November 2009

7mm Rem. Magnum Bolt Guns: Steyr, Browning Get 'A' Grades
One of the biggest problems facing gun owners today is lack of available ammunition. Recently, a member of our staff was shopping the hunting department of a big-box store and overheard a customer say he was going to buy a gun based on whatever ammunition was still on the shelf. Always pragmatic, our interest in one such round, 7mm Remington Magnum, actually began last March. This was when a SWAT recruit for a major metropolitan police force sought training for USPSA 3-Gun competition from a member of our staff. The officer mentioned that his family has been hunting with bolt-action rifles chambered for 7mm Remington Magnum since the cartridge was introduced in 1962. Often described as being housed in a 338 Winchester case necked down to 7mm, characteristics such as an abundance of power and a flat trajectory were at the center of the family’s appreciation for the round. But we learned of another application that really piqued our interest. According to acclaimed law-enforcement trainer Brian Hoffner (hoffners.com), we learned that the 7mm Remington Magnum bolt-action rifle was also a key weapon in tandem with dart gun and shotgun for ZDART, acronym for Zoological Dangerous Animal Response Teams. This means providing lethal force in an emergency to stop 'medium'-size animals such as lions, tigers, and bears in an urban setting.

Semiauto 12 Gauges: S&W Edges Browning and Winchester
Back-to-the-basics shotguns featuring black composite stocks and forearms fill a special niche in the world of scattergun enthusiasts. These firearms are picked for their ability to serve as a shooting tool that can withstand rugged hunting conditions and not with a lot of attention to appearance. They also eliminate the possibility of a flash of sunlight glinting off a shiny stock or barrel and alerting incoming waterfowl of potential danger. Most of the major manufacturers offer at least a few of their shotgun models featuring composite stocks and forearms and non-glare barrels, and a variety of the shotguns make their way to the used gun racks where shooters are looking to pick up a bargain. The three used composite semiautomatic shotguns we gathered for our test included the Smith & Wesson Model 1012, $630; the Winchester Super X Model 2, $600; and the Browning Gold Hunter, $700. While the trio’s prices are probably in the moderate-to-high-end range for a used semiautomatic, we picked them as a good representation of how composites compared in the field and on the range. The Winchester Super X2 is the same model reviewed by Gun Tests in March 2004, when it was pitted against a Mossberg 935. The Winchester was our pick in that match-up. In addition, we looked at a Super X3 versus a Benelli M2 in November 2007 and also gave the Winchester model a thumbs up in that comparison. In both cases, we were pleased with the Winchester’s handling ability; functioning features; and the speed of the action over the other shotguns in those tests.

High-Capacity 40 S&W 'Rail' Guns: Glock, Springfield, & STI
The 40 S&W has become the preferred cartridge for much of the law-enforcement community because it’s more powerful than the 9mm, recoil that’s snappy but not as substantial as the 45 ACP, and magazine capacities than split the difference between the two. This month we’ll look at three guns that fit this medium-frame high-capacity format. They could aptly be classified as 'tactical' pistols, because they all featured an accessory rail capable of adding a weapon light and/or laser. Our contenders consisted of two polymer-framed guns, the Springfield XD40 ($605) and the newly introduced Glock G22 RTF2 ($599). Both guns incorporated striker-fired systems with trigger-tab designs. The third gun came from Georgetown, Texas. The STI Tactical 4.15 operates like a 1911 but utilizes a double-stack magazine to dramatically increase ammo capacity. Designated as a 2011 frame, the Tactical 4.15 is built on a patented modular platform, and incorporates a wealth of performance upgrades. All of the bells and whistles come at a price, however. Occupying the highest price point of our test guns, the Tactical 4.15 comes in at a wallet-clutching $1999 MSRP. We conducted our testing within the friendly confines of Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas. The climate-controlled indoor pistol range was ideal shelter from the sweltering heat and one particularly nasty thunderstorm that blew up during one of our sessions. Accuracy ratings were done at 10 yards using a slow, controlled trigger press. We then progressed to multi-round firing at 8 and 15 yards. Magazine changes were made during the middle of some of our runs to see how each gun handled in a more stressful environment.