Have you priced a hand-built precision rifle lately? I am part owner of a small company that builds them, and I cannot yet afford one of my own. A tricked-out top-end minute-of-gnat’s-butt precision rifle costs as much as a family vacation to Australia. But for those willing to sacrifice maybe a quarter inch downrange, markedly cheaper options exist.
The 5.56mm NATO caliber AR-15 holds sway for police patrol rifles, but 9mm shoulder-fired weapons occupy a place in many armories, typically as submachine guns. Carbines such as the Beretta CX4 are used by several state university police departments, while a few sheriff’s departments use the CZ EVO.
Every few years, the FBI looks for a new pistol. I was initially trained with revolvers. When the field SWAT program was transferred to the Special Operations and Research Unit, we acquired the 9mm S&W 459 pistol, while field agents carried the S&W M13 revolver.