Man Magnum Tactical Guide

TACTICAL. What does it mean to you? To me it describes the way I go about succeeding in what I want to achieve; also, in today’s firearm parlance, ‘tactical’ describes some of the gear I need, to prepare for and to proceed with this. According to the Cambridge International Dictionary of English tactic means a planned way of doing something. For tactical, the consensus seems to be relating to or constituting actions carefully planned to gain a specific military end, or, showing adroit planning; aiming at an end beyond the immediate action. Today almost everyone has their own definition of what tactical means, and unfortunately some hunters and shooters seem to think the words tactics and tactical have something to do with your image, created by what you buy, hence the slang…

OUR TOP CHOICES IF I COULD choose only one long-range rifle my top pick would be Accuracy International’s AT (Accuracy Tactical) standard model. It was designed as a sniper rifle for law enforcement and military purposes with the emphasis on reliability and accuracy. 1 Accuracy International AT Accuracy International (AI) has an enviable reputation when it comes to building sniper rifles. Their first, the Precision Marksman (PM), was based on their successful target shooting rifles. By soliciting input from snipers, AI was able to incorporate into the design the required ruggedness, reliability and ease of maintenance needed for this application. The first customer for the PM was the UK Special Boat Service, which, after evaluating it in 1984, acquired 8 rifles in 1985. They were closely followed by the UK Special Air Service,…

OVER the years I’ve tested a number of handgun factory loads and used thousands of rounds of handloads, which has resulted in me learning a few lessons about ammo choice along the way. I’ll restrict my comments here to the 9mmP as this is the most popular defence round. Firstly, I prefer factory carry loads to handloads because over the last 30 years I’ve experienced almost no problems with factory ammo. I can only recall one misfire (I had a light primer strike), and bullets moving deeper into the cartridge case during prolonged carry in the magazine. To avoid this, it is a good idea to use your factory loads at certain intervals for training. With my handloads, I’ve experienced misfires and malfunctions like a cartridge not feeding, slide refusing to go…

THESE two platforms have been around for a while – the AK 47 since 1947 and the AR in the 1950s, entering US service in 1959. Since then countless variations of both have seen the light. In South Africa, the R4military rifle is well known to most as this AK-type arm was used by many during the border war. Locally, ARs are mostly available in .308 Win and 5.56mm Nato/.223 Win, while the AK can be found in 7.62x39 and .223/5.56mm. We’ll look a bit closer at both platforms and later discuss some pros and cons. These days original AK47s can be bought but more modern versions are also available, like the AKM. This stands for Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyi and is the designation chosen for the new modernised rifle following changes…

Unloaded, the MSR rifle weighs 3.53kg. The upper and lower receiver are forged from lightweight, but strong, 7075-T6 aluminium. The MSR is manufactured with a forward assist, something that is missing from many modern AR versions. The MSR features a 16⅛", 4140 Chrome-Moly Vanadium steel barrel, button-cut with Savage’s 1:8 inch 5R right-hand twist rifling. Melonite coats the barrel inside and out for durability and good looks. The crown is cut to an 11 degree angle and the barrel has a muzzle-brake which further protects the crown. The barrel has a .223 Wylde chamber which accepts both .223 Rem and 5.56x45 Nato cartridges. It has a mid-length direct impingement gas system. Gas generated by the burning propellant is bled off through a hole in the barrel wall, just past midway, travels down…

The AK47 and its derivatives are robust simple designs with generous tolerances, which means they can handle dirt, dust, mud, water, etc, without a hiccup. In 7.62x39 the heavier bullet has more energy to knock down steel plates (at ranges used in sport shooting). The new ARs are more complicated designs with higher tolerances, which should make them more prone to failures if really dirty, but these days reliability is top notch. The dust cover over the ejection port also helps to keep dirt out. The higher tolerances deliver a more accurate platform and targets can be hit successfully further out, some claim 600 yards compared to the AK’s 400 yds. Currently there are more after-market accessories available for ARs, but this is changing. Whichever you select, both are excellent platforms. Calibre choice…