handguns/humor

Taurus Tactical Operator

Posted on by Caleb

Coming from Taurus in 2011 is their latest addition to the Judge line-up of firearms, the Tactical Operator Judge.  This is previously unpublished info that you’re seeing here at Gun Nuts first.

The Tactical Operator Judge will include from the factory the accessories you see at the left; a Viridian laser module, fiber optic front sight, and an Aimpoint Micro.  The top strap of the revolver will have an integral rail system to mount the Aimpoint, or you’d like to upgrade to an ACOG that will be supported as well.

The Tactical Operator is designed as an offensive handgun, much like the HK Mk23.  With a loaded weight of 6.5 pounds and a size just slightly smaller than a Buick, the Tactical Operator would be a suitable replacement for your AR or shotgun as a primary weapon system.  Available in 2011 with an MSRP of $1500, the TTO will replace all the guns in your safe in one convenient weapons system!

Uncategorized

Veteran's Day

Posted on by Caleb

There are so many things to say on Veteran’s Day; and frankly it is impossible for me to express the gratitude that we owe to our servicemen and women.  Instead, I’ll simply relate a story told to me by a friend about when he explained Veteran’s Day to his son, who was about 8 at the time.

While explaining the concept of Veteran’s Day, his son wanted to know what a veteran was.  My friend explained, and his son looked around very thoughtfully and said “So veterans are like superheroes.”  My friend sat there for a second and finally replied, “No son, veterans are who superheroes look up to.”

Thank you all for your service.

Colt

Teaser

Posted on by Caleb

This is the newest rifle from Colt – you get five seconds of video to whet your appetite for next week when we can really dive in to this gun.

Suffice to say, this thing is awesome.  You don’t often get to see real innovation in the firearms industry, but Colt has done something amazing with this rifle. You’ll have to check out Gun Nuts next week for more on Colt’s BIG TIME rifle.

Gunsite

From Gunsite

Posted on by Caleb

Several of the writers here at Gunsite also publish online, which means there is a multitude of material I can get you to show you some of the fun stuff we’ve been doing.

Jim Shepherd shares his thoughts on Colt’s resurgence in to the civilian gun market, as well as a great picture of someone you may know.

Richard Mann has some great thoughts on why it’s important to practice, as well as a pretty funny picture.

Michael Bane talks about the Colt Match Target M4 andthe Colt XSE Rail Gun we’ve been shooting.

Just sitting in the room with all these writers and shooters is a tremendous experience.  Add to that the industry professionals that craft the guns that you and I depend to defend our lives, win matches, or take that big trophy and you have an incredible environment.  The people in that room have probably expended a combined total of millions of rounds of ammo; you can learn a lot from those people.  Sitting there, I had a moment where I looked around and thought to myself “I can’t believe this is my job.”

Gunsite was, as always a fantastic experience.  Look for a write-up on the training in an upcoming issue of US Concealed Carry Magazine; also next week you’re going to see a lot of good stuff that’s come out of this trip including more from Colt on their AR15 rifle that’s legal in 49 out of 50 states!

Gunsite

The 4 Rules

Posted on by Caleb

This is why we observe the 4 Rules studiously when we’re using firearms in a dynamic environment. The shooter in the video below enters a complicated shooting position, and when he exits he tries to get started quickly and loses his footing.

When you fall, your body does a whole bunch of stuff. Once your brain realizes that it is in fact heading towards the ground, it tells the rest of your body “OMFG BRACE FOR IMPACT”. Part of that involves clenching your hands and tightening the muscles in the forearms, as you’ll involuntarily use your hands to slow your fall. If your finger is in the trigger guard when this happens, you will have an ND. Not maybe, you will. If while you’re doing that you’re allowing the muzzle to cover something it shouldn’t, then you’re going to destroy something. In the video, as the shooter goes down his finger is off the trigger and the muzzle is indexed in a safe direction at all times.

This kind of finger and muzzle discipline doesn’t just come from plinking on an indoor range with your friends. It comes from years of practice and discipline with safe gunhandling; it stems from an awareness of the destructive capabilities of firearms and a healthy respect for other people’s desire to not get killed because you’re unsafe. The 4 Rules are not the 10 Commandments in that they’re dogma, but they’re a mindset. When you internalize those rules, and make the mindset part of your everyday gunhandling, you become a much safer shooter.

By the way, even with the fall he finished the Scrambler in around 50 seconds. That’s a pretty awesome run.

Crimson Trace/Gunsite/Top Shot

Iain Harrison at Gunsite

Posted on by Caleb

One of the more notorious courses of fire at Gunsite is the Scrambler.  Moving in and out of challenging shooting positions, you have only two shots maximum per target to engage steel targets at various ranges.  It’s not easy, and the record time is in the mid-30 second range.  At the event we’re at, Top Shot champion, Crimson Trace PR rep, 3-Gun competitor, and all around awesome dude Iain Harrison had a chance to take his first ever run at the Scrambler.  Gun Nuts was there to get the raw footage of his run.

Iain beat everyone at the Scrambler today. His time was 46 seconds, which was definitely faster than anyone else out there, and he even said that he cost himself some time by hesitating. I will say that it was a lot of fun to shoot with Iain again, I haven’t had the chance to do that in quite some time. He picked up a gun and optic that he’d never shot before in his life, and he smoked everyone else out on the range.

Gunsite/Ruger

Suppressed Ruger SR-556

Posted on by Caleb

One of other neat toys we got to play with yesterday was this gem that Surefire brought with them. While the event was sponsored by Colt (and I’ll have a post about Colt’s newest civilian market AR, which is legal in 49 STATES up later this week) Surefire brought a pair of Ruger SR-556 rifles that had been set up with Surefire Suppressors on them. Here, one of our instructors demos the sound reduction of the can – notice he’s not wearing ear protection, and honestly neither was I when I filmed this.

The sound reduction really is impressive. I had an opportunity to put 40 rounds through this rifle doing hammers while moving, and I can absolutely say that the combination of the Surefire suppressor and the Ruger SR-556 made an absolutely recoilless rifle. It honestly had no muzzle flip. This was an absolute blast to shoot.

Colt/Gunsite

Colt XSE Rail Gun

Posted on by Caleb

Yesterday was day 1 at Gunsite; and we had some pretty neat toys to play with.  Obviously, one of the biggest sponsors of this trip is Colt firearms, and the pistol that they brought for us to shoot is the Colt XSE Rail Gun.  The Rail Gun is so named because it has an integral accessory rail attached to the gun, which you can see pretty clearly.

As usual, click all images to see them in their full glory, which since I was shooting in 9 megapixel mode on accident for part of the day is pretty significant.  From the factory, the Colt Rail Gun is available in one of two finishes, either the stainless finish pictured above or the black finish shown here.  The standard sights are Novak sights, however as you can see in the picture both the XS Standard Dot and the XS Big Dot will fit these guns.

Now, the gun doesn’t come with the Gunsite logo.  However, that 1911 platform is fantastic for personalization, so if you’re a Gunsite alum and would like to get your 1911 customized, I’m sure that there are plenty of competent shops out there that can take care of that for you.  The Colt Rail Gun comes from the factory with what you’d expect from a serious defensive pistol – high rise beavertail, forward cocking serrations, essentially all the goodies that are now de rigueur on a serious combat 1911.

A couple of things I really like about the Colt Rail Gun – it has a rail!  While I’m not personally a huge fan of weapon mounted lights on handguns (long-guns are another story) I think that to be competitive in today’s tactical/defensive pistol market, you have to to have a rail.  It does not have a full length guide rod.  FLGRs are a part that the pistol does not need to function reliably that also serves to make the pistol impossible to field strip without additional tools.  I used to like them, now I don’t so much.  Finally, it’s not checkered on the front strap.  I hate checkered guns.  I really do.  I probably only fired 100-200 rounds today, but in a major match or a high round count class, a heavily checkered gun becomes manifestly unpleasant extremely quickly.  I like that the Colt Rail Gun isn’t a checkerboard nightmare of metal on the front.

I actually really like this gun.  I’m hoping that Colt gives us the option to buy these at the end of the class, because honestly while I need another 1911 like I need a hole in my head, this gun is pretty cool.  I think it would be a neat gun to have, and if you’re looking for a 1911 pattern pistol and absolutely need a rail for a light or other accessories, you should definitely check this one out.

Ruger

The SR9c at Gunsite

Posted on by Caleb

No, I’m not talking about the SR9c in my bag that’s here to allow me to take advantage of Arizona’s Constitutional Carry law; but rather the one that Gunsite Instructor and cool dude Ed Head shot in this video from Ruger.

Ed makes a couple of really good points – this gun really does have a good trigger, and I can personally attest to the fact that after you shoot 5000+ rounds through one the trigger only gets better. You have certain expectations shooting a subcompact, one of which usually is “recoil is going to suck”. It doesn’t on the SR9c, and as you can see in Ed’s video or here, rapid follow up shots are performed with ease. I like my SR9c a lot, and if you’re in the market for a compact defensive carry gun, check it out.