Tactical Lifeの July - August 2023 の目次

Crotchety old (seasoned) gun magazine writers and editors don’t use the terms “iconic” or “Greatest Of All Time” (G.O.A.T. for short) when describing a newly introduced firearm or a wet-behind-the-ears competitive shooter because doing so could put their hard-earned reputations into the trashbin of history. Just like people, guns must build a long track record of top-tier dependability, performance under pressure and sport several other attributes that ultimately win over the masses of shooting enthusiasts, as well as law enforcement and military personnel. So, is our “exclusive” cover gun—Springfield Armory’s new Echelon—destined for icon status? We don’t have a crystal ball or a time-travel ride to answer that fully right now, but we can assure you that the Armory folks didn’t just slam this one through production, as the Echelon…

Racism is all over the news these days, and that’s because racism is forever in the news. Politicians and media pundits make quite a good living out of pitting Americans against each other based on the color of our skin. The reality is that we all have way more in common than we do apart, but feel-good tales of harmony don’t get clicks. And then there was the Army. It’s tough to stay racist when the guy you might hate holds your life in his hands. I loved the colorblind nature of the military. We worked together, we served together and we suffered together. Along the way, we became both friends and brothers independent of our backgrounds or appearance. The talking heads and politicians behind the podiums clearly never bothered…

The firearms world is replete with handguns recognized around the world. Many are old-school classics while others are modern-age guns. Regardless of age, we love them. So, let’s take a look at 15 of the all-time greatest handguns. THE 1911 Designed by John Browning, the M1911 is the best-known of his designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. The pistol was widely copied, and this operating system rose to become the preeminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern centerfire pistols. The gun is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol initially chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The gun was a military staple with the U.S. military procuring around 2.7 million M1911 and M1911A1 pistols during its service life. The gun is still in…

Call me what you will, but .308 is still my preferred round for engagements inside 800 yards. Last year marked its 70th anniversary, and it has been in military service for nearly the entire time. Those are impressive feats and not without reason. Sure, cartridges like 6.5 Creedmoor buck the wind better, but those benefits aren’t quite realized until we get to distances beyond 800. Inside of that, the two are more or less equal, but the .308 barrel will nearly always remain cooler. Stable barrel temps mean stable shot placement, which is a long way of saying that .308 is inherently more consistent when it comes to long strings of fire. Sorry if that offends you, but I have yet to find a better cartridge that can put 20…

The dilemma of being a backcounty hunter always boils down to how lightweight your guns and gear can be, while also having the absolute best tools to get the job done. Christensen Arms, with decades worth of experience with carbon fiber and other advanced aerospace materials, takes this dillemma to heart and has recently crafted a riflestock that is lighter than models past. Its reduced weight pairs perfectly with the company’s highly successful Mesa line, so with the threading of an action screw, the Mesa FFT was born. WEIGHT LOSS Christensen’s Mesa is one of its premier hunting rifles and is designed for long hauls over tough terrain. The most elusive animals keep their distance from humans and, therefore, require at least a day’s hike to reach. Along with your…

Hoyt Buck, a young Kansas black-smith apprentice, created the first Buck Knife in 1902 out of an old file to better temper the steel so that it would hold an edge longer. All his knives were handmade and popular during WWII. After the war, Hoyt relocated to San Diego and teamed up with his son, Al, to establish H.H. Buck and Son. After Hoyt died, Al kept the business going, and in 1961, it became Buck Knives, Inc. Al brought his son Chuck into the business, and in 1964, the iconic Buck Model 110 Folding Hunter was introduced. This was a lock-blade knife—a folder with all the rigidity of a fixed blade when locked open. Chuck served as president and CEO for many years until 1999 when he handed over…

A year ago, a select few gun scribes gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, for some trigger time with Beretta’s newly-released APX A1 FS (Full Size) 9mm pistol. A couple of days spent shooting at a local range, enjoying dinner on the General Jackson Riverboat and a Beretta factory tour were the highlights of the outing. As a follow-up to some formal range time, Beretta shipped their new APX A1 FS double-stack to a local gun shop to give me a chance to wring it out at my home range. After punching some paper and gathering a bit of data, I took the new Beretta out for a stroll through my woodland walk-through range. MILITARY TRIAL Beretta first launched their APX series of pistols in 2017 in response to the U.S. Armed…

PULSAR THERMION 2 LRF XP50 Own the night with Pulsar’s Thermion 2 LRF XP50 Pro thermal optic. Pulsar combines a built-in laser range-finder and classic, sleek design for one potent thermal riflescope. Its extremely powerful 640x480 microbolometer resolution detects heat signatures at up to 2,000 yards and displays them on a crisp 1,024x768 AMOLED display. With a variable magnification of 2x to 16x, the Thermion can range out to 875 yards to illuminate and locate targets. Capabilities include built-in photo and video recording via Wi-Fi connectivity to upload data to the Stream Vision 2 app. The optic comes with 10 reticle shapes, nine color modes, picture-in-picture mode and five unique shooting profiles. (pulsarnv.com) SPRINGFIELD ARMORY SAINT LAW TACTICAL FOLDER AR Specifically designed for law enforcement, the Springfield Armory SAINT Law…

Viewers of the hit neo-Western series Yellowstone can expect to see “modern firearms,” including the Glock 17 and Daniel Defense MK18 used alongside time-proven, lever-action rifles and retro-looking revolvers. However, any self-respecting cowboy—even one in the current day—likely has an appreciation for the old-school weapons that defined the frontier and tamed the Wild West. Of course, when dealing with serious threats to the ranch, expect those same rugged men and women to load up with the modern M4A1 carbine, Heckler & Koch KH416D or Kimber Ultra CDP II. Modern threats need modern firepower, a fact accepted by rancher John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who attempts to stand in the way of the greatest threat to his way of life—namely “progress.” Perhaps that fear of change is warranted, as noted by the…

Few names in the firearms industry have the legacy of Springfield Armory. In 1777, George Washington ordered the creation of the Springfield Armory to store ammunition and gun carriages for the American Revolutionary War. Then in 1794, the Armory began manufacturing muskets for a young country. For the next 150 years, it functioned as a supplier for every major American conflict as well as a “think tank” for new firearm concepts. Fast forward to today and Springfield is still a leader in both firearms production and design. Because of this extensive history, I am always quick to look when there is word of a new gun coming out the doors of Springfield. The “top-secret” buzz surrounding this release only drove my curiosity and hopes that it was something unique. When…

Not everyone likes every caliber round, just like not everyone is going to like every single gun. We are humans, we are all different and we all like different things. However, certain battles have been going on for years that sometimes need to be exposed and really dissected. The classic .45 ACP vs. 10mm is a perfect example of this. When FN decided to shake up the firearms world and drop two new models into the iconic 5 Series lineup on the same day, the internet was immediately buzzing. What most people didn’t immediately realize was that these two guns were exactly the same except the 545 is chambered in the classic .45 ACP, and the 510 is chambered in the .45 ACP’s rival—10mm. I personally love both rounds so…

Having steel at your disposal is a game-changer. Leaving a target system outside in the elements makes it much easier to grab your rifle and sneak in a few rounds when you only have a little bit of downtime. Of course, there are the barriers of cost and assembly that get in the way. Just as with most things in the shooting industry, Allen Company has found a way to bring us steel and all of the necessary hardware to hang it for a fraction of what some of the other guys can. In this piece, I used one of their 8-inch AR 500 gongs and hung it with a pair of horizontal steel hanging hooks for a target solution that cost less than $50 MSRP. It was as sturdy…

Real Avid built its reputation on producing the industry’s most well-engineered firearms maintenance tools and fixtures. Their gear is clearly designed by gun nerds for gun nerds. The new Real Avid Master Gun Workstation helps you get organized during gun build or maintenance chores. The Master Workstation can also be that third hand you need in order to manage some of the trickier bits of a complex gun project. The Master Workstation helps keep your rifle secured and oriented for disassembly or adjustment. Scads of optional accessories will do everything but cook your dinner and wash your clothes. It also makes it tougher to lose stuff, something that a card-carrying slob like me tends to appreciate. You may not know Randy Luth, but I guarantee you’ll recognize his work. Randy…

The Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, is home to a spectacular collection of arms and armor, including some of the most beautiful firearms ever produced. While I was researching another project in their collection’s storage area, I noticed an elegantly stocked and engraved sporting rifle bearing a detailed, gold-inlaid national crest of the United States on the magazine floorplate. Inlaid in gold wire on the breech ring were the words “President U.S.A.” Closer examination of the rifle showed it to be custom-built on a Mauser action by expert hands. The heavy scroll engraving and gold inlay were some of the best I’ve seen, and every aspect of the rifle dripped master craftsman. Every old gun has a story, and this rifle’s history involves two exceptional Americans who lived and…

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS SH*^ UP! In this issue’s installment of YCMTSU, as President Joe Biden continues to push expanded back-ground checks for firearm purchases, first-son Hunter Biden’s attorneys are apparently arguing that all background checks are unconstitutional. As most Tactical Life readers know, the younger Biden once lied on a firearm purchase background check, which is a serious felony that could earn him 10 years in federal prison. However, prosecutors in our two-tiered justice system have for years dragged their feet on actually pressing charges. The New York Times recently reported that two people briefed on the matter indicated that, based on last year’s Supreme Court decision in the Bruen case, “Mr. Biden’s lawyers told Justice Department prosecutors—who were investigating whether to charge him in connection with a gun…

Sound suppression has become a big deal within the firearms industry recently thanks to the E-File system, which we all know still isn’t great. With so many suppressors out there today, finding the right one for your needs can be a daunting task. Just a short while ago at the 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event held at a secret location in Victor, Idaho, we got the chance of running dozens and dozens of suppressed guns. Here’s a spotlight on some of the latest and greatest available to today’s savvy shooter. DANIEL DEFENSE SOUNDGUARD: Known for making quality AR rifles and pistols, Daniel Defense joins the suppressor game with the SoundGuard SG-556. The Sound-Guard line is made by KGM Suppressors and utilizes cutting-edge gas-flow dynamics that eliminate over-gassing and direct most…

There are certain points in time when a firearm can be immediately elevated to legendary status. That was the case with the .44 Auto Mag. While still very respected and honored today, in the 1970s and 1980s, Clint Eastwood was a silver-screen god. So, when the .44 Auto Mag ended up in his hands for a movie, the wheels were set in motion. The pistol was featured in the 1983 film Sudden Impact with Clint Eastwood’s character “Dirty” Harry Callahan. In one famous scene, Callahan’s friend boasts about a new shotgun that reduces a target into mush that must be “strained for fingerprints.” Callahan replies, “This is the .44 Magnum Auto Mag, and it holds a 300-grain cartridge. And, if properly used, it can remove the fingerprints.” He then goes…

Would I cause consternation, even disbelief, by stating that one of the best-kept secrets in the way of precision rifles resides in the Mossberg product stable? The Mossberg Patriot LR Tactical personifies 1-MOA or better accuracy from a factory chassis rifle. The bolt rifle entry is overshadowed by better-known Mossberg shotguns and handguns, but not for long, I predict. Any long-range hunter or target shooter should cast an eye at the moderately priced Patriot LR Tactical. The comment about price is not made to excuse or justify any shortcomings. It is to get the reader’s attention that something special is afoot. Everyone can benefit from having an accurate rifle that doesn’t cost several thousand dollars. Chamberings for the Patriot LR Tactical offered currently are 6.5 PRC (tested), 6.5 Creedmoor and…

Two renowned outdoor industry experts, Robert Young Pelton and William W. Harsey, pay tribute to the great Army Special Forces/CIA Paramilitary legend Billy Waugh! Celebrating his accomplishments in military ops spanning four decades, Robert asked what knife was most useful for him on field missions. Without hesitation, Waugh replied, “The Demo.” Years later, an army-issued stainless steel folding pocket knife still served as one of his go-to blades. BILLY WAUGH If you are looking for an inspiring story of courage, resilience and patriotism, look no further than Billy Waugh. He is a legend among legends, a man who dedicated his life to serving his country in the most dangerous and daring missions possible. Here are some amazing facts about Billy Waugh that will blow your mind! Billy was so eager…

In many cases, the terms innovator and industry leader are often thrown around as almost cliches. Companies award themselves these titles at times to try to separate themselves from their competitors. However, some companies in our industry are given these titles by those of us who recognize their accomplishments. Many companies present a humble face and focus on producing exceptional products. One of the worthiest of these titles is 5.11 Tactical. Not only are they the leader in the industry, but they also created the industry. 5.11 is without question a household name here at home and around the world. Their name has been associated with quality, and as they approach their 20-year anniversary, it is a good time to take a deeper look at this powerhouse. RUGGED BACKSTORY 5.11…

One of the core principles of 5.11 is the belief that we should always be ready. This is more than just a phrase and has grown into a program centered around 5.11’s large number of retail shops. The concept was to provide real-world training for the 5.11 customer in a variety of subjects ranging from first aid to personal protection and everything in between. The launch was a success, but COVID got in the way and things were paused. In 2023 however, the program is back. 5.11 has announced the return of its popular ABR (Always Be Ready) Academy in collaboration with the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). Together, the companies plan to host more than 300 free instructional classes at 5.11-owned retail locations across the U.S. to provide…