Innehållsförteckning för November - December 2023 från Tactical Life

It was one of Colt’s most successful semi-automatic handguns and was arguably well ahead of its time in 1903 with a total production of 577,215 in .32 ACP caliber alone, plus 137,000 in .380. With the Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless in question bearing serial number 135322, it was a special presentation pistol made in 1912 and sold to an Ed. F. Wise and shipped to Browning Brother, Ogden & Salk Lake City, Utah, on November 7, 1912. Beautifully embellished, probably by Colt’s master engraver Cuno Helfricht, the pistol came with Colt mother-of-pearl grips with Rampant Colt escutcheons appearing to be gold plated. gold plated. Banner-engraved on top of the slide is “JNO. M. HAINES” (John Michiner Haines 1863-1917), a Republican contender who became Governor of Idaho from 1913 to 1915.…

While the gun is a piece of ballistic art, I was equally interested in running it in the 300 HAM’R. This isn’t my first dance with this unique round, and I have a deep respect for it. As I mentioned, the round saw the commercial light of day because of Bill Wilson. The history of the development is interesting as well. The 300 HAM’R project spanned 13 years after J.D. Jones sent Bill Wilson one of his .300 Whisper uppers and a set of dies in 2005. The cartridge seemed like a good idea other than a short case with minimal powder capacity was required for it to fire heavy subsonic bullets. Being an avid hunter, Bill’s primary interest was terminal performance and the .300 Whisper just didn’t get the…

There aren’t many rounds out there that can claim to have won two World Wars and possess the power to bring Chuck Norris to his knees in a single shot. Of course, I’m referring to the mighty .45 ACP, a cartridge crafted by the prophet John Moses Browning more than 100 years ago. As the story goes, Mr. Browning was standing on his toilet to hang a clock, fell, hit his head on the sink, and when he came too, had plans for it in his head. Now the details of its past might be a little blurry for some, but one thing I know for sure is that it is still one of the top three choices for concealed carry, making it a natural fit for the “Ammo Match”…

I remember the first time that Rise Armament triggers were being discussed on the range. While listening to two competitors speak about upgrades, one asked the other if he had heard of them, and the other replied, “They make that snappy AR jobbie, right?” Little did I know that “snappy AR jobbie” was the RA-535 APT (Advanced Performance Trigger) and would soon become the flagship of an exhaustive product lineup. Fast forward to now, and Rise has gone from a one-trigger pony to offering complete product families for whatever your trigger finger might like best. They even branched out into a few different arenas with some major steps outside the box. We had a chance to check some of these out at a recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event, and afterward…

1 LRF BINOS: Sig Kilo 3000 BDX laser range-finding binoculars proved essential with the amount of time spent glassing in southwest Texas. The quality of the optic component of the Kilo 3000 is not compromised for the laser range-finding function. Sig uses SpectraCoat anti-reflection coatings for superior light transmission and optical clarity. A chest harness arrives with the Kilo 3000, allowing hands-free carry while still keeping the binos ready. A CR2 battery gives an estimated 4,000 range attempts. The ability to survey an area and be able to get an instant range reading without having to switch to a separate laser rangefinder is so handy as to be now considered a necessity. The “losing” of a prospective animal while putting down bino-only glass to get a laser rangefinder out is…

It was just another day at the office. Well, that is if the office was a hunting blind in south central Texas. This day at the office was centered around a wild hog hunt hosted by the good folks at Sellmark on their ranch southeast of Dallas. Along with just being an enjoyable event, the hunt was an opportunity for me to test drive a couple of new products—the Sightmark Wraith Mini Thermal riflescope and the Stag Arms Pursuit .308 rifle. FEEL THE WRAITH The Wraith Mini optic would allow me to cut through dusk and night to find my targets. This new member of the Wraith line has a nice 384x288 resolution sensor, <40mK NETD sensor sensitivity and F1.0 germanium glass to provide users with crisp imaging and an…

BEAR & SONS BEAR OPS SWIPE IV The newest addition to the Bear OPS line of tactical knives is the Bear Swipe IV. The assisted-opening pocketknife sets a new standard of what a folding tactical knife should be with premium materials, exceptional craftsmanship and utilitarian design. The Bear Swipe IV features a modified drop-point blade forged from 14c28n Sandvik steel, which is a high-carbon stainless steel that is durable and has great edge retention. The knife opens easily with the thumb studs for quick access to the blade. (bearandsoncutlery.com) BURRIS OPTICS LRF 2000 The Colorado-based optic company has entered the stand-alone rangefinder market with the Signature LRF 2000 rangefinder that brings along Burris’ proven quality and innovation. The sophisticated program of the unit allows shooters to customize the data feedback…

What can be better than having the ability to take single, accurate shots in semi-auto along with raining terror down on an enemy with full-auto fire? From the venerable AK-47 to the uber-cool Uzi, select-fire guns have found their place in war, with law enforcement agencies, security forces and also civilians. With that, let’s look at what we believe are the all-time greatest that let it rain pain. 1919 BROWNING As one of the workhorses of the select-fire world, the M1919 Browning is a .30-caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries.…

“I like big guns and I cannot lie…” It’s funny, need I say strange, the things that can run through a writer’s mind when trying to start an article… for some reason a remix of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1993 Grammy-winning, double platinum Baby’s Got Back hip-hop tune started playing in my head when pondering Big Horn Armory’s half-inch-bore AR pistol. I thought it might be fun to write a lyrical parody of the hip-hop song featuring this manly pistol. After I read through the song’s original lyrics, I had to stop and take a mental shower. To halt the song playing in my head, I got up from my laptop and went to refill my coffee cup. Big Horn Armory, the Cody, Wyo-ming, rifle maker specializing in crafting .500 caliber lever-action…

There is almost no point in running a fast trigger if you can’t get on target quickly enough to realize its benefit. When evaluating Rise’s new PCC unit, I slapped a Hawke “Wide View” red-dot atop the LFA Challenger before hitting the range. Its 30mm oblong lens left me with an unobstructed view of the targets downrange while its 35-MOA, circle-dot reticle took no time to find and align with steel. Cranking splits out in the teens was no task at all, and I found that I couldn’t stuff mags fast enough. Other features that I enjoyed were the shake-awake technology and the manual brightness adjustment, putting me in the driver’s seat to select my best settings for whatever mother nature throws at me that day. For more information, visit…

If you’ve never been on a hog hunt, you need to add this to your bucket list ASAP. The wild boar is one of the most invasive species in the country, greatly damaging crops and forests in a short time. By eradicating these animals, landowners can protect everything they’ve built. Texas has a large population of wild hogs, and at Sellmark Ranch, they’ve been hunting them for years. Sellmark owns several brands, including Sightmark and Pulsar. TL editors recently sent me to Sellmark HQ where we toured the factory and learned all we could about Sightmark optics and Pulsar thermals. We spent two evenings hunting animals at night, and I was blown away by everything I saw behind the Pulsar thermal optics. It wasn’t the first time I’d looked behind…

My journey with the lever-action .30-30 began in 1986 with my grandfather at a gun show in southeast Missouri. In search of a suitable deer rifle, I scoured magazines, consulted elders and mowed enough lawns to afford a suitable choice. We walked the floor, shouldered options and haggled a few times but finally landed on a barely-used Winchester Model 1894 AE. I still own it, but my story is not unique. The lever-action .30-30 has been popular since its introduction in 1895, and spanning three centuries, the functional all-around cartridge and reliable action continue to deliver for the American hunter. BACKSTORY So, what’s particularly special about the .30-30 cartridge? Historically, a great deal, and its longevity in the firearms market is a testament to creating a consistent and reliable solution…

You might think you know quite a bit about the U.S. Marine Corps, and indeed, you certainly might. But I’m betting there is nobody—not even retired career Marine officers—who couldn’t learn a thing or two by making a visit to the National Museum of the Marine Corps located near Marine Corps Base Quantico in rural Virginia southwest of Washington, D.C. The first time my son, who is an officer in the Corps, took me there I expected a somewhat humdrum day of stuffy, archaic exhibits and likely PR puffery. Trust me, this is far from an old-fashioned, stodgy museum. In fact, it’s relatively new, having first opened on November 10, 2006, the 231st birthday of the Marine Corps, with additional wings opening frequently since. When I left later that day,…

The evidence is there, but no one seems to care: • As Eric Harris stalked the hallways and library of Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, the antidepressant Luvox (fluvoxamine) was coursing through his veins. The drug and its side effects have been linked to violence. Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher and wounded 21 more before committing suicide.• An autopsy found that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, who murdered 58 people at a country music concert on October 1, 2017, had taken Oxazepam, Temazepam and Nordiazepam.• James Holmes, the 24-year-old who murdered 12 people and wounded dozens more in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012, had been taking Zoloft. One psychiatrist who interviewed Holmes before his trial told the BBC, “I…

Like many industries, the firearms world is broken into those who talk about innovation and those who execute on innovation. One of the leaders in the innovation category is Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat. The company has a well-earned reputation in the firearms industry by producing some of the finest guns in the world. While known worldwide for their 1911s, Wilson has an equally strong reputation in the design and development of rifles. Bill Wilson also has a reputation for exploring the world of ballistics and launching new calibers. The popular 300 HAM’R is the most recent example of that. It was because of all these things that I got excited when I was notified that I had a new gun coming in from Wilson Combat. I was excited because…

We are all familiar with the trickle-down phenomenon involving military technology eventually becoming available for civilian use. This has been going on since black-powder muskets replaced pikes. This article will delve into this corollary in the form of the Pulsar Thermion 2 XQ50 Pro thermal rifle optic along with a Sig Sauer SLH suppressor. A Sig MCX Spear LT rifle served as the platform. The MCX Spear LT itself is a result of military experience carrying over into the civilian realm. Suppressor use has never been as popular for the military, law enforcement and civilians. The benefits of suppressor use are hard to argue against. First, and most obvious, is ear protection. Second, and less extolled, suppressors are some of the most efficient muzzle brakes available. Lastly, suppressors facilitate better…

The Axion 2 XQ35 handheld is one of the best pocket-sized thermals that makes it easy to scan your environment. This handheld monocular has a 384x288 microbolometer that can detect heat signatures more than 1,400 yards away. The 640x400 AMOLED display makes these images clear and crisp. The Axion 2 has a 2-8x magnification with built-in photo and video recording. What’s even more unique is that the Axion 2 is supported by the Stream Vision 2 app, so you can record and save all your shooting memories. Just like the Thermion, there are multiple color palettes to choose from with this handheld device. For more information, visit pulsarnv.com.…

THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY SAINT VICTOR IS A TOP-END MODERN SPORTING RIFLE with all the bells and whistles. Upgrades and extras that you’d normally have to source yourself come standard with the Saint Victor. I was an early adopter of the Saint rifles and have run mine for years. I can find no fault with the gun. The latest Saint Victor is the result of years of mechanical evolution. The components are all top-flight and the particulars optimized. The Saint Victor offers boutique features at a working man’s price. The latest version is the Law Tactical Folder. The Law Tactical Folder combines all the bespoke cool-guy stuff you would expect from a Springfield rifle along with a proprietary side-folding buttstock. This inspired contrivance allows you to collapse the rifle for easy…

WHETHER BEING A CHILD WITH PROPER SUPERVISION, an adult or an elderly person, a good .22 LR is a great way to learn how to shoot. It’s also very cost-effective for the ammo, especially, when one can purchase a 5,000-round pack of ammo for under $400 (sgammo.com). They are also handy around the farm for dispatching vermin. So many variants of the .22 LR are available on the market from pistols to bolt-action rifles or semi-autos or even lever action. Sometimes, it can be hard to decide on which make/model to buy. I’ve personally fired most of what the market offers and always come back to the trusty ol’ Ruger 10/22. But some of us don’t just stop there; we tinker and we build them up. There is more aftermarket…