Many of our readers have concealed carry permits. When carrying a handgun concealed, holster choice is key. A good holster will carry more comfortably, “print” less, and be 100% secure while still allowing rapid access. Our systems admin Jay C. recently acquired a Walther PPS M2 as a carry gun. Jay has a CCW permit, and he sometimes chooses to carry a concealed handgun, particularly on trips.
After looking at many options, Jay chose a Kydex Clinger ATom Holster. These are very affordable, yet they have many great features. The most important design feature of the $19.99 Clinger Atom is the location of the belt clip. This is placed over the trigger guard area, not the slide. This pulls the grip in closer than if the clip was mounted over the slide as on other holsters. This smart design feature really works, improving concealment and comfort. Jay says: “the Atom works great with my little Walther — it’s very stable and comfortable.”
The $19.99 Clinger Atom also offers adjustable “ride height”. This is accomplished by moving the belt clip up or down. Holster retention (the clamping tightness) is easily adjusted with a simple hex screw.
Along with its popular Atom holster, Clinger offers two other holsters: 1) the $29.99 Stingray model (with choice of 0°, 15°, or 30° cant); and 2) the dual-clip, ultra-thin No-Print Wonder Holster priced at $59.99. The latter is a good choice for carrying a heavier pistol for long periods. All three holsters (Atom, Stingray, No Print Wonder) are shown in the video above.
Clinger offers a Zero-Risk Guarantee. Try any Clinger holster for two weeks. If you don’t like it, you can return it for a full refund. There is also a “Bumper-To-Bumper Lifetime Warranty”. If anything on your Clinger Holster ever needs repair the manufacturer will repair it or replace it for free.
TV Shopping networks typically sell jewelry, housewares, and clothing items. Now there’s a new TV shopping network that will sell firearms and shooting accessories. GunTV recently launched with shows airing on cable and satellite networks (and streamed live on GunTV.tv on the web). This video unveils GunTV’s mission and explains how guns and shooting sports merchandise will be sold:
GunTV presentations combine studio sessions with range time. The hosts begin, in studio, talking about a gun’s features. Next the show may feature range footage demonstrating the firearm. Then it’s back to the studio for the sales pitch. Finally, viewers can bid on the featured item(s). Non-firearms items may ship directly to buyers. However, all actual firearms are sent to an FFL dealer, which performs background checks and handles the required paperwork.
30 Cal Gal on GunTV
One of GunTV’s hosts is our friend Anette Wachter, creator of the 30CalGal.com website. Anette, a top-level Palma and multi-gun competitor, will be testing and reviewing products, as well as selling her signature 30CalGal line of custom jewelry.
Safety is emphasized in GunTV broadcasts. The show’s creators state: “GunTV offers education, information and safety regarding firearms in America[.] GunTV is proud to offer its consumer audience an exciting mix of unique content, a wide range of firearms and related products and services, educational information, resources and entertainment, all delivered via live broadcasting on satellite and cable systems and streaming on the Internet.”
Promotional Opportunities for Manufacturers
GunTV makes money two ways. First it takes a share of sale proceeds from items sold. In addition, it gets promotional fees from product makers. If you have a shooting-related product you want to see featured, you can advertise on GunTV. You can apply online using the Product Submission Application form. GunTV charges fees for its airtime segments and advertising spots and advertising spot production services.
Here at AccurateShooter.com we tend to focus on highly-accurate (1/2-MOA or better), custom-built bolt-action rifles. But for home defense, deer hunting, or just having fun with the grand-kids, factory-built firearms serve their purpose. With that in mind, we wondered, “Just what are the most popular mass-production firearms these days?” Gunbroker.com, the biggest firearms auction site, has tallied the top-selling new and “previously-owned” firearms in various categories for all of last year. Here are Gunbroker’s “Best Selling Firearms” for 2015.
GunBroker.com’s Best-Selling New and Used Firearms of 2015
Some things we expected — the Rem 700 is the top-ranking bolt-action rifle, and the Ruger 10/22 was the leading semi-auto rifle. But notably, the Ruger Precision Rifle (Below) is now the second-best selling bolt rifle in the country. That shows how popular “tactical” style bolt guns have become. It also proves Ruger has created a winner — a fine-shooting rifle that has quickly established a following.
The second most popular bolt-action long-gun is the new Ruger Precision Rifle
In the handgun rankings, there were some surprises. Despite being out of production, the Colt Python is the best-selling used revolver. Why is an out-of-production gun a top-seller? First, high-grade Pythons are actually increasing in value, making this “snake” a good investment. Pythons are also highly accurate, beautifully-finished revolvers with superb triggers. These qualities make the guns highly desirable to serious shooters as well as collectors.
Baseball and car racing have their fantasy camps, and now the shooting sports has its own successful version following the inaugural NSSF Shooting Sports Fantasy Camp last week in Las Vegas. Sold out just days after being announced, the Shooting Sports Fantasy Camp attracted 30 shooters from across the country. The big draw was the opportunity to work with top shooting champions Jessie Duff, K.C. Eusebio, Julie Golob, Jerry and Kay Miculek, and Dianna and Ryan Muller. The NSSF made sure that “fantasy” wasn’t just a catchphrase. Not only were Camp guests provided personalized instruction by top shooting pros, but the Fantasy Camp included a three-night stay at the luxurious Las Vegas’ Aliante Hotel + Casino + Spa, all meals from arrival to departure, as much ammo as Campers could send downrange for the weekend, a bevy of new guns to try, evening cocktail receptions, plus a swag bag full of shooting gear.
“It was awesome,” said camper Georgiann Pharis. “[This] far exceeded any expectations I ever had.” And she added, “When [the pros] ride to the range on the bus with you, that says a lot to me. They’re not above you. They’re here on our level showing us how to get to their level. That’s a big plus.”
Jessie Duff Was One of the Fantasy Camp Instructors
Industry Sponsorship Support
“We knew when this event sold out immediately that we were onto something big,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior VP and Chief Marketing Officer. “We are always looking for ways to connect the industry with our customers, to show the public that shooting sports are on par with other major league sports[.]”
This first-ever fantasy camp was made possible through the support of many companies: SIG SAUER, Ruger, Taurus, PolyCase Ammunition, Hornady Ammunition, Winchester Ammunition, Federal Premium Ammunition, Kahr Firearms Group, HIVIZ Sight Systems, FIME Group/Arex, and LWRCI.
Commentary by Dean Weingarten,Gun Watch
In an historic, but extremely short unanimous opinion, the United States Supreme Court has confirmed that the Second Amendment applies “to all instruments that constitute bearable arms,”. As this is an enormous class of nearly all weapons, the decision [could be] applied to knives and clubs, and nearly all firearms that have been sold in the United States. Nearly all types of firearms are more common than stun guns. From nbcnews.com:
“But in an unsigned opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court [on 3/21/2016] vacated that ruling. It said the Massachusetts court improperly found that Second Amendment protection applies only to weapons that were in common use at the time of the nation’s founding.”
Referring to its landmark 2008 D.C. v. Heller ruling on handguns in the home, the justices said the Second Amendment applies “to all instruments that constitute bearable arms,” even those not in existence at the time of the founding.
The unsigned opinion is very short[.] Alito writes a much longer and more forceful opinion in concurrence. It could, and should, have gone much further. None the less, it is an enormous win for Second Amendment supporters, and it extends far beyond stun guns and Massachusetts.
There is strong language in this opinion. If 200,000 stun guns in the U.S. are “common”, it is hard to believe that 5 million AR-15s and millions of other semi-automatic rifles are “unusual”.
The case lays to rest the idea that courts can simply say anything other than handguns are “uncommon” or “unusual” and are therefore exempt from Second Amendment protections. This case will be cited far into the future.
The full, unanimous decision, along with Justice Alito’s lengthy concurrence, is found via this LINK:
Do you know someone who wants to get started in pistol shooting? Here’s a new opportunity. The NRA now offers its Basics of Pistol Shooting Course in an online format. That makes it easy to cover the “classroom” part of the course on your own time. The $60.00 online course includes 11 step-by-step lessons (to be followed by live range training). CLICK HERE to enroll in online Pistol Training Course.
Train Online, Then Register for a Range Session
For the NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting course, Phase 1 is conducted in an online environment, completed on your own time (cost is $60.00, non-refundable). After successfully completing the online exam, students can register for Phase 2, the instructor-led training session. Phase 2 is conducted at your local range with an NRA Certified Instructor. You must successfully complete Phase 1 and Phase 2 in order to receive your NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting course certificate.
Designed and developed by experts to accommodate busy schedules, the web-based course takes a blended learning approach to firearms training with both online and physical components. Students have 90 days to work through 11 online lessons before registering for Phase 2, the NRA Certified Instructor-led phase at a local range. “America has more first time gun owners than ever and the NRA remains dedicated to being the number one provider of firearm training,” said Executive Director of NRA General Operations, Kyle Weaver. “Thanks to our online courses and network of more than 125,000 NRA Certified Instructors, it has never been easier to learn basic firearm skills.” The NRA offers other online training courses at Onlinetraining.nra.org. These offerings include a Range Safety Office (RSO) course, and a Range Development and Operations course.
We really like rimfire revolvers here at AccurateShooter.com. A good .22 LR wheelgun will be fun, accurate, reliable, and inexpensive to shoot. Rimfire revolvers also offer much less recoil and noise than a centerfire pistol. Your Editor has owned a Smith & Wesson Model 617 for over 15 years. That old S&W has probably fired more rounds than all the other handguns I own, combined — yet it still runs flawlessly and still delivers excellent accuracy.
Ruger recently came out with a new, stainless .22 LR wheelgun to compete with the S&W Model 617. This new rimfire wheelgun is based on Ruger’s trusted GP100 platform. The new Ruger® GP100® chambered in .22 LR looks to be a good firearm — strong, versatile, and intelligently engineered. In the video above, Jeff Quinn of Gunblast.com tests the Ruger revolver and gives it high marks: “It’s a good hefty gun [42.6 oz.], but not overly large or heavy for a good trail gun. It’s just a really nice, well-made revolver from Sturm Ruger.” The gun Jeff tested had a 3.7-lb SA trigger pull and a 9.8-lb DA pull.
The .22 LR GP100 features a windage and elevation adjustable rear sight with a white outline, a light-gathering fiber optic front sight and the original full-size GP100 rubber grips with hardwood inserts. With all stainless-steel construction, the rimfire GP100 is easy to maintain. Just keep the cylinder chambers and barrel clean and this gun should run forever.
The 10-shot Ruger GP100 in .22 LR is a durable, well-engineered wheelgun. Ruger’s engineers optimized the GP100’s innards to deliver a smooth double-action pull: “The new GP100 has an improved fire-control system that uses a lighter mainspring than previous Ruger double-action .22 LR revolvers. A number of changes have been made to the GP100 to handle .22. One of which is we’ve done a lot of development on the firing pin location and geometries so that we’re able to put a lighter trigger pull in this gun than you would find in other .22 LR [handguns]. We’ve got a half-underlug barrel, and it’s a smaller diameter so the gun balances real well. We’ve added a narrow-spur hammer and a smooth trigger for comfortable shooting. This is a really comfortable gun to shoot”.
Jay Christopherson is AccurateShooter.com’s systems administrator — he keeps the servers up and running. Jay is also a very talented rifle shooter who holds a carry permit. Recently, Jay acquired a Walther PPS M2, a compact, defensive carry pistol. Here Jay reviews that pistol, which is now his “go-to” handgun when he chooses to carry a firearm pursuant to his CCW permit.
The Walther PPS M2, Single-stack 9mm is a Comfortable, Reliable Everyday Carry Pistol.
Looking for a new carry pistol in a single-stack, 9mm configuration, I tested out the slim (1″-wide) Walther PPS M2, with three different magazine capacities. For someone who has carried a 5″-barreled, .45 ACP model 1911 for the last few years, the switch to a single-stack 9mm was a big change — but a welcome one in terms of weight and comfort. I like my big 1911, but the PPS M2 gives me the feeling that if it’s needed, it’ll be a safe, effective, and reliable option. I still love my 1911, but when it comes to carry, the 1911 will stay in the safe while I “pack” the smaller, lighter PPS.
Click Image for Large View of Pistol Specifications Sheet
Like many of AccurateShooter.com’s readers, I have a permit to carry a concealed firearm and I use the privilege regularly. I’m no great shakes with a pistol, having focused most of my efforts on long-range rifle shooting, but I do spend enough time at the pistol range to ensure that I am familiar with my weapon and comfortable shooting it out to ranges where I might encounter a situation requiring its use.
Part of being responsible is selecting a carry weapon that you can be comfortable with, both using and carrying. Now, I’ll admit that I’ve focused a lot on the former, but not as much on the latter. I’m an unabashed fan of John M. Browning’s crowning (in my opinion) achievement, the Colt .45 ACP M1911. My current 1911, with a 5” barrel, is not the easiest pistol in the world to carry comfortably. While I love shooting it, carrying it is another situation altogether. I’ve tried many different configurations, but found myself carrying it less and less.
And so, I decided that I needed to enter the world of the 9mm single stack for a carry weapon. There are a lot of reasons why I chose to go that direction, but it’s a highly subjective and personal subject (some of the arguments out there are pretty heated), so I won’t bore you with mine. Suffice it to say, there’s plenty of available information for you to make an informed decision. To help with testing, Walther Arms was kind enough to provide a new Walther PPS M2, in 9mm, for evaluation.
Three Magazine Options
Along with the PPS M2, Walther provided three magazines — the 5-round standard mag plus 6-round and 7-round extended magazines. I tried all three magazines, both for carry/fit, and at the range to see if they would affect my ability to shoot the pistol. For reference my hands are roughly 9.25″ wide — according to the Internet, the average hand size for a male is 7.44″, so I guess I’ve got larger than average hands. The shortest magazine was a bit too short for me to grip comfortably — my pinky finger had zero engagement and my two-hand grip suffered for it. The middle magazine let my pinky engage the grip partially, but was still not ideal. The longest magazine fit perfectly. My guess is that if your hand is in the average range, the middle magazine will work for you. For women, I think the smallest grip will work nicely. My wife has an average hand span for females and thought that the smallest grip felt pretty natural for her.
The trigger is fair — the takeup is smooth, the trigger breaks relatively cleanly and predictably, but a rough spot on the Glock-style trigger safety lever wore against my finger, leaving it feeling a bit raw. It’s fairly minor and something that can easily be resolved. And even with my larger fingers, I still had no problem with trigger guard clearance. Disassembly is fairly easy, though the take-down lever takes some effort to work. [Editor — on the PPS M2 I tried at SHOT Show, the small slide-stop lever was hard to manipulate.]
After having carried my 1911 around quite a bit, I found the Walther PPS M2 to be much lighter and easier to carry (I use a Clinger holster). I rarely notice it, even when getting into and out of a car. With the PPS M2 it’s easy to carry without “printing”, at least with the appendix carry method I prefer.
General Function and Accuracy Testing
I took the pistol down to the range to test it out and get a feel for it. I bought a variety of 115 grain FMJ ammunition to test including PMC and Blazer brass-cased 9mm. I ran about 400 rounds through the little Walther. None of the ammo experienced any sort of issue and the pistol never failed to perform flawlessly. With 400 rounds through the PPS M2 cleanly, I am confident to carry the PPS M2 when I feel the need to carry.
I set up targets at 15 feet and 30 feet — remembering that I’m looking for a personal defense/carry pistol and that I don’t practice for competition! At both ranges, shooting all three magazines, I had no problems putting together groups that are more than accurate enough for “center mass”.
During a second testing session, I shot the pistol for accuracy with my forearms rested on sandbags. The results were impressive. Above is a seven-shot (7-shot) group at 10 yards (30 feet) with the CCI Blazer Brass ammo. At right is a group shot at 5 yards (15 feet), forearms rested, with the PMC ammo. The one shot that went up outside the group was probably me, the shooter. Remember this is a very small, light-weight pistol that does have some muzzle flip. I’ve seen other tests done with the Walther PPS M2, at longer ranges in the hands of skilled shooters and producing much cleaner groups.
Summary — Walther PPS M2 is a Keeper
Overall, I really like the 9mm single stack Walther PPS M2. It’s a very handy, manageable pistol. After testing the gun for AccurateShooter.com I decided to purchase the pistol and keep it. That’s the ultimate vote of confidence. This gun shoots comfortably, accurately and reliably, and most of all, the PPS M2 is comfortable to carry. When I choose to carry, should I ever need a firearm, I have every confidence in the Walther PPS M2.
Here’s a handy product for pistol shooters and 3-Gun competitors. The NRA Handgunner Backpack provides a convenient transport solution for your pistols, magazines, and assorted range gear. This product offers all the carrying capacity of a large range bag, in a design that, when worn on your back, leaves your hands free to haul long-gun cases, target frames, spotting scopes, or other bulky hardware. Measuring 17″ wide, 22″ high and 9″ deep, the pack has plenty of room for your gear.
Quad-Pistol Gear Hauler
The cleverly-designed Handgunner Backpack carries up to four pistols. Undo the zipper, slide out the compartment, place your pistols in one of the four foam gun cradles. Store your magazines in a zip-up side pocket with six (6) individual mag sleeves. There are also specially designed compartments for ammo boxes, muffs, protective eyewear, target stapler, and more. You’ll find handy embroidered patches showing the right spot for each gear item.
Lars Dalseide, editor of the NRAblog, tells us this pack is comfortable and sturdy. The shoulder straps and the rear back panel feature moisture-wicking padding and the pack comes with a waterproof cover. And the pack won’t collapse when you set it on a bench — it stands up on its own.
We’re impressed with the design and features of this pack. A lot of smart thinking went into its design. As you might expect though, because the Handgunner Backpack has so many features, it’s not cheap. This specialized backpack sells for $119.95 at the the NRA Online Store. We don’t think that’s too much, considering what this pack can do. This could be a sweet Xmas gift for the pistolero or 3-Gun shooter in the family. If you are running a shooting match, the Handgunner Backpack would make a great prize — way more useful than a walnut plaque.
Photo courtesy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
This amusing story comes from the Midsouth Shooters Blog. One of the latest photos beamed back to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from a Mars rover appears to show the first handgun ever spotted on Mars. Some commenters say it looks like a Glock 17 pistol. Others argue that the big slide and overall size make it a spitting image of a Desert Eagle. What’s your take?
Here at AccurateShooter.com we think the object in the Mars rover photo resembles the big, slab-sided Heckler & Koch Mark 23 in .45 ACP. What do you think, see any resemblance?
The unsigned opinion is very short[.] Alito writes a much longer and more forceful opinion in concurrence. It could, and should, have gone much further. None the less, it is an enormous win for Second Amendment supporters, and it extends far beyond stun guns and Massachusetts.
During a second testing session, I shot the pistol for accuracy with my forearms rested on sandbags. The results were impressive. Above is a seven-shot (7-shot) group at 10 yards (30 feet) with the CCI Blazer Brass ammo. At right is a group shot at 5 yards (15 feet), forearms rested, with the PMC ammo. The one shot that went up outside the group was probably me, the shooter. Remember this is a very small, light-weight pistol that does have some muzzle flip. I’ve seen other tests done with the Walther PPS M2, at longer ranges in the hands of skilled shooters and producing much cleaner groups.
Quad-Pistol Gear Hauler
