Tabla de contenidos para Spring 2019 en Ballistic

Think of Zen as being in a state of total focus where your body and mind come together seamlessly. Your actions are essentially guided by intuition rather than conscious effort. You are in the moment, ready to react. While this notion is central to Buddhism, it applies here—even though it might seem counterintuitive to “ballistic.” But when we learned about Zev Technologies going full-bore into making its own complete 9mm pistols, our editorial instincts kicked in, and we worked hard to bring you this worldwide exclusive. This is a game-changing business move for a company that once only specialized in aftermarket gun parts and custom upgrades to existing stock firearms. But what the guys at Zev Technologies do is also Zen. Their drive to achieve the highest quality requires total…

LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND sure has changed in the past few decades. Not long ago, gun manufacturers filled the Connecticut River Valley with industry-best firearms. Colts were made in Hartford, Parker Brothers shotguns were produced in Meriden, and Marlin Firearms were machined in North Haven. Oliver Winchester and Oscar Mossberg set up their shops in New Haven, while Sturm, Ruger& Company was a chip shot away in Westport. Drive north into Massachusetts and you’ll find Smith & Wesson in Springfield and Savage in Westfield. That’s an impressive list of some of the most innovative firearms manufacturers anywhere. Life in these bluest of blue states is a lot different now than it was a few decades ago, and that makes finding a shooting range pretty difficult. Open land in southern New…

WHEN OUR DISCUSSIONS AT ZEV TURNED to testing the OZ9, faces lit up as the staff shared the extremes that the gun had survived. The OZ9 we had with us had seen over 500,000 rounds but barely looked like it had been fired. During one multi-thousand-round testing session, the slide reached over 350 degrees and ultimately melted the channel liner. The tests weren’t simply stunts, but a true evaluation to find out where the gun might fail under extreme use. And while it might seem extreme, I began to recognize that this was a reflection of the company culture as much as it was a test. A company culture that was obviously based around excellence. ZEV’s art director, Matt Hancock, said, “The company culture here reflects the commitment to quality…

Wellco has supplied U.S. warriors with combat boots for 70 years. I personally have worn out two pairs of Wellco combat boots. But between 2008 and 2012, the leadership at Wellco sold the U.S. military Chinese-made combat boots, claiming that they were domestically produced. During this four-year period, these guys made more than $8 million selling Chinese knockoffs to the U.S. military. Two shipments of fraudulent boots were intercepted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection division. These fraudulent boots were produced in China and had their “Made in China” labels intentionally removed prior to delivery. The Berry Amendment mandates that U.S. military uniform items must be domestically produced. The Wellco CEO was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. The senior vice president of…

“ALL RIGHT, LISTEN. The Terminator’s an infiltration unit—part man, part machine. Underneath, it’s a hyper-alloy combat chassis, microprocessor controlled. Fully armored, very tough. But outside, it’s living human tissue—flesh, skin, hair, blood—grown for the cyborgs.” Thus, sitting atop a pool of drool in a sketchy Memphis movie theater in 1984, I got my first introduction to the Terminator, a mechanical assassin from the future that does not feel pain or pity or remorse. James Cameron’s epic sci-fi masterpiece of the same name is one of the most testosterone-charged movies ever filmed. After I first saw that movie, I wanted to be the Terminator when I grew up. You think I’m kidding. When I was in college, I kept a VHS copy in the VCR and watched it piecemeal over breakfast…

I’ve been building and racing Jeeps since 1990. After years of car racing, it was a refreshing change to have fun without risking my driver’s license for speeding or potentially losing my life in a crash. My first taste of racing was on dirt bikes at school, then Grand Prix track bikes at college and then rally racing cars. Contrary to what you might imagine, I faced the greatest dangers not while racing, but on the regular roadways. I’d gained a lead foot while racing, and it was bleeding into my regular driving habits—I was just going too fast on the road. Some of my friends lost their lives, and many more lost their licenses and even got jail time. It was a real low point in my racing career.…

THERE’S A SAYING THAT guns and alcohol don’t mix. For the most part, that is both sage and prudent advice. But like all generalities, there are exceptions, and Gene Kelly (aka “Machine Gun Kelly”) is one. Why? Well, at one time he owned as many as 250 machine pistols, submachine gun and belt-fed machine guns. As for the alcohol part, Gene also owns Kelly Family Vineyards, a precious 10-acre tract of land smack in the middle of Napa Valley, America’s gift to the world of wine. Gene is also the founder and president of the American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI), which offers self-paced video and online instructional courses conducted by master gunsmiths. When Nino Bosaz, Athlon Outdoor’s editorial director, put me onto Gene as a possible subject for an article, I…

This past October saw Athlon Outdoors host its second annual Rendezvous in Greenough, Montana, just outside Missoula. For three days, dozens of gun manufacturers unveiled their latest and greatest wares—many still under wraps—to us Athlon editors and contributors, giving us plenty of trigger time to create more content for our various print magazines and websites in the coming months. But this amazing event wouldn’t have been possible without a few key sponsors donating goods for every participant. Here we’d like to show our support and fill you in on the great gear that made for an awesome Rendezvous in Big Sky country. 1 > AGUILA AMMUNITION There were plenty of new rimfire rifles and handguns to test at the Rendezvous event, and thankfully Aguila stepped up to the plate by…

Most visitors come to Boston to see the sights. In a town founded in 1630, tourists will discover no shortage of historical, cultural, social and athletic activities. But shooters find some of the most interesting historical sites, too. In front of the Old State House at the corner of State and Congress Streets is the site of the Boston Massacre, and several major battles occurred in the vicinity, with Bunker Hill, Lexington and Concord being the most famous for the “shot heard ’round the world,” signaling the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The poorly equipped, rag-tag farmers were no match for the British, and yet they improvised, adapted, survived and overcame; the Minutemen snipers all lived around Boston. Catch a ferry to George’s Island and you’ll hear ghost stories about…

TEN MILLIMETERS IS AN incredibly short distance, but it’s a huge number in the world of handgun calibers. Indeed, while only a single millimeter larger in diameter than the most prolific combat handgun caliber on the planet, the 10mm round packs substantially more punch than it’s parabellum predecessor. Though it’s not a matter of surface area that makes the 10mm round so potent, but rather the bullet weight and power of the cartridge’s charge. To gain a little perspective, the hottest factory 9mm +P loading launches a 124-grain bullet at roughly 1,200 fps, while normal 10mm loadings reach similar velocities with 200-grain rounds. Essentially, the 10mm is a cartridge designed to give .357 Magnum-like performance in an autoloader-friendly design. Because of this, the 10mm has a cult following in the…

Lines have been drawn for years as to the practicality or “tactical value” of firearms competitions. Most are excuses not to compete, or ways to sell training that is “gunfighter” focused. The mantra that “Competing will get you killed in a gunfight!” is overused and meaningless. The problem: Most people teaching “gunfighting” have never been in a gunfight, and fewer have competed in matches. Losing sucks, and if your ego is big enough, it’s only worse if you look like an amateur while doing it. I spent a couple decades as a police officer, and 10 years competing, so I know how valuable matches can be. Competing with your issued carbine is valuable training, and operating your competition gun tactically is equally useful. All it requires is understanding the results…

IF YOU’RE A GUN GUY, you know the story. A moose hunt in 1946 inspired John Nosler to build a better hunting bullet. It was descriptively named the Partition and has become the standard to which all big-game bullets are, and will likely forever be, compared. Almost 40 years later, Nosler released another winner—the Ballistic Tip bullet. After that, you might say things got a bit Western. There was the AccuBond, the E-Tip, the Model 48 rifle, an entire line of ammunition and even a selection of proprietary cartridges. What no one expected from Nosler was a handgun. The Model 48 Nolser Custom Handgun (NCH) is a bolt-action, single-shot handgun, built on the same action as the now famous Nosler Model 48 rifle. The NCH is built on a one-piece…

THE MOMENT HAS A CONFLICTING essence of tension and calm. The two men stand across from one another, measuring almost imperceptible nuances of motion and breath. Then, in a flash, steel erupts from a scabbard as the first man flows like water to the side. The second man is now in reaction mode, trying to outmaneuver the attack. His blade makes its way toward the sky, only to miss the oncoming steel. In less than a breath, it is over, and the scene is now one man standing and one lying motionless on the ground. This is the reality of long, cold steel. This is the world of the katana. Unlike what we saw in Sunday morning martial arts theater shows, which we gobbled up as quickly as our cereals,…

YOU KNOW TONY DARROW from his famous scenes as Bamboo Lounge owner Sonny Bunz in Goodfellas opposite guys like Paul Sorvino, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta. But did you have a clue that he’s acted in more than 52 films (and counting) in his career? Did you know that Darrow, many years before Goodfellas, made a big name for himself performing singing and comedy routines in the Catskills’ Borscht Belt as well as top casinos and hotels in Atlantic City and Las Vegas? Carnegie Hall, too! There’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. He’s raised over $1 million for charitable organizations and has spent the last 15 years raising funds for families of fallen New York State troopers. We recently got a chance to interview Tony, and…

“We typically do not coat rubber since the Cerakote will end up cracking and coming off, But we figured it would tie the build together to have it coated, and since the build was distressed anyway, the grip would just get ‘better’ with use.” WHAT DOES FREEDOM look like? Can an object reflect what it means to be free? To be unrestrained in action and thought, to show what it means to exercise our rights as American citizens? Can you hold liberty in your hands? If such a notion is indeed possible, I think our custom coating super-duo have clearly hit the mark. A while back, a pair of DoubleStar ARP7 pistols chambered in 300 Blackout left their birthplace of Winchester, Kentucky, and started their journey towards a ‘Merica! makeover.…

THE FN SCAR 16S RIFLE caught my eye at a law enforcement seizure auction. It looked to be low mileage and was an expensive gun for which I never would have paid retail. What clinched the deal, however, was the EOTech Holographic Weapon Sight (HWS) and Aimpoint magnifier. That sort of glass is expensive. If I could work a deal on the gun and get the optics for free, then I would feel good about it. I landed the rifle and optics at a decent price. When I brought it home, I went through my standard ritual of tearing everything apart to learn its secrets. However, when I removed the magnifier, I noticed it had a little rattle. I gently pressed on the front lens, and it actually fell out.…

I FIRST VISITED AMSTERDAM and its Red Light District in 1973 when I was a grad student in London. I had met an American girl touring Europe for the summer. She wanted to visit Amsterdam, so I decided to come along for a few days, as I had a long weekend without classes. We hit several art museums and other points of interest. She wanted to smoke weed in coffee shops, so we did that, too. I didn’t do drugs, so I didn’t partake. I don’t drink coffee, either. She was a mix of innocent and adventurous, so she wanted to see the Red Light District. During the 1970s, it was a much rougher place than tourists find it today. But we escaped with our virtues and wallets intact. The…

WHEN DO WE PERFORM a magazine change with our carbines? I think the answer should be when we want to, or when we have to. But if we’re doing it when we have to, we are probably not very “switched on.” It shows a lack of situational awareness. Many people believe that it is OK to allow a loaded carbine to remain on “fire” when it is not in action, such as when it’s just being held or slung. I am not one of those people. I’ve received pushback from internet weenies on my opinion that the carbine’s safety should be intuitively switched to “safe,” or that should be a subconsciously driven task. I explain during my courses that almost all gunfighting tasks should be performed intuitively—all the mechanics, for…

The Spartan Javelin bipod attaches to your rifle or a handgun like the NCH in seconds and weighs less than 6 ounces. Combined with its Kapita tripod, which weighs less than 25 ounces, a hunter can find field support at any level. The tripod can also support a spotting scope or camera, or be disassembled for use as a walking stick. These nearly weightless wonders attach via a compact, magnetic end-user- or gun-smith-installed adapter. And though the Javelin bipod and Kapita tripod may have high price tags at $295 and $598, respectively, they are some of the highest-quality shooting supports you’ll find at any price. (javelinbipod.com)…

The desire to own a beautiful katana has not faded over nearly the thousand-year history of the sword. Though the katana was once the product of master blacksmiths committed to handmade excellence, modern manufacturing has changed things. While a handmade katana from Japan is one of the most highly prized blades a person can own, it can be cost-prohibitive for most people. Many new swords are exceptionally well made, with edges that challenge many of the traditional swords from the past. But, as with anything that is highly desired, there is no shortage of knockoffs and low-quality imposters. While the price tags on these swords may be appealing, they are nothing more than ornamental. Purchasing a modern or even antique blade should be done with research and education about what…

THERE IS SOMETHING so frustrating and exhilarating about calling in a big old tom. Admit it: Sometimes those creatures, with their pea-sized brains, completely outsmart you, and you end up leaving the field completely frustrated. But then there are times when all that turkey calling practice in the car comes to fruition, and you’re posing with a beautiful bird for pictures. Anyone who has turkey hunted knows exactly what I’m talking about! But once you’re no longer annoying your passengers with turkey calls and actually have a bird waiting in your freezer, what do you do? It’s spring, and the holidays that bring our favorite turkey dishes are behind us. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep that beautiful meat in the freezer until fall. I’ve got some unique…

Spring is upon us, and it’s time to hit the road, or well, the off road. No backcountry trip would be complete without these essentials. OK, so that’s a stretch. Some of the products featured here aren’t completely essential, but they’ll make your time in the woods much more enjoyable. So without further ado, let’s take a closer look. 1› DROPTINE 12 POINT BOURBON Named for the seldom seen but often sought drop-tine buck, the makers at Droptine Spirits first age their 12 Point Bourbon ($55) in new charred-oak barrels, then send it from America’s Heartland to California’s Russian River Valley to be finished in brandy barrels. “Finishing our bourbon in brandy barrels was the choice of many trials to find flavors as unique as the drop-tine deer.” The mild honey…