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A MERIC A N
SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 9 // Issue 8 // May 2020 PUBLISHER James R. Baker GENERAL MANAGER John Rusnak EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andy Walgamott OFFICE MANAGER / COPY EDITOR Katie Aumann
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ON THE COVER From concealed-carry class attendee to successful team competition shooter to sole owner of an ammunition company, Deb Sullivan has blazed quite a swath through the firearms world in a remarkably short time. (JEN McCANTS)
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CONTENTS
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 8
18 COMPACT
POWERHOUSE OF THE REVOLVER ERA
First offered more than 100 years ago, the Colt Police Positive .38 Special enjoyed a long run through several iterations popular with officers and private citizens alike, not to mention gave competitors like Smith & Wesson “fits.” Our ace gun detective Frank Jardim shares an appreciation for the pocket-perfect revolver.
(FRANK JARDIM)
MORE FEATURES 37
BLACK POWDER: NEW NO. 3 ‘WORTH THE WAIT’ It took five years – and maybe a little begging on our author’s part – but Taylor’s and Company now offers their S&W New Model Frontier replica revolver in .44 Special, along with .45 Colt. Mike Nesbitt puts it through its paces and reports back for us.
48
DEB SULLIVAN: A MODERN-DAY ANNIE OAKLEY From concealed-carry class attendee to successful team competition shooter to sole owner of an ammunition company, Deb Sullivan has blazed quite a swath through the firearms world in a remarkably short time. Paul Pawela traces her inspiring journey.
59
BULLET BULLETIN: AN A-PLUS FOR HORNADY’S NEW MATCH-GRADE BULLET Not all match-grade bullets are created equal and that’s the case with Hornady’s new A-Tip Match, which made an “immediate” impression at the range with our professor of projectiles, Phil Massaro. He details the characteristics of a bullet that deserves a long look from precision shooters.
71
ROAD HUNTER: CHASING – LITERALLY – NORTH AMERICA’S BIGGEST GAME Coastal brown bears grow huge and bagging one is the pinnacle of big game hunting in North America. Little did Scott Haugen know that within minutes of arriving in an Alaska camp, he’d be hard on the heels of the “animal” and “hunt of a lifetime.”
85
SALUTE TO GUNS: SINGLE-ACTION, DOUBLE-ACTION AND AUTOMATIC PISTOLS The merits of each type of handgun have been debated for decades, and our Jim Dickson takes a stab at it – as well as details the “secret” gunfighter’s grip for Colt Single Action Army pistols.
Company Spotlights 81 91
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DEPARTMENTS 13 17
Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar
AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2020 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
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2020 Texas State Championship Whitewright, Texas Rocky Mountain Regional IDPA Championship Debeque, Colo.
Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states have prescribed, and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual events via the links in the above organizers’ websites. americanshootingjournal.com 13
PRS RESOURCE GUIDE Pro Bolt Gun Series May 2 May 15 May 15 May 23 June 5 June 18 June 20 June 27
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PARTS, ACCESSORIES & GEAR
See us on page 15
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16
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
PRIMER
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Note: Due to the coronavirus outbreak, social distancing requirements that states prescribed, and rapidly changing developments at press time, it is highly advisable to check ahead on the status of individual gun shows via the links in the above organizers’ websites. To have your event highlighted here, send an email to kaumann@media-inc.com.
americanshootingjournal.com 17
COLT’S POLICE POSITIVE .38 SPECIAL:
COMPACT POWERHOUSE OF THE REVOLVER ERA Made for a time when cops and citizens carried a pistol in their pocket, this handgun served for decades before semiautos became more popular.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY FRANK JARDIM
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
I
’ve made a habit of perusing the CenturyArms.com website’s Surplus Corner to see what gun bargains they’ve turned up. Recently I found a deal that felt like a timewarp back to the 1980s. They had a bunch of clean, well-kept, 1960s vintage, police turn-in Colt Police Positive .38 Special revolvers at really reasonable prices. At a gun show, prices at that level get Colt collectors handing over their money as fast as they can. I bought one for the sheer pleasure of shooting this great-handling piece and it got me thinking about their long history. The Colt Police Positive Special revolver is nearly forgotten today, except among collectors (and shooters over 70), but at one time – and really for a long time – it was a big deal. In its heyday, the .38 S&W Special cartridge, with its 158-grain bullet moving at 870 feet per second, was regarded as a very potent defensive load, and revolvers were the most popular handguns for lawmen and private citizens alike.
First offered more than 100 years ago, the Colt Police Positive .38 Special enjoyed a long run through several iterations that were popular with officers and private citizens alike, not to mention gave Smith & Wesson “fits” in competing with the line of revolvers. americanshootingjournal.com 19
A page from Colt’s 1908 catalog introduces the new Police Positive Special, the world’s most compact .38 Special at the time.
This was a pistol that gave S&W fits, as they never had a comparable product to challenge its niche as the smallest six-shot revolver chambered in .38 Special. If you didn’t mind a bigger .38 Special, the mediumframed, six-shot S&W Military & Police Revolver generally trumped Colt’s medium-framed, and slightly clunky, Official Police Revolver. But if you wanted a six-shot that you could keep in your front pants pocket, the Colt’s Police Positive Special had no peer. Pocket carry was once very common, especially before the Second World War. In old photographs of city policemen, you’ll often note the absence of a visible weapon. They have one. It’s just in a pocket holster, rather than hanging from a gun belt. 20
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
Colt’s Police Positive Special revolver was chambered in .38 Special, .32-20 WCF and, later, .32 Colt New Police caliber. It was in continuous production with few changes for 68 years. It’s the older brother of the still famous Detective Special snubnose introduced in 1927. They share a common frame, named the D-frame after WWII. It was Colt’s most widely used frame and the basis for the Diamondback and Viper revolvers, as well as the snubnosed Agent, Cobra and Commando. According to the serial number data, over a million Police Positive Specials and Detective Specials were produced with virtually no significant changes until the 1970s, when larger grips and heavier barrels with integral ejector
rod shields changed the character of the guns dramatically. THOSE LAST D-FRAME guns are outside the scope of this story. Our focus is on the Police Positive Special and what made it so special. In the 1908 Colt Catalog, the first year it was offered for sale, it was advertised as “The most compact and also the lightest revolver ever produced to take this powerful ammunition. The most effective pocket and house arm on the market.” The emphasis on “compact,” “lightest” and “effective” were in the advertisement. These qualities translated to mass consumer appeal. That probably sounds crazy to younger shooters, reared in the present era dominated by semiauto handguns, but
Colt’s small-frame Police Positive, with its short cylinder and frame, could only handle short cartridges like .38 S&W. It was lengthened and strengthened into the Police Positive Special to handle the much more powerful and longer .38 Special and .32-20 WCF.
those were different times. By the turn of the 20th century, the double-action, swing-out cylinder revolver had already emerged as the premier fighting handgun. The newly devised autoloading pistols were marvels to be sure, and some models were immensely popular (like the .32 ACP Model 1900 Browning), but the double-action revolver was perceived by many to have a major advantage over the autoloader. This attitude persisted longest in law enforcement, finally losing favor in the 1980s. However, then as now, the revolver was reliable, regardless of variations in ammunition, and it was simple to use. Revolvers didn’t jam and if the hammer fell on a dud round, the shooter simply pulled the trigger
again. There were no slides, or safeties or magazines to manipulate. The revolver was ready to go the moment a loaded cylinder was closed, and the firing drill was always the same: aim at the target and squeeze the trigger. In the revolver market of the last century, Colt and Smith & Wesson were the major players, and fierce competitors. Each drove the other to continually improve their technology in a battle for military, police and civilian sales. The result was traditional revolver design (barrel on top firing from the top chamber of the cylinder) and manufacturing quality reached the peak of its refinement before the first decade of the 20th century had passed. The caliber spectrum was topped by .45 Colt,
but the majority of revolvers were chambered for various .38 and .32 cartridges. Future design modification would be driven by consumer demand for adjustable sights, lighter weight or ballistic improvements requiring stronger, heavier guns, but the physical forms and mechanisms took shape over 110 years ago. By 1908, the Colt and S&W product lines were more alike than they were different. Both had a large, medium and small frame for their revolvers. Colt’s large-frame New Service was akin to S&W’s .44 Hand Ejector. Colt’s medium frame used on the Army Special (the Official Police after 1927) was comparable to the S&W Military & Police .38 Hand Ejector, the latter becoming the most successful revolver americanshootingjournal.com 21
First Issue Police Positive Special in .38 Special. These first guns were offered in 4- or 6-inch barrels and had black hard rubber grips standard.
First Issue guns had thin, half-moon front sights and tiny, narrow “U” rear sights and a smooth top-strap.
in the world. Colt’s small frame, which they adapted to the compact roundedgrip Pocket Positive and squaregripped Police Positive, was mirrored in S&W’s little .32 Hand Ejector frame. However, Colt had something that S&W didn’t. IN 1907, IN a move that showed astounding prescience, Colt brought out a new revolver based on a new frame. It was the Police Positive Special. The gun was basically a square-butt Police Positive with a stronger, ¼ inch longer frame and cylinder to accommodate what Colt saw as the new up-and-coming police cartridge, .38 S&W Special. It was also chambered
First Issue barrel patent dates end on July 4, 1905.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
in .32-20 WCF, a popular small game cartridge for Winchester rifles. In 1900, the police and personal defense market was dominated by .32-caliber cartridges (.32 Short and Long Colt, .32 Colt New Police, .32 S&W and .32 S&W Long). Though they lacked stopping power, the revolvers chambered for them were small, had short cylinders and frames making them easily concealable, and were quite light to carry in the pocket. Actual pocket carry, rather than holster carry, is what these guns were intended for. The recoil was mild, making them easier to shoot well too. As the first decade of the new century progressed, the law
enforcement caliber trend shifted to more powerful .38 cartridges, which included the .38 S&W, .38 Colt Police Positive/New Police (Colt’s shameless copy of the S&W cartridge), and S&W’s new .38 S&W Special, introduced in 1899 for their mediumframed Military & Police Hand Ejector. The .38 S&W Special promised and delivered better terminal ballistics than any .38 before it. It was a lengthened .38 S&W, upcharged from 18 to 21.5 grains of powder, with its bullet weight increased from 150 to 158 grains. Compared to the short .38s, the .38 S&W Special had about 200 foot-pounds of energy compared to their 150 foot-pounds, and 755
The S&W M&P .38 hand ejector pictured at the top was the Colt Police Positive Special’s closest competitor. The S&W M&P was substantially bigger and weighed 6.5 ounces more, making it really too big and heavy for pocket carry, even with a round butt. The beautiful grips are actually reproductions from vintagegungrips.com.
Third Issue guns from the 1940s and 1950s often had brown plastic Coltwood grips, like this pistol.
A 1940 Stoeger catalog showing four different loads for .38 Special. Colt claimed all could be used in the Police Positive Special, though author Frank Jardim has his doubts about shooting the .38-44, which was the +P of its day. Colt’s .38 Colt Special used a flat-nosed bullet that turned out to be a more effective man-stopper than the round-nosed S&W 158-grain loading.
In the 1950s, Colt rounded off the corners of the square butt for better concealment. In 1966, they would shorten the actual grip frame too, but the grip size remained the same. This transitional pistol the author purchased from Century Arms was one of the last round-butts to have a full-size grip frame. It is an easier grip to shoot with.
The 1940 Stoeger catalog sold the Police Positive Special for $31.75. The S&W M&P was $33. americanshootingjournal.com 23
First Issue 4-inch barrel, blued .38 Special Police Positive Special. This was the most common configuration of this pistol throughout its 68year production run. First Issue guns had smooth triggers and checkered cylinder latches.
fps to their 700 fps. There was really only one drawback with it. None of the small-frame revolvers of the time could chamber it. If you wanted the stopping power of the .38 S&W Special, it came at the price of the extra size and weight of a mediumframed revolver. The .38 S&W and .38 Colt New Police rounds were quite stubby (about 1⅛ inches overall length), so they were a perfect fit in the short cylinders of the compact, small-framed Colt Police Positive and S&W’s Regulation Police revolver, though because of the S&W’s tiny cylinder, it could only hold five rounds to Colt’s six. Colt’s frame sizes were just a little bit bigger than the S&W’s and that good fortune allowed the Police Positive the growing room to be adapted to .38 Special. The resulting Police Positive Special had the small size and easy carrying characteristics of a small-frame pistol but packed the punch of a medium-frame revolver. To put it in perspective, a 4-inch-barrel Police Positive Special weighed 22.3 ounces and was 8¼ inches long and 4⅜ inches high. The round-butt S&W Military & Police, their smallest .38 Special, weighed 28.7 ounces and was 9 inches long and 4⅞ inches high. The Colt had a smaller grip and a thinner, 24
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
First Issue sight picture was typical of guns of the era.
unsupported ejector rod, which contributed to its slim feel. FROM THE PRACTICAL standpoint of size, weight and power, the Police Positive Special was already the perfect policeman’s gun, but Colt also had a safety advantage in their “Colt Positive Lock.” The action included an automatic acting metal bar that immovably blocked the forward movement of the hammer unless the trigger was pulled, making the revolver drop safe, a rare feature at the time. This safer action is where the “positive” in the model name was derived from. S&W’s double-action trigger pull was smoother than Colt’s, which by design stacked slightly at the end of
the pull as the hand held the cylinder tightly against the bolt. Although I personally prefer the double-action trigger pull of S&W over Colt’s, after shooting both I’m convinced that any effect on practical accuracy is more imagined than real. The Police Positive Special has small grips by today’s standards and usually gets criticized for them by modern shooters. I actually like them, and especially those on the pre-1928 Police Positive Specials, before they widened the space between the front grip frame and back of the trigger guard. The space fits my fingers perfectly and I can wrap my hand fully around the slim stocks for a firm hold. I have average-sized hands and I can see why those with bigger hands and thicker
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First Issue in blue with the far less common 6-inch barrel. Unlike S&W, Colt left the ejector rods of their revolvers unsupported in the front.
fingers might hate the grip ergonomics. Looking at it from the manufacturer’s perspective, big hands can handle small grips, but small hands can’t handle big grips. A bigger grip also defeats the purpose of keeping the revolver as small as possible for concealment and ease of carry. The graceful minimalism of the Police Positive Special is something never seen today in revolver design, despite the availability of stronger materials and CNC machining. The beauty of this little pistol is in its function. It has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t. S&W criticized Colt’s unsupported ejector rods, but to me this has never rung true. The nature of Colt’s action design and clockwise rotating cylinder hold the cylinder more tightly in position while firing than a S&W does. If bending an ejector rod was a significant problem, Colt probably would have supported theirs before 1976, when they were producing their fourth issue (a collector term) of the Police Positive Special. At that time, they renamed it simply Police Positive. It turned out to be the beginning of the end for this venerable design. Two years later, in 1978, production of that variant ceased. The 1970s design changes were significant because the extra weight and bulk imparted by the barrel with integral ejector shroud and oversized grips ruined two of the gun’s key attributes – lightness and slimness. Perhaps it really didn’t matter by then because true pocket carry was, like Colt’s major role in the police
AL CAPONE’S POLICE POSITIVE SPECIAL .38 SPECIAL
T
he Police Positive Special reported to be the personal handgun of underworld crime legend Al Capone is a near mate to one I found in a local gunshop. His serial number was 384221. It sold at Christie’s Auction in 2011 for $109,080. It was made in 1929 and appears to have the usual features of a Second Issue gun, including the grooved (non-reflective) top-strap, larger rear sight and frame, and checked trigger. My factory nickel-plate Police Positive Special was made in 1928, apparently before the factory had fully incorporated the new features that characterize what collectors call Second Issue guns. It has the checkered walnut grips and 1926 patent date barrel with wide front sight like a Second Issue gun, but the frame is distinctly First Issue, with its small space between triggerguard and front grip-strap, ungrooved top-strap, and small “U” notch rear sight. The combination of the fat front sight and skinny rear notch means the sight picture is virtually nonexistent at my arm’s length, even in perfect light. When I shoot this pistol, I just complete the curve of the arched frame top by blocking out the light through the rear notch with the tip of the front sight. Shooting double-action this way at 50 feet, standing with a two-hand hold, I was able to shoot fiveshot groups averaging 4 1/16 inches, with my best group being 3 inches.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
Comparison of First Issue gun (top) to Second Issue gun (bottom). The space between the back of the triggerguard and the front of the grip was increased slightly and the butt enlarged. Standard on the Second Issue guns were checkered triggers, better sights, a non-reflective grooved top-strap, and walnut grips.
revolver market, pretty much over. The Police Positive Special’s D-frame survived a little longer in the revised snubnoses until 1986, and was briefly resurrected in the 1990s for a final run
of snubnoses and a final, fifth issue of the Police Positive Special called the Police Positive MK V. It sported a new and even bulkier full underlug barrel and Packmeyer rubber grips.
COLLECTOR CLASSIFICATION Police Positive Special, First Issue, 1907-1927 Page from Colt’s 1926 catalog. By this time, the Police Positive Special was Colt’s best-selling revolver, with 309,000 made in only 18 years. Keep in mind it was only offered in two calibers, .38 Special and .32-20 WCF, until after World War II when .32 Colt New Police was added.
Finish: Blue or nickel Stocks: Black hard rubber standard from 1907 to 1923 and checkered walnut with silver medallions by special order Barrel: 4 and 6 inches Sights: Knife blade half-moon front sight and small “U” notch rear Trigger: Smooth Hammer spur: Checkered Cylinder release: Checkered Calibers: .32-20 WCF and .38 Special
Police Positive Special, Second Issue, 1928-1946
A page from Colt’s 1940 catalog shows the characteristics of Second Issue guns.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
Finish: Blue or nickel Stocks: Smooth walnut grips initially, then checkered walnut grips standard Barrel: 4, 5 and 6 inches Sights: Improved sights included a grooved top-strap to cut glare and changing the half-moon front sight from knife blade to a thicker square top. Rear notch also widened Trigger: Checkered Hammer spur: Checkered Cylinder release: Checkered Calibers: .32-20 WCF and .38 Special
Frame: During this time period the frame was slightly lengthened to increase the finger space between the rear of the trigger guard and the front of the grip frame, and the square butt was lengthened
Police Positive Special, Third Issue, 1947-1976 Finish: Blue or nickel Stocks: Coltwood (brown plastic), and then rounded-butt checkered walnut grips standard Barrel: 4, 5 and 6 inches Sights: Ramped front sight replaces halfmoon style Calibers: .32 Colt New Police, .32-20 WCF and .38 Special Trigger: Grooved Hammer spur: Grooved Cylinder release: Smooth Frame: Three grip frame styles: Squarebutt, followed by round-butt (like the Detective Special) and then in 1966, the grip frame was shortened for commonality with snubnose models. The profile of the round-butt stocks used on this abbreviated grip frame was the same as before because they encased the bottom of the grip frame
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The popular semiauto tide was flooding over revolvers by that time, so perhaps the MK V never really had a chance, but I wonder if the original slim and graceful Police Positive Specials might find a new market among women shooters. Women are the fastest growing demographic in the shooting sports these days. That was not the case during the entire production history of the Police Positive Special. It so happens, my wife laid claim to my new acquisition from Century Arms shortly after I got it and I don’t expect to see it again. I hope they are happy together. 
Second Issue barrels have a October 5, 1926 patent date and a wider, squared-off front sight.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
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Ultimate Arms- MagnaT5 This is UA/Ultimate Arms’ newest lightweight M1911 Commander, the MagnaT5. It comes in 3.5 Ultra Comp, 4.25 Commander and 5.0 Government models. Weight range from 25 to 28 ounces, making them the ultimate lightweight carry weapons. MAP pricing at $1,995. Comes in .45 ACP, 9mm and .38 Super.
In the business of building full custom guns for 40 years, Gary Reeder does large-caliber rifles, full custom 1911s and Browning high powers and has almost 40 series of full custom revolvers like the El Diablo 2 (shown). For a gun built to your specs, check out their website or give them a call.
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Ultimate Arms - Warmonger .50 BMG Shoulder-fired Sniper Rifle The lightest .50-caliber bolt rifle ever built by Ultimate Arms weighs between 12 and 14.5 pounds, depending on barrel length. Built only for military at present. A new commercial model will be available soon for public consumption. MSRP in the $4,000 to $5,000 range.
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BLACK POWDER
NEW NO. 3 'WORTH THE WAIT' It took five years – and maybe a little begging on the author's part – but Taylor's and Company now offers their S&W New Model Frontier revolver in .44 Special, along with .45 Colt. Here's the review. The Taylor’s and Company S&W New Model No. 3 Frontier in .44 Special comes with a 6½-inch barrel.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKE NESBITT
F
ive years ago, in the August 2015 issue, this column featured the New Model No. 3 Frontier revolver from Taylor’s & Company in .45 Colt caliber. At that time the .45 was the only caliber offered and my story was
concluded with – I’ll admit – some rather straight-forward begging for this revolver to be available in .44 Russian or .44-40 caliber, and the .44 Special. I’m not trying to say that my story or my little bit of begging had any influence on Taylor’s, but I am very pleased to say that the .44 Special versions of this fine revolver are here. And it was worth the wait! In profile, this .44 Special doesn’t
look any different than the very same model in .45 caliber. At this time, however, the .45 is available with both 5-inch and 6½-inch barrels, while the .44 is offered only with the 6½inch barrel. We’ll have to see if the .44-caliber guns are welcomed enough by buyers to add the shorter barrel to their available list in the time to come. Frankly, I’d like to see that, although the longer 6½-inch barrel will still
americanshootingjournal.com 37
BLACK POWDER remain my choice. BEFORE TALKING ABOUT the shooting with this .44 Special, let me repeat a bit of the history of this gun, just in case you didn’t read that story from five years ago. The Smith & Wesson New Model No. 3 was introduced in 1878, after their Russian and Schofield contracts had been fulfilled. In 1885, S&W lengthened the No. 3’s frame and cylinder from 17/16 inch to 19/16 inch, adding 1/8 inch to the length of the cartridges that could be used. This made their revolver acceptable for the popular .44-40 Winchester cartridge and, like Colt, they called this gun in .44-40 their Frontier version. The S&Ws in .44-40 did not prove to be popular and several of those .44-40 single-actions were converted back to .44 Russian caliber. The New Model No. 3 was discontinued by S&W in 1908. Just before that, the .44 Special cartridge was introduced in 1906 and it was the very last of the American cartridges to be designed for use with black powder. As introduced, the .44 Special was loaded with a 246-grain bullet over 26 grains of This shows the shooter’s view through the revolver’s target sights.
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Author Mike Nesbitt takes a shot firing a .44 Russian black powder load.
black powder, but it was also available with smokeless powder loads. We might point out how the .44 Special was introduced just in time to be
included in the chamberings for the New Model No. 3, and a few of them did leave the S&W factory made to shoot their new .44 cartridge. One of the best options available on the old New Model No. 3 revolvers was target sights. Instead of the tiny and hard-to-see rear sight on the pivot point of the gun’s top latch, the target versions had a very nice rear sight on the end of the top latch just over the hammer. Moving the sight further back, or to the rear of the top latch, increased the sighting radius by over 1/2 inch and it also gave the shooter a very nice flat-topped rear sight with a wide and deep notch. The rear sight on the target versions is adjustable for windage by loosening the screws that hold the sight in its slot and sliding the sight to the right or left, quickly and easily done. The new Taylor’s version copies the target model and that easyto-see rear sight can be appreciated all over again. In fact, I appreciate those nice sights more now than I did when I
BLACK POWDER
A five-shot group using .44 Colt black powder loads; both lower holes are doubles.
shot the .45-caliber version of this gun. That’s because my eyes are at least five years older now, but they are acting a lot older than that. I’ll say more about the eyes as we continue, but for now let me talk more about the gun and the shooting done with it. MY FIRST SHOTS with this revolver were taken using .44 Special ammo, with 250-grain cast bullets over 6.0 grains of Unique smokeless powder. A bull’s-eye target was posted at 50 feet and my group, with five shots, printed in an acceptable size or diameter, but obviously to the left. Without changing targets, five more shots using black powder loads in .44 Russian cases were fired into the same group. It pleased me quite a bit that the black powder and the smokeless loads were printing at the same elevation on the paper, but the group had to be moved to the right. Moving the group was easy enough 40
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
to do; just move the rear sight in the same direction that you want the bullets’ impact to be moved. There is no “click” adjustment to the gun’s rear sight; simply loosen the two set screws that hold it and slide it right or left, to the right in this case. So, the sight was moved a “guesstimated” amount and tightened again. The rear sight was moved while back at home, when the gun was being cleaned. Shooting black powder in a revolver does get the gun dirty and the moving parts need to be lubricated. To effectively lube this sixgun, remove the cylinder and put some good grease on the base pin that the cylinder revolves around. There are some grease-holding threads on that part; make sure it is covered with all of the grease it will hold. The grease I use is Bumblin Bear Grease from October Country and I do prefer a natural oil or grease rather than a petroleum.
Without being well greased, a revolver shooting black powder loads, either cartridge or cap and ball, will simply bind up and become inoperable. WITH THE GUN cleaned and ready, along with the rear sight moved and tightened, back to the range I went to try another target. My first shots were still somewhat to the left but I tried something different. The next cylinder-full were fired while aiming the gun using my left eye. What a difference! I’ve always been “righteyed,” but now my right eye is getting older faster than my left eye. So, for sixgun shooting I’ll be closing my right eye and aiming with my left. That’s when I tried five shots in the new gun using modern .44 Colt loads with the 220-grain .429-inch bullets over 21 grains of Olde Eynsford 2F powder in the Star Line cases. Wow! Those five shots were fired while resting the gun on the bench, with
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BLACK POWDER the target still at 50 feet, and all shots printed very tightly just below the X-ring. They hit right where the sights were being held. Next I tried some .44 Russian loads again, using the 250-grain roundnosed bullets over 18 grains of the Olde Eynsford 2F black powder. Those five shots were fired offhand, with a two-hand hold, while aiming with my left eye. Wow, again! The target’s scoring rings are just large enough to be slightly generous and I did get one bullet somewhat to the right but still a 10. The score of those five shots adds up to a 50-4X. More shooting has been done since that initial target and now the ammo is reloaded to do even more. This .44 Special revolver is everything I had hoped it would be and soon I’ll be using it in competition during the Pistol Match at our Buffalo Camp. I’m looking forward to doing that shooting and perhaps a good report will follow. For more information on this gun, go to taylorsfirearms.com and look in their “Top Break Revolvers” section. Taylor’s suggested retail price for the .44 Special is $1,170. I got my gun through C. Sharps Arms Co. and they’d be glad to order one for you. Contact C. Sharps Arms at info@ csharpsarms.com or call them at (406) 932-4353. Getting this .44 Special in the No. 3 Frontier revolver is really something special. Like I said, it was worth the wait!
With the cylinder removed, the gun is ready for cleaning or greasing.
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
This five-shot group was fired offhand using .44 Russian black powder loads.
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DEB SULLIVAN:
A MODERN-DAY ANNIE OAKLEY From concealed-carry class attendee to successful team competition shooter to sole owner of an ammunition company, one woman's inspiring journey through the firearms world. STORY BY PAUL PAWELA • PHOTOS BY JEN MCCANTS
A
merica is still the greatest country in the world for allowing anyone to make their dreams come true through enough hard work, ambition and a never-ending devotion to their vision. For instance, consider the historical life of Annie Oakley. The 19th century female trailblazer became America’s sweetheart as one of the greatest shooters of all time. At a time when women were largely confined to home and their family, Oakley generated huge audiences across the country by showcasing her impressive shooting skills, all while overcoming life obstacles. She would routinely outshoot all her male competitors during shooting demonstrations or competitions. Oakley was so popular that she eventually became one of the main attractions in “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Traveling Show, and was so impressive with her shooting skills that famed Indian Chief Sitting Bull nicknamed her “Watanya Cicilla,” which means little sure shot.
the country giving shooting lessons to soldiers anyway. Oakley simply was not afraid to show off her hardearned shooting skills and she became a symbol of the American female spirit at a time when most women were limited to careers as domestic workers, teachers or housewives. Due to abuse incidents she suffered early in her life, Oakley nursed a simple dream: “I would like to see every woman know how to handle guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies.”
In truth, Oakley was a feminist way ahead of her time. She urged other women to participate in sports, especially the shooting sports, which were dominated by men. During the Spanish American War, Oakley volunteered her services by offering to personally organize and train 50 female sharpshooters to serve in the war, but her offer was rejected because women were not allowed to serve in combat roles.
FAST FORWARD SOME 94 years into the future, where another woman is breaking down barriers and stereotypes as the sole owner and operator of an ammunition company. For dedicated readers of American Shooting Journal, you might remember seeing Deb Sullivan in the pages of the November 2018 issue for an article on “Wo Man Camp” by Tara Dixon Engel. She was also featured in the July 2019 edition as
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Later on, Oakley and her husband, Frank Butler, would work for the Union Metallic Cartridge Company, a major bullet manufacturer of that time. The ammo company sponsored Oakley and Butler to give shooting exhibitions across the country. When World War I broke out, Oakley once more offered shooting lessons for American soldiers but was denied by the government. So she took matters into her own hands and traveled
Annie Oakley, one of the most iconic women in American shooting history, once said she “would like to see every woman know how to handle guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies.� Concerned about neighborhood break-ins, it was through a concealed-carry class that Deb Sullivan first became involved with guns, bullets and the firearms industry.
A single mother of three who ran a horse ranch, Sullivan had the genes to be a good shooter – her Army officer father was on a rifle shooting team and reported to be “a very good shot.”
the only woman in a 16-man T.A.P.S. class taught by ex-Delta Force operator Pat McNamara. Sullivan distinguished herself in that class by being in the top three shooters, and she might have finished even higher, were it not for technical issues with her rifle. Indeed, the only other shooter to really best her was an officer in charge of a Special Forces battalion. Deb Sullivan’s story is that of a single mother of three managing a horse ranch and courageously stepping into the firearms industry. Sullivan did not grow up around firearms, and guns were never a topic discussed in her family. Her father was an officer in the Army when she was a very young child, but she had no recollection of his service, just the memory of his stories. She was inspired that he was
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on a rifle team, and reportedly was a very good shot. Late in 2014, Sullivan noticed a newspaper advertisement for a concealed-carry class held at a local gun shop/range. There had been several break-ins in and around her neighborhood, so she worked up the nerve to attend her first concealed weapons license class. Surprisingly, Sullivan turned out to be a shooting savant, despite never so much as holding a gun! While waiting for her CCW license to arrive, she felt driven to take more lessons and to become the most proficient shooter she could possibly be. To achieve that goal, Sullivan began competing in GSSF, or Glock Sport Shooting Foundation, competitions. Her group, which was an all-female
team, dominated the competition. The team often took first place in the ladies’ division, and sometimes took first and second in overall team competition. The ladies were eventually sponsored by T1 Ammunition because that was the ammo the women preferred, due to its low recoil which was an asset in a competition setting. T1 Ammunition would later become a major part of Deb Sullivan’s life. SULLIVAN'S PASSION BLOSSOMED into a desire to help women become empowered to take their safety seriously and be responsible for themselves. Along with several friends, she started a business that focuses on self-defense and personal protection topics for women. Women Training Females, or
WTF, was born to help women learn basic self-defense skills and tactics, including hand-to-hand and ground fighting skills; less lethal skills, such as pepper spray training; and varying levels of firearms training, ranging from handguns to pistol-caliber rifles for home defense. And all of the course curriculum was designed for women by women, and is taught by women. Fueled by a desire that women, young and old alike, take responsibility for their own safety, Sullivan has pursued her own personal growth by seeking out training from the best instructors in the country – those with backgrounds in Delta Force, CIA, law enforcement and more. Sullivan would also serve as a pillar of strength for a good friend whose daughter survived an attempted kidnapping by using lethal force, an experience that stays deeply in one’s soul forever. LIFE COMES FULL circle, as the saying goes, and as one door closes, another one opens. When the
T1 Ammunition began business in 2013 in Florida and was purchased in 2019 by Sullivan. Before staffing up, she was a veritable “one-woman show” serving as buyer, machinist, inspector and shipper.
previous owner of T1 Ammunition had enough of the firearms industry and wanted to get out, Sullivan applied her business savvy – learned from owning and operating a horse farm by herself – in order to make T1’s owner “an offer he could not refuse.” Like any endeavor, running an
“Instead of focusing on too many different calibers, she has wisely concentrated on the two most popular calibers that were favorites in her female competition shooting circles: 9mm and 5.56 NATO,” writes author Paul Pawela, a self-defense and training expert who also endorses Sullivan’s company’s ammo.
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ammunition company is not easy and success comes through hard work, dedication and sheer force of will. From the very start, Sullivan became a one-woman show, not only buying all the component parts to make the ammo, but working on the machines that produced it, inspecting each and every round produced, and packaging/
T1 offers 124-grain 9mm Luger TMJ rounds for pistol-caliber carbines, along with 147-grain 9mm Luger TMJ bullets for competition and 55-grain .223 Remington FMJ cartridges for rifles, all in 50- or 250-count boxes.
shipping all orders herself. She routinely put in 12-hour days at T1 and then added four more when she went home to do her ranch work. Sullivan took a crash-course in pistol and rifle ballistics and quickly earned an A-plus. Instead of focusing on too many different calibers, she has wisely concentrated on the two most popular calibers that were favorites in her female competition shooting circles: 9mm and 5.56 NATO. Sullivan’s purchase of T1 earned her some public ridicule from those who thought she would fail miserably in her venture. After all, she had purchased a business whose owners and customers were primarily men. As the only one-woman ammo company in the country, she faced a tireless uphill battle, learning valuable lessons about who she could count on – and who she couldn’t. Still determined to push forward with a great deal of fortitude, Sullivan headed to the 2020 SHOT Show
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American Shooting Journal // May 2020
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with big dreams and high hopes to see what kind of business she could drum up. The majority of the male consultants she sought advice from gave her gloom and doom input, offering her little encouragement or hope for success. Sadly, she got a similar response from most of the women in the industry, as well. Following her gut instincts, Sullivan kept a positive attitude and stuck to her guns, literally, as she pressed on in making the company a success. IT IS SAID God loves people who keep the faith and maintain a nevergive-up attitude, and Deb Sullivan is one of those people. In fact, as of this
writing, in one of the nation’s worst pandemics, Sullivan’s T1 Ammo is not only still in business, it is flourishing, and she now has a full-time crew and all the necessary machinery to meet the demands of her ever-increasing customer orders. Sullivan still makes sure that T1 Ammunition has multiple systems checks for quality and uniformity. Every round is still hand-inspected for defects, fit and finish. T1 is constantly working to improve its products, especially for women, while maintaining current pistol formulas for competition, as well as ammo with low recoil that can be used for defensive purposes. In the
future, Sullivan hopes to add .380 for carry purposes and .38 for those who still prefer revolvers. It was said about Annie Oakley in her time that there was never a sweeter, gentler, more loving woman, and her endurance and strength in the face of adversity remain something to be admired even today. It is also true that the spirit of Annie Oakley must surely dwell in Deb Sullivan, as those exact words can be said of her! Sullivan is one of those determined and hard-working manufacturers who make America great! ď‚Ť Editor's note: For more information, go to T1Ammo.com. Sullivan is aiming high. She hopes to add two new ammunition lines in the future, .38 and .380, for concealed carry and revolvers.
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
BULLET BULLETIN
Hornady’s new A-Tip Match, handloaded in the 6.5 Creedmoor for use at the Leupold Optics Academy.
ON THE HORNADY A-TIP MATCH
Not all match-grade bullets are created equal, especially those featuring an aluminum tip. STORY BY PHIL MASSARO • PHOTOS BY MASSARO MEDIA GROUP
n the cold, dry air of the eastern Oregon desert, the Leupold Optics Academy hosts its shooting courses at an impressive rifle range, with targets at distances from 100 yards to
I
2,000 yards. The ever-changing winds, the constant mirage and the physical location of the targets make for some very interesting shooting, to say the least, and you’ll want every advantage possible to make that steel ring.
There are many facets, but an accurate rifle, good glass and a proper cartridge/bullet combination will make the shooter’s job much easier. Steel and paper targets are the playground of the match bullet, as they are not designed americanshootingjournal.com 59
bullet bulletin The Hornady A-Tip Match bullets are packaged right off the production line, and a polishing cloth is included to remove the machining oils.
for any sort of terminal performance, and only concern themselves with their flight to the target. Match bullets have gone through some serious changes over the years, with some older designs (read: Sierra MatchKing) still leaned Hornady has recently expanded the A-Tip Match line to include the bigger bore diameters like .375 and .416 inch, in addition to the more common diameters.
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upon heavily, and some of the new designs being absolute game-changers. One of the newer offerings that made an immediate impression on me – and was a definite advantage in those high desert conditions – was Hornady’s A-Tip Match.
DATING BACK TO 1947, when Joyce Hornady and Vernon Speer partnered to convert spent .22 rimfire casings into bullet jackets, the Hornady name has been equated with value, performance and innovation. Though Joyce is no longer with us, his son Steve and grandson Jason – as well as their excellent team of designers, engineers and ballisticians – have kept the products evolving, in both cartridge development and bullet development. In recent years, Hornady has been responsible for the .375 and .416 Ruger, the .300 and .338 Ruger Compact Magnum, the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, and perhaps most famously, the 6.5 Creedmoor. Their projectiles are equally famous; think about the wonderful pair of DGX Bonded and DGS Solid bullets for dangerous game, the ELD-X hunting bullet and its brother, the ELD Match bullet, with their revolutionary Heat Shield tips, and most recently, the A-Tip Match. In nearly all aspects of shooting, consistency equals accuracy, and that concept certainly holds true in the
americanshootingjournal.com 61
bullet bulletin The 230-grain .30-caliber and the 135-grain 6.5mm Hornady A-Tip Match. Note the required twist rates; many of these bullets require a fasterthan-standard twist.
The precision-machined aluminum tip of the A-Tip Match has a barely noticeable transition to the copper jacket.
extreme long-range shooting world. When designing a match bullet, you’ll want all the parameters of that bullet to be as consistent as possible, including the weight of the bullet, the concentricity (or uniformity), the outer dimensions, and perhaps most importantly, the tip or meplat of the bullet. The bullet industry has long labored to keep the meplats of match bullets not only consistent throughout the construction phase, but also when resting in the magazine of a rifle. The hollowpoint design – employed for decades – is certainly sound, but you’ll find trimming tools designed for keeping the fine bullet noses consistent, in an effort to achieve a uniform ballistic coefficient value. It is a uniform BC (along with uniform muzzle velocities) that aids in longrange accuracy, and projectiles have become increasingly complex in the effort to attain the uniformity desired to routinely hit targets to 1,000 yards and beyond. The polymer tip made a huge difference in keeping a consistent meplat, and therefore a consistent BC, but it was Hornady who discovered that their polymer tips were actually melting in flight, drastically affecting the BC downrange. Solving that problem was certainly a step in the right direction, and I’ve had great results with both the ELD-X in the hunting fields and the ELD Match at the target range. But Hornady wasn’t done, and the pursuit of the perfect match bullet continued. Using aluminum for a meplat material wasn’t exactly a new idea; the 62
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
bullet bulletin original Winchester Silvertip used a flat-tipped aluminum cap as a means of slowing expansion, and Hornady themselves used a huge (in comparison to the A-Tip Match) aluminum tip on their National Match line of bullets years ago. But the manufacturing Lying prone, author Phil Massaro prepares to engage the 1,200-yard target in Oregon’s high desert.
techniques of yesteryear are not those of today, and Hornady turned to aluminum once again to try and manufacture the ultimate meplat. Hornady used their excellent AMP bullet jacket and machined a long, and very precise, aluminum tip, which
relocated the center of gravity and optimized the long-range performance of the A-Tip Match. And the tolerances held by Hornady are so tight you can barely feel the seam between copper jacket and aluminum tip. AT THAT OREGON range, I had the opportunity to take the 135-grain A-Tip Match to task, handloaded in the 6.5 Creedmoor, launched from a Ruger Precision Rifle and topped with a Leupold Mark 5 7-35x56. Those handloads – the A-Tip Match is only available in component form, you see – generated an average muzzle velocity of 2,769 feet per second, as observed on a LabRadar unit. In spite of wind gusts up to 20 mph, changing direction numerous times throughout the day, we were able to make solid hits out to the 1,500-yard mark, the furthest we could engage from the particular point we were shooting from. I found the A-Tip Match to shoot a bit tighter at longer ranges than it did up close; it’s the type of bullet that needs a bit of time to stabilize. It handled wonderfully in those stiff
Massaro took the 135-grain A-Tip Match – loaded in the 6.5 Creedmoor – out to 1,500 yards, making solid hits in some rather stiff wind.
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americanshootingjournal.com 65
bullet bulletin
Hornady ships the A-Tip Match in two packs of 50, in a protective plastic carton, to avoid any marring to the bullets.
winds, needing much less correction for wind deflection than other designs I’ve used. Admittedly, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a wonderfully accurate bullet, but the cartridge is made better by launching Hornady’s new A-Tip Match. On the last day of the Shooting Academy, we had an opportunity to use a different shooting position and stretch the Creedmoor/A-Tip Match combo out to the 1-mile mark. While my shots fell victim to the winds and transonic window (that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it), a couple of colleagues made contact at that distance. Hornady ships the A-Tip Match directly off the machines in sequential order; in fact, they provide a polishing cloth bag to remove the machine lubricants. They are shipped in boxes of 100, and Hornady will sell you a sequential run of up to 500 bullets, in an effort to obtain the best consistency. They have also seen the wisdom of 66
American Shooting Journal // May 2020
The 6mm Creedmoor, 6XC and even the .243 Winchester will certainly shine when loaded with the 110-grain Hornady A-Tip.
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bullet bulletin
While not a cheap bullet, Hornady has put together quite the package for the handloader who is serious about extreme long-range target shooting.
producing this bullet up and down the spectrum, with the geometry of each bullet being unique to the caliber/ weight combination. It is currently available in: .224-inch-diameter 90-grain bullet; 6mm-diameter 110-grain bullet; 6.5mm-diameter 135and 153-grain bullets; 7mm-diameter
166- and 190-grain bullets; .308-inchdiameter 176-, 230- and 250-grain bullets; .338-inch-diameter 300-grain bullet; .375-inch-diameter 390-grain bullet; and .416-inch-diameter 500-grain bullet. My .300 Winchester Magnum shows a definite liking for the 230-grain A-Tip Match, though The 230-grain A-Tip Match can be a wonderful choice for the .300 Winchester Magnum, if your barrel can stabilize it.
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here in New York I have only had the opportunity to take it to 300 yards. While Hornady offers both the G1 and G7 BC values for each of these bullets, we had excellent results using the 4-DOF ballistic program from Hornady, relying on an axial form factor rather than ballistic coefficient. These are not cheap, as the street price will run between $0.80 and $1.35 per bullet, but they are a good value for those who take their precision shooting serious. Look at how our optics, receivers, barrels, triggers and stocks have changed for the better over the last 20 years. I can’t possibly understand why anyone would have an issue with an expensive projectile, especially considering that it is the only part of our setup that touches the target at all. Hornady has a winner here, and I think you’ll see the product line expand over the coming years. Perhaps for the target shooter who stays within 500 yards there may be more affordable options – including Hornady’s ELD Match – but when the distances get truly long, look to the A-Tip Match.
ROAD HUNTER
NORTH AMERICA’S BIGGEST GAME
Coastal brown bears grow big, and are considered by many to be the pinnacle of big game hunting in North America.
Sportsman experiences ‘animal ... hunt of a lifetime’ while chasing a massive brown bear in Alaska. STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
have been fortunate to hunt a variety of amazing big game animals around the world, but the ultimate experience could be the quest for a big brown bear in Alaska. “You guys unpack your gear; I’ll head up to the crow’s nest and start glassing," instructed Last Frontier
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brown bear guide Bruce Hallingstad. His ace guide, George Joy, and I were barely nose-deep into our first bag when Bruce erupted. “Bear, bear ... Big bear!” Bruce shouted from the platform, the best vantage point for miles and by the two-story dilapidated cabin that would serve as our base camp for the next
10 days. We’d been in bear camp for seven minutes, having just arrived from a boat ride across Egegik Lagoon. Rushing up the narrow stairway and peeking out the window that led to the crow’s nest that Bruce built specifically for spotting bears over 15 years ago, I could see the bear with my naked eye from over a mile away. Looking at the americanshootingjournal.com 71
ROAD HUNTER More than 12 hours after the author’s bear was spotted, finally a shot opportunity came at 325 yards.
bear through binoculars, even at that distance, it was obvious he was a giant. “He’s over 10 feet!” Bruce exclaimed, looking through his spotting scope. “Get your gear; I’ll keep watching the bear.” George pumped up a two-man raft and I got ready. Soon I switched places with Bruce, while he suited up. Seeing that bear in the spotting scope for the first time was an image I’ll never forget. The first feature to catch my eye was his blocky head. The bear’s hindquarters were massive and gyrated independently from the front half of his body with every step. His front legs were thick, all the way to the feet. He was a beast, roaming the tundra as he’d done for decades. Quickly, Bruce was ready and we were both sitting in the crow’s nest, continuing to glass. “It’s getting dark 72
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about midnight, so we have plenty of time,” Bruce encouraged. It was only 10 a.m. on this sunny day in May. For more than 30 minutes we watched the bear, anticipating where it might go. It was in no hurry, grazing on grass, slowly moving our direction. “I’ve seen a lot of bears travel this line over the years and I can just about promise you he’s going to that bench behind those willows,” Bruce pointed. “Let’s go get him!” Two hours later Bruce and I were in position. But just as we prepared to slip the raft into a 60-foot-wide creek and paddle across, the wind changed. “Let’s get out of here, fast!” Bruce ordered. Though the bear was still over a mile away, Bruce made the right call. “I’ve seen this bear several times over the past few seasons, and I
guarantee if he smells us, we’ll never see him again,” Bruce whispered. GIANT BROWN BEARS A 10-footer is the holy grail of the brown bear world. What some hunters don’t realize is that you could hunt an entire lifetime and never see a 10-foot bear in the wild, let alone kill one. Since I was not a resident at the time of this brown bear hunt with Bruce, I hired him as my guide. He has been hunting brown bears for over 20 years, and knows his stuff. I’d taken another brown bear with Bruce four years prior, but it wasn’t the big bear I was hoping for. Bruce is known for taking big brown bears. At one time he had the number 5 and number 11 brown bear in the Boone and Crockett record book, and had a
ROAD HUNTER
The tundra on the upper Alaska Peninsula is vast and not easily negotiated. Here, spotting a bear is one thing, getting close enough for a shot is another.
number of 10-foot bears to his credit. They have great genetics, exceptional food, and grow big in this part of Alaska, which is why Bruce chose to base his operation near the village of Egegik, which is a 330-mile flight southwest from Anchorage. Having lived in Alaska, and traveled there for 30 years, massive brown bears simply captivate me. Everything about them is enthralling, and the bigger and older they get, the wiser they become, and the harder they are to outsmart. GO TIME Back atop the crow’s nest for the next several hours, we never took our eyes off where we’d last seen the giant brown bear, alternating between spotting scopes and binoculars. “He’s bedded down, and when he gets up, he’ll either start working that ridge or pop out where we had to abort the stalk,” Bruce shared. It was nearly 9 p.m., and for a moment I was alone. Glassing the same ground we’d been watching all day, I was struck when the big bear suddenly materialized in the spotting 74
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scope. His slow gait and massive size left no doubt it was our bear, and he popped out on the end of the ridge, just as Bruce predicted. Grabbing our gear, we wasted no time. Traveling along the graveled beach allowed us to quickly cover ground. Moving across a grassy flat, Bruce and I reached the edge of a stream. I ranged the bear at just over 700 yards. Crossing a creek in the tiny raft we’d been pulling behind us, we closed to within 600 yards. The tide was out, and two hours of daylight remained. An inch of dense, pasty, black mud covered the rocky creek bank, which made for slippery, challenging walking. Fortunately, we were out of sight from the bear, and the wind held perfect. Crawling up to the edge of the bank, I parted the tall, yellow grass. The bruin was just over 400 yards away, and for the first time it felt like we had a chance. Then the bear suddenly turned 90 degrees and kept walking. “If he goes out there, we’ll never catch him,” Bruce urged, grabbing his pack. The chase was on and I felt my dream slipping away. Unless a bear
stops when walking on the marshy tundra, the odds of catching up are zero. Now with less than an hour of daylight remaining, we stuck to the edge of a creek bed. Soon we were 600 yards from the bear, then 500, then 400. I was shooting a .338-378 Weatherby Magnum topped with a Trijicon 3x9 AccuPoint scope. The bullet of choice was a 225-grain Triple Shock. I felt comfortable shooting out to 400 yards, but on a bear of this stature, really hoped to get within 300 yards. Finally, we caught a break as the bear laid down, broadside, head facing to the right. He was inside 300 yards, and all it had to do was stand to clear the tall grass, then I could take the shot. For 15 minutes we sat, motionless. I was solid in the shooting sticks, but my heart continued beating faster, and louder. Finally the bear rolled on its side, pivoted on its hindquarters, lethargically gained its footing and started walking directly away. My heart sank, as I had no shot. When the bear sauntered into a creek bed, dipping out of sight, we ran as fast as we could. Quickly I set up
ROAD HUNTER in the shooting sticks on the edge of a deep creek. Right then, the massive bear sauntered out of the meandering creek bottom, quartering away. It was the perfect shot angle, but the grass was too thick to thread a bullet through. He was now 295 yards away, the closest we’d been to the bear. “As soon as he turns, I’ll take him,” I whispered to Bruce. Following each lumbering step of the giant bear through the rifle scope, his
stride slowed. Then, at 325 yards, the mammoth beast sat on its hind end, facing away. When the rifle roared, the bruin dropped on the spot, and though it wasn’t necessary, I let go with two more insurance rounds. These bears are massive and strong, and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. More than 12 hours after spotting the bear, our hunt was over. Approaching him was one of the most moving
Author Scott Haugen (right) and guide Bruce Hallingstad couldn’t have been happier with this monster brown bear of a lifetime.
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moments of my 40-plus years of big game hunting, something I can’t even begin to describe with mere words. When Bruce reached down and lifted the bear’s upper lip to inspect the teeth, we were speechless. The incisors were worn flush to the gum line, and every canine was busted. Each molar was cracked and abscessed. His claws were worn, his skin hung loose, covering what was less than 1,000 pounds of flesh. In his healthy years,
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ROAD HUNTER The teeth of the author’s 23-year-old bear tell the story. Split, broken and worn to the gums, along with an emaciated body, it’s likely this bear would not have survived another year.
this boar would have tipped the scales at 1,500 pounds. The hide of the old bear squared a mind-boggling 10 feet 9 inches. When dried, the skull measured a whopping 29 4/16 inches, making him the third largest bear Bruce had taken in his camp. The bear was aged at 23 years, one of the oldest that’s ever been recorded on the upper Alaska Peninsula. I’ve been fortunate to experience some incredible hunts in my life, but this brown bear hunt was extra special. If, for some reason, my hunting career ended, I’d be content, as this truly was an animal, and a hunt, of a lifetime. Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s best-selling book, Hunting the Alaskan High Arctic, send a check for $38 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen.com.
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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
HUNTER, SPECIAL FORCES INPUT GO INTO DESIGN OF NEW BIPOD
Norwegian Special Operation Forces personnel offered input on the design and development of Spartan’s new V2 bipod.
Spartan Precision Equipment’s V2 a light, high-quality, adjustable, modular way to stabilize your rifle. PHOTOS BY SPARTAN PRECISION EQUIPMENT
S
partan Precision Equipment, known across the world for its innovative hunting accessories, has launched the V2 bipod, a product that has been designed and developed with input from hunters and the military, including personnel associated with the Norwegian Special Operation Forces. “The V2 carries on our proud tradition of designing innovative products and
engineering them to the highest standards from the best materials,” says Spartan’s Rob Gipson. Made from CNC-machined 7075 aluminium and top-quality carbon fiber, the V2 is not only light, at just 373 grams, but incredibly strong. Retailing at $465, it is available in a choice of black or grey corrosion-resistant hard-anodized finish and is designed for long-range tactical rifle platforms.
“As ever, we’ve listened to our customers’ needs and have developed a bipod that outperforms and outfunctions anything else on the market – even bipods that weigh twice as much,” says Gipson. “In addition, we’ve engineered the V2 to be flexible, modular and capable of adapting to any environment or shooting situation.” With attachment options for both Picatinny and M-Lok rails, the V2 connects americanshootingjournal.com 81
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
The bipod’s “tac legs” are made from carbon and aluminium, extend from 6.5 to 8.9 inches and have five pitch settings.
via a spigot mount, enabling the bipod to either be fitted in seconds or hang permanently under the rifle for a rocksteady platform on just about any terrain. Its quick, adjustable “tac legs” are made from carbon and aluminium and extend from 165mm to 225mm with five pitch settings, ranging from fully forwards to fully back. Tungsten carbide feet and durable synthetic boots provide grip on a variety of surfaces. In addition, a lockable cant function helps cope with particularly uneven ground. Like many other products in the Spartan range, the V2 has a modular design. Its legs are interchangeable with the full Spartan Pro Leg range and the V2 can also be mounted on the Sentinel tripod system or any other product fitted with a Davros mount.
With its modular design, other Spartan legs can be mounted on the V2.
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Editor’s note: For more information, visit javelinbipod.com.
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SALUTE To GUNS
SINGLE-ACTION, DOUBLE-ACTION AND AUTOMATIC PISTOLS
The classic Colt Single Action .45 is the easiest revolver to master. (COLT)
The merits of each have been debated for decades; here’s one shooter’s take. STORY BY JIM DICKSON
he relative merits of the three basic types of pistols – singleaction, double-action and automatic – has rarely been discussed in an impartial manner. All have their place and their advantages and disadvantages, depending upon their use. There is a lot of misinformation and even brazen lies that have been repeated for so long that many people believe them. Chief among these is the lie that revolvers are more reliable than automatics. We need to get that lie out of the way before we go any further. I shoot for a living and I have had far more jams and malfunctions with revolvers than automatics. I have
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seen a .45 M1911A1 throw sand out of every joint and keep right on firing. If you ever get sand down inside the lockwork of a revolver, it will lock up as tight as a bank vault until you turn it in to Ordnance and they take it apart and clean it. That brings up another point. Automatics are usually easy to take apart and put back together. Revolvers are not, and double-action revolvers can be a nightmare. Even trying to get some of those tiny screws to start in their holes can prove almost impossible for those that lack the magic touch. Revolvers have to be in perfect timing to operate reliably. As they wear, they get out of time. Bad things
happen now. A cylinder may refuse to turn, trigger pulls go up and down drastically in the force required to operate, and a hammer may sporadically lack sufficient force to fire the cartridge or may refuse to go all the way back, etc. I have seen all these things and more. A revolver that is worn or out of time may work perfectly during dry firing but start doing the aforementioned things when you begin firing live ammo. I have even had a foreign copy of a Colt Single Action have its cylinder freeze up after loading the first couple of rounds. Despite the fact that there was plenty of play fore and aft and no place was visibly binding, the cylinder pin had americanshootingjournal.com 85
The easiest pistol to hit with of all time, the German P08 Luger. (KRIEGHOFF)
to be removed to get the cylinder out before you could get the cartridges out. The gun then would cycle perfectly as long as no shells were in it. I sent that gun back to the importer without ever figuring that one out. Then there are the screws. Revolvers are full of them. They back out sometimes as you fire and then they can tie up the gun. An automatic keeps right on working reliably despite its wear until something breaks. I have never had any weird malfunctions with an automatic. NOW LET US begin with the single-action revolvers. The Colt Single Action Army (SAA) in .45 Long Colt (as opposed to the .45 Short Schofield) is the classic gun of the Old West. It is simple and easy to master. Thanks to Western movies and TV shows, it is the most recognizable pistol in the world. The ease of hitting with it makes it a top choice for many people. As long as you take the time to point it at the target, its rate of fire is as fast as a double-action revolver. Since it is a .45, you only need one shot per human assailant. That means you can immediately turn your attention to any other attackers in turn. This is a life and death matter because many men have run out of time and been killed by the other attackers while trying to do a double-tap on each assailant. Equally important is the fact that you do not need expanding bullets, so long as you hit the vitals. Expanding bullets do not always expand and when they do, they do not always expand the same amount. Worse, they lack penetration through the cover your opponent will often try to take in a gunfight. On really big bear and moose, 86
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they lack adequate penetration. As long as you don’t have to face more than five men before having time to reload, you are fine. I said five because despite Hollywood calling it a six-shooter, you must never load more than five cartridges in a M1873 SAA because its 1836 lockwork from the Colt Patterson revolver does not have a rebounding hammer or a safety bar. That means a blow on the hammer can set off the cartridge under it. The safety notch intended to stop this can easily be broken off by a hard blow, as many early cowboys found out when saddling a horse resulted in a heavy stirrup hitting the hammer and firing the gun while it was in its holster. While the five-shot capacity is not too bad a flaw, the speed of reloading is more serious. You can reload a Colt cap-and-ball revolver with paper cartridges just as fast as you can remove the empty cases and reload a Colt SAA. On the plus side, the ejection of the cases is positive and there is no way to get a cartridge case jammed behind the extractor, as sometimes happens when people try to eject the cases from a swingout cylinder double-action revolver without pointing the muzzle up first. The wonderful trigger pull of the SAA makes it unsuitable for police work, where pointing a loaded gun at a suspect is common. It is too easy for a nervous man to accidentally let off a shot. The Colt SAA is particularly
susceptible to screws backing out and screwdrivers fitted to the screwheads are a necessity. I tighten up all my screws after each box of cartridges fired with a set of screwdrivers from Peacemaker Specialties. They also make a cylinder pin puller for getting out tight cylinder pins without marring them. The Colt SAA’s strong point is the ease of hitting with it. Sadly, most people never gain the full benefits of this because they don’t fully understand how to shoot it. Some years ago, I realized that I was the last living man who knew the old gunfighter’s secret grip for the Colt SAA. Since I don’t expect to face another man with a single-action in a gunfight in this day and time, I decided to start writing about it. The men on the frontier who knew this grip could easily shoot alongside an M1873 or M1892 Winchester rifle at all ranges. See sidebar on page 88 to learn how to
The 4-inch-barrel .45 Colt Ruger Redhawk revolver can be fired double-action just as accurately as it can be fired single-action. Not every pistol can. (RUGER)
master this old gunfighter’s secret grip. THE DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVER has largely superseded the single-action. It is much faster to reload, especially if it is a topbreak, and the use of speed loaders makes it even faster. The old British Webley is the all-time champion revolver for fast reloading. This rugged, reliable design stands as the best military revolver ever to see service. Sadly, it is no longer made. The American swing-out cylinder revolvers require that the muzzle be held up when ejecting the cartridges, lest one fall between the cylinder and the ejector and be hard to remove. Ejection requires a separate movement, unlike the topbreak designs that positively eject when the gun is opened fast. Double-action revolvers are the best pistols for the casual user who just wants a burglar pistol, as there is not much to remember. Just point and
pull the trigger. Burglars are normally shot at across-the-room range, so this works quite well in practice. That long double-action trigger pull is a good safety feature for when a nervous homeowner has their finger on the trigger. It is also the reason that this is the only satisfactory gun for police use. Single-actions and automatics have triggers that are easier to set off. That’s no good when a nervous cop has pulled a gun on a possibly innocent suspect. We have few crimes where the death penalty is employed anymore, so letting a nervous cop play accidental executioner is inexcusable if the police are really there to protect and serve the citizen instead of the state. This is a good time to debunk the advice that a pump shotgun makes a good burglar gun. It is long and clumsy indoors and may be easily grabbed away from you when going through doorways. At across-the-room range, the shot does not spread out enough to matter. You basically have a pump slug gun that has to have the action pumped for each shot. While some think the sound of cycling a pump gun is cool, it is also fatally slow indoors. A pistol is a far, far better weapon here. Just make sure it’s a .45. The best double-action .45 revolver
currently available is the 4-inch-barrel Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt. It has the finest double-action trigger pull of any revolver I have ever used. I can hit just as well shooting double-action with this pistol as I can shooting singleaction with it. They also designed it without all the screws you normally find in revolvers. This gun is big enough to be almost recoil-free in .45 Colt, yet any member of the family can use it in an emergency. Most people will not take the time or expend the ammunition to become proficient at double-action firing, but here is how to do it. First and foremost, employ instinct shooting. Second, make a smooth trigger pull while ignoring the gun. Engage the trigger with the first joint instead of the tip of the trigger finger, with the thumb pointed down as it grips the pistol. You will be surprised at how quickly skill can be gained this way. You are still going to have a big ammo bill, though, as practice these days does not come cheap. The double-action revolver can also be fired single-action, but it is not configured for efficient use in this mode. If you are going to cock the gun before you shoot, you should just go ahead and buy a single-action, as they are much more efficient at this mode of firing. Use the double-action revolver for double-action shooting. That’s what it is designed to do. Also do not fire the first shot single-action if you may have to fire double-action for follow-up shots, for this will throw off your shooting immeasurably. THE M1911A1 .45 automatic represents the ultimate in pistol design. It has the americanshootingjournal.com 87
MASTERING THE SECRET GRIP
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he Colt SAA’s strong point is the ease of hitting with it, but only if you know how to shoot it. Here’s how to master the secret grip: The first step is to cock the hammer with the thumb laid sideways across the hammer. This positions the hand high on the grip, whereas cocking it with the thumb held longways on the hammer – as you would cock a double-action revolver – throws the grip down to the round bottom part of the gun’s handle, resulting in the gun’s side to side movement being more difficult to control. The hand should be up tight against the cocked hammer’s spur. Since this comes razor-sharp from the factory, you will need to file off the sharp edge. Don’t worry. It won’t show. The base of the trigger finger should be angled down, pressing against the flat Colt logo panel at the top of the grips, while the thumb should be angled down, pressing against the other logo panel. The trigger is engaged with the first joint of the trigger finger, not the
The gunfighter’s secret grip begins by cocking the gun with the thumb crossways on the hammer, as this position forces the grip up high on the gun where it belongs. (JIM DICKSON)
tip of the finger. The tip of the finger should curve back and touch the tip of the thumb. To fire, squeeze both logo panels (this will automatically align the sights with what you are pointing at) and press the trigger finger against the thumb, ignoring the trigger itself.
Once cocked, the hand should be high up on the gun, pushing against the hammer spur. The two Colt logo panels are squeezed by the base of the trigger finger and the thumb. This is where control is exerted over the pistol. The tip of the trigger finger is forced against the tip of the thumb to fire. This converts the normally disruptive force of pulling the trigger into a steadying force for better accuracy. (JIM DICKSON)
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This converts the normally disruptive force of pulling the trigger into a steadying force. The gunfighter’s secret grip was always intended to be used with instinct shooting because this is the fastest and most accurate way to hit. To learn to instinct shoot, set out a row of matchsticks or empty .22 cases as far away as you can easily see them, taking care not to place them too close together. Strict form is necessary if you want to learn fast. You can shoot from other positions after you learn to hit this way. Stand in the classic duelist stance with the arm fully extended towards the target with your elbow and wrist straight. Lay your chin against your shoulder and look only at the target, ignoring the gun as you point at the target. Commence firing at each target in turn. If you miss, just keep going. Otherwise you will just miss in the same spot again. It’s really very easy and you will soon catch on. Later you can progress to shooting coins out of the air and other tricks.
The pistol perfected: the M1911A1 .45 automatic. (INLAND MFG.)
most reliability of all pistols and its .45 ACP cartridge will put down a foe with one shot to the vitals as reliably as anything you can hold in your hand. I have a World War II manual in which the Army states that the .45 ACP has more stopping power than the .30-06. That just bears out what pistol users have seen all along. While relatively easy to master, you do need to become accustomed to it, whereas the German P08 Luger is the easiest pistol to hit with ever made. You just point and hit. It’s as simple as that. The Luger is also one of the most accurate pistols ever made. While not quite as reliable overall as the M1911A1, it is the champ in the mud. There is no place for globs of mud to enter the mechanism and it is good at throwing the mud off when fired. If the barrel is plugged with mud and then fired, it will bulge the barrel but the gun will still work. A pistol with a slide over the barrel will always jam in that situation and the only fix is to replace the bulged barrel. The trigger pull of an automatic can be as light as any single-action’s. This is a great aid to accuracy, but like the single-action revolver, it makes it unsuitable for police work where you are supposed to cover a suspect with your gun without accidentally shooting him. Users of automatic pistols need to learn how to field-strip them and then reassemble them. This puts off the casual owner just wanting a burglar pistol. They may have trouble remembering how after a few years. The automatic is the champion
at sustained fire. Just keep those loaded magazines coming and it will keep right on firing. No revolver can approach its sustained rate of fire, which has saved the lives of many service members. The M1911A1 is best gripped with the first joint of the trigger finger on the trigger, instead of the tip. The thumb should be pointed down. This grip gives the best control and accuracy of the gun. Do not point the thumb up, as you may soon find that it is prone to raising a blister in this position if the gun is fired extensively. It should be noted that as America has produced many pistoleros, there have been men in every war who have used their pistol in preference to a long arm for everything except longrange work. It certainly is the best weapon for fighting inside buildings. The M1911A1 has earned itself a sterling reputation among these men, quite unlike its successor, the 9mm M9 pistol, whose career has been marked by slides coming off in soldiers’ faces and reports of jams in adverse conditions. Colonel George Chinn authored the series of books, The Machine Gun, on machinegun mechanisms, which the Bureau of Navy Ordnance kept classified for years. Col. Chinn once told me that “as long as nitrocellulose is our propellant, every possible mechanism has been tried. All that the gun designer can do now is reconfigure existing mechanisms.” By
the time the M1911 came along, all the ones suitable for pistols had come out. It is a simple truth that once you reach the top of the mountain, all roads are downhill from there. That certainly applies to the M1911, as it is the pinnacle of pistol design and everything since then has been and will continue to be inferior to it. Back in the early 1980s, when my wife Betty and I were living in a one-room log trapper’s cabin deep in Alaska, our WWII-issue Remington Rand M1911A1s with G.I. surplus ball ammo proved capable of doing everything we needed in the Alaskan bush. If I could only have one gun, it would be the M1911A1, as it is the only one that I can have on me at all times. The need for a gun generally comes as a sudden surprise, whether you are in the wilderness or the city. That’s where the pistol can be your lifesaver. Skill with the pistol is one of the most important skills in life because it is one that can determine whether you and your family live or not. americanshootingjournal.com 89
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COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
BATTLE BORN AND TESTED
StrikeHold is a lubricant, protectant and cleaner “that goes on wet and dries, leaving a hard finish coating that protects weapons by deterring carbon build-up, contaminants and corrosion in all weather conditions.”
StrikeHold helps lubricate, protect and clean firearms – and a whole lot more. PHOTOS BY STRIKEHOLD
W
hether sport hunting, target shooting or using firearms in the line of duty or for self-defense, gun owners expect their weapons to discharge every time without fail. This requires proper firearm cleaning and lubrication after virtually every use. The problem is that some solvents and oil-based lubricants can be
slick, oily and do not dry completely. With repeated use, these lubricants can build into a gummy substance that actually attracts dust, dirt, etc. Compounding the problem are the harsh environments where firearms are used, which can vary from forest to duck pond to desert. So when U.S. troops were experiencing a weapon failure rate
of almost 50 percent due to a sandy, desert environment, Michael Huggard (formerly of the 504th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division) was asked by several major generals to come up with a solution. Huggard engineered a product called StrikeHold that works as a lubricant, protectant and cleaner. After using the product, the failure rate was reduced to nearly zero. americanshootingjournal.com 91
Now StrikeHold is available to gun owners and hunters nationwide for necessary maintenance. It goes on wet and dries in place, leaving a hard finish coating that protects weapons by deterring carbon build-up, contaminants and corrosion in all weather conditions. As a cleaner, it removes firing residues, gum build-up, as well as foreign debris from weapons components. As a lubricant, it contains synthetic-based additives that act like microscopic ballbearings to reduce friction. The gun cleaner has been battle-tested on all types of weapons systems, from 9mm pistols to M110 sniper rifles, M4 to .50-caliber, field artillery and even M1A2 Abrams tanks. The protective properties of the gun lubricant are also proving themselves in the most extreme environments, including arctic conditions, since StrikeHold will not freeze in use. “One of my Ruger Mini-14 rifles has spent close to 30 hours afield with me, and recently when I disassembled it to clean
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Besides cleaning and lubricating products for not only firearms but also automotive and even fishing reel applications, StrikeHold also makes cleaning cloths.
it, the StrikeHold was still doing a fine job,” says Alaskan gun owner Vic Kennard. “Only needed to clean burnt powder and copper from the action and bore. The big cold – -50 to -65 below – are still weeks away, but with what I can see, the moisture has not defeated the StrikeHold.” Editor’s note: For more information, visit strikehold.com.
ATHLON OPTICS The Argos BTR Gen 2 1-8x24 is a reliable close-range scope with the ability to engage midrange targets, something no one should be without. The Argos BTR Gen 2 1-8x24 features the glass-etched illuminated ATSR5 reticle, providing quick target acquisition at close range and holdovers out to 600 yards.
CDNN SPORTS AR-15 low-profile flip-up 45-degree sight set See us on page 9
ARMASPEC The Armaspec Rifter Linear Muzzle Brake with blast shield greatly reduces felt recoil and directs the gasses as well as sound forward, away from the shooter. The Rifter minimizes the blast pattern, which is especially helpful when in close proximity to others or in the prone position. MSRP $159.99 with blast shield. Patents pending.
LUTH-AR- MBA-5 BUTTSTOCK The Luth-AR MBA-5 Buttstock is the latest in the MBA Series of buttstocks. It’s designed as an affordable, lightweight, adjustable carbine buttstock with a paddle-style adjustment lever, allowing for rapid positioning. The wide, flared cheek rest provides a comfortable cheek weld, and the integrated Picatinny rail allows for attaching a mono-pod or other accessories. The MBA-5 is designed to fit either Mil-Spec or commercial carbine buffer tubes and includes an industry-exclusive anti-rattle clamp. The MBA-5 is Grovtec Quick Detach sling cup-ready. Paired with Luth-AR’s Chubby Grip and Palm Handguard, the new MBA-5 is just the right choice for your AR. See us on page 58 VELOCITY TRIGGERS 3-pound curved trigger
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VELOCITY PRECISION Like all Velocity Precision products, their Recoilless Bolt Carrier is designed with accuracy and performance in mind. The unique, patent-pending design is stronger than other low-mass bolt carriers and is one of the lightest bolt carriers on the market. It will significantly reduce your rifle’s recoil impulse and muzzle rise for faster follow-up shots, and its Nano Diamond Nickel coating makes it extremely wear-resistant, easy to clean and uncompromisingly durable. This unique coating creates a very slick surface, which reduces the probability of failures due to a lack of lubrication, reduces typical wear and tear on expensive parts and truly makes shooting your AR-15 much more fun. Learn more at VelocityTriggers.com.
ZERMATT ARMS The Origin action from Zermatt Arms is a modestly priced precision bolt action. Incorporating a floating and interchangeable bolt head with controlled round feed and mechanical ejection as well as toolless bolt disassembly, the Origin action is perfect for the at-home tinkerer and the competition shooter alike. At $825, the Origin is an affordable option for any level of precision shooter. CAMO FACE PAINT INC. The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes Bobbie Weiner as their No. 1 supplier of camo face paint for all branches of the military. Bobbie also supplies camo face paint to the hunting industry. Three-, four- and five-color compacts include unbreakable mirrors, and camo tubes in a variety of colors for all terrains. Odorless, nontoxic, hypoallergenic, nonglare, washes off with soap and water, and has a four-year shelf life. Made in the USA!
LUTH-AR Palm handguard See us on page 58
SEAL 1 SKIT-R/P Gun Cleaning Kit – All Rifle and Pistol
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Parts & Accessories