At the 2017 Milipol Paris show in France, Fabrique Nationale announced the latest addition to their line of SCAR rifles and carbines - the SC SubCompact Carbine. Like the name implies, this new SCAR carbine is a lighter, more compact version of their full-sized SCAR firearms.

According to the FN press release, the  new SCAR SC is a true assault rifle, featuring both a semi-automatic only, and fully automatic modes of fire. Sadly, this means there isn’t going to be a civilian-legal version available immediately, but I wouldn’t be surprised if FNH USA capitalized on the gun’s popularity, and began importing pistol versions of the gun in the next year or so.

But enough speculation, let’s look at the details FN outlined in their release.

According to the press pamphlet, the little piston-driven carbine features a brand new telescopic stock that appears to be a cross between the Navy-type stocks found on MP5 submachine guns, and the Troy CQB stocks.

From the image, the rear of it looks like it’s built from polymer, while the notched telescopic arms appear to be parkerized steel, since they don’t match the anodized aluminum receiver's color. This makes sense from a structural stability standpoint, and is similar to the never-formally-released, SCAR CQB that was previously only rumored to exist (though this writer and Nicholas Chen have both seen, held and even fired the gun with FN in 2017)

Additionally, the rear paddle release on the rear of the receiver appears to be very influenced by the MP5’s, save for the fact that it’s oversized.

Lastly, the gun appears to be using a STANAG FN steel magazine, implying that it’s chambered in either 5.56mm or .300 blk. Presumably 5.56mm, since the gun is intended for international police and military use.

Below are the specs listed in the press release.

- Length: 536mm (21.10”) when fully retracted / 653mm (25.71”) when fully extended
- Weight: approx. 3.150 kg (approx. 6.94 lb)
- Barrel length: 190.5mm (7.5”)
- Magazine capacity: 30 rounds
- Cyclic rate of fire: 550-650 rounds per minute

No pricing, or availablility was mentioned or discussed by FN.

If a revolution is, as Tommy Lee Jones said in Under Siege, something that keeps coming around in your face, is the 10mm approaching a new apex? Signs suggest that it may be. There have been a number of new 10mm firearms recently introduced – from the Hi-Point Carbine to the Ruger Super Redhawk revolver. Now Springfield Armory is jumping into the pool with a 10mm pistol.

The Springfield Armory TRP 10mm Operator is a handgun that is described by the company as its “most elite production 1911.” These forged steel frame pistols will be offered in two basic models: one with a 5” barrel and a second with a longslide 6” barrel. The two share most features other than size, though the longer gun has an adjustable rear sight.

Both guns use “precision fitted” match grade barrels made of stainless steel. They have supported ramps. Both the frames and forged steel slides are finished with a Black-T process that give the guns a matte appearance while also providing corrosion resistance. 

Springfield Armory uses its own Gen 2 Speed Trigger that is set to 4.5-5.0 pounds. An ambidextrous manual safety is standard. Compared to the .45 ACP versions of these guns, the 10mm models have a heavier slide and barrel combination with a tuned recoil spring to handle the power of the longer cartridge. The 5” model weighs 40 ounces (unloaded.) The longslide pistol is 5 ounces heavier. 

For these pistols, 8 round magazines are standard. The company includes two with the gun, and I would recommend buying a few more to keep with the gun. Magazines tend to be a common point of failure, and you don’t want to wait a few years to discover you need a replacement. (See also Bren Ten.)

A nice set of VZ Alien grips in Dirty Olive match this pistol’s styling perfectly. They should work well with the Octo-Grip texturing on the front- and backstraps.

Like any high end gun, the Springfield Armory TRP 10mm Operator is not cheap. The suggested retail price is $1,790 for the 5” model. The 6” model is a little more at $1,842.

Fresh off the press, Ruger formally announced the introduction of the newest addition to their product lineup today: the Security 9.

The Security 9 is a striker-fired, semi-automatic, magazine-fed locked-breech handgun that appears to share more than just a passing resemblance to the Ruger American Pistol released a few years back.

What’s interesting about this new handgun for me, is the name. It’s clearly a reference to the old Security Six revolvers Ruger used to build a few decades ago as an affordable, full-size gun for guards and police officers.

Like the Security Six, the new 9 appears to be designed around fulfilling the basic requirements of a duty pistol at a price point even armed guards responsible for buying their own equipment can afford. What’s equally interesting, is that the gun doesn’t just come in a full-size model, but also a compact one - reflecting the changing needs of LEOs and armed personnel.

Both the full-size and compact models ship with two, staggered-column magazines. The full-sized model uses 15-round magazines, while the shorter compact includes 10-rounders. Note, that just like other compact pistol designs derived from service-sized models, the compact pistol can also utilize the 15-round magazines.

While this might not seem like anything extraordinary, the price point on these guns is so low (MSRP: $379) that when combined the Ruger reputation for quality, make for one appealing little sidearm.

Adapting classic cartridges to modern platforms is something that will always interest me. One of the latest projects along those lines is from Phoenix Weaponry. The company figured out how to put the venerable .45-70 Government cartridge into the AR-10 platform. The gun is called Christine. Not only does it work, but according to the company, it shoots sub-MOA.

The real key to this project is the cartridge itself. To make everything function well, Phoenix Weaponry addressed the problem with the .45-70 Government cartridge first. The fundamental problem with the cartridge is that it is rimmed. While this is not an issue for shooting from a lever action gun, it is a potential problem for a semi-automatic rifle.

To solve the rimmed base problem, Phoenix Weaponry decided to remove the rim and create its own cartridge: the .45-70 Auto. This cartridge can be loaded to identical specifications as the .45-70 Government recipes for the Ruger No. 1 rifle. The only difference is that instead of a normal rim, the cartridge has a rebated rim that works with a standard .308 Win bolt head.

Since the No. 1 rifle is built tough, handloaders can maximize performance out of the .45-70 Government cartridge without worrying about the gun coming apart. Normal .45-70 Government loading dies are used with a .308 Win shellholder.

A significant concern that many shooters may have relates to finding or making brass to load. To get you going immediately, the company includes 50 pieces of brass with the gun. The company will also sell virgin brass through its website. Additionally, the company can sell you a form cutter if you have a lathe and wish to make your own .45-70 Auto cases from .45-70 Government cases.

As is typical to the AR platform, this is a direct gas impingement rifle. It has a rifle length tube that bleeds gas through a lightweight, low-profile adjustable gas block of the company’s own design. The gas operates a standard .308 Win bolt carrier group.

Phoenix Weaponry builds Christine with an 18” 4140 steel barrel. The barrel has a 1:14” twist. It is threaded and fitted with a Chevron muzzle brake designed by the company. The brake is made of 4130 steel.

Both the upper and lowers are machined 7075-T7 aluminum. The rifle uses a Magpul ACS stock and MOE pistol grip. Phoenix Weaponry uses modified 10-round Magpul magazines to feed the .45-70 Auto rounds. These magazines will hold six rounds of the new ammunition.

The handguard is CNC machined 6061-T6 aluminum with the ability to add Picatinny rail sections. It is free floated.

The gun is not cheap, but then the R&D alone in developing a new cartridge to run in a system it was never designed for is neither easy nor inexpensive. The base price is $4,800.

Recently, Battle Arms Development announced it would show its Paratrooper at the 2018 SHOT Show. But, you may be asking yourself: “What is the Paratrooper?”

Four letters too long to be a hit record from Iron Maiden, the Paratrooper is a short barrel rifle (SBR) chambered for the 300 BLK cartridge. The company designed it in way to evoke memories of a World War II gun carried by airborne troops. In a way, it has a look similar to an updated M1 Carbine though the two weapon systems are very different.

At its core, this is an AR style rifle that uses a direct impingement gas system and keeps all of the typical placements of AR controls. However, this is decidedly not the same AR as conceived by Eugene Stoner. 

The rifle has a 7.5” chromoly steel barrel with a tapered profile and a 1:8” twist. It is equipped with a titanium gas block and a pistol length gas tube. The muzzle is threaded with an A2 compensator and 11˚ target crown.

Both the handguard and pistol grip are made of Grade A French walnut. The barrel is shrouded with a 6.7 RIGIDRAIL that is free floating and provides M-LOK type attachment points.

Taking up the rear is a VERT Stock System. It has a cheek rest that is powder coated with a wood finish to match the real wood furniture. The receiver and stock have a Cerakote finish that is, according to the company, a blended Parkerized Green Steel and Cosmoline finish. 

Additional features include:

• BCM Gunfighter ambidextrous charging handle
• Ambidextrous controls
• Nitride steel pins
• BAD Edition TT-15 adjustable trigger with frictionless roller sear
• Enhanced magazine release
• Custom hard case with high density foam
• Two 20-round USGI magazines

Since this is a short barrel rifle, the National Firearms Act does apply. That means you have to get a tax stamp from the BATFE prior to taking possession of this rifle. Frankly, as cool as this gun looks, I’d consider it $200 well spent.

This is excellent news for anyone living in ban-states in need of a quality pistol-caliber carbine. Before we get into the importance of this, check out the press release below.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to introduce the PC Carbine™ chambered in 9mm Luger. Practical and versatile, the Pistol Caliber Carbine is ideal for any shooter, from novice to experienced. Built to excel in a number of roles from plinking or competition to home or personal defense, the PC Carbine is highly configurable and compact, making it the perfect portable companion to match with many popular pistols.

Uniquely designed for use with a variety of magazines, the PC Carbine features an easily interchangeable magazine well system that allows the rifle to accept common Ruger® and Glock® magazines. This new rifle also features a dead blow action with a custom tungsten dead blow weight that shortens bolt travel and reduces felt recoil and muzzle rise.

Similar to the popular 10/22 Takedown® rifle, the PC Carbine is designed for quick separation of the barrel/forend assembly from the action for ease of transportation and storage. Takedown is as simple as locking the bolt back and verifying that the rifle is unloaded, pushing a recessed lever, twisting the subassemblies and pulling them apart.

Ruger hasn’t produced its pistol caliber carbine since 2004, and it’s a welcome return of a great product.

Essentially, the new PC9 is functions just like the original, it’s a direct blowback, pistol-magazine-fed carbine with a 16-inch barrel. Unlike the older versions, the engineers at Ruger went to great lengths to fix many of the concerns shooters have had with the design.

For instance, the original PC9 was somewhat difficult to mount optics to, while the new version features an integral optics rail. In the same vein, it also has an accessory rail on the bottom of the handguard perfect for mounting tactical lights or even light bipods for shooters using the gun to either hunt small game, or stretch its legs.

Additionally, since the new design is a take-down type, the iron sights are mounted entirely on the barrel itself. The original design had the rear sight mounted on the receiver, but given the inconsistency of sight alignment on takedown guns, this new design makes sense.

Although the most amazing feature of the new design is the magazine adaptor included with the gun. Not only does the new PC9 utilize the new Ruger Security 9 magazines, but with the new adaptor, gains access to the most prolific pistol magazine in the world: the 9mm Glock mag.

That’s right, the new adaptor allows the PC9 to utilize 9mm Glock magazines. This means any double stack magazines like the 17, 19 and 26 work perfectly in the new gun. Not just, but this also means the gun gains access to extended 33-round mags and even the 100-round beta-type drums.

Price point for the new carbine looks to be around $649.00, and the gun should be available now.

Ruger

Ruger seems to be banking on pre-show press this year. The big news is their new take on the pistol caliber carbine. The Ruger PCC is a 9mm that looks like a 10/22 that is going through a teenage growth spurt.

This will be a homerun for Ruger. They’ve made guns like this before, and the .44 carbines have a devoted cult following. While the new 9mm chambering won’t be quite as attractive for hunters, this gun will appeal to everyone who wants a serviceable takedown truck gun. And they’ve gone the extra mile with the addition of a GLOCK compatible mag-well. No excuses now.

Kimber

Revolver fans have been drooling over the Kimber wheel-guns for two years now, and this year there will be new variants. That's hardly news, but these guns are special. The triggers are smooth and the performance is exceptional.

The most strking, in my opinion, is the new 3” K6S. This stainless, 6 round gun still has a few features that make it great for concealed carry (like no external hammer), but it also has a three inch barrel that will allow for even more power from a .357 round.

Springfield Armory

Springfield Armory has announced a new TRP 1911 in 10mm. Their TRP series is solid. They may be the best production 1911s you can buy. They are full of features you would spend good money adding onto most other single actions, just to get them ready for everyday carry.

And now you can carry one that's capable of putting down a grizzly bear or a woolly mammoth with a single shot. The 10mm is a blistering cartridge. The single-action platform is a good it, as the size and weight help tame recoil.  And with the 6” barrel on the new model?

Sig Sauer

Fans of the old 1911 are still pissed about the Beretta M9, but that’s behind us now, too. Military enthusiasts will soon be able to get their hands on the civilian version of the MHS.

“We are planning to do a limited release of about 5,000 of the Army variant of the M17 for the commercial market,” Tom Taylor, SIG vice president of commercial sales, said in a press release. “The timing is not finalized yet, but it looks to be late spring.”

5,000 may sound like a lot of guns, but there are a lot of collectors who will be clambering for these.

Phoenix Weaponry

Who doesn’t want an overpowered AR platform rifle that shoots some of the most expensive production ammo available? I do. Hell’s bells. I can already see the look on my FFL’s face when I go in to gear up for the first range session. “I need a case of .45-70…. What have you got?”

This is a beast, and it will be a blast to shoot. You’ll feel your shoulder, too, in a way that you won’t with an AR-10. Yet if this proves to be a reliable platform for the round, it could change big-game hunts around the world.

When the maker of the ever-popular 10/22 rifle announces a new rifle called the Precision Rimfire, just in time for SHOT Show 2018, it is bound to catch the attention of many shooters. I’m one of those shooters who was intrigued.

Recently, Sturm Ruger & Co. announced a new bolt action gun called the Precision Rimfire. This new rifle combines some of the features of the 10/22 with some of the features of the company’s centerfire Precision Rifle.

Currently, the new gun is chambered only for the .22 LR. I would not be surprised, however, to see an expansion of the line to include other rimfire cartridges like the .17 HMR and .22 WMR.

On this gun, the company opted for an 18” cold hammer forged barrel. The barrel is threaded (1/2”x28) and can make use of a sound suppressor or brake. Ruger equips this gun with a free-floating handguard that is 15” long and has Magpul M-LOK attachment points for accessories. 

As I mentioned above, this gun combines many of the features of existing Ruger products. For example, the gun accepts the same magazines as those made for the 10/22. In a similar way, the Precision Rimfire shares the same adjustable Ruger Precision Trigger, pistol grip and reversible safety lever.

The stock is different from that used on the centerfire Precision Rifle. However, it does offer the same adjustments for length of pull and cheek height. So, even though it adjusts in a different manner, it can be set up with an identical feel as the centerfire rifle. 

Two versions of the rifle are available now. One ships with a 15-round BX-15 magazine, while the second ships with a 10-round BX-1 magazine. This should allow for the rifle to sell in all US states – even those with magazine capacity restrictions. Both rifles carry the same suggested retail price: $529. In my experience, Ruger guns tend to sell for less than the MSRP. So, it is possible to get one of these guns for around $450 at your local dealer.

Let’s begin by acknowledging the elephant in the room. Back in October, a madman shot-up a concert in Las Vegas. 58 people were murdered. More than 500 others were injured.

Look closely at the image above. The Mandalay Bay is not there in the NSSF’s image of the Vegas skyline, but the hotel is still there. Don’t think for a minute that anyone going out to Vegas for the SHOT Show will not be thinking about this tragedy. It is inescapable.

These events have a profound impact on the firearm industry and on the lives of Americans who were nowhere near Vegas. The Second Amendment itself is in peril because of madmen who kill innocent people.

I’m talking Politics with a capitol P. In October of 2016, the gun industry was preparing for what everyone assumed would be a Hillary win. Manufacturing was in full swing in expectation of the stampede that would surely have hit if Clinton had won the White House. She didn't, and the American public grew oddly complacent. Gun sales slowed as the assembly lines rolled on.

One year later, though, we all expected to see suppressors freed from their shackles. That hasn’t happened. Instead, with a Republican president, and Republicans in control of the House and Senate, we’re still in danger of losing freedoms. While the Vegas shooting didn't end in panic buying, we are not seeing the pro-gun reforms we'd envisioned.

The question then becomes: how will manufacturers handle 2018? Many of them are going to be in a holding pattern. They’re sitting on massive piles of deeply discounted guns and won’t bring anything innovative or new to SHOT. They’ll come, because they’re obliged to come.

Here's how this works. Gun buying slows down. FFLs have too many guns in inventory, so they stop buying from their distributors. The warehouses of the distributors fill up with guns they can't move, so they stop buying wholesale lots from the manufacturers. And the manufacturers are stuck with guns they can't sell. Then the public wants to know why there are no new guns at SHOT Show.

The best and strongest companies, though, will come. And they’ll bring their best new ideas. Rather than wallowing in the pessimism, let’s take a look at Ruger. They know what they’re doing.

To begin, Ruger has released news of their 2018 SHOT Show headliners early. Why compete with the big-reveals planned by their competitors? Ruger owns the run-up to SHOT Show, and we still have three weeks to go.

The second strategy is Ruger’s dedication to innovation. When there’s nothing really pressing to innovate, Ruger shakes things up. Take their new Pistol Caliber Carbine. This beastly gun looks like a 10/22 on steroids.

The big news with the PSP is that the gun can use GLOCK magazines. If they had made a rifle that only used Ruger magazines, few would have held it against them. As is, the PCP will be an affordable and functional rifle for those who own a GLOCK 19 or 17.

The second example is their new Precision Rimfire. If the PCP is the love child of Ruger’s American Pistol and a 10/22 Takedown, the Precision Rimfire is a cross between the American Rimfire and the top-shelf Ruger Precision Rifle.

Most companies would have been content with the PCC. Not Ruger. They have are looking at the other end of their market, too. Their new EC9 is a streamlined LCP that cuts manufacturing costs. The savings is passed on in the form of a much more reasonable price tag: MSRP is $299 (that price should settle out below $250 at the gun store).

If concealed carry isn’t your thing, you can wait for the reviews of the Security-9. This is a full-sized 9mm that should sell for less than $300. This one is based on the American Pistol, a gun that helped rejuvenate Ruger’s larger pistol offerings, but failed to catch fire. Now, though, the Security-9 is going to make a compelling case for those who are strapped for cash.

This far out of SHOT Show, optimism wins the day. Ruger owns the pre-show press, and shows that even in the troubled times, there’s still something to look forward to. Other companies will join them. The worst, though, will simply wallow and suffocate under the weight of guns they can't sell.

Finally, the pistol Glock submitted to the US Modern Handgun System trials will be available to the public in the form of the new Glock 19X!!...Sorta.

While the gun incorporates the shortened G19 slide and full-sized G17 frame of the MHS pistol, it lacks the external safety. Other neat features include the fix to the so-called, “hog-nose” of the Gen5 Glocks - where the slide and frame are beveled at different angles and thus don’t line up.

Additionally, the new G19x includes a lanyard loop plug in the rear of the grip, as well as a rounded finger purchase at the front. The first being a classic military pistol feature, and the front addition addresses the issue with the finger-pinching that someshooters had when inserting fresh magazines.

Apparently this also means that certain brands of magazine extensions no longer work with the G19x, though most of them do. Glock even ships the new G19x with two extra mags with Glock-brand, +4 extensions already installed.

Lastly, the new half G17, half G19 pistol ships with Trijicon night sights making is a solid choice for low-light gunfighting, concealed carry or as a bedside pistol. The new handguns should start shipping January 22nd, and will retail for $749   

As someone who has always championed the G17 as the perfect competition gun and the G19 as the ideal mid-sized carry pistol, I’m excited to get my hands on this gun in the very near future.

More info available at http://19x.glock.us/

The Springfield Armory 911

Springfield Armory has a history of hitting homeruns. Their XD-S is the Diet Coke of the concealed carry world. It changed everything. They are keeping the mid-century .308 battle rifle relevant with their updates to the M1A platform. And their 1911s set the bar for American made production guns. But I’m still waiting on this year’s addition.

If you are in the market for a single-action .380, the new 911 should be on your short list. While most all of us are ambivalent (at best) about single actions chambered in anything other than .45 ACP, the old .380 platform has a cult following.

When Colt reintroduced the Mustang a few years ago, I was carrying a 1911 (a TRP, actually), and I loved the idea that I could get a new Mustang. I was crazy nostalgic for the old gun. And I carried it for a few months. But I was never as comfortable with it as I was with any of the other .380s I regularly carry (a GLOCK 42, or a Kel-Tec P3AT).

The new 911 looks a lot like Sig’s take on the Mustang. It has those ultra angular lines that provide all kinds of grip surfaces. If you are a Springfield fan and a .380 fan, this one is for you. As for the rest of us? Meh.

The 6” 10mm, though…. Sign me up. I want one of those.

The GLOCK 19X

While we’re on the topic of product creep, I’d like to add my thoughts about the new GLOCK. The GLOCK 19X is a “crossover” they say. Essentially, it is a 19 upper on a 17 lower. This gives you a bit more on the grip, and a few more rounds. And it is tan.

Obviously this isn’t going to draw the same crowds that came out for the GLOCK 43’s launch. Even the 43, though, was an obvious evolution. Taking two different guns, though, and crossbreeding them? Hardly original.

The PPKS from Walther may be the best known. It is, to be reductive, a PP frame topped with a PPK slide and barrel.

Walther had really compelling reasons to make the PPKS: import laws. Bond had made the PPK a household name. Import laws of the day, though, meant Walther couldn’t bring the compact gun into the US. By adding some length to the grip, they managed to skirt the regulation.

The difference between a 17 and a 19, though, has always been about the length of the grip and the barrel/slide. A 17 comes in at 8.03”.  The 19 is 7.36” That is less than ¾ of an inch.

So now the GLOCK 19X is a GLOCK 17, minus .67”.  But it is tan. I’ll give it that. Grant Cunningham, posting about the GLOCK product drop, summed it up perfectly. “Bless their hearts.” I won’t bother to translate Cunningham’s sue of the Southern idiom. There are enough people in Smyrna who know what that phrase means.

GLOCK fans will line up to see it. GLOCK flew in media to cover the launch, as if you might need to put your hands on one of these in order to understand that someone managed to get a 19’s frame on a 17’s slide. Just look at the coverage I’m accidentally giving it now. Meh.

Those are two big ones, but there are others. In no particular order, I offer these three show stoppers

The Ruger EC9s

A less expensive Ruger 9mm concealed carry gun is going to sell amazingly well, even though it won’t draw crowds at the show. This is a familiar gun with fewer features. It is a regression, of sorts, meant to bring down the price. As I’ve opined about before, this is a sign of Ruger’s incredible dedication to the industry, even if it won’t be celebrated with fireworks.

The Beretta APX

Beretta should bring an APX in .45 ACP. There will likely be a few new options in 9mm, too, that are suppressor ready.

The APX is a rock solid gun, and I don’t want to discount it, but…. Beretta is reeling from the loss of their government cash cow, and it shows. They will weather the storm. That’s what 500 year old companies do, but it won’t be on the back of the APX.

So what do you do if you’re one of those companies that made too many guns in 2016? You look for ways to make them new. If you can paint them, blue them, or dye them like Easter eggs, you can build up some SHOT Show buzz.

North American Arms

Check out what North American Arms is doing with their novel little pocket-rimfire.

Look at the list above. Google “SHOT Show rumors.” What you’ll see is a bunch of people trying to make the best out of a rough couple of years. The guns coming to SHOT this year will, for the most part, look familiar.Is that a problem? Only if you rely on buzz to sell your guns.

I'll end with this. I have a deep respect for each of these companies, for different reasons. These guns are calculated business moves from careful companies. So much of this is simply conservative business basics.

As a professional defensive firearms instructor I feel strongly that there is no gun related skill that I can teach which is more important than gun safety. Guns are inanimate objects, yet somehow every year there are tragic accidents with firearms. These accidents have consequences that range from serious injury to death. What I find most difficult to swallow about accidents with firearms is that the vast majority of gun accidents are completely preventable.

It seems like a monumental task, but I don’t think that is the case. The answer is the same for guns as it is for fire. Or kitchen knives. Or power tools. Or swimming pools. Or crossing the street. Or dealing with strangers. Or driving a car.

Just like guns all of these events and things have the potential for both positive and negative outcomes depending on the situation and just like guns, the entire list is a common part of many Americans’ lives. We don’t live in fear, instead we work to diminish the likelihood of negative outcomes through education.

It is that last part where guns tend to stand out in American society. A great number of Americans are not educated in gun safety like they are in fire safety. Instead of addressing gun safety head on, it is swiped under the rug and avoided even though guns are a regular part of the lives of millions upon millions of Americans.

Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules

Julie Golob has been working to change things when it comes to gun safety education. Her most recent effort is an impressive one and it is carefully designed to address the issue from both ends of the spectrum.

Julie just released her latest book, Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules on Amazon. The book is available in paperback for $9.99 and as a Kindle ebook for $7.99. In the short time it has been available the book has shot to the best seller list taking the #1 spot on Amazon in the category “Children’s Safety.”

You can read the official press release on the book here.

Julie was kind enough to send be a digital copy to review before the 12 paperback copies I ordered arrived. The review is in-depth and includes impressions from my two children. Read it here to learn more about the book, about the author Julie Golob and more.

What is Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules?

Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules is a children’s picture book authored by Julie Golob and illustrated by Nancy Batra. Julie’s website does an excellent job of helping folks to understand her four fold purpose with the book:

1. Compare guns with other potentially dangerous adult tools.
2. Explore the different types of guns and what they can look like.
3. Educate curious minds about how firearms work and the most dangerous parts of guns.
4. Identify adults may know who safely and responsibly use firearms.

In my opinion, Golob hits these targets and many more in her book written for children ages 3 and up. Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules is written as much for the adults as it is for the kids as the book includes extensive support materials designed to help adults begin the gun safety conversation with their children regardless of the adults experience level with guns.

Regardless of whether your children are young or old and regardless of whether you are a seasoned gun expert or fearful of firearms, Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules is both valuable and accessible to your effort to increase your child’s safety.

Julie is intelligent and this shows in how she built Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules. The ideas in the book are simple and they are laid out in a way that is easy to understand. At the same time Golob has layered in some complex concepts that people in general and firearms owners in particular need to explore.

Golob doesn’t take the easy way out by writing to appease gun advocates. Instead, she takes a realistic look at gun safety through a logical comparison between tools and guns.

Here is the gist:

Toys are for pretend and tools are for adults to get jobs done. Tools aren't toys. A gun is a tool for many grown-ups. Just like other tools, guns have rules to help keep you safe.

I love the comparison for several reasons. First off, it is simple. It isn’t a difficult jump to understand that guns are tools for hunters, law enforcement, military, armed citizens, just like the hammer is a tool for a construction worker.

I also appreciate the fact that the comparison puts guns right where they belong. Instead of waving the Bill of Rights and declaring runs into a special classification, Golob connects guns with other dangerous tools. This doesn’t make guns bad as some people might declare, instead it makes them normal. Tools can have positive impacts on our lives and they can have negative impacts on our lives. It all depends on how they are used. The same is true for guns and the sooner we make that connection the sooner we bring logic to the table in the gun debate.

Many people avoid discussing guns and gun safety because of irrational fear. When we draw a parallel between guns and other tools that people do understand we make more than an connection. We make progress.

I’ve known Julie for a number of years and she brings professionalism and excellence to the table in everything that she does. Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules is no different. The book provides an outstanding resource for those that want to further the conversation about gun safety. Just as importantly, Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules extends an olive branch to those that may have been previously concerned about teaching their children about gun safety. Julie’s style broadens the audience that will be willing to receive this book and that has a positive impact on both the gun safety conversation and on our continued fight to regain our Second Amendment rights.

If you have children in your life, I highly recommend taking a look at Toys, Tools, Guns and Rules. 

You can find out more information at kidsgunsaofetybook.com.

A war in the industry has been raging in recent years with the objective being to produce the best – or at least most profitable – subcompact 9mm pistol. The latest handgun to enter the theater is the P365 from SIG SAUER.

Described as being a “high-capacity micro-compact” by SIG, the P365 has a size that is roughly the same as some of the other high-profile players in this space. Yet, the gun utilizes a double-stack magazine to offer more rounds on tap while keeping an overall width to just 1”. A flush-fitting magazine will hold 10 rounds while an extended magazine will give the shooter 12+1 rounds.

That is significantly more ammunition in each magazine that some of its competitors. But, how does that work out with size and weight?

According to SIG, the new gun weighs 17.8 ounces with an unloaded magazine. That puts it slightly lighter than a Smith & Wesson Shield and a Glock 43, but heavier than a Ruger EC9s, Kahr CM9 and Kel-Tec P11. It has an overall length of 5.8” making it shorter than most of the guns save the subcompacts from Kahr and the P11. It’s width and height put it pretty close to most of the competition.

While it is easy to compare measurements, the numbers don’t tell you the whole story about a pistol. More important are things like how it fits the hand, how smooth is the trigger and the reliability of the system. We won’t know anything about these areas until the guns begin shipping and people get them on the range. 

Nevertheless, shooters and writers will both compare the P365 to the competition. The P365 strikes me as a direct competitor to the Kel-Tec P11. The two guns share some very similar dimensions and have the same 10-round magazine capacities. Of course, the two pistols appear to be vastly different. For years, the P-11 offered shooters an affordable gun that is very lightweight, relatively thin and holds more than 6 or 7 rounds. It appears the P365 will now encroach on this niche.

Some people may be inclined to compare this pistol with the Glock 26. The G26 is also a double-stack, subcompact 9mm pistol. However, it features something that the SIG does not: magazine compatibility with larger guns. Glock made huge inroads with the law enforcement and concealed carry markets by making the G26 able to use magazines from the larger G17 and G19 pistols. Heck, the small gun can even run reliably from the 33-round magazines originally developed for the full auto G18 submachine pistol. The P365 does not appear to be compatible with other SIG magazines such as those from the P320 pistols.

The real test for the P365 will come in how well it performs in the market against the Smith & Wesson Shield. From its introduction, the Shield has been an amazingly good seller. While numbers are hard to come by, I would not be surprised to learn that more Shield pistols sell in the subcompact 9mm niche than any of its competitors.

While the P365 does offer more capacity and a smaller size than the Shield, it does so at a higher price. The current generation of 9mm Shield has a suggested retail price of $479 which is more than $100 cheaper than the SIG’s MSRP of $599. However, the additional money does get you night sights and a proprietary accessory rail. 

Will consumers determine that additional capacity and features are worth the money? Time will tell.

Recently Smith & Wesson took advantage of its acquisition of Crimson Trace and added to it’s M&P 9 Shield M2.0 product line.  The new Shield 9 M2.0 houses an integrated Crimson Trace green laser and is available in both a single sided thumb safety version and a model with no thumb safety (NTS). The new M&P 9 Shield M2.0 ships with one eight round magazine and one seven round mag.

When I spent time with the M2.0 Shield in October the red Crimson Trace integrated laser was available and seemed to be an impressively small package for those interested in a laser equipped shield. At an MSRP of $549 the package is priced well.

The integrated green laser offers more than just a color choice to Shield fans. The human eye is more attracted to light in the green spectrum compared to traditional red light. In addition, green light is more intense in all lighting conditions. When compared in low light conditions you could expect for both red and green lasers from Crimson trace to shine brightly. In bright conditions, however, where the red laser would be expected to provide an adequate sight picture, the green laser would be expected to be brilliant in comparison. Green lasers are more susceptible to temperature variations than red lasers, however, in a small concealed carry handgun like the Shield that is likely to be carried closely to the body, low ambient temperatures are not likely to be an issue. If you are planning on carrying your Crimson Trace Shield exposed in cold temperatures the red version could be a better choice for you.

The MSRP of the M&P 9 Shield M2.0 Crimson Trace Green Laser is a bit more impressive than its red counterpart. Green lasers are more complex than their red cousins requiring additional parts including specialized diodes and crystals. The premium for S&W’s Integrated solutions is a mere $70 above the MSRP of the Standard Shield 9 M2.0.

Those looking for an aiming solution that will deliver accuracy even when the gun isn’t in your line of sight, the Crimson Trace Integrated Shields provide an economical and compact option with a large selection of compatible holsters.

And I’ve owned a wide variety of Ruger 10/22 mags. The ones that perform most consistently came stamped with Ruger’s logo. There are two things that keep these jokers running well. The metal feed lips are the first. The consistent sping pressure is the other.

There are a couple of other points that you should take care of. The pin that secures the magazine in the mag well can wear out. There’s an art to dropping these and inserting them that keeps the pressure off of that pin. It is a worthwhile skill to develop.

Check out the classic mags. It is good to have a bunch of these on hand.

Inside is a wheel that not only secures each round, but also angles it up so the bolt will slam it home on its return. Inside that wheel is a spring that keeps presenting rounds.

There are more moving parts in a 10/22 magazine than those of most guns. As such, they need to be cleaned. Ruger isn’t known for making objects that are easy to disassemble and reassemble. This magazine is no exception. The spring will shoot parts across the room if you aren’t careful. Take it apart carefully.

The mags come in a wide variety of styles, too. The 25 round mags are almost as prevalent as the classic 10 round boxes. There are 30 round mags, and numerous models of drum mags. The latest trend are double-sided mags, or conjoined 10 rounders. Check out the 15 round stick mags. More ammo, less sticking out. Or check out the 25 round tandem mags. 50 rounds in one.

It all comes down to how much clearance you will need under the gun (or maybe the bullshit laws where you live). If you shoot from a bipod, like those that come on the charger, you might want a 10 or 15 round magazine.

I was teaching shooting basics to a group of 10-year-olds, last month, and I found the best tool ever. Ruger is now making single-shot magazines for the 10/22. When I first saw the one rounders, I was confused. But I don’t own a single shot rimfire gun, and I wanted to teach these kids with as much control as I could. 

The 1 round shot has a red backplate. That helps teach them which way it goes in, and it also allowed me to know, confidently, that they had the right magazine. I understand that you can put one round in a 10 round magazine, but I want to avoid all confusion. There's no sneaky magazine shenanigans with the 1-rounders. Check out the 1-round magazines. Odd, but really useful for those who teach.

After we’d run some single shots, it was easy to transition them to the 10 round magazines. And after, to the 25 round magazine.

The 10/22 is the ideal teaching tool. The takedown I have has a threaded barrel, so I suppressed it, too. Without the crack typical to the rimfire rounds, even the most hearing sensitive of the kids had no trouble putting little lead rounds on a 6” steel target at 50 yards. Check out the clear mags. They're also good for teaching how things work. 

And with the variety and reliabilty that has defined the 10/22, it realy is the ideal rimfire. The reason, I believe, is the magazine. Every rimfire has sights, and a barrel. Not every one has Ruger's mag. The magazine was so important that it is included in the name. This is, at its core, a 10 shot 22. 

Earlier this year, CMMG announced a new delayed blowback rifle design called the MkG Guard. The guns were chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. Now, the company is releasing a new version of the gun chambered for the 9mm cartridge.

Recoil and Delayed Blowback

Pistol caliber carbines, especially those with an AR style configuration, have become quite popular. It is easy for me to understand why. They can be easy shooting guns with ammunition that costs a fraction of what normal centerfire rifle rounds cost. Most ranges that prohibit rifles will still allow pistol caliber carbines. 

However, pistol caliber carbines are not without their own set of problems. Though the felt recoil on a 9mm rifle is much less than that of a .308 Win, it can still be more than the average shooter might expect. This is because most pistol caliber carbines use a straight blowback design. In this action type, the only thing that stops the reward motion of the bolt during recoil is plain old mass being driven back into your shoulder. Other designs can use up some of that energy and reduce the felt recoil.

As I stated above, the MkG line uses a delayed blowback system. In this system, CMMG uses a bolt that rotates due to a chamfer that interfaces with the barrel extension. As the gasses from the fired cartridge push backward, this causes the bolt carrier group to begin a rearward movement. The bolt begins to rotate, slowing the rearward motion and eating up some of the energy. Once the bolt completely unlocks, the BCG moves rearward like a straight blowback design, but with much less velocity. This means the BCG does not need additional weights like a typical blowback pistol caliber carbine, and less force hitting your shoulder.

Magazines

One of the other sticking points on pistol caliber carbines is the kind of magazines they use. Some models use Colt pattern stick magazines while other carbines feed from handgun magazines. One of the most popular handgun magazines to use in a carbine is the Glock pattern.

CMMG opted to run the MkG Guard 9mm with Glock magazines. The guns ship with a 33-round Glock magazine that was originally developed for the Glock 18 machine pistol. Many people like the ability to share magazines between their pistol and rifle, so this makes a good match. I keep a holstered Glock 19 and rifle available for home defense, so having one set of spare magazines to feed both guns can make sense.  

Models

As with many of the CMMG introductions, the company is ready to go with a broad selection of configurations. These include pistol, carbine and SBR models. The basic carbine with an A2 style grip and M4 style stock carries a MSRP of $1,299. At the higher end of the line is a rifle with a Geissele SSA trigger, Magpul furniture and other fancy bits for $1,599. Of course, your local dealer sets the actual sales price.

Just what is the Reformation? This is where it gets fun. We know it has a standard stock. It also has an 11.5” barrel. That’s important, as this will have to qualify as a “firearm” and not as a rifle or shotgun by ATF definitions.

Some pundits weighing in suggest it could be a .410 with a rifled barrel, similar to the Judge. It looks like it has a polymer AR mag affixed to the lower. Yet Franklin is careful not to specify the caliber or gauge of whatever it may be, and there are no images yet of what it shoots.

Here’s the copy from their press release:

Minden, NV, January 11, 2018 — Innovative firearms manufacturer, Franklin Armory, has brought another out of the box idea to the firearms industry. Known for their ground breaking American made products such as their Binary Firing System, F17 series rifles, and the XO-26, Franklin Armory has changed the industry once again. The new products are part of the Reformation line of patent pending NRS firearms, and the first SKUs in the Reformation line include a non-NFA configuration with an 11.5″ barrel and a conventional stock as depicted below:

Having already received approval as a non-rifle from the Chief of the Firearms Technology Division, Reformation will be shipping without any onerous NFA paperwork required.

Franklin Armory President, Jay Jacobson, noted, “The patent pending technology employed in Reformation will create a whole new market segment that will not require NFA approval.”

The image they've released clearly invokes the Protestant Reformation, when 1517 Martin Luther, a bit miffed with the Catholic Church, nailed a copy of his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.

In this instance, I think the metaphor is easy enough to understand. Franklin Armory has found a way to build something that will challenge the understanding of the orthodoxy.

We are working on getting more information and will bring it to you this soon as we get it.

Earlier this year, Springfield Armory shocked a lot of people when it introduced the XD-E line of handguns. Unlike the striker-fired handguns previously sold by the company, these new guns were hammer-fired with the traditional double-action/single-action firing system. Now Springfield Armory is selling these Croatian-made pistols in .45 ACP.

Nuts and Bolts

The new guns are relatively compact and would appear to be suited for the concealed carry practitioner looking for a larger diameter projectile. The barrels are 3.3” in length, and the stubby grip can hold a 6-round magazine. With an empty magazine, the gun weighs about 23 ounces. 

An extended 7-round magazine in also included with the gun. A magazine spacer called a Mag X-Tension comes with the extended magazine. It has been my experience that these spacer sleeves can inadvertently slide along the magazine body when not in the gun and hamper a reload. Also, they tend to hang on the meat of my hand when I try to eject them from compact pistols. For me, I’d stick to the flush fitting Springfield Armory magazines. Those are better for concealment anyway.

Springfield Armory has the XD(m) grip styling along with the cringe worthy “Grip Zone” spell out on the frame. There is an ambidextrous magazine release and thumb safety on the gun. The thumb safety doubles as a decocker. On top of the pistol, the company uses a red fiber optic front sight and a low-profile steel rear sight.

The gun has a MSRP of $566.

Improved Safety?

Marketing and sales teams are seemingly loose and fast with facts when it comes to pushing their products. I’m old enough to have seen the 1911 vs revolver battles, the revolver vs WonderNine wars and DA/SA vs striker-fired skirmishes. Facts are rarely presented in a sober way to allow customers to make rational decisions. Rather, a company may seize on anything that might be used for to its advantage. That, I believe, is the origin of the idea of DA/SA pistols being “safer” than striker-fired and single-action-only handguns.

It has been my experience that untrained and careless shooters will cause a negligent discharge with any kind of gun. No amount of safety design or engineering will prevent this. Only training and personal responsibility can prevent an unintentional discharge.

It has also been my experience that new and occasional shooters are more accurate when shooting a pistol with a fire control that does not change (such as single-action-only, double-action-only or striker-fired.) I’ve also seen several internal studies conducted by large law enforcement agencies that demonstrate the same thing.

A person can become very proficient with a DA/SA system. However, the amount of time to gain proficiency is greater than that of a constant system. From that perspective, I would rather purchase a DAO handgun and master the single trigger pull if I was concerned about having too light or short of a trigger pull. Of course, your views may be different. In that case, Springfield Armory has a gun that might just tickle your fancy. I certainly see no reason why it would not be a good performer.

Most of you reading this will have never been to the SHOT Show. It is as epic as you could possibly imagine. Imagine the square footage of multiple Wal-Marts, packed with hundreds of manufacturers, and 80,000 gun dealers, retailers, wholesalers…. And guns. Lots of guns.

Hi-Point

You may not own a Hi-Point. You may look down your nose at anyone who does. But the guns work, and they’re dirt cheap. Where else could you get a 10mm Carbine that looks like it was meant to be a prop for the latest Star Wars sequel.

Inland

Inland is hardly a household name. They are mostly known for their dedication to affordable historical firearms from the World War II era. But the old .30 Carbine has a lot more to offer than pure history, and so Inland is dressing up a pistol version that harkens back to the old Iver Johnson Enforcer models of the 70s.

IWI

The Tavor made a splash stateside, and IWI has continued with thematic updates to the platform. The 7 is going to be a beast. It is heavy, though. Empty, the gun is coming in over 9 pounds. If the compact size is maneuverable at that weight, this will be a popular rifle. 

Standard Manufacturing

The SKO isn’t new, but there should be SKO Shorties at Range Day. This is a modern day street sweeper. There’s nothing subtle about Standard Manufacturing’s shotguns, and they are amazingly fun to run all-out.

Heizer

The last gun on my list perfectly exemplifies why SHOT Show exists. If you had only ever heard about Heizer, you would end up scratching your head. They make super thin hand-cannons. Their previous models are break action single-shot beasts that have very little padding. They have a .223 and a 7.63 x 39 that are not terribly fun to shoot.

They’ve been talking about their semi auto for two years, at least, and they are shipping these now. I still haven't seen one in the wild. The gun will be heavier than most polymer single-stacks, but a touch thinner. That thin profile is the selling point. The odd shape means it doesn’t print as readily as most guns.

It will be good to see one at the SHOW and see how the action stands up to 80,000 curious gun-nuts racking and dropping the slide for three days straight.

These are five that I’d put on my must-see list going into the show. Admittedly, they are all curiosities in their own right. And they aren’t likely to end up on the shelf at your local FFL, either. The Hi-Point and the SKO would sell instantly. The Tavor 7 will make it, for sure. The Inland and the Heizer? The Jury is still out.

Miami, Fl. – Gunmagwarehouse.com, a leading online retailer specializing in magazines is pleased to announce that Daniel Shaw has been named Director of Marketing for GMW.

Daniel Shaw is a retired U.S. Marine, a nationally known and sought-after firearms trainer in both the public and private sector through his company Shaw Strategies and he has spent years working with several media and marketing companies creating industry leading content. Daniel will lead the GMW marketing team as the company expands its community outreach program and begins new initiatives in consumer-focused content creation.

“We are incredibly excited to have Daniel on our team as we expand our community outreach program and begin an aggressive consumer-focused content creation initiative,” Said Michael Lambka, Owner of Gunmagwarehouse.com “Daniel brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience that our customers and the industry as a whole will benefit from.”

“We have numerous exciting projects underway, but I’m most excited about our plan for reviews and informative content with a distribution platform that exists outside of paid advertisements,” Said Shaw. “That means real, unbiased reviews on the firearms and products that end users are researching. Those who know me, know that this has been a goal of mine for years.”

About Gunmagwarehouse.com

Founded in 2012 with the simple goal of keeping every magazine currently in production, in-stock and ready to ship. A large in-stock magazine selection is a commodity within the shooting community, and although there is a lot of competition out there, product assortment is usually the same. If one retailer is out, they all are. Gunmagwarehouse.com has set out to change that and has the largest selection of magazines anywhere.