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4 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
CONTENTSSEPTEMBER 2014
GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55,
Number 9, is published monthly, 12 times
a year by Beckett Media, LLC, 22840 Savi
Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to Gun World c/o Beckett
Media, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX 75244.
Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: Gun
World c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542,London, ON N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001
FEATURE
S Agency AdoptionSIG Sauers long-awaited P227 offers
enhanced stopping power
and flexibility for law
enforcement applications.
By Leroy Thompson
14 Shape Shifter
Stag Arms understandsthe need for flexible and
modular mission capability,
and its 3GH upper is a
solution-in-a-box that
warrants a much closer look.
By Capt. John N. Raguso
Blackout Stakeout
A spot-and-stalk, bolt-action veteran jumps at
the chance to put CMMGs
new Mk4 T rifle to the test
against Texas hogs.
By Mike Dickerson
Red, White,Blue & BearRuger, Redfield, Crimson
Trace and Warne Scope
Mounts join forces on an
affordable, all-American
.30-06 hunting package.
By Brad Fitzpatrick
Impressive ViewThe Taurus View may not
be entirely original, but it is
unique in how it combines
the best in traditional
snubnose revolver design
with the latest technology.
By Dr. Martin D. Topper
34
MikeDickerson
24
5446
34
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CONTENTS
ON THE COVER:Photographs by Sig Sauer/Ron Eldridge & CMMG
Cover design by Johann
Frederick Mendoza
8 Up Front
Craig Hodgkins
10 New Products
Gun World
Contributors
12 Ask the Experts
Gun World
Contributors
64 Todays Hunter
Thomas C. Tabor
70 Reload James E. House
76 Concealed Carry
Dave Workman
82 Gunsmithing
Steve Sieberts
92 Questions &
Answers
The Editors
96 Back Pages
Craig Hodgkins
COL
UMNS 14
46
82
LeroyThompson
Dr.MartinD.Topper
SteveSieberts
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This week I received a notice
about an upcoming 3-Gun compe-
tition, and it got me thinking about
vaqueros and lumberjacks.
Rodeo evolved into a sport be-
cause one vaquero (or his friends)
wanted to see how he measured up
against someone from an adjoining
ranch in skills hed acquired or de-veloped on the job.
These talents often included
horsemanship, dexterity with a lariat,
and the ability and stamina to ride or
wrestle a steer. These skills lent
themselves to competition, but at
the end of a very long day, they were
also life-sustaining skills. Without
them, a vaquero was out of a job.
A few decades ago, I wrote fea-tures for the company newsletter at
a well-known Southern California
theme park. One weekend, an entire
course was constructed along the
riverfront for the various events of a
lumberjack competition.
I watched in awe as the com-
petitors played can you top this in
eye-popping exhibitions of axe
throwing, wood splitting, tree limb-ing, and logrolling. Again, with the
possible exception of axe throwing,
these were job skills on steroids.
Today, its no secret that 3-Gun
competitions are proliferating, and
for good reason. Human beings
tend to be a competitive lot, and if
someone has developed proficiency
with firearms, and theres an oppor-
tunity to prove he or she is faster or
more accurate (or both) than
someone else, it isnt hard to con-vince them to put their money
where their mouth is.
But as with vaqueros and lum-
berjacks, 3-Gun competitors (as
well as those in a myriad of older,
more established shooting con-
tests) have an opportunity to gain
much more than ribbons, trophies
and oversized checks.
Each practice round hones re-
action times under stress and
brings a greater working knowledgeof all the required equipment.
In these uncertain times, those
may just turn out to be life-sustain-
ing skills. GW
8 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
SEPT 2014 VOLUME 55 NUMBER 9
EDITORIALEditor In Chief: Craig HodgkinsManaging Editor: Kari WindesSenior Creative Director: Eric KnaggArt Director: Johann Frederick Mendoza
CONTRIBUTORS
Todd Burgreen, Jerry Catania, Mike Dickerson,Brad Fitzpatrick, Paul Hantke, James House, JamesonParker, Buck Pope, D.K. Pridgen, John Raguso, SteveSieberts, Dave Spaulding, Tom Tabor, Chuck Taylor, LeroyThompson, Martin Topper, Dave Workman
ADVERTISINGGabe Frimmel: Ad Sales Director(714) 200-1930 [email protected] Clifford: Senior Account Executive(717) 896-8956Mark Pack: Senior Account Executive(714) 200-1939Gennifer Merriday: Ad Trafc Coordinator
DIRECT MARKETING GROUPJohn Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746Paul Caca (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961Ryan Lauro (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756Mary Ann Jaca (866) 866-5146 ext 2716
OPERATIONSGus Alonzo: Newsstand Sales & Marketing Manager
Celia Merriday: Newsstand AnalystArmit Sharma: Newsstand & Production AnalystMohit Patel: Newsstand & Production AnalystAlberto Chavez: Senior Logistics & Facilities ManagerJohn Cabral: Creative Graphic Designer
EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200Yorba Linda, CA 92887(714) 939-9991www.gunworld.comwww.facebook.com/gunworldmagazinewww.facebook.com/eembybeckett
GUN WORLD (ISSN 0017-5641) Volume 55, Number 9, ispublished monthly, 12 times a year by Beckett Media, LLC,22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and additionalmailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GunWorld c/o Beckett Media, 4635 McEwen Road, Dallas, TX75244. Return undelivered Canadian addresses to: GunWorld c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc. PO Box 25542, London, ON
N6C 6B GST#855050365RT001 2014 by Beckett Media,LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material fromthis issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
CUSTOMER SERVICEBeckett Media, LLC4635 Mc Ewen Road. Dallas, TX 75244
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This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the under-standing that information presented is from varioussources from which there can be no warranty or responsi-bility by Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, complete-ness or technical accuracy.
GST #855050365RT001Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
PITNEY BOWES, INC.P.O. Box 25542London, ON N6C 6B2
VAQUEROS& LUMBERJACKSBy Craig Hodgkins
UP FRONT
Human beings
tend to be a
competitive lot...
GUN WORLDIN SOCIAL MEDIA:
Website:www.GunWorld.comFacebook:www.facebook.com/GunWorldMagazine
Twitter:@gunworldmagPocketmags
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As more and more states pass
legislation allowing the use of si-
lencers and suppressors for hunt-
ing, a variety of manufacturers have
begun to discover that silence can
be golden. One company, West Val-ley, Utah-based SilencerCo, has fo-
cused its attentions solely on this
growing segment.
Founded in 2008 with the goal
of providing new, forward-thinking
ideas to forever change the land-
scape of the suppressor industry,
SilencerCo seeks to creates prod-
ucts that will improve sound reduc-
tion levels, durability and longevity,form and function, and ease of use
and maintenance.
SilencerCos Harvester & Har-
vester Big Bore sound suppressors
are designed specifically for hunt-
ing and long-range precision shoot-
ers handling larger calibers. The use
of modular thread adapters make
each of these an excellent choice
for a variety of shooting disciplines,and the fully welded hardened tool-
grade stainless steel baffle design
place them among the lightest cen-
terfire silencers available.
THE HARVESTER
This model was specifically de-signed for hunting and long-range
precision shooting applications.
Utilizing its lightweight design, the
Harvester is barely noticed on the
end of your barrel. Because it uti-
lizes modular thread adapters, the
Harvester can be used on a wide
range of threaded barrels, and the
anchor brake offers excellent recoil
reduction across a range of calibers.The Harvester is rated for mag-
num calibers up to and including
300 Winchester Magnum (mini-
mum of 24-inch barrel).
THE HARVESTER BIG BORE
This unit encapsulates all the
features of the Harvester, but adds
the capability to allow the use of a
modular adapter to utilize variousmounting options.
The Harvester Big Bore is rated
for magnum calibers up to and in-
cluding the .338 Lapua.GW
10 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
SILENCEIS GOLDENSilencerCos Harvester Family Of SoundSuppressors Are Designed For HuntersPhotos courtesy of SilencerCo/Dewey Keithly
SPECIFICATIONS
HARVESTER 30
Caliber: .300
Weight: 11.3 ounces
Diameter: 1.375 inches
Length: 8.80 inches
Sound Reduction:21-34 dB
Finish:Hardcoat Anodized
MSRP: $750(with thread mount)
NEWPRODUCTS
For more information onSilencerCo and its products, visitthe website at SilencerCo.com or
call (801) 417-5384.
The Harvester
adds less than 12
ounces to this
Remington 700
in .243 Win.
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www.silencerco.com
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Question: I read in an article
that the MK 23 Pistol is con-
sidered an offensive pistol.
What makes it different from
other military handguns?
Randy W., Lake Forest, California
Leroy Thompson Answers: Gen-erally, in the military, pistols are
viewed as defensive weapons when
used by troops who will not nor-
mally see frontline combat, or as a
secondary weapon should the pri-
mary weapon go down. The latter isespecially true for special opera-
tions personnel who may not be in
position to be readily supplied with
a replacement rifle or carbine.
However, the H&K MK 23, Mod
0 was specifically developed to give
special operations personnel a pis-tol to be employed during offensive
operations, especially clandestine
raids. Chambered for the .45 ACP
cartridge and with a magazine ca-
pacity of 12 rounds, the MK 23 can
hit hard but may still be used with
one hand or in confined spaces.
The offensive capability is
enhanced by the suppressor devel-
oped for the weapon by Knights Ar-mament Company and LAM (Laser
Aiming Module) developed by In-
sight Technology. These allow the
pistol to be used at close range to
take out enemy personnel during
direct action operations.
Though very effective for cer-
tain operations, the MK23 is a
good-sized pistol at 16.5 inches
overall with suppressor mounted, or9.65 inches without the suppressor
and a weight of 5 pounds loaded
with LAM and suppressor mounted.
As a result, some special units carry
a companion defensive pistol
rather than the MK23. The SEALs
normally carry a SIG P226, and
Special Forces operators currently
carry Glocks.
I have actually seen the MK23used most often by US Navy SWCC
(Special Warfare Combat-Craft
Crewmen) who deliver the SEALs
on some missions. GW
12 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
OUR SEPTEMBER EXPERTS:Leroy Thompson is an internationally recognized authority on weapons and tactics, and is the author of more than
50 books. His current feature on SIG Sauers P227 may be found on page 14.
Thomas C. Tabor is Gun Worlds resident hunting columnist, and routinely goes afield in pursuit of small birds, large
game and good stories. His Todays Hunter column may be found on page 64.
ASK theEXPERTS We do the research so you dont have to.
The Heckler &
Koch MK23.
INTENTIONALLYOFFENSIVEThe MK 23 can hit
hard, but may still be used
with one hand or in
confined spaces.
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Question: I read your recent
column on shed antlers, but
would like a bit more informa-
tion. I frequently find sheds
bleached by the sun, particu-
larly on the upper surfaces. Isthere any way to restore the
color for a more natural look,
and if so, how?
Kent H., Kansas City, Missouri
Tom Tabor Answers: Loss of
color in an antler can be a big prob-
lem for shed hunters. When this
happens the antler loses much ofits visual appeal and in many cases
its monetary value takes a hit as
well. It only takes a few weeks lying
in the penetrating sun to bleach the
color out.
Taxidermists frequently use
antler wax or antler conditioner toartificially bring back the color, and
these products are available for
sale from many taxidermy supply
houses.
Another method I have occa-
sionally used is to apply a very thin
layer of walnut stain, but I would
certainly advise that you use a con-
siderable amount of caution using
stain, and to always test it out on anold set or in a place where it wont
be seen. It is all too easy to overdo
it, turning the entire horn into an
ugly, unnatural-looking disaster.
Once mounted, your sheds
should always be stored away from
the direct sun to maintain as much
of the natural beauty as possible. I
often cringe when I see people who
carelessly store their antlers out-
side, allowing them to slowly dete-riorate in the sun. GW
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 13
SHEDDINGCOLOR
Shed hunters often find freshly shed antlers beside ones shed months earlier with the color bleached out. You can either leave them in
that condition, or try your hand at restoring the color.
Taxidermists
frequently use antler wax
or antler conditioner
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14/10014 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
AGENCYADOPTIONSIG Sauers Long-Awaited P227 Offers
Enhanced Stopping Power And FlexibilityFor Law Enforcement Applications
Story & Photos by Leroy Thompson
My appreciation of the
SIG P226 dates to
when it was one of
the two finalists, along with
the Beretta 92, in the 1984 U.S.
service pistol trials. Much
drama surrounded the
selection of the Beretta M9
that year, with many feeling
the P226 was a better pistol.
Still, the SEALs wanted the
P226 and got it, and the P228
was adopted by the U.S.
Armed Forces as the M11 for
issuance to those needing a
more compact pistol.
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The P227 is similar in size to
the P226, but is chambered in
.45 ACP. This new SIG Sauer
has an accessory rail, making
it suitable for several acces-
sories, including this Stream-
light TLR-2s Tactical Light.
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I carried a Browning Hi-Power
for many years, but by the mid-
1980s I was ready for a high capac-ity, double action auto. Id used the
CZ75 on some overseas jobs and
liked its feel, which was similar to
the Hi-Powers, as well as the ability
to carry it ready for a first DA round
or cocked and locked.
But I was also a major fan of
SIG pistols. Id used a P210 as a
second gun to my Hi-Power when
working close protection jobs, as Ifelt the P210 gave me longer-range
capability.
I had also fired the Swiss
military issue P75, which was a 9 x
19mm single-stack version of the
P220. Because I had worked in
environments where the ability to
deliver sustained fire during an
evacuation under fire was
important, I had a preference forhigh capacity 9 x 19mm weapons.
Thus, when the P226 (with its 15+1
capacity) was introduced, I immedi-
ately ordered one, and I have re-mained a fan of the pistol.
My first contact with a SIG in
.45 ACP may have been with a
Browning BDA, as the earliest P220
imports, with bottom magazine
release, were designated. Im not
sure.
However, the first one I remem-
ber shooting belonged to an FBI
agent in the St. Louis office. I liked thepistol, which was utterly reliable and
very accurate. Its single-stack
magazine allowed the grip to remain
relatively small, though I never really
found the P226 grip too thick, but
many did.
Well, let me rephrase that: I
didnt find it too thick in the hand,
but I was carrying it in an inside-
the-waistband holster and some-times it was a little thick for
concealment, but just a little. The
latest P226 grips have helped slim
the pistol in the hand.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
Some users prefer a manual
safety/hammer drop, as on S&W
pistols such as the Model 59 series
or the Beretta M9, but I like the
SIGs hammer drop, which drops
the hammer and returns to the fire
position. My hands are small
enough, though, that I cannot workthe hammer drop (de-cocker) with
the thumb of my right hand without
shifting my shooting grip; I have to
use my support side thumb. I can
work the slide release without shift-
ing my firing position.
I also find the P226 an easy pis-
tol to disassemble by just rotating
the disassembly lever downward
90 degrees and removing the slideassembly from the frame.
16 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
Despite being chambered for the .45 ACP round, the P227 shows only moderate recoil, and allows fast recovery after a shot.
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When SIG introduced the DAKsystem, I purchased a pistol with
that smooth DA-only feature and
have since purchased a couple
more, and would recommend the
DAK versions for law enforcement.
Some years ago, some friends and I
had Performance Center 4566 pis-
tols made, and I found that I liked
the pistol so much that I switched
to carrying it when I used a belt gun.
After a couple of years, though, Iwent to the lighter 4563, which was
the same gun, but with an alloy
frame. Both were in .45 ACP. I still
carried a 9 x 19mm pistol as a
pocket gun (Kahr PM9 or HK
P2000SK, depending on the
pocket), but for many years now,
the 4563 has stayed in my night-
stand along with its holster or on
my belt when applicable.
ENHANCEDSTOPPING POWER
When I saw the announcement
of the P227which is basically a
P226-sized gun chambered for the
.45 ACPI became very interested,
and I was not alone. Many law en-
forcement agencies that previously
used 9x19mm or .40 S&W handguns
have changed to .45 ACP weapons to
gain enhanced stopping power. For
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 17
The three primary controls for the P227, left to right: takedown lever, de-cocker, slide release.
Right side view of the P227.
Note the rail for mounting
various illuminators or pointers.
Many law
enforcement agencies
have changed to .45 ACP
weapons to gain enhanced
stopping power.
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such agencies, the P227 should be
very appealing due to SIG Sauers es-
tablished reputation in law enforce-
ment and the fact that SIG pistolsnormally do very well in law enforce-
ment testing.
Many agencies now adopt pis-
tols with an accessory rail to make a
weapon light, another advantageous
feature on the P227. And, for agen-
cies that already use a P226R (The
R indicates that the pistol has an
accessory rail), the same duty hol-
sters will normally fit the P227, and 11rounds of .45 ACP (with a round
chambered) give a substantial num-
ber of follow-up rounds, especially
with a pistol chambered for the .45
ACP cartridge.
I use a Blade-Tech holster de-
signed for a P226 with light
mounted, but for this test I wanted
to try SIGs own Level 2 duty hol-
ster for a P227 with the SIG SauerSTL-900 Tactical Light and Laser
mounted. The illuminator on this
unit is well designed and compact.
It offers the choice of constant
light, strobe, or laser, the latter of
which can operate with the light or
independently. It also has the type
of quick attach/detach system
that I like.
Turning a folding turnkey headallows the jaws of the illuminator to
open enough to slide onto the
P227s rails until the crosspiece is in
position. The turnkey is then tight-
ened to hold the illuminator in posi-tion. At 130 peak Lumens, it is bright
enough for all types of use. The
strobe feature can also be useful
for disorienting an opponent,
though some persons subject to
epileptic seizures reportedly can be
affected by strobes.
One note on the STL-900: the
instructions are not clear on how to
open the battery compartment.After staring at the side where the
compartment is located, I eventu-
ally figured out that it is necessary
to loosen the screw above it for ac-
cess. My own experience and that
of many law enforcement trainers
has also shown that if personnel
carry weapons with lights mounted
it has to be emphasized that they
carry a separate light for normal
lighting tasks (i.e. the light on thegun should not be used to check
identification, and so forth.)
The SIG Sauer duty holster is
very cleverly designed for retention,
but with quick access. When the pis-
tol is in the holster (with or without
light mounted), a hinged cap pivots
over the top of the slide and sights
and snaps in place. Along with fric-
tion, this retains the pistol. Pressingdown a button naturally with the
thumb during the draw releases the
retention cap and allows the pistol to
be drawn straight upward.
Although I term this a duty
holster, it came with a paddle de-
18 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
I like the P227 quite
a bit, and am thinking
about making it my
belt-carry .45 DA
A view of the P227s slim
grip (for a double stack .45);
note the texturing, which
allows a solid grip even in the
rain or with sweaty palms.
A good view of the P227s slide markings and rail.
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signed to allow it to be quickly at-
tached to the belt. It would serve
for concealed carry, but it does stick
out further than I like for concealedcarry. It should work well for law en-
forcement officers working in soft
clothes, however. Just as a quick
test, I tried Streamlights TLR 2s
Tactical Light and Laser since I had
it set up for mounting on SIG rails,
and it worked fine as well.
ROUND FIGURES
Ive taken the P227 to the rangethree times now and put 100
rounds through it each time. I took
some hand loads that I buy in bulk
for function and general handing
testing, while for accuracy testing I
took Cor-Bon 200-grain +P JHP
and Black Hills 185-grain JHP and
230-grain FMJ. Ive done the shoot-
ing tests over more than a month
and have not cleaned the pistol yetas I like to see how a new gun func-
tions if it gets a little dirty. I did
squirt a little oil on the rails before
each shooting session. To the best
of my recollection, I did not have
any malfunctions.
Before discussing accuracy, Ill
offer a couple of other comments
that may apply especially for law
enforcement adoption. Pulling backthe slide against the P227s recoil
spring requires some effort, cer-
tainly more than with a 9 x 19mm
P226. Although I find the grips com-
fortable, anyone with hands smaller
than mine will likely find it too thick.
I do not find recoil at all excessive,
but I shoot thousands of rounds of
.45 ACP per year. Finally, since the
P227s de-cocker must be manuallyoperated after a round is cham-
bered, muzzle awareness is para-
mount. I havent seen a DAK version
of the P227 yet, though Im sure one
will be available. For agency issue, I
would recommend that a DAK ver-
sion be purchased.
At 25 yards, the P227 was rela-
tively accurate. A friend shot a five-
shot group of about 3.75 incheswith the Federal 185-grain load, and
that was the best with that ammo.
The sights were off with groups a
couple of inches left, but I borrowed
a SIG-Sauer sight pusher and have
taken care of that.
Another test I like to do with
DA/SA autos is to fire a group of
double taps with the first round DA
and the second round SA to seehow much difference in impact
20 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
SPECIFICATIONS
SIG SAUER P227
Action: Double action/single action
Caliber: .45 ACP
Overall Length: 7.7 inches
Barrel Length: 4.4 inches
Weight: With empty magazine32 ounces
Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds
(14 round magazine to be available)
Sights: Front post, rear notch,with SIGLITE Night Sights on test gun
MSRP: $749 and up
P227 in SIG-Sauers Level 2 hol-
ster for the P226 or P227; note
that the hammer/slide is covered
and the holster is designed for
carry with the SIG STL900 affixed.
The P227 in one of
Thompsons favorite
belt holsters for
concealed carry: the
Kramer Belt Scabbard.
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point there is between the two. I
fired 10 rounds quickly, coming upfrom the low ready for each double
tap at 15 yards and found that all
except one were center of mass on
a killer clown target. The one that
was off to the left still impacted the
clown.
I also did a series of double
taps from the low-ready position
on pepper poppers and plates at
15-35 yards. Mostly, I wanted tosee how the P227 was for quick
handling, and it responded well.
The rear sight notch is open
enough that acquiring the front
sight quickly was easier than with
many pistols Ive tried.
SIG Sauer advertises the SA
pull as 4.4 pounds and the DA pull
as 10 pounds. That seems about
right to me. I wouldnt call eithertrigger pull great, but both DA and
SA were usable and did not
seem gritty or to stack unduly.
To be honest, I want to test a
P227 with DAK trigger for com-
parison, as Ive gotten used to the
steady pull of the DAK for all
shots.
I like the P227 quite a bit, and
am thinking about making it my
belt carry .45 DA, although I need toshoot it some more to decide if I
want the DA/SA model Ive tested
or the DAK model. Ive already or-
dered five extra ten-round maga-
zines and will order three more
14-round ones, as I like to have ten
mags for pistols I use a lot.
Ive also ordered a Kramer Belt
slide holster, which is one of my fa-
vorites for belt carry. Since its beena while since I carried a P226 regu-
larly, I do have to adjust to a
slightly fatter belt gun than Ive
been using. Still, I like the idea of
SIG Sauer accuracy and reliability
in a carry gun. I definitely see an LE
market for agencies that have been
using a P226 and want to go to a
larger caliber.
When I test SIG Sauer pistols, Ialways find them hard to send back
and rarely do. This one is no excep-
tion. The invoice for the P227 is on
my bills to pay stack. GW
22 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
CONTACTS
SIG Sauer, Inc.(603) 610-3000SigSauer.com
Streamlight(800) 523-7488Streamlight.com/en-us
Blade-Tech(877) 331-5793Shop.Blade-Tech.com
Kramer Leather(800) 510-2666KramerLeather.com
Black Hills Ammunition(605) 348-5150BlackHills.com
Cor-Bon Ammunition(800) 626-7266CorBon.com
A 25-yard five-shot offhand group usingBlack Hills 185-grain JHP ammunition.
To pop up the slide/rear
sight cover of the SIG Sauer
Level 2 holster, the lever at
left of the holster is naturally
pressed with the thumb.
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GEAR AS PREPAREDAS YOU ARE.
In 1990 a Navy SEAL was navigating a minefield when his pack failed. As his gear tumbled to the ground,
he vowed that if he got out of there alive he would make gear the right way. Today this obsession with
quality applies to everything we do. Were constantly researching, refining and perfecting every detail
to provide gear that wont let you down. Because were not just making stuff. Were honoring a vow.
-
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24/10024 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The author tests the Stag 3G
upper, using Midwest Industriesflip-up, rail-mounted iron sights.
Test ammo included a wide range
of loads, including Winchester's
5.56 NATO M193 55-grain and
M855 62-grain FMJBT; Hornady's
.223 Rem 60-grain TAP and 75-
grain BTHP; and Federal's .223
Rem 55-grain FMJBT and 69-grain
Gold Match SMK.
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SHAPESHIFTERStags 3G Upper Will TransformYour AR-15 Into A Real CompetitorStory & Photos by Capt. John N. Raguso
T
wo seasons back, Stag Arms debuted its
popular 3G/3-Gun model mil-spec AR-15
clone with great success. Understandingthe desire of most AR-15 owners for flexible and
modular mission capability, this New Britain, CT
manufacturer now offers the upper-half-only
portion of this 3-Gun platform for those potential
customers who prefer to upgrade an existing
AR-15 platform for 3-Gun matches or other
run-and-gun events. The Stag 3GH (and 3GHL
for lefties) is a solution-in-a-box that warrants a
much closer look.
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3-GUN SPECIALIST PLUS
A call to Stag revealed the
mission statement of this relatively
new upper. According to sales man-
ager, Dave Larson, The Model 3GHwas manufactured specifically for
the speed, agility, and accuracy
needed for shooting 3-Gun compe-
titions, hunting and target shooting.
Working with our newly formed
3-Gun shooting team, Team Stag
Arms, we have determined the
features and configuration that will
have the broadest appeal and use
in competition.With the 3GH, Larson contin-
ued, competitors are able to
produce fast and accurate shots
from close to long range as is
needed in 3-Gun competitions.
Boasting an 18-inch stainless steel,
fluted, heavy barrel with a rifle
length gas system and the new Stag
Arms 3G compensator, recoil im-
pulse is greatly reduced allowing forfast follow-up shots. Aiding in accu-
racy is the Samson Evolution hand-
guard, which is free floating and
modular, allowing the attachment of
rail sections or sling mounts along
the handguard. This also grants the
shooter the ability to mount acces-
sories as needed but not be bur-dened with a full quad rail.
The layout of the 3GH is simple
and straightforward. Manufactured
from a forged block of T7075 mil-
spec aluminum, the machined
upper is protected with a type 3
hard coat anodizing, and fitted with
an E.R. Shaw fluted stainless steelbarrel sporting a 5.56 NATO cham-
26 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The Stag's 3G upper mated perfectly with the authors mil-spec Rock River Arms National Match lower. Note the Stags optional
chrome-plated BCG that is visible through the open ejection port.
The Stag 3Gs Samson Evolution free-float hand guard allows each operator to add
modular rail sections whenever and wherever they are needed. Noted the fluted, heavy,
stainless steel barrel visible though the hand guard vents.
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platform to take on your next pig
hunt that can stabilize the heavier
75-grain and 77-grain ammo to drop
ol porky? Maybe a consistent bulls-
eye shooter at the range, or some-
thing to snipe a troublesome varmint
at the ranch? Check, check andcheck the Stag 3GH with its fluted
stainless heavy profile barrel, cou-
pled with a 1:8 twist rate, has each of
these mission requirements covered.
Like most mil-spec AR-15
clones, the Stag 3GH is a veritable
quick-change artist and can literally
mount to your favorite lower in 5
seconds or less. This is accom-
plished by lining up the upper re-ceivers fore-and-aft attachment
lugs with the lowers corresponding
openings on either end of the mag-
azine well and pistol grip. Snap the
pivot and takedown pins into place
and you are in business and ready
for action.
I attached the Stag 3GH to the
ber. This 18-inch tube offers a 1:8
twist rate, optimum for stabilizing
heavier 75-grain and 77-grain, open-
tip match projectiles. Stag tops off
the 410-stainless steel Shaw barrel
with a compensator thats an in-
house design.
MISSION FULFILLED
After field-testing the Stag
3GH upper, theres no doubt that
this bona fide shape shifter can
exhibit a number of different per-
sonalities, depending on the op-
erators mood.Need a tack-driving paper
puncher? No problemo. This one
delivers MOA accuracy or better
when fed the right ammo. How
about a rapid-fire steel plate
slayer? Check; definitely can do.
Or maybe you need to drop
steel poppers at 200 yards and
require a spot to add some mag-
nified optics, like an ACOG,VCOG or traditional variable
power scope? This one can defi-
nitely make it rain, with dedi-
cated T-marked Picatinny rail
positions both on the upper and
on the standard Samson Evolu-
tion free-float rail.
How about a quick-handling
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 27
RAPID TRANSITION SIGHTS
If the Trijicon or other ACOG isyour preferred primary optic and youneed a set of ready back up ironsights, installing a set of Dueck De-fense Rapid Transition Sights (RTS)on the Stags extending Picatinny railis definitely the way to go. Designedby 3-Gun shooter and IPSC Grand
Master Barry Dueck, they allow rapidtransition from optical to iron sightsthat are canted off at an angle fromthe top rails centerline, so both opti-cal and irons are always in place andready to go.
The RTS pair (front and rear) ismachined from 7075 aluminum alloybar stock, coated with a durable mil-spec hard anodized finish, offers -MOA elevation and windageadjustments on the rear sight, worksfor both right-handed and left-handedshooters and is made in the U.S.
The MSRP is $238 for the set.
The Stag 3G features a standard charging handle, but the author chose the optional chrome-plated bolt and bolt carrier group for
easy cleanups after extended shooting sessions.
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lower receiver of my Rock River Na-
tional Match rifle, which is outfitted
with an A2 stock kit and an excel-
lent two-stage trigger.The marriage of upper to lower
was picture perfect, with nary a
trace of wobble or shake. You could
barely see sunlight pass through
the two receivers horizontal seam
and it was as rock solid a connec-
tion as you could expect from two
disparate (although mil-spec)
manufacturers; no aftermarket
Accu-Wedge is needed here!
The Rock Rivers two-stage
trigger with specialized hammerand disconnector worked seam-
lessly with the Stags chrome-
plated bolt and carrier (a $30
upgrade) and it was as if they were
meant for each other from the get-
go. Although I rarely use my Rock
River National Match rifle unless
shooting a competitive match,
28 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
SPECIFICATIONS
Action: Semi-auto, direct gasimpingement
Chamber: 5.56 NATO(this upper will also shoot .223 Rem)
Pivot/Takedown Pin Size: Small pin(0.250-inches)
Muzzle Device: Stag 3G compensator
Barrel: E.R. Shaw, 18-inch, 410 stain-less steel, fluted, heavy barrel profile
Barrel Twist Rate: 1:8, button rifled
Handguard: Samson Evolution 15-inchfree-floating, three accessory rails
Upper Receiver: Forged, mil-spec,type three hardcoat anodizing, withPicatinny rail
Bolt & Carrier: Enhanced semi-autowith a manganese phosphate coating(HP & MPI tested bolt, M16 bolt carrierand chrome-plated bolt and BCG also
available)
Charging Handle: Standard mil-spec
Front Sight: None
Rear Sight: None
MSRP: $775 (3GH)- $785 (3GHL)Warranty: One year
Midwest Industries flip-up front and rear rail sights (left and right) flank its offset rail
sight mount that allows the simultaneous use of a small rapid transition reflex sight, like
this Trijicon RMR.
The author attacks a target using the Stag 3G's M/I iron sights. Note the Trijicon RMR
reflex canted off on the right side of the Samson rail, ready for immediate transition
should the need arise.
This one deliversMOA accuracy or
better when fed theright ammo.
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adding the Stag 3GH upper to
the mix offers me a lot more
mission flexibility with this setup
and thats the point.
LIKES AND DISLIKES
Although this Stag 3GH
worked great with all of the
name-brand, made-in-USA
M855 and .223 Match ammo
that I could feed it (a list which
included Federal/American
Eagle, Winchester and Hornady),
there were a few rounds that itjust didnt like. For reasons
known only to its creators, this
upper would not function reli-
ably with any of the Silver Bear
(Barnual) 62-grain HPBT or 55-
grain FMJBT ammo I attempted
to send down the tube. It would
short stroke on absolutely each
and every one.
Even if I attempted to fool itand sneak a stray Silver Bear car-
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 29
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Go to www.corbon .com for details!Call or email us and mention ad CBG-GW14 for a free gift from CORBON/Glaser Ammunition.
-
8/21/2019 Gun World 201409
30/100
cleaned up fairly easily with a mini-
mum of effort with just some
Break Free CLP, a clean cloth and a
standard AR-15 kit double-ended
nylon brush.
REAL WORLD RESULTS
Operating the 3GH in the field
and at the range confirmed that
when outfitted with the proper op-tics and fed top-shelf ammo, this
Stag can shoot with the best of
them. I was able to produce a num-
ber of five-shot groups that meas-
tridge into a magazine of Federals
American Eagle M855 or Winchester
Ranger green tip, it could pick it out
each and every time, like a drug-sniff-
ing canine and completely shut down
the operation. As an aside, most of
the Rock River, Colt, Bushmaster and
Frankenstein ARs I have tested his-
torically have had no trouble digest-
ing this zinc-plated steel case ammo,which has been some of the least
problematic Russian ammo I have
used in the past.
As most AR owners know, it
could be caused by many reasons,
from not having enough power to
cycle the action, to the steel case
not making a tight enough seal in
the chamber (compared to the
brass-cased ammo) to ensure maxgas pressure, to the inherently dirt-
ier ammo clogging up the direct-
gas impingement operation, etc.
Just be advised that this upper
didnt care for the Silver Bear
ammo.
In contrast, there were no such
problems with any of the brass-
cased USA ammo that were sent
downrange in the Stag. I had a few
hundred rounds of M855 left over
from the Mil-Spec Shootout I re-
cently conducted for this magazine,
and this was all totally good-to-go.
It was the same deal with the Hor-
nady 75-grain Match .223 Rem
ammo that I fed it; absolutely no
hiccups. Rapid fire, slow fire, maga-
zine dumps, whatever nothing
bothered it.When I performed some quick
field maintenance after an ex-
tended firing session, the Stags
chrome-plated bolt and carrier
30 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
STAG 3GH RANGE RESULTS WITH TRIJICON TA11E-A 3.5X35 ACOG
Manufacturer Best Five-shot Group Average Five-shot Group Muzzle Velocity& Load (Five groups)@ 100-yards (Manufacturers specs)
Federal/AmericanEagle M855 NATO 1.30 inches 1.50 inches 3,020 fps/20-inch barrel
62-gr FMJBTSPC
Winchester RangerM855 NATO 62-gr 1.37 inches 1.55 inches 3,095 fps/20-inch barrelFMJBTSPC
Hornady .223 Rem 0.75 inches 0.95 inches 2,790 fps/24-inch barrelMatch 75-gr HPBT
Test ammo included standard M855 62-grain FMJBT green tip from Federal and Win-
chester, in addition to Hornady's proven 75-grain BTHP .223 match load for precision work.
The 10-round magazines from AR-Stoner/ASC (left and right) and Magpul's Gen3 P-Mag
(center) fed flawlessly for hundreds of rounds fired through the Stag 3G upper.
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the Dueck RTS canted irons on theside, but its just another way to
play the game.
Of course, you can always go
with a traditional hunting scope
and rings on the topside P-rail and
this shooter performed totally
lights out armed with a Weaver
variable power 3-12 x 42mm Grand
Slam scope at 100 yards with con-
sistent sub-MOA groups and is justthe ticket for sniping or truly long
distance shots.
If you are looking to transform
one of your plain-Jane mil-spec AR-
15 platforms into a real competitor,
or simply need a quality upper to
complete an AR-15 lower build, you
should definitely give the Stag 3GH
a closer look.GW
ured just less than an inch at 100yards with Hornadys 75-grain .223
Match ammo using a Caldwell
Tack-Driver bean bag set on top of
a wooden range bench.
When migrating to my offhand
position or working a run-and-gun
target course, I could feel the Stags
proprietary comp design doing its
thing, pushing the muzzle down to
allow fast follow-up shots withoutlosing my sight picture.
If pinpoint accuracy is para-
mount in your 3GH operations, I had
the most consistent results feeding
this upper Hornadys proven 75-grain
BTHP .223 Match (load #8026). This
Hornady Match projectiles 0.395
ballistic coefficient is superior to
most other .223 Rem and .5.56 NATO
loads and will typically fly straighterthan the M193/55-grain (0.267 B/C)
or M855/62-grain NATO (0.304 B/C)
ammunition.
I didnt have any of Federals ex-
cellent 69-grain SMK Gold Match on
hand to challenge the Hornadys ac-
curacy dominance for this test, but
from many past experiences in 1:8
and 1:7 twist launching platforms, I
suspect the Federal product wouldhave printed sub-MOA for many of
its five-shot groups as well.To ensure this consistent accu-
racy downrange, I bolted a Trijicon
TA11E-A 3.5 x 35 ACOG (Advanced
Combat Optical Gunsight) onto the
Stags Picatinny rail and put the tip
of the amber chevron onto the cen-
ter of the target and squeezed the
Rock River lowers two-stage trig-
ger. Its extremely hard to miss the
bulls-eye with this ringer in thegame on your side.
MULTI-SIGHT
For yet another one of its per-
sonality changeovers, I adapted the
Stag 3GH to perform with a set of
Midwest Industries flip-up low pro-
file iron sights front and rear, while
also employing an MI 22.5-degree
offset rail, to which I mounted a Tri-jicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature
Reflex) optic.
The Trijicon RMRs 7 MOA
amber dot never needs batteries,
courtesy of both its internal tritium
material and external fiber-optic
array, and is a proven fave of many
of our armed forces front-line oper-
ators. This is sort of a reverse take
on using an optic as the primarysighting system on the top rail with
32 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
CONTACTS
Stag Arms
(860) 229-9994
StagArms.com
Dueck Defense
DueckDefense.com
Dedicated 3-Gun fanswill probably outfit the Stag 3G witha set of offset Dueck Defense RTS rapid transition sights, which are ad-
justable for both windage (rear) and elevation (front andrear), in combination with its favoriteoptic on the top Picatinny rail.
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34/10034 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
BLACKOUT
STAKEOUTThe Author Puts CMMGsNew Mk4 T Rifle To TheTest Against Texas HogsStory & Photos by Mike Dickerson
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Those who know me might be tempted tosuggest that Im addicted to hog hunting,
but it simply isnt true. Ive traced my family
surname, on my mothers side, to a small village
in Switzerland. Translated into English, the name
means, The place where men hunt wild boar.
Clearly, my fondness for hunting hogs is a simple
matter of genetic predisposition, and who am I to
fight some 200,000 years of natural selection?
Range testing of the
CMMG Mk4 rifle revealed
a strong preference for the
Barnes 110-grain TAC-TX
bullet.
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Ive hunted hogs with every-
thing from rifles and handguns to
knives, but Ive never hunted themwith an AR platform rifle. Most of
my early experience was in Califor-
nia, where AR ownership was (and
is) legally challenging, and my fa-
vorite method was via the spot-
and-stalk approach, often requiring
long shots with accurate bolt-ac-
tion rifles.
Things are different in my
adopted state of Texas. Huntinghogs with AR rifles is immensely
popular, and much of it is done up-
close and personal, often in fairly
thick cover or at close range from
stands. Theres also a growing trend
to hunt them in the dark with night-
vision optics and suppressed rifles.
All of these factors led me to
jump at the chance to test CMMGs
new Mk4 T rifle, chambered in .300Blackout, on the local pig popula-
tion. Test rifle in hand, I teamed up
with my pal Mark Ballardwho
founded the non-profit organiza-
tion, Freedom Isnt Free Veteran
Hunts, to honor U.S. military veter-
ans for their serviceto hunt pigs
on a ranch in south-central Texas.
Being pressed for time, weopted to hunt from a stand over-
looking a feeder, and it didnt take
long for the action to start once the
feeder went off. In short order, we
had no less than 40 hogs milling
around in front of us, and since my
wife requested that I bring home
tasty versus trophy, I picked out a
100-pound sow and touched off aBarnes VOR-TX round, sending a
36 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
CMMGs Mk4 rifle
comes in a multitude of
configurations and
models.
With a 16.1-inch barrel and collapsible
stock, the Mk4 T is handy in tight places
and chambered for the 300 ACC
Blackout cartridge, which gives you a
.30-caliber punch in a necked-up .223
case that works in existing 5.56/.223
magazines.
Standard furniture on the
Mk4 T includes an A2 pistol
grip and an M4 buttstock
with a six-position, MIL-SPEC
receiver extension.
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110-grain TAC-TX bullet into herboiler room. Twenty minutes later, I
shot a 130-pound boar with the
same heart/lung placement. It was
a short, but highly efficient stakeout.
I could easily have taken head
shots, but I was more interested in
learning how the .300 Blackoutperformed on game with tradi-
tional bullet placement. Well get
to that shortly, but first, here is a
rundown of the features that
make the new Mk4 T rifle bad
news for hogs.
TACTICAL ROOTSCMMGs Mk 4 rifle comes in a
multitude of configurations and
models chambered in 22 LR, 5.56,
and now, .300 Blackout. The choice
of .300 BLK is intriguing in as much
as the round is often characterized
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 37
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The basic components
of the bolt carrier group.
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as a niche cartridge for niche appli-
cations. That perception isnt likely
to change any time soon, outside of
the handloading community, due to
an ongoing scarcity of .300 BLK
ammo on store shelves.
Technically known as the .300
ACC Blackout, the cartridge has itsroots in the tactical world. The de-
sign goal was to create a .30-cal-
iber round for the AR platform that
used existing 5.56 magazines, pen-
etrated barriers with high-mass
bullets, and delivered energy and
ballistic performance equal to or
better than the 7.62 x 39 Soviet
cartridge. It was really intended toperform best at short range and,
most notably, perform well with
suppressors.
While those characteristics have
certain obvious tactical advantages,
they also match up nicely with a lotof hunting requirements, especially in
areas where shots are normally at
modest range. Since I didnt have a
selection of night-vision scopes and
suppressors on hand, I opted to test
the Mk 4 T rifle the way it arrived,
adding only a scope.
The choice of components
that go into the Mk4 T rifle reflects
CMMGs desire to strike a balancebetween modularity, quality and
affordability. Starting at the busi-
ness end, the rifle, as tested, sports
a 16.1-inch medium-taper, 416
stainless barrel, which has a 1:7
twist and a matte, bead-blasted
finish. The muzzle wears an A2
compensator, threaded 5/8-24 for
.300 BLK barrels.
Surrounding the barrel isCMMGs RKM11 KeyMod free-
38 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The Mk4 T rifle comes with CMMGs
RKM11 KeyMod free-floated handguard,
which provides a much more user-
friendly way to mount accessories than
the non-ergonomic Picatinny rail system.
The CMMG Mk4 T rifle wears an
A2 compensator on a 16.1-inch
medium taper, 416 stainless
barrel with a 1:7 twist and
matte, bead-blasted finish.
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CCMG MK4 T 300 BLACKOUT
LOAD AVG. MUZZLE AVG. 100-YARD BEST 100-YARDVELOCITY (FPS) GROUP (INCHES) GROUP (INCHES)
Barnes VOR-TX 300 BLK 2316 1.36 1.12
110-gr. TAC-TX
Black Hills 300 Whisper 2140 2.44 2.02
125-gr. OTM
Black Hills 300 Whisper 1042 2.37 1.55
220-gr. OTM
Double Tap 300 BLK 2310 1.19 1.05
110-gr TAC-TX
Southwest 300 BLK 2271 1.90 1.27
110-gr TAC-TX
Southwest 300 BLK 1912 2.28 1.22
147-gr. FMJ
Note: All test groups fired with wind varying 5 to 17 mph.
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floated handguard. The KeyMod
system is fast becoming an indus-
try-standard rail-mounting system
because it provides a much more
user-friendly way to attach acces-
sories without having to deal with
the old cheese grater, non-er-gonomic Picatinny rail system for
all attachments. This rifle retains a
full-length Picatinny rail on top for
mounting optics, and I prefer that.
Where the KeyMod system re-
ally shines is in attaching things like
flashlight mounts, vertical grips,
laser modules, and bipods. The
handguard, made of extruded alu-
minum, weighs 8 ounces andmeasures 11.13 inches. It has attach-
ment points at the 3-, 6- and 9-o-
clock positions, with QD sling
positions at 3 and 9 oclock.
The rifle uses a standard AR 15-
type lower, with all controls in their
usual spots, while the M4-type
upper receiver is made of forged
7075-T6 aluminum. The T6 desig-
natorfor you metallurgical triviafansmeans that the aluminum
has been subjected to a heat-treat-
ing process to achieve a tensile
strength of 74,000 to 78,000 psi,
the maximum peak strength of the
7075 alloy.
The rifle comes with an A2 pis-
tol grip and an M4 buttstock with a
six-position, MIL-SPEC receiver ex-
tension. For those who just have to
have something differentor justthe latest and greatest components
from a favorite manufacturer
these are a couple of obvious
places where you may want to up-
grade. Be selective if you want to
keep the weight low. As configured,
the rifle weighs only 6.3 pounds un-
loaded, and its handy in tight spots,
measuring just 32 inches with the
stock collapsed.This brings us to the one thing I
found objectionable on this rifle:
the single-stage, MIL-SPECstyle
trigger. It had a bit of creep in it and
broke at an average pull weight of 6
pounds, 5 ounces. Thats simply too
heavy for precision work. In an ideal
world, all rifles would come with
great triggers. In reality, manyper-
haps even mostdo not. Of course,with rifles at this price, many buyers
purchase with the full intention of
swapping out the trigger. Being an
accuracy nut of the first order, I
change triggers on AR rifles more
often than not. Doing so almost al-
ways cuts target group sizes in half,
or better. Judge the following accu-
racy results accordingly, as the fac-
tory trigger made it difficult to judge
the rifles true accuracy potential.
RANGE AND FIELD
For accuracy testing, I mounted
Nikons P-300 BLK 2-7x32 BDC Su-
perSub scope in a rock-solid Burris
PEPR mount, which helps position
the scope more naturally in line
with your eye. The P-300 scope
was designed for the ballistic pro-
files of the .300 Blackout, in bothsupersonic and subsonic loads, via
use of Nikons Spot On Ballistic
Match Technology.
Used properly, this system
helps you know which aiming
points on the reticle to use in order
to be on target at various ranges. I
didnt have the time to fully test
that system, so I simply zeroed my
chosen hunting load an inch high at100 yards and called it good. I knew
shots were likely to be close.
Apart from its ballistic match
technology, the scope offers spring-
40 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The author found the fit
of the 7075-T6 aluminum
upper to lower to be nice
and snug.
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For hunting, the author
mounted Nikons P-300
BLK 2-7 x 32 BDC SuperSub
scope in a rock-solid Burris
PEPR mount.
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loaded, zero-reset turrets, multi-
coated optics and MOA adjust-
ments. It has a quick-focus
eyepiece, and is nitrogen-filled and
O-ring sealed for waterproof and
fog-proof performance.
The reticle of the scope pre-sented a bit of a challenge at the
range. The small circle that sur-
rounds the crosshairs proved to be
the perfect size for obscuring the
little diamond-shaped targets I use
for zeroing rifles at 100 yards. As a
result, this scope may not be a
great choice for squeezing maxi-
mum accuracy out of a rifle at the
target range. It is, as I would dis-
cover, an exceptionally good choice
to help you get on game fastas
in, right-now fast. In other words,
its a tradeoff, but one which works
out very well in the field, especiallyon quick-moving critters, like hogs.
It would work equally well on white-
tail deer. For an M4 platform, and
hunting deer-sized game at short to
medium range, its just the right
size, weight and power.
For velocity testing, I ran a half
dozen factory loads over my Com-
petitive Edge Dynamics M2 chrono-
graph and found velocities to bepretty much as expected. The one
subsonic load tested, a Black Hills
.300 Whisper round using a 220-gr.
open-tip match bullet, averaged
1,042 fps. A Southwest Ammunition
.300 BLK load with a 147-grain FMJ
bullet clocked in at 1,912 fps. The
three hottest loads, from Barnes,
Double Tap and Southwestall
using Barnes 110-grain TAC-TX bul-letcame in a bit below the com-
monly cited velocity for that load of
2,400 fps out of a 16-inch barrel,
but the difference wasnt enough to
worry about at the modest ranges
the cartridge is normally used at.
That 110-grain TAC-TX bullet
caught my eye, in part, because
Barnes claims full (50 cal.) expan-sion and 20-inch-plus penetration
at 300 yards. That sounded suspi-
ciously like a decent hunting bul-
leteven though I normally sling
heavier bullets at hogsand I in-
tended to test their terminal per-
formance on game once I found out
how accurately the stuff shot.
Results were mixed in that
area. Heavier, slower bullets did notfare as well as lighter, faster bullets.
All three of the heavier bullets
tested turned in average groups
measuring more than 2 inches. The
single best group, measuring 1.05
inches, was turned in by Double
Taps 300 BLK load using the 110-
grain Barnes TAC-TX bullet. That
load also turned in the best average
group size of 1.19 inches. The othertwo factory loads using that bullet,
from Barnes and Southwest, were
42 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
Some of the ammo tested in the Mk4 T in-cluded, left to right, Barnes 110-grain TAC-TX,Black Hills 300 Whisper 125-grain OTM, Black
Hills 300 Whisper 220-grain OTM, Double Tap110-grain TAC-TX and Southwest 147-grain FMJ.
SPECIFICATIONS
CMMG Mk4
T 300 BLK
Action: Gas-operated, semi-auto
Caliber: 300 Blackout, as tested
Mag. Capacity: Variable
Barrel Length: 416 stainless, 16.1-inchmedium taper profile
Muzzle: A2 comp., threaded
Receiver: M4-type upper,AR15 type lower
Overall Length: 32 inches(stock collapsed)
Weight (empty): 6.3 pounds
Sights: None, Picatinny rail for optics
Handguard: CMMG RKM11 free-floatedKeyMod
Furniture: A2 pistol grip, six-positionM4 buttstock
Finish: Black
MSRP: $1,049.95
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Find us on
Equipped with Nikons P-300 BLK
scope, which matches the ballistic
profile of .300 BLK ammo, the author
found the Mk4 T to be a deadly setup
for dispatching wild hogs.
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CONTACTS
Barnes BulletsBarnesBullets.com
Black Hills AmmunitionBlack-Hills.com
Burris OpticsBurrisOptics.com
CMMG FirearmsCMMGInc.com
Competitive Edge DynamicsCEDhk.com
Double Tap AmmunitionDoubleTapAmmo.net
Freedom Isnt Free Veteran HuntsFreedomIsntFreeVeteranHunt.com
Nikon Sport OpticsNikonSportOptics.com
Southwest Ammunition
SouthwestAmmunition.com
very close behind. In fact, the aver-age overall group size from all three
loads using this bullet was right
around an inch and a half.
That will definitively get the job
done in most hunting and self-de-
fense scenarios, but I still came
away less than totally happy with
the rifles accuracy. Part of that
comes from being one of those
guys who sells every rifle he cantmake shoot sub-MOA groups. Yes,
thats me, guilty as charged, and
proud of it.
On the other hand, Im pretty
confident that groups would shrink
some with additional rifle break-in,
and Im positive it would shoot
tighter groups with an upgraded
trigger installed. Ive always found it
exceedingly tough to shoot tightgroups with any gun that has a trig-
ger pull in excess of 6 pounds.As for how the .300 BLK car-
tridge performed on game, a data
sampling of two animals is far from
definitive, but heres how it played
out. The first shot on the 100-
pound sow, using the Barnes VOR-
TX load with the 110-grain TAC-TX
bullet, took out both the top of the
heart and a portion of lungs. The
sow ran 20 yards and dropped. Westayed put, until about 20 minutes
later, when another group of hogs
moved in. I made the same shot
placement on a 130-pound boar,
and was initially concerned when
he showed little reaction to the shot
other than to run like he just lit an
afterburner. We found him, after a
bit of searching, about 100 yards
away. That bullet took out the arter-ies above the heart and both lungs.
I was a little surprised that the pig
made it as far as he did, but I
learned long ago that some hogs
take a bit of time to realize theyre
supposed to be dead.
Both bullets resulted in
through-and-through wounds, withno bullets recovered for examina-
tion. That was mildly disappointing,
but not unexpected. With a tally of
two rounds fired, two good meat
hogs down and an appointment
with some Texas-style ribs on the
BBQ, the only thing I could legiti-
mately complain about was the
Texas heat.GW
The author dropped these two meat hogs with one shot each using the 110-grain
TAC-TX bullet in Barnes factory ammunition.
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With two sighting systems in one compact package, the CounterStrike
gets you on target fasterno ifs, ands, or buts.
+ Combines 1x30mm red dot sight with visible laser aiming device
+ User-selectable red/green 4-MOA dot reticle with 11 intensity
settings (including night vision)
+ Integrated Picatinny rail mount is fast and repeatable
+ Flip-back lens covers included
+ 100% waterproof, fog proof, and shockproof
+ Redfield No Excuses Warranty
2014 Redfield, A Brand of Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
REDFIELD.COMCOUNTERSTRIKE RED DOT RETICLE
+ Integrated visible laser aiming device allows engagement from almost any position.
Features separate on/off controls.
GREEN DOT RETICLE
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IMPRESSIVE
VIEWTaurus Reinvents The Belly
Gun With A .38 Special
See-Through Snubbie
Story & Photos by Dr. Martin D. Topper
The clear polymer side
plate on the Taurus View
allows the owner to see if
the lockworks are clean
and functioning properly.
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The View may not be entirely original, but it
is unique in how it combines the best in
traditional snubnose revolver design with
the latest technology. Like many small-frame
.38 Special snubbies, the View is a short-bar-
reled, aluminum-framed, DAO, five-shot revolverwith a small grip. However, the View differs from
other .38 snubs in a number of important ways.
First, it has a very short barrel. Most
snubnose .38s have a 1.875- to 2.5-inch barrel.
The View's barrel is an ultra-short 1.41 inches.
Carried in a pocket or an inside-the-waistband
holster, the view's short barrel is less likely to
print through your clothes or poke you.
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Second, the grip is much
smaller than the boot grips found
on other snubbies. Like the barrel,
it's designed to be comfortable to
carry and to resist the tendency of
most grips to print.
A third important feature is the
View's extremely low weight. Like
other lightweight handguns, the
View has an aircraft-quality alu-minum frame and a titanium alloy
cylinder. But the View takes tita-
nium usage a step further by having
a titanium barrel shroud.
The final weight-saving feature
is the frame's clear polymer side-
plate. In addition to reducing
weight, this clear plate also allows
the owner to see when it's time to
clean the lockworks and watch the
action cycle when the trigger ispulled. Watching the lockworks can
be fun, but check twice that the gun
is empty and pointed in a safe di-
rection before pulling the trigger.
Because of these weight-sav-
ing features, the View weighs just 9
ounces unloaded, making it the
lightest medium-bore concealed-
carry handgun currently available
from a major manufacturer. Itseven lighter than a couple of popu-
lar polymer-framed .380s, and this
makes it very easy to carry in a hol-
ster or a pocket.
EVALUATION
When I picked the revolver up
at the Florida Gun Exchange, I was
immediately impressed by its short
grip and barrel. The next thing I no-ticed was the Views color scheme,
which combines a matte silver alu-
minum frame, silver-polished trig-
ger, gold-polished hammer and
matte black stocks, matte gray tita-
nium cylinder and barrel shroud. All
parts were well finished, and the
overall effect was striking.
A mechanical check at the
workbench indicated that the Viewwas well made. This revolver has a
three-point lock-up that employs a
detent in the top of the crane to
48 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The View's five-shot
cylinder, frame and grips
leave ample room for the
use of speedloaders.
Making quick reloads is
no problem, despite the
Views small size.
The detent on the cylinder crane provides a tight lock-up for the front of the Views cylinder.
SPECIFICATIONS
TAURUS VIEW
Model: 85 VTA
Barrel: l.41 inches
Frame: Aluminum small frame
Stock: Polymer
Finish: Silver and gray
Length: 5.67 inches
Weight: 9 ounces
Caliber: .38 Special
Capacity: Five
Sights: Fixed
MSRP: $599
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lock the front of the cylinder in
place, a spring-loaded center pin in
the extractor to lock the rear and a
cylinder stop to prevent rotation
during ignition.
This system worked well be-cause the cylinder locked up in the
frame without significant backward
and forward or side-to-side play.
Crane to frame fit was very good,
with no gap between the crane and
the frame.
Functioning was also very
good. Double-checking to ensure
the View was unloaded, I pointed it
in a safe direction and checked thetiming. Each chamber locked in
place before the hammer fell. Trig-
ger pull was consistent at 10.5
pounds for all five chambers. The
pull was long and smooth and the
trigger did not reset until the trigger
was fully forward. Therefore, when
firing the View, one must allow the
trigger to come fully forward before
attempting to pull the trigger again.When attempting to check the
cylinder-to-barrel gap, I could not
fit a standard thickness gauge be-
tween the cylinder and barrel. There
was just not enough room between
the top of the gas seal on the crane
and the bottom of the frames top-strap. A comparison to other snub-
nose revolvers revealed that the
cylinder of the View is set just a bit
higher in the frame than on some
others. During live fire tests, this dif-
ference in dimensions had no effect
on the functioning of the gun.
SHOTS FIREDThe View was live-fire tested
for velocity, bullet energy, reliability
and tactical accuracy at the Volusia
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 49
The final weight-
saving feature is the
frames clear polymer
sideplate.
Taurus View is an innovative,
five-shot .38 cal. snubnose that only
weighs 9 ounces. Its construction
cuts weight by combining space-age
materials like titanium, aircraft-grade
aluminum and polymers.
The functional polymer boot
grips on the View are checkered
to promote a sure grip and are
decorated with the Taurus logo.
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County Gun and Hunt Club. Be-
cause it weighs only 9 oz. and has a
very small grip, no +P ammunition
was used. Recoil would simply have
been too punishing. Four .38 Spl.
loads, graciously supplied by their
manufacturers, were used for the
test. They were: Black Hill's 148-
grain WC, Hornady's 90-grain Liteload with the FTX bullet, HPR's
158-grain HP with Hornady's XTP
bullet, and Winchester's new 130-
grain Defend ammunition, which
features a bonded bullet.
I also patterned a CCI snake load
at 10 feet, since the ultra-light View is
easy-carrying in snake country.
Muzzle velocity and muzzle en-
ergy levels produced from theView's short 1.41-inch barrel were
comparable to those of standard
pressure .38 Special ammo fired in
snubnose revolvers that have 2- to
2.5-inch barrels. The fastest load
was Hornady's 90 gr. FTX Lite load.
It's average velocity of 839 fps pro-
duced 140 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
Fired into a 3-gallon water jug, this
bullet expanded to .44 inches. Win-chester's 130-grain Defend ammu-
nition produced the highest energy,
generating 157 ft-lbs. As you can
see from the attached chart, the
performance level of .38 Special
ammunition fired in the View was
very similar to the performance of
the old .38 S&W/.38 Colt New Po-
lice cartridges fired from a 4-inch
revolver. Recoil was also similar tomy old Colt Police Positive revolver
chambered for .38 Colt New Police.
Complete velocity and energy
figures are included in the attached
table.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
The View is designed for per-
sonal defense at close quarters;
therefore, it was evaluated for tac-tical accuracy by shooting two dif-
ferent close-range drills. Its small
grips and DAO trigger pull would
not have produced meaningful re-
sults from bench testing. With a
belly gun, it's how you shoot it
under stress at close range that's
important.
The first drill involved engaging
three hostiles depicted on two tar-gets at five yards. One target de-
picted a single individual with a gun
and the other target was a compos-
ite of two armed assailants, one
standing behind the other. The tar-
get with the single assailant was
engaged with a center chest shot.
The target depicting two assailants
50 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
The View placed quick, accurate shots on target at CQB distances.
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required a body shot on the ex-
posed assailant and a head shot on
the second armed assailant who
was standing behind him.
At this distance, body shots
were no problem, but head shots
were more difficult. The small grips
and DAO action made it difficult to
make a quick 5-yard head shot
every time. Thats because the size
and shape of the grip made this re-
volver point high. I compensated by
www.gunworld.com SEPT 2014 | GUN WORLD 51
TEST PERFORMANCE
LOAD NAME VELOCITY MUZZLE ENERGY
Black Hills 148-gr. WC 603 fps. 120 ft-lbs.
Hornady 90-gr. FTX 839 fps. 140 ft-lbs.
HPR 158-gr. XTP 627 fps. 138 ft-lbs.
Winchester 130-gr.Defend HP 737 fps. 157 ft-lbs.
Velocity was the average of five shots measured 15 feet from the
muzzle with a PACT 1XP chronograph.
Recoil of the View is pronounced,
but tolerable, when standard-pressure
.38 Spl. loads are used. The author didnot use +P loads because of the View's
reduced weight and small grips.
BROWNING.COM
BLAC
KLAB
EL
TACTIC
ALGE
AR
JUST
GOT
BRIGH
TER.
INTRO
DUCIN
G
TACTIC
AL
LIGHT
S.
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holding low and using a very firm
two-hand grip. I would like to see
the View offered with a set of
slightly oversize soft polymer laser
grips. Such a grip would help bring
out this revolvers full potential.
The second drill also involvedengaging three targets. The drill
simulated a hostage rescue situa-
tion in which three men were hold-
ing a family member in a house. The
task was to take down the three
targets who were positioned to pre-
vent me from entering the house.
The first target simulated a lookout
in a window. It had to be engaged
before a entering a narrow walkway
leading to the house. Distance to
the target was about 3 yards. This
target was quickly dealt with by a
shot to the center of the chest.
The second target depicted
two hostiles who were blocking the
walkway leading to the front door.
One of these men was standing be-
hind the other and both werearmed. The distance was 5 yards.
Both targets were successfully en-
gaged, but given the distance to the
targets, my strategy involved taking
one shot at the fully exposed as-
sailant and saving the rest of my
shots to make sure I hit the head
shot on target two. As with all
small-capacity handguns, one has
to carefully manage ammunitionwhen using this five-shot revolver.
Fortunately, the View can be re-
loaded using a speedloader. How-
ever, like most snubnose revolvers,
this new gun from Taurus has a
short ejector rod that does not push
the cartridges completely clear of
the cylinder. Therefore, the rod
needs to be firmly depressed to
help ensure all of the brass is
ejected. In addition, using standard
pressure ammunition helps reduce
the chance of a casing over-ex-
panding and sticking in its chamber.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The View proved to be reliableand handled quite well for a .38
that only weighs 9 oz. Like other
snubnose revolvers, it is designed
for close-range encounters, and it
performed well in drills at distances
of up to 5 yards. Overall, the View
would be a good choice for deep
concealment in urban areas, and for
carry while hiking in areas where
poisonous snakes are common.GW
52 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
CONTACT
Black Hills Ammunition(605) 348-5150
CCI Ammunition
(800) 379-1732
Florida Gun Exchange(386) 304-9499FloridaGunExchange.com
Hornady Ammunition(800) 338-3220Hornady.com
HPR Ammunition(928) 468-0223HPRAmmo.com
Volusia County Gun and Hunt Club(386) 717-1394VolusiaCountyGunAndHuntClub.com
Winchester Ammunition(800) 356-2666
Winchester.com
Author used a firm, two-hand
grip when shooting the View.
Hornadys .38 caliber, 90-grain FTX bullet
expanded to .44 inches. Thats excellent
performance from a 1.41-inch barrel.
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At the range, the author
sighted the rifle in using both
the scope and the laser. At the
modest ranges required for
hunting black bear over bait, it
was easy to switch between
the two sighting systems, and
having two optics on the same
rifle inspired confidence.
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RED, WHITE,
BLUE & BEARRuger, Redfield, Crimson Trace AndWarne Combine On An All-AmericanHunting PackageStory & Photos by Brad Fitzpatrick
The current trend toward building affordable, accurate,
feature-loaded bolt action rifles has produced some
outstanding products over the last decade, and at the
top of that list is Rugers budget-priced American Rifle. Gone
are the days when shooters will accept creepy triggers and
so-so accuracy, even in rifles costing under $500.
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Throughout the year, Ruger
has released variants of its Ameri-
can rifle lineup, including an All-
Weather version in regular and
compact lengths as well as a Pred-
ator model with a heavy barrel anda combo package that comes with
a mounted and bore-sighted Red-
field Revolution riflescope. For the
hunter or shooter who wants an
affordable rifle capable of sub-
MOA groups, this lineup has plenty
to offer.
Each American rifle shares the
same receiver, a one-piece unit with
a small ejection port machined outof a single piece of steel. The design
is sturdy and robust, which helps
improve accuracy, and the over-
sized bolt (same diameter as the
lugs) runs smoothly through the ac-
tion with very little slop and play
compared to other bolt designs.
The bolt features three locking
lugs, which provide a secure lockup
and allow the American to have ashort (70 degree) bolt lift for faster
56 GUN WORLD | SEPT 2014 www.gunworld.com
Rugers lightweight, inexpensive American Rifle with a Redfield scope and Crimson Trace Laser mounted on a custom Warne bracket
is a fantastic hunting rig that is built completely in the United States. Add to that a few boxes of Federal Premium Fusion ammunition
and youre ready to hunt black bears in dense cover.
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traveling to and from the range orstand. Ruger provides bases with
the rifle, which work well and are
easy to secure to the receiver.
The stainless, All-Weather
model adds a level of resistance to
the elements not found on other
versions of the American. That was
the market, its also light enough for
all-day carry.
MOVING PARTS
The last decade has seen a
push toward lighter, crisper, ad-
justable triggers, and the AmericanRifles Marksman trigger is out-
standing. It incorporates a center
blade design, and when the blade
is pulled back, the trigger break is
light and clean. Its factory-ad-
justable, between 3 and 5 pounds,
and the rifle I tested broke at 3.5
pounds from the factory. Its a
great aid in accuracy and makes it
easy to wring tight groups out ofthe American.
The plastic magazine is rotary
and flush-fit, light and easy to pop
in and out of the rifle. Initially, I
had some feeding issues, but
when I swapped in a different
mag, the feeding problems ceased
altogether.
The American Rifles tang-
mounted two-position safety iseasy to find and manipulate with-
out looking down at the gun. A
large, cocking indicator on the tang
allows for instant feedback regard-