I remember buying my first trench shotgun, a Winchester Model 97. A local gun shop specializing in collectible and antique firearms had one showing some battle wear but in sound operable condition. A friend of mine who was an FBI agent and I stopped by the shop. One aspect of the visit that has stayed…
FIREClean is one of the market leaders in the new wave of high- performance, non-toxic firearm lubricants. In 2016, I wrote about a test where I took a milspec Bravo Company Mfg upper receiver group to 3,000+ rounds on a single lubrication with no cleaning or maintenance over a six- month period (FIRECLEAN: Next Generation…
When I first became interested in firearms over half a century ago, there weren’t as many gun magazines or gun books as there are now. As a result, I read every article in the American Rifleman and other magazines. I checked out the few books in my local library on guns multiple times. I must…
It’s been a long time since I was a student in a firearms class. My mavens were from the old school: Military, FBI, Cooper, Chapman, Shaw, Leatham, Rogers, Hackathorn, and Barnhart, although the latter five introduced changes that brought gun training to higher levels. So I thought I was pretty well grounded in the art…
For many who weren’t buying semi-auto rifles 35 years ago, it’s hard to imagine that the ubiquitous AK-47 was virtually unobtainable then. For those of us who wanted an AK-type rifle, the earliest choice was the Finnish Valmet M62, a fine AK-based rifle but not really that similar to a Cold War AK-47. For that…
I took the vow not to buy any more AR-15s a couple of years ago. I had enough variants to fit any normal shooting/self-defense needs, plus a couple of extras as test beds for optics, illuminators, etc because I write a lot of tactical articles. However, that was all before I received the FN 15…
In many carbine classes, shooters are shown several ways to adapt their long gun to cover to make a mid-range hit. This is often exposure only without a great way to measure or track performance and subsequently carbineros do not sustain those capabilities to a high degree. One of the big reasons for this is…
If you have read part I of Cool on the Range, Dead on the Street (June 2018 S.W.A.T.), you know I am not a fan of any techniques that may slow you down in a gunfight. I discussed why the power stroking method is the slowest method for chambering a pistol. I also gave my…
Last month in this space, I wrote about the trend of using rifle-caliber pistols with arm braces. I pointed out their advantages and tactical uses. In this column, I want to discuss the same type of pistol but without the arm brace. I’ve tested a half dozen of these rifle-caliber pistols, shooting them as if…
Speed is essential in any dynamic entry. Breaching must be both rapid and effective. A variety of methods—mechanical, thermal, explosive, and ballistic—may be employed depending on what is to be breached and the tactical situation. From a military perspective, since combat has migrated toward military operations in urban terrain (MOUT), ballistic-breaching operations have increased. Ballistic…