Steinkamp SW1

Of all the guns which I have written about this year, few have been as interesting as the Steinkamp SW1. The sleek polymer bullpup stock of the SW1 looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, and yet it is a double rifle, a type of firearm that is most associated with hunting in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Many of you are now asking yourselves "Why?". I say to you "Why not?". Double barrels rifles and shotguns are still popular and very useful. It is simply a very short double barreled rifle with modern ergonomics and great balance.

Amazingly, the total length of the rifle is just 2" longer then the barrel length!

At first glance is appears that the rifle has dual triggers, but this is not the case. The lower trigger-like lever unlocks the action. The spring loaded buttplate then opens and the ejectors fling the empty cartridges out of the gun. The reloading process is quick and can be accomplished without the operator having to take their hand off the pistol grip.

Opening the action.

Buttpad opens to reveal the chambers.

The trigger guard doubles as a cocking lever. This feature allows it to be safety carried loaded but uncocked in the field, yet be quickly cocked if a shot presents itself.

The cocking action

Currently the SW1 can be purchased chambered in 8x57IRS, 8x68S, 9.3x74R, 20 gauge and 12 gauge but the company says that other calibers can be requested. The SW1 weighs 7.5 lbs.

The Launch Edition is priced at $4.998. Although it was available for order in 2008, the first rifles only started shipping last month.

The ITM Model-4 Prototype

Both barrels of the Model-4 are chambered in 9mm Parabellum. The top barrel is 12" and the bottom is about 6". It has a single trigger, and fires at a rate of 800 rounds/minute. It weighs nearly 8 lbs!

ITM Model-3

The Model-3 gun chambers 7.62x39mm in the 16" top barrel and 9mm Parabellum in the 7.8" lower barrel. This too has a single trigger. I am not sure if pulling the trigger fires both barrel, or there is a selector switch. Like the Model-4 also cycles at 800 rounds/minute. The Model-3 weighs 9.7 lbs, presumably unloaded.

ITM has developed many other 9mm and 7.62x39mm machine gun prototypes, both in single barrel and dual barrel configurations. You will have to purchase Militärgewehre-Enzyklopädie to see photos of these as I do not want to publish the entire chapter of a book. ¹

I spoke to the owner of ITM Tool and Die and he confirmed that they are still developing prototypes, although he was not willing to disclose any information about their current projects or the guns featured in Militärgewehre-Enzyklopädie.

Many thanks to Sven (Defense and Freedom) for the tip.

The Outdoor and Shooting Wires have received- and verified the accuracy of an internal Remington memorandum that effectively answers most of a question that has been making the rounds of the industry: Is Remington getting into the handgun market?

Short answer, yes.

...

A 1911 is in first-production testing, and may be ready for introduction at SHOT Show in January.

This is incredibly interesting news! I have wondered for a long time why Remington did not seem to want a piece of the handgun market. Not wanting to be associated with "evil" handguns was my guess.

I do find the suggestion that they are going with the 1911 platform odd. While the 1911 is a very popular pistol with civilians, police departments are not adopting it. Instead they are dropping the Glock in favor of other polymer pistols like the Springfield XD and Smith & Wesson M&P pistols.

We know Remington loves military and police contracts and that they are willing to delay consumer products in order to make a grab for lucrative military contracts. The constant delays of the Bushmaster ACR are a testament to this.

So is Remington making a 1911 because they know something we do not? Will we soon be hearing about a new military competition for a .45 ACP pistol¹ ? Or are they developing a polymer 1911 or some other polymer pistol ² ?

I first learnt about the Ares Carbine from GunPundit who spotted it at SHOT Show '09. It was supposed to go one sale in the first or second quarter but nothing was seen of it since SHOT.

Tyler Kreis, the NRA's Firearms Inventory Manager, is the first to have gotten his hands on the Ares Defense Systems Ares-22 RCU and has shot a video of it in action. It looks like a very fun system.

The videography is amazing. I highly recommend watching it in HD over at Youtube.

I will seriously consider KeepGoing.Biz if I ever need the services they provide.

Many thanks to Bill Rushmore for sending me the video.

Side of upper receiver blown open.

Bolt carrier split.

Bolt face split.

The drill was firing from the urban prone, weapon side position. We loaded and made ready and I waited for the threat command. When the threat command came I went into the urban prone position and fired. On the second round the upper receiver blew apart. It took a few seconds for me to get oriented and realize what had just happened. I checked to see that there wasn’t another round in the chamber and raised my hand to let Travis know there was a problem. Travis was already on the way as he said that he thought that I was on fire from all of the smoke that was rising from me. There was a medic who checked me out real good to ensure that some shrapnel hadn’t penetrated my skin anywhere without my being aware of it. I sustained only minor injuries (a bruise on the left forearm and some flash burn to the face).

...

The 6920 is on its way to Colt Manufacturing for analysis as of this posting. I will certainly post the results of the analysis as well as the resolution when that information is available. I would appreciate it if the wild guesses as to the cause of this failure were withheld until Colt Manufacturing has had a chance to check it out. I will give a few facts that will help to keep the conjecture to a minimum. The barrel was clear before and after the event and the ammo used was factory XM193. I don't know if the brass was ejected, it appeared to be, however, there could have been part of the brass case left in the chamber, I was too busy trying to get back to training to check, then the gun went via FEDEX to Colt before I had the chance to check because I was trying to catch up on all of the work I had neglected while out running and gunning.

Many thanks to jdun1911 for emailing me the info.

I love the clean lines on the rifle. Anyone who has read the blog for even a short period of time will know my love of short barreled rifles

Introduced last year, the FNAR is a military style rifle based on the Browning BAR. Unlike the BAR, the FNAR features a pistol grip, detachable box magazines and plenty of picatinny rails.

Remember I did some modifications to my shotgun, and later to the ammunition I could get? Well, I have gone a few more steps further. I have made three more major (In some ways: crude but safe) modifications to my shotgun: based on what is available here in my country and what I can get.

Firstly, I was in an accident in the 1990s, and lost some muscle tissue from my right arm. This has healed over the years, but my arm is not as strong as it should be. This affects my charging of the semi-auto shotgun: so much so sometimes I am forced to charge with both hands awkwardly. I then thought of getting and fixing a charging handle extension: obviously not easily available in my country, and not easy/ sensible to take the shotgun out to a welder to fabricate something (You most likely would get the welder and his apprentices run shrieking out of the workshop when you pull out the shotgun from the carry-bag...!)

So, I got a grip from an adjustment tab of an office chair, made out of plastic, and "JB-Welded" it to the charging handle. See pictures after the jump. I got some concerns from a few friends: wondering if the plastic adjustment tab would stand much firing/ shooting.

Well, I did me some shooting: a total of 25 rounds of my slugs, and tab is FIRM and helping me so well. I can charge my shotgun much more easily now. Very ugly, but functional!

Secondly, I have been shooting my own "brand of slugs" for some time now, and recently got quite uncomfortable with the lack of good sights on my shotgun. I had been using the bead sight, and on a good day, could get 3" groups at 35yards using the open bead sight. On some bad days, I can barely hit a barrel at 25 yards! I KNOW it doesn’t have to do with the consistency or otherwise of the slugs themselves: they are regular, Foster-type slugs that I cast myself, but the problem is my own aim. I am just not getting it right. The alignment of the bead is just too much for me sometimes. Sometimes, my shots go over, and sometimes into the ground in front of target.

So, I decided to make (Fabricate) or get some proper "rifle-like" sights. A "firearm-enthusiast" friend traveled home to Louisiana on vacation last month, and I asked him to get me some sights. After checking and researching online, I settled for the Truglo Xtreme Turkey Combo from Pro Bass, which is right around the corner from my friend's place in Baton Rouge. I asked him to get 2 sets, which he did.

I then asked him, when he was on his way back, to make sure he removed the parts from their packaging, so that some beady-eyed Customs Officer would not start asking questions. Well, luckily, no one even looked twice at the packages at the airports.

I excitedly worked on fitting them to my shotgun, and discovered that while the rear sight fit perfectly, the front sight had some seatings; none of which actually fit my shotgun accurately. I still persevered, and fit them: rear-sight was okay, and finally front-sight seemed to seat well, bolted to the bead hole, and with a little glue and pliers-manipulation. It seemed firm and I had HIGH hopes.

I went out shooting at the range the other day, and while I was hitting my 12" x 12" target (Half-inch thick steel plates.) quite well (Most shots out of twenty went into a 10" x 10" circle at 38 yards.), the front sight began to jiggle loose. At the end of the day: it was sliding from side to side, while the rear ghost ring remained strong and firm. I got home, and in my usual way, started thinking of ways to get this thing sorted...

Finally: I took a look at the unused second set of sights, which I had initially kept as a spare... Then a brainwave hit me: why don't I fit the SECOND Ghost Ring Sight on the FRONT of the barrel: where the bead used to be?! Then that way you have two rings. Align the two circles (Rear and front) against your target when aiming and you have a good aiming picture! Look through the two rings to your target, and you are ON TARGET!

See pictures...

Finally, I got tired of looking for a place to store my shotgun safely: it came originally as a PGO (Pistol Grip Only.) then I initially did some modification by creating a "wire-type" stock. See link...

This increased the length of the shotgun to about 42": quite unwieldy and difficult to conceal sometimes. (Like when driving to the range: even though I have all my legal permits, it is better to avoid too many questions at the Police checkpoints.) I have long thought about getting or fabricating a collapsible stock, or a folding one. Well, like you know: it is completely impossible to get such a thing in Nigeria, so my "creative-mind" went to work.

I ended up with a stock that can be tightened onto the shotgun for shoulder-firing usage, or off for storage: leaving a much shorter shotgun in Pistol Grip only configuration. I know it takes "forever" to screw on the stock to use it or to screw off the stock to store it: crude and ugly but it works!

UPDATE:

Actually NOT on target! I went to the range to do a test with my “double Ghost-ring sights” and did absolutely the WORST shooting of my LIFE! The two ghost rings aligned okay, but obviously not correctly. At one point: I fired TWICE at a crow, using one of my “slugs” at less than 10 yards, and MISSED both times! ALL shots at my steel 12” x 12” target at 30 yards, and 50 yards MISSED EVERY TIME.

Then to close the day with the WORST news: the firing pin on my shotgun broke! Now my nice Turkish EFE shotgun was wrecked! I don’t think it has to do with my modifications: either to the gun or to the ammo: I really believe it has more to do with the quality of the parts of the gun. Would you believe that the firing pin assembly was of a brittle cast-iron metal and NOT steel!? The Plastic bits for the trigger assembly are weak, brittle PLASTIC!

Well, my EFE Magnum shotgun is useless now: it is not possible to repair it: by myself or a gunsmith (Archeologists discovered the fossils of the extinct Nigerian Gunsmith a few months back! ) The Shotgun makes a good club though: and when used right: a great hammer! (No ammo loaded, of course…) Just kidding!

At least: I have a “happy” ending to my story: I met the supplier of my Turkish Shotgun (A licensed firearms dealer…) and complained to him about how strange it was that my shotgun would spoil in less than one year, not with any really heavy shooting… He was more worried that I could tell the large number of clients I already have showing interest in buying from him: so we came up with a deal:

• I returned the EFE Magnum Shotgun to the dealer (He says he can get it repaired ... Good luck to him!)

• He brought me (At my choosing) a Mossberg 500A PGO 18.5” 7+1 Pump-action Shotgun. I like VERY MUCH! As soon as I travel/ have someone travelling: I will get me some tactical sights (Mossy’s already drilled and tapped!), a sling and a stock. I hope to try some shooting this weekend...

• I paid him a little something extra to cover his costs: About $200. (Y’all would be SHOCKED to know I paid about $1,000 for the Turkish Shotgun originally! You don’t know what you guys are enjoying in the US: buying firearms legitimately for as low as $100!

Phew! All’s well that ends well, I guess… I’m now the proud owner of a more reliable Mossberg 500A pump-action shotgun! I fabricated a “Y-Man” Steel target too! This is just perfect for plinking: you hear the slug ring loud and clear! Half-inch thick steel, a steel rod, a discarded car spring, and voila! It is fixed on a spring to reduce the impact of slugs hitting it, and to reduce/ eliminate the risk of ricochets. The steel plate is painted white: so the impact of slug-hits can be seen using Binoculars.

See below:

I need your advice; and maybe you could ask a few friends. Remember that Mossberg 500A 12-gauge I got? Well, it came PGO (Again! Do they have something against regular stocks in Nigeria?!) Well, you know me: I have a restless mind, and restless hands (And some money to burn occasionally!) so I did some fabrication/ modification.

I kept it simple this time: I welded an “L-shaped” wire-type stock (Made out of a strong, springy steel rod derived from a screwdriver.) to the steel bolt that fastens the grip to the receiver. Once I tightened the bolt as normal to the shotgun grip: it was good to go. (See picture attached.)

My worry is this: I’m no engineer, but wouldn’t this put some stress on the bolt-hole of the receiver? Might repeated firing cause the Shotgun receiver to possibly fracture and even crack? Normally: the stress of recoil/ impact of firing taken by the stock (Or PG) is spread on the flat end of the receiver (Where the stock or PG contacts the receiver.) but my modification puts all the impact at the point where the bolt screws in.

• I haven’t tested my modification yet, but am I setting myself up for a cracked receiver? (Or worse?)

• Is my angle of the stock okay? It is straight along the “line of recoil”, it should be okay... What do you think?

• LOP is about 11 inches: and this is comfortable. But is it okay?

• No cheek-weld at all. I guess I’ll have to live with that.

Anyone know if the stress on the receiver during recoil could cause problems?

I am sure the length of pull will be fine as long as it is comfortable.

"bronco" developed a conversion kit which allows a standard AR-15 pistol grip and stock to be attached to the AR-7 receiver. A forum posting over at the Predator Wild forum seems to suggest he may be willing to sell these kits.

The stock / pistol grip kit.

Next Chapter has written a review of the Henry AR-7.

Many thanks to Heath for sending me the link.

Has anyone been able to do this on pistol without any modifications to the recoil assembly? On a Glock, for example, I cannot see any way to do it unless the pistol is flip completely into the air, caught just far enough down the slide that the thumb can just reach around the grip and only then, assuming big enough hands and very strong muscles, could the slide be pulled far enough back. Maybe I just have small hands ... ?

Hat Tip: Mike @ Everyday, No Day Off.

This nifty gadget, made by FN Herstal, can be installed anywhere on a gun where it can be squeezed in, such as the pistol grip in the above photo. It can record shot count, firing sequences and more.

Read more about it at SayUncle.

If you are going, and own a digital camera or camera cell phone, please let me know. The more spies who volunteer to gather information, the better my coverage of the new guns and gear will be!!!

My email address is here.

I am hoping I will be able to make it to SHOT 2011.

UPDATE: Just to clarify, I don't need you to do any writeups, although you can if you wish, but just send me photos and information.

Once converted the overall length of the rifle is just 31.5", about 12" shorter than a standard BAR¹. Aside from the length, a significant benefit would be the better balance offered by the bullpup configuration, with the action sitting right up against the shooters shoulder.

The standard magazines that are supplied with the rifle hold just two rounds, although they can supply three or four round mags. In Germany, hunting with semi-automatic rifles holding more than two rounds is prohibited.

Many thanks to Mehul for sending me the link to this company.

I was surprised to learn that at the time, just before the introduction of the L85A1, the Army had quite a mix of rifles in use, including M16s. This particular M16 was of 1960s vintage.

Now that, my friends, is a nice mustache

Simon with a L1A1 SLR (FN FAL), the standard issue rifle at the time.

Many thanks to Simon for these very interesting photos.

Vanguard Sporter DBM

Vanguard Synthetic DBM

Hunters often argue the benefits of internal vs. detachable magazines. I personally prefer internal, but there are obvious advantages of removable magazines.

Released for 2010 is the highly anticipated SCAR 17S now available for civilian purchase. Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO (308 Win.) and slightly heavier than the SCAR 16S, this unique carbine offers long-range accuracy, exceptional reliability and match winning versatility.

Both SCARs have fully ambidextrous operating controls, a free floating, cold hammer-forged Mil-SPEC barrel with hard-chromed bore; a receiver-integrated MIL-STD 1913 optical rail plus three accessory rails for mounting scopes, electronic sights, lights, or lasers. The side-folding polymer stock is fully adjustable for comb height and has six settings for length of pull. The SCAR also features a tactically advantageous reciprocating charging handle for quick ammo and magazine failure response.

SCAR 17S (top) and its smaller brother the 16S.

Earlier this year FN gave dealers the chance to pre-order a limited edition black SCAR. One dealer is trying to sell one of these for $9,999!

Now, it appears, that the black SCAR is going into full production and will be offered as a standard model, not a limited edition. I suspect there will be some unhappy customers who pre-ordered a limited edition, only to find it is now a full production model.

Other than the opportunists on Gun Broker, I have seen the black SCAR listed for between $3000 and $4000. When it is actually available, it will probably sell for the same as the tan, aka. Flat Dark Earth, colored model ($2500 - $3000)

Interestingly, early prototypes of the military SCAR had a black finish:

Military prototype.

UDPATE: Replaced top photo with better quality image. Thanks Elaine.

Nemesis MKV-NV

The XM408. It can be packed into a very small space when broken down.

Snipers trying it out at a recent sniper competition.

Thanks Max!

James Conway had questioned how the IAR will fit into fire teams, but said that his concern was “answered in short order.” Smith declined to elaborate, and Maj. David Nevers, a spokesman for Conway, said the commandant was unavailable for comment.

At the Modern Day Marine exposition held at Quantico in October, FN Herstal displayed a high-capacity magazine for its IAR variant that can hold 100 to 150 rounds. Another con­tractor, Armatac Industries, has approached the Corps about a 150-round magazine it makes and says is compatible with each of the finalists’ weapons.

Early in the evaluation process for the IAR, the Corps’ requirement called for the weapon to use 100-round magazines. That was eventually elimi­nated in favor of using the same 30-round maga­zines, as Marine officials sought to cut weight from the SAW’s replacement.

Translation: Ultra-high capacity magazines have poor reliability and so we are pretending that they are in fact too heavy for our Marines to carry.

I was not aware that the requirement had been dropped. Not having a ultra-high capacity magazine would seem to significantly decrease the utility of the rifle, insofar as it being a replacement for the SAW.

150 round AR CL-MAG

Many thanks to Solomon for the link.

© Vitaly Kuzmin. Click to expand photo.

More info about this gun can be found here.

Many thanks to Vitaly Kuzmin for his help and the use of his photo.

Sebastian has calculated the acceleration needed to achieve the trick.

Head of Izhmash (I think) holding the new rifle. Note the nifty fore-grip / bipod.

President Dmitry Medvedev.

The following photos show one of the new prototype AK rifles.

Chambers 7.62x39mm. This means Izhmash also plan on updating their export rifles (the AK-100 series).

In the above photo you can see the new thumb safety. It simply prevents the trigger from being pulled back when it is engaged, very much resembling the SKS safety. One of the problems with the AK rifles is that it is slow to disengage the safety. This safety allows the operator to disengage the standard safety and put the rifle on semi or full auto mode, but reduces the chance of an accidental discharge.

The pistol grip has been updated and made more ergonomic.

The dust cover now features a rail for optics. To prevent a loss of zero when opened, the dust cover features a lever to lock it in place. The cover does detach from the gun but instead it hinges just in front of the rear sight.

The butt stock now stores the cleaning rod. It appears to have a slot cut in it for a sling, as well as the standard sling swivel. UPDATE: The slot exists so that a recoil pad can be attached. (Thanks Johnny for the correction).

The rear sight is now adjusted differently. The dust cover hinge can be clearly seen.

The forward rail sits above the gas tube.

I can't decide if that is a side rail or not.

Bottom rail and a side rail.

While many of these modification are not pretty, they all seem like good ideas. In Iraq and Afghanistan all the allied forces are issuing optics (expect, of course, the cash-poor indigenous troops). I am sure the Russian Army does not want to fall behind everyone else and Izhmash does not want to lose sales to because their current stable of rifles lacks a decent rail system for optics and accessories.

Many thanks to Max Popenker for his help and insight.

The shooter claims that the Glock is stock standard and that their have been no modifications to recoil spring.

How long till we see this in an over-the-top action movie?

Many thanks to Advocate for the links and slow-mo video.

Specifications
Model	Ghost Commander
Type	Semi-Auto Pistol
Action	Single Action
Caliber	45 ACP
Capacity	8+1
# of Magazines	2
Finish	Stainless
Frame	Alloy Frame
Grip	Black Diamond Wood Grips
Sights	Novak Designed Sight System
Barrel Length	4.25"
Overall Length	7.75"
MSRP (Price)	$1,179.00

I also did not realize they were now available in stainless!

Specifications
Model	1911SS-9
Caliber	9mm
Capacity	9+1
Action	SA
Construction	Steel
Finish	StainlessSteel
BarrelLength	5"
FrontSight	GenuineNovak®
TriggerType	Ventilated
Grips	CheckeredBlack
Weight	38.8oz
Frame	Large
Length	7.87"
MSRP (Price)	$780.00

The .38 Super model is very similar to the 9mm. Both types of are also available in a blued finish.

You can browse the line of 1911's at TaurusUSA.com.

The Original X-REST

These lightweight rests are made from aluminum and locks together with a steel pin. The idea behind them is that they are light and compact enough to easily carry in your range bag,

The AR-REST will sell for $60 (+ $12 shipping)

Remington ACR with A-TACS camo.

Its universal pattern¹ is a kind of improved digital pattern that uses blended blobs instead of the square pixels that are used in digital camo.

More info at Solider Systems and Strike - Hold.

A HUGE thank you to all the guest authors who wrote articles for the blog during my break. Your hard work has been much appreciated by me and, I am sure, all the readers as well.

Diagram from the patent.

Personally, I think all gadgets like this are unnecessary. Police departments, on the other hand, love these kind of features. That the Glock requires its trigger to be pulled on disassembly has often been cited as a reason police have switched away from the Glock in favor of its competitors.

The patent application can be viewed online at Scribd.com.

Rezolution Tactical

The CNC machined receiver features a full length monolithic top picatinny rail. A bottom rail and side rails are bolted onto the receiver. Internally it makes use of a Ruger 10/22 compatible bolt, trigger group, magazines and v-block barrel mounting system. Rimfire Technologies, a well known supplied of after market 10/22 parts, supplies many of the internal parts, including the barrel.

Precision model with bull barrel.

Rails

The familiar shaped receiver and bolt

As most of you have already guessed, the Rezolution is compatible with standard AR-15 stocks. What is slightly disappointing is that it is not compatible with AR-15 pistol grips, although this is a minor fault.

The pricing starts at $941.81 for the R-RT-21BL (Rezolution Tactical with 21" length receiver). This model features a 16" .750 diameter fluted stainless threaded barrel with AR-15 A2 flash-hider and a M4 style stock.

Production has only just begun and some models will not be available until next month. I personally think these guns are a very good deal and are going to sell very well.

Hat Tip: SayUncle

The recoil system resembles the rear shock absorbing system on mountain bikes

The Talon is available for the Remington 870, Mossberg 500 and Winchester 1300. The Axiom is available for the Remington 700, Howa 1500 and Weatherby Vanguard.

Murdoc has more info about the Talon and Axiom over at GunPundit.

Gold Plating on reciver.

The seals of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard

Specifications
Action type	Lever action repeater
Caliber	.22 Short, Long and Long Rifle
Capacity	16 rounds of .22LR
Barrel length	20"
Overall length	38 1/2"
Weight	6.75 lbs.
Stock	American Walnut
Sights	Adjustable Buckhorn rear, beaded front

I am not sure what the retail price will be.

A Glock 23 with 6 Magazines: $650
A Custom 7.5" barreled AR-15 with 8 Magazines : $3000
AFT Tax: $200
That nobody knows you are carrying them: Priceless

Read about _ak's guitar gun case.

Many thanks to jdun1911 for the link.

Ruger No. 1 Tropical Style in .300 H&H

Ruger No. 1 Standard Style in 6.5mm Creedmore

Hat tip: Guns Holsters and Gear

Knights Armament as a company has had a notable hand in the evolution of Eugene Stoner’s classic AR-15 design. One of the most obvious results of that heritage is visible in the SR-15 E3 IWS (Integral Weapons System).

The biggest question when people see the SR-15 is “what’s different about this gun to make it special?” And to answer that is to look under the hood and understand that the SR-15 doesn’t seek to be the most accurate, or the most durable gun (the SR-15 E3 IWS actually groups 1.25moa or better, so it’s no slouch). What it does is be one of the most complete package rifles that require almost no user modification or tweaking. And by doing so is an incredibly reliable and lightweight rifle with a plethora of features.

From the inside out Knights has given the SR-15 a longer than mid- length gas system, which provides for an extremely smooth and reliable operation. The rifle also features a larger bolt cross section, which serves to improve overall durability. The hammer forged barrel groups very well, and in combination with the very lightweight URXII rail (including integrated front sight, and included match grade rear sight), gives the gun an extremely svelte appearance and light overall weight. All combined with their match grade trigger assembly and offering completely ambidextrous controls to those who are southpaws (or shooters working off their reaction sides).

So, SR-15 feature primer aside, how well does it actually shoot? Amazingly well. Having run the gun in a few carbine courses and competitions, and run it hard, the gun has easily become the rifle I count on as my ‘go to’ gun. What it offers me is an extremely lightweight rifle (even running lights and lasers) that gives me an above average level of accuracy from a fighting carbine. Short of changing out some furniture to fit my personal needs, the gun has not required any tuning or fixes. An extremely smooth gas system in combination with the Knights Armament triple tap brake (not included) creates a rifle with almost zero muzzle flip. In the end what the rifle brings to me is a gun that far exceeds my own capabilities as a shooter.

The value of the SR-15 E3 IWS is obviously relative to the needs of the shooter. Some may never need the features of the SR-15, and that’s a valid point. However considering what you get as a package (LMT SOPMOD stock, 16” hammer forged barrel, ambidextrous lower, lightweight continuous railed forearm, etc) you’re getting a great value. For those who want or need a gun that requires practically no modifications to achieve maximum durability and performance, this is obviously an excellent choice that far exceeds the levels of what make up a top tier AR-15 rifle.

West, 41, showed the flabbergasted driver the weapon and even demonstrated how it could be put together and be fired.

'The driver said "I'm alright, I don't need a gun" at which point the defendant put the gun back in his pocket and walked off.'

The stupidity of criminals never ceases to amaze me!

Many thanks to David for the link.

The Associated Press reports:

"Age is not significant. I have plenty of life left in me. But still, this is a special date and it needs to be celebrated," the white-haired inventor said in remarks broadcast on Russian television.

Kalashnikov, whose tie was decorated with a metal pin shaped like an AK-47, smiled and read patriotic poetry to journalists in Izhevsk, his hometown located 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) east of Moscow.

A fine award for a great man.

Many thanks to Morten for the link.

I've been a revolver guy for most of my twenty-eight years as a shooter but have had a love/hate relationship with small frame .38, .357 and .44 wheelguns for longer than some of you may have been alive. They're great from a concealment and reliability standpoint but are somewhat lacking in ammo capacity and shootability. In the wake of the terrible Omaha Nebraska mall shooting a couple years ago, I began to think about getting a CCW with increased capacity compared to the snubbies I usually carry. What if I needed to lay down a few rounds of suppressive fire to allow my family to escape danger? A five shooter doesn't leave much capacity for that. But I still needed something small enough that I had no good excuse not to carry in with me at all times. The homework began and I settled on the subject of this post, Kel Tec's P-11 in 9x19mm.

Overall dimensions of the P-11 are essentially the same as a S&W J-frame with 2-in. barrel and neoprene boot grips. Loaded weight is about 21 ounces. Depending on which magazines you have, capacity is 10 or 12 rounds plus one in the chamber. That's quite an improvement over a small frame .38! The P-11 will also accept even higher capacity magazines intended for the service-size S&W 5900-series pistols, although concealment suffers because the mags stick out from below the grip frame. You could carry a flush fitting Kel Tec mag in the gun with reloads using larger S&W mags to maximize both concealment and firepower. The P-11 disappears in a pocket holster and cargo shorts. Carried in a belt slide, the pistol's minor dimensions make it easy to forget you're armed.

The P-11 is true double action only (DAO) and will give you a second strike on stubborn primers. I personally believe this is an overlooked advantage compared to many other autoloaders. Over the years I've experienced a few light primer hits and in every instance they ignited with a second strike of the firing pin. If it would occur again during a defensive shooting, which do you think will be faster - pulling a P-11's trigger again or racking the slide on other designs without second strike capability? Something to think about.

How does the P-11 shoot? In my opinion, very well for such a small handgun. The target shown above consisted of the last seven rounds I had on my first range session with the pistol. Ammo was WWB 147-grain JHP. I fired using an Isosceles hold with the target 20 feet away. The flyers at one and eight o' clock are a common phenomena with this pistol. Regardless of the specific load used, a couple of shots out of every magazine usually end up straying from the rest. Nevertheless, group size is still smaller than my hand at a distance greater than many rooms measure in length. That's plenty accurate enough for my needs. There are 700-750 rounds through my P-11, consisting of WWB 115-gr. FMJ's, 115- and 147-gr. JHP's, Federal 115-gr. JHP's, Remington-UMC 124-gr. FMJ's and Black Hills 115-gr. +P JHP's. Some people have complained that their Kel Tec pistols are less than fully reliable out of the box and recommend a so-called "fluff n' buff" to improve function. I've experienced no malfunctions of any kind and have done nothing to my pistol except clean and lubricate it.

Felt recoil and muzzle lift are quite comparable to what you'd experience with a steel 5-shot .38 using +P loads. The P-11 isn't the kind of handgun you'd want to shoot all day but it isn't going to draw blood either. The only real discomfort I've experienced was after installing a factory magazine extension. There is a small gap between the bottom of the mag body and the extension. Under recoil, I experience an unpleasant pinch after firing 8-9 consecutive rounds. Overall control is improved somewhat using the mag extension, so there is some gain for the pain. A definite plus for guys like me with meaty hands, the P-11's recoiling slide doesn't bite the web between thumb and forefinger. That's more than I can say for the majority of small autos I've fired.

Overall I think the Kel Tec P-11 is a real winner in the small CCW category. It's easy to conceal, provides a substantial number of ready rounds, and has proven to be both reliable and accurate. With suggested retails starting less than $350 for a blued slide example like mine, how can you go wrong?