Category Archives: pistols

Taurus Defender 856 T.O.R.O. 38 Special Revolver

April 28, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardwarecoldboremiracle

Introduction

For years I’ve had a very challenging relationship with Taurus firearms, I have had in the past an experience that left me quite displeased. But after some time I have meandered back into a place where I would try again, the TX22 line of rimfire pistols got me quite hooked on 22’s. And years later I’ve got four of them.

But today we are looking at a new product from Taurus, their Defender 856 TORO. The TORO is according to Taurus the first ever optics ready revolver, and being a sucker for red dots and pistols I had to try it.

The Defender 856 TORO

The 856 model ha been around for a few years now, and it seemed a good host for optics I suppose because that’s where they went with it. The Defender 856 is a double-action revolver that holds six rounds in its stainless steel cylinder. The pistol uses a three-inch barrel and a target-style trigger for optimal performance. I was expecting a 357 Magnum but the TORO comes with 38 Special chambers, which is fine because I was probably going to shoot a lot of 38 Spl anyways.

What sets the TORO apart is its optics platform that mounts to the top of the sight rail and is affixed with two screws. The plate itself uses the Holosun K footprint, which is also good because I have a Holosun 407K that would fit perfectly. The TORO is finished in a matte black, which turns out is pretty sexy in my opinion.

Unboxing

Upon opening the box I was surprised a bit, as I was expecting something a bit different like I’d seen on the floor at SHOT Show. This model actually looked better in my opinion and as I lifted it from the box my first thoughts were about how handsome a little gun it was.

After opening the cylinder and checking everything out, I held the gun and pulled the hammer a few times. Like most revolvers I’ve ever shot, I found something romantic about the drawing back of the hammer. The trigger felt good as well, nothing fantastic or extraordinary but certainly good. Everything fits tightly and rolled like it was on bearings.

I pulled the optics kit from the box, and found the plate and mounting screws. I took it to my bench to get it mounted using a drop of Loctite to secure the screws. I then installed my Holosun 407K and secured it with its own two screws. I again lifted the pistol into the shooting position to see how the Holosun showed; “pretty slick” I muttered to myself. So I grabbed a sack of 38 Spl hand loads I had sitting on my bench and headed out the door.

To the Range!

As I lined up at my shooting spot, I contemplated what this little revolver would be good for. It’s certainly small enough to easily conceal and use as a CCW, though I am one of those that feel much better about carrying 15+ rounds for such purposes. But it still would be a great little pistol to have in a pinch.

I loaded a handful of cartridges into the cylinder and snapped it closed. I like how tight and timed this gun feels, the cylinder doesn’t have any slop and locks securely closed. I tapped the button to power up the Holosun, and it looked close enough to not even mess with it until after shooting a few shots. So that’s what I did, I fired the first cylinder of cartridges and as I expected I loved every minute of it.

The Holosun really needed no adjustment for now, so I let it be as I fumble another cylinders worth off cartridges out of my pocket. I also had brought a few boxes of factory ammunition, but I was lucky to have inherited my Grandfather’s supply of 38 Spl handloads. Grandpa was a huge fan of the little 38, and he cast thousands of 148 grain semi-wadcutters loaded into spent nickel cases he brought home from the police ranges back in the 80’s.

I spent the late afternoon and into the evening shooting the little TORO at just about anything I could. It seemed about as accurate as any other three-inch revolver I’ve ever shot, I can’t help but feel that the red dot allows some additional precision in aiming though that could just be my personal bias.

Pros and Cons

I guess I am warming back up to Taurus after all these years, and I have certainly grown to like this little pistol. The grip is very comfortable, and the rubber texture does allow some additional purchase to hold it back. The 38 is not a large recoiling pistol but its not a 22 either. I would have liked a slightly larger grip to fit my hand, but of course that would have made it harder to stash. I let a few friends shoot it as well that had smaller hands than I and they didn’t seem to have any issues with it.

The quality of the TORO was great, the fit and finish looked quite handsome and well put together. The trigger was a little jumpy but I suppose it’s fine, by jumpy I mean there can be felt movements before it breaks sometimes. It seemed perfectly serviceable for a pistol of this type and price point. The added function of the red dot made shooting the TORO quite easy, instead of focusing on the sights I’d just cover the target with the dot as I squeezed the trigger. The red dot lined up pretty closely to the built in iron sights, which made it easy to co-witness and matched my natural aim-point.

Read Conclusion Here…

PSA Dagger 9mm

April 14, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware9mm, dagger, palmetto state armory, pistol, psacoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has been a big name in the firearms industry for some time. Their mission of arming law-abiding Americans has brought affordability and options to many.

Whether it be MSR rifles, parts, or accessories, PSA sells it, probably in seven different colors and calibers. Today we are going to review one of PSA’s own productions, the new Dagger SW3 9mm pistol.

The Dagger is a polymer-framed striker-fired 9mm pistol with incredibly similar features to the venerable Glock 19. That is no mistake either. The popular pistol has been copied, cloned, and customized by countless manufacturers.

But what makes the PSA version different you might ask? Well, that’s what Gun Made is here for; we’ll show you.

The Dagger utilizes fifteen-round flush-fit Glock magazines and is available in too many different models to mention. There are threaded and non-threaded barrels, extreme carry cut slides, night sights, optic-cut slides and so on.

I would recommend you go browse their selection as there is surely one you will like.

There are many advantages to the Dagger, and most of them are related to its kinship with the Glock. Magazines and other parts can be used to customize the pistol if one of the many models doesn’t perfectly fit your fancy.

The polymer frame is textured nicely to give the shooter a good purchase on the grip area, and the undercut trigger guard allows you to ‘choke-up’ your hand into the grip and seat the pistol deep into your grip.

The trigger features a flexing shoe safety, similar to those I’ve seen on S&W M&P pistols.

The Extreme Carry Cuts and Gatormouth slide add some custom detail to the pistol, and add to the gripping area of the slide while reducing weight. The slide itself is stainless steel with a Cerakote finish and topped with Tritium Tru-Glow night sights.

The 1-10 twist barrel inside has a hard DLC coating for durability and long life.

Upon receiving the Dagger, I wasted no time in giving it a thorough look over. And I must confess I was quite impressed with the little pistol; not only did it feel quite robust and smooth, but I had no idea they could be purchased for as little as $299.

The model shown here goes for about $60 more, but if this thing lives up to my hopes, I’d consider it a steal for that price.

DAGGER 9MM REVIEW

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber:	9mm
Capacity:	15 rounds
Action:	Striker Fired
Weight:	22.4oz (unloaded)
Overall Length:	7.15″
Overall Width:	1.28″
Overall Height:	4.78″ (Without Mag)
Barrel Length:	3.9″
Twist Rate:	SAAMI Spec 1:10
Slide Finish:	Cerakote, Flat Dark Earth

PROS & CONS

PROS

Very Affordable
Lighter than a Glock 19
Magpul Magazines
DLC Barrel coating
Cerakote over stainless finish
Picatinny accessory rail
Included night sights
Striker block and trigger safety

CONS

I couldn’t come up with something to dislike

ON THE RANGE TESTING

With the Dagger in a holster and several boxes of ammunition I headed out into what we call springtime here in Utah. After a short ride on my snowmachine, I found myself at my spot, and after hanging a target, I started loading magazines. I’d never loaded a Magpul Glock magazine since I’ve never owned a Glock; they do feel stiffer than I expected.

With fifteen rounds in the magazine, I chambered a round and prepared to shoot. The lockup feeling as the slide closed felt great, and I tightened my grip around the pistol as I settled the sights on my target.

OVERALL FEEL

The Dagger felt great in the hands; it really does feel above its price-point.

The trigger isn’t anything out of this world, but I certainly wouldn’t expect it to be for a CCW pistol. I kind of expected it to be a little long, and a bit stiffer than I would normally like. Turns out I was pretty much spot on. I wouldn’t consider myself a trigger snob, but I do like a good trigger, and this one impressed me as pretty standard.

I broke one shot after another, listening to the trigger reset between shots. After emptying my first magazine, I gave the pistol a good look over to ensure everything was in place before reloading.

I carried on through magazine after magazine of Magtech 124 grain FMJ ammo. I was very pleasantly pleased with how the Dagger felt in my hands and how it pointed so well. Every time I’d lift the pistol, the sights were lined up on my target.

The snappy recoil was easily controlled, and follow-up shots came fast and accurately. I’m also not a competition pistol shooter, so I wasn’t expecting to be particularly accurate with the Dagger. And yet I felt quite confident at hitting what I aimed at after just a few magazines.

I holstered the pistol and drew it from retention quite a few times. Since this is sort of a CCW-focused pistol, I figured I would try and simulate drawing it. Again, everytime as I drew it from the holster, it would come up on target for a good clean shot. Well, almost every time.

RELIABILITY

The Dagger was very reliable during my testing; no significant malfunctions or jams occurred.

During my range time, I experienced no malfunctions other than one time the pistol failed to lock back upon emptying the magazine. The magazine appears to make good contact with the slide-lock, so I’m not sure if there was another issue or if maybe my thumb was riding the release. But I haven’t been able to repeat it yet.

ACCURACY

Accuracy was perfectly acceptable; I would like to shoot another one with the red dot sight.

The Tritium sights were great for targeting, even though I’m a bit of a red dot kinda guy. But the nice thing is that you can certainly get the Dagger with a cut slide for your red dot.

psa dagger hands on review and range test

FEATURES

POLYMER FRAME

The lightweight polymer frame with its grippy texture felt great in my hand; the slippery polymer allowed the magazines to drop free easily and seat properly as well. The mag release is not reversible.

TRITIUM NIGHT SIGHTS

The low-profile night sights work well for targeting, and they were unobtrusive. I think they could be improved by perhaps rounding off the edge to reduce the likelihood of snagging.

CARRY CUT SLIDE

The carry cut slide reduces weight and also gives an excellent grip area to cycle the pistol. I suppose it is possible that the large cuts allow more dust and debris to enter the pistol, but as long as you have it holstered, I don’t see a problem.

HOW WE TESTED

During the course of more than a couple of hundred rounds, I got a good feeling for the function of the PSA Dagger. Shooting many courses of double taps, reloads, and other typical pistol drills.

I carried the pistol as my CCW for the better part of a month in a compatible OWB holster.

Part of my daily interaction with the pistol included repeated drawing and presenting of the pistol, and when in the right kind of place, shooting a few rounds to see how well I could place them under time limits.

It didn’t take long to see why these style of pistols are so popular. It was relatively easy to get comfortable and present some modicum of proficiency.

Shooting the pistol on the range got me very comfortable with the Dagger, and after spending a few weeks and boxes of ammo shooting the pistol I was very happy with the performance.

AMMO USED

For this review, I used Magtech 124-grain FMJ ammunition, and it worked great.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (9/10)

The Dagger worked almost perfectly and flawless during my shooting. The controls felt and functioned perfectly.

ERGONOMICS (9/10)

The Dagger felt fantastic in the hands. I think the only way you could improve it would be to add some kind of adjustable backstrap or grip.

CUSTOMIZATION (8/10)

The incredible custom options of the Dagger allow you to get almost anything you want in the pistol. The various colors, slide, and barrel options make it easy to please nearly any shooter.

APPEARANCE (9/10)

The Dagger is a handsome pistol; again the custom options make it more so. The finish and look of the pistol are every bit as good as the famous Glock pistols they mimic.

VALUE (10/10)

I was literally blown away when I saw the price of these pistols. I had played with and shot the pistol quite a bit before I looked and saw the street price of the pistol as tested was only $359.00

Continue Reading Here…

Palmetto State Armory Rock 5.7×28 pistol

April 14, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardwarecoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) has been a well-known supplier of many firearm parts and products. They live with the motto of selling as many guns to law-abiding Americans as possible. That’s something I can get behind!

PSA has recently entered the polymer-framed pistol market, offering several PSA branded pistols. The PSA Rock 5.7 is one of those, and the subject of our review today. We are going to take a look at how it works and what it brings to the table.

The PSA Rock 5.7 is a polymer-frame striker-fired pistol.

It is chambered in 5.7x28mm. It feeds from twenty-three round magazines to its 5.2 inches and 1-9 twist barrel.

The fluted barrel is also threaded to install a suppressor or other muzzle accessories. The Rock’s slide comes precut for adding optics and also includes suppressor height sights with the threaded barrel models.

The un-threaded models come with Ameriglow sights. The pistol operates using a delayed blowback system, making it a very simple operation.

The pistol is available in various color combinations, including black, FDE, grey, and combinations of the same.

I must have missed the Belgian 5.7 train years ago when it passed, as I never got too excited about it. And over the years, as other guns chambered in the diminutive cartridge popped up, I didn’t pay much attention to them either.

So being my first encounter with a 5.7×28 pistol, I encourage you to come along and discover the pros and cons with me.

The Rock comes in a nice little soft pistol case with one extra magazine and a few other accessories.

Excess Arms makes a +7 baseplate for the Rock to increase capacity to 30 rnds

My first impressions of the pistol were actually quite positive, the gun doesn’t impress me as heavy, and it felt comfortable in my hand. I ran the slide a few times and pulled the trigger to get a feel for it, and I was quite surprised at how good it felt to my finger.

There are only a few options currently for 5.7×28 pistols, and it seems that the PSA Rock is likely the most affordable one available. That being the case, I determined to find out if it deserves a place in the safe, and if its performance justifies the new 5.7×28 inventory I’d need to feed it.

PSA ROCK 5.7×28 PISTOL REVIEW

The 5.7×28 cartridge was developed by FN Herstal for several of their firearms, notably the P90 bullpup assault rifle. The cartridge shoots a .224 caliber bullet like other centerfire .22 caliber rifles.

The bottle-neck cartridge closely resembles a shrunk rifle round, and compared to other pistol cartridges, it performs like one as well.

With its forty-grain projectiles leaving the barrel well beyond supersonic velocities, the 5.7 acts more like a rifle cartridge than a pistol cartridge, which is likely why manufacturers are chambering additional firearms with the 5.7 cartridge.

The performance of the 5.7 lends itself to high-velocity and high-energy shooting and comes with the attributes of supersonic performance. Just how good a performance I was determined to find out.

psa 5.7 rock review with holosun 407k yhm suppressor and surefire light

The Rock 5.7 carries twenty-three rounds, and with the extended capabilities of the cartridge, it could certainly be useful at carbine distances compared to normal pistol cartridge rounds.

This could be very appealing to shooters who need such a thing. Before I even got started with this review, I was confronted by one of the drawbacks of the 5.7, and that was the price of a box of ammunition.

The local Cabelas had many boxes labeled at $50 each, which for a rifle isn’t unheard of, but for a handgun, it seemed to be quite excessive to me. Granted, the Rock isn’t just a plinking pistol, so I bit the bullets and left the store even more curious to see if this project would serve my purposes.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber:	5.7x28mm
Capacity:	23+1
Weight with Empty Mag:	25 oz
Barrel Length:	5.2″
Twist Rate:	1/9″
Thread Pitch:	1/2×28 TPI
Magazine:	23rd Steel 5.7x28mm Magazine (Ships With 2)
Action:	Delayed Blowback Striker-fired
Mag Catch:	Reversible
Barrel Material:	Carbon Steel With QPQ Finish; Fluted

PROS & CONS

PROS

Comfortable grip
Quite affordable
Excellent trigger
23+1 round capacity
Factory threaded barrel
Suppressor height sights
Optics ready slide
Excellent accuracy
Includes soft-case and many extras
Double-stack magazine

CONS

Failure to lock back on empty
Slide-release is a little stiff

ROCKING THE RANGE

My first trip to the range with the PSA Rock 5.7 was on a snowy day in March. I had also acquired a couple boxes of American Eagle 5.7x28mm FMJ ammunition, and I started shooting with that.

After loading the double-stack magazines to their 23-round max, I seated my first magazine and dropped the slide.

I fired a few rounds and was immediately surprised by a couple of things; the recoil is quite mild, which is very nice, and the trigger in this pistol is very crisp. And the trigger reset is quite short as well.

These two attributes made it quite easy to do two things; shoot fast, and shoot accurately (not at the same time).

I continued shooting to see what else I liked with the pistol, only to be let down as the magazine emptied its contents.

The first hiccup I noticed was the failure to lock back when the mag went empty. I tried the second magazine and found the same thing happened. I even fired a single shot from both mags repeatedly to confirm.

It’s certainly possible that with some simple fudging of the magazine I could correct the problem, as it worked everytime when I ran the slide manually on an empty magazine.

With a target hung at 25 yards, I looked down the tall sights of the Rock and tried firing a group. To my great surprise, the shots were very consistent, and the group measured just under 2.5 inches.

I felt like it could easily be better if I used a red dot for a finer aiming point, something I was going to try for sure on my next range trip.

My next task was to try the pistol suppressed. I had brought along my YHM Phantom 22 suppressor to see how the Rock performed with a suppressor. The thread protector is secured with a small O-ring. I removed the protector and threaded it on my suppressor and loaded a magazine.

The first few shots I fired in a slow cadence, inspecting things to ensure alignment. Everything looked and sounded good, so I continued to fire until the magazine went empty. The phantom did a great job at reducing the noise, I would consider it enough to shoot without ear protection, but I am also half-deaf, so take that with a grain of salt.

I would also mention always shoot with eye protection for safety, but this is especially important if you are shooting suppressed. With glasses on, I did notice debris coming back and hitting me in the face a couple of times while shooting suppressed. There was some additional gas blowback as well, which is not a big surprise, but something to be aware of.

After shooting a couple of boxes of ammunition thru the Rock, I had some good opinions formed about its performance.

The gun is very accurate in my opinion, and the action is smooth and predictable. It was very enjoyable to shoot with its mild recoil and excellent trigger pull. The only significant issue I encountered was the failure to lock back.

I did have one failure to go into battery, but I’m not convinced this was an issue with the gun, as I may have not seated the top round properly in the mag.

RELIABILITY

The firing portion of shooting went fine, but the gun would not reliably lock back on empty.

ACCURACY

Accuracy when shooting the Rock was excellent, and exceeded my expectations

OVERALL FEEL

The gun felt great in my hand, I typically don’t like the wide grip of pistols because of the 5.7 length magazines housed inside, but it didn’t seem to affect my ability to grip it properly.

FEATURES

OPTICS READY

The Rock comes ready to install a red dot; I did so and found it quite easy and extremely useful to take advantage of its accuracy.

THREADED BARREL

The threaded barrel of the Rock fit my suppressor perfectly, it was a very nice add on to an already fun experience.

23-ROUND MAGAZINES

The 23-round double-stack magazines performed perfectly. It seemed like quite a shooting string to not have the magazine extended beyond the bottom of the grip.

According to PSA the magazines can be used in the Ruger 5.7 pistol, though they don’t guarantee function.

TRIGGER

I again wanted to mention how good the trigger felt when compared to other striker fired polymer pistols, it was definitely above average.

MAGAZINE RELEASE

The magazine release is reversible for left-handed shooters; I found it to be perfectly adequate and flowed perfectly with my shooting.

HOW WE TESTED

During the testing of the Rock 5.7, I shot almost two hundred rounds of ammunition through the pistol. I did a great many reloads during the process to see how the controls functioned.

I did notice that the longer 5.7 magazines are a bit tougher to hit the magwell that we are used to. I think perhaps a slightly more flared magwell would aid in this.

The other thing that I noticed while reloading the gun was the stiffness of the slide release. This may also have something to do with the gun not locking back on empty. I plan on breaking the gun in with a bunch more ammo. Follow me to see if it results in better function.

I only fired a couple magazines worth of ammo suppressed, just to see how it functioned. Recoil was slightly increased, and some additional blowback was noted, but it was still acceptable in my opinion.

I was surprised the suppressor didn’t heat up more than it did due to the higher pressure of the 5.7 cartridge.

AMMO USED

For the most part, I use the American Eagle 40 grain ammunition. The FN brand 40 grain ammunition also functioned flawlessly.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (7/10)

Other than the issues I mentioned about not locking back, and stiff slide release, the gun functioned very well.

ERGONOMICS (9/10)

The Rock felt great in my hand, the textured grip makes it easy to hold onto, and the slide texture allows easy operation of the action.

CUSTOMIZATION (8/10)

I am unaware of any aftermarket parts for the Rock, as it is still quite new. But the threaded barrel and optics-ready slide give the user the ability to make it their way.

APPEARANCE (8/10)

The various color options are nice, and the Rock looks as good as any other comparable pistol

VALUE (9/10)

The Rock is significantly lower priced than the other options like the FN or Ruger 5.7 pistols. If the couple of slight issues I’ve had are easily worked out, I think it’s a steal by comparison.

Continue Reading Here…

Shadow Systems DR920 9mm pistol

April 14, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware9mm, DR920, glock 17, glock 19, pistol, shadow systemscoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

When I first started showing my Shadow Systems DR920 around, lots of folks would respond with, “nice Glock sir, but this is a Wendy’s”. I know it looks like a Glock, and surely shares a lot with them, but I was determined to see it differently.

In the interests of full disclosure, I’ll give some background. I’ve been a Sig fan-boy for twenty years, and while it would be silly to deny the success of the large family of polymer-designed pistols, I just never really liked them. Friends would get one, I’d handle them at a shop, but I never felt like I needed one bad enough to spend my money on one.

Now to be fair, the Shadow Systems family of pistols (DR920, XR920, MR920) are not just Glopies of the Austrian pistol. Shadow Systems pistols utilize many interchangeable parts but are also their own, the DR model pistol is comparable to the Glock 17.

The DR920 pistol is made with law enforcement in mind and built for duty purposes. The frame features an oversized beaver tail and interchangeable grip backstrap to accommodate different-sized hands.

The grip is textured for additional grip and control while shooting, and the trigger guard is undercut to allow additional purchase for a better grip. The flat-blade trigger has a 4.5-5 lb break and feels pretty clean.

The DR920’s slide is aggressively cut to provide additional purchase both at the front and back of the slide. It’s also cut for optics, so you can add your favorite red dot. Most red dots can be mounted without the use of adaptor plates like many other pistols use.

After a fairly short time with the DR920, I was quite quickly enamored with it, despite my distaste for pistols of this type. But how far down the marriage aisle would I get with this polymer-framed beauty?

SHADOW SYSTEMS DR920 REVIEW

Let me backup a bit; there’s more to this story than I’d let on.

A few months prior to this event, I found myself in the freezing desert of Wyoming, shooting an assortment of pistols belonging to my baby brother. Among the many was another Shadow, a different model but close enough. I’d already explained to him that I wasn’t big on that particular type, but he was adamant that I try it.

After only a few rounds, I found myself quite surprised at how well I could shoot it, and how good it felt in my hand. So when the opportunity to get my own Shadow, I figured I better pick it up.

shadow systems dr920 hands on review in snow

The DR920 promises to bring service-grade reliability with superior quality to a 9mm polymer-framed pistol. They are marketed toward shooters needing a high-grade pistol for durable service in any condition.

While the pistol may share some features with other common pistols, it brings additional qualities which will demand a higher price. Let’s see if it’s worth it…

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber	9mm
Capacity	17 rounds
Action	Striker fired semi-auto
Length	7.75”
Height	5.25”
Trigger pull weight	4.5-5 lbs
Weight	22.4 ounces
Sights	Front dot, serrated rear
Barrel Twist	1-10

PROS & CONS

PROS

Same size and pattern as the Glock 17
Huge aftermarket support
Optics ready
Adjustable backstrap grip
Match Grade barrel

CONS

I’d like a more pronounced mag release
I wouldn’t mind a slicker trigger (less friction)
I’ll add a flared magwell

shadow systems dr920 hands on review range test

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

My first trip to the range with the DR920 was a quick one, and it didn’t take long to feel it out.

Running seventeen-round Magpul magazines, I stuffed a pile of cartridges in and loaded the pistol.

Cracking the first few rounds, I went slowly just to see how everything felt. To my surprise, the pistol recoiled a little more than I had expected. It wasn’t bad or anything, just a touch more than I had anticipated.

I ran through several magazines, running them dry til the gun locked open. I smiled a crooked smile to myself there in the pistol bay, and I thought to myself; I may end up loving this gun.

Those first fifty rounds went way too quickly, so I went to get more.

After several range trips and not as much ammo as I would have loved to shoot through this gun, I have gained a shine for it.

I’ve shot nearly five-hundred rounds through the pistol so far, and it hasn’t hiccuped yet. That should come as no surprise from a pistol with this pedigree. The natural aim of the pistol in my hand lined up very well; every time I presented the pistol, the sights were already on target. This made the pistol quite easy to shoot well, in my opinion.

During a later trip, I installed a Holosun 407K to see how I liked the gun with a red dot. It came as no surprise that I enjoyed it further still, as I prefer shooting pistols with red dots.

Shooting the Shadow was very comfortable and familiar. There are a couple of things I think I might change. I would like a flared magwell, and it looks like Shadow Systems has them for sale on their website, so I might get one on the way.

Not a huge deal, but it would probably help me stab magazines a little faster. And I’m definitely going to get some more magazines for it.

shadow systems dr920 hands on review close up

RELIABILITY

The pistol functioned flawlessly for the duration of my testing, with no malfunctions or failures.

ACCURACY

The DR920 was perfectly acceptable, in my opinion, as far as accuracy is concerned. Hitting 50% IPSC targets at 25 yards was easy; I don’t shoot pistols much further than that in any case.

OVERALL FEEL

The textured grip felt great in my hand, and the grip angle was perfect as well. Trigger and other controls were easily manipulated and comfortable. The adjustable backstrap made it easy to fit the hand.

FEATURES

FLAT-BLADE TRIGGER

The flat-blade trigger was smooth and clean to break. It’s a service pistol, so I wasn’t expecting it to be super light or short. I suppose I wouldn’t mind if it was a little lighter or less friction.

OPTICS MOUNT

The Shadow slides come pre-cut for optics. With threaded holes for various optical mounting patterns.

The idea is to be able to mount a red dot without needing a mounting plate. Instead, Shadow Systems includes a set of small polymer spacers that can be used to place in front of or behind the optic to fill any voids. I had no problem mounting red dots to it.

SIGHTS

When I first opened the box, I almost thought the gun came with suppressor sights, but they are just slightly taller sights than normal.

I actually quite like them as they always lined up with my target upon presentation. And once the red dot was added, they all co-witnessed, which I believe is a requirement for many LE agencies.

shadow systems dr920 mounted with red dot

ADJUSTABLE BACKSTRAP

The DR920 came with a baggie of different backstraps that are easily swapped out by simply pushing a pin out with their provided tool. The backstrap then slides down and off the frame. Then you reverse the process to install the backstrap of your choice.

TEXTURED MAG RELEASE

The textured mag release works fine, but I wouldn’t mind a slightly taller version. It seemed just a touch more out of the way for my thumb than I would have liked.

ACCESSORY RAIL

The pistol also features a typical accessory rail under the front of the pistol, perfect for mounting a weapon light. I installed my Surefire X300 with no problem; it’s pretty hard to mess this up.

Continue reading here…

shadow systems dr920 with holosun 407k mounted and reloading

Staccato P 2011 Pistol review

March 15, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware2011, 9mm, pistol, staccatocoldboremiracle

INTRODUCTION

The Staccato P pistol is a 2011 pistol built specifically for use as a service pistol for law enforcement, but the general shooting public has very well received it. The high quality and performance of the pistol have made it highly sought after by pistol aficionados in and out of the LE community.

The Staccato P is a 2011 model pistol. The 2011 design is a modern version of the 1911 design. Incorporating double stack magazines and chambered in 9mm has brought incredible versatility to the pistol. It comes in a custom soft case with three magazines.

STI was famous for making these pistols. They have since rebranded to the Staccato name and lead the way in the 2011 pistol market.

Being new to both 1911/2011 designs and the Staccato P, I was very excited to get familiarized with this pistol and see what all the hype was about and if it was well founded.

STACCATO P REVIEW

The Staccato P is a pistol designed for duty and anyone else who could use the features of the pistol. The manufacturer has gone to great lengths to get the pistol approved for LE service by at least 650 agencies, including the Texas Rangers.

With an MSRP of $2199.00, it is certainly not an entry-level pistol; however, to be fair to Staccato, it boasts professional-grade features to justify that price. The Staccato P has all the great benefits of the extremely popular and common 1911 design but also adds new technology and features to enhance the historical design with modern expectations. Pistol shooters who want exceptional quality and extremely smooth operation will be happy to feel the sticky Staccato stippling in their hands.

Much like buying a sports car, this pistol is not something you’d compare to the average 9mm pistol on the shelf at your local gun shop. And much like the sports car, you may want to get it purchased before the wedding and not after.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber	9mm
Capacity	17 rounds
Barrel length	4.4 Inches
Trigger	4-4.5 lb adjustable
Dimensions	Length 8.0 X Grip Width 1.3 X Height 5.5 – Width At Safeties 1.49
Weight	33 ounces (empty)

PROS & CONS

PROS

Outstanding SA trigger – adjustable and crisp
Optics ready – to add your favorite red dot
Ambidextrous safety- in case you’re wrong handed
Picatinny accessory rail- to mount accessories
Flared magwell- for enhanced mag changes
Heavy bull barrel- for enhanced accuracy
Dawson custom sights – fiber optic for better sight picture

CONS

Short slide release – hard to reach with my thumb
I need another one

ON THE RANGE TESTING

I was understandably excited to get the Staccato P to the range, I had already worn in the pistol quite a bit playing with it in my office. But with a few boxes of ammunition and a few targets, I headed to my shooting spot.

After loading a few mags, I loaded the pistol and made it ready to shoot. The feeling of the slide riding forward and chambering a round is addictive, smooth as glass, and locks up tight. I’m not a big manual safety guy, but the 2011 safety is so easy to use that it immediately became second nature. It is almost automatic that as the pistol comes up, your thumb moves it from safe to fire, and back to safe as you return the pistol to the holster.

The trigger was everything I’d hoped to be, clean and crisp. The short reset seemed to allow for incredibly rapid follow-up shots, allowing a massive amount of lead to be put downrange very quickly. And the clean break of the trigger allowed for accurate shooting on targets, and the hits just kept coming.

I found the large grip of the pistol to be very comfortable in my hand. The rough texturing and the full palm gave a great deal of purchase on the grip. And being a bit heavier than your average 9mm pistol, the recoil was very easy to control with this better and bigger grip area.

The bright fiber-optic front sight was quick to find and easily aligned with the rear sight. I would love this pistol even more with a red dot mounted to it, perhaps next time.

As I plowed through the ammo, I quite enjoyed doing reloads. The Staccato P features a flared magwell to aid in rapidly seating new magazines. I found myself loading two or three rounds per mag just to get more reloads in.

The frictionless slide of the magazines against the polymer grip module made seating the magazine effortless, and empty mags drop free and clear with an appropriate press of the release. I was quickly becoming a fan of everything this pistol was, and deciding if I could justify keeping it.

RELIABILITY

The reliability of the Staccato P was immaculate. During the course of firing several hundred rounds, I experienced no malfunctions. That may not sound like much, but the way it just chewed through everything smoothly and without so much of a hiccup made it feel even more reliable.

Slow shooting cadences and rapid mag dumps all resulted in the same way, a locked open slide waiting for the next magazine to be loaded.

The cycling of the slide and the chambering of cartridges all worked so flawlessly that it felt like a well-oiled machine churning away in the palm of your hand.

ACCURACY

I am not what I consider a big pistol accuracy fanatic, nor do I consider myself exceptionally talented in accurately shooting pistols. As far as I am concerned, if I can hit what I aim at within the distance I typically shoot, then it’s good enough for my purposes.

The Staccato was certainly better than I was, as I found it easy to hit everything I aimed at. I did find that the sights aligned pretty naturally with my generic pistol pointing, which may have helped my shooting significantly. I think I might have shot even better had I installed a red dot on the back of the pistol, but that’s for another time I guess.

OVERALL FEEL

The overall feel of the Staccato P is outstanding. The perfectly filled hand with the perfect fit controls and trigger was missing only one thing for me. The slide release was a bit too far forward for me to reach with my thumb, making it necessary to break my shooting grip in order to do so.

I don’t know if they make an extended version, but if they do, I would certainly buy it, as it is the only thing I could complain about this pistol.

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Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan

January 3, 2023pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware.454 Casull, 44 magnum, alaskan, ruger, super redhawkcoldboremiracle

Powerful revolvers carry more than just a cylinder full of cartridges, they also carry some mystique. The hero of every old western film always had a big iron to deal justice, while that may not be our purpose here today it’s nice to keep it in mind. Today we are taking a closer look at the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan.

Alaskan?
The Super Redhawk line of pistols from Ruger has a long history of performance, but what does the Alaskan do you might say? I suppose the Alaskan model was purpose built thinking of those who might spend time up north, and prefer not to be without six doses of bear medicine. The Super Redhawk Alaskan is a stainless steel double-action revolver, a hammer forged 2.5 inch barrel, and comes with a Hogue Tamer grip to keep a good hold of the gun. You’ll need a good grip because the Alaskan’s robust cylinder has holes bored for six cartridges in only three calibers; .44 Remington mag, 454 Casull, and .480 Ruger. These powerful choices in chambering are nothing to shake a stick at as my father would say, and certainly enough to make even a brown bear reconsider you as a snack.

Considerate size
Despite the large chamberings for the Redhawk, the pistol isn’t so big as to be cumbersome. The short barrel makes it a reasonable gun to carry in a holster, even if you are engaged in other activities. The Alaskan would be a great choice for fisherman who anticipate potential close encounters with awnry eight hundred pound salmon fishermen, or just someone who is out in rough country.
The Alaskan is big enough to stand up to the tasks of bear country, and yet small enough to bring along on a fly fishing trip. And even if you aren’t in the cold white north, it alway gives some solace to have a good strong pistol close. I’ve spent enough time in the incredibly dark and remote forests of northern Montana and Idaho to appreciate the comfort of that heavy steel piece riding on the hip. The extra 2.75 pounds is worth having to me.

A pair of Super Redhawks, note fluted cylinder of .44 Mag model

Shooting time
Shooting the Super Redhawk Alaskan was going to be expensive in today’s market. Especially since I had both the .44 Magnum model, and the 454 Casull to feed. Both pistols are dual chambered to allow for shooting lighter loads with .44 Special and .45 Colt cartridges. But I didn’t have any of those, so it was full house power loads from Hornady to test these guns.

I have shot plenty of .44 Magnum over the years, so shooting the Redhawk wasn’t significantly new. I did immediately notice the comfortable grip, which allowed excellent purchase to control the pistol. The 454 Casull pistol had a bit more power behind it, and you could feel it. Recoil and muzzle blast from the two are fairly comparable, with the Casull showing a bit more unsurprisingly. I was shooting 225 grain Horandy FTX ammunition in the .44 Magnum model, and in the .454 I was shooting Hornady’s 300 grain flat point.

Considering the purpose I initially mentioned for these pistols they shoot quite well, a dangerous game defensive pistol like this certainly needs to hit what your aiming at. I found both pistols to be easy enough to control despite the significant recoil from the heavy loads. Obviously that would change if an angry sow was charging at me, but I’d like to think I could shoot them well enough to hit a moving target at danger close distances.

The impressive power of the Super Redhawks wasn’t the only thing that stood out when shooting them. Both models felt fantastic in the hand, the soft rubber Hogue grips made them very comfortable to shoot. The quality of the operation also struck me, smooth controls and very clean breaking triggers added to the superior feeling of these pistols. The adjustable sights of the Alaskan aren’t exactly huge, they come across as pretty simple and no nonsense. That said I found them to be more than adequate for the purposes of relatively close shooting, that is to say anything inside of fifty-yards or so that rivaled the size of a paper plate was bound to be perforated with a big hole.

Ammunition for this article was supplied by Gun Mag Warehouse

Pros and Cons
I have always been a fan of Ruger’s revolvers, so it should come as no surprise that I found a great many things I like about the Super Redhawk Alaskan. First of all, it’s just a plain handsome design. It has all the classic and sexy features of the hero’s gun from the old westerns we watched as kids, and yet it has just enough modern flair to make it appealing as a modern firearm as well.
The simplicity of the Alaskan’s design also makes it very quick to put into service, the double-action design makes it ideal for a gun that needs to be jerked from the holster and immediately fired at inbound danger. The reliable operating system rolls the next chamber full of wrath right into position to deal one blow after another of heavy hitting power.
The quality finish of the pistol also makes it built to last, the Alaskan is built from stainless steel to protect it from the rough weather you’d be sure to encounter up north. The clean breaking trigger, triple locked cylinder, and modern transfer bar allow the gun to serve its power with finesse, precision and safety.

I had a really hard time coming up with cons for this pistol, it has a fairly specific purpose and it serves that purpose extremely well in my opinion. It wouldn’t be ideal for day to day carrying in places where dangerous predators over five-hundred pounds aren’t expected, it would be a bit heavy for a purpose like that. Though I won’t deny having conceal carried one of the Redhawks on multiple occasions, it’s not ideal for that purpose.
There is the obvious downside of having to feed these large and expensive cartridges to such a large pistol, but if you truly need a pistol like this I’d wager you are willing to pay quite a randsome to ensure it has plenty of ammo. Continue reading here

CMMG Dissent 5.56 Pistol

December 1, 2022pistols, Product review, Shooting hardwarecoldboremiracle

I recently wrote a review of the CMMG Banshee, and I was very impressed with nearly everything about it. So I decided I wanted to try another gun from CMMG, and reached out to see if I could get my hands on one of their Dissent pistols. After some waiting I was happy to see the little CMMG box show up at my desk.

The Dissent
The Dissent is not your typical AR-15 type pistol, it utilizes CMMG’s buffer-less compact action. This means that it doesn’t need the bulky buffer tube that comes standard with most AR-15 patterned rifles. The compact action instead utilizes a dual spring pack that runs right above the bolt carrier itself, it carries in between the spring set a rubberized stop if the carrier should reach a full stroke to the rear. The two uneven spring guide-rods are keyed into a steel boss at the back of the upper receiver, but remain independent of the receiver itself. The front of the two springs are captured in a T-shaped housing that appears to be part of the bolt carrier itself.
From there the Dissent is almost the same as a standard AR, using what appears to be a standard bolt, cam pin and firing pin parts. I say almost because there are a few other differences.

Because the spring assembly sits where the charging handle would normally be, they had to move the charging system to the front of the action instead. There is a steel charging block that rides in a groove inside the handguard at twelve o’clock, the charging handle itself slides in from the side of the handguard and rides in its own grove from there. A claw is attached to the front of the charging handle to keep it from reciprocating, and as far as I can tell it is reversible to either side of the handguard but requiring you to purchase a right-sided charging handle. The charging block only pushes on the bolt carrier when pulled to the rear, but remains captured during the cycling of the bolt carrier.
The Dissent is available in 5.56, 300blk, and 5.7.

Initial impressions
As I pulled the gun from its packaging I have to say I was impressed. The Dissent came to me in a handsome charcoal green Cerakote sporting CMMG’s muzzle device and a pair of Pmags. The buffer tube hole at the back of the lower receiver had been covered by a vertical pic rail, to allow for a brace or stock installation should you choose to be infringed upon by the NFA.
The Dissent comes standard with a Trigger Tech AR-D two stage trigger which was crisp as the air on a December morning. I found myself triggering the gun over and over in anticipation of shooting it. Fairly standard controls, with a 45 degree safety and ambidextrous mag release buttons. I found the left side mag button to be a little close to the bolt release for my taste, it seemed like it might be too easy to drop the mag when your trying to drop the bolt. But we’ll see about that at the range.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber	5.56
Capacity	30 round P-Mag
Weight	4.8 lbs
Length	14.7 inches
Barrel Twist	1:7
Barrel Length	6.5 inches
Operating System	Compact Action Direct impingement
Muzzle Threads	½ x 28
Trigger	Trigger Tech AR-D

PROS & CONS

PROS

No buffer tube required
Picatinny rail for easy stock or arm brace installation
High quality upper and lower with flawless union
Fantastic Trigger Tech trigger from the factory
Very reliable functioning operating system

CONS

Must purchase separate charging handle to run on right side of firearm
Awkward shooting without a buttstock or arm brace

FIRST RANGE OUTING WITH THE DISSENT

I was excited to get the Dissent out into the open where I could shoot it. It was a beautiful winter afternoon, with temps in the teens. Not exactly a perfect day, but close to it. I did nothing to the gun as far as lubrication or anything like that. We just started loading P-mags and went to it.

My very first impression was, how am I supposed to shoot this thing? AR pistols are small enough that you can shoot them like a pistol, but it feels awkward and silly to me. So we tried several different ways of holding the gun and ended up with one hand on the pistol grip and the other on the magwell or handguard area.

I had mounted my US Optics TSR 1X red dot for a sight, and lucky for me, it was near perfectly zeroed at about fifty yards. We went through several magazines of American Eagle 55 grain ball ammunition, and the DIssent kept plugging away.

Most things inside 50 yards seemed fairly easy to hit, I’m sure it would be useful at further distances, but something was going to need to change first. It was difficult for a guy who mainly shoots precision rifles to properly steady the rifle without having a rear point to anchor to the shoulder.

This is certainly not the fault of the Dissent, just something I’m not used to. Before testing any accuracy with the gun, I wanted to get a proper brace or buttstock to shoot it right.

Even so, we had a great time shooting the little charcoal green pistol. At no time during testing did the firearm show any malfunctions or issues, and it was fun to shoot.

I decided to throw a suppressor on the gun as well, to see how it did as a host. I had my Yankee Hill Machine Turbo 556 suppressor handy and spun it on after removing the CMMG muzzle device.

The Dissent doesn’t have an adjustable gas block, but it didn’t seem to matter. It kept banging along, suppressed, which was obviously more pleasant for the user. Slightly more noticeable gas was felt for the shooter, but not something I would be too concerned about.

RELIABILITY

The Dissent showed no malfunctions during my testing. It was using P-mags, metal GI mags, and an assortment of ammunition. Besides the American Eagle 55 grain ammo, we also shot some Frontier 55 grain hollow point ammunition and a handful of others that had collected in the bottom of my range bucket.

The seven-twist barrel of the dissent also had no trouble shooting some 75-grain loads that worked without problems.

ACCURACY

The short stiff barrel of the Dissent worked great for keeping shots consistent. Once a brace was added, I found it was easy to keep groups under 2 MOA at one hundred yards.

As the Dissent is more configured as a personal defense weapon (PDW) or something of a short sporting arm, I found this level of accuracy to be perfectly acceptable.

OVERALL FEEL

The Dissent definitely feels like a quality-made firearm, as with other CMMG firearms I have shot before this one. The fit and finish are top-notch, as are the CMMG furniture and accessories that come with it.

Everything from the Cerakote finish to the engraving looks very well done and justifies the rifle’s price point.

THE BUFFERLESS OPERATING SYSTEM

The best feature of the Dissent is its bufferless operating system. It utilizes two springs and guide-rods that are housed above the bolt carrier in the upper receiver. They are captured at the rear with an aluminum block and pass through a T-shaped boss on top of the bolt carrier.

This design allows the Dissent to be more compact than its buffered competitors.

FORWARD CHARGING HANDLE

The charging handle for the Dissent is mounted in the handguard in front of the upper receiver. There is a steel charging block that slides in its own keyed slot of the handguard, and the charging handle slides in from the side. The whole assembly can be drawn to the rear by the left hand to operate the action.

The charging block isn’t attached to the bolt carrier itself. It simply pushes back on the front of the carrier. This makes the charging handle non-reciprocating, for which the engineers at CMMG added a claw capture to the front of the charging handle to keep it in place.

The forward charging handle makes a lot of sense for a gun like this; having the traditional top-rear of the upper receiver charging handle would be very awkward.

The only downside I can see is that the charging handle isn’t reversible, it can be switched to the right side of the gun, but that requires purchasing an additional right-side charging handle.

STOCK/BRACE PIC RAIL MOUNT

Since the Dissent has no buffer tube, CMMG has installed a vertical pic rail in place of the buffer tube to add either a sling mount, arm brace, or a stock.

I tried mounting an arm brace from a Sig MCX Rattler that I had, but it wouldn’t slide over the Picatinny rail section. The only option I found worked was one clamped over the pic rail.

TRIGGER

The Trigger Tech AR-D trigger was a fantastic addition to the Dissent. It had a very clean pull and crisp break. The reset felt slightly different than I expected, but I wasn’t sure if that was by design or simply my lack of familiarity with it. Regardless, it is a fantastic component of the gun.

BACK TO THE RANGE

After installing an arm brace, I wanted to further test the Dissent and see how much better I could do. Additional accuracy testing proved the rifle to be very capable of 1-2 MOA depending on ammunition type. And I felt much more comfortable with the gun, shooting it as a rifle vs. a pistol.

The very short Dissent is extremely agile when moving through a course of fire. The short length makes the rifle quick to get on target and easy to maneuver. In my opinion, the addition of a suppressor is almost a requirement, as the gun is so short that one can easily get the support hand into the extremely dangerous muzzle area. Adding a suppressor greatly reduces the likelihood of your fingers’ proximity to gas and bullets being expelled from the muzzle.

I found myself really appreciating the enlarged magazine release buttons on the Dissent. They did make it easy to perform reloads quickly. The bolt release did end up being a touch obscured for my taste. After reloading, it took a little bit more attention than normal to ensure the bolt release was depressed acutely.

I was again impressed with the trigger, as I always have been with Trigger Tech products. It made a significant improvement, in my opinion, in my ability to accurately shoot the Dissent.

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Lever guns and revolvers: Perfect Pairs

November 30, 2022blog, pistols.44 Remington Magnum, 357 magnum, marlin 1894, winchester 1894coldboremiracle

Gun owners chose their firearms depending on many differing criteria. Size, looks, caliber and so on can all be the deciding reasons why someone selects one model over another. Today I wanted to go over a subject that will help narrow some of the selections and make it easier to pick out your next firearm, or pair of firearms.

Consistency
I have several firearms chambered in the same cartridge, if you are reading this you probably are in the same boat. Having multiple firearms chambered in the same cartridge simplifies a few things for gun owners. The most obvious way that occurs is through uniformity, instead of buying ammunition for each individual firearm, you can buy for two or more guns. If you have an AR-type rifle for defense training, and a bolt action varmint gun both chambered in 223 Remington its easy to feed them both from the same box.
Today I want to specifically take that thesis out of your gun room, and into the wide open spaces where your guns are likely to be used.

Paired Up
Identically chambered guns can simplify things when in the field. If you are a cowboy, or perhaps just a modern rancher you might find yourself frequently armed with both a pistol for short work, and a rifle for more significant things. Having a pistol on your hip is a valuable tool for many of us, but it’s often not enough in big open country. Having a rifle or carbine on your horse or ATV in case a pesky coyote should give you an opportunity can be a lifesaver.
If both of these firearms are chambered in the same cartridge it will simplify and speed up your daily loadout. A .357 Magnum chambered revolver is more than enough for pistol range shots, and a handy little lever-action rifle chambered in .357 as well is certainly enough for dispatching the occasional errant coyote.

A handy little pistol like the Ruger LCR .357 magnum is easily carried and less intrusive for someone with work on their mind. And to go with it, a short and quickly fired lever gun like the Marlin 1894 gives more range and power for things that are beyond pistol distances. The two of them together make a great pair, giving you options without complicating things with multiple cartridges, magazines and such. Both firearms could also easily shoot .38 Special ammo, to further lighten the load for someone with a job to do.

A Bigger Set
Perhaps you don’t live in flat Texas ranch country though, and maybe you have bigger worries than two and four legged coyotes. Suppose you live in the cold north, where bears and wolves roam as freely as you and I. For such an outpost, I think I’d be a little more comfortable with something a bit more stout than a .357.

Keeping the theme of our first pair, I would feel much better with something like a .44 Magnum. The heavy hitting Magnum loads carry more energy should you need to defend yourself, or if you happen to get the opportunity to take a game animal unexpectedly. I love the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan for this role, its short, robust and carries enough power to kill just about anything. It’s also comfortable as far as big revolvers go, which is a must if its a firearm you intend on having on you at all times.
As a companion for the Redhawk, I chose the Winchester 1894 Saddle carbine chambered in the same 44 Magnum. The short and quickly pointed rifle is easily brought along on most any activity where you’d want a rifle. Its easily kept in a vehicle or stashed on an ATV, whether you are guiding a river fishing trip or cutting firewood the little rifle can provide an extra measure of security. As with the .357, the .44 magnum can be downloaded, or even shot with .44 Special loads for increased economy. Continue Reading Here…