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Products and equipment

Staccato P 2011 9mm Pistol review

pistols, Product review, Shooting hardware, , ,

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.

Shop all Staccato products here

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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FEATURES

HYBRID FRAME

The hybrid frame of the Staccato P uses either steel or aluminum for the upper portion of the frame to mate with the slide assembly, and the grip area of the frame consists of a polymer portion.

I actually really like this feature; it gives you the robust metallurgy you want to properly carry the slide assembly while still giving the versatile properties of polymer magwell and grip.

BULL BARREL

The Staccato barrel is quite heavy, or thick might be a better word to describe it. This extra barrel material likely makes it stiffer and a better shooter; it also adds weight to the overall firearm, which I don’t mind though others may.

DAWSON PRECISION TOOL-LESS GUIDE-ROD

The tool-less guide-rod has a spring-loaded lever built into it, which allows the guide-rod and barrel to be removed from the slide without any tools. You simply push the guide rod forward out the front of the slide, then depress the lever, which locks the spring in its compressed state.

You can then remove it from the slide, followed by the barrel. It’s a very slick system to use and goes a long way at adding value to the pistol.

staccato p dissambled

PICATINNY ACCESSORY RAIL

Under the front of the frame, you will find a Picatinny accessory rail. It’s perfect for mounting your desired weapon light. I installed my Surefire X300, and it fits perfectly.

staccato p with surefire x300 weaponlight

OPTICS READY

The Staccato P can quickly be converted to shoot with a red dot sight by removing the rear sight mounting plate. It can be replaced with a Dawson Precision RDS mounting plate. These can be ordered on Staccato’s website for various optic configurations.

staccato p dissasembly
There are many good magazine options for the Staccato’s

HOW WE TESTED

I shot the Staccato P throughout several range trips. I also carried it as my main CCW for about a month. I fired several hundred rounds through the pistol, using repetition to see if my poor 1911 skills would cause issues to surface.

Shooting steel targets at ranges from fifteen to thirty yards was very enjoyable with this pistol. Maneuvering it from shot to shot and forcing repetitive mag changes made me like it more.

I also let other friends shoot it to see if it was simply my skirt being easily blown. But as I found with everyone who picked up the Staccato, they too were quite impressed with more than just its looks.

Do you prefer the Springfield prodigy?

AMMO USED

I used two different types of Winchester ammunition during testing. Both were from Winchester, one was a 124-grain load, and the other was a 115-grain load. Both of them shot flawlessly and with comparable accuracy.

I perhaps might give the 115-grain load the nod because it seemed faster to get from target to target.

FAQS

CAN A STACCATO P SHOOT 9 MAJOR?

The Staccato P is not recommended for 9 Major ammunition, but it will shoot +P ammunition.

WHAT DOES DPO STAND FOR IN STACCATO?

DPO stands for Dawson Precision Optics mounting system for mounting red dot optical sights.

IS +P 9MM BETTER?

+P is ammunition loaded to a higher pressure for more velocity.

IS 38 SUPER +P STRONGER THAN 9MM?

38 Super is a slightly longer case; this allows it to shoot similar velocities at lower pressure. Or higher velocities at similar pressures as the 9mm Luger.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STACCATO C2 AND P?

The Staccato C2 is a concealed carry version of the pistol. It features a shorter barrel and grip module and uses the aluminum upper frame to save weight.

IS THE STACCATO P POLYMER?

The grip module portion of the frame is polymer.

WHICH STACCATO DID JOHN WICK USE?

In the John Wick film, he used a Taran Tactical Combat Master version of the Staccato pistol.

CONCLUSION

After spending more than a month with the Staccato P, I have been able to develop a pretty good understanding of the gun. I believe the modern 2011 design brings all the best features of the original 1911 and so much more. It also allows modern technologies, materials, and practices to be applied to the time-tested pistol design.

If the only improvement was the double-stack 9mm cartridge capability, that would be a significant improvement by itself. But the added improvements and composite frame that come incorporated in the Staccato pistols bring so much more, and they do it with sex appeal and class.

I truly enjoyed the time with this pistol. Only days after I picked it up, I decided I needed to find a way to keep it. It crosses all the T’s and dot’s all the i’s for me as far as a pistol can. It feels well built and smooth as it could be.

The trigger is outstanding, as are the other controls but for the short slide release. The heavy barrel and quality sights make it easy to shoot well, the positive grip lets you know you’ve got something fantastic in your hands, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep holding onto it.

-CBM

Burris Veracity PH 4-20X50 riflescope

Optics, Product review, , ,

Introduction

Being a sucker for nice optics, I enjoy exceptional riflescopes from both American and European manufacturers. But I really want to buy American-made optics as much as I can.

burris veracity ph review mounted on desert tech srs m2

Burris is a well-known American optics manufacturer that has recently teamed up with optics stalwart Steiner Optics. Being a fan of both, I was excited to review the new Burris Veracity PH 4-20X50.

The Veracity is Burris’s premier hunting scope line, and the PH model is at the top of that line.

The Veracity PH incorporates Burris’s PĒK elevation turret, an electronic programmable and mechanical hybrid adjustment turret. Housed inside the 30mm tube of the PH, you will also find a digital Heads-up-display (HUD) that gives you all the information as you look through the scope.

The reticle is in the first focal plane, which always represents the indicated values regardless of magnification.
A traditional side-focus/parallax adjustment is on the scope’s left side; on the right, you will find a capped windage knob. Since hunters typically utilize the MOA scale instead of the MRAD one, it makes sense to have built the Veracity PH in MOA.

The reticle inside the Veracity was built for holding wind corrections with graduated windage marks.

The Veracity PH promises to give hunters a rapid and accurate firing solution for long-range hunting scenarios. Often when pursuing animals, there is little time to make corrections for distance. The PH allows users to use either MOA come-ups or have the actual distance shown rapidly in the internal HUD.

I can think of several scenarios over the past couple decades of hunting where that would have been very helpful. Hunting open country and long-range has been my bread and butter for at least that long, so I figured it would be a good place to put this scope to the test.

My initial impressions of the Veracity PH are pretty positive, it looks good, feels solid, and the optical quality seemed on par for its price.

I was pleased with the simplicity of the Bluetooth intercourse and integration with the Burris Connect app used to control the Veracity PH.

burris veracity ph review unboxing

BURRIS VERACITY PH REVIEW

As a hunting scope for long-range hunters, the Veracity PH provides fast information for making quick shots.

Technology like rangefinders and ballistic computers have greatly increased the potential for making longer shots with predictability. The Burris Veracity PH was made to capitalize on those advances, and bring some of this technology aboard your riflescope.

With uploadable ballistic profiles, you can put the data right into your scope. These profiles carry bullet drop and windage deflection rates.

This is necessary when making longer shots to correct for distance and atmospheric changes around you. Having this data in your scope is a great advantage for long-range hunters in wide-open country.

If you are more of a bean-field hunter, where shots may not exceed two to three hundred yards, it’s probably more of a novelty than a necessity.

SPECIFICATIONS

Power 5X
Magnification 4-20
Objective 50mm
Tube Diameter 30mm
Reticle PTC Wind MOA reticle
Illumination yes
Turret Graduation ¼ MOA
Focal Plane First focal
Length 15 inches
Weight 27.2 ounces

PROS & CONS

PROS
  • Made in America by Americans
  • Aggressively priced
  • Good optical quality
  • First focal plane
  • Heads up display (I mean C’mon!)
  • Internal level
  • Bluetooth connection with free downloadable app
  • Includes sunshade and flip caps
  • Zero stop elevation turret
CONS
  • Elevation PĒK turret is stiffer than I would like
  • I really wish there was an MRAD version
  • Wouldn’t mind a few more elevation subtensions on the reticle
jeff wood burris veracity ph test long range shooting

FIELDING THE VERACITY PH

I’ve had a few experiences with Burris optics over the years, and they have all been good ones. So I was eager to open up the Veracity PH package and get it into shooting condition as soon as possible.

My plan was to replace the Steiner T6X that I was currently running on my Desert Tech SRS M2. It is essentially the big brother to the Veracity, made in the same Colorado factory.

I mounted the Veracity in a Nightforce scope mount and leveled it on the rifle. It was during this process that I discovered one of the technological gadgets on the Burris scope; the internal level was not showing level compared to my bubble level, or my eye for that matter.

I assumed something was wrong, but after booting up the Burris connect app, I found the calibration procedure for the internal bubble level. You can zero the level on the scope physically using traditional procedures and then zero the internal digital level.

Before I’d even done that, I of course installed the two CR2450 lithium batteries that power the Veracity by loosening the battery cap on the side of the scope.

With the scope leveled and torqued down, I bore-sighted it looking out the window at the mountains above. Like most scopes, the PH turrets have three allen screws around the top to loosen the turret and reset them back to zero after getting the rifle sighted in.

I appreciated the capped windage turret since I rarely dial wind; I prefer to hold it instead. The Wind MOA reticle inside the scope was perfect for that.

Once I was on my range, I fired a few shots to adjust the zero of the rifle, and then it was time to see how this thing performed.

Before leaving the house, I had downloaded the ballistic profile of the ammunition I planned on shooting. It was easily added to the PH’s heads-up display, and using the app, I could select to have the HUD show either the actual MOA correction or the equivalent distance to the MOA dialed.

Again this seems like a very handy tool for hunters since you can upload your data, and after proofing it with the scope, it’s as easy as dialing the distance.

I’m not always a fan of “just dial the number” systems such as caliber/ballistic custom turrets because, typically, they do not allow for atmospheric changes and other common variations. The Veracity PH system, however, when used with the Connect App, allows you to update density altitude (DA) and other important factors to increase the accuracy of the firing solution.

It was time to stretch the rifle and scope combo out and see how all this tech lined up in an actual shot. The first thing I noticed when dialing the scope out for a longer shot was how stiff the elevation turret was.

I might have blamed it on the extreme cold that day, but it was just as stiff sitting on my kitchen table earlier that morning. I guess you could consider this a positive in some ways because the turret is unlikely to get accidentally turned before you make a shot. But even if it did, as you looked through the scope to make the shot, you could see if the elevation had been moved via the HUD inside.

I also noticed, to my surprise, that there were no clicks on the turret, a feature so common on riflescopes that it startled me. But due to the 1/10 MOA sensitivity of the turret, the clicks are unnecessary. You can see either on the turret housing or by the HUD inside what the turret is set to.

The focus/parallax adjustment on the side of the scope on the other hand is very smooth and easy to adjust. The variable 4-20 power magnification is an excellent choice for hunting and long-range hunting in my opinion, allowing for close up shots under one hundred yards or long shots as far as you have the skill to make.

Twenty power magnification is plenty for making shots as far as a thousand yards in my opinion, and it wasn’t long before we were doing just that with the Veracity PH.

The magnification adjustment ring was also easy to adjust, adding to my ability to zoom out to find targets, and right back in to engage them. With the scoped zoomed out to the four power setting, the reticle detail became quite fine, almost fine enough to lose its value.

Not a huge concern in my opinion because chances are if you are shooting at an animal at four power, it is likely going to be quite close and won’t require using reticle subtensions. The tapered reticle posts that thin as they approach the center also create a very natural point of aim that also reduces the importance of the center reticle details.

We fired a bunch of shots that afternoon, closely mimicking the same kinds of shots we would have taken on deer in these very same canyons. The Veracity PH made it very easy to move from one target to the next, and not much was getting away from me at that point.

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RELIABILITY

The Veracity PH was quite reliable during my tests.

If I were to anticipate a failure it would likely be of the electronic portions of the scope simply because it is new technology being used for the first time. It’s good to know that even if the electronic features of the scope were to fail completely from something like a dead battery, everything you need to make a good shot is still there.

And should something fail, it’s nice to know that Burris stands behind their product with an excellent warranty.

ACCURACY

The PĒK elevation turret measures movement of the turret down to 1/10th of an MOA, making it much more sensitive to movement than what we are used to.

I mounted the scope to a solid base, and measured the actual movement vs. what it said it was moving and it was quite accurate in its movement.

OVERALL FEEL

The Veracity PH feels like a great little scope. It keeps the handsome looks of a classic riflescope while incorporating some really cool technology inside.

Other scopes that have incorporated electronics like this have resulted in a turd looking finished product. I applaud Burris for not making that mistake here.

FEATURES

PĒK TURRET

burris veracity ph test scoped in

Probably the most defining feature of the Veracity PH, I found the turret to be very handy other than the resistance mentioned earlier.

The ability to use the solid zero-stop is very handy for those in stressful shooting situations like hunting. Connected to the HUD inside, these features can make shooting far on the fly quite doable.

HEADS UP DISPLAY

The internal Heads Up Display is an outstanding little feature, allowing you to see all the pertinent data from the shooting position without taking your eyes off your target which will likely be moving.

You can get an estimated wind hold, the elevation or distance setting to hit the target, and level up your rifle all without taking your eyes off the scope. The only outside information needed would come from a rangefinder.

BURRIS CONNECT APP

The Burris Connect App allows you to connect to and update data within your Veracity PH riflescope.

It is easily downloaded for free, and I found it pretty easy to navigate and update information with the app. Ballistic profiles for various bullets could be selected and adjusted with real data after shooting, and you could true the data by adjusting data points in the app.
Once you had a good profile for your ammunition, it was as easy as turning on the bluetooth connection on the Veracity PH and tapping the “upload settings” button in the app. This uploads that profile to the scope which then lines up perfectly with the displayed information in the HUD.

burris veracity ph app
burris veracity ph app

You can also use the connect app to adjust other settings like zeroing the level indicator once installed. Other functions like selecting incline compensation, zeroing the elevation turret, the timeout for the HUD, and the auto-off time for the scope to save battery life.

HOW WE TESTED

After uploading my ammunition profile to the Veracity PH, it was easy to shoot the rifle at various distances.

I’m typically a guy who simply dials corrections for distance, but with the ability to true the drop-chart in the app, I actually found it quite pleasant to use the scope in the impact distance setting.

Much like the custom turrets were sold to us years ago as a; just dial the distance and shoot, you actually can just dial the distance and shoot with this scope.

After truing up the ballistic data in the app, it was deadly close at most ranges I shot. I could simply hit the target with my rangefinder and dial the distance it came back with.

While this might be a change for some of us and our practices, it is an easy change in practice and will surely speed up the process for many people. For several hours I found myself simply picking out different targets all across the deep snowy canyon and engaging them individually.

The Wind MOA reticle has plenty of good hold points for offsetting the wind, which I found to be very helpful as the wind and distance changed during the day. But I found that the reticle’s elevation holdover points were significantly fewer. This makes sense, though, as theoretically, most if not all elevation will be counted for with the turret.

Maybe I’m just old school, but I like to have options; when measuring targets with the reticle, I found myself having to use the horizontal windage marks to try and measure vertical targets since there weren’t enough vertical marks to do so. Again, this is not a huge deal, just something I noticed.

burris veracity ph test on desert tech srs m2

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (10/10)

I experienced no failures during testing

ERGONOMICS (8/10)

Everything felt great except for the elevation turret

CUSTOMIZATION (9/10)

Some very cool features with the connect app. I wish there was an MRAD version and perhaps the connectivity to allow drop tables from other ballistic apps

APPEARANCE (10/10)

Good looking scope with all the right curves.

VALUE (10/10)

I was actually blown away that this scope was priced at $1200 MSRP, but even more seeing it go for $999 in the market. I figured any scope with an internal digital display was going to cost at least $1500 or more.

ACCESSORIES

BURRIS SIGNATURE 2000 LASER RF

Burris rangefinder

I got to use the Burris Signature 2000 laser rangefinder, which worked out to be a great companion to the Veracity PH. The 7X Signature 2000 rangefinder is rated to reach 2400 yards, which is pretty good for most hunters as they will not need that much range.

Whether you use this one or another rangefinder, you definitely want one to fully take advantage of the Veracity’s capabilities.

Shop Burris Optics Here

CONCLUSION

I must say I was very pleased with the Burris Veracity PH. It was one pleasant surprise after another. The scope was optically excellent, or at least better than its price-point, I would say.

The features were outstanding, even though I would have changed some slightly to suit my personal taste better. I think the Veracity PH is designed with the average long-range hunter in mind, and I think it’s a perfect fit for them.

It brings a pretty impressive technology suite to a good riflescope that is competitively priced. And so far as I can tell, it seems to do everything it claims to do. Most notably, reducing the activities between spotting my game and hitting it.

This scope gets me even more excited than normal for hunting season to come back around. With technology creeping into everything we do, what are your thoughts on the Burris Veracity PH?

-CBM

Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT 7mm PRC

Product review, Shooting hardware, , ,

INTRODUCTION

The Ridgeline FFT is the latest model in Christensen’s Ridgeline series of rifles. The FFT stands for Flash Forged Technology, a new process used to produce its carbon fiber stocks. Christensen claims this new tech further reduces the rifle’s weight for the ultimate lightweight hunting rifle.

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Being foremost a hunter, I am always interested in the latest new thing. And with Christensen being located here in my own state of Utah, I was even more excited to see them leading the way with new ideas. While I’m not sure if a lighter rifle will improve my shooting, at least I won’t be as fatigued when I come home empty-handed.

I have been hunting these Rocky Mountains for over a few decades, so I’d like to think this rifle was built for guys like me. As such, I was eager to see how it measured up to the quality customs and other carbon rifles I am used to. My initial thoughts on handling the Ridgeline FFT were that I would be quite pleased with the rifle.

SPECIFICATIONS

Caliber 7mm PRC
Barrel 416 Stainless carbon wrapped
Barrel length 22 inches
Barrel twist 1 in 8”
Capacity 3 + 1
Trigger Trigger Tech
Muzzle ⅝ inch x 24 threaded with Stainless side-port Brake
Stock Carbon Fiber Sporter

PROS & CONS

PROS
  • Very lightweight, starting at 5.3lbs
  • Match Grade chamber hand-lapped barrel
  • Threaded muzzle with brake
  • High-quality Trigger Tech trigger included
  • Remington 700 compatible receiver for accessories
  • Sub MOA guarantee from factory
  • Twenty-two inch barrel makes it very maneuverable
CONS
  • Action not as smooth as expected
  • Twenty-two inch barrel gives up some velocity

RANGE TESTING

I’d anticipated receiving this rifle for some time, I’d even received some ammunition already for it thanks to the good folks at Hornady. Since the action of the Ridgeline is compatible with Remington 700 parts, I grabbed a Leupold scope base I had in my toolbox and tightened it down on the Burnt Bronze action.

For a rifle scope, I decided to install my US Optics TS20X. I had a set of 34mm rings that put the scope just the right height for me, so I adjusted it for proper eye relief and torqued it down properly.

I put a touch of lube on the contact points of the bolt body to slick it up and installed a bipod on the rifle before heading out. I prefer the solitude of the mountains over shooting ranges, so I dressed up for the cold and grabbed the rest of my stuff as I headed up the hills.

In my bag, I had a couple of boxes of ammunition from Hornady, both the Precision Hunter 175 ELDX load and the Match 180 ELDM. I also carried my Desert Tech DTSS suppressor to see how the rifle shot when suppressed and a Magnetospeed chronograph to measure velocity.

The first thing I wanted to get established was a good zero, so after setting my target at one hundred yards, I settled down on my shooting mat to get comfortable with the FFT.

I pushed three cartridges down into the magazine, which had plenty of room. It looked like you could seat the bullets really quite long and still have them fit and feed from the magazine. I ran the bolt forward to chamber the first round, closing the bolt into the battery as I peered through the scope.

I fired the first shot and two more to confirm impact; I was going to need to shift my impact about one MRAD right and up a touch. After doing so, I shot a couple of groups to see how the rifle performed, all while paying attention to the recoil impulse through the stock.

I would only shoot three shots and let the rifle sit for a few minutes. I didn’t really want to get it hot. Being a hunting rifle, I think it’s likely such a rifle would be carried a lot more than shot. After shooting a few groups, I paused to evaluate my findings.

I was surprised by how mild the recoil felt; surely, the muzzle brake was reducing a good portion of the impact. The accuracy was not spectacular, though I think it may need a minute to settle this bore down. I noticed that the three-shot groups would always have two together and the third one off just a bit.

I fired a few more rounds to finish off the two boxes, and I figured it would be good practice to see how the Ridgeline did on the open distances that these Rocky Mountains are famous for.

I picked a few targets, the first one at 530 yards opposite my canyon perch. After entering all the ballistic data into my Trasol Ballistic application, it came back with a firing solution which I dialed into the turret.

As I lay still in the snow, I looked at the snow stacked on top of my target. I held into the wind and pressed the trigger shoe till the shot broke. I could see a very significant impact on the target, knocking the snow off in a powdery cloud.

RELIABILITY

The Ridgeline FFT was very reliable at feeding and firing the PRC cartridges. I never experienced any issues other than the occasional magazine bind when you put them in poorly. The minimal controls of the rifle all worked fine, and I also noticed that the bolt lift that had seemed a little stiff back at home, didn’t seem to bother me from the shooting position.

ACCURACY

At first, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the rifle’s accuracy. I do think that shooting it more has helped; perhaps the bore needs a little break-in before it shoots its best. It did seem to prefer the Precision Hunter 175-grain ammunition over the 180-grain Match ammunition.

The Ridgeline does have an eight-twist barrel, which is the minimum for the 180-grain ELDM, so it’s possible that it could be on the verge of stability.

According to Christensen’s website, there is a 50-round barrel break-in process.

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OVERALL FEEL

I really like the overall feel of this rifle; it is comfortable, balanced, and of course, very light. I suppose if you twisted my arm for something to change, I wouldn’t mind a more vertical grip area.

But the rifle’s balance is superb; the carbon barrel cut at twenty-two inches makes it very easy to maneuver. And it feels great in the hands. The recoil is very manageable if you don’t mind the noise from the brake. It’s a very shootable rifle.

shooting the Christensen Arms 7mm PRC in the Rocky Mountains

FEATURES

CARBON FIBER

Probably the defining characteristic of Christensen rifles. Undoubtedly, all the carbon fiber used in this rifle significantly reduces the weight, with scope, rings, base, bipod, and everything but the ammo it comes in at eight-pounds ten-ounces.

TRIGGER TECH TRIGGER

As usual, the Trigger Tech trigger was immaculate, giving a clean and very predictable break every time. A good trigger like this is essential for making good shots on animals, mainly if they are far away.

MUZZLE BRAKE

Christensen Arms 7mm PRC barrel review

The Burnt Bronze Cerakoted muzzle brake is very effective at reducing recoil felt by the shooter. It is timed using a crush washer to ensure the brake ports vent pressure to the side of the shooter and not into the ground in front of them. This feature reduces the likelihood of dirt and debris getting sent into the face of the shooter.

The brake is also easily removed, revealing the stainless threads beneath. The thread pitch is ⅝ inch x 24, which is a very common thread pitch for mounting suppressors and other muzzle devices.

MAGAZINE

The Ridgeline magazine is designed to hold three 7mm PRC cartridges. It does this well, in my experience. It also allows enough room to load three cartridges and still push it down to close the bolt with the full three rounds in the magazine.

The follower is made of polymer, but the floorplate itself is made from carbon fiber yet again.

Christensen Arms 7mm PRC full photo with bipod

HOW WE TESTED

For me, the most important performance indicator for any rifle is the ability to accurately hit the point of aim. It has taken a few rounds to get this rifle shooting as tight as I would like it to. But now that it is shooting better, I think it is adequate for the kind of hunting I do here in these same mountains.

To confirm the accuracy of the Ridgeline FFT, I again shot a few three-shot groups at one-hundred yards. The average of those three groups came out to an inch, and with groups like that, I would feel more than confident shooting big game animals out to five-hundred yards in good conditions. That makes this rifle very capable for hunting these steep canyons.

I will say, however, I do wish it shot just a little better accuracy-wise. There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to shoot this rifle accurately to a mile, but for that, I’d prefer it shot half-minute or even better.

The bolt did loosen up a bit after much shooting, though I was a little surprised to see some of the Cerakote rubbed off in the bolt raceway. Not a huge deal to me but not what I’d expect.

AMMO USED

Hornady 7mm PRC ammo

The ammo available for the rifle review was from Hornady. I used the Precision Hunter 175 ELDX ammunition, which seemed to be the rifles favorite. The other ammunition tested was the Hornady Match line of ammo that utilizes the 180-grain ELDM bullet.

Conclusion

This is the second Christensen Ridgeline I have had, and while they are definitely nice rifles, I often feel like I am left wanting a little more consistency from them. The rifle feels fantastic, and the function is excellent.

It would be hard to imagine a better rifle to haul all over these mountains. The lightweight and balance make it perfect for a guy who has to claw his way up snowy draws and wade through deep willow thickets.

The hunters I hunt with every year are the kind of guys who would love a rifle like this. But they are also the astute type that will demand exceptional performance; a one MOA accuracy guarantee isn’t exactly exceptional anymore. I’d like to see a ½ MOA guarantee on rifles at this price point, as I’ve seen plenty of far less expensive rifles shoot ½ MOA without much coercion.

Hopefully, I’ve helped inform you enough to make a choice if you are considering the Ridgeline FFT. Everything has pros and cons, so evaluate what’s most important to you and run with it.

-CBM

Kore Essentials B1 Battle Belt Review

Ancillary gear, Product review, , ,

INTRODUCTION

Today, we will have a close look at the Kore Essentials B1 Coyote Battle Belt, a system designed to support your pistol and any ancillary gear that needs to go with it. I’ve been on a battle belt kick for a minute now. You might have already read my other piece about Building your own battle belt.

Battle belts are designed to distribute the weight of a sidearm and other equipment across your waist without becoming cumbersome. At the same time, they securely hold your gun and gear right where you need it. The B1 Battle Belt from Kore is custom fit to the user and promises guaranteed satisfaction and compatibility with whatever gear you choose to put on it.

The B1 uses a ratcheting buckle to keep it tight, something a little different than some other belts. But like other belts, it utilizes an internal velcro belt that goes inside your belt loops. To which the outer belt attaches by both velcro and the ratcheting buckle.

Having used a couple of other belts, I was curious to see how this different design would fit my taste. However, I found myself already quite excited and happy with the belt in a very short time.

Kore essentials b1 battle belt review

KORE ESSENTIALS B1 BATTLE BELT REVIEW

Kore Essentials B1 Battle Belt

Perhaps the crowning feature of the belt is its ratcheting buckle, which makes donning the belt very quick and easy. This belt is a great option for people who regularly carry a gun. With the added benefit of quick and easy removal. It’s available in several colors, which can easily match any of your daily wear. And with complete external molle loops, you can add any of your necessary accessories like magazine pouches, knives, and such.

The internal velcro belt is black and quite smooth, but for the velcro outer surface, the outer main belt measures 1.75 inches wide to better support your holster and other accessories. Both belts feature a rigid polymer internal core (or Kore).  This increases the stability of your weapons and other gear. The idea is to keep things where you want them and not flop around as you move.

I would have zero concerns putting my full-size P320 holster on this belt. Or one of my other Safariland ALS holsters. But for this review, I used a much smaller system, mainly just to try something different. I recently got one of the new Taurus TX22 Compact pistols, which fit perfectly into a Blackhawk SERPA G26 holster.

No doubt was in my mind it would be fun to try this little pistol out attached to the B1 Kore belt. In just a few minutes I had everything together and ready to start my drawing practice.

BATTLE BELT ENGAGED…

Kore essentials b1 battle belt review

Once the box was opened and I began reading most of the directions, I was slightly intimidated. Finding out that I had to cut the belt to length.

It can’t be overstated how important it is to get these belts to the right length, so I didn’t want to screw it up. The Kore B1 belt comes with a measuring tape included. Helping you to measure directly through your belt loops for the exact right length.

Just to be sure, I cut it a smidge longer than needed. But it turns out that wasn’t necessary. Should I gain a few more pounds, I might be glad I did.

After cutting the inner and outer belts to length, I singed the edges with a lighter to prevent fraying. The inner belt has a thin hex tip that is easily threaded through your belt loops.

The outer belt, after cutting, needs to have the buckle installed. The buckle is installed using a couple of hex-head screws that thread into the buckle and compress the end of the nylon belt. There is also a foldable claw that aggressively bites into the nylon belt to secure it while the screws are tightened. At the tongue end of the outer belt has nylon teeth on the inside that are secured by the buckle latch.

Putting on the belt

Installing the belt is pretty simple. You fish the inner belt through your pant belt loops. Then, cinch it down until it’s as tight as you’d like it to be. Then the outer belt is carefully attached to the velcro outer part of the inner belt. This is done while aligning the two belts around your waist as you put them on.

Lastly, you cinch down the outer belt into the buckle. Both the buckle tension and the engagement of the velcro make the belt very firm and secure.

Kore essentials b1 battle belt review with taurus tx22 competition

Having installed my holster on the outer belt before putting it on. And adding a few accessories is also a good idea BEFORE you put the belt on because once it is on, it’s far too secure to add things then.

Shop for more belts here

Once I had everything installed, I hit the shooting range to see how well the belt held my gun. I’m sure that a bigger gun would be a little more cumbersome than this little thing, but the belt feels so secure I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. The belt’s rigidity felt fantastic, and I carried my gun that way for a week before I even messed with how it rides.

The daily putting on and taking off made the design of this belt shine. I really liked the way it fit me and how easy it was to fit my gear as well.

I’ve only had it for a few weeks, and I’m already considering another one, and since they are so easy to custom-fit to each person, I think it’d be a great gift.

Continue reading here

HOW WE TESTED

Several trips to the range easily showed the utility of the Kore Battle Belt.

Doing lots of draw practice and shooting from the holster allowed me to better adjust the belt to my taste. Adding things like a simple folding pocket knife, mag pouches, and other accessories made the belt feel extremely useful.

While it’s not recommended for such, I don’t know if I’d like to be suspended by the belt in an emergency. Other battle belts that don’t have the clamped on buckle, on the other hand, though it would be very uncomfortable, I would expect to hold in an emergency situation. That may be the only negative thing I could come up with.

Aero Precision M4E1 6.5 Grendel

Product review, Shooting hardware, ,

The 6.5 Meme

You may have seen the popular meme about some of the more popular 6.5 cartridges, in this meme there are some satirical characterizations about the owners of these most popular 6.5mm cartridges. The 6.5 Grendel character is represented by a kooky and eccentric looking fellow you may not want to approach in the truck stop parking lot. I always laughed a bit a this meme, but today I find myself with that same wide eyed stare…

The 6.5 Grendel

Today we are looking at a 6.5 Grendel rifle made from an Aero Precision M4A1 lower and a 22″ Grendel Hunter upper receiver. Its Upper features a 22-inch 8 twist barrel with a threaded muzzle pitched 5/8-24 and of course chambered in 6.5 Grendel.

The Grendel is a bit of an oddity in that it uses a cartridge case that uses a bolt face between the very common 223 Remington, and the 308 Winchester. There are only a few common cartridges that use this sized case, such as the 224 Valkyrie and the 6mm ARC. The Grendel allows you to shoot 6.5 (.264) caliber bullets from a small frame AR-15 type rifle, which can vastly change the utility of your AR-15. I have heard of people using the Grendel for hunting animals as big as Rocky Mountain elk, and having used bullets of the same size and velocity I can see why.

Shop all ammo at Ammo to Go

The only difference I’ve noticed (apart from the 6.5 Grendel barrel) between this and other AR-15 rifles is the use of a different magazine. The Grendel magazines use a different follower, and I had a few laying around from my 6mm ARC project so they got put to good use.
The barrel is a fluted stainless one with a low profile gas block installed, and since it was threaded I fully intended on installing a suppressor to see how the rifle performed as a host.

The Aero Precision M4E1

After getting the rifle home, I set it on my bench and started looking for suitable accessories for the rifle. First and foremost it was going to need a good scope, for that I decided on installing my US Optics FDN17X, it seemed like a good match to the anticipated shooting for the Grendel. I also installed an MLok Harris bipod mount to the handguard so that I could install a bipod to shoot supported. I also grabbed my Yankee Hill Machine Nitro N20 suppressor to see how the rifle shot suppressed.

Ammunition

6.5 Grendel ammunition isn’t as common as most, so I knew going in I was going to have to improvise. I had a bunch of 6.5 Grendel brass already, yes I am unashamedly one of those range creeps that is always digging through brass piles. But I haven’t bought brass in years so I’ll happily take the troll title.
I have a broad selection of .264 bullets, but it seems that Grendel loads are frequently in the 100-120 grain category. So I decided I would load up some PRVI 120 grain BTHP bullets with some Hodgdon Benchmark in Hornady brass. While I claim no expertise in the dark art of handloading, I managed to get them together without any explosions or injury. So together with the outfitted rifle and my fresh loaded ammo, I headed into the hills to see how the rifle shot.
Aero Precision M4E1 Grendel Hunter rifleThe upper features a 22-inch barrel with an 1:8 twist and a 5/8×24 TPI threaded muzzle, of course chambered in 6.5 Grendel

On the Range with the Aero Precision 6.5 Grendel

With a fresh target hung at one hundred yards, I laid behind the rifle to get it zeroed. I had already bore-sighted it before I left the house, so it was ready to put on paper. After the first few shots I made some adjustments to the scope, and fired a group to see how it patterned. My grouping wasn’t terrible, a five shot average of one MOA is at least somewhere to start from. It’s certainly possible the rifle didn’t care for my handloads, and had I been shooting some Hornady Match it might have shot under a half inch. I shot several boxes worth of ammunition through the rifle, and to be honest I can see why so many people like this little cartridge. The recoil is very mild for starters, and I can’t imagine it would be much worse even shooting 140 grain bullets.
It was even better when I added my suppressor to the rifle. I was able to stretch the rifle out to about five hundred yards where I found it still quite easy to hit targets the size of a deer’s vitals.

Pros and Cons

Everybody has their preferences, and I surely have mine so I’ll tell you what I would do with this rifle if I had a magic wand. First I think I’d cut the barrel down a bit, it seems cumbersomely long to me. The long length of the barrel also makes it very front heavy, which if your shooting from a bipod isn’t a big deal but it can be for an offhand shooter.
The Grendel is one of those cartridges where I wouldn’t expect to be blasting one shot rapidly after another, so the ten-round magazine is more than enough for my purposes but you may want more if you are a high volume kind of shooter.

I do like the construction of the rifle, but the lightweight handguard doesn’t have anything more than what you want. The quality coatings look good, and everything fits together great. The bolt carrier appears to be nitrided for durability and smooth operation, while the raw steel surface of the barrel gives you that 2006 vibe. Continue Reading Here…

Aero Precision M4E1 Grendel Hunter rifle
I prefer to shoot my deer one at a time, but it’s still reassuring to know the Grendel Hunter has a magazine full of backup shots waiting

CONCLUSION

The Grendel Hunter part of this rifle makes a whole lot of sense to me. You get a handy little lightweight rifle, but at the same time you get a whole magazine full of 6.5mm bullets to pummel whatever it is you’re after. I prefer to shoot my deer one at a time, but it’s always reassuring to know you have a stack of backup shots waiting for you.

Furthermore, I think this would be an excellent hog gun, where you may need a whole bunch of hard-hitting shots close together. Loaded with 140-grain bullets, I could easily see using this rifle for big Western game like elk and bighorns. We’ve killed elk using the same bullets and velocities tested in this rifle.

There is obviously no shortage of good choices in today’s firearms markets, but this rifle is a great option for someone who needs this kind of firepower and weight. The kooky eyes and hairdo are entirely optional (I wouldn’t recommend the look).

-CBM

Building a Better Case: Pelican Vault 730 and Magpul DAKA Review

Ancillary gear, Product review, , ,

INTRODUCTION

Pelican cases have been the standard for firearm protection for years. Their new Pelican Vault 730 series, combined with the new Magpul DAKA case organizer, is proving to be a truly innovative firearm storage option.

The Vault series carries the Pelican name and warranty; like other hard gun cases, it features six locking latches that seal the case water-tight using an O-ring seal around the perimeter of the case.

From my perspective, the Vault line of cases appears to be a more affordable line of cases for those who take protecting their firearms seriously.

Get your own Pelican case

The DAKA grid organizer from Magpul makes customizing your hard gun case much simpler than before and gives you the option to alter it as well. If you were one of those weird Lego kids growing up, you’re gonna love this.

I’ve owned Pelican cases for years, and I’ve hauled guns all over the world in various case configurations with hard foam, soft foam, and textile interiors. So I was very excited to see an actual development regarding hard-case storage options.

Pelican Vault 730 and Magpul DAKA ORGANIZER REVIEW

As I mentioned, I’ve owned quite a few hard cases over the years. It seems that there comes a time in a gun owner’s life that he wants to take his most prized rifle and cut the foam in a hard case to fit it so he can pretend to be the assassin in a Bond film as he un-cases it out at the range.

It’s nice to have a custom foam-fit hard case for your rifles, but it also usually means you need several hard cases or sets of foam for each rifle.

The DAKA organizer system allows you to custom-fit the foam in your hard case to fit your rifles without using a knife. And you can also rearrange it to fit the next rifle by simply pulling the foam pieces apart and stacking them into the position you want them in.

The DAKA system is much like Legos, they are foam blocks with molded lugs that allow them to be stacked together like the famous toy blocks.

They come with a base plate that is essentially a foam pegboard, and an assortment of two and three-lug sections that you can plug into the baseplate in whatever configuration fits your chosen firearm. Then just as easily as they went in, you can pull them apart to reconfigure the case for a different firearm.

The whole system, when dropped into the Vault 730 case, makes for a very multi-use and secure transport for your weapons. The secure locking latches of the Vault 730 keep it secure, and it has the typical lugs at the ends to secure it with padlocks.

Handles on three sides make it easily maneuvered and/or tied down, and the low profile wheels at one end are nice for rolling the case across hard surfaces like those long walks through airport security. The Vault is available in a couple of different sizes, so you can customize your options.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was excited to see the case when it arrived, I had seen several of the Vault cases while at SHOT Show 2023. And if the DAKA system lived up to my expectations, I knew I would have a very handy transportation system for my rifles.

First thing I opened was the Vault case. It came with a few layers of its own foam. I was quite pleased with how easy the latches were to open single-handedly.

Many cases I’ve used in the past have been far too stiff to release easily, and they sometimes seemed to bind on the locking mechanism. These were extremely easy to undo, and while opening all six latches to get into the case can sometimes feel like a bit much, I would rather have them than not. Especially after watching luggage workers toss things at the airport.

The lid of the Vault case is sealed with an O-ring. It also features a few interlocking molded dowel pins around the lid mating surface to help secure and keep the two parts aligned.

Inside I found a few sheets of the standard foam that comes with the case. I set them aside as it was time to open the box from Magpul.

The DAKA system came in a smaller box than I had anticipated, and I was even further surprised to see it appear nearly half empty. I thought they had surely sent me half of what I needed, but to my surprise, as I opened up the pieces, everything was there to make my case a safe storage place for my rifle.

I installed the base plate of foam into the bottom of the Vault 730, it was a snug fit, but I assume that is by design to keep things from sliding around inside the case.

I then laid my rifle into the case and started lining up with the patterns in the foam to see where my best fit would be. Installing the foam blocks came next, fitting them as close as I could to the rifle without compressing it.

I quickly was made aware of one thing I’d consider a drawback, attaching the foam blocks in such a way that would tightly hold my rifle was harder than I thought.

The interlocking teeth of the DAKA system are an inch or so wide, meaning that unless your rifle has the perfect proportions to match those spacings, you will have a little movement inside the case.

For the most part, that may not be a big deal, but if you have a very heavy firearm, this could result in significant shifting and potentially breaking through the foam blocks.

After I got my rifle situated and surrounded with foam blocks, it actually looked pretty good and snug. I closed the case to see how it carried, only to find that there was just enough flex in the case to cause a slight deformation from the installation of the foam baseplate.

The case mouth opened just enough to have to squeeze it to get it closed and latched.  Having let the case sit and rest with latches closed for a day or two has helped reduce the issue as both foam and plastic learn their new locations.

Making room in the case for things like accessories, boxes of ammo, and such was very easy. Much like an old game of Tetris, you could organize the blocks of foam to hold both your rifle and some shooting accessories around it in a very organized manner.

Pelican Vault 730 and Magpul DAKA DURABILITY

Hauling the case back and forth to gun shops and shooting ranges, I have come to appreciate it.

The case does seem to handle better than my old Pelican or SKB cases, perhaps due to less overall weight making it easier to handle.

The handles themselves are also pretty robust and big enough that even when the case is loaded fairly heavily, it’s easy on the hands. The latches and other parts of the case seem very reliable and robust, so much so that I don’t anticipate any issues to come.

OVERALL FEEL

My impression is that the Vault case and DAKA organizing system are worth their asking price. It does seem just a little less robust than the actual Pelican branded cases, but with a price of $200ish dollars, it is still worth it in my opinion.

And the DAKA system gives you some impressive improvisational gun storage options, though I think it came with even a few more blocks. Looking at Magpul’s website, it appears that they even have differently shaped blocks and other accessories on the way to improve the system. Continue reading here…

Features

Locking Latches

The self-locking latches are quick and easy to open and close. A spring-loaded lock button is centrally located in the middle of each latch.

Security Lock Locations

The Vault 730 features four heavily reinforced padlock eyes to allow the owner to securely store their property inside.

Weather Resistant

The O-ring sealed case keeps water, dirt, or other contaminants out of your case.

Adaptable

The DAKA system allows you to adapt the inside of your case to fit whatever firearm you wish, and in just a few moments, you can reset the foam for a different firearm.

Conclusion

The Vault 730 and Magpul DAKA system is a great way to store your rifles, particularly if you are a guy like me constantly using something different.

I suppose you could say that the DAKA system for $139 is a bit spendy for foam, but when you consider that you don’t have to buy twenty different sheets of custom-cut foam, it starts to make more sense.

The Pelican Vault 730 and Magpul DAKA combined make a strong and intuitive way to safely transport your rifles. I look forward to traveling more with mine!

-CBM

Check out more accessory reviews here

The FN PS90 bullpup: It came from the 80’s

Product review, Shooting hardware, , ,

Introduction

Perhaps one of the most recognizable firearms of the last half century is the FN PS90. It has appeared in countless films, video games, and other forms of media. The space-gun look of the PS90 sets it apart from most traditional firearms and makes it ideal for futuristic media.

The PS90 is a bullpup rifle, which is enough to differentiate it from most, but its curious design and borderline strange shape give it a uniqueness all its own.

The 5.7×28 cartridge used in the rifle is another anomaly, becoming much more prevalent in the last couple of years. Originally it was an obscure cartridge destined almost exclusively for the top-mounted magazines of the PS90 or the civilian-free model, the P90, which uses a shorter barrel and an auto-sear pack.

For many years, there was nothing like the PS90. It has seen new competition arise in the last couple of years, but for compact high-capacity firepower, only a few could match the little FN.

The industry giant FN Herstal has been a dominant power in firearms since the late 1800s, so it should be no surprise that many firearm developments have come from their factories. Weapons from FN have likely been a part of countless military operations, law enforcement agencies, and of course, civilian shooting activities.

Having grown up with the PS90 constantly before me, I like many others, always dreamed of having one to hold and call my own. So when given the opportunity to spend some time with this diminutive little novelty, I of course, stepped forward.

PS90 Review

The construction of the PS90 is an interesting design, using a polymer clamshell to house the rifle’s metal parts.

The action is a blowback type, typically using strong springs and a heavy bolt carrier. There are two metal shafts that the bolt carrier and spring ride on, anchored at the butt of the rifle.

The front half of the rifle simply slides into the polymer housing and has a spring-loaded button to hold it in place.

One of the more obscure parts of the rifle is the magazine function; the fifty-round magazine sits on top of the receiver underneath the sight bridge. The magazine carries the cartridges perpendicular to the bore axis of the rifle.

As the cartridges are pushed to the rifle’s rear, they are twisted ninety degrees as they come out of the magazine, just in time to be caught by the forward-moving bolt carrier.

Spent cases are expelled through the bottom of the rifle, where a small dust door opens when firing the rifle.
The controls of the PS90 are also, of course, different than most. The small charging handles are located on both sides of the front of the receiver, making the gun perfectly ambidextrous.

The safety is located at the bottom of the trigger and rotates between fire and safe from either side of the trigger guard. The top-side magazine release buttons are pressed in an almost pinching motion as you lift the magazine up and pull it out to the rear.

As I mentioned, this makes the rifle completely suitable to be used by right or left-handed shooters, which is a great thing for service weapons that multiple people use.

The bullpup design of the PS90 makes it very short, and with the short-barreled version, it is even concealable. The fifty-round magazines give you very long strings of fire before needing to reload.

These great features make the PS90 a good option for military and law enforcement professionals. Civilians can and should enjoy these same benefits because this is America, dammit!

TERRESTRIAL RANGE TESTING

I was excited to get the P90 to the range to see how it shot. I was lucky enough to get the restricted model P90 instead of the civilian PS90 (semi-auto). This development would greatly increase the cost of reviewing the gun due to my inability to hold back a full send. The basics of the two rifle models are very similar, so the rest of the review would be relatively the same.

I sourced ammunition boxes from different sources, including American Eagle and FN. With the three fifty-round magazines and several hundred dollars worth of ammunition, I figured I could reasonably determine the function and manual of arms.

I’ve been lucky to shoot several different PWD-type weapons and other short-barreled rifles, so I had a baseline to evaluate the P90.

Short rifles like this are typically used for personal defense, assaulting forces, or something similar. These activities are likely to take place at short distances, so these rifles are usually topped with a reflex or red dot sight to take advantage of the rapid target acquisition they provide. This model came with a small red dot sight already installed, making my selection pretty easy.

After inspecting the rifle, I started the long process of stuffing the magazines with cartridges. The small 5.7 cartridges look similar to a tiny 5.56 cartridge, including a little bottleneck. I snapped one of the loaded magazines into the rifle and started with my shooting regimen.

The snappy blast of the 5.7 was quite evident, mainly when it was only a few inches away from your face. The gun cycled its action rapidly, discharging pretty forcefully the spent cartridges straight down onto the shooting bench below me.

I could feel the short travel of the bolt carrier sliding back and forth in the rifle. Other than that, the recoil was very mild and easy to control. Shooting the rifle at twenty-five yards, it seemed quite easy to keep shots on target.

Transitioning between targets was fast, and the rifle tucked neatly into my shoulder pocket, making it easy to keep on target. The short rifle has almost no room to pivot under recoil, the butt tightly tucked into the shoulder, and the muzzle in front of your support hand doesn’t give it much room to jump around.

The longer barrel of the PS90 might make it even more controllable and provide higher velocity from the same ammunition.

The trigger in the P90 was just as I anticipated. Many bullpups utilize a linkage to operate the sear remotely, and the P90/PS90 is definitely one of those. You can feel the sliding linkage and delayed sensation when pulling the trigger.

To be fair, this isn’t a sniper rifle, so having a flexible trigger pull isn’t a deal breaker for me. For the kind of shooting this rifle was destined for, I think the trigger is perfectly suitable, but it may take some getting used to.

The strange grip design of the rifle also didn’t strike me as ideal. It certainly allows you to control the rifle, though.

I’d like to think there was some kind of “engineer” explanation that would somehow justify why it feels like holding two cups of tea with a trigger in one of them, but I don’t think I’ll ever get that answer. Continue reading here…

PROS & CONS

PROS
  • Extremely maneuverable & compact
  • High capacity magazines for fewer reloads
  • Distinguished service record
  • High-velocity ammunition superior to sub-guns
  • Spacegun
CONS
  • Awkward grip angles
  • Traditional bullpup trigger
  • Strange controls take getting used to
  • Ammo goes way too fast

RELIABILITY

The P90/PS90 functioned flawlessly during my testing process. Before firing the gun, I took it apart to inspect and clean it, giving it just a few squirts of lube before reassembly. The design of the rifle is surprisingly simple, considering what it accomplishes in such a small chassis.

Another one of the interesting design aspects of the full-auto version P90 is the trigger function for automatic fire. When the trigger is pressed enough to fire a shot, you can simply release the trigger for an audible reset, and a second shot can then be fired.

Without switching any selector or switch, you can simply pull harder to get an automatic rate of fire. Essentially you pull the trigger through the semi-auto feature and into the full-auto feature with the trigger fully depressed. An interesting design, for sure.

ACCURACY

The P90/PS90 is made to be a personal defense weapon, so we aren’t really looking for one-inch groups at a hundred yards.

But even with its bullpup trigger and a modest red dot sight, it wasn’t hard to keep the rifle on soda can-sized targets at 25 yards.

That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but I wasn’t expecting impressive accuracy with this short-barreled machine gun.

OVERALL FEEL

The overall feel of the P90/PS90 was a little odd for me.

I’m sure that, like most things, it simply takes a moment to get used to, but I think it could be summed up with a comment I overheard myself say to another inquisitive shooter at the range; I think the gun is overrated, if I was going to spend the money it takes to get this rifle, particularly if you plan on going the NFA route, your money would be better spent on something else.

While there is nothing wrong with the rifle, and it works flawlessly as designed, I feel like there are better options.

The P90/PS90 does have a couple of things that are undeniably strong points that could make it the only logical choice for certain applications. If you need long strings of fire with no reloads, or if you absolutely need maximum concealment with rifle firepower, then the P90/PS90 is certainly a contender.

FEATURES

COMPLETELY AMBIDEXTROUS

The P90/PS90 utilizes completely ambidextrous controls. And it ejects spent cases through a down-chute behind the trigger-hand grip, so the rifle can be comfortably shot without inhibition regardless of right or left-handed shooters.

Dual charging handles on either side of the rifle are done simply and are subtle enough to be almost missed if you don’t know they are there. The rotating disc of the safety takes a second to get used to, but it does allow for simple operation using either trigger finger.

MAGAZINES

fn ps90 magazines

The magazines used in the P90/PS90 are one of the more interesting parts of the rifle. The cartridges are stacked perpendicular to the bore line; a turntable at the base of each magazine pushes the cartridge down while rotating it ninety degrees as it comes down. It is an incredibly innovative way to stack a large amount of ammunition in the rifle without reducing its portability.

Magazine changes are a little unorthodox compared to what most of us are used to. The magazines are inserted in the rifle by putting the blind end forward under the sight-bridge, then hinging it down, snapping the turntable into the top of the receiver.

The magazine release buttons are on both sides of the round turntable at the rear of the magazine, when they are pinched together the magazine is easily lifted and removed from the rifle.

While these mag changes might sound a little more intense than you’d like, particularly under life-threatening circumstances, the fact that the mags hold fifty rounds means you will spend more time shooting and less time reloading.

fn ps90

SIGHT MOUNTING

The curious magazine design definitely made FN engineers have to reconsider the sight mounting options for the P90/PS90. They came up with a bridge that goes over the top of the magazine, which also conveniently doubles as a more rigid metal structure to protect the polycarbonate magazines.

Whether you use some short radiused iron sights or a red dot type sight, they can be mounted to the Picatinny rail atop the bridge.

HOW WE TESTED

I spent a good portion of the afternoon burning through boxes of ammunition and the rest of my time loading magazines. Most of my time was spent shooting at twenty-five and fifty yards, which seemed appropriate for this little rifle.

Many targets transitioning, mag changes, and reloads were quite helpful in getting more proficient with the P/90/PS90.

I have to admit it is a fun little rifle to shoot. The near-recoilless shooting makes it fun to run quickly across a course of fire. Various targets, including clays and paper, were all easily used for running drills with this gun.

Most of the shooting was done from the standing position, or from a standing supported by leaning against a corner or something similar.

The compact size of the P90/PS90 made it easy to maneuver around the range, and corners and such were easy to negotiate. I also noticed that such a short firearm could also be a little bit more dangerous.

I would have really preferred to pull the muzzle brake to install a suppressor, not just for the noise but to have something else protecting the muzzle. Guns that are this small can get dangerously close to hands and fingers when opening doors and other operations.

If you shoot a shorty like this, watch your hands and muzzle.

The downward ejection of spent cases was a pleasant change from what many of us are used to. The brass is thrown at a pretty good speed, though, so don’t count on finding them all at your feet. The dust door that covers the ejection bay is supposed to snap shut, though the model I was using seemed to have a problem staying snapped in the closed position.

fn ps90 trigger

AMMO USED

Both the American Eagle FMJ and the FN branded ammunition functioned great.

Most people would want to use expanding bullets instead of FMJ ammunition, especially for defense purposes. I have heard that some folks have experienced issues with inexpensive 5.7×28 ammo, but I did not have that experience.

SCORE CARD

RELIABILITY (10/10)

The P90/PS90 functioned without any malfunctions during testing

ERGONOMICS (6/10)

I didn’t care for the grip design of the PS90; your experience may differ

CUSTOMIZATION (7/10)

The PS90 rifles don’t have a lot of customization as far as I can tell, other than sights. Even the muzzle device wasn’t changeable.

APPEARANCE (9/10)

As I mentioned from the beginning, the PS90 is iconic in its looks, but looks aren’t everything

VALUE (6/10)

I gave the PS90 a low score simply because there are more affordable firearms that do nearly the same job.

CONCLUSION

I guess you could say overall, I was just a bit let down by the P90/PS90. Kind of like with the Steyr AUG. As an eighties kid, you grew up thinking these were the coolest guns ever. But in real life, you pick them up, and they seem to be sort of a novelty.

Like I said, there are some specific situations where the PS90 could stand alone with no competition. But I think the scenario where I need long strings of fire with a slow rifle cartridge at close range from a gun I could hide under my coat just doesn’t seem reasonable.

I suppose if you’re in the Secret Service or something, there may be a good purpose, but for the average gun enthusiast, I think it’s more of a conversation piece, like 50 BMGs, Desert Eagles, and any of the Mac pistols.

Something you could pull out to impress company, but not something you’d shoot a lot regularly. It does fascinate me that to this day, the PS90 still looks as space-gunny as anything else, a gun before its time, perhaps.

-CBM

Aero Precision X15 5.56 carbine

Product review, Shooting hardware, ,

Introduction

There is something to be said about a rifle that is near perfectly balanced and maneuverable. Today I am here to share with you one of those rifles, an AR-15 that just feels perfect in my hands, the Aero Precision X15 5.56 carbine. Built from an Aero Precision M4E1 lower receiver and mated with a lightweight eighteen-inch upper and barrel.

What makes a perfect carbine?


Obviously, that varies for most of us, but I’ll tell you what I think this carbine is perfect for. The lightweight barrel and handguard assembly make this rifle very balanced, and it has a very effective muzzle brake as well to help reduce any recoil or muzzle rise.
A fairly minimalist Magpul MOE SL-K buttstock also helps keep the weight down but still offers all the agility and modularity I’d want for shooting on the move. The trigger in this rifle is nothing extraordinary, but it breaks clean enough to shoot accurately.

On top of the rifle is a Vortex Crossfire II 1-4 LPVO, I know some of you are gonna disagree with me here but I like this scope for this gun. Apart from a good color combination, I think the 1-4 power is great for a rifle intended to shoot n’ scoot.


Any kind of shooting scenario where you expect to be rapidly moving and engaging targets from fairly close distances would be a great. That could be a two or three gun competition or a car lot in Wisconsin, but you’d find yourself pretty well equipped with a little carbine like this.
Your idea of a perfect carbine might be a little different than mine, I have no issue with that as ten years from now we may have swapped opinions.


Good Parts


Good parts make a good rifle, and while the X15 receiver from Aero may not be the greatest or best of all time but it is still a good place to start. The barrel in this rifle appears to be a Faxon gunner eighteen-inch barrel, it is nitride finished with a nickel teflon coated barrel extension and 5R rifled. Sounds like a winner, but we would see for sure on the range. The handguard is an MLok carbine length from AT3 Tactical, it’s pretty minimalist, and comfortable to hold.

Rangetime

The first time I took this rifle to the range I wanted to basically just prove it out and make sure everything worked together. I was quickly pleased to see that everything was in order and needed no additional attention, it was ready to burn up some ammo.


I ran several magazines through the rifle and I found it to be very controllable, the light recoil was further reduced by the brake making target acquisition quick and easy. I was also impressed that the light weight made it much easier to hold the rifle on target, not just hold it but to hold it still. Something I am not used to due to the heavy guns I usually shoot.
My daughter had come along and wanted to give the rifle a try herself. She too found the rifle comfortable to maneuver and shoot, which further credits the rifle’s handling.


I did put the rifle across some sandbags to see how it patterned. For a proper accuracy test I would have liked to put a better rifle scope on the gun, and perhaps shoot some better ammunition than I had on hand. The Crossfire II scope did work well enough for my purposes however, I didn’t have much trouble hitting what I was aiming at. The best group I came up with during my testing was a 2 MOA pattern, not exactly match-grade shooting but I’m sure I could have improved on that with a little more refined aiming and magnification. Continue Reading Here…

The maneuverability of the rifle was awesome and transitioning between various targets at different distances came easily. I really wish I could have shot the rifle in some kind of carbine match, as that surely would have exposed its weakness and mine. I also would love to shoot it more suppressed – personally I think it’s only proper to do so.
 

PROS & CONS
 

Aero Precision X15
Light and wieldable, the X15 is a perfect example of what makes the AR-15 so popular. (Photo: Jeff Wood/Guns.com)


I can’t say that this rifle is perfect, but it certainly is a great rifle for a lot of scenarios. I love the lightness and clean handling of the rifle. Matched with its flawless function and mean green exterior, there’s little for me to complain about.

As a precision rifle purist, I am always motivated by accuracy. Pencil-thin barrels and carbines aren’t typically the best combination for improving accuracy. But accuracy is defined entirely by the shooter and his or her targets, and for many practical purposes, the accuracy potential shown here is just fine in my opinion.

This rifle is a perfect example of what makes the AR-15 platform so appealing: compatibility with a massive assortment of parts and accessories that seem to mesh in perfect unison.
 

CONCLUSION

Aero Precision X15

Whether you are putting together a fighting rifle or a competition gun for matches, there is an innumerable selection of possibilities. I find this particular rifle to be fantastic for competitive-style shooting, but not ideal for the type of precision shooting I prefer myself.

The Aero Precision X15 or the more prevalent M4E1 receiver are both fantastic starting points for putting together a rifle, and as you might imagine, Aero has a whole catalog of other parts for your build.
 

-CBM

Like AR 15 rifles? Check out this one

Aero Precision X15 Rifle