Category Archives: Product review

Products and equipment

Bergara Wilderness HMR Carbon 6.5 Creedmoor

March 3, 2024Product review, Shooting hardwareBergara, carboncoldboremiracle

Introduction

I’ve had quite a few interactions with Bergara rifles, and today I am pleased to bring you another one. Today we will be reviewing the Bergara Wilderness HMR Carbon 6.5 Creedmoor, a B-14 action based rifle that utilizes Bergara’s new Cure Carbon barrels. The model we are testing today is the Wilderness series rifle, which uses a synthetic adjustable stock. It’s Cure Carbon barrel is chambered in the very popular 6.5 Creedmoor.

Bergara B-14

If you haven’t gotten hands on one of Bergara’s bolt action rifles, you really need to. The B-14 is a great clone of the very popular Remington 700 pattern. And the sad reality these days is that the future of the Remington brand can be uncertain, as many of their products have been the last few decades.

Bergara did an excellent job recreating what the 700 used to be, and many would say it’s even better. The B-14 is a two-lug bolt made from a solid piece of steel, it features a coned bolt-head and sliding extractor. These are a superior design to the original 700, and the performance is evident.

Perhaps the greatest part of the B-14 action is its versatility by accepting Remington 700 parts and accessories. Triggers, stock’s and chassis will almost always drop in with Bergara’s B-14 action. If that wasn’t enough, the action is just smooth and robust.

Bergara Cure Carbon Barrels

Spanish based Bergara has been famous for their barrels for as long as I can remember. And according to them, their new Cure Carbon process has perfected the carbon wrapped barrel technology. The Cure Carbon barrels are wrapped in-line with the bore of the barrel, and interwoven stainless steel is part of the wrap as well. This not only helps with rigidity and accuracy, it also helps draw heat out of the barrel.

The latest rifles from Bergara, the Crest and Crest Carbon rifles also feature these carbon barrels. I’m looking forward to getting hands on one of those as well.

Like any modern rifle barrel, the Cure Carbon barrel on the Wilderness HMR is threaded for a muzzle device and handsomely finished. This 6.5 Creedmoor model is cut at 22-inches long, and features a 1:8 twist. The overall presentation of the rifle is fantastic. And in my opinion presents a very nice hunting rifle for those looking for weight savings.

the **Guardian Defense Manufacturing suppressor** made a great accessory for the HMR

Bergara B-14 Wilderness HMR Setup

As I mentioned, I am no stranger to Bergara rifles. And having used several of them in the past I had pretty good expectations for this one. I also happened to have a new scope from Lucid Optics that needed to be tested, so I figured the two were meant for each other.

I grabbed a pair of 30mm Burris rings I had laying around, and mounted the Lucid MLX riflescope on top of the HMR’s 20 MOA scope base. The rings were a good fit, and the scope looked great.

the **Lucid Optics MLX** riflescope mounted in Burris rings

After bore-sighting the scope, I grabbed a few boxes of ammunition, a bipod, and some other items to go see how this rifle performed. I’ve mentioned before my disdain for public ranges, so it should come as no surprise that we’d put the B-14 Wilderness into the exact country it was made for.

Shooting the Bergara HMR Carbon 6.5 Creedmoor

Over the course of several trips, we ventured into the snow-capped high Rocky Mountains, and the dry deserts of the southwest. Different conditions and elevation changes allowed for some good perspective on performance.

The very first shooting trip featured a couple boxes of Hornady match 140gr and Federal Gold Medal match 130gr. After zeroing the rifle with just a few rounds, the very first group I shot on paper was sub MOA, and with both ammo types it seemed that half MOA was pretty easily attained.

Ammo Tested
Federal Gold Medal Match 140 gr
Hornady Match 140gr ELDM
Desert Tech 140gr Match
Winchester Deer Season 125gr

After ensuring a good zero on the rifle, we stretched it out a little bit. With steel targets hung all around the area, we picked out a few and started engaging them. Hitting 45% IPSC targets inside 600 yards was easily repeatable, and first round hits were common.

Rifle and scope both made an excellent combination, we continued to shoot targets all over the desert out to a thousand yards or so. The ability to customize the fit of the rifle made it very easy to shoot. Adjusting the comb for the perfect fit for my eye behind the scope was helpful. The length of pull can be adjusted by removing or adding spacers behind the recoil pad, but I didn’t find it necessary.

The dual sling studs up front allow you to mount a bipod without losing a place to attach your sling. But since this isn’t 1987, the HMR also has fluch cups mounted on the rifle in several places so you can attach a sling with QD swivels.

Running the bolt on the B-14 action was very slick, good extraction and ejection were the norm. The fluted bolt looks handsome, and feels like very low friction when pushed or pulled. The only issue I had with the rifle the entire time we shot it had to do with the bolt handle. It is threaded on which is nice for those who would change it, but it definitely needed some loctite. It came loose many times while shooting, of course it was easily remedied.

bergara b-14 HMR carbon — the HMR with a fine selection of ammo

With Remington 700 trigger compatibility, I could have put any number of great triggers into the Bergara. But I didn’t feel the need to, as the factory trigger feels great to me.

Shop Bergara rifles at Palmetto State Armory

Sportsmans Warehouse also has the Bergara lineup

bergara B-14 HMR carbon Lucid MLX — we tested **several suppressors** on the HMR Carbon, it was an excellent host

Pros and Cons

As with previous Bergara rifles, I had a hard time coming up with something I disliked about this rifle. It appears to be mostly marketed as a hunting rifle, for which I think is ideal. It might be a little heavier than other lightweight rifles, but to get much lighter than this one I’d expect to pay significantly more. With a street price around $1600 it’s not a cheap rifle, but it is much less than some of the other carbon rifles on the market.

I mentioned the bolt-handle coming loose on me, that’s the only kind of issue I had while shooting the rifle. Everything else worked exactly how I anticipated it to.

the HMR Carbon alongside my father’s custom 220 Swift, you can **read about that rifle here**

Final Thoughts on this rifle

My experience has been that Bergara’s rifles just seem to shoot, and with predictable accuracy too. All the versatility this rifle offers comes at a pretty reasonable price, you get some really valuable modern features for your dollar. The popularity of these rifles with western hunters who spend a great deal of time in steep country tells me I am not alone in my assessment.

If you find yourself looking for a modern hunting rifle, with the compatibility of the Remington 700 pattern, I would look no further. The Bergara B-14 HMR Wilderness rifle could easily be the last hunting rifle I ever needed. But thank goodness it won’t be…

-CBM

Armasight Contractor 640 2.3-9.2×35 Thermal Weapon Sight

February 29, 2024Optics, Product reviewarmasight, contractorcoldboremiracle

Introduction

Thermal optics have become one of the latest trends in the shooting industry. In fact both night-vision and thermals have become sort of a new status symbol for gun owners. Mainly because they are not inexpensive, and require significant dedication to obtain. But as with many things in our industry, competition drives innovation. We all have benefitted from this competition, as more products and companies have emerged making it easier to get hands on these products. Today we are looking at one of those products, the Armasight Contractor 640 2.3-9.2×35 Thermal Weapon Sight.

Armasight manufactures a variety of thermal and night-vision devices for both observation and weapon sighting. This is not the first experience I’ve had with the brand, or thermal/night vision for that matter. So I was excited to see how the Contractor 640 stood out against other thermal sights I’ve used.

the Armasight Contractor mounted to the **Desert Tech MDRX**

The Armasight Contractor 640 2.3-9.2×35 Thermal Weapon Sight

With so many features to go over, I ‘ll simply list them all at once, and go over the ones that deserve attention:

Multiple color palettes
Intuitive menus with turret controls
8+ Reticle Types
4 hours runtime at 20° C
Image Detail Enhancement
1/2MOA Boresight
Quick Detach Mount Included
Video Recording & Image Capture
USB Video Stream
Wi-Fi Video Stream
Bluetooth 5.0 Capabilities
Application on iOS / Android Devices
USB-C Interface for External Devices
Integrated Stadiametric Rangefinder
Inclinometer
Levelometer
Graphic Compass
Picture in Picture Mode
Angle Cosine Indicator
Reticle ON/OFF Selection
Battery Status Indicator
Alloy Metal Body and Ergonomic Design

Features

With such an impressive suite of features its is challenging to discuss them all. Perhaps the most valuable ones are the practical things you will use on a regular basis. For example, color pallet selection can help define targets and surroundings. Giving you contrast to better see what you’re looking at.

the heads up display of the Contractor 640

The image and video recording capabilities are nice if you like to share your hunting experiences with others. And it’s also valuable for seeing what happened after the shooting is over.

Connectivity is very handy, and with wifi enabled devices like the Contractor 640 you can easily access images and other data from your phone. Armasight has both Android and Apple applications to do this, I downloaded the Apple version to see how it worked

There was a surprising amount of control of the Contractor via the app. You can do almost everything through the phone, change color pallets, reticle style, ballistic solving as well as record video feed. I was quite impressed with how much could be done, the thing only missing was a remote focus adjustment.

Images captured from the Armasight phone app

The different angle finding features of the Contractor 640 can be handy, as is the compass heading. Some of these features aren’t hugely important unless you are shooting beyond regular distances. So they may be overkill for many shooters, but very handy for others.

The dual turrets for bringing up and selecting menus makes changing up some of these features quick to do on the fly.

this short barreled **Desert Tech SRS A2 Covert** was an excellent host

Shooting a Thermal Weapon Sight

One of the first things I find useful with a thermal sight is selecting a color pattern that best fits your eyes. Everybody’s eyes are different, and finding a good contrast setting that fits your eye will help you make sense of the display. I tend to prefer white on black, while you might prefer one of the color pallets.

For those of you who might have seen an ultrasound of a growing baby, it can be similar. You are oftentimes looking at not only what is there, but the negative of what lies around it. Different display settings can enhance your ability to identify your target.

note image focus ring and quick detach mount

In addition to the actual warm and cold image, the Contractor shows additional data in the display. The aiming reticle can be changed, offering you different tools for holdovers. There are also angle and cant indications on the sides of the display. Zeroing the device is easily done following Armasights directions using one of their thermal targets.

Field Use

Before shooting with the Contractor 640, I would need to zero the sight to my rifle. Armasight has incorporated a handy function to zero the sight. After centering the crosshair on your target, and carefully firing a shot, you steady the rifle on the target (using bipod, bags, etc). You can then adjust the point of impact to the bullet hole in the target. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

the **Armasight Contractor** Mounted to my **Desert Tech MDRX**

Controls

One of the greatest strengths I believe the Contractor brings is the turret menus. Both turrets have a pop-up menu each that can be easily cycled through to select different features or settings. I found them easy to navigate and go through without taking too much time.

The Power knob is easy and secure, you simply push down and rotate it to on or off. There is no question which of the two settings it is set on, and it is not easy to switch accidentally. This is refreshing when compared to other options that uses push-buttons, that can be accidentally pressed. And when cold weather is encountered, their engagement can be less tactile.

another image from the app, showing different color pallets

Recording video through the sight is easily done by pressing the record button behind the right turret. This initiates recording of the display, and it shows a recording icon in the display so you know it’s recording. Four hours of recording time will fit on the internal memory card, which is easily downloaded via the provided USBC cable. Personally I prefer removable memory cards, that allow you to swap and upload as needed.

Focusing the images seen in the Contractor is done by two rubberized focs rings. The one at the rear of the optic, is to focus the image seen by your eye. At the front of the optic, there is another focus ring that corrects the actual thermal sensor clarity. Both are easily adjusted giving a great image.

Mount

Mounting the Armasight Contractor is quite easy, thanks to the Kinetic Development Group QD mount. The cantilever mount uses spring-tension to snap closed over whatever picatinny sight rail you wish to attach it to. It locks into place, and can be removed by pressing the button at the front to release it. It’s a top quality mounting system.

Shop thermal optics at Euro Optic or Optics Planet

Action

With the optic zeroed, there was little to do other than shoot. Selecting an appropriate reticle for my purposes was easy, making shots at various target types a snap. Shooting with a suppressor was a huge plus, keeping the hot gasses of the report focused tightly to avoid target obstruction. Watching bullets fly through the air was pretty cool, as was seeing their impacts. Sparks and hot bullet fragments could be seen as shots impacted. To keep this article less obscene, I’ll avoid mentioning the imagery of animals being hit through the thermal. I’ll let you find those images on your own.

Shooting through the Armasight Contractor in darkness was very effective. But as the freezing fog of winter came in, the image rapidly deteriorated. This is the case with most thermals I believe. With ice crystals floating in the air, there is no way for the thermal to see through so much.

Another thing that I experienced with this and other thermals is a need to be very attentive to the focus. It’s very easy to move from one target area to another and lose clarity, until you remember to refocus the image.

I fielded the Armasight Contractor on several occasions, aiming to find something warm to shoot at. One of the local swamps promised the opportunity of a raccoon or fox, which would have been just right. Unfortunately I never got onto one of them, but the swamp was certainly full of life, such as rats and waterfowl. It was awesome to be able to pick out the living inhabitants so easily, the warm heads of ducks shown starkly against the cold water around them.

Click here to finish reading

-CBM

For more optics and thermals, click here

Franchi Affinity 3

February 23, 2024Product review, Shooting hardware20 gauge, affintiy, franchi, shotguncoldboremiracle

Introduction

Hunting shotguns have a great variety of choices in our American market today. With so many selections available, modern sportsmen are spoiled with options. Today we are going to take a look at one of those options, the Franchi Affinity 3.

The model we are testing today is chambered in 20 gauge, and has one of the many different camouflage coatings. The Affinity 3 is a semi-automatic shotgun, it uses Franchi’s inertia driven operating system.

As a lifelong bird-hunter, I am no stranger to the Franchi brand. And with waterfowl season in full swing, this little Italian repeater couldn’t have shown up at a better time.

The Franchi Affinity 3

Both the Affinity 3 and its big brother the Affinity 3.5 use Franchi’s inertia driven system. The 3.5 as you might imagine has a 3.5 inch chamber for shooting the heavier loads. One of the advantaged of the inertia driven action is reduced fouling. Since there is no gas venting from inside the shotgun, there is no carbon buildup other than in the barrel itself. And since there is no gas piston underneath the foregrip, the overall weight of the gun is reduced. Additionally this allows Franchi to make the foregrip more slender.

Various models are available of the Affinity, either twelve or twenty gauge. There are twenty-six inch barrels and twenty-eight inch options as well. The various camo coatings give hunters the option to mix into their environment. There is even an option for our left-handed friends. The TSA buttstock of the Affinity reportedly reduces felt recoil by 50%.

Other features of the shotgun are designed to enhance your shooting experience. Oversized controls on both the charging handle and bolt release make the Affinity easy to operate under pressure and while wearing cold-weather gear.

On top of the receiver you will find the Affinity is drilled and tapped for optics mounting. And up front there is a high visibility fiber-optic bead that gathers light even when there is little.

Hitting the Field with the Franchi Affinity 3

I had every intention of getting some serious trigger time behind the Affinity 3. For that I figured it would be good to break myself in on a few rounds of clay targets, before chasing after something feathered.

To that end, my brother and I took a short trip into the field to throw a few clays and see how the Franchi swings. We threw stack after stack of hand-thrown clay targets, over and under, from one side to the other. Challenging each other as best we could, because we both knew how the local waterfowl fly. And it was going to take some proper shooting to bring any of them down.

After burning through a case of clay targets, I felt pretty confident in my abilities behind the Affinity 3. I grew up shooting 12 gauge, so switching to 20 gauge is pretty easy. But having smaller patterns is far more concerning to me than recoil. If anything perhaps it made me a little less sloppy with my lead.

The lightweight Affinity bumped pretty good, its inertia system taking the edge off of the recoil impulse. I really liked the lightweight as I swung with the targets, and it would take a much longer than normal day of shooting to get fatigued by such a slender gun. I wish the gun had come with a selection of chokes, the one it came with was quite tight.

Post Shooting Impressions

Having shot the Affinity 3 extensively, I can say I felt quite proficient with it. I really liked the way the controls of the shotgun functioned, it made loading and shooting extremely smooth. As you might expect, the little Franchi plowed through box after box of ammunition without a single hiccup. The majority of our shooting was done with Federal Top Gun and Winchester Super Target ammunition. Both loaded with light loads of #8 shot.

It did take me a moment get used to the small 7/8 ounce loads, it required some additional diligence when targeting clays.

franchi affinity 3 20 gauge — we used **Federal Top Gun** and **Winchester Super Target** loads

The lightweight of the Franchi was very nice, it almost felt like a child’s toy. Maneuvering around with the gun was easy and could be done all day. And despite its light weight, the gun didn’t recoil as hard as I had anticipated. This likely due to the recoil operated action soaking up some inertia.

The only issues at all that I could find with the Affinity were the choke coming loose a couple times during our shooting. I’m not sure if I need to tighten it harder or if there was another issue, but it was something I checked and cranked it back down between shots. If you aren’t as familiar with shotguns like me, it might take a little tinkering to figure out the perfect barrel and bolt position for assembly.

Beyond the performance, the Franchi Affinity 3 is just handsome. A very nice finish and camo pattern make the shotgun very good looking. The fit and finish were of high quality, and I couldn’t find anything to complain about cosmetically.

With a drilled and tapped receiver, there are many things a shooter could do with this gun. Maybe you want to mount a red dot for another optical accessory. And the Franchi Affinity 3 is sling ready as well, with sling attachments at the rear buttstock and magazine cap as well. Our shooting was further aided by the bright fiber optic bead at the muzzle end of the barrel. These are small add-ons, but they are things that matter.

Continue reading here

Not a 20 gauge guy? Click here for some 12 gauge

-CBM

Sig Sauer P320 X-Five DH3

February 20, 2024pistols, Product reviewdh3, sig sauercoldboremiracle

Introduction

Few names command recognition in the firearms world like Sig Sauer. When I first picked up a P226 over thirty years ago, even as a youth I was greatly impressed with it. Sig Sauer has been manufacturing excellent firearms since its inception in Europe. The company was more recently moved to America, no doubt a good move for all involved. I have been a Sig fan for as long as I can remember, so I am happy to bring you today’s subject: the Sig Sauer P320 X-Five DH3.

The P320 family of pistols is incredibly popular in our firearms market, likely due to the incredible variety and customization of its models. The X-Five series brings full size function for serious pistol-work. The DH3 Model was developed with input from Sig’s professional shooting team member Daniel Horner. It hosts features ideal for competitive and action shooting, like a flared magwell, X-Ray3 sights, accessory rail, optics ready slide, and more.

The Sig Sauer P320 X-Five DH3

I’m no stranger to the P320 X-Five, as I’ve been shooting one for several years now. Upgrading to the DH3 model seemed easy, and some of the differences are notable. The tungsten infused X-Five grip modules give the durability and function of polymer, and yet still feel like a metal pistol-frame. The DH3 adds to this quality feel by embedding silicon carbide into the grip area to enhance your feel of the grip. It feels like skateboard tape, but it can’t come off.

The X-Ray3 suppressor height sights are good day or night. And allow the use of a suppressor, as well as co-witnessing with your favorite red dot. There are also some of the same features you’ll find on other X-Five pistols, like two included recoil springs to customize operation. Of course you’ll find the accessory rail under the slide to mount your favorite weapon light. And the flared magwell makes quick mag changes smooth and secure.

Caliber	9mm
Length	8.5 inches
Width	1.6 inches
Height	6.5 inches
Weight	43.5 ounces
Optics footprint	Deltapoint Pro
Magazines	21 round 3 included
Barrel & Slide material	Stainless steel
Finish	Coyote Tan Cerakote
Sight radius	6.6 inches

Shop this and more Sig Sauer pistols at Palmetto State

Range Ready

Since I already have an X-Five Legion, it was easy to simply swap some accessories over to the DH3 to get it ready to shoot. It was also very convenient that it fit the same Safariland holster, which would make shooting the gun on the go even more fun.

In addition, I also installed a Romeo 1 Pro red dot sight on the DH3. It fit perfectly and allowed use of both the red dot and the X-Ray3 sights. All that was left was installing a Surefire X300 weapon-light to complete the ensemble.

In addition to those accessories, I also grabbed my Armory Craft threaded match barrel. As well as my Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N2.0 suppressor. There was nothing standing between me and a great time now.

I grabbed a few boxes of Federal Champion 115 grain ammo, and it was time to hit the range.

On the Range with the Sig Sauer P320 X-Five DH3

Getting some trigger time with the DH3 couldn’t come soon enough. As soon as time would permit I was on my range getting the pistol broken in. Stuffing the 21-round magazines full of ammo would ensure some good hot testing. And following them up with some single round loaded magazines to test my reloading skills would come next.

As I expected, the DH3 shoots as smooth as a guy could ask for. Maybe not like some tuned out competition 2011, but good enough to bring smiles all around. The weight of the X-Five pistols feels fantastic while shooting. The gun moves very little and barely strays from the target.

The Trigger is crisp and resets clean, while the mag release easily drops free the magazine making way for you to stab another. The flared magwell makes even a clown like me reload pretty quick. The grip texture made the pistol feel anchored to your bones.

Picking up the glow of the X-Ray sights in low light was easy, but it was easier still to look through the Romeo 1 Pro. Hits kept coming every time I lined em up right. The accuracy was excellent, just like my other X-Five. Keeping shots touching at ten yards was easy.

Suppressor Time

I love suppressed shooting, and the DH3 would make a great host if it shot anything like my other X-Five. For that I swapped out the barrels, and installed my titanium suppressor. Adding the weight to the front only further tamed the DH3, and the hushed pops of each shot will please any true gun nut.

the P320 X-Five DH3 looks even better with a suppressor

I usually have better accuracy results when shooting suppressed. But this time I’m not sure if its because of the suppressor or the Match Grade Armory Craft barrel. Regardless of the reason, it felt like nothing within pistol range could escape me and the DH3.

Pros and Cons

There is no shame for me claiming the moniker of a Sig-ophile. Saying I am a fan of these pistols would be an understatement. I suppose that makes it a little bit hard for me to be completely candid about the downsides of this pistol. But I will give it my best.

Cons

As sexy as the slide cuts are on the DH3, I found that they engaged occasionally with the retention clip in my Safariland SLS holster. This is probably something that can be mitigated, but it was a little irritating when it occurred.

The Silicon carbide texturing is fantastic. I love it because the only occasion my hands receive any kind of ointment is when they are bleeding. However if you’re the kind of guy who wears socks to bed, you might need to wear your Isotoner gloves while shooting.

Pros

This feature rich pistol has a little something for everybody. You’ve got all the standard things like accessory rail and undercut trigger-guard. But you’ve also got the dead sexy Cerakote color and contrasting silicon carbide grip texturing. As well as the slide cuts and X-Ray sights.

The optics cut is a must have nowadays, and the Romeo 1 Pro is a great fit. The extra included 21-round magazines function flawlessly, keeping you pumping lead steadily. The extra recoil spring included also gives you the option to customize the function of your X-Five.

The rich aftermarket support for these pistols give you all kinds of options. I would strongly recommend one due to that added benefit.

Continue reading the story here

If you like the DH3, check out our other P320 X-Five Legion review

Gideon Optics Alpha Red Dot

February 13, 2024Optics, Product reviewalpha, gideon opticscoldboremiracle

Red dot sights have become more and more popular, and mounting them to pistols has become more than just a trend. As an optics nerd, I find myself squarely in the middle of all the activity. Which has allowed me to bring you another optics review, this time of the Gideon Optics Alpha red dot sight.

Years ago a curious development in the optics market occurred; a new brand popped up that offered all the good features folks were after. And not only did the brand present these features at a competitive price, they stood behind it. And thus a new star was born. Those of us who’ve been around the industry for a while have seen this cycle repeat itself over and over again. And these budding brands continue to battle for the same section of the market.

The Gideon Alpha

Gideon Optics is a more recent brand on the optics market, I was made aware of the brand through a friend who showed me some of Gideon’s red dot sights. They produce several different red dots of various footprints, so there is likely one that will fit your needs. Gideon is a sister company to JSD Supply, well known for a variety of firearms products.

The Alpha red dot uses the very popular Trijicon RMR footprint. This gives you the advantage of a great variety of mounting options due to aftermarket support. In addition to the RMR footprint, the Alpha comes with a Picatinny rail mount option as well. This comes in handy for mounting to your favorite carbine.

Function

Since a plain dot has become a little boring, I really appreciate the circle dot reticle that comes standard in the Alpha. The large window of the Alpha allows maximized use of the circle dot red dot, it is also available with a green circle dot. Another popular feature incorporated into the Alpha red dot is the motion sensing illumination, which helps increase battery life. When motionless for a time, the red dot automatically shuts down. As soon as the weapon is moved, the red dot resumes illumination instantly ready to use.

the **CR1632 battery** for the Alpha is centrally located, so you don’t need to re-zero after battery changes

Like most red dot sights, the Alpha comes with two small adjustment screws for elevation and windage corrections. The included tool allows you to turn the screws which equate to one MOA per click of movement. And speaking of included, besides tools the Alpha also comes with a couple different screw sets for different mounting. This is always a welcome practice.

The **Sig Sauer P320 X5 Legion** and **Surefire X300** made a good host for the Alpha

Mounting the Gideon Alpha to a Sig Sauer P320

Of the many hosts that awaited the Alpha, the first pistol was my Sig Sauer P320 X-Five. The X-Five has RMR cuts and threads from the factory, making the drop-in easy. After lining everything up, and torquing down the screws everything looked fantastic. A few simple turns on the set screws to get the reticle zeroed and we were ready for the range.

I carried the P320 Legion with the Gideon Alpha for a month or so, and used it for a variety of range trips. I found that the combination to be very comfortable to shoot. The reticle of the Alpha was very effective for shooting, and helped naturally move the aim onto target.

With the motion setting on, the Alpha was on everytime I presented it. Drawing from a holster dozens of times a day for weeks at a time, I got more and more accurate with my presentation. I really grew to like the Alpha on my pistol.

Swapping Optics On My Pistol

After a good deal of shooting with the Alpha on my P320, I decided to swap it over to my Shadow Systems DR920. Both pistols allow mounting of RMR footprinted sights without an adaptor plate. Which made them ideal for testing the Alpha.

After torquing the screws down holding the Alpha to the slide, I made a couple simple adjustments to co-witness sights. Once again, it made a fantastic sight picture every time I presented the pistol. The lighter weight of the DR920 changed a little bit the way I presented the pistol, but the different grip angle made it seem faster and cleaner every time. And like I experienced with the Sig, the large reticle of the Alpha made it very easy to bring the aimpoint on target.

Concluding Thoughts

Normally I feature a Pros and Cons section, but I couldn’t really find anything I didn’t like about the Gideon Alpha. It has been reliable for the past few months carrying it daily, it’s always on when I look through it. It’s easily zeroed and has stayed zeroed since I put it on. The popular RMR footprint means it will fit a wide variety of popular pistols. And all this comes in a box for a street price under $200, which I think is a pretty good deal compared to other optics on the market.

As I continue to build an army of red dot sights, I am glad to have this Gideon Alpha in my collection. The refreshing selection of affordable quality optics we enjoy today sure makes it feel like the good old days. As always, if you’d like to see how this red dot endures, follow me to see how it performs over time. If you too are looking to broaden your red dot selection, check out the red dots from Gideon Optics, you’ll be glad you did.

-CBM

Guardian Defense Manufacturing 30M suppressor

February 10, 2024Product review, suppressors30m, guardian defense manufacturingcoldboremiracle

Introduction

Suppressors have become as much of my hobby as firearms themselves. It’s almost become a secondary collection all its own. As a suppressor enthusiast, I often get to play with new offerings. And today is one of those, I’m pleased to present to you the Guardian Defense Manufacturing 30M Suppressor.

the 30M mounted on the **Bergara HMR Carbon**

The Guardian Defense Manufacturing 30M

The 30M from GDM is a one pound thirty caliber suppressor built from grade five titanium. With experience in other defense industry manufacturing, GDM has great experience in fusion welding titanium. This gives the 30M and its siblings incredible strength and durability.

The 30M is 1.61 inches in diameter, and eight inches long. Like many other modern suppressors, the 30M has a threaded end-cap at the back to allow users modularity in mounting solutions. It also features an interesting muzzle feature, and aluminum insert called a caliber-nut that threads into the muzzle end of the suppressor. Various sizes can be threaded into the muzzle to use with different caliber host firearms. An added benefit is that should you experience a strike at the muzzle of the can, the aluminum cap is designed to become sacrificial. To either be pulled out by the offending bullet, or removed afterwards by the user. The caliber-nuts are easily replaced using supplied GDM tools, and are available separately in 5.56, 6mm, and 6.5mm. They also make a K model of the can, with most of the same features but a bit shorter.

With a rating up to 300 Winchester Magnum, the 30M is likely to serve most folks for a wide variety of shooting purposes. Whether you are a law enforcement sniper or just a redneck like me who likes to shoot deer, this suppressor offers a great deal of purpose. I took the 30M into the field to see how it compared to other cans I am familiar with.

On the Range

the **Savage Impulse 7PRC** made a great host for the GDM 30M

For shooting with the 30M, we brought an assortment of rifles. First up was a Bergara HMR Carbon in 6.5 Creedmoor, with a threaded 5/8-24 muzzle it was a great example of what folks might use as a host. Next up was a Savage Impulse chambered in 7 PRC, to see how the 30M would perform on a magnum. We also shot the suppressor on a couple carbines chambered in 5.56 and 7.62.

I would have loved to try one of the 6.5 caliber nuts from GDM, but it worked fine using a 30 caliber one across all rifles. The 30M made shooting the Bergara very pleasant, both sound and recoil reduction was more than adequate. This came as no surprise as the 6.5CM is pretty easy to quiet down.

the **Lucid MLX scope** and GDM 30M mounted to the Bergara

Next up we installed the 30M suppressor on a Savage Impulse chambered in 7 PRC. The much larger case capacity would definitely be a bigger challenge to keep quiet. We shot through the Savage for a while, and it too sounded great when suppressed by the GDM 30M. Recoil was also mitigated well, at least as well as the factory muzzle brake. And the sound reduction was also excellent. I might be half deaf already, but the 7 PRC was very tolerable when suppressed. Especially in this open country, no hearing protection was used.

the Impulse topped with the **Primary Arms GLx 3-18** was a perfect combination with the 30M

With the 1/2-28 thread cap installed on the suppressor, we also attached it to a typical 5.56 carbine. And as you might imagine, the large volume of the 30 caliber suppressor made the rifle very pleasant to shoot.

Pros and Cons

I would have liked to use some testing equipment, to come up with perhaps some more data for all of you to read. But after all, I am but a humble redneck. So all of my data is based simply on experience.

Sound signature of the 30M was very nice, without a direct comparison it’s hard to say it is the quietest cans I’ve ever used. But it certainly is among them. Not only does it keep down the noise of the host rifle, but I don’t recall seeing any muzzle flash. Shooting outside and inside buildings it seemed there was no flash speak of.

Shop all suppressors at Silencer Central

The lightweight construction of the Guardian Defense suppressors is another great feature. Less than a pound is real easy to go without noticing on the muzzle of most of my guns. Ideal for the lightweight hunting style rifles shown here today.

With an MSRP of $1099, they are not inexpensive. But for the features they bring to the table I think it is still a good bargain. You get modularity with the ability to use hubs from many other popular manufacturers, and caliber variations using their caliber nut system. And the durability of the fusion welded design also commands a bit higher price.

Final Thoughts

With so many great options available today, it’s not difficult to find a good suppressor. But finding a suppressor that has all these great little qualities and modularity does require some additional homework. In my opinion it is worth a little extra investment to have a higher performing suppressor. The 30M from Guardian Defense Manufacturing can cover a great many suppression tasks, and its modular design will allow you to use it on a variety of host rifles.

If you find yourself looking for a new suppressor in the 30 and under category, I would strongly recommend giving these a look. Or better yet, go shoot one at your local dealer. You will likely end up leaving with one.

-CBM

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Sako L579 Forester

February 5, 2024Product review, Shooting hardware.243 winchester, l579, sakocoldboremiracle

Introduction

Sako certainly needs a short introduction. The Finnish firearm manufacturer is as well known as Winchester or Remington, and well known for good reason. Sako is responsible for a great many popular designs and features as old as bolt action rifles nearly. Today we are looking at one of Sako’s popular rifles from the more recent past, the Sako L579 Forester chambered in .243 Winchester.

There are various Model L579 rifles available on the market, but the one we are testing today is the Forester featuring a heavy profile barrel in a varmint-like configuration. With a twenty three-inch heavy barrel, the forester weighs in around the nine pound mark. Not exactly a packing rifle but most varmint rifles aren’t.

The Model L579 Forester

When the Forester was more of a new item, these Sako’s were highly sought after. They maintain a fairly high market value due to their reputation. They still sell for $1200 to $1400, which is a bit of a surprise were it not a Sako.

This classic rifle comes with a dark walnut stock, machined finely to fit the barreled action well. Checkering the stock was a common practice, as was the hard buttplate. Probably not a comfort issue though with a nine-pound .243.

Both the barrel and the action are what make the L579 interesting. The heavy profile barrel is made from the Bofors Steel, an oil hardened steel that is prone to high durability and strength. Chambered in .243 Winchester with a one-in-ten twist, this rifle promises to hammer like only a .243 can.

The L579 action is actually quite interesting. The bolt-body is more petite than anticipated, and uses what appears to be a Mauser-type claw extractor. But instead uses the Sako extractor cut into the side of the bolt head.

The safety is located on the right side of the bolt-shroud, and opposite the safety is the bolt stop to remove the bolt. Underneath the action itself is the hinged floorplate.

Range Preparations

First up this Sako was going to need a scope. My inventory of one-inch tube rifle scopes is dwindling, and the rifle had come with rings mounted. So I grabbed the first decent scope I could, which was an inexpensive Nikko Stirling 4-12X40.

After tightening up the rings, I pulled the bolt from the rifle to do a quick boresight job. Then I grabbed a Harris Bipod to attach to the front sling-stud to use as front support while shooting. With all my gear in tow, I swung by the local ammo hub and grabbed a few boxes of Norma Whitetail 100 grain ammunition which was all they had.

Shooting the Sako L579 Forester

In typical fashion, I retreated with the sturdy Sako into the frozen Rocky Mountains nearby. I’d much rather test the rifle in the actual conditions it was designed for.

With a target setup at 110 yards, I lay prone with the rifle and stuffed three rounds into the magazine. Let me take a moment to say how classy these Sako actions are. Running cartridges through the action was as smooth as could be, extraction and ejection are fluid and fast. Furthermore, the L579 gives you incredible control of ejection. If you are in a hurry to reload, slamming the bolt back sends the spent case clear. Whereas if you are target shooting like I was, a slow pull leaves the spent case sitting right in the action port to remove by hand.

Adjusting for point of impact was quick, and I was soon shooting a few patterns to see how the rifle shot. On average the Norma Whitetail ammo produced three-shot groups just under an inch. Nothing too exciting, I also shot some hand-loaded Hornady 75-grain Vmax, they performed better. With groups averaging around .5 MOA. The hundred grain ammunition is designed for animals like deer and antelope, for which it would perform well. The seventy-five grain Vmax’s on the other hand would be devastating on coyotes, groundhogs and other varmints.

This gun was built for smacking coyotes and light big game animals based on the cartridge. I think for those purposes it would shine, I would certainly feel adequate hunting Mule Deer in these steep Rocky Mountain canyons. And with the legendary Sako quality and performance I could do it with some class as well. The older standard barrel twist does limit it to the traditional bullet sizes and weights, if it had a 1:7.5 twist it would be a monster. Shooting modern heavy 6mm bullets at incredible speeds would push the distance envelope of this rifle significantly. But even as it is, there isn’t a coyote safe inside six hundred yards.

The trigger in the L579 is fantastic, a single stage that breaks clean and reliably. Like everything else with this rifle, there is a high quality feel to every moving part. I believe the smaller shank of the bolt reduces the amount of friction when it is pushed fore and aft. This is likely part of why the bolt is so smooth running.

Pros and Cons

I’ll preface this by saying I have a slightly different taste in firearms, but I cannot deny the great things about the Sako L579 Forester. The action design and function are as good as they come, the smooth operation is pure elegance. The heavy Bofors barrel shoots accurately, likely aided by the great trigger.

The only things I could hold against the rifle are these; It is heavy for what it is, the thick barrel adds significant weight to the rifle. That might be an issue if you plan on hiking very far with it, but if you are sitting in a blind calling coyotes perhaps not so much.

Also, the scope mounting system isn’t as mainstream as I would have liked. Granted this rifle is from another time, but its limited mounting system left me wishing for a different one. I would have loved to drop a pic rail on the action to run one of my better scopes. Shooting as well as it does I would love to put a better scope on this rifle, and terrorize the local coyote population.

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-CBM

Area 419 Tactical One-Piece Scope Mount

February 4, 2024Ancillary gear, Product reviewarea 419, scopecoldboremiracle

Introduction

Even the nicest rifle scope in the world must be mounted properly to function as designed. And as rifle scopes have advanced, so too have the devices we use to mount them to our rifles. An unprecedented selection of options are available to today’s sharpshooter, and today we will be taking a look at one. Area 419 is well known in the precision rifle community for manufacturing many high quality shooting products. Today’s subject is Area 419’s Tactical one-piece scope mount.

Scope Mounts

Some out there might be asking; why a one-piece scope mount over rings? It’s not a bad question, and I’ll give you my answer. A one-piece scope mount is much more rigid than a pair of scope rings. It better holds your scope in a solid position on the rifle. Added benefits are things like built in cant, and greater clamping surface on both scope and rifle interface. And perhaps one of my favorite benefits, is the ability to easily swap scopes between one rifle to another.

Un-Boxing Area 419 scope mounts

As per usual, Area 419 products come in incredibly nice packaging. These scope mounts came in a waterproof locked hard-case, much like you’d store your rifle in if it was 6 inches long. Inside the foam lined case was the scope mount, the appropriate tools needed to install it, loctite to apply to fasteners, and enough instructional material for even a chimp to mount it properly.

installation instructions were very clear and informative

The mount itself also looked immaculate. I really like the machined finished surface, and high quality coating. Even more so I like the large fasteners, something I wish more optic mounts would use. I was curious why the inside of the rings was raw aluminum, more on that later.

I looked at the base, and at first it seemed like perhaps the picatinny clamps could have been spread out a little bit more. But the more I looked at it, the less of a concern it became.

I must say, this thing looks extremely robust. Large screws holding down caps, and additionally secured and aligned by stainless dowel pins. Which I thought was an exceptional touch. The overall initial impression of these mounts was absolutely top notch.

note raw aluminum interior, and stainless steel dowel pins for alignment

Rifle Scope Installation

After playing around with these mounts for a bit, it was time to put them to work. I had a couple different ideas as far as where to use them. The first one would be on one of my heavy precision rifles, the Desert Tech SRS M2 in 338LM. I mounted a US Optics FDN25X in one of the Area 419 one-piece scope mounts, and because I’m a gear queer I added the diving board as well. The diving board attaches to the front scope ring cap, and serves as a mounting position for additional accessories. The Vortex Impact 4000 for example mounted up nicely on top of the scope, and would be right at home there. You can also mount a Wilcox Raptar fire control system with mounting holes made specifically for that device.

a US Optics FDN25X mounted in conjunction with a Vortex Impact 4000

As I mounted various scopes in the Area 419 one piece scope mounts, I quickly found out why the rings remained raw inside. If I remember correctly I was told by the manufacturer that the rings are finish machined last, for a perfectly round cut for better holding of your scope. The raw aluminum additionally creates and incredibly cohesive grip on the scope tube. So much in fact that several times while mounting scopes I found myself cursing it.

note diving board details, captured screws and threaded holes for Wilcox Raptar

When leveling a scope in the rings, we are all used to snugging the screws down while keeping the scope level. But the grip of the Area 419 rings is so impressive that even with minimal screw tension it was very difficult to move the scope. The rings grab the scope so well that even without the scope caps installed it is hard to move the scope in the mount. I can’t imagine how strong the grip must be once the rings are torqued down.

two **Eotech** optics mounted together on my **Desert Tech MDRX**

Accessory Mounting

Mounting accessories to the top of the ring cap is easy. There are two Torx screws to attach either a short pic rail section, a diving board, or one of the other accessory options. I mounted both of the options mentioned. The picatinny section is easy as can be, whereas the diving board was a touch more sensitive. The screws are captured within the diving board itself, using internal snap rings. And it is mounted using a tapered boss patented by Area 419. This requires the screws to be tightened equally as the diving board seats to the ring cap, and removed in the same fashion. Pushing the diving board up against the snap rings as the screws are loosened.

Other accessories can be mounted to the smaller screw receptacles. Area 419 makes level indicators, red dot mounts and other accessory mounts that easy screw into the side of the scope mount.

Rifle Interface

I mentioned at first that I thought maybe the picatinny clamps could have been placed wider. Maybe I’m mistaken but I like the idea of having as broad and integral mounting surface as I can. Close inspection of the picatinny clamps on the Area 419 mounts show more than enough clamping pressure and surface. Part of me thinks the bottom of the scope mount should have reciprocal picatinny teeth to better engage the rifle. But I’m also pretty sure the Area 419 engineers would have an explanation as to why they didn’t need such a feature. For such a well thought out device, I find it hard to believe they didn’t think through that idea and eliminate it.

I also found when mounting scopes to rifles that the picatinny clamp screws were a touch shorter than I would have liked. Perhaps this was done as a weight reducing measure, or to simplify the mounting. But on several different firearms I found that I had to basically remove the screws before I could get the mount onto the rifle’s pic rail. Maybe they are designed to be that way, but even if they aren’t I find it to be a very minor inconvenience.

the Area 419 mounts made a perfect fit for this **Primary Arms GLx** and **Savage Impulse 7PRC**

Once attached, it is very obvious how well these mounts work. The ability to add or remove accessories to your optic mount is easily done. And with such precise manufacturing, zero’s are easily maintained even when removing and reinstalling them.

Final Thoughts

Having used the Area 419 one piece scope mounts on several different rifles now and mounting an assortment of scopes in them, I’ve gotten a good feel for them. Rifles chambered in 338 Lapua magnum, 7mm PRC, 308 Winchester and even 223 Remington. They are another outstanding product from the good folks at Area 419, and certainly worthy of their place in the niche market of high-end precision riflery. While they are not inexpensive, they are well within their asking price for $330. Other competitors like MPA offer similar robust design for less, but with less modularity as well. You can also find other options with equivalent strength and modularity from manufacturers like Sphur , albeit for significantly more money.

Like most products I have experienced from Area 419, you simply cannot go wrong with the products or service offered. If you are looking for a quality mount for your darling new precision rifle scope, look very hard at these before passing on them.

-CBM