Tabla de contenidos para October 2023 en Gun Digest

I think it’s pretty natural for people to want the latest and greatest, whether we’re referring to a new vehicle, a new house … or a new firearm. The grass, after all, always looks greener on the other side of the fence. But there’s something to be said for those trusted items in our lives that are already tried and true, and that’s especially when it comes to firearms. The new ones never work quite like those with some experience under their trigger. Hey, as long as I’m stacking up clichés here, I’ll throw one more at ya: Less is more. On the cover of this issue in your hands is a Glock 43X MOS. It’s tried and true. And it’s the definition of less is more. In fact, Richard…

01 Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 Dissipator Rifle Harking back to the early service life of the AR-15, Anderson Manufacturing released its take on what was considered the first carbine version of the rifle. The AM-15 Dissipator replicates the original Vietnam-era Colt 605 Dissipator, or “Dissy,” giving shooters a compact retro option to add to their collection. The original was produced to meet the need for a more compact platform for the close quarters of jungle warfare and was simply produced by lopping off 5 inches of barrel. To avoid NFA regulations, Anderson doesn’t go quite to those extremes, shrinking down the rifle to 16 inches. Keeping true to the original, the AM-15 also boasts a rifle-length gas system, which should make it quite a smooth shooter. Though the design is updated…

FROM GUN DIGEST’S CARTRIDGES OF THE WORLD. ORDER AT GUNDIGESTSTORE.COM. HISTORICAL NOTES Winchester engineered the .350 Legend as a modern straight-walled cartridge for deer hunters, and ammunition was first available in April 2019. The .350 Legend shell case is new: It has no parent case, but it uses the same .378 nominal rim diameter as .223 Rem. Winchester billed it as the “fastest straight-walled hunting cartridge” available at the time. The SAAMI-approved round was slated for use in states with specific deer hunting regulations requiring straight-walled, center-fire cartridges such as Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Indiana. (Regulations may have changed. Check your local laws.) Winchester Repeating Arms offered several variations of the XPR bolt-action rifle in the chambering, and CMMG also offered rifles and rifle components. More rifle manufacturers are jumping…

We don’t all have the same problems. Me? I go to the range on a regular basis, and I go there with whatever I’m working on that week. Lately, it’s been nothing but 9mms and 223s. But, it could be anything from a .22LR to a .416 Rigby (oh yes, that was fun), or a .410 to a 12-gauge … or some of all of those. So, I always have cleaning equipment with me, because I never know what I might have to clean. One errant step and you’ve just knocked the test gun muzzle-down into the mud … or, it got shipped with the bore caked with preservative grease. Yes, we should all check, but in the morning packing, sometimes you just trust the maker. And then there are…

My primary carry gun is an old, lightweight Browning HiPower that was worked by Novak’s and given to me by a good friend. It’s comfortable to carry, and I shoot it very well. However, though the pistol is somewhat rare and moderately valuable in terms of dollars, it’s a gun that cannot be replaced. I travel by air a good bit, and I never go anywhere unarmed, unless my host at my destination provides me with something to carry. I have no intention of giving a baggage handler at the airport an opportunity to make off with my HiPower. I needed a moderately affordable, and most importantly—replaceable—carry gun that was dependable. That’s how I ended up with a Glock G43X MOS. I’m very familiar with Glock pistols. When I was…

You’re probably looking at this and thinking, Man, what the gun world really needs right now is a 9mm, polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun. Because no one is making those, right? Normally, we’d tend to agree with you, but because this pistol was developed with help from one of the greatest shooters the world has seen, we’re not that jaded. Yet. We first clapped eyes on Springfield’s newest offering about two years ago at a range in Croatia. Back then, it didn’t have a name, but representatives from the company had great hopes for it, as did their local partners at HS Produkt. Springfield’s existing polymer handgun line, built around the venerable XD, was looking a bit long in the tooth, and it was way past time for a refresh. One of…

Despite being a frontrunner in the pistol red-dot market, Trijicon doesn’t release new models all that often. So, when the company does have something to unveil, it’s all the more exciting. That’s twice as true recently because Trijicon announced two new pistol reddots, the RCR and the RMR HD. The RCR, or Ruggedized Closed Reflex, is a closed-emitter optic that mounts via Trijicon’s RMR footprint. Designed to be durable enough for serious military and law enforcement use, the RCR is built using 7075-T6 aluminum and is waterproof to 66 feet. It features 10 brightness settings (three for night vision and one “super bright”), has a 3.25-MOA red dot and should be able to co-witness any iron sights that are compatible with the original RMR. A final feature worth mentioning, and…

Installing aftermarket sights on a pistol can be problematic. Back when I first began working in law enforcement, I ordered a set of night sights for my duty handgun and tried to install them. I ended up breaking the front sight off its base and had to order another one. The funny thing is that I took it to a gunsmith, and he did the same thing I did, but at least he paid for the third front sight. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always suggested enlisting the services of a gunsmith for sight installation. But now, particularly for Glock pistols, I’ve changed my mind: XS Sights has simplified the process of sight removal and installation with their excellent array of sight installation tools. Several months ago, XS Sights…

For years, I’ve reveled in bringing the newest reloading tools and components to light, and I get excited when a new digital powder dispenser, projectile or powder comes to market. Invariably, the modern tools and components have been nothing but an improvement, however not every reloader looks at change in the same light, especially when they’ve had some sort of success with older stuff. I’ve received a bunch of reader feedback and conversations expressing that many of the modern efforts are in vain, and in some instances, unnecessary. While I appreciate nearly all classic projectile designs and still use many of the powders and projectile designs that date back to before World War II, I equally embrace the latest and greatest, and I truly enjoy testing those components and tools…

I’ll pitch this out at the start—I’ve got no bone with American guns. Quite the opposite, actually. Redblooded irons are the lifeblood of my arsenal and, generally speaking, are the first options I’ll grab for a task—be it protecting hearth and home or bagging a freezer full of venison. That said, a man’s eye can wander. When mine does, it usually lands flush on a particular corner of the map: the Mediterranean. Now, I’m the first to admit the region—for the unwary—is a fertile lemon farm. Who hasn’t heard of or has a personal story about a dreadful Turkish shotgun, so ill-conceived it wouldn’t make an acceptable club? Fair enough. Yet, for every troubled smoothbore exported from the Bosporus or persnickety pistol emanating from the Italian Alps, boatloads of top-rate,…

Lever-action rifles are among the oldest American repeating designs, and they’ve remained both a nostalgic and reliable choice for the past century and a half. Certainly, metallurgy has changed—undoubtedly for the better—and while the craftsmanship of run-of-the-mill guns might not present the artisan touch of the late 19th century, CNC machining and other modern advancements have resulted in a much more consistent product. We still have—in some form or another—those now-ancient names that became household words among hunters, including Winchester, Marlin and Savage, but modern companies such as Henry have also adopted the lever gun. In addition to having many of the classic, late-19th and early 20th century rifle designs still with us, a good number of the cartridges of that era remain popular choices. With the .45-70 Government dating…