Korth announced a new 9mm conversion kit to transform a Smith & Wesson L-frame revolver chambered in .357 Magnum. The conversion allows for the use of 9mm “rimless” cartridges in the revolver without needing a moon clip.
The conversion kit comes with the cylinder assembly and speed loader. To convert the gun, all one has to do is remove the lock screw that holds the cylinder assembly in the gun. Then slide out the old cylinder and replace it with the new. Tighten the screw down and that’s it: you now have a 9mm revolver.
The key to efficiently operating a revolver with rimless cartridges is the extraction of the fired shells. When a round is fired, the case expands and creates a tight fit inside the charge hole. The extractor star on a normal revolver pulls the empty case out and allows it to drop free. With a rimless cartridge such as the 9mm, there is no overhanging rim for the typical extractor to use to yank the spent case from the chamber.
Another problem with the 9mm is that the case is tapered. This means that an unfired round has relatively little contact with the inside of the chamber and can back out during fire. A round that backs out of the cylinder can lock up a revolver. This will prevent the gun from firing until the “jam” is cleared.
Typically, the use of a thin piece of metal – a moon clip – would be used to overcome these problems. A moon clip requires the shooter to snap cartridges into it. Then all of the cartridges are inserted and extracted en masse. This system works well for many shooters, and I found it worked well with the Taurus 905 9mm revolver I previously reviewed. Revolver master Jerry Miculek has used these kinds of guns to win competitions and set world records.
However, a number of companies have tried – with varying success – to create revolvers that will run rimless cartridges without a moon clip. A number of decades ago Smith & Wesson did it with the model 547 built on a K-frame.
In more modern times, Charter Arms has made the Pitbull. The Pitbull is a series of revolvers that are chambered for the 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. While my experience with the guns have been mixed, some people like them a lot. My main issue with the Pitbull was reliable extraction.
Korth has not listed a MSRP on the conversion kits. If the kits are reliable and reasonably priced, I could see the company selling quite a few of them.
It is true that the 9mm doesn’t offer a lot that the .357 Magnum won’t do, but there are some self defense cartridges that simply are not made in the Magnum caliber. Also there are a number of odd people like me that just like doing weird things – like shooting 9mm from a revolver.
IWI US announced the company will show its brand new TAVOR SAR chambered in 300 BLK at the 2016 SHOT Show. According to Michael Kassnar, the VP of Sales and Marketing for IWI US, the company has received “a ton of requests” for a TAVOR chambered in 300 BLK.
The new TAVOR rifles will be available with either a 16.5″ or 18″ barrel. The barrels are cold hammer forged from chrome-moly steel. The barrels are chrome lined. Like the original TAVOR in 5.56 NATO, these bullpup rifles use a long stroke piston system.
One of the issues I have run into with some 300 BLK guns is making them run reliably with both super- and subsonic ammunition. The new rifle has a built in gas regulator to allow the shooter to tune the gun for normal or subsonic ammunition.
Since the 300 BLK fits into the same deisgn envelope as the original TAVOR and uses the same magazines as the 5.56 NATO, virtually all existing accessories should work with the new guns. Anything dependent on bullet diameter – such as a muzzle device – are not interchangeable. So, don’t throw a .223 caliber sound suppressor on this gun and expect it to work more than once.
The suggested retail price on the complete rifle is $2,049.
Conversion Kits
In addition to selling a rifle chambered for the .30 caliber cartridge, the company also announced it would sell conversion kits for existing TAVOR rifles. So, if you already own a 5.56 or 9mm TAVOR, you only need buy the conversion kit to run the 300 BLK.
The conversion kits will come with your choice of a 16.5″ or 18″ barrel made of chrome-moly steel, a headspaced bolt and barrel wrench. The barrels are cold hammer forged with a 1:7″ twist and are topped with an A2-style flash hider. The suggested retail price on the conversion kit is $499.
We will try to get more information for you on the TAVOR from the SHOT Show. I’m also looking forward to seeing another bullpup at the show: the Desert Tech MDR.
Smith & Wesson released a new generation of its popular semi-automatic .22 LR rifles. The new M&P15-22 Sport II rifles feature a number of small upgrades that I believe make the guns an even better buy that before.
The M&P15-22 is a AR-style rifle chambered for the .22 LR rimfire cartridge. I know people who use them for everything from teaching their kids how to shoot to training to just recreational plinking. I have no doubt that a lot of people use them to put rabbit on the table as well.
M-LOK
For 2016, Smith & Wesson added a new 10″ slim handguard with M-LOK attachment points. The thinness of the handguard is likely to be appreciated by kids and others with small hands. My hands are more of a medium size, and I know that I prefer M-LOK handguards compared to quad-rail systems and the two-piece handguards.
M-LOK is an attachment system that consists of precisely defined holes in the handguard that mate to the “male” potion on the accessory to be attached. The system is very secure and eliminates a lot of wasted weight associated with a quad rail system. The new guns weigh 5 pounds, while the older quad rail rifles were 5.4 pounds – nearly a half pound heavier.
I’ve been very impressed by the M-LOK system when I’ve tried it on other rifles.
New Sights
Another upgrade to the M&P15-22 Sport II is the use of Magpul MBUS sights. These are polymer folding sights that replace the rather ugly adjustable sights that Smith & Wesson was using on the original generation of these guns. While completely functional, the original sights tried to imitate the look of an A2-type front sight tower and carry handle rear sight. Frankly, I thought they looked out of place.
The new MBUS sights are lightweight and work well in my experience. Yes, they are polymer but I have found them to be fairly rugged and more than good enough for anything short of a long term overseas deployment. Since this gun is not intended for that purpose, they should work very well on this rifle.
Standard Models
The standard M&P 15-22 Sport II is finished in all black, comes with a 25 round magazine and retails for $449. Two additional standard models are available in other finishes: one in Kryptek Highlander and the other in Muddy Girl camo. Both of these models carry a suggested retail of $499.
Standard Model Specifications
SKU
10208
10211
10212
Caliber
.22 LR
.22 LR
.22 LR
Magazine Capacity
25 rounds
25 rounds
25 rounds
# of Included Magazines
1
1
1
Barrel Length
16.5″
16.5″
16.5″
Overall Length
30.7″-33.75″
30.7″-33.75″
30.7″-33.75″
Weight
5 lbs
5 lbs
5 lbs
Action
semi-auto, blowback
semi-auto, blowback
semi-auto, blowback
Stock
6-position, adjustable length
6-position, adjustable length
6-position, adjustable length
Sights
Magpul MBUS
Magpul MBUS
Magpul MBUS
Finish
black
Kryptek Highlander
Muddy Girl Camo
MSRP
$449
$499
$499
Smith & Wesson has not forgotten about its customers in states where politicians have restricted the kinds of guns law abiding citizens may own. A basic 10-round compliant model will sell for $449.
Additionally, another model meeting the neuter standards of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey can be had for the same price. The state compliant model has a fixed stock, 10-round magazine and removes the muzzle device.
Restricted Model Specifications
SKU
10206
10207
Caliber
.22 LR
.22 LR
Magazine Capacity
10
10
# of Included Magazines
1
1
Barrel Length
16.5″
16.5″
Overall Length
30.7″-33.75″
33.75″
Weight
5 lbs
5 lbs
Action
semi-auto, blowback
semi-auto, blowback
Stock
6-position, adjustable length
6-position, adjustable length
Sights
Magpul MBUS
Magpul MBUS
Finish
black
black
MSRP
$449
$499
Performance Center Models
Not to be left out, the Performance Center is also adding two models to the line up. The first features a longer barrel that has been threaded, a VLTOR adjustable stock, a Hogue pistol grip and a two-stage match trigger. The barrel and chamber are considered match grade. This model retails for $709
The second Performance Center model is a state compliant model for residents living in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The stock is fixed and the barrel is not threaded. It has the same suggested retail price.
Performance Center Specifications
SKU
10205
11507
Caliber
.22 LR
.22 LR
Magazine Capacity
10
10
# of Included Magazines
1
1
Barrel Length
18″ threaded
18″ threaded
Overall Length
32.5″-37.25″
37.25″
Weight
5.6 lbs
5 lbs
Action
semi-auto, blowback
semi-auto, blowback
Stock
VLTOR adjustable
VLTOR fixed
Sights
Magpul MBUS
Magpul MBUS
Finish
black
black
MSRP
$709
$709
These new rifles were announced on the heels of the new SW22 Victory rimfire pistols. Those new guns look to be a quality successor to the Model 22-A line of pistols. I don’t have any insight into Smith & Wesson’s internal dynamics, but it seems the company is making a real investment in the sport shooting market after several years of spending a lot of their resources on their law enforcement/self-defense offerings.
Several months after the new 15-22 Sport models rolled out, Smith & Wesson added a pair of MOE SL models to the line. Both of these guns add additional Magpul furniture to the package:
MOE SL pistol grip
MOE SL butt stock
M-LOK rail covers
One gun will be all black, while the second will have all of the furniture and magazines in a flat dark earth (FDE) finish. Both guns will retail for $499. For my money, these are a great deal.
Made in Slovenia, the Arex Rex Zero 1 Standard (1S) pistol will make its American debut at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The new pistol is the first of three different sizes and four different calibers the company is making that may make their way to these shores.
The Rex Zero 1 Standard is a duty sized pistol with a 4.25″ barrel that is hammer fired. Chambered in 9mm, the gun uses a 17 round magazine. Unloaded, it weighs about 28 ounces.
Eagle Imports will begin the importation of the Grand Power CP380 in 2016. The guns are new to the United States market and expand the Grand Power footprint in this country.
Ed note: Eagle Imports appears to have gone out of business. These pistols appear to now be imported into the USA by Global Ordnance, aka Grand Power USA, in Sarasota, FL.
The guns are a double-action/single-action hammer-fired design with a steel frame and polymer grip. According to a Grand Power representative, the mainspring is in the hammer group, which is part of the steel frame sub-assembly. The below photo shows the frame.
The gun uses a straight blowback design. (Ed. note: I originally reported that this gun used a rotary barrel action. This was incorrect. See the update below.)
