What’s a shotgun choke tube?

The choke tube on a shotgun is a cylindrical piece of metal that screws into the muzzle end of the barrel. The exact length of the choke depends on the model. Its purpose is to affect the spread of the pellets. Basically, chokes that are wider open allow a broader pattern on target faster. However, that doesn’t automatically mean open is better or worse. Many factors come into play, such as distance and application.

What do shotgun choke measurements mean?

At its simplest, the choke measurement isn’t about the size of the actual bore of the barrel. Instead, shotgun choke measurements list the difference their use will make in inches. For example, a 12-gauge shotgun has a .730-inch bore. An Improved Cylinder choke will be marked with a 0.010, meaning it will restrict the bore of the 12 gauge by 0.010 inches. That turns your 0.730-inch bore into a 0.720-inch bore. It might not sound like much, but those changes in bore size can make a significant difference in how quickly your pellets spread and what the resulting pattern looks like.

What sizes of shotgun chokes are there?

The most common chokes are Full (0.30 inches), Improved Modified (0.025 inches), Modified (0.020 inches), Light Modified (0.015 inches), and Improved Cylinder (0.010 inches). Some of the other types include Skeet (0.005 inches) and XX-Full, the latter of which comes in numerous sizes.

The Mossberg X-Factor Ported Turkey Choke, which is an XX-Full, restricts the bore all the way down to 0.670 inches (meaning the choke itself is a 0.060 inch). XX-Full chokes generally restrict between 0.040 inches and 0.090 inches. Be aware that some manufacturers will label a choke tube using common names, but the exact size will be different than what is considered the classic sizing or standard sizing method. Never assume you know the size of a choke based on its name. Instead, read the specifications and find out for sure.

What do different-sized shotgun chokes do?

Full chokes are commonly used by shotgunners looking for a wider pattern at a greater distance. A Full choke is a more restrictive choke size, meaning the payload will spread at a slower rate. XX-Full chokes are extremely restrictive, which is fantastic for shots taken at longer distances like you do while turkey hunting.

In contrast, an Improved Cylinder choke isn’t that restrictive and allows the pellets to spread out at a faster rate, enabling a greater number of pellets to hit a broader area at closer distances. That’s particularly useful for dove hunting—they’re tiny, fast targets typically hunted at relatively close range—and upland bird hunting.

Of course, there are many other choke sizes to consider. Here’s a basic rundown of the common sizes. It’s not a complete list; it’s just generalities to give you an idea of how they work.

• Improved Cylinder (IC)
  • Hunting dove, upland birds, rabbits, and deer (with slugs). Sometimes used by waterfowl hunters in flooded timber. The ideal effective range is between 20 and 30 yards.
• Light Modified (LM)
  • Sporting clays, dove, and waterfowl hunting. Often late-season goose. The ideal effective range is between 20 and 35 yards.
• Modified (M)
  • Trapshooting, goose hunting, and other bird hunting where longer shots may be required. The ideal effective range is between 25 and 45 yards.
• Improved Modified (IM)
  • Trapshooting, waterfowl over rice fields or open water, squirrels, and turkeys. The ideal effective range is between 25 and 50 yards.
• Full (F)
  • Waterfowl, turkey, crows, rabbits, and deer (with buckshot). The ideal effective range is between 40 and 50 yards.
• XX-Full
  • Turkey, although it can be used for any target at significant distances. The ideal effective range is 40 yards and beyond, with the outer yardage depending on the specific choke size.

Something to remember is that the specific load you’re using matters, too. Steel shot will give you greater distance than lead. In fact, if you’re using lead shots, you might lose up to 10 yards of effective range (all numbers listed above are for steel shots). Also, certain loads will allow you greater distances beyond the listed ranges. Pellets, buckshot, and slugs all offer different results.

What choke for self-defense?

If your shotgun is specifically designed for self-defense use, it will have a cylinder or open choke. That means there’s no restriction to the bore size, and the pattern will open up faster than it would if the bore were restricted. Some defensive-use shotguns are manufactured with the bore threaded for choke tubes. If yours is, you might be wondering if it could benefit you to put a different choke in it.

The answer is that it depends on the distance of your most likely shots to be taken with that shotgun and what ammo you’ll be using. Incidentally, that’s true for all choke tubes. But back to home defense.

If you’re going to run a shotgun or home defense—or self-defense in your truck—you’ll usually be fine without changing the choke if it’s made for that purpose. Further, it’s important that you pattern your shotgun. Many gun owners don’t understand how the payload from a shotgun patterns on target, meaning they fail to realize their shotgun isn’t likely to have time to spread out in a defensive situation. That is also why shotguns designed for defensive use have a cylinder or open chokes, which allows for a faster spread. Shotguns can be great tools for self-defense as long as you understand and work within their limitations.

How do you choose a choke tube?

Your choice of choke tube involves figuring out what your target is, the distance at which you expect to shoot it, and what ammunition you’re using. Ammunition comes into play more after you’ve figured out targets and distance. There’s also an exception where certain chokes—often Full—can’t be used with steel shot. That detail should be noted by the manufacturer. Not all choke tubes can be used with all types of ammo or for all applications, although some are more versatile than others.

If you’re a hunter—and you probably are if you’re reading this—you’d benefit from having more than one option for chokes. Odds are you’ll be hunting different birds at varying distances, and that means changing choke tubes.

Once you’ve chosen your choke tube and ammo, you need to take the time to pattern it. Understanding the spread at various distances is important, and it varies depending on factors like barrel length, choke size, and ammunition. Change any one of those details, and your results can change, too. It’s never a waste of ammunition to familiarize yourself with the ammo’s performance on target.

How do you install a shotgun choke?

Shotguns that ship with a threaded bore typically also ship with a small choke tool that can be used to remove and install choke tubes. It’s also usually possible to do it by hand with no tools, but having the right tool can help with stubborn chokes and also make it easier to tighten it as needed. There are also tools available for different brands of chokes. The good news is that it only takes a matter of moments to swap out chokes, and you don’t need a gunsmith.

Do shotgun chokes really matter?

Yes, the choke tube on your shotgun matters. It affects how the shotgun patterns are shot and at what range they are most effective. When you’re new to shotguns, you might ignore the chokes in favor of getting used to the platform, but before long, you need to learn about choke tubes. Experience is a great teacher, but so is doing your research in advance.

The post Shotgun Chokes: How They Work appeared first on The Mag Life.

Iron sights have been the default aiming system since the very first firearms, and as we have started getting away from them, they’ve become more intimidating to master. But when all else fails, iron sights will be there, and the lion’s share of old and new firearms come equipped with iron sights of some sort. It pays to learn to use them, and it’s high time we discuss the why and how of using iron sights.

Why use iron sights?

Iron sights have their advantages over more modern sight setups. The first is durability and reliability. Iron sights are dovetailed or clamped onto the barrel and don’t require batteries or glass in order to operate. Iron sights can fail. A blow in the right place can knock iron sights out of alignment, but in general, irons are more tolerant of abuse. Although micro red dot sights have closed the gap in this department, iron sights are generally more compact and lightweight than conventional rifle scopes. They, along with 1x red dots, excel at picking up short-range targets quickly, whereas higher magnification optics require dialing back and hunting in the tube for the target.

Drawbacks and Disadvantages

Iron sights lack magnification and are often not fine enough to pick up on targets at longer ranges. In fact, the front post of the iron sights can cover up your target, depending on what and how far you are shooting. In addition, iron sights can be tricky to use in very low and very bright light. Tritium and fiber optic sights are easier to see in these situations, but traditional all-metal sights appear in blackness as a slightly blacker object that is harder to orient quickly on a target. Likewise, sun glare can make the front sight disappear from view.

How To Use Iron Sights: General Practices

The setup of iron sights can vary from platform to platform, but what is most typical is a rear sight notch and a front sight post. Sometimes, these sights are fixed in place on the barrel or slide. Most are dovetailed and can be drifted with a punch. Some feature adjustable rear sights that can be moved left/right and up/down with the help of a screwdriver. But this general sight setup is true on most handguns and traditional rifles out there.

The key components of using iron sights are sight alignment and sight picture. The front sight should fill or center in the notch or groove in the rear sight. If you get the front sight in the groove but too high over the groove, your rounds can strike high. Too low, and the rounds will strike too low.

When level, the rounds may not strike at the point of aim, but that can generally be adjusted by moving the sights. If your rounds are hitting to the left of your aiming point, move the rear sight to the right or the front sight to the left. If you are hitting to the right, move the front sight right and the rear sight left.

With the sights aligned and zeroed correctly, the sight picture comes into play. Ideally, the shooter will focus on the front sight and index the top of the front sight where she wants the bullet to go. If the rounds strike too high, the front sight can be replaced or filed down. Alternatively, the rear sight groove can be deepened. With rounds shooting low, a taller front sight is needed.

Having an adjustable rear sight takes some of this bench work off the table. Alternatively, you might play with different ammunition to change the point of impact or simply remember where your particular firearm hits at a given distance.

Special Iron Sight Cases

Muzzleloaders and Shotguns

Most muzzleloading guns have primitive iron sights that are vaguely modern with a front blade or post sight and a rear notch. Some smoothbore guns, both original and replica, do not have sights at all. Military handguns were intended as point-shoot, fire-and-forget weapons. Military muskets, like the Brown Bess and Charleville, do not have sights either, but a bayonet lug that can act as a front sight. Most civilian smoothbore guns wore a post or bead front sight but no rear sight.

The concept of having only a front sight translates over to the modern smoothbore: the shotgun. Depending on how your shotgun patterns, you might simply sight down the barrel and look at the bead in full view. You may also have to bury the bead lower in your line of sight to get a finer sight picture. Shooting slugs is a bit less nuanced.

You may have to bury the bead or have it in full view, but the rainbow trajectory of the slug between 0-100 yards will mean you should aim a bit low for effective hits. Regardless of how you view the bead, having a proper cheek weld on the smoothbore’s stock is vital to repeatable accuracy. If your head does not engage the stock in the same place, you are liable to view the bead a bit differently and throw your round off to some degree.

Military Rifles

Military rifles are their own animal in the alchemy of iron sight pedagogy. Some military rifles come equipped with an aperture or peep rear sight and a front post. But the lion’s share of older military rifles and their modern variants come equipped with tangent rear sights. These rifles range from the late black powder era, like the Trapdoor Springfield, to the Mauser. Today, the AK platform is the latest that use this system, but it occasionally shows up on some civilian arms.

Lining up these sights falls in line with general practices. The rear sight is adjustable on the fly for ballistic drop by sliding the tangent back and forth to raise and lower the sight. It is also common for military rifles to shoot high. It is often useful to use a six o’clock hold to put the rounds in the desired spot. This is helpful as the front sight is aimed below the intended point of impact, so the sight itself does not hide the target. The disadvantage is that you have to remember this hold.

Peep Sighted Rifles and Shotguns

Peep sights, also known as aperture sights, came along to address the issue of the standard notch and post arrangement. These “peep” sights allow for a quicker sight picture, as one only has to look through the rear peep to find the front sight. They also eliminated the blocky notch, which can cover up part of the target. This setup dates to later plains rifles in the mid-19th century but became popular after World War II thanks to the influence of rifles like the M1 Garand and M1 Carbine.

Peep sights are usually mounted to the receiver or drilled and tapped into the receiver tang. Tang rear sights are set up like a ladder and are adjustable for elevation by raising and lowering the peep along the ladder. For a finer or larger sight picture, the peep can be switched for another. Most modern peep sights, however, are receiver-mounted and tool-adjustable. The AR platform is the most common type to use peep sights, whether it is through the use of a carry handle or backup sights. These types are adjustable for windage by moving a hand screw, which drifts the peep from left to right. Adjusting for elevation is usually done by moving the front sight.

Mastering Iron Sights: Part Art, Part Science

It is sometimes joked that iron sights are the manual transmission of gun sights. As someone who learned and continues to drive a manual but sometimes dabbles with an automatic transmission, I get the joke. Iron sights have been around for a long time and require more conscious thought to be used accurately. But whether you start out with iron sights and go to optics or vice versa, the concept of sight alignment and sight picture remain the main hurdle that you have to deal with no matter what sighting device you choose.

It can be frustrating to start off with irons because you have to learn these concepts, learn the different ways different iron sights can work, and how to manually zero them. The same challenges apply with optics, but overcoming them is easier, allowing you to focus more quickly on other shooting fundamentals like developing follow-through and a proper trigger press. While optics are easy to use, they also more easily fail in interesting ways. In the absence of a well-regulated optic, the universal iron sight remains useful and a must-know system.

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Hammer Fired Pistols

Hammer-fired pistols have been around since the dawn of the auto pistol, but so too have striker-fired handguns. It is only recently that striker actions have become so popular. But there are plenty of hammer-fired pistols out there, each with its own virtues and disadvantages. Hammer-fired pistols use either an external or internal hammer that is cocked by the slide. External hammers also allow the end user to thumb cock the hammer. The hammer is powered by a mainspring in the backstrap of the grip and falls when the trigger is pulled. The slide then automatically recocks the hammer. Two general types of hammer-fired handguns exist: single-action or SAO or double-action pistols in DAO and DA/SA configurations.

Single Action

Single-action handguns require the hammer to be cocked to the rear in order for the pistol to fire. With the hammer resting against the frame, you can pull the trigger all you want, but the pistol will not fire. The trigger accomplishes a single action, which is dropping the cocked hammer. Most handguns that are single-action feature a spurred hammer and a short trigger. Any number of 1911 pistols and Browning Hi Powers follow this formula. But there have long been concealed hammer handguns that are also hammer-fired. The Colt 1903 and the Smith & Wesson EZ models look like striker-fired handguns because they do not have an external hammer you can see. But they do have a hammer that is sealed within the slide.

More recently, competition-ready models like 2011s have hit the market. Makers like CZ and Beretta have also released single-action-only versions of their heritage double-action designs for shooters who wish to take advantage of the single-action short trigger release.

As competitors have long known, it is easy to run a single-action pistol quickly on the clock. On the practice range, that same short trigger pull can equate to tight groups and high confidence. The downside of single-action pistols is more obvious in a concealed carry or home defense format. As it takes little effort to press the trigger, most single-action pistols have a manual safety so the pistol can safely be carried in a proper holster with the hammer cocked. A cocked external hammer also invites ingress and debris to collect over time, requiring more conscious maintenance.

Double-Action

Double-action hammer-fired pistols came about because of the deficiencies with single-action guns. In the early decades of the auto pistol, it was not considered safe to carry a handgun fully loaded. Mechanical safeties could get brushed, and short triggers could lead to more negligent discharges in an era of lax trigger discipline. Many pistols were not made with drop safeties, which made carrying with a round in the chamber that much more dubious.

The double-action pistol allows the user to carry the pistol with a round in the chamber without the need to fumble with a manual safety. The Walther PP and PPK pistols at the turn of the 1930s represent this trend; one copied on most double-action designs. Most double-action pistols are classified as double-action/single-action. They feature an exposed hammer and a trigger that both cocks and drops the hammer in double action. The kicker is that extra action requires a longer trigger pull to accomplish. Fortunately, that added a level of safety that made it possible to carry without the safety engaged. Pistols like the PPK have a safety that doubles as a decocker, allowing you to drop the hammer without setting off a cartridge when you are done shooting and want to make the gun safer.

Some handguns, like the Beretta 92 G, have a decocker only. This allows the user to decock the pistol but keep the safety off, whereas older designs stay in the safe position until the shooter decides otherwise. There are other pistols that use a recessed hammer that can only be fired in double action for every shot. The Sig Sauer P220 series DAK and P250 pistols, as well as the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard, are three such examples. These models have a consistent, heavier trigger pull and lack an exposed hammer that can be snagged on clothing when the hammer is resting against the frame.

The chief disadvantage of double-action hammer-fired pistols is the long and heavy trigger pull. While excellent from a safety standpoint, it takes practice to pull all the way through while keeping your sights still. DAO designs have the virtue of having the same consistent trigger pull throughout, while DA/SA handguns require follow-through with two different trigger presses. On those handguns, the external hammer is cocked after the first shot, and each subsequent shot will be a single-action with a shorter, lighter trigger.

Striker-Fired Handguns

Although hammer-fired pistols are praised for being simpler, that is simply because hammer-fired firearms were the default operating system even before we had modern ammo. Striker-fired handguns are just as simple, with some of the virtues of single-action and double-action hammer-fired handguns but without the potential ingress point of having a hammer.

All pistols have firing pins. In the case of the hammer-fired pistols, the hammer hits a floating firing pin in the frame to set off the ammunition. With striker-fired handguns, the firing pin is held under tension against the trigger’s sear, which would otherwise interface with a hammer. When the trigger is pulled, that tension is released, and the round is fired. The slide recocks the striker as it comes rearwards like it does the hammer in hammer-fired handguns.

Single-Action and Double-Action

Like hammer-fired handguns, striker guns can have strikers that are fully cocked like a single-action or not cocked at all as in a double-action. Others are somewhere in between. Double-action striker-fired pistols date back to the old Austro-Hungarian Roth Steyr Model 1907. It was a striker-fired handgun, and as the trigger is squeezed, the exposed striker is cocked and then released. This type is exceedingly rare, but Canik has kept the concept alive. The benefits of a double-action striker-fired pistol, like a hammer-fired model, are that it takes a purposeful trigger pull to set off, and you can strike the same round a second time if it fails to go off on the first strike.

As a class of handguns, the most popular models are not true double action or single action, but recently single action striker-fired handguns have taken off. The adopted Sig M17/M18, as well as versions of Sig P365, are two notable examples of striker-fired handguns that feature a crisp trigger paired with a manual safety similar to a hammer-fired single-action.

Somewhere in Between

The Glock Safe Action trigger has been widely copied by their competitors, but the principle remains the same. Do without the manual safety needed with a single action and have a mushier trigger without going for double action types of trigger weights. When the slide is manipulated, the striker on a Glock pistol is not completely cocked. Pressing the trigger the rest of the way finishes the cocking of the striker before releasing it. This allows the user to have a trigger pull that is easy to manage without being unsafe but allows you to fire the pistol quickly without the need to remember a safety. It also has a consistent trigger pull, which can’t be said for DA/SA hammer-fired pistols. Although Glock is the most popular brand that has a striker action like this, Smith & Wesson, Walther, Springfield, and most other manufacturers have coopted the idea to some extent.

Hammer Fired vs. Striker Fired: Which to Pick?

Choosing between hammer-fired and striker-fired pistols is going to depend on your priorities and other barriers to entry, such as price and availability. For example, a competitive shooter might want a single-action hammer-fired pistol for a smooth and fast trigger release. But that same shooter might not want to worry about a safety on his daily carry handgun. You might carry in such a way that a good double-action pistol is the only way to feel safe, let alone be safe. Striker-fired handguns can strike a balance between the two or fill the shoes of both types of hammers-fired pistols, although there aren’t as many models that can do so. The compromise choice of a striker gun may be the best fit for some and an unsatisfying one for others. Between these models, there is no right choice but only the right choice for you.

The post Double-Action vs. Single-Action vs. Striker-Fired Handguns: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Mag Life.

Why are there so many various barrel profiles? We’re glad you asked because you’re about to find out what the various barrel profiles are intended for. But first, let’s start with the basics.

We generally divide barrel profiles (sometimes referred to as weights) into three basic categories, including Heavy, Medium, and Light contour barrels. Further, each style or category has its own attributes, complete with advantages and disadvantages. That said, does barrel profile really matter all that much? Well, let’s discuss.

Heavy Contour Barrels

A heavy barrel is sometimes referred to as a “Bull” barrel. It has no material machined off the outside of the barrel, which makes it a perfect cylinder. The outside diameter is constant along the entire length of the barrel. Heavy barrels have the caveat that they weigh more than any other type of barrel, begging the question, why would someone want more weight? Sometimes, if the caliber is heavy recoiling, the extra weight will help to tame the recoil, which is an obvious advantage.

Beyond that, the bull barrel has more surface area and metal, so it takes longer to heat up when being fired. That can help accuracy because as a barrel heats up, it can slightly warp, which can change where the bullet impacts the target. This is especially useful if the rifle will be used in sustained fire applications, which can cause a lot of heat.

Sustained fire is applicable to machine guns and occasionally sniper rifles. While snipers don’t always fire a lot of rounds in one engagement, it can sometimes happen. If a barrel heats up too much, it can actually be damaged by the heat.

Additionally, a heavier barrel profile is stiffer than a lighter one. The barrel’s rigidity is good because outside influences can affect it less. Tightening a sling as a shooting aid or pressure on the rifle’s handguard can cause the barrel to flex slightly (usually not enough to be visible) if it is not free-floating, which can cause the bullet’s point of impact to shift.

Cutting Weight

One way to shave off weight is to use a shorter heavy barrel. A positive aspect of doing so, aside from saving weight, is that a shorter barrel will be stiffer, which contributes to accuracy. The stiffer it is, the less it whips or flexes when the bullet travels down the barrel. Less flex can help to equal better accuracy. The downside of that is that when you start lopping off inches from a barrel’s length, the projectile’s velocity usually falls. Typically, though, it’s not as much as people might think, and often, a couple of inches off of the barrel’s length results in only a small loss in velocity, depending on the caliber. The savings in weight and length may well be worth it.

When I was a member of a tactical team, I was issued a Remington 700P in .308 Winchester. That rifle had a 24-inch heavy barrel and could shoot groups slightly under 1/2-MOA. I also had a personal Remington 700P that shot slightly tighter groups than the agency-issued model. Those heavy barrels sure did allow great accuracy.

Light/Thin Barrels

Some lightweight sporter rifles have thin barrels, sometimes referred to as “pencil barrels.” These lightweight barrels help to make the rifle lighter and less bulky. These types of barrels can be worn by all sorts of rifles, from bolt-action hunting rifles to AR-15s and other semi-autos.

While the weight savings might be nice, these thinner barrels can experience a lot of whip when the projectile is going down the barrel as the gun is fired. Another factor is that the barrel will heat up quickly after a few shots have been fired.

Medium Contour Barrels

I personally really like medium-weight barrels, as they offer the best of both worlds. They’re not too thin but not overly heavy, giving many of the advantages of both profiles and yet having few disadvantages.

My Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor has a medium barrel, and the rifle is hefty but not overly heavy. It’s amazingly accurate and capable of less than 1/2-MOA accuracy with standard hunting ammunition.

Overall, this barrel profile is my favorite.

Other Considerations

Tapering

Some barrels are tapered, which can improve balance and handling and reduce weight. Most of the time, the taper narrows gradually toward the muzzle and can be employed on barrels of various weights, from heavy varmint hunter barrels to thinner “Pencil” type barrels, and it is sometimes so subtle that it’s difficult to notice.

Fluting

During the fluting process, grooves or channels are cut into the outside portion of the barrel. These are often straight grooves, but spiral fluting has been gaining in popularity in recent years.

Not only does fluting save weight, but it also adds surface area to the rifle’s barrel, which helps it dissipate heat and cool more quickly. Aside from the functional aspects of fluting, it also adds an artistic element to the rifle. In other words, it makes the gun look cooler!

Downsides of Fluting

The downside of fluting is that it adds cost to the rifle, and having it done as a custom feature can be expensive. Occasionally, we’ll see fluting offered from the factory, which is always a nice touch. I have a Savage MK II FV-SR rifle in .22LR that came from the factory with fluting, and I love it. To be honest, the fluted barrel made it stand out on the shelf, which is what prompted me to have a look at it in the first place. I’m glad I bought that rifle because it’s a great shooter and very accurate. The heavy, fluted barrel really delivers.

Did I “need” the fluting on the Savage .22LR? Not really, and I don’t know that it makes the rifle shoot any better. However, I’m tickled with the appearance, and the fluting raises the cool factor by a wide margin. It’s a lot of fun to shoot tiny groups with it at the range, and the weight of that heavy barrel adds a little extra weight, so the recoil on a cartridge that barely recoils at all in the first place is nearly imperceptible. It’s just plain fun!

Closing Thoughts

Different strokes for different folks make the world go round. We have the luxury of choosing between a host of barrel lengths and profiles. The ranges from lightweight to heavyweight are interesting, and it can be very rewarding to select just the right barrel profile for the task at hand.

Maybe you’re in the market for a light sporter made specifically for toting around the mountains. Perhaps you need a sniper rifle or target rifle, so a heavy bull barrel might be the best way to go. Then again, Ruger’s American Predator is a good all-around rifle to fill many tasks. Whatever the mission you’d like to fill, there’s a barrel out there somewhere that’s just perfect for the task.

The post Choices, Choices: Barrel Profiles & Why They Matter appeared first on The Mag Life.

The first mass-produced double stack 1911 was the Para-Ordnance from Canada, which began as a 14-shot gun chambered in .45 ACP. There were some folks who were comfortable concealing them despite the widened frame’s girth. The late Frank James, always a practical sort (and a hell of a good shot), was the first to point out that such a gun made a lot of sense for home defense. He pointed out that none of us sleep with spare ammo, and when the burglar alarm goes off, there might only be time to grab the gun and whatever ammo it contained. There might not be time to put on our glasses, let alone put in contact lenses, so a big red dot sight made tactical sense in a bedside pistol.

Time went on. The 9mm cartridge eclipsed the .45 ACP in popularity with a public willing to accept the theory that all “service pistol calibers” were equally effective and a “wide-body double-stack” .45 could hold way more 9mm rounds in the same size pistol. And, of course, it made sense to have a rail for attached white light or light-and-laser combinations.

Virgil Tripp’s concept morphed into STI (Strayer-Tripp International) and then into Staccato, at which point the brand really took off. Today, the 2011 moniker has become a generic term, like “Kleenex” for any paper tissue or “Frigidaire” for any refrigerator. It has become a “new hotness” with many imitators and many variations.

The police picked up on the Staccato. When the US Marshal’s Service adopted the Staccato for its elite Special Operations Group (SOG), the company had its foot in the door, making a positive entry into the police market.

In southern California, the Ontario Police Department made news when it adopted the expensive Staccato 9mm with red dot sight and attached white light as standard issue for the rank and file, not just the elite SWAT team. Numerous other agencies, not budgeted to buy that many expensive guns for standard issue, made the Staccato optional for officers who wanted to buy their own guns and carry them on duty.

The “Why”

Why purchase an updated 1911 design at a time when striker-fired 9mm pistols with polymer frames and substantial capacity magazines cost so much less? Let’s take a look at the fine points of the matter.

Shootability

Any firearms instructor, police officer, soldier, or experienced civilian shooter knows that jerking the trigger is the single most common cause of bad hits. The 1911’s short, crisp, and relatively light trigger pull reduces the degree to which a bad pull jerks a shot off target. Anything that improves hit potential is a definite “plus.”

Proprietary Nature to the User

1911 or 2011 or whatever, a single-action auto pistol must be carried “on safe.” The trained, competent user learns to off-safe the gun in the instant before the shot and loses no time at all, but if the Bad Guy gets the Good Guy’s gun away, he has to figure out which lever or button “turns on the killing machine.” This buys precious, life-saving time for the Good Guy or Gal to draw a backup or take other action to rectify the situation. Of course, this mandates that the legitimate user stay familiar with the equipment!

Variations

The 1911 design lends itself to recoil compensators, which improve hit potential in extreme emergency rapid fire. Staccato’s top-of-the-line XL series, beginning at $3,200 and going up past $4,000, come so equipped. They also come with 2.5-pound triggers, which are best used for competition and, in this writer’s opinion, have no place in high-stress gunpoint situations. Honestly, a 9mm pistol in a 1911 configuration kicks so mildly a compensator shouldn’t be needed for defensive purposes. Staccato itself lists its 2.5-pound trigger guns as being for competition and specifies the four-pound trigger pull range in its defensively oriented handguns.

Most 2011-genre handguns have big, square grips, which make discreet concealment a challenge. Enter the Wilson Combat EDC (Everyday Carry) X9 series, with slim, rounded grips that still take magazines from 15- to 17-round capacity. These are more concealable and offer a better “trigger reach,” allowing the shooter to get the index finger deeper into the trigger for greater leverage, which, of course, equals better control.

The Staccato can be had with barrel lengths as short as 3.5 inches and in steel or aluminum frame models. The Wilson Combat EDC series is all aluminum. Today, most, if not all, of the various high-capacity 9mm 1911/2011 genres are “optics-ready.”

Price Ranges

The top-of-the-line Staccato carries a manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP) of well over $4,000, while their concealed carry models start in the lower $2,000 range. On the bottom end of the price list is the Tisas version from Turkey, starting at around $800. My own in-between choice is the full-size Springfield Armory Prodigy at around $1,500, which I liked well enough to buy one and found it performed as advertised in competition. For concealed carry, my personal favorite of the breed is my Wilson Combat SFT9, with 15- and 17-round magazines, starting in the upper $2,000 range. Kimber makes their KSD9C, essentially a less-refined copy of the Wilson gun, for around $1,500, and the one I tested worked well. All of the above, by the way, are 9mm.

“You pay your money, and you take your choice” is an old saying that is true in this context. A well-made, reliable 1911 pistol that holds a lot of 9mm cartridges and is easy to shoot well simply makes sense.

Strayer-Tripp coined the name “2011” before the calendar had turned to that year. We’re now well past 2011, and the concept has held up and is thriving for good reason.

The post The 2011 Pistol Concept: Incredible Popularity appeared first on The Mag Life.

Locked Breech Pistol Operation

Both recoil-operated and blowback-operated pistols rely on Newton’s Third Law of Motion. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a pistol is fired, the gas pressure takes the path of least resistance out of the barrel and brings a bullet along. The same energy that propels that bullet also propels the heavier handgun rearward into your hand. This is recoil or kickback.

Since both designs technically use recoil to operate, it is easier to categorize recoil-operated pistols as locked breech designs to differentiate them from blowback handguns. Blowback pistols have barrels that do not lock in place when fired. They are fixed in place, and the slide and recoil spring do all the work. Locked breech pistols are locked in place upon firing and unlock once the bullet leaves the barrel and gas pressures have dropped to safe levels. These pistols rely on recoil to do so. When the pistol is in its rearward motion, the barrel slips out of its locked position and frees the rest of the pistol to cycle.

The Old and the New

Locked breech pistols have existed since the very first semi-auto pistol. The Borchardt C93, which debuted in 1893, was the first autoloading pistol produced in any number. It used a toggle locking action that was later refined and copied in the Luger. However, locked breech pistols, as we know them today, use a tilting breech, falling block, or rotating barrel.

Browning as a Pioneer

The tilting barrel design was pioneered by John Browning and is, by far, the most likely locked breech design you will run into. The Colt 1902 was the first pistol to feature the design, but it was refined into its near-final form in the Colt Model 1911 service pistol. The slide is the one moveable section of the pistol under recoil. At first, both the frame and slide recoil together. But at some point, the barrel drops from its locking lugs in the slide and is forced down and rearward into a recess in the frame. The slide continues rearward and then forward again with the help of the recoil spring to force the barrel back to its locked position. In two motions, the empty case is out, and a new round is chambered and ready to fire.

The tilting breech design was popularized by the 1911 and refined with the Browning Hi Power. The design was further simplified, most notably by Sig Sauer in their P220 pistol that debuted in 1975. It omitted lugs and recesses hidden within the slide to use the ejection port as the locking point. Glock, Smith & Wesson, and most pistol makers have since gone to this principle.

The Browning tilting breech is the most popular locked breech design but not the only one still in current use. The Walther P38 of World War II fame had a barrel that moved with the slide but incorporated a separate locking block that fell and rose under recoil with the barrel. This was copied in the Beretta 92 series of handguns. Interestingly, Beretta is one of the few makers producing a rotating barrel design in their Px4 Storm. It works similarly to the 1911, except the lugs are replaced by helical cuts and grooves that rotate the barrel to unlock.

Locked Breech Pistol Pros and Cons

Locked breech pistols excel in the power-to-size category. Blowback pistols rely on the weight of the slide and recoil spring to contain gas pressure. Locked breech pistols can be scaled up and down and will handle more powerful cartridges like 9mm Luger, 10mm Auto, and .45 ACP. It also allows for lighter handguns in smaller calibers, like in traditional blowback rounds like .380 ACP. The barrel movement spreads out the recoil impulse over a longer period of time. This allows recoil-operated pistols to have less recoil than comparable caliber blowback options.

The chief disadvantage of recoil-operated pistols is mechanical accuracy. Blowback pistols have fixed barrels and ensure reliable feeding, as there is no play between the slide and a moving barrel. There needs to be play between the slide and barrel to enable movement. Competitive shooters using locked breech pistols stress tight tolerances, but for most of us, locked breech pistols are more accurate than the shooter.

Blowback Pistol Operation

Blowback-operated handguns date back to the very first slide-operated semi-auto pistol. That pistol was the FN Model 1899, developed by John Browning. It featured an eight-round magazine that fit in the grip of the handgun and was chambered in the then-brand-new .32 ACP cartridge. All the components of a modern pistol are in this design, including the barrel and recoil spring. The barrel had lugs that interfaced with recesses in the frame, locking it in place. It could be taken out for cleaning but is fixed in place when the gun is fired.

A fixed barrel is the key design feature of blowback pistols. With locked breech pistols, the barrel is free to move and unlock, permitting the slide to go rearward once the bullet has left the barrel. In the case of blowback pistols, the barrel stays in place when the round is fired. Once the round leaves the barrel, the remaining gas pressure and recoil throw the slide rearward, and the recoil spring snaps it back in place after a new round is chambered. Blowback pistols work safely by pairing a heavier-weight slide and/or a heavy-weight recoil spring with a lower-powered cartridge.

Design Trajectory and Current Trends

The Walther PPK and Russian Makarov pistols were also simpler than the Browning design. They had barrels that were pinned to the frame and wore recoil springs over the barrel instead of housed in the frame. But beyond these designs, it became more difficult to push the envelope. Mauser attempted to develop a blowback pistol in 9mm Luger in the 1930s, but it failed. Hi-Point managed to do it in the 21st century, but their pistols resemble a brick more than a handgun.

Although popular in years past, blowback pistols are mostly restricted to older designs and facsimiles of those designs. The Beretta Bobcat and Tomcat, as well as Walther PPK and its Argentine clone, the Bersa Thunder 380, are notable examples. But on the whole, semi-auto pistols chambered in lower-powered rounds like .22 LR, .25 ACP, and .32 ACP are going to be blowback operated. Most modern .380 pistols are locked breech, but some, like the aforementioned PPK and Thunder, are not.

The Pros and Cons of Blowback Pistols

Blowback-operated pistols are certainly less popular now than in the early days of the autoloader. There are good reasons for that, but there are also good reasons to pick one over a locked breech pistol.

Blowback pistols tend to be simpler designs with a barrel, slide, and frame that lack the machining needed for the barrel. Since the barrel doesn’t move, these added costs are not necessary. The need for guide rods and barrel bushings is also dispensed with since most blowback pistols use the barrel to accomplish that task.

More Advantages

At the risk of being repetitive, one advantage that its advocates swear by is accuracy. Because the barrel is fixed, it locks up with the slide in the same manner time and time again. With no play, the rounds go in the same consistent place. Blowback pistols are renowned for their accuracy, but this may be in part because of the smaller sights seen on many of those handguns. Smaller sights cover up less of a target, and when you are shooting for groups, that is a good thing.

Another advantage that is harder to dispute is that blowback pistols are harder to knock out of battery. Locked breech pistols have safeties that prevent the pistol from firing if the barrel is not in its locked position. Bumping the barrel and slide rearward makes the pistol useless. With a blowback pistol, the fixed barrel is not affected if it is bumped—a worthwhile attribute in a close-hand scuffle.

Disadvantages

But with these advantages come disadvantages. Blowback pistols are confined to lower-powered cartridges. Furthermore, the stiffer recoil spring needed for safe operation can make the slide more difficult to rack. Worse, their heavy springs do not help slow down the slide enough to prevent felt recoil. Locked breech pistols bleed recoil energy through the recoil spring and the movement of the barrel. The energy of the slide comes back into your hand with every shot if you opt for a blowback pistol. In my own shooting, I found a lightweight polymer-framed Ruger LCP to have about the same amount of recoil as a Walther PPK. Both are chambered in .380, and the PPK is all-steel, which should absorb more recoil. But it does not.

Locked Breech Pistols vs. Blowback Pistols: Which to Pick?

Blowback pistols certainly have their place. If you are a fan of legacy designs like the Walther PPK or want a pocket-sized pistol chambered in a sedate caliber, you might opt for that sort of design. It is certainly the go-to option if you are in the market for a good .22 pistol. There is always a place for accurate, small-bore guns. But some of these same guns can be hard to manipulate, particularly if you have thin skin and compromised hands. Most modern pistols are locked breech. These pistols can skimp on weight without sacrificing power and ease of use. Their advantages far exceed their downsides and should warrant your first look, but perhaps not your last.

The post Blowback vs. Locked Breech Handguns: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Mag Life.

What Came Before the .45 Colt?

The .45 Colt was the culmination of the US Army’s decades of struggles with handgun technology. Before its adoption along with the Colt Single Action Army in 1873, the Army used Colt’s .44 caliber percussion revolvers. These handguns date back to the use of the Walker Colt during the Mexican-American War, where the .44 caliber round was found to be excellent for stopping horses in combat.

Colt previously bridged the gap between muzzle-loaders and cartridge guns by converting some of the 1860 models to the .44 Colt cartridge, a metallic cartridge version of the load the Army fielded in paper cartridges during the Civil War. It used a 210-grain bullet, over 28 grains of black powder. The new revolver was not confined to old muzzle-loading designs and was chambered in an even more powerful cartridge. That was the .45 Colt. It used a heavier, 255-grain bullet, over 40 grains of black powder, with a muzzle velocity hovering at about 1000 feet per second. The .45 Colt was an improvement over the .44 Colt and could stop a horse up to 75 yards away.

How the .45 Colt Became the .45 Long Colt

Today, the .45 Colt is sometimes referred to as the .45 Long Colt. That implies the existence of a .45 Short Colt round that did not exist. The confusion originated when the Army started fielding a number of S&W No. 3 Schofield revolvers in 1875. Col. John Schofield headed the project that was meant to provide the cavalryman with a revolver that could be easily reloaded on horseback. The top-break Smith & Wesson exposed all six chambers for loading. Conversely, a user with a Colt had to poke out his empty cases and reload the cylinder one round at a time through a loading gate on the right side of the pistol.

The Army approached Smith & Wesson to chamber their revolver in .45 Colt, but the round was too long to work in their automatically ejecting revolver. The Schofield was chambered in a shorter .45 S&W round. Rounds would end up with the wrong guns as a result. The S&W revolvers could not fit .45 Colt ammo at all. The Colt could fire .45 S&W, but the rim on that round was pronounced, and you could only get three rounds into the revolver. Three rounds are better than zero, but the Army paid for a six-shooter.

A Belated Rifle Round

The .45 Colt is predominantly a handgun cartridge. However, it would not be uncommon to find a lever-action rifle in that caliber as well. Rifles chambered in .45 Colt did not exist in the 19th century. Original .45 Colt loads used a soft balloon-head case with a thin rim that did not lend itself well to extracting from rifles. Today’s solid head cases don’t pose this problem.

Standard .45 Colt ammunition is slightly less powerful than a rifle compared to the .44-40. The 255-grain bullet still travels at over 1000 feet per second from a rifle barrel, yielding over 500 foot-pounds of energy. At closer distances, the .45 Colt is more than capable of taking whitetail deer. The case for hunting larger game with the old .45 Colt gets even better with recent developments of higher-pressure ammunition.

The Magnum Treatment

.45 Colt comes in various power factors. Standard loadings for the .45 Colt consist of a 255-grain lead bullet traveling at about 750 feet per second. Some companies still load .45 Colt with black powder and can achieve velocities closer to 1000 feet per second. Hand-loaders started to experiment with 300-grain jacketed or hard-cast rounds loaded at higher pressures. Eventually, firms like Buffalo Bore and Underwood started loading these .45 Colt rounds commercially. These .45 Colt loads rival the energy of the .44 Magnum and are often called “Ruger Only” loads.

.45 Colt Today

The .45 Colt has left a lasting legacy in the gun world, and even in 2024, there is plenty the round has to offer. While not as thrifty as more modern semi-auto and revolver cartridges, the .45 makes up for its higher price tag with its sheer versatility. Bullets, brass, and other components are readily available for the hand-loader. But there is plenty of variety in both factory ammunition and firearms. Almost all newer-production lever action or pump action designs come offered in .45 Colt. All things considered, that is quite a presence for a round born a century and a half ago. The guns have changed, and so has the world, but the legend remains the same.

The post GunMagopedia: .45 Colt appeared first on The Mag Life.

Understanding the difference between the two operating systems allows you to understand why the HK MP5 was legendary, how machine guns function so effectively, and why it’s tough to find open bolt weapons on the civilian market. We’ll dive deep today, and you’ll have a fantastic understanding of open-bolt and closed-bolt systems.

Terminology: Open and Closed

Open and closed terminology refers to the bolt’s status when it is ready to fire. Many closed-bolt weapons allow you to lock the bolt to the rear, but that doesn’t mean they are open-bolt guns.

When you pull the trigger on an open-bolt firearm, the bolt is released and springs forward. It will typically pick up a cartridge from a magazine or belt and stop its movement when it reaches the chamber of the weapon. When the bolt reaches the chamber, the weapon fires. The bolt then flies rearward, completing the cycle of operations. If it’s a semi-auto weapon, the bolt will lock into its rear position. If it’s fully automatic, the bolt will continue to cycle back and forth until the trigger is released or the shooter runs dry.

A closed bolt weapon fires when the bolt is completely closed. Depending on the weapon’s design, a locking mechanism may prevent the bolt from opening too early. Guns like the MP5 use rollers, and the AR-15 uses a rotating bolt system, but there are several other systems.

With a closed-bolt weapon, the cartridge rests in the chamber prior to firing the rifle. When the weapon fires, the bolt is then driven rearward by either a direct blowback or a gas-operated system. As the bolt retracts rearward, it extracts and ejects the spent cartridge and cocks the hammer or striker. The bolt then travels forward, picking up the next round of ammunition and closing it into the chamber.

Open-Bolt Pros and Cons

Open-bolt platforms are regulated mostly to weapons with automatic fire capability. There was a time when essentially any full auto weapon used the open-bolt design due to its simplicity. World War II-era submachine guns, in particular, were open-bolt designs because they were simple and affordable to manufacture and produce. The firing pin is often fixed to the bolt, and when it flies forward, it fires the weapon. This eliminates the need for hammers, strikers, and plenty of springs.

Another benefit is their ability to sustain fully automatic fire. The open-bolt design allows the bolt and chamber to cool, which also prevents cook-offs. A cook-off occurs when the chamber and bolt are so hot that the round fires without the trigger being pulled. With most guns, this isn’t an issue, but with fully automatic weapons and sustained fire, it quickly becomes one. An open-bolt weapon’s ammunition remains in the magazine or belt until it is fired.

The downsides include the lack of a drop-safe firearm, and it’s very easy for open-bolt firearms to go off when dropped. Modern options like the FN M240 are much safer but are still carried with the bolt forward and chamber empty. These guns rely on a bolt mechanism, and these mechanisms can fail.

There is also a reliability factor. While open-bolt guns can be quite reliable, they have a higher likelihood of failing to fire on the first shot. Enough so that the SOP for Marine Corps infantry is that the open-bolt weapon does not fire the first shot in an ambush, and if possible, the open-bolt is never the first one through a door to clear rooms. Lightweight open-bolt guns can have accuracy issues due to the weight of the bolt shifting forward on the first shot.

Closed Bolt Pros and Cons

Closed-bolt guns are the more reliable option. They tend to have fewer issues since the bolt and ammunition are in place before the trigger is pulled. They’re also more accurate since the bolt isn’t traveling forward immediately after you pull the trigger. There is also significantly less lock time and less of a ka-chunk if you have a first-round failure. For the military, the ka-chunk of an open-bolt gun can give away an ambush position.

Closed-bolt guns can be significantly quieter when fired suppressed. When we come to submachine guns, the closed-bolt design can utilize systems outside of direct blowback. Direct blowback works but creates excessive recoil compared to something like a radial delayed design. Closed-bolt weapons, as a whole, are much safer and can be carried in a ready status.

The downsides are fairly small. A closed-bolt weapon isn’t as capable of sustained fire as an open-bolt gun. When you are shooting hundreds of rounds of ammunition in a short period of time, a closed bolt firearm could suffer from a cook-off and overheating issues. For most individual weapons, a closed-bolt design makes the most sense.

What Open-Bolt and Closed-Bolt Looks Like Today

In the current market, the closed-bolt design is more common, including military weapons. For modern guns, the only open-bolt designs that are common are belt-fed machine guns. These guns are the few that benefit from the open-bolt design. Guns like the FN M240 and M249, for example, are belt-fed, full-auto-only, open-bolt machine guns.

Everything else is basically a closed-bolt design. Closed-bolt designs dominate the rifle, SMG, handgun, and shotgun realms. For firearms outside of belt-fed machine guns, a closed bolt design just makes sense.

It bears mentioning that several guns can be both open-bolt and closed-bolt. The Infantry Automatic Rifle genre is the most common one to see this feature. The SCAR HAMR, the old-school FG42, and the LWRC M6A3 rifle all have a closed-bolt and open-bolt option.

Regulation of Open-Bolt Guns Today

There is a bit of a misunderstanding regarding the regulation of open-bolt firearms today. A lot of folks think they are downright banned. This comes from the 1980s when the Cobray MAC and Intratec semi-auto pistols were released in open-bolt configurations and subjected to ATF enforcement. The ATF had an issue with these guns because they were very easy to convert to full-auto. There is a regulation that essentially states a gun cannot be easily converted to full-auto.

Open-bolt rifles and shotguns have been released and faced no regulation because they were not easily convertible to full-auto. This includes the Winchester Model 55 and the Cobray Terminator. Both were open-bolt guns but were also single-shot guns, so they could not be converted to full-auto. Companies could theoretically produce open-bolt guns for the general public—but no one wants them.

Open-bolt guns are quite a niche these days. I’m still looking hard to find a Winchester Model 55 because a single-shot, open-bolt .22LR seems so cool and silly. Now that you know the difference between open and closed bolt guns, go forth with a little more education about the world of firearms.

The post Open-Bolt vs Closed-Bolt: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Mag Life.

History of the .223 Remington and the 5.56 

To understand why Bill Wylde designed the chambering, we have to go back to the beginning of the development of both the .223 Remington and 5.56 calibers. The .223 Remington and 5.56 were developed as a joint venture between Remington, Fairchild Industries, and the U.S. Continental Army Command. The United States military wanted a lightweight, intermediate cartridge that could remain supersonic out to 500 yards. 

Originally, the cartridge was called the .222 Remington Special, but it was renamed the .223 Remington. In 1963, the cartridge was adopted by the United States Army as the M193 cartridge, and the .223 Remington went on to become a small-bore cartridge popular with varmint hunters and recreational shooters. 

The differences between the .223 Remington and 5.56 are notable. The 5.56 has a higher chamber pressure and runs at 58,000 psi, while the .223 Remington hits the 55,000 psi marker. The 5.56 NATO designation applies to only a few loads of ammo, like the M193 and M855. The .223 Remington has a bit more leeway, and any company can create whatever load they want with varying projectile weights, projectile designs, velocities, etc. 

The 5.56 cases are thicker to accommodate the higher chamber pressures. Typically, people will point to the PSI difference and state that’s the reason why you can’t use 5.56 in a .223 Chamber, but you can use .223 Rem in a 5.56 chamber. They aren’t wrong, but we aren’t getting the whole story. 

The Whole Story 

The 5.56 chamber is different than the .223 Remington chamber, and I don’t just mean durability. The 5.56 chamber has a major dimensional difference in its freebore. Freebore is a section of the barrel in front of the case mouth that’s unrifled and smooth. 

The freebore of the 5.56 chamber is both longer and wider than the .223 Remington. The 5.56 freebore length is .059 inches, and the .223 Rem has a freebore length of .025 inches. In terms of diameter, the 5.56 gives us a .226 diameter, whereas the .223 gives us a proper .224 diameter. (.223 projectiles are acutally .224 in diameter.) The biggest issue is the leade. The 5.56 Leade is .125 inches longer than the .223 Rem leade. 

That doesn’t sound like a big difference, but when we are looking at the fine details of a firearm, it matters. It’s important enough that .223 and 5.56 have their own headspace gauges. If you tossed a 5.56 in a .223 Rem chamber, would the gun blow up? Probably not, but it’s most certainly not good for your gun, and you shouldn’t do that. The shorter leade will cause internal pressures to spike. If you tossed a .223 Remington in a 5.56 rifle, you’d be fine. 

So Just Use 5.56

Why don’t we just use 5.56 chambers all around? Well, the chambers are looser, and when it comes to accuracy, you might want everything to be tight. The tighter .223 Remington chamber allows .223 Remington rifles to take advantage of the match-grade and super-accurate options available for the .223 Rem. 

For most people, they could run a .223 Remington chamber raw, and it’ll work reliably. However, when you introduce automatic fire and battlefield conditions, things happen. That’s why that slightly looser chamber allows for better overall reliability. 

Where the .223 Wylde Comes In 

Finally, we’ve circled back to the .223 Wylde. Bill Wylde, a serious shooter, dreamed of a cartridge that could handle both .223 Remington and 5.56 with excellent accuracy. The 5.56 rounds are the cheapest stuff you can shoot, and sometimes you are just training and don’t need super-accurate ammo. Other times, you might be varmint hunting or competing and want total accuracy from your rifle. 

It’s these situations where you want total accuracy, and the .223 Wylde offers that. The .223 Wylde blends the features of the .223 Remington and 5.56 chambers. First, the leade length is the same as a normal 5.56 chambering, so pressure spikes aren’t an issue. The freebore diameter is tightened down to the appropriate .224 inches. This combination gives us the safety to shoot 5.56 but the tight chamber to get the most out of .223 Remington loads. 

The .223 Wylde chambering is a bit of the best of both worlds. You can throw 5.56 downrange safely all day long. Go out there and burn it down! At the same time, you can take a .223 Wylde chambered AR-15, hit the next NRA High Power match, and start throwing precision lead at 500 yards. 

The Perfect Chamber! 

So, should we all use the .223 Wylde chambering? Well, most of us will be happy with that chambering. However, remember some of the reliability in extraction comes from the looser diameter. The tight freebore diameter of the .223 Wylde isn’t appropriate for a military rifle or, arguably, a duty rifle. 

I don’t want this spun into an article talking about how Travis said the .223 Wylde isn’t reliable. It is reliable for 99.99% of shooters in 99.99% of situations. However, it’s still a bit of a wildcat chambering. A 5.56 chamber is still a must for heavy-use rifles and promotes the ultimate degree of reliability for duty rifles. 

The .223 Wylde is a great advancement in the world of AR-15s. We are getting a very versatile option for the vast majority of shooters. Plus, Wylde is a great name for a chambering that does it all. 

The post What in the World is .223 Wylde appeared first on The Mag Life.

What is Single Action vs Double Action?

The first practical revolver was Colt’s Paterson “revolving pistol”, patented in 1835. While the Patterson was a single-action revolver, double-action revolvers appeared within 20 years. Since then, the debate about the merits of both has gone on.

Single-action revolvers require the shooter to thumb cock the hammer to fire. Thumbing the hammer rotates the cylinder and brings the hammer into the firing position. This produces a single action trigger and, when pulled, releases the hammer. With the hammer down, the trigger is dead.

Double action revolver triggers perform two actions — or double actions. They cock and release the hammer. You don’t have to thumb cock the hammer to shoot and you can fire as quickly as you can pull the trigger. Most double-action revolvers have an exposed hammer, so you can cock the hammer if you want to. These handguns are sometimes called double action/single action or DA/SA.

Single Action Revolvers

The Colt Single Action Army is the most recognizable single-action revolver. First introduced in 1873, it remains in production today and is a veteran of Western films and TV. Uberti and Pietta make screw-for-screw replicas of the Colt in a number of calibers. Ruger has made materially improved versions like the Blackhawk since the 1950s. Beefed-up single actions in large calibers from makers like Magnum Research and Freedom Arms are also in the mix alongside inexpensive rimfire revolvers like the Heritage Rough Rider. All of these have the same inherent strengths and weaknesses compared to double-action revolvers.

Pros

Reliability: Despite their reputation for few moving parts, revolvers actually have quite a few compared to modern autoloading pistols. With that said, single-action revolvers have fewer moving parts compared to their double-action counterparts.

Double-action revolvers usually include a swing-out cylinder requiring an ejector assembly and cylinder release. In addition, double-action revolvers require a rebound slide, hammer pawl, and spring to cock the hammer and reset the trigger.

Most Colt-style single-action guns have a simple hinged loading gate and spring-loaded ejector rod housed under the barrel to load and eject the cartridges. The hammer and hand work in tandem to index the cylinder. Meanwhile, the trigger simply releases the hammer’s sear when pressed. With fewer parts to break, the single-action revolver has a slight mechanical reliability advantage.

Accuracy: Because the trigger simply releases the hammer, there is no mechanical linkage to work through to fire the gun. The single-action revolver has a very short and light trigger pull of only a few pounds.

A double-action revolver’s trigger press could be 10 pounds or more because your finger has to move all those internal parts and springs to bring the hammer back and let it fall. However, an exposed hammer double action revolver theoretically shoots as accurately as a single action if cocking the hammer before each shot. Single-action revolvers have the edge overall with the number of available sighting arrangements and barrel lengths.

In particularly large common double-action cartridges like the .454 Casull or .500 S&W Magnum, a double-action mechanism can also be dangerous. When the pistol twists and recoils in the hand, the shooter can accidentally fire a second round with a second unintentional trigger pull. Single-action revolvers in large cartridges tend to be slimmer. In addition, the danger of an unintended discharge is reduced because the trigger is dead once the trigger is pulled.

Cons

Few Safety Features: The single-action revolver’s simplicity can be a detriment. Most single-action revolvers are so simple there are no real safety mechanisms to prevent accidental discharge. Colt guns and their clone’s hammers include a half-cock notch. This feature aids with loading and unloading the revolver. The half-cock also prevents discharge if your thumb slips before going to full cock. The Colt’s safety notch breaks easily, allowing the pistol to discharge if dropped.

Newer guns like the NAA Mini revolver can discharge when dropped with the hammer resting on a live round. However, these revolvers also have notches between chambers to safely carry all chambers loaded. Modern Ruger revolvers, and some options from Uberti, feature a transfer bar or hammer block safety that eliminates that risk.

Even with the latest safety features, single actions can be somewhat unsafe to make safe. If you’ve cocked the hammer and decided against firing the revolver, you have to carefully lower the hammer, which can slip from your finger and discharge.

Loading, Firing, Reloading: Single-action revolvers are lightning fast out of the holster and, with practiced hands, quick to shoot. When compared to double-action revolvers; loading, firing, and reloading consumes more time. Single-action revolvers typically load through a loading gate that exposes one chamber at a time. Loose rounds are fed in one at a time. To unload, open the gate and poke each case out with the ejector rod. Typical double-action revolvers have swing-out cylinders that allow for rapid loading, reloading, and simultaneous ejection of empties. Cocking the hammer for every shot doesn’t take much more time than a double-action gun, but it’s an extra step to fumble.

Double Action Revolvers

Double-action revolvers have been fielded since at least the British Beamont-Adams in the 1850s. However, they’re more typically associated with swing-out cylinder revolvers produced by Colt and Smith & Wesson from the turn of the 20th century to the present day. Today, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Taurus, Charter Arms, Kimber, and many others produce double-action revolvers.

Pros

Carry Friendly: Single-action revolvers vary considerably in barrel length, but the frame, cylinder, and grip frame size tend to remain the same. Modern double-action revolvers feature many different frame sizes, barrel lengths, and hammer configurations. This is particularly useful for concealed carry applications. The most carry-friendly double-action revolver is the hammerless snub nose type. These lack an exposed hammer that can snag on clothing. The combination of a small grip, short barrel, and wide cylinder rounds out a package that blends in under clothing and conforms to the body’s curves.

Quick Shooting: While there are quite a few veteran cowboy action shooters running single-action revolvers quickly, the average shooter is just as fast with a double-action revolver. There is no added step of thumbing back the hammer to slow you down.

Quick Loading: While many early double-action revolvers are gate-loaded like single-action guns, most modern double-actions have a swing-out cylinder with unfettered access to all the chambers for loading and unloading.

Cons

Heavy Trigger Pull: What we gain in a higher rate of fire with a double action revolver, we also gain through a heavier trigger pull. The trigger works against the mainspring and rebound spring to cock and then releases the hammer. Because of all the work the trigger is doing, it also has a long distance to travel before the hammer falls along with a long journey back to fire the next shot. If you get into too much of a hurry, it’s possible to let the trigger out incompletely. As a result, the revolver skips over the next live round instead of firing it. With a single-action gun, the trigger is always dead after each shot.

Which Would You Choose?

For most of us, buying a handgun is to serve a purpose, often for personal defense. For that task, a good double-action revolver is better than a single-action six-shooter in most aspects. They are faster to shoot and load while hard to accidentally discharge.

You don’t have to be a fan of Westerns or Red Dead Redemption to want a single-action revolver. Conventional caliber single actions slow down the training process and are handguns just about anyone can fire — even among those without the hand strength to cycle a double action gun. For training new shooters and effectively arming someone who would get mixed results with anything else, single-action revolvers matter. In big-bore cartridges, single actions continue to hold their own as a hunting and wilderness defense option.

It’s tempting to say the revolver, in general, is obsolete for several reasons. However, both single-action and double-action remain viable. Of course, they’re viable because our ancestors used them to great effect on man and beast. Viable in the context of a time when that was all that was available, but there are more ideal options now. If history has taught us anything, it’s that there is no handgun design to rule them all. Single-action and double-action revolvers are still with us for good reason and worth factoring into your kit.

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