Law Enforcement

DoubleStar Corp. is selling the DS-420 Handguard, which is 12 inches of aircraft-grade 60-61 T6 aluminum.

Below are examples of operations performed on firearms and guidance as to whether or not such operations would be considered manufacturing under the Gun Control Act (GCA).

What does Fulton put into a carbine? How about: Original USGI receivers; all USGI parts, all checked with applicable gauges; an excellent-condition (refinished) original USGI stock and hand guard; a period sling and oiler; plus “The M1 Carbine Owner’s Guide,” a 140-page book by Ruth & Duff (autographed by Duff). This book was so filled with intensive details about the M1 Carbine that after reading portions of it, we had to rewrite portions of this report. Also in the Fulton package was one 10-round magazine. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, which gives you ample time to fall in love with your new purchase, or to find some good reason to reject it, which we don’t think you will.

Buffalo Bore now offers a round that was designed to be similar to the old FBI-standard round that featured a soft-lead 158-grain bullet at very good velocity.

Heckler & Koch is marketing a variant of its G36 assault rifle as a heavy-barrel accuracy rifle for the U.S. market. What struck us as unusual was the marrying of a heavy barrel or other heavy componentry to what was originally a lightweight field rifle configuration. The SL8-1 is a grey polymer-stocked unit that sells for $1,249.

The problem of reliably driving one bullet into the center of a target at long range has plagued riflemen ever since the first rifled arm was created. In the quest for this holy grail, thousands of shooters have fired millions of groups over the years, and from time to time these groups have achieved incredibility. Still, after generations of riflemen, the problem is still with us.A group of products, generically called tactical rifles in their use by law enforcement and military sharpshooters, purports to solve this problem. Instead of tactical rifle, we prefer the moniker “precision rifle,” for such a firearm is built to put one or two shots—precisely—into a very small target at very long range. These precision tools are generally heavy-barreled scope-sighted bolt-action rifles with synthetic stocks, which themselves have adjustments for length of pull, buttpad position, and comb height. The rifle typically will have an optional bipod, adjustable target-type sling swivels, and whatever else the shooter thinks will aid his task.

The reason many shooters should prefer 20s for home defense over a bigger 12 gauge is that they’re noticeably lighter than 12s. In the September 2005 issue, we tested the Remington Model 870 Express Synthetic 12 Gauge Magnum No. 25077, $345, which weighed 7.25 pounds, and the Mossberg Persuader Model 590A1 12 Gauge Magnum No. 51411, $443, which weighed 6.9 pounds. The 20 we tested weighed three-quarters of a pound to nearly 2 pounds less than the counterpart 12s. But they don’t give up much in terms of hall-clearing power or capacity.

Easily the best-looking of the trio, the Imbel-receivered FAL looked thoroughly professional with its even, matte-black finish, The first Brazilian FALs were made under contract by FN, but Brazil initiated production on its own, and our test rifle was made in its entirety in Brazil.

The markings on the receiver indicated the maker was Fbrica de Itajub, the government-owned company that is part of the government-owned IMBEL arms complex. The IMBEL logo and name also appeared on the upper receiver.

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Wilson’s new Quad Rail offers a more comfortable handhold on the fore end while maintaining four rails for accessories.

For home defense, the focus is usually on 12-gauge shotguns, but we recently tested two 20 gauges that for many—if not all—folks would be better choices because of their lighter weight and reduced recoil. One of our test products was the Mossberg 500 Persuader/Cruiser 3-Inch 20 Gauge 6-shot No. 50452, $388. In their commercial form, the Persuaders are virtual duplicates of the Mossberg military 500 and 590 models. Persuader shotguns are available in both 18.5-inch and 20-inch barrel lengths, traditional blued or non-glare matte finishes, and some come with Ghost Ring sights. Available in .410 bore, 20- and 12-gauge models, Mossberg Special Purpose shotguns feature an anti-jam elevator, dual extractors, black synthetic stocks, and drilled and tapped receivers (20 and 12 gauge only) for scope base and optics installation. The Persuader/Cruiser models come with standard stocks, but also include a Cruiser-style pistol grip kit, which we didn't use in our testing.

Shooters who have considered purchasing a semiautomatic rifle chambered for .308 (7.62 NATO) likely balk at the question of which rifle they should buy, bypassing completely the question of whether to buy such a gun. Unquestionably, self-loading .308s are coveted by nearly everybody, mainly because they can do so much. They can compete, they can plink, they can hunt, and, of course, they’re made for self-defense, should such a situation arise. Though there are many options if you care to search them out, there are basically three readily available rifle types in .308. They are the FAL, the M1A (M14 clone), and the HK-91. The L1A1 FAL, equipped as we’ve described it below, is a very good alternative to the M1A Springfield, and may be less costly.