Special Purpose

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.

GEORGETOWN, Texas -- STI International has joined the ranks of AR-15 builders with its new Sporting Rifle, an $1800 unit that comes in Competition and Tactical dress. The Sporting Rifle is available 5.56mm NATO.

The Rock River was a well-made, shorty version of the AR-15. Some slight feature differences would make the ultimate choice up to you. In both cases, we think the shorty AR-style rifles are better choices than the similar Ruger Mini-14.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has approved select models from Smith & Wesson Corp.'s Military & Police (M&P) Pistol Series as authorized firearms.

PHOENIX – AWC Systems Technology's redesigned Agenda Six suppressor is a lighter, smaller-diameter unit than the previous Agenda Six suppressor.

To the basic rifle price ($2,500) must be added the prices for the gorgeous McMillan M3A stock ($600), the ARMS steel scope mount ($150), extended rail ($100), bipod ($70), swivel package ($100), and a leather sling ($50). There was also a Krieger barrel ($200). The total package, less scope but with mount and rings, came to $3,770. With the Leupold scope, the tag would be about $4,620 as tested. We got our prices out of the maker’s catalog and may have missed a few things, so it’s best to contact Fulton for an exact quote on your needs. We had the loan of some scopes with state-of-art add-ons set up specifically for the M14 that bear close scrutiny.Fulton’s Peerless rifle was easily the most impressive-looking of this test trio. When we pulled it out of its box, we were struck by its purposeful beauty. Everything about the rifle was flat black except for the exposed Krieger stainless barrel, which was in the white, with a decent but not glaring polish. The McMillan M3A stock felt just great. Its pistol grip was acutely angled to give near-perfect trigger control.

BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO -- AcuSport is selling the new Ruger 22 Charger in an exclusive combination of finishes.

Our initial evaluation showed us a very well made rifle with a lot of aura and some mystery to its makeup. The rifle came with two barrels, the mounted one of 20.25 inch length for the Expeditionary Rifle, and one of 16.2-inch length that let us convert this rifle into the Recon Carbine.There was no magazine, and the operator’s manual even stated that it didn’t come with a magazine. But any AR-15/M16 mag would do, the manual told us, so we used the Bushmaster’s 10-shot one. It worked perfectly throughout our testing.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake Tribune reports, 'As polls and pundits in recent weeks increasingly pointed to the election of Barack Obama as the next president, scores of Utahns flocked to gun stores.'

Two-time Olympian Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) won his second medal at the 2008 ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup Final in Bangkok, Thailand when he captured the gold medal in the Men’s 50m 3 Position Rifle event today. This is the second consecutive year Emmons has claimed the title in this event.

Two-time Olympian Matt Emmons (Browns Mills, N.J.) took home the silver medal for the second straight year in the Men’s 50m Prone Rifle event at the 2008 ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup Final in Bangkok, Thailand.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - A team of two soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit won the eighth annual International Sniper Competition for the second consecutive year. Sgt. 1st Class Jason M. St. John, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the USAMU Service Pistol Team, and Sgt. 1st Class Robby D. Johnson, a USAMU action/combat pistol shooter, defended their title of Sniper Champions.