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Police & Security News
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TACTICAL
TRAINING TIPS
By Walt Rauch
Law
Enforcement Firearms:
The
Sporting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show is a good place to find out
what’s new in the gun world since it is the largest assembly of manufacturers,
distributors, wholesalers and dealers in the firearms industry. While it’s not
a law enforcement focused event, it still serves as a good overview for what’s
new in the pipeline.
So,
what’s new for law enforcement this year? As far as new firearms design, the
cold answer is “not much,” which is a good news – bad news situation. The
firearms industry has been in a holding pattern for at least eight years, having
been under assault from antigun groups with a plethora of lawsuits which ate up
all the R&D dollars (the money went to the lawyers instead). As a result,
the gun companies have looked to refining existing products and this has worked
to some advantage for the end user.
Remington
For
instance, Remington continues to make its warhorse shotgun, the Model 870, but
now it comes with a ghost ring rear sight and a high blade with bead front sight
on it, making it an even better tool. Remington also has come up with an
inexpensive patrol rifle, the Model 7600, also known as the “Pennsylvania deer
rifle” (because autoloading rifles are prohibited for hunting in that state).
The prototype I saw is chambered in .308 caliber and also has the ghost ring
rear sight and high blade with bead front sight. The rifle is undergoing
endurance testing now, since Remington foresees many more rounds being fired
through it by the law enforcement community than by the average hunter. The
company will not release the rifle until it has been thoroughly checked out. The
advantage, of course, of using a shotgun and a patrol rifle which have a
commonality of action is a training officer’s dream. Is the patrol rifle going
to be chambered in .223? Probably, but not until Remington gets the .308 off the
ground. (The company already makes the hunting version of the rifle in the
larger caliber, so the economy move is obvious.)
Heckler
& Koch, Inc.
Heckler
& Koch still offers its Model 2000 with law enforcement modified
semi-double-action trigger and decocker mounted on the rear of the slide. The
gun also has changeable lower back straps, a la the S&W/Walther polymer
design. Talking to those who have shot the gun in Europe, they were unanimous in
praising its handling characteristics.
FN
Herstal USA, Inc.
There
is one new player in the game and that is the firm of FN Herstal, doing business
in the USA as FN Herstal USA, Inc. If this name sounds familiar, it’s because
this company has been building the Browning designed High Power since its
inception in 1935. FNH has spent the last three years surveying the U.S. law
enforcement market and is now ready to deliver its new P90 Bullpup design
submachine pistol, as well as a new handgun, the Five-Seven Pistol, with a
capacity of 20 rounds. Both are chambered for a new cartridge as well – the
5.7 x 28mm round.
As
to the efficacy of the new cartridge, FNH officials point out that, in the SMG,
the bullet penetrates 48 layers (!!) of Kevlar®
at 100 meters. (The ammunition is restricted to law enforcement sales only.) FN
also has double-action-only, full-size and compact versions of the High Power,
now only offered in 9mm. The FNH police shotgun is a pump action 12-gauge with a
three inch chamber, blade front and open elevation adjustable rear sight,
synthetic furniture and a parkerized type finish. FNH has also gone into the law
enforcement training business, allying themselves with Crucible, a training
corporation with an 88 acre facility in Northen Virginia.
Kahr
Arms
Kahr
Arms now offers all of its stainless steel DA guns – the K9 (9x19mm), the K40
(.40S&W) and the Lady Kahr (9x19mm), MK9 and MK40 – in versions with
polymer frames, ideal for backup or off duty use. Sneak peaks at some prototypes
indicate a possible move to a larger duty type, all steel version of the line,
as well as (we can only hope!) one chambered for the .45ACP round.
Para
Ordnance, Inc.
Para
Ordnance, Inc. now offers its LDA (Light Double Action) 1911-based handguns
chambered in .45ACP, in compact (Companion) and subcompact (Para Carry)
versions. The LDA give a 5.5 pound long pull on the DA trigger and is very
smooth. Optionally, for a specific department, the trigger weight can be raised.
I’ve extensively tested the full-size gun and it has fired over 9500 rounds
with no parts breakage and only a few failures to chamber due to a dirty chamber
during endurance firing.
Beretta
USA Corp.
Beretta
USA Corp. continues to offer the Elite II Series in 9mm and .40S&W with
stainless steel slide and barrel, a thinner and serrated front sight, Novak rear
sight, target crown on the barrel and a slightly extended mag catch. The front
and back straps are checkered for improved gripping. Beretta also has addressed
the problem of the 92/96 guns being “too big” for some small hands with the
VERTEC, chambered in 9mm and .40S&W. This variation has a slimmed-down grip,
recontoured trigger and a built-in light accessory rail. The grip/trigger setup
is reduced enough to please all but the most hand size challenged user. The same
features also make the VERTEC an easier to handle gun for everyone.
Pearce
Grip, Inc.
By
the way, Pearce Grip makes hard rubber aftermarket grips and thin rubber base
pads for the 92/96 guns and can put your department logo into the grip, if so
desired.
GLOCK®,
Inc.
The
revolutionary polymer handgun company, Glock,
has no new models, but does have two new accessories. First, a Glock designed integral key lock which fits into the hollow
found at the lower rear of the grip. Why a lock? Because of lawsuits, states
have legislated that any gun sold in their state be so equipped (California
being the prime example). Glock
also showed its prototype of a frame mounted flashlight similar in design to the
one supplied by Insight Technologies, Inc. and distributed by Streamlight, Inc.
And, for those with more money than whatever, Glock now offers slides with varying degrees of engraving and
gold inlays, priced from $2,000 to $8,000. (I doubt that, other than the Saudi
Royal Family or other oil rich principals, any group will have these as regular
issue items!)
SIGARMS,
Inc.
SIGARMS
is making a push to bring attention to a little known jewel, the SIGARMS
Academy. I’ve been through two courses and have found the instruction and
facilities to be first-rate and convenient. (The Academy is located in Epping,
New Hampshire.) SIGARMS has further refined the P226 pistol, now offering it in
stainless steel with one model sporting a heavy match barrel and adjustable
sights. SIGARMS recently won the contract to arm the 3200 New Jersey State
Police Officers with the P228 in 9mm. The company is also now fully committed to
having very timely service for replacement and repair for both law enforcement
and the gun buying public.
Smith
& Wesson
Smith
& Wesson has two new variations of its Third Generation semiautos, the Model
910 and 410, economy models of S&W’s 9mm and .40 caliber pistols. The
company also continues to offer its very successful titanium and scandium
revolvers which are eminently suitable for backup, off duty and personal
protection use. S&W also has the SW99 in 9mm and .40S&W in DA/SA, DAO
and Quick Action trigger modes. This last, the QA, offers an action which falls
between DA and SA and is, for me, the best of the three.
North
American Arms, Inc.
North
American Arms has become well-known for its pocket .32ACP and .380ACP Guardian,
a well thought out version of the very scarce Seecamp DA auto. Now, NAA is going
to have proprietary cartridges as well. In conjunction with Cor-Bon, NAA will
offer a .32ACP case necked down to .25ACP and then, down the line, a .380ACP
case necked down to .32 caliber. Both will be, obviously, very high velocity
rounds. (No production dates are available at this time.)
Sturm,
Ruger & Company, Inc.
Ruger
semiautos are selling well and the polymer frame Rugers are the choice of many
who want good value for their money. The semiautos are chambered for 9mm,
.40S&W and .45ACP in traditional double-action/single-action setup or
double-action-only versions.
Walther-USA
Walther-USA,
while continuing to import and assemble the Walther P99 chambered for the 9mm
and .40S&W (16 and 12 rounds respectively – law enforcement only), is now
also producing the famed Models PPK and PPK/S, chambered in .380ACP and made in
all stainless steel. Some effort has been extended to make this classic more
user-friendly, with rounding of sharp edges and a slightly redesigned back strap
in an attempt to eliminate the bloody railroad track type grooves found in the
web of one’s shooting hand if a high grip is used on the “K” guns.
Wilson
Combat®
Wilson
Combat is also now a major producer of law enforcement modified Remington
shotguns, rebuilding Remington Model 870s and 11-87s into combat shotguns with
standard or short barrels and the assorted bells and whistles endemic to this
breed. Work can be done on either the customer’s current guns or new guns. The
Wilson Combat Tactical Rifle Division features the Urban Tactical and Tactical
Precision Model AR-15s. Bill Wilson also offers a 1911 rail gun which has an
integral light mount on the forward dust cover which adds only a slight increase
in weight to the pistol.
Les
Baer Custom, Inc.
Les
Baer continues to offer his version of the AR-15 rifle in three configurations:
Ultimate AR .223 Super Varmint with 18", 20" or 24" barrel; M4-A2
Flattop; and the IPSC Action Model with an integral compensator machined into
the barrel. All use National Match parts and free-floating aluminum hand guards.
All are guaranteed to shoot into 1/2" at 100 yards (with match ammo). In
the works is a Thunder Ranch Special AR, built in collaboration with Clint
Smith, director of this excellent Texas training facility. Based on my
association with Clint Smith and Thunder Ranch, I am sure this will be a
no-frills, down and dirty, work all the time AR on which you can bet your life.
Kel-Tec
CNC Industries, Inc.
Kel-Tec
Industries’ little polymer and steel .32 and 9mm semiautos only cost less.
They’re not “cheap” guns and are very comfortable for all-day carry. The
Kel-Tec Folding Carbine is also a low priced, reliable alternative for those
departments which don’t have the deep pockets necessary for a patrol carbine.
The Kel-Tec carbine will accept S&W, Glock,
Beretta and SIG magazines as specified by the purchaser, since the company
merely changes the grip frame to accommodate the different magazines. The
carbine has options, such as an integral flashlight, pop up scope mount and a
spare magazine holder which fits onto the folding butt stock.
Olympic
Arms, Inc.
Olympic
Arms continues to offer an extensive line of AR-15s, as well as the Model
OA-93TG and OA-98 ARs in pistol form; the first with a vertical forward grip,
the latter without, and both with integral scope base. (The vertical grip model
is classified by the BATF as “Any Other Weapon,” subject to a $5 transfer
fee and approval of application to possess, and is
distributed only through a Class III dealer.)
Professional
Ordnance, Inc.
Professional
Ordnance has a 46 ounce AR-15 pistol, the Carbon-15. This AR pistol has
application in cramped quarters, such as is found in VIP protection. The barrel
length is 7.25" and the pistol accepts all AR mags. A ghost rear and post
front sight are standard, with provision for a scope mount, flashlight
attachment and carry sling.
Kimber
Manufacturing, Inc.
As
far as the 1911 design, it looked like everyone who had an assembly plant, or
could buy parts, was making some sort of 1911. This having been said, the giant
of the industry is Kimber Mfg., Inc., the first to offer “custom” 1911s at
reasonable prices. There are too many models to list, ranging from full-size to
very compact, in blue steel and stainless, as well as polymer frame models.
Springfield
Armory
Springfield
Armory continues with its “loaded” 1911s, quality 1911s from full-size to
compact, and now has a new offering – the XD (Xtreme Duty) Pistol. Springfield
describes the trigger action as the “USA Trigger System.” In effect, it is a
single-action striker fired operation, but with a long trigger movement against
resistance before sear disengagement. The XD has a firing pin drop safety, grip
and trigger safety, polymer frame and steel slide, and looks, well, sort of like
a Glock, although, internally, the
Croatian designed gun favors the SIGARMS design. Chambered for 9mm, .40S&W
and .357SIG, the XD is a good and reliable gun. Capacity is ten rounds in the
all metal magazine for civilian use and appropriately higher for law enforcement
and export.
Some
miscellaneous equipment displayed at the SHOT Show worth noting is the Leupold Mark 4 CQ/T, a 1 to 3x close quarter tactical scope with eye
relief optimized for the AR-15/M-16 family of rifles. The bright “Circle
Dot” reticle is battery powered and the scope has rails on it for attaching
other accessories directly onto it.
Other
sight systems worth mentioning include Novak
and Heinie Specialty Products, as
well as AO Sight Systems, Inc. The AO
sights depart from tradition in that the front sight is a big dot and the rear
sight is a shallow “V” with white and tritium inserts. Novak uses a large
dot front, but the rear sight, designed by Gary Paul Johnston, is a half circle
notch (sort of a half ghost ring). Both the AO and Novak cum Johnston are very
quick for CQB work.
KX
Defense LLC
which has the MF-10 Military/Police Gas Mask which claims to protect against all
known nuclear, biological and chemical threats. (No on-site testing was
offered!) Also of interest is Falcon
Industries, Inc., makers of the ERGO Grip™,
a comfortable replacement grip for AR rifles, as well as CLIP-A-GRIP™,
which snaps onto the exiting AR handle. Falcon also offers tactical, target and
survival grip designs, as well as a hand guard mount vertical foregrip,
Picatinney rail covers which snap on and make the rail system more comfortable
to handle, and a rail cheek pad for the HK collapsible stock.
Safariland
has a good idea for concealed carry for women. The thumb break holster is tilted
inward when the gun is holstered and snapped in, but when the snap is released,
the holster levers itself outward to allow a clean vertical draw. In addition, Bianchi,
Galco, DeSantis, Uncle
Mikes and Don Hume all were showing good duty gear in traditional leather or a
combination of polymer and nylon, as well as a variety of concealment holsters.
On
a positive note, most exhibitors at the show were upbeat about the economy in
general. The law enforcement market can only benefit from this enthusiasm.
About
the Author: Upon receiving his BS degree from Carnegie Tech and completing
service as a Special Agent in U.S. Army Intelligence, Walt Rauch was a Special
Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and an Investigator with the Warrant Unit,
First Judicial District, PA, where he made over 2,000 felony arrests. He now
operates his own consulting company, Rauch & Company, Ltd., for defense
weapon and tactical training. Rauch & Company services include expert
witness testimony on firearms use and tactics.
Rauch
is also a writer and lecturer in the firearms field. He is published regularly
in national and international publications including
Combat Handguns, Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement and
other Harris Publications specialty magazines, Emap/Petersen’s Handguns,
Guns & Ammo specialty magazines,
POLICE and SECURITY NEWS, Cibles (France)
and Visier (Germany). He is the author of
a book on self-defense, titled REAL-WORLD SURVIVAL! What Has Worked For Me.
New Guns for 2001: AO Sight Systems, Inc. Baer Custom, Inc., Les Beretta USA Corp. Bianchi International DeSantis Holster & Leather Goods FN Herstal USA, Inc. Falcon Industries, Inc. Galco International GLOCK®, Inc. Heckler & Koch, Inc. Heinie Specialty Products Hume Leathergoods, Inc., Don KX Defense LLC Kahr Arms Kel-Tec CNC Industries, Inc. Kimber Manufacturing, Inc. Leupold & Stevens, Inc. North American Arms, Inc. Novak’s, Inc. Olympic Arms, Inc. Para Ordnance, Inc. Pearce Grip, Inc. Professional Ordnance, Inc. Remington Arms Company, Inc. Safariland SIGARMS, Inc. Smith & Wesson Springfield Armory Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Uncle Mike’s Wilson Combat®
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