Calibre Issue 2, Volume 4 by Calibre Publishing

CALIBRE THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING WE’VE EVER TESTED: IT SHOOTS FIRE... AND IT’S LEGAL!

THE CANADIAN FIREARM MAGAZINE

ALSO INSIDE

SAVAGE AXIS / REMINGTON 783 / RUGER AMERICAN / MOSSBERG PATRIOT

RIFLES LESS THAN $500

HOW TO MAKE YOUR MOST

ACCURATE HANDLOADS EVER

TESTED: THE DERYA MK10 SHOTGUN! A NEW TURKISH SHOTGUN, DERYA’S MK10 BRINGS MODERN STYLE TO THE AUTOLOADING SCATTERGUN.

THE SIG P320: NOT YOUR DAD’S SIG WE TORTURE TEST SIG’S THOROUGHLY MODERN P320 TO SEE IF IT STILL HAS OLD SCHOOL SIG RELIABILITY.

Vol. 4 / Iss. 2 COMPLIMENTARY

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M4 TYPE PATROLMAN’S CARBINE Part # : M4-A3 : 90289 Caliber 5.56 NATO / .223 Rem. 16’’ M4 barrel is chromelined in both bore and chamber. Features A3 birdcage-type flash hider to control muzzle flash. Six-position telestock for light weight and quick handling. A3 (removable handle) features ½ MOA elevation and ½ MOA windage adjustments. Ships with a lockable hard case, operator safety manual, chamber flag, sling and 30/5-round magazine.

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Publisher Daniel Fritter Controller Courtney Briggs Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Geordie Pickard Contributors Words Christopher DiArmani Words Graeme Foote Words Eddie Banner Advertising For advertising enquiries please contact Calibre Publishing via email at info@calibremag.ca.

Fire Storm

Seraphim Armoury imports a popular US-made fire... tool?

$500 Rifles

Page 10

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We amass four entry level bolt-action rifles you can buy for $500... or less.

Page 16 Derya MK10 It looks like an AR, it shoots 12 guage from a box magazine, and it’s nonrestricted!

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Sig P320 Tested

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Sig’s P320 is like nothing they’ve made before. We see if it lives up to the name.

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SIGHTING IN /// DANIEL FRITTER Alright, normally I try and keep these columns positive, but with some of the rhetoric that’s been playing in the media lately I have to mention something that’s really pissing me off: Progressivism. Progressivism started off in the beginning of the last century as the belief that advancement in various fields during the industrial revolution were, according to its Wikipedia entry, “vital to improve the human condition.” But like many ideologies, progressivism has changed dramatically through the ages. So who is the modern progressive? Well, they probably voted for either Trudeau or Mulcair, and would tell you they did so to address income inequality, Canada’s latent institutionalized racism against Islamic refugees and First Nations peoples, and the “old boy’s club” that Harper’s government was considered by many to be. They support socialism, carbon taxes, road tolls, and other increased costs of living… so long as the increased costs are sold as addressing some sort of social ill.

Meanwhile, companies and small businesses alike are forced to bear the costs of these progressive ideas, all while watching an ever more progressive government routinely fail at providing any return on our tax-remittance investment. The best example? The long-gun registry. We, as taxpayers, paid literally over a billion dollars to get that progressive lead balloon off the ground in the name of public safety. Now we’re being faced with a government that’s going to table a budget with an expected $30 billion in deficit spending. How will they pay for it? Well, they’ll jack up taxes on businesses and the wealthy, and sell it to their progressive fans as yet another step towards income equality. And in doing so they’ll drive another nail into the coffin of the traditional Canadian values of entrepreneurship and hard work. Because what these ridiculous progressives don’t realize is that every dollar businesses are forced to remit in taxes is essentially two dollars taken away from our communal ability to hire other Canadians, grow our businesses, and stimulate the economy.

Because as tax revenues rise and government programs expand (regardless of their efficacy), so too must the government expand, and hire ever-more tax-funded employees to provide ironic oversight on the expenditure of these increased tax revenues. So if a business remits $85,000 to the government, not only is that one self-administrated middle-class employee’s salary removed from the private sector and our overall economy, but it’s also $85,000 more that the government needs oversight over… oversight that is typically provided by hiring even more government employees. And so the cycle goes. So from one one middle-class small business owner trying to grow and contribute to the Canadian economy, to any progressives reading this: Just stop. Please. Because the notions of income equality, social license, and “the greater good” that you’re trying to advance are killing us. But of course, to everyone else… I hope you enjoy this issue, stay safe, and please, support your local animal shelter!

GROUND ZERO /// CHRISTOPHER DIARMANI Self-defence in Canada is commonly misunderstood. Many people believe Canadians have no right to defend themselves, no matter the circumstances. They are wrong. The defence of person is the oldest natural right, a right that all living creatures possess. If the need arises, we will intuitively and unquestionably do so, no matter what statutes say. But what do the statutes say? Number One: Defending yourself, contrary to popular belief, is NOT against Canadian law. The Criminal Code of Canada very specifically allows self-defence and defence of property in Sections 34 and 35. Number Two: Should you find yourself in the unfortunate position where you must defend yourself with deadly force, you will be arrested and charged with a crime. Furthermore, you absolutely will go to trial on whatever charges are laid against you. Number Three: Unless you’ve done something terribly wrong, you are unlikely to be convicted. The CSSA has dealt with many of these types of cases over the years, and in only one case was the individual convicted. But you absolutely must understand the law and your responsibility under the law once you engage the individual or individuals attempting to do harm to you and/or your loved ones. There are things you cannot do or you will certainly go to prison. Your use of force must be “reasonable” in the totality of the circumstances and that reasonableness will be decided by a judge months or even years after the fact. One high-profile case you’ve likely heard of is that of Ian Thomson. Multiple assailants lobbed Molotov cocktails at Thomson’s home in an attempt to burn it to the ground with Thomson inside. Thomson, a firearms instructor, ran to his gun safe and pulled out a handgun. He loaded it and fired warning shots over the heads of the criminals intent on murdering him. They scattered. Police arrived some time later after the fires were out and promptly charged Mr. Thomson with unsafe storage of a firearm and pointing a firearm. They eventually dropped 6

the charge of pointing a firearm when they admitted they could not prove he pointed his gun at anyone. The Crown prosecutor in this case, however, was so adamant that Thomson be convicted of something he attempted to convince the judge that Thomson’s gun safe was “too close” to his bedroom because of how fast Thomson was able to retrieve his firearm and defend his life. As bizarre as that sounds, the shameful ordeal the Crown put Ian Thomson through lasted over two and a half years. From the Criminal Code of Canada Section 34, is the self-defence provision: 34 (1) A person is not guilty of an offence if, (a) they believe on reasonable grounds that force is being used against them or another person or that a threat of force is being made against them or another person; (b) the act that constitutes the offence is committed for the purpose of defending or protecting themselves or the other person from that use or threat of force; and (c) the act committed is reasonable in the circumstances. As you can see, the law is very clear. Canadians are NOT restricted from defending themselves. It is also important to note that in Ian Thomson’s case he was never charged under this section of law. He was charged with the only thing the vindictive Crown thought they could make stick: unsafe storage of firearms. Thankfully they failed in their persecution. One reason Thomson was not charged with anything more severe may be Section 34 (2) of the Criminal Code of Canada, which speaks to what a judge must consider when a person uses force to defend themselves, which includes; “the nature of the force or threat, the extent to which the use of force was imminent and whether there were other means available to respond to the potential use of force.” It also requires the court take into account the person’s role in the incident, whether any party to the incident used or threatened to use a weapon, the size, age, gender and physical capabilities of the parties to the incident, and the history of the involved parties. Finally, it requires “the

nature and proportionality of the person’s response to the use or threat of force and whether the act committed was in response to a use or threat of force that the person knew was lawful.” Given that the assailants were trying to burn down his home with him inside of it, Ian Thomson’s actions were entirely “reasonable” and defensible. There are rare cases where no charges are laid but they are the exception, not the rule. When Dievert’s Jewellers in Port Alberni was robbed at gunpoint, the owner, Dennis Galloway, retrieved his legally-owned and stored handgun from the store’s safe. He then shot one armed robber. The wounded thief’s accomplice fled for his life and was never apprehended. The RCMP recommended Dennis Galloway be prosecuted for unsafe storage and careless use of a firearm. Thankfully, in this case, the Crown Prosecutor had more common sense than that, and Dennis never faced any criminal charges. That case ended precisely the way it should have: with the actual criminals charged with crimes, and the innocent hero who defended himself and his wife left unmolested by the legal system. His case is the exception, however, and that is important to understand. In almost every conceivable case, no matter how right you are, you will go to trial and tell your story to a judge. “Better to be judged by twelve than buried by six” as the old saying goes. However, the responsibility we accept as lawful firearms owners includes the responsibility for every single projectile that leaves the barrel of our firearms. This is fitting and proper. Our community accepts that responsibility, and we proudly rise to it every day.

SHOT Show Canadian Reception The 2016 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) is in CSSA’s rear-view mirror. The SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, held at the massive Sand’s Expo Center, and this year featured more than 1,600 exhibitors filling over 13 acres with product displays, staff, and attendees.

The Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) and the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association (CSAAA) wish to thank all participants of the 3rd Annual SHOT Show Canadian Reception which was held on the evening of January 20th. The event showcases the Canadian industry and provides a social networking opportunity to our industry members. With approximately 225 people in attendance, representing scores of importers, distributors, retailers, and others whom make up the Canadian firearms industry, the reception was filled with individuals hailing from the eastern and western shores of Canada and all points in between.

gies, Select Shooting Supplies, Shooterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice, Stoeger Canada, The Right Edition, Think Insure, Thundershot, T.E.C. Trade Ex Canada, and Wolverine Supplies. The CSSA and CSAAA express their thanks to each of these companies for their support of the 3rd Annual SHOT Show reception and encourage Canadian firearms owners to explore what these community-conscious businesses have to offer!

The annual SHOT Show Canadian Reception has been successful and ever growing due to the many industry members that support this event. Thanks to the following: 5.11 Tactical, Air Gun Source, Big Rock Sports, Browning Canada, Calgary Shooting Centre, Calibre Magazine, Canada Ammo, Genesis Enterprises, Grand Power, Holosun, Korth Group, North Sylva, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell Engineering, PGW Defence Technolo-

The CSSA is pleased to recognize Mr. Chris Youngson of Canada Ammo and Mr. Anthony Tornyi of T.E.C. Trade Ex Canada. These individuals and their businesses have been exemplary supporters of the CSSA throughout 2015 and we are incredibly grateful for their generosity.

A special thank you to the Calgary Shooting Centre for their Platinum Level of Sponsorship of the event, and thanks to 5.11 Tactical and Thundershot for their donations of raffle prizes for attendees.

We ask that all CSSA members support these fine businesses with their patronage.

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FIREARM FAQS /// EDDIE BANNER The debate over which is the better handgun has been, and will continue to be, beaten into the ground. So, instead of partaking in said beating, I’ll try to stick to the facts. Once upon a time, revolvers were considered to be more reliable than semi-automatic handguns. And it used to be true. But no longer. It is still true that revolvers generally contain fewer parts, and are inherently simpler than semi-autos, but today, modern materials and design technology produces many semi-auto pistols which are as reliable – or, in some cases, even more reliable – than the average revolver. Generally speaking, semi-automatic pistols can hold more ammo than revolvers. Even in Canada, where the law limits our semiauto handgun magazines to a maximum of 10 rounds, it is still a clear advantage over the average revolver capacity of 6 rounds. With a revolver, each cartridge must be loaded directly into the chambers in the cylinder. This needs to be done one at a time, or, in the case of a swing-out cylinder, by using a speed-loader, speed-strip, or moon-clip. When all cartridges have been fired, the cylinder must be emptied, and fresh rounds inserted. Semi-autos, on the other hand, use detachable magazines which can be loaded ahead of time. Empty magazines can be easily ejected, and quickly swapped for a full one; thus making reloads much faster. When you press the trigger (or cock the hammer in the case of a single action) on a revolver, the cylinder rotates and moves a new chamber and cartridge into place. This means that if a cartridge malfunctions due to a bad primer etc., you can simply press the trigger again, and the hammer will fall onto a fresh round. But, if a cartridge fails to go bang in a semi-auto, then you have to go through the tap-rack-assess procedure. All of these things point towards revolvers being simpler to use. If you like to save brass for reloading, then revolvers offer another advantage: they

don’t eject an empty cartridge casing with every shot, thus saving you from sifting through gravel on the range. Revolvers are often considered to have more felt recoil than semi-autos, even when firing the same cartridge. Theory holds that the reciprocating slide and spring mechanism on a semi-auto absorbs some of the recoil. Personally I’m not convinced; the round has long since departed before the slide unlocks and I think the ergonomics of each firearm has much more effect on how the recoil is felt in your hand, but either way, any differences will be minor. The revolver’s lack of a slide means that the barrel is directly attached to the frame; this provides a more stable platform which lends itself to being a tad more accurate than semi-autos. But, again, this difference is negligible and either firearm type will likely out-perform the user. What about power? Well, of course power comes from the cartridge, not the gun, and it is true to say that the most common revolver cartridges (e.g. .357 & .44 Magnum) are considerably more powerful than the most common semi-auto cartridges (e.g. 9mm Para and .45 ACP). But, although more power usually equals more fun, unless you are hunting with a handgun (in the USA), or if you’re one of the few people who has an ATC to carry your handgun for bear defence, the extra power provided by beefier revolver cartridges will be wasted. Also, the higher recoil and price of many revolver cartridges makes them less popular for regular range use. In the end, despite the revolver’s inherent simplicity, the semi automatic’s higher cartridge capacity, combined with their potential for faster reloads, makes them a more popular choice on the range. But, with all that said, I do love revolvers. Just like motorbikes. They may be less practical, but the grin-factor is huge! If you have a question that you would like answered, please email it to info@ calibremag.ca. 9

FIRESTORM

THE MOST RIDICULOUS THING WE’VE EVER SHOT!

Words by Geordie Pickard Pictures by Daniel Fritter Yes. It’s a flamethrower. The Seraphim Armoury Fire Storm is, without a doubt, the most unique piece of…we’ll just call it “equipment”… to roll across our desks in the history of Calibre Magazine. Now, to be fair, this is really just industrial equipment for a range of applications from woodland firefighting to agricultural burns. Seraphim is pretty specific about the legitimate uses, and the uses do make sense and if you’re prepared to be logical about it. This thing makes way more sense than your gut tells you when you first see it, given that it’s also a fifty-foot stream of fire, from a tank that you wear as a backpack. And you can own it. It’s absolutely, one hundred percent, no holds barred, legal. As legal as a torch or a barbecue. It just is. And it’s a flamethrower. 10

What’s in the bag? Unpacking the Fire Storm is interesting. You’re looking at, essentially, an Alice pack frame, a SCUBA-looking tank made of spun aluminum, a pressure gauge, and some hoses, plus what looks to our non-expert eyes a lot like a wand from a pressure washer. There are several different tips which, in concert with your fuel selection (gasoline, diesel or a mix of the two), allow you to control the range and duration of the flame. We recommend the quarterinch full blast experience, incidentally. You’ll need to add a couple of items to get the machine into action: presumably for shipping reasons, you’ll have to supply your own bottles of CO2 and propane, but at least that stuff is readily available at sporting goods stores, or even big box stores in a lot of places. Still, if you order one, plan ahead, because we don’t want anyone picking up their flamethrower from

a shipping depot on a Sunday morning, and then having to wait around until Monday to lay waste to, um, whatever you’re intending to obliterate. Play safe.

How can this be legal?! We’ll be honest: we read the included explanation many times, because we were absolutely convinced that this was going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and sent us all to prison. It basically goes like this: yes, all military flamethrowers are totally illegal; anti-personnel flamethrowers are prohibited items, and the Canadian Controlled Goods Program specifically lists “Flame throwers.” But that legislation is for weapons, which this isn’t. It’s designed for a range of agricultural and firefighting uses, which are listed in the manual. And also for use in movies, because it looks absolutely insane when fired. But it’s not intended for use as a weapon.

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The Fire Storm is basically a fuel tank, propane bottle (for the ignitor), and a compressed CO2 tank strapped to an ALICE frame. The fuel mixture is fed to a modified pressure washer wand, where it is ignited by a regular BernzOmatic torch secured to the nozzle with a standard issue hose clamp (below).

is this a huge relief? Because somebody at Industry Canada must have approved the thing. Somewhere out there is a bureaucrat who looked at the justifications and the intent and the design and rubber-stamped the beast.

Frankly we did not find this rationale especially comforting; we spent more time strategizing about how we were going to talk our way out of what we considered the inevitable (if not incipient) SWAT takedown, than we did about how and where we were going to use the thing. But then the realization hit us: the Fire Storm is imported. Seraphim Armoury is the Canadian distributor for a US company who actually build the things. Why

And the fact is, that despite how crazy it initially appears, there are absolutely legitimate uses for this thing, and it really doesn’t present any more danger than any number of unregulated, readily available fuel items. Besides which, the $2999 price tag will essentially limit the market to people who genuinely need the utility it represents as an agricultural tool. Large sections of Canada are still either back burned for farming purposes or cleared of brush by burning, and the Fire Storm really does present an incredibly convenient way to get that done.

Playing with Fire So you open up your bag of insane flaming onslaught, and you read the hilariously brief instruction manual: it’s literally a page of pictures laying out how to fill the tank with fuel and pressurize it. Step nine

is just a picture of a guy launching a jet of fire. You get yourself some CO2 and some propane. You stop by the gas station and half-smile nervously at people who are probably equally nervously watching you fill a scuba tank with a 90/10 mix of diesel and gasoline. In fact, just go ahead and get yourself a jerry can, because it turns out that people get really weird about this stage if they witness it... and you will want more fuel than the tank holds. And if you’re anything like us, you drive out into the middle of nowhere, put on all the safety gear you can think of (in our case a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and a pair of sunglasses) in case something goes wrong, and you give it a try. We’re not going to print the excited stream of profanities that issued from our mouths after the first jet of flame seared out into the drizzling British Columbia sky. But rest assured, there were only two reactions possible, and they were either A) excited gibberish, or B) stunned, open-mouthed silence. Our staff reflected both options. The Fire Storm is the craziest, weirdest, flat-out gnarliest and, probably, most fun piece of 13

experience. The only aspect we were right about was that we also expected shooting it to be absolutely awesome, and that we would feel like a cross between Marines storming Iwo Jima (only without the risk or glory), the Ghostbusters, and some kind of demon from a heavy metal album cover. And yes, that is exactly how we felt.

Take one fully grown adult human, give them a thing that can shoot fire, and this is the result.

machinery that’s rolled through the Calibre headquarters since this magazine began.

eyebrows. But in fact, the experience was almost nothing like we’d expected. We thought there’d be a terrific blast of heat, plus a stench of diesel, that would make operation somewhat unpleasant.

We were warned by staff at Seraphim Armoury that the first few moments would be terrifying, but that we’d get used to the idea that it wasn’t going to explode in a ball of hellish fury, and then it would just be fun. We can advise that this is exactly correct: the first jet of fire was unleashed by the editor, who was convinced the episode would result in a total lack of

It turns out that no, the user doesn’t experience much heat, nor smell much fuel. The relatively small flame front to which the operator is exposed, which is of course perpetually retreating from the user, makes for a pretty pleasant flame throwing

And it was all over too quickly: on the fullblast setting, we burned a full tank of fuel in about thirty seconds of actual burn time. That’s another reason to bring a big jerry can: you will want to keep doing this as long as possible. After a full tank of fuel, one of our staff was quoted as saying “I never want to do anything else, ever” and it really is exotic, crazy fun. We’re predicting these things are going to show up as rental toys at outdoor ranges, so if you can’t quite stomach the three thousand dollar entry fee, and you can’t justify it for agricultural purposes, take heart. You’ll probably going to see them cropping up here and there, and if you get the chance, give one a try.

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$500 RIFLES

FOUR RIFLES YOU CAN BUY FOR LESSTHAN $500!

Words and Pictures by Daniel Fritter

Savage Axis

Not too long ago, if you wanted an entry level rifle, the choices were simple: You went out and bought the cheapest Savage Model 11 or Remington 700 that you could find. That all changed with the introduction of the Savage Axis though; a rifle specifically designed to appeal to shooters with a lower budget who might want something other than the cheapest version of a mainstream rifle.

Savage’s Axis has two notable claims to fame: It is the progenitor of this entire family of rifles, and it’s also the cheapest. The Axis was created with the sole purpose of giving budget-conscious hunters and shooters a rifle that had all the accuracy they wanted and immediately gained a foothold in the market as a superbly accurate rifle at a bargain-basement price.

the Axis is quintessentially “Savage” in nature, with the now-familiar floating bolt head and barrel lock-nut. This combination is a key component in building an accurate rifle on the cheap; allowing Savage to set headspace by simply threading the chambered barrel into the receiver until proper headspace is achieved. This substantially reduces the machining and heat-treating processes involved in the manufacturing process.

As the first rifle in this class, the Savage Axis served as more than mere “inspiration”; it literally gave many of its competitors the blueprints they would follow in making their own rifles. At its heart,

It also makes it incredibly easy to make a very accurate gun. The barrel, for example, has all of its meaningful machining processes completed in two steps: the bore is rifled, and the chamber is cut.

But a while has passed since then, and the Axis has spawned an entirely new market of entry level, sub-$500 bolt-action rifles. Here they are, in all their affordable glory. 16

The Savage Axis will be familiar to a lot of Savage owners. It handles like every other Savage out there, but you can tell Savage has saved money in some areas... like the plastic safety (above). Due to its strong ties to the standard Savage or Stevens rifles, the Axis has developed a strong aftermarket, and although it may be someone’s first rifle it is one that’s easy to grow with (below).

Then it is screwed into the receiver, and once headspacing has been set correctly, it is fixed in position with the barrel lock nut. That keeps the machining processes limited to two cutting actions on a barrel that’s unencumbered by any receiver assembly. The alternative method is to cut the rifling and a short chamber, then thread the barrel into a receiver until it tightens up, and then fixing the nowbarrelled action in another jig to have the short chamber finished to the correct depth for headspacing. This obviously adds an extra part, cutting process, tool, and jig, all of which increase tolerances. And the floating bolt head? It’s a lot easier to machine and heat treat tiny

bolt heads than full-size one-piece bolts. When it comes time to put it all together, the ability to move the barrel back and forth as much as needed and lock it down anywhere ensures perfect headspacing every time, while the floating nature of bolt head allows the bolt a small degree of movement while in battery. That guarantees the force of firing bears down on both lugs equally. The result? A rifle that shoots MOA or better for $450 or less. So what separates the Axis from Savage’s full-featured numerically-known lineup? Well, first off, there’s none of the additional accuracy-boosting features that you’ll find on a Savage Model 10 or the 17

like. No Accutrigger, no Accustock, no nicely cut grip panels, no variety in recoil pads, and certainly none of the varied stocks and metal finishes. Instead, you get a basic rifle action bolted to a plastic stock, finished out with a hybrid plastic/ metal removable magazine, and a plastic trigger guard and housing. It is, quite simply, a basic gun. And that “basic” nature is not without its downsides. While the aftermarket has flocked to the Axis, in stock form the Axis’ trigger is under whelming by modern standards, and the magazine’s plastic catches fore and aft have long been identified as weak points.

The 783 bolt looks similar to that of a 700, but has a floating bolt head to improve accuracy and drive down costs. The magazine is also excellent (above). Overall, the build quality of the 783 is actually better than expected, and of all the rifles presented here, this was our most accurate (below).

And that is the biggest drawback to the Axis. In factory form, although an enviably useful rifle, its claim to fame is simple: It is cheap, accurate, and serviceable. You could truck it through the woods, beat the hell out of it, and not care because it is entirely pedestrian from muzzle to recoil pad. It’s the Toyota Corolla of rifles… for better and worse. Savage Axis

$400 - $450

Pros

• Excellent accuracy. • Largest aftermarket. • One of cheapest options.

Cons

• Basic, basic, basic... basic. • It feels as cheap as it is. • Least refined design here.

Remington 783 Almost as well known as the Savage Axis, there can be no mistake: The Remington 783 is Remington’s answer to the Savage Axis. So it should come as no surprise that it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Axis. Remington and Savage have been chief competitors for years. Like Ford versus Chevy, many shooters fall squarely into one camp of the other, and will defend their brand valiantly. But in the case of the 783, that might be a bit hard, since it borrows so heavily from the Savage playbook. In fact, Remington even used the same thread pitch and shank diameter as Savage when they built the 783’s barrel. 18

But beyond the barrel lock nut and floating bolt head, the 783 bears a few notable differences from its Savage-built forbearer; the most noticeable of which is the more conventional bolt body. Although still having a removable floating bolt head like a Savage, the 783 does not feature the baffle behind the bolt head and has quite obviously been styled to share as much Remington 700 DNA as possible when it comes to the bolt handle. But where the 783 really sets itself apart is the trigger. Borrowing heavily from the Pro-Fire trigger found in some of Marlin’s rifles, the 783’s CrossFire trigger is thoroughly upmarket, with an adjustable pull ranging from a scant 2.5 to a more field-friendly 5 pounds with an internal

safety blade that prevents the rifle from going off without the trigger being pulled. Not a far cry from the famous Accu-Trigger in Savage’s standard products or the X-Mark Pro trigger available in the 700, the CrossFire is a key part of what makes the 783 such an easy gun to shoot well. And it does shoot well. In fact, it shoots far better than the rougher machining found on most 783s would lead you to believe it does. Although most of its surfaces are lightly bead blasted prior to being blued, areas that haven’t been treated to the bead blasting process tell a tale of quick machine work; such as the recessed crowns that often show relatively severe machining marks and button-rifled bores that can be rife with chatter marks.

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The Remington 783 features a recessed crown; as does the Ruger American and Mossberg Patriot.

But in a testament to the effects of a stiff receiver (we love the ejection port layout), really well-set headspacing, and effective bolt design, we’ve yet to find a 783 that doesn’t shoot lights-out. Our tester in .308 was printing MOA groups without any load development and any retailer we’ve talked to has said they’ve never seen one that didn’t impress its owner with superb accuracy. In fact, 783s are proving so accurate that a few long-range experts, including Jerry Teo at Canada’s own Mystic Precision, have turned to the 783 as a potential long-range precision foundation. But those machine marks are also a key indicator of the crucial difference between the design ethos of the Axis and the 783. While the Axis is a rifle pared down to meet a price point, the 783 is a rifle built to meet a price point. In other words, while Savage took features off to meet their budget, Remington figured out how to afford as many features as possible within their budget. And really, while some people like proper sling swivels… do you really care if they’re molded into the stock if it means you get an adjustable trigger with the money saved? Remington 783

$420 - $500

Pros

• Superbly accurate rifle. • Well made and finished. • Could be better than 700?

Cons

• Small aftermarket as yet. • Hard to find without scope. • No stainless model available.

Ruger American Rifle Few manufacturers encapsulate the notion of low-dollar, high-value firearms like Ruger. While most brands are keen to dip a toe in the entry-level end of the market with one or two low-buck options, Ruger’s entire line of firearms is aimed (no pun intended) at maintaining the best value-for-dollar possible. Using such processes as investment casting of receivers and frames, and working with bar stock in many of their rimfires, Ruger has managed to create an entire brand out of building reliable, rugged firearms at the best prices possible; oftentimes by ignoring the established methods of manufacturing and assembly. The Ruger American Rifle is the latest in this tradition. Like their famous .22 pistols, the American starts as a solid length of 4140 bar stock, and is suitably milled and lathed to form the round-ish receiver. Interestingly, this process does not entail the milling of any internal bolt raceways or rails, but more on that later. Once the receiver is finished, the hammer-forged barrel is set into a fixture, and the receiver threaded down onto it. Before the barrel nut is installed, the bolt is closed on a go-gauge, and headspacing set. Then the tiny and tool-less barrel nut is secured down via a collet that allows Ruger to torque the smooth barrel nut. Which brings us to the first of the Ruger American’s party pieces: The bolt. While the majority of the bolts are undersize

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ensure the round receiver is centered in the stock every time the stock is re-fitted. Of course, nothing is perfect, and while the Ruger’s action is among the most technically interesting you’ll find for $500 or less, the stock leaves something to be desired. Specifically, it is a little slick. Also, while Ruger has fitted the bolt with a dual-cam charging system to set the striker, the shorter 70 degree bolt lift does mean that the bolt is harder to open.

The Ruger is quite unique in this market, with a one piece, three-lug bolt. The full diameter bolt body means the receiver has no bolt raceways or rails either. Also, the magazine is a rotary-style magazine like the 10/22’s (above). Overall, the Ruger is easily the best-finished action here (below.)

So how does it shoot? Well, as further proof that enclosed actions provide a stiffer foundation, the Ruger is yet another affordable rifle capable of MOA accuracy. In fact, in testing, the American broke the MOA barrier with a variety of factory loads, but the best two were Federal’s immortal Gold Medal Match at 0.98 inches and Barnes Precision Match 175-grain at 0.92 inches. Ruger American

$500 - $600

Pros

• Easily the highest quality. • Uniquely upmarket design. • Less bolt lift, best magazine.

Cons

• Bolt lift takes more effort. • Bolt handle is a weak point. • Priciest of the “basic” rifles.

Mossberg Patriot

(which means the lugs are the widest part), the Ruger’s bolt has full-diameter body. That means the bolt body is the same width as the bolt lugs, and simply has a short section behind the lugs where the diameter is reduced to allow the bolt to lock into battery. The benefit? That the bolt can rotate inside a tubular receiver with no need for bolt raceways. Instead, the bolt release rides in a groove machined into the bolt body, which serves as both a guideway and an anti-bind slot. And the bolt head? Well, it’s not the same free-floating design that all the rest of 20

these rifles share, but it is a 3-lug affair that requires just 70 degrees to open. The second development Ruger brought to the table with the American is the method by which the action is attached to the stock. Instead of using pillars, a recoil lug, or some other such device, the polymer stock features two stainless steel V-blocks. The blocks are molded into the stock, and fit into corresponding grooves machined into the underside of the receiver. The action screws go through these blocks and into the receiver, and by tightening the receiver into the V-blocks,

The Mossberg Patriot is both the newest and most expensive rifle on this short list. Introduced just last year at the 2015 SHOT Show, the Patriot is Mossberg’s most affordable centre-fire rifle, and although the plain synthetic stock versions just sneak under our $500 cut-off, most models fall well into the $600 bracket. In fact, it can be so hard to find one of the plain-jane examples that we were unable to procure one for this article, and were forced to use this $670 walnut package rifle for our photography. While the Axis, 783, and American were all made to meet the “budget” price point, the priority for the Patriot’s designers was not to make the cheapest rifle they could, but rather to bring some style to the Mossberg lineup. In years past, Mossberg’s utilitarian side tended to dominate

The Mossberg’s pronounced molded and branded floorplate looks a little garish and doesn’t feel as nice in the hand as a flush magazine when carrying (above left). The straight bolt handle is a nice nod to tradition, but the fluted bolt body is thoroughly modern and a nice touch (above right).

their rifle designs, and guns like the ATR and 4x4, although serviceable firearms, were just never all that… “pretty.” The Patriot, on the other hand, was specifically designed to bring some old-world class to the budget-sensitive market. You might notice that its lines and general shape mimic those of some of America’s best-loved rifles, such as

the Winchester Model 70 and, yes, the venerable Model 700. The stocks (including the synthetic model) feature generous recoil pads, raised cheek pieces, real sling swivels, and all the accoutrements you’d expect from a standard production rifle. And that’s because the Patriot is a standard production rifle. Unlike the other rifles here, the Patriot isn’t just available in wood, or synthetic and bare or as a

package… there’s 11 different models of the Patriot on the books. Available as an entire lineup of rifles ranging from affordable synthetic models, to laminate models, to youth models, and in calibres from .22-250 right on up to .375 Ruger, the Patriot could be your kid’s first centrefire rifle, an affordable deer gun, or it could even be your iron-sighted dangerous game gun.

In terms of construction, the Patriot differs quite a bit from the rest. First off, the fluted barrel is hammer-forged, not button rifled so there’s no chance of finding any chatter marks. While the barrel is still secured to the receiver with a lock nut, there are no wrench slots machined into it; a nice nod to svelte upmarket styling. The bolt eschews the modern swept-back style and has a classy straight handle. The bolt body is spiral fluted, but still features that smart two-lug floating bolt head. It’s just too bad it retains the old ATR’s unsightly rear bolt lug to prevent over-rotation. It hangs off the back of the bolt, and sits on the left side of the receiver when the bolt is in battery. And the entire action (which takes the same tubular form as most Savage actions) rests on a polycarbonate bedding block and magazine well that fits into the stock from above. This ensures consistent action-to-stock fit. And the magazine that fits into that magazine well? Polycarbonate but incredibly well designed so as to facilitate easy loading. Our only gripe would be the chunky floorplate.

Now, unfortunately, although it’s quite handsome, the Mossberg just isn’t as accurate as the competition. Through what we can only surmise is a combination of less precise machining and a less rigid receiver than the more tubular Axis, 783, and American the Patriot generally shot groups hovering around 1.25 inches in previous testing, recording an absolute best of five shots across 1.02 inches with Barnes Precision Match .308 Winchester; an excellent target round and coincidentally the most accurate round we have shot out of any of these rifles. We also has some quality concerns, as our Patriot came out of the box with crushed stippling and some poor wood-to-metal fit and finish, and simply didn’t exude the sort of quality we’d expect at this price. Mossberg Patriot

$500 - 700

Pros

• Lots of style. • Really big lineup of models. • Trigger goes down to 2 lbs.

Cons

• Least refined rifle here. • Least accurate rifle here. • One of the pricier options.

So what’s our verdict? Well, first off, we’ve always thought it interesting how much bolt action rifles can differ from one another. The format may be hundreds of years old but clearly it’s still evolving. In terms of our personal choice? Well, the 783 takes the cake for the best balance of accuracy, quality, and price. If you want the quintessential all-around gun but you don’t want to pay too much no dither about with it, this is it. Conversely, if you’re after that same jack-of-all-trades quality, but want a rifle you can really sink your amateur gunsmithing teeth into, the Axis’ aftermarket makes it an easy choice... at least, until the 783’s aftermarket catches up. Which leaves us with two rifles that are almost opposites of one another. The Ruger has all it’s best features on the inside, but believe it when we say, they’re there in spades. The American is easily the best built rifle here. Conversely, the Mossberg looks great from the outside but gets worse the harder you look, although still puts up a decent performance. In any case, one thing is undeniable: It’s a great time to get into rifle shooting!

DERYA MK10

A NEW NON-RESTRICTED TACTICAL SHOTGUN!

Words by Geordie Pickard Pictures by Daniel Fritter Factories in Turkey have been churning out OEM parts for a lot of gun manufacturers for years now, and the quality has been consistently improving. Recently we had an ATA Arms Venza, for example, and we were seriously impressed with it. And clearly we’re not the only people impressed with Turkish shotguns, as Weatherby is retailing a line of them under their own brand name. Admittedly, their past guns have been a little spotty, but the trend has been consistent improvement and we’re really starting to see some quality manufacturing from the Turks these days. They’ve got a lot of skilled machinists on hand, and labour is cheap, so considering what the Canadian dollar is looking like these days, sourcing guns 24

there might not be a bad idea for the next while... and if they’re quality guns, well, what’s not to like? If you read Calibre’s review of the aforementioned Venza, you might remember our enthusiasm for the case it came in; clearly Derya is using a similar source for their cases because this slab of suede is another thing of beauty. It’s a little surprising to open a case that looks like it belongs to a pricey sporting clays machine and find the fins and relief cuts on a sleek block of red anodized 7075 aluminum, but we can’t help but consider that this case would cost serious money if you had to buy it separately, and it’s a nice touch. And now, the Mk10: It’s a semi-automatic shotgun with receiver dimensions not dissimilar to those of an AR10. It’s clearly

not compatible with AR uppers though so it can’t be considered a variant: Rather than being pinned together, there are interrupted rails on both upper and lower receivers which slide together and are held in place by a rotating lever located at the front of the lower receiver. There is some degree of parts commonality with AR rifles; notably the stock and grip can be replaced with standard AR furniture for easy customization. Of course, since the recoil system is entirely different than the direct impingement/rear piston setup of the ARs, there’s no need for a fixed tube at the tail end of the receiver, and Derya includes a folding stock adapter right from the factory. One quirk we noticed about the folding stock: there’s no way to leave the bolt locked back with the stock folded, even if you replace the

factory stock with something really narrow - we tried an old CAR stock which is as skinny as it gets, but no, the slightest bump will send the bolt home. The fire control system looks AR-derived, although the parts aren’t identical. It seems unlikely that one might find a way to swap in AR trigger parts; nothing we have on hand would line up correctly. In any case, more importantly, the controls are all in the same spots as on an AR, so if you want to maximize your muscle memory advantage, well, this trigger feels like an AR trigger, as do the magazine release, bolt hold-open, and safety controls. There are a couple of unique controls on the Mk10, specifically for separating the upper and lower: a strange halfway bolt stop which pins the bolt part of the way through its travel, aligning it with the interrupted rails for removal, and a pushbutton trunnion activator that allows you to slide the upper and lower apart. It’s a clever system and makes for a wonderfully smooth and tight lockup between

The Derya’s aluminium construction makes it feel surprisingly solid, but keeps it nice and light.

upper and lower. It’s like someone looked at a semi-auto pistol and thought the rail layout would make for a good long gun assembly... and they were right. The receiver sports a standard picatinny rail, which comes with a classic AR-style carry handle with integral rear sight, but you’ll almost certainly want to remove the carry handle and mount an optic of some kind. This is the other serious quirk with the Mk10, which we found fairly disap-

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pointing: The front rail does not line up with the receiver and, as ours came out of the box, it was not adequately sturdy to hold a front sight. This is due to our gun being one of the earliest production examples, which had an out-of-spec plastic insert installed on the handguard. Specifically, the insert that serves as the backing plate that the handguard retaining cap bears down on. Replacing this recalled part with a new replacement allowed the retaining cap to be properly tightened, and

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got rid of any wobble in the handguard. That said, while we’d trust it with various foregrips and light assemblies, we’re not certain it’d hold a reliable enough zero for forward-mounted optics or lasers.

Shooting the Mk10 With 1-1/8 oz promo loads and buckshot on hand, we didn’t have any issues with the gun cycling. The gas system and inline design of the gun sloughed off enough recoil that magazines full of buckshot were relatively pleasant to get through. Our ammo was all of the 2 3/4” variety and although the barrel describes the gun as handling 3” rounds, the manufacturer doesn’t recommend it.

Replacing the recalled plastic insert between the cap and the handguard fixed our loose handguard issue (above). The controls are designed to make AR-15 shooters feel right at home (below).

At any rate, the ammunition we used gave us no trouble, and cracking off five rounds in a hurry is pretty fun stuff. Somewhat humourously, the Mk10 kit includes a two round magazine for hunting; we’re certainly proponents of hunting with modern guns, but the appearance and colourful anodizing simply made us smile as we imagined the looks we’d get going after upland game birds with the Mk10. Our tester also came with a couple of five round magazines, which functioned smoothly and without issue... mostly. Our one gripe? That the followers are rounded and quite tall, which can make it somewhat difficult to get that first round in. We also found that inserting a magazine on a closed bolt could end up locking the bolt closed. We surmise that this is due to the rim of the first round coming up behind the bolt, and preventing it from travelling rearward. It didn’t happen all of the time though, so chances are it’s the result of the top round ending up in the magazine in a certain position and angle, but, nonetheless, it proved frustrating.

The Verdict For the street price we’re seeing, which is just over a thousand dollars, the Derya is pretty slick. Whether you consider it a good value is going to be largely dependent on your perspective: if you’re used to buying AR15s, then a thousand-plus dollar 28

base price for a gun you’ll likely tweak shouldn’t shock you, and if you want a shotgun with AR-style ergonomics and a familiar control layout, this is about as good a solution as we’ve seen. The quality is generally quite good, with the rail’s attachment method and out-of-line height being a notable flaw. If you’re looking to mount a red dot on the gun and treat it as a three gun sporting tool, the rail may be totally irrelevant to you anyway.

Overall the Derya is aesthetically pleasing and we think it’ll make a very good platform for tactical gaming, competitive and casual shooters, and even the occasional hunter. Granted, we’d love to see an uninterrupted, flat-top rail in the Mk10’s future, and something to address the issue with the magazine’s ability to lock up the action when inserted on a closed bolt. In the meantime, this is as much fun as a non-restricted shotgun can be.

SIG P320

HOW TOUGH IS THE STRANGEST SIG YET?

Words by Eddie Banner Pictures by Jeff Walker & Eddie Banner

didn’t measure up, I would be the first to call them on their shortcomings.

SIGs latest offering, the P320, is their first foray into the polymer-framed, strikerfired pistol market. A market which we all know has very tough competition from many, well-proven pistols. So, for the P320 to stand a chance, the good people at SIG had to come up with something special. Did they succeed?

I must also mention that SIG did not send me the P320 as a freebie for testing. Nor am I writing this review based on a week or two of trials. I purchased this firearm myself in the summer of 2014 (it was one of the first imported into Canada). I have used it for my personal training, and to teach others, for the past year and a half. I have put over 10,000 rounds through it. It has been shot in a variety of weather conditions from a 30°C British Columbian summer, to a -30°C Albertan winter. I did not acquire the P320 so I could review it; I acquired it so I could use it!

Let me admit, right off the bat, that I carried, and used, a SIG P226 for many years as a soldier and private security contractor. It became a part of me. An extension of my arm. As far as I’m concerned, the P226 is the most combat proven pistol on the planet. Therefore, yes; I am a SIG fan, but this will not bias my review. Firstly, because I don’t particularly like polymerframed handguns; I tend to prefer the heft and solidity of an all-metal gun. And secondly, precisely because I’m such a SIG fan, I have exceedingly high expectations of their products. If something 30

My Full Size P320 is chambered for 9mm Para. It arrived in a reasonably sturdy plastic case, and included: two excellent 10rd mags, a kydex holster, a keyed cable lock, an orange chamber flag, and a manual. The supplied holster is worth a brief mention because, simply put, it’s garbage. Cheap and poorly made. Firearm reten-

tion is awful and cannot be relied upon to keep the gun secure. The holster’s paddle attachment is also a waste of time. I tried it once and it has been gathering dust ever since. Overall, it would have been better had SIG reduced the price by $50, and not bothered including the holster. Speaking of holsters; because it’s so new, accessories for the P320 are uncommon, but that should change as the pistol becomes more established. Also, because the P320’s dimensions are the same as the well-known P250, they can share holsters. Now, let’s get stuck in to the gun itself. I have broken down my findings, and listed them in order of importance:

Safety This is my main priority when purchasing any firearm. It must function safely. Always and forever. And, as expected, the P320’s design and construction is safe; it only ever went bang when I told it to.

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Accuracy and Reliability For obvious reasons, these two areas tie for second place in my order of priorities. As you’d expect, the P320 was far more accurate than I am. It always hit everything I asked it to, from 5 yards to 25. If groupings were less than awesome; the fault was mine, not the gun’s. Any gun I own has to be soldier-proof. If it can’t take a beating, then it has no place in my safe. And during my usual training, the P320 has taken plenty of beatings. It has been dropped and banged around; it has gotten wet, dirty, and been covered with snow. And it has always functioned flawlessly. Over the last eighteen months, I have not experienced a single malfunction that wasn’t ammo related (bad primer etc.). Of the 10+k rounds I have fired, some have been from the reputable factories of Federal and Hornady; some have come from overseas manufacturers who I haven’t

We completely buried the P320 (we weren’t done here), action open, in both gravel and wet mud.

even heard of; some have been factory reloads from BDX or CRS; some where brass cased, some were steel; projectiles varied from 115gr FMJs to 135gr +P JHPs. The P320 ate them all.

boundaries of reasonable firearms use. So recently, on one surprisingly sunny Vancouver Island weekend, a buddy and I decided to see how much environmental torture it could handle.

When it comes to reliability, this is a fairly impressive track record, and some might consider it to be proof enough. But here at Calibre, we like to push the

First, we dug a hole in the gravelly dirt and buried it, action open. Grit and sand found their way through every gap, into every hole, and, as we should have

it soak for several minutes. Then load, aim, pressâ&#x20AC;Ś Click. A brief investigation discovered that the striker channel was totally water-logged and had delivered a light primer strike. I shook the water out, chambered a fresh round, aimed, pressed. Bang. No more light strikes.

All that was required was a crude shake-off of parts, and the dirt-caked P320 worked flawlessly.

predicted, prevented the slide from going fully into battery. So we stripped it and gave everything a shake off. Then reassembled, loaded, aimed, and pressed the trigger. Bang. It ate an entire mag with no stoppages. Not entirely satisfied with a purely drydirt test, we stripped it, and dunked the parts in wet mud, making sure to stuff

filth into every visible crevice. Reassemble, load, aim, press. Bang. As before, the P320 cycled perfectly. The only downside was my face getting plastered with mud from the reciprocating slide. Finally, we gave the SIG a shower to remove most of the mud and sand, and then submerged it in murky pond water. We shook out all the bubbles, and let

Due to the P320 currently being my main go-to pistol, I chose not to barbeque it or drag it behind my Jeep - a decision which goes somewhat against the grain of a true Calibre review â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and I hope you can forgive me. But despite the lack of flames and road rash, we were suitably impressed by the P320. I can confidently say that this is a very reliable firearm.

Simplicity The KISS principle has been hammered into me since my first days as a soldier. I like simple. And there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many handguns as simple as the P320. The controls are kept basic. Like many modern striker-fired handguns, the inter-

The P320’s serialized “receiver” is actually the steel insert surrounding the trigger assembly, so changing grip sizes is accomplished by replacing the polymer frame with one of a different size.

nal safety systems rule out the need for an external catch, which is great. You either press the trigger, or you don’t. Stripping the P320 is, perhaps, the easiest of any handgun on the market. Safety was on the top of SIG’s priority list here; you cannot strip the firearm without first removing the magazine and, unlike most other striker-fired handguns, you don’t need to press the trigger. The initial field strip is fairly standard: once you’ve PROVEd the firearm safe, lock the slide to the rear, rotate the takedown lever, and then strip the slide off the front of the frame. The metal guide rod, and captive recoil spring, can be popped out, and finally the barrel can be lifted up and out of the slide. And that is probably as far as most shooters will ever need to go. But what about if one were foolish enough to deliberately stuff mud into the complicated bits? Easy; you take them all out! We’ll start by removing the Fire Control Unit (which is the serialized part of the gun) from the polymer frame: pull the takedown pin out of the frame and the FCU will lift up and out. We’re not done 34

yet; mud is bound to have found its way into the striker channel and extractor assembly too, so we might as well remove those while we’re at it: using the corner of the takedown lever, press in the extractor spring guide on the back of the slide, and then push the rear slide-cap down and out. Now you can pull the striker assembly, and extractor spring assembly, out of the slide. Finally, flick the extractor out of its home on the back of the ejection port. Done. There’s nowhere left for mud to hide. Even without rushing, the P320 can be field stripped, including removing the FCU, striker and extractor assemblies, in about 20 seconds. In the dark. Without tools. Couldn’t be simpler.

Ergonomics Ergonomically speaking, all semi-automatic handguns are pretty much the same. True, they all have slightly different grip angles, grip shapes, and bore axes; buttons and levers can be different shapes, and are located in slightly different places. But, fundamentally, they’re all the same. I believe that if you can shoot one handgun, you should be able to shoot any

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handgun. Like cars. They’re all slightly different too, but if you can drive one, you should be able to drive them all. With that said, if a gun is comfortable, and if the controls are well placed, then it’s a welcome bonus. SIG has a reputation for making comfortable guns, and the P320 is no exception. Unsatisfied with changeable back-straps and such, SIG took customization a step further, and created changeable frames. The P320 is available with three grip sizes: small, medium, and large, each of which is fully interchangeable without replacing any other parts. My medium sized frame, with its rounded, well stippled grip, fits my average sized mitts like the proverbial glove, and should do likewise for 99% of shooters. The mag release is well placed and easily reversible for lefties. The slide lock is fully ambidextrous, and, despite a few initial problems of my riding it with my thumb, I find its location to be just fine.

Ergonomically, the P320 is similar to standard SIGs, which is definitely a complimentary statement.

The mag well is plenty wide enough to easily accept a magazine, even when the shooter is fumbling under stress. The slide has aggressive serrations, front and rear, and I have never had any slippage when racking, even with wet hands. I have heard people complain about the P320’s bore axis. It is higher than that of a Glock. But if that is something that

really bothers a person, then either they are very picky, or they need to train more and get over it. The minor difference in bore axis is a relative non-issue when you apply this firearm to practical shooting. When the gun is empty it does feel a tad front-heavy; the light-weight polymer frame doesn’t offer the same balanced feeling as an all metal gun. This wasn’t a concern for me for several reasons; one,

The accuracy is definitely on par with what you’d expect from a SIG, and for $700 the gun is a steal!

a slightly heavier front end can help mitigate muzzle jump; two, I added a Surefire X300U to the pic rail which would make any handgun feel front-heavy; and three, because – just like the aforementioned bore axis issue – during realistic, tactical shooting this detail is totally insignificant.

Other Stuff The P320 has one of the best out-of-thebox triggers of any striker-fired handgun I’ve shot. It is beaten only by Walther’s PPQ, and (maybe) H&K’s SFP9. It is crisp with a short, positive reset, and is consistent at around 7lbs. I also like the fact that it doesn’t have an integral trigger safety like the Walther and the H&K (and Glock); I have never liked how those little levers feel against my delicate finger-tips! The much-talked-about modular nature of the P320 has been one of its major selling points. As well as the interchangeable frame sizes, SIG is working on calibre conversion kits which will allow users to buy an extra slide, barrel, and recoil assembly for use with their existing frames and FCUs. The conversion kits are rumored to become available this year in 9mm Para, .40S&W, .357SIG, and .45ACP. This interchangeability makes for a hugely versatile gun. The pistol comes with three-dot SIGLITE Night Sights which are excellent in low 38

light/no light situations. However, when used with a lot of ambient light, they’re not great. The Tritium dots just don’t stand out very well in daylight. In fairness to SIG, I don’t think it’s possible to have open sights which function perfectly in both bright light and the dark. There is always some sort of compromise, and, if we bear that in mind, the P320’s sights are adequately serviceable. When installing and removing lights, I found the frame’s integral picatinny rail to be a hair too wide. I have tried Surefire, Streamlight, and Inforce lights, and they are all a very tight fit. I guess this could be considered an asset to help prevent them coming loose, but it does make fitting and removal a pain in the backside. The overall construction, fit and finish of the P320 is as good as any other SIG. The Nitron coating on the slide has a nice matte finish, and has held up remarkably well, now sporting but a few battle scars. The polymer frame has suffered a bit more from hard use, and now proudly displays numerous minor wounds. All this cosmetic damage is to be expected from a well used tool, and despite these many blemishes, the pistol is far from disfigured. One final feature of this pistol, which cannot be overlooked, is the price. A SIG for $700?!? – Bargain!

PRECISION

HOW TO MAKE MORE ACCURATE RELOADS!

Words and pictures by Graeme Foote I got my start in the precision game fairly late compared to some of the people that I shoot with; the only thing that really means, though, is that I have a great network of people to lean on when it comes to reloading, despite having a steep learning curve to keep up with them. If needed, answers for tough questions are generally a phone call away. It’s these friends that I attribute my knowledge to, and they deserve the thanks for taking the time to help out a new shooter. Research is essential to reloading safely, so use all of the tools that you have at your disposal to make sure you are being safe, and always take your time. I recommend the book “The ABC’s of Reloading” as a good place to start if you have never reloaded before. The steps I generally follow when I am reloading for practice or for competition 40

are one and the same. They are also applicable to other disciplines of shooting like Service Rifle. Someone smarter than me once said “Perfect practice makes perfect”; and it has resonated ever since I heard it. I firmly believe that you should be making your practice sessions as close to competition as possible, so that when you get to a match, you can let your subconscious take over. Having excellent reloads in practice only helps that, because you have spent all year practicing with the same ammunition you are shooting a match with; there should be no surprises when it comes to what your bullet does when it leaves your rifle. You will know where your hits will be on the target. I am going to highlight some of the important steps in the load development process, from knowing how your rifle behaves, to getting accurate data from the tools you have at your disposal. So with that - let’s get going.

The Reloading Process Throughout the entire reloading process, you want to make everything as consistent as possible to get the most accurate ammunition you can. Choosing quality brass like Lapua or Norma allows you to start off knowing that you are working with a quality product with more stringent tolerances and quality control. The same applies to bullet selection; by choosing quality bullets like Berger or Sierra, with proven records of performance, you can be confident that so long as you do your part, you will see positive results. Basing your bullet choice on Ballistic Coefficient (BC) gives you the ability to pick a projectile that will perform better than a similar weighted bullet, under the same conditions, with a lower BC. When selecting a projectile, be sure to choose one that works with your barrel twist rate. With modern advancements in bullet research and development, new methods of

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Using high quality bullets and brass will ensure consistency and subsequently increase accuracy.

measuring BC have emerged, with the G7 Coefficient being more accurate, reliable and proven. Previously, the G1 Coefficient was measured over a range of velocities (for example, 1600fps to 3100fps) and used an older bullet design and bullet shape to model it after. Now, with the G7 Coefficient, the data is modelled after a more modern long range bullet design, which resembles more of the current bullet offerings and offers more consistent data across all velocities, instead of only a limited range of velocities. Having the proper tools at your disposal to measure consistency from start to finish is key to getting a consistent round of ammunition with predictable results as it leaves your rifle. Brass prep is likely going to be the most time consuming out of all the steps in the reloading process. However, depending on your needs, you can keep your brass prep relatively simple, or you can go really in depth. Regardless of the methods you choose, choosing quality brass will reduce the need for time consuming steps like neck turning. This is a step that I do not do, but see many arguments for and against it. For the shooting that I am doing, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the need; if you are an F-Class shooter or a Benchrest shooter, then these small opportunities for additional accuracy may actually yield tangible results. Be aware though, this is generally a case of diminishing returns. A one or two percent gain in accuracy may not be

worth the extra effort for aprecision rifle shooter competing in a PRS match where only hits on steel are counted and you are not shooting for small groups. When I prep brass, new or fired, I want to make sure everything is uniform across the brass. I full length size the brass to bring the shoulders to the same setback across the whole lot and will check this initially with each piece of brass using a precision mic. This tool allows you to see, in 1000â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of an inch how far back you are setting the shoulder; you want to set it back just far enough to be able to chamber the brass in your rifle. Next, I will uniform the primer pockets, trim the brass and chamfer/deburr the case mouths. Before loading a single round, you need to find where the selected bullet sits when it touches the lands of the rifling in your barrel. Using a bullet comparator, you can accurately gauge where the rifling starts, in relation to the ogive of the selected bullet, thus giving youan idea of Cartridge Base to Ogive (CBTO) of the round as measured to the ogive. This allows you to make changes to the seating depth, effectively tuning the load to get the most accuracy out of your rifle. This is different than Cartridge Overall Length (COAL), a SAAMI specification for maximum pressures based on powder charges and overall recommended length of the bullet which governs the safety 43

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standards for bullet manufacturers. It is important to note that factory rifles have varying tolerances in chambers, to allow for a number of different ammunition types to be safely used in the rifle. Finding what works best in a custom rifle is the same process as in a factory rifle, and you tune your loads and seating depths the same way. CBTO focuses on the ogive of the bullet as the key measurement in finding out what your rifle likes as far as seating depth. It is more accurate than just measuring COAL because the ogive will remain consistent across the batch of bullets, while the length of the bullet may vary slightly. If we measure the COAL and make all our rounds uniform that way, where the bullet hits the lands of the rifling may vary due to variations in bullet length. This, in turn, affects the distance the bullet travels in the chamber to hit the lands. This small variation of +/- .001” can have a dramatic effect on what the bullet does leaving the rifle, and subsequently how it gets on target.

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If we determine where the ogive engages the lands, and we repeat this process for all bullets in the string, then we can produce a more consistent round. Once you set up your seating die and load a round, you can measure the finished bullet, measuring the CBTO to make sure it is uniform with every round in the batch being loaded.

Consistency and Your Data Consistency is key to a good hand load, especially one that is going to take you out to 800 metres or more. Shooting a match, or even just practicing, you want to have a consistent round so that you can eliminate the ammo from the equation as a problem and get to a point where your

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FEED YOUR FIREARM

Rolling your own accurate reloads is an involved process, but can become a very rewarding hobby.

practice is not impacted by that variable. Controlling everything you are able to eliminates guessing. This starts at the reloading bench. When going through the load development process, try to be as methodical as possible and only make single changes at a time when working up loads, so that when it comes to troubleshooting a problem, you are not wondering if it was seating depth, or a different primer you used that caused that group to open up, or caused the wild change in velocity across the string. Knowing your data means documenting your data. Document everything. CBTO, powder charge, brass lots, powder lots, primers, how many times the brass has been fired, etc.

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During my range trips, when I am working up a load, I will make sure that I am chronographing every shot, so that I can see the changes in velocity over the course of the string. This allows me to see how consistent I am being in my loads and allows me to tell if that flier I had was me making a poor shot, or if there was a jump in velocity. The number that I am looking for when I chronograph a set of loads is the Standard Deviation. This is

the variance, or dispersion, over the set of values you have input. The lower the Standard Deviation, the more consistent your hand loads are, and the more predictable they will be as the bullet leaves the gun which at 800 meters could be the difference between a first round hit or not. Calculating SD is a bit tricky (unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still familiar with grade 8 math), but a lot of modern chronys will do it for you. If yours does not, there are also calculators that can take care of it for you. How you choose your workflow when reloading is up to you and your individual preferences - just make it consistent and make sure that you document your findings. Having good data allows you to use an app like Strelok to quickly and accurately find a firing solution, or even just confirm what you are seeing when you start shooting further. Good data in means good data out. For more in-depth analysis and reading on reloading for precision, I recommend checking out the following books: Handloading for Competition Making the Target Bigger by Glen D. Zediker and Accuracy and Precision for Long Range Shooting by Bryan Litz.