Colt seems to have been going through some ups and downs these past couple of years but that does not erase the fact that it's the global icon. It's as much a part of the common psyche as that other ubiquitous four letter word (Coke) that there's almost no corner of the planet to which you can travel where any kid who's watched almost any TV wouldn't smile in recognition of the name. That kind of brand recognition is possibly the most coveted asset in the world of modern commerce so even if Colt takes a few years to right the ship, no harm done. Meantime they've done the right thing by licensing their precursor to the modern handgun, the Peacemaker, as an airgun. This little beauty is available in multiple finishes to tempt all bling proclivities and emulates the original in every appropriate way right down to loadable cartridges (which you discreetly pre-prime with your 177 pellets or bb's). Now obviously this CO2 powered pellet gun is not going to emulate the blast, recoil and impact of a 250 grain 45LC bullet, but what you get is an extremely authentic revolver suited for home-basement shooting galleries, zero neighbor complaints and the equivalency in heft and sensibility transmitted by the original. But why (I hear you ask)? Because what this ultimately provides is unprecedented training possibilities for those looking to keep their single action hand-eye coordination in tact over the winter months or when you just don't feel like spending $100 in ammo for an afternoon at the range. The instinctual pointibility of any handgun is improved by repetition, plain and simple. That doesn't mean picking up your weapon once every three months and firing off 50 precious rounds, oh no, that means shooting fifty rounds three or four times a week using different techniques and drills to ensure you're placing shots consistently on target. And remember, the aim is to do that without lining up the sights, intuitively, so when you attend your next local SASS competition you have that winning edge. Few of us amateurs are well heeled enough to purchase the requisite annual caseloads of 45LC, 38spl or 357Mag ammo, but that doesn't mean we should always ride in the dust of the pro's. Modern APW's (Air Powered Weapons) have the potential to equalize the playing field and make it feasible to one day give those sponsored gunslingers a run for their steel-ringin' money. Opportunities like this have never existed before in the world of competition shooting because ammo required money and time...so roll-in the reinforcements! These increasingly authentic CO2 replicas provide the opportunity for us with thinner wallets to hone our handgun skills in the comfort of our own home.  And if you need the bang and recoil, just fake it like you did when you were a kid, no one'll know and you'll be smiling like a fool from the shear heck of it! Now you have a viable recycling use for all those empty beer cans. GOM      

​I actually have a deep fascination for small, pretty mechanical things, whether it’s a tool, the innards of a clock, a wind-up toy or a small cc engine. Speaking of which I have a friend who taught himself engine repair by simply buying a cheap (Chinese) 49cc motorcycle engine, sticking it on his workbench surrounded by a semi-circle of cereal bowls (much to his wife’s chagrin) and pulling it all part. Every bolt, cog, gasket, spring and bracket was categorized into the bowls plus he kept a map of every part he removed and it’s proper replacement position. He called it his $300 university. He now makes $50 an hour repairing bikes out of his 2-car garage. Anyway, back on track, the North American Arms mini’s fall prominently under my “mechanical brilliance in miniature” radar. These baby pocket dragons are beguiling in their scale and sheen and were it not for their ability to spit ordnance they’d be equally popular as mantle ornaments. And oh how I’d love to see each model available in blued and/or color case hardened, but we must learn to be thankful for what we get (I suppose). Now the topic of practicality is always raised around these revolver gems, and my answer is always the same: “if you don’t get it, they’re not for you.” Those who get it don’t ask, they just buy. And cherish, and possibly even collect and perhaps even obsess…lining them up in their safe on a cushioned blue velvet pad taking pride of place amongst their other mouseguns. The petite profiles of NAA revolvers belie the fire spitting venom with which they discharge each round (especially the 22MAGs), yes, just like a diminutive dragon. For EDC, the warm pleasure received by carrying something so minute yet perfectly formed, hidden deep in a pocket, with such potent self-protection potential (albeit at point-blank range) is akin to having a hidden superpower. Superman himself walks around like a normal person until someone’s distress necessitates a quick callbox strip, then he’s off to save the day. For us mere mortals the NAA mini offers the same undergarment discretion; there’s no weight, no pocket bulge, no “damn, I’m carrying a gun” self-consciousness or fear of bending over lest your blocky polymer behemoth pop out and startle the good citizens of Homeville. Furthermore - and let’s be absolutely realistic here - for most of us good citizens who choose to EDC, there is about as much likelihood of requiring to use that weapon as winning the Powerball. We may carry for peace of mind, but it’s statistically moot (in 2017 anyhow, who knows what the future doth hold). Be that as it may, I knew a foreign service officer for whom a 22LR NAA revolver was daily carry: he wore it pushed onto a bore brush hanging around his neck beneath his shirt, and for him it was great comfort where discretion was everything and his safety was frequently at risk. The NAA minis are as a fine example of American ingenuity and craftsmanship as you’ll find in any precision industry and what I like is that Sandy Chisholm is perpetually evolving his line with ever-improved form and functionality. What I resent is that it’s all too easy to make them your hobby and just keep buying the little suckers! https://northamericanarms.com
​GOM

I doubt there's a modern revolver that's as sublimely sized for it's intended caliber as the Ruger Bearcat. Bill Ruger really had his design cap on when he birthed this brainchild in 1958, just a decade after his inaugural brand-launching weapon, the MK1. The Bearcat was allegedly configured after the 19th Century Remington percussion revolver - albeit in a sweetly downsized package - and stayed in production until 1974 when Ruger patented the transfer bar safety. Seemingly the Bearcat did not lend itself to the addition of this excellent safety feature, or at least it wasn't a viable modification considering sales at the time and it fell out of production for almost two decades. Following reintroduction in 1993 with the New Bearcat moniker and transfer bar added, it's stayed in Ruger's lineup ever since. To me it epitomizes everything that's right in a utilitarian single action revolver: the caliber (good for almost everything from field to trail except grizzlies and cougars), the size (lightweight and inherently pocketable), the wide spur hammer and glassy clicks of cocking (ah, like birdsong), a silky fit and finish (hey, it's a Ruger) and the fixed sights (never understood adjustable sights on a handgun, once they're set, whoever changes them?). The only feature I dislike is the chintzy looking scrolling on the cylinder, it just belies the petite beauty of this revolver and hinders it's ability to be holistically elegant. So then thank the gun gods for Clements Custom Guns in Virginia who'll lathe off the scrolling and flute your cylinder for just a $100, and for Tyler Gun Works in Texas who'll give the frame a color case blueing - with such services rendered I'm not sure you could own a nicer revolver. I remember reading an article several years back (prior to the whole "tactical" movement) by a guy who had a substantial firearm collection. He'd been asked by a friend that if he had to choose only one, which would it be? He's reflections on the value of each firearm was well considered and in the end he selected a blued single action revolver as his absolute keeper...not because it was the perfect all-round firearm but because it fulfilled every emotional and aesthetic sensibility, and reminded him of how his interest in firearms was born. Well that's the way I feel about the Bearcat (with the fluted cylinder, naturally): if I had to abandon every weapon I had for some unimaginably horrific reason, I'd slip this thing in my belt, grab a brick of ammo and run for the hills!   

So let's forget all about home defense, doomsday scenarios, zombie apocalypses, combat readiness and tactical superiority for a few minutes and take a nostalgic stroll down the path to our great nation's founding. If we put aside (momentarily, and for sake of romance) that America was built on the bones of the noble and sometimes rightfully warring Native American, then we'll happily recall the seafaring adventurers, pioneers, trappers and mountain men who forged trails across uncharted oceans and lands to settle this mighty continent. And then choose to reminisce the gunslingers immortalized by the likes of John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Yul Brynner movies of the pre hippy generation, then finally the one gun that comes floating to mind is the monumental and unequalled single action revolver. My favorite. I don't really know how to describe why I find it so deeply gratifying, but it's akin to going to a hardware store and browsing the tool department. My wife now mostly forbids me from visiting our local hardware establishment...to her it's a Bermuda triangle into which I venture and fail to emerge from! It's an addiction she rightfully protects me from enjoying because I'll fixate on a particular isle and get lost down the proverbial rabbit hole of engineering wonderment. I think this is actually why I originally became interested in firearms, not because I enjoyed shooting, but because I became obsessed with these precision mechanical implements that are often so beautiful to behold. Since youth I'd get a gun and promptly pull it apart into it's 35 or so pieces, say "Ah, I get it" then reassemble it and become obsessed with the next firearm I wanted to dissect until I'd saved enough to purchase it. The noise of discharging a weapon is rarely enjoyable to me - I know many shooters love it - but to me it's the obvious and ultimate function and therefore uninteresting beyond asserting functionality. What really blows my hair back is the innards, the guts, the meat and potatoes of how the hell someone figured out their own particular patentable lockwork system. And none evokes more butterflies than the single action revolver, it's perfection epitomized. It's art in the dealing of absolutes, it's the choice clockwork for the connoisseur, the artisan and the lothario. (And I'm enjoying an evening scotch whilst writing so forgive the platitudes.) In the end of the day the single action revolver - regardless who invented or ultimately perfected it - is the most exquisite gun of all time in that it reflects mechanical purity and the ultimate exemplification of utilitarianism in our Nation's most valuable metal: steel. If you're a doubter then hold a Colt Peacemaker close to your ear and slowly cock the hammer, or a Ruger Vaquero in blued steel, or any revolver for that matter because the sound alone will make you a convert not only to the legitimacy of gun ownership (should you be a heathen) but to the format. You'll even subscribe to AMC and watch all those old westerns of yesteryear, revolver in hand, and pew pew at the baddies! And one things for damned sure, I reckon you'll find a way to justify ownership of one or multiple revolvers even if you have to use the words "tactical", "home defense" and "combat readiness" to convince domestic partners of your expenditure. Love is a curious thing, and this week we'll be covering the single action variety. GOM

​Continuing in the spirit of non-lethal products - or more accurately "less-lethal" considering a hand-thrown baseball could potentially kill you - I'd like to give a shoutout to Lightfield Ammunition who make a variety of innovative shotshells for the humane home defender. I don't stand by the idea that we should always look to end the life of someone seeking to steal material goods and there's no way of judging an intruder's intentions in a matter of a few adrenalized seconds as we confront him/her on the stairs or our two floor home. Whether in the dim glow of night lights or the 1000 lumen glare of an on-gun flashlight, we may not be able to determine if he/she is armed. And if there's more than one of them we might glimpse that intense pant-soiling fear of being outnumbered by would-be thieves and murderers. Words are not likely to matter amidst the din of anxiety and confusion and in a couple of nanoseconds it'd be all over. In most jurisdictions we would be well within our rights to shoot live ammunition without concern of legal repercussions and the police would wrap the whole thing up tout suite. But with blood spatter up and down the walls and bone and brain fragments strewn hither and thither (and trodden by city coroners into your favorite shag rugs - those good men in blue don't provide hazmat cleaning services along with your hall pass), would you just saunter to the kitchen for a mug of hot chocolate? With marshmallow fluff? Have a lighthearted conversation with your wife and kids then all head off to bed to sleep like the just? Hmmm, somehow I doubt it.

Let's back up and imagine for a minute you don't want to kill anyone but want the most intimidating weapon available in the hopes that that alone would be sufficient repellent to your prospective home invader. Bazooka? Ah, maybe not. 12 gauge pump action shotgun? Now we're talking. The sound of cycling a 12 gauge is a considerably sobering audio akin perhaps to hearing a velociraptor grunting from behind the garden shrubbery. Most home invaders will turn tail at the sound and your evening is occupied with nothing more than filing a report. But there are and always will be exceptions to every rule and some home invaders will come complete with more sinister intentions, in which case your 12gauge pump better be primed with something on the eleven scale of shock and awe. My suggestion would be to buy the highest capacity pump you can find and load it up with three Lightfield shotshells followed by good ol' fashioned buckshot: a Nova Distraction Round for when the intruder/s is still farthest off, then an HV Star Round for some secondary pain infliction, then if they're still coming strong hit 'em with a Rubber Slug. Then have 2 or 3 live buckshot rounds at the end in case your invader proves to be a demonically persistent danger or starts shooting back: despite your humanitarian efforts you might feel justifiably resolved in a critical moment. 

Lightfield is graded a full five stars by it's satisfied customers so there's no reason to doubt the efficacy of their products. In the unfortunate event of experiencing a home invasion, I think you may just sleep better at night knowing you opted for a less-lethal solution even if in the end you had to administer the coupe de gras to someone of unwavering malfeasance. We may feel desensitized by the proliferation of slapstick TV violence but I somehow doubt it resembles all that in a real-world scenario. Just consider our veterans, who though trained for war and theoretically prepared for directly causing death, so often come back in a traumatized state; what hope have we of brushing that off like we hit a chipmunk with our tire? And to prove it, companies like lightfield have taken great pains to develop alternatives that might spare us the pain of ever finding out. http://www.litfld.com/products/home-defense/
Ed. 

If indeed you're able to find one of these in stock at www.lanworldinc.com, don't get the UPS donkey rate (aka "ground") shipping unless you're okay with waiting the better part of 2 weeks to receive it. It would have been half the price and time via USPS so LAN World might want to consider that as one of their shipping options. That aside, Chris was great about keeping me apprised of availability status and the CPE arrived in 100% condition displaying typical German manufacturing quality (i.e. outstanding), a tool for shoehorning in your 1911 and a hex wrench for attaching the side-cocking lever. The various pieces took about 3 or 4 minutes to assemble and lo and behold my standard A1 turned into a new improved weapon crying out for a pistol brace and a sight of sorts. With a KAK Shockwave Blade in place and a cheapo red-dot, it suddenly all made sense. 

A 1911 is a formidable weapon in the right hands; by launching a large slow chunk of lead it has demanded respect from anyone unfortunate enough to stare down the muzzle end for over a hundred years and counting. But like all pistols it requires practice because, as they say, a miss is as good as a mile. So putting shots on target is critical (regardless of caliber) if you want to defend yourself in the unlikely event of a home invasion, or attack by a bear or cougar, or for general peace of mind if you're out-backing in the woods or just like carrying a truck gun. If you're a 1911 fan and want more assured hits under stress, then you should really give the Hera CPE a serious look. It's very compact and comparatively lightweight compared to a rifle, and will easily hang around your shoulder in perpetual readiness on a single-point sling. 

The Hera allows for full use of all controls so familiarity and muscle memory go unperturbed and if needs be you can revert to your favorite handgun in minutes. But here's the thing with carbine conversion kits - once ensconced I'm not entirely convinced anyone would bother removing the pistol (to use as such) other than to clean it, so it seems to me the real usefulness of this category of accessories is to reappropriate a lesser used sidearm and give it new life as something more useful. Pistols tend to be inherently accurate (witness Hickok45's 230 yard 1911 shots), what tends to make them inaccurate are poor sights and human error but remove those margins via a CPE and you have an entirely new animal. Out at the range this was exemplified amply. My host pistol is an old Armscor GI model with abysmal sights but 100% reliability so add in the stability of three contact points (right hand, left hand, cheek) and low and behold the steel plates were ringing noisily out to 25 yards. What I'd considered to be an old 5-yard swayback turns out to be a bit of a racehorse. Is it worth SBR-ing? Hell yeah, any reason to SBR is a good one. People like to speak disdainfully of pistol caliber carbines but I think for the majority of us Lazyboy pros and shortrangers there's nothing better. So dig out that forgotten old 1911 from the back of your safe, send off for your stamp and order up a CPE (Lanworld has one tan unit left in stock as of writing) - in my bestimation you'll find it to be a heck of a lot of gun and open up an entire gamut of self-defense & range-fun possibilities. https://www.lanworldinc.com
​AH

Riot Balls fall under the LESS LETHAL page of the AFD because technically they don't apply to APW's as much as they do to riot control & law enforcement. However, they are made strictly for firing with markers (guns) intended for paintball, which makes them inherently useful for practicing the sport AND for repelling potentially dangerous persons causing upheaval in a prison environment or violent street demonstration. This also makes them ideally suited for household defense by people who do not feel entirely comfortable with ending the life of a would-be home invader. Personally I have little compunction about terminating a threat toward me, myself and mine, but I wholly understand there are people who would find that difficult to live with after-the-fact, not to mention the clean up, fear of possible retribution by relatives of said deceased, sleepless nights recalling the incident and imagining the ghosts of criminals passed with every bump of the night. For those of this sensibility, the Riot Ball (or multiples of) offers a feasible solution. Made from hard PVC and weighing about an ounce a piece, these 68CAL projectiles promise nothing but pain that'll compel even the most belligerent individual to retreat pronto. I suspect they would be so stricken with shock and agony that they'd scarcely differentiate between the volley of plastic and actual bullets (albeit from what they'd assume was a suppressed weapon). Choose any paintball marker with dial-able power and crank it up to max, then remember you'd be shooting from 10' to 25' maximum and let all hell loose. Just imagine for a minute you're a hoodlum intent of robbing a quiet family home at 3am, then imagine that just as you're unplugging the computer and heading to the window from whence you entered, you're suddenly assailed by a barrage of pain. A hopper with 200 balls being relentlessly loosed full-auto at 400fps onto your face and chest would inflict some spectacular bruising and my guess is you would drop all thought of material gain and do everything to find deliverance from the building. Alternatively, as the homeowner, you could choose permanent paint balls used to mark wild animals or trees and then call the police and advise them to be on the look out for splatter man stumbling down the street. Nelson Paint Co makes these, and with a 4-6 year durability on trees it'd give cops a few days at least to track the perp down before he was able to wash the colors off. Anyone who's ever been in a paintball game and was hit pointblank in a vulnerable spot has a clear memory of the pain and resultant bruise, so imagine 30 or 40 hits to the head, neck, testicles and ears...hell, we could even be talking unconsciousness here. Either way, you as the homeowner can go back to bed after filing your report (if indeed you even felt like making one) and sleep peacefully with a clean conscience. Paint splatter on the walls is a hell of a lot easier to live with than blood but personally I'd go with the PVC Riot Balls inside the house and tag him with paint as he was running across the lawn, just to play Jackson Pollock devil's advocate and round off the event with some creative fun. As for the guns, there are some excellent choices on our LESS LETHAL and AIRGUNS/AIRSOFT/PAINTBALL pages, some purpose made for anti-personnel, some for gaming. Personally I like the Tippmann Magfed TCR because it would allow you to keep the unpierced CO2 cartridge in place and then quickly activate it with the first squeeze of the trigger so the gun isn't constantly under pressure as you keep it in home defense readiness. Ah, who says home defense can't be a blast!  https://www.riotballs.com
​AH   

Okay, it’s not originally an American company, but having been in the US since 2006 it’s got a decade of citizenship on this side of the Atlantic. Originating in Germany in 1972, Umarex has a similar pond-hopping history to the likes of Sig Sauer, Walther, Beretta, Glock and other Euro marques that branched or resettled here due to America’s unparalleled market potential. Though they do make cartridge-firing weapons - namely licensed 22LR replicas of desirable but unattainable (for most) weapons like the MP5 - their primary field and forte is pellet and BB firing replicas of popular handguns, rifles and sub machine guns. I can hear firearm snobs sniffing in snobbish disdain but spare a moment’s consideration for the pre-legal age teen looking to cut his teeth, or the financially challenged among us who like the idea of frequent practice with our favorite (or fantasy) weapon without the wallet stomping impact on our bill-paying capability. There’s also a lot to be said for being able to get really familiar with your gun in the comfort of your own home, perhaps even reclining in your lazy boy as you watch your favorite reality TV series, down in your man cave, imbibing on a choice beverage. Call me a slob if you must, but that appeals to me just a tad. Being a 1911 fan I confess to finding the Umarex STI Duty One very attractive. Not only does it have actual blow back action to simulate a little muzzle flip but the look and heft is as close as you can get this side of it’s real counterpart. Because muscle memory depends largely on acquiring familiarity with proportions and placement of controls, I have to say this CO2 powered 1911 provides all except the muzzle flash and deafening report (which I can live with out) that I wouldn’t notice in a highly adrenalized state anyhow. So for practice it’s perfect! It’s also a heck of a lot of fun and serves to de-stress me after an aggravating day dealing with work related challenges. How often do you wish you could just grab your range bag, jump in the truck and head off to the targets when you come home from your workaday? Probably fairly frequently…but domestic responsibilities take precedent and nine times out of ten we forego personal needs for the common good and love of family. So, with about $100-$150 bucks go get on http://www.pyramydair.com and treat yourself to an Umarex (yes, they make a full auto Uzi too!) for that point in your evening that you can steal an hour to yourself and have some uber enjoyable range time WITHOUT breaking the bank or neglecting familial duties. You won’t regret it. Ed.

​Okay, who hasn't heard of Crosman? On our topic of air powered surrogates this week, we're looking at a few American manufacturers of airgun greatness in the hopes of inspiring firearm enthusiasts to consider an alternate tool in their perpetual pursuit of range-day fun. You see, it's not always convenient to go to a range, and not all of us are lucky enough to own our own land, and if we do sometimes that land has limitations (like, don't scare the neighbors), or there's factors like sometimes we're not inclined to blow a hundred bucks on ammo, or spend 2 hours afterward stripping all our weapons down to clean them. It's akin to owning a pet, sometimes it's simply less amazing that we'd imagined it would be when we were shelling out $500+ to buy it. Airguns (or APW's as we at the AFD like to call them) may be the solution to that problem. Simply put, 1) they're substantially quieter than their cartridge-firing counterparts, 2) they rarely require cleaning because pressurized air is actually very effective at keeping your breech & bore spic and span, 3) ammo is way cheaper and sometimes only requires a one-time purchase (i.e. using bb's and a pellet-trap target) and 4) the APW's of today are as, or more, high tech and expertly designed as any bullet shootin' gun on the market. Plus you can probably find an airsoft rifle that matches the weight and dimensions of your favorite AR, or a bb pistol replicating the 9MM you keep at your bedside (right down to the blowback action): so for muscle memory training you'll be all set and can shoot happily in your basement without having your door busted down by SWAT and being hauled off in cuffs. The Crosman 2240 is somewhat of a departure from those simulator weapons however, being an old-school bolt action CO2 pistol it really more resembles a single-shot version of the Ruger MK series. Yet it's a great little APW and a favorite for airgun customizing enthusiasts worldwide. Shooting .177 or .22 caliber pellets at around 460fps, you won't feel underserved as you plink cans in your garden. But the real beauty of the Crosman 2240 is the huge aftermarket of upgrades and enhancements that can turn your rather basic looking stock pistol into something out of a Bond movie with a folding stock, scope, muzzelbrake and even a Lothar Walther barrel for those looking to shave a millimeter off their groupings. As someone who likes aesthetic beauty it's immensely pleasing for me to see how well made this pistol is, and and all the available parts. My favorite upgrades are a steel breech replacement (an easy DIY project) which sheds the horrible factory sight and adds a dovetail for the addition of your $13 Tasco rimfire scope from Walmart, and the addition of the Crosman pistol stock which replaces the grip panels and provides carbine stability. Personally I find the pop of firing a little loud so I've just ordered a 1/2" x 28 threaded barrel adapter from Alliance Hobby in Ohio so I can attach my Huntertown Guardian (I'll report back on the effectiveness of this at a later date). Alliance Hobby is one of the only sources here in the states for aftermarket stuff, there is a Canadian store and a couple in the UK where the 2240 is immensely popular (no doubt because of archaic firearm laws...but hey, necessity is the mother of invention) and the Brits have succeeded in making some of the coolest, most beautifully machined upgrades imaginable for this wonderful little weapon. My hope is the bug spreads further here in the US and we can match their accessorizing skill and plethora of performance enhancing parts. Okay, the Crosman 2240 is not a replacement for a MK IV if you need a bullet to do the job, but it and many modern APW's are worthy younger siblings to the guns currently adorning our safes...and let's not underestimate the power of youth! 
US supplier of parts: http://alliancehobby.com
Crosman's own basic customizer: http://www.crosman.com/custom-shop/
GOM

Dollar for dollar, airgun users have more fun than their cartridge firing counterparts. I discovered this about 4 years ago whilst living in a large city apartment in which I also had a home office. Owning firearms can be akin to having a trophy cabinet in your home: we can look at them fondly, take them out to clean and polish and show them off to our buddies but more often than not they go unused. Unless you’re one of the lucky few that has property and your own range, or your profession involves reviewing weapons on Youtube, then most of us are simply armchair pros cum wannabe daily shooters. Feeling like that in my city apartment I decided to buy a Daisy Model25 thinking it might provide small distraction over the occasional lunch hour. Well, let me tell you, that little pop gun changed the way I think about APW’s (again the acronym, Air Powered Weapons). I ended up making an indoor range from a plastic tote, which I turned on it’s side, cut the top half of the lid and bent it down into a shelf extending into the tote. I took a stack of old newspapers, bound them together and stood that wad up as a backstop inside. Then I made little cardboard targets and sat them on top of the shelf to shoot off. I bought the Daisy with one container of 2,500 bb’s and thanks to recycling from the tote, have never had to replenish my ammo stocks, nor spend a nickel on cleaning supplies. Air guns are for the most part self-cleaning so a dab (of 3-in-1) will do ya! Overall cost for 4.2 years of range funnery? $37.99 all-in. The only mishaps were when a bb would bounce back into the room and end up somewhere on the wooden floor, God knows where, only to be found by the heel of my bare foot (or…help…my wife’s bare foot) sometime later - other than that, no damage to home, ears or wallet. I was a convert, or rather, I came back to the fold. Like most of us I started on airguns and graduated to the real thing in an age when airguns were the gateway drug to centerfire. Now, airguns (what I like to call APW’s) are a thing in their own right and though my little Daisy still sees frequent use, I have discovered an amazing galaxy of products and aftermarket accessories that todays youth and air heads have long known about. I say long, but maybe just over the last ten years since this industry has really grown exponentially. And there’s a whole demographic of teens (and adults too, plus military trainees) who are having a blast with airsoft: okay, some of you sniff with disdain, but if shooting is more about fun than the dedicated pursuit of the perfect home defense weapon or prepping your armory for doomsday, then we can have both our cake and eat it too. Be serious about your guns by all means, but don’t pass up the chance to enjoy the actual act of shooting: for some of us with limited funds, that comes in the form of APW’s by the grace of the gun gods. So take a look at the likes of Pyramid Air or Airguns of Arizona if you want to discover this brilliant, excellent world full of so much fun you may just relegate your cartridge-firing safe queens to moth balls, or Thor forbid, sell them to buy an all American full-auto/suppressed/SBR air-powered weapon which can be shipped straight to your door (sans ATF stamps, months of waiting, joining the FBI list of POI’s etc) and can be fired in the comfort of your basement while you’re supping your favorite beverage and watching Hulu. AH

​Okay, let's see if I can get my facts straight. In the early 1980’s Dennis Tippmann Sr started out building half-scale replica machine guns: as nice as they were he had only a few short years before changing gun laws led him to enter the emerging airgun market in 1986. Since then Tippmann has built quality airguns and latterly paintball markers selling millions since. Then, in 2005 Tippmann concentrated on some of their other product lines built through Tippmann Industrial Products, i.e. die cutting presses, sewing equipment and post driving machinery, but then in 2012 decided it was time to go back to the gun industry and thusly started Air-Ordnance to manufacture fully automatic belt fed air powered pellet machine guns, and Tippmann Armory to manufacture rolling block high powered hunting rifles. Tippmann has long been a leader in the paintball market with beautifully engineered top choice markers and so the transition into Air-Ordnance was a no brainer: take the same HPA or CO2 power system and shoot pellets instead. Hence the SMG-22 and the Modoc, the latter being the focus of this post. The Modoc is a hybrid of Dennis Tippmann’s interest in vintage rifles mated with APW’s (Air Powered Weapons): essentially a rolling block HPA air rifle shooting a 9mm pellet at 1200fps from a 34.5” barrel. It comes with 3 steel rechargeable cartridges that are powered to 4500PSI and good for one shot each. The rifle weighs only 6.5lbs and sounds like a suppressed .22LR rifle when fired, making it a sobering piece of ordnance and more than adequate for your hunting, target and range-funnery needs. The Modoc is a prime American example of how the humble airgun of yesteryear is evolving into a serious contender to your cartridge equivalent and Tippmann/Air-Ordnanace is right there at the cutting edge. Not that I’m overlooking their awesome SMG-22 which by all accounts is becoming legendary in it’s own right, but I’ll let you check out their website and related videos yourself. Anyway, if you didn’t already know about them, then now’s the time to discover just how innovative and prolific Tippmann/Air-Ordnance is. They’re at the tip of a spear in modern APW R&D. http://air-ordnance.com  
GOM

​Most firearm enthusiasts don't give much thought or consideration for airguns. This is partly because the airguns of our childhood (even if you're in your mid-twenties) were barely useful for anything more than close-range small game hunting, stinging rats in the farmyard or shooting your dad's beer cans in the back yard. If you were lucky you may have had a CO2 gun but most of us were probably using break-barrel pellet guns or pump-up BB guns whilst waiting to graduate off our proverbial training wheels and be of legal age to own an ACTUAL firearm. Airguns were a right of passage! And they were sold at large sporting good stores or big box stores or sometimes even toy stores thus further denigrating their power and potential. At least, that's the tale of my youth. But these days the airgun industry is a whole different animal and due to the thankful lack of BATFE micro-management has been able to evolve at a rate beyond any other firearms related category. Though they haven't yet achieved anything over rimfire rifle velocities, here in 2017 there are air-powered weapons (I'm loathe to even label them airguns anymore) that rival the caliber and velocity of our centerfire pistol-caliber carbines and rimfire favorites. This week we'll look at some of them with the aim of changing our collective minds: it's time to view air-powered weapons (APW's) as viable options for 1) quiet basement or backyard practice with brandname APW replicas, 2) as serious contenders for home defense and hunting, and 3) as precision instruments for the target-shooting enthusiast, and 4) pure funnery: APW's can be legally suppressed (if the silencer is non-removable), SBR'd and fully automatic so consider that if you just can't be arsed with the quagmire that is ATF stamp acquisition. Ed.

This is outstanding news! Apparently, Colt is receiving a $23M investment to not only keep the doors open but add 100 employees for a total of 700 exemplary American jobs. Someone with vision has stepped in obviously, now let's hope that extends to their product lineup too. Personally I'd like to see the Python make a comeback, and a beautiful high polished blue 70 series 1911 without all the bells and whistles but in pure and classic configuration, and a couple of entirely new, innovative designs (or revived items from their archives such as the Scamp in semi-auto 9mm with a pistol brace) to reinvigorate the brand and show everyone who's the original kid on the block. Colt is such an icon that I doubt the firearm (or popular culture) world would be quite the same were it to be mothballed - so a big thanks to the folks who coughed up the money to take it off life support. Apparently the resuscitation will be funded partly by a Dept of Economic and Community Development combined seemingly with a chunk of public money from CT taxpayers. Praise Thor, there is a gun-god afterall!

I’m a big big fan of the TFB so after reading a lengthy argument thereon entitled “Frankly, Pistol Caliber Carbines Don’t Make a Lot of Sense – Here’s Why”, I feel compelled to pitch my two cents into the fray and stand between the author and the pitchfork-bearing PCC owners clamoring for a lynching.

As writers on any topic we have to be careful not to impact peoples choices or livelihoods and in penning about guns I think it crucial to be conscious of striking a balance when I have a strong opinion on a given matter. Now I don’t think Nathaniel F’s article (well written and founded on experience and research) is going to put anyone out of business but there are a number of companies heavily invested in the building (or accessorizing) of PCC format weapons. The AFD has a minuscule readership compared to the TFB so our opinions probably go largely unnoticed, but I still worry about the consequences of what I write. Even if a negative review deters 10 buyers, that’s a lot of money for a manufacturer. I used to work in the film industry and it wasn’t until I’d completed my first production that I realized EVERY film ever made, no matter how terrible, is deserving of credit for the effort alone. Film critics are often oblivious to this fact because they lack hands-on experience and only ever watch films from the comfort of a private screening room, reclining in luxurious armchairs, supping beverages and chowing down on buttered corn. But a scathing review can be devastating for a budding director and I’ve seen young filmmakers go to drink and drugs after the fact. Similar is true of the firearms (or any manufacturing) industry; the time, money, ingenuity, familial sacrifice et al entailed in setting up shop is beyond the imagination of most of us so with this in mind we at the AFD tend to look for praiseworthy products (or that component worthy of praise in a product) and let disparaging opinions go unwritten. 

So yes, I DO feel there’s a VERY strong argument for PCC’s, either of the dedicated weapon, rifle-down or pistol-up variety ESPECIALLY for the majority of gun owners who are simply that: owners. They have neither the time, resources nor fervor for shooting but simply like having a gun around the house for peace of mind. 

Allow me to bullet my personal ruminations on this matter (inclusive of PCC SBR’s):

• If PCC’s don’t make sense, why do so many elite forces and first responders around the world use them (MP5, CZ Scorpion, B&T etc). Because they’re easy to deploy and highly effective at short range. Note this definition of the new B&T USW: https://www.bt-ag.ch/shop/eng/bt-usw/bt-universal-service-weapon--usw-a1-kal-9-x-19-bt-430001
• I already have hearing damage from a lifetime of shooting sans hearing protection - the .223, 5.56 and .308 rounds are very harsh on the drums - for me it’s actually painful to use them and if I were in a home defense or doomsday scenario I know I wouldn’t be putting on ear protection before defending my family. A shotgun is also deafening indoors or out.
• AR’s (including AR’s adapted for pistol calibers) are not really beginner weapons nor good for people who are too busy to practice or lack the passion to learn. They are simply a bad choice for the huge contingent of non-expert unenthusiastic firearm owners looking for home security because they are easily fumbled and cumbersome UNLESS we acquire the requisite muscle memory. Stress makes us all thumbs anyway but add remembering how to actuate a weapon and meantime the perp will have shot homeowner and family. 
• 9mm is cheaper than any rifle round and in a doomsday situ possibly the most readily available. (Having said that, post apocalypse I’ll likely come across a cadaver or two with a Glock 9mm or an AR and the relevant ammo, so I can take my pick.)
• I feel the 45ACP is the optimum home defense round as it has great short range effectiveness, limited wall penetrating capability (neighbors and family are less likely to succumb as I spray the joint) and low recoil from a PCC. 
• Stress will make any pistol hard to shoot straight but a PCC has inherent pointability. I have to remember that lining up sights would fall second to staring-at-threat-and-squeezing-trigger.
• For range day fun and shooting targets out to 50 yards, pistols and PCC’s offer me maximum funnery. Which is more inherently accurate? With three points of contact, a carbine is exponentially more likely to make hits both at the range AND under stress.
• In a doomsday scenario in which I have taken the bugout option, long distance accuracy is moot. The word for the day will be evade, evade, evade and making long distance shots is only going to direct a missed target and everyone else toward my location. The way to survive will be to stay well hidden at all times and only resort to using my firearm when a potential threat literally stands on my foot as I hide unseen in the shrub. In which case, point blank range will be my distance and I’ll just keep firing ’til they’re down. 

Clearly Nathaniel is an expert but most of us genuinely aren’t. Despite all the firearm options, articles, expert advice, classes, training courses, youtube videos and the gamut of other things to enlighten us, most of us are not nor will ever be experts or marksmen because we don’t have the time or money to be anything more than armchair enthusiasts: for us Lazyboy pro’s, the simplest gun to operate is the one to reach for in the heat of a terrible moment (hence the success of the Glock by the way) where you’ll just be squeezing the trigger repeatedly until the threat is neutralized. In the end I totally agree with his last paragraph that there is a window of opportunity for someone wishing to make PCC’s and i think they will be one of the largest selling firearm formats once manufacturers figure that out. So, someone should take Nathaniel’s suggestion as a business cue: the market awaits. AW

​The great thing about being Ruger is the ability to turn ideas into tangible products quickly. A virtually unlimited budget combined with advanced mechanization, their own forge and a team of stellar engineers means that when they decide to proceed with a product it can hit the dealerships in a matter of months as opposed to years. Nevertheless I'm impressed with their restraint: if I had that kind of output potential I'd be popping out new guns faster than Chiappa, but Ruger has the temperance of a seasoned manufacturer and a level of discernment only acquired by a deep understanding of the market. Via this acumen they succeed in releasing popular products time after time. Clearly they are doing their market research, spending hundreds of hours reading online forums to see what gun owners are looking for, observing what products are being sold by other manufacturers and how they can improve on those existing platforms. Though they're occasionally accused of purloining other companies concepts, this could also be construed as flattery: however you interpret it, Ruger have amply demonstrated an ability to react to customer's opinions on any given firearm and apply those to constructing their own, new improved versions. I think we could say this about the LCP (a la Keltec), the SR22 (think Walther P22), the New Vaquero (um, Colt Peacemaker?) and of course the original copycat Mk I pistols based directly off the Japanese Baby Nambu pistol by Bill Ruger himself, circa 1949. Though all the Mk series are excellent pistols they've long been loved AND loathed by the millions who own them: they’re a bear to take down and customers have suffered that aggravation for three whole generations! Why they never fixed it before now I'll never know, but then when S&W pulled a Ruger and released an easily taken-down Mk style .22 in late 2015, Ruger promptly retorted with the Mk IV. Touché. I'm one of the fools who held off owning one for years then finally succumbed to buying a 22/45 in the last months of Mk III. Damn, was I mad! Anyway, it probably took years for S&W to get their SW22 Victory to market only to be upstaged in 12 short months by big daddy. And, true to Ruger's habit the Mk IV is even easier to takedown than the Victory so S&W will have to think fast and work faster if they want to reclaim their fair share of this market as Ruger bombards the stores with the full range of all it's previous configurations (but with that "button"). Personally I'm a fan of competitiveness, it's simply smart business. And as a consumer I want to see constant improvements in the products I like to buy. Admittedly I wished I’d waited, or somehow been forewarned, but I will eventually get myself a Mk IV if for no other reason than it’s a damn good pistol and there’s a thousand aftermarket enhancements to personalize it to my exact taste. But after all's said and done I primarily love Ruger’s customer service: it’s the benchmark of manufacturer care, courtesy and consideration. It’s respect for the fact we’ve spent our hard-earned dollars on one of their products and want it to work perfectly. It’s polite, prompt and effectual. And it’s a sure fire way to win a loyal following - I know folks who will ONLY buy Ruger for this very reason. Ruger are the LL Bean of the firearm world. Every manufacturer, no matter how good, produces lemons: but it’s how they remedy the problem that makes the difference. If I was starting my own firearms company I’d emulate that quality first and foremost because making it right is wholeheartedly American! The Ruger Mk IV upholds that spirit, though they lose a star for taking so damned long to do it. Ed. 

​I know it's wrong to covet thy neighbors...um...1911, but dagnammit when you see a beautiful pistol it's all you can do to stop wishing you had one too. Not that anyone I know possesses the exact pistol of my dreams, but Fusion Firearms has a whole lineup in their (online) shop window for inspiration and as a customer you can fill out their customizer and submit it for a quote. For me it'd be a polished blue 6" slide on a color cased railed receiver, fancy fine top slide serrations, Heinie SlantPro sights (that fit into Novak dovetails), Colt Commander hammer, target crowned barrel and a Novak "The Answer" beavertail backstrap. (I also like the chamfered slide they show on their homepage pistol but I don't see that as an option.) $2,000-$3,000 is a handsome price for any gun but actually it's on the modest side as far as custom 1911's go: look around at other makers and you'll see them ranging from $3,500 up to $7,000+. Besides their customizer, Fusion offers 1) a very comprehensive lineup of finished 1911's ranging from $800 - $2,800, 2) ready to go $500 top-ends in 45ACP, 9MM, 40S&W and 10MM that you can simply install in 60 seconds on your existing pistol, and 3) a full spectrum of great and affordable gunsmithing services to makeover your current 45 in case you're bored with it's old school appearance, or, need to enhance performance. Their "reliability package" is only $195 which in my book is small price to pay for ironing out those occasional FTF's and FTE's - that done your favorite pistol would very quickly become your weapon of choice for EDC. I've never quite understood spending big money to customize a plastic weapon especially when shaping the polymer receiver compromises potential durability, but steel is an heirloom metal that when hewn, fit and finished by craftsmen feels like solid gold in the hand. As if all that isn't enough enticement, they get a full five stars from their customers meaning the entire experience from ordering to customer service passes the buyers' highest expectations. So, if you're in the market for your first 1911, or like me you're a longtime fan of the platform and you're starting to nurture the notion of creating your dream pistol, I suggest you take a good long look at Fusion: founded by Bob Serva (former President of Dan Wesson Firearms), they offer a broad spectrum of customizable options, their prices are noticeably below many of the competition AND they're highly rated by those who've already taken the plunge. My piggy bank is still a little light but when it's full I know I'll be calling them! https://www.fusionfirearms.com
​GOM