Gun Reviews

M85 PAP, the Steel-Cased Solution

M85 PAP, the Steel-Cased Solution

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“If you do not own a rifle that will reliably cycle steel-cased ammunition, you had better get your hands on one.”  Those words of advice were offered by my original firearms training mentor, John Farnam, nearly ten years ago. John saw the ammo crisis of 2013 coming a mile away. Russian/Soviet arms, particularly the AK, were built around a lacquered steel case cartridge. Lacquered steel cased ammunition is much less expensive to manufacture and that has always been the model for Russian arms; make as many as you can, at the lowest cost, thereby equipping as many soldiers as possible. In the USA we like to shoot steel-cased ammo because it gives us more bang for the buck. When it…

Century AK63D: Classic Upgrade

Century AK63D: Classic Upgrade

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If you have been paying attention the Kalashnikov world and the numerous configurations available, you should know that Century Arms has been building 100 percent Made in the USA AKs for several years. During the first year or so, the new Century guns with machined receivers were flying under the industry radar and did not really get the attention they deserved. Recently there was an infusion of fresh blood in the marketing department at Century and they have not only been promoting the guns heavily but they’ve done something almost unheard of in the gun world. Century put C39 rifles and pistols into the hands of hard corps firearms instructors and told them to run the gun hard and fast.…

5 Handguns Every Instructor Should Master

5 Handguns Every Instructor Should Master

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Every gun guy and girl has their favorite firearms. Some preferences are based upon sentiment, such as the .22 rifle your grandpa used to teach your how to shoot. Military veterans with either fall in love with the guns they carried or take with them a deep seated hatred. Don’t believe me? Have a conversation with a Vietnam vet who was first issued an M14 and then had to turn it in for a new M16. Regardless of your personal leanings, if you have taken the steps to become a firearms instructor, it is time to set your bias aside. There are tens of thousands of part-time or occasional firearms instructors in the United States. The natural tendency of humans…

This Colt Rifle May be the Perfect Deployment Gun

This Colt Rifle May be the Perfect Deployment Gun

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For many decades, Military Contracting has been a valid option for the U.S. Government to augment their existing troops or to address a task for which conventional military personnel may not be best suited. However, the advent of the Global War on Terror has brought Military Contractors and the companies they work for into the limelight. Whatever your personal opinion about contractors (if that opinion comes from watching CNN tread lightly) they play a vital role. Contractors are often deployed with a particular mission in mind but when they arrive in country the mission changes. For instance, a team that originally had been deployed for close personal protection may end up on perimeter security.  A mission that was supposed to…

AK Pistol Follow Up

AK Pistol Follow Up

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We’d like to take a moment to follow up two previous articles “Best of Both Worlds” and “The Ultimate Truck Gun”. Both of these firearms are Kalashnikov style pistols available from Century Arms.  The M85 PAP is imported from Serbia and the C39 is made in the USA. C39 After the original article was published we changed out the stock pistol grip for a new one from MagPul. The MagPul AK grip is hard plastic and has a small accessory or storage area inside of grip much just like their AR-15 grips. I was a bit disappointed that the hardware shipped with the MagPul grip did not include a lock washer as most do and the screw seemed to be…

Century Arms C39 AK Pistol: The Ultimate Truck Gun?

Century Arms C39 AK Pistol: The Ultimate Truck Gun?

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For many of you northeastern Yankees, “truck gun” may be a foreign term. Please allow a moment for elaboration and clarification. A truck gun, by loose definition, is a long gun kept at the ready in the cab of your pickup truck for general shooting chores. Depending on your locale, a truck gun may be primarily tasked with dispatching meddlesome groundhogs or prairie dogs. Texas ranchers may very well keep a truck gun handy to dispose of marauding feral hogs. Of course, the truck gun is also often viewed as a personal defense tool as protection from both two and four-legged predators. Truck Gun Check List The “truck gun” is viewed as a utility tool that is up to rough…

Wilson Combat: AR-10 Performance From an AR-15 Platform

Wilson Combat: AR-10 Performance From an AR-15 Platform

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“The 7.62×40 has no business performing as well as it does, but it does.” That quote from Bill Wilson, founder of Wilson Combat pretty much sums up lethal force of the new 7.62×40 Wilson Tactical round. “This project began when I started tinkering with the .300 Blackout cartridge. I wanted to get more out of the round than the factory ammo could give.” Wilson continued. “I was working in my reloading room and put together a .30 caliber round using a .223 Remington case. It occurred to me that this idea was so simple that surely someone else had already done it.” Bill did some research and found that a man named Kurt Buchert had previously worked up a similar…

Kahr K9: The Cadillac of Concealed Carry?

Kahr K9: The Cadillac of Concealed Carry?

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Some folks drive Chevys and some drive Cadillacs. While both types of automobile have four wheels and will get you from point A to point B, the Cadillac is obviously built to a higher standard and will get you there in style.  Naturally, the owner pays more for upgraded features. While sitting down to pen this review of the Kahr K9 pistol, the previous statement seemed to be the most natural analogy I could use. There are dozens of compact pistols available for the American shooter. Some are economy models that use economical parts and components. Others use more expensive components and are built with a greater attention to detail. In the end it’s up to you to decide what…

Could this Gun be the Best of Both Worlds?

Could this Gun be the Best of Both Worlds?

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Having been involved in the firearms world for the last three decades, I rarely get excited about new products. A mixture of jaded and cynical would best describe my outlook. Early this year while perusing the quarterly catalog/flyer from Century Arms I came across a product that piqued my interest. The Zastava PAP M85 NP is advertised as an AK-style pistol chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO feeding from standard AR-15/M-16 magazines. An AK chambered in .223/5.56mm is not a new item. Such guns have been around for years. The biggest issue I’ve had with .223 AK’s is that they tend to be more expensive to own and shoot than the 7.62x39mm versions. Specially designed .223 AK magazines also have tended to be…