On May 6 of this year, a buddy and I attended the SIG Freedom Days at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility near Phoenix, Arizona. This one-of-a-kind event was open to the public and allowed consumers to test-fire many of the firearms in SIG’s lineup, for a small fee of course. They also had demonstrations and discussions about the winner of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) trials, the MCX Spear (also known as the XM5 chambered in 6.8x51), the SIG LMG-6.8 (or the M250) and the SIG MG 338. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this system is the fact that it uses a two-piece case. The case head is steel while the body and neck are made of brass. ...Read More >

If you are like me, you have one or two propellant powders stashed away in your powder magazine that are there not because of their versatility, but because they fill a more specialized roll. Vihtavuori N105 Super Magnum is one of those powders that I don’t burn up pounds of, but I consider it a must-have powder for loading two firearm/cartridge combinations, a .44 Magnum Marlin Model 1894-P and a friend’s .454 Casull Big Horn Armory Model 90A. VV-N105 Super Magnum delivers performance way beyond the many other propellants and bullet combinations I have tried in those two firearms. ...Read More >

Q: I have been handloading ammunition for the .45 ACP for nearly 20 years, in conjunction with several Model 1911 pistols that I own. I have tried a variety of bullets, but mostly stick with either 230-grain roundnose ball-style, or JHP’s from Hornady or Nosler that are of the same weight. Recently, I purchased a large quantity of once-fired cases, as I cannot find them available new, but when I began loading them, it was quickly noticed that about half of them take small pistol primers. ...Read More >

Picking a new rifle and cartridge for any military force sets in motion a process with difficulty ranking somewhere between lassoing gophers and trimming the toenails of wild lions. Everyone from military officers and politicians to their office staff, relatives and landscapers have an opinion on the subject. It just has such an effect on people. Given that our cartridge this time is the 5.45x39mm Russian, certainly the powers-that-be (or powers-that-were) in the former Soviet Union could design the perfect military rifle cartridge without a lot of distraction. Let’s see. ...Read More >