It’s easy to say that a pistol will go through thousands of rounds without a problem-it’s quite another thing to fire thousands of rounds in 2 days. But that’s exactly what Honor Defense does.In mid-July, Honor Defense began another phase endurance testing its 9MM, striker-fired handguns with Manual Safeties. The protocol includes shooting over 5,000 rounds in 2 days in a single pistol.
“This is reality testing,” said Gary Ramey, president of Honor Defense. “We run pistols until they are too hot to handle. We drop magazines on the ground, and just keep loading and shooting. We want to know pistols perform under realistic conditions and we don’t pamper them. Pistols are tools that must be pushed to the limits and then find ways to improve them.
Ramey added “For our endurance testing, it is critical to have consistent high quality ammunition. So we use Sinterfire ammunition. because it is made in America and reliable. Sinterfire is best known for manufacturing lead-free, copper/tin frangible projectiles, but they have ammunition for all types of applications. I use it in my personal carry weapon” Read more
Hornady, a world leader in bullet, ammunition and reloading products is pleased to announce the launch of the new Patent Pending Hornady® 4DOF™ (Four Degrees of Freedom) Ballistic Calculator.The Hornady® 4DOF™ calculator provides trajectory solutions based on projectile Drag Coefficient (not ballistic coefficient) along with the exact physical modelling of the projectile and its mass and aerodynamic properties. Additionally, it is the first publically available program that will correctly calculate the vertical shift a bullet experiences as it encounters a crosswind; referred to as aerodynamic jump. The use of drag coefficients, correct projectile dynamics, aerodynamic jump and spin drift enable the Hornady® 4DOF™ ballistic calculator to be the most accurate commercially available trajectory program available, even at extreme ranges.
“Current ballistic calculators provide three degrees of freedom in their approach; windage, elevation and range, but treat the projectile as an inanimate lump flying through the air,” said Dave Emary, Hornady Chief Ballistician. “This program incorporates the projectile’s movement in the standard 3 degrees but also adds its movement about its center of gravity and subsequent angle relative to its line of flight, which is the fourth degree of freedom.”
Using Doppler radar, Hornady engineers have calculated exact drag versus velocity curves for each bullet in the 4DOF™ calculator library. Combined with the physical attributes of the projectiles, the 4DOF™ calculator is simply more accurate for long range hits than using BC based systems or custom drag curves based off of limited data collection points. Read more
Ready for shipping now, Creedmoor Ammunition’s new .38 Special 125gr XTP +P is the perfect handgun round for hunting, self-defense, and law enforcement–and is even accurate enough for target shooting.The XTP (Extreme Terminal Performance) bullet achieves controlled expansion thanks to precise serrations that divide the bullet into symmetrical sections, weakening the jacket at just the right points for maximum expansion, even at low velocities. At the same time, the solid core holds together and drives on through! Read more
VENICE, Fla. – Finally shooters everywhere have a better option – truly custom-grade ammunition at the same prices you pay for cheaper mass-produced cartridges. For 2016, GBW Cartridge introduces four complete categories of ammunition.”Our Legend Pro and Basic Series, Gunslinger and Pro Trainer lines of ammunition are American made by experts with many years of experience producing ammunition and military quality products – cartridges you can depend on whether in competition, hunting, training or self-defense situations,” said James B. Jones, Executive Director, GBW Cartridge. “We are committed to growing our brand, technology and infrastructure to take us to the next level.” Read more
ANOKA, Minnesota –– Practical hunters seeking freezer-filling performance at an affordable price trust Federal Power-Shok rifle ammunition. New Power-Shok Copper delivers the same devastating dependability in a non-lead bullet. Shipments of this new product are now being delivered to dealers.The hollow-point copper projectile provides deadly downrange accuracy and creates large wound channels. Its design also ensures consistent expansion and efficient energy transfer, while the all-new Catalyst lead-free primer fuels the most efficient and reliable ignition possible.
New Power-Shok Copper loads also feature Federal brass and are available in a variety of the most popular hunting calibers. Read more
At long last it’s official: The .22 rimfire ammo shortage is over. Little by little the big supply houses, such as MidwayUSA, Brownells and Cabela’s, are getting more and more quantities of some America’s favorite, inexpensive plinking ammo; it’s even showing up in local hardware stores. The new normal means inexpensive in relative terms, however.
It doesn’t seem that long ago when we could pick up a box of 50 rimfire rounds for under a buck. Now, that same ammo has skyrocketed to about 4 times as much or more! Compared to any centerfire fodder – or, for that matter, even the more quality-controlled rimfire target and match offerings – the lower-cost rimfire rounds are today’s bargain for economy-minded shooters.
If you’ve contemplated introducing a youngster to shooting, the .22 rimfire is a great way to begin. Month after month, the new rimfire firearms have been introduced, although some of them are mere variants of other models. Nothing wrong with that, but I wondered how popular any new gun would be, if ammo was unavailable. With supply catching up with demand, we are about to find out.
One of the more innovative .22s introduced during the ammo shortage is the Mossberg Flex-22 Youth. I had an opportunity to try one out a couple of years ago, when Linda Powell of Mossberg brought one to the shooting range at a media event. I found it to feed reliably and with an inexpensive red dot sight, it was downright fun to shoot. With a free-floated barrel, grooved receiver scope rail and 10-round magazine, the approximate cost of $200 seems reasonable. But, the Flex stock system makes it a gun that can be adjusted to fit a youngster’s length of pull, as he grows up – a decided advantage over fixed-stock platforms.
Noise and recoil can turn off a beginner and neither is a concern with the little .22s, although the use of hearing protection is still warranted. Sub-sonic, target, standard velocity, or match ammo brings the noise level down, as well, and is readily available and well-suited for the beginner. And, that’s how 6 year-old Landon got his start.
Landon’s first shots with a vintage Marlin model 81 and Hawke scope
I broke out some ancient CCI CB shorts – ammo that is about a quiet as ammo gets. Of course, it doesn’t have the power or velocity of even sub-sonic target ammo, but when sighted in properly, it is a good short-range alternative for a newcomer. Landon’s first shot was about an inch from the bull’s eye and the second shot was perfectly centered. We then moved on to some reactive steel rimfire targets and the young man didn’t miss from the sturdiness of a solid sandbag rest.
It wasn’t long before I loaded some sub-sonic ammo into the tubular magazine of my 79 year-old Marlin model 81 bolt gun. The youngster began thinking he was the greatest shot alive, as his confidence grew. Oh, he still missed at times, when he wanted to peek at the results before pulling the trigger. I explained that he had to keep looking at the target after shooting and he got the message. The concept was now cemented and a new shooter had emerged.
I don’t know who was having more fun between us but it didn’t matter. It was just plain fun!
Grand Island, Nebr.- Starting August 15, 2016, Hornady® will offer a free box of Critical Defense® ammunition with the purchase of a Hornady Security® RAPiD® Safe. Products included in the Safe & SecureSM promotion are the new RAPiD® Safe 2600 and 2700 (Items 98175 and 98170), as well as the original RAPiD® Safe (Item 98150). Read more
LEWISTON, Idaho –– CCI Ammunition, the only American manufacturer of handgun shotshells, introduces all-new handgun shotshells featuring larger shot for deeper penetration and extended range. They are available in four popular handgun calibers. Shipments of this new product are being delivered to dealers.Centerfire handgun shotshells have long proven themselves as highly practical options for close-range pests. CCI has added to its one-of-a-kind offering with exciting new CCI Big 4 loads to extend the range and capabilities of these downsized shotshells, thanks to a payload of No. 4 lead shot. The resulting energy and patterns enable Big 4 loads to take down larger pests at longer distances, making them even more useful. Read more
Newington, NH – SIG SAUER, Inc. expands its Match Grade Elite Performance Ammunition line for rifles with the addition of a 168gr 308 Win loading. Featuring a 168gr Sierra MatchKing® bullet, the SIG SAUER 308 Win Open Tip Match (OTM) round has a muzzle velocity of 2,700 fps with a muzzle energy of 2,719 ft-lbs. Read more
New Creedmoor PTR Ammunition:
Precision Tactical Rifle Rounds for Law EnforcementCreedmoor Ammunition, a division of Creedmoor Sports, is now loading Creedmoor Precision Tactical Rifle (PTR) ammunition, made specifically with law enforcement in mind.
Hard-hitting and extremely accurate, the new .223 caliber PTR round is loaded with a 55 grain Sierra HPBT bullet. The Sierra HPBT leaves the muzzle at a sizzling 3,200 feet per second, and generates 1,250 foot pounds of threat-stopping energy. When zeroed in at 100 yards, the bullet drops a scant 3.4 inches at 200 yards.Read more
