Graham Baates

Smith & Wesson has been updating and upgrading their lineup over the last year. The M&P 2.0 series quieted previous complaints about texture and trigger. We showed you the new Shield 2.0 in November. The Bodyguard hadn't been updated and fans of Browning's .380 ACP began to feel left out. Smith & Wesson heard those cries and has released a handgun that seems perfectly modeled for the non-operator types. Winged slide of the 380 Shield EZ The .380 Shield EZ is aptly named. The pistol has been made easy to operate. Starting with the largest concern for new shooters and those with reduced strength is the slide. While styling looks just like the other M&P 2.0 models the rear of the slide has subtle wings to aid in sling-shot style racking. The action follows the standard Browning locking system which is a rare find for the caliber. Thanks to the locking system the recoil spring is soft enough that I was able to rack the gun with a finger! I don't advocate doing that with a loaded gun, but tried it as a test to just how easy the gun is to rack. The external safety is easy to engage or disengage from either side. The grip safety threw the internet into a frenzy, but deactivation is easy and it serves as simple insurance for those who might carry the gun in a purse or bag. Another interesting feature is in the two included magazines. Clearly numbered magazines with thumb assist. The magazines feature a thumb knob like one might find on a .22. While not the most comfortable thing to push on, it does serve to assist in loading. The slide release/lock also feels to be more pronounced than normal. As stated earlier everything about the 380 Shield EZ is easy! The video above provides some more details on the gun. One more fun note: The 380 Shield EZ is hammer-fired! An internal hammer eliminates any of the negatives about hammer-fired guns and still provides that nice and clean break that we all love about the action. No mush from a striker, no risk of lint or filth preventing the hammer from striking. See the video for how Smith & Wesson managed to fit that system into this new design. For those of you who love to look at numbers, the specifications below are directly from the 380 Shield EZ product page. SKU: 11663 Model: M&P® 380 SHIELD™ EZ™ Manual Thumb Safety Caliber: .380 Auto Capacity: 8+1 Barrel Length: 3.675" / 9.3 cm Overall Length: 6.7" Front Sight: White Dot Rear Sight: Adjustable White Dot Action: Internal Hammer Fired Grip: Polymer Weight: 18.5 oz / 524.5g Barrel Material: Stainless Steel - Armornite® Finish Slide Material: Stainless Steel - Armornite® Finish Frame Material: Polymer Purpose: Concealed Carry, Home Protection, Personal Protection

Smith & Wesson M&P .380 Shield EZ

The .380 Shield EZ is aptly named. The pistol has been made easy to operate. Starting with the largest concern for new shooters and those with reduced strength is the slide. While styling looks just like the other M&P 2.0 models the rear of the slide has subtle wings to aid in sling-shot style racking.

The action follows the standard Browning locking system which is a rare find for the caliber. Thanks to the locking system the recoil spring is soft enough that I was able to rack the gun with a finger! I don’t advocate doing that with a loaded gun, but tried it as a test to just how easy the gun is to rack.

The external safety is easy to engage or disengage from either side. The grip safety threw the internet into a frenzy, but deactivation is easy and it serves as simple insurance for those who might carry the gun in a purse or bag. Another interesting feature is in the two included magazines.

Clearly numbered magazines with thumb assist.

The magazines feature a thumb knob like one might find on a .22. While not the most comfortable thing to push on, it does serve to assist in loading. The slide release/lock also feels to be more pronounced than normal. As stated earlier everything about the 380 Shield EZ is easy! The video above provides some more details on the gun.

One more fun note: The 380 Shield EZ is hammer-fired! An internal hammer eliminates any of the negatives about hammer-fired guns and still provides that nice and clean break that we all love about the action. No mush from a striker, no risk of lint or filth preventing the hammer from striking. See the video for how Smith & Wesson managed to fit that system into this new design.

For those of you who love to look at numbers, the specifications below are directly from the 380 Shield EZ product page.

SKU: 11663
Model: M&P® 380 SHIELD™ EZ™ Manual Thumb Safety
Caliber: .380 Auto
Capacity: 8+1
Barrel Length: 3.675″ / 9.3 cm
Overall Length: 6.7″
Front Sight: White Dot
Rear Sight: Adjustable White Dot
Action: Internal Hammer Fired

Grip: Polymer

Weight: 18.5 oz / 524.5g

Barrel Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite® Finish

Slide Material: Stainless Steel – Armornite® Finish

Frame Material: Polymer

Purpose: Concealed Carry, Home Protection, Personal Protection

Holster Selection: Things to Consider

During my 1,900 hours as a defensive shooting instructor one of the dominating questions I was asked was about holster selection. In my experience this is the hardest one to answer. I have good news and bad new for you: The perfect holster match for your body shape, selected firearm, carry position, and attire exists. It’s also likely to be the fourth or fifth holster you try.

Dara, Theis, Alien Gear, Clinger, Raw Dog Tactical, High Threat Concealment, 1791 Gun Leather, Coast, the guy down the street, and that latest-and-greatest brand they push at the local gun store. They all are the perfect match for someone, just maybe not you. What makes them either the prefect match or not depends on features, comfort threshold, carry position, cost, and mission of the day.

Personally I break one of the fundamental tactical rules and rotate between a few different holsters and handguns depending on my attire and tasks for the day. This is a tactical no-no because it means that my draw and pistol handling will vary from one combination to the next. Fortunately thousands of rounds and hundreds of hours of training along with weekly practice give me a false sense of confidence in my decision. Besides, if I wasn’t willing to try different combinations how would I know what worked best?

The video below has some knowledge nuggets that with any luck can help you find a favorite by your third or even second attempt instead of fourth or fortieth.

Now this guide is merely a guide and not a definitive end-all, be-all of holsters. The same considerations listed above have applied to me and so I can’t speak to holsters for every gun model, carry position, or clothing type. What I can say is that using my Bersa BP9CC in an Alien Gear holster with Ulti Clips I’ve been able to comfortably conceal at a trade show while wearing slacks and a tucked-in dress shirt. I love my Grand Power P11 and found it to fit nicely and ride very comfortably in an outside-the-waistband from 1791 Gun leather. My Walther PPS M2 rides very nicely in my No Print Wonder from Clinger Holsters. For the worst-case scenario my Walther P99AS is easily concealed in my SOG bag which also houses an Ally One from Angel Armor.

Yes, every one of those links takes you to more information about those options, so bookmark this page and use this as a guide and hopefully we’ll help you feel safer sooner than unguided exploration might have done. Let us know what you carry and in what in the comments below.

Copper Basin Takedown Backpack, Comfortably Discreet: Graham Baates Video

Copper Basin Takedown Backpack is Comfortably Discreet: Graham Baates Video

Copper Basin has a bag specifically designed for the Ruger 10/22 Takedown. We don’t own a Ruger 10/22, but were willing to take a chance, besides with a bag so well-built, how could we go wrong?

The bag has the look and feel of something you might pick up at REI. There isn’t a hint of tactical anywhere on the outside of the bag. Even the colors look “hiker”. So much that models for the cover of RECOIL may not be able to use this bag; full-sleeve tattooed gym-rats need not apply.

On the outside there are a few simple organizer pouches for snacks and things to keep handy, and two expandable mesh pouches that ask for a Nalgene bottle. The bottom of the bag is rubberized for both moisture protection and to reduce the chances of a muzzle device printing. In fact, the entire bag is lightly padded to disrupt the profile of anything you put in it. Shoulder straps and back are padded and lined with the typical moisture-wiking mesh one would expect from a hiking bag.

Inside there are padded and lined pockets for the front and rear or upper and lower of a takedown rifle. Velcro keeps everything closed and two smaller pockets work for magazines or suppressors. Smaller pockets also permit organization.

We took the pack out for a walk with our Zenith Z5-RS with a folding brace and found it fit quite nicely. To see the bag in action watch the video below:

This is not one of those cool-guy bags meant for flipping in front of you and quick-drawing a weapon, it’s simply a well-built bag one could use to hike a weapon to their favorite spot. The potential applications are plentiful. A plinking spot, hunting spot, or maybe you just need to get your firearm to a location without letting everyone you encounter along the way knowing it. In any case with an MSRP of just under $100 it even beats most of the competition cost-wise. Specifications can be seen below as taken from the Copper Basin website.

Inner pockets
- Rear stock: 18″L x 9.5″W x 2″D
- Forend/barrel: 18″L x 5″W x 2.5″D
- Accessory (x2): 9″L x 3.5″W x 1.5″D
Pack dimensions: 23″x 13″x 5″
Total weight: 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)
Material: Durable 420D Nylon

Kriss Vector Gen II SDP (#KV90-PBL20, KV45-PBL20)
Kriss Vector Gen II SBR (#KV90-SBL20, KV45-SBL20)
SIG MPX SBR (#MPX-9-T-KM-SBR)
SIG MPX-K SBR (#MPX-9-T-KM-SBR)
SIG MPX SBR (#MPX-K-9-T-KM-SBR)
SIG PMPX (#MPX-P-9-KM)
Century Arms AK Pistol – RAS47 (#HG3783-N)
Century Arms AK Pistol – C39V2 (#HG3788-N)
Century Arms AK Pistol – PAP M85 NP (#G3237-N)
Century Arms AK Pistol – PAP M92 PV (#G3089-N)
Century Arms Draco Pistol – Full Size, Mini & Micro
Variety of AR & AK Pistols (Depending on barrel length)

Wilder Tactical Evolution Mag Pouches: Hold Your Gear Together

Going back to my first deployment in 2005 I can account for difficulties with transporting magazines. The issued gear, and even some of the aftermarket options were all either too tight or too loose. That was of course despite the fact that all of our magazines were the same size. After a while it became a trend to create a pull by looping some gutted 550 chord around the base plate, and wrapping it in tape to quiet the mag a little, and keep the plate from popping off. The mag pulls inspired some guys to make base plates with built in pulls and now a monster company thrives.

Author, his team, and their solution to carrying what other gear of the time couldn’t.

That may have solved the challenge for GI mags, but what about the rest of the wide world of shooting? The aftermarket world is flooded with “solutions”. Some of them prove to simply be solutions for having too much spending money, but I think I’ve found one that actually offers shooters a solution.

Wilder Tactical was started by a former Ranger Medic who understood what it meant to have needs that standard gear didn’t satisfy. I can relate to this as our standard load of 70-110lbs did not fit in an issued pack in any sort of organized way. We were lucky in that our needs were answered by another veteran company, Tactical Tailor. Wilder Tactical has solved the challenge of finding the right mag pouch, or having to change your kit each time you change weapons.

The Evolution Series of pouches from Wilder Tactical can not only flex to hold mags of different dimensions, but are also stack-able if you so desire. For me this is a no-brainer great choice as every weekend I find myself shooting at least two new handguns for the first time. As much as I love the extra pockets on some of my “range wear”, it doesn’t beat a pouch for repeatable training and application. Check out the video below to see it in action. You’re welcome to skip the first 50 seconds or so and get right to the mag pouches at work.

Sub-Minute of Angle .308 AR for Under a Grand? Diamondback Firearms

Diamondback Firearms’ DB-10 proves excellent in testing and has an price way below the competition. The group pictured was shot by Erika and consists of five, not three, rounds of Federal Match .308 from 100 yards.

Everyone has an AR-15 or three, and so now we look for something different. The AR-10 is nothing new, but has tended to be priced out of the average-shooter’s budget. With rifles typically selling for close to $2,000 and rounds hovering around a buck a pop the AR-10 has mostly been something to fawn over but not own. The recent availability of surplus 7.62×51 solved the ammo issue. Diamondback has solved the pricing issue.

Not having much experience with an AR-10 I was impressed with how beefy the Diamondback DB-10 is built, yet balanced well enough to be handled like a battle riffle. A few nice touches were incorporated to make the rifle unique, but nothing so outlandish that it will be seen as faddish next year.

So many features at such a low price point, you’re likely wondering the same thing I was: How does it shoot? Sub MOA.

Rock Island Armory’s Comfy Cannon, the 6 inch 10mm 1911!

Rock Island Armory has tamed the 10mm with a 6″-barreled 1911 known as the Pro Match Ultra. Anyone of those words independently hints at above average, putting them all together almost sounds a bit too far. Fortunately, with Rock Island, it isn’t and this gun delivers with features once considered custom right out of the box.

The 10mm round has some lore to it and a lot of that has been earned. The load we tested from Armscor throws a 180gr bullet over 1,000fps to yield over 400ft-lbs of energy. If you’re not into math that’s more than a .45acp and about an extra third more than standard 9mm. The 10mm has gained traction as a hunting round for deer-sized game and smaller. Understandably Newton’s pesky physics laws mean handguns chambered in 10mm can be tough to tame.

A bushing-less barrel, full-length guide rod, and lengthy rail space start the front of the gun under an orange fiber-optic sight. Orange isn’t a color commonly seen in fiber-optic sights, but our sample proved bright enough to grab attention without being so bright we couldn’t see the edge of the sight.

The big question: How does it shoot? How about ringing every shot on an 8″ plate from 50 yards? If you don’t believe it check the intro of the video below.