The Great Caliber Debate

I know you all have heard this before in some shape or form on the gun forums…

“what handgun caliber is best for home defense/self defense/SHTF?”

This is often followed by a hellstorm of debating back and forth that never really ends.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion so I figured I explain mine. I am not a firearms expert or ballistics expert or tactics expert, but I have been around guns for the last 20+ years. (i.e. having a very pro-gun Vietnam veteran father, military service & police)

My opinion is…there is no magic bullet. No caliber is going to magically solve all your problems. Even the one-shot stopping power of the 00-buck has its issues if the bad guy is standing too close to a good guy.

I am going to focus on the top 3 calibers I feel are the most popular in my opinion.

I understand there are many other very capable and popular calibers such as 10mm, 357 magnum, 44 magnum, 357 SIG, 380, 22lr etc. etc. but I am focusing on these 3 because they are the calibers that are easily found in stock at your local gun store or WalMart.

9mm – 9mm luger – 9mm parabellum

The good…

-         Its fast. Fast = a flatter trajectory / less bulletdrop. Most people train at roughly 25 yards or closer so accuracy is often reported to be fairly good at 25 yards depending on the gun of course.

-   Its known for its low recoil. This translates to faster follow up shots. 

-   9mm ammo is cheaper than 40cal and 45acp. Its also widely available in every gun store and WalMart accross America.

-         Its small. The smaller the bullet, the more you can carry in one magazine. More bullets is always better than less in the grand scheme of things. Also, more bullets = fewer mag changes. Fewer mag changes = less vulnerability holding an empty gun in a gun fight. My compact Glock 19 holds 15 rounds for example.

-         Modern 9mm technology such as a +P bonded JHP is for more superior than the 9mm ammo it once was when it was 1^st invented almost 100 years ago.

-         Modern 9mm ammo is still very effective at stopping threats in a trained persons hands so much so that the military and NYPD still use 9mm today. (2010)

The not so good…

-         Some argue that 9mm lacks true knock down power due to its small mass regardless of its technological advancements.

  

40 cal – 40 S&W

The good…

-         40cal is a rising star with police departments across America. This is most likely (in my opinion anyway) because they feel that it’s a nice combination both 9mm and 45acp.

-         40cal is larger than 9mm so it obviously has more mass and can hold more gun powder so in theory it should have more knock down power.

-         40cal is smaller than the 45acp so you can carry roughly 12 to 14 in one magazine vs the very popular 45acp platform, the 1911 which in general often only carries a single stacked magazine of  about 7 to 10 rounds. Of course there are other 45acp handguns that carry more but the most popular 45acp handgun on earth is the 1911.

-         Its often argued that it’s the best of both worlds.

The not so good…

  

 Not everyone likes the new kid on the block. Some argue that the 40cal does not perform significantly better than either 9mm or 45acp. Some say if they are going  to go to a bigger caliber from 9mm that they might as well move up to the 45acp to see a real difference in knock down performance?

45acp – 45 automatic

The good…

-         It’s a legendary man stopper that has served in our military for over 70 years.

-         It’s a big heavy bullet which is said to transfer its kinetic energy very effectively to its target, which is where the infamous term “knock down power” probably came from.

     

The not so good…

-         It’s a victim of its own legend and myth. People expect it to actually knock down a bad guy with one shot when in reality it still takes proper shot placement to drop a bad guy with one shot…even with the infamous 45acp that is still very hard to do when the target is moving and shooting back at you.

-         Its legendary size is also its weakness. The bigger the bullet, the less ammo you can carry in the magazine. The world’s most popular 45acp platform “the 1911” for example, is traditionally a single stacked magazine so on average it only holds 7 to 10 rounds. Double stacked 45’s are out there but they are not as common as the 1911 as a carry gun.

-         45acp hollow points can be an issue in some guns. Some 1911’s have issues feeding hollow points due to the large hole in the tip of the ammo. This can get hung up and cause a feed malfunction. Of course you can solve this problem with CorBon Pwr’ball ammo which is a hybrid hollow point with a polymer ball tip in the hollow point but they are very expensive and hard to find in stock locally.

-   45acp is expensive. Its often double the price of 9mm.

To me, what it boils down to is, you have to get out and shoot several calibers for yourself to get a feel for what is best for you. Most gun ranges usually rent all of these calibers.

Another thing to consider is the style of gun you choose along with the caliber it shoots which can effect your accuracy and defensive performance i.e. single action, S/A D/A, DAO, light trigger pull, heavy trigger pull, slide mounted safety and decocker, frame mounted decocker, thumb safety, grip safety, grip angle, single stack, double stack, bore axis, polymer gun, all steel gun and so on and so forth.

And lastly, even if you pick the perfect caliber with the perfect gun and you get good training…don’t forget the 21ft rule. (Research the Tueller drill.)

Just because you are carrying a gun doesn’t mean you are now equipped to stop all threats. A mentally disturbed person with a hidden knife can deploy that knife and stab you multiple times…before you can even draw your concealed weapon from its holster…inside of 21ft.

And even if you manage to actually shoot him, often times its not a one shot drop due to him moving quickly and you being pumped full of adrenaline (i.e. scared shitless). Even with a bullet hole in him he can still inflict a fatal stab wound to you before he succumbs to his injuries.

But that’s a whole other topic.

Stay safe. 

Honda CRV as a SHTF bug out vehicle? (the 1st generation CRV only)

Why on earth would I consider an underpowered 4cyclinder subcompact sized SUV that doesn’t have real off-road capabilities? Why? Because in a SHTF situation like hurricane Katrina or the 7.0 Chilean earthquakes or the LA riots or the 911 terrorist attacks…you don’t need a hard core rock crawler, tank of a vehicle just to get out of the city in my opinion.

You probably just need a vehicle that is capable of getting you and your loved ones down the road and away from danger. If the road is blocked or destroyed, your vehicle needs to be able to go off road into the dirt, mud, sand, snow, or be able to cross small bodies of water… which is where a Honda CRV comes in handy.

I dedicate this whole idea to a guy I bumped into on youtube. I had been thinking about buying a CRV just to get me out into the Nevada desert to go shooting but his youtube video about his CRV bug out vehicle totally impressed me. Thank you “LeonRFpoa”. Here is a link to his youtube channel.  http://www.youtube.com/user/LeonRFpoa

The 1^st generation CRV (1997 to 2001) is affordable. The 1^st gen CRV’s are the best for offroad in my opinion and luckily they seem to be priced very affordable at around $4000 to $5000 on average. You get a lot of reliability and performance for your money. You can buy a Jeep wrangler for $4000 but is it going to be reliable enough to drive to work every day let alone reliable enough to get your family up to the mountains when the SHTF?

The CRV is practical. You can buy it for work as a daily driver commuter car and if the SHTF you can use it to save your families life and get out of town even if the roads are down. It seats 5 and still has room for some gear. Most have a/c and a heater which my old Jeep Wrangler CJ7 didn’t have.

The CRV is small. If its just you or you only have 5 people total then you probably don’t need a huge 4x4 truck or SUV to get out of the city? Obviously bigger can be better but in a SHTF situation bigger can be a disadvantage because roads might be cluttered with debris such as broken down vehicles. Of course a big vehicle could just push through obstacles but I would want not want to risk breaking a perfectly running engine or drive train due to broken radiator or pop a tire etc etc. I’d rather slip past an obstacle with a tiny SUV. Big vehicles are harder to maneuver if you need to slip through congested traffic or back up and change directions. Plus big vehicles use A LOT of gas fairly quickly.

The CRV is good on gas. A big V8 4x4 truck or SUV is a seriously powerful but are gas hogs. I know because I currently own a Chevy Tahoe and I used to own a lifted GMC Yukon. You may be able to get out of the city quickly but how far will you be able to trek into the desert, hills or mountains after that? The range in a V8 is limited. Your range in a CRV can be extended substantially if you have 1 or 2 jerry cans of extra gas on the roof?

Also keep in mind that gas will be hard to find and what gas you to scrounge up outside of the city won’t be much. Having a small Honda 4 cylinder motor to feed will get you a lot further.

The CRV 2.0L engine in stock form is very reliable. In my opinion a stock engine = reliability and in my own personally experience from owning 2 Honda CRX’s and an Acura Integra I can tell you that they are far more reliable and durable in stock unmodified form than any other vehicle I have ever owned.

My Jeep Wrangler CJ7 and GMC Yukon were bad ass looking but they required a lot of maintenance to stay running reliably. And like I already mentioned they were both horrible on gas. Even though the Wrangler had an inline 6 it still drank down gas like a V8 due to the big tires.

The CRV is quiet. Why is this important? If you have survival supplies such as food, water, clothing, shelter, means to make a fire, guns and ammo…then you own the key to life itself. This makes you a target to those who did not properly prepare. Those people will be desperate and you can bet they would love to try to take it from you. To avoid this issue its best to stay quiet. A little Honda CRV is great at moving around quietly in the desert or woods. My lifted GMC Yukon with its powerful V8 was a loud even with the stock exhaust. My Jeep was a little less loud.

The CRV is a 4 door 5 passenger SUV. This means you can use it as shelter easily. My jeep had no room to lay down to sleep and its soft top sucked at keeping out the cold wind or rain. A small SUV like the CRV is essentially the size of a 2 man tent when you fold down the seats. Its water tight and will keep out the wind, rain, sand and snow.

You could carry a tent but that usually puts you on the ground with the dirt, mud or rocks, not to mention the snakes, spiders, mountain lions, wolves, bears etc etc. Sleeping inside a vehicle is just safer and you can just roll up the windows and lock the doors. If you have to bug out again, its just a matter of hopping in the drivers seat and taking off!

The CRV has a real time AWD system. This means it can get you in and out of places a 2wd passenger car or 2wd truck might not be able to? I live in Las Vegas so the possibility of needing to drive in sand is very possible if I want to get out of the city if the freeways are jammed. If you live in snow country then I don’t have to tell you how awesome AWD drive is.

The down side is that the CRV is basically a front wheel drive vehicle with a viscous limited slip differential (VLSD) in the back. It doesn’t have locking differentials to handle really rough off roading or rock crawling like a jeep or 4x4 truck or SUV.

I think for the average man trying to get his family out of the city, hopefully he wont need to hit the hard core rocks or black diamond trails to get to safety. I am taking a chance but hopefully all I really need to do is cross an open field, cross a muddy road, cross a dry creek bed, cross sand, cross a small stream or navigate through snow or ice covered roads without chains. A Honda CRV with AWD can do all of this fairly easy.

Here is a compilation of youtube videos showing how capable the little Honda CRV really is.

A hand operated winch and tow hooks can be used to get you unstuck if you bite off more than you can chew. This is a must have item for any off-road vehicle regardless of it capabilities.

The CRV’s suspension is higher than pretty much any 2wd car. The suspension is high enough to handle light offroad use. Its not going to be able to hang with lifted Jeeps, trucks and SUV’s but like I said, its just enough to get you out of the city and up into the woods or out into desert. It can be lifted up to 3” if you really want to optimize the capabilities of the little AWD SUV. This would obviously allow you to mount better off road tires which I think would be a wise upgrade. Ground clearance is always good for survival.

CRV parts are widely available. The 1^st generation CRV is based off the Honda Civic platform. That means there is literally thousands of parts and donor vehicles across the United States. I’d be willing to bet that there are more Honda CRV’s and Civics inside my 25 mile radius than any other type of car? More cars = more parts at my disposal to scrounge off of in a SHTF situation.

Some weakness of choosing a Honda CRV? Its very small so if you have more than 5 people or a lot of gear it might not be a good choice. Compared to any other SUV it is underpowered so you won’t be outrunning anyone or powering up serious hills. It doesn’t come in a V6 option if you want more power but you can slap on a K&N hi flow air filter, 4 in 1 headers and a hi flow exhaust to get a little bit more power without compromising reliability? It can’t tow very much with a 2.0L 4 cylinder engine, so no big trailers. High winds make it (and any small vehicle) unstable. It lacks true off road locking differentials so Jeeps and real 4x4s will leave you behind if they have enough gas?

So that’s my suggestion on a simple, cheap, reliable, practical, fuel efficient, offroad capable “bug  out vehicle” that most folks might overlook.

Of course there are other very good options like the Subarus with their legendary AWD or the Ford Escape AWD or a newer more reliable Jeep or a Toyota 4runner or Tacoma or RAV4 and so on, but I sided with Honda because of the sheer numbers of Hondas on the road and the huge supply of parts the Honda civic family of cars (which the CRV is based on) has across the country. And of course the cheap price! Those 2 reasons put the CRV on top in my opinion.

Stay safe...

My opinion of slide mounted safeties / decockers

Plain and simple, I don’t like slide mounted safeties/decockers because…

1. They can cut my hand and make my grip slippery with blood.

2. They can be swiped into the “safe” condition when doing the overhand technique of manipulating the slide.

3. They can be swiped into the "decocked" condition which can be distracting when not expecting it and can affect my accuracy and ultimately leave me vulnerable to being shot due to missing my target.

Here is how I came up with my opinions.

Many moons ago while in the military, I used to carry the Beretta M9 (9mm) handgun on my chest in a cross draw rig. I currently carry the S&W4006TSW tactical (40cal) as my dept. issued duty weapon.

If you don’t already know, both these guns have one huge feature in common…they both have slide mounted safeties and decokcers. (the safety is also the decocker combined) After a few years of past experience and current experience carrying this gun I have developed a first hand opinion on slide mounted safeties & decockers. For this topic I will refer slide mounted safeties/decockers as SMS’s to keep life simple.

If you ever ran your handgun through a demanding course of fire where you are forced to run, shoot from cover, from your back, shoot on the move, navigate through doors and rooms and hallways etc etc, and deal with malfunctions…all under stress and adrenaline…you may know what I am about to say?

When I experienced a malfunction, I did what was drilled into me for years, which is “tap, rack, bang!” Of course there are variations of the wording of this method now but you get the point. And no matter what level of malfunction there is, it usually involves manipulating or “racking” the slide with an “over the top” or “over hand” technique.

This is a part of my DNA now and I can’t remove it without some type of psychological brainwashing, lol. One time on the range after hours and hours of performing this “overhand” technique I noticed a warm wet feeling on my support hand. It was blood.

I had gripped that slide and rear sight with enough force to rip open the skin on my palm. Not so much a problem on my Beretta M9 but on the sights of the S&W4006. They are large, sharp and adjustable. Btw, I am also not a fan of adjustable sights on a fighting handgun but that’s a whole other topic.

Now this may not be a big deal since I will not die of blood loss obviously and in a real gun fight, adrenaline won’t allow me to feel the low level pain of a cut palm. The real problem is that my grip could get compromised due to the slickness of my blood. If this affects my shot placement then I could actually die from missing a critical shot on the bad guy who in turn takes advantage of my disadvantage.

At the end of the day, accuracy wins even though it’s popular to say “speed is life” on the battlefield.

So as you can see a small seemingly insignificant issue can turn into a real life and death issue in a split second due to a slippery grip.

Another big reason why I am not a fan of of SMS’s is that it is possible to do the “over hand” technique and accidentally swipe the safety into the “ON” position.This is very bad!

How is this possible? Well some hands are bigger (or in my case fatter) than others and my palm or fingers or both can push down on the SMS lever, actually pushing it all the way into the safe position.

This is obviously possible because the SMS lever is mounted high and pushing it “DOWN” is the safe position, whereas if it where mounted low on the frame and the action to put it on safe where “UP” (like on a 1911 and others) it becomes almost impossible to accidentally swipe your gun into a safe/no fire condition.  

On my S&W4006 if I did this in a life and death gun fight…I would obviously put myself in danger. I’d have to have the presence of mind to recognize my mistake, take my focus off the threat (or threats) refocus on my gun to identify my problem, fix it by flicking the safety “OFF”, refocus back out onto the threat and get back into the fight.

For some, this whole process might only take a second or 2 to recognize and fix? But as you know, 1 or 2 seconds is all it takes to loose in a gun fight. Again, this is where that old saying “speed is life”. Accuracy won’t matter if your gun is on safe!!!

Now on some models, like the HK USP if you accidentally swipe the frame mounted safety/decocker lever all the way down past safe, all you will do is decock the gun and be forced to shoot the next round in double action mode. That’s the mode that requires a heavy trigger pull. This can be distracting and throw off your accuracy but at least you are still in the fight.

I like the SIG's because they dont even have a safety lever, just the decocker lever which is strategically mounted on the frame...not the slide. You cant accidentally put the gun on safe. Good job SIG. This is a big reason why alot of cops carry SIG's. Glock takes it a step further and don't have any levers at all to accidentally hit.

Now keep in mind many folks never experience what I did. And even folks with big or fat hands may not experience what I did. This is just my personal experience.

If you have a gun with a slide mounted safety/decocker and you are effective and accurate with it, don’t change your setup. You have found what works for you, and in the end that’s what you really need in a defensive/fighting handgun. You just need a gun that fits you and that you shoot accurately with.

I have alot of love for the Beretta M9 and S&W4006 but they are not my top pick for a defensive handgun.

Stay safe.

Semi-auto shotguns for home defense?

I was asked this question recently. (Nov 2010). 

"Should I consider using a semi-auto shotgun for home defense/self defense? I keep hearing that  I should only consider using a pump shotgun from the majority of folks on the gun forums because semi-autos have more moving parts and they can malfunction more than a pump shotgun."

I think this is a very good question because I own both semi-auto and pump shotguns and if SHTF today...which one would I choose? If this question was asked 10 years ago, I'd probably say hands down yes that a pump shotgun should be considered over a semi-auto for home defense.

Fortunately times have changed and the modern semi-auto tactical/combat/fighting shotgun has arrived. Why would I consider a semi-auto shotgun for home defense now? Well, in large part its the fact that the military such as the the US Marines and several police departments have both adopted semi-auto shotguns. They have been using semi-auto shotguns for some time now. 

I am going to focus on tube fed semi-autos for this topic. I know the Russian Saiga 12 is another popular semi-auto shotgun that is actually magazine fed but that is a whole other platform in my opinion that deserves its own dedicated blog. Plus U.S. military and police don't use the Saiga and that's the core of my semi-auto argument.

The Marines have adopted the Benelli M4 (M1014) over 10 years ago back in 1999. A decade of reliability and effectiveness has been well documented. The Marines have proven that modern semi-auto shotguns are durable, reliable and fit for combat duty. If it wasn't, the Marines would have dropped it like a bad habit.

Many police dept.s have adopted the Remington 1187P (Police) and the FN-SLP (self loading police) semi-auto shotgun. While the pump shotgun is still the king of patrol duty many SWAT teams opt for the semi-auto shotgun for 12 gauge duty when clearing a house or building.

The Marines and police would not adopt a weapon that does not do its job reliably. They have tested these modern semi-auto shotguns above and beyond the conditions that an average civilian would ever put them through, for home defense.

I understand that the reputation of the old unreliable semi-auto shotguns of the past is hard to forget but times do change. (if you remember it at all, lol.) Almost everything on Earth has benefited from technological advancements and so has the semi-auto shotgun. 

Now, I have to admit, no matter how many facts you throw at me about how reliable a semi-auto shotgun is (or any firearms for that matter), I demand a personal test before I can feel confident using a firearm to protect myself or my family. I like to run at least a 500 round test before I can have confidence in a gun for home defense/self defense. That may sound like overkill but that's just me. In reality, 100 rounds of flawless functioning might be enough to build confidence in a firearm for the average person.

As for the reputation of pump action shotguns being more reliable, that may not be 100% true? Why would I say such a blasphemous thing? I say this because I talked to a 10 year competition shotgun shooter who said he saw more competitors experience "short stroke" malfunctions with pump action shotguns than a semi-auto malfunction. How ironic?

This is probably due to the fact that, when subjected to stress and adrenaline, the shooters failed to properly work the action. Logically, this phenomenon could carry over to a home defense situation, especially when you add fear along with stress and adrenaline. Again, this is not the firearms fault. Its the shooters fault but the reality is that its still a concern in the grand scheme of things. 

   

Now, I am not saying semi-autos are better and should replace pump shotguns. What I am saying is that modern tactical semi-auto shotguns should not be ignored for home defense/self defense anymore. With both types of shotguns, you must do your part for the gun to properly do its part.

Some of the pro's of a semi-auto...

- Super fast follow up shots.

- Softer recoil than a pump due to the gas system and recoil spring.

- Logic would dictate that if if semi-autos have a softer recoil that accuracy should increase. 

- Modern semi-autos are durable and reliable.

- Semi-autos load exactly the same as pumps.

- Semi-autos can be unloaded just as easily and safely as a pump.

Some of the con's of a semi-auto...

- Semi-autos by the design of being semi-automatic, can suffer from a malfunction in the cycling action more so than a pump. That doesn't mean pumps cant be manipulated into a malfunction by the operator which is actually very common. (aka the pump action "short stroke") 

- The faster it shoots, the faster it will run out of ammo.

- Semi-autos have a reciprocating charging handle that can get hung up on obstacles or personal gear and can cause a malfunction.

- Semi-autos as well as pumps both suffer from slow reloads compared to any magazine fed firearm. Of course there are semi-auto shotguns that can be modified to accept shot shell magazine speed loaders but they are more for competition, not self defense or combat.

- Semi auto-shotguns are often significantly more expensive than pump shotguns. On average they are about double in price.

So as you can see a modern semi-auto shotgun can be just as reliable as a pump shotgun for home defense if you train to use it properly. Ironically, for all its legendary power and versatility, the real weakness in the shotgun platform (whether pump or semi-auto), it's the person shooting it that is its worst enemy. Most folks rarely dedicate any real time to train in the intricacies of running a shotgun effectively.


So, to answer the question...would I use my Mossberg 930 SPX to defend my family and my home? Absolutely! It has passed the 1000 round mark flawlessly for me and I have 100% confidence in it. Would I use every semi-auto shotgun for the same job? No. Not until I tested my self.

Regardless what type of shotgun you choose to defend your life, just make sure you train yourself on the proper way to use it. Just buying a shotgun and putting it under your bed or in the closet, doesn't mean you are prepared and ready. Oh and making an intimidating sound like racking a pump shotgun is not something you want to trust your life to. Hell, it might even give your position away and you'll loose one of the best assets you have...the element of surprise. Just a thought?

Stay safe.

Why do some AR15's cost so much more than others?

For the record, I do not claim to be a firearms expert or industry insider. I am just an average Joe gun guy. That being said this information may or may not be current or accurate. It is just data I found during my own personal search for information to help myself understand what I was buying before I bought it. It’s really up to you to ensure your knowledge is accurate before you go shopping for a gun. Don’t just take my word for it because I am nobody in the grand scheme of things. Ok so here is what I learned before I bought my AR15. I highly recommend doing at least a months’ worth of homework before you buy.

100% in house manufacturing. Many manufacturers sub contract forging and machine work on their receivers to third party companies. Not having in house control can leave a part subject to a weak link in quality control. If the manufacturer forges and machines their own receivers in house, you can bet you will be paying a premium for that level of quality control.

Individual HPT (high pressure tested) & individual MPI (magnetic particle inspected) vs batch testing. Top tier manufacturers will HPT & MPI certain parts for metallurgical integrity. Less expensive AR’s will often batch test parts to save of costs. (for example 1 of a batch of 100 get tested and inspected vs each individually.)

7075 T-6 aluminum vs 6061 aluminum. Basically, without going into the technical intricacies, T-6 aluminum is stronger. 6061 aluminum is less expensive and is less damaging to the manufacturers tooling machines due to it being slightly softer than T-6 aluminum, but the 6061 final product is not as strong as the more expensive T-6 product.

Forged vs Cast. A cheap budget AR15 may use a “casting” process when manufacturing a lower receiver. This subject can get extremely technical. Just know that casting is less expensive for the manufacturer and in general is not as strong as forging because casting involves pouring hot liquid metal into a mold and can suffer from solidification issues such porosity (holes), shrinkage and cracks.

Forging involves shaping solid metal with great force to align the molecules in the same direction resulting in higher strength. I am no metallurgist expert but that’s how I understand it basically. Forging is expensive due to the massive equipment needed so expect to pay more if your gun has forged parts vs cast parts.

Wire EDM. Some manufacturers employ wire EDM (electronic discharge machining) techniques to machine parts such as a lower receiver. Basically it’s a $100k machine that uses high power electricity between two electrodes submerged in a dielectrode liquid to cut an extremely smooth and precise shape such as a true 90 degree angle inside of a magwell. This is even more expensive than broach cutting a magwell which is also considered a high quality technique. If it’s expensive for the company to do, you can bet it will drive the cost up at retail.

ISO 9000-2008 certification. The ISO 9000 (the International Standardization Organization) is basically a high level quality management system with extremely high standards a company must meet before qualifying for certification. Google it for more details.

TDP’s (technical data package). TDP’s are government owned information that specifies all the critical dimensions for every military firearm which are closely guarded for national security. I only know of 3 companies that have TPD’s to build M4 carbine’s and M16’s. Colt, FNH and most recently Sabre Defense.

Air Gauge. This is a measuring tool that uses pneumatic pressure and flow to measure and sort dimensional attributes. They provide a high degree of speed and accuracy in high-volume production environments

CMM. (coordinate measuring machine) This is a measuring device that is capable of measuring down to 4.5 microns. (fyi, a human hair is 100 microns wide.)

Shot peening. Shot peening is basically a technique used to relieve metal of stress obtained during the machining process. It involves impacting the surface with shot (round metallic, glass or ceramic particles) similar to a ball-peen hammer. I am sure there is a better explanation of this but that’s how I understand it.

ion-bond DLC. (diamond like coating) Some manufacturers feature this coating to give their product a Rockwell hardness of 70 and make it corrosion and carbon resistant.

Upper receiver. T-marked for military modularity and compatibility, Forged 7075 T-6 aluminum that has been hardcoat anodized: MIL-A-8625F, Type III, Class 2

Lower receiver. Forged 7075 T-6 that has been hardcoat anodized: MIL-A-8625F, Type III, Class 2

Tensioning screw. Some manufacturers offer a built in upper tensioning screw that eliminates any “slop” between the upper and lower receivers. This slop is often associated with a slight loss in accuracy. I have seen mid-tier AR’s that had zero slop and I have heard of top tier guns with slop so this issue is not just unique to less expensive manufacturers only. It’s probably more of a symptom of the AR design in general since its basically two halves pinned together.

Integrated trigger guard machined into the lower receiver. Some manufacturers offer lowers that have a trigger guard that is designed into the lower at the machining stage as one solid integrated piece. This is said to make the lower stronger compared to a pinned removable trigger guard. They are often enlarged or “winterized” to allow for a gloved finger to fit inside the trigger well.

Non-rotating hammer and trigger pins. Traditional steel hammer and trigger pins in an aluminum receiver can rotate over time and sometimes be related to subtle loose tolerances that result in slight trigger creep that may affect accuracy. Some manufacturers even offer stainless steel pins that ride on stainless steel receiver bushings threaded into the receiver so there is less steel on aluminum deformation.

M4 feed ramps cut into 7075 T-6 receiver extension. M4 feed ramps helps "select fire" and "full auto" rifles feed reliably. Less expensive AR’s will have rifle feed ramps. Semi-auto AR15’s cannot shoot fast enough to realize the true benefits of M4 feed ramps but if you are going to pay top dollar then your gun better have M4 feed ramps whether you need them or not.

Barrel that is cold hammer forged 4150 chromoly vanadium vs 4140 chromoly. Mil-spec 4150 CMV steel is mil-spec per MIL-B-11595E, it will be chromed lined bore, will be chambered in NATO 5.56, and finished in manganese phosphate even under the FSB. Vanadium withstands the heat build up from select fire burst or full auto. Less expensive AR’s often have barrels made of 4140 steel with no vanadium. They may also finish the barrel with the FSB already installed which leaves that area under the FSB uncoated and essentially unprotected.

Barrel with 1:7 twist rifling vs 1:9 twist. 1:7 twist rifling is often used to properly stabilize the heavier 75, 77, 80-or 90 grain bullets which are commonly used for longer distance shooting that the military often deals with. Less expensive AR’s often have 1:9 twist rifling which is common in the civilian market since civilians often use cheaper, lighter 50 to 69 grain ammo in general. There are several other twist rates but for now I am just focusing on these two since they are the most popular.

5.56 chamber. Mil-spec chambering is 5.56x45mm which allows the use of the higher power loads of mil-spec ammo usually M855 FMJ ball ammo in general. Less expensive AR’s are often chambered in the civilian .223 caliber which is basically slightly less powerful and has smaller subtle differences in chamber measurements. .223 ammo can be fired out of a 5.56 chamber but its not recommended to try the opposite.

Chrome lined bore and chamber. Chrome lining resists the corrosive properties of the residual carbon fouling left from the burnt gun powder. It also extends (some say doubles) the life of the barrel.

Bolt made of carpenter #158 steel, individual HPT & MPI, shot peened. Less expensive AR’s often batch test their bolts to save on costs.

Bolt carrier group made of carpenter #158 steel, chrome lined, shot peened, with a chrome lined gas key, mil-spec hardened, grade 8 hardened fasteners, mil-spec staked gas key, tool steel extractor, “black extractor insert and mil-spec O-rings.

H-buffer, USGI tungsten weight. Less expensive AR’s will often have a commercial buffer not mil-spec.

F marked front sight block, that is forged and is taper double pinned. F marked basically means it will be a certain height required by the military in general. Civilian AR’s that aren’t F marked may vary in height from company to company? Taper pins are stronger than straight pins and are less likely to drift out of position under heavy duty use.

Broach cut magwells will have sharp 90 degree angles in the inside corners of the magwell. Non mil-spec magwells may have round corners on the inside corners due to a round machine tool bit cutting the material away. As mentioned above, the wire EDM technique takes this process even further and is more expensive.

Properly staked gas key and castle nut to mil spec standards to prevent these parts from backing out of place under heavy duty/combat use. Commercial AR’s may not stake these parts exactly the same way the mil-spec standards require. This could lead to gas key screws and castle nuts to drift out under certain conditions.


Triggers. Some manufactures offer custom triggers such as two stage match or competition adjustable trigger packs. Of course they aren't cheap.

D.I. vs gas piston. Another factor that may influence the price is if the AR15 is a gas piston system vs the traditional direct impingement gas system? That is a whole other can of worms that deserves its own blog topic! Just know that currently (as of 2010) gas piston AR15’s are usually more expensive. We will talk about the pro’s & con’s of gas piston systems later.

So as you can see there are a lot of reasons why one AR15 may cost significantly more than another one that looks just like it. It’s what you don’t see that dictates the value and price of an AR15.


The hard part now is going to be how to figure out how many of these features your favorite AR15 on your wish list has? Keep in mind just because you gun doesnt have all these features, doesnt mean your rifle is crap and isnt fit for your level of intended use. 


Most shootouts only last just a few minutes so most mid tier AR15's can last a few minutes without breaking or failing. Know your abilities and limits. Although it seems like everyone on the internet is a SWAT cop or military operator...the truth is, most of the gun community are not as high speed-low drag as we think they are and in reality the average guy doesnt need a $2000 AR15. (key word is the average guy)

I hope this helps.

I wish I could remember exactly where I got every bit of information so I could give credit where credit is due. I can tell you that I did spend a lot of time reading posts on forums such as M4carbine.net, Lightfighter.net, weaponevolution.com, AR15.com, GlockTalk.com, Calguns.net, S&Wforums, firearmstalk.com, policelink, gun&ammo, guns & weapons for law enforcement, black guns, SWAT magazine, and I cant even count how many company websites? If you feel some of this info was borrowed from your source and I did not give you credit, I do apologize. I am not trying to plagiarize someone elses work. I am just trying to report the full picture of what I experienced in my search to understand the mysterious AR15.

Thanks for reading. 

Why I chose the S&W M&P 40 full size handgun

People often ask me why I chose the M&P and why I chose it in 40cal? Here are my top 3 reasons.

1. I chose 40cal because my dept. gives me free ammo in 40cal only. If I want free ammo, its a no brainer what caliber gun I am going to choose. If I go with a 1911 in 45acp or some other gun in 9mm...I have to pay for my own ammo.

2. I chose 40cal for the usual 40cal reasons...bigger than a 9mm. Faster than a 45acp and can hold more capacity than 45acp. Add bonded jacketed hollow points in +P and the 40cal is a great performing round. If you dont agree that 40cal offers any real significance over 9mm or 45acp...oh well. I made my choice and I am comfortable with it. 

3. I chose the M&P platform because of its superior ergonomics. It feels better in my hand than my Glocks and pretty much any other polymer handgun I ever held. Plus the Crimson Trace Laser grips fit the M&P better than any other gun I have ever seen them on.

Here are the basic features and specs that also sold me.

Gunstore price $550  (website shows $719 msrp)

40 cal

Single action only, striker fired

15+1 capacity

Weight – 24.25 ounces

Width – 1.2”

4.25” barrel length

Trigger pull – 6.5 pounds

Low bore axis. Compared to the Springfield XDm which has a higher bore axis. The lower the bore axis, the lower the recoil will be. (in theory anyway)

Front and rear sights are steel and dovetailed in. Rear sights have a cocking shoulder design. Very good for one handed reloads and clearing one handed malfunctions. My Glocks sights are plastic and have broken off under heavy use during one handed drills.

Snake scale style, slanted slide serrations. Reminds me of custom guns. These things grip extremely well under wet conditions.

Extended beaver tail that prevents slide bite. My Glocks have bit my fat hands before but it wasn't a problem over all.Just pointing out that M&P cant bite you.

Loaded chamber indicator (a simple but effective hole in the top of the chamber)

Melonite finish - 68 Rockwell hardness scale  (hardened steel tools are often HRC 62)

Changeable back straps (small, medium, large) These grips are legendary by now. I would argue to say they are the best grips on a polymer gun right now. Yes they are that good in my opinion.

Frame tool – built into frame. After a few months I learned that I dont even need to use the tool to field strip the gun. Here is the video to prove it.

Reversible steel mag release button, with stippling

Ambidextrous slide lock lever, slightly raised. Again my Glocks dont have ambi slide lock levers.

I chose the model with No mag disconnect, No thumb safety, No internal gun lock. I have my reasons and here is the video that explains why in detail.

Sear deactivation lever allows field stripping without the need to pull the trigger (this is a huge selling point for me)

True 1913 picatinny rail on the dust cover. If you have ever owned a gun with a proprietary rail then you know how irritating it is to have to buy an adapter for a light. i.e. HKUSP and S&W Sigma to name a few.

Easy rotating take down lever. very SIG like.

Backed by S&W’s lifetime service policy

Made in the USA. That still means something to me as far as guns go.

Why I passed on the Ruger SR556

When I was in the market for a new gas piston AR15 I did about a month of serious research. I quickly learned that the gas piston craze was in full effect and that I had a wide range of options.

I could go with a top-tier mil-spec (or as close to mil-spec as a piston AR can get) piston AR.

I could go with a mid-tier gas piston AR15.

I could go with a gas piston retrofit kit.    

One of the hottest gas piston AR15’s on the market right now is the Ruger SR556 & SR556c (compact). It was definitely on my short list and for the record, I love Ruger firearms. My father taught me to shoot with his old Ruger 10/22 back when I was just a little boy back in the early 1980’s. 

In addition, as soon as I asked what gas piston AR15 I should buy, I would often get folks telling me to get the SR556 with no real explanation why? If you tell me its the best bang for the buck, I am the kind of guy that needs you to back it up with facts. $1500 is alot of money to just spend it on some anonymous guys fact-less opinion.

I really wanted to love the Ruger SR556 but sadly, as I looked deeper into the SR556 details and features, I began to find certain things that made it a deal breaker for me personally.

To be fair, just because I did not want to buy a Ruger SR556, that does not mean that it is not a great gun. No gun is perfect for every person so you just have to figure out what your own deal breakers are. Here are some of my personal deal breakers that I found on the Ruger SR556.

1.       Gun Store prices, brand new? At the time of this blog posting it’s about $1500 not including tax and background check fees as of mid-2010. Lately, I have seen used ones for a few hundred less. My budget was $1000. With budget cuts at my day job and with another baby on the way, every penny counted for me.

2.       The SR556 is somewhat front heavy at 7.94 lbs empty. Add a light and vertical grip and optic and even the die-hard fans admit it is a significantly front heavy gun. The newest model SR556c has been trimmed down slightly to 7.40 lbs but you can’t remove/change the flash hider which is a whole other issue.

3.       The hand guards. The proprietary Troy rail system touches the barrel making the quad rail extremely hot. It has been reported that it gets so hot that the Troy rail covers have actually melted and popped off by themselves. Of course you can always wear gloves but I don’t like to wear gloves if I don’t have to. I live in the desert so gloves just aren’t comfortable.

The Troy hang guards are held on with “roll pins”. Roll pins are not as strong as a taper pin or even a straight pin. While roll pins work, it makes disassembly hard and after pounding roll pins out of aluminum more than 2-3 times, you will find that the pins no longer grip and can work their way out overtime.

You cannot go with any other handguard other than the Troy 10” handguards. If you like the thinner profile, lighter weight LaRue free floats handguards or Magpul MOE handgaurds, you are out of luck.

Here is a statement taken directly from the Ruger website FAQ section…

How do I access the transfer rod on my SR-556?
You don't need to. They are made to outlast the barrel. The transfer rod is coated with Nickel-Teflon®, and the return spring is made of stainless steel. Our testing has shown that even without cleaning or lubrication, the transfer rod and spring will outlast the barrel.

4.       The bolt is built with an unshrouded firing pin aka commercial not mil-spec. Whats the difference between unshrouded & shrouded? It allows for wear on the firing pin, this can also lead to the firing pin retaining pin getting bent and possibly failing. This is why none of the top tier makers build their bolts unshrouded. I don’t know why Ruger chose this older design for their BCG? At this time I do not know of any aftermarket shrouded gas piston BCG that you can swap in place of the Ruger BCG?

5.       There is no warranty stated on the Ruger website? Does it have a 1 year warranty? Is it a lifetime warranty? There are AR15 makers that clearly offer a lifetime warranty. I am sure Ruger has a great warranty but they do not post it on their website for some reason? This was not a huge factor for me but still a factor none the less in the grand scheme of things.

6.       The new SR556c was designed to address the weight issues that were reported back to Ruger with the original 16” SR556. So in response, they fluted the barrel and reduced the barrel length to a true 16”s by milling the muzzle break/flash hider into the barrel. While this did lighten and shorted the rifle, it created new issues.

Now you can’t remove and change your muzzle break/flash hider. What if you wanted to run a specific suppressor? You cant. I would rather Ruger had just left the standard 16” barrel with a 28x1/2” threaded muzzle since the SR556c is only about 5 ounces lighter than the original.

7.       It has a 1:9 twist rifling. 1:9 rifling twist is not an issue to me since I only shoot 62 to 69gr lighter weight ammo inside of 300 yards. Heavier 75gr ammo is suited for longer distance shooting which my self-defense AR15 is not intended to be used for. My AR is a close range rifle. My issue with 1:9 twist on the SR556 is that if I am going to pay $1500+ for an AR15 I’d rather have it come with the mil-spec 1:7 twist.

So as you can see I found a lot of deal breakers for me personally. In my opinion, If I am going to spend $1500+ on a gas piston AR15 then it is going to have to fit me and my criteria a little better. The SR556 has some stiff competition since there are other gas piston AR15’s to choose from like the Stag model 8 and the S&W M&P15PS that are lighter, better balanced, cost less and have less overall negatives on my list.

If you own a Ruger SR556/SR556c and you are happy with it and it runs reliable for you…I am 100% happy for you and support you all the way. This is just my own opinion that some may agree with or may not agree with. I feel it’s always good to educate yourself on the pro’s as well as the con’s of any product. I still think the Ruger SR556 is a SEXY gun and I would love to own one if I could get one for a really good low price.

My blog allows for me to give my honest opinion and this is just my opinion based on the facts that I found. If some of my facts are not accurate then please point them out and I will stand corrected.

I hope this was helpful? Stay Safe.