Ah, presidential elections. Nothing brings out the worst in both parties like grand-standing, mud-slinging and character assassination on a national stage. While modern politics in America are more patrician and over-the-top than ever, one thing stays consistent through the past few decades: democrats reject private ownership of certain firearms as a right.

In this same vein, nothing would make Senators like Diane Feinstein happier than banning all guns in America save for the those in the hands of military and police forces. Despite the hypocrisy of stating in the same breath that the police are corrupt and shouldn’t be trusted.  But I’m not here to write an article that’ll give my readers high blood-pressure, watching the news can do that for me.

No, the point of this article is to simply point out which magazines a shooter should buy preemptively, in case of a so-called, ‘high-capacity magazine’ ban.

The first thing to wrap your mind around with this mental exercise, is that there is no set metric for what is, or isn’t a high-capacity magazine. It’s all up to the whim of politicians. New York residents discovered that the hard way, when their ridiculous 7-round magazine limit was put into effect.  What this means for shooters, is that they should balance what mags they should stock up on based on value to others, and value to themselves. Which brings me to number 1.

17+1 9mm Glock 17 Magazine

The full-sized 9mm Glock 17 is one of the most prolific semi-automatic handguns in the United States. But shooters aren’t simply buying these magazines for the Glock 17 itself. These same magazines also fit the compact Glock 19 and sub-compact 26.

Sure, they’re a bit ridiculous inside the 26, but in the model 19, they only protrude an inch or so from the magazine well. If you’re wondering why I don’t advocate simply buying Glock 19 mags, it’s because the 17’s magazine well only accommodate 17-and larger magazines.

Additionally, many pistol caliber carbines now feed from Glock magazines. So having a dozen of these on hand means safeguarding both an ample supply of pistol magazines for a very common handgun, and magazines for a carbine as well. Not to mention the fact that they’re not terribly expensive, and they normally outlast the shooter. – If your bank account can’t handle OEM or factory magazines, Korean mags are the next best thing, as current production SGM mags feature steel reinforcements like the originals.

Magpul 30-round PMAG

This one is obvious – if a shooter wants an AR15 or STANAG magazine, don’t want to pay a fortune for it, and they need it to be lightweight, the PMAG is their best friend. Constructed of high-impact, ultra-durable polymer, PMAGs bucked the old notion that polymer AR15 magazines were junk.

These magazines feature anti-tilt followers to provide more reliable feeding, and unlike aluminum or steel magazines, are much harder to crush. PMAG are available in a couple of different colors, but if a shooter wants something special, they should buy the sand-colored magazines. These can be easily dyed any shade of color imaginable with simple textile dye like RIT Dye.

Also, like the GLOCK mags mentioned above, PMAGS aren’t just for AR15 carbines. Since they are STANAG-pattern, they fit in a daunting array of different guns chambered in a handful of calibers. So no matter what 5.56mm rifle you buy in the future, chances are, you’ll have spare mags for it.

Gibbs Matra AKM/AK-47 Magazines

“Idiot!” “Charlatan” “Imbecile!” “Fool!” They’ll call me in the comments section. Doesn’t everyone know that Magpul makes the best polymer AK magazines on the planet!?

First off, they don’t – they make a very close second to the Bulgarian Circle 10 steel-reinforced magazines.

Second, I recommend these magazines over Magpul variety, because they’re cheaper and damn near indestructible. Plus, they look like an AK magazine should. Not that there’s anything wrong with a Magul AKM mag, but far more shooters buying an AK are more interested in a semi-traditional look. Plus, as countless third-world countries have shown, these magazines can double as makeshift entrenching tools in a pinch.

More than its duality of garden tool and gun magazine, the Gibbs Matra steel magazines are just great mags, period. Not only are they military-grade and affordable, they have a distinct advantage over Magpul’s magazines – last bullet, hold open.

See, the Matra magazines are based on Yugoslavian mags, which were the first AK mag to implement a special follower that keeps the bolt locked to the rear when devoid of ammunition.  Now, these mags normally run about 13-15 bucks each, making them a great deal for the price. Plus, if you’re going to buy a few and not use them all right away, they ship in a grease-laden plastic wrapper. Rust won’t be an issue for decades.

Bedside / Carry Gun Magazines

Regardless of what type of firearm you use for home defense or concealed carry, shooters should purchase spare magazines for these first. Not only to future-proof their weapon of choice, but to ensure they’re never stuck with a single mag that will eventually malfunction.

While this seems like obvious advice, it’s important to mention. Even if you carry a wheel gun that uses moon clips, but a handful. Infect, especially in that case, since they’re cheap and easy to break. (ask me how I know)

With all of these mags, don’t go overboard and buy pallets of mags; if something draconian like the NY Safe Act were to happen, it would be terrible to lose all your mags in a tragic boating accident. That’s a lot of money tied up in something a shooter wouldn’t be able to legally sell.

What’s too much? I don’t know. I do know, that for any gun that I own, I like to have at least six full-capacity magazines for it. Just enough to make sure I can normally carry about 150 rounds of ammo if need be. Because who the hell likes having to load magazines at the range anyway?

Ruger announced late Thursday night, the addition of the Compact model of the American Pistol to their product lineup. Check the press release below.

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to announce the addition of the Ruger American Pistol® Compact model. This new model is chambered in 9mm Luger and is available in both Manual Safety and Pro model configurations. Originally introduced in December 2015, the feature-rich Ruger American Pistol was designed with the latest U.S. Military standards in mind and was tested in the harshest environments to ensure the rugged reliability consumers have come to expect from Ruger.

Ruger polled law enforcement and military trainers throughout the country to select the form, function and features of the Ruger American Pistol. The resultant pistol combines a recoil-reducing barrel cam (which better spreads recoil over time) with a low-mass slide, low center of gravity and a low-bore axis to provide better balance, less felt recoil and less muzzle flip than comparable pistols. The Ruger American Pistol also features a pre-tensioned striker system, which allows for a short takeup trigger with positive reset, and a modular wrap-around grip system that adjusts palm swell and trigger reach to fit a wide range of hand sizes.

If your head is spinning over what they wrote above, it boils down to the new version of the handgun has all the internal features of the original, just in a smaller package.

With a 3.55" barrel, overall dimensions of 6.65" long, 4.48" high and a weight of 28.75 ounces with an empty magazine, the Ruger American Pistol Compact model shares all of the features and rugged reliability of the duty-size gun in a smaller, lighter, more concealable package. It ships in a hard case with small, medium and large replaceable grip modules and two nickel-Teflon® plated steel magazines (one 17-round extended magazine and one 12-round compact magazine).

Wait, a compact pistol with a 17-round magazine? Well, yeah that's just the normal Ruger American Pistol magazine. In this model, that mag protrudes beneath the magazine well. It also ships with a flush-fitting 12-rounder. Based ont he numbers above, it looks like the new Ruger is about the size of a Glock 26.

The American-made Ruger American Pistol is built on a rigid, one-piece, precision-machined, black nitrided, stainless steel chassis with integral frame rails and fire control housing. Additional features include genuine Novak® LoMount Carry three-dot sights, a stainless steel slide with non-reflective, black nitride finish, a one-piece, high-performance, glass-filled nylon grip frame and a mil-standard 1913 accessory rail.

The irons they chose, are clutch. Novak makes some of the best concealed carry iron sights on the market. they're big enough to find, and streamlined enough to not snag on clothing when draw from concealment. Pretty slick.

As for the accessory rail, I'm not a huge fan of having rails on carry guns, simpy because they can snag on clothing. But I guess that's what rail covers are for. Plus, shooters can mount accessories like the laserlight miniature laser sight on the gun for low-light shooting assistance.

What really matters, is the price. So, what's the damage? MSRP is $579 but Ruger tends to mark their guns much higher than dealers sell them. I'd expect the gun to run closer to $529 in a few months, and possible $499 around Black Friday. Either way, if this gun is anything like the full-sized model, it's a hell of a bargain. Check out my video review of its big brother, below.

 

Earlier this year, Smith & Wesson made a move that pleased a lot of shooters: the company introduced the .45 ACP cartridge to the Shield line.

Without a doubt, the M&P Shield series of handguns has been one of the biggest success stories in recent history for the august company. When the line was first introduced in 2012 at the National Rifle Association’s annual expo, it was met with a great deal of praise.

Initially offered in both 9mm and .40 S&W, the company expanded the line to include a pair of .45 ACP versions this year. One model has an external thumb safety, while the second does not.

The larger caliber is not the only update to the new pistols. Smith & Wesson also upgraded the grip texture to a more complete frame stippling for a better handhold when shooting. Additionally, the company also added front cocking serrations to the slide.

Magazines

As with the existing line, the new M&P45 Shield comes with a pair of magazines. One is a flush fitting magazine that holds six rounds. The second is an extended magazine that holds one additional round for a total count of seven plus one in the chamber.

The extended magazine is one of the major improvements to the .45 pistol that few people have noticed. Original 9mm and .40 caliber pistols used a floating sleeve over the body of the extended magazine to fill the space between the floor plate and the pistol body. I found two problems with this:

1. the sleeve could move up the body and hinder insertion into the mag well, and
2. the sleeve would frequently catch on the meat of my shooting hand preventing it from dropping free.

Simply removing the sleeve on the original extended magazines increases the likelihood of damaging the gun’s ejector, a problem documented in at least one training class that I am aware of. So that was not a satisfactory solution.

Smith & Wesson redesigned the magazine configuration for the M&P 45 Shield. To start with, both the flush fitting and the extended magazines use the same metal body. That’s why you will see a witness hole labeled +1 on both magazines.

To squeeze an extra round into the longer mag, the company designed a new +1-style floorplate. The design eliminates both of the problems associated with the previous floating sleeve design: it inserts easily and drops free.

As with all semi-automatic pistols, one of the primary failure points is the ammunition feeding device. In normal circumstances, magazines do not have the same lifespan as the rest of the gun. That’s why it is important to pick up additional magazines to feed your pistol. Keep the newer ones for carry while the older ones can be used on the range. You can purchase standard capacity magazines here and the +1 capacity magazines here.

This is my first October entry into Gun Mag Warehouse’s blog, and to be honest, I had initially planned on penning something about Glocks or suppressors, but Mother Nature had different plans. Last week I was at Big 3 East near Daytona Beach, FL. The event was supposed to last until Saturday, and give a handful or writers a chance to meet with some companies in a more intimate setting than larger events like SHOT Show, allow.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Daytona was exactly where Hurricane Matthew landed last Thursday. As such, my buddy Nick and I decided to get out of dodge, and head North and then inland towards my house in South Carolina. While I don’t live on the coast, my area was hit pretty hard with 75% of the residents being without power within the first eight hours.

As of writing, some folks are expected to be without power for an additional six days. This mean some people are going to have to make do with what they have, for eight days. I was fortunate in that I didn’t even have to wait a full 48 hours for power to be restored, but in that short time, I learned a few lessons about being a prepared gun owner during a natural disaster.

Lesson 1: Some people are awful.

Despite being some 60 miles inland from the nearest beach, Hurricane Matthew managed to knock out 128 roads and 3 bridges – in my small town alone - within the first few hours of landfall in the Carolinas. On Friday morning around 7:00am, power went out in my area – within two hours, looting began at a local pharmacy.

These unscrupulous individuals didn’t simply make off with pain killers and opiates, but also reportedly antibiotics and other life-saving medicines. Point is, don’t expect bad guys to wait a reasonable amount of time before looting (if such a thing even exists) – they are criminals after all, so logic/morals aren’t their strong suites.

What can you do to be prepared? Stock an extra week or so (at least) of any critical medications, and don’t expect pharmacies to have the meds you need in the wake of a disaster. Many medications are temperature sensitive, and even if not stolen by looters, will expire once power is cut to a pharmacy’s HVAC unit.

Lesson 2: Gas will run out days before the storm hits

Even though the United States didn’t get hit nearly as hard as Haiti, and even less so further inland, plenty of people treated the event like the apocalypse; buying out all gas and non-perishables from gas stations and convenience stores.

I saw this primarily on my drive back from Daytona along the coast, particularly in Georgia. Florida residents along the border, seemed unconcerned with the impeding storm. Presumably, because this wasn’t their first rodeo. Along I-95, roughly 80% of all gas stations we passed had lines around the block, with the remaining 20% having been sucked dry of every last drop of gasoline.

If you’re thinking, “so what? – I intend to stay put during a disaster” keep in mind, you’ll need to get reserves of fuel for your generator from these same stations. Which brings me to an important side note: don’t store your fuel or your running generator indoors. No, not even inside your garage.

Every year, some poor fool gives himself carbon monoxide poisoning, because he left the equivalent of a running car inside his garage. Gasoline too, is equally as dangerous when kept in large quantities inside an enclosed space, but obviously for different, more explosive reasons.

 But I digress.

The preventative measure to take in regards to gas shortages, is to simply have enough on hand (kept inside an appropriate container) to run your generator sparingly for a few days. That doesn’t mean powering your whole house, but supplying power to a well-pump if you’re off the grid, or to heating in the winter. Prioritize the essentials, and take 5-minute showers to preserve fuel.

Lesson 3: Two-point slings are worth their weight in gold

You know what’s more awkward than sharing an elevator to the 50^th floor with a crazy ex? Carrying a rifle around all day while performing chores and general maintenance.

While single-point slings are great for tactical stuff, and freeing up a hand for using a sidearm or manipulating light switches, total hand-free retention of a long-gun is much preferable. Why not simply get a pistol and a good holster? Well, first off, you should have that already. But, if a mob of looters were to show up at your home, would you feel safer with a 9mm Glock and, at best, 17+1 rounds of ammo, or an AR-15 with 30 rounds in a regular magazine? Keep in mind the AR has longer range, is much easier to shoot accurately, and can be used as a club in a pinch.

On a plus side, if you live out in the sticks like me, having a carbine or rifle on your back can act as a great deterrent to criminals of opportunity. Not every looter will be a hardened bad-ass, many could just be desperate people.

Regardless of how you feel about firearms as a deterrent, having the ability to carry it with you all day while still keeping both hand free is invaluable.

Lesson 4: Keep your magazines loaded, batteries charged and your finger off the trigger

The first part of this is obvious: if you need a loaded magazine in total darkness, you’re already screwed yourself. I personally like to keep three 30-round STANAG magazines loaded for either my X95 or my SIG 516 within arm’s reach. Three loaded-mags is enough to deal with anything short of a fire team assaulting your house, but is light enough to store in cargo pockets.

The day after the storm left our area, word came down from other houses that suspicious people were wondering through backyards dressed in winter clothing in the middle of a tropical storm. This is where the second part of this lesson comes into play.

Identifying a possible threat, and distinguishing it from dumb kids is next to impossible at night without some form of illumination. This is why it’s important to keep both a simple, crappy flashlight for non-crucial lighting, like navigating your home to reach the bathroom – and a second, high-powered flashlight to ID intruders on your property. In both these cases, you’ll need batteries. So don’t waste the tac-light batteries on taking a leak, save those for, “bumps in the night”.

Which brings me to the final portion of this lesson: keeping your finger off the trigger. You should already be doing this unless you’re ready to fire. That said, in what your brain might believe is a fight-or-flight situation, your instinct is to get ready for war.

Turns out, those suspicious fellows spotted in backyards, were actually a combination of first responders wearing heavy rain gear, and a few teenagers from a local shelter giving workers a hot cup of coffee as a thank you for their hard work. Putting a bullet in either, would ruin more than a few lives.

Bottom line: keeping a level head in any bad situation is the key to making the best decision. Sometimes you get that luxury, other times not. Lastly, the above lessons don’t exist in a bubble. People should still stock up on water, non-perishable food and personal hygiene items incase whatever situation you’re in lasts longer than expected.  Above all else, be safe, be deliberate. EMS will be dealing with bigger fish than some guy who fell off a ladder while boarding up his second story windows. 

The Lithgow F90 is the standard service rifle for the Australian military. It is based on the Steyer Aug design and is often dubbed the "Aus Steyer". I got a chance to check out two F90s at Big 3 East Media event.

You can see a clip of the F90 here.

The Lithgow F90 can be fed with Steyer Aug magazines. However these were fed excuvsively with Magpul PMAGs made for an Australian Military contract.

The PMAG 30 AUS GEN M3 Window is a 30-round 5.56x45 NATO polymer magazine for Steyr® AUG/F88/F90 compatible weapons that features transparent windows to allow rapid visual identification of approximate number of rounds remaining.

I’ve mentioned in both previous entries in this blog, as well as several other publications, that I have an unreasonable love of pistol caliber carbines. Partially because they remind me of the submachine guns I saw in movies as a child – the ones where the good guys always had an MP5 in their hands while mowing down waves of Soviet soldiers or terrorists.

Which is why I believe one of the biggest selling points for these guns are their aesthetics.

While it’s easy to argue the merits of longer barrels, increased sight radius, and reduced recoil of larger guns chambered in pistol calibers. But aesthetics are more important to the pistol caliber carbine fan.

Sounds crazy, I know – but consider this: Would the MP5 be as iconic as it was, if it fed from an extended handgun mag from the time, like a Browning Hi-Power mag?

Arguably, feeding from this magazine at the time of the gun’s creation, the mid 1960’s, would be a great idea from the standpoint of logistics or pragmatism – armies and police forces could swap magazines between their SMG and their sidearm. But the appearance of the gun would be all wrong.

So Heckler and Koch used proprietary magazines because it looked better?

No, not a chance. They did so because purpose-built, sub-gun magazines feed better in fully-automatic firearms than pistol mags. Partially because pistol magazines aren’t as durable, but also because the vast majority of handgun magazines were never designed to hold 30 rounds of ammunition.

Shoehorning them into this role reveals some of the engineering hiccups associated with extending these magazines. While their sheet-metal bodies (or polymer like Glock/HK) are thick enough for hard use when encapsulated by a full-length magazine well like those found inside handgun pistol grips – extending the mags allows vastly more force to be exerted on them. Basically allowing the magazine to function as a pry bar inside the gun. Not only can this break the magazine, but it can change the locking angle enough to interfere with proper feeding.

You can do what the Germans did with their older sub guns, and built the bolt and action around this, and make sure there’s always plenty of clearance. The other option is what the engineers at SIG did with the MPX – they redesigned their magazine, so the top of the mag is oversized and doesn’t have much space to move. Plus, they reinforced the feed lips and locking tabs with steel to prevent warping.

But here’s the thing, SIG could very well have designed their MPX magazines to be straight as an arrow, but didn’t. Hell, they could have made their MPX feed from P226 magazines, but again, they didn’t.

Why?

Because the resulting firearm wouldn’t capture the curves and lines the average gun-lover associates with SMG-like guns. But this phenomenon isn’t limited to magazine design. It’s the reason nearly every pistol caliber carbine that resembles an SMG is offered in a pistol version as well. Extending the barrel on most of these guns makes them look odd and disproportionate.

Hell, look at the 16-inch barreled MP5, or an UZI with an extended barrel – they just look wrong, like a comically-extended barrel on the Joker’s revolver.

I would even argue that without the rise in pistol braces, none of these guns could have seen the resurgence on popularity they’ve experienced in the past few years. I know when I first got my grubby mitts on the SIG MPX a few years ago, I didn’t leave SIG’s event thinking, “I sure want a full-sized carbine version of that.”

No.

I wanted the super compact, fully-automatic version with a suppressor on it. Thankfully, I went through the trouble of registering my MPX as an SBR, and I own a suppressor or two – so I can fulfil most of my sub-gun fantasy.

While there are plenty of other reasons to justify buying a compact pistol caliber carbine, let’s be honest – no one wants to drop serious cash on a gun they aren’t enamored with.

The first domestic pistol from the UAE to land stateside initially made waves for its great ergonomics and similarity to the Steyr M-A1. But after a few months a recall was issued because of a design oversight... now, some three years later, the upgraded recall-friendly pistols are back.

If this seems like an inordinate amount of time to wait for a recall, that's because it is. Automotive recalls are normally accomplished in a few days if not hours at a local authorized dealership. Unfortunately, firearm components aren't treated the same way most imported goods are - they're subject to dozens of strict import laws and are often held up in customs for months, year or even indefinitely.

But the official recall only dealt with a minor component, the drop-safety mechanism. So shouldn’t it have been a quick fix to simply recall all affected designs and install a new one? Maybe even one produced here in the United States to avoid any importation issues.

Well, yes it would have been. At least if the only issue with the design dealt with the drop safety.

Truth be told, many users complained of cracked slides. Before you start grabbing pitchforks and torches, it’s important to understand that other major gun-makers have encountered the same problems in the past. Hell, the Beretta-built M9 initially had problems with cracked slides. So pervasive was this issue, that the M9’s design was simply altered around the problem to make sure that when the catastrophic failure occurs, it doesn’t maim or injure the shooter.

Personally, I’m happy to see the design return – it’s a great handgun with solid ergonomics whose slim frame fits most shooters. Plus, the trigger is excellent for a stock, striker-fired pistol. But let’s get back to the press release.

 Caracal USA is pleased to announce the availability of Model F recall replacement pistols in the United States. Delivery of the Model F replacement pistol will be dedicated to those customers affected by the 2013 product recall.

The Caracal Model F has been subjected to upgrades including a redesigned trigger safety, trigger bar, firing pin unit and a machined one-piece Multi-Function Unit (MFU). These enhancements increase both the safety and durability of the Model F pistol, while maintaining the same overall ergonomics and exterior aesthetics.

Effective November 1, 2017 Caracal USA, LLC will move all recall and customer service operations to our Boise, Idaho offices.

If you are a customer affected by the previous Caracal Model F and C product recall and have opted to trade your Model F and/or Model C pistol for a Model F replacement pistol, please contact the recall center at recall@caracalusa.com or by phone at (208) 323-8727, Monday - Friday, 8AM to 5PM MST.

 Well that’s great news to hear they’re moving customer service operations to the US – should greatly streamline any issues or concerns gun-buyers have in the future. The question remains if the Caracal can still compete in a polymer-framed pistol market that has grown and evolved around improved ergonomics and trigger-pull in the three years it was absent. I guess we’ll have to check out SHOT Show 2017 to find out.

The original MPX from SIG SAUER is an amazing weapon system. The company, recognizing the potential of the platform, designed a second generation MPX that is to be a truly modular system that can run multiple calibers. The first generation MPX was based on the 9mm cartridge while the second generation guns are available in other calibers including the .357 SIG and .40 S&W.

For second generation MPX owners, changing calibers is simply a matter of purchasing one of the company’s conversion kits. However, if you want to shoot a different cartridge from your first generation gun, you have to call SIG SAUER directly and provide them with your gun’s serial number. The company will then sell you a complete upper in the caliber of your choice for the same price as the conversion kit. From that point on, you can use the new upper for any other caliber conversions you do.

Of course, the big question that many people may have relates to magazine compatibility. Will the first generation magazines work in second generation guns? Will the new magazines work in older guns? According to SIG, yes, the magazines are compatible.

However, the company does recommend that for maximum reliability you use first generation magazines with first generation guns and second generation magazines with second generation guns. If you are relying on the MPX for self-defense or competition, I strongly suggest following those recommendations.

To help in identifying the difference between the magazines, look at the followers. First generation magazines will have a black follower. Second generation magazines will have a flat dark earth (FDE) colored follower.

If you do not know which generation gun you have, take a look at the top rail and hand guard. The original MPX has a full length Picattiny rail on top and the company’s “add a rail” system for a hand guard. Second generation guns have a scalloped Picatinny rail on top with a KeyMod hand guard.

GunMagWarehouse has both first and second generation magazines in stock for the MPX. Factory 10-, 20- and 30-round capacity magazines are all available and listed well below the suggested retail price.

I recently ordered one of the MPX rifles in 9mm to evaluate as a potential home defense gun. I happen to like the lightweight, high velocity 9mm rounds in a home defense situation, and the MPX makes a lot of sense for our needs. I carried SIG SAUER weapons for many years as a police officer, and I came to appreciate their reliability.

Of course, for my needs, having spare magazines readily available is extremely important in a home invasion scenario. So, I am planning ahead and will stage items appropriately.

If you are running an MPX, you really should take a look at getting a BladeTech magazine pouch for it. This compact pouch will put a fast reload right on your belt to keep you in action – whether that is home defense or a three gun competition. I’m picking up one of these to use as well. Blade-Tech makes very good holsters and I will want at least one for when I am carrying away from the home.

If you are looking to improve your one-handed shooting performance when running an AR-style pistol, SIG SAUER’s latest stabilizing brace might just be the ticket. Called the SBX Gen2 Pistol Stabilizing Brace, this unit is an updated model of the original pistol stabilizer that has become quite popular with many shooters.

Both the original unit and this design were developed by a US military veteran who was looking for a way to make AR shooting more accessible to his brothers and sisters who had received wartime injuries in the service of their country. By adding a brace to the buffer tube on the AR pistol, better control of the gun is assured.

The brace slips over the end of the buffer tube and has a downward facing cuff. Your forearm is cradled in the cuff. Once you get a grip on the pistol, you snug the cuff down to a firm, but comfortable, tightness with a wide strap. This helps transform the gun into a natural extension of your shooting arm. 

I’ve spent some time shooting an AR pistol with one of the SIG SAUER braces and found it worked as advertised. For me, standard iron sights do not work well with this unit. However, a red dot or holographic sight works very well. I’ve tried both the inexpensive Bushnell TR-25 and the pricier Trijicon MRO. Both of these were easy to use with the brace and helped deliver accurate shots. 

The cuff is made of a soft, rubber-like polymer that I found to be comfortable even after a long period of shooting. While shooting, I found that recoil was more easily managed with the brace so follow up shots were much faster than shooting one-handed without the brace. 

Keep in mind that these braces are not stocks and do not transform your pistol into a short barrel rifle or any other kind of NFA weapon. SIG SAUER worked with the BATFE to confirm that adding this brace to an AR pistol was 100% legal.

While black is the standard color for anything AR, SIG also offers these braces in the popular flat dark earth color (FDE). These made in the USA braces retail for about $150 each. However, GunMagWarehouse has them for a lot less – click here to see the current price.

While there cannot be a single best gun for all occasions, there are certainly a number of contenders for best all-around gun that will serve admirably in most situations. Possibly the gun that tops that list is the Glock 19.

The Glock 19, or G19, is the epitome of the modern combat pistol. Chambered in 9mm, the pistol has a polymer frame and is striker-fired. A standard size magazine will hold 15 rounds, though the pistol can also be fed by 17-round magazines designed for the larger Glock 17 and the 33-round magazines developed for the full-auto Glock 18 machine pistol. 

A medium-sized pistol, the G19 works well as a duty pistol for police officers, military service men and security guards. Yet, the gun is also sized just small enough to be very popular as a concealed carry pistol as well.

I purchased my first Glock 19 in 1996 as a reserve deputy sheriff. That second generation gun served me on duty and off for many years. In fact, it is still one of my favorite handguns. Paired with an appropriately fitted Glock 19 holster, that pistol worked well for me in nearly every circumstance I encountered.

Since that time, Glock continued to develop its pistol line. The G19 is now in its fourth iteration: the Gen4. Upgrades to the Gen4 pistols include an improved surface texture for a better grip, a significantly larger magazine release button and a double recoil spring assembly that is supposed to reduce muzzle flip. Additionally, the gun has an accessory rail for the addition of a white light or laser – a carry-over from the third generation of pistols.

Recently, I purchased a Gen4 version of the G19. I’d shot one at a number of ranges, and though I liked my second generation gun, I was eager to commit to a Gen4 on a more permanent basis.

Reliability

If there is anything the Glock pistols are known for it is their reliability. Glock pistols are not perfect, and yes, they do malfunction from time to time. However, the guns have an excellent track record of performance.

Even so, when the Gen4 Glock pistols first launched several years back, there were some reported problems with them. The company responded quickly and updated the recoil spring assembly. Since then I’ve not heard of any other problems with the guns.

I’ve run thousands of rounds through my Glock 19 Gen4 since I purchased it. While much of it has been 115 and 124 grain FMJ type ammo, I’ve also run the gun with quite a bit of self-defense ammunition: standard pressure and +P loads like HST, Gold Dot, PDX1 and Critical Duty. Thus far, I’ve had only two malfunctions resulting in a rate of less than one per thousand. That’s not bad in my book. 

Ammunition Performance

In the below table you can see some of the velocity and energy information I recorded when shooting the G19. Performance was on par with other guns with a 4” barrel.

The above velocity data was recorded with a Competition Electronics ProChrono digital chronograph. The chronograph was set up 15’ from the firing line, and the data given is an average of five shots.

New Feature Comparison

The major reason I purchased the Gen4 gun was as an upgrade to my existing second generation pistol. The three features I liked the most were the larger magazine release, improved grip texture and the accessory rail. While the rail was available on the third generation guns, it alone was not enough to entice me to buy one.

Magazine Release – This is a significant improvement when compared to earlier pistols. I never had any problems with the older, smaller buttons, but I like the larger one much better. I’ve been shooting my Gen4 quite a bit recently. When I pulled out my third generation Glock 17, I was struck by how much smaller the old style button was.

If you have any problems activating the magazine release on older Glock pistols, the Gen4 button is worth the upgrade. Even if you have not had any issues with the old buttons, the new one is still nice.

Grip Texture – I really like the new grip texture. The older texture (second and third generation guns) was ok, but it did not do much to help lock the gun in the hand. When shooting on a hot day with sweaty hands, the gun had a tendency to wiggle a bit. Having a more “grippy” surface can help a lot with this.

Glock attempted to upgrade the grip texture previously with something called the RTF2. RTF, or rough textured frame, was a very aggressive surface that would literally wear holes in clothing. Some people liked it, but many people thought it was too much.

The Gen4 guns have a rough texture treatment that falls between the original surface and the RTF2. The result is a nearly-ideal blend of surfaces that vastly improves a hand hold without endangering a nice shirt.

Things I Don’t Like

Finger grooves. Seriously, the finger grooves or bumps that Glock started using with the third generation pistols do not fit my hand. The same grooves are used on the Gen4.

I’m sure they fit someone, but I’ve talked with a lot of people who do not like them. The FBI recently assigned a pistol contract to Glock with one of the conditions being that the company take the finger grooves off of the frame.

Final Thoughts

So, is the Glock 19 the perfect fighting handgun? Well, I’m sure it is for some people. For me, I find the gun very well suited for combat assuming I have it with me. Riding in a duty holster while on patrol, sitting in my quick access safe for home defense and riding in a IWB rig when I’m out and about – the gun works great.

There are times when the G19 is a bit large for my CCW needs. In times like this, I look at other pistols like the Glock 43 that are even easier to conceal. However, for most of my needs, yes – the Gen4 G19 is the perfect combat handgun for me.

Spiderman fans can tell you that with great power comes great responsibility. The right to keep and bear arms comes with an important responsibility: to safely store your firearms when they are not in use.

Too many tales of tragedy hit the news every year. Sometimes a child finds an unsecured gun and hurts or kills himself or a sibling. Other times, a police officer or other citizen is killed with a stolen pistol. While we cannot control the actions of other people, we can take simple and prudent steps to secure our guns when they are outside of our immediate control.

Here are a few suggestions:

Wear your defensive firearm – The best security of a firearm is when it is under your complete control. A pistol secured in a quality holster riding on your belt is not going to fall into a child’s hands. The obvious additional benefit is the gun is ready in the event of a home invasion or other deadly force emergency.

Gun safe – A big, locked steel box bolted to the foundation works very well to deter both criminals and curious children. No safe will offer 100% resistance to a thief with plenty of time, tools and determination. However, even a common safe from your local sporting goods store will deter the vast majority of burglars.

Lock box – There are a number of ready access lock boxes on the market that will allow you to secure the gun against children while still allowing you speedy access to the pistol contained within. For a gun you keep by the bedside, this is a very good way to safely store it. A neighbor’s kid wandering into your bedroom won’t be able to get in, but with a quick biometric or RFID scan, you are able to rapidly access your gun if someone comes into your home to do you harm.

A lock box will slow a thief, but not prevent him from taking the whole box to crack open at another location where he is unlikely to be discovered.

Trigger locks, cable locks – New guns all come with some kind of locking device, usually a trigger lock or cable lock. Some guns have an internal lock that disables them. These are good for keeping a child from hurting himself, but do not prevent theft or use after theft. A pistol or rifle secured with a trigger lock can still be carried from your home to a place where the criminal has plent of time to remove or bypass the lock.

My personal recommendation is to have a large safe that is properly secured to the studs and/or foundation. This is where you store all guns not being carried when you are away from the home. When you are home, the use of a lock box is a good idea for any staged guns. You primary defensive firearm should be on your person at all times: both at home and when out and about.

The Warfytr Down Draw Rifle Mag Carrier is an AR 15 mag pouch turned on its head, sort of. Their Mag Carrier is designed to be worn on a belt and the magazine is inserted upwards into the Mag Carrier. The magazine is suspended compared to a traditional mag pouch where the magazine is held upside down mainly due to gravity so it does not fall out of a traditional mag pouch. The problem with a traditional mag pouch is simply that the magazine is upside down. When you retreive it to reload, you have to re-orient the magazine 180 degrees to insert it into the gun. Now you could carry your mags upright in your mag pouch to skip the step of rotating the magazine 180 degrees but then another problem arises. How do you grasp the magazine? If the top is exposed there is not much to grab onto and you will have to readjust your grip when it comes time to inserting the magazing into the magwell of your AR.

So why does having a magazine upside down in a Warfytr Down Draw Mag Carrier make a big deal? Pure speed. Their Mag Carrier design allows for expedient removal. You can twist the mag and pull down but it is simply faster to just sweep your hand back and rock the magazine out of the Mag Carrier.

The Mag Carrier is 100% ambidextrous. The left and right sides are mirrored so you can remove the hardware and place it on the other side if you need to.

The Mag Carriers come with Warfytr's Cinch Hooks. They are a self adjusting belt clip that also works with Molle loops. They can accomodate up to a 2" belt.

These Mag Carriers are unfortunately magazine specific. They make two versions, a GI magazine version and a Magpul PMAG version. The difference in Mag Carrier is due to its locking design. In the photo below, I have circled the areas that the Mag Carrier locks onto the magazine. For the GI mag, it locks onto the indentation near the front of the mag. For the PMAG, the Mag Carrier locks onto the protrusions. There are other polymer AR15 magazines with similar protrusions so those mags will work in the PMAG Carrier.

The locking mechanism of the Mag Carrier allows it to hold up to 30 lbs without the magazine dropping out.

For more information, go to Warfytr.com.

I’m a fairly laid back kind of guy, few things or people can get me upset enough to rant and rave, but somehow Arsenal of Las Vegas managed to elicit these very feeling from me at SHOT Show 2016. Was I mistreated by the staff? Handed a dangerous firearm? Made to drink Vodka until I woke up in the ICU?

No, I was given a gun that I desperately needed years ago.

Wait what?!

Sounds confusing, but hear me out.

When I first began my journey to purchase my first suppressor, I looked high and low for the perfect 9mm host. One that not only met my functional/performance demands, but also had an appearance that make me proud of the gun itself.

After kicking the tires on dozens of handguns both at rental ranges and from various T&E samples or trades shows, I decided on an old classic – the SIG P226 in 9mm.

I love the aesthetics, the accuracy and the reliability of the SIG. If I were simply making a list adorned with checkboxes listing all the essential components of a solid handgun, the P226 was unquestionably a solid decision.

15+1 round capacity on flush-fitting magazines, with 20-round examples available as well, photo-luminescent night sights, railed dustcover, all-metal construction. Like I said, on paper the P226 is solid. The only thing I forgot to mention?

The price.

A P226 9mm with a threaded barrel retails for about $1,300!

I grumbled, groaned and complained about the price, but ultimately gave in and purchase the gun. Then, a year or so later, the FIME Group announces a new proprietary design that bares a striking resemblance to the P226 would be arriving stateside soon – the REX Zero 1.

No big deal, though, right? I mean, I bought a pistol from a company that’s legendary for their product’s build quality. I had all but convinced myself that the REX was just another clone of the world-famous 226, until I saw the damn price – roughly $600.

Yep, half the cost of my 226.

Look, I’m not saying, or even implying the REX is on par with 226. But what I can say, is that having just bought an expensive suppressor, I was hoping to buy a pistol that wouldn’t further break the bank.

Truth be told, I’ve only fire a few dozen rounds through the REX ZERO one with a Gemtech GM9 provided by SilencerShop and while at an indoor range. So for all I know, suppressor performance is abysmal.

What I do know, is that I would have liked to at least try it first.

Oh well, at least that’s one more affordable option for suppressor-owners looking for more can costs.

Hopefully when my T&E gun arrives, I’ll be able to give a full, in-depth review and either drown in buyer’s remorse (unlikely) or gloat on how smart of a purchase I made. Until then, we’ll just have to droll over the photos.

Possibly the most fun I’ve had with a .308 rifle was when I first shot an FN SCAR 17 rifle. I’d never fired a SCAR before, and had heard mixed things. Some people loved them, while others thought the guns were simply over-hyped. So, when I picked up one for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I would like the gun or not.

Pulling the trigger for the first time quickly clarified my position: I loved it. In fact, with every new magazine I slid home, I loved it a little more.

Ok, sure, everyone will have their own tastes when it comes to guns. Everything from balance and weight to caliber and accuracy will play a role. For me, the SCAR 17 just felt right.

If you don’t know about the SCAR 17, let me give you a quick rundown. FN, also known as FN America in the United States, designed the guns specifically for use by the US Special Operations Command. It is chambered for the 7.62 NATO cartridge. The .308 Win is largely interchangeable with 7.62 spec ammo and will run fine in this rifle.

Although the gun is very adaptable, it has an ungainly appearance. I think it has to do with the stock. The buttstock seems a little large for a gun of this size, yet it fits into the pocket of the shoulder nicely and gives you an excellent surface for a cheek weld.

Up front, the rifle has a 16.25” free floated barrel in civilian trim. FN sells the rifle with 10-round SCAR 17 magazines or 20-round magazines depending on your location.

I guess the thing I like most about the rifle is how well it fit my body. It pulled in nice to the body and felt like an extension of my own being. Add to the mix that the gun has ambidextrous controls – I’m a left eye dominant shooter – and the rifle seemed just about perfect to me.

Don’t get me wrong – there are a lot of good .308 rifles on the market. No one can argue the importance of the FAL, another FN product, in the development of modern battle rifles. Likewise guns like the AR-10 have also made their impact in the world of guns. But, for me, none offer the same feel and natural shooting of the SCAR 17.

Did you know that the United States considered adopting the FAL as its main battle rifle?

After World War II, many countries were looking to upgrade its small arms. The US was one of the countries. While the M1 Garand was a fine rifle during the war, there were a variety of improvements that could be made to increase its efficiency.

It is said that a handshake agreement between President D. Eisenhower and Prime Minister W. Churchill led to NATO adoption of the US preferred 7.62x51 cartridge. In exchange, the US would adopt the FAL as its main battle rifle.

History tells us that the US instead adopted the M14 and later the M16. So what happened to the US consideration of the FAL?

The US military did consider the FAL. After several earlier variants, the US made the T48: a FAL pattern rifle made under license from FN. By most accounts, this was a very good rifle. However, it went up against the T44 in trials. The T44 was a M1 variant that would eventually become the M14. Ultimately the T44 won the trials, though the testing was not without controversy.

An interesting aside is that the T48 was eventually influential in the development of the 5.56 NATO round. Through an experimental process called Project Salvo, small caliber weapons were tested. One of those was the Winchester Salvo rifle – a gun built on two T48 receivers. 

The Salvo rifle had two barrels, one for each T48 receiver. The gun fired a special 5.56 T65 duplex round: a load that had two .22 caliber projectiles fit into a necked down .308 case. So, with each pull of the trigger, four bullets would fly toward the enemy. The gun did better than I would have expected, but it never made it out of testing. But, it did help shape the eventual development of the 5.56 round we know today.

Even though the FAL never made it into US military service in a meaningful way, it nevertheless made a huge impact on world affairs. In fact, the gun has been called the “right arm of freedom” because it often faced off against regimes armed with the AKM and backed by the Soviet Union.  

Here in the US, the FAL has always been a popular rifle for civilian ownership. There are a number of companies that specialize in FAL builds and parts. For example, DS Arms is recognized by many as one of the top makers of metric pattern FAL rifles in the world today.

Not only does the company make a complete line of rifles, but DS Arms also makes SA58 magazines, barrels, replacement parts and more. If you have an interest in the FAL, you really should check out their rifles.

Extra Magazines help to keep the fun coming and your GLOCK 17 running smoothly.

My modified GLOCK 17 is my EDC gun.  I carry it concealed every day along with a spare magazine and I train with it regularly.  It consistently runs without a hitch due to its reliable design and quality magazines certainly help keep it running smoothly.

Early on in my shooting career I learned that multiple magazines could really increase my shooting fun and help me keep the shooting going.  It didn’t matter if I was shooting a match, taking a defensive training class or practicing at the range, extra mags were an essential item in the range bag an it remains that way today.

And I mean that quite literally.  Today I hit the range with my GLOCK 17 and I brought along my usual compliment of six GLOCK 17 factory mags.

Why so many mags?  It’s a fair question.

For starters, when I get shooting, I get into a groove.  I bet you are the same way.  Having six mags loaded and ready to go will let you double or triple the time focused on the skill you are working so hard developing on the range without the distraction of having to stop and refill magazines.  Anything you can safely do to maximize your time on the shooting line is a win and having spare magazines is worth the small investment.

Both competitive shooting and defensive shooting can be dynamic in nature.  When you start moving on the range during shooting exercises, there is no telling where your magazines might drop.  Magazines are relatively small and they can easily bounce, tumble and even get kicked under range equipment.  When the weather is less than fabulous empty mags seem to seek out the muddiest deepest puddles on the range.  Spare magazines let you stay focused on the task at hand and save the crawling under the bench and disassembly and cleaning to for when you are on the range.

Finally, as reliable as modern defensive handguns like the GLOCK 17 are, malfunctions can happen and one of the components that can contribute to malfunctions are your magazines.  They can get dirty, remember, mud puddles, or they can from time to time become worn or damaged.  Having spare magazines can keep you competing, training or practicing when something goes wrong with a magazine.

When it comes to the GLOCK 17 you have plenty of options when it comes to extra magazines.

I started shooting GLOCKS long before quality aftermarket mags were available, but today choices abound.  You can get reliable magazines for less than GLOCK factory mags.  Just this past weekend I watched several students run ETS GLOCK 17 mags in a high level defensive course without a hitch.

Magpul has dominated the AR-15 magazine market for a long time and their entry into GLOCK magazines has been impactful.  Magpul PMAGS for the GLOCK 17 are inexpensive, reliable and easy to maintain.  They are available as single magazines or in an affordable GLOCK 17 PMAG 10 pack.

When you head out to the range for practice, competition or training make sure you have the gear you need to keep your gun running, your practice moving forward and a smile on your face.  Extra magazines are essential gear for shooting enthusiasts and there is no better time than now to take advantage of the many options for GLOCK 17 magazines.

Springfield Armory made a big announcement this week when it launched its first AR-style rifle. Called The Saint, the AR-15 clone is a reasonably priced semi-automatic rifle with some very nice upgrades to make it an attractive shooter for a wide range of applications.

Basics

Starting with the basics of the gun, The Saint is a 5.56 NATO chambered rifle with a flat top receiver and an A2 style front sight post. Springfield Armory opted for a Melonite treated barrel made of CrMo steel that is 16” long and has a 1”8” twist. Bullet stabilization is a lot more than just twist rates, but in general a 1:8” twist is fast enough to stabilize heavier bullets that more and more shooters are favoring.

Both the upper and lowers are made of 7075-T6 aluminum and the gun has a true Type III hard coat anodized finish. Springfield Armory stuck with a tried and true M16 bolt carrier group that is made of Carpenter 158 steel that has been shot peened and MP inspected.

Upgrades

Springfield Armory went with some nice upgrades on this gun that make it worth paying attention to. Let’s start with the trigger group. All of the components in the fire control group are micro polished and nickel-boron treated. According to the company, that provides a trigger that is very smooth with a mil-spec weight. As a guy who has pulled a lot of triggers, I strongly believe the feel of the trigger is more important than the weight of the pull.

A lot of AR rifles have some slop between the upper and lower. There are some aftermarket solutions, but many of them are not terribly elegant. The company decided it could do a little better and opted for a system it calls the Accu-Tite system. This is supposed to lock the upper to the lower in a very tight way.

Up front, the company went with a two-piece Bravo Company hand guard that includes KeyMod attachment points. For a pistol grip, the company chose a Mod 0 pistol grip made by Bravo Company. Rounding out the furniture, Springfield Armory opted for a Bravo Company hat trick and selected the well-respected Gunfighter stock. 

On top, SA includes a folding rear sight that is matched to the front A2 post. Of course, you can also add a red dot or scope if you like.

With all of the gear, the gun is still on the trim side, weighing in at only 6.7 pounds. Also, the price is fairly modest as well. The gun carries a MSRP of only $899. While you can find a quality AR from another prominent company for less (I’m thinking the S&W Sport and Ruger AR-556), none of the other options have this bevy of upgrades which more than make up the price difference.

Included with the rifle is a single Magpul PMAG M3 30-round magazine. This is a good magazine, but one is not enough. AR magazines are inexpensive, and should be bought in bulk. If you’ve ever lived through a gun shortage, you know what I’m talking about. Take a look at this 10 magazine package of third generation PMAGs for an easy insurance policy against future shortages. These mags will work with The Saint and all other AR-15 rifles on the market.

When deciding on a home defense solution, many new shooters take the ill-informed, but well-meaning advice of armchair commandos, gun salesman and their uncle Bob. Which is to say, buying a pump-action shotgun and if confronted with an intruder, simple rack the action to scare them away. This is not only very bad advice, it’s also extremely dangerous and relies on the assumption that an attacker will be logical.

Many criminals and especially home-invaders, are hopped up on some form of chemical stimulant or opiate and their brains aren’t firing on all cylinders. They’re angry, aggressive and oftentimes so drugged up they can’t feel pain or fear. In this scenario, nothing short of a well-placed bullet will stop them.

And one of the most reliable ways to place that bullet where it needs to go, is firing it from a compact, lightweight, light-recoiling carbine.

Accuracy

While the majority of home defense shooting occur inside of five yards, that doesn’t mean a shooter doesn’t need an accurate firearm. While five yards may seem like too close for a shooter to miss, look at police shootouts at similar distances where dozens of rounds are exchanged, yet only a handful find their mark.

This is because most of these shootouts involve handguns. Handguns are great for home defense because they allow shooters to keep a hand free to operating lights, opening doors, or escorting loved ones out of harm’s way. The biggest problem with pistols, is that they’re difficult to accurately shoot without training and often have limited ammunition reserves.

The former is because shooters only have two points of contact with their pistol at most. This makes stabilizing the pistol both for accurate shots, and controlling the recoil of subsequent ones, more difficult than with a shoulder-fired firearm.

By picking a pistol caliber carbine, shooters benefit from increased stability and recoil control – the latter of which makes follow-up shots a breeze compared to traditional handguns. After all, pistol caliber carbines, by definition, are chambered in rounds designed to fired one-handed. The felt recoil impulse on something in 9mm like a SIG MPX, or CZ Scorpion EVO, is much more manageable than the recoil of a standard handgun, a 12-guage shotgun of any variety or even a 5.56mm carbine.

Which brings me to another advantage of these soft-shooting lead-slingers: cost of proficiency.

Cheap Proficiency

This section’s title might raise an eyebrow or two given the high cost of ammunition, but like Einstein’s theory of time, it’s all relative.

Many people like to quote Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliners’, where he suggests it takes 10,000 hours of practice to functionally master a skillset. While that may be true, few gun owners have the money or time to invest that much in shooting.

The good news, is that it only takes a fraction of that time to become proficient at any skillset. While I personally believe deliberate practice trumps rote learning, different methods work for different people.

Regardless of whether you spend 10,000 hours of 50 practicing with your chosen home defense firearm, pistol caliber carbines reduce that cost tremendously.

For example, look at the standard 30-round magazine used by the CZ-USA Scorpion EVO, the magazine itself is pretty inexpensive. More than that, filling said magazine with 9mm ammo is magnitudes less expensive than firing the same amount of ammo through a pump-action shotgun.

It also tends to take less repetitions to master for new shooters, since the recoil impulse is much less than centerfire rifles or 12-guage shotguns. And don’t forget about the volume of the shot itself, which brings me to our next section.

Suppressor-friendly

 With the exception of calibers designed specifically for suppressors like .300 blackout, pistol  calibers are literally, exponentially quieter than their rifle-caliber counterparts.

Our military’s standard round, 5.56x45mm, fires a very small, very light bullet at incredible speed. This high velocity is what makes the round effective against two-legged predators and enemy soldiers. The only problem with this, is that the round’s super-sonic velocity makes even suppressed guns very loud.  Not, damage-your-hearing loud, but certainly unpleasant, especially indoors.

Pistol caliber carbines on the other hand, can be borderline movie quiet when equipped with a quality sound suppressor. This is because most common pistol calibers can be loaded in subsonic varieties without negating their effective terminal ballistics.

So if you’re running a 9mm SIG MPX carbine with its 20-round magazine filled with 147gr subsonic hollow-points, and a nice sound suppressor like the GemTech GM9 from SilencerShop, indoor gunshots won’t damage you, or your loved one’s hearing.

This may seem like the last thing on a homeowner’s mind when they hear a window shatter at 3am, but it’s important because you never know if that intruder was alone or not. Firing an unsuppressed shotgun or rifle will destroy your hearing entirely for a few hours. Deaf, and possibly blind from a bright muzzle flash in a dark house, it would be very easy for another attacker to sneak up on you. Plus, who is going to take the time when they’re scared half to death, to put on a pair of ear muffs or plugs?

Shared Ammunition (and sometimes magazines)

Very few handguns are chambered in full-powered rifle cartridges. The only one I can think of off hand, is the Ruger New model Blackhawk in .30 carbine. But truthfully, .30 carbine is hardly considered a full-powered round, and the Blackhawk is single-action only – making this six-gun a poor choice for home defense.

That said, plenty of carbines are chambered in common pistol rounds, so shooters can swap ammunition between guns or just simplify the logistics of purchasing ammunition. Some pistol caliber carbines like the Kel-Tec Sub 2000, or Beretta’s PX-4 Storm even use pistol magazines. So a shooter could keep a backup on their hip, and a carbine at the ready. If either firearm malfunctions, they can take the magazine out of one, and insert it in the other.

This can also be handy if your spouse also has a firearm for home defense. It allows the two of you to swap magazines and ammunition. While handy, it’s likely you’ll never need this capability. Still, gun-owners don’t tend to be the sort of people to take unnecessary risks. Which might be why they own a gun in the first place.

Regardless of which caliber, firearm or ammunition you choose – be sure to thoroughly test your chosen setup before employing it for home defense use. The best time to make sure a gun functions fine with a certain brand of ammo, isn’t during a firefight.

Magazines for the AR-15/M-4 platform are a topic of great debate among shooters. Some people swear by USGI style magazines, while others curse them. This debate has led to a situation where it seems everyone and their brother is now making AR-15 magazines.

In a lot of ways, the competition is good. Competition leads to innovation and better prices for the consumer. However, it can also lead to confusion as the buyer doesn’t know what is the best magazine for his or her need.

Well, the good news is most of the modern magazines being made are reliable and affordable. So, it is hard to get it wrong.

However, I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to use USGI magazines. In general, I’ve gotten very good service from most of them. But, that doesn’t mean they are perfect.

There are two very easy ways I have found to improve the USGI magazines that I have in my possession. The first way is to upgrade the follower, and the second way is to change out the floor plate. Here’s what I do…

The follower in the standard USGI magazine has always been a source of concern for many shooters. Over the years, the US military has altered the specifications for the follower. Each of the new specs gets its own color to help people sort out which is which.

For me, I’ve had great luck solving any reliability issues by using the Magpul Enhanced Self Leveling Follower. These followers are true anti-tilt followers that are slick as hot butter when running in both aluminum and steel magazines. If I plan on using the magazine for anything serious, be it home defense or hunting, it gets a Magpul follower.

On the other end of the mag, I like to run Magpul’s L-Plate for USGI magazines. These floor plates replace the normal one and add a base pad that cushions the body when the empty magazine is dropped from the rifle.

Additionally, there are a pair of holes in the cushion that allow the shooter to tie paracord to them. I’ve known a few people who do this to make drawing the magazine from a pouch easier. The L-Plates come in a variety of colors and are very affordable for what they are.

Pocket 380 pistols have been popular for a long time. Their popularity makes sense as the guns can typically be carried when larger handguns are too bulky, yet the guns are chambered in a respectable caliber. With modern ammunition, some are comfortable in saying the .380 approaches the effectiveness of the 9mm.

Smith & Wesson launched its line of Bodyguard 380 pistols at the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. This gun was a bit of an eye catcher since a red aiming laser was an integral part of the gun’s body. The guns proved to be quite popular, and since that initial launch, several changes have been made to the line to broaden its appeal.

Currently, Smith & Wesson offers six different models of Bodyguard 380. These include models both with and without internal lasers and models with and without external safety levers. One model is a special edition engraved model with a polished stainless slide. If you are interested in these pistols, there is a good chance that S&W offers one that will fit your needs.

All of the Bodyguard pistols are affordable and compact, making them appealing to many people needing a personal protection tool. The guns are also fairly light – coming in around 12 ounces when unloaded. I’ve found that the Bodyguard 380 is an easy gun to carry concealed. While it is a little larger than the Ruger LCP, it can still be used for pocket carry. I prefer to carry it in an inside-the-waistband holster, but it can also serve very well riding in an ankle rig.

If the guns have a significant drawback, it is in the trigger pull. The pull is relatively long, though not heavy. Some people will not like this, while others specifically look for a long pull in a self-defense handgun. It is all a matter of preference. While I prefer a shorter trigger stroke, the BG380 can be mastered with a little practice.

As mentioned previously, some of the guns ship with an external safety lever. In my own testing, I found the lever on the small size making it a bit more difficult to de-activate under stress. With the long double-action trigger, I never felt the need to use the safety. Of course, there are many people who feel the lever offers a measurable degree of benefit, and there is nothing wrong with that. Again, it is a matter of preference. Whichever you choose, just make sure you practice with it so you can use the safely use the gun if a lethal threat ever presents itself.

If you decide that the Bodyguard meets your needs for a defensive handgun, there are a few things you might want to consider purchasing to go with it. Here are the top four things that I would recommend you consider.

Accessory #1 – Extra Magazines

The most common point of failure in a semi-automatic firearm is the feeding device. This is equally true with these pistols. If you begin to encounter reliability problems with your pistol, change to a new magazine and see if the problem disappears. In many cases it will.

I strongly encourage buying at least four additional Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 magazines to use with your new pistol. Ensure that two are reliable and keep those as your carry mags. The rest can be used for training where you are not worried about them getting dinged up. Just be sure to mark the magazines in some way so you know which is which. A small dab of fingernail polish on the magazine floor plate is one way of marking them.

Accessory #2 – A Good Holster

This should be obvious, but it is still worth saying: a good carry rig can ensure both your safety and comfort when carrying the Bodyguard. Where you like to carry will greatly impact what kind of holster you might select. If you find yourself in need of help in selecting a good rig, check out this comprehensive list of Bodyguard 380 holsters. There are a wide range of holsters out there, and this list helps to sort through them all.

Accessory #3 – Lasers

It might sound silly suggesting a laser for a gun that was originally designed to have one built in. As I mentioned above, current Bodyguard pistols can come without lasers. If you buy one and later decide you’d like to add a supplemental aiming tool, Crimson Trace has you covered with options for both red and green lasers. For my money, the green laser is the better choice as it is more visible in daylight conditions. The red is slightly cheaper and will last longer on a single set of batteries, however.

If you know you want a green laser before you buy your gun, Smith & Wesson offers a Bodyguard with a Crimson Trace green laser. This is the same laser you can buy separately and not one of the internal lasers. I’ve tested this same laser on two other compact pistols and like it a lot. If I was buying a new Bodyguard 380 today, this is the model I would pick up.

Accessory #4 – Cleaning Kit

You should have the cleaning tools appropriate for any gun you carry. However, I have found that the BG380 has a tendency to attract a bit more grime than some of the other pistols I have carried. I’m not sure why that is, but I suspect it has something to do with the additional cracks and crevices associated with being a hammer fired gun. That said, I’ve always felt compelled to clean this gun more often than some of my others.

A bore snake is one of the greatest firearms inventions. Seriously. This is a long, thick material that is not unlike a really fat shoelace. It has a bronze bore brush built into it and a heavy metal tab on the leading edge. To use it, you add some gun oil and then drop the metal tab through the gun’s bore from the chamber end. All you have to do then is pull the snake through. I find that 90% of the bore fouling is gone after the first pass, and a second pass gets almost everything remaining. It makes short work of cleaning the gun.