to 15
yards, I could make headshots all day
long without breaking a sweat. Taking
my time and shooting off of a rest, the
gun printed some phenomenal groups,
and several had touching holes. The
gun printed a group less than an inch
wide at 15 yards with inexpensive
Winchester fodder. From cheap, steel-
cased ball ammo to high-performance
defensive rounds, the XD-S Mod.2 ran
them all smoothly and well.
I even burned a box at 100 yards just
for giggles. For those times I didn’t actu-
ally connect, I still would have scared an
attacker downrange awfully bad. And
that’s with a 3.3-inch barrel. After a long
afternoon at the range, I left with a grin
on my face and the XD-S Mod.2 riding
in the place of honor on my belt.
ALL THAT & MORE
It may seem that I’m laying it on a bit
thick. After all, the XD-S Mod.2 bears
an esoteric resemblance to a lot of
other small-statured defensive guns

| |
28 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
cluttering the shelves at your local gun
emporium. However, this new power-
house really is all that and more.
I am indeed a bit jaded when it comes
to the latest and greatest new defensive
hardware. I’ve seen it all. However, the
9mm XD-S Mod.2 genuinely impressed
me. The features are eminently sensible,
the quality and workmanship top-flight
throughout, and the performance frankly
flawless. The new 9mm XD-S Mod.2 is a
pocket gun that is fun to run.
My Second Amendment rights
are well exercised. I needed another
pocket pistol like I needed an IRS audit
or a root canal. However, when the
smoke cleared, I ponied up a check to
Springfield Armory and made this cool
little defensive pistol mine. I carry a gun
every single day. I expect the weapon
I tote to be capable of defending my
family. For its size and mission, the 9mm
XD-S Mod.2 is the best I have ever seen.
For more, visit springfield-armory.com.
DE50L5IMB
.50 AE | 5” Barrel
BFR500JRH7B
.500 JRH | 7.5” Barrel
personaldefenseworld.com
To be useful in a real-world you inadvertently leave
gunfight, your gear needs it activated. The whole
to be simple—the fewer shebang weighs only
details the better. That’s 0.78 ounces.
why lasers can really be Activation buttons are
handy in the right circum- on both sides. The dot
stances. Literally nothing is is visible out to 25 yards in
simpler. Put the dot on the daylight and up to a mile at
target and squeeze. night. Zeroing the unit is easy. You
The Viridian E-Series red just adjust for windage and elevation
laser sight is custom-designed with the included Allen wrench until the
to conform to the unique dot coincides with the gun’s sights.
contours of the XD-S Mod.2, The “E” in E-Series stands for
and you can even buy one of these Essential, and the unit is made for daily
guns straight from the factory with the carry. Several manufacturers offer hol-
laser attached. The Viridian’s housing is sters to accommodate the XD-S with this
made from rugged polymer, and the red laser attached, and CrossBreed makes
laser has a nominal output of 500mW, a great one. And the Viridian doesn’t add
the maximum allowable under American any real bulk to the gun. The controls are
law. The button cell battery provides six foolproof and easily accessed with the
hours of constant operation, and the unit trigger finger. (viridianweapontech.com)
shuts itself off after five minutes in case —Will Dabbs, MD
DE50SRMB
.50 AE | 6” Barrel
BFR45-707B
.45/70 Govt. | 7.5” Barrel
Join us: @magnumresearchinc | @biggestfinestrevolver www.magnumresearch.com
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 29 |
 RELOAD ZONE

GIVE IT A REST!
THIS RANGE-TESTING GUIDE WILL HELP YOU GET
THE MOST FROM YOUR PET HANDLOADS
BY STAN TRZONIEC

Testing your handloads is the

next step after all that hard work
you put into each case with the
proper primer, the exact powder charge
and capping it off with that perfect bullet.
If you are a beginner, terms like “tra-
jectory,” “ballistic coefficient” and “feet
per second” are going to add a new
dimension to your loading vocabulary,
and it all starts to come to the surface
while shooting your newborn handloads.
Veterans, on the other hand, will con-
tinue to fine-tune their established hand-
loads for the best accuracy balanced
with a good energy factor.

RANGE PREP To eliminate as

many variables
If you are fortunate enough to have a as possible, try
testing your guns
place of your own with a few acres of under a roof with
land, you are perfectly positioned to test a sturdy bench and
your handloads in the comfort of your a Ransom rest.
own outdoor range. But if you don’t have
this luxury, your best option is to join a
gun club with decent shooting facilities.
I mention this because I reside in the
East, and some of the clubs here have
downgraded their range facilities to a
point where they have become social
clubs holding yard sales, square dances
and car shows. So drive around and
check out the ones in your area, making
sure the facilities include a range for
both handguns (at least 50 yards) and
rifles (up to 100 yards, but 200 yards
is preferable) with adequate shooting
benches for both.
After you establish yourself with a
club, make sure you have adequate
shatterproof shooting glasses and ear
protection in the form of tight-fitting

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30 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com

muffs or ear-filling foam plugs, keeping
in mind that once you lose your hearing,
you never get it back. Before going
out, other accessories might include
a hat, a spotting scope mounted on a
mini tripod suitable for bench use, and
cartridge boxes to keep your specially
tailored handloads orderly and easy to
retrieve and record.
As you gain experience, you may
want to add a chronograph and, for the
ultimate in handgun testing, a Ransom
rest. In the past, a chronograph was
a luxury for some shooters, but today
they’re much more affordable. Nothing
more than a highly sophisticated timer,
a good chronograph made by Oehler or
Pact will give you high and low readings,
averages, standard deviations and the
number of rounds fired. If you tend to
like handgun hunting, these units can
be a big help in calculating bullet drop
over longer distances based on true
velocity readings, not something printed
personaldefenseworld.com
Whatever you
use to support
your gun at the
range, make sure
you rest it on the
gun’s frame, not the
barrel. This helps
with consistency.
Every range bag
should include
shooting glasses
and hearing pro-
tection. Consider a
hat so you can see
your sights better
on sunny days.
in a book. For the more serious shooter
and handloader, a good rest takes the
guesswork out of the longtime accuracy
problem, that of showing how the gun
and loads work by eliminating shooter
error. Inserts are available for just about
any handgun on the market today. Simply
bolt down the whole assembly on a good
sheet of plywood, C-clamp it to the club
bench, get comfortable and have at it.
TESTS & RESTS
Testing a handgun is fun and informative,
and you want to be as accurate as possi-
ble with your handloads. Generally, there
are three ways to test a handgun. One is
off-hand. It’s not the steadiest method,
but for casual use, it allows you to get
the feel of the gun and how it shoots.
While this might be suitable for a certain
type of ammunition used in a defensive
handgun at the customary 7 yards, this is
not a good way to test guns or ammuni-
tion, as the chance of you holding to the
same mark shot after shot is slim.
The second testing method is a
braced rest, which is nothing more than
resting the gun on a solid machine rest
or possibly within the confines of the
rabbit ears on a sandbag. In either case,
it is important to position the frame of
the gun—not the barrel—on the rest for
consistent results. (In fact, many guns
feature a reverse curve just in front of
the triggerguard that was apparently
made for just this purpose.) This gives
you a place to rest the gun shot after
shot for the best results while taking the
strain off of the gun and letting the barrel
vibrate on its own. Once settled in, your
priorities should be a clean sight picture
and a consistent trigger pull.
The last testing method is, of course,
the Ransom rest. Designed years back
by Chuck Ransom, this type of machine
rest has been the benchmark in the
industry for testing handguns to the Nth
degree. A Ransom rest is a solid piece
of machinery built to withstand the rigors
of testing the most powerful handguns to
their fullest. To accomplish this, Ransom
International has designed inserts that
fit within the confines of the rest, holding
the gun in place while it is fired. These
custom inserts fit tightly around the grip
of the gun, and with an adjustable trigger
linkage, allow the gun to be fired and
tested without any human interference.
The company makes hundreds of inserts
to fit firearms from brands across the
spectrum, including revolvers, semi-
automatics and single-shot pistols. There
is also a blank insert available for those
who might want to carve their own, but
if you aren’t as ambitious as all that, the
company can custom design one for the
gun you have in mind.
While the Ransom rest was originally
made for the serious target shooter
trying to squeak out the best from his
or her mild wadcutter loads in Bullseye
competitions, it quickly gained ground
with other precision shooters. This rest
helps to eliminate issues such as incor-
rect sighting, flinching, trigger let-off
problems and fatigue after long strings
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 31 |
 RELOAD ZONE
“WHILE THE QUEST FOR THE BEST IN ACCURACY
BEGINS AT THE LOADING BENCH, THE REAL RESULTS
ARE ALWAYS DECIDED AT THE RANGE.”
A chronograph (left) is your best bet for determining your ammo’s actual velocity in the field.
Several Ransom rest inserts are available (right) so you can properly anchor your gun.
of fire, so it definitely pays for itself over
years of personal handgun testing.
Using a Ransom rest is easy, but here
are a few hints for when you order the
unit. First, the rest comes in two parts,
and I recommend that you purchase both
at the same time as they are matched
up in the machining process and carry
the same serial number. Additionally, the
base is windage driven, making adjust-
ments at the bench much easier. I also
recommend that you attach the rest to a
sturdy piece of exterior plywood at least
0.75 inches thick. This makes it easy to
| |
32 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
sure your handloads are assembled with top-
quality components like primers and powders.
clamp the rest to the range bench, and
since the keyword here is consistency,
securing it to the bench keeps everything
in check and rigid. It’s easy to operate a
Ransom rest, and the instructions take
you very simply from start to finish.
ACCURATE AMMO
After you have made your choice in
benchrest equipment, what constitutes a
true picture of accuracy? That depends
on the person doing the testing, the
ammunition and, of course, the gun. At
Before you even get to the range, make
25 yards with a solid rest, any mod-
ern handgun should easily produce a
five-shot group that measures under 2
inches, or for a hunting gun with stout
recoil, slightly larger groups. At 50 yards,
the circle widens a bit, and if you can
get a group of around 3.5 inches at this
distance, both you and the gun are doing
great. And don’t forget that personal
judgement is also part of the equation.
Naturally, what it all boils down to
is the ammunition. You know you can
shoot, but how accurately and at what
distance? A rest settles that argument
easily, but for consistency, it’s the
ammunition that makes it all happen.
From the outset, you want the best
components and equipment you can
buy. Today’s reloading equipment is
among the best in the world simply
because shooters demand it.
At the loading bench, new brass is
the way to start out with handloaded
ammunition. Out of the box, size them
all, making sure the case mouths are
perfect for loading bullets. Using a
tungsten carbide die helps to keep any
lubricant from contaminating the pow-
der within the case. Flare the cases only
enough to allow an easy insertion of the
bullet and not too much to overwork the
brass in this area. Stick to fresh primers
and make sure the powders are trickled
into the case for the best accuracy
during the testing process and for
target loads. Just enough powder is
needed to work the action with positive
loading and ejection of the fired case in
a semi-automatic handgun.
Above all, keep detailed records of
all your shooting sessions. While the
quest for the best in accuracy begins at
the loading bench, the real results are
always decided at the range.
personaldefenseworld.com
 NEXT-GEN NINE

34 |
 Sig Sauer proves that it’s still
on the cutting edge with this
piston-driven powerhouse
BY DAVID BAHDE
IN May of 2018, the U.S. Army
issued a request for infor-
mation (RFI) for a new Sub
Compact Weapon (SCW). Specifically,
Big Green wanted a compact, select-fire
9mm with a Picatinny rail for accesso-
ries—not for every soldier, but “those who
might need a personal-protection-type
weapon for certain missions.”
Several companies entered the
running before the Army canceled the
request. Then, it resurrected it in August
with a few changes. Essentially, the RFI is
asking gun makers for a “highly conceal-
able SWC system capable of engaging
threat personnel with a high volume of
lethal force while accurately firing at close
: range with minimal collateral damage.”
Whether As you already know, submachine guns
it’s in stock
configuration
have served military, police and private
or loaded with security firms for decades. For many years,
extras, the the HK MP5 was the gold standard of this
Sig MPX-K category—something the 300 Blackout
provides plenty
of firepower
was designed to replace. But if you don’t
to dominate in want that .30-caliber power, it’s hard to
close quarters. argue against the 9mm, which is plentiful
personaldefenseworld.com
and can be chambered in some very short
weapons while still being effective in
CQB. It’s no slouch at 100 yards, either.
Of course, MP5s are old and spare
parts are dwindling, thus the Army’s
request for a new solution. Enter the Sig
Sauer MPX. This modular platform looks
like an ideal candidate for the SCW pro-
gram, and Sig is currently offering a pistol
version that will do exactly what you need
it to without registering it with the BATFE.
MPX EVOLUTION
I first tested a prototype of the MPX back
in 2013 at the Sig Sauer Academy in
New Hampshire. As a big fan of the MP5,
I was immediately impressed. It was com-
pact, accurate and controllable in full-auto
while offering AR-style con-
trols. Sadly, laws at
the time made it
an NFA item,
severely
limiting its
availability.
But it
 MASTERFUL MPX-K |

was still popular among police agencies, especially

those who couldn’t field rifles for political reasons.
I later tested the first semi-awutomatic versions,
which were just as impressive. The only real drawback
with the pistol version was the lack of a stock. The
Sig arm brace was out there, but a 2015 letter from
the BATFE made it illegal to shoulder such devices.
Thankfully, that agency more recently reversed its ruling,
opening up a whole new ball game for the MPX series.
The MPX-K is the shortest semi-auto version avail-
able. Then you have the MPX-K PSB, which comes
:
with a telescoping arm brace. For this review I got my The author a short KeyMod handguard with a hand stop, and a
hands on the standard MPX-K with a 4.5-inch barrel, tricked the full-length top rail. At the rear of the receiver is another
gun out with
Sig backup
rail that allows you to add an arm brace, but on its
sights and own, the MPX-K is just 13.5 inches long.
SPEC BOX arms braces The heart of the gun is a short-stroke gas piston
like the Gear operating system that is designed to reliably fire with a
SIG SAUER Head Works
Tailhook
variety of ammunition. You’ll also notice a small ejection

MPX-K Mod 2. port with a dust cover and a top-mounted charging

handle in the usual AR position.
CALIBER: 9mm Sig includes two 30-round magazines, though 10-
and 20-round magazines are also available. Each
BARREL: 4.5 inches
magazine fits easily in the nicely contoured
OA LENGTH: 13.5 inches and flared mag well. And, like all MPX
WEIGHT: 4.6 pounds (empty) variants, the lower receiver sports
ambidextrous controls.
GRIP: Polymer
SIGHTS: None
TEST PLATFORM
ACTION: Piston-operated While I tested the gun as it came,
semi-auto I also upgraded it with a few
FINISH: Matte black components and tried it out in a few
CAPACITY: 30+1 different configurations. I ran it with Sig’s own
telescoping PSB arm brace installed as well as
MSRP: $2,016
with the Gear Head Works Tailhook Mod 2, which

| |
36 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
happens to be the best stabiliz- PERFORMANCE
ing brace I’ve used so far. The
hook design works for short and SIG SAUER MPX-K
long forearms alike.
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY
I also used a registered
short-barreled rifle (SBR) Federal 124 HST 1,140 2.00
lower, allowing me to add a Hornady 135 Critical Duty +P 1,110 1.50
few different stocks. With the Remington 115 HTP +P 1,244 1.80
MCX Rattler’s folding stock in Winchester 124 PDX1 +P 1,087 2.17
place, the MPX-K was extremely Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and
compact yet offered a solid accuracy in inches for three 5-shot groups at 25 yards.
shoulder mount for firing.
LWRCI’s UCIW stock provided
another option, but you can Finally, the muzzle comes with metric 13.5x1mm
install virtually anything that : LH threading, so the MPX-K is ready for a sound
uses a standard buffer tube. I used Sig’s Vickers-style Whether suppressor right out of the box. To that end, I used
sling when QD attachments were available, and for a shooting off- three at the range: the SilencerCo Omega 9K as well
hand or using
single-point sling, I went with Magpul’s MS3 GEN2. a truck bumper as Liberty’s Centurion and Mystic X.
For targeting, I added one of Sig’s fixed front sights for a rest, the
as well as a folding rear backup sight. Then I installed MPX-K was TRIGGER TIME
a Sig ROMEO3 red-dot sight with a tall mount that accurate out As I learned at the range, the MPX-K is easily the
to 50 and even
worked well with the backup units. And while the 100 yards. most usable, accessible and practical version of the
factory trigger is quite decent on its own, I replaced it MPX to date. With quality ammunition, the 4.5-inch
with a drop-in Elftmann AR-9 unit for the range testing. barrel yields the same results as any other pistol.

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 37 |
 MASTERFUL MPX-K |

:
Most self-defense ammunition is designed specif- The MPX-K’s Tailhook Mod 2 solved that problem. It’s adjustable
ically for this barrel length, so the terminal perfor- handguard for length of pull, and my test kit came with a folding
has several
mance meets FBI standards. KeyMod slots adapter for even greater versatility. This setup pro-
Sig’s telescoping PSB is fine, but there’s no for accessories, vided a very stable shooting platform.
cheekweld to speak of. While it isn’t needed at close and a hand stop The MPX-K fits just about anywhere. It can even
range, it’s nice to have such a capability, and the is included. be fired accurately one-handed with a red-dot sight
in place, and suppress-
ing the pistol is extremely
easy. While a standard
thread size would be nice,
the metric pattern is well
supported, or you can get
an adapter. SilencerCo’s
Omega 9K only added
5 inches to the MPX-K’s
overall length. The Liberty
Centurion is about an inch
longer but is noticeably qui-
eter. The Mystic X was the
quietest suppressor of the
bunch. They all kicked some
gas back towards me while
shooting and mucked up
the works, but none caused
any reliability issues.
Suppressed, the MPK-K
ran all of my test ammo
flawlessly—except for some
frangible rounds. But many
pistols have issues with
frangible ammo, so it’s
not a complete surprise.
Interestingly, the gun didn’t
have the same issues with
that load unsuppressed. My
experience would typically
dictate the opposite, but
that wasn’t the case here.
The MPX-K’s accuracy
was excellent, and the
Elftmann AR-9 trigger made
for a huge improvement.
Crisp, clean and fast, it

| |
38 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
worked flawlessly your squad car’s trunk, for example. So it’s easy to see

:
Every MPX
over several is built for why the U.S. Army is interested in a modern subma-
modularity.
months and over Registered as
chine gun for some specialized unit roles.
1,000 rounds. an SBR, you The MPX looks like a strong candidate for the
Using the bumper can add a stock SCW program, and the MPX-K pistol is an excellent
of my truck as like one of semi-auto version for civilians. If you’re looking to
Sig’s folding,
a brace, the defend your home, vehicle or place of business, or
skeletonized
MPX-K created a models. just win your next pistol-caliber match, the MPX-K
1.75-inch clump should be at the top of your list. For more informa-
of lead on steel tion, visit sigsauer.com.
at 50 yards using
10 rounds of Hornady’s 135-grain +P
Critical Duty ammo. Moving to 100
yards and holding just slightly over the
steel yielded a nice cluster using the
same load. As you can see, adding a
red-dot sight to the MPX-K is quite a
game-changer at 50 and 100 yards.

PARTING SHOTS
Unlike some in the law enforcement
world, I never abandoned the 9mm
submachine gun—not 20 years ago,
not today. It remains a mainstay for
many police agencies here and abroad,
and modern ammunition only makes
the platform better.
Short-barreled rifles are great,
but they are still marginally reliable,
incredibly loud, blast intensive and
overpowered for many applications.
Submachine guns in 9mm suffer none
of those issues and remain effective for
most. Incredibly compact, they provide
a viable alternative if you can’t get to

“As I
learned
at the range,
the MPX-K
is easily the
most usable,
accessible
and practical
version of the
MPX to date.”
personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 39 |
 FIRST LOOK

REMINGTON

BY GREG LICKENBROCK

The ergonomic
grip has an undercut
triggerguard,
subtle yet effective
texturing, an
optimized angle and
interchangeable
backstraps.

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40 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 The slide sports
front and rear
cocking serrations
as well as a durable
PVD finish that helps
resist corrosion
and makes for easy
cleaning.

C
Capitalism thrives on competition. After
someone finds something that works
and sells, a dozen other companies will
pile on and fight for a piece of the pie. This
naturally breeds innovation, but sometimes
it can get a bit overwhelming. I mean, think of
all the different cars on the road, let alone SUVs
that’ll never leave the safety of pavement.
When it comes to polymer-framed, strike-fired pis-
tols, I’m often reminded of a scene toward the end of
The Hurt Locker. Jeremy Renner’s character has defied
death hundreds of times while defusing IEDs in Iraq,
but when he comes back home, he’s shown standing
in front of a giant wall of cereal boxes at the grocery
store, utterly paralyzed by all the choices.
Heckler & Koch created the first striker-fired
pistol—the VP70—and Glock popularized the idea.
Fast-forward a few decades and it seems every major
gun manufacturer has a version up for sale. One of
the latest to enter this corner of the market is actually
America’s oldest firearms manufacturer: Remington.
When you think of good old “Big Green,”
you probably think of Model 700 bolt-action
rifles and Model 870 shotguns. Those two
platforms account for millions of the guns
in safes across America. The company made
waves when it dove into 1911s a few years ago, and
more recently it unveiled the RP9, its first striker-fired
9mm. This series has obviously done well, because
Remington is now offering a version in .45 ACP.

personaldefenseworld.com | |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 41
 REMINGTON STEEL |

The slide houses a 4.5-

LARGE & IN CHARGE
The RP45 is ideal for those
who want a bit more oomph
than the 9mm RP9 but don’t
have a lot of extra cash
hanging around. It’s a great
entry-level option with a
suggested retail price of only
$418. That’s a pretty impres-
sive price for any .45 ACP
pistol, let alone one that holds
15+1 rounds, and Remington
includes two magazines.
Let’s start with its dimen-
sions. The RP45 is 7.91
inches long, 5.56 inches tall,
1.27 inches wide and weighs
26.4 ounce unloaded. This
is definitely a full-sized pistol,
and yet it doesn’t feel overly
large. The grip frame, for
example, feels pretty slim for
housing a double-stack mag-
azine. I have medium-sized
hands and had no problems
holding onto my test pistol.
It also helps that the polymer
frame is molded so you can
get a high grip on the gun.
The beavertail is extended to
protect the web of your hand
The standard RP45 comes
with three-dot sights, but
Remington also offers a version
with tritium night sights. The
rear unit has a cocking ledge.
from the slide as it retracts, rates the pull weight as being
and the triggerguard is under- between 5.5 and 8 pounds. I
cut. You’ll also find subtle didn’t find it to be too heavy or
texturing, dished-out areas for gritty, but it’s worth noting that
your thumb and trigger finger, the trigger has to fully return
a rail for accessories, and to its forward-most position
interchangeable backstraps. I to reset. (At least that’s how
kept the medium backstrap in the trigger on my test sample
place on my test gun. worked.) This might be a
Remington also includes safety feature, as it encour-
a reversible magazine release ages a very deliberate, inten-
and an ambidextrous slide tional trigger pull, but I can
stop. And now we get to the say it’s my only real knock on
trigger. A safety toggle is built the gun. I prefer a short, crisp
into the trigger face—common reset so I can dump rounds
among striker-fired pistols quickly when needed. Novices
these days—and Remington might not care as much.
PERFORMANCE
REMINGTON RP45
LOAD ACCURACY
Barnes 185 TAC-XPD +P 3.10
Black Hills 135 HoneyBadger 2.00
Black Hills 230 JHP 1.00
Hornady 185 XTP 1.75
Remington 230 LeadLess FNEB 2.25
Bullet weight measured in grains and accuracy in
inches for best five-shot groups at 15 yards.
inch barrel, and both are
given a black PVD finish
for enhanced durability and
corrosion resistance. This is
a nice touch; after a full day
at the range, I could wipe the
slide clean with just a towel.
All of the edges are rounded,
and bevels toward the muzzle
should help with reholstering.
Along with front and rear
serrations, a wide ejection
port and an external extractor,
the slide also sports drift-
adjustable, three-dot sights.
The front sight is easy to pick
up, and the forward face of
the rear sight is flat so you can
rack the slide with one hand
in an emergency. These sights
work well, but Remington also
offers a version of the RP45
with tritium night sights that
will give you an edge in low-
light situations.
HOW IT SHOOTS
As you can see, there are a
lot of features packed into
the RP45, but the proof is
always in the performance.
So, I gathered five different
.45 ACP loads and headed
to my usual Quickshot range
here in Atlanta.
I broke the RP45 in with a
Remington UMC “LeadLess”
load that uses 230-grain flat-
nose encased base (FNEB)
bullets. Right off the bat, the
gun’s controllability was imme-
diately apparent. The recoil

| |
42 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
was relatively mild for a .45
ACP, and I attribute this
to the ergonomic polymer
frame. The magazines were
also easy to load by hand.
As for reliability, the
gun ran well with all of the
test loads. Early on, I had
two occasions where the
second-to-last round in the
magazine hung up on the
feed ramp and failed to fully
seat in the chamber. But
the issue, which came with
the 230-grain Remington
FNEBs, never appeared
again. It was just part of the
break-in process.
All of the hollow points
fed, fired and ejected
flawlessly. Along with the
Remington rounds, I had
this isn’t indicative of the 15-round spare at the SPEC BOX
gun’s mechanical accuracy, ready—I don’t see how you
but I think practical accu- could feel “under-gunned.” REMINGTON
racy is more important. The fact that the RP45
With a good hold, the
Remington will give you
is very affordable while
offering the same features
RP45
CALIBER: .45 ACP
good results. After my as more expensive competi-
slow-fire groups, I decided tors just shows Remington’s BARREL: 4.5 inches
to speed things up a bit, commitment to helping as OA LENGTH: 7.91 inches
and though the trigger isn’t many Americans protect WEIGHT: 26.4 ounces (empty)
quite built for that, I was themselves as possible.
GRIP: Polymer
able to punch out a target The RP45 is easy to use,
center relatively quickly with easy to aim and easy to fire. SIGHTS: Three-dot
some concentration. Give it a try. And if you pre- ACTION: Striker-fired
fer the 9mm, the RP9 holds
FINISH: Matte black
STANDING OUT 18+1 rounds and currently
This gun is built for defense, has the same exact sug- CAPACITY: 15+1
plain and simple. With gested retail price. What’s MSRP: $418
15+1 rounds of .45 ACP not to like? For more, visit
ammo on tap—and another remington.com.

Undeterred by the dark.

Barnes’ 185-grain +P
TAC-XPDs, Hornady’s
185-grain XTPs and Black
Hills’ 230-grain JHPs on Quick as he is as competitive shooter, world famous Jerry Miculek was
hand as well as the latter
even quicker to embrace the new Litewave H3. He had instant respect for the
company’s new 135-grain
HoneyBadger rounds. I’ve *ũUCDKNKV[VQIQHTQONKIJVICVJGTKPIƓDGTQRVKEUVQNKIJVGOKVVKPI6TKVKWO
been impressed with this as darkness approaches.
non-traditional ammo, as it
uses a lightweight, deeply
fluted, copper projectile NEW—LITEWAVE H3™
that is designed to create a
devastating wound cavity.
The fluting at first made me
think these rounds would
instantly hang up on a gun’s
feed ramp, but that’s yet to
happen in any semi-auto
HIVIZSIGHTS.COM
.45 I’ve tested.
The RP45 didn’t seem
to have any ammo pref-
erences, though I usually
shy away from +P rounds.
Shooting off-hand at a
paper target 15 yards away,
© 2018 HIVIZ

my best five-shot group

came with the Black Hills
JHPs, measuring in at just BETTER BUILT & BRIGHTER + VISIBLE SOONER IN ALL LIGHT CONDITIONS + PATENTED
an inch. The Hornady XTPs
produced the second-best
group at 1.75 inches. My
worst five-shot group, pro-
duced with the Barnes 185-
grain +P TAC-XPDs, was
only 3.1 inches. Of course,

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 43 |
 ASK THE PROS
A+ HOMEWORK
BEING ON TOP OF YOUR GAME MEANS
MORE THAN JUST SLINGING LEAD
BY J.J. RACAZA
How much do you
train? How badly
do you want that
title? A long time ago I heard
a saying that I found really
interesting. Ever since then,
this quote has been in the
back of my mind, giving me a
small sense of anxiety about
whether I am training enough.
The saying goes, “No one
rises to the occasion. Rather,
we all fall back to the level of
our training.” As much as we
love to say that we step up
our game once the pressure
is on, or we perform better
under pressure, the reality
is that we really cannot do
| |
44 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
much more than what we
have done in practice.
Performance beyond
our current capabilities is
a temporary thing normally
associated with very erratic
results. Basically, the person
shooting is just getting lucky.
This is definitely not the pre-
ferred way to win a match.
If your life is on the line, it’s
like rolling a pair of loaded
dice. This is a simple case of
enthusiasm versus capability.
We want to do one thing
and put aside what we are
supposed to do. Everyone
wants to be the fastest, the
most accurate and the most
consistent shooter out there.
But if we are not hitting all
scenarios in our training, then
that training is incomplete.
So again, I ask the question,
do you really train as hard as
you think you do?
Whether for competition,
self-defense or duty, training
is often limited by financial
elements. Since most shoot-
ers do not have the luxury of
sponsors providing them with
the necessary paraphernalia,
they have to buy their own
ammunition and gear to be
able to practice at the range.
These things cost money,
and it’s obvious that the
more you practice, the more
expenses you incur. This
is more evident in the law
enforcement world; when the
budget starts to get tight, the
first thing the higher-ups tend
to cut is training. However,
the endeavor to become the
best does not have to end
when you exit the confines of
the range. Perfection is a pur-
suit that involves dedication
and a willingness to adopt
a lifestyle. To this end, I’ve
made a lifelong routine out of
the following three practices
that you should also adopt if
true excellence is your goal.
1. GUN HANDLING
Dry firing is one of the most
important practices for a
shooter at any level. Focus
on the repetition. It doesn’t
matter if you’re a beginner
or a seasoned pro, you will
benefit from this. A lot of
people know that this is a
crucial part of their advance-
ment as shooters, but most
never do these drills, or if
they do, they lack the right
amount of intensity.
The hardest part about
dry firing is not the move-
ments, it’s the preparation:
Ensure your gun and mags
are free of ammunition,
declare and prepare your
targets, and put on your
holster/mag pouch setup.
Decide the length of your
dry-fire drill and make it
realistic. Sessions between
10 and 30 minutes long
are easy commitments, and
they’ll help you break down
your practice session in a
way that’s scalable. (See the
sidebar on page 46.)
Within each of these
drills, start slow and work
on perfection first, and
personaldefenseworld.com
 “What I consider routine is
when you can complete a
maneuver accurately more
than 80 percent of the time.”
A world-class
competitor who has
broken a number
of records, J.J.
Racaza knows a
thing or two about
shooting quickly
and accurately
under pressure.
then gradually speed up
to performing each drill as
fast as you can without any
mistakes. Challenge yourself
to perform 10 draws in a row
as quickly or as smoothly as
you can without fumbling
before moving on to the
next drill. If you experience a
fumble anywhere before 10,
start back at one.
Here’s another challenge
for you: Set the par time at X
seconds. The drill is to beat
that second beep/buzzer
by getting an acceptable
sight picture that will achieve
center-mass or “A” hits on
target. Notice I specifically
personaldefenseworld.com
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 45
stated that you beat the
second buzzer by getting
your sights on target and not
by pressing the trigger. Your
goal during dry-fire drills is to
always practice perfection,
and that means producing the
most perfect trigger squeeze
you can manage. This not only
helps you build the correct
practice for trigger control, but
it is the best way to intimately
learn the trigger on your gun.
The objective is to make
it routine so when it’s time
to shoot at the range or in
a competition, there is no
need to cloud your mind
with something as simple
|
|
 ASK THE PROS
as a draw. Rather, you can
put more focus on your foot
movement, shooting posi-
tions and target positions.
What I consider routine is
when you can complete a
maneuver accurately more
than 80 percent of the time.
The best part about dry
firing is that it does not
cost you any money. The
purpose of such practice is
to cure weapons-handling
issues and refine your trigger
control. If done correctly, you
will start to notice small but
very important gains to your
shooting skills.
2. PHYSICAL FITNESS
A regular fitness schedule
will make you more agile and
confident in your movement.
Anyone can benefit from a
more explosive push from
one shooting position to
| |
46 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
THE 15-MINUTE
DRY-FIRE EXERCISE
FIVE MINUTES OF DRAWS:
Hands at sides
Hands above shoulder
Hands holding objects
One-handed draws
Support-hand draws
FIVE MINUTES OF SINGLE RELOADS:
Draw, one trigger press, reload and one trigger press
Draw, one trigger press per target for multiple targets,
reload and engage the same targets
FIVE MINUTES OF MULTIPLE RELOADS:
Draw, two trigger presses, reload, two trigger presses,
reload, two trigger presses
Draw, two trigger presses, reload, change position
(kneeling, simulated barricade or prone), two trigger
presses, reload and change position
Draw with strong hand, one trigger press, reload, one
trigger press, reload, transfer to support hand, reload.
the next. Having a tight and
strong core, can translate to
faster transitions from target
to target. My focuses during
these exercises are explosive
movements (speed), endur-
ance (mental strength and
focus) and balance.
The program that I have
been using is the CrossFit/
High-Intensity Training (HIT)
system. Why? When I shot
my first major match of the
year, I shot well and felt
my movements were very
solid. This translated into a
much steadier sight picture
when shooting on the move
or coming into and out of
position. It was even more
gratifying to hear my father,
who studies all of my shoot-
ing videos, comment about
my movements and how fast
and steady they looked.
It’s just another tool
that I love to exploit during
personaldefenseworld.com

competitions. Every time the
course of fire demands some
heavy physical movements
and positioning, I believe I
have an advantage and that
I have a good chance of
placing well if not winning
outright. Whether this is true
or not, it doesn’t matter. The
confidence I gain in these
courses of fire actually helps
me cope with the nerves we
all deal with, and that in itself
is an advantage.
Some examples of
helpful exercises include
springs, power cleans, core
exercises, pistol squats
and balancing on unstable
platforms. The key to doing
high-intensity workouts is a
personaldefenseworld.com
“NO ONE RISES TO
THE OCCASION.
RATHER, WE ALL FALL
BACK TO THE LEVEL
OF OUR TRAINING.”
good warmup session, which
will help you avoid injuries.
Scaling the weight and put-
ting your ego aside to learn
the correct form also helps
prevent you from taking a trip
to the hospital and potentially
missing that event you were
training so hard for.
3. GEAR PREP
There is no better way to
acquaint yourself with your
setup and preferences as
a shooter than performing
regular checkups on all of
your essential equipment.
Look over each little part and
watch for any burrs, cracks
or springs that need to be
changed. You should know
your setup better than any-
one else. It’s yours, after all.
The last thing you want is to
be fully prepared for a match
and have your tool fail on you.
Talking from experience, this
is probably one of the most
frustrating things to encoun-
ter in a competition.
Before a major match,
go through your ammunition
and look for any anoma-
lies, check the zero of your
weapon, check all the screws
on your optic and clean your
magazines. When you do
this routinely enough, you will
know your equipment, notice
any changes and recognize
anomalies quickly.
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 47
There have been plenty
of instances during a class
when I have been asked
what my secret is to getting
good at shooting. I normally
joke around and say, “Stop
thinking.” But in reality, it’s
true—the better you become
at shooting, the less you are
actually thinking.
If I asked you to write
your name down on a piece
of paper, you could prob-
ably do it by feel without
much thought at all. You will
automatically know how the
pen will feel between your
fingers, how the ballpoint
rolls onto the paper and the
way your hand muscles will
manipulate it to create the
movements needed to write.
When you become proficient
enough, that is exactly how
the gun should feel—like an
extension of your body that
has always been there. This
is the point where gun han-
dling has become second
nature, and your effort on
and off the range has maxi-
mized your potential.
|
|

SIG WE THE PEOPLE .45
WIDTH: 1.4 INCHES
HEIGHT: 5.5 INCHES
A special-edition .45 takes
on its airgun counterpart for
the sake of better training
| BY DENNIS ADLER
S
ig Sauer has been raising the
bar for handguns and airguns
for years. Well, just three years
for the latter, but the company has come
further in those three years than some
established airgun manufacturers have
come in twice that time.
Sig has one objective with its CO2
models: to build training guns that are
|
48 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
OAL: 8.7 INCHES
also suitable for the general consumer
market. The company started late in
2015 by introducing an airgun version of
the P226 MK25 used by Navy SEALs,
then followed up with five more CO2
pistols between 2016 and 2017. In
2018, Sig unveiled two We The People
1911s—one in .45 ACP and the other a
matching 4.5mm (.177) CO2 version.
| personaldefenseworld.com
CALIBER
.45 ACP
BARREL
5 inches
OA LENGTH
8.7 inches
WEIGHT
41.6 ounces
(empty)
GRIPS
Aluminum
SIGHTS
SIGLITE night
ACTION
SA
FINISH
Distressed
CAPACITY
7+1
MSRP
$1,481
BREAKING GROUND
It’s rare to find a company that makes
its own centerfire weapons and airguns.
Quite a few companies license their
names to other manufacturers, but Sig
Sauer designs and builds its own CO2
models. And both of these American-
made We The People pistols have cus-
tom features and antiqued finishes that
help them stand out from their brethren.
The CO2 model is a breakthrough
design that exemplifies forward thinking
within the airgun industry. In fact, it’s so
close to the centerfire version that, unless
you take note of the caliber stamped
on the left side of the frame or see the
recessed 4.5mm barrel inside the rifled
.45 ACP muzzle, the two guns are almost
indistinguishable from the left side. From
the right side, the same is true physi-
cally, but aesthetically, the difference is
revealed by the air pistol safety warning
on the frame. (Even Sig has to play by
some established rules.) Regardless,
CALIBER

SIG WE THE PEOPLE CO2

4.5mm
BARREL
4.5 inches WIDTH: 1.4 INCHES

OA LENGTH
8.5 inches
WEIGHT
35.2 ounces
(empty)
GRIPS

HEIGHT: 5.5 INCHES

Aluminum
SIGHTS
Three-dot
ACTION
Blowback, CO2
FINISH
Distressed
CAPACITY
17
MSRP
$120

the attention to detail is evident in the OAL: 8.5 INCHES

CO2 model’s construction, and the

airgun’s only other tell is the absence of
an extractor at the back of the slide. Sig
could have made this a finely molded-in
piece like the authentic-looking external
extractor arm, but the slide does have the
correct lowered and flared ejection port.
Beyond that, the We The People
airgun is true to the centerfire model in
all its operating features, including the
ambidextrous thumb safety. The models
also have matching front- and backstrap
treatments, custom aluminum grip panels
with 50 total embossed stars, hammers
and competition-style triggers. Both guns
share dovetail-mounted white-dot sights
(though the .45’s have tritium inserts)
and unique distressed finishes.
Distressed finishes are a personal
preference. Aged finishes are actually
common on reproduction pistols and
rifles from the Civil War era as well as
the mid to late 20th century, and people
pay extra for it, so Sig has actually
picked up on a very popular trend among
enthusiasts who want the look of an
older gun but none of the mechanical
wear. You’ll also find that each gun
has “SIG SAUER 1911” and “1776”
engraved on the left side of the slide,
and “We The People” on the right, with
the same depth and detail. On top you’ll
see 13 stars set in a circle to represent
the 13 colonies. In short, the CO2 model
is as close to the .45 as it can get with-
out firing .45 ACP rounds.
TRAINING DUO
Training with your concealed-carry hand-
gun can make the difference between
being a survivor or a statistic. Of course,
no one is going to carry a BB gun for pro-
tection (unless you’re up against a gang
of ground moles), but proper training can
be costly in terms of time and ammo. Sig
has always had this in mind. That’s why
all of its airguns are based on current-
production centerfire weapons. But this
drive has never been so well expressed
as with this We The People duo.
Training with an accurate understudy
for your centerfire handgun is absolutely
worth the price of the air pistol. Law
enforcement has been embracing this
idea for a while, and for those who agree
that there is simply no substitute for a
.45 ACP, the centerfire We The People

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 49 |
 TALE OF THE TAPE

“RIGHT AWAY I NOTICED THAT

THE RECOIL ON THE .45 ACP MODEL IS
REMARKABLY MANAGEABLE DUE
TO ITS SIZE, WEIGHT AND BALANCE.”

1911 has everything perfected right

Both pistols have dovetail-mounted
sights, lowered and flared ejection
ports, and star circles representing the
13 colonies. The extractor on the CO2
model (right) is just for looks.
down to pulling the trigger. Of course,
the difference between firing the 4.5mm
and .45 ACP Sigs is about the same
as jumping off your front porch and
parachuting out of an airplane. But, to
continue the parallel, everything is the
same until you jump. That is what makes
the new Sig CO2 model the best 1911
training gun thus far. And when you pull
its trigger, you are spending a fraction of
a cent. You can’t say that when you fire
a Federal 230-grain Hydra-Shok JHP.
The CO2 model isn’t a quiet air pistol.
It’s probably a little louder than most
blowback-action airguns, and the slide
delivers a decent kick when it recipro-
cates. Not as much as a .22, but enough
to get a feel for shooting a handgun. And
this gun uses John Mose Browning’s
design with slight internal modifications
to accommodate the CO2 firing system,
which includes an additional lightly
wound recoil spring around the barrel.
As part of training, setting and
releasing the thumb safety on a 1911
is essential, and the safeties (and
slide stops) work identically on both

| |
50 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 Firing the of these guns, with the same feel and
.45 ACP We The resistance. Some 1911 airguns will
People 1911
still allow the slide to move back even
off-hand, none
of the author’s with the safety set, but you don’t have
shots wandered to worry about this problem with Sig’s
outside of the We The People model.
X-ring at 50 and
75 feet, thanks
My test airgun’s trigger pull aver-
in part to the aged 5.7 pounds with 0.187 inches of
gun’s relatively take-up, moderate stacking and a crisp
light recoil. break. The trigger reset at about 0.175
inches—another plus for the CO2
model. The .45’s trigger pull averaged
6.28 pounds with 0.125 inches of
take-up, light stacking and a crisp
break. Its reset takes 0.125 inches.
Where the triggers differ is in resis-
tance; manually cocking the hammer
on the centerfire model requires more
effort than the air pistol, as with racking
the slide, but this is to be expected
since the airgun’s hammer is lighter
than a centerfire pistol’s, as is the
recoil spring resistance. Finally, fully

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 51 |
 TALE OF THE TAPE
Sig skillfully
designed these 1911s
so they’re identical in
every feature except
caliber, firing system
and recoil. Until you
pull the trigger, there
is no difference in
terms of handling.
loaded, the .45 ACP model is just a bit
heavier than the airgun, with the former
being all steel and the latter having an
aluminum slide and frame, but the dif-
ference won’t take anything away from
the training experience.
RANGE PERFORMANCE
I test-fired the CO2 and .45 ACP
models at 25 and 75 feet, respectively.
| |
52 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
The former sends its 4.5mm rounds
downrange at an average velocity of
329 fps, versus the .45’s 850 fps with
Sig 230-grain FMJs, so there isn’t much
of a matchup there.
Right away I noticed that the recoil
on the .45 ACP model is remarkably
manageable due to its size, weight and
balance. It is one of the smoothest-
handling .45s I have come across in
quite some time. At the same time, the
the CO2 model measured just 0.51 inches,
and 10 shots clustered into 1.56 inches.
“…THE CO2 MODEL IS AS
CLOSE TO THE .45 AS IT
CAN GET WITHOUT FIRING
.45 ACP ROUNDS.”
CO2 We The People model is easily
one of the smoothest-handling BB-firing
1911s I’ve tested, with its similar oper-
ating characteristics.
As for accuracy, it is hard to com-
pare the two guns for obvious reasons.
But the 4.5mm airgun delivered pretty
good results. Shooting at a full-sized
B-75 cardboard silhouette targets, my
best-five shot group off-hand measured
0.51 inches. My entire 10-shot group
was only 1.56 inches. At 75 feet, the
.45 ACP’s best five-shot group was just
2.75 inches wide. Shooting 10 rounds
at 50 and 75 feet produced a group
measuring 3.13 inches.
At the end of the shooting tests, I
came away with absolute certainty that
the CO2 version is a perfect train-
ing pistol for Sig’s .45 ACP We The
People 1911, or any full-sized or com-
pact 1911 pistol. And that is as much
as anyone can ask from an airgun. Sig
Sauer has you covered. For more infor-
mation, visit sigsauer.com.
The author’s best five-shot group with
personaldefenseworld.com
 RIMFIRE TEST

| |
54 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
SMITH & WESSON’S LATEST
TARGET .22 IS PRIMED FOR BULLSEYES
I covered the rimfire SW22 Victory
Kryptek when the series first came
out in 2016. The standard SW22
I Victory is a solid effort for Smith
& Wesson with a 5.5-inch barrel,
a 10-round magazine and a
stainless steel finish, and I per-
sonally think it’s a much nicer gun
than the Model 22A dropped from the
S&W lineup in 2015. The Victory’s ergonomics are good,
too. In my hands, the pistol shot well and ran flawlessly.
The original guns have sold well enough since then, and
now S&W shows no less than eight variants on its website,
with four of those being Performance Center variants and
four being part of the standard lineup. For this review, I
received one of the latter—the SW22 Victory Target.
BY DENIS PRISBREY
personaldefenseworld.com
WHAT IT IS
Weighing in at a hefty 36 ounces unloaded, the SW22
Victory Target has a 5.5-inch, stainless steel, bull barrel
with a countersunk target crown. The stainless steel
frame has a polymer grip section with removable side
panels, and S&W includes two sets so you can find the
perfect grip. Right out of the box, the gun is set up for
right-handers with a thumb rest on the left-side grip panel.
Remove two hex screws per panel and you can easily
swap them out with panels to make the gun ready for a
leftie with a thumb rest on the right side. (Sorry lefties, you
can’t completely switch it over, as the magazine release,
slide lock and thumb safety are stuck on the left side,
while the ejection port is on the right.)
Still, S&W gets serious bonus points for including
reversible grip options with the pistol. Between the four
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 55|
 VICTORY IN SIGHT |

panels, you can even dump the thumb

rests entirely and just use both flat panels.
Options are good, and you get them here.
The original fiber-optic sights are
gone, which is good news for those who
weren’t fans. They’ve been replaced by an
all-black front blade and a fully adjustable
Williams rear sight. Removing another
hex screw allows you to remove the rear
sight assembly altogether and install an
included polymer Picatinny rail for optics.
That rail, incidentally, has a fixed sight
notch molded in so the rail itself can be
used as a rear sight in a pinch.
The SW22 Victory The entire upper separates from the
Target comes with lower via one retaining screw at the front
all-black sights and of the triggerguard using the included
a 5.5-inch bull barrel
Allen wrench. Disassembling the pistol
with a recessed
target crown. The for cleaning is extremely simple, and the
author installed pistol breaks down into subassemblies
a Tandemkross with absolutely no fussing or cussing
Victory trigger
at all. The barrel even comes off of the
(below left).
upper assembly easily.
The Victory uses an internal steel
hammer and a serrated aluminum single-
action trigger. The trigger pull on my
test sample weighed 4 pounds—in line
with the rest of the series—and Smith &
Wesson includes a factory-preset over-
travel stop. The ejection port is long, and
the blackened bolt has ribs at the rear on
both sides for easy cocking.

TANDEMKROSS UPGRADES
The Victory series is still relatively new
and thus doesn’t have a huge aftermarket
accessory base yet. But companies are

SPEC BOX

SW22
VICTORY TARGET
CALIBER: .22 LR
BARREL: 5.5 inches

For optimum
OA LENGTH: 9.2 inches
reliability, S&W WEIGHT: 36 ounces (empty)
outfits the pistol
with an oversized GRIPS: Polymer
ejection port. To SIGHTS: Blade front, adjustable rear
that end, the SW22
Victory Target never ACTION: SA
missed a beat
FINISH: Stainless
during testing.
CAPACITY: 10+1
MSRP: $429

| |
56 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com

rapidly catching up, and Tandemkross
didn’t just jump on the wagon—it bought
the hay and hitched up the horses.
Among the wide range of performance
personaldefenseworld.com
parts Tandemkross offers, the company’s
Thunder Hammer and Victory Trigger
retail for $65 and $45, respectively, and I
received both for testing on this pistol.
The Tandemkross Thunder Hammer
is precisely machined from hardened
S7 tool steel, replacing the factory
MIM hammer, and it’s lighter in weight
for faster lock times. It also features a
diamond-like carbon (DLC) finish for
corrosion and heat resistance, and
an upgraded dog-bone-style strut pin
designed to stay put under pressure.
The Victory Trigger is a skeletonized,
flat-faced design machined aircraft-grade
aluminum to replace the original cast-al-
loy part. Two adjustment screws allow
you to set the pre- and overtravel, and
the crisp diamond-pattern checkering
provides for a non-slip trigger pull. In
short, the Victory Trigger gives an entirely
different feel than the factory curved unit.
There’s nothing wrong with the factory
parts as S&W ships the gun, but any
given mass-production pistol is built to
mate performance with a price point to
stay affordable in volume. The Victory is
like any other quality-made base plat-
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 57 |
 VICTORY IN SIGHT |

form—its performance can always be
upgraded with aftermarket parts if you
want to spend money. Installing the two
Tandemkross items dropped the 4-pound
factory trigger pull down to 2.5 pounds.
BURNING POWDER
To measure the Victory Target’s capabil-
ities, I headed to my indoor range with
five different .22 LR loads. Firing off a
rest at bullseyes 25 yards away, most of
my groups were under 2 inches, with the
best coming in at exactly an inch using
36-grain Winchester hollow points.
While I don’t necessarily dislike a
PERFORMANCE good fiber-optic setup, I do prefer the all-
black sights on this newer .22 LR pistol.
SW22 The front blade is big enough, and the
rear notch is wide enough for even my
VICTORY TARGET bare eyes in casual plinking and soda can
LOAD ACCURACY bouncing without the shooting glasses I
Federal 36 Champion HP 1.50 normally use for accuracy testing.
Federal American Eagle 38 HP 1.13 The Victory Target’s clean lines look
Remington 26 Golden Bullet HP 1.13 great, and the ergonomics are near per-
fect in my hands. The left-side thumb rest
Winchester 36 HP 1.00
obscures the magazine release for quick
Winchester 40 M22 1.63 thumb access in a hurry, but that’s a ben-
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps efit for holster carry. The button is essen-
by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best
five-shot groups at 25 yards.
tially shielded from accidental bumping,
and there’s no need for speed reloads in
a pistol like this anyway. There’s a lot to
like about the Victory Target, and besides
the fit in my hand, that easy takedown for
cleaning is a big selling point.

PLENTY OF OPTIONS
As mentioned, the Victory platform is a
very respectable plinker out the factory
door, but it’s also an excellent base for
customizing and maximizing. I’m hoping
Smith & Wesson will offer a 4-inch
barrel, either in a complete target model
or as a user-installed option. Selling
full sight assemblies would also allow a
buyer to swap black target sights with
green fiber-optic units, and vice versa,
on whichever pistol he or she bought,
and you know there’ll be a market for
several barrel options.
Other companies like Tactical
TIME TO GO PC—IN A GOOD WAY Solutions and Volquartsen are also
If you’re in the market for a fully upgraded target .22, you need to actively developing aftermarket parts for
check out one of the new Performance Center (PC) Victory models. the Victory, and the well-designed modu-
Combat Handguns contributors recently got an all-access tour of larity of the platform makes it very easy to
Smith & Wesson’s factory in Springfield, Massachusetts, and were able to get in perform several upgrades and modifica-
some quality range time with several S&W products. tions yourself. With an MSRP of $429,
S&W’s Matt Spafford explained the finer points behind these pistols and and coming with two stainless 10-round
let us shoot to our hearts’ content. PC Victory models sport flat-faced triggers magazines, spare grip panels, a polymer
with adjustable overtravel stops. We shot one with a carbon-fiber-wrapped Picatinny rail, one Allen wrench for disas-
barrel and a muzzle brake. Every PC variant comes optics ready, and you can sembly and a padlock, the SW22 Victory
purchase them with or without a red-dot sight included. Tandemkross grips also Target is one of
come standard. In short, these guns are truly competition-ready. They were really the best new FOR MORE
comfortable to shoot, and the quick-dropping mags made reloading downright rimfire pistols INFORMATION
enjoyable. Another variant with a fluted barrel was a real looker and shooter, too. to come down SMITH & WESSON
After shooting one of the new SW22 Victory models, Sean Utley, the editor- the road in smith-wesson.com
at-large for sister publication Ballistic Precision, said, “It feels like a proper tar- many years.
get .22. Great ergonomics and nearly zero recoil. It’s accurate, and the addition With .22 LR TANDEMKROSS
tandemkross.com
of the Vortex optic makes the pistol easy to shoot and inspires confidence.” ammo back
Look for more coverage of these guns in a future issue of Combat in town, the
Handguns. And for more on this behind-the-scenes trip to Smith & Wesson, SW22 Victory Target is a dandy bul-
head on over to personaldefenseworld.com. —Nino Bosaz let-disposal device that’s a whole lot of
fun to shoot. I think you’ll like it.

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58 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 EDC UPGRADE

KRYTOS
The last couple of years have
seen the gun modification
world turn its eye to the vener-
able Glock. While reliable and bomb-

T17 KARRY
proof, Glock pistols have always been
somewhat bland in appearance. Some
would argue that Glocks are fine just the
way they are. This has some validity, yet
the firearms industry as a whole has ben-
HERE’S THE BEST WAY TO MAKE efited from companies working on their
YOUR FAVORITE GLOCK LIGHTER own to modify and improve guns.
Many of these companies have gone
YET STRONGER full circle and ended up redesigning the
guns they started tinkering with. Other
BY FRED MASTISON makers specialize in things like triggers,
sights, grips and finishes. One of the
newest trends is to modify and make an
entirely new slide for a Glock, and one
of the most interesting of those I have
come across is the T17 Titanium Slide
from Krytos Industries.

THE BASICS
The major point of interest for the T17
Titanium Slide is that it’s made from a
solid billet of aerospace-grade 6AL4V
titanium. While some companies have
made firing pins and even suppressors
out of titanium, building an entire slide
out of it is a pretty big leap. If you’re
unfamiliar with titanium, you should
know that it has a tendency to gall (a
form of wear caused by friction weld-
ing between sliding surfaces). Krytos
has addressed this by using a propri-
etary patented “ArmorTi” process that
produces an extremely hard, black,
abrasion-resistant finish on titanium. This
allows the metal to be used for applica-
tions it was previously unsuited for due
to its tendency to gall.
At the risk of approaching technical
overload, I have to explain that this pro-
cess is not truly a coating. Coatings and
titanium rarely work well. This process
penetrates the first 5 to 10 microns of
the titanium to reduce friction and resist
abrasion. This completely eliminates any
friction-related issues with titanium and
dramatically improves its impact resis-
tance while maintaining all of its most
desirable properties.

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60 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 Along with
titanium Glock
slides, Krytos also
offers stainless
steel barrels,
titanium guide
rods and various
recoil springs.
The biggest upside to a
titanium slide is obviously weight.
Titanium brings at least a 40-
percent reduction in weight from
the stock slide. For those like
myself who have been at this
rodeo a while, our brains start to
calculate mass, spring tension
and cycle rates. This small trip into
ballistic quantum theory is just
addressing the concern that the
light weight of the slide will cause
functioning issues. This isn’t the
case, however. While the slide will
indeed run faster, potential issues
are offset by the actual weight
reduction. The takeaway from this
is that Krytos’ titanium slides oper-
ate with standard recoil springs.
The laws of physics rarely
take a day off, so we do need
to address recoil. My personal
concerns were that the new slide
would make my well-worn Glock
a snappy little monster. But this
wasn’t the case. While there was
a noticeable increase in slide
velocity and “snap,” it was nothing
of consequence. A G17 or G19
personaldefenseworld.com
still has enough grip surface
and overall mass to negate any
issues the lighter slide brings. The
upside was a noticeable increase
in speed in reacquiring my target
and breaking follow-up shots. For
competition shooters, this can
translate into faster split times.
For defensive shooters, it allows
us to put rounds onto the target
much more quickly.
ON THE RANGE
My range session with the Krytos
T17 was very enjoyable. I ran
a plethora of ball ammunition
though the upgraded Glock 17
and experienced no malfunctions
at all. The unit I received also
“WHILE SOME COMPANIES HAVE
MADE FIRING PINS AND EVEN
SUPPRESSORS OUT OF TITANIUM,
BUILDING AN ENTIRE SLIDE OUT
OF IT IS A PRETTY BIG LEAP.”
Krytos’ titanium
Glock slides are
cut to accept all
popular Glock-style
sights. The author
prefers a fiber-optic
front paired with an
all-black rear sight.
came as a complete unit with a Krytos
barrel machined from 416 stainless
steel and button rifled, then heat-treated
with premium black nitride, making it
a very nice addition. It also included a
titanium guide rod treated with the same
specialized ArmorTi process, which
results in a long lifespan with reduced
weight. The slide has cocking serrations
at the front as well as at the standard
rear position. This has been on many
Glock owners’ wish lists for years, and
Krytos has answered.
In my testing endeavors, I mixed
slow-fire shooting with close-contact
drills—essentially the same defensive
drills I would do with any gun. It did
take a little time to acclimate to the
faster slide rate, but it was settled in
short order. As I mentioned earlier, the
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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 61 |
 EDC UPGRADE
At the range, the
author’s Krytos-
upgraded G17 ran
flawlessly despite
having such a
light slide, even
using aftermarket
magazines.
slide ran flawlessly and made for an
enjoyable day at the range. One point of
concern that some people may have is
the actual lightweight nature of the slide
and its durability. The team at Krytos is
composed of shooters who addressed
these concerns. Most notably, they ran
a Glock 17 with their T17 slide in a rest
for 10,000 rounds without any issues.
They also went to the greatest extreme
and actually plugged the barrel of a gun.
They hammered material into the barrel
and set it up in the rest. When it fired,
the slide stayed completely intact.
An interesting side effect of the
ArmorTi process Krytos uses is a cer-
tain ease of cleaning. Yes, I know it’s a
Glock and most people don’t ever clean
them, but I have an obsession with
keeping guns cleaned and maintained.
The T17 slide was a breeze to clean.
With little more than a hearty wipe
down, it was back in “new” condition.
The mixture of durable titanium and the
ability to easily clean and maintain it
gives this slide five stars in my book.
My primary focus with this demo was
application. While the titanium slide, with
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62 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
its good looks and fresh cuts, has a cool
factor, it is also a plus for people who
carry religiously. Imagine a 40-percent
reduction in the weight of the pistol you
carry every day without reducing the size
of the gun. That is a game-changer in
the EDC world. The simple fact is that
most people carry micro guns because
carrying a G17 or G19 every day can
get heavy. While I would normally say,
“Suck it up, Buttercup,” the T17 and T19
slides from Krytos can help people move
into a larger gun for daily carry. They can
also help experienced folks who desire
to add to their EDC Glocks. By using
one of Krytos’ T19 Opticus Titanium
Slide, for example, you can add a reflex
sight and a threaded barrel to your G19
and it’ll still weigh about 2 ounces less
than a factory model!
The cliché that “ounces equal
pounds, and pounds equal pain” is
pretty true in the concealed-carry hand-
gun world. There is a reason why most
people don’t carry full-sized 1911s as
their primary CCWs. As a test, I carried
my now-modified Glock 17 for a week.
I used my same Alien Gear rig and
wore it just as I would every day. While
I tried to ignore it so as to be impartial,
the reduction in weight was noticeable
immediately. Like many, I carry for at
least 12 hours a day, so my “time on”
was significant. I found it to be a major
improvement. Taking your Glock in for
a little weight-reduction program could
greatly improve your EDC experience.
TITANIUM WINS
There are many companies entering the
Glock slide market, some with steel and
some with aluminum. When set side
by side, the numbers speak for them-
selves. Titanium is about 45-percent
lighter than steel, and aluminum is about
67-percent lighter than steel. While that
would drive you to think aluminum is
the answer, you must look at durability.
Titanium, like steel, is one of very few
metals that operates with a fatigue limit.
This means that as long as the load on
the titanium is under acceptable limits,
it will never fail due solely to fatigue.
Aluminum does not have a fatigue limit
and will eventually fail regardless of the
applied load. This means that titanium
is a superior solution for many applica-
tions, as it will dramatically outperform
aluminum while still weighing signifi-
cantly less than steel.
The ArmorTi process Krytos uses
is revolutionary and is certain to find
its way into the military and aerospace
world. The fact that the Krytos team has
made Glock slides first is a tip of the hat
to an industry that they have all worked
in and enjoy. We as consumers are the
beneficiaries of this dedication. While
relatively new to the scene, Krytos and
its T17 and T19 slides will be major
players. While I had the opportunity to
get a top-secret behind-the-scenes peek
at the 2018 SHOT Show, the official
announcement came this last May at the
2018 NRA show in Dallas.
At this event, Ben Cook, Krytos’
president, spoke at length: “This is an
exciting time for our young company.
We were overwhelmed by the reactions
we received from attendees and our
industry partners at the NRA conven-
tion this year. ArmorTi has consistently
amazed us with what it allows titanium
to do, and we truly believe it will change
the face of material design consider-
ations in the firearms industry and many
others. ArmorTi was designed with
aerospace and medical applications
in mind, but since we are all firearms
industry veterans, we couldn’t help but
launch in this industry first. Using our
team’s considerable industry experi-
ence, we have tested our products to
extreme levels to ensure they live up to
our standards, which are ridiculous.”
In short, this Glock slide is a fantastic
new product from a solid team. If you
are interested in shedding some weight
off your Austrian CCW, I encourage you
to take a closer look at Krytos. For more
information, visit krytosindustries.com.
personaldefenseworld.com
 RANGE READY

DIY TARGETS
ZERO IN ON THE CHEAP WITH THESE THREE
SLICK AND EASY GUN-GUY PROJECTS
BY JASON HANSON

Unless it’s the middle of
winter and -12 degrees
Fahrenheit outside, I’d much
rather be shooting outdoors than at an
indoor range. There’s just something
special about shooting in the fresh air
out in the open. Plus, depending on
where you shoot outdoors, you don’t
have to worry about paying range fees,
standing in long lines or being right next
to the guy shooting a cannon as you’re
trying to teach a new shooter.
The thing is, when you go shooting
outdoors, you often have to provide your
own targets and target stands. For a
lot of folks, this simply means bringing
bottles, cans, old TVs or anything else
shootable that’s lying around the house.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with this
as long as you clean up the mess when
you’re done shooting. However, when
I’m shooting in the mountains of south-
ern Utah, instead of using bottles or
cans, I typically bring along one of three
target systems to help improve my skills.
Each target system is easy to build and
only takes a few minutes to assemble.
Believe me, if I can put them together,
you can too—I’m not exactly known
around my house as the next Bob Vila.
Plus, almost all of the supplies can be
purchased from Home Depot or Lowes
for just a couple of bucks.
THE PVC STAND
The first target system is a very simple
PVC stand. If you were to look into the
back of my Toyota 4Runner right now,
you’d see this stand, which breaks down
into several pieces for easy transporta-
tion. To build it, you need eight pieces of
black ABS pipe that measure 1.5 by 24
inches. This size is easy to find pre-cut
if you want to keep your workload to a

You don’t need much to assemble these three targets.

The PVC target stand (left) and hanging steel stand
(right) are easier to make than the moving target
(center), but all three will make your range time much
more effective and fun for everyone involved.

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 63 |
 RANGE READY
minimum, or you can buy a long piece
of pipe and cut it yourself. Next, you
need two black ABS connector “tees.”
These hold the pieces of pipe that go
vertical, which in turn hold up the target.
You also need four black ABS “elbows,”
which connect the corners of the base
to form the square. Lastly, you need two
wooden furring strips that are cut to 58
inches in length.
With these materials ready, it will
literally take you about 15 seconds to
assemble the target stand. Once it’s
assembled, you’ll need to staple a piece
of cardboard (approximately 23 by 35
inches) to the furring strips and then put
up the target of your choice. One of the
many good things about this stand is
that, thanks to its wide base, it doesn’t
tip over easily, even in the windy condi-
tions that I often find myself shooting in.
RINGING STEEL
If you thought the PVC target stand
was easy to make, this next one is even
simpler, and it’s what I use when I want
to shoot steel. First, buy a steel plate
(or, if you’d like, make your own). Like
I mentioned, I’m not handy or patient,
they won’t fall over in
| |
64 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
so I purchased a 0.5-inch-thick AR500
steel plate that’s 8 inches in diameter.
Once you’ve got your plate, you need a
way to hang it. I use a folding sawhorse
that collapses to fit in my vehicle. I paid
$30 for a metal sawhorse, but you could
obviously build your own if you wish.
To hang the steel plate, I use two
carabiners and rope. You can’t tie the
rope directly to the steel plate because
the plate’s sharp edges will eat right
through the rope. Instead, take the
carabiners and clip them to each hole in
the plate and then tie the rope around
each carabiner. Once you’ve done
that, you’re all set to shoot steel. Just
remember to put the target at least 10
yards away for safety purposes.
“…ALMOST ALL OF THE
SUPPLIES CAN BE PURCHASED
FROM HOME DEPOT OR LOWES
FOR JUST A COUPLE OF BUCKS.”
The wide bases on
the PVC and steel
plate stands ensure
windy conditions.
THE MOVER
The final target system I’ll cover here
takes the longest to build, but it’s also
the most fun because it’s a moving tar-
get. Building it doesn’t require complex
engineering skills because the target is
completely hand operated, but you will
need a shooting partner for this one to
work. The simplest way to describe this
target is that it’s almost like a skate-
board with a target on top.
First, you need to buy four lawn-
mower tires, which come in various
sizes—I purchased the 6-inch variety.
Next, you need two steel rods that are
0.5 inches thick. These rods are the
axles of the moving target. Then you
personaldefenseworld.com
 Michael DelRizzo Illustration
need four 2x4s to form the base of : After you’ve
the target. My base happens to be 40 assembled this
wheeled target
inches long and 30 inches wide. You’ll
stand, you’ll need
also need two 1.5-by-24-inch pieces of two dog stakes,
ABS pipe, screws, four washers, push about 50 feet of
caps to hold the tires on, two furring rope and your range
partner’s elbow
strips that are 58 inches long and two
grease to get the
eyebolts. The last items you need are thing in motion.
two 16-inch-by-8-millimeter dog stakes,
which can be found at the pet store,
and 50 feet of rope. hand that allows you to quickly pull the of a shot as you think and that you can
Once you have all of your supplies, target from left to right. always use more practice!
assembly should take less than 30 Have your partner stand in front of Whether you build all three targets
minutes. Drill holes in the 2x4s and run you and shoot while you pull the target or just this last one, I hope these plans
the axles through them. Screw together from side to side. If you’ve never prac- make your next outdoor adventure a little
all of the 2x4s to form the base. Put ticed with a moving target before, know more enjoyable while helping to improve
washers on the axles. Pop on all of the that it’s a humbling experience and a your shooting skills. Because, once
tires and push caps. Screw the black good reminder that you’re not as good again, you can never train enough.
ABS pipe into the base, screw the
eyebolts to each end of the base and
you’re finished. The furring strips are
used to hold the target.
Now it’s time to put the moving
target into action. Take the target out-
doors and decide how far you’d like it
to move from left to right. For instance,
walk five paces to the left of the target
Join the community for
and screw the first dog stake into the Gunsmiths, Hobby Gunsmiths
ground. Then walk five paces to the and Serious Firearm Enthusiasts!
right of the target and screw in the
other dog stake. Take your rope and Receive a New Disassembly/Reassembly video course
run it through each eyebolt on the and monthly video magazine every single month!
target and then out to the dog stakes. Details are available at:
If you’ve done everything correctly, you
should be about 7 yards away from
the target with a piece of rope in each

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 65 |
 BATTLE ROYALE

BROWNING BUCK MARK

CONTOUR STAINLESS URX

WALTHER P22 TARGET

RUGER MARK IV TARGET

| |
66 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
FIVE SEMI-AUTOS he .22 Long Rifle is without a
doubt the most popular metal-

COMPETE TO PROVE lic cartridge in the world today.

And I’m not just talking about rimfire

THEY AREN’T YOUR cartridges. More .22 LRs are manu-

factured, sold and fired annually than

GRANDDAD’S .22S all other non-military cartridges—rifle,

handgun and shotgun—combined. And the rea-
sons for its popularity are easy to understand.
BY PAUL SCARLATA First of all, .22 LR ammo is inexpensive. When I
was a boy, I remember going to the local hardware
store with my brothers where we each forked over
a quarter and a dime for a box of fifty .22s. This
expenditure of part of our hard-earned allowances
enabled us to enjoy an afternoon of plinking with
our single-shot rifles. While .22s now cost more
SW22 VICTORY TARGET than they did back then (like everything else), most
shooters can still afford them today without endan-
gering their family finances.

KING OF THE RIMFIRES

From a shooter’s standpoint, one of the .22’s
biggest advantages is that it doesn’t make a lot of
noise. This means the .22 LR can be fired in areas
where using a .45 ACP pistol might result in
irate neighbors calling the local police.
This also makes them especially prac-
tical for indoor shooting ranges.

BERETTA M9 22LR

personaldefenseworld.com | 67
 RIMFIRE RIOT |

>>>>> BERETTA
M9 22LR
BROWNING BUCK MARK
CONTOUR STAINLESS URX
RUGER MARK IV
TARGET
SW22 VICTORY
TARGET
WALTHER P22
TARGET
CALIBER: .22 LR .22 LR .22 LR .22 LR .22 LR
BARREL: 4.9 inches 5.5 inches 5.5 inches 5.5 inches 5 inches
OA LENGTH: 8.5 inches 9.5 inches 9.75 inches 9.2 inches 7.8 inches
WEIGHT: 26.08 ounces (empty) 36 ounces (empty) 42.8 ounces (empty) 36 ounces (empty) 20 ounces (empty)
GRIPS: Polymer Ultragrip RX Synthetic Polymer Polymer
SIGHTS: Three-dot Adjustable Blade front, Blade front, Blade front,
adjustable rear adjustable rear adjustable rear
ACTION: DA/SA SA SA SA DA/SA
FINISH: Matte black Black, stainless Satin stainless Stainless Matte black
CAPACITY: 15+1 10+1 10+1 10+1 10+1

MSRP: $430 $580 $689 $429 N/A

These firearms also pro-
duce almost zero recoil, mak-
ing them perfect for teaching
new shooters, and enabling
experienced shooters to prac-
tice more often. With match-
grade ammunition, a .22 LR
firearm is capable of extraor-
dinary accuracy, and it’s no
fluke that some of the most
accurate competition rifles
and pistols are chambered
for this caliber. And we can’t
forget hunters, who know that
Becky Scarlata Photo
the .22 LR is powerful enough
for taking rabbits, squirrels
and vermin like prairie dogs.
As in most areas of today’s
handgun market, semi-auto
.22s have overtaken revolvers
in terms of sales and popu-
larity because of their higher
capacity, faster reloading and
slimmer profiles. So, for this
issue’s “Battle Royale,” we
decided to test some of the
best medium-priced .22s out
there that would work well
for competition, hunting, trail
protection and good ol’ plink-
ing: The Beretta M9 22LR,
Browning Buck Mark Contour
Stainless URX, Ruger Mark IV
Target, SW22 Victory Target
and Walther P22 Target.
THE CONTENDERS
As expected, this quintet
of .22 pistols possessed a
number of similarities while
displaying some significant
differences. Let’s get the most
obvious similarities out of the
way. First of all, thanks to the
low operating pressures of
the .22 LR, all five are blow-
back-operated pistols. Their
magazines all hold 10 or more
rounds of ammunition, and the
sights are all black.
All five have manual thumb
safeties, and those on the
Beretta, Ruger and Walther
are ambidextrous. And,
except for the Beretta, they
all have magazine-discon-
nect safeties. The magazine

releases run the gamut from

The “Steel Target/Popper” drill
consisted of ringing four rectangular
steel targets before hitting a yellow
self-setting Birchwood Casey popper.
push buttons mounted behind
the trigger on the left side of
the grip (Beretta, Browning,
S&W and Ruger) to the ambi-
dextrous paddle type under
the triggerguard (Walther).
The Beretta M9 22LR
stands out from the crowd
because, while most of the
test guns have a target-like
appearance, it looks exactly
like the Italian firm’s popular
M9—right down to its DA/SA
trigger and 15-round maga-
zine. Both sights are mounted

| |
68 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com

Becky Scarlata Photos
PLATE RACK DRILL
PAUL DICK
BERETTA 47.70 40.80
BROWNING 36.51 32.80
RUGER 37.35 35.61
S&W 37.03 49.81
WALTHER 84.90 76.10
Note: Time results in seconds.
in dovetail slots and can be
adjusted for windage.
The Ruger Mark IV Target’s
alloy frame is of a new hinged
style that does away with the
rather difficult disassembly
procedure of Ruger’s earlier
.22 pistols but still retains the
Luger-like ergonomics that so
many admire. A detachable
Picatinny rail is included.
The Browning Buck Mark
Contour Stainless URX also
has a stainless steel barrel,
an aluminum alloy frame,
textured finger-groove grips
and a full-length Picatinny rail
for mounting optics.
The slide and frame on
Smith & Wesson’s SW22
Victory Target are made from
stainless steel, and you’ll also
find an interchangeable barrel
system, thumb-rest polymer
grip panels, a beveled mag-
azine well and a detachable
Picatinny rail.
Walther’s P22 Target
was the only test gun with a
polymer frame, and it stands
out with a muzzle-mounted
personaldefenseworld.com
weight up front, interchange-
able backstraps and an
ambidextrous, slide-mounted
thumb safety.
RANGE RULES
Before the real comparison
started, I tested each pistol’s
accuracy at 15 yards using
an MTM Predator rest and
Browning Performance
Rimfire (BPR) ammo. These
rounds use 40-grain lead
bullets with a black oxide
coating for better reliability
and accuracy. With a bit of
STEEL TARGET/POPPER DRILL help from yours truly, all five
PERRY PAUL DICK PERRY pistols showed that they
53.03 BERETTA 20.50 22.88 26.79 were capable of producing
sub-2-inch groups
43.31 BROWNING 17.22 18.93 23.10
Rimfire pistols are known
52.57 RUGER 17.54 20.35 24.44 for being ammunition sensi-
53.39 S&W 23.70 16.22 26.90 tive, and .22 LR rounds create
82.63 WALTHER 47.06 44.06 36.44 a fair bit of fouling. So, my
wife, Becky, and I figured we’d
break the pistols in and spent
the remainder of the afternoon
plinking with them, running
close to 100 rounds through
each pistol to test its function-
ing. We experienced some
malfunctions—mostly failures
to eject and double-
feeds—but after a good clean-
ing and lubing, these prob-
lems mostly disappeared.
My good friends Dick
Jones and Perry Windsor
once again volunteered to
help for the actual “Battle
Royale” at the Piedmont
Handgunners Association
range (phashoots.org) on an
overcast September morning.
As in the past, the pistols
would be judged in seven
categories: reliability, ergo-
nomics, trigger controsights,
grips, off-hand accuracy
and reloading ease. Each
category was scored from 1
(lowest) to 5 (best).
To accomplish this, each
shooter would run each
pistol through two off-hand
drills. Each drill would begin
from the low-ready posi-
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 69 |
 RIMFIRE RIOT |

TALE
OF THE Beretta Browning Buck Mark Ruger Mark IV SW22 Victory Walther P22
TAPE M9 22LR Contour Stainless URX Target Target Target
RELIABILITY 15 15 15 12 12
ERGONOMICS 15 13 13 14 8
TRIGGER CONTROL 13 13 12 14 9
SIGHTS 12 15 15 15 11
GRIPS 13 15 13 15 10
OFF-HAND ACCURACY 13 15 14 15 9
RELOADING EASE 15 13 12 12 8
TOTAL 96 99 94 97 67
Note: 15 is a perfect score for each category while 105 is a perfect total score.

tion with the pistol loaded
with 10 rounds of ammuni-
tion. Thankfully, Brownells
(brownells.com) provided us
with a Crabtree Tool & Die
magazine loader.
• Plate Rack Drill: This
drill consisted of shooting
racks of six 8-inch steel
plates from 10, 15, 20
and 25 yards. Because a
.22 LR round won’t knock
down steel plates reliably,
it was only necessary for
the shooter to ring the steel
to score. The drill was run
four times, and the scores
included the total time for the
four runs plus a five-second
penalty for any miss.
• Steel Target/Popper
five pistols, and they had
gotten pretty dirty. So, to
ensure reliable functioning,
after we finished the Plate
Rack Drill, we cleaned and
lubed the guns. Then, after
we were done burning up all
that rimfire ammo, we graded
the pistols, as you can see in
the accompanying chart.
IN-DEPTH RESULTS
Reliability: Early on, we expe-
rienced a few failures to eject
with the S&W and double
feeds with the Walther. But by
the time we began shooting
the Steel Target/Popper Drill,
both pistols ran flawlessly.
Ergonomics: This is a very
relative call. One shooter felt
the Ruger’s grip angle was
too steep while the other
two had the same complaint
about the Browning. There
were also complaints that the
Ruger, Walther and S&W’s
controls were difficult to oper-
ate while the Beretta’s were
all in the “proper” places.
Trigger Control: the
triggers on all of the pistols
displayed varying degrees of
“new gun” grittiness while the
Walther’s stroke was the lon-
gest and heaviest. All three
shooters felt the triggers
should improve with use.
One felt that the Browning’s
trigger was too curved and
pinched his finger.
Sights: We all felt that the
Walther’s sights were a tad
too low for fast acquisitions,
while both it and the Beretta
lost points because of their
three-dot setup, which none
of us care for.
Grips: We all agreed that
the tacky-feeling grips on the
S&W and Browning, espe-
cially with the latter’s finger
grooves, greatly improved
handling and recoil control.
The slick plastic grips on the
Ruger and Beretta came in
for some criticism, and the

Becky Scarlata Photo

Drill: This drill had the
shooter engaging four rect-
angular steel targets set in a
V-shaped formation at 15 and
20 yards around a Birchwood
Casey popper at 8 yards.
We had to ring each of the
four targets twice before
engaging the popper. Again,
the drill was run four times,
with the score being the total
time for the four runs, plus
a five-second penalties for
misses and a 10-second pen-
alty for missing the popper.
Regardless of the dis-
tance, we were all able to hit
the plates consistently. By
the time we were finished, we
had run almost 1,200 rounds
of .22 LR ammo through the

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70 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
Becky Scarlata Photo

“REGARDLESS OF THE
DISTANCE, WE WERE ALL
ABLE TO HIT THE PLATES
CONSISTENTLY.”
And my choice was the FOR MORE
INFORMATION
S&W. I was impressed by
One of the test drills involved BERETTA
its ergonomics, especially
ringing six 8-inch-diameter beretta.com
steel plates at 10, 15, 20 and the grips. The sights were
25 yards while on the clock. large and fast to acquire but BROWNING
still fine enough for precise browning.com
shooting, and I felt it had the RUGER
Walter’s short grip slightly a ‘target’ pistol like the others, best trigger of the lot. ruger.com
hindered recoil control. I shot some of my best runs One thing we all agreed
SMITH & WESSON
Off-Hand Accuracy: The with it. It was 100-percent on: Shooting these .22s was smith-wesson.com
S&W and Browning tied in reliable, and it just felt familiar, one heck of a lot of fun. As
this category with perfect more like the pistols I’m used Perry succinctly put it, “This WALTHER
waltherarms.com
scores, and the Ruger nipped to shooting than the others.” one was easy!”
at their heels with 14.
Despite its less-than-op-
timal sights, the Beretta
earned a respectable 13
points. The Walther’s short
grip, heavy trigger and low
sights earned it 9 points.
Reloading Ease: The
Beretta’s magazine release
was well positioned and
easy to depress, earning it
a perfect 15 points, while
we found that the Ruger,
Browning and S&W were
harder to reload. The thumb
rest on the S&W’s grips
made it a bit difficult to
reach the magazine release,
and it was unanimous that
the Walther’s paddle-type
release was difficult to
manipulate. Perhaps this
was because it’s just so
different from the pistols
we’re used to shooting.
After the dust settled,
I asked my friends which
guns they considered their
favorites. Perry’s choice
was the Browning Buck
Mark. “It had excellent
balance and felt like a ‘real’
pistol in my hands,” he said.
“The sights were great, and
it had a very nice trigger.”
Dick preferred the
Beretta: “Despite not being

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 71
 RIGHTEOUS RIGS

BRING THE HEAT

DISCREET-CARRY OUTERWEAR TO HELP
YOU STAY ARMED IN COLDER WEATHER
BY MIKE DETTY

The challenges of carrying

a concealed firearm during
the summer months are soon
forgotten with the first autumn chill. As
the weather turns colder, we have plenty
of options for concealed carry. Layering
clothing allows us to wear some of our
favorite guns, like a full-sized, all-steel
1911 in a belt holster or even a big-
bore revolver in a shoulder holster, with
little fear of printing. While any ordinary
sweater, vest or jacket can help us con-
ceal a firearm, there are a few manufac-
turers who produce clothing specifically
for concealed carriers.
Some 15 years ago, when I was at
a writer’s conference with the late Walt
Rauch, he let me in on a secret. The Army
veteran, former uniformed Secret Service
special agent, investigator with a warrant
unit in Philadelphia and Combat Handguns
contributor said, “When it’s cold out and
you approach a street cop who has his
hands in his pockets, chances are he has
his hand on a .38 snub-nose. Get yourself
a good .38 and a winter
jacket with waist-
high pockets for
winter use.”
Not long after The author out even removing it from the pocket. Walt’s
that I bought carries a sage advice was very much appreciated,
S&W Model
myself a S&W so much so that my S&W Model 642 stays
642 in his
Model 642 Woolrich in the pocket of my Woolrich jacket, along
because Elite with some speed strips and a speed loader,
its hammer- Discreet whether I’m wearing it or it’s in the closet.
Carry Twill
less design
Jacket
ensures it won’t because WOOLRICH ELITE DISCREET
snag inside a of its
CARRY TWILL JACKET
pocket and will comfort,
durability
still allow me to Introduced in 2011, the Woolrich Elite
and ver-
fire the gun if satility. Discreet Carry Twill Jacket was the
necessary with- company’s first effort to design a jacket

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72 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
expressly for concealed carriers. Its
100-percent cotton twill shell is boul-
der washed to give the jacket a well-
used look. The rugged hip-length jacket
features roomy shoulders for unre-
stricted movement, large reinforced
pockets and an adjustable waistband
and cuffs. For law enforcement officers,
there is a hidden tunnel for routing
communication wires and ambidextrous
hidden zippered pockets on the inside
that are perfect for carrying additional
magazines or speedloaders.
For the mild winters I experience
here in Tucson, the Woolrich jacket is as
heavy a coat as I need but is always the
first I reach for. Exemplifying Woolrich’s
typical quality and style, the Discreet
Carry Twill Jacket is my all-time favorite
for cold-weather carry. It doesn’t appear
to be available on Woolrich’s website
anymore, but you can still find it from
various online dealers.

5.11 TACTICAL COVERT VEST

For early-season football weather, the
5.11 Tactical Covert Vest is just right
for my needs. Providing a layering
cover for my handgun, this vest, made
from a lightweight polyester blend, is
flexible, comfortable, and water and
wind resistant. There are two pockets
near the waist that are tricot lined to
provide hand warmth and have zip-
pered openings in case you need to
carry something important in them. 5.11
Tactical places another zipper on the
insides of the pockets so you can pass
through them to quickly access a hol-
stered weapon. The position of these
waist pockets will let those who carry
in the appendix position to acquire a
firing grip on their pistol without anyone
knowing. Like the street-smart cops
Walt Rauch mentioned, the ability to
have a firm grip on your firearm before a
life-or-death event begins could play a
critical part in the outcome.
Ready Pockets are located on both
sides of the vest at chest height and
sealed with hook-and-loop fasteners. I
use mine most for my cell phone, but they
are also perfect for a passport or other
documents and can also support a light-
weight, subcompact pistol. In addition,
there is a also zippered chest pocket for
more storage. (511tactical.com)
Available in a few different colors,
5.11 Tactical designed the Covert
Vest so your hands can quickly pass
through the side pockets to access a
holstered firearm when needed.
SCOTTeVEST ENFORCER JACKET
If you really want to get the most bang
for your buck and three full seasons of
use a year, the SCOTTeVEST Enforcer
Jacket may be your best bet. Priced at
a very sensible $200, the Enforcer can
quickly be transformed into a vest. The
softshell jacket is made from a cotton
polyester blend and is 100-percent
machine washable.
Built for tech geeks, the jacket has
features like an RFID-blocking pocket
for your credit cards and passport,
ambidextrous pockets for your iPad or
similar-sized tablets and ClearTouch
phone pockets. There’s also a patented
“personal area network” for managing all
of your devices wires. The Enforcer has
more than 30 pockets, yet its design
keeps them from bulging and also helps
distribute the weight evenly.

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 73 |
 RIGHTEOUS RIGS
The jacket has waist-height
pockets that can be zippered
and sub-pockets for extra
magazines. There are two
chest-level zippered pockets
with tabs that provide the
user with a place to secure
a handgun, whether it’s a
revolver or semi-auto. As I
mentioned earlier, the vest is
entirely ambidextrous, so it is
suitable with both right- and
left-handers. It also has two
vertical side zippers at the 3
and 9 o’clock positions for
those who are less con-
cerned about concealing
their belt-holstered guns and
more concerned about quick
access. (scottevest.com)
ROTHCO CONCEALED CARRY
SOFT SHELL JACKET
Finally, we have Rothco’s Concealed Carry
Soft Shell Jacket. Using three layers of fabric
to repel water, deflect wind and retain body
heat, the jacket also possesses a breath-
able, lightweight inner fleece for comfort.
Rothco places deep pocket holsters (big
enough to hold a full-sized 1911) inside
each side of the jacket’s sides with two
magazine holders directly above them. I’m
right-handed and used the pocket holster
on the left side of the jacket for my S&W
M&P9 and placed two loaded magazines
on the right side to offset and balance
the weight. It also makes more sense to
access my reloads from the right side
with my left hand so I can maintain
a firing grip on my pistol. The mag
pouches are large enough for full-
sized, double-stack magazines to
fit comfortably, and end flaps secure
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74 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
them in place with hook-and-loop fasteners.
The Rothco jacket has several pockets:
sleeve pockets, two high-rise chest pockets,
a double-zipper pocket to carry something
across the lower back. For comfort, there
are zippered underarm vents to help you
regulate your body temperature. A draw-
string at the waist will help you maintain
your core temperature in even the coldest
conditions, as will the cuff closures.
I’m not a fan of hooded cold weather gear,
but Rothco’s design is detachable and rolls
into a zippered collar when not in use. Hoods
provide an attacker an amazing degree of
leverage in pulling you off your feet, and
unless you’re a very skilled fighter, it’s very
hard to defend against. It is for that reason
that I won’t use a hooded garment, preferring
instead to wear a ski cap or something similar.
Rothco’s Concealed Carry Soft Shell
Jacket is a great-looking garment and has two
fields of loop at each shoulder for patches to
personalize it. Of the four products mentioned
The SCOTTeVEST Enforcer
Jacket has more than 30 pockets
and can easily be transformed
into a vest for warmer weather.
Rothco’s Concealed Carry
Soft Shell Jacket looks the most
“tactical” of the bunch. Note the
built-in pistol magazine pouches.
here, the Rothco jacket is the warmest and
will stand up to serious hard work. But it
also possesses “the look.” If you were to
pick out a jacket that a gun guy would wear,
most would choose the Rothco. That being
said, it looks great and comes with plenty
of features most concealed carriers will find
appealing. It is available in a multitude of
sizes and colors, and at a price that most
folks will find affordable. (rothco.com)
personaldefenseworld.com
 DYNAMIC DUO

IT’S HARD TO
BEAT THESE
10MM EAA
AND HI-POINT
PROTECTORS
BY WILLIAM BELL
JORDAN BELL PHOTOS

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76 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 The 10mm Auto cartridge has
been around in one form or
another for some 35 years. It
grew out of a search for a pis-
tol caliber starting with “4” that would be
both powerful and provide a higher capac-
ity than conventional pistols of the day.
The cartridge was strictly niche until 1989,
when it was adopted by the FBI following
the disastrous Miami shootout.
However, a cartridge with an overall
length of 1.250 inches and a SAAMI pres-
sure maximum of 37,500 psi needs a large-
frame pistol, and the size of the chosen
gun plus the recoil generated by the 10mm
was too much for many FBI agents. The
caliber was soon dropped, and the 10mm
began to fade into obscurity as the .40
S&W cartridge took over the law enforce-
ment market, prompting huge civilian sales.
But fans of the 10mm hung in there.
After all, it will launch .40-caliber bullets
270- to 300-fps faster than the .40 S&W
with its 35,000-psi SAAMI specs, plus its
larger case capacity will handle heavier
bullets. Today, 10mm sales are brisk and
new firearms are popping up in this cham-
bering on a regular basis.

HI-POINT 1095TS
Pistol-caliber carbines (PCCs) seem to be
getting more and more popular, as they
magnify the power of the pistol cartridge
and offer a shooting platform that is easier
to control and has more accuracy potential.

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 77 |
 PERFECT PAIRING |
You can find a number of 9mm, .40 S&W
and .45 ACP PCCs, but I’m only aware
of three manufacturers making them in
10mm with prices ranging from just over
$650 to more than $1,420. But then
Hi-Point Firearms changed that recently by
introducing its 1095TS carbine for $390.
With a price point this low, almost
anyone can then afford to add some
optics or other tactical accessories like
lights or laser sights. The basic model
has a rugged black polymer stock with a
recoil-dampening buttplate and a raised
rubber cheekpiece. You’ll also find sling
swivels, and a nylon two-point sling
is provided. The forend is grooved for
a secure hold, and the pistol grip has
effective texturing.
Say what you will about Hi-Point car-
bines, but I’ve owned and been shooting
them for over 20 years. My personal
9mm model has always been reliable
and accurate, and the .380 ACP, .40
S&W and .45 ACP versions I’ve tested
have all run like champs. Don’t judge a
book by its cover. The stock configura-
tion has changed slightly in recent years,
making them look less like the rifles in
the original Planet of the Apes. And for
just $390, you get a blowback-operated
carbine with a 10+1 capacity, a shroud-
ed front post sight, an adjustable rear
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78 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
The 1095TS offers
The 1095TS’ hooded plenty of rail space for
front sight is paired accessories, and the
with a protected, charging handle, mag
adjustable rear. The release and safety are
barrel is threaded all on the left side.
for a suppressor.
peep sight, a receiver-length accessory
rail and another rail on the bottom of the
forend for accessories.
Unloaded, the 1095TS weighs 7
pounds. Its alloy receiver shroud and bar-
rel are flat black, and the 17.5-inch barrel
is threaded for a suppressor. It also has
simple controls. The charging handle pro-
SPEC BOX trudes from the left side of the receiver
and also acts as a bolt-hold-open device.
HI-POINT The safety is just above the pistol grip
on the left side, and the magazine catch
1O95TS is near the front of the grip on the same
side. Despite feeling “mushy,” the single-
CALIBER: 10mm Auto
stage trigger on my test carbine had a
BARREL: 17.5 inches 6-pound pull weight, which is standard
OA LENGTH: 32 inches for these guns. Finally, the carbine comes
WEIGHT: 7 pounds (empty) with one single-stack 10mm magazine, a
small multi-tool, an owner’s manual and a
STOCK: Polymer
trigger-locking device.
SIGHTS: Front post, adjustable rear
ACTION: Blowback-operated semi-auto EAA WITNESS P MATCH PRO
FINISH: Matte black Many shooters today participate in 3-Gun-
style competitions or just want a handgun
CAPACITY: 10+1
and long gun of the same caliber for
MSRP: $390 logistics reasons. So, I sought a handgun
to pair with this Hi-Point carbine. There
are a number of 1911 pistols out there
PERFORMANCE in 10mm, but I wanted a pistol close to
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY the original Bren Ten, which was built on
Black Hills 155 JHP 1,433 1.87 a CZ-75-type platform. And I found just
CCI Blazer 200 TMJ 1,138 2.62 what I was looking for in the Witness
P Match Pro from European American
CorBon 165 JHP 1,469 2.39
Armory (EAA). This new release comes
DoubleTap 180 FMJ 1,179 3.23 from Tanfoglio of Italy, which has long
Federal 180 JHP 1,096 1.72 been known for making superb CZ clones.
The Witness P Match Pro is a full-
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps
by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best sized handgun with a 4.75-inch barrel,
five-shot groups at 50 yards. an overall length of 8.75 inches, a height
of 5.6 inches and a width of 1.4 inches.
personaldefenseworld.com
 The Hi-Point’s front
and rear iron sights
are removable, so
the author replaced
them with a Bushnell
Trophy red dot to really
wring out the carbine’s
accuracy at 50 yards.

Unloaded, the pistol weighs 30.4 ounces,

and EAA includes one 14-round magazine
in its plastic carrying case along with a
nifty little cleaning kit, a trigger lock and an
owner’s manual. Also, the “P” designation
stands for polymer, as the pistol has a one-
piece polymer frame.
This is a recoil-operated, locked-breech
design with a DA/SA trigger. The first shot
can be fired in DA mode, or the external
hammer cocked and the safety engaged
for “Condition One” carry with the first
shot in SA mode. The DA pull has about
0.25 inches of take-up before the stacking
begins, which takes about another quarter-
inch before the sear is released and the
hammer drops. I’d estimate the pull weight
to be 13 to 14 pounds at the end. The SA
pull has maybe 0.12 inches of take-up and
some creep before breaking at an average
of 4.46 pounds. The trigger’s shape and
smooth face makes both pulls feel lighter.
The extended safety doesn’t act as a
hammer drop, so care must be taken when
lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber.
The slide stop and magazine catch are also
extended and conveniently located for one-
handed operation.
The steel slide has a matte black finish
and is nestled down inside the polymer
frame, which encloses the slide rails like
a traditional CZ design. There’s also a
rugged external extractor but no loaded-
chamber indicator. The small front sight
post is paired with a fully adjustable rear
sight that is serrated to reduce glare.
The grip frame has an extended beaver-
tail to prevent hammer bite, and you’ll find
finely checkered panels on the front- and
backstraps as well as on the sides. The
inside surfaces of the magazine well are
chamfered for smooth reloads, and the

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 79
 PERFECT PAIRING |
The EAA Witness
P Match Pro’s angular
slide comes fitted with a
small front sight blade and
a fully adjustable rear sight.
front of the triggerguard is flat. Finally, the
dust cover sports a long accessory rail
for lights or lasers.
TWO-GUN TEST
Range day turned out to be sunny and
warm but windy. I wanted to get the
velocity measurements out of the way
before the wind speed increased, so I set
up my Oehler Model 35P chronograph
and went to work with various loads from
Black Hills, CCI, CorBon, DoubleTap and
Federal. Some of the lighter 10mm loads
didn’t give me the velocities I’d expected
in the pistol- or carbine-length barrels.
The fastest rounds recorded from the
Hi-Point carbine, CorBon’s 165-grain
JHPs, averaged 1,469 fps for 791 foot-
pounds of energy (fpe) at the muzzle.
Black Hills’ 155-grain JHPs came in
second at 1,433 fps and 707 fpe. I think
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80 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
Bushnell Trophy red-dot sight with four
different reticle options. Then I placed
a small silhouette target with a red oval
aiming point at 50 yards. Even with the
carbine’s somewhat mushy trigger, I
managed a five-shot group measuring
1.72 inches with the Federal 180-grain
JHP load. The Black Hills ammo also
gave me a 1.87-inch cluster. These
were good results considering the wind
gusted up to 35 mph at times.
To evaluate the EAA Witness P
Match Pro’s accuracy, I fired five-shot
groups in SA mode at 25 yards using a
bench and sandbag for support. My best
five-shot group here came with the CCI
Blazer 200-grain TMJs and measured
just 2.15 inches. Most of my groups
were between 2 and 3 inches.
Then I set up a bad guy target 35
SPEC BOX yards away and loaded the guns with a
mix of test cartridges. Using the car-
EAA bine, I fired five rounds from a barricade
WITNESS P position at 35 yards while standing, then
moved up 10 yards, knelt and fired five
MATCH PRO more rounds. Then I slung the carbine
CALIBER: 10mm Auto and transitioned to the EAA pistol. I
advanced to 15 yards, took cover behind
BARREL: 4.75 inches
an impromptu barricade and fired two
OA LENGTH: 8.75 inches rounds from the left side while standing,
WEIGHT: 30.4 ounces (empty) two from the right side and then two
GRIP: Polymer more while kneeling. I then moved up to
7 yards and fired three double-taps. Next,
SIGHTS: Front post, adjustable rear
I did a “failure-to-stop” drill, reloaded and
ACTION: DA/SA repeated. Finally, I moved up to 3 yards
FINISH: Matte black and fired six shots strong-hand only and
CAPACITY: 14+1 five support-hand only from a point-shoul-
der position. All of my center-mass
MSRP: $815
shots were in the “boiler room,” and my
headshots were in the bridge of the bad
PERFORMANCE
guy’s nose. There were no malfunctions,
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY and both firearms ran perfectly.
Black Hills 155 JHP 1,247 2.61 My son, Jordan, and I performed some
CCI Blazer 200 TMJ 1,052 2.15
more drills like this, and both guns never
missed a beat. The Bushnell sight was
CorBon 165 JHP 1,300 2.43
right on the money, and the sights on
DoubleTap 180 Match FMJ 1,000 2.63 the EAA pistol were easy to pick up in a
Federal 180 JHP 1,007 2.49 hurry. The magazines ejected just fine,
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps the controls worked well, and it was easy
by chronograph and accuracy in inches for best to call this range test a big success.
five-shot groups at 25 yards.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
this kind of performance would be ade- EUROPEAN AMERICAN ARMORY
quate for taking medium-sized game like eaacorp.com
whitetail deer, coyotes and feral hogs.
The Hi-Point’s sights are removable, HI-POINT FIREARMS
hi-pointfirearms.com
so I replaced them with an affordable
personaldefenseworld.com
 M O D E R N C L A S S I C

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82 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
 THE
Inland’s new M1 Carbine-based M30-P is
definitely a large defensive pistol for the
21st century. This new handgun takes up
where the M1 “Enforcer” pistol left off when
production ceased in the late 20th century.
The ballistics of the .30 Carbine cartridge
INLAND AND SAGE may be close to ideal for use in today’s

TEAM UP TO BRING heavily populated urban centers because

THE M1 CARBINE INTO of its limited muzzle blast and recoil. On the
downside, the minute you say “.30 Carbine,”
THE 21ST CENTURY a lot of people think about this cartridge’s
reputation for poor stopping power in World
BY DR. MARTIN D. TOPPER War II and Korea. But that belief concerns
SCOTT BAXTER PHOTOS military carbines using ball ammo. Today,
six companies produce self-defense loads
for the .30 Carbine, so the stopping power
issue needs to be revisited. In addition,
there are stories about the low quality of
commercial carbines made after WWII. I’ve
seen some poorly made commercial car-
bines from time to time, but this Inland gun
isn’t one of them.

OLD MEETS NEW

The M30-P is a radical departure from
earlier M1 “Enforcer” pistols made
by Universal and Iver Johnson. It has
many new features like a sturdy Sage
International Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR)
chassis made of hardcoat anodized air-
craft-grade aluminum. The M30-P’s chassis
has a top rail for mounting optics, and it
also comes with folding battle sights. The
sides of the chassis are ventilated for cool-

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 83 |
 THE M1 RETURNS |

“THE BALLISTICS OF THE .30 CARBINE

CARTRIDGE MAY BE CLOSE TO IDEAL FOR
USE IN TODAY’S HEAVILY POPULATED
URBAN CENTERS BECAUSE OF ITS LIMITED
MUZZLE BLAST AND RECOIL.”
ing and weight reduction. The forend is also drilled
and tapped for adding short rail segments. In addi-
tion, the chassis has attachments for mounting
quick-release sling swivels.
The rear of the chassis is designed for
mounting an arm brace, and a Gear Head
Works Tailhook Mod 2 is included. You’ll also find
a comfortable Ergo rubber-overmolded pistol grip
with subtle finger grooves.
This new pistol has a 12-inch barrel that delivers
especially good velocities given the fact that it is 6
inches shorter than the military carbine’s barrel. The
shorter barrel makes it handier in close-quarters
tactical situations than the original M1 Carbine. The
Say goodbye to muzzle is also threaded for a suppressor.
the M1 Carbine’s My test pistol’s overall quality was good. The parts
classic wooden
forend. The M30-P’s were well conformed, except for a few tool marks on
aluminum chassis the chassis where it was relieved above the trigger-
makes it easy to guard. The bolt moved freely without any wobble. The
add accessories like two-stage trigger broke between 5.5 and 6 pounds
the Leupold LCO
and Crimson Trace and was fairly smooth. The crown of the muzzle
Rail Master Pro. was even and slightly recessed, and the bore was
shiny with clean-cut rifling. With a Leupold LCO and
Crimson Trace light/laser unit, the M30-P weighed
just 7 pounds with a decidedly muzzle-heavy balance.
The M30-P operates just like any other version of
the M1 Carbine. To chamber a round, fully insert a
magazine (one 10-rounder is included), pull the bolt
handle all the way back and let it go. When shooting
for recreational purposes and at many other times,
the safety should be activated before inserting the
magazine. The safety is located at the front of the
triggerguard. Don’t confuse it for the magazine
release, which is just in front of the safety. Lastly, the

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84 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
bolt does not automatically lock open after firing the
last round when using GI-type magazines, but there
is a manually operated bolt catch on the upper right
side of the receiver.
STOPPING POWER
The M1 Carbine and its cartridge were originally
developed to provide rear-area troops, officers
and various support staff with a gun that had more
firepower and range than the M1911. But while
that .45 ACP pistol had a legendary reputation for
stopping power, the M1 Carbine suffered from just
the opposite. In fact, I knew two men who personally
saw enemy soldiers hit in the torso by multiple .30
Carbine rounds and still continue to fight.
On the other hand, Jim Cirillo used an M1 Carbine
when he was on the NYPD’s stakeout squad.
However, his carbine was modified so it reliably fed
Winchester’s Hollow Soft Point load, which is still
available today. Well-known trainer Vicki Farnam also
uses an M1 Carbine for hunting. She prefers the
100-grain CorBon DPX load, and one time when she
was hunting with her husband, she was able to stop
a 600-pound wild boar’s charge with a single shot
placed just under the boar’s right eye. So, as you
can see, if there’s a stopping power issue
with the .30 Carbine, it all depends
on which load is used. While
researching this article I found six companies
currently producing .30 Carbine loads for self-de-
fense: Buffalo Bore, Federal, Hornady, Winchester,
Remington and Underwood.
But how does the .30 Carbine compare to
other handgun rounds? When fired in the M30-P, It’s extremely
Hornady’s 110-grain Critical Defense FTX load easy to load the
M30-P and chamber
produces 890 foot-pounds of energy (fpe) at the
a round. Just lock
muzzle, which equals many .44 Magnum loads. The the 10-round
Hornady load’s average muzzle velocity is 1,909 fps magazine in place,
from the M30-P, which is faster than any common pull back on the
charging handle
.44 Magnum load. According to well-known forensic
and release it.
pathologist Dr. Vincent Di Maio in Gunshot Wounds,
the .30 Carbine is neither a rifle or a pistol cartridge.
When loaded with an FMJ, he writes that it produces
wounds similar to a .44 Magnum. When loaded with
an expanding bullet, it appears to transfer
energy like a rifle bullet because
it produces dramatic tissue
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 85 |
 THE M1 RETURNS |

:
The rear of the destruction in areas of the torso that are remote from
Sage International the permanent wound channel. So, at CQB distances
chassis has a buffer
tube like an AR, and where the velocity is still high, a .30 Carbine bullet
Inland includes a designed for personal defense appears to be superior
Gear Head Works in its wounding capability than pistol cartridges up to
Tailhook Mod 2 and including the .44 Magnum.
brace that cradles
your forearm.
ROUNDS DOWNRANGE
I tested the M30-P at the Flagler Gun Club as well
as the Volusia County Gun & Hunt Club with, as
mentioned, a Leupold LCO and a Crimson Trace Rail
Master Pro. Once the pistol was sighted in using an
MTM K-Zone rest, I fired three 5-shot groups at 100
yards with Hornady’s 100-grain Critical Defense
FTXs and Underwood’s 85-grain Xtreme Cavitator
ammo. The Hornady load proved to be the most
accurate with a 4.27-inch average for three groups.
The Underwood ammo averaged 6.33 inches. The
Hornady load’s velocity was 1,909 fps while the
Underwood’s was 1,943 fps.
I also used the M30-P to run three different
tactical drills. The first was a body-armor drill on three
silhouette targets representing armed assailants sev-
eral feet from each other and 15 yards from the firing
line. Each target was double-tapped with one shot
to the body and one to the head. I ran this drill twice,
starting at low-ready, and each repetition resulted in
six good hits. Using a Competition Electronics timer,
the average of the two runs was 8.86 seconds.
The second drill used photographic scenario
targets from Law Enforcement Targets. It involved
taking down threats in a hypothetical parking
garage. You encounter an armed member of a
robbery crew waiting in ambush behind a car and
fire until the threat is neutralized. Then you “pie” the
corner of a short hallway to your left and see a target
depicting a second armed assailant pointing a gun
at you. You drop that threat and move to the end of
the hallway, where you find an “assailant” holding

:
The magazine release
is located at the rear of
the mag well, just ahead
of the safety. Also note the
pistol’s rubber Ergo grip.

| |
86 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
SPEC BOX a female cashier hostage. You shoot the robber
three times in the torso. I ran this drill twice, firing
INLAND 16 shots during each repetition, and my average

M3O-P time was 42.04 seconds. All of my shots were on

target, and none hit the hostage.
CALIBER: .30 Carbine The final drill involved a hypothetical home-
invasion scenario where you retrieve your gun
BARREL: 12 inches
after noticing an armed assailant through the
OA LENGTH: 26.75-29.38 inches front window of your home. At the buzzer, you
WEIGHT: 5.5 pounds (empty) hustle to the front door and carefully pie the door-
GRIP: Ergo rubber
way to your left until you see the attacker. You fire
two shots to the assailant’s body, and my average
SIGHTS: Flip-up front and rear time for three runs was 8.7 seconds. All of my
ACTION: Piston-operated shots were in the left-center of the torso between
semi-auto
the navel and the lower sternum.
FINISH: Matte black
CAPACITY: 10 FOR TODAY’S THREATS
The Inland M30-P isn’t your grandfather’s M1
MSRP: $1,729
Enforcer. It’s a state-of-the-art M1 pistol capable
of handling a wide variety of 21st century tactical
Along with measuring the M30-P’s scenarios. Of course, the latest technology doesn’t
accuracy from the bench, the author come cheap, and the pistol’s MSRP is $1,729.
tested its capabilities in drills against
Then again, the M30-P does exactly what it’s built
photographic scenario targets.
to do. For more, visit inland-mfg.com.

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JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 87 |
 PRO GRADE

BY MITCH HARDIN

| |
88 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019 personaldefenseworld.com
AFFORDABLE, ACCURATE AND EASY TO SHOOT—
THE COMBAT-READY SAR9 STRIKER HAS ARRIVED

W
hat if I told you that
you could have a
full-sized, 9mm,
striker-fired pistol
for just over $400?
And it has a man-
ual thumb safety. That’s right, the new
SAR9 from SAR USA is a striker-fired,
polymer-framed pistol that has an exter-
nal manual safety. You probably want
to know if it’s worth it and have a whole
slew of questions. Well, please allow me
to elaborate for you.
While wandering around a bit lost
and confused at the 2018 SHOT Show,
I happened to stumble across some of
the friendliest people at the SAR USA
booth. The company representatives
all introduced themselves and gave me
the rundown on some of their products.
I was trying to listen to what they were
telling me, but I just couldn’t stop looking
at the SAR9 at the same time.
One of the reps caught me, smiled
and placed the SAR9 in my hands.
Ergonomically speaking, it was amazing.
I’m used to having to Dremel, sand, stip-
ple and otherwise customize the pistols
from my usual preferred brands. Not so
with the SAR9. The best way to put it:
If Walther and HK had a baby, it would
most likely resemble the SAR9.
The SAR9 is available with a black rep that I spoke with, night sights as well
polymer frame and either a black or stain- as other more customizable options are
less finish on the slide. The MSRPs are currently in the works. The slide is made
set at $449 and $499, respectively, for from 4130 chrome-moly steel, and the
these two options. Both come equipped barrel is button rifled.
with three-dot sights. According to the The pistol ships with two 17-round
magazines from SAR USA. It should be
noted that the mags show 15 witness
SPEC BOX
holes, but SAR USA states that they will
SAR USA indeed hold 17 rounds. I verified this, as
the mags I tested held 17 rounds. The
SAR9 magazines are available from SAR USA
for $25 and will become available to
CALIBER: 9mm
distributors here shortly.
BARREL: 3.54 inches The SAR9 also comes from the fac-
OA LENGTH: 6.41 inches tory with three different backstraps and
WEIGHT: 22.33 ounces (empty) side panels so you can adjust the grip to
GRIP: Polymer
perfectly fit your hands. Inside the plastic
case you’ll also find a plastic Glock-like
SIGHTS: Three-dot
cleaning rod and a soft cleaning swab.
ACTION: Striker-fired Now let’s talk about those knobby
FINISH: Matte black levers just below the slide on the frame.
CAPACITY: 8+1 Yes, that is in fact an ambidextrous man-
ual safety. I was informed that this was
MSRP: $449
added so the SAR9 compete for a gov-

SAR9 SPECS
The SAR9 is imported by SAR USA,
which handles all American imports for
Sarsilmaz. Sarsilmaz was founded in
1880 and is the largest small-arms man-
ufacturer in Turkey. The Turks are known
for their quality and craftsmanship when
it comes to firearms, as they have been
around for just a bit. SAR USA began
importing the SAR9 back in late 2017,
so it’s still fairly new here in the United
States. When I asked why SAR USA,
I was simply told that it’s much easier
for Sarsilmaz to have a “permanent
importer” rather than switching import
companies every few years.

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 89 |
 TURKISH DELIGHT |
ernment contract and to be up to NATO
specs. The pistol performed so well in
fact that the Turkish military and national
police forces have adopted the SAR9 as
their official sidearm. According to SAR
USA, “a NATO test against major manu-
facturers from Austria, Germany and the
U.S. ran 90,000 rounds, with the SAR9
[being] the clear winner.” That right there
is a bold statement.
A version with no external manual
safety may become available to the U.S.
in the future, but nothing is set in stone.
Also mentioned to me was that there is
absolutely no difference between the
SAR9 used by Turkey’s armed forces
and the commercially available SAR9
for sale here in the U.S. I made it a point
during testing to mash down on the trig-
ger after each reload with plenty of force
in an attempt to get the external safety
to fail. The safety works as intended
from my experiences, as the gun never
fired unintentionally during my repeated
attempts to make it fail.
The magazine release is swappa-
ble to either side, so I’d like to thank
Sarsilmaz for thinking of us lefties out
there. To break it down for cleaning,
first make sure the pistol is pointed in a
safe direction and completely unloaded
with no rounds in sight. I hate having to
always include that last bit, but I do it for
the “safety impaired” out there among
us. Then pull down on the slide lock,
pull the trigger and remove the slide. It’s
pretty straightforward, and very similar to
other Tupperware-type pistols out there.
| |
90 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
HANDS ON
I hit the range with the SAR9 right as it
came in the box. I didn’t even play with
the sights; I shot it au naturale. This pistol
just felt right in my hands, too, despite the
additional back and side grip panels. And
did I mention the forward serrations on
the slide? I keep asking myself why more
companies don’t do this. It sure makes it
easier to do a press-check. Some high-
speed Rambos out there advise against
this, but it’s nice to have the forward
serrations anyway if that’s your thing. It
also has a loaded-chamber indicator as
well. Seriously, for a street price of under
four bills, you’re getting a
screaming deal.
On a nice Saturday,
I headed to my buddy
John’s outdoor range.
John was pretty excited
because we recently had
a conversation about
striker-fired pistols a cou-
ple weeks prior, and here
I was showing up with just
that. Plus, I showed up with 500 rounds,
which he was excited to see.
I personally shot the SAR9 in the dirt
and from every position I’ve trained with
in the past. The SAR9 is an exceptionally
soft shooter, with less recoil than some
of its competitors in the same size range
and caliber. It handled admirably and was
very accurate. According to my Wheeler
trigger pull scale, the SAR9 registered
a consistent 5- to 5.5-pound trigger pull
weight. The trigger pull itself has quite a
bit of pre-travel but a clean break. I hardly
noticed as I was shooting, moving and
otherwise putting the SAR9 through
its paces. The SAR9 pointed well and
tracked just fine. The muzzle rise wasn’t
bad at all; it’s just a fun all-around pistol
to shoot. Granted, I’ve only sent 500
rounds downrange, but it seems like a
pretty serious contender for the market,
especially at the current price point.
The SAR9 got so damn hot that I
think the factory oil cooked right off,
but it kept going for me. The rep from
SAR USA informed me that it should
only take a mag or two to break it in.
The trigger felt more responsive after
a post-range-session cleaning. Then
again, I did put a minute amount of
Extreme Weapons Grease from Slip
2000 in between the connector and
trigger bar. I mean just a trace amount,
as I don’t want it to attract every gritty
substance known to man. By adding
this tiny amount of grease, I noticed
a much better response out of the
SAR9’s trigger.
 TOTAL STEAL SAR USA claims that the SAR9 fired
Whether you’re a new shooter, an expe- over 150,000 rounds for testing in every
rienced shooter or looking to get a family environment imaginable. The Turkish
member or friend into shooting, the armed forces and national police could
SAR9 is a great choice. It’s actually hard just as easily have chosen a Canik or
to believe that a pistol this nice has an a Turkish version of a Hi-Point if they
MSRP of only $449, and a street price wanted to. Instead, they chose the
just under $400. SAR9 as their duty pistol. I completely
understand why given how it performed
for me. I don’t think that you can go
PERFORMANCE wrong with the SAR9.
I almost always go by the old adage
SAR USA SAR9 of “You get what you pay for in life.” In
LOAD VELOCITY ACCURACY the case of the SAR9, you’re getting
Federal 124 HST +P 1,200 1.13 much more than your money’s worth.
Time will tell if I’m right or wrong, but
Hornady 135 Critical Duty 1,035 1.42
then again, if it’s good enough to protect
MEN 124 FMJ 1,088 0.67 the population of Turkey, I think it will be
S&B 124 FMJ 1,185 0.52 just fine for you. With the SAR9 being
Speer 124 Gold Dot HP +P 1,280 1.34 priced so affordably, and if your wife is
anything like mine, she won’t even know
Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in fps by chronograph and
accuracy in inches for best five-shot groups at 15 yards. that you brought it home. It will just be
another “black gun” among the “black
guns.” Win-win all the way around. For
more information, visit sarusa.com.

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 91 |
 BUYER’S GUIDE
CHIAPPA
RHINO 30DS
Chiappa is now offering its Rhino 30DS with
an olive green frame and barrel shroud. This
six-shot, 3-inch-barreled, .357 Magnum revolver
has a fiber-optic front sight and an adjustable
rear sight. Like all Rhino revolvers, it has a
double-action/ single-action (DA/SA) firing
mechanism and fires from the bottom chamber
in the cylinder, which causes it to have much
less muzzle rise. (chiappafirearms.com)
CIMARRON
BUFFALO BILL SIGNATURE
SERIES FRONTIER
Cimarron offers exact replicas of William F.
“Buffalo Bill” Cody’s original Colt Model 1873
Single Action Army revolver, or Peacemaker.
This year the company is also offering a .44-40
version with an attractive charcoal-blued finish on
the barrel and cylinder to accent all of the revolver’s
detailed engraving. (cimarron-firearms.com)
EMF
GREAT WESTERN II
ALCHIMISTA JR.
This handsome rendition of the Colt SAA
is based on the Great Western II Express
Agent with a 3.5-inch barrel, checkered
walnut grips and a lowered hammer
spur. This new variation in .357
Magnum has an “Old Silver” finish
on the frame and rich bluing on
the barrel and cylinder, then
the whole thing is covered
in laser engraving. It’s cer-
tainly a six-shooter any Old West
shootist would have been proud
to carry. (emf-company.com)
92 | personaldefenseworld.com
H T
WHEELS
THE YEAR’S BEST NEW
REVOLVERS LIGHTING UP
THE HANDGUN MARKET
BY WILLIAM BELL
While new wheelgun production has
slowed down, it’s still very much “steady
as she goes.” Small concealment-sized
revolvers predominate, but medium-
framed five-, six- and seven-shooters are getting
hot, and those with large frames and cylinders
holding up to eight cartridges are also very popu-
lar these days. Whether you want a wheelgun for
defense, hunting or just an afternoon’s plinking
session, you won’t have any trouble finding one in
everything from the .22 LR to the .500 S&W Magnum.
So let’s take a look at some of the newest arrivals.
COLT
NIGHT COBRA
Colt has introduced a new version of its
innovative Cobra snub-nose revolver. The
new pistol, the Night Cobra, has a matte black
finish and a Trijicon tritium insert in its fixed front
sight. The rear sight is the traditional notch in the top of
the frame. The Night Cobra is designed for pocket carry
with a spurless bobbed hammer and a smooth, low-
friction polymer grip. However, this six-shooter is also
more than suitable for belt or IWB carry as well. The
pistol is 7.2 inches long, 4.9 inches tall and 1.4 inches
wide. It weighs about 25 ounces unloaded, which helps
it absorb the extra recoil of +P ammunition. (colt.com)

KIMBER
K6s CDP
The K6s is the smallest, lightest, six-shot
.357 Magnum revolver on the market at 23
ounces unloaded. This new CDP (Custom
Defense Package) features a DLC-finished
frame, a brushed stainless 2-inch barrel and
cylinder, three-dot tritium night sights and one
of the smoothest factory DAO triggers you’ll
ever experience. It also has laminate grips and
Kimber’s “carry melt” treatment for added con-
cealability. (kimberamerica.com)
NORTH AMERICAN ARMS
RANGER II
The long-awaited Ranger II harkens back to the
hinged-frame revolvers of the 19th century. It
opens quickly for loading/unloading by pulling back
on a locking stirrup and tipping the barrel down-
ward. Made of stainless steel with a 1.63-inch bar-
rel in .22 WMR (and available with an optional .22
LR cylinder), it weighs just 6.9 ounces and sports
rosewood grips. (northamericanarms.com)
PIETTA
DELUXE SILVER
ENGRAVED REVOLVERS
Pietta is now offering two revolvers with
deluxe silver engraving. The first is the
.44-40 Model 1860 with an 8-inch barrel
and checkered wooden grips. The second
is a snub-nose version of the Model 1862
with a 3-inch barrel and a checkered
“express”-style grip. This .44-caliber pistol
has similar silver engraving. (pietta.us)
personaldefenseworld.com
ROCK ISLAND ARMORY
M200
This wheelgun has the makings of a good,
economical home-defense or beginner’s
gun. With a small frame, 4-inch barrel, six-
shot cylinder, ramp front sight, fixed rear sight
channel and polymer grips, this .38 Special
is good to go. It offers DA/SA control with an
overall length of 8.75 inches. The Parkerized
finish is non-reflective, and best of all, the MSRP
is only $275! (armscor.com)
RUGER
GP100 MATCH
CHAMPION 10MM
With its factory-tuned action and ergonomic
enhancements, the Match Champion takes
the popular GP100 series to the next level, and
Ruger has unveiled a new version in 10mm Auto.
Featuring a 4.2-inch barrel, the new GP100 has
a half-lug design with an 11-degree target crown
for competition, a chamfered cylinder and ejector
for easy loading, and custom Hogue hardwood grips
with stippled sides. The revolver also ships from the
Ruger factory with three full-moon clips. (ruger.com)
|
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 93|
 BUYER’S GUIDE
RUGER
LCRx
Four new Ruger
LCRx revolvers are now
available: .22 WMR, .327
Federal Magnum and 9mm models with 1.87-
inch barrels as well as a 3-inch-barreled .22
WMR. All four feature Hogue Tamer Monogrips,
aluminum frames and stainless steel cylinders
with black PVD finishes. The front ramp sights are
replaceable, and the snubbies have U-notch rear sights
while the 3-inch-barreled .22 WMR sports an adjustable
rear sight. Most importantly, all four models have hammer
spurs that can be cocked for single-action shooting or
left un-cocked for double-action fire. (ruger.com)
RUGER
SP101
Ruger is now offering
the SP101 revolver in
.327 Federal Magnum and
9mm. The former has a 3-inch barrel, fixed
sights and holds six rounds of ammo. It can
also be used with .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long
and .32 H&R Magnum ammo. It is 8 inches long
and weighs 27 ounces unloaded, which gives this
handgun enough heft for excellent recoil control
with magnum loads. The 9mm version has a 2.25-
inch barrel and a five-shot cylinder. It is 7.2 inches
long and weighs 25 ounces unloaded. (ruger.com)
RUGER
SUPER REDHAWK 10
For 2018, Ruger has added a 10mm option to
its Super Redhawk lineup. The Super Redhawk
is a double-action, six-shot revolver that ships
with three full-moon clips for quick reloading.
This 6.5-inch-barreled firearm has an extended
frame with extra metal in the topstrap, side walls
and barrel mounting to handle big-game loads.
The rubber grip has an internal recoil cushion
under the web of the hand. (ruger.com)
| |
94 COMBAT HANDGUNS JAN. • FEB. 2019
SAR
SR-38
The SR-38 is a .357 Magnum/.38
Special revolver made by Sarsilmaz
in Turkey and imported into the U.S.
through SAR USA. Sarsilmaz has more
than a century of firearms manufacturing
experience and is still owned by the same
family who founded it in 1880. Classic S&W
fans will recognize quite a few similarities with
these revolvers, which are available with either
black or satin stainless finishes. The cylinder
holds six cartridges, and 2.5-, 4- and 6-inch
barrels are available. (sarusa.com)
SMITH & WESSON
PERFORMANCE
CENTER MODEL 19
CARRY COMP
The new .357 Magnum Model 19 Carry
Comp has a stainless steel, 3-inch,
PowerPort vented barrel as well as a tritium
front sight, an adjustable rear sight, a tuned
Performance Center action and a carbon-steel
frame. Both synthetic and wooden grips are
included, and the gun holds six rounds with
an overall length of 8 inches and a weight of
34.1 ounces. (smith-wesson.com)
personaldefenseworld.com
 SMITH & WESSON
PERFORMANCE CENTER
MODEL 686/686 PLUS
For 2018, the S&W Performance Center is offering two stainless.357
Magnum L-Frame revolvers: one with a 4-inch barrel and six-shot
cylinder, and the other with a 5-inch barrel and seven-shot cylinder
that takes moon clips. Both have competition-ready features
such as vent-rib barrels, unfluted cylinders, chromed
teardrop hammer spurs, speed-release thumbpieces,
adjustable rear sights, interchangeable orange front
sights and Hogue grips. (smith-wesson.com)

TAURUS
MODEL 692
An exciting addition for 2018, this is a seven-shot,
medium-frame .357 Magnum revolver in stainless
or matte black that, with a simple cylinder change,
can be converted to fire 9mm rounds
using Taurus’ Stellar clips. It’s a tradi-
tional DA/SA design with a fixed ramp
front sight, an adjustable rear sight
and a black “Ribber” grip. Taurus
offers the revolver with either a 3- or
6.5-inch barrel. (taurususa.com)

TAURUS
RAGING HUNTER
The new Raging Hunter is a six-shot .44 Magnum
with a striking stainless and blued two-tone finish.
It also features a Picatinny rail and an angular
barrel shroud to stand out from the pack. The
unique barrel system incorporates a steel sleeve
inside an aluminum housing to cut down on the
overall weight, making this a well-balanced hunter.
To help with recoil, the gun has a cushioned
rubber grip as well as factory-tuned porting and a
gas expansion chamber. These also help reduce
muzzle rise for faster follow-up shots. An all-blued
model is also available. (taurususa.com)

TAURUS
MODEL 856
Taurus’ new Model 856 revolver is available
in both matte blued carbon-steel and matte
stainless steel variants. This six-shot DA/SA
revolver has a 2-inch barrel with a fixed front
sight. The rear sight is a U-shaped notch in
the top of the frame. It’s 6.55 inches long
overall, 4.8 inches tall, 1.41 inches wide and
22 ounces unloaded, making it well suited
for concealed carry. (taurususa.com)

personaldefenseworld.com |
JAN. • FEB. 2019 COMBAT HANDGUNS 95 |
 COOPER’S
COMBAT
Part one of the timeless Principles of Personal Defense
ome people prey upon other
S people. Whether we like it or
not, this is one of the facts of
life. It has always been so, and
it is not going to change. The number
of sociopaths in a stipulated population
varies widely, but we can take a figure
of one in 100, for simplicity’s sake, and
not be far off. About one person in 100
will, under some circumstances, initiate a
violent attack upon another, in defiance of
the law, for reasons that seem sufficient
to him at the time. Take the able-bodied
male population of your community,
divide it by 100, and you have a fair
approximation of the number of possible
contacts who just might take it upon
themselves to beat your head in. It is not
pertinent to dispute the mathematics of
this calculation. It may be wrong for your
place and time. But anyone who is aware
of his environment knows that the peril
of physical assault does exist, and that it
exists everywhere and at all times.
The police, furthermore, can protect
you from it only occasionally. The author
assumes that the right of self-defense
exists. Some people do not. This booklet
is not for them. This is for those who feel
that anyone who chooses physically to
attack another human being does so at
his peril. In some jurisdictions it is held
that the victim of an attacker must, above
all, attempt to escape. This is a nice legal-
istic concept, but it is very often tactically
unsound. By the time one has exhausted
every means of avoiding conflict, it may
be too late to save his life. Laws vary, and
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96 COMBAT HANDGUNS Jan. • Feb. 2019
cannot be memorized encyclopedically;
in any case, we are not concerned here
about jurisprudence, but about survival. If
one lives through a fight, we will assume
that he is better off than if he does not,
even though he may be thereafter con-
fronted with legal action. Violent crime is
feasible only if its victims are cowards.
A victim who fights back makes the
whole business impractical. It is true that
a victim who fights back may suffer for
it, but one who does not almost certainly
will suffer for it. And, suffer or not, the one
who fights back retains his dignity and
his self-respect. Any study of the atrocity
list of recent years—Starkweather,
Speck, Manson, Richard Hickok and
Cary Smith, et al—shows immediately
that the victims, by their appalling inepti-
tude and timidity, virtually assisted in their
own murders. (“Don’t make them mad,
Martha, so they won’t hurt us.”)
Any man who is a man may not, in
honor, submit to threats or violence. But
many men who are not cowards are
simply unprepared for the fact of human
savagery. They have not thought about it
(incredible as this may appear to anyone
who reads the paper or listens to the
news) and they just don’t know what to
do. When they look right into the face of
depravity or violence, they are astonished
and confounded. This can be corrected.
The techniques of personal combat are
not covered in this work. The so-called
“martial arts” (boxing, karate, the stick,
the pistol, etc.) are complete studies
in themselves and must be acquired
through suitable programs of instruction,
training and practice. It behooves all
able-bodied men and women to consider
them. But the subject of this work is more
basic than technique, being a study of
the guiding principles of survival in the
face of unprovoked violence on the part
of extralegal human assailants. Strategy
and tactics are subordinate to the prin-
ciples of war, just as individual defensive
combat is subordinate to the following
principles of personal defense.
Editor’s Note: Principles of Personal
Defense is available from gunsitestore.
com. And stay tuned for more next issue!
personaldefenseworld.com