Springfield’s New XDS

Springfield Armory announced a new pistol in the XD lineup.This small pistol is a very compact XD in .45 acp. It holds 5+1 rounds in it’s single column magazine.The pistol is also thin with the width right at one inch.Right now it’s only available in .45 acp with other calibers coming down the road.The empty weight is only 29 ounces.

Springfield just added a web page to the XDs over the weekend! Springfield XDs

More updates to come from SHOT!

Range Day At The SHOT Show

The SHOT show is in full swing with the first day being range day where writers and others get to fire guns from various companies. This is a brief video of the event.

The Tacticool Song

This is hilarious and applies to many a shooter:-)Enjoy!

Preserve Your Stored Guns And Ammo With ZCorr

A few months ago I was contacted by a company that specializes in products for the preservation of weapons, ammunition as well as other metallic items prone to rusting. The company is Heritage Packaging company who markets the ZCorr line of scientifically designed storage bags. ZCorr manufactures several bag sizes. The sizes range from storage for smaller objects up to full size rifles with optics attached. In fact the US Marine Corps uses these products for transport and storage of ammunition, M16′s, M4′s etc. Operating in many cases around salt water environments this is especially important for the Corps.

As most shooters know after our last presidential election there was a mass run on the purchase of firearms and ammunition. I know a fair number of people who purchased many thousands of rounds of not only ammunition but extra guns. Most of these shooters never intended to fire this ammunition or even the extra guns. This is all fine and well but what are you going to do in order to protect that investment over the years? These ZCorr bags could very well be what you need to protect your guns and extra ammunition.

Since I believe in testing products to the fullest before recommending them to readers I’ve stored ammunition as well as a revolver and rifle for the last several months. After placing these items in the bags as recommended I placed them in a damp basement. I occasionally checked on them of course. Two weeks ago I decided it was time to take these items out of storage and inspect them for any signs of rust or degrading of the wood stocked rifle. In the case of the ammunition I also wanted to take this ammunition to the range to make sure all of the rounds would still fire.

After bringing everything home I opened the packages and inspected the guns. They showed no signs of rust inside or out. The ammunition had no oxidation I could observe. Everything looked the same way it did three and a half months ago when I stored them. I took these same guns and ammunition to the range and fired all 150 rounds of assorted ammunition without a failure to fire. The lube on the guns looked the same as well and functioned as they did prior to storage. This pretty much convinced me they had a very good product!

Rather than try to explain the process these bags employ I’ll let the companies information speak for them:

ZCORR FSP Bags™ utilize a combination of Vapor Phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VpCI) chemistry and barrier packaging materials to completely prevent the corrosion of your firearms and ammunition. The material that ZCORR FSP Bags™ are manufactured with is a proprietary lamination of materials that conjointly yield anti-corrosion properties that have not been commercially available until now.

This laminated, anti-corrosion barrier material is puncture resistant, tear resistant, non-abrasive, non-toxic, and will not harm any non-metal surfaces. However, the most important features of the material are its VpCI impregnated sealant layer and its foil barrier layer.

The VpCI impregnated inner layer is where the anti-corrosive properties come from. The VpCI chemistry impregnated in the interior layer migrates out of the plastic and forms an invisible gas inside of the bag. This gas is made up of singular VpCI molecules that are attracted to the interior and exterior metal surfaces of your firearm. The gas coats these metal surfaces with a one molecule thick layer of VpCI chemistry that stops corrosion before it can begin. This one molecule thick layer of VpCI chemistry dissipates off of the firearm with no cleaning necessary when it is removed from the bag so that the firearm is ready for immediate use.

Foil barrier layers have been used in the packaging industry for decades and are recognized as the best material for blocking the transfer of gasses and water vapor through flexible materials. The foil layer in ZCORR FSP Bags™ performs two tasks simultaneously; it keeps harmful corrosion causing elements out of the bag and keeps the corrosion inhibiting VpCI chemistry in the bag. This allows the bag to protect your firearms and ammunition for longer than any other product on the market.
The limiting factor on how long a ZCORR FSP Bag™ will provide anti-corrosion protection is how long the bag is able to keep the VpCI chemistry locked in. Because the foil barrier layer does not let any VpCI chemistry permeate it, the only way for it to escape is when the bag is opened and closed. Bags that are repeatedly opened and closed will maintain their protective qualities for approximately 5 years. Bags that are not opened frequently can maintain their protective qualities for up to 20 years.

You may contact the company through their website as well as obtain information on bag sizes. ZCorr Link

KRISS Vector

I recently had an opportunity to review a KRISS Vector carbine. This very interesting gun chambered in 45 acp and uses a standard Glock 13 round magazine. An adapter is also available from KRISS allowing the user to carry 30 rounds in the magazine. The weight is only 5.7 pounds, accurate easy to use and a very enjoyable gun to shoot.
The complete review is over on “The Firearm Blog” KRISS Review

Just click the link. I hope you enjoy it!

FMK C91 Catastrophic Failure

There are times when I receive information from very reliable sources. In this case someone I know very well.This information pertains to a catastrophic failure of an FMK Arms C-91 pistol. This particular pistol was a test gun for evaluation. The pistol itself looks very much like many of the new polymer pistols we are all familiar with.Obviously there are some design issues! The company was contacted with no response.That in itself is disturbing. A new gun was sent but my source wasn’t terribly interested in firing it.

The pistol in the pictures below was received and cleaned before being taken to the range for testing. My source loaded the pistol with Federal ball ammunition in 9MM. On the fifth round fired the pistol detonated! To say it scared him to death would be an understatement. He had some minor injuries to his hand but nothing a few band-aids wouldn’t take care of. He was very lucky it wasn’t much worse! The pistol came apart in several pieces. If you look closely the fired round is still lodged in the barrel. The pictures give you an idea of the violence of this failure. All I can say is buyer beware!

The Federal ammunition was tested and found to be loaded within normal limits.

Great Deal From Daniel Defense for Police Officers!

Financing your new rifle: A great program for cops
Under a new program Daniel Defense just launched for law enforcement, police officers (and agencies) can obtain a top-quality patrol rifle with no-interest financing for a year

While attending the National Tactical Officers’ Association annual meeting in Richmond (Va.) earlier this month, I spent some time with the Brent Slaughter from Daniel Defense talking about their latest news. While I had expected to be impressed with the rifles they had on display, I was ill-prepared for just how interesting the “paperwork” side of their news would be. Suffice it to say, with a new program the company just launched for law enforcement, police officers (and agencies) can obtain a top-quality patrol rifle with no-interest financing for a year.

Before we get into the stuff on financing (yeah, I know, “But Doug, I LOVE talking about financing!”), let’s just take a few moments to appreciate these systems. Under their recently announced financing offer, you can choose from four different packages (including the sling, optics, extra magazines, and other accessories you’d need) exactly the system that best suits your particular need. In essence, you can take the system right out of the box and be patrol-ready (assuming you’ve already done the necessary training to properly handle the weapon in a tactical environment).

While we’re on the subject of training, it should be noted that the company offers a variety of training programs that can get officers up to speed on the system (they even have a comprehensive armorer’s course). While at NTOA I spoke with Al Dustan of Close Quarters Tactical, who presently putting the finishing touches on a training course that goes with the purchase of every law enforcement package noted below. Dustan’s trainers will go to you, or you can fly to their state-of-the-art facility in Shelby Township (Mich.).

Lots of companies bury their rifles, submerge them in water, drop them from significant heights, and whatnot. Daniel Defense steps it up a few notches. (PoliceOne Image)
The Rifles
The program begins with the Daniel Defense Basic Patrol Rifle Package, which consists of the Daniel Defense M4 V1 basic model rifle, six Magpul magazines, a red-dot optic, and a patrol bag. The Lightweight Package consists of the M4 V5 LW model rifle (which weighs just six pounds and eight ounces, fully loaded) with 12-inch continuous picatinny rails, Magpul pop-up sights, the six Magpul magazines, the red-dot optic, and the patrol bag.

The Special Services Package consists of the M4 V4 rifle with an 11.5-inch barrel, which effectively covers a nice wide selection of rounds — you can train on less expensive ammo and have “the good stuff” in your magazines on patrol.

Finally, there’s the Designated Marksman’s Package, which is a long-range weapon in 5.56. This setup includes the Bushnell 2.5-16 optic on the top rail with a DRS 25 red-dot optic mounted off to the side, making it a multi-purpose platform so you can move through the close-quarters environment to a standoff position and take a precision shot should that need arise. This was the system which had me most interested, mostly because it’s pretty different from what I’ve got in my safe at home.

I don’t (yet!) own a Daniel Defense rifle, but I have a friend who owns one of their systems and loves it, and I’ve come to appreciate how solid they are. I mean solid. Nothing shakes, jiggles, moves, or vibrates, even under the harshest conditions and most dynamic action. The company does incredibly rigorous testing on their rifles. Lots of companies bury their rifles, submerge them in water, drop them from significant heights, and whatnot. Daniel Defense steps it up a few notches. I don’t remember ever seeing a “drop test” like this one, and I know for certain I’ve never seen a test that uses a commercially-available product called “Southern Thunder.”

Check out this video, then scroll down for information on how you can get one of these systems.

The Financing
When I spoke with Brent Slaughter during our time together at NTOA (and via phone a week or so thereafter), I learned that the testing you’ve just watched is done on all their systems. Very impressive indeed. What’s even more impressive is what Brent told me about the company’s new financing program for law enforcement.

Slaughter travels overseas a lot — he’s a business development manager whose “turf” includes police organizations in a variety of foreign countries. He returned home one day from a trip to an Asia-Pacific country and knocked on the boss’s door, saying, roughly, “Why don’t we have special programs for individual American law enforcement officers like we do for some governments in other countries?”

The boss said, roughly, “Good idea. Make it happen.”

So he did.

“What we’ve done for those departments that want to partner with us,” Slaughter told me, “we’re going to offer financing, training, and other support to an individual officer or an agency to purchase Daniel Defense rifles specifically for patrol use, and we will finance that officer or that agency for up to a year, interest free. It requires a small down payment to initiate the order, and have the rifle shipped out.”

When you go to the Daniel Defense website, you’ll notice that most of their rifles are “sold out,” but the fact is that the company has a stock always set aside for law enforcement so when your order is placed, the system is shipped.

“For law enforcement, we know they need their weapons now, so we have an inventory for them. If a police officer orders a package today, it will be shipped out tomorrow, and he’ll have it for use the next day. All we ask is that the department guarantee the loan through a payroll deduction. The department takes out whatever that payment is — whether they’re paying guys every month or every two weeks or whatever it is — the department then sends us payment for the collected number of packages we have going to that municipality or agency. What that does it is minimizes some of the complications in the accounting. Instead of us getting 13 different checks from 13 different guys on 13 different days, we have one payment for everyone in that agency who has a Daniel Defense package.”

The payroll deduction can — if the agency chooses — be made pre-tax, and of course, since the purchase is for duty use, is tax-deductable.

The Bottom Line
So, how much will one of these systems set you back?

“We’ve standardized the pricing so it’s the same for every single agency no matter what size, no matter how many officers get these rifles,” Slaughter explained. “Each of these packages, with the down payment program, each solution comes out to about $80 per pay period if you get paid every two weeks.”

In order to be considered for the LE discount, you need to first register an account on DanielDefense.com. Once you’ve been verified, you’ll be notified by email that you’re free to order through the website at the discounted price.

I don’t usually write about firearms here on PoliceOne. My friends Dick Fairburn, Ron Avery, Andrew Butts, Lindsey Bertomen, Bill Campbell, Lance Eldridge, Tom Marx, Jeff Hall, Tim Dees, Glenn French, Ken Hardesty, Dan Danaher, Mike Boyle, and Dennis Haworth are far more knowledgeable than me and are almost certainly also better marksmen than me. But the fact is that the Daniel Defense packages of top-notch weapons systems, coupled with top-notch training and support, coupled with a top-notch financing opportunity was too compelling to ignore. Check it out for yourself at DanielDefense.com, or email me and I’ll forward your contact information over to Brent Slaughter at Daniel Defense.

Evolution of the 1911 from Down Range TV

An interesting video from Down Range TV on the evolution of the 1911 since the 1970′s until today. Enjoy!

1911 Evolution Link

Rock Island Tactical 9MM

If you want to save money on ammunition without sacrificing your beloved 1911, then this is the pistol you need! The Rock Island Armory Tactical 1911, one of the most popular 1911s on the market, is now available in 9mm. Compared to the more expensive .45 ACP model, you can feed it for much less money and keep the same number of rounds going down range.

I have always been very fond of Rock Island 1911 pistols. First and foremost they are well made with all, they have the features I like and the price is great at roughly $450 for all Tactical models. Don’t let the price fool you into thinking that it is cheaply made because it surely is not. I own several in 45 ACP, including both the full size and compact version. I received this sample Tactical in 9mm directly from Rock Island.

Now a number of you will say “but it’s a 9mm”! Well yes it is, but over the last few years the 9mm has gone through some serious improvements. Loads like the Buffalo Bore 9mm +P+ (115 gr. at 1,400 fps / 500 ft/lbs) and the Cor-Bon DPX (115 gr at 1250fps / 399 ft/lbs) will not leave you underarmed. Another advantage of a 9mm version of the 1911 is capacity. The Rock Island Tactical 9mm holds ten rounds with eleven rounds using a new magazine from Metalform. Of course, if you want to keep the 45 .ACP for defense you can always use the 9mm for practice.

Affectionately referred to as “The Rock” among owners, the Tactical has all of the features desired by most shooters. The pistol is made from forged 4120 steel with a hammer forged barrel. Its safety is an extended ambidextrous with Novak type low mount black sights. The grip safety has the beavertail configuration. A full length guiderod is also included. The barrel has a nice feature with an 11 degree muzzle crown to protect it from damage should the pistol be dropped. It also has a lowered and flared ejection port. The hammer is skeletonized. A durable parkerized finish is standard.

Rock Island packs each pistol in a hard black plastic case with one magazine. The Rock Island warranty is lifetime for the original owner.

Trigger pull on this example is 5 pounds with little takeup. This was a bit of a surprise because the trigger didn’t really feel like 5 pounds. Let’s just say the trigger is certainly a good one.

The stats are standard for a full size 1911 and weighs in at 38.5 ounces.

**Range Time**

I spent about two hours in this session firing 250 rounds total of Armscor 115 .grn 9mm. Testing distances were 7, 10 and 15 yards. I used the standard 5 inch targets from Birchwood Casey.

The first rounds fired were some older Winchester Silvertips I had laying around. If anything will test a new pistol for reliability it is hollowpoints. I fired all 50 rounds at various distances and speed to check more for reliability than accuracy. The magazine was a bit stiff to load 9 rounds. After fifty rounds it eased up a bit. Even so there were no failures of any kind.

After loading up with the Armscorp ammo I set my target up at 7 yards and started working on accuracy testing.

Moving back to 10 yards I fired this string again measuring right at 1 inch. Pretty darn good for a new pistol right out of the box. Many times when a new pistol is taken to the range the first time some adjustment of the sights is needed. Rock Island sights these pistols in at the factory. I’ve never had to adjust the sights on one yet.

This range session was no surprise. I’ve spent enough time with these pistols to know them pretty well. As I said earlier they are 100% reliable and this one was no exception. There were no failures of any type during the entire session of 300 rounds.

I mentioned earlier the magazine was rather stiff and difficult to load. After using one magazine for all 300 rounds it was no longer difficult to load that ninth round. Aftermarket 10 round high quality Metalform are available from MidwayUSA [for $27.99](http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=582914.)

Recoil in a 9mm 1911 is very soft allowing the shooter to get back on target easily. It makes a range session firing 300 rounds easy on the shooting hand.

**Conclusion**

The Rock Island Armory 1911 have been very successful since they began being imported from the Philippines about five years ago. This is a 1911 with a large following that just keeps growing. New models are released fairly often.

What you get is a 1911 that is accurate, reliable and well made. The price sure is hard to beat. Honestly it handles and shoots as well as my much more expensive Springfield Armory with the same features.

S&W Bodyguard .380

In the last year .380 pocket pistols have become very popular after years of little interest in them. I credit this to the increased number of states allowing concealed carry. Of course we have the older designs such as the Walther PPK and the Sig P232. The new designs are a good deal smaller and lighter. S&W has joined the ranks of companies making a very small well designed “pocket” pistol.

S&W is always on the leading edge in new firearm design. The “Bodyguard” series is no exception. These are new designs not updated versions of older designs. The S&W .380 semi auto is one in a series of these new designs made for concealed carry for civilians and law enforcement use.

To really appreciate how small and convenient this pistol is look at the size compared to my average size hand in the picture below.

A closer look

The pistol is double action only. It’s a traditional hammer fired pistol rather than a striker type. The hammer is recessed in the frame. When you first take it out of the box the trigger is pretty heavy but lightens up after firing a100 rounds or so. I now have 200 rounds fired through it and the trigger is very satisfactory. A loaded chamber indicator is milled as a crescent cut in the top of the slide.

This firing mechanism makes it safe to carry in a pants pocket without the worry of an accidental discharge. If this is still a concern there is also a manual safety placed in approximately the same location as a 1911. The safety is also very easy to manipulate. It’s very positive when clicked into the safe or fire position. I’ve carried it in a front and back jeans pocket with no printing through your clothing. I’m sure this is partly due to the width of just ¾ of an inch. Not only is the “Bodyguard” small it’s also very light at just 11.85 ounces!

The picture below shows the controls. From left to right is the takedown lever, slide release and finally the manual safety.

The magazine release is in the usual position. Sights are black and well made with no sharp edges. They provide a nice sharp sight picture. The magazine holds six rounds with a seventh in the chamber. The magazine comes from the factory with a finger rest installed. Another magazine base is included which is flat making the pistol grip even smaller. No matter which base you choose chances are your little finger will sit under the base of the grip. This provides a sturdy grip and reduces recoil. One magazine is included with the pistol. Additional magazines are $22.00 each. The front of the grip has two finger grooves.

As is usual with S&W the slide is stainless steel with a Melonite finish. The frame is Zytel polymer.

One great feature on the “Bodyguard” series is a built in red laser. Insight Company makes the laser for S&W. This laser is located inline with the barrel and placed just under the barrel. A conveniently placed gray button is on both sides of the of the frame near the front. The laser can be activated from either side. The first push of the button and the laser is a solid beam. A second push of the button and the laser pulses. A third push turns the laser off. Included are two hex wrenches to adjust windage and elevation coordinating the laser with the sights. Once adjusted the bullet hits where the laser points on your target. This laser works fine at night or in low light but is not visible on a sunny day. The picture below shows the laser activated

Stats

Model: BODYGUARD® 380
Caliber: .380 Auto
Capacity: 6+1 Rounds
Barrel Length: 2.75″ / 7.0 cm
Frame Size: Compact
Action: Double Action Only (Hammer Fired)
Front Sight: Stainless Steel
Rear Sight: Drift Adjustable
Grip: Polymer
Overall Length: 5.25″ / 13.3 cm
Weight: 11.85 oz / 335.9 g
Frame Material: Polymer
Material: Stainless Steel w/Melonite® Finish
Finish: Matte Black
Purpose: Personal Protection
Law Enforcement

The grip angle is just about perfect and points naturally. Other ergonomic features include a stippled grip surface which provides a good grip even when your hands are damp. The aforementioned finger grooves on the front of the grip strap help a good deal even with the flat magazine base used.

Also included is a nondescript carrying case with looks like an organizer that so many people carry. Inside the zipper case is a built in holster with a magazine pouch built in on the other side of the case. The only thing that might give it away is a small S&W logo on the outside of the pouch. I guess they couldn’t resist putting the logo on. At least the carry case and logo are black so it doesn’t show very well.

On The Range

Let me preface this range report with a bit of information on the purpose of the pocket pistol. Normally I would shoot from the 7, 10 and 15 yards. This type of pistol is made for distances as close as touching distance to 7 yards or so. It’s possible to have an encounter at a greater distance but the caliber and sight radius of this pistol and others of the type are not made for this kind of encounter.

I kept this session close with no slow fire. Distances are 3 yards and 7 yards. For this session I used ammunition from Federal ball, Cor-Bon DPX and Winchester Silvertips. The targets used are 5 inch Birchwood Casey adhesives. My goal was to keep all rounds fired within the five inch circle rapid fire.

First up was the Federal 95 grn. FMJ. Drawing from a universal size nylon holster I fired 30 rounds from 3 yards with all rounds inside the 5 inch target grouped within 3 ½ inches on average. Next was the Cor-Bon DPX. This is a hot round with a fair amount of recoil for a .380. Again, I fired 30 rounds total. All rounds stayed within the 5 inch circle rapid fire. With the additional recoil the average was right at the five inch target size.

I back up to 7 yards and repeated the previous string with all three types of ammunition. Firing 30 rounds of each brand of ammunition bringing the pistol up to eye level and using a flash sight picture in rapid fire. Three rounds went outside the 5 inch target. These were the Cor-Bon DPX rounds with more recoil. After that many rounds fired my hands were getting a bit tired. I was very satisfied with the results.

Conclusion

I’m really impressed with this pistol. I normally don’t say that because in all honesty it takes a good deal to impress me anymore. This is one I may keep and that’s rare!

This “Bodyguard” is so handy and light to carry as well as fast to get the first shot off it would be hard to beat as a backup pistol or one you grab to make a quick trip to the convenience store.

The .380 should be the smallest caliber considered for defensive use. With the newer ammunition designs it’s a fairly good round if you do your part. Cor-Bon’s 80 grn DPX is an example of an effective loading. The muzzle velocity is 1050 fps. Pushing a solid copper Barnes bullet. Using this Cor-Bon load I would feel pretty well protected with this new S&W.
Guns for Sale.com usually has this pistol in stock.

Happy Shooting!