Gun Reviews

Tactical is a term that seems to get attached to way too many products these days and truthfully it’s beginning to get a little tiresome. I find it refreshing then when a rifle like the MMR hits the market with all the right features one might find in a “tactical” rifle but with a slightly different approach. There isn’t an excessive amount of rail space, fancy camo finishes or a catchy name taken from ancient weaponry. The MMR stands for Montana Marksman Rifle, simple and to the point just like the rifle itself.

The SIG SAUER P556 is a popular choice for people who want to register a short-barreled rifle. If you buy the pistol version and then begin the paper work, you can keep the P556 and shoot it, too, while you wait for the NFA stamp to come in. Now, thanks to SIG’s SB15 Pistol Stabilizing Arm Brace, the P556 has a much more promising life of its own. If you want a combat-capable compact rifle, this strange pistol has a lot to offer, right out of the box.

Enter the EAA Witness Pavona, built in Italy by Tangfolio. Designed by and for women, this pistol is more than just a pretty face. The creative team included Sharon Lacy, who did extensive research on the needs of women shooters, including gathering direct feedback from women gun owners of all ages and experience levels. The Pavona semi-automatic pistol is specifically engineered with their issues in mind, and addresses many of the common problems women have with guns.

Oddly, I find myself back where I originally started my AR platform adventure—back with a 308 DPMS. However, this DPMS rifle has changed drastically. My first AR-format rifle was not an AR15 but a DPMS 308B with an 18-inch bull barrel. My theory was that I could have my cake and eat it too with a little lighter weight and accuracy of a bull barrel in a defense to large game hunting caliber.

The name Mossberg instantly conjures images of “best in class” shotguns and a company moniker that has earned a place among the few elite firearms makers in the U.S., or even the world. If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you may also know that Mossberg has made a strong entry into the modern sporting rifle (AR-15, etc.) market. But when you open the box containing the 715P Duck Commander—even when you know what’s inside—your mouth will open just a little bit, and you may be heard muttering, “Cool!”

When MMC Armory approached me to review its brand new Recon 16.1 and Tactical C16.1 AR15s, I could feel my eyes roll into the back of my head, thinking “ohh great, yet another new company that wants to gang pile on the AR15 demand.” Actually, MMC Armory is a division of Mennie Machine, which has been around for a number of years as an OEM AR15, heavy arms, DOD, and military parts manufacture. The company is unable to disclose its specific clients or projects because of legal restrictions, but it has impressive experience, and their expertise is visible in their new line of rifles.

With the rising popularity of hunting and multi-gun competitions, shooters are looking for anything that can give them an edge. When it comes to the shotgun, keeping the weapon fed while negotiating complex courses of fire—speed of loading—s often decisive. Surprisingly, while you almost never see one used in competition, John Moses Browning’s Auto 5 shotgun may be one of the fastest loading semi-automatic shotguns of all time. Now Browning has reintroduced the A5. From the outward appearance, it looks as though they started making it the old Humpback again, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While the new A5 is a faithful homage to the original John Browning design, the actual function has completely changed.

Have you ever thought to yourself, I wonder what would happen if I took one of the most widely accepted firearms design principles and flipped it upside down? When Italians Emilio Ghisoni and Antonio Cudazzo moved the barrel of the revolver down in the frame, they upended almost two centuries of accepted wheel-gun gospel. At the very least, the resulting gun is a novelty that needs to be shot to be fully appreciated. Like a shotgun with three barrels, it feels unnatural. Are there practical benefits to the steampunk lines and unorthodox barrel placement of Chiappa’s design? As it turns out, there are.

By Sam Trisler https://www.browning.com/customerservice/ownersmanuals/index.asp History There are a couple of good stories about John Moses Browning and the work it took for him to get the Auto 5 made. As with most of his long-gun designs of that era, Browning first took it to Winchester. They had a long working relationship at the time, one [...]

If you were going to build a new AR-15 with a focus on competition shooting, such as 3-Gun—you would very likely wind up with exactly what you get out of the box with the new-for-2014 Stag Arms Model 3T-M. Assuming of course, that you used the best components and wanted a no-nonsense tactical rifle. No strangers to the competition uses of the modern sporting rifle, particularly the AR platform, the folks at Stag Arms know how to build a stage-ready rifle.

In early 2010, Florida-based Diamondback Firearms released its first pistol to the US market. That pistol was the Diamondback DB380 micro-compact 380 Auto. Over the last four years, there have been many additional variations of the DB380 released. Most of the variations featured colored grip frames, different sighting systems or additional finish treatments on the slide. The latest model, the DB380SL, can be considered the second generation of the DB380 and includes several functional and aesthetic improvements to the original design.

There are multiple ways to approach concealed carry. You can go the minimalist route and tuck away a .380 (or an even smaller caliber like a .25 ACP) and simply hope for the best. You can pay close attention to your wardrobe and attempt to conceal a full-sized handgun or a larger compact. Or you can go with a gun that’s built specifically for concealed carry. The Springfield Armory XD-S is built for those who want a full-sized caliber in an easily concealed package. The XD-S 4.5 in .45 ACP looks, performs and presents like much larger pistol. With its four-inch barrel, it isn’t a backup gun. Yet it isn’t as obtrusive as most duty weapons. For those of us who only carry one handgun, the XD-S is a great choice.

If you like to shoot like I do, you’re faced with limited supplies of ammo and high costs (when you can find it). You can’t always reload either, because the most common powders are just not available. I’ve been looking for reloading powder online and at the local sporting goods stores for more than a month. Got everything else, but no powder to send the bullet on its way.

However, there is one rifle cartridge that’s in plentiful supply at very reasonable prices—7.62×39. Developed by the Soviets during WW II, it later became the cartridge of the battle rifle developed by Makhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. Introduced as the Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947, better known as AK-47, the gun was adopted by the Soviet Armed Forces in 1949 and has since proven itself in 65 years of continuous service in militaries around the world.

“This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine.” Do you remember that line from the movie Full Metal Jacket? The movie was lame but the point of that line should ring true for anyone who considers long term survival against all odds. Many gun writers have said this over the years, but something that many new shooters do not know is that there is no such thing as a powerful handgun. Even the whopping .44 Magnum pales in comparison to even a light rifle cartridge like the AK-47 round. In the game of survival, you have to at some point accept that fact that force will eventually meet force. You may be armed, but two weeks into any major disaster, everyone still standing will also be armed, and they won’t be that afraid of your .45ACP Taurus semi-auto pistola. Pop, pop, pop won’t be the sound that people fear. But a thundering BOOOM, coupled with their available cover being either seriously rocked or completely shot through, will put anyone and everyone on notice that the force they face is not worth facing, and it may be better to move on. A rifle is firepower like a handgun can never be, but the problem with rifles is that they are expensive to own and expensive to shoot. There is however one lowest common denominator with rifles, and for as little as $100, if all you own is a pistol, I strongly suggest that you go out and buy one of these powerhouse rifles today.

As a retired US Marine Infantry Unit Leader, I’ve had to rely on a rifle for survival. I have nothing against hunting or competitions, but I do very little of either. I spend the majority of my time now training law-abiding citizens how to survive life-threatening situations. I specialize in armed response. I demand high levels of accuracy and absolute reliability. And the ArmaLite M-15TBN has met my standards, and then some. This AR excels at variety of utilitarian tasks and delivers spot-on accuracy well past 600 yards. If you’re only going to own one AR, the 15TBN would be a good choice.

The new Taurus View with the transparent Lexan side plate was unveiled at the January SHOT Show in Las Vegas. Since then there have been several brief but glowing reviews based on limited time with the gun at the show. We wanted to see for ourselves—is all the hype deserved? Or is it just a gimmick to sell guns? At scarcely over half a pound, with a titanium cylinder and barrel, there is hardly a gun in the market to even compete with the View at a street price of around $500. But with an extremely lightweight revolver, in the venerable .38 Special, always comes punishing recoil, which I’ll get to. The Lexan panel is nifty, and does have some actual use, but to me what makes this gun stand out is the extreme pocket-ability and light weight at a competitive price to the tiny semi-autos in the comparable 9mm. And while the gun isn’t perfect, all of these mostly positive reviews showcase a new direction for Taurus, with vastly improved quality control and customer service, at the same Taurus affordable prices. The View isn’t for everyone. She kicks pretty hard. But if an extremely lightweight and reliable revolver is on your bucket list, we found the Taurus View to be well worth your attention.

The CZ 527 Varmint is a tack-driving .17 Hornet that’s perfect rifle for eliminating some of the more pernicious biodiversity here on the farm.  One of the neat features of this gun it has a novel CZ single set trigger. You can shoot it as a fairly normal hunting trigger, or you can click it forward to break at about one pound. With a flat shooting cartridge like the 17 Hornet and ridiculous “call your shots” CZ accuracy, this can make a huge difference in stretching the capabilities of the gun out to its ballistic max, and to the top of your own game in precise shooting. Our test gun came in a Turkish Walnut stock and is absolutely gorgeous. The 527 is an heirloom quality gun at an an expected fairly pricey $725 MSRP, and this varmint version is available in .204 Ruger, .223 Remington, this .17 Hornet, and they plan to also make some .17 Remingtons this year. I’ve been having some issues with skunks lately.  But now that I have a rifle that can send a 20 grain bullet downrange at more than 3,500 fps, it is a bad time to be a skunk in this neck of the woods.

We are so lucky to live in this time when precision machinery and quality materials allow for the production of affordable guns that give up little to their higher-priced brethren. Imported by TriStar Arms from Turkey, the new ATAC Raptor Turkey gun is a great example. As an extension of the company’s low-priced Raptor series, it delivers solid performance and dependability on a proven action.

What happens when you shrink a 1911 down to 85% of its original size and optimize the new gun to fire .22LR? What once was a serious fighting tool becomes a stellar fun-gun. Not to take anything away from Browning’s new rimfire series. These are capable, accurate pistols. Yet there’s something novel about shooting a small 1911. It makes me smile. So how did they manage to produce such a spot-on homage, and how does the 1911-22 line stack up with the rest of the rimfires?

Signature models rifle don’t come along a lot in the gun industry, and it is a little strange that Rock River Arms would put famous bow hunter Fred Eichler’s name on one of their highly regarded LAR-15 guns. An AR-15 is an AR-15 right? Wrong! Fred of course does also hunt with modern sporting rifles, and specifically this one built to his specifications. The point of this Eichler gun is hunting, and primarily hunting varmints, or pest animals, as evidenced by the coyote prints on the special Fred Eichler floating handguard. Is it cute? Well, is it possible for an AR-15 that shoots under .75 MOA at 100 yards to be cute? Then yea, it’s cute. But after hog hunting this gun for a day, shooting it at the range with a group of friends, and driving tacks with it, this bad boy is a predator killing machine, a gun that is so reliable, dependable, accurate and intuitive to shoot that a missed shot is obviously user error.  The Fred Eichler Series LAR-15 is a gun that dominates the nightmares of coyotes, hogs, and prairie dogs. If you think the puppy prints are silly, move on. RR makes the same gun, with the .223 Wylde chamber, meant for both .223 and .556, without the extra Fred stuff. But if you think the gun is cool, pull the trigger.  I haven’t met anyone who has fired the Eichler who isn’t impressed.  And at a direct Rock River and store price of $1500, it is an impressive specialty hunting rifle that isn’t going to break the bank.

Say “Magnum Research” to a gun enthusiast, and you’ve just conjured up the image of the .50 caliber handgun that has become almost folklore. But the truth is that Magnum Research has been diversifying its offerings for some time, and now that continues with the ownership and backing of Kahr Arms. In 2014, the product line expands with a new 1911 offering called the 1911U, or Undercover. This small 3” 1911 is clearly intended for the personal protection and concealed carry markets.

When I pulled the Daniel Defense M4 V9 (DDM4V9) out of its black plastic case, I had a flashback. Inside was a 5.56mm carbine and a 30 round magazine. While this black rifle was shorter than the M16A1 I was issued during the “second phase” of basic training at Marine Recruit Depot Parris Island (way back in 1980), it was familiar enough. The DDM4V9 has the quintessential AR-15 at its core, but it is fashioned like something just back from a gunsmith, almost ready for competition. The Daniel Defense is a formidable rifle capable of serious multitasking, and it’s what Marine infantrymen 30 years ago dreamed they would have been issued.

When I hear someone talking about a Mossberg, I think of dependable shotguns that get the job done. They might not have all of the bells and whistles of their more expensive competition, but they work. Work is the key word here. Mossberg is a workingman’s gun. Mossberg has been making the 930 auto-loading shotgun since 2005. It has proven itself as a versatile scattergun for hunting and reliable tool for defense. It also doesn’t break the bank. Though the latest 930 is dressed up in Duck Commander haute couture, this scattergun is first and foremost a Mossberg and could make a good all-around gun for turkey, ducks, or upland birds.

The P-120 is the latest addition to the growing line of TriStar pistols. All TriStar pistols are manufactured by in Turkey Canik 55, a NATO-certified small arms maker that manufacturers small arms for many military and law enforcement organizations. All arms produced by Canik are manufactured to NATO specifications, with all internal parts chrome plated, and each model must pass a stringent 50,000-round durability testing protocol.

Fans of CZ pistols will immediately recognize that the P-120 bears a striking resemblance to the CZ 75 SP-01 pistol. The P-120 is a 9mm full-size pistol with steel frame and slide and an accessory rail, and it ships with two 19-round extended capacity magazines. Unlike the SP-01, all external controls on the P-120 are located on the left side of the frame. Even with this major difference, many CZ parts can be used with the P-120 pistol. The black P-120, reviewed here, has a very attractive MSRP of $489 with actual street prices less than $400.

So here is the conundrum about the PPK/S .22LR: it is not a plinking, practice or analog trainer for the .380 ACP chambered brothers. Instead, the PPK/S .22LR, in stock configuration, is really only good for one thing: defensive use for the recoil sensitive. I can hear it now, “Are you nuts, a .22LR for defense?”, “Why would anyone buy this?”… etc. Well, there is a market for new shooters who believe the recoil of the .380 ACP is still too much to handle, so Walther has this option. Personally, I would never use or recommend a .22LR for self defense, however for some, it is the only acceptable option in terms of comfort. With those limitations in mind, the Walther .22LR would be an excellent recommendation and offer a perfect transition to the .380 ACP model as soon as the shooter begins to become comfortable with firearms.

The AR-31 is the latest bolt action rifle from Armalite that has been developed as a short action version of their successful AR-30 and AR-50 rifles. Unlike the AR-30 series of rifles that were chambered in .338 Lapua and .300 Winchester Magnum, the AR-31 is chambered in .308 Winchester, although more calibers may become available in the future. When I first saw the AR-31 with its black barreled action rails, and chassis, the first thing that popped into my mind is “man is that thing tactical”. The AR-31 is more than just a “tacticool” rifle though, as it’s laden with features that make it a heavy-duty precision rifle suitable for Regular Joe’s and Law Enforcement professionals alike.

Colt’s Manufacturing has a long history of working with other gun companies for Colt-branded bolt action rifles. The Colt Sauer rifle was produced by J.P. Sauer & Son in Germany from 1973 to 1984, and the 27,189 rifles that came out of it are still highly sought after by collectors. These days, Colt has updated itsgame with an American company called Cooper Firearms of Montana. Cooper was started in 1990 by ex-Kimber employees and has beena staple in the custom rifle market for more than two decades. The first Colt/Cooper came out a couple years back, called the M2012. They still make it today, and as you can see from the picture here, it looks like what it is, a high-end tactical rifle meant to look tactical. Since the introduction of the M2012, a lot of high-end shooters, especially ex-military snipers, have said that they would love a Cooper rifle that says Colt on the side (who wouldn’t?), but that what they would have in mind was something more along the lines of a US Army issue M24 or USMC M40. Colt, and Cooper, have listened, and the result is a whole new version of the M2012 that more resembles those rifles, while sacrificing nothing in performance. These rifles aren’t cheap. Our test gun as you see it here retails for $3,195. But as you will see, it is well within the world class division when it comes to bolt guns. If you are a Colt fan who just loves to see that name on the side of your gun, like back in the old Sauer days, or you are just in the market for an extremely thoughtful and well-made long range rifle, look no further than the new Colt Model 2012.

The model 1911 pistol has been in demand for more than 100 years. That should tell you something about its design and capabilities. It was the official sidearm of the US Army from 1911 until 1985, when the Beretta 92F was adopted. The 1911 is still in use by elite units, however, like the Army Delta Force, Marine Special Operations Command and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment. These are the best of the best, who use their firearms in the most demanding situations. Buying a 1911 puts you in some very good company. If you happen to be interested in acquiring a quality 1911 at a value price, the Para Elite Commander deserves a look. When I say “value” price, I don’t mean the cheapest 1911 available. There are plenty around for less money. In fact, Para even has a line with a lower price-point. What I mean by “value” is a 1911 with all the enhancements you’d want for top accuracy and consistently dependable operation, at a reasonable price. The Para fits that bill. There’s even a way for you to save an extra hundred bucks off of the best price you can negotiate with your dealer. Read on to learn how.

Sig Sauer is well known for making excellent pistols in a wide variety of sizes and calibers. Until recently, however, there was a noticeable hole in Sig Sauer’s traditional double-action pistol line-up—a double-stack, high capacity .45 ACP. The new P227 solves that problem and offers ten-round capacity with a grip size that still fits most hands. Sig’s ergonomic grip design puts a high-capacity big-bore pistol within reach for those with average size hands.