Rifles

A well-made and well-equipped rifle out of the box. The 9T offered a slightly better trigger pull and slimmer,more-user-friendly handguard.

This is a quality rifle with good accuracy and the added benefit of being compatible with Glock 9mm magazines of any size.

Carbines chambered in 9mm with AR-15 controls have been around since the 1980s, when Colt developed the Colt SMG, a select-fire carbine. Since military and LE agencies were familiar with the AR platform, it made sense to create a rifle that offered less penetration, less perceived recoil, less muzzle blast, and better short-range control.

Today's advances in ammunition technology has nearly made the overpenetration problem moot. Load an AR chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO with the right bullets and you can control overpenetration, and, of course, the same can also be said with newer 9mm ammo. However, if you're trying to decide on whether to add a 5.56 carbine or a 9mm carbine to your home-defense plans, the muzzle blast from the 5.56x45mm NATO causes some shooters to flinch. The 9mm produces nowhere near the muzzle blast. You pay a penalty for that ballistically, because there is a chasm between the 9mm pistol round and the 5.56 rifle round, which is why the Colt SMG was and is primarily used as an entry weapon to provide a high volume of firepower that can be effectively controlled. If you can't decide, there are plenty of kits that allow a user to adapt a 5.56 AR lower and put on a 9mm upper receiver and a drop-in magazine block to make the 5.56 magwell compatible with 9mm magazines.

What a 9mm AR really offers is a long gun and handgun that share the same ammo. That concept has been around since the days of the Old West because it made sense then and it makes sense today. Another factor to consider is ammunition cost; 9mm ammo, in some cases, is nearly half the cost of 5.56 ammo, and a fairly good assortment of 9mm can usually and easily be found in big-box stores as well as your local mom-and-pop gun store. These rifles also offer nearly the same amount of customization as a standard AR-15 carbine — pistol grips, handguards, BUIS, optics, charging handles, safety selectors, triggers, muzzle devices — allowing nearly an unlimited amount of personalization.

We recently tested two 9mm ARs that look like and have the same controls as an AR-15, but their operating systems were quite different. The Stag Arms 9T and the Tresna Defense JAG9G BU use simple blowback mechanisms, not a gas-impingement system or a gas piston system like on an AR-15/M16 rifle or carbine. In a blowback action, there is no gas block, gas tube, or a piston, and the bolt-carrier group is noticeably different. The AR's bolt-carrier key is not needed, and the bolt carrier is heavier on a 9mm AR compared to a traditional AR-15 bolt carrier. Because the blowback system works off the resistance of the bolt and recoil/buffer spring, a heavier bolt carrier is required. You can feel the effect when the rifle cycles. The bolt and recoil spring move rearward from the force of a shot fired to eject the empty case and cock the hammer. They then move forward via the recoil spring in the buffer tube, with the bolt pushing a cartridge out of the magazine and ramming it into the chamber.

Since 2003, Stag Arms, located in Connecticut, has been manufacturing Mil-Spec AR-15 rifles in a variety of furniture and caliber options; in addition to 9mm, the company offers 5.56mm, 300 BLK, 6.8 SPC, and 22 LR. Stag also makes left-hand variants with the ejection port located on the left side of the rifle. Stag Arms manufactures 80 percent of its parts in house, with only the plastic pieces and some of the small springs manufactured by other vendors. Tresna Defense introduced its civilian rifles in 2014. Located in Georgia, Tresna (which means tool in Basque) makes models compatible with 9mm or 40 S&W magazines from either Glock or S&W M&P pistols. So, depending on your handgun brand and caliber preference, you can have a Tresna rifle that uses the same magazine.

Both of these ARs are dedicated 9mm platforms, meaning they are built specifically to fire 9mm ammo with a dedicated 9mm upper and lower. There are other similarities. Both featured a 16-inch barrel with an A2-style flash hider, A2-style pistol grip, single-stage trigger, and each came in a hard case with one magazine. From there, the rifles' features diverge. The biggest difference between these two rifles is the Stag Arms uses a Colt-style stick magazine, while the Tresna Defense uses Glock Gen4 9mm magazines. We found that the ability to use the same magazines in our handguns and rifles offered a lot of flexibility. Another difference is the Stag Arms 9T is ready to be used out of the box, due to the flip-up sights being included. The Tresna Defense JAG9G BU does not come with sights, so that can become another way for consumers to separate these two highly-ranked products.

The great Springfield Model of 1903 saw service in the first World War, and was upgraded along the way to many types and model variations. Around 1918 or ‘19 it was first made in 22 caliber, when Springfield brought out the predecessor to the Model 1922. That first effort apparently was not a great job. Then along came Julian Hatcher and some other designers, who modified the early efforts into what became known as the Model 1922 Springfield. This was a five-shot, magazine-fed 22 LR with a stock that did not have an upper hand guard. In 1937 the rifle was again redone and renamed the Springfield M2, 22LR. These were manufactured until 1942. If you're interested in adding a collectible to your armory that has plenty of history, but which can still shoot, here's what you need to know before you begin searching for one.

Most gun owners choose a handgun or a shotgun for home self defense, with fewer of us picking a rifle for that job. Part of the equation certainly has to do with the portability and maneuverability of the handgun in tight spaces and, in most homes, short hallways. With a 9mm Luger or 45 ACP semi-auto or a 38/357/44 Special wheelgun, we believe we can shoot well enough with enough power and enough capacity to keep firing until the threat stops threatening us. Handguns are also easy to secure by safe or lock from nosy kids who ought not be looking in mom or dad's night stand, but who often do anyway. Other homeowners prefer the snick-snick of a pump or autoloading shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge (the gauge doesn't much matter on the receiving end). But rifles, in particular AR-15s, deserve at least a look in this area because they can be short enough, light enough, deploy enough capacity, and be powerful enough where it counts. Oddly, it is power that stops many self-defense shooters from considering the 5.56 NATO-chambered rifle for home defense, because they don't want to have to worry about penetration through sheetrock, wallboard, or even bricks. According to at least one expert, the trick is to choose the right bullet for the self-defense rifle, because the rifle itself has a lot of advantages over a handgun or shotgun.

J. Buford Boone III, owner of Boone Ballistics in Northport, Alabama, provided expert testimony for the NRA's litigation wing to challenge state attempts to restrict or ban AR-15s (Friedman v. Highland Park, NYSRPA v. Cuomo, Shew v. Malloy, and Kolbe v. O'Malley [now Hogan]), with the banning states' arguments being that civilians shouldn't own long guns that look like military rifles. NRA countered that the prevalence of the AR as a home-defense choice isn't known, and that the landmark Heller decision protects firearms that could be used by civilians in and around the home. That's where Boone's expert report comes in.

Boone has a list of ballistics credentials a mile long, one of which is that he is a retired Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and had primary oversight of the FBI Ballistic Research Facility (BRF) from April 1997 to August 2012. Boone said in his expert report, "The AR-15 rifle has characteristics that make it particularly suitable for defensive purposes."

So with Boone's endorsement in mind, we went looking for a couple of rifles that, with training, could be used by a range of folks — from husky men to small-framed women — in the close confines of a home. That meant the shortest non-SBR barrel, an adjustable-length buttstock, the ability to be fired accurately and fast with open sights or optics out to 25 yards, and either the ability to accept a light or have a handguard shaped appropriately so a light could be held with the front hand. We found two very different approaches that, naturally, cost very different dollars.

The original Henry rifle saw the light of day in 1860. It was an invention of B. Tyler Henry, who was hired by Oliver Winchester around the time the company took the name of New Haven Arms Co. Before that, the company, in which Mr. Winchester owned much of the stock, was named Volcanic Arms Co., and included both Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson. Due to financial problems, the control of the Volcanic company passed to Mr. Winchester, who was a majority stock holder. Marketing of the 15-shot repeating Henry began in 1862, and quite a few were sold to soldiers of the Civil War. Most of the Henry rifles had brass frames, but some were of iron. The Henry rifle took a rimfire 44-caliber cartridge, known as the 44 Henry Flat, that fired a 200-grain or, slightly later, 216-grain bullet at about 1100 fps. The later bullet had a larger flat area on the nose. After the Civil War, the Henry rifle was redesigned into the side-loading 1866, the first rifle to carry the Winchester name. It again generally had a brass frame and used the 44 rimfire cartridge. Then came the 1873 Winchester and with it, the rimfire cartridge gave way to the 44-40 centerfire. A few revolvers, including the 1873 Colt Peacemaker, were chambered for the 44 rimfire, and once the idea of one cartridge for both long and short guns caught on, a great many period revolvers were chambered for the 44-40, originally a rifle cartridge. Having his sidearm and long gun in the same caliber was mighty handy when you were a long way from nowhere, much less any supply center. Neither the 44 Henry nor the 44-40 cartridge was suitable for buffalo, but did good work on deer and similar-size targets.

To see how these historical rifles and cartridges fare today, we got the loan of a new, U.S.-made Henry rifle and also a new Japanese-made Winchester 1892, both in 44-40 WCF. We tested them with a Black Hills Cowboy Action load, a 200-grain round-nose soft point. Here's what we found.

Sturm, Ruger & Company has announced the Second Edition of the Ruger Collector's Series 10/22 Carbine. The first Collector's Edition sold out quickly.

The Krag-Jorgensen rifle was invented by Capt. Ole Krag and Erik Jorgensen in Norway in the late 1800s. Denmark adopted the design first, in 1889, preceding Norway's acceptance of it in 1894. The Danes had it chambered for the 8x58R cartridge and used it until at least 1940. The first Norwegian cartridge for this rifle was identical to that which has become known as the 6.5x55 Swedish, but the proof-testing cartridges were of lower pressure than those used later in the history of the 6.5x55. Krag ammunition manufactured in this country is limited to about 40-42,000 psi, well within the rifle's capabilities.

By 1890 every major power in the world had a bolt-action rifle for its military services except the United States. After deliberation over more than 50 entries, in 1892 the U.S. decided on the Norwegian Krag-Jorgensen, with a few modifications, as a replacement for the single-shot 1873 "trapdoor" Springfield with its 45-70 black-powder cartridge. According to Frank De Haas in Bolt Action Rifles, 3rd Edition (1995), as finally adopted and produced at Springfield Arsenal, the Krag fired a 200-grain round-nose bullet at a velocity of around 2000 fps. The Krag was used by the U.S. Army in the Spanish-American war of 1898, as was the old 1873 Springfield. The U.S. Navy used the Lee 6mm rifle in that conflict. The Krag rifle saw action in a few other conflicts in U.S. hands as well, but was quickly replaced by the 1903 Springfield 30-06. Although its military life with U.S. forces was short, it saw service up until at least WWII in other nations.

The Krag had its limitations. It could not be stripper-clip loaded, though the infantryman could top off the five-shot magazine without opening the bolt. Each cartridge should be inserted so the rim of the next one would be behind the preceding one, though the Krag's magazine lines them up perfectly all by itself as you close the box. In fact we were unable to intentionally foul the loading process. The Krag's ballistics were a good step behind those of the majority of other countries' rifles at the turn of the century. However, the rifles were well made and turned out to be mighty sturdy despite the so-called limitation of having only one bolt lug. We tested our sample with Remington 180-grain PSP Core-Lokt and with HSM (Montana) 165-grain soft-point boattails. Here's what we found.

In a review of a recent court case, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has released its full opinion in the case of Trinity Wall Street v. Wal-Mart, and it's a victory for the giant retail chain's ability to sell the firearms it wishes to sell.

At issue was whether Wal-Mart improperly excluded from 2014 proxy materials the church's shareholder proposal to require the corporation's board of directors to have standard-capacity AR-style rifles removed from the…

It isn't unusual for a dozen AR-15 rifles from different makers to be on the shelf at most gun shops. Some are regional makers, some are giants like Colt, and a few are new companies trying to earn a good name for themselves. The modular construction of the AR-15 means that the basic receiver may be fitted with a number of different barrel types, stock designs, and other accessories. As such, the price point is flexible, depending upon whether the user wants an entry-level rifle or something more. We picked the rifles in this report to see if the details and accessory package on a more expensive rifle really offered enough performance to justify the extra money. There are literally dozens of choices to make between rifles in this price zone, so as much as anything, this was a test of accessories and set-up, culminating in our advice on how to buy an AR that's a flexible platform for growth as possible.

Savage Arms Introduces the A17 Semi-automatic Rifle in 17 HMR

The gunny student who knows anything at all about Elmer Keith will probably know many of Keith's guns were sold off recently by a well-known auction house in Maine. Apparently, the auction was a huge success, and some of the offerings proved to be bargains. A brace of like-new Ruger No. 1 rifles sold for less than their combined new MSRP prices today, and a fabulous engraved and gold-inlaid Model 70 made by Frank Pachmayr for Elmer Keith sold for less than some unadorned custom rifles made by some makers on today's market.

Among the auctioned rifles were several by Keith's favorite gunsmith, Iver Henriksen (1910-1987). In fact, our Senior Technical Editor made a solid absentee bid for one of the Henriksen-Keith rifles. Alas, the rifle sold for three times that bid. From this auction, we discovered that if a rifle has Henriksen's name on it, especially if it was owned by Keith, it will have a value of about $5000; but of course that's not guaranteed. So we thought we had lost out on the chance to examine and test a Henriksen rifle. As luck had it, however, a friend of the magazine owned one of Henriksen's rifles, but didn't know it. We were talking with him one day and he said he had a rifle made by some Montana gunsmith. We asked if it could possibly be a Henriksen rifle, and he said he didn't know. When we got a chance to examine it, we saw the Henriksen name written around the base of the barrel, and explained to our friend what he had.

He graciously allowed us to borrow it for this report. He later found out the design and layout of this particular rifle in all its aspects had in fact been suggested by Mr. Keith to its previous owner. The rifle is a custom FN Mauser 98 in 338 Winchester Magnum with fabulous wood, and it is fitted with a classic Balvar 8A Bausch & Lomb 2.5-8X scope with the windage and elevation adjustments in the bases.

We chose to test it against a modern Winchester Model 70 in the same caliber, the rifle having also just been fitted with one of the old B&L Balvar 8A 2.5-8X scopes in adjustable-base mounts. We tested this rifle in the December 2012 edition of Gun Tests where it got high marks (A-). The Model 70, now owned by our Senior Technical Editor, got some serious upgrading, which put it into the realm of the Henriksen for its ability to handle long-seated bullets. Here's what we found.