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Shot Show Media Day
We’re off to the range to shoot cool new guns! We’ll report this evening with more.
Sig Sauer P320 First Look
NEWINGTON, N.H. (January 14, 2014) — SIG SAUER introduces the P320™, a polymer-framed service pistol designed in conjunction with law enforcement to meet the needs of today’s armed professionals.
Taking into account the concerns of military and police training officers, the P320 provides an enhanced level of safety not found on most modern service pistols. Unlike its competitors, the P320 does not require the operator to pull the trigger nor use a special tool to take down the firearm for cleaning or routine maintenance.
“One of the main points that kept coming up with trainers was the risk of accidental discharge inherent in today’s striker fired service pistols,” said Jeff Creamer, SIG SAUER Director of Product Management. “Unless they require a special takedown tool, other pistols require the operator to pull the trigger before disassembly. Classic SIG SAUER pistols have never needed this, and we made sure the P320 didn’t either.”
Featuring a modular grip frame and removable fire control assembly pioneered by SIG SAUER, the P320 is customizable to any hand size or duty requirement. The P320 can quickly be converted from a full-size to a carry pistol. Slide and barrel conversions allow the P320 to change calibers and barrel lengths as well. The P320 will be immediately available in 9mm, .40 and .357SIG, with .45ACP coming later in 2014
With a partially pretensioned striker, the P320 has a short, crisp trigger pull with a quick, pronounced reset right out of the box. The P320 comes in two trigger variants: a standard trigger and a tabbed safety trigger for specific law enforcement clients. Featuring SIG SAUER’s internal safety system, the P320 has no external safety or decocking lever to snag or hang up on the draw. A thumb safety version will be available for law enforcement needs. SIGLITE night sights come standard, and the reversible magazine release makes the P320 completely ambidextrous.
Whatever the requirement, patrol duty, competition, time at the shooting range or concealed carry, the P320 brings SIG SAUER’s legendary reliability, durability and quality to this polymer-framed, striker-fired duty pistol.
Become a fan of SIG SAUER on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SigSauerInc.
About SIG SAUER®, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes SIG SAUER GmbH & Co. KG in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2008 certified company with more than 900 employees. For more information on SIG SAUER, any of its products, or the SIG SAUER Academy℠, log on to www.sigsauer.com.
P320 Full-Size
- Caliber 9mm, .357SIG, .40S&W
- Action Type Striker
- Trigger Pull 5.5 – 7.5 lbs
- Overall Length 8.0 in
- Overall Height 5.5 in
- Overall Width 1.4 in
- Barrel Length 4.7 in
- Sight Radius 6.6 in
- Weight w/Mag 29.4 oz
- Mag Capacity (9mm) 17 Rounds, (.357SIG,.40S&W) 14 Rounds
- Sights SIGLITE® Night Sights
- Grips Interchangeable Polymer Grip Modules
- Frame Finish One-piece Stainless Steel
- Slide Finish Nitron®
- Accessory Rail M1913 Rail
- Features Interchangeable grip modules, sizes and calibers
- MSRP $713.00
P320 Carry
- Caliber 9mm, .357SIG, .40S&W
- Action Type Striker
- Trigger Pull 5.5 – 7.5 lbs
- Overall Length 7.2 in
- Overall Height 5.1 in
- Overall Width 1.3 in (Std. Grip)
- Barrel Length 3.9 in
- Sight Radius 5.8 in
- Weight w/Mag 26.9 oz
- Mag Capacity (9mm) 15 Rounds (.357SIG,.40S&W)
- Sights SIGLITE® Night Sights
- Grips Interchangeable Polymer Grip Modules
- Frame Finish One-piece Stainless Steel
- Slide Finish Nitron®
- Accessory Rail M1913 Rail
- Features Interchangeable modules, grip sizes and calibers
- MSRP $713.00
Photo of the day: Ruger Problem Solvers
There are very few problems that you can’t solve with a .308 and a .357 Magnum.
Every gun video ever
Well played. 8/10, for wry chuckling at work.
.357 Magnum Stopping Power
I grew up during the golden age of the wondernine. Every big PD in America was switching from wheelguns to Berettas and 3rd Gen S&W pistols. The gun rags of the era were filled with “9mm vs. 38” and “9mm vs. .357” articles. As is to be expected, most of the articles decried the downgrade in “stopping power” that the 9mm offered vs. the legendary .357 Magnum. The more sordid gun rags were filled with stories of bad guys going down after one hit from a .357 Magnum, reduced to a shower of gore by the powerful “man-stopper.”
Probably the most legendary of the .357 Magnum rounds was the famous Remington 125 grain jacketed hollowpoint. Pushing an old school bullet at 1400+ FPS, the 125 grain JHP would frequently expand violently, but would have limited penetration. Testing of that old school load in ballistic gel generally produces about 10 inches of penetration and considerable expansion.
As bullet technology has advanced, the .357 has come along with it. Winchester offers a .357 Magnum load with their bonded PDX/Ranger bullet, and Hornady offers multiple .357 loadings with their FTX and XTP bullets. But the question is whether or not the .357 Magnum is really worth it any more? Back in the 70s and 80s, the Magnum made sense. The extra velocity when coupled with older bullet technology really did provide a bullet with better terminal ballistics than the .38 Specials riding in most police department holsters. But now? Not so much. I love my magnums, and I’ll never get rid of them, but if I’m being honest with myself? There’s not much of a place for .357 Magnums in the self-defense world. Now, if you want to talk hunting handguns and lightweight carbines, that’s another story entirely. But the .357 Magnum is sort of like the .40 S&W now: it doesn’t really offer enough of a performance upgrade out of a service sized handgun to be worth the extra muzzle blast and recoil you get for it.
If I’m going to carry a wheelgun, it’s going to have .38 Special +P loaded in it. Modern .38 Special loads have come a long way since the 1980s. For new shooters, despite my deep and abiding love for the wheelgun, you should probably just get a Glock 19 or something like that. So for the .357 Magnum, its era of legendary stopping power is over. Unless you’re going hunting, in which case by all means continue. I’ll probably bring a magnum with me on a coyote hunt I have coming up later this year, but that’s because rolling up coyotes with Hornady’s lever gun .357 Magnum round is hilarious.
Jessie Duff partners with Uncle Mikes
Overland Park, Kan. — Uncle Mike’s, a leading provider of hunting and shooting accessories for more than 60 years, has announced a partnership agreement with world-renowned champion shooter Jessie Duff. In addition to working with product development to introduce new competitive and concealed carry holsters and accessories, Duff will represent Uncle Mike’s in competition
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Competing and excelling in five different shooting disciplines, Duff is recognized as one of the most accomplished competition shooters in the world. In 2013, she became the first woman ever to earn the title of Grand Master (GM), the highest ranking the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) awards a shooter.
“As a professional shooter, I hold my gear to the highest standards because I rely on it to perform at the highest level,” said Jessie Duff. “I’m excited to work with the team at Uncle Mike’s to develop field-tested competitive gear and concealed carry and shooting accessories,” added Duff.
Duff has achieved top wins in USPSA’s Open, Limited and Single Stack National Championships and in the Steel Challenge World Championships, among others. She and her husband Matt also co-host the popular NRA All Access television show on Outdoor Channel, where they help promote shooting sports to new shooters.
With its single-minded focus of producing the best in shooting accessories, Uncle Mike’s is one of the most trusted brands used by hunters and shooters around the world.
Bushnell Outdoor Products is a global manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer products. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, the company sells its products worldwide under the Bushnell®, Bee Stinger, Butler Creek®, Final Approach®, Gold Tip, Hoppe’s®, Millett®, Night Optics, Primos®, Simmons®, Stoney Point®, Tasco®, Uncle Mike’s®, Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement®, and the following eyewear brands: Bollé®, Cébé® and Serengeti®. For information about any of these brands or products, please contact Bushnell Public Relations at (913) 752-6105.
Photo of the day: Dogerator
Getting a little silly around here pre-SHOT Show.
An honest conversation about women, guns, and the industry
There is a conversation in this industry that needs to happen that is getting ignored. In the past week both Peter Barrett and Caleb Giddings have touched on it in their own ways, but my main concern is why it’s being ignored.
It’s a known fact that women are one of the fastest growing markets within the shooting industry. More women are buying guns, getting their concealed carry permits, joining the shooting sports, getting their kids involved, hunting, or whatever else it is they have chosen to do with their firearm.
In a conversation with Kathy Jackson at last year’s Women’s Industry Dinner, she described how much SHOT Show has changed as this new market emerges. We are seeing fewer booth babes and more professional women, and many of us would like to see that change continue.
We are experiencing an interesting, though unsurprising, trend within our community, in that a majority of the attention is still given to women who lack impressive credentials but are willing to wear a bikini while holding a gun.
The real problem is not in the existence of these women, nor in their marketing value. If that’s what they want to be known for, who I am to question that decision? However, the ladies in the industry who are legitimate professionals fear calling out the bogus credentials that some of these women flaunt, because we’ll get called jealous, or catty, or any other numerous and less polite names that the Internet invents.
So how, as professional writers, bloggers, shooters, or promoters, do we differentiate ourselves from these women if our objective and legitimate criticisms are overrun with the misogynistic cries of “You’re just jealous!”? I am not concerned about who people choose to like for wearing a bikini and holding a gun. However, if you’re going to call someone a professional shooter, professional trainer, or professional writer you had best know what is backing that up. The dismissal of legitimate concerns and criticisms raised by female professionals simply because both the criticized and criticizing parties are women is not only sexist, but is stifling conversation that could help promote women who are not only attractive but also legitimate experts while minimizing meaningless credentials.
Shelley Rae
Managing Editor
GunUp the Magazine
The Colt Report Finale
During last year, we ran sporadic updates called The Colt Report; bringing reports to you semi-regularly about the performance of a particular Colt 1911 CCG. You can see past reports here. The updates stopped when the test stopped, but looking at my notes I realized I hadn’t published a final update.
Here is the Colt Report: Final Update. We’ll start first with the vitals on the gun.
440 Stats
- 10,227 Rounds fired
- 5 stoppages
- Broken parts: 0
- Cleanings: 6
In the last 3,000ish rounds, the gun had another stoppage, a round of 230 grain Ranger JHP failed to feed out of an otherwise reliable Wilson Combat magazine. During the entire test, the gun never broke any parts, although it did need to be completely refinished after the shooting season. Prior to that refinishing it was detail stripped and cleaned. How is this Colt CCG different from the model you can buy from Colt? Here are the part changes:
- Grip screw bushings changed for full size bushings
- Grips changed to Techwell grips
- Ambi-safety added
- Series 80 parts removed
- Cylinder & Slide sear, disconnector, and leaf spring installed
- Gun refinished by H&M with their Black Nitride finish
- Magazine release button swapped out for part of unknown origin
- Wilson Combat bulletproof extractor installed
- Metal MSH added
It’s had several spring changes during this time as well. The action has been professionally tuned to deliver a 3 pound trigger pull, which is light enough for competition without sacrificing safety if I needed to press this gun into duty as a CCW piece. The reason for many of the parts changes listed was simply to make the gun more “competition” ready. For example, the factory Colt grips are wood, and very slim. Adding the Techwell grips for the extra traction and magwell made it harder to reach the factory mag release, so an extended mag release was added. The grip screw bushings were changed because Hilton Yam made fun of me.
I really came to love this gun last shooting season. She rode with me through a turbulent season, winning a USPSA Sectional, missing goals at Bianchi Cup, slogging through the mud at Area 3, drenched by hurricanes at the ProAm, and my first USPSA National among other things. It’s a great gun, and if you’re looking for an IDPA/CCW 1911 for around a grand, get the Colt CCG. You won’t be disappointed. Quite honestly, the only complaint I’d have about this gun is that the factory finish is really rust prone. Loyal readers will recall facebook posts of me scrubbing surface rust off my gun, which is ultimately why I sent it to H&M to get black nitrided.
The gun was quite reliable. 5 stoppages in 10,000+ rounds gives a MRBF of 1:2000, which is where I’d want a semi-automatic pistol to be. I’d like to thank the following companies for their material support that made this test possible:
- Colt
- Blade-Tech
- Federal Ammo
- 10-8 Performance
I’m certain I left someone off that list, and for that I apologize. 2013 was a bit of a whirlwind, and shooting this gun was a blast. By far, it made me appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into keeping a good 1911 up and running.
If you have questions about the gun that I didn’t answer in this post, let me know in the comments.