Special Purpose

Many of the advantages of a tactical shotgun are the same as that self-defense shotgun you might have propped in the corner of your bedroom: devastating firepower, mechanical reliability, ease of use. But your bedroom shotgun and working tactical shotguns do have differences: beefy tactical guns are ready to go on the offensive to serve warrants, root out armed bad guys, and break stuff with either lead or steel.

Gun Tests Magazine has named the Benelli SuperNova MAX-4 HD Camo12 Gauge as the publication’s “Best in Class” Shotgun for 2009.The pumpgun joins a Taurus wheelgun, a 9mm pistol from S&W, and a Browning 7mm Mag. bolt action as the magazine’s “Best in Class” 2009 honorees.More specifically, the “Best in Class” shotgun for 2009 was the Benelli SuperNova No. 20115 MAX-4 HD Camo 3.5-inch 12 Gauge Pump, $599. It was originally reviewed in the September 2009 issue of Gun Tests.

The Benelli shot flawlessly, comfortably, swung smoothly and steadily. Our only initial peeve was the trigger, promptly attended to by Benelli at no charge. It is an outstanding 3.5-inch slide-action waterfowl gun.

Four-time Olympian Bret Erickson (Muenster, Texas) has been named USA Shooting's new National Shotgun Coach.

The Stampede was mighty attractive. There are several versions (see website), including a deluxe one, for $710. Other options include nickel plate and something costly called “Inox.” Barrel lengths are 4.8 inches, 5.5 inches, or 7.5 inches, and calibers are .45 LC or .357 Magnum. All are made by Uberti, but we presume final details are specified by Beretta, and we also suspect Beretta is responsible for the final finish and assembly.

The BFR 22H10, code name Little Max in the Magnum Research brochure, is a single action only gun. To load the BFR you first open the loading gate. No manipulation of the hammer is needed to free the cylinder. Much like the Ruger single-action revolvers, the hammer stays safely in a down position.

The BFR strikes a chord. We would have to rate the workmanship of the BFR superior to the Taurus. We recommend it if you need a hunting iron without the recoil of the harder hitting calibers meant for bears and large game.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. -- Wilson Combat has begun chambering custom AR platform rifles in 6.8 SPC caliber.

The Mossberg Persuader Model 590A1 No. 51411 , $443, uses an 18.5-inch fixed Cylinder choke barrel, single front bead sight, non-glare matte finish, and 5+1 capacity. We tested the 5+1 500A Persuader, No. 50411, in the January 2001 issue. The major differences between the two guns are the heavy barrel and matte-black Parkerized finish on the 51411 and the presence of a pistol grip as part of the 50411 package. Also, the 590A1 has a metal trigger guard and safety button. The 590A1 is also more pricey, $443 compared to $357 MSRP for the 500-series gun.

There’s a new breed of action rifle in Cowtown. Instead of the diehard lever gun of old, many Cowboy Action shooters looking to shave the last seconds off their time will soon be using a pump rifle. In the quest for speed in that game, top shooters are posting winning scores with the old Colt Lightning design, or clones thereof. Because top shooters use them, that means everybody wants one, whether or not they work better than the ol’ lever action mainstay.The all-blue AWA Lightning is available in a variety of calibers including .32-20, .38-40, .38 Spl., .44-40, or .45 LC. If you want it with an octagonal barrel in either the test rifle’s 20-inch length or with a 24-inch barrel, the price is $890. Russ Simpson, president of AWA, informed us that there were many options available for original Colt Lightnings, so the crescent butt plate here, and the buckhorn rear sight on the Beretta carbine, might have been found on originals. No originals, however, have been found or documented with color-case hardened receivers.

Smith & Wesson Corp. has begun shipping the new M&P15-22 tactical rifles.

The Polish TT-33 had a crisp trigger pull, which broke at 5.3 pounds. Its sights consisted of a dovetailed, U-notched rear and a small, narrow blade at the front. The front blade appeared to be integral with the slide. Although the sight picture was more delicate than we’d have liked, it was superior to that of the Chinese gun, on which we had trouble getting a clear sight picture. We would have preferred a wider front blade and a wider rear notch for faster sight acquisition.

For carry purposes, a short-barreled (snub-nosed) revolver has many welcome attributes, including ease of concealment, maneuverability, ease of presentation, and comfort. The short barrel makes the gun easy to hide and handle, and having smooth surfaces can help minimize incidental contact during carry that can irritate or scrape one's skin. One such gun is the .38 Special +P Taurus CIA, which has an enclosed hammer like the Centennials.

A gun that breaks in half? Well, this shouldn’t really be much of a manufacturing problem. After all, shotguns have been hinged for years with precision. What about the polymer and steel construction, and the orange plastic front sight blade? The skepticism that polymer once rang up should be well faded by now and besides, the Sub Rifle 2000 feeds from Glock magazines, synonymous with reliability.