Category: Gun Schtuff

Cap and Ball Sixguns: Old Technology, New World

Ammunition is in short supply these last few months, and probably will be for the foreseeable future. RImfires and common defensive calibers like .380, 9mm and .45 went first, then .223/5.56. Since the election, even shotgun shells are scare as hens’ teeth. Leftist politicians may not have to gut the Second Amendment if shooters can’t find ammunition. When Mahbub Ali gave Kim a revolver, it was fully loaded. “Of what use,” the wily Afghan observed, “is a gun unfed?”

What ammunition is still available is often at scalpers’ prices. Paying a dollar a shot for steel-cased Russian junk is not my idea of a sweet deal, but what else can you do? In many parts of the country components for shooting muzzle-loaders are still available. Front-loading long guns now rival the power, accuracy and dependability of conventional cartridge firearms.

But what about handguns? Are cap and ball revolvers equally practical in today’s world?

My answer is a qualified “yes”. They are less convenient, slower loading, and require more care, but good ones are more than acceptably accurate. Power? Colt’s 1847 Walker, firing 60 grains of black powder and a 143-grain lead ball produces 396 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. A heavier conical bullet and the same charge pushes energy over 450 foot-pounds. That compares with the .357 Magnum and .40 S&W. Smaller-framed .44s and .36s equate to the .44 Special and .38 Special cartridges.

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Taking Stock Of A Record-Setting Firearm Year

Twenty-one million. Let that number sink in for a moment.

That’s a very big number. If I told you at SHOT Show® last year that the industry would see 21 million background checks for the sale of a firearm in 2020, you would have thought I was crazy. One year later and with the benefit of hindsight, this was truly a remarkable year for the industry across the board.

The final figures for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) put all of this year’s hard work into perspective. Twenty-one million background checks were conducted for the sale of a firearm over the past 12 months. That topped 2019’s totals of 13.2 million by 60 percent. It also shattered the previous record from 2016, when 15.7 million background checks were conducted for the sale of firearms. This year’s 21 million total surpassed 2016 by 5.3 million, or 34 percent.

Here’s one more incredible number to witness. NSSF estimates that 8.4 million people bought a firearm for the first time in 2020. That’s 40 percent of all purchases. This year’s buyer is increasingly diverse too. Forty percent of 2020’s buyers were women and the biggest increase of any demographic category was among African Americans, who bought guns at a rate of 58 percent greater than in 2019.

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The new version of the Horse Pistol

KELTEC: THE 5.7MM P50 PISTOL IS REAL AND ON THE WAY

Other features include a bottom accessory rail, a top Picatinny rail for optics, and a 1/2x28TPI thread pitch barrel for suppressors and muzzle devices. Meanwhile, the trigger pull is listed as 5 pounds while height is given as 6.7 inches.

MSRP on the KelTec P50 is set at $995 with shipping to commence in the first quarter of 2021.

At that point, it will join other new 5.7mm pistols on the market such as the Ruger 57, a corresponding model of the CMMG Banshee, and the Diamondback DBX. To help meet the growing demand for the cartridge, which for years was virtually an FN-only impetus, Federal has recently introduced a 40-grain Speer Gold Dot load that probably cannot get here soon enough.

It’s not rocket science. The military lets 18 year old service members -with some supervision- do it. The hard part is figuring out what’s wrong when the things malfunction so you don’t waste your time, or parts.

DIY: Building an AR-10-Style Rifle.

It was bound to happen. We’ve shown a number of AR-15-based builds over the years here at Shooting Illustrated, and it’s long past time to add the larger-receiver AR-10 to the mix. Our Rifles editor offered a primer on what to look for in a 2018 article, and we’ve decided to follow his excellent advice for our first AR-10 build.

From the rifle built it can easily be deduced that we opted for an LR-308 pattern large-frame AR. Both upper and lower receivers are from Aero Precision – given the ambiguity in swapping back and forth with manufacturers as Adelmann details, we figured it would be prudent to obtain the upper and lower from the same manufacturer. We’ve used and had excellent experiences with receivers from Aero Precision, so a matched set of the company’s excellent M5 upper and lower receivers were ordered for this build.

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Marine Corps begins widespread fielding of suppressors

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —

Marines risk their lives to protect others.

Many are trained to locate, close with and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel the enemy’s assault by fire and close combat. They engage adversaries in any clime and place, no matter how arduous the conditions.

Marine Corps Systems Command is tasked not only with enhancing the lethality of warfighters. The command also strives to protect them.

MCSC has taken another step toward increasing lethality and protection for Marines. In December, the command began the process of fielding thousands of suppressors to infantry, reconnaissance and special operation units for employment on the M27, M4 and M4A1 rifles.

Small arms suppressors are designed to reduce a weapon’s noise, flash and recoil. They are also time-efficient, as attachment and detachment only takes a few seconds. The mass fielding of the suppressors, and their myriad benefits, represents a monumental moment for the Marine Corps.

“We’ve never fielded suppressors at this scale. This fielding is a big moment for the Marine Corps.”

Maj. Mike Brisker, MCSC’s Program Manager for Infantry Weapons’ weapons product manager

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And with that increase in sales, also goes an increase in ammo sales.

Americans Bought Approximately 21 Million Guns in 2020, Sales up 73%

At this point in December it is already apparent Americans bought approximately 21 million guns this year, an increase of 73 percent over the number purchased in 2019.

ABC News quotes figures from The Trace to report the estimated 21 million guns sold and claims the buying surge is the result of a “perfect storm” consisting of “the pandemic, economic recession, civil unrest and a divisive presidential election.”

They spoke to a mother of three named Trish Beaudet, who explained she has never owned a gun before but is now buying one for herself and one for her 25-year-old daughter.

Beaudet said, “I’ve never owned a gun. I’ve never wanted a gun. I’ve never had a gun in my home.”

She then pointed to the chaos in the streets and on the news, lamenting:

It really bothers me when I watched things on the news, when you talk about the riots, and the looting, and the violence that’s happening. Pulling a gun is the last thing I ever want to do, but I want to know that if I need to protect myself, my family, my, you know, my children, that I can do that.

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Six Best Revolvers for Home Defense

As more and more people buy handguns for self-defense, revolvers have experienced a surge in popularity. And that has led to a lot of talk about a “revolver resurgence,” which is kind of amusing to serious revolver fans for whom the wheelgun never went away. While a lot of the surge is due to folks purchasing small, super-light revolvers for concealed carry, sometimes overlooked is how good revolvers—particularly mid- to full-size ones—can be for home defense.

Sure, they may not hold as many rounds as a 9mm semiautomatic, but they’re simple to use. There are no safeties to worry about, no slides to struggle with, no difficult magazines to load, no complicated manual of arms. With a revolver you just load the cylinder, close it and pull the trigger. That’s pretty much it.

And if you’re new to guns and haven’t heard about the revolver’s reliability, well it’s legendary. Misfires are rare and almost always due to a faulty round of ammunition (which isn’t very common). If you do pull the trigger and nothing happens, simply pull the trigger again.

Let’s take a look at six top revolver candidates for home defense. Again, since we’re not worrying about size and weight for concealed carry, these are mid- to full-size guns, which are much easier to shoot. They are all either double-action-only (the trigger must be pulled through its entire length, rotating the cylinder to place a live round under the hammer/firing pin) or double-action/single-action (in addition to a double-action pull, the hammer can also be cocked to rotate the cylinder, resulting in a lighter trigger pull).

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Walther PP used by James Bond Auctioned for US$ 256,000

Walther PP used by James Bond - Walther PP used by James Bond

The Walther PP, used by Sean Connery in his first Bond movie, Dr. No, was recently auctioned by Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills for over a quarter of a million dollars.

In the film, “M” (Bernard Lee) introduced the gun as Walther PPK. Still, in reality, Connery was carrying the Walther PP, which became the standard equipment of many Bond heroes. Continue reading “”

November Was 11th Consecutive Month of Record Firearm Background Checks

November 2020 was the eleventh consecutive month of record National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks.

FBI figures show there were 3,626,335 NICS checks performed in November 2020, which represents more checks than were performed in any November since NICS was established.

Breitbart News reported that January through October already witnessed ten consecutive months of record checks. This means January 2020 saw more NICS checks than any January prior, February 2020 saw more than any February prior, March 2020 saw more than any March, April 2020 more than any April, and so on, all the way through October.

Now November 2020 brings the consecutive streak to 11 months.

In addition to the monthly records, 2020 as a whole is breaking the record for the most NICS checks in a given year. On November 9, 2020, the National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) reported that the number of checks conducted January 2o20 through October 2020 alone represented “13% more checks than the previous busiest year for the NICS office.”

For example, 28,369,750 NICS checks were performed in all of 2019, but 35,758,249 have already been performed in 2020, and the month of December may yet bring millions more checks into the mix for this year.

TYLER GUN WORKS .22 MAGNUM RUGER BEARCAT
BUILDING MEMORIES PAST AND FUTURE
WRITTEN BY JOHN TAFFIN

Bill Ruger apparently always looked back into history to find inspiration for many of his projects. In 1958, probably after studying the Remington .31 cap-n-ball pocket pistol, Bill did the same thing as he had done with the Single-Six. He brought out an up-to-date .22 version and called it — this also came from history, cars not guns this time — the “Bearcat” after the Stutz Bearcat automobile. It was fitting such a beautiful car would lend its name to Ruger’s second .22 revolver. Continue reading “”

M&P SHIELD® EZ® PISTOL IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR PISTOLS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH 1ST, 2020 AND OCTOBER 31ST, 2020

Smith & Wesson announced this week that it has identified two M&P Shield EZ pistols on which the hammers manufactured by the supplier were cracked. In those firearms the hammer failed to fully engage the sear, which caused the round to fire, cycling the slide and potentially resulting in multiple discharges without depressing the trigger. In all cases, the firearm will NOT fire unless the grip safety is depressed.

This condition has been found only in two hammers, and Smith & Wesson’s investigation suggests the pair of incidents are very isolated. Any unintended discharge of a firearm, however, has the potential to cause injury. Therefore, Smith & Wesson has established this Safety Recall as a precautionary measure to ensure that all M&P Shield EZ Pistols in service meet it design specifications, as any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury. This notice applies only to M&P Shield EZ pistols (including Performance Center models) manufactured between March 1, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2020, and only to a small percentage of that population. It does NOT apply to all Shield pistols.

Stop using your M&P Shield EZ pistol until you determine whether it is included in this safety recall, and if so, until it has been inspected and repaired by Smith & Wesson, if necessary. Owners of all M&P9 Shield EZ and M&P380 Shield EZ—including Performance Center models, should visit this special web page and input their pistol’s serial number, or call (888)-871-7114 immediately to determine if the hammer of their M&P Shield EZ Pistol was from a manufacturing lot that was potentially affected. This notice applies only to certain M&P Shield EZ models, and not all M&P Shield pistols.

If your M&P Shield EZ Pistol is included in this recall, as determined by the website link or telephone number above, discontinue its use immediately and follow the instructions on the website link—or call (888) 871-7114—and the company will arrange for the return of your firearm to Smith & Wesson for inspection. After inspection, if the hammer from your firearm is affected, it will be replaced at no cost to you. It is anticipated the entire process will take no longer than 10 business days, and pistols will be returned as quickly and efficiently as possible. All shipping and replacement costs will be covered by Smith & Wesson.

M&P Shield EZ Pistol owners outside the United States can refer to the Smith & Wesson list of Authorized Warranty Centers, where your pistol can be inspected and hammer replaced as necessary.

MSRP  $1,849 !!

The IWI Galil ACE in 5.56×45

First slide

IWI US is proud to bring back the world famous Galil ACE family of pistols and rifles to the US commercial/civilian market.

The modernized Galil ACE is based upon the reliable mechanism of the original Galil rifle first developed by IMI in the late 1960’s. Drawing inspiration from the legendary Russian AK-47 and the Finnish Valmet RK 62, the IWI Galil ACE has been continuously improved over the last 40 years, resulting in today’s extremely reliable and highly accurate Galil ACE.

Improvements made since the original Galil was first developed include:

  • Charging handle (reciprocating) moved to the left side of the milled steel receiver allowing for weak hand operation
  • Weight reduction with the use of modern polymers
  • NATO STANAG magazine compatibility
  • Full length 2-piece Picatinny top rail
  • Picatinny tri-rail forearm with built in, slide on/off rail covers with pressure switch access
  • Fully adjustable iron sights with Tritium front post

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Google Searches For ‘Reloading Ammo’ Explode Amid Nationwide Shortage

From Zerohedge

Americans are panic searching again. This time it’s not where to buy toilet paper online, but instead learning more about reloading ammunition as the virus pandemic and social unrest has sparked shortages of ammo and guns.

Ever since the first round of virus lockdowns that began in March, ammunition prices have surged because of unprecedented demand. Some of the hardest bullets to find this past summer, that is, if one wanted to purchase bulk, as we noted in April and August (see: here & here), was 9mm.

And, of course, a shortage and skyrocketing costs for factory-loaded ammunition forced many Americans to investigate alternative options in panic hoarding bullets.

As shown below, an eruption in US internet searches for “9mm Reloading” can be seen.

 

Reloading, also called handloading, is the process of making firearm cartridges by manually assembling the individual components rather than purchasing factory-loaded ammunition. Reloading can easily be done at home.

NSSF RELEASES MOST RECENT FIREARM PRODUCTION FIGURES

NSSF®, the firearm industry’s trade association, released the 2020 edition of its Firearm Production Report to members. The report compiles the most up to date information based on data sourced from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF’s) Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Reports (AFMER) as well as the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). Key findings for public release showed:

  • In 2018, 11.4 million total firearms were produced or imported in the United States (less exported firearms).
  • Approximately one-half (48%) of all rifles produced and imported (less exports) in 2018 were Modern Sporting Rifles.
  • Since 1990, there are an estimated 19.8 million Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) in circulation today.
  • An interim 2019 estimate showed a total of 6 million total firearms were produced in the United States. Of those, 3.6 million were pistols and revolvers, 2 million were rifles and 480,000 were shotguns. Those are interim figures that will be updated when complete reports become available from the ATF.
  • In 2019, there were approximately 3.3 million firearms imported into the United States which included 2.3 million pistols and revolvers, 301,000 rifles and 678,000 shotguns.
  • From 1991 to 2019, nearly 214 million firearms have been made available to the U.S. market.
  • According to reports such as: ATF Firearms Commerce in the United States, ATF AFMER and Congressional Research Service data, there are an estimated 434 million firearms in civilian possession in the United States.
  • There are approximately 71.2 million pistol magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, and 79.2 million rifle magazines capable of holding 30 or more rounds in circulation.
  • Firearm and ammunition manufacturing accounted for nearly 12,000 employees producing over $3.9 billion in goods shipped in 2018. An estimated 8.7 billion rounds of all calibers and gauges were produced in 2018 for the U.S. market.

“These figures, combined with the record-breaking 17.2 million NSSF-adjusted background checks for the sale or transfer of a firearm in the first ten months of 2020, demonstrates that Americans have a strong desire to continue purchasing firearms for lawful purposes,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF’s President and CEO. “The Modern Sporting Rifle continues to be the most popular rifle sold in America today, and with nearly 20 million in circulation, is clearly a commonly-owned firearm that is being used for lawful purposes every day in America. The continued popularity of handguns demonstrates a strong interest by Americans to protect themselves, their family and homes, as well as to participate in the recreational shooting sports.”

Today’s report also shows that as lawful firearm ownership in America continues to grow, criminal and unintentional misuse of firearms is falling. During the 28-year period covered by this report (1991–2018) the violent crime rate has decreased by 51.3 percent and unintentional firearm-related fatalities have declined by 68.2 percent.

Numbers crunched by an old friend –4 years ago– suggest this number is on the low side.

DATA: US HAS 434 MILLION GUNS, 20M ARS, 150M MAGS

The trade association for the U.S. firearm industry crunched the numbers and came up with one solid fact: Americans really like guns.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation used data from the ATF, information from the Congressional Research Service, and reports from the U.S. International Trade Commission to get a snapshot of roughly how many guns are in current circulation in the country.

This includes an estimated 434 million firearms in civilian possession, with about half, 214 million, of those entering the market since 1991. Of those, “America’s Rifle,” the AR-15 and similar semi-automatics dubbed Modern Sporting Rifles by the NSSF, account for an estimated 19.8 million, lending concrete numbers to the argument that such guns are in common use. Continue reading “”

Gun Control Plummeted in Popularity This Year

Gun sales have surged in 2020, fueled by a pandemic, nationwide riots that Democrat leaders showed little interest in stopping, and, even prior to election day, the mere prospect of a Biden/Harris administration that would implement new gun control measures.

Americans have purchased more guns in the first eight months in 2020 than the entirety of 2019, and are on pace to make this year the biggest year for gun sales ever. Firearms seller Vista Outdoor has a backlog of over $1 billion in ammo purchases alone.

These sales don’t reflect existing gun owners hoarding firearms either, as there are over five million new gun owners this year, likely the largest surge in gun ownership in U.S. history.

Naturally, that surge in gun sales and ownership has coincided with the popularity of gun control plummeting.

According to the latest polling from Gallup: Continue reading “”