Richard Johnson is an American author, editor and entrepreneur.
A former police officer and trainer, he left public service and founded Tac6 Media, LLC.
Richard is a prolific writer with hundreds of articles related to firearms and law enforcement published by Harris Publications, Athlon Outdoors, NRA, Police & Security News, The Firearm Blog, Human Events and more.
Does the lever action gun still have a place for personal protection? In this Mossberg 464 SPX review, I answer that question.
Yes.
From hunting to protecting the homestead, the lever gun proved its worth in American hands time and time again. In the modern era, lever action rifles like this Mossberg do have a place.
For anyone building their own AR10 or AR15 from an 80% lower, a good jig is an absolute must. I’ve tried several, but I have a new favorite.
In this 80% Arms Easy Jig Gen 2 review, I completed several different AR15 lowers from different manufacturers and made of different materials. And, even though I tried, I couldn’t find any significant fault with the system.
If you have an AR10 or AR15 lower waiting for completion this review will be of interest to you. So, let’s not waste any time and jump right in.
Making an AR15 is one of the most popular homemade firearm builds today. Even so, a lot of people are hesitant because of the perceived difficulty in accomplishing the task.
At the 2020 SHOT Show, Palmetto State Armory announced a new 9mm pistol called the PS9 Dagger.
With its combination of features and price, the new gun stands to make quite a splash in the industry.
Blackwater Ammunition is a company to watch. Today’s announcement is one example of why.
At SHOT Show 2020, Blackwater Ammunition announced a new caliber: the BWA 10×100.
The BWA 10×100 is a new design with some very modern technology, but it has roots that stretch back to World War I.
Before I get into the details, let me share that the initial load developed for this cartridge generates more than 11k ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle. Now, let’s talk about this new monster caliber.
Case dimensions and properties are highly important aspects of cartridge design and load development.
The new 10×100 BWA cartridge has the same base diameter, rim thickness and primer pocket as a .50 BMG cartridge. Additionally, the overall length (OAL) of the 10×100 BWA is the same as the .50 BMG.
In other words, many, if not most, .50 BMG rifles can be converted to 10×100 BWA with a barrel change. The bolt, extractor and ejector all work the same with the 10×100 case.
The 10×100 BWA case is 1mm longer than the .50 BMG. That may not seem like a lot, but according to the company, it allows up to 20% more powder to be loaded in each round. But, that may not be the only thing impacting case capacity.
Case technology also plays a role in this new cartridge.
Back in 2018, Blackwater Ammunition and its parent company, Precision Ballistic Manufacturing (PBM), introduced a new case technology that used a two-piece design. According to the company, the pieces were machined from solid metal. This is different than standard brass manufacturing that starts with a small “doughnut” of brass that is drawn (stretched) multiple times.
It is likely that the machined case is stronger than a drawn case. If so, the walls of the case could be thinner and still provide the same strength. Thinner walls would allow for a greater case capacity.
As you might expect, the BWA 10×100 sends large, heavy projectiles downrange. How big? How heavy? How fast?
Right now, Blackwater Ammunition only released data on one load, and it is a doozy.
With a 420-grain monolithic Carobronze bullet, Blackwater Ammunition is able to get 3,500 fps at the muzzle. If my math is correct, that puts the muzzle energy at more than 11,400 ft-lbs. Much like the .50 BMG, you can take out lightly armored vehicles with those kinds of numbers.
[Note: If you’re not familiar with Carobronze, it is a dense, homogeneous copper alloy that is often used in the aerospace industry. It is said to offer very low friction and a high surface hardness – 90 points on the Brinell scale.]
In a head-to-head matchup, the .50 BMG can still generate more raw power. For example, the Federal American Eagle .50 BMG pushes a 660-grain bullet to more than 2,900 fps. That’s roughly 1,000 more ft-lbs of energy.
Keep in mind that energy doesn’t dictate accuracy, nor is an established .50 BMG load vs the first load of a completely new caliber a fair comparison. It is, however, an interesting starting point for the inevitable comparisons and discussions regarding these two rounds.
I’ve reached out to Blackwater Ammunition for additional information on the cases and cartridge. As I get additional information, I will share it here.
In the meantime, I hope you chime in with your thoughts in the comments below.
HatsanUSA, the exclusive US importer of firearms from Escort Shotguns, announced a new line of gas-operated scatterguns at SHOT Show 2020.
The new Escort Versatile Tactical Shotgun (VTS) series is designed to replicate many of the controls and features of the AR15-style rifle. The concept is to have shotguns that will very familiar in the hands of shooters who are comfortable with modern rifles.
Escort is making a range of VTS variants. Initially, the company will offer the DF12, SDX and BTS shotguns to the US market.
Let’s take a look at each.
Escort considers the DF12 as the premier VTS model.
Offered only in 12-gauge, the gun is magazine-fed and can chamber both 2.75″ and 3″ shells. The standard magazine capacity is 5 rounds while a 2-round mag will also be available for hunters and others needing more limited capacity.
Like an AR-style rifle, the DF12 has an upper and lower receiver that is held together by a pair of pins. Also like an AR, the upper and lower separate for easy cleaning and maintenance. The receiver halves are made of black anodized aluminum. Escort does not identify the aluminum used other than “aircraft alloy.”
The DF12 barrel is 18″ long and is hard chrome plated. It is internally-threaded for chokes and ships with a slug-friendly cylinder bore choke brake. Included with the shotgun are full and improved cylinder (F and IC) chokes.
Sights consist of a rear aperture in the carry handle with a front post. However, the carry handle is removable, so Escort includes flip-up sights the raplce the carry handle and front tower. You can also add your own optic.
The DF12 is available in two colors: black and flat dark earth (FDE) Cerakote.
The SDX shares a similar configuration as the DF12, but has two significant differences.
First of all, the SDX is available in both 12-gauge and in .410 bore. So, if you are looking for a lighter shooting shotgun, the SDX might be a better choice than the DF12.
The other major difference is that this gun uses a polymer lower and forend instead of aluminum. According to the company, the magazine well has metal guides to ensure proper magazine seating and increased durability.
Like the FD12 shotgun, the SDX is available in both black and FDE.
Using the same operating system as the two other shotgun models, the BTS reconfigures the package into a compact bullpup format. Keeping the 18″ barrel, the company is able to reduce the overall length of the shotgun by 9″. This gives the BTS a significant advantage in maneuvering.
Like the SDX, the BTS can be had in 12-gauge and .410 bore.
AR shooters might expect to see a gas tube running above the barrel from the front sight tower. That is not how Escort designed this system.
Instead, the company developed a gas piston that floats around the barrel of the shotgun. According to the company, this improves the efficiency of the system while decreasing the overall weight and size of the shotgun.
By having the piston coming back with equal pressure above and below the barrel, muzzle rise should be reduced. In theory, the recoil should be closer to a straight push backward.
Modern rifle-style shotguns are not an entirely new concept. However, this seems to be a more complete approach to the design. Shooters have three different variants to choose from – two AR-style and a third in a bullpup configuration.
For me, reliability is always a key factor. For a semi-automatic shotgun, I expect it to run with light and heavy loads without a lot of tweaking. I look forward to seeing how the Escort VTS line does.
Pricing starts at $589.99.