Leading up to the 2015 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, one of the most frequent questions I heard in the gun industry was “When will Glock release a single stack 9mm pistol?” It was at that show that the folks from Smyrna, Georgia arrived with a slim pistol dubbed the G43. 

If the local gun shops near me are any indication, the compact gun is a genuine hit. No one seems to be able to keep them in stock.

I had an opportunity to shoot one of the first G43 pistols before the NRA show, and was fortunate enough to pick one up shortly thereafter. I shot and carried it for several months before giving it a thumbs up. Now that I’ve had it for more than a year, I thought it might be good to re-visit the pistol and let you know how its fared.

Original Impressions

When I first shot the G43, I was not impressed. The gun simply didn’t “speak to me” like other guns do when you pick them up. My initial shooting with the gun was also lackluster.

Fortunately for me, I didn’t stick with my first impression and wanted a second look at the gun. I’m glad I decided to give the gun another go as it quickly became one of my favorite compact pistols.

Glock sent me a review gun for testing and I really put the gun through the wringer on the range. With all kinds of ammunition, the gun was both reliable and accurate. Frankly, I still don’t know why I didn’t like the gun at my first introduction to it.

I wound up really liking the diminutive pistol, and started carrying it for self-defense. I’ve also recommended it to others for the same purpose.

But now, I’ve had the gun for nearly 18 months. What are my current feelings toward this pistol?

A Year of Shooting

During my initial testing of the gun, I ran a dozen different self-defense and practice loads through the G43. All performed 100%.

Since then, I have shot many more rounds through this gun. While quite a bit of the ammo has been 115 and 124 grain FMJ loads (Blazer, Federal and SIG SAUER mostly,) I have also shot quite a few new personal protection loads through the gun.

So far, I’ve not had a single malfunction with this gun. Everything just shoots. This includes my preferred carry load, the Federal HST 124 gr +P. Out of this gun, the load has been extremely accurate.

A Year of Carrying 

The durability of Glock pistols is near legendary. I’ve seen a lot of abused guns in my career as a police officer, and the Glock products always seemed to resist corrosion and outright negligent care very well.

I’ve been gratified to see that the G43 has weathered regular use well. Carried inside the waistband with the slide exposed to my skin, the pistol seems no worse for the wear. I’ve been using the Blackhawk A.R.C. holster quite a bit, and this rig has not left any visible marks on the gun.

I have also tested a number of other holsters with this pistol including a Yeti-Tac IWB and several rigs from Dara Holsters. Be sure to check out my Glock 43 holster list for a complete run down of everything I’ve tried and recommend. 

I’ve found the pistol to be a bit big for pocket carry. However, for IWB, I like the gun a lot. I tend to carry on the strong side, just behind the hip. The gun virtually disappears in this position.

In the appendix position, the gun also carries nicely. This is not my favorite position, but it works for a lot of people and there are a number of nice carry rigs that make this a great concealment location.

While I am not a fan of ankle carry for most circumstances, it does have its place. The good news is the G43 works very well in this location. I always found the double stack G26 to be a bit thick here. The G43 is thin enough to be the perfect size on the ankle.

Must Have Accessories

Out of the box, the G43 is ready to go. If you plan on carrying it for self-defense, there are a number of things to think about adding to the mix. Obviously, a holster is important.

I strongly encourage people to pick up at least two additional magazines for this pistol. Glock ships a pair of them with the gun: one for the gun and a second to carry as a spare. However, if you train with and carry the same magazines, you are putting a lot of wear on what is arguably the most likely point of failure in the gun.

Extra Glock 43 magazines are cheap and you can afford at least two of them. Once you buy them, mark the ones you will use for training, and don’t worry when they hit the floor.

Weapon lights are available for this pistol from both Streamlight and Crimson Trace. I’ve tried both, and both work well. However, I found the Crimson Trace unit was brighter, easier to operate and it seemed to be constructed better.

Final Thoughts

I think the G43 is a fine weapon for self-defense. Like any compact pistol, it has its limitations, but within those it does exceptionally well. It is reliable, accurate and an easy shooter. I carry it almost daily, and expect that I will regularly carry it in the future. 

Is it the best single stack 9mm pistol on the market? That’s tough to say. There are several good choices out there, and I do like it better than the offerings from Kahr and several others. The XD-S from Springfield Armory is a strong contender, though I’m not a fan of the grip safety. Likewise the Smith & Wesson Shield is a solid choice.

The strongest competition to the Glock 43 for me is the Walther PPS M2. Both guns share many general characteristics, but I’ve found the Walther fits my hand better which leads to slightly better accuracy, better recoil control and faster shooting. My wife put her Shield away and now carries the Walther, and I may do the same in the future. For now, I’m content with the G43 and I would never try to talk anyone out of choosing it for their own defensive needs.

The popularity of pistol caliber carbines (PCC) has increased exponentially. This is in part due to USPSA's inclusion of PCC into its own division. So now you can race with your PCC and be officially scored. USPSA has been dominated by handgun since its inception, however the market and popularity of pistol caliber carbines has caused USPSA officials to give them a serious consideration into competitive use.

I dabbled in PCC a few years back when I was living in New York state. I used my KRISS Vector carbine in local matches while waiting for my pistol permit to be approved. Pistol Caliber Carbines are quicker and easier to shoot than a handgun. Due to the fact that you are shooting from a more stable position with at least four points of contact: support hand, firing hand, cheek and shoulder.

Lately I have been shooting a lot more PCC and specifically my CZ Scorpion carbine. I even had some prototype +10 rd magazine extensions made to get 40 rounds in my Scorpion Mags. Well CZ Custom shop has done even better. They made an aluminum magazine extension that adds 20 rounds to your 30rd magazine. Giving you 50 rounds of 9mm.

Some of you may wonder if the magazines can hold up to all those rounds. So far I have not heard of these having issues. There are a handful of factory mags that have had cracked feed lips but CZ USA has been great in replacing them at no charge.

Why would you need 50 rounds of 9mm? Well its not a matter of need but a matter of speed. Reloading takes time. Yes there are some very skilled shooters who can reload faster than I can type the word "reload' but if you can eliminate the time needed to reload then you will be faster than someone who has to reload. This is why I wanted 40 rounds in my Scorpion magazines.  Most USPSA stages have a 30 round count on average. Some stage designers like to increase that number for the open shooters who maybe rocking 29rd STIs or SV Infinities. So 40rds is an ideal number for me. 50 is a bit more than 40 but you know you will never have to reload in a stage unless something happens to the magazine.

The CZ Custom magazine extension come with an extended spring, that is actually the most crucial part of the extension. You can have a long extension but if you don't have a spring that will push the rounds up into the gun, it is useless. The mag extension retails for $73.39 on CZCustom.com

The CZ Scorpion Evo 3 magazine has a black cloud hanging over it ever since the gun came out last year. There have been a number of examples where the magazine feed lips have cracked. According to some owners, the feed lips did not crack from dropping them. But they cracked after some time using them. The issue has been addressed by CZ USA and they are willing to replace the bad magazines. Even if they didn't, the magazines only cost $20 to buy them brand new. I would understand someone being upset buying a $60-$100 magazine and it not working or breaking quickly.

Anyway, some clever people have been tinkering with UZI magazines and making them work in the CZ Scorpion. This person has made 3D printed shims that he adds to the UZI mag to make it fit the Scorpion mag well and lock into the mag catch.

Another clever person has taken an UZI magwell and has been working on modifying it to fit into the scorpion.

The first method seems the least headache. With the modified UZI magwell, you will have to use the UZI mag catch/release. Whereas the first method you are still using the same mag release on the Scorpion so you do not have to change how you use the gun.

December’s Mag of the Month might be better described as, ‘mags of the month’ if only for the fact that it’s actually two magazines coupled together.

Not long ago, Ruger had no OEM 10/22 magazines that held more than 10 rounds of ammo. In fact, part of the rifle’s charm was always its use of a proprietary, rotary magazine that kept the clean lines of the gun.

A few years ago, however, a change in leadership lead to a massive shift in company policies; Bill Ruger’s infamous words, “…no honest man needs more than ten rounds in any gun…” became a distant memory with Ruger offering AR15 carbines and standard capacity, semi-automatic striker-fired polymer-framed handguns.

It was a natural progression that Ruger offer factory-built, extended capacity magazines for their most prolific rifle, the 10/22. Dubbed, the BX-25, these polymer-bodied magazines predictably hold 25 rounds of .22 LR.

Whomever decided to offer these magazines deserves a raise and a promotion.

Why?

See, in the past, non-factory 10/22 magazines over 10 rounds were finnicky and unreliable at best. There were a few exceptions like Butler Creek Steel Lips mags, but for the most part anything other than Ruger 10-rounders were sub-par.

But with the introduction of the BX-25, shooters could purchase high quality, standard capacity magazines straight from the manufacturer -certain of their performance. On the back of this new magazine’s success, Ruger decided to crank things to, ‘11’ and introduce the BX-25X2 magazine.

While technically the BX-25 X2 holds 50+1 rounds of ammo, it’s actually just two 25-round magazines coupled together like jungle-mags. Basically, after the first 25 rounds are expended, the shooter extracts that magazine, flips it 180 degrees, and re-inserts.

What’s the point?

Well, it gives quicker access to a reload than keeping a spare magazine in a pocket or pouch, and makes for a slimmer profile than an extended, 50-round magazine. Since both magazines are sitting side-by-side, they don’t extend down much further than a standard BX-25.

The downside?

Weight and bulk. The magazine is twice as thick as a standard BX-25, which isn’t too bad. However, the magazine weighs twice as much, and can drastically alter the gun’s center of gravity when fully-loaded. This is especially the case when running any of the lightweight versions of the 10/22, since the combined mass of two loaded BX-25s can nearly double the gun’s weight.

Overall, these magazines are a ton of fun for plinking at the range, or when hunting squirrels in a target-rich environment. If you want to ‘tacticool’ out your 10/22, you’d be remiss not to include the BX-25X2 in your kit. 

When it comes to defensive guns, reliability is one of the most important traits.  When you NEED a gun for self-defense, you REALLY need it.  You need that gun right now, and you need it to work.

Reliability in firearms is a complex topic because there are many variables to consider.  The gun itself certainly needs to be reliable, but so does the defensive ammunition.  It needs to work well with the gun you are using it in.    The gun and the ammo are the two factors that most people consider when it comes to reliability, but there is a third, very important item to think about when it comes to the reliability of your defensive gun.  That is the magazine.

Defensive magazine reliability is critical!

You see, magazines are the tool that delivers ammunition into the action of your defensive gun.  A good reliable magazine delivers your ammunition in a way that your gun can use it every time.  That is what we are looking for.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.  To be confident in your defensive guns, you need to be confident in the magazines that feed them!

Let’s take a look at some tips that can help you evaluate and have confidence in the reliability of your magazines.

Mark Your Magazines

The first step in understanding how reliable your magazines are is getting to know your mags.  There is a problem though.  You probably have more than one mag.  In fact, you probably have a bunch of them and they all look alike.  Same size, same shape, same color.  It can be confusing as to which magazine is which.  If everything is working perfectly, it doesn’t matter, but, when things start to go wrong, that is when you want to be able to tell stuff apart.

To be able to tell my magazines apart, I use a simple paint marker to number them.  I usually use two digit designations like 01, 02, 03, - 10, 11, 12.  I like the mags to all look about the same.  I guess I’m picky!  I also put my last name and “SSA” for Safety Solutions Academy on the mags to make sure they get back to where they belong if they wander away.

The number markings really come in handy when I start to experience a malfunction.  You see, when the malfunction happens with several different magazines, I start my investigation with the gun and the ammo.  If however, the malfunction happens with a single magazine repeatedly, I know where the problem lies.  That mag is history and I simply head to GunMagWarehouse.com for a replacement (or three).

Marking your magazines is a simple and inexpensive way to help find the source of problems in your defensive system and it has the boys benefit of helping you keep track of your mags at the range.  Mark your mags.

Test Your Magazines

Before I will trust my life, and the lives of those that I love to a new magazine, that magazine has to be tested.  If I am going to depend on a magazine, that magazine must be dependable.  Once the mag is marked, It is time to run it.  There are a few tests I like to put my mags through to make sure they work with my gun and the ammunition.

First, I start out with one round in the mag.  I fire that round and make sure the gun locks open on empty.

Second, two rounds. Again to make sure the gun locks open when empty, but also to make sure that it doesn’t lock open early.

No surprise here, third I run the same test with three rounds.

If the mag experiences a failure in this starting portion of the test, I note what the failure was and the magazine that the failure occurred with (your mags are marked, right?)  I also consider that the failure wasn’t the fault of the gun, ammo or mag.  Did I do something that kept the gun from locking open or made the gun lock open early? Or, was it a problem with the mag.  I re-test any mag that failed to make sure that any issue has been dealt with.

Then I move on with my testing into the fun part.  I like to test each mag with 4 full loads of ammunition to know that it is going to work well.

During this phase I’m looking for any malfunctions that occur.  Failures to feed, failures to eject, failures to lock open or locking oped prematurely etc.  Whenever any malfunction happens I make a note in my journal to remind myself of what the failure was and what magazine was involved in the failure.  Here, I am looking for patterns.  If there is a particular type of failure that happens repeatedly with one specific magazine, I can be pretty sure that there is some kind of an issue with the magazine and I can focus my energy on sorting out why that mag is having problems.

Most of the time, most quality magazines pass this test with flying colors.  It almost makes the test seem silly.  It isn’t.  I am not testing because most magazines work.  Instead I’m testing because sometimes mags fail and when they do, I need to know it BEFORE my life depends on it.

Inspect and Clean Your Magazines

Once your mags are marked and tested and you are confident that they work, your job becomes to make sure you maintain those mags.  This really comes down to a simple inspection and cleaning after hard use.

When I complete a shooting session I make sure to wipe down the outside of the magazine and inspect the feed lips for any obvious bends, dents and dings.  Depending on the ground surface where I have been training I might also choose to remove the baseplate, springs and follower to remove any debris from inside the magazine.  You can use a simple rag to fish through the magazine body, or my favorite is a 12 gauge shotgun cleaning mop threaded onto a short cleaning rod.  With just a couple of ins and outs, the job is done.  I can use cleaner and lubricant if needed.

Simple reassembly then takes place and my mags are now ready for carry or for my next training or practice session.

Inspection and cleaning doesn’t take much time and it can go a long way toward keeping your magazines in good shape and behaving reliably as the first time you tested them.

Final Thoughts on Magazine Reliability

Your defensive system is only as strong as the weakest link.  When it comes to magazine fed defensive guns, don’t let your magazines be the week link in the system.  Taking the time to mark your magazines, test them for reliability and keep them in good shape through regular inspection and cleaning will keep you magazines working well.  In addition, it will increase your confidence in your defensive tools and confidence can go a long way in helping you to avoid a violent confrontation or to prevail should you find yourself the victim of a violent attack.

When it comes to selecting magazines for your AR-15, in today’s world your choices are many.  You have choices in manufacturer, capacity, color and features.  There really are magazines for just about every situation.  Sometimes the choices can even seem overwhelming.  I get it, and for that very reason, the majority of my mags are simple 30 round black Magpul Gen 2 PMags.  They work in all my rifles and I never have to worry about clashing colors or deciding what features are important for me in a certain situation.  I just need those mags to be full and to feed reliably.

The choices aren’t always just superfluous.  In fact, there are some pretty good reasons to have some magazines that are easily distinguishable from others.  Let’s take a look at why color coded magazines can make sense.

Safety

The first reason that you might want to have magazines of different colors is for safety.  If you have rifles of different calibers it might make sense to dedicate a certain color to a specific caliber.

When it comes to AR-15 calibers it has become fairly well known that introducing a 300 Blackout cartridge into a 5.6/.223 chambered rifle can be catastrophic.

What about if you deal with both live rifles and rifles that fire marking cartridges.  Making sure that the right magazines are in the training area and the wrong magazines is a serious safety issue.  Dedicating magazines that are easy to tell apart visually to a specific purpose can help to make sure your training is as safe as possible.

Ammunition Management

Depending on your situation your ammunition might vary.  The ammunition that you keep in your rifle for home defense is expensive and you probably don’t want to inadvertently send that ammo down range without a purpose at a training session.  Even more importantly, you certainly don’t want your training ammo to end up in your rifle when you think it is loaded with defensive ammunition.

Again, having mags that are easy to tell apart can help you to make sure that your rifle is loaded with the ammunition that is correct for your intended use.

How To Segregate your Ammo

A simple way to identify your magazines is to mark them.  I’m a firm believer in marking your mags so that you can tell them apart, but you could also choose to mark mags according to their purpose with a paint pen or even with colored tape.

You could also choose to purchase magazines in different colors for different purposes.  If you own AR-15s in both 5.56/.223 and .300 BLK, it might make sense to dedicate certain color magazines to certain calibers.  Maybe you dedicate to loading 300 BLK only into black PMags and put 5.56 into FDE PMags.

A third option is offered by Hexmag.  With the Hexmag HexID Color Identification System you can change the color of the follower and the hex shaped retainer on the bottom of the mag so that a quick glance at the bottom of the mag informs you of the intended purpose of the magazine.  The HexID system comes in a convenient 4 pack and ensures that you don’t have to worry about a piece of colored tape coming off or a paint marking wearing away.

Final Thoughts

In some situations marking magazines by purpose is a simple convenience.  In others, it is a matter of safety.  Whichever situation you find yourself in there are great solutions to help you to keep your mags and ammo easy to identify with a quick glance.  Think about your situation and what makes sense for you and then take action to color code your mags.

Inland Manufacturing announced the company was now offering T30 rifles: reproduction-style carbines based on the T3 from World War II. The new guns will come with a conical flash hider and 2.5x scope.

The original T3 carbines were the first production sniper systems fielded by the US armed forces that used an infrared sighting system. T3 guns were M1 carbines that were made specifically for the infrared system, and original guns were made by both Winchester and Inland. The first T3 guns were fielded during World War II during the Battle of Okinawa.

Compared to modern optics, the infrared system used at that time was very crude, cumbersome and heavy. With the included infrared spotlight, the guns had an effective range of only about 75-100 yards. Eventually, the guns and optics were improved, increasing the effective range.

The new T30 guns are not exact reproductions of the T3, nor do they come equipped with infrared optics. Instead the guns are equipped with a reproduction M82 rifle scope made by Hi-Lux. The scope has a 2.5x magnification and a 7/8” tube. The scope is attached with Redfield style rings.

According to Inland Manufacturing, the original guns shot 3-6 MOA while the new guns are hitting 1-2 MOA. I suppose there is something to be said for modern manufacturing. 

These rifles are chambered for the .30 Carbine cartridge and ship with a single 15-round magazine. Stocks are made of walnut and with the M82 scope, the guns weigh about 6 pounds. With no scope, the rifles weigh about 5.3 pounds each, unloaded.

Inland will sell these guns without the scopes as well. Should you opt for one of these rifles with the intent of adding your own scope, the T30 will take 1” and 30mm Redfield rings.

Inland will sell the scopeless-version of the carbine for $1,279 while the model with the scope will carry a higher price at $1,695.

If you want one of the authentic T3 rifles, they can still be had on the secondary market. After the Korean War, many of the guns were surplused. Later versions of the carbine were called the M3, so be sure to search for that as well.

There is a new version of the Rhino coming in January. Called the White Rhino, Chiappa Firearms announced the new .357 Magnum revolver will have a white finish that is similar in appearance to that of an actual rhinoceros with gray “wrinkles.”  

The white is a Cerakote process and the wrinkles are apparently a laser engraving technique. It sounds like a fairly involved process to get the right look for this gun.

Offering a nice contrast to the white finish is the cylinder and other hardware that is finished in matte black. Also black are the grips that are made of G10 laminate. G10 is a very durable resin material that wears very well. I’ve got a couple of pistols with G10 grips and more than a few knives with handles made of the same material. I really like the use of G10 for durability and looks.

If you are not already familiar with the Rhino revolvers, these are .357 Magnum six shooters that put the barrel lower on the gun. Rounds are fired from the six o’clock position instead of the standard 12 o’clock that is used on nearly every other revolver. The idea is that the lower the bore is in relation to the shooting hand, the lower the felt recoil.

I’ve had a chance to shoot a 2” Rhino with full power .357 Magnum loads, and I was very impressed by the lack of muzzle flip. There was no sting associated with the recoil impulse and keeping rounds on target during rapid fire was easy. The design might seem a bit weird to many people, but for reducing recoil, it seems to work well.

This specific model uses a 3” barrel which should improve muzzle velocity of the bullets as they streak downrange. I would also expect the extra inch would further mitigate the effects of recoil. On top of the barrel is a red fiber optic sight. 

Another interesting note on the barrel length. Currently, Chiappa only offers 2”, 4” and 6” barrel lengths. It seems to suggest that this new barrel length may be a signal of additional Rhino models to come. I am certainly looking forward to seeing what the company may introduce at the SHOT Show.

Noveske announced a new Gen III rifle that will benefit a charity called One More Wave. One More Wave, or OMW, is a non-profit founded by vets to help other vets that were wounded or disabled through the use of ocean therapy. Specifically, the charity builds custom surf boards to meet the needs of returning veterans that have suffered an injury that may preclude the use of a normal, off the rack board.

The new Noveske Gen III OMW rifle was designed and developed specifically to support the One More Wave charity. As such the rifle is a top tier gun and a large portion of the profits from the gun will go to support the non-profit.

Starting with the core of the gun, Noveske is using machined billet 7075-T6 aluminum uppers and lowers. These parts are Type III hard coat anodized and the finished with a black Cerakote process for extreme durability and corrosion resistance.

Chambered in 300 BLK, the guns have a 14.5” stainless steel barrel with a 1:7” twist. To make them non-NFA items, Noveske pins a Silencerco ASR brake to the guns. These brakes were designed by Silencerco to reduce felt recoil and are compatible with several of the company’s sound suppressors.

A 13.5” aluminum hand guard is used with M-LOK attachment points. The hand guard is also hard coat anodized and finished in black Cerakote. It has Picatinny-type rails in the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions.

M-LOK is a Magpul design, and Noveske selected that company’s products for both the stock and pistol grip. A Magpul SL stock and MOE K2 grip are used on these rifles. Magpul MBUS Pro folding sights are included with the rifle. The Pro version is the metal set that is said to be more durable than the original polymer ones. 

The great Geissele SSA trigger is used to make the gun go bang. Another Geissele product, the Super Badass, was selected for the charging handle. A single 30-round magazine will ship with the carbine. The 300 BLK cartridge should feed fine in any AR magazine. However, I find that the Lancer Advanced Warfighter magazines work best with the .30 caliber cartridge. I only use the 5-round models in my 300 BLK hunting rifle.

The price on the new Noveske isn’t cheap: $2,350. However, for that price, you get a top notch rifle and are supporting a veterans’ charity.

In many situations carrying a smaller gun can be more comfortable and easier to conceal.  It is common sense for the most part.  There are times, however, when a small gun is more of a liability than you might think.  It isn’t all that different from the challenges people face when they try to carry a gun that is too large.  Or maybe the challenges are as different as can be.  The point is, if you have a big pair of hands and you try to carry and shoot a small gun, there are some things that you need to think about.

Handgun Fit

Handgun fit is an important topic in efficiency.  When we face a violent attack we want to solve the problem efficiently, with as little time, effort and energy as possible.  Our mindset, tactics, skills and tools can all play a role in how efficiently we can respond to that threat.  Handgun fit is an important aspect of efficiency.  The better our handgun fits, the more efficiently you will be able to employ that gun.

Handgun fit isn’t a simple topic.  It really comes down to selecting a handgun that, in order of priority, makes it easy for you to press the trigger smoothly to the rear, manage recoil for fast follow up shots and manipulate the magazine release and slide stop without shifting your grip.  If you want to know more about the topic you can read this in-depth article on handgun fit.

We typically think about handgun fit problems in terms of folks with little hands facing challenges when they are forced to operate big guns.  Having big hands and trying to shoot a little gun can be a problem as well.

Big Hands with a Little Gun

I see these problems often.  Folks in search of the simple carry solution set themselves up with a difficult shooting situation because their hands are oversized for the diminutive gun that is easy to carry.

I have experienced these difficult shooting conditions myself.  Although my hands aren’t Goliath hands, when they are wrapped around a GLOCK 43, it is a whole different story.  It seems that the size of the single stack 9mm GLOCK magazine and the grip that wraps around it leaves plenty of dead space inside my grip.  With the recoil of the 9mm in such a small package, the 43 loves to squirm side to side in my grasp.  It’s manageable, but I tend to see groups that open up in width compared to pistols that tend to fill my palms.

I recently saw another challenge with a student in a course.  It was a repeat of what I have seen many times before.  Reloading the small pistol can be difficult for those with larger hands.  In this case the offending tiny automatic was a S&W Bodyguard .380.  The issue was that the grip and the magazine of the  Bodyguard .380 was so short that the primary hand extended well below the grip of the gun.  The result was difficulty on insertion of the magazine.  The weak hand just didn’t have the space to fully seat the mag because of the strong hand.

These problems aren’t impossible to deal with, the simply need to be dealt with and they need to be understood. 

Final Thoughts

When we take a look at concealed carry from a balanced point of view it is easy for us to see that every choice is a compromise.  A bigger gun might be harder to conceal, but at the same time it could be easier to shoot.  Just the opposite, a smaller gun might be more difficult to shoot while at the same time it is more difficult to shoot.  Of course you might find the exact opposite is true for you.  The key is to understand the impact that your decisions have on your ability to deal with a lethal threat and to make the choices that will help you prevail when you need to most.

One of the better selling rifles that Chiappa Firearms sells in the US market is a minimalist gun called the Little Badger. The Little Badger is a survival style rifle that can fold into a small package for storage behind a truck seat or in an emergency bag on a small plane. They can also be just plain fun to own and shoot.

The original Little Badger is chambered for the ubiquitous .22 LR. This rimfire cartridge can be found around the world and is suitable for taking small game or varmints that can keep you going in an area where a pizza delivery simply won’t reach. Chiappa also offers a version of the gun chambered for the more powerful .22 WMR (aka .22 Magnum.)

Well, as we head into 2017, the Little Badger got a little toothier with the addition of the .17 WSM. The .17 WSM is also a rimfire cartridge, but one with near centerfire performance. The .17 caliber round can make for 3,000 fps with a 20 grain bullet. For a rimfire, that is screaming fast.

As with the original guns, the new Little Badger is a single shot rifle. It breaks open and has an extractor to aid in the removal of the spend cartridge case. Although the gun is not magazine fed, there is a cartridge holder between the wires that make up the stock.

Although the gun does come with sights, Chiappa added a small rail to the gun that allows you to add a scope or red dot. I would imagine that a low to medium power variable scope might work very well with this rifle. While iron sights will work, when you are hungry and dependent on the next shot to put a rabbit in the pot, having a nice Leupold 1.5-4x might help make that shot count.

The barrel on this gun is 16.5” long and the total package weighs in at a little under 3 pounds. As I mentioned, the gun does fold down for a more compact storage solution. Folded, the gun is only about as long as the barrel itself. This means it can ride in your backpack when hiking or store in your dry bag when on a multi-day kayaking trip.

Recently Keystone Sporting Arms has anounced a new version of their popular Crickett rifle. The Crickett Precision Rifle. The Crickett and Savage Rascal are some of the most popular single shot .22lr rifles for teaching kids. They have a short length of pull so kids can comfortably shoot them. They are single shot so there is less chance of negligent discharges and kids can safely learn the prinicples of firearm handling and shooting.

Well Keystone Sporting Arms has decided to modernize their popular rifle and make it look like a sniper rifle. The chassis design is inspired by Accuracy International's Chassis. The Crickett Precision Rifle is built from a bull barreled Crickett. The barrel is threaded for muzzle devices but actually it is for suppressors. You don't really need a muzzle device on a single shot .22lr. The stock will have an adjustable cheek rest and length of pull. The stock also has a small picatinny rail for a bipod.

The rifle will retail for $309.99 and will be available January 2017. Below is a photo of the CPR next to a Ruger Precision Rifle for comparison.

While traveling home from Altair Training Solutions out in Immokalee, Florida, I had a chance to go through the ultra-dense notes I took while training with the Israeli Defense Force. CAA in conjunction with IDF-legend, Lt. Colonel Mike Hartman and a handful of IDF counter-terrorist trainers took a select group of writers out to train them how to train others on IDF methodologies of gunfighting.  

Most of the writers present had served in the military in some capacity with at least the exception of myself. All of us had some professional training, but despite this, all the writers came with an ‘empty cup’, ready to fill with knowledge.  And learn we did.

In fact, there’s enough information taught in the short three days of class to spend days or weeks covering, so I’m going to concentrate on two areas that I feel most shooters would be surprised by, interested in and able to apply to their personal defense plans: automatic fire.

Only Hits Count

Currently, the IDF issues two different firearms to the bulk of their infantry forces – the IWI Micro Tavor and the M16/M4 carbine. In both these cases, the IDF only utilizes these guns on semi-automatic in all but the direst circumstances.

If you’re scratching your head, wondering why a nation literally surrounded by hostile neighbors wouldn’t employ as much firepower as possible, as quickly as possible, it’s important to understand something crucial and uniquely Israeli. The IDF must function like a well-armed law enforcement unit when deployed domestically, and like an occupational force when in the territories.

In the former, because they’re surrounded by civilians and non-hostiles, so leveling a structure or utilizing long bursts of automatic fire can simply pose too great a threat to nearby non-combatants. The latter because despite legally capturing these regions from neighbors in the wake of the 6-day war, these bordering countries till view the land as theirs. Any settlements built in the area will be subject to mortar strikes, incursions from guerilla/terrorist units or simple harassment from natives.

This isn’t dissimilar to how the US military had to shift their SOP after the initial invasion of Iraq/Afghanistan when they became an occupational force rather than an invading one. This means operating more surgically. Unlike the US, the IDF has had to deal with well-armed, well-funded terrorist incursions for decades rather than the duration of a single conflict.

Cooler Heads Prevail

So, while our military doctrine shifted to adopt to the changing battlefield, IDF doctrine was forged and honed for years with it in mind

Fair enough, but what does this have to do with the average shooter at home looking to defend his family, hearth and home from bad guys?

More than you think.

Even assault units of the IDF don’t utilize automatic fire when in close proximity to enemy combatants, they value precision over volume. This is an ideal mentality for armed citizens to adopt for home defense.

Just as the IDF don’t rely on volume of fire to neutralize assailants until melee range, so too should armed home-defenders stateside. Which is another reason why I’ll argue until I’m blue in the face, that a modern sporting rifle trumps a shotgun for home defense if collateral damage is of any concern.

So how should shooters integrate this into their home defense repertoire?

Simple. Train to be precise.

Sweat in Training Saves Blood in Combat

Learn to make shots on small targets in low light under stressful conditions. Take your home defense carbine or pistol of choice to the range, and do some jumping jacks and pushups until fatigue, but not failure. Now try to fire hammered pairs into your target.

It sucks, it’s incredibly difficult and it should scare the hell out of you.  Shooting under ideal conditions against static targets is a joke. If paper Bin Laden can best your training regiment, you need to train harder.

But at the same time be sobering honest with yourself about your abilities. If you know you can’t reliably hit a small, moving target under stress and you’re being bum-rushed by a knife-wielding attacker – adopt.

If that means butt-stroking your attacker with your rifle, do it.

If that means mag-dumping into the guy while backpedaling to safety – do it.

Self-defense is a total victory / total failure situation.

I’m not advising anyone break the law to eliminate a threat, but if your only alternative is death – do what you have to. The will to fight, to survive is the most important portion of self-defense. Tools and training are incredibly important, but if you lack the will to use either, then you might as well try to hug your attacker to death. 

Suppressor provided by SilencerShop.

As 2016 winds to a close, many of us are trying to finish up our holiday shopping and planning for family that is coming into town for a visit. A lucky few of us have the time to slip quietly into the woods for some hunting.

Me? Well, I am neck deep in SHOT Show preparations. For those that may have forgotten, the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show is just a few weeks away. Companies are scrambling to get all of their new products ready to show and writers like me are trying to stay on top of all the press releases, rumors and assignments that are flying left and right. 

Based on the rumors and official announcements I am seeing and hearing, I’m detecting a number of things that might become influential trends that will start at the show and continue through the year. Keep in mind, these are opinions on where the industry may move based on the new guns and accessories I am seeing. I could be completely wrong on some – or even all – of these. I don’t think I am, however. 

6.5 Creedmoor

The 6.5 Creedmoor has been a popular niche cartridge during the past 9 years. In 2017, the cartridge turns 10, and it’s beginning to sound like the cartridge will get a lot of manufacturer support at this SHOT Show.

Here is a sampling of a few rifles that I hear will be adding the cartridge to its line: 

• Smith & Wesson M&P15 – a Performance Center rifle with a 20” barrel
• Ruger Precision Rifle – different than the model currently available from the company
• Ruger American Rifle Predator – also different than the current 6.5 Creedmoor currently offered, plus a second scoped model
• Mossberg Patriot – new models in the hunting and predator lines of the Patriot
• Mossberg MVP – another new model in this line for this caliber
• Weatherby – new offerings in the Vanguard and Mark V lines
• Savage – a scoped AXIS II XP package with a Nikon 3-9x and a new model 10
• Browning – multiple new bolt guns
• Additional – there are a few more that I’ve heard rumored, but I’ve not been able to independently confirm yet

9mm Carbines

Pistol caliber carbines have always been popular, and it seems that these rounds in the AR platform have become quite popular. Although other rounds like the .45 ACP and 10mm are also available, the 9mm cartridge is the clear winner in terms of product offerings.

In the recent months, I have seen numerous product introductions in this niche from small start up companies to top tier manufacturers like Wilson Combat.

I expect we will see a number of new 9mm carbines at the SHOT Show. Right now, I know of three that I’ve been told will be introduced. The first is the Diamondback DB9R and the second is the new GMR-15 from JP Enterprises. The third is called the FM-9 and may prove to be the most interesting of the bunch. All of these will take Glock 9mm magazines.

There are also two other companies working on new products that should be ready to display at the show. I can’t talk about them yet, but they should be well received by shooters. 

10mm Pistols

The 10mm has been a popular niche round for decades. It offers a lot of power out of a handgun, making it a great pistol cartridge for hunting and competitions like bowling pin matches.

While I do not expect to see the round to take over the handgun market, it does seem to be holding onto its popularity. Perhaps it is even gaining a little ground.

At least two companies will offer new pistols in the big cartridge next month. The first is from Coonan. Coonan is a company that originally captured the shooting community’s attention with a 1911-style pistol chambered in .357 Magnum. Those guns proved to be popular. Since then, the company added the .45 ACP to its catalog of pistols.

For 2017, Coonan will also add the 10mm as a chambering option in its guns. Fans of the company’s craftsmanship will be able to pick one of these up in the coming months.

Armscor is also throwing more support behind the 10mm with several new pistols. Two of them are match guns with 6” barrels. A third gun is a smaller carry type gun with a 4.25” barrel. This pistol will not be the easiest to conceal, but it will make for a heck of an impression should you ever need to use it in self defense.

Fading Forty 

I don’t want to overstate this. The .40 S&W cartridge appears to be on a decline in popularity, but it is not doomed, dead or going away any time soon.

The .40 S&W was born from the cartridge war between the 9mm and .45 ACP. In the 1980’s there were many police departments and shooters moving from wheel guns to semi-automatic pistols.

Compared to today, the self-defense ammunition was not terribly effective. Rounds like the Hydra-Shok and SilverTip were good for the time, but nowhere near as effective as today’s Gold Dot, HST and PDX1. Consequently, caliber selection was a much more relevant to the elusive concept of stopping power.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies began looking at the 10mm as an alternative, but it presented problems of its own. Winchester and Smith & Wesson teamed up and developed the .40 S&W cartridge as an alternative to all of the existing rounds.

The .40 was seen as having nearly the effectiveness of a .45 ACP, but with guns having capacities closer to the 9mm. It used the same diameter bullet as the 10mm, but with less pressure and recoil. It seemed like the best of all worlds, and police departments and shooters took to it extremely quickly.

Fast forward to the 21^st century and several things have happened. First, ammunition effectiveness has increased to the point that there appears to be little difference in the wounding ability of the .40 S&W when compared to the 9mm.

Secondly, concealed carry is vastly more popular today than it was when the .40 S&W was introduced. Considering that the .40 S&W tends to have more recoil than 9mm in small guns, and 9mm handguns tend to be able to carry more rounds, many people tend to opt for the 9mm when looking at small guns for concealed carry.

For the above reasons, numerous law enforcement agencies have transitioned away from the .40 S&W cartridge – mostly to the 9mm.

I expect we will see the .40 S&W continue to be introduced as an option in new handgun lines, though I expect it may become a secondary cartridge for release.

Consider four examples:

• Springfield Armory XD-S: The company introduced the .45 ACP and 9mm a long time before they ever developed the gun for the .40 S&W. It took them so long, that I wasn’t sure they ever would.
• HK VP: HK positioned these striker-fired pistols for the law enforcement and personal protection market. The first gun was introduced in 9mm with no mention of a follow on in .40. It was a year before the company took a .40 S&W version to market.
• Ruger American Pistol: When introduced this year, these guns were available in two calibers: 9mm and .45 ACP. When the company added guns to the line, it was compact pistols in the same calibers. To date, Ruger has not committed publicly to supporting the .40 S&W in this line.
• Walther Creed: 9mm only and no word if Walther will ever add the .40 S&W to this line.

Clearly the .40 S&W is not a priority for these companies, but I don’t think we will see the cartridge abandoned completely any time soon.

Firearms are a mature technology; their inner working may differ from design to design, but until energy weapons or rail guns become a reality, they all function by siphoning excess energy from a cartridge’s detonation.

Despite this, countless inventors have attempted to build a better mousetrap and incorporate improvements in ergonomics, weight, materials and metallurgy into existing designs to maximize their effectiveness. One that drastically alters the appearance of these weapons, is the bullpup configuration.

Bullpup firearms are those whose trigger and fire controls are forward of the chamber. Classic examples include the Steyr AUG, the Tavor and the L85. These rifles feature full-length barrels in a rifle half the size of traditionally-configured firearms. They also tend to be better balanced and fit smaller shooters since the rifle is so compact.

On paper, bullpups offer nothing but pure upgrades and advantages over traditional long arms, so why aren’t they widely adopted?

There are dozens if not hundreds of contributing factors, but in terms of objective reasons there is only really one big one – ergonomics.

Because their configuration requires the magazine well to be located at the rear of the gun, shooters often have to reach under their shooting arm’s armpit to release a spent magazine or release the gun’s bolt/chamber a round.

This is incredibly awkward while standing or kneeling and damn near impossible from the prone. Thankfully, the engineers over in Israel felt the same way, and developed their X95 / Micro Tavor to circumvent the shortcomings of the configuration.

Gone is the armpit magazine release, replaced with an AR-15 style push-button one located just above the trigger – where it belongs. The bolt release is still located at the rear, but the gun’s charging handle can be used in lieu of it, giving shooters a much more traditional set of controls for the rifle.

Because of this, and the rising popularity of other bullpup designs like the AuSteyr EF88 from Australia, my prediction for SHOT 2016, is an increase in bullpup designs on the civilian market.

Though I don’t think we’ll see dozens of new designs, I do believe with the panic-buying subsiding that shooters will spend their money more wisely, and invest in higher-priced designs since the urgency to buy whatever’s available will be gone.

Rumors of a new Remington 700 bullpup chassis and a new AK bullpup have been circulating around the net, and Desert Tech will allegedly release their own bullpup 5.56 carbine next month to consumers. As someone who’s an enormous fan of bullpup guns (I’ve got short arms, and these things balance very well) I can’t wait to see what crazy, cool designs might be coming out of this year’s SHOT Show.

More than 11 years after the initial introduction it looks like the Smith & Wesson M&P may be getting its first serious overhaul.  Recently folks found a listing for the S&W M&P M2.0 on a firearms retailers sales page.

The page is no longer available, but multiple sources have reported on some general aspects of the new pistol.

This has been widely shared as a quote from the product page:

The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 9mm Semiautomatic Pistol features an M&P M2.0 trigger and includes both a control-enhancing grip texture and 4 interchangeable palm swell grip inserts. This striker-fired pistol also includes a corrosion-resistant Armornite finish and boasts a steel-white dot front sight and steel-white 2-dot rear sight.

It seems that the M&P will remain a striker-fired handgun with a 17-round capacity that would lead me to believe that the new version of the M&P will most likely share a common magazine with the current S&W M&P 9 or M&P 40 respectively.

The changes, although subtle, are the kind of changes that could lead to a significant improvement in the handgun.  Smith & Wesson continues to acknowledge the importance of handgun fit in relation to efficiency with the inclusion of 4 interchangeable grip inserts to help fit a wide variety of hands.  In addition, the M2.0 seems to include a new, more aggressive grip texture.  An updated grip texture fits right in line with the grip texture of the new M&P Shield chambered in .45 ACP.

A feature that is likely to turn more heads is the fact that the M&P 2.0 is rumored to have a newly designed trigger system.  Although the trigger on the original M&Ps was reasonable, many customers complained of a gritty feel to the trigger press.  This could be a motivation for the trigger redesign.

According to the now dark page, the M2.0 could first be released in three 9mm models and an additional three .40 S&W models.  Options could include guns with and with out manual safeties and in black or Flat Dark Earth both with a new proprietary “Armornite” finish.  The new finish would protect the slide and cover some new slide cuts that are again, quite similar to the forward scallops on the .45 Shield.

Of course this article is speculation as there is no official word from Smith & Wesson.  As we draw closer to SHOT Show in January I would expect that we might hear some more about the arrival of the S&W M&P M2.0.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced an addition to the company’s recently launched Mark IV line of .22 LR pistols. The new Mark IV 22/45 Lite handgun follows in the footsteps of the previous 22/45 Lite pistols, but takes advantage of all of the features found in the new pistol platform.

The Mark IV 22/45 Lite has a grip frame similar to the shape and size of the classic 1911 pistol. Many people believe the 1911 introduced the best grip angle and size of its time and has never been surpassed.

One of the key features of the Mark IV pistols, and one that is also found on the new 22/45 Lite, is the simple takedown procedure that uses a single button. Prior generation pistols required a bit of effort in a somewhat cumbersome process that many shooters disliked. The new system, however, is extremely easy.

To field strip the Mark IV, all you have to do is press a button on the rear of the gun. This will allow the upper assembly to open and tilt on a forward pivot pin and the bolt can be slide out of the upper. If this sounds like the same way you might remove the bolt carrier group on an AR-style rifle, you are right on the money. In my mind, this is a vast improvement over the older Mark III and previous pistols.

Ruger includes target style adjustable sights on the gun as well as a length of Picatinny rail for the easy addition of an optic.

The standard barrel is 4.4” long and is threaded for the addition of a sound suppressor or other muzzle device. A thread protecting cap is, of course, included with the gun.

Ruger ships these guns with two 10-round magazines. Since magazines are frequently the source of semi-automatic pistol malfunctions, I always recommend picking up at least two or three more to ensure you are never without a working ammunition feeder. Good news: older Mark III magazines are 100% compatible with the Mark IV guns. 

The appearance of the 22/45 Lite is fairly striking. Ruger opted for a bronze anodized finish to really make it stand out in your gun safe. Additionally, the barrel shroud has ventilation holes that give it a race or perhaps sci-fi look.

The new guns have a suggested retail price of $559 and are available immediately. 

After years of testing and use in the field, the United States Marine Corps officially adopted the Magpul Gen M3 PMAG Window magazine for use in the M4/M16/M27/M249 platforms. In fact, if I understand the information correctly, the Magpul magazines are now the only authorized magazines for combat operations.

As many of you likely recognize, this is a fairly big announcement for Magpul. Not only does it mean ongoing revenue from government sales, but it also validates the company’s years of research and development of the polymer bodied magazines.

The USMC authorized two versions of the magazine: the windowed 30 round Gen 3 M3 PMAG in black and the same magazine in coyote.

These Magpul magazines are the latest iteration of the company’s AR magazines. They have a wide range of features that represent lessons learned from combat operations as well as tweaks to ensure they work with all possible weapon platforms. For example, in addition to the weapon systems used by the US Marines, the mags will run reliably in the FN SCAR MK16 and British SA-80.

Magpul designed these magazines with an overtravel stop on the spine of the magazine to help eliminate the possibility of a malfunction from shoving a magazine too hard and far into the gun under the extreme stress of a firefight. I’ve always found the Magpul followers to be top notch, and they work very well with the internal geometry of the magazine body to prevent any follower tilt while providing constant feeding. A USGI-spec stainless steel spring is used to keep the follower moving.

At the bottom of the body, Magpul updated the original floorplate with one that offers improved resistance to damage when dropped onto a hard surface. In addition to being stronger, the new floorplate is narrower. This means it can fit into those multi-magazine pouches on a plate carrier much easier.

For storage, the magazines come with a dustcover that caps the top of the magazine. This keeps debris from getting into the magazine and gumming up the works. These dust covers can be used on fully loaded magazines to protect the top rounds and pop off easily should you need to get them into action quickly. 

Of course, these magazines are all made in the United States of America.

At the moment USPSA Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) division does not have any restrictions to magazine size. Open Division, where anything goes like Top Fuel racing, still has a magazine size limitation where the magazine cannot be longer than 170mm. No such thing in PCC.  Because of this the sky is the limit with regards to capacity for Pistol Caliber Carbines. This has given rise to a bunch of upgrades to magazines such as extensions to get 40+ rounds in mgazines.

Why would you want 40+ rounds in a magazine? It is all about the nature of USPSA competition. The game is pure speed with a hint of accuracy. Typically a stage is 30-35 rounds. So having a 40+ rd magazine means you do not have to reload and that saves time. Imagine how much time is saved in car racing if you could have a really large fuel tank and not have to refuel during a race. Same idea applies here.

Taccom makes a coupler that holds two factory Glock magazines end to end. The coupler appears to be some parts 3D printed and some other material for the side plates.

Above you can see the protective end cap that covers up the bottom magazine feed lips.

You can couple two 17rd mags for 34 rds, a 31rd and a 17rd for 48rds or two 31rd mags for 62 rds. I am not sure what they are using for the springs. I assume it is just the respective magazine spring that came with the magazine and the springs are positioned end to end.

The coupler retails for only $29.95 on Taccom.com

Did you know that you can build your own Glock clone? Did you know you could do it all with parts shipped directly to your house and without any FFL transfer fees? 

Building a gun at home is a fun project that many Americans have done over the centuries. No time before now has the process been easier. 

With an inexpensive kit, you can build your own Glock clone. When finished properly, these guns will shoot and run just like the Glock pistols you already know. 

Kits

A company called Polymer80 offers an unfinished frame kit that includes drill bits, an end mill and jig so you can literally create a gun with basic tools that you may already have in your garage. Currently, you can buy a full size frame kit, but the company has a compact frame in development that should be available early in 2017. The full size frame is similar in size to the Glock 17, while the compact frame is close to the G19 pistol.

Although the same parts will match between these frames and the guns made by Glock, the external sizes are different. So, for example, Glock 19 holsters may not fit the pistol built on the Polymer80 compact frame. You may have to get a custom rig made if you want to carry it.

Internal components, such as the trigger assembly, are not included with the kits. You must supply these yourself. Fortunately, these parts are easy to come by. Since these can be made into 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG pistols, make sure that you purchase the right parts and the correctly sized Glock magazines for the guns.

Tools and Work

There are a variety of methods you can use to complete the pistol frames, and the company includes detailed instructions on one method. I’ve used a simple method to complete a full size frame and found it worked great.

For the method I recommend, you need a Dremel tool, a hand drill, a drill press with an X-Y vise, a finishing file and a bit of fine grit sandpaper.

With a sanding drum, I use the Dremel to take off all of the excess polymer on the frame forward of the locking block area. The included jig helps to make sure you do not remove too much material. Then I do the same with the cross member support that is also located forward of the locking block area. Once this is done, I use the finishing file and sand paper to smooth the edges of the frame and give the gun a professional look.

For the rear slide rails, I lock the frame and jig into the slide vise. After triple checking the alignment in the drill press, I mill out the rear slide rails using the vise to move the frame and the included end mill to do the cutting. Once both sides are done, I again take the finishing file and sandpaper to the frame to get a clean look.

With the frame in the jig, there are three holes on each side of the frame that must be drilled out so you can install the locking block and other internal parts. At the strong recommendation of the company, I do these with a hand drill – not the drill press. Also, these should be done on each side and not one hole drilled all the way through both sides. Once done, clean up the holes with a little sandpaper.

All that remains is for you to install the parts into the gun. The locking block will be tight, but everything else will install very easily.

When fitting the slide to the frame, you will need to do some adjustments. Look where the slide is riding the rear rails too tightly and make fine adjustments with the file and sandpaper. Final fitting can be accomplished on the range as you shoot the gun. Make sure the slide is well lubed and shoot a bunch of ammunition through it.

Depending on how tight the fit is, you may have some malfunctions early on. However, as you continue to shoot the gun, the system will get broken in and malfunctions should disappear. If you are detail oriented, you can eliminate most, if not all, of the malfunctions by getting a good slide fit when you are still building the gun.

Other 80% Guns

There are a variety of other firearms that can be built from an 80% receiver. Probably the most popular one today is the AR-15. Unfinished lower receivers can be had from many different vendors, and they can be made from aluminum or polymer. Some aluminum lowers are forged 7075-T6, while others are machined from billet 6061-T6. Likewise, polymer lowers can be reinforced with materials such as Kevlar or brass while there is at least one product that allows you to completely mold your own.

Like with the Polymer80 pistol frames, you will need to supply your own parts to finish the AR once you are done machining the lower. Things like an upper assembly, sights and 30-round magazines are all needed to make the newly completed firearm into a functioning gun.

If that isn’t enough for you, from an unfinished receiver, you can also make other guns including clones of the 1911, AK-47, Ruger 10/22, derringer and SIG P229. Frankly, there are many, many guns that can be built from scratch; some are just easier than others.

Legality Questions

In general, Federal law allows you to build your own firearm for your own personal use. Should you decide to sell or give it away, there are legal requirements you must meet that may include adding a serial number to the gun in a very specific way. I recommend that you take a look at the FAQ on receiver blanks at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives website. 

Local jurisdictions can apply their own sets of laws on the manufacture of firearms for personal use, and may ban it outright. Nothing in this article is intended to provide any legal guidance whatsoever. Check with the appropriate government agencies for guidance if you are unfamiliar with the laws in your area.