.50: The Desert Eagle L6

Green Beret Blows Up Stuff with a Lightweight .50: The Desert Eagle L6—Full Review.

Picking up a Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 cal. instantly conjures stories from Hollywood, or maybe Lara Croft if you were raised in the Playstation age. If the bad guy in a movie is carrying the DE, you know he is BA. (That’s bad ass for our older readers without a twitter account.) I myself can’t look at the gun without my subconscious whispering “because yours says replica, and mine says Desert Eagle point five oh.” It is certainly an instantly recognizable icon, and sure to stand out in a crowd.

The Desert Eagle L6 is a behemoth of a .50-cal., but MRI managed to shave a full pound of weight off of it.

SPECS

• CHAMBERING: .50 Action Express
• BARREL: 6 inches
• OA LENGTH: 10.75 inches
• WEIGHT: 3 pounds, 7 ounces
• GRIPS: Rubber
• SIGHTS: fixed
• ACTION: Single-action
• FINISH: Stainless steel slide, matte-black alloy frame
• CAPACITY: 7+1
• MSRP: $2,054.00

I am decidedly pretty boring when it comes to firearms. Everything I own is practical, and the closest thing I have to a peculiar caliber is my 10mm Glock. I was actually a bit concerned when this gun came to me for review; because it is nothing I would even entertain purchasing. I have revolvers in magnum calibers, but I have never really cared for ultra-powerful handguns. One cylinder of a .454 Casull was enough for me, and they can keep the .500 S&W. I don’t hunt (except people), so before I moved to the Pacific Northwest even 10mm was a bit much for critter control. So, what are the practical purposes of a Desert Eagle .50 Action Express? Well, the only one I can think of is for hunters/fishermen in Grizzly territory, that don’t like revolvers. Which is a pretty limited segment of the population. I am happy to report that this opinion changed after I took this bad Johnson to the range.
Practical can sit down and shut its dirty mouth. A degree in accounting is practical, but you don’t see kids dressed up as Mr. McGillicuty from the local CPA office on Halloween. We want to tour with Spinal Tap, with all the drugs, booze, and groupies promised to a shooting star Rock God. And that is what the DE brings. It is fun to shoot in a way that is hard to describe with words. You had to be there, man. You had to be there. I giggle every time I spark this big bastard off. That has been true from the first shot to the last. I am absolutely unapologetic about the fact that I flinch every third shot. Most times when I pick up a pistol I feel its weight, or balance, or craftsmanship. When I pick up this .50, I feel destructive power. And it feels good.
Now, the most significant element of this new model, dubbed the L6, is the fact that it has a lightweight alloy frame. But, light is really a relative concept, isn’t it? The Desert Eagle .50 L6 is no small fry still for sure, but MRI has managed to shave some serious weight off the platform. The other DE .50s in the line-up weigh in at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, so we have dropped about a pound here on this new gun. That is quite a gain in a pistol of this size.

Made in Pillager, MN. That just about says it all!

The .50 AE cartridge (right), next to a 9mm (center) and a .44 Mag. (left).

I must also admit, I didn’t know much about the caliber .50 Action Express when I received this gun. I assumed it was a lot like .50 GI, which you can convert a Glock or 1911 to shoot. Why do you shoot a .45? Because they don’t make a 46! .50 GI is essentially just slightly larger diameter 45 ACP. To me, that is a solution looking for a problem. Not so the .50 Action Express. This thing is a monster. I almost loaded my shorts when I first popped open the Hornady box. The cartridge is comparable in size to Off The Res 6’s thumb. 350 grains of kick-your-ass moving at 1,320 FPS is serious business.

The author ran some Hornady 300-gr. ammo through the L6 for testing.

For testing purposes, we used both Hornady 300 grain and MRI 350 grain. Both cycled equally well, and the Hornady XTP adds new meaning to the phrase “chucking ashtrays.” The abyss they call a hollow point on this bullet is absolutely massive. The MRI ammunition was a soft point FMJ, which would be more than adequate for social work in this loading. The MRI averaged about 1,320 FPS as mentioned, while the 300-grain Hornady was 1,385 fps.
How was the recoil you ask? It was present, to say the least. I credit the dual recoil springs that are present in the Desert Eagle design, and they are quite heavy, with eating a lot of that. But if you were concerned about recoil, you wouldn’t be looking at this gun. I did manage to empty the gun (7+1 rounds) in under two seconds, mostly on target, but you will feel it. Trust me.
How did it do on paper? I didn’t even bother. I already admitted I flinch a lot shooting this gun, so that is kind of unfair to the group size. And for me personally, shooting 300 grain Hornady XTP at paper would be sacrilege. Why would you shoot at paper, when you can shoot at things that explode? The closest I came to an accuracy test was golf balls at 10 meters. The answer is 1.) yes, it is accurate enough to do that and 2.) the result was hilarious.

The barrel of the L6 has an integral Picatinny rail, as does the alloy frame.

How about reliability? I did have a couple times when the slide didn’t go all the way into battery with the next round in the magazine. No failures to eject, but a few failures to finish the cycle. I will assume all fault for that, it was literally raining soda and pieces of fruit when I was testing. No gun was meant to be subjected to that. Also, I am not too proud to admit I may have been limp-wristing the gun a bit after 200 rounds in an afternoon. That is a lot of bang in a man-sized caliber.
I also liked that Magnum Research went ahead and milled full-size Picatinny rails on both the frame and slide. With a gun this big, why not? I first put a full sized Surefire Scout Light on the pistol in jest, but it did fit. And if you are carrying something this big, why not? Ditto for the Aimpoint I put on top, and a 1×6 wouldn’t have been out of place.
The way the MRI 50 works is a pretty marvelous piece of engineering as well. One drop of a lever and the entire barrel comes off, and it is a pretty serious barrel. The “upper” weighs as much as most pistols, and you wouldn’t want it any lighter.
By far the most unique part of the DE .50 is the fact that it is gas operated rather than recoil operated and employs a rotating bolt. That it actually uses a true bolt is quite different in its own right. The bolt looks like a modified AR-15 one, and it rotates in the same way to lock and unlock the action. If nothing else, it is at least very cool.
The dual-recoil springs look like they have been scaled down from a MK 19 Grenade launcher. That being the full-auto, belt-fed grenade launcher in use for decades in the US.  They certainly work, and it adds to a military feel to the design of this weapon. I was a bit less in love with the springs after I spent an hour putting the gun back together the first time, but they do mitigate recoil quite well.
The frame in this lightweight version is all aluminum, and it is remarkably light with the slide off. We will have to wait and see how durable this frame is with such a heavy round, but if aluminum is good enough for mach-speed aircraft, it is probably good enough for this. Rounding out the frame is a very large rubber, one-piece wrap around grip, that your hands will thank you for. I was quite happy with how the grips felt during use.
The DE .50 is a single-action-only gun. The safety is slide mounted, and is a safety only, not a decocker. The only part of the Desert Eagle I didn’t care for was this. I would have preferred a “down to fire” safety, even if it was slide mounted. Pushing a safety up while assuming a firing grip is not a natural action for those of us used to American handguns, and it is a bit awkward on a gun of this size. The trigger is pretty good, as it should be in a single-action-only gun. The test model broke consistently at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, with just a small bit of take up, and a small bit of creep. It’s not a 1911, but it’s not bad all things considered.

The L6 breaks down into its primary components quickly and easily.

The .50 AE Desert Eagle L6 pistol employs a dual recoil spring system.

An M16-style rotating bolt is employed by the gas-operated pistol.

So, overall, what was my take away from the gun? It was extremely fun to shoot, and that is a purpose all in itself. I haven’t had that much fun shooting since I got my first semi-automatic shotgun, at which point I just walked around my range for an afternoon shooting down saplings and auto glass. I smile every time I shoot this Desert Eagle, and that is quite a value in itself. I might be smiling less if I had to feed it at $2.00 per round, but it is a great toy. And certainly unique. If you are already bought up on TEOTWAWKI guns, this makes an excellent edition to your collection. Like a lift on your Prius, it is certainly a head turner, and if you have the means, it is hard to pass up.

.50: The Desert Eagle L6

Green Beret Blows Up Stuff with a Lightweight .50: The Desert Eagle L6—Full Review.

Picking up a Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 cal. instantly conjures stories from Hollywood, or maybe Lara Croft if you were raised in the Playstation age. If the bad guy in a movie is carrying the DE, you know he is BA. (That’s bad ass for our older readers without a twitter account.) I myself can’t look at the gun without my subconscious whispering “because yours says replica, and mine says Desert Eagle point five oh.” It is certainly an instantly recognizable icon, and sure to stand out in a crowd.

The Desert Eagle L6 is a behemoth of a .50-cal., but MRI managed to shave a full pound of weight off of it.

SPECS

• CHAMBERING: .50 Action Express
• BARREL: 6 inches
• OA LENGTH: 10.75 inches
• WEIGHT: 3 pounds, 7 ounces
• GRIPS: Rubber
• SIGHTS: fixed
• ACTION: Single-action
• FINISH: Stainless steel slide, matte-black alloy frame
• CAPACITY: 7+1
• MSRP: $2,054.00

I am decidedly pretty boring when it comes to firearms. Everything I own is practical, and the closest thing I have to a peculiar caliber is my 10mm Glock. I was actually a bit concerned when this gun came to me for review; because it is nothing I would even entertain purchasing. I have revolvers in magnum calibers, but I have never really cared for ultra-powerful handguns. One cylinder of a .454 Casull was enough for me, and they can keep the .500 S&W. I don’t hunt (except people), so before I moved to the Pacific Northwest even 10mm was a bit much for critter control. So, what are the practical purposes of a Desert Eagle .50 Action Express? Well, the only one I can think of is for hunters/fishermen in Grizzly territory, that don’t like revolvers. Which is a pretty limited segment of the population. I am happy to report that this opinion changed after I took this bad Johnson to the range.
Practical can sit down and shut its dirty mouth. A degree in accounting is practical, but you don’t see kids dressed up as Mr. McGillicuty from the local CPA office on Halloween. We want to tour with Spinal Tap, with all the drugs, booze, and groupies promised to a shooting star Rock God. And that is what the DE brings. It is fun to shoot in a way that is hard to describe with words. You had to be there, man. You had to be there. I giggle every time I spark this big bastard off. That has been true from the first shot to the last. I am absolutely unapologetic about the fact that I flinch every third shot. Most times when I pick up a pistol I feel its weight, or balance, or craftsmanship. When I pick up this .50, I feel destructive power. And it feels good.
Now, the most significant element of this new model, dubbed the L6, is the fact that it has a lightweight alloy frame. But, light is really a relative concept, isn’t it? The Desert Eagle .50 L6 is no small fry still for sure, but MRI has managed to shave some serious weight off the platform. The other DE .50s in the line-up weigh in at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, so we have dropped about a pound here on this new gun. That is quite a gain in a pistol of this size.

Made in Pillager, MN. That just about says it all!

The .50 AE cartridge (right), next to a 9mm (center) and a .44 Mag. (left).

I must also admit, I didn’t know much about the caliber .50 Action Express when I received this gun. I assumed it was a lot like .50 GI, which you can convert a Glock or 1911 to shoot. Why do you shoot a .45? Because they don’t make a 46! .50 GI is essentially just slightly larger diameter 45 ACP. To me, that is a solution looking for a problem. Not so the .50 Action Express. This thing is a monster. I almost loaded my shorts when I first popped open the Hornady box. The cartridge is comparable in size to Off The Res 6’s thumb. 350 grains of kick-your-ass moving at 1,320 FPS is serious business.

The author ran some Hornady 300-gr. ammo through the L6 for testing.

For testing purposes, we used both Hornady 300 grain and MRI 350 grain. Both cycled equally well, and the Hornady XTP adds new meaning to the phrase “chucking ashtrays.” The abyss they call a hollow point on this bullet is absolutely massive. The MRI ammunition was a soft point FMJ, which would be more than adequate for social work in this loading. The MRI averaged about 1,320 FPS as mentioned, while the 300-grain Hornady was 1,385 fps.
How was the recoil you ask? It was present, to say the least. I credit the dual recoil springs that are present in the Desert Eagle design, and they are quite heavy, with eating a lot of that. But if you were concerned about recoil, you wouldn’t be looking at this gun. I did manage to empty the gun (7+1 rounds) in under two seconds, mostly on target, but you will feel it. Trust me.
How did it do on paper? I didn’t even bother. I already admitted I flinch a lot shooting this gun, so that is kind of unfair to the group size. And for me personally, shooting 300 grain Hornady XTP at paper would be sacrilege. Why would you shoot at paper, when you can shoot at things that explode? The closest I came to an accuracy test was golf balls at 10 meters. The answer is 1.) yes, it is accurate enough to do that and 2.) the result was hilarious.

The barrel of the L6 has an integral Picatinny rail, as does the alloy frame.

How about reliability? I did have a couple times when the slide didn’t go all the way into battery with the next round in the magazine. No failures to eject, but a few failures to finish the cycle. I will assume all fault for that, it was literally raining soda and pieces of fruit when I was testing. No gun was meant to be subjected to that. Also, I am not too proud to admit I may have been limp-wristing the gun a bit after 200 rounds in an afternoon. That is a lot of bang in a man-sized caliber.
I also liked that Magnum Research went ahead and milled full-size Picatinny rails on both the frame and slide. With a gun this big, why not? I first put a full sized Surefire Scout Light on the pistol in jest, but it did fit. And if you are carrying something this big, why not? Ditto for the Aimpoint I put on top, and a 1×6 wouldn’t have been out of place.
The way the MRI 50 works is a pretty marvelous piece of engineering as well. One drop of a lever and the entire barrel comes off, and it is a pretty serious barrel. The “upper” weighs as much as most pistols, and you wouldn’t want it any lighter.
By far the most unique part of the DE .50 is the fact that it is gas operated rather than recoil operated and employs a rotating bolt. That it actually uses a true bolt is quite different in its own right. The bolt looks like a modified AR-15 one, and it rotates in the same way to lock and unlock the action. If nothing else, it is at least very cool.
The dual-recoil springs look like they have been scaled down from a MK 19 Grenade launcher. That being the full-auto, belt-fed grenade launcher in use for decades in the US.  They certainly work, and it adds to a military feel to the design of this weapon. I was a bit less in love with the springs after I spent an hour putting the gun back together the first time, but they do mitigate recoil quite well.
The frame in this lightweight version is all aluminum, and it is remarkably light with the slide off. We will have to wait and see how durable this frame is with such a heavy round, but if aluminum is good enough for mach-speed aircraft, it is probably good enough for this. Rounding out the frame is a very large rubber, one-piece wrap around grip, that your hands will thank you for. I was quite happy with how the grips felt during use.
The DE .50 is a single-action-only gun. The safety is slide mounted, and is a safety only, not a decocker. The only part of the Desert Eagle I didn’t care for was this. I would have preferred a “down to fire” safety, even if it was slide mounted. Pushing a safety up while assuming a firing grip is not a natural action for those of us used to American handguns, and it is a bit awkward on a gun of this size. The trigger is pretty good, as it should be in a single-action-only gun. The test model broke consistently at 4 pounds, 7 ounces, with just a small bit of take up, and a small bit of creep. It’s not a 1911, but it’s not bad all things considered.

The L6 breaks down into its primary components quickly and easily.

The .50 AE Desert Eagle L6 pistol employs a dual recoil spring system.

An M16-style rotating bolt is employed by the gas-operated pistol.

So, overall, what was my take away from the gun? It was extremely fun to shoot, and that is a purpose all in itself. I haven’t had that much fun shooting since I got my first semi-automatic shotgun, at which point I just walked around my range for an afternoon shooting down saplings and auto glass. I smile every time I shoot this Desert Eagle, and that is quite a value in itself. I might be smiling less if I had to feed it at $2.00 per round, but it is a great toy. And certainly unique. If you are already bought up on TEOTWAWKI guns, this makes an excellent edition to your collection. Like a lift on your Prius, it is certainly a head turner, and if you have the means, it is hard to pass up.

A Sub-$700 Colt M4? The 5.56mm Colt Expanse

A Sub-$700 Colt M4? The 5.56mm Colt Expanse. Full Review.

When it comes to ARs, it all goes back to Colt. Sure, Eugene Stoner at ArmaLite developed the 7.62mm AR-10 that would evolve to become the AR-15 in 5.56mm, but it was Colt who purchased the rights to the latter design and not only captured government contracts for it as the M16 family of firearms, but also brought it to the civilian market at first as the AR-15 SP1 and then as the “Sporter” family of AR-15 rifles.

The stripped down to the basics, the Expanse gives shooters an M4-style AR with the pony on the side and at an affordable price. Image courtesy of the manufacturer.

Now, you should realize that while the AR is a well-accepted and extremely popular firearm today, it was extremely controversial in those early days. With a reputation for a perceived lack of reliability and power (compared against the more traditionally designed M14), the 5.56mm AR had heaps of criticism put upon it. And it was during this time that Colt was the only game in town for those who wanted a civilian-legal AR rifle, and it was not the huge market that it is today.

The CE1000 variant of the Expanse does not come with a forward assist button or dustcover door, but both can be added easily.

Fast forward to today. While it seems like just about everybody is making the AR, the name Colt still carries a lot of weight when it comes to this design. They were the “first” in the minds of many civilian shooters, and the company has a long history of producing the design’s martial sibling for the U.S. military.
In fact, the first AR-15 I ever purchased was a Colt, because all of the other platforms were just wannabe copies in my mind. The Colt AR-15 was “The Real Thing.” The choice was like Coke versus the Always Save house brand of “Cola.” As time passed, other companies began to improve their platforms, while Colt began to take actions that indicated a questionable level of interest in the wants of the consumer market.

No political correctness here. This rifle comes standard with that “evil” bayonet lug!

It started slowly and then got ridiculous. Colt changed the bolt carrier so that it would not trip an auto sear. Then they changed the size of the pin so that the holes were the wrong size to accept standard parts. The company decided that we could have a gun, but we could not put a bayonet on it. It also took the flash suppressor off because it made the rifle too dangerous.
Colt was living off of government contracts and borrowed money, and no longer had a fiscal need for the civilian market; it would slip us a few guns, but they were coasting along, avoiding the product-sharpening whetstone of the free market’s influence. To add injury to—well, injury—each of these iterations seemingly came with a complimentary price increase every year! All this time, more and more companies were producing ARs with the features customers wanted, and at very good price points. Thanks, capitalism! And, while Colt has made moves in recent years to get back into the civilian market, these lower-priced competitors were a constant thorn in the side of these efforts.

The Future of Colt

In late 2015, Colt announced that it was pushing back into the consumer market in a big way. Its program was based on a three-step strategy. Step One: Reduce the cost of inventory in the system. Step Two: Cut the price of the most popular models until the retail price is competitive with others in the market; eliminate the heavy premium for the pony on the side of the gun. Step Three: The most controversial part of the plan; only sell to stocking dealers. This requires the dealer to keep Colts in stock rather than merely ordering from Colt individually as needed. This third step was intended to boost sales by getting them into buyers’ vision and hands while they’re in the store browsing.

The Expanse comes with one Colt-branded metal-bodied, 30-round magazine.

SPECS

• Chambering: 5.56mm
• Barrel: 16.1 inches
• OA Length: 32-35.5 inches
• Weight: 6.44 pounds
• Stock: Collapsible
• Sights: Rear, none; front, winged post
• Action: Direct gas impingement
• Finish: Matte black
• Capacity: 30+1
• MSRP: $699 (CE1000), $749 (CE2000)

In accordance with the natural laws of the free market, this three-step plan only works if Colt produces a quality, feature-complete product that people actually want. Colt’s acknowledgment of this fact is what brings us to the Colt Expanse M4. The line is made up of two variants: the CE1000 at an MSRP of $699, and the CE2000 at $749. Both are relatively straightforward 5.56mm M4 Carbine-style rifles with 16.1-inch barrels, collapsible stocks and carry-handle-free flattop uppers. The $50 dollar difference between the two models is that the more expensive CE2000 features a dustcover and forward assist button assembly. On the CE1000, both of these are removed. Importantly, you are not completely deprived of these features if you choose to forego the fifty-dollar increase and buy the CE1000; it is delivered with an upper receiver capable of installing both the forward assist button assembly and the dustcover should you decide to add them at a later date.

Looking Toward Tomorrow

I received a CE2000 for testing and evaluation. When the Colt CE 2000 arrived, I unpacked it from its cardboard box and pulled out the gun that I believe to be the future of Colt as its combination of low price point and the pony on the side should really help it stand out in the market today. The rifle came equipped with one Colt metal 30-round magazine with a green follower. The buttstock is collapsible with four positions from which to choose. The top of the upper receiver is railed, allowing for optics or rear sights to be added. No carry handle/sight rear sight assembly is included. The upper and lower receiver are comprised of 7075-T6 aluminum and have a black, hard-coat anodized finish.

Anyone familiar with a stock M4-style gun will be right at home with the controls of the Expanse. The author added the carry handle.

A four-position collapsible stock rounds out the package of the Colt Expanse.

All of the controls are standard fare, with single-side controls and standard pistol grip. The barrel is a 16.1-inch, 1/7-inch twist, non-chrome-lined barrel, manufactured from 4150 CMV steel with a manganese phosphate finish, capped off with a traditional A2-style compensator/flash suppressor. The front sight assembly is an A2 post and gas block running the now-debugged direct-impingement gas system. A bayonet lug and sling swivel are attached to the front sight assembly.

the author found a low-mass hammer in the Expanse that serves to reduce lock time.

Amongst the internals are a few nice surprises, starting off with a bolt carrier with a properly staked gas key. The charging handle is a basic part that fits and works as expected. When I examined the lower, I found a low-mass hammer that serves to reduce lock time. The first of these types of low-mass hammers I encountered was a JP Enterprises “Speed Hammer” on a rifle that cost $3,000.00 several years ago. The hammer spring is coated in a blue substance—I suspect to mark it as a low-mass hammer. The trigger and sear look to be standard issue for the AR-15 platform, but the fit and finish are excellent.
I proceeded to cycle and dry-fire the Expanse to get a feel for the gun and its controls. I immediately noticed that the trigger was excellent for a service rifle. I broke out my digital trigger-pull gauge and discovered that it broke consistently at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. If not for the gauge, I would have guessed it was closer to 3 pounds. There was a minimal amount of take-up with zero creep and a crisp break with the tiniest amount of over-travel. The reset was short but perceivable. Simply put: This trigger felt like it belonged on a much more expensive gun and was not what I have come to expect on a rifle in this price range.

A Real Gun at a Real Price

Amongst the internals are a few nice surprises, starting off with a bolt carrier with a properly staked gas key.

I usually wait until the end of the article to discuss the price-to-value relationship. Without hesitation, I can confidently say that the Colt Expanse M4’s retail price of $749 is a fair price for a real gun. If I had to choose a single feature that should have been added, I’d go with a rear sight. However, this being the Age of ever-advanced optics, I think they made a smart choice to not charge the purchaser for a rear sight that might never be used. The only other cost-saving measure that’s apparent to me is the lack of a chrome lining on the barrel. I will acknowledge that a chrome-lined barrel certainly has desirable attributes, but most first-time buyers of an AR-15 rifle are not planning on firing 50,000 rounds through it. In fact, a few hundred rounds a year on average is more than most of these rifles will ever see in a lifetime. For those who want to save a few extra bucks, the CE1000 is a solid option as well. If you want the extra parts, you can just add them later.

On The Range

the author set the rifle up in a Caldwell Lead Sled solo and ran Aguila 62-grain ammo through it.

I tried to develop a plan for the Colt Expanse M4 that would test it in a way commensurate with what the gun is designed to be. I installed an A2-style carry handle, complete with two sizes of apertures that were adjustable for windage and elevation. To take advantage of the 1/7-inch twist rate of the barrel, I went with the Aguila 62 grain 5.56 X 45 full metal jacket boat tail long-range performance ammunition. The 1/7 twist rate would work to stabilize rounds all the way up to 77-grain projectiles.
When I got to the range, I unpacked my Caldwell Lead Sled Solo Rifle Rest and Aguila 62-grain ammunition. It was time to see what the rifle would deliver from the bench. After a few zero-shots, I switched to a M16A1 25m Qualification Target that I like to use from 100 yards. This target is a sheet of differently-sized targets that work well for open sights, red dots and magnified optics.

The author used an M16A1 25m Qualification Target at 100 yards and produced a four-round group that fit within the 1-inch inner circle.

The combination of the great trigger, small aperture rear sight and the lead sled enabled me to produce a four-round group that fit within the 1-inch inner circle. These results surpassed those I had experienced from other rifles that cost more and had magnified optics installed.
I loaded 10 rounds up and did a walking fire drill from 50 yards, and was able to get all 10 rounds to fit in a circle the size of a pie plate. This confirmed that the rifle was able to perform when driven hard. This gun just wanted to be shot hard and fast. I loaded up the 30-round magazine and ran it hard, followed by a repeat. The handguards may not be the latest KeyMod, super-cool model, but they worked to keep my hands from needing gloves. I noticed that the gas tube heated up and had some discoloration near the gas block.
By the end of the day, there had only been one hang up: I should have brought more ammunition! The gun was fine. It did everything I asked without so much as a hiccup. There was no shake, rattle or even a loose pin on the Colt when the day was over. This was the Colt quality I grew up with! I stress the quality here because of an incident I experienced recently while I was doing some training with a team that was proud to show off their new rifles. Before the day was over, one of them went down when the trigger pin came out. All of the operators were grabbing gloves throughout the exercises because the super-low-profile slotted handguards were way too hot to hold after only a few rounds. These rifles were of a brand that you would recognize, but I am bound by my training agreement to not discuss details. In this market, quality is as important as pricing and features.

The Future Looks Bright

If the full line that Colt is bringing to retail is going to offer high quality at a competitive price, then the road to recovery will be a win for both Colt and the consumer. I will be the first to acknowledge that Colt brought many of its problems on itself by abandoning loyal civilian customers. I am not advocating for charity, just good old-fashioned free market competition. I predict that this horse will be in the winner’s circle with the Colt Expanse M4.
For more information, visit http://www.colt.com/.

The author tested the CE2000 variant of the Expanse that comes with the forward assist and dustcover door. He added the carry handle/rear sight system.

Kel-Tec RDB Review–America’s 5.56 Bullpup

The first Kel-Tec firearm I ever shot was a KSG. The radically redesigned 12 gauge left me impressed. Since then I’ve shot and loved almost every gun Kel-Tec has produced. Just like the KSG shook up the shotgun world, Kel-Tec’s newest offering–the RDB (Rifle, Downward-ejecting Bullpup)–is poised to redefine what a black rifle can be.

The gun is less alien looking that most of the other bullpups on the market.

Specifications

• Caliber 5.56mm NATO
• Magazines AR Stanag
• Barrel Length            17.4″
• Overall Length 27.4″
• Weight Empty 7 lbs.
• MSRP $1272.73

Slim, trim, compact…. The RDB is also one of the smallest, lightest bullpups available.

What makes the RDB special? We’ll scatter that out through this review, because it isn’t just one thing–though what’s getting the most attention is in the name itself. The gun ejects empty brass down, out the bottom of the stock, which solves one of the biggest questions bullpup designers have had to face.

The rounds eject from the gap here between the butt and the magazine.

Consider that many bullpups are just kits. You take a barreled action and slap it in a chassis of some sort that moves the trigger forward and the breech back. Many of the others, the ones built from the ground up, eject out the side–just like most automatic rifles. This means brass is ejecting close to the shooter’s face, and that it limits left handed shooters–as most bullpups shoot that brass directly into the shooter.
Kel-Tec has tackled this dilemma before. The RFB (Rifle, Forward-ejecting, Bullpup) collects brass inside the frame and spits it out the front. I’ve spent some quality time with the RFB. One of the fun things about that gun is shooting, then tipping the gun forward so the empties can spill out. It is the mic-drop equivalent of the gun world. But the design never really caught on, and many had reliability issues with the gun.
Reliability in any gun design is really important. If you get a jam in a bullpup, clearing it can be a bitch. Even if you are a wizard with an AR, getting your fingers up inside a bullpup (especially a hot bullpup) can take you out of the fight. But this downward brass dump seems to run without a hitch.

Ergonomics

The RDB was developed to be fully ambidextrous in every way shape and form. Starting at the back, the RDB has ambidextrous sling mounting points, bolt releases, a centrally located magazine release, 45-degree-throw safeties, a left or right-side interchangeable non-reciprocating charging handle, and even ambidextrous forward sling mounting points.

The mag release is a piece of spring steel that wraps around the mag.

The safety, easy to find with the thumb.

This aspect is innovative, and has helped build the buzz around the gun, but there are more subtle features that make it a true contender for those looking for a tactical carbine. The RDB has a slim rubber butt pad that helps to keep traction on your shoulder. Moving up the rifle, the RDB has an integral polymer cheek rest. Most of Kel-Tec’s other other bullpup weapons were missing this feature, so I’d say this is evidence that Kel-Tec has been listening customer feedback. The rest of the RDB’s furniture is polymer and is textured with their Gator Grip pattern. The Gator Grip provides plenty of traction and looks good on the gun.
Best of all, the RDB doesn’t punish the shooter with recoil or muzzle rise and I have to think this is partially due to its caliber and adjustable gas system.

Gator grip.

The gas tube sits about where it would on a carbine length AR, but this system is adjustable.

Shooting The RDB

Running the RDB isn’t like any other rifle I’ve ever fired. It’s the abundance of ambidextrous controls and the downward ejection of spent cases that will seem unusual at first. I’ve got a lot of trigger time on my Tavor, so I’m used to bullpups, but learning a new set of controls and behaviors always takes time.
Still, from what I’ve seen so far, the RDB is worth the steep learning curve. The ambidextrous controls allow for a lot of flexibility, the long barrel in the short package gives the RDB better ballistic potential than many AR-15s, and it weighs in at just 7 pounds.
The gun ships with one 20 round Gen 3 P-mag and is capable of using just about every AR style magazine on the market. I found that the Gen 3 P-mags ran flawlessly but were sluggish to drop free with the bolt locked back to the rear. These dudes are light when empty, and wider than a typical steel or aluminum AR mag. They can get sticky in most guns, which is why AR shooters have developed that wrist-snap motion to sling them free of the mag well.
I have confirmed that these will drop free: Lancer, USGI, Hexmag, E-Lander, Gen2 P-Mag, and the Fab Defense Ultimag. This is important, as the mag is under your shooting arm and there’s less room to manipulate the gun.

The Primary Arms red dot.

The barrel, with rail attached. This method of mounting the rail gives more stability than you would get from mounting the rail to the polymer parts.

The gun ships naked, leaving sight options up to you. I went with a simple Primary Arms Micro Dot in an effort to keep weight down, but the RDB would be equally well served with a 1-6 scope. There’s ample rail to work with, too, so you could combine any number of options.

Accuracy

Why do most shooters struggle with bullpup accuracy? There can be a number of reasons. Some have sub-standard, or heavy trigger systems. Placing the barrel farther back means a reduction in sight radius for those using irons. And then some of the barrels themselves aren’t free-floated. But non of this matters for a rifle that is incredibly maneuverable, fast to the target, and optimized for close-quarters combat distances. Or at least that’s the list of excuses for poor accuracy.

5 in under an inch. This was shot with a Primary Arms 1-6 from 50 meters.

5 under two inches from 100 meters, from the bench. This group would be much tighter but for the one flier.

So where does the RDB stand?  Unlike some of the other Kel-Tecs I’ve shot, the RDB has a near match-quality trigger. It breaks right at 5 lbs. and has a short take-up with a clean, glass-like break. It simply makes for accurate and consistent shooting.
I was consistently shooting sub 1.5 inch groups at 50 meters and right at 2 inches at 100 meters with a Primary Arms 1-6 scope.

The polymer trigger has one spring is exposed. This is the one obvious point of concern for me, as an exposed spring picks up grit and grime. It clears it out, too. I had no issues with it, but it is an unusual design choice.

Problems with the gun?

No gun is perfect. In fact, most guns I own and love have quirks about them. The RDB is no exception. In my testing, I found the reliability was solid and the gun worked well from round 1–no awkward break-in period needed. My malfunctions occurred when trying to make mag changes too fast. You have to take things slow at first to get used to working in a space that’s far less accessible than the mag well on an AR. The only true malfunctions happened while I was tuning the gas system, and those are–without question–warranted.
How would the RDB fair in a much longer testing period? I shot 750+ rounds of ZQI SS109 and Wolf Polyformance for this review, so I can’t say for sure. I have no reason to doubt that it won’t keep chugging along.
So what are the points of concern? What I’m seeing has less to do with the gun itself, and more to do with the bullpup philosophy. When a malfunction happens–like a double feed or a failure to extract–you must clear the issue to stay in the fight. If you aren’t practicing these skills, but relying on your gun to work as advertised, than you’re missing an important step.
The AR and AK put the chamber and mag well right in the center of the rifle. When you bring the gun in to your chest, both hands have access to everything that’s important. Strip the mag, rack the bolt (multiple times), jam a finger up in gun if there’s still a problem.
With the bullpup, you give up that convenience and problem solving speed.

America’s bullpup

There’s one other detail worth noting. The AR-15 is the definitive black rifle, at least in this country. In its short barreled format, the rifle is compact enough. Yet most of the guns are still carbine length, or longer. This extra length, many think, is a deterrent to effective maneuverability.
That’s the motive behind the bullpup movement. A short-barreled AR loses some of the 5.56’s punch. So why not leave the full length barrel in place and just scoot the whole action back into the stock? What would you lose? The only answer seems to be–as I mentioned earlier–the problem solving and the ergonomic advantage of reloading.
The best known bullpup here in America isn’t an American gun. The IWI Tavor is the reigning champ. Though the Tavor is compact (in terms of length), it is hardly slim. Part of the Tavor’s diehard reputation has grown from the serious strength of the gun. The AR, by contrast, seem skinny. The AR (and, to a lesser extent, the Tavor) has a proven track record.
The RDB combines the two ideas. The gun is more narrow. The frame, though polymer, doesn’t feel as large in the hand, and the design maintains a visual aesthetic that will be familiar to those who know Kel-Tec. Will it stand up to abuse like a Tavor or the AR? The verdict on that is still out.
But the RDB does have an American pedigree. While Kel-Tec has included a long stroke piston design that is vaguely similar to some Russian designs, it is American–all the way.

The muzzle brake and a ridge of polymer to use as a hand stop.

Price and Availability

The RDB is in production and available now. They are normally available online, but–like all Kel-Tec products–there is a serious demand, so they will normally bring a premium and be somewhat hard to find. My advice is to be patient and check often.
Where will that $1.2K price settle out? After the demand subsides, and the market levels out, I’d guess the gun will sell for closer to the $1,000 mark.
The Kel-Tec RDB is truly a unique firearm that is building quite the reputation for itself. Is it going to replace my go-to fighting rifle? I can say this; it hasn’t missed a range trip yet since I picked it up.

The gun is easy to break down and service.

The mag release paddle is central on the frame, while the bolt release (the small trapezoidal lever) is on both sides.

The hand-guard.

Push the pins through to take it down.

The upper, assembled.

The bolt carrier contains the recoil spring–the thin plunger sticking out the back end.

The stock/bolt cover.

Military Combat Concepts for Personal Defense

Use of cover is a straightforward individual skill that becomes more complicated in a crowded public space. Planning and training as a team are essential. Photo: author

We’ve all heard it said that some people see the world through “rose-colored glasses.” Although this usually describes someone who is overly optimistic or perhaps not aware of the unpleasantness around them, I think the larger suggestion is valid: none of us can see everything with perfect objectivity because we are looking through lenses that carry the tint of our individual attitudes and experiences. In my case, those lenses are OD Green in color, causing me to first see everything around me as influenced by my military background. This is important, because as someone who has taught soldiers and now teaches armed private citizens, I have to be sharply aware of the vast difference between the two. Context is the key to how much value any training is going to have. Those who are never going to kick a door don’t benefit much from Doorkicker School. Conversely, those who work with carbines strapped across their armored chest rigs won’t find presentation from concealment on their Top Three skill-set list.
Because of this, it really stands out to me when I do run across an idea or concept that bridges this gap and is equally applicable to military combat operations and day-to-day self-defense for the average concealed-carry permit holder. I recently attended a training course that clearly demonstrated such a parallel. Afterward, I was inspired to dust off a couple of old Army manuals and see how their long-ago lessons are still useful to (retired old soldier guy) me today.

1993 copy of FM 100-5, “Operations”. Its most important lesson is about coordinating the actions of all available assets. This is an easily overlooked part of our personal defense training. Photo: author

Force Projection

The class was I.C.E. Training Company’s Two-Person Armed Defense course, and it brought vividly to mind concepts I had first encountered in FM 100-5 Operations, among other military publications.
First is the idea of Force Projection. This is what most people envision – and I would define for simplicity’s sake – as the “activity of war.” A tank maneuvering into position, an artillery piece firing, or the soldier aiming and shooting his rifle. The collective ability of the resources brought to bear in combat are part of Force Projection. In citizen self-defense, this is both how well I operate my pistol and how many others, such as my wife, will be operating pistols alongside me.

Force Protection

The more important concept – and the one that mirrors what was covered in the Two-Person Armed Defense course – is that of Force Protection. In short, this is Army-speak for the things that can be done to prepare for unknown threats or natural disasters on or off the battlefield. Sounds a lot like what you and I, as lawfully armed citizens, might consider prior to a trip to the mall, doesn’t it?
Force Protection recognizes that it is important to account for and manage known risks. Things such as weather and terrain need to be addressed, and they’re important no matter if you’re storming a beachhead or going Christmas shopping at the local mall. The weather influences how you dress, and terrain becomes where you’ll park your car. So the first lesson of Force Protection is to plan ahead. This is likely not news to you if you’re a regular here, but it may be interesting to note that what you do (or should be doing) in the name of personal security is identical in concept to what the Army does to arrive on the battlefield in one piece. In fact, if your planning skills are as disorganized as mine, you can even borrow the military method for not forgetting the important stuff: it’s called METT-T. It stands for Mission, Enemy, Troops, Terrain and Weather, and Time available. While an imperfect model for our purposes, it can serve if translated like this:
MISSION: Shopping trip to local mall.
ENEMY: Likely present, but strength and configuration unknown.
TROOPS: Myself, armed with a concealed handgun. My wife, also armed.
TERRAIN and WEATHER: Mid-December in Ohio, requires coat. Movement from remote, unsecured parking lot to large, crowded indoor space.
TIME AVAILABLE: Usually not a life-or-death consideration at the local mall, but what the heck. You could, for instance, plan to be done before sundown to avoid a dark parking lot.

Good teamwork requires good individual skills.
Photo: author

Again, not an ideal template, but it can help with some of the relevant considerations. In the above example, there won’t be any kids along for the ride. If there were, the roles of the adult defenders would have to account for them. METT-T is just the earliest stage of planning: establishing the circumstances. The second phase of the plan is the actions taken in the event of an emergency. This is where the military model best fits into the context of private citizen self-defense. It is easy for most of us to focus solely on our individual skills – of course, I need to be able to do those basic “carry and shoot my gun” things. But now, we’re not talking about just me defending just myself. We’re looking at a situation where I am acting in concert with others, in support of a collective defense. The word we’re looking for here is teamwork – and successful teamwork is the result of planning and training.

Teamwork and Coordination

Not surprisingly, the military excels at teamwork. No battle plan can ever rely on the performance of a lone soldier, and your plan for your family to survive a mass shooting event in the mall food court cannot be predicated on your gun skills alone. Participants need to know where they are in relation to both the threat and each other, what they are doing, and where they are going. This requires planning, training, and practice.

A good next step is to bring individual skills into more realistic complex environments, where good planning and teamwork are most needed. Photo: author

One of the huge lessons of the Two-Person Armed Defense course is that this kind of coordination is easier said than done. Among the most valuable experiences in the course are the live-fire range exercises. The whole idea that “I’ll cover the left and you cover the right” is not difficult to understand, but there are some surprises in store when you actually try it. First off, even though my role might be to “cover the left,” I might be able to see the area designated as the “right,” meaning that when a threat pops up there, my attention will still be drawn to it. It’s pretty unrealistic to assume I’ll ignore a threat just because I said I would. The goal has to be for me to minimize the amount of time I spend focused on that threat and instead return to my job of covering the left. Add in any number of exterior distractions and it’s not hard to see that execution of even the simplest plan requires coordination, training and practice. The opportunity to do this in real time, on the range, is invaluable.

Communication

Another key to success is communication. During an incident, we need to know what’s going on with the other members of our group and to let them know what’s going on with us. The chaotic, fluid nature of something like a spree shooting event makes that very difficult. But that difficulty can be eased by planning. For example, parents can use a known code word that tells their kids to “get behind me” if it looks like things might get ugly. The military swears by the use of such SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) roles, and they are of huge value for streamlining communications.
The military combat context and the citizen self-defense context usually don’t interchange much. After all, the soldier in a danger area has both a high expectation of violence and a coordinated, collective response to it. Military combat training also involves the nearly unlimited resources to work shoulder-to-shoulder as a team of several or a division of thousands. The citizen lacks both the foreknowledge of the fight and the resources to train for it in elaborate detail. But this doesn’t mean that we private citizens can’t absorb the lessons of training as a team for emergency response. We can take the concepts of that training – Force Protection is the conditions under which we plan, and Force Projection is the weapons, skills, and comrades we bring to the fight – and apply them to the everyday reality in which we live.
As a retired soldier, the ideas of METT-T, SOPs, and Force Protection/Force Projection work for me because they’re familiar constructs that I have already absorbed and employed. However, it took my attending the excellent I.C.E. Training Company’s Two-Person Armed Defense course for me to adapt them to my family defensive strategy. I strongly encourage anyone who is already training for emergency preparedness or self-defense to include this must-have course in their plans.