Gun Digest July 2016

When you think of firearms designers that rewrote the history of the gun, names like Colt and Browning stand atop many lists, and rightly so. I’m often surprised, however, that Eugene Stoner’s name is not always near or at the very top of those same lists. After all, no firearm has been more popular, controversial and militarily important than Stoner’s offspring, the AR-15. His direct gas-impingement system, originally designed for the AR-10 around 1955, has become one of the most tested and reliable firearms platforms of the 20th Century. To pay tribute to Stoner, we’ve compiled articles on some of the best AR products today, including the cover story on Beretta’s futuristic, gas-piston ARX 100, tested by Robb Manning (page 14) and certainly an advanced take on a classic design.…

Over the past few years, SIG Sauer’s Electro-Optics line has grown tremendously, with the manufacturer gradually expanding into more and more categories and adding to existing lines. The company now offers a wide assortment of products covering many types of optics. One of the manufacturer’s most impressive introductions was last year’s KILO 2000 rangefinder. Now SIG has built on that success by adding two more rangefinders to the KILO line. One of these is the KILO 1250, an advanced 6x20mm monocular that ranges targets quickly and effectively using an incredibly fast digital signal-processing engine. Like the revolutionary KILO 2000, the 1250 features the same LightWave DSP (Digital Signal-Processing) core for rapid scanning and comes with SpectraCoat anti-reflection coatings for excellent light transmission and clarity. It’s also equipped with the same…

The 6.5 Grendel cartridge underwent three years of development before Bill Alexander (Alexander Arms) released it in 2003 as a long-range cartridge specifically intended for the AR-15 family of rifles and carbines. The 6.5 Grendel transforms the military 7.62x39 parent case by necking it down to 6.5mm, blowing out the shoulder, and changing to a Small Rifle primer and flash hole. As a close relative of the benchrest-proven 6.5mm PPC, the 6.5 Grendel is the ideal length to seat long-ogive 120-grain and 130-grain bullets within the AR-15 magazine length constrictions. Accuracy in the 6.5 Grendel, in suitably barreled AR-15 rifles, readily attains sub-MOA, making it a great choice for long-range deer and varmint hunting. Seventeen 6.5 Grendel cartridges will fit into an Alexander Arms-supplied magazine dimensioned to fit into the…

Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson eBook By Jim Supica and Richard Nahas The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 3rd Edition combines full color photos with descriptions and gun values to help you identify and price your Smith & Wesson firearms, whether to buy, sell, insure or just better enjoy them. This is the perfect resource for Smith & Wesson collectors and enthusiasts and includes 775 models of Smith & Wesson handguns and long guns. Written by two expert collectors with tremendous knowledge of Smith & Wesson firearms, the book contains production and history notes and important background for determining rarity, as well as prices and collecting tips. It is truly a comprehensive resource for fans and collectors of Smith & Wesson firearms. ORDER AT GUNDIGESTSTORE.COM - Search for…

I have always been a Beretta fan. It started when I was a teenager growing up in the ‘80s, long before I even got my hands on one. I was hooked on an action-adventure series of novels where the main protagonist carried a Beretta AR-70. Therefore, I liked the Beretta AR-70. I grew up and forgot about those books, but I never forgot about that Beretta. My appreciation for Beretta only grew during my 11 years in the U.S. Marine Corps; my M9 never failed me, and the fit and finish is superior to just about anything else I’ve fired. When given the opportunity to test the ARX 100, I jumped. The ARX 100 is the civilian-legal, semi-automatic brother to the select-fire ARX 160, which is only available to military…

I used a Yankee Hill Machine .30 Cal. Phantom LTA suppressor, and the ARX 100 worked outstanding. I ran three magazines through it using the standard gas setting, and it worked flawless. I did get some gas blowback in the face, much more than with an AR. This isn’t uncommon with piston gas systems, especially if the gas system wasn’t designed with suppressors in mind. Beretta is working on a suppressor-ready barrel assembly. Beretta has planned different barrel configurations and multiple calibers. The first of which will be a 5.56mm SBR (Short Barrel Rifle). Other caliber kits will include: .300 BLK (barrel), 6.8 SPC (barrel, bolt, magazine), 5.45x39 (barrel), and 7.62x39 (barrel, bolt, magazine). The first two kits are really awesome and will be big sellers, but the second two…