kriss vector crb .45 acp

84 Pages·2013·19.73 MB·English

KRISS VECTOR CRB .45 ACP
AND MORE!
$4.95
OUTSIDE U.S.
$7.95
APRIL
2013
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AALLLL--AARROOUUNNDD
RUGER .223
RUGER .223
RRIIFFLLEE CCAARRTTRRIIDDGGEESS
MINI-14
MINI-14 TTUURRKKEEYY TTAAKKIINN’’
LLEEGGAACCYY EESSCCOORRTT
TACTICAL
TACTICAL 1122--GGAAUUGGEE PPgg.. 2222
MMAAGGNNUUMM
LLEEVVEERRGGUUNN
BBIIGG HHOORRNN AARRMMOORRYY
MMOODDEELL 8899 ..550000 SS&&WW
PPOOCCKKEETT--SSIIZZEE
BBIIGG--BBOORREE
SSPPRRIINNGGFFIIEELLDD AARRMMOORRYY
XXDD--SS ..4455 AACCPP
CCHHOOOOSSEE WWIISSEELLYY
SSEELLFF--DDEEFFEENNSSEE
HHAANNDDGGUUNN AAMMMMOO PPgg.. 88
SSUURRPPLLUUSS
SSPPEECCIIAALL
•• UUSS MM11 && MM11AA11
•• SSIIMMOONNOOVV’’SS SSKKSS
77..6622xx3399mmmm
SSRR4455
TTHHEE RRUUGGEERR
®® ™™
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LLLEEEAAARRRNNN MMMOOORRREEE AAABBBOOOUUUTTT
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OOFF RRUUGGEERR®® SSRR--SSEERRIIEESS
PPIISSTTOOLLSS OONNLLIINNEE AATT::
WWWWWWWWW...RRRUUUGGGEEERRR...CCCOOOMMM///SSSRRR---SSSEEERRRIIIEEESSS WWWWWW..RRUUGGEERR..CCOOMM//SSRR4455
©©22001133 SSttuurrmm,, RRuuggeerr && CCoo..,, IInncc.. 112222881122
SSRR4455
TTHHEE RRUUGGEERR
®® ™™
LLiikkee tthhee ppooppuullaarr RRuuggeerr®® SSRR99®® aanndd SSRR4400®® ppiissttoollss,, tthhee NNEEWW SSRR4455™™ iiss ppeerrffeeccttllyy ssiizzeedd ttoo bbee ccoommffoorrttaabbllee aanndd ccoonnttrroollllaabbllee
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aaa TTTrrriiimmm,,, EEErrrgggooonnnooommmiiiccc PPPrrrooofififi llleee 33--DDoott SSiigghhtt SSyysstteemm
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AAmmbbiiddeexxttrroouuss MMaaggaazziinnee RReelleeaassee
MMOORREE RRUUGGEERR®® SSSRRR---SSSEEERRRIIIEEESSS PPPIIISSSTTTOOOLLLSSS:::
SShhiippss wwiitthh TTwwoo FFlluusshh--FFiitt,, 1100--RRoouunndd MMaaggaazziinneess
LLLEEEAAARRRNNN MMMOOORRREEE AAABBBOOOUUUTTT
TTHHEE FFUULLLL LLIINNEE SSRR99®® •• 99mmmm LLuuggeerr SSRR99cc™™ •• 999mmmmmm LLLuuugggeeerrr SSRR4400®® •• 4400 SS&&WW SSRR4400cc™™ •• 4400 SS&&WW
OOFF RRUUGGEERR®® SSRR--SSEERRIIEESS
PPIISSTTOOLLSS OONNLLIINNEE AATT::
WWWWWWWWW...RRRUUUGGGEEERRR...CCCOOOMMM///SSSRRR---SSSEEERRRIIIEEESSS WWWWWW..RRUUGGEERR..CCOOMM//SSRR4455
©©22001133 SSttuurrmm,, RRuuggeerr && CCoo..,, IInncc.. 112222881122
APRIL 2013
Vol. 59, Number 4, 687th Issue
COLUMNS
6 CROSSFIRE
Letters to the editor
8 SHOOTER’S EDGE
dAVe ANdersoN
SponSored by

12 OPTICS
JACoB GottFredsoN
14 HANDLOADING $$22,,111133..9944
JohN BArsNess
18 MONTANA MUSINGS GGUUnn ppAACCKKAAGGee
Mike “duke” VeNturiNo GGIIVVeeAAWWAAyy!! 76
20 HANDGUNS
MAssAd AyooB
22 SHOTGUNNER
KRISS VECTOR CRB CARBINE
hoLt BodiNsoN
24 GUNSMITHING .45 ACP AND MORE!
hAMiLtoN s. BoWeN
58 KNIVES
PAt CoVert
60 VIEWS, NEWS & REVIEWS DEPARTMENTS
riGhts WAtCh: dAVid CodreA
78 ODD ANGRY SHOT
26
SURPLUS, CLASSIC
JohN CoNNor
82 CAMPFIRE TALES AND TACTICAL FIREARMS™
JohN tAFFiN siMoNoV’s sks-45 CArBiNe
hoLt BodiNsoN
30
OUT OF THE BOX™
sPriNGFieLd ArMory Xd-s .45 ACP
JohN tAFFiN
34
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
JeFF JohN
68
OPEN RANGE
70
QUARTERMASTER
Featuring GUNS All-stars!
THIS MONTH:
JOHN CONNOR • DAVE ANDERSON
72
GUNS CLASSIFIEDS
22
73
CUSTOM CORNER
74
NEW PRODUCTS
TURKEY GUN EXTREME 76
GUN OF THE MONTH
80
ADVERTISER INDEX
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4 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • APRIL 2013
ON THE COVER
40
RUGER MINI-14
TACTICAL
FEATURES
36
MODERN DAY
“BIG .50”
The Big Horn Armory 89 chambers
the powerful .500 S&W cartridge.
dAVe ANdersoN
40
RUGER MINI-14
52
TACTICAL
A practical fun variant of the venerable
Ranch Rifle for self-defense.
FACT OR ENDURING MYTH?
Mike CuMPstoN
48
M1s & M1A1s
The US Armed Forces fielded
many arms with the same names
during WWII.
Mike “duke” VeNturiNo
52
FACT OR
ENDURING MYTH?
What is the all-around rifle cartridge
continues to stir debate. 48
JohN BArsNess
ONLINE FEATURE
M1s & M1A1s
WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM
BARRETT .50 BMGs EXCLUSIVE
30 YEARS OF AWESOME FIREPOWER.
ONLINE MANUFACTURERS PRODUCT INDEX:
todd BurGreeN
www.gunsmagazine.com/product-index
WARNING: Firearms are dangerous and iF used improperly may cause serious injury or death. due to the inherent variables in the reloading oF
ammunition, be sure to veriFy any published loads with manuFacturer’s data. products mentioned or advertised may not be legal in all states or
jurisdictions. obey all Firearms laws. always consult a proFessional gunsmith when modiFying any Firearm. be a saFe shooter!
WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 5
Cro Fire
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RANGE RAGE
and ends I need at the range (not the Production Manager Linda Peterson
The First Rule of guns is “Is the weapons, though.) It has wheels on one Website Manager Lorinda Massey
Promotions Coordinator Elizabeth O’Neill
gun loaded?” The Second rule of guns end and a collapsible handle on the
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
is “Where is my bullet going to stop? other, so you just lift it on its wheels and
John Taffin, Holt Bodinson, Dave Anderson,
If you do not know, do not shoot.” pull it along. When the tool chest is flat Clint Smith, Massad Ayoob,
John Barsness’ irresponsible layout on the ground there is no weight on the Mike “Duke” Venturino
of firing point, target and no backstop wheels, so I can sit on it. Works for me. FIELD EDITORS
in the photo on page 21 of the Febru- John Ashjian Sam Fadala, David Codrea, John Morrison,
Glen Zediker, John Sheehan, Jacob
ary issue is one of the worst photos I San Antonio, Texas
Gottfredson, Mike Cumpston, John Barsness,
have seen in a gun magazine in a long Dave Douglas, J.B. Wood
time. Barsness has no information on
MoRE RANGE GEAR
where his bullet is going to stop if he
fires in the pictured setup. Tim Elliot asked in “Crossfire” for
This is irresponsible GUNS Maga- info on range gear. I was perplexed with FMG PUBLICATIONS
zine journalism. the same problem he has. About 3 years
As a rangemaster on a public access ago, I bought a Stanley “Mobile Work shootingindustry.com
range with very well bermed targets Center” toolbox. It has an upper and
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at 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 lower section (convenient to take apart Advertising: Delano Amaguin, 888.732.6461
yards, I routinely stop shooters who and stow in a trunk), wheels, a fold- email: [email protected]
have set up targets, as Barsness has in over collapsible handle (for pulling), americancopmagazine.com

the middle of the range, and make them and a handy front cloth pouch that Editor: Suzi Huntington
move their target to less than 6 feet in is great for holding targets. I stow my Advertising: Phil Mendelson, 800.426.4470
front of any of the berms—where they chronograph and spotting scope and email: [email protected]
know where their bullets will stop. a few other things in the lower section. americanhandgunner.com
Please do not continue this un-safe Tools, staple gun and ammo are conve- Publisher & Editor: Roy Huntington
practice by irresponsible writers and nient in the top section. The remov- Advertising: Steve Evatt, 800.533.7988
email: [email protected]
editors. able tray is handy for small items. The
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almost any .22 LR mag.
email: [email protected]
The range in question belongs to the Rich Odefey
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life member of the club and do a lot of Editor: Sammy Reese
my shooting there. It’s on 400 acres of Advertising: Scott McGregor, 800.553.7780
KEL-TEC MIsTAKE email: [email protected]
empty Montana landscape, and more
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TEL: [phone], FAX [phone]
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myself now for selling it; and my
Kel-Tec P3AT is my current favorite CUSTOMER SERVICE
RANGE GEAR
“walking the dog” deep concealment www.gunsmagazine.com
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bile Tool Box to carry my front tripod, Lloyd Jones PRODUCTION.......................858.605.0216
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rear leather bag, spotting scope, scope Erlanger, Ky.
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6 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • APRIL 2013

SPONSORED BY
available in 100-round “Value Packs.”
WWW.BROWNELLS.COM
Remington UMC handgun ammuni-
Handgun ammo
tion is available with either FMJ or
jacketed hollowpoints (JHP) bullets,
and (for some cartridges) in 100- or
Pt. 1
250-round mega-packs.
Federal offers its American Eagle
line which is not only a good value
but in my experience very accurate.
Good choices abound for
Black Hills Ammo has an exception-
ally good value with its Blue Box line,
self-defense with
loaded in once-fired surplus brass. I’ve
shot many thousands of these rounds
autoloadinG pistols.
in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP and
found it to be exceptionally good.
Dave anDerson A particular favorite is the .45 ACP
with 200-grain match semi-wadcut-
Buying handgun ammunition is kind of a good news/bad ter (SWC) lead bullet—super accurate
and pleasant to shoot.
news scenario. The good news is there has never been
Since I’m a reloader I prefer to
a wider array of choices. The bad news is availabil- purchase ammunition loaded in brass
ity and cost. Demand is high while costs of manufacturing cases. Even if you don’t reload you can
ammo and transporting it to your local store are increasing. likely sell once-fired brass to someone
who does, or sell the brass for
Handgunners need a mini- recycling, to help reduce your
mum of two types of ammu- net ammunition cost.
nition. One type is for volume Some value-priced bulk
shooting, to become famil- ammunition would certainly
iar with the handgun and be acceptable for personal
develop basic shooting skills. defense provided it is loaded
The primary quality of such with appropriate bullets, such
ammunition is value for the as JHPs, but not FMJs. Round-
money. nose, FMJ bullets are noto-
The second type needed rious for excessive penetra-
is ammunition suited to the tion, potentially endangering
purpose of the handgun, A handgun shooter should have two basic loads. For personal bystanders. And because their
whether it is personal defense, defense, a premium load with expanding bullets such as Black Hills stopping power is minimal the
hunting, or formal target Ammunition red box or Federal Premium (above, left) are excellent tendency is to fire a lot of shots,
choices. For practice and training less expensive FMJ loads such
shooting. Here the goal is rather than stopping the threat
as the Speer Lawman (above, right) mean more practice at less
performance, at whatever the cost. Black Hills Ammunition “blue box” (below) loads are assem- with one or two.
cost. bled using once-fired surplus brass. Dave has fired thousands of Some of the top personal-
Unless you are rich or a these rounds and found them to be every bit as good as loads in defense loads are expensive
new commercial brass. Excellent ammunition and an excellent value
reloader, much of your hand- compared to the bulk discount
for practice and target shooting.
gun shooting should be with ammo, but in my opinion are
value-priced ammunition. worth it. Generally they are
Often sold in economical bulk loaded with well-designed and
packs, this is ammunition carefully tested bullets, matched
intended for target and prac- to specific velocity param-
tice shooting. eters, to combine adequate
Manufacturers, distribu- penetration with good bullet
tors and dealers save produc- expansion.
tion costs with high volume, Over the last 30 or so
often using inexpensive full years, there has been consider-
metal jacket bullets for semi- able development in personal
autos. By choice I wouldn’t use defense ammunition. One factor
FMJ bullets for defense or for on the supply side was innova-
hunting, but for making holes tion from small companies with
in paper or ringing steel they good ideas (most of us older
work just fine. guys remember the furor when
These inexpensive, unpretentious confidently. Super Vel ammunition appeared). A
loads might not get the press and Winchester offers a moderately second factor was demand driven,
fancy ads, but they are important priced Winchester USA series often as law enforcement demanded more
because they’ll teach you to shoot, called “white box” ammo, though not effective loads, concurrent with the
and handle your firearm safely and by Winchester. Some cartridges are switch to autoloaders.
8 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • APRIL 2013
GENUINE
THE ARTICLE.
STANDARD
THE ISSUE.
REAL
THE DEAL.
??
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TThhee CCoolltt 11991111..
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tttthhhhiiiissss ooorrriiigggiiinnnaaalll
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TTTThhhheeee LLLLeeeeggggeeeennnndddd CCCCoooonnnnttttiiiinnnnuuuueeeessss....
Visit your dealer or go to www.coltsmfg.com MADE IN THE USA
Untitled-2 1 12/18/12 11:27 AM
and rated for +P by the maker. Shoot-
ing +P loads will cause more handgun
wear than the same amount of stan-
dard loads. I guess it becomes a ques-
tion of whose life is more important,
yours or the gun’s.
A new and interesting load from
Federal is called “Guard Dog” and
is intended for home defense. It has
an FMJ profile for reliable feeding
but contains an expanding polymer
Buffalo Bore offers several +P defensive loads to promote rapid expansion, limiting
(above), such as these 147-grain 9mm loads at penetration of walls inside a house
1,175 fps. There’s also a 124-grain load at 1,300 and reducing risk to family members.
fps, which sounds hot compared to typical US
Currently there are three loads: 9mm
commercial loads, but is no hotter than stan-
dard NATO loads for the 9mm cartridge. They’re Luger, 105-grain bullet at 1,230 fps, a
at home in a quality 9mm pistols such as this .40 S&W with a 135 grainer at 1,200
Glock 19. This is a fine Browning BDA from the fps and a .45 ACP with a 165 grainer
1970s, made by SIG (below) and virtually identi-
at 1,140 fps.
cal to the P220 series. It functions perfectly with
the Black Hills Ammunition 9mm 115 JHP loads Next time in this column, we’ll
in the background. discuss handgun ammo for short
barrel revolvers, hunting and specialty
ammo. Look forward to “Shooter’s
Edge” in the June issue.
Defense Load Choices
Black Hills Ammo (red box, newly manufactured)
Buffalo Bore
CCI/Speer Gold Dot JHP
CorBon Self Defense JHP
Federal Premium Personal Defense Hydra-Shok
Hornady Critical Defense, TAP, XTP
Remington Ultimate Home Defense, Golden Saber
Winchester Ranger, Super-X Silvertip, Supreme
Elite Bonded, PDX1
Black Hills Ammunition
A common question is, do I
P.O. Box 3090
need +P ammunition? In my view it Rapid City, SD 57709
depends on the cartridge, the pistol, [phone]
and the shooter. In the case of 9mm www.gunsmagazine.com/black-hills-ammunition
and .38 Special I personally want +P
Buffalo Bore Ammunition
loads. Long ago 9mm Luger (or Para- P.O. Box 1480, St. Ignatius, MT 59865
bellum if you prefer) ammunition [phone]
in the US was standardized at fairly www.gunsmagazine.com/buffalo-bore-
ammunition
moderate velocities, I’m guessing out
of concerns for the many older mili- CCI/Speer Ammunition
tary surplus pistols being imported. 2299 Snake River Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501
One reason the 9mm is sometimes [phone] (CCI)
[phone] (Speer)
disdained in the US while being
www.gunsmagazine.com/cci-ammunition
respected worldwide is this moderate www.gunsmagazine.com/speer-ammo
US ammunition.
Factory 9mm ammunition loaded CorBon
1311 Industry Rd., Sturgis, SD 57785
in the US with 124-grain bullets typi-
[phone]
cally rate around 1,150 feet per second www.gunsmagazine.com/corbon
and often chronograph less than 1,100
in 4-inch barrels. A few years ago, I Federal Premium Ammunition
900 Ehlen Dr., Anoka, MN 55303
AR-15s, P90, Glock, S&W, chronographed some surplus NATO [phone]
H&K, EO Tech, more! loads through a Glock 19. As I recall www.gunsmagazine.com/federal-premium-
they averaged close to 1,400 fps. By ammunition
comparison even +P 9mm loads with
Visit the Original FFL
Hornady
124-grain bullets are generally rated at
Penny Auction Site! 3625 W. Old Potash Hwy., Grand Island, NE 68803
1,250 fps. [phone]
The only other +P load I use is in .45 www.gunsmagazine.com/hornady
Up to 95%
ACP. I like the Black Hills 230-grain
Off Retail Remington Arms
+P JHP at 950 fps. Some shooters find
870 Remington Dr., P.O. Box 700
New in Box the standard 850 fps 230-grain load Madison, NC 27025
has all the recoil they want, in which [phone]
case I’d stick with it. The .40 S&W www.gunsmagazine.com/remington
For 5 Free Bids,
and .357 Magnum cartridges are stan-
Use Coupon Code: Guns4 Winchester Ammunition
dardized at full power. 600 Powder Mill Rd., East Alton, IL 62024
Any +P loads should only be used in [phone]
modern handguns in good condition, www.gunsmagazine.com/winchester
10 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • APRIL 2013