Kendall Jones Talks About Killing the Big 5

Our friend, photojournalist Ben Philippi from Guns.com had a chance to interview avid hunter Kendall Jones and her bestie/partner-in-crime Taylor Altom at SHOT Show 2015. Among other topics of conversation, the ladies discussed killing the big five: an elephant, a leopard, a lion, a cape buffalo and a rhino. Kendall also talked about shooting a hippo, a crocodile, an ibex and a brown bear. Meanwhile, Taylor also talked about bagging a mountain lion. You can watch the ladies on their youtube show called “Game On.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AohV8C7NLoM

NFL Censorship: The Ad They Didn’t Want You To See!

I’m ranting about the NFL. There is no other way to describe it. I’m angry at the hypocrisy and believe something needs to be said. The NFL has refused to allow the USCCA to place an ad in the Super Bowl program. Apparently the league known for everything from cheating to dog fighting to domestic abuse and murder does not want to be associated with effective firearms safety training and legal self-defense. Well, here is the ad the NFL didn’t want you to see! Take a look and tell me what you think. Is this advertisement too scary for NFL fans to see? Into the Fray, Episode 47: NFL Censorship Apparently, a father ready to protect his family is too (scary/taboo/inappropriate) for the NFL. What do you think? Can you believe it? The NFL will not allow advertisement encouraging effective safety training, education, and insurance. Apparently, doing so would tarnish the image of the NFL.

The Top 5 Non-AK 7.62x39s from SHOT Show 2015

One noticeable theme at this year’s SHOT Show was the ubiquitous Anti-AK rifles and pistols chambered in 7.62×39. The non-AK 7.62×39 isn’t exactly a holy grail within the American firearms community, but it is a concept that has a strong cult following. We could look to the Ruger Mini 30, for example—a rifle that only has one flaw: it won’t take AK mags.
And Rock River has recently begun shipping their LAR-47 series. We’ve got one in for review now—spoiler alert: it is a tack driver with some annoying personality traits. You can read the whole thing here.
So why the rush for the 7.62 x 39 rifle (or pistol) that bears almost no relationship to the most ubiquitous rifle in the entire world? Beats me, but the five companies below have skin in the game.

The Rhino Arms MM-47

The Rhino Arms MM-47 may be the smoothest rifle in this list. I got to check these out at SHOT, and I was immediately smitten. If I were to pick one of these guns to add to my permanent collection–and this is coming from a diehard AK guy–this would be it.
Look at the way the receiver has been milled to keep strength, but balance weight. These are clearly well thought out rifles. We’ll have one in for review ASAP, and see how well it works.

The Rhino MM-47, my new favorite.

The Galil Ace

This offering form IWI makes sense, especially in the Middle East, where there is more 7.62 x 39 than anything else. And the rifle and pistol are a fine compliment to IWI’s catalog. With a Tavor and a Galil, I don’t see how you could go wrong. I’ve yet to get my hands on one of the new ones. The Galil has always seemed like what you would get if you asked a technologically sophisticated country to fix some of the flaws with the AK.

The Galil Pistol.

The MGI

Modularity is king at MGI. This new version builds on a concept we first saw last year. It is an AR style rifle (and now a pistol, too) that takes breaks the rifle into four main units: the upper, the barrel, the lower, and the magazine well. With one serialized lower, the rest can be mixed and matched to accommodate a variety of calibers. It is a bad-ass gun, too. We reviewed one last year. It doesn’t feel as tight as most well built AR-15s, but that’s due to the modularity. The dovetails that hold on the magazine well have just a bit of play. The good news is that the system shoots straight and runs reliably. We couldn’t make it fail, and we tried.

MGI’s new 7.62 x 39 pistol.

The CMMG Mutant

CMMG continues to make inroads on the market. They’re making some AR-10s that have a strong following. The move into 7.62×39 seems natural for a company that’s mastered the .308. Just dial it back a bit. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but you get the picture.
We’ve got a Mutant inbound for testing, and will have the full write up ASAP. It looks like a worthy gun. I’m eager to see how it handles magazines. That is always the sticking point in this design, and something a manufacturer has to live with, or engineer away. My gut says CMMG will have engineered a solution that will keep the bolt from dragging on the rounds as they’re presented.

The CMMG Mutant.

The SIG 556xi

Taking modularity to the next level of precision, SIG has built a rifle system that is easily adaptable to users’ needs. In its AK configuration, it will accept AK mags. This is a major plus for those, like me, who hold this point up as the benchmark of success.
The SIG will appeal to those who like the modularity. It will allow them to train with one highly capable rifle, without having to learn new safety mechanisms, or magazine change tricks. Mostly.

The 556xi Russian has a long barrel. Will it add to the accuracy of the 7.62 x 39?

So what’s the big appeal of the 7.62 x 39 platform? I think it is AR familiarity combined with the availability of 7.62 x 39. It may also be a patriotic thing. The AK for the patriot who wouldn’t be caught dead with an actual AK.
So what about it? Do you own a non-AK in 7.62 x 39? I don’t. But I will.

Lars Larson: ‘Fix the Problem, Arm More Americans’ — SHOT Show 2015

Nationally syndicated talk show host Lars Larson is a cool dude. I was just sitting there working on a story in the hallway outside of the media room at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, when I saw Lars broadcasting live from a small, what-appeared to an impromptu radio cubicle.
During a commercial break, I walked over to him and asked him if he’d do a quick interview with GunsAmerica. Normally, even those who are gun-friendly media personalities are not inclined to do an interview on the fly at a moments notice. They typically like a heads up so (a) they can vet you and your publication and (b) they can have some time, even if it’s 10 mins or so, to prepare.
But Lars was ready to go. “Sure, let’s do it,” he said enthusiastically.
I must admit, I had never listened to his show before. That’s probably because I don’t listen to a lot of talk radio. With that said, I really like what he had to say. And next time going on a road trip, I’m certainly going to either download his podcast before I leave or see if I can find him on the AM/FM dial.
Here are the highlights from the interview (for those of you who refuse to watch the video):
“Bloomberg’s a nannystater.”
“The kinds of things he proposes will not fix the problem. The way to fix the problem, frankly, is to arm more Americans.”
“We have lower rates of violent crime in states where people carry routinely and regularly.”
“If Bloomberg really wanted to address safety he’d encourage more Americans to carry concealed…”
“They [the founders and framers] wanted every average person in this country to be able to own and bear an arm.”
“It’s about eliminating gun ownership altogether. They’re after hunters, they’re after sportsmen, they’re after gun enthusiast and they’ll pick off the easy ones from the outside of the herd before they go after the ones in the center of the herd…You start with things that might have sounded reasonable in one day and age, they’re not reasonable at all. Anyone requiring people to turn in magazines above a certain size or if you have to fill out mounds of paperwork that person is ultimately after prohibiting you from having a gun.”
Needless to say, Lars gets it.

Gottlieb: ‘Like It or Not Americans Support the term Background Check’

At SHOT Show 2015, I had a candid conversation with Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation.
Gottlieb, a native of Washington State, is coming off the heels of a devastating loss to former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who funded — to the tune of $4 million — efforts to pass ballot Initiative 594, a draconian universal background check measure that the SAF fought tooth and nail to defeat.
I-594 was passed in November. Now Gottlieb and his legal team are challenging various provisions of the measure in court. However, it’s an uphill battle and it’s unlikely that I-594 will be repealed altogether, as Alan acknowledged in my interview.
What’s fascinating is that Gottlieb saw this day coming. He predicted that this would happen if gun owners refused to negotiate on the issue of background checks. To that end, Alan was one of the few — maybe the only — high-profile, pro-gun leader to openly support the 2013 Manchin-Toomey amendment, a federal bill that would have mandated background checks for private transfers, including those made over the Internet and at gun shows.
Unlike Bloomberg’s universal background check bills, the bipartisan Manchin-Toomey amendment contained some perks for gun owners, including, as Gottlieb noted back then, “interstate sales of handguns, veteran gun rights restoration, travel with firearms protection, civil and criminal immunity lawsuit protection, and most important of all, the guarantee that people, including federal officers, will go to federal prison for up to 15 years if they attempt to use any gun sales records to set up a gun registry.”
As we know now the Senate failed to pass the Manchin-Toomey amendment in the Spring of 2013 which then opened up the door for Bloomberg to go state by state and ram through his draconian background check agenda. Washington State was one of the first states to fall victim to the Bloomberg machine.
Since compromising no longer appears to be an option, I asked Alan what we can do to stop Bloomberg and his campaign to criminalize private transfers.
“Like it or not the American people support the term ‘background check,’ they support the concept of it even though they know it won’t work to keep guns out of the hands of criminals they figure ‘well if criminals aren’t supposed to have guns what’s the big deal about a background check,'” said Gottlieb.
“The truth is that most gun owners support that too. So, our problem is that when the other side writes these laws they write them in ways that really screw over us big time: create registration system, unnecessary fees, all kinds of regulations, red tape, really make it harder for people to use firearms for legitimate purposes,” he continued, obviously lamenting the fact that negotiated terms weren’t reached.
“I don’t have a magic bullet for this, I wish I did. But the gun rights lobby needs to be talking about this like I’ve been screaming, preaching for the last two years. We need to lead and not follow on this issue or we’re going to lose,” Gottlieb explained. “I don’t like predicting that we’re going to lose, and I know people on our side don’t like hear that, but if we don’t do something that’s going to be the bottom line result. We need to fight smart, and quite frankly, we haven’t been doing it.”
Do you agree with Alan? Do we need to go to the negotiating table and try to figure out a way to end this matter in a way that is at least somewhat favorable to gun owners?

A New Colt 1903 Hammerless?– SHOT Show 2015

If you have never been to SHOT Show it is hard to get a grasp on how huge this show is and how many firearms there are to see. I read somewhere that if you walk every single isle, on all the floors and in all the rooms, that it would add up to about 40 miles. I know by Friday my feet felt like they had walked 40 miles. What I am trying to convey is that there is so much stuff, noise and people that it can be difficult to find something that truly stands out and is a surprise when you see it.

What’s old is new.

I’m talking mind blowing type stuff. My mind got blown on Thursday at SHOT. I had seen and found some truly cool and innovative things, but not at the level that spoke to me.  I was certainty not expecting my mind to be blown at the Colt booth either. Nothing against Colt at all, but they are a monolithic bastion of tradition. Consistent.
When I was handed a 1903 Colt Pocket Hammerless at the Colt booth I had 3 thoughts run through my head.

1. What the hell is this doing here?
2. Man, this thing is in great shape!
3. Wait a minute, I think this is new?!

I was right. It is new. Mind blown. Colt has teamed with U.S. Armament Corp., the guys that made the Gatling gun a few years back, to remake the old John Browning classic. Now they are making the 1903 in the General Officers Pistol version. Be sure to watch your interview with Curt Wolf who is the man behind this project.

Should we hold our breath for a re-release of the Snakes?

Here is the break down on what is planned for this run:

• .32 ACP Type 2 (which means no magazine disconnect).
• 3500 currently in production, should be available in a couple of months.
• 2000 will be Parkerized.
• 1000 will be blued.
• 500 with same serial number and information about the General the original pistol was issued to.
• Colt Custom Shop will be doing a small run in Royal Blue and Nickel Pearl.
• Base model will have an MSRP of $1,395 no word on the others at this time.

After US Armament finishes the 3,500 run, the tooling will be given to Colt. What will they do with it? A 1908 in .380 maybe? An update to 9mm? Pure speculation on our part here. But it would be awesome.

10 New Products Featured at SHOT Show 2015

For the duration of SHOT Show 2015, the Shooter’s Log brought you exclusive content on all the newest firearms, ammo, optics and accessories, along with all the latest breaking news in the firearms industry. Some of these products are due to arrive in the spring, summer and even later in 2015. However, many of the new products are available now. Here are 10 new products you read about in our daily SHOT Show coverage that you can now purchase at Cheaper Than Dirt!

Firearms

Ruger LCR 9mm Revolver

The Ruger LCR polymer-framed revolver is now available in 9mm.

The Ruger LCR is heralded for its smooth, consistent and lighter double-action trigger pull than virtually any other revolver on the market. Since Ruger keeps releasing new models, no other modern carry revolver can compete. Now with its newest LCR chambered in 9mm, I dare say Ruger’s LCR revolver is going to remain just as popular in 2015 as it has for the last few years.
Because the 9mm is a rimless cartridge, the LCR 9mm loads and shoots from moon clips. Moon clips hold all the five 9mm rounds together, which means you load and extract all five at the same time. With practice, reloading with moon clips can be nearly as fast as with a semiauto. Another benefit to moon clips—you never lose your spent brass on the ground.
Ruger upgraded the sights on the new model, inserting a high-visibility white bar on the pinned front sight. If you don’t like it, switch it out for a night sight. The beefier cylinder is fluted and finished with a black Ionbond finish. Despite the Ruger LCR 9mm’s lightweight polymer trigger housing, felt recoil is less in the new model than when shooting .38 Special rounds out of the .357 Magnum with stainless steel trigger housing.
The new Ruger LCR 9mm handles +P ammo just fine. The revolver groups tightly and after compensating for sight alignment, the Ruger LCR 9mm is close to point of aim accurate. For those concerned about losing velocity because of the short 1.875-inch barrel, tests prove little velocity is lost when compared to other 9mm pocket pistols.
I see many good reasons why you should pick up a Ruger LCR 9mm:

• Reloading is fast
• The 8- to 9-pound trigger pull feels much lighter than it is
• 9mm ammo is cheap and readily available
• It’s accurate and 100 percent reliable
• Carrying it is a breeze
• Best of all it sells for less than $500

The Ruger LCR 9mm revolver includes three moon clips.

Kahr Arms CT 380 Pistol

The Kahr Arms CW380 utilizes drift-adjustable rear sights and white-bar combat sights.

Kahr Arms is oft overlooked in discussions about which gun to pick for concealed carry. They are not much to look at and, until recently, Kahr wasn’t the cheapest gun on the block. However, to compete, Kahr released a value-priced line of its 9mm, .40 S&W and .380 ACP pistols. Though Kahr did cut a few corners to keep costs down in machining the new line, the function, reliability and durability are 100 percent Kahr Arms. And Kahr owners will attest—these guns function flawlessly and are built to last.
As far as price goes, the new Kahr CT380 with 3-inch barrel is just $12 more than the Ruger LCP. Anything that sells for less? I’m not going to trust my life with. Kahr’s value-priced CT380 has a conventional rifled barrel, metal-injected-molded slide stop lever and less machining. In comparison, Kahr’s P380 has a Lothar Walther match-grade polygonal rifled barrel and upgraded slide stop lever—however, the P380 is a $600 to $700 pistol! Both handguns have the same locked breech, modified Browning recoil lug, sights, passive striker block safety system and trigger-cocking true double-action trigger.
Because the Kahr CT380 is not a blowback pistol, like many .380s, combined with the 3-inch barrel—recoil is manageable and light. The trigger pull measures a light 4.4 pounds.
This gun is made for self-defense, so there are no external safeties and no magazine disconnect. If there is a round in the chamber, it will fire. High-visibility white front and rear sights help you get on target quickly and the 7-round magazine gives you just a little bit more space for a better grip. The Kahr’s CT380 heavy-duty springs help the felt recoil on this pistol, as well as not wearing out. However, this means you do sacrifice a smoother and easier slide to rack. With practice and the right technique, racking isn’t any more difficult than on other semiautomatics.

Ruger Gunsite Bolt-Action Rifle in 5.56

For 2015, Ruger releases the Gunsite Scout in .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO.

In his quest for the perfect hunting rifle, Colonel Jeff Cooper outfitted an old Remington 600 bolt gun with a wide rear aperture and front ghost-ring sights. After many years of modifying this lightweight rifle, Col. Cooper turned it into a completely new rifle he called the Scout. In 1984, Gun Digest magazine published an article written by Col. Cooper detailing his requirements for the perfect one-gun-to-rule-them-all. It had to be accurate, have a comfortable weight, come in .308 Winchester—a caliber he felt would kill most game—be no longer than 39 inches, accept a sling, and either accommodate a low-magnification scope or have ghost-ring sights.
There were many companies that jumped at the task of developing this gun. However, many of them were never cost-effective to become popular. After all these years and after Col. Cooper’s passing, Ruger worked with Gunsite—which Cooper founded—and in 2011 developed the affordable bolt-gun: the Ruger Gunsite.
For 2015, Ruger releases the Gunsite Scout in .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO. Gunsite instructor Ed Head says, “This is a natural extension of the Gunsite Scout Rifle line. Being chambered in a lower cost, universally available caliber, and with the Ruger reputation for reliability and accuracy, this is another serious rifle for those serious about rifles.”
The Ruger Gunsite Scout in 5.56 is based on the M77 Hawkeye Mauser-action series with claw extractor, controlled round feed, receiver-mounted ejector and three-position safety. It uses an Accuracy International 10-round detachable box magazine. The 16.1-inch barrel is threaded and has a removable muzzle brake attached. It meets most of Col. Cooper’s specifications—including the light weight of 7.1 pounds and overall length of 37 to 38.5 inches with the included stock spacers. It has a protected post front sight and adjustable ghost-ring rear sights along with a Picatinny rail for mounting a scope. It includes Ruger scope rings. The Ruger Gunsite Scout 5.56 is available with either a black matte or stainless finish and in left-handed models.

Weatherby SA-08 Volt Semiautomatic Shotgun

For a budget-friendly entry-level shotgun that transitions easily from busting clays to the duck blind, check out Weatherby’s new 20 gauge SA-08 semiautomatic shotgun.

Instead of teaching the woman in your life, daughter or young child how to shoot with your hard-hitting, long-barreled and heavy shotgun, try a smaller, lighter weight and more attractive gun. For a budget-friendly entry-level shotgun that transitions easily from busting clays to the duck blind, check out Weatherby’s new 20 gauge SA-08 semiautomatic shotgun. Popular with younger shooters and women alike, the SA-08 with dual valve system handles recoil well and malfunctions less than a traditional, single-valve system shotgun. The Weatherby SA-08 Volt comes with two valves—one for light loads and one for magnum loads. Many other budget semiautomatic shotguns do not come with this adjustable system.
The Weatherby SA-08 youth model for 2015 comes in a “Volt green spider web pattern” that both boys and girls will like. The smaller shotgun has a 24-inch chrome-lined vent rib barrel and a 12.5-inch length of pull. The balance on the SA-08 Volt is superb, with the balance point sitting midway between your hands. The gun is slightly muzzle-heavy making shouldering and swinging the shotgun easier. There is a brass bead front sight and includes three choke tubes—improved cylinder, modified and full that are compatible with Briley chokes. The 3-inch chamber holds five rounds in the magazine tube and one in the chamber. It weighs just 5.75 pounds and has a light 4-pound trigger pull.

Ammo

Hornady Critical Defense Lite 9mm FTX

The Hornady Critical Defense Lite expands perfectly and offers 10 to 11 inches of penetration through heavy clothing in ballistics gelatin.

To appeal to women, Hornady released a 9mm load that produces 27 percent less felt recoil than standard 9mm loads. Loaded with Hornady’s FTX bullet with a pink flex polymer tip, the Hornady Critical Defense Lite expands perfectly offering 10 to 11 inches of penetration through heavy clothing into ballistics gelatin. The round is not +P-rated and is lighter than regular 9mm loads with 100-grains. Even though Hornady added cutesy pink details to its packaging and made the polymer flex tip pink, this lighter 9mm load should appeal as well to those with injuries, arthritis and older shooters. It should also help those who have problems with flinching and anticipating recoil. Not only a target round, the Hornady Critical Defense FTX 9mm Lite has a muzzle velocity of 1,125 feet and is worthy of using for self-defense.
The FTX bullet is a hollow point and just as accurate as Hornady’s standard Critical Defense load. Hornady states, “Upon impact, the patented FTX® tip is compressed into the front of the bullet, causing the bullet to expand and transfer immediate energy for a devastating temporary cavity-even at low velocity.” Though it is specifically tuned for sub-compact semiautomatics like the Ruger LC9, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, Beretta Nano, and the SIG Sauer P938, it functions reliably in full-sized 9mms. Part of the proceeds from sales of Hornady Critical Defense FTX Lite 9mm ammo goes to funding breast cancer research.

Optics

EoTech 558 and 518

EOTech’s 518 (SRP: $539) and 558 (SRP: $629, shown) Holographic Weapon Sights (HWS) feature quick-release bases and side-button functionality; they’re powered by AA batteries. Both models are compatible with the G33 magnifier and laser battery caps.

EOTech turns over a new leaf for 2015, combining the best features of the 512 and EXPS holographic red dot sights into two new HWS, the 518 and 558. These new sights from EOTech are replacing models 556, 553, 516, 517 and the Zombie Stopper lines—of which are being discontinued. The EOTech model 558 has the same quick-release mount and side activation buttons as the EXPS, but also accepts either alkaline or lithium AA batteries. With a 1 MOA center dot and 65 MOA ring, the 558 will hold zero to 1 MOA after detaching and reattaching to your rifle. It has 20 daytime settings and 10 additional settings for night vision. The 558 is night-vision and magnifier-compatible. The adjustable, locking quick-detach mount fits both Weaver and Picatinny rails. The new 558 EOTech has the same durability as all EOTech models and is submersible to 33 feet. With lithium AA batteries, the EOTech’s reticle will illuminate for 1,000 continuous hours and 600 on alkaline batteries. It measures 5.5 inches long, 2.2 inches wide, 2 inches tall and weighs only 13.3 ounces. The EOTech 518 has the same specifications and features as the 558 without the night vision-compatibility and is only submersible to 10 feet. Further, it has 20 daytime brightness settings.
The EOTech 558 ships free!

Accessories

Birchwood Casey Hopper Spit

For long-term corrosion-free storage of your firearms, use Birchwood Casey’s new Hopper Spit.

For long-term corrosion-free storage of your firearms, use Birchwood Casey’s new Hopper Spit. The Hopper Spit aerosol provides a layer of protection from rust and corrosion on both ferrous and non-ferrous metals—even from harsh salt spray. The Hopper Spit gun protectant and rust-prevention wipes off quickly and easily. Currently, it is available in an 11-ounce can.

Code Blue Platinum Standing Estrous

Taken from the exact time a buck is trying to breed with a doe, the Code Blue Platinum Standing Estrous attractant has proven to be 63 percent more effective than any other urine tested on the market.

Taken from the exact time a buck is trying to breed with a doe, the Code Blue Platinum Standing Estrous attractant has proven 63 percent more effective than any other urine tested on the market. The Code Blue Platinum Standing Estrous deer scent is fresh and pure. It comes in a 1.5-fluid ounce bottle. Due to the method of retrieval, the Platinum Standing Estrous deer attractant is a limited supply.

Knight & Halle Da’Bone

Da’Bone produces realistic buck grunts with varying volume.

Da’Bone produces realistic buck grunts with varying volume. The deer grunt exhale call that looks like antlers calls both long range and close up.

What did you see at SHOT that you can’t wait to become available? Tell us in the comment section.

Introduced to shooting at young age by her older brother, Suzanne Wiley took to the shooting sports and developed a deep love for it over the years. Today, she enjoys plinking with her S&W M&P 15-22, loves revolvers, the 1911, short-barreled AR-15s, and shooting full auto when she gets the chance. Suzanne specializes in writing for the female shooter, beginner shooter, and the modern-day prepper. Suzanne is a staff writer for Cheaper Than Dirt!