The boss’s mouse gun malevolence notwithstanding, I’m still a fan of petite pistols and reserved revolvers. In fact, I was so impressed with Kel-Tec’s .380 P3AT that I just plunked down $239 of my own cabbage for one. Boy, has it been a dandy, reliably (and accurately) chomping its way through an inaugural 250 rounds of FMJs, JHPs, and assorted plastic-bagged reloads. All is good in my mouse gun paradise save one slightly-disturbing detail: those .380 bullets sure look small. For folks more bothered by this than me, the Kel-Tec Calvary has responded. Enter the 9mm Kel-Tec PF-9.

Introduced in 2006, the PF-9 is a semi-automatic, double-action-only, locked-breech pistol chambered in that archetype of ubiquity, the 9mm Luger (or 9mm Parabellum, or 9 X 19, etc.). Quickly and dirtily: it’s a larger and more feature-laden version of the P3AT chambered in a more powerful caliber. (“More feature-laden” here means that it has a slide stop, an accessory rail, and usable sights.) You may be familiar with Kel-Tec’s other small nine, the P11. Imagine a lighter, more up-to-date P-11 with a thinner grip due to a single-stack magazine and bingo! You’ve got the 12.7-ounce, 0.88-inch-thick Kel-Tec PF-by-God-9.

Aesthetically, you will not be awed by the PF-9. A thing of beauty may well and truly be a joy forever, but you’ll never find such a thing in Kel-Tec’s catalog. Although the PF-9 looks less like a toy than the P3AT (its blockish silhouette is thankfully less Goldilocks and more GoldiGlocks), it’s simply not pretty. Maybe “efficient-looking” is an apt description. Regardless, the dinosaur-spot texture on the grip surface doesn’t help.

Nor do these dinosaur spots help make the PF-9 comfortable to handle. The harsh checkering molded into the other Kel-Tec pistols’ DuPont ST-8018 feels more immediately natural than do these 20 big plastic squares. The rest of the gun feels ergonomically compromised, too. This depends largely on one’s perspective. In my pocket, it seemed a little too heavy for the capability it offered. But the thinner grip made possible by the single-stack, seven-round mag was a welcome print-reducer compared to most other small nines (nearly all of which are over an inch thick).

There’s one thing about the PF-9 that’s not up for debate: anybody who fires it will agree that it has a ridiculously long double-action trigger pull. (The re-set stinks, too; watch the video above and you’ll see why this kept my attempted second shot from happening.) Contrary to popular belief, the trigger doesn’t have a tremendous amount of take-up, it doesn’t stack all that much, and the break is fairly clean. However, when a trigger has to go forward and backward through multiple ZIP codes, you simply can’t compare it to the best guns in its class. Or even the decent ones.

To be such a small, light gun, the PF-9 sends rounds down range well—enough once you’ve learned to tolerate the trying trigger. Recoil and muzzle flip, while significant, are better managed than the P3AT (probably because more of your hand can grip the larger/heavier PF-9). Also, it’s amazing what having real sights can do for you in the target acquisition department. On the reliability front, the PF-9 never hiccuped, even after being limp-wristed, rapid-fired, and fed bargain-bin reloads. This example could be an anomaly, though. Re-learn the definition of “growing pains” by visiting the PF-9 section of the Kel-Tec Owners Group bulletin board.

If your troubled-triggered temptress isn’t enticing enough right out of the box, do feel free to accessorize. Crimson Trace offers a slightly larger version of its novel P3AT/P32 trigger guard-mounted laser for the PF-9, and the grip-frame-integral accessory rail will accommodate several tactical lights. Some owners have even had their slides/barrels ported. Holster options are myriad.

Coming away from my experience with the PF-9, two things stood out in my mind, First, as an individual gun—forget size for a minute—the PF-9 leaves a lot to be desired, mostly because of its trigger. Second, as a concept—-a small pocket pistol marginally upsized from .380 ACP to 9mm—it’s even worse. Numerous other tiny nines offer an overall better package, even if they are compromised in their own way.

Economically, the PF-9 does have a decided advantage over its competition, regularly selling for less than three bills brand new. But we learn in economics that everything happens at the margin. Compared to the P3AT from which it came—by being marginally bigger, heavier, more complex, and more expensive—the PF-9 just drifts too far out from the shore of real value to be saved by its brawny 9mm lifeguard.

Bottom line: Whether you like mouse guns or not, the P3AT is absolutely the real deal. Unfortunately, amongst a crowded field of pocket nines, the PF-9 is merely a pretender.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Kel-Tec PF-9
Action type: Double Action Only
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 7-round magazine
Barrel length: 3.1″
Overall length: 5.85″
Weight: 12.7 oz. unloaded; 18.2 oz. loaded
Grips: Polymer; integral with frame
Sights: Adjustable rear (for windage and elevation) and fixed front blade
Slide Finish: Blued, Parkerized, or Hard Chrome
Frame Finish: Polymer; various colors available
Current Value: $265-$320 depending on options

RATINGS

(Out of five stars)

Style  * *

More gun-looking than the P3AT but still no beauty pageant winner.

Ergonomics (carry)  * * * * *

World’s flattest 9mm. Lightest, too.

Ergonomics (firing)  * *

An unbelievably long trigger pull (and similarly-long reset) spoil all the fun. Couple this with the uncomfortable grip texture and a good time at the range is had by no one.

Reliability  * *

Read the Kel-Tec Owner’s Group online bulletin board – for several years – before purchasing.

Customize This  * * * *

Lots of stuff here; lasers, lights, porting, mag extensions, etc.

OVERALL RATING  * *

There are simply too many good (and even decent) small nines on the market to recommend this one.

Kel-Tec’s P3AT is one of the most popular pocket pistols pistol purveyors purvey. And no wonder. It’s small, light and cheap. And . . . there you have it. For most buyers, it’s enough; size, weight and price are the only three boxes a mouse gun needs to check. Especially one chambered in the doyenne of downsized destructive devices: 380. Of course, skin-flint gun enthusiasts want more. Safety. Reliability. Accuracy. Beauty. Ergonomics. Well, you can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you just might find . . .

An ugly gun. While the P3AT isn’t “knock-a-dog-off-a-gut-wagon” ugly, buying this weapon for its looks would be like marrying Kendra Wilkinson for her intellect. To be charitable, Kel-Tec set out to manufacture the lightest, most concealable .380 Auto in creation—not a beauty queen. Nonetheless, all the old 1911 guys can now forgive Glock for mainstreaming ugly guns and pray that the spirit of John Browning will smote Kel-Tec’s ballistic blasphemy.

Would The Great One really decry the Kel-Tec, given its engineering? He would have marveled at the miniaturization: Kel-Tec ditched the straight blowback design favored by mouse gun manufacturers in favor of a locked breech system. (Just like grown-up pistols!) Consequently, the P3AT doesn’t need a heavy slide to whoa nellie the action’s blowback.

Even though its name sounds like a “strong” password, the P3AT’s real strength is its ergonomic adequacy in the face of such fierce dimensional constraints. A size that was barely do-able as a .25 Auto just a generation ago is now the new .380, as manufacturer after manufacturer has followed Kel-Tec’s pint-sized polymer lead and introduced similar semi-autos of their very own.

Yes, a new niche has definitely formed. Its offerings are starkly different from the mini-nines of just a few years back. Our present subject draws perhaps the starkest contrast from this group. To wit: at café Kel-Tec, de-contenting is the dish du jour. No thumb safety, no trigger safety, no grip safety and no heavy, revolver-like double-action trigger pull (the P3AT is DAO).

True, the six-round, single-stack magazine yields an ultra-narrow grip; but the grip is so short that even in my small hands, only my middle finger and half my ring finger were able to grasp it. Finger extensions and extended, higher-capacity magazines are available from Kel-Tec, but each one makes the gun a little larger than the original design. Which renders the P3AT increasingly pointless.

Another niggling negative: the slide doesn’t lock back after the final shot. And another: the molded plastic grip frame means that you either learn to love the somewhat uncomfortable, hard plastic texture, or wrap it with some home-brew arrangement of soft rubber.

Handicapped thusly, it’s easy to see why someone might prefer something a little more conventional for workaday personal protection. Someone like a friend who owns one, but doesn’t use it as his everyday carry piece. Even before firing the Kel-Tec, I was beginning to understand why he carried a Kahr 9mm instead of the little Kel-Tec. But a funny thing happened on the way to a negative gun review…

Click here to view the embedded video.

After getting past the initial shock of a gun that muzzle-flipped me the bird on my first go, I rethought my hand position. I mentally prepared myself for the upward motion and tugged the trigger again. This time, the gun didn’t try and jump out of my hand and scurry away into a dark corner. It wasn’t so bad. Not bad at all.

The P3AT’s trigger stacked a little and exhibited a bit of over-travel, but it’s not the pinchtastic finger-maimer some claim. Speaking of travel, it’s long-ish, but not the pack-your-bags journey some would have you believe. Despite forumistas’ testimony that the P3ATs trigger has enough grit to please an 18th century miller, the current iteration makes mythical the myriad moans expressed by first-gen P3AT owners. Are there better mouse-gun go buttons? Absolutely. Is the stock trigger a deal-breaker? Not by a damn sight.

Regarding sights (damned or otherwise), the P3AT’s merely suggest rather than pinpoint the target. For two-thirds the price of a second P3AT, Crimson Trace can help. Does that make the P3T a snub-nosed semi-automatic belly gun for combat distances? Sure—just as long as you don’t make make muzzle contact with your foe.

The more lead I sent downrange, the more Kel-Tec’s slim semi-auto fulfilled all the expectations I’d set for it over the years. Shooting to point-of-aim better than I could, the P3AT’s 21-foot accuracy was almost on-par with a much heavier and well-controlled S&W J-frame .38. And once I learned to wrap my left index finger around the front of the trigger guard, my confidence and precision improved dramatically.

The P3AT’s has quite a checkered reputation as a temperamental toddler. Failure to eject is, perhaps, the most egregious fault you’ll find. There were no feeding or extraction problems with this example in over 200 rounds. Clearly not a picky eater, the P3AT devoured cheap, reloaded FMJs as well as hot defensive hollow points with equal verve. The only misbehavior: the occasional brass flying more backwards than to the side.

Criteria by criteria, my mind’s mental checklist kept saying yes – yes I could afford a gun like this, yes it would be easy and safe to pack (especially with my friend’s excellent trigger-guard covering pocket holster), yes I could be comfortable practicing with the P3AT every few months, and yes I could be accurate and effective enough to warrant staking my life on it every day.

Logically, I can’t honestly say that the Kel-Tec surpasses (or even really equals) the best compact 9mm pistols in terms of ergonomics or functionality. Designed to push the downsizing envelope, there’s no denying the fact that it’s got more compromises than a 1960′s GM union contract. But the constraints and idiosyncrasies that make the P3AT one of the smallest, lightest .380 Auto pistols in the world are hardly insurmountable. All you have to do is ignore them, which is more easily done than you’d imagine. Especially if you had to.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Kel-Tec P3AT
Action type: Double Action Only
Caliber: .380 ACP
Capacity: 6-round magazine
Barrel length: 2.7″
Overall length: 5.2″
Weight: 8.3 oz. unloaded; 11.1 oz. loaded
Grips: Polymer; integral with frame
Sights: Fixed notch rear (integral with slide) and fixed front blade
Slide Finish: Blued, Parkerized, or Hard Chrome
Frame Finish: Polymer; various colors available
Current Value: $250-$350 depending on options

RATINGS

(Out of five stars)

Style  *

Nearly any small gun looks better.

Ergonomics (carry)  * * * * *

The undisputed champion size- and weight-wise. Safety is really your only concern here.

Ergonomics (firing)  * * *

A bit jumpy with an imperfect trigger, but overall, not bad. Once you become proficient with it, these minor annoyances become ever more minorer.

Reliability  * * *

Even though Kel-Tec has done a good job of improving this model over the years, you still hear about quite a few that have issues right out of the box. This particular example functioned flawlessly, though.

Customize This  * * * *

There’s more out there for this little guy than you would think (some of it available from a cottage industry spawned by Kel-Tec owners). Grip slips, lasers, mag extensions, numerous holsters, etc.

OVERALL RATING  * * *

Viewed in its proper context (as the be-all, end-all of small and light), it’s an absolute winner. Viewed in the context of larger alternatives, it still holds its own, despite some peculiarities.

As a kid, there was one toy I frequented more than anything with a barrel or trigger: LEGO® blocks. With these ingenious Danish creations, I was more than merely a defender of good and an avenger of evil; I was in control of literally everything. Pre-packaged kits for planes, trains, cars, municipal buildings or even spacecraft ultimately morphed into a custom-made (for me, by me) LEGO city nestled upon a discarded, three-tiered entertainment center. What made this possible?  No, Benjamin, not “plastics;” modularity made this possible. Enter the SIG SAUER P250.

The idea of modularity in firearms certainly isn’t new. In the strictest sense of the word, it refers to the nineteenth century innovation where parts created for one gun could be used in another (a helpful thing on the battlefield). But modularity within the same gun – taken to the extent where the entire grip frame is rendered nothing more than accessory itself – is a fairly new concept. The latest iteration: the SIG SAUER P250 semiautomatic pistol.

Available as a full-size, compact, or sub-compact model, the P250 is basically a firing mechanism (“Fire Control Assembly,” SIG calls it) which quickly and easily drops into one of several available polymer grip frames. Each grip frame is specially-sized for different shooter’s hands, and includes a cut-out “window” through which the firing mechanism’s serial number can be viewed.

Connoisseurs of combinatorics will be interested to learn that the full-sized model and the compact model each have three available grip frames, while the sub-compact gun makes do with only two. SIG renders the firing mechanism in four popular calibers (9mm, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP). Along with the grip frame, only the magazine and barrel must be changed to jump from compact to sub-compact. Add the longer slide, and you can leap up to the full-sized model, as well. And so I leapt at the chance to sample the SIG several weeks back when a friend let me shoot his 9mm version.

No leaps are necessary when it comes to the gun’s physical description. The P250 typifies “modern autopistol” in a burst of genericism that not even Glock’s brickish silhouette can match. Yeah, the grip frame’s integral accessory rail and curved/textured front trigger guard both add a modicum of definition to an otherwise banal visage. But compared to other modern semi-autos, this SIG stands out about as much as a soccer mom in a Target check-out. And not a hot soccer mom, either. Just a nice-looking one with a pretty smile and a pleasant personality.

Personality, however, goes a long way (with guns as well as soccer moms). On the range, the P250 wins you over with double taps that warrant double takes back at the lady who looked so plain just a few minutes ago. Even with the largest of the three available grip frames fitted to my example, the small hands I’ve been cursed with clutched this SIG more positively and more confidently than any high-cap grip I’ve ever held.

Complimenting this tactile comfort was a magnificent double-action-only trigger. Much like Glock’s boom-button perfection, the P250’s trigger exhibited virtually no stacking. The absence of over-travel paired with quick, predictable reset rounded out the ergonomic delight.

Our test gun boasted an extended, threaded barrel. Combined with the gun’s discernible top-heaviness, the extra weight made for absolutely minimal muzzle flip and quick target reacquisition (the excellent three-dot sights didn’t hurt, either). With decent-quality factory ammo (SIG’s official company line is “no reloads, no hand loads”), the P250 didn’t miss a beat, delivering more tight groups than the LA branch of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Given its modularity, I halfway expected the P250 to be a compromised designed that felt and performed like a collection of similar-but-not-seamlessly-interacting parts which would produce decent-but-unimpressive results. Happily, I was wrong.

The SIG SAUER P250 did not – in my experience, anyway – fall into the frustrating gaps that lie between different shooter’s preferences. To the contrary, SIG appears to have anticipated these preferences exactly. Modular or not, fine engineering coupled with a final product that looks, feels, and shoots as good as the P250 will mitigate any complaint from the odd Goldilocks who doesn’t find the gun “just right” in one of its myriad configurations.

It looks like I might have a new favorite toy.

Specifications

Model: P250
Action type: Double Action Only
Caliber: 9mm Luger
Capacity: 17-round magazine
Barrel length: 4.7″
Overall length: 8.0″
Weight: 29.4 oz
Grips: Interchangeable polymer
Sights: Three-dot SIGLITE® night sights
Slide Finish: Nitron®
Frame Finish: Interchangeable polymer grip shell with stainless insert (various colors)
Current Value: $640-$712 (retail), depending on caliber and configuration

RATINGS (Out of five stars)

Style  * * *

No new ground here: If you love the look of modern autopistols, you’ll love the P250. If you don’t, you won’t.

Ergonomics (carry)  * * * *

Full-size, compact, or sub-compact, the P250 seems just as easily carried relative to its direct competitors. The fact that one firing mechanism can be convertible into each of these configurations widens its appeal in this category.

Ergonomics (firing)  * * * * *

Very SIG-like, which is to say, very good.  If anything, the modularity only makes it better by delivering a high degree of instantaneous customization.

Reliability  * * * * *

SIG says “To Hell and Back,” and plenty of folks will vouch for that reputation.

Customize This  * * * *

Double-edged sword here. The gun’s inherent modularity provides a bespoke weapon in seconds, all the various-sized grip-frames have an accessory rail, and there are several trigger and barrel options (this example’s was threaded) available from the factory. Still, it’s not a 1911, and outside of what the manufacturer offers, pickings seem slim. But it is a three-year-old design, and the availability of custom options will probably increase once the P250 has been on the market for a while (assuming it’s successful).

OVERALL RATING  * * * * *

It’s not all things to all people, but it’s a lot of things – a lot of the right things – to a lot of the people who want a gun like this. In other words, it hits the sweet spot on the target, and more than likely, the sweet spot in your collection.

Click here to view the embedded video.

My mom called this morning. That’s her featured in the video above. And no, her shooting technique isn’t as good as her mother’s. Mom mentioned that one of her friends attempted target shooting once. She seized up with fright and never even sent the first round downrange. The friend—a lady my mom’s age—kept saying, “I just couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t do it. I was way too nervous and too scared of that gun.” Mom analyzed her friend’s fear of guns thusly: “Well, she didn’t grow up around guns.” In stark contrast, guns were always a part of how my mom grew up. She credits her father—my grandfather–for her familiarity with firearms.

Like many members of “The Greatest Generation,” my granddad served in the military. Specifically, he landed on beaches in New Guinea firing a machine gun. He did his duty. He didn’t talk about it much. And for the rest of his life, he was a decidedly non-violent man who loved his family, loved his country, and yes, loved guns.

In his particular combat situation, a good offense wasn’t just his best defense; it was very nearly his only defense. Not firing his weapon made him a sitting duck. (Firing his weapon made him less of a sitting duck.)  Simply put, he staked his life on the reliability of the bullet-spraying machine placed in the sand in front of him.

It stands to reason that such exigencies would likely cause a human psyche to sail right passed “comfortability” with a certain object (in this case, a gun) and land squarely in the midst of “respect,” “admiration,” and even “love” for that object. This was obviously the case for my grandfather, and by subtle immersion, it became the case for the family he raised.

We lost my grandfather two days before Veteran’s Day in 2001. With Father’s Day two days away, my mom couldn’t help but mention him as our phone conversation drew to a close. She said:

One day, when I was little, maybe nine or ten, Daddy and I were walking in the woods behind our house and I saw a tall poplar tree.  Its branches were covered with beautiful, tulip-like blooms, and I told Daddy, ‘Those are so beautiful. I wish there was some way I could climb up and get one.’ When he heard that, he immediately went and got his .22 rifle and fired a single shot at a small limb. The limb came tumbling down and I had my flowers. I’ll never forget that.

We all learn and grow, and in the process we pick up opinions, attitudes, and beliefs different from those with which we were raised. But some things are so deeply ingrained that a basic level of acceptance of something permeates who we are, regardless of our changing views.

In the life of my family, I’m thankful for a patriarch who not only fought for his country, but who also instilled within his kids and grandkids a respect and comfort level with the basic hand tool that continually helps keep us free from enemies without and within.

Driving past the “future site” of an upcoming aviation museum the other day, I noticed that a new old airplane had joined the rotting vintage fleet in the fractured parking lot.  Sitting between a wingless C-141 Starlifter and a stodgy A-7 Corsair II was bona fide movie star – the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Today, when I watch Tom Cruise jet-jockeying with F-5s painted to look like Soviet MiGs, I can’t help but think that it all looks a little contrived and melodramatic.  What wasn’t contrived, however, was the famed U.S. Navy Top Gun school, which provided Navy pilots with enhanced training in the areas of air combat maneuvering and the use of guns. When it comes to guns, the F-14 had a big one . . .

The venerable six-barreled M61 Gatling cannon can fire 6,000 20mm rounds of burning lead terror each minute. That made Maryland museum director Wayne Miller want one really bad. His only mistake?  He bought it hot. The Virginian-Pilot reports . . .

Wayne Miller, 49, of Maryland, admitted that he went to Oceana Naval Air Station in 2005 and bought the machine gun from a Navy chief petty officer in charge of decommissioning aircraft.

Miller, who worked then as an executive director of the Aviation Hall of Fame in Teterboro, N.J., was planning on opening a flight simulator business.

Because Miller apparently masterminded the conspiracy, a U.S. District Court judge sentenced him Monday to three years in prison. Miller’s Navy connection, Matthew Sutton, and middle man, Jody Goucher, both received more lenient sentences: six and four months, respectively.

According to Millier’s lawyer, the conniving curator had “visions of grandeur” involving his proposed flight simulator business, and “never intended any harm or evil to anyone.”

Still, an illegal gun purchase is an illegal gun purchase, regardless of the gat, and regardless of the reason.

Let’s just come right out and say it:  Precision is to AK-47 as Rahm Emanuel is to bipartisanship.  Sure, Kalashnikov’s legendary avtomat holds many virtues – virtues that have rendered it the most common firearm in history; however, the reputation for tight tolerances and ultimate accuracy has always gone to other weapons.  Most other weapons, in fact.  In the realm of post-Assault Weapon Ban AKs, how well they operate is mainly a function of whichever domestically-produced parts are shoved into the imported rifles to make them 18 USC 922R compliant.  All too often, el cheapo parts (gas pistons, trigger groups, etc.) only promulgate the AK’s standing as a “somewhat accurate” assault rifle modern sporting rifle home defense gun.  But what would happen if one of these importers perceived a niche for quality over sheer affordability?

The SLR-106FR would happen, that’s what.  Imported by Arsenal, Inc., the SLR is basically a Bulgarian-made AK-74 chambered in the very familiAR 5.56 NATO cartridge – but with higher-quality innards that transform it into a weapon possessing almost German levels of engineering exactitude (take that, Mikhail!).  On the surface, the concept seems a bit like surgically attaching Rachmaninoff’s hands to Mike Tyson and expecting the pugnacious pugilist to go ten rounds with a piano concerto.  Then again, who’s to say that a great design can’t be improved upon?  It’s worth a try, anyway, right?

To find out how this mismatched marriage makes out on the range, the lender of this particular example (my buddy Todd, who also owns the WASR-10 we reviewed several weeks ago) accompanied me to a farm south of town where we zoomed through several boxes of .223 Remington (5.56 NATO wasn’t available) to find out how the premium parts performed.

Initial finding: they don’t do a damn thing for how the gun looks.  Plas-tactical dessert-camo-tan might be nice for blending into the Iraqi wilderness, but for those who prize the traditional AK aesthetics, only real wood furniture will make the grade.  On the other hand, the synthetic stock and hand guard do force you to recognize that this is no ordinary AK.  The specially-designed muzzle brake – strategically ported at one and three o’clock – continues the theme: Arsenal, Inc. made every last one of their 922R parts count.

Another hint that you’re not in AKansas anymore is how taut everything feels: from the positive action of the bolt to the snugness of a fully-seated magazine, the SLR-106FR feels tighter than a camel’s ass in a sandstorm.  The theme continues when you prepare to fire, as the safety comes off with a just-audible “snick” instead of the deafening “clack” voiced by the more authentic AK safeties out there.  Only the side-folding stock’s featherweight floppiness feels like the type of thing you’d find on a typical AK clone.

Click here to view the embedded video.

But this is not a typical AK clone, and when it comes time to squeeze the terrific two-stage trigger and release the spring-loaded (as opposed to free-floating) firing pin, you’ll quickly see that Bulgarian mail-order brides can dance like few others.  Here’s where you realize that Arsenal, Inc. did their homework – the combination of a well-manufactured basic gun fitted with quality internals and chambered in the easy-recoiling 5.56 caliber equates to a simply beautiful shooting experience.

Although a comparably-priced AR-15 could have probably bested the SLR’s 35-yard accuracy, it wouldn’t have been as fun to shoot.  The whole time, I kept thinking, “Gee, this is probably what a thousand-dollar BB gun feels like: zero muzzle flip, virtually no recoil, and a trigger that reads my freakin’ mind!”  Couple those attributes with the .223’s modest report, an adult-sized stock, and a cooler-than-usual AK handguard (thanks, stainless steel heat shield!) and you have a total weapon package that is truly superb.

We had so much fun shooting the SLR-106FR that not even the too-short sight radius afflicting all AKs bothered us very much.  That’s when Todd pointed at the side of the receiver and mentioned that one of the components Arsenal, Inc. replaced for 922R compliance was the generally-useless scope mount.  “I’m actually thinking about buying a scope for this one,” he said.

Placing a scope atop an AK may seem pointless to some, but the SLR is one weapon that seems completely capable of out-shooting its iron sights.  That fact, along with the extremely-reasonable $700 MSRP, completely justify Arsenal’s decision to insert some quality into the AK platform and go for the real value picture instead of mere rock-bottom pricing.  The result is one fantastic gun.  Probably, Rahm Emanuel doesn’t want you to have one.

Specifications:

Model:  Arsenal, Inc. SLR-106FR (Bulgarian AK)
Action type:  Gas-opearated, rotating-bolt semi-automatic
Caliber:  5.56 x 45 NATO
Capacity:  30-round detachable magazine
Barrel length:  16.25″
Overall length:  36.875”  (27.375” folded)
Weight:  7.3 lbs. (without magazine)
Stock:  Composite (desert tan color)
Sights:  Hooded post front; tangent leaf rear, graduated from 100 to 1000 meters
Finish:  “Phosphate-treated and then finished with black baked-on paint as used in all Bulgarian commercial and military production.” (source: Arsenal, Inc. brochure)
MSRP: $705 (per Arsenal, Inc. website)

RATINGS (Out of five stars)

Style * * *
For me (and, I suspect, for many other AK aficionados), only real wood furniture looks “right” on this gun.  But if desert camo tan plastic is your thing, who am I to judge?

Ergonomics (carry)  * * * * *
The side-folding (and locking) stock gives you the option of a better close-quarters defense configuration.  Not to mention, it’s easier to store/carry/conceal with the stock folded.

Ergonomics (firing)  * * * *
It doesn’t get much better than this.  A great two-stage trigger, a well-insulated (shielded) hand guard, and a muzzle brake that keeps the gun pointed where you aim it all harmonize to create a fantastic shooting experience.

Reliability * * * * *

No problems whatsoever, even given the atypical 5.56 chambering.  If word-of-mouth and online message boards are any indication, these guns – like all AKs – are extraordinarily reliable.

Customize This * * * * *
Oh yeah…big time.

OVERALL RATING * * * * *
Arsenal, Inc. took a chance that US AK customers might spend a little more money for higher quality.  The value story that resulted is guaranteed to make you smile.

Sometimes I just get a “feeling.” Like the first time I ever stood in front of a classroom and realized I wanted to teach. Or the night I met a certain tall brunette. Every once in a while, for reasons that usually can’t be explained, something is just right, and in a moment of wonderful clarity, I know that it’s right. The CZ 75 P-01 is like that.  Although it’s not necessarily the weapon for me, it has made one thing very clear: my next gun purchase won’t be like my last, which was emotionless and 100% criteria-based. Instead, I’m going to let “what feels right” have more sway in the decision-making process. A lot more sway, in fact.

Why does the P-01 version of the venerable CZ 75 conjure such a devil-make-care attitude within me? I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s because we’re the same age; my name is Don and I’m a “DG 75”. On the other hand, unlike the P-01’s manufacturer (Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod”) my manufacturer has a pronounceable name (“Carolyn”). Speaking of my mom, I inherited her small hands. The P-01’s thin grips perfectly pervade my petite paws, promoting a palpably positive physical perception. That, and it just looks cool.

The P-01 model is CZUB’s alloy-framed compact version of the CZ 75 platform. I know: a lot of folks decry compact handgun aesthetics. Long appendages ain’t everything. To my eyes, any gun that echoes (even if faintly) the classic profile of John Browning’s famous Hi-Power still looks damned good, even if its dimensions have been diminished.

A big part of the “feels so right” formula probably comes courtesy of a “feels so functional” design mentality. From the anti-glare serrations atop the slide (running from the front sight to the rear), to the under-frame accessory rail, to the serrated front and back straps (and wonderfully-subtle rubber grip panels), the P-01 looks like a tough little block of steel. It feels like a precision instrument swathed in iPhone levels of user-friendliness. Some folks might still think it’s ugly, but I have a hunch this gun would look better to anyone after they spent some time firing it.

Of course, several mechanical events need to take place before you fire a semi-auto. In the P-01’s case, all these are resolutely enjoyable. Traditional double action means that you have not one, not two, but three manipulatable apparati to handle: a mag catch, a slide lock, and a non-safety decocking lever. That’s all in addition to the slide and the trigger. With the exception of the slightly-short mag catch, each is an ergonomic dream come true. Every mechanical interaction proves positive and substantial. You get the immediate impression that the gun would feel just as good after a half-million cycles.

Of particular note is the slide. In addition to its short overall travel and easy-racking recoil spring, the P-01’s full-length rails are milled in such a way that the grooves for the slide lie inside the frame rather than outside like most other self-loaders. I don’t have empirical data to back this up, but I strongly suspect that this innovation reduces slide wobble as the gun ages.

I do have proof of is how the P-01 handles itself at the firing line. It goes down like this:

Start squeezing the trigger. Enjoy a smooth and steady increase in resistance until the effort begins to level off. Feel a very slight last-minute ramp-up toward the end of its travel/ And then the sear breaks lighting off the first round. Muzzle flip is slight and quick, and the back-so-soon slide does its thing without any undue distraction. Repeat the above 14 more times in quick succession and you’ll be smiling. Guaranteed.

When the smoke clears, you’ll find bullet holes in your target grouped as tight – if not tighter – than many other similarly-priced 9mm handguns with sub-four-inch barrels.  You may also find a new appreciation for a little pistol that feels more inherently “right” than other guns you think you’d rather have. What you absolutely won’t find: any nits worth picking for the CZ 75 P-01.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: CZUB (Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod) CZ 75 P-01

Action type: Short-recoil operated, locked-breech semi-automatic, traditional double action (double action/single action with decocking lever)

Caliber: 9mm Luger

Capacity: 14-round magazine

Barrel length: 3.8″

Overall length: 7.2″

Weight: 1.8 lbs.

Grips: Checkered rubber panel

Sights: Fixed three-dot

Finish: Black Polycoat

Current Value: $672 (retail)

RATINGS

(Out of five stars)

Style  * * *

Sure, it’s a compact, but spend some time with it and it looks much prettier than your initial impression.

Ergonomics (carry)  * * *

Even with a slim alloy frame and short overall length, it just doesn’t possess the miniscule dimensions of today’s ultra-tiny 9mm compacts.  Still, it’s a great package and much more concealable than any full-sized semi-auto.

Ergonomics (firing)  * * * * *

On this gun, if it moves, it’s terrific.  Period.  Even stuff that doesn’t move feels good.  Think “hand Nirvana.”

Reliability  * * * * *

My experience with the gun, anecdotal evidence from owners, and a bit of online research all say that this thing is dead-reliable, even with crap ammo.  I believe it.

Customize This  * * * *

Though not as popular as a 1911 or a Glock, the little CZ has plenty of aftermarket options, including this example’s NcStar laser which was mounted to the (standard) accessory rail under the frame.

OVERALL RATING  * * * *

Even though it may not be completely suited to every handgun need out there, the whole package just feels so right that you’ll want one anyway.

“Loose is good.” I think. Since that’s really just a hunch, I did the easiest most journalistically-thorough thing and Googled the phrase. My results? Well, let’s just say they stuck a collective finger in my gut: nearly every hit involved Weight Watchers. Then I repeated the search with the SafeSearch™ filter off, at which point I’d rather not say where the collective finger was sticking. Regardless, other than loose-fitting jeans (and, uh, loose-fitting other things), nothing I could find supported my contention that my friend’s loosey-goosey AK-variant, the WASR-10, is superior to its less-wobbly alternatives. But I still think it is.

Apparently, I’m not alone.  I’ve always heard that the AK-47 – the poster rifle for relaxed construction tolerances – is the most common firearm in the world. Also, I’ve always heard that it’s “the rifle of the revolution.” No civil unrest awaits this particular gun, though. This one is simply “the rifle of Todd.”

My pal Todd (owner of the example featured here) is certainly no gun nut. He’s a well-educated and well-rounded critical thinker (and an engineer by trade). As such, he carefully assessed his firearms needs and decided his best bet was the ultra-affordable AK variety known as the Century Arms WASR-10.

What makes an AK-47 a WASR-10, you ask?  Check out William Montgomery’s TTAG article for the broader AK story. Now that you’re back, here’s the skinny on this branch of the family tree . . .

In the early Sixties, the Romanian military put a pistol grip on the front hand guard directly beneath the barrel of the then-current AKM version of the Soviet AK-47. They called it the “Pistol Mitralieră model 1963.” Decades later, a U.S. company called Century Arms decided to meet U.S. Kalashnikov demand by importing these ultra-cheap AKs. However, several key pieces of 1990’s legislation got in the way.

First, a federal law known as 18 USC 922R stipulated that at least ten major components of any gun categorized by federal law as a “semi-automatic assault weapon” had to be produced domestically. Then, in 1994, the infamous Federal Assault Weapons Ban mandated that such weapons could only be sold with 10-round (max) magazines. Bummer.

Because of these legislative shenanigans, most of the WASR-10’s internal components (bolt, trigger group, gas mechanism, etc.) had to be produced in the U.S. and installed before the gun could be sold stateside. Also, WASR-10s sold during the Assault Weapons Ban (1994-2004) received a magazine well modification which narrowed the opening, restricting the gun to a ten-round, single stack magazine. Double bummer.

All this nanny-state compliance might make you think that the WASR-10 is not quite representative of the true AK-47 personality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Todd’s gun is actually a “post-ban, pre-ban” model. In other words, it was one of the many WASR-10s produced with the narrowed magazine well. However, since the wretched assault weapons ban has gone back to hell where it came from faded from the books – and since exactly no one wants an AK with a ten-round magazine – Century Arms has un-narrowed the well. With a Dremel. In the dark. While they were drunk.

Okay, maybe the mag well isn’t that maligned by the virginity restoration reversal. But the magazine retention dimples common to most other AK receivers are completely AWOL and the resulting lateral motion of fully-seated 30-rounders is a little . . . disconcerting.

What’s not disconcerting: everything else about the WASR-10. Given the relatively low cost and relatively high degree of post-manufacture modification, I halfway expected a jacked-up looking gun that shot jacked-up looking groups. What I experienced was a very authentic-looking AK that fired consistently decent groups and felt as comfortable as a well-worn pair of (loose) sneakers.

Yes, the gun’s general laxity did take some getting used to. In addition to the magazine well situation, the bolt felt a good bit freer than other rifles I’ve fired lately – more of a “slick-slack” than a “click-clack.” And the trigger seemed a little light, like it traveled a bit too far before the sear broke. However, the quickly-but-progressively building tension just prior to the break is positive enough that the shot won’t ever surprise you. And the 7.62X39’s recoil never feels excessive.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other than several of the commonly-kvetched-about AK annoyances – like a short sight radius, a loud-ass “alert-the-enemy” safety switch, a bolt that doesn’t stay open once the gun is empty, and an Oompa-Loompa-short stock (common to most original AK variants) – firing the WASR-10 was no problem at all. Honestly, Todd and I had a blast, without a single malfunction all afternoon (and we used only the cheapest factory ammo). Finally, as you’ll see in Todd’s video, field-stripping the AK is a breeze.

For some folks, a gun that feels so unbound that it could possibly be a Transformer hiding in your gun safe just won’t cut the mustard. Others will admire a design so ruggedly brilliant that ultimate precision wasn’t needed to achieve effectiveness. Although I tend to agree with TTAG’s Martin Albright about the SKS being better than the AK in a number of ways, the Century Arms WASR-10 delivers almost-comparable accuracy and absolutely-comparable ergonomics for a similar price – with the added benefit of a detachable, high-capacity magazine. That formula appealed to Todd, just as it’s appealed to several hundred million other users.

Specifications:

Model:  Century Arms WASR-10 (Romanian AK)

Action type: Gas-opearated, rotating-bolt semi-automatic

Caliber: 7.62X39 Russian

Capacity: 30-round detachable magazine

Barrel length: 16.39″

Overall length: 34.25″

Weight: 6.9 lbs. (unloaded)

Stock: Hardwood

Sights: Hooded post front; tangent leaf rear, graduated from 100 to 1000 meters

Finish: Blued receiver, barrel, gas tube and magazine

Current Value: $300-$550 depending on manufacturer/condition

RATINGS
(Out of five stars)

Style * * * *
Menacing (especially with the owner’s 40-round magazine), but I doubt anyone would call it “beautiful.”

Ergonomics (carry)  * * * * *
It’s a carbine with a pistol grip that’s just the right size for non-shoulder fire.  If you might need to get a long gun into action quickly, this classic is the one for you.

Ergonomics (firing)  * * * *
Slightly numb trigger, slightly short stock, and I wish the bolt stayed open after you’ve fired the last round.  Other than that, it’s great (provided you don’t have unrealistic accuracy expectations).

Reliability * * * * *
Uh, it’s a Kalashnikov.  Enough said.

Customize This * * * * *
If the AR-15 is the Ford Mustang of the gun aftermarket, then the AK is the Chevy Camaro.

OVERALL RATING * * * * *
The WASR-10 proves that Mikhail Kalashnikov came up with such a fantastic design that even a low-cost importer who has to cheaply modify it in order to comply with ridiculous government regulations can’t screw it up.

I’ve always been fascinated with trailers. Not the kind that tornados always seem to favor or the sort that supplies a steady stream of guests to the Jerry Springer show. I’m talking about the secret agent-like potential hidden within a tractor-trailer’s 4,000-cubic-foot cargo holds. For those of you who grew up in the Eighties, reference Knight Rider, Spy Hunter and The Dukes of Hazzard. A rolling casino hidden inside an eighteen-wheeler? Magic. Today’s “toterhomes” shelter everything from mobile mammography clinics to NASCAR gymnasiums. Still, none of these specialized semis are all that—in a star-struck little kid sort of way. With one exception: the Meggitt Training Systems Road Range ^TM.

The Meggitt Road Range can’t collect a secret agent’s sports car at 60 MPH to evade Smokey. But, according to its manufacturer, the trailer is a “total weapons training solution.” Not quite. You can’t run, shoot, duck, cover, or practice your sniper skills in such a small space. Aside from those specialized limitations, this trailer takes conventional firearms training to the next level. Starting with convenience.

When it comes to firearms training and qualification, police departments, security agencies and military units face a logistical challenge. The individuals requiring range time are geographically diverse (i.e., spread out all over the place). The time, cost and confusion involved in assembling them in one location is daunting and expensive. Aside from the social/cultural advantages, it makes more sense for the training system to come to them.

Although it’s “only” three lanes wide in its standard configuration, the Meggitt Road Range is a state-of-the-art live-fire training range on wheels. Entering the Road Range through a bullet-resistant door, you leave the brightly lit world behind. The company has covered the interior walls with dark, charcoal-colored acoustic foam, accented by the glow of here-and-there LEDs from sundry electronic controls.  If Darth Vader built a firing range on the Death Star, it would look exactly like this.

First up: a small, ballistically- and environmentally-secure control room, surrounded by a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a gun safe, a tool chest, a dedicated climate control unit, and a small desk. From this vantage point (behind a bullet-resistant window) the range manager can monitor and communicate with each shooter. He or she can also control all range and target systems electronically, via Meggitt’s patented RangerMaster 9000 range management system. A fully-integrated affair, the RangeMaster is comprised of a PC-based master control workstation and individual (touch screen) control units on each lane.

Yeah, control rooms are cool, but the real action is on the firing line.

After passing through another ballistic door, you enter the range proper. Three shooting lanes (separated by clear ballistic dividers) boast all the bells and whistles:

- A security system provides audible and visual alarms upon detecting any random movement beyond the firing line.

- “Wing barricade” panels (attached to the front of the lane dividers) that can fold sideways 90 degrees in order to simulate firing from behind a wall

- An advanced wireless, cableless target carrier (XWT ^TM) capable of either systematically or indiscriminately illuminating and turning targets for rapid presentation (it’s also aerodynamically designed to minimize air disturbance around the target)

- A complete ballistic environment (floor, door, walls, and ceiling), including Meggitt’s long-lasting granular rubber bullet trap (GranTrap^TM) – all of which can handle calibers up to 7.62X39 and bullet velocities up to 3,600 fps

- A 100% outside-air ventilation system that provides a balanced 75 fpm of airflow across the firing line before scrubbing the air in two stages (the second of which is 99.97% HEPA filtration).

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now how much would you pay for all this? The standard model covered here hovers in the ballpark of two-fifty large, with an attractive eighty-grand-per year lease option.  But Meggitt’s man was quick to point out that they’ll build the trailer any damn way their customer specifies.  He said that one shootist ordered a two-semi, side-by-side unit with six adjacent firing lanes.  That’s one double-wide that no tornado will want to mess with.

{Check out the Road Range promo video here.]

Click here to view the embedded video.

Commenting on a previous TTAG piece about confronting intruders in your home, reader MikeD shed some light on the immensely dangerous activity of clearing a building:

I work out with a large portion of my city’s SWAT team, and since I’m friendly with them I’ve been invited to help them with training (I get to be a bad guy and they hunt me down). Even trained professionals have a very hard time safely clearing a building. In every scenario I’ve run in training, I’ve always shot one officer before they got me. If they can’t do it, I surely can’t do it.

While I’m neither a cop nor someone who helps them train, I learned a sad lesson about the importance of structure-clearing in the early hours of February 24, 2005 when I was awakened by a call regarding my cousin Blake. The Officer Down Memorial Page recalls the event:

(Deputy Gammill) and several (other) deputies went to serve a warrant on a man suspected of child molestation. After arresting the man in the living room, the deputies started to clear the rest of the home. As they cleared a back room, the man’s stepfather pulled a gun and opened fire.  Deputy Gammill was struck in the face. Another deputy returned fire and killed the stepfather. The man they were arresting originally was not wounded. Deputy Gammill was flown to Atlanta Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The SWAT-type unit in which my cousin served knew what they were doing and trained incessantly.  They were armed with state-of-the-art weapons and shielded by state-of-the-art protective gear.  But one unpredictable old man was still able to fire one round that landed just under my cousin’s ballistic helmet.  Although it’s impossible to prepare for everything, it seems to me that variables like this really underscore the need for greater innovation in the way training systems are designed.

Meggitt Training Systems agrees.  A subsidiary of the UK-headquartered global engineering group Meggitt, PLC, this US-based division focuses on every type of military, police, and security firearms training tool you could imagine. From target systems to live-fire training to simulators galore, the engineers at Meggitt constantly translate real-world problems into training solutions. Given the tragedy experienced by my family, I was especially interested in one of these solutions.

The Meggitt SHOTT (Shoot House for Optimized Tactical Training) house is an ingenious building-like structure that is completely ballistically secure. You can shoot, and shoot, and then shoot some more at any vertical surface in the structure with no fear of penetration or ricochet. And you can do it with calibers all the way up to (and including) 7.62X39. Click on this link to watch Meggitt’s video of the SHOTT house.

Making this possible are the SHOTT’s patented walls, which are both modular and reconfigurable. They consist of half-inch-thick AR-500-rated steel panels with tapered and barbed projection-welded pegs. Affixed to these pegs are two-foot-square, two-inch-thick ballistic rubber panels which overlap to prevent gaps. A narrow space lies between the back of the rubber panels and the steel wall. This space allows the partially-pulverized bullets to fall into a specially-designed rail near your feet. Remove the lower rubber panel adjacent to the floor and spent bullet clean-up is a breeze.

Also easy: Replacing one of the rubber panels. A pry bar, a mallet, $79, and 15 minutes are all you need. (But you’ll only need to do it once every 5,000 rounds.)

Not quite so easy: optional extras such as ballistic roofs, stairs, windows, doors, multi-story layouts, etc. However, the Meggitt representative did tell me that the basic three-room SHOTT house that I inspected (for sale as a demo model, by the way) could be erected by two strong individuals on most any flat surface in just four hours with the assistance of a forklift or a small crane.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of the key elements that makes the SHOTT house such an inventive training tool – besides the fact that it takes live fire safety to a new level – involves the incorporation of Meggitt’s other training know-how. Add-ons such as virtual simulation projection (on self-sealing screens) and the company’s various live-fire target systems work in concert with the structure’s very authentic tactical environment to wring every last drop of realism out of today’s latest technologies. Closed-circuit cameras (for training review) round out the offerings, and would seem ridiculous to pass up.

Starting well north of a hundred grand, Meggitt’s SHOTT house represents the highest end of the market for live-fire, building-clearing training systems. And yes, there are certainly cheaper alternatives, including do-it-yourself ones. But given the near infinite variability inherent to armed building-clearing – and the life-or-death stakes such activities so often represent – it seems a little lopsided to have a ton of technology attached to your weapon when you’re training inside a structure built of plywood with nothing more than a few paper targets tacked up on the walls.