January 2009

6.8 SPC AR-15 Carbines: The Stag Arms 5L Gets the Nod
The AR-15 platform is booming not only in total unit sales but also in aftermarket accessories such as buttstocks, hand guards, sights, you name it. Perhaps even more significant is the availability of ARs chambered for calibers other than .223 Remington—the greatest indication that shooters like something is that they’re willing to tinker with it. In this test we will evaluate three such carbines with 16-inch barrels chambered for 6.8mm SPC ammunition. All three of these models were flat-top designs featuring a Picatinny rail atop the receiver. They were the $1114 DPMS AP4 Panther Carbine that came with a $124 JP Enterprises trigger upgrade; the $925 RRA LAR-6.8 Mid-Length A4 from Rock River Arms, and a left hand (left-side ejection) 5L from Stag Arms. The base price of a Stag Arms 5L was $1095, but our Stag was customized with several options that added nearly $1000 to the retail list price. Would these features give the Stag an unfair advantage when compared to the Rock River and DPMS products? We think the answer is no, and here is why. Given the modular design of the basic platform, every feature found on the customized Stag 5L could also be applied to our other test samples as well as any other AR, carbine or rifle. Therefore, we felt that we would be able to isolate the benefit of a given modification and render judgment on the basic weapon. For example, if the compensator on the Stag were to help us get better hits, we still might prefer one of the other carbines but recommend the application of said compensator.

$1000 Carry Guns: Sig Sauer, Glock, Springfield, and Smith
When it comes to describing or categorizing a gun, it is very easy to throw around words like tactical, custom, elite, or professional. The banner we’ve thrown over the four handguns evaluated herein reads Pro Carry. What makes a sidearm a professional carry gun? Our working definition begins with the second word first. A carry gun is one that lends itself to being on the person for extended periods of time, often in concealment. A professional’s gun is one that fits his or her purpose. For the professional it should follow that every aspect of the gun be absolutely of the finest quality and design. But the reality is that top line guns are too expensive for the average policeman, detective, agent, or bodyguard. However, we think that for about $1000 there should be a grade of firearm that offer features superior to standard models that are just as functional as those found on more expensive custom-made guns. In this test we will try to confirm this theory. Recognizing that handguns are not a 'one size fits all' proposition, we will test four different models chambered for four different calibers, each of proven stopping power. Our first gun was the 45 ACP Sig Sauer P220 Carry SAS 220R3-45-SAS, $1093. Test ammunition included the Hornady Custom 185-grain JXP/XTP and 200-grain JHP/XTP +P rounds. We also tested with a light target round we loaded ourselves. Components were fresh Remington cases (head-stamped R-P, Winchester Large Pistol primers, Winchester 231 powder, and the Sierra Tournament Master 230-grain FMJ bullet number 8815.

Affordable 50-Cal Muzzleloaders: Knight Vs. Thompson/Center
Muzzleloading has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the last 20 years—unprecedented not just compared to its own prior popularity, but also compared to shooting sports in general. As of today, we have an estimated 3.5 to 4.5 million muzzleloading enthusiasts in the United States. Along the way, we have had offering of both good and bad equipment—some additions that have made the sport safer, more enjoyable, practical, and effective, and more than a few attempts that have not. The current story has its roots back in 1985, when railroad man William Anthony 'Tony' Knight named his first muzzleloading rifle the 'MK-85' after his daughter Michelle, and sought to modernize the sport. It took more than a few years, not taking firm root until the mid-1990s, but the pull-cock or 'Enfield type' action Mr. Knight employed proved reliable, and the Knight legacy began. Gary 'Doc' White, M.D., took a close look at the older Sir James Whitworth rifle and made his own Enfield-style rifles revered by many to this day such as his 'Super 91.' It is a good thing to see what you are shooting at, a very good thing indeed, and his modern treatments of ancient inline designs were more easily scoped, making the rifles both safer for everyone and more humane to use for those with less than perfect vision, meaning just about everyone. Thompson/Center, entering the firearms business with the production of Warren Center’s Contender, finally decided that its sidelocks were no longer competitive with the Knight and White products, and released its copy of the Knight/White style of rifle as the T/C Black Diamond. From the mid-1990s until 2002, things stayed very much the same. In 2000-2002, though, there were big changes. Master riflesmith Henry Ball’s patents found life in the superb Savage 10ML and 10ML-II rifles, a Thompson office-bet fling at producing muzzleloading barrels for the T/C Encore found surprising success, serving as impetus for the break-action craze, and in 2002 Thompson-Center surprised the muzzleloading world with its Omega, one of the most successful (and copied) muzzleloaders of the day.