Weapons

What about walther?

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I was asked my opinion on Walthers. I don’t own a Walther at the moment, but that doesn’t mean I’ve got anything against them. Far from. It just means my Gun Budget is too low.

Walther’s PDP has quietly and not so quietly become the Gun Guy’s If you know, you know gun. My Mom even has one. Lots of my friends have one, and those that don’t, many are saying they too want one. The PDP is now coming in a number of different variants, and each one is an outstanding pistol. Universally, they come with stellar ergonomics, great sights, and what is considered to be one of the very best triggers in the market – if not the best trigger on the market. The accuracy is right up there, and the reliability has proven to be exceptional.

The PDP is an evolution of the Walther P99, a gun that Walther put all its chips into and it paid off. BIG TIME. Before the P99, Walther was in serious trouble. I even said at the time that they were “Struggling to find relevance.” They had no presence in the US Market except for their skinny Importation deal with S&W, which gave S&W permission to make their own version of the P99 for a while.

Then Walther got SERIOUS. There was a PDQ pistol and some effort was made there… and then they finally developed the PDP and they really hit on something. The PDP has been developed with more focused engineering than almost any other pistol on the market… and it shows. Do this… Go to your Local Gun Store – your LGS – and examine a PDP first hand. Hold it. Ask to dry fire it just once… and while you do that… Watch those sights very carefully as the trigger breaks. Notice how the sights don’t even twitch? Not even slightly? That’s what I look for in a handgun – right there. HK, CZ, Echelon, and few others can match.

What’s the downside to the Walther PDP? Well, being out of the Market’s Mainstream means you’re going to have a lot fewer options for Holsters. Most LGSs won’t even have a holster for the PDP in stock, and if they do, it probably won’t be a good one. Pricing has the PDP at the more expensive end of factory production duty guns… right next to HK, if not more, depending on the version of PDP you’re looking at. And that’s another happy little problem… Picking which version of the PDP. And that’s a personal question nobody else can help you with. The last Downside to the PDP, is that if you take it to the range… Everyone there is going to want to try it. Whatever you do… don’t rent one at the Range and actually shoot one. Because if you do, you will end up buying one. It becomes fate to do so… and admittedly, I am destined to do so myself.

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Righteous Anger is righteous.

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Righteous Anger is righteous. The want for Justice is righteous. The call for Revenge and Reprisals however, is not. Sit on your hands and bite your tongue until you are rational again. Today is September 11th. Much to Remember today. Much to contemplate. My goal is to spend more time thinking than speaking.

Weapons

For the Love of 30-30

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It all started back in 1895 with Winchester releasing the first commercially available factory loaded cartridge using smokeless powder. It was, for the time period, a wicked fast and very accurate cartridge. It took the American Shooting World by storm! It has been used to hunt literally everything in North America and has been used to hunt most everything else, everywhere else. The gun industry has developed a whole lot of other cartridges, but the .30-30 Winchester kept trucking along. The only question is whether it is still a viable cartridge in 2025 and onward.

In most commercial loadings, the .30-30 Win (also called the .30 WCF originally) has moderate velocities compared to most modern calibers. Kind of like how 55 Miles per hour was blistering in the 30’s but in 2025 you had best not be in the far left lane doing that speed!
Just between you and I, the far left lane is for blatant crime. .308 is typically around 2700 Feet Per Second, and the .30-30 is 2400. So it’s no longer the Speed King. The .30-30 is also hampered with high-drag, flat nosed projectiles. Hornady has given us soft nosed pointy boys that won’t chain-fire in a magazine tube, and that’s done very well to help things out, but it can only help so much.

A lot of Gun Guys have pontificated that the .30-30 is only good for White Tail Deer out to 100 yards at the Max. I’ve personally dropped a Cow Elk at 200 yards, and it fell like it was pole-axed. That range was verified by a Nikon laser rangefinder and the load was the Hornady LeveRevolution 160 grain load. It performed as advertised and delivered an ethically clean snuffing. If there is a downside to Hornady’s FTX projectile, it’s going to be that it was reluctant to feed smoothly out of the Marlin 336 I used to own.
Though, to be fair, it does feed better out of my Mossy 464.

Hornady isn’t just a One Trick Pony when it comes to .30-30. They have some other great loads, including a 175 grain subsonic load that I’d love to test out if I had a .30-30 with a suppressor. If you’ve tried it out all Hushed and Quiet like – Let me know how you find it.

The longest range shot I’ve made with a .30-30 was 500 yards onto a steel plate. And it wasn’t the most precise of a shot. Then again, Lever Actions are not the most precise of a rifle. My 336 spent a lot of time with gunsmiths to get it tweaked to be 1 MOA. That involved barrel work, crowning, trigger, and firing pin modifications that cost me about triple what the rifle cost me. I do wish I still had that rifle. But the new owner did report back that he had harvested some fine big game animals with it in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming.

The cartridge and the rifles are no longer getting Magazine Covers, and Online Discussions had almost dropped completely off the radar… But it’s getting more attention lately thanks to the “Tactical Lever Action” Trend that is happening. Modern Lever Actions from Marlin and Henry are coming out with Rails, Giant Loops, Optic Mounts, and Threaded muzzles for the easy installation of the Gun Muffler of your choice. Pretty much every company that loads Rifle Ammunition is still rolling loads for this old Classic. But my favorite are the monolithic solid hollowpoints. They deliver excellent terminal performance, even at the moderate velocities the cartridge lives with. The .30-30 remains alive and well within the American Gun Culture.

Gear, Weapons

Limbsaver Barrel De-Resonator

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Limbsaver has been well known in the archery community for making vibration-absorbing products that work very well.  Recently, they came into the firearms industry with some very effective recoil pads.  So effective that they are now standard on many new rifles, and just about everything from Remington.

Limbsaver has come out with something new for rifles, called a Barrel De-Resonator.  This is a soft rubber grommet that slips over the barrel and gives the weapon a very George Jetson, almost Flash Gordon kind of look.  The idea behind it is pretty simple, to pull the vibrations out of the barrel during firing to make each shot more consistent. 

How it works is the same way these things work on bow limbs… it reduces vibration and shock by transferring the energy and motion into the soft rubber which resists the motion at first, then captures it and contains it.   In a bow, it makes the bow smoother and quieter during the shot. 

This should theoretically work on the barrel of a rifle.  During firing the barrel of a rifle acts as a tuning fork.  Vibrations travel back and forth across the length of the barrel and this can make shots inconsistent.  To battle this, barrels are made free floating, where nothing touches the barrel.  Or they are made heavy and fat, thus reducing these vibrations by shear mass and rigidity.  Or they are full bedded or bedded with a pressure point near the end of the stock’s fore end.  The idea is to let the barrel resonate as free as possible with the hope that it will resonate the same way every time.

The problem with barrel resonation is that it is effected by just about everything.  Heat, humidity, air pressure, the way you are holding the rifle, where your sling is mounted and if you are pulling on it, the bullet weight and shot velocity will also play an important roll in resonation.  So being able to pull some of that vibration out of the barrel would be a huge help in shooting.          

The question is, does it work?

The test platform is my trusty Remington 700 Stainless BDL in 7MM Remington Magnum.  For testing, I picked up a couple of boxes of some cheap 160 grain PMC ammo.  Each box was only twelve bucks, so I thought, what the heck.  It beats blowing through my good stuff that I use for killing things that cost more than twice that.  The scope in a Nikon Buckmaster BDC which is zeroed for 300 yards.  The target is 200 yards.

I first fired a clean group without the de-resonator on the gun.  In the group above, you can see the three shots and at the top is a hole made by splintered wood, not a bullet hole.  This is not a bad group for 200 yards for a guy who is on some pretty heavy painkillers and shooting through heat waves.  I’ll take this sort of accuracy any day.

To start out testing the de-resonator, I slipped it on all the way back to within an inch of the stock.  The shot group is actually slightly bigger.  So far, I’m not impressed.   If this was it, I would want my money back.  But they say that you have to tune the de-resonator by putting it in different positions to find the sweet spot where it works the best.  So we will do that.

Oh for the love of… I’m so not impressed.  This is with the de-resonator placed roughly in the middle.  Again, I’m about to ask for my money back.  After this one I fire a couple more groups just to verify that this is what the gun is doing.  I’d be better off having not have tried this out at all at this point.

Then I moved the de-resonator out further, to within 4 inches of the muzzle.  And this is when something happened.  Now, understand this… this is with cheap ammo that I have always considered to be crappy…

I shot several other groups after this to verify it… This is it.  The Limbsaver Barrel De-Resonator actually works.  In the above photo that is a three shot group with two shots through the same hole.. other groups were nice clover leaf patterns. 

I’m pleased as can be.  For a rifle to shoot this good with crappy ammo… I am not just pleased, but I am thrilled.

So, to answer the question… Yes, it works. 

Weapons

I need to get a Grip

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I love my Ruger SP101. I really do. My only issue with it though, has been the grips. I’ve gone through no less than 5 different sets of grips. I’m looking for a Unicorn. I want some nice, tight, compact grips that both conceal well and doesn’t punish me for pulling the trigger. Shown above are my current grips. They shoot well. While being a “Boot Grip” they don’t hurt my hand because they be THICC. This Shorty is FAT. So it fills the hand and distributes recoil very well. The problem is because of that girth, it prints like I’m pulling a billboard with me. And the grips are very grabby and any covering garment over it is going to start climbing. I’ve decided that these are terrible. I need new grips. I need to find that Unicorn. Leading Suggestion has been VZ Grips.

Uncategorized, Weapons

The Forgotten .35 Remington

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In 1895 Winchester shocked the world with the introduction of the Model 1894 in a new cartridge called the .30 Winchester Smokeless. It was later called the .30 WCF, and also known as the .30-30 Winchester. “Thuddy Thuddy” was using the then new Smokeless Powder, hence the original name, and offered wicked fast Velocity for the time. It took the shooting world by storm. It was commonly loaded with 150 grain and 170 grains, and it was used to hunt EVERYTHING in North America and most of the rest of the world. And for the guys hunting things a bit bigger and nastier than White Tails, Elk, and Outlaws… It did have some limitations. Enter Remington with something of an Upgrade to that caliber… The .35 Remington.

Remington loaded a Rimless case with a .35 caliber bullet with weights common in 200 and 220 grain loads, and while just a bit slower, offered more Energy and Momentum on Stubborn Targets. It became rather popular and has been known as a Brush Gun Cartridge, thanks to the heavier bullet’s ability to crash through the brush and still hit the target with enough grunt to put it down. Does a number on Bear Bones too. And remarkably, it does so with a similar ballistic trajectory as the .30-30 out to 300 yards. I’ve only done one hunt with a .35 Remington Marlin 336. But it was a successful hunt that did not require tracking of a wounded animal… It anchored it where it was standing. And that was with a Federal semi-jacketed Soft Point.

Below, we’ll compare the two cartridges in question with the same Hornady loading. The .35 Remington’s muzzle velocity of 2225, versus the .30-30’s of 2400 FPS. Now, this is with Hornady’s wonderful new powders and consistent loadings and high quality control… So these velocities might be a bit quicker than some older loadings… But they are safe to use in any lever action that’s in good condition.

Thirty Five Remington might be a bit old fashioned now, and out of favor with the Trade Publications these days. But for those that have used it, have all done so with great satisfaction when used within it’s envelope. More modern cartridges do surpass it, just as the .350 Legend… And Remington’s own .35 Magnum. But when you have a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336 loaded up with some good .35 Remington ammo… You don’t feel outdated. You feel like a Classic.

Uncategorized, Weapons

.357 SIG isn’t Dead

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The .357 SIG cartridge offers some rather compelling advantages for serious use… particularly in law enforcement, self-defense, and other tactical applications. Here’s why:

1. Superior Ballistic Performance: The .357 SIG delivers outstanding muzzle velocity, typically between 1,350 to 1,450 fps with 125-grain loads, and energy around 500 ft-lbs. Which somewhat mimics the famous (for good reasons) .357 Magnum revolver round, but in a small-framed semi-automatic pistol. This provides excellent stopping power and penetration, critical for effective threat engagement.

2. Flat Trajectory and Accuracy: The high velocity results in a flatter trajectory compared to other handgun rounds like 9mm or .40 S&W, enhancing accuracy at longer ranges (up to 50 yards). This makes it ideal for scenarios where precision is crucial. And with a projectile that gets to the target in a hurry… It makes hitting a moving target so much easier.

3. Barrier Penetration: The .357 SIG performs very well against common barriers, such as windshields, Vehicle Doors, and such… And with a good projectile choice, and can still perform in an acceptable manner on Soft Targets after the barrier is defeated.

4. Getting One: I’m not sure if any gun company is currently producing anything in .357 SIG anymore, one might thing the cartridge is “Dead”. This is untrue. Since the cartridge is based on the .40 S&W, you can convert most any .40 cal pistol to a .357 with a simple barrel swap, and new and used .40s are out there in the wild on gun store shelves just waiting to be picked up. And you’re going to find these lonely pistols rather well discounted. MidwayUSA or Brownells, Inc. or Lone Wolf Distributors will probably have a barrel for that pistol, in .357, and they can mail that directly to your door.

5. Ammo can be found online as well, through reputable dealers, and that too can be shipped directly to your door. So there is no problem finding this stuff. Balance of Power and Capacity: While it carries slightly fewer rounds than 9mm in similar-sized magazines, the .357 SIG offers a better balance of power per shot compared to 9mm and similar capacity to .40 S&W, making it a practical choice for those prioritizing terminal performance over maximum round count.

Drawbacks: Higher recoil and cost are the downsides. However, modern training mitigates recoil management issues, and the cartridge’s performance justifies the cost for users prioritizing effectiveness over economy. It’s more expensive than 9mm to be sure. But that’s due to the Economy of Scale, it is the same as with .45. Fewer people are buying .357 SIG and that means factories are producing less of it. The upshot, in the last 3 Ammo Runs, where people are panic buying and emptying shelves… .357 SIG is one of the last pistol calibers to be snatched up. So you got that going for you.
The other drawback to the .357 SIG is that it is a High Pressure Round. It’s loud. It’s going to hurt your ears. You want to put your Ear Pro with the Gun in your Go Bag or in your Night Stand Safe. It’s unpleasant to shoot. It’s not a FUN cartridge. It’s not one to pass around on Range Day. This is a cartridge to get things done with.

.357 SIG is not Dead. It’s just Underappreciated.

Weapons

Golden Age of Tactical Lever Actions RIfles

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It was back in 2012 that I was pushing the concept of the Tactical Lever Action Rifle. The reason being was that California and other States were really mad at the AR-15 and the Lever Action Rifle was a lower profile option that was legal pretty much everywhere. The lever action is also a platform that was on day one, designed to be a Tactical Rifle. What do I mean by that? I mean the Lever Action was designed to be a rifle used in Conflict. The first ones were chambered in rather small calibers, had large (for the time) capacities and if you remember your history… Came out and gained popularity during the Civil War where some units acquired and outfitted everyone with those Lever Action Rifles.

Often called a “Cowboy Assault Rifle“, its purpose was crystal clear, and today things are no different. In fact, it’s better. We’re in a golden age of Lever Action Rifles. Everyone that makes a Lever Action Rifle – makes a version, or several versions that are dedicated to just that purpose. Conflict Resolution. Maybe even less Fighting Rifle and more Fight Stopping Rifle. They are coming out of the gate with features we only dreamed about back in 2011. Handguards with light mounts. Out of the box with ghost ring sights, optic rails, and even threaded barrels for making it un-loud. We can get rifles with these configurations in chambered in Pistol Caliber Cartridges from .38 Special, all the way up to .500 S&W Magnum. And rifle cartridges from .30-30 on up to .45-70.

Henry, S&W, Marlin, Winchester, Browning, Rossi, Mossberg, Patriot Ordinance Factory, Taylor, Chiappa, Uberti, Pedersoli… And I’m sure there are other brands out there… So many great options to choose from, regardless of what flavor you want. And companies such as Henry who had only ever made more traditional styled rifles… are no making them in Black, with those tactical upgrades already on the gun, in the box, straight from the factory.

Back in 2011 I think it was… these options didn’t exist. At that moment when I had to replace a broken stock on my then “Green Marlin”, the only option for a light weight stock, was Ramline. Here’s that rifle wearing that stock, with a rail on top, and a Red Dot. This configuration wasn’t the first, but it was one of them. One of the first “Tactical Lever Actions” in appearance as well as function.

Nowadays, things that require Customization can now be ordered off the cuff…

The problem with these builds is that they tend to delete those characteristics that make a Lever Action so delightful to use. The slim nature that makes it easy to grab and run with… The narrow profile that makes them easy to slide into and out of rifle sheaths… the light weight that lets them come up on target quick and easily.
The advantages they give are good though. Still sleaker than an AR or AK type. Lower profile so they stow nicely. Quicker to operate than a bolt action. And generally they are punching bigger holes than AR’s.
Another Downside to the Tactical Level Action. You used to be able to get into one and start building your setup for as little as 500 bucks. Now days a new one is going to cost you 1200 to 2000 and any and all Used Lever Action Rifles have all been scooped up.

Gear

5.11 Tactical’s moab 3

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5.11 Tactical’s MOAB 3 “Sling Pack”. Inside I’m carrying a Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0c, on the outside I have a Benchmade SOCP dagger, and a Crusader Weaponry Patch. That’s it. Not my wallet or keys, or folding knife. Being worn as the name implies… “Sling Pack” is what 5.11 calls it… You can carry it like this. Can. And it’s okay in doing so if you’re driving. But in walking, jogging, and actually living like a human… The MOAB 3 doesn’t quite work. The weight of the pack is going to strive to follow gravity. This means it and its sling are going to rotate, and this will twist things up on you. And that means you will be constantly adjusting this pack to put it back to where you want it to be. Telling it to “Stay” doesn’t work. The MOAB 3 doesn’t listen. Now, if you include in the cargo manifest 1 or 2 or 3 loaded spare magazines, then the fidgeting is magnified accordingly.

If you were thinking of one of these, now is the time to snag one. 5.11 has a 25% Off sale. Normally, 50 bucks, I paid $40.22. The pouch has 2 pockets. One main, with plenty of room for a Glock 19 sized pistol… And the smaller front pocket with some low effort organizing, but I’m not sure what for. Maybe some ear pods. You can keep a pen and wallet in there, a couple spare mags… And that it. It’s small. Remember when I said 3 spares? That was beyond optimistic. The MOAB 3 is very small. And with that, there are some limitations. If you want more room and capacity, I suggest the MOAB 6, which is designed as an actual Sling Bag. They retail for about 80. If you want a chesticle pack, I suggest the Skyweight Chest Pack. They come in two flavors. Utility for 45 dollars, and Survival for 33.75. The molle webs on the Survival might prove to be more useful, for less money. But the utility is a bit lower profile. If you want to wear the MOAB 3 as a Fanny Pack, you certainly can… But I suggest the COVRT Select Pistol Pouch. It’s a lower profile design that doesn’t scream “Tactical! I’ve got a pistol!”

The other downside to the MOAB 3 is the strap its self. The buckle is nice, but the strap is just a hot mess. I don’t see myself wearing this thing at all, for any reason. But is it a lost cause? Did I waste my money? No… Not really. Because it can attach nicely and securely to another pack. Like my RUSH 24. If you have a pack that has molly webbing, you can attach the MOAB3 to it for some added storage. That’s a nice touch that other 5.11 sling bags don’t have. Yes, it can be a Backpack for your Backpack. Backpack Inception. I don’t mean to be down on the MOAB 3, it’s a cool little Pack and it just might fit you bill perfectly. Best Use for this? Put your TQ and First Aid Kit in here and put a Red Cross patch on the Front. This is almost PERFECT for that. But for carrying a loaded pistol in it? Sub-Optimal due to the Slower Nature of trying to draw from this thing thanks to the recessed zipper and covering lip.
So yes, it’s a cool little unit, but not for what 5.11 wants you to think it’s for.

Weapons

Springfield Kuna

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I finally got the chance to shoot the new Kuna from Springfield Armory. By buddy Ben has one, and brought it out with him when we met at the Buckskin Hills Shooting Complex, outside of Vernal, Utah. The Buckskin used to be my old stomping grounds, so it was great to revisit it. And with the Kuna in attendance, meant I got the opportunity to put a couple magazines through it.

I don’t need to do a full review on it… You’ve already read enough of those and have watched all the videos about it… So I’m just going to give you my assessment. The Springfield Armory Kuna is easily one of the very best “Large Form” 9mm Pistols you could buy. Period. Regardless of Price.

It has fantastic ergos, and one of the best triggers for this type of firearm. The recoil is negligible and the accuracy seemed to be above par, even though I only shot it standing and unsupported. The weight was impressively light. The Kuna performed exactly as advertised and we didn’t see a single malfunction. Even while in the hands of much younger and inexperienced shooters. The gun was flawless.

The only question is, how does it compare to the other large form 9mm pistols out there?
MP5K? A lot lighter with better controls, sights, and trigger, and about 1/3 the Cost.
Stribog? Better ergos, and you can get 4 extra magazines for your Kuna at the same as the Stribog.
There’s a lot of AR-15 type 9mm’s out there, but I like the fact that this was designed from a clean slate to be a .40 Caliber/9mm SMG.

Needless to say, I was extremely impressed. I didn’t expect Springfield to be delivering one of the very best SMG type firearms to the US Market. But they absolutely did. If you are looking for this type of solution to your tactical problems… you can stop looking. Get the Kuna.
I had been thinking about getting an MP5K to go along with my full sized MP5… But I’m no longer interested in doing that. I’ll get a Kuna.

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