Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Guns & Ammo

MAGNIFIED OPTICS have seen a rapid increase in use among our nation’s combat units since 2004. They have made their way to conventional infantry units and are frequently handed to young 18-year-old men and women, many of whom have never seen a magnified optic before. The most-issued and most-used magnified optic is Trijicon’s Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG), which saw limited service starting in 1989 through Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The U.S. Navy SEALs purchased 36 3.5x35mm ACOGs in 1991 and several hundred more by 1995. However, the first time the U.S. military issued the ACOG was in 1995 when the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command (USASOC) selected the 4x32 ACOG as part of the issued M4 carbines. This was the first time a magnified optic was selected to…

Adding only half an ounce to the weight of any pistol slide cut for it, SIG Sauer’s new RomeoZero miniature red dot is ideal for use on slim-profile, compact handguns. This is a sight that’s smaller than other popular red dots, but it shares the same footprint as the Shield RMSc. Available with either 3 or 6 MOA dot sizes, the RomeoZero is powered by a single CR1632 battery. Battery life is estimated at 10,000 hours on the brightest of eight intensity settings and 20,000 hours on the dimmest. To further preserve battery life, SIG Sauer’s motion activated illumination system, MOTAC, is tech included within. After 20 minutes of idle, the sight turns off. Once it senses any movement or vibration, the red dot turns on faster than you can…

NEW ZEALAND WAS STRUCK by an unthinkable atrocity on March 15th when a psychopath killed 51 people and wounded at least 50 others. The killer, a hate-fueled 28-year-old Australian, targeted Muslims in and around the Al Noor mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in the city of Christchurch. It was the worst mass shooting in the island country’s history. In addition to the shootings, the suspect placed multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in various locations. The first 17 minutes of the event was streamed on Facebook Live from a camera worn by the shooter. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the events as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” The small country was left in shock. Though the attack has been falsely described as the country’s “first mass shooting,” it was certainly…

WHAT’S THE FASTEST speed that you’ve ever driven? As if it were an achievement, most automotive enthusiasts I know can come up with such a number and recall the circumstances. (Mine is 144 mph.) Likewise, most marksmen can recall their longest shot. I’m perfectly satisfied with how fast I’ve piloted a car, but the quest to shoot farther with intent has been ongoing. “How far” didn’t matter to me until I had served several years in the U.S. Marine Corps. We renewed our rifle qualification annually out to 500 yards, which was farther than I had shot growing up. While training to be a primary marksmanship instructor (PMI) at the Stone Bay Ranges at Camp Lejeune, I watched scout-sniper students on the adjacent Hathcock range repeatedly engage targets out to…

“TRAPDOOR” ARAB MUSKET While many film aficionados think the Colt SAA or Winchester Model 92 were the mainstays of Hollywood armories, I would submit that they have a series rival in the Trapdoor Springfield. These single-shot .45-70s were used in their natural state, as everything from Civil War muskets to highly modified pirate pistols. Clever cinematic gunsmiths found dozens of ways to change the Trapdoor into just about anything they needed. An example: A Springfield that’s been transmogrified into an Arab musket. A simple restructuring of the stock, a little fancy brass work, a faux flintlock mechanism and voila! You have a longarm fit to storm the walls of Fort Zinderneuf in the 1939 Gary Cooper version of “Beau Geste,” all courtesy of Hollywood Guns and Props, and the National…

MARY HELEN SHASHY developed a sports bra about 10 years ago for the equine industry. Not exclusive to female horse riders, upper torso instability is an obstacle for any woman active in physical fitness, firearms use and combat training. Five years later, a number of police officers started wearing the Cheata sports bra at work, which improved their performance and fit of body armor. The U.S. military has recently acknowledged breast mass as an issue for females serving, and it provides an allowance to women for acquiring their own undergarments. Shashy’s Cheata sports bra is an interesting story in of itself. The performance capability of the sports bra has transferred to compression holsters. Ron Shashy, a doctor and Mary Helen’s brother, recognized the potential of the proprietary Stretx fabric and…

EAGLE-MARKED MODEL 1911A1 Q: I live in the midwest of Australia and my travels take me to some remote cattle properties. Visiting one such recently, and in conversation with the owner, the topic turned to firearms. He showed me a rather interesting 1911A1. It is blued, the slide is of Remington manufacture and has a beautifully engraved eagle on each side of the slide with accompanying highlights. From my meager information, the frame number is that of the Ithaca Gun Company production run. The pistol is in perfect condition, the bore is faultless, though when the cell phone photos are magnified you can see pitting under the bluing. The owner asked my opinion to which I replied that it was a very nice piece, also mentioning my subscription to an…

I RECENTLY RECEIVED NEWS about another horrible tragedy involving an armed citizen mistakenly shooting a family member. Luckily, the girl pulled through. This, of course, brought on a number of social media arguments about gun-mounted lights, handheld lights, how much light is needed, and all sorts of good and bad opinions about the use thereof. I don’t generally speak in absolutes in this realm, but for this article I’m going to get pretty close. First things first: Searching is not shooting. If there is no clear threat or the likelihood of a clear threat, your pistol should be holstered. Second: The light mounted on your pistol is not a search light; it is a shooting light. Any time you are searching your own home, you need to exercise an abundance…

FOR THE LAST 150 YEARS OR SO, soldiers have been routinely armed with rifled arms. Today, it’s hard to imagine a time when this wasn’t so. Up until the middle of the 19th century, the rifle was primarily a specialist’s tool carried by elite units. The men who composed these outfits were chosen not only for their superior marksmanship, but for their higher intelligence, their ability to improvise and superior physical condition. They were a cut above the average infantryman who was armed with the simpler, less demanding musket. Militaries, always mindful of the bottom line, were not about to trust expensive rifles with anyone but the best, nor were they willing to assume the cost of the more extensive training required to produce any more top-notch riflemen than were…