Thinking ahead

AK-74 Rifle in 5.45x39

For years I've been a fan of the AK rifle.  I started with the 7.62x39 then moved to the 5.45x39 a couple of years ago.  The AK is simple, reliable, and in the case of Arsenal rifles they're also well made.  It's why I have chosen the AK as my "go to" rifle.

Fast forward to the events of July 20th, 2012.  A madman stormed a packed movie theater where he indiscriminately shot 70 people, killing 12 of them.  He used a S&W AR-15 rifle with a 100 round drum magazine, a Remington 870 pump shotgun and a Glock .40 pistol (two were recovered).

The media and several politicians are now focused on two aspects of this tragedy hoping to enact future anti-gun laws to heavily restrict both semi-automatic firearms and "high capacity" magazines.  Take a look at the recent Cyber Security Bill which carries an interesting proposed amendment -- a magazine ban reminiscent of the 1994 Crime Bill passed under President Clinton.  The goal is to ban magazines over 10 rounds making it illegal to manufacture or sell them (or transfer grandfathered magazines) after the ban goes into effect.

Even if this bill goes down in flames future bills are certain to be proposed after the November elections.  Once the elections are out of the way, stand by.  We'll see a flurry of new bills being proposed and it only takes one to stick.

Thinking forward, how would a new magazine ban affect my choice of "go to" rifles?  How might it affect future rifle purchases that took place after such a ban were enacted?

A few of my long gun magazines

If you're like me, you have a number of different rifles and handguns, most of which require proprietary magazines.  Right now I'm stocking up on my most used magazines just in case such a bill were to pass Congress.  I'm quickly realizing I don't have the financial resources to buy 50 of every magazine type necessary to feed all of my different firearms.  I need to prioritize.

Let's take a look at my "go to" rifle.  It uses AK74 magazines that at one time were cheap and plentiful.  I have quite a few, but now I'm looking to buy for a lifetime.  I need more.  The price has jumped up considerably and the availability is very limited.  I will also mention that ammunition import bans may be enacted as an incremental measure which would render my 5.45x39 AK74's mostly useless.  Without imported ammo, the 5.45x39 loses its luster as a cheap blaster and affordable stockpiling alternative to 5.56mm.

I have a couple of options here.  One, I can convert back over to 7.62x39.  Magazines are still readily available and even if imported ammo ceases is cut off there are domestic producers of the ammo.  Or two, I can switch over to 5.56mm and STANAG magazines.

I'm leaning towards a platform shift for my "go to" rifle.  Right now the STANAG option seems to be the most viable given the situation we currently face.

NATO standard STANAG magazines

The STANAG magazine is a NATO standard.  Almost every new 5.56mm rifle that's coming out uses it.  This includes the SCAR 16S, ACR, FS2000, AR's, XCR, etc.  It's reasonable to expect future rifles that are released will also use the STANAG magazines -- at least for the foreseeable future.  That means if I am going to stockpile magazines the STANAG magazine makes the most sense, by far.  Adopting the STANAG will assure compatibility with the widest possible selection of current and future rifles.  I can invest in 100 of them, have enough for a lifetime under a new magazine ban, and reasonably expect that if a rifle released 10 years from now tickles my fancy I'll have 30 round magazines for it.

I highly recommend that you set a few bucks aside every month to buy magazines for your favorite firearms now, focusing on those that have magazine capacities of more than 10 rounds.  I also recommend you take a look at your "go to" firearms and think about a platform shift if your rifle doesn't use STANAG magazines.

When to upgrade your defensive pistol

Let’s face it, the gun industry is booming and concealed carry guns are in extremely high demand these days.   With this demand you’ll find manufacturers racing to fill the void they see in the market with new and improved designs.

The flood of new handguns becomes a bit overwhelming to the average gun enthusiast at times.  At one point you find a handgun you’re happy with that’s the latest and greatest in technology only to discover a year later another manufacturer has introduced a new model with improved ergonomics, sights, finishes, reduced size, etc.  The question then becomes, “when do I upgrade?”

Let me take a step back and tell you a little bit about my own carry guns over the years and perhaps from this I can impart a little wisdom regarding the temptation to constantly upgrade your carry gun.

I’m 44 years old.  I’ve been carrying and shooting handguns for around 23 years.  In that time I’ve carried a 1911, a Glock 17 and a Glock 19 as my primary defensive arms.  Each time I’ve swapped one gun for another in my holster I’ve done so for very specific reasons.

The 1911 was originally chosen because I shot it well, it was reliable and it packed a punch with the proven .45 ACP cartridge.  The 1911, if made right, is one of the worlds best defensive pistols ever designed.

Glocks entered the scene and brought high capacity, reliability, erogonomics and lightweight to the table of consideration.  I purchased a Glock 17 in the late 1980’s and slowly warmed up to it.  By the 1990’s I was favoring the Glock pistol.  I had learned to shoot it as well as my 1911’s and I found it was one of the most reliable pistols I had encountered.  Sometime in the mid-1990’s I switched to a G17 as my primary defensive gun.

I’ve always been a fan of full-sized service pistols.  I’ve never been a fan of compact handguns, at least through most of my adult life.   I’m 6’4” and am able to comfortably carry a service sized pistol without much issue.

Enter the Glock 19.  I bought my first Glock 19 in the early 2000’s.  I never really favored it over the G17 for a range gun, but I slowly began to realize it was just as reliable and even more concealable as its bigger brother.  By 2004 I was carrying a G19 as a primary defensive pistol and I continue to carry to this day.

During the span of time discussed above I’ve seen countless handguns come onto the market.  The Springfield XD, the Sigma, the M&P, the various Sig’s, and countless others have appeared with each promising improvements over previous designs.  Despite the temptation to jump ship to a new carry gun I’ve managed to stay the course with the G19.   

Here’s why.

You’ll notice there are many years between the time I buy a handgun and the point at which I decide to carry it.  For most people it takes years and thousands upon thousands of rounds to become truly proficient with a handgun.  I can pick up any handgun and within a few magazines shoot it well.  By well I mean chewing the center out of a target at 7-10 yards.  But there is far more practice and skill required before that firearm becomes an extension of your body.

With a 1911 or a Glock I can stand square to a target 7 yards away, close my eyes, draw the weapon and bring it up to eye level, then open my eyes and have the weapon on target – pretty much dead center with the sights aligned and requiring only minor adjustments for a perfect sight picture.  Some people call this “muscle memory” but I call it being "at one" with my tool of choice.  It becomes an extension of my arm and in my minds eye, even when my eyes are closed, I can visualize it doing exactly what I request of it – and it does.  I liken it to being able to close your eyes, hear a sound and point your index finger directly at the source.

You do not gain this level of familiarity and control over tools by a few range trips and a few weeks later carrying the firearm daily.  It takes hundreds of trips to the range and thousands of presentations from the holster and endless dry firing before you gain such a level of proficiency with your weapon.

If you were to change handguns every year or two you would become “ok” with a wide variety of firearms but you would be a master of none.  It’s my belief that I must be a master of my weapon if I am to be able to use it to perhaps save my life or the life of a loved one should that day ever come.

I will also add that the worst thing you can possibly do is have a collection of carry guns, each being completely different.  I’ve met people that carry a 5 shot snubnosed revolver one day then carry a double action auto the next.  This is a sure fire way to find yourself being carried by six friends and relatives to your final resting place.

I digress.

If you have a handgun you’ve trained diligently with, one that hits center every time you pull the trigger and it has proven itself to be reliable, why would you trade it for a brand new design?  You must ask yourself, “what do I gain buy switching to a new pistol?”  I think you’ll find in most cases you’ll gain nothing functionally and your desire to “upgrade” is nothing more than a perfectly natural craving for the latest and greatest device to fondle and show to your friends.  From a practical sense, most of us gain nothing from buying a new handgun as it ultimately resets our level of experience to “novice” and now you face years of training to get back to where you were before the “upgrade”.

The Civilian M9 Pistol

In a few of my videos I've mentioned my "M9 pistol" which always causes a stir in the comments section.  Posters will question the pedigree of the pistol I'm talking about and in some cases inform me that what I have is a Model 92 and not a real M9.

Left Side Markings

In the late 1990's Beretta released a special edition M9 pistol.  It came packaged in a camouflaged box with a web bet, holster, pistol, spare magazine pouch, a patch and a certificate of authenticity.  Only a couple thousand of these peoples were produced.  These pistols were unique in that the markings were identical to military contract M9's of the period.  The only difference between these pistols and the military M9 was the prefix on the serial number.

Beretta only made one run of these "real" M9 pistols.  Rumor has it that the DoD doesn't want military marked M9's in circulation on the civilian market.  Beretta has continued to make and sell Model 92 pistols that are marked M9, however they lack the proper military markings and are easily spotted as civilian pistols.

Markings on Hammer

In the 1990's the M9 military contract pistols had very specific markings.  They also made use of all steel components.  Later M9 military contract pistols would use polymer in parts such as the guide rod, trigger and hammer drop safety lever.

To identify a M9 pistol with military correct markings you'll need to look in a couple of different places on the handgun.

On the left side of the slide you will find markings that read, "U.S. 9mm M9 - BERETTA U.S.A. - xxxxx"  The xxxxx will be the last five digits of an assembly number found on the right side of the slide.  On the left side of the hammer you will find the last 4 digits of the assembly number and right above it you will find a cage number.  Just below the assembly number you will see a large C.

Proof Mark

On the right side of the slide you will find the assembly number in this format:  "ASSY xxxxxxx-xxxxx".  Just after the assembly number, you will find a proof mark - "PM" stamped into the slide.  This PM will be through the finish leaving bare metal visible.  This PM is stamped into the pistol after it has been completely assembled and finished and is only placed on the pistol after it passes final testing.  You will not find this PM mark on any other civilian M9 pistol except for this one special edition M9.

On the right side of the frame you will find, "U.S. 9mm M9 - BERETTA U.S.A - xxxxx"  The xxxxx will be the last 5 digits of the assembly number.

The pistols will also feature the original dot front sight and half-moon rear sight.

The only difference between the special edition M9 and the military M9 of the period will be the serial number.  The special edition M9 will have the "M9 - xxxx" prefix.

Contrary to popular belief, military M9 don't have "Property of the US Gov." markings on them.

In essence I have one of the few real M9 pistols in circulation.  I used to own two of them but sold one several years ago.  Of course I kick myself every day for selling it.

German Army reporting problems with G36 rifle

The G36 has been in service with the German Army (Bundeswehr) since 1997.  While the G36 wasn't the first rifle adopted by a major military that made extensive use of polymers, it was certainly one of the more popular designs.  It has been used by at least 30 different countries in some capacity making it a successful design on the military small arms market.

Despite HK's sterling reputation for quality the rifle isn't universally loved.  Now a German newspaper is reporting that the German Army is aware of an interesting problem.  Once the rifle heats up with use, the accuracy degrades so much that it's ineffective past 200 meters.

An internal document intended for the Secretary of Defense stated that once the rifle gets hot enemy targets past 200 meters can not be safely engaged.  The document states that the problem represents a significant deficiency in the G36's design.  The military is recommending that troops allow their rifles to cool in firefights to help deal with the problem.  They warn that if troops aren't careful, the G36 can completely fail.  The Armed Forces Association, a German soldiers' interest group, is urging a speedy resolution to this problem.

What I find interesting is that this problem is just now coming to light.  Has the German Army covered up this problem?  I can't imagine that it's taken over a decade of fighting in the Middle East before this problem to come to light.

Fear of Commitment

S&W 9mm Shield

The S&W Shield is a new product that has generated quite a bit of excitement since its announcement at the 2012 NRA Show.  At first glance, this pistol appears to be the cats meow given it's diminutive size, 9mm and .40 caliber chamberings, light weight, good quality sights, and single stack magazine -- all features that are highly valued in the sub-compact market.

However, I've found a couple head scratchers -- I mean features -- that leave a dry taste in my mouth on this otherwise promising new pistol.  The low hanging fruit of criticism is the inclusion of a manual thumb safety.  This is a topic that's been beaten to death already, so I'll avoid boring you with another critique of this less than ideal feature.  The other feature that causes me some concern is the extended 8 round magazine and the polymer grip extension that slides over the body of the magazine.

The 9mm Shield comes with two magazines.  One 7 rounder and one 8 rounder.  The 7 round magazine fits flush with the bottom of the grip.  The 8 round magazine sticks out about 3/4" and includes a polymer sleeve that fits over the base of the magazine giving your pinky a little more purchase on the grip of the pistol.  I will admit, the Shield feels much better in my hand with the 8 round magazine inserted.

Grip extension sliding up on 8rnd mag

Grip extensions aren't a new idea, companies have been including grip extensions on magazines for some time -- the XD Compact and the PX4 Compact come to mind.  However there are two different kinds of extensions in common use and some work better than others.  The floor plate extension like that found on the HK P2000SK works better than the grip extension/sleeve of the S&W Shield and here's why I say that.

The sleeve of the Shield is held in place by friction.  The sleeve can slide up the body of the magazine with little effort.  If you were to carry one of these extended mags as a spare, it's possible that the polymer sleeve would move up the body of the magazine.  Should a reload be required, seating the spare magazine in the pistol becomes far more challenging.  If the sleeve isn't in its proper place, you must really whack the magazine to get it to seat and even then it's not guaranteed it will properly seat.

It's for this reason you must use the 8 round magazine in the gun if you plan on carrying a spare magazine.  However, carrying the 7 round magazine as your spare causes another problem.  Should you require a reload you've now altered the handling characteristics of your pistol by going from the full grip offered by the 8 round mag to the truncated grip of the 7 round mag which leaves your pinky dangling. 

S&W should have committed to a design and stuck with it.  The 9mm Shield should have either been a 7 round pistol or a 8 round pistol.  The use of the polymer sleeve is a compromise that's unnecessary in my view.  I would pick the magazine length that works best for you and only use that magazine in your pistol.  Since S&W dropped the ball with the friction fit of the polymer sleeve, if you choose to carry the pistol with the 8 round magazine as a spare I would super glue the sleeve to the magazine body or remove it to avoid problems.


*** UPDATE 4/28/2012


Today I took a few friends out to shoot the Shield.  Without commenting on the issues I see with the 8 round magazine and the sleeve I let them shoot the pistol as much as they wanted with the 7 and 8 round mags.  All shooters commented about the annoying tendency of the sleeve to walk up the magazine body causing issues with seating the magazine in the gun.


Unfortunately I only have one 8 round magazine to test at the moment, but given the design I have a hard time believing I'm the only one that has experienced this issue.


At this point I'm of the opinion that Shield should have been a 7 round pistol (9mm) and the 8 round magazine was a marketing fopaux.  The length of the 8 round magazine does make it feel better in the hand but it also makes the grip of the Shield longer than the grip of a Glock 19.  The length of the grip is the most important dimension when trying to shave inches from a pistol to reduce printing while concealed.  If I'm going to carry a gun that has a foot print larger than a Glock 19, I'll just carry the Glock 19 and have 15 rounds on tap vs. 8.


Fortunately the remedy to the 8 round magazine problem is simple - I'll leave my one and only 8 round magazine in a drawer and carry my Shield with its 7 round magazine.

New Colt Bolt Action Rifle: M2012

Colt M2012-CLR

Colt announced a new bolt action rifle at the NRA 2012 show.  The M2012 is a .308 caliber bolt action rifle that is intended for serious long range work.

The specs speak for themselves.

Caliber: .308 Win
Barrel: Floated 22" stainless w/1:10 twist that is fluted
Weight: 13.2lbs
Action:  Cooper receiver mounted to a Colt chassis
Brake: Surefire muzzle brake
Trigger: Timney 3lbs
Grip: Magpul MOE - compatible with any AR grip

Price:  $3799.00

The rifle will go into full production in about 2 months according to the representative.  The rifle was being shown with two different flutes on the barrel, one featured a straight cut flute while the other featured a spiral flute.  Only time will tell if the flutes will be an option or if Colt will only go into production with one type of fluting.

Colt did mention other calibers were being considered such as .223 and .22-250, however nothing has been decided.

Mother Russia's Pistol

Bulgarian 9x18 Makarov PM

It occasionally happens that a firearm is so loved by those that carry it that the weapon becomes part of that culture.  Of course the AK47 achieved this status decades ago in Russia, but there's another Russian firearm that's loved the world over, perhaps you've heard of it.

The Makarov PM (Пистолет Макарова, Pistolet Makarova) pistol chambered in 9x18.

The Makarov entered Russian military service in 1951 and continued to be the primary Russian military service pistol until the adoption of the Yarygin PYa 9mm pistol in 1991.  However, the Makarov's service history didn't end there, it continues to be found in Russian military arsenals and in the holsters of Russian police officers to this day.  Much like the 1911 pistol in the United States, the Makarov is deeply rooted in Russian culture and will likely continue to be popular for decades to come.

Nikolai Fedorovich Makarov was in his late 20's when he served as the chief designer in a Russian factory located in Zagorsk manufacturing PPSh submachine guns for the "Great Patriotic War".   It was here that Nakilai spent years working under Georgiy Shpagin, the creator of the PPSh-41 SMG.  No doubt it was during these formative years that Nikolai drew inspiration from his mentor, Shpagin.

Makarov disassembly

After WWII the Russians began a series of programs to upgrade their military small arms.  The SKS, AK-47 and RPD machine gun all came out of this post war era, as did the Makarov.  For a service pistol, the Russians were looking for a smaller, lighter and more accurate replacement for the TT-33 Tokarev.  The new pistol had to chamber either a 9mm or 7.62mm cartridge.

Nikolai wasn't driven by ego and had no problem examining other pistol designs and borrowing from them as he saw fit.  The Walther PP held a number of design elements that Makarov admired and rolled into his design.  The Walther PP is blow-back operated, has a fixed barrel, a slide mounted safety/decocking lever and required the user to pull the trigger guard down to accomplish disassembly.  All of these features found their way into the Makarov PM's design.

Makarov open magazine

For all of the similarities the Makarov shares with the Walther PP, there are a number of differences as well.  The Makarov has an external slide stop/release, features a chrome lined barrel, has a leaf main spring vs. a coil spring and features a heel magazine release.  The Makarov's safety lever also works exactly opposite of the Wather PP's.  The user must have the lever in the downward position to fire and the upward position is safe/decock.  One unique feature of the Makarov is the 8 round open magazine design.  This design allows for easy inspection of the remaining rounds as well as being easier to clean - or so that was the thought behind the design.  However, the design also allows for debris to easily enter the magazine.  Apparently this design wasn't problematic in service and the Makarov continues to use the same magazine design to this day.

The 9x18mm cartridge was chosen because it lent itself to the blow-back design Nikolai wanted to use. Ballistically, the 9x18mm is very similar to the .380 cartridge.  The bullet of the 9x18 is around .364" in diameter whereas the .380 uses a .355" bullet.  Both can propel a 95gr bullet at around 1,000fps, however the 9x18 is capable of slightly higher muzzle velocities.

U.S. made commercial 9x18 ammo

The Makarov has been built in several different countries.  Russian, Bulgaria, China and Germany (East) have built Makarov's over the years.  Some claim that Romania also built them, but I've never seen a Romanian Makarov nor can I find any evidence one was ever made.  Russia made both military and commercial Makarov's.  These can be identified by their markings as well as most commercial pistols will have target sights whereas all military Makarov's will have simple fixed sights.

Makarov's weren't commonly seen in the West until after the break-up of the former Soviet Union.  Today Makarov's can be found in abundance with examples from each of the countries that have manufactured them being available on the U.S. surplus market.

9x18mm ammunition is available from a number of different sources.  Surplus ammo still finds its way into the United States but many commercial offerings are also available including domestically produced target ammo and self defense ammo.  Newly manufactured steel cased ammo from Wolf, Brown Bear and Silver Bear are also readily available on the U.S. market.

A surprising number of Americans own, shoot and even carry Makarov's as defensive pistols.  Companies such as Fobus and even Don Hume offer carry holsters for the Makarov pistol.

Stay tuned for a video review of the Bulgarian Makarov on the Military Arms Channel!