Table of contents for March/April 2023 #65 in Recoil

2023 may well go down as the year the 1911 became relevant again. Over the past half-decade, we’ve seen the remarkable growth of Staccato, which has created a wildly successful business selling race guns to cops, but the OG double-stack 1911 has always struggled with a magazine designed around the .45 ACP cartridge. As with Glock’s dogmatic adherence to its polymer mags, this means they’re way bigger than they need to be and, in the case of STI Staccato, have never been particularly reliable without tweaking and tuning. This is about to change with the couple of pistols featured in this issue. As any firearms engineer will tell you, designing a reliable magazine is the hardest part of designing a reliable handgun. The smartest option is to find one that…

Andrew Bottrell’s life changed instantly on October 1, 2011. Less than four months earlier, he deployed to Afghanistan as a U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) tech attached to SEAL Team 10. On that fateful day, the vehicle Bottrell was riding in was struck by a roadside IED. In the wake of the explosion, he realized he had sustained severe injuries to his left arm and both legs — this would result in the amputation of all three limbs. As he spent the following months enduring painful physical therapy and learning to use his new prosthetics, he maintained a strong sense of determination. “Always dominate your life — do not let your life dictate what you do or how you live. If you do not like your situation, change it.…

Editors’ note; The following article contains an image of the aftermath of a bear attack. Bret Bohn doesn’t remember how fast he was moving or if his feet were even touching the ground. As he rushed down the snow-covered bank toward what was surely a bloody horror, there was a very real possibility that he and his father would soon be dead. The 35-year-old hunting guide and resident of Wasilla, Alaska, had just watched in shock as a hulking 8-foot grizzly bear plowed into his father at full speed. “It looked like a semitruck hitting a fire hydrant,” he said. “I mean, one second, my dad is on his knees there, knelt in a shooting position, and then he’s gone and they’re down the mountain. So, basically, the bear just…

Originally founded in 1864 by Josef Wernd as “Josef & Franz Werndl & Company,” Steyr has been innovating for almost 160 years. Their first service rifle, the Werndl-Holub breech loading rifle, was adopted by the Austrian Army back in 1867. As the company grew, it was converted to a stock corporation (renamed to Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company) in 1869, and in 1891 with over half a million rifles made in one year, it became the biggest weapon producer in the world. By this time, Steyr was exporting to over 20 nations. Finally, between 1912 and 1914, the company moved its factory to Steyr, Austria, and was rebranded again to Steyrer Werke AG in 1926. Steyr made weapons and vehicles, endured two World Wars, and continues today as one of Europe’s largest…

While some large and power-hungry digital night vision units have seen special use for over a decade, wearable units have been plagued with low resolutions, unacceptable image latency, limited spectrums, and other limitations. The recent release of the Sionyx OPSIN changes all of that. Piggybacking on their previous release, the Aurora, Sionyx listened to the feedback and didn’t just merely upgrade their sensors but the entire form factor — a Handycam with a helmet mount it ain’t. Ruggedized, IP67 waterproof, and shipping with everything you need to attach the nod to your noggin along with an 8-hour battery pack, the daylight-capable Sionyx OPSIN is an off-the-shelf solution for low-light viewing along with a bevy of features. Like the Aurora before it, the OPSIN renders nighttime images in color, kinda. When…

Back in 2019, Maxim Defense won RECOIL’s Best of SHOT award and also graced the cover of RECOIL Issue 41 when they released the PDX, a short 5.5-inch barreled PDW with an overall length of 18.75 inches and offered in 5.56mm, .300BLK, and — our favorite in this form — 7.62x39mm. Systems this small have been attempted before but, importantly, the Maxim Defense PDX actually worked. They cracked the code. When it comes to a gun that’s stubby and stashable while also chambered in a rifle caliber, the clandestine capability also comes with an awful lot of bang. Maxim Defense spent the following years developing a fix for this next part of the problem — making it more stealthy with all the blast and gas. With lessons learned from the…

Few firearms in the world stir up nostalgia like the SPAS 12. Its menacing appearance cemented it as the go-to Hollywood scattergun in the ’80s and ’90s. It made so many memorable silver-screen appearances that modern videogame designers still choose to include it as a weapon option even two decades later — it’s an unmistakable icon. Produced from 1979 to 2001, the SPAS took design cues originally from the Italian Police, but it ended up enjoying a small service history in the Egyptian military and saw sporadic use in some U.S. law enforcement agencies. Futuristic aesthetic aside, high costs and a relatively confusing manual of arms made it a tough pick for professional use. THAT’S ITALIAN; IT CAN GO PUMP OR AUTO One of the most fascinating aspects of the…

If there’s one knife that’s a true multitasker, it has to be a small fixed blade. They’re stronger than almost any folding knife, handy to carry around, and ready to go once they clear leather or Kydex. Unfortunately, poorly written or poorly interpreted laws can make carrying a fixed blade illegal in certain jurisdictions. There seems to be one thing lacking in knife legislation — consistency. What can be perfectly legal in one state might be a felony in the state next door. Writing for an international audience can make this task a bit tougher when trying to interpret laws for different countries, especially when in our own country these laws vary from state to state and at times even counties, cities, or towns within those states. Reflecting on a…

Dan Wesson has been teasing us with the DWX since they first showed it at SHOT Show in January 2019. Promising the ideal mashup of 1911 and CZ 75 components, we waited, like the rest of the gun world, with baited breath for it to hit the shelves. And then we waited some more. Eventually, we gave up and found other new, shiny things to spend our depreciated dollars on, while DW dealt with the tribulations of bringing out a new handgun in a world beset by the problems we’ve become all too familiar with. Now, three years later, we finally got to take one to the range. Several commentators were quick to categorize the DWX as a 1911 slide on a CZ 75 frame, and while it might superficially…

So you’ve decided that your life isn’t complete without a full-sized 10mm handgun to tote around the woods. And why not — it’s a solid choice for just about anything on two legs or four, bears included. Until a few years ago, the Glock 20 was the only game in town, should you want a double-stack magazine, polymer frame, and weather-resistant finish; otherwise, some flavor of 1911 was your other choice. Today, not so much. Smith & Wesson, SIG Sauer, and Springfield Armory all offer hi-cap tens, so we decided to cast a jaundiced eye over two of them. SIG P320 X TEN When SIG launched the P320 in 2014, it didn’t take them long to come out with a .45 ACP version, but it was another eight years before…

We now live in an era where every American has experienced significant disruptions to their daily life. Whether from a disease, an increase in sociopolitical angst and even violence, tension surrounding racial issues, or all of the above, many communities are considering firearms as a source of safety, some for the very first time. Being part of an underrepresented or minority community can feel like an additional load on top of the already weighty burden we’ve all experienced, even when it doesn’t feel like there’s an active target on your back. Antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in 2021, with a total of 2,717 reports of assault, harassment, and vandalism according to the Anti-Defamation League, making that target feel very active for some Jewish Americans. This has led to calls…

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, following a months-long buildup of forces across their shared border, and in Belarus. U.S. intelligence agencies warned of the impending operation, Russian authorities denied it, and most of the Ukrainian population existed in a state of denial due to normalcy bias, including most of their elites. “We didn’t think this would happen,” explained the wife of a Ukrainian politician we interviewed. “There was no reason for Russia to invade.” Of course, history took a different turn. In the West, people who previously had a Black Lives Matter icon in their Twitter profile embraced the Current Thing and switched over to a Ukrainian flag. Others took a different approach and decided the only way to counter Moscow’s aggression was to shoot Russian troops in…

You probably aren’t going to buy this, but it’s still going to change your world. When 4K televisions dropped onto the scene in 2012, they had $20,000 price tags but shocked with eye-popping performance no one had ever seen before. For most folks, they were mostly proof-of-concept pieces to gawk at and wonder what tax bracket could actually own one. Fast-forwarding to today, now that technology is both commonplace and affordable. Like that 4K TV probably adorning your living room right now compared to the previous standard, the new iRayUSA RICO HD RS75 provides four times the resolution of any rifle-mounted thermal on the market. And at $17,999, it’s beyond many peoples’ wallet. With the release of iRayUSA’s new optic, the thermal industry just heard the loud clunk of one…

Various aspects of the history of the United States Army, the oldest branch of the U.S. military, are currently chronicled at multiple museums across the country. These include the United States Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia; the United States Frontier Army Museum at Fort Leaven worth, Kansas; and the United States Cavalry Museum at Fort Riley, Kansas — as well as multiple division museums. Then, of course, there’s the impressive West Point Museum at the United States Army’s Military Academy. On November 11, 2020, after a delay due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, another institution opened at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C., and just miles from President George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. The National Museum of the United States Army is a modern facility meant to highlight…

In past years, there have been some significant engineering and manufacturing advancements with the AR-15 — enough to warrant picking up a wrench and trying them out. The concept to produce a dual role carbine essentially has two requirements: Requirement #1: A long-range platform capable of accurate engagements out to 700 meters and beyond (with quality ammunition), equipped with a quality low power variable optic (LPVO) or similar. The optic must be robust, have a MRAD reticle, and be first focal plane. This configuration allows for both positive target identification and observation. Requirement #2: Set up for the short range fight. No more than a 16-inch barrel, as it needs to be maneuverable in a CQB environment. Equipped with a dot sight for passive aiming under night vision. “Nice to Have”…

It seems, for the commercial pistol market, the future is in your holster. The last half-decade has seen a veritable onslaught of options from every major manufacturer we can think of — from the first-generation of true pocket pistols, focused on “shrink it down and smooth it out,” to the current rent iteration of modular, high-capacity models with shorter sights and longer grips that are too big for your pocket but too small for your duty belt. But there’s one pistol platform that never really fit in with the slick carry gun crowd — the 19/2011 genre of pistols. It’s not that these guns are strangers to the concealed carry role. In fact, Rock Island Arsenal devised the “General Officer’s Model Pistol” in the early 1970s. This was a junior-sized…

Ever since Frank DeSomma founded POF-USA over 20 years ago, the company has marched to the beat of its own drummer. They started with the AR platform, becoming well-known for their line of piston-driven guns amongst a sea of direct-impingement guns. Moreover, not only did POF incorporate a gas piston design, they developed additional unique features to enhance function and reliability, such as their dual-extraction fluted chamber, oversized heat sink barrel nut, and roller cam pin in the bolt carrier. For its next magic trick, POF squeezed a .308 into a .223-sized package with its short-stroke gas-piston Revolution rifle — many of its parts are interchangeable with an AR-15, and the barrel extension, bolt assembly, upper, and lower receiver are exactly the same size. Since then, they’ve released various iterations…

Toward the end of 2022, RECOIL took a major step in a new direction. We’ve always worked tirelessly to give you unflinching insight into a wide array of guns and gear, information and expertise on developing new skillsets, exposure to all aspects of the lifestyle, and a behind-the-curtain look at the inner workings of the firearms industry and the organizations that exist to safeguard your constitutional rights. But, for us, even that isn’t enough. For years, we’ve been working to create an immersive real-world experience that would allow you to not just read about these things, but to actively take part in them in real time. In November 2022, RECOIL partnered up with Silencer Shop to bring you this experience, which we dubbed CANCON. The inaugural event was held at…

[Editor’s Note: A video of this interview can be found on RECOIL.tv or our YouTube channel.] Any warrior worth their salt will tell you combat is a team sport, and they’re absolutely right. But just like in any team sport, there are people who not only survive but thrive in it. Their ability and willingness to perform at the highest levels under the hardest conditions seem effortless and, through that lens, almost superhuman. The Bible has Samson. Classic Greek literature has Achilles. The HALO video game franchise has Master Chief. America has Billy Waugh. Waugh started his career as a paratrooper in Korea, before he transferred to Special Forces and was sent to Vietnam. There, he eventually served with the MACV-SOG program — the first of many such programs in…

Ironically, some of our staff have been enjoying Flying Leap wines for years but only recently found out they were veteran owned. Turns out that this southern Arizona vineyard is the brainchild of Mark Beres, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy who then embarked on a diverse and wide-ranging career as a pilot. Starting out as a C-5 pilot working global airlift missions, he went on to serve as an instructor pilot before switching to rotary-wing aircraft. Specifically, he flew the unique MH-53 Pave Low helicopter for Air Force Special Operations Command. Following his time in special operations, Beres went to Naval Test Pilot School, working as both a developmental and operational test pilot before finally being medically retired due to injury. Growing up in Washington State, with…