Archive for the 'Guns' Category

Weird but interesting drop bolt, caseless cartridge concept.

Shooting Illustrated.

The Shadow 2 is probably one of the most ergonomic metal pistols ever made. The grip itself is thinner than other handguns’ grips that use similar double-stack magazines. Adding to this, a generously undercut trigger guard also enables a sure shooting grip. On the frontstrap, there is aggressive checkering and because the large, squared-off trigger guard is undercut, the frontstrap does not feel crowded and provides plenty of space for the strong-hand’s fingers. The shape of the trigger guard works in tandem with the grip, as the trigger guard provides a parallel horizontal surface for the index finger of the support-hand to push up against. The backstrap is generously radiused to better conform to the web of the strong hand. Its upswept beavertail which is profiled similarly to a 191l to brace the firing hand and protect against slide/hammer bite. The Shadow 2 ships with thin, textured aluminum stocks. Because this gun is so popular in the action shooting sports, there is a wide selection of aftermarket stocks to suit all tastes making the gun ever more ergonomic and customizable for anyone.

The slide itself rides inside of the gun’s frame, so it is not very tall. Compared to other slides, there’s less surface area to grab onto in order to manipulate it. However, there are generous serrations both on the front and rear of the slide. The topmost part of the slide is flattened and ribbed to cut down on glare. Both the front and rear sights are serrated, match grade units. The front takes a 1mm fiber optic insert, and the rear sight is adjustable for elevation only. Changing windage means using a punch or sight tool to drift the unit.

The CZ Shadow 2 is eminently shootable for two main reasons: Its weight (46.5 ounces) and its inside-the-frame slide design. Both of these aspects help the entire gun keep flat while shooting. Not only does this slide configuration provide a lower bore axis, but the dust cover area has a considerable amount of metal which acts as a counterweight against muzzle flip. This makes it easier for the sights to return to zero during shooting, which is quite noticeable with the CZ Shadow 2 compared to other pistol designs. Combined with an easy shooting trigger, the Shadow 2 lends itself well to shooting very accurately, very consistently and very quickly.

They show the MSRP as $1099.  I’d like to know where they can pick up a CZ Shadow 2 for that little (after checking, I see that the price has dropped a bit so that may be right in the range for a pistol without the optics slide cut).  They’re used extensively for competitive shooting and are in constant demand.  Also, that pistol shown in the image doesn’t have an optics cut, and the cut generally goes for another $250 or more on top of the price of the pistol without the cut.

I can vouch for the shallow depth of the slide (which is the way it is in order to achieve the low bore axis).  If it weren’t for the cocking serrations, you would have a difficult time cycling the slide.

I can also vouch for the ease of use and quick return to sight picture.  My reaction after shooting it was, “Um, wow, holy cow, what in the world – I’ve never shot a pistol like that before!”  After handing it to a fellow shooter, the reaction was the same.

I’m surprised it took Shooting Illustrated this long to do a review of it.

All of that being said, the gun is heavy, and not ideal for something like concealed carry because of that and it’s large size.  It’s more of a truck gun/night stand gun/competition gun (and maybe an open carry gun).  In a gun fight I’d rather have it than any other pistol.  But because of the difficulty of carry, you’re more likely not to have it.

I ran across this video from three years ago and I like it when gunsmiths tell me they didn’t previously understand what’s going on but do now.  That shows humility and a willingness to learn.

Anyway, he’s very big on Sig Sauer 1911 magazines because of the design.  Do any readers have experience with Sig magazines?  I don’t, and none of my 1911s jam.

I hate the NRA, but this type of information and certifying firearms courses and instructors really is what they should focus on, leaving rights advocacy to the adults.

We hear this term bantered about a lot when it comes to ammunition. But what exactly does it mean, and how does it affect your success in the field or for self-defense?

Terminal performance is how a bullet or other projectile reacts, and the ability of it to stop a human threat or take down an animal. In other words, hunters rate a bullet’s terminal performance in how quickly a projectile kills game animals. Soldiers, law enforcement officers and responsible citizens in self-defense situations rate terminal performance on how quickly a projectile neutralizes a threat. It all relates to how deeply a bullet penetrates to reach the vital organs and cause tissue damage.

Terminal performance is often referred to as “knock-down” or “stopping” power. It is not whether the bullet kills, but how quickly and consistently. Terminal performance has a lot to do with bullet design and the ballistics of the cartridge.

Target shooters are not as concerned with terminal performance as they are in punching holes in paper. They are looking for consistent bullet placement in a tight grouping where they are aiming. Those who use a gun for hunting, and those who carry a gun to defend freedom—like our soldiers, men and women in blue, or citizens who carry for personal protection—are concerned with the terminal performance of a bullet. Remember, if you use a firearm, you have the potential to use deadly force. Using a firearm should be your last resort if you have no other option and it is either you or the assailant. Stopping a threat, whether human or animal, is done in two ways: by causing severe damage to the vascular system and interrupting or stopping the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain; or causing severe damage to the central nervous system in the brain or cerebellum.

There are three things that a bullet needs for terminal performance: bullet expansion, bullet penetration and bullet velocity. All three are related to bullet design and all must work in concert to get the required performance.

The article doesn’t present charts or graphs, which is disappointing since visuals are both a handy reference and increase learning retention. More details are at the link.

After you “just get a Glock,” what handgun do you use?

What’s the deal with single action vs double action handguns? Well, it’s all about the trigger and exactly what happens when it’s pressed. The only thing the trigger of a single action (SA) handgun does is release a cocked hammer to fire the gun. With a double action (DA) handgun, pressing the trigger cocks and releases the hammer. We could leave the explanation there, but as they say in calculus class, it gets complicated. It gets complicated because both revolvers and pistols come as either single or double action, and because within these two distinctions there are variations that require some explaining. So, here is a full breakdown of single action vs double action handguns.

I don’t care for DAO only pistols. The article covers double action, single action, and DAO pistols and revolvers. It’s good for understanding and teaching the basics; the rest is at the link.

Well it finally happened.  Rossi actually came out with a nice looking rifle, with a pistol style grip, fairly good looking Walnut stock, with at least the appearance of a good fit and finish.  At least that’s what you’d conclude from the picture.

Right now it’s in .30-30.  It might be nice to have for a price point < $1000 (street price will be lower).  I expect it will be “unobtanium” for the time being, but time will tell how they meet demand.

So the next step for Rossi will be to make one of these in Walnut, with the pistol style grip, chambered in .454 Casull.

At Recoil they have a short assessment of the new CZ 712 G3 shotgun.

GunMagWarehouse also has a writeup.  Before pushing this to the web sites, CZ had the sense to send a gun to Target Focused Life for review.  Here is his writeup, and here is his video review.

BLUF: A few nits here and there, but overall a good review of a reasonably priced shotgun.  Gun Dog Magazine also has a review.

I can vouch for what they’re saying.  Rock River Arms produces exquisitely built rifles, capable of very good accuracy and precision (repeatability).  They make fine machinery.

There are two things that I think have held them back.  First, being in Illinois, and second, their slightly longer lag time at adopting new things (e.g., light forends).  For a long time, their forends were extremely heavy and a bit clunky.  No more.  They’re up with the rest of the industry on that.

I also dislike the fact that they haven’t yet made a rifle in 6mm ARC (but that goes back to what I’m saying about being slow to adopt new things).

I’ll make one final comment.  At one time they only made a polymer 1911 (which in my book is no 1911 at all).  I see that their catalog now includes some very nice 1911s, but the prices are extremely high, even exceeding the Dan Wesson price range.  They’re into the Wilson Combat price range, and it makes me wonder how many of them they sell.

Outdoor Life.

The “Americans’ Attitudes Toward Legal, Regulated Fishing, Target/Sport Shooting, Hunting, and Trapping” survey, conducted by Responsive Management, was released last month by the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, a think tank devoted to communicating trends in outdoor activities.

[ … ]

Public approval of legal hunting dropped 4 percentage points over the past two years, from about 81 percent of Americans in 2021 to 77 percent of Americans this year. Approval of recreational shooting dropped 3 percentage points, and approval of recreational fishing also dropped 3 points, to 90 percent favorability.

Go to Outdoor Life for the rest of the story.

This is not good news.  The mantra that has been followed for so many years among the gun owning community is to treat gun club like “fight club.”  The first rule of gun club is that you don’t talk about gun club.

If we want to reverse the attitude towards guns and hunting, this will have to change.  Not only rural folk and suburbanites, but the urban dwellers must be made to feel more comfortable with our ownership of weapons and use of them for sport.

Video Included.

While the dispute between single stage vs two stage trigger is very much a preference thing, this won’t be a preference article. This article will discuss build and mechanics, the options and reliability of each, and why one might be chosen over the other in specific situations.

When thinking of a single-stage vs a two-stage trigger, the main terms that need to be known are hammer, sear, and disconnect. As these three parts will differ between triggers in an AR.

Hammer:The hammer is released when the trigger is fully pulled, striking the firing pin to ignite the primer of the round. Note: The hammer does have a portion on it that is known as the “searing portion” but it is not usually referred to as the main sear.

Sear: The sear is a separate part from the disconnect and hammer. The sear will be the last ledge that the hammer slides off of before being totally released to hit the firing pin. Dependent on the trigger, the sear can be a part of the trigger or its own separate piece that is then connected to the trigger.

Disconnect:The disconnect holds the hammer down after the trigger is pulled and the gun is cycling. As the gun is cycling, the hammer is pushed down and held down by the disconnect. This disconnect will then release once the gun has fully cycled and the trigger has been released. Once the disconnect releases the hammer, the hammer is now being held down by the sear.

Below is a graph provided by TriggerTech of various trigger pulls comparing pull weight and trigger travel distance. You can see the different forces and trigger travel required to set off different triggers as well as the amount of variation from trigger to trigger.

As some are better with words and some are better with actually seeing it, below is one of the better videos I’ve found in explaining the mechanics of the single-stage vs two-stage trigger. His example being with a Mil-spec single stage trigger in a standard AR-15 and then a Geissele Super Dynamic Two-Stage trigger.

It is worth it to note that all triggers will be different, even when it is a simple single stage trigger. Aftermarket triggers such as Triggertech, Hiperfire, and CMC are all very intricate designs and will differ from the example below but will have similar steps of operation.

Educational details about build and applications at the link.