This week a Kansas Republican introduced a bill that would no longer make short-barreled rifles subject to the restrictions of the National Firearms Act. Under the NFA prospective purchasers of an SBR, defined as a rifle with a barrel length fewer than 16 inches or a rifle with an overall length under 26 inches, need […]

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Sig Sauer announced this week the release of the P320-M18, the commercial variant of the M18 pistol recently chosen as the official sidearm of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The post SIG Sauer Announces Civilian Version of the U.S. Military M18 appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

“These figures show the industry that America has a strong desire to continue to purchase firearms for lawful purposes,” said Joe Bartozzi, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

The post NSSF Releases Firearms Production Figures: Almost 18 Million ARs in Circulation, Half a Billion Guns appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

Guns.com recently cut down a beautiful Christmas tree using Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun. It took a single shot of Winchester’s 3-inch 1 1/8 ounce steel shot to cleanly sever the 3-inch stem. Traveling at 1,550 feet-per-second, it’s no surprise that it fell the tree with such ease.

Mossberg 500 shotguns were introduced in 1960 with the US military adopting it not long after that. Mossberg claims the 500 model is the only shotgun to pass the U.S. Army’s Mil-Spec 3443E test. This includes firing 3,000 rounds of full power 12-gauge buckshot in unforgiving conditions. While the Marines officially switched to the Benelli M4 shotgun in 1999, many branches of the U.S. military still use the 500 today.

What makes the Mossberg 500 shotgun so handy for tree cutting work comes down to this dependability and affordability. A new or used 500 series shotgun will run you around $500 at Guns.com.

Available in a variety of models and configurations, we opted for the SPX model to nab this Christmas tree. The SPX features an adjustable ghost ring rear sight, a high visibility front sight, a six-position adjustable synthetic stock, a five-round side saddle, a Picatinny rail over the action and a pistol grip.

Empty, the gun weighs 6.75-pounds. Equipped with an 18.5-inch ported barrel, the SPX boasts a compact and maneuverable design with the ability to sport five 3-inch shells in the tube and one in the chamber — That’s more than enough firepower for Christmas trees and much more.

PICK UP A MOSSBERG 500 SPX SHOTGUN TO CUT DOWN YOUR OWN TREE

The Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

The five-round side saddle on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

The business end and elevated high visibility front sight of the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

The adjustable ghost ring rear sight mounted on the Picatinny rail on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

Another view of the adjustable ghost ring rear sight on the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

The elevated front sight and business end of the ported 18.5″ barrel of the Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

The Mossberg 500 SPX shotgun. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

Winchester Super X 12-gauge 3″ 1 1/8 ounce steel shot. This ammo packs a punch. (Photo: Ben Philippi / Guns.com)

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Beretta self-proclaims their A400 Xtreme Plus “the world’s softest shooting waterfowl shotgun.” While the jury remains out on measuring recoil in the duck blind, the one certainty is that the new iteration in the A400 lineup is purpose-built for waterfowlers and high-volume shooter’s alike.

GRAB THE BERETTA A400 XTREME PLUS FROM GUNS.COM

A Soft Shooting Magnum Shotgun?

Hardcore hunters often dig heavy loads but with those rounds come considerable recoil. As gun companies work to tame the beast, Beretta improves upon an already well-appreciated recoil-minimizing setup. Our test A400 Xtreme Plus — already a softer-shooting semi-automatic platform — is made even more shoulder-friendly with the company’s Kick-Off recoil-reducing buttstock system as well as a soft rubberized comb. For those not familiar with the Kick-Off in its earlier iterations, the design sports a hydraulic shock absorber in the buttstock that eats up recoil from the bolt as it slams rearward each time the action cycles.

While recoil can be more than stout with the heaviest 3.5-inch hunting loads, Beretta’s Kick-Off buttstock system helps tame the hammer. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

Also, the soft comb feels surprisingly nice on the face in wet, cold conditions, keeping the cheek firmly planted on the comb. At around 8-pounds when loaded the gun is on the hefty side. While this, no doubt, helps with recoil it still balances and swings exceptionally well.

Feature-Rich for Hunters

Our test gun came in the Realtree Timber pattern, though multiple other camo patterns in addition to standard black synthetic options are available. MSRP sits at $1,900 on these autoloaders.

These 12-gauge autos accept up to the heaviest magnum 3.5-inch shells but will also cycle 2.75-inch and 3-inch rounds. The new Xtreme Plus ships with five Black Edition 20mm extended choke tubes in Full, Mod, Imp Mod, Imp Cyl and Cyl. Our gun has the 28-inch barrel, though both 26- and 30-inch lengths are already available. The barrels themselves are touted as some of the company’s finest, built with what Beretta calls Steelium Plus technology.

At 14-inches, the forcing cone is more than twice the usual length, with a gradual taper for better downrange patterns. The vent rib has both a metal mid bead and a red fiber optic front. Though the gun fits quite well out of the box, the company includes a set of shims for customizing both drop and cast. Rubberized and almost-padded grip areas at both the forearm and pistol grip offer plenty of hold on the gun in inclement weather.

The A400 X-Plus’s gas-operated Blink autoloading system uses a rotating bolt head and upgraded gas valve design intended to make the gun cycle faster and cleaner than similar platforms. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

Other thoughtful features for hunters include the drilled and tapped receiver which can easily accept a Picatinny rail for easy optics mounting. The enlarged loading port is designed for easier access when loading with gloves as well as reducing the chance of thumb bite. The oversized charging handle and bolt release are also ideal for gloved, inclement weather hunters. The trade-off to oversized controls, though, is they made accidentally hitting the bolt release lever almost too easy. We encountered this problem several times in the field.

The Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus is purpose-built for waterfowlers with oversized controls throughout and multiple camo finish options. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

A reversible safety is a nice addition, though it’s important to note the A400’s safety sits at the front of the trigger rather than in the more common rear position. This takes surprisingly little practice to operate naturally, even for those accustomed to the latter positions.

Firepower isn’t an issue with the X-Plus as the magazine tube holds four rounds, while an included plug reduces that to remain within legal local limits. The trigger is one of the best to find its way onto a shotgun, with our test gun breaking just a hair over 5-pounds on a Lyman digital pull gauge.

Blink and You’ll Miss It

High-volume shooters appreciate fast and friendly semi-autos and this one certainly fits the bill. The X-Plus makes use of a gas-operated autoloading system they call “Blink.” The design uses a rotating bolt head and upgraded gas valve system intended to make the gun cycle faster and cleaner than similar platforms. Though we’re no professional speed shooters, the scattergun does indeed cycle any size loads just as fast as the shooter can pull the trigger.

The fast cycling, lighter-recoiling Beretta Xtreme Plus has oversized controls for gloved hunters operating in inclement weather. The gun took everything we could throw at it—and submerge it in—without missing a beat. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

The new Xtreme Plus is a dream for waterfowlers and high-volume clay shooters alike who desire a full-featured, light-recoiling autoloader capable of devouring any shell in its wheelhouse. We fed the gun everything from light handloads to the heaviest Winchester Xpert Snow Goose magnum rounds. It cycles anything and everything with neither adjustment nor concern.

When patterning the new X-Plus, shot groups were right on the money, demonstrating the quality of the included premium choke tubes as well as the capability of the scattergun. When patterning boards alone are not enough, dusting clay targets was even further proof.

Conclusion

We opted for the 12-gauge with a 28-inch barrel and full Realtree Timber coverage, though multiple other options are available. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)

There isn’t much not to like on the new Xtreme Plus from Beretta. Submerged in water, shot in near-freezing temperatures and ran dirty – the Xtreme Plus did it all with no failures. Camo patterns are plenty and right on the money for multiple types of hunting, from snow to blade grass to marshes and darker terrain as well.

For serious hunters in the market for something new, Beretta’s new Xtreme Plus is worth a hard look.

SHOP MORE BERETTA PRODUCTS ON GUNS.COM

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“The firearms addressed in this bill are commonly used for hunting, personal defense, and competitive shooting,” said the bill’s sponsor. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Legislation announced Tuesday would remove short-barreled rifles (SBRs) from regulation under the National Firearm Act (NFA) and treat them like regular firearms.

The bill, entitled the “Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act,” was introduced to the U.S. House this week by Rep. Roger Marshall. The Kansas Republican argues that SBRs have been overregulated since 1934 and that needs to change.

“Opponents of the Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act want to use bureaucracy and regulations to obstruct citizens attempting to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms,” said Marshall in a statement issued by his office. “The firearms addressed in this bill are commonly used for hunting, personal defense, and competitive shooting.”

Under current law, as regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, SBRs are classified as a rifle with an overall length of fewer than 26 inches and/or a barrel of fewer than 16 inches in length. Marshall’s bill would remove such limits from NFA enforcement, regulating SBRs in the future under the same rules as other rifles.

According to statistics from the ATF, some 413,167 SBRs were listed on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) as of May 2019. Such figures have steadily risen through the years as these firearms become more popular and gun owners elect, for example, to legally convert AR and AK-style pistols to SBRs after processing a Form 1 and paying a $200 tax stamp. In 2014– just a half-decade ago– there were only 137,201 SBRs on the books.

The measure has the support of gun rights groups to include the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America. It has been listed as H.R. 5289 and has 16 co-sponsors, all Republicans.

“Since I came to Congress, I have fought tooth and nail to stop attempts that would strip our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Marshall. “This bill will eliminate regulations designed not to protect Americans, but to deny them their Constitutional rights.”

H.R. 5289 has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, as well as to the Committee on the Judiciary. Both are controlled by Democrats.

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The Sig Sauer P320-M18 is a civilian version of the U.S. Military’s M18. (Photo: Sig Sauer)

Sig Sauer is the latest company to divvy up military-inspired goods, launching a commercial version of its M18 pistol, aptly named the P320-M18.

Built on the P320 platform, the 9mm chambered P320-M18 opts for a 3.9-inch barrel nestled in a compact slide. The gun also boasts a carry length grip module, we’d assume to make it a more viable option for those that want to slip this in a holster incognito.

The P320-M18  is nearly identical to its military counterpart featuring black controls, coyote-tan coloring, and ambidextrous manual safety. Weighing in at 28.1-ounces, the gun sits 5.5-inches in height with an overall length of 7.2-inches.

The Modular Handgun System was awarded to the Sig Sauer in 2017 and included the full-size M17 as well as the compact M18. Sig Sauer reported in July that since it was awarded the MHS, over 59,000 pistols have been delivered to the government. In July 2018, the company launched its first commercial variant of the MHS offerings by way of the full-size P320-M17.

SHOP THE P320-M17 FROM $599

Sig said it’s no surprise that the success of the M17 and M18 spurned interest in consumers for another commercial variant, this time in a smaller package.

“Since the official selection of the M17 and M18 by the U.S. Army for the MHS, we’ve seen significant civilian interest to own both variants of the handguns,” Chief Marketing Officer Tom Taylor said in a news release. “We are very proud that with the P320-M18, civilians can now own the same innovation and versatility that has made either the M17 and M18 the handgun of choice for all branches of the U.S. Military.”

The striker-fired P320-M18 pistol ships with its own special serial number series in addition to one 17-round magazine and two 21-round magazines. The pistol sports a SigLite front sight as well as a removable night sight rear plate. Of course, if irons aren’t your thing, the slide comes optics ready for red dot action. (We suggest the company’s Romeo1.)

GRAB A ROMEO1 FROM GUNS.COM

While there’s no word yet on pricing, you can check out more on the P320-M18 via this handy video from Sig Sauer.

 

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Designed to replace the iconic Luger as Germany’s new sidearm, the pistol that became the P-38 went on to have a much longer service life.

Engineered by a pair of Fritzes– Fritz Walther, the son of Walther founder Carl, and Fritz Barthelemes– just after their work on the company’s PP-series handgun, their new gun used a lot of then-novel developments. This included twin recoil springs housed on either side of the slide and a pivoting locking block on a fixed barrel. This design, mated to a double-action/single-action trigger, was unique at the time. Compared to the complex toggle action of the Luger, the Walther P-38 was simple and reliable.

Often seen as second-fiddle to the Luger by collectors, the design of the P-38 was much more advanced than the pistol it was meant to replace. (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)

Adopted in 1938 after a two-year prototype period, the first standard military P-38s were only put into production in October 1940. Using a 5-inch barrel, an 8-shot detachable magazine, composite grips slotted around a lanyard attachment, and fixed sights, the pistol proved popular with the German military and was soon in production by not only Walther but Mauser and Spreewerk as well.

German military acceptance codes varied from manufacturer to manufacturer, with Walther issued the “ac” code to designate their wartime guns, and such codes are seen on both PPs and P38s.

While you won’t find the word “Walther” anywhere on the pistol, this “ac 42” marked P38 was produced at the company’s Zella-Mehlis factory while several E/359 acceptance codes show it was taken into service by the Germans. The serial number dates to about June 1942, which coincides with the fall of Tobruk in North Africa.

Spreewerk produced P-38s at their facility in Grottau, Czechoslovakia under the “cyq” and “cvq” manufacturer’s code. This pistol’s “cyq” code, “WaA88” Waffenamt inspector’s marks and 7897e serial number puts its manufacture about July 1943. To put this into historical perspective, this is the same month that the Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, kicked off. The pistol also has distinctive 1W-marked Posselt grips, which were made of a combination of phenolic resin mixed with sawdust, correct for Spreewerk P38s made from 1943 to the end of the war.

Mauser made P-38s at their facility in Oberndorf am Neckar in 1942 under a variety of manufacturer’s codes. This pistol’s “byf 44” code, “WaA145” Waffenamt inspector’s marks and 7168w serial number puts its manufacture about July 1944. To put this into historical perspective, this is just after the famous D-Day invasion in Normandy. The pistol also has ribbed phenolic AEG Grips, which are correct to period Mauser-made P38s.

In all, over a million P-38s were produced in wartime Germany for both military and police issue. With such a huge glut of guns surrendered in 1945, thousands were brought back both by U.S. Servicemen to America as trophies and were impounded by Allied forces. Notably, the Russians still have thousands in arsenal storage although they gave away crate loads as an aid to budding Communist regimes around the world during the Cold War.

SEE P-38 PISTOLS IN STOCK

Post-WWII

The three wartime P-38s makers all lost their factories during the conflict. This led to the production in France by Manurhin which we won’t get into here.

For Carl Walther, they would rebuild in Ulm, West Germany in 1953. Within a few years, they were making the iconic P-38 once again– this time with their traditional banner logos. This would include short-barreled P-38K variants, curious long-barreled Lang models, and the reinforced P-38 II.

In 1956, Walther introduced an updated P-38, adopted by the West German police and military as the P1. Using an aluminum frame, it was somewhat lighter. Also gone were the lined Bakelite grips, replaced by black plastic panels with a pebbled texture.

This Walther P1 is date coded September 1961, about the time that the Berlin Wall was being built. Note the aluminum frame and pebble-style plastic grips.

The P1 series remained the go-to German military handgun until it was replaced by the HK P8, a gently modified version of that company’s USP, in 1998. With that, the P-38 line was put to pasture in 2000.

As one final update to the P-38 line, Walther in 1975 produced the slightly shorter P4 pistol which had both a reinforcing bolt in the aluminum frame and a 4.5-inch barrel. These guns were adopted by several West German police forces as well as the country’s border guard (Bundesgrenzschutz) and customs (Zoll) agencies. Production on this variant of the P-38 ended in 1981.

This rarely encountered Walther P4 in excellent shape has a serial number range that puts its birthdate at around May 1976. It’s just looking for a good home with someone who will appreciate it.

Although still encountered around the world, the days of the P-38 as a military sidearm are numbered. One of the last NATO users of the platform, Portugal, announced earlier this year that they have selected new Glocks to replace their vintage German parabellums.

More for us.

History is just one click away. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

If you like interesting and often rare guns like the P-38, be sure to check out our Collector’s Corner or look through our entire catalog of more than 3,000 new and used guns of all sorts.

BROWSE COLLECTOR’S CORNER

The post The World of German P-38 : Walther, Mauser, Spreewerk and Otherwise appeared first on Guns.com.

A Georgia man intervened during a fast-food restaurant robbery which lead to a "short gun battle" between the "hero bread deliveryman" and the robber.

The post Georgia Deliveryman Fights ‘Short Gun Battle’ During Hardee’s Armed Robbery, Wounds Perp appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

Savage Arms is happy to announce the new Minimalist series, a line of rimfire rifles based on their Mark II and 93 series bolt actions.

The post Savage Arms Announcing Minimalist Lightweight Bolt-Action Rimfire Rifles appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

Rep. Jennifer Wexton claims her Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act will allow federal agents and financial institutions to flag suspicious activity that indicates impending domestic terrorist attacks.

The post Virginia Congresswoman Proposes Bill Empowering Credit Card Companies to Track, Report Gun Purchases appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

ZEISS brings great offers to the table this holiday season. For consumers looking to buy a riflescope, there has never been a better time to jump in on the ZEISS Field Days Promotion.

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When seeking to pass whatever the anti-gun flavor of the month is when it comes to gun legislation, anti-gun advocates often claim to be seeking only “reasonable” solutions. They often claim that if just one more marginal restriction on our rights is enacted, then we will be “safer.”  

Technique    Gear    Stories    Cooking    News Featured Stories 1895: The Last Lever-Action by Aram Von Benedikt The Winchester model 1895 was the last lever-action designed by firearms designer John Browning, and a favorite of Teddy Roosevelt and the Texas Rangers. Read More November Mulies? Yes, Please! by Jace Bauserman Enjoy the process […]

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When I was a (very) young man, the choices in handguns were quite a bit more limited than they are today. After you made the decision of whether to go with a revolver or an automatic pistol, you more than likely ended up with a Smith & Wesson or Colt revolver in .38 Special or […]

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The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) says this week’s Supreme Court hearing on a New York City gun control law could ultimately strengthen the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights by making it harder for governments to impose gun control schemes.  

The nation’s highest court heard arguments directly over gun rights for the first time in a decade this week. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard arguments from New York officials anxious to scrap a challenge to the City’s restrictive gun laws.

The plaintiffs, NYC gun owners who argue the city’s “premises permit” scheme, which drastically restricted the ability to leave one’s premises with a firearm, is unconstitutional, were represented by a team led by Paul Clement, a former United States Solicitor General. Also arguing on their behalf was Jeffrey Wall, current Principal Deputy Solicitor General for the  U.S. Justice Department.

Seeking to get the case rendered moot was attorney Richard Dearing, an attorney for the city.

While the city’s restriction on taking firearms from an owner’s licensed premises to a second home or shooting range outside of the city was previously upheld by lower and appellate courts, the Supreme Court agreed in January to hear a further challenge to the law — the first such move by the court on a major gun case since 2010. This triggered a response by New York City officials to try to short circuit the case while local and state lawmakers repealed the restriction, arguing that the subject is now moot.

Attorneys for the gun owners say the City only waved the white flag at the last minute to avoid this week’s argument with the Supreme Court.

“My clients have been litigating this case for over five years,” said Clement. “The reason they filed this lawsuit five years ago was to try to vindicate their rights under the Second Amendment. Up until the point that the Supreme Court granted certiorari in this case the City of New York has resisted their efforts to vindicate their rights at every turn. And only when the Supreme Court granted the certiorari petition, in this case, did the City start to take efforts to try to recognize their rights.”

Since January, the previously little-followed case has been the subject of more than 40 legal briefs supporting both sides in the challenge. On the side of the gun owners are 120 Republican GOP members of Congress allied attorneys general or governors of 24 red states. Add to this are separate briefs from dozens of gun rights groups ranging from Gun Owners of California and the Firearms Policy Coalition to Black Guns Matter, the Liberal Gun Club, and the Pink Pistols.

Either in support of the City– or at least back the concept of letting the case get dropped by the high court so that it did not set a precedent that could threaten other gun control laws– are more than 140 Democrats on Capitol Hill. Similar filings came from a dozen states with often very strict gun laws as well as from anti-gun groups such as Everytown and March for Our Lives, all angling to insulate New York from a ruling which could prove to be a huge victory for Second Amendment advocates.

“Ultimately we want the court to uphold reasonable interpretations that ensure that things like that background checks, extreme risk laws that have now been enacted in 17 states and the District of Columbia– and indeed an assault weapons ban– can be upheld,” said Kris Brown with the Brady Campaign. “That is our objective and certainly we are working in Congress and in the courts to make that happen.”

A decision on the mootness of the case is expected in the coming weeks with the prospect of a longer, more significant finding drawn out to as late as next June. Until then, some gun rights proponents are cautiously optimistic.

“We will be watching this case closely,” said Second Amendment Founder Alan Gottlieb. “The City of New York, and any other government body for that matter, should not be allowed to trample on a constitutional right and then change a law at the last minute to avoid being penalized for their demagoguery.”

The case is New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. City of New York, No. 18-280.

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Difficult weather, retrieving dogs, ducks, and geese…we could only be discussing one thing in this article – waterfowl hunting. While it’s true that semi-automatic shotguns dominate the arsenals of most dedicated waterfowlers, there’s still plenty of room for those with love for pumps and Over/Unders. When the name of the game is durability under duress, these guns have you covered.

Browning Auto 5 Semi-Auto

The Browning A5 is a versatile series with plenty of options for burgeoning waterfowl hunters.

SEE THE BROWNING A5 ON GUNS.COM
For over 100 years, John Browning’s Auto-5 or A5 semi-automatic shotgun platform has taken down every kind of game and bird imaginable. The trademarked “humpback” design is immediately recognizable while the recoil-driven action sees both the barrel and bolt recoil together.

Though older round-knob Belgian versions of the Auto-5 are most collectible, Browning still produces the gun to this day in several durable finishes and iterations with modern embellishments as well. The Wicked Wing camo, Cerakoted version with oversize controls is a waterfowler’s dream.

Plus, the 100,0000-round guarantee on the new A5 is hard to beat in the industry. Look for the A5, priced around $1,500, for waterfowling success.

Winchester SX3 and SX4 Semi-Autos

The Winchester SX series brings a durable, proven design to waterfowl hunting.

SEE THE WINCHESTER SX SERIES ON GUNS.COM
Though many quality waterfowl specific semi-autos exist on the market, few have proven as durable and user-friendly as Winchester’s SX3 and SX4 shotguns. These scatterguns accept all sizes of shells without adjustment – a definite perk. The action cycles so quickly, waterfowlers can pull from bird to bird, filling the bag limit in no time.

While we prefer the earlier SX3 made in Belgium, the newer Portuguese SX4’s sport some very hunter-friendly control upgrades. With models available in a compact size for smaller-frame shooters, finishes in all sorts of camouflage or wood, and many other options, the Winchester SX is a real hunter’s shotgun.

Hunters can find the SX series of shotguns from Winchester as low as $300 with certain models reaching well over $1,600.

CZ Swamp Magnum

CZ jumps into O/Us with the Swamp Magnum design.

SEE THE CZ SWAMP MAGNUM ON GUNS.COM

Over/Under shotguns are seldom associated with waterfowl hunting, but only because they’re not usually built for such harsh conditions. (Not to mention they often won’t chamber the largest waterfowl rounds.) CZ, however, is looking to change the game with its Swamp Magnum.

Available in camouflage or black, Swamp Magnums are chambered for 3.5-inch full-power hunting rounds. The 30-inch vent rib barrels are topped with extended, interchangeable chokes. Recoil is stout, but knockdown power is even stronger, and the O/U action is a durable, time-proven design.

Though more non-traditional, Swamp Magnum doubles are claiming plenty of big geese and trophy ducks all with an MSRP of $952.

Mossberg 930 Snow Goose

The Snow Goose looks exactly as you’d expect given its name.

SEE THE MOSSBERG 930 SNOW GOOSE ON GUNS.COM
When firepower is at a premium with no limits, shotguns with extended magazine tubes excel and few are as purpose-driven as the Mossberg semi-auto Model 930 Snow Goose. With its Kryptek Yeti wintry camo, 28-inch barrel, and 12+1 magazine tube capacity, snow geese everywhere have been put on notice.

The front fiber optic sight is quick to acquire, while interchangeable chokes offer hunters plenty of pattern options. Plus, this gun turns heads with both its looks and bakers-dozen shell capacity. Of course, it’s not limited to snow geese and does equally as well on other waterfowl as well.

The Mossberg Model 930 Snow Goose retails for $1,022.

Benelli Super Black Eagle

The Super Black Eagle III brings a bevy of features to hunters.

SEE THE BENELLI SUPER BLACK EAGLE SERIES ON GUNS.COM
Most hardcore waterfowlers will have a strong preference for the brand of semi-automatic shotguns, and the Super Black Eagle from Benelli is always in the top two of that conversation. Recently introducing the latest in the Super Black Eagle family, the Super Black Eagle III, the newest shotgun accepts all shells up to 3.5-inches and comes in a variety of finishes and options. Benelli also shows some love to southpaws with a lefty friendly model.

The brand new SBE3 is not a necessity for waterfowl though, as older models are every bit as good. The Super Black Eagle namesake is equipped with Benelli’s inertia-driven, semi-automatic actions. ComfortTech stocks help negate the stout recoil of heavy waterfowl rounds and extended Crio chokes are hard to beat for tight patterns on ducks and geese.

Nab the SBE3 for a cool $1,899 or save a few bucks on older models starting around $1,500.

The post Five Best Shotguns for the Waterfowl Season appeared first on Guns.com.

Complete with a paddle-mag release and threaded, tri-lug barrel, the SP5 is the pistol HK MP5 fans have wanted for years. (Photos: HK)

SEE NEW & USED HK PISTOLS IN STOCK

Just in time for Christmas, Heckler & Koch announced they finally read the letters to Santa and are introducing as close as they can get to a consumer MP5.

Dubbed the SP5, the semi-auto 9mm pistol closely matches the look and feel of the legendary MP5 submachine gun. How closely? It has an 8.86-inch Navy type barrel with threaded tri-lug adaptor, paddle magazine release, fluted chamber, and a chrome-lined bore. Further, it uses the same roller-delayed blowback operating system that has been HK’s hallmark for generations.

Sure to make a lot of wish lists…

“The New SP5 will make all those generic MP5 copies out there look like nothing more than gun store consolation prizes,” says HK in their press release on the new gun, which is much closer to what the market wanted than the snubby and feature-poor SP5K series which was released in 2016.

The SP5 uses the delayed roller locked blowback operating system that made HK famous.

When it comes to specs, overall length is 17.8-inches with a 10.2-inch sight radius, while weight is 5.1-pounds without the mag. The chrome-lined hammer-forged 8.86-inch barrel uses a 6-groove right-hand twist. Width is 2.48-inches. Height is 8.66-inches.

The HK SP5 is the perfect option for those who want a genuine MP5 but don’t have genuine MP5 dollars.

Naturally, it uses MP5 mags. This, combined with the specs, puts it much handier and truer to the original than vintage HK 94 carbines or the kinda wonky SP 89 pistol.

The SP5 uses the same paddle magazine as the MP5.

Made on the same lines and with the same machinery that the company cranks out MP5s on, the SP5 is produced at HK’s Oberndorf factory in southwest Germany.

The pistol is equipped with an elastic kind of old-school “bungee” style sling that mates to hardware on the rear of the receiver. Those wanting a thing that goes up can opt for an aftermarket brace or users can just go ahead and put an MP5 stock on it and make it an SBR, NFA-rules apply.

The SP5 uses a rotating MP5K type diopter sight barrel and rear sling attachment, with the latter ready for those who dig the 1980s Navy SEAL, British SAS aesthetic. Mustache and balaclava not included.

MSRP, in classic German HK mensch ärgere dich nicht fashion, is $2,799 but comes with a soft case, lifetime warranty, and two mags with a choice between factory 30-rounders or 10s depending on state restrictions. Hey, that’s the same cost as the SP5K which falls a lot shorter in features. Meanwhile, it is a good bit more expensive than the domestically-made PTR9 clone, which has been updated with M-LOK and Picatinny. 

While HK explains that production is “currently limited as we still have large contracts to fulfill on other projects,” the new SP5 is said to be headed to distributors right now.

For more on the new splash, Ian McCollum with Forgotten Weapons– in a departure from historic gatts that have been out of production since before the microwave oven was invented– got to check one out in the below video.

For a second take, TFB TV goes long on the HK SP5 with James Reeves nerding out over internals. However, be sure to listen to how good the gun sounds during quiet time with a can attached.

SEE NEW & USED HK PISTOLS IN STOCK

The post HO HO HO: Heckler & Koch Announces New SP5 Pistol appeared first on Guns.com.

SEE WEBLEY & SCOTT XOCET FROM $219.99

The British firm of Webley & Scott dates back to 1790 and has recently been getting back into the rifle game– with the Xocet setting the pace.

Introduced in late 2016 in Europe, the bolt-action Xocet is branded by Webley and manufactured by GSG– making it English by way of Germany in a sense. A cool thing about the model is that they use a threaded 19.5-inch carbon/kevlar composite bull barrel with an option for a standard pencil barrel as well.

They also have a skeletonized trigger, 10-shot detachable box mag, top Picatinny rail, and sling swivel studs standard.

The Xocets we have in the Vault all carry a German CIP Proof mark while the threaded carbon fiber barrel has a 1-in-16 twist rate on the .22LR models in stock.

With a lightweight ambidextrous synthetic stock with a 14-inch length-of-pull, these handy rimfire bolt guns run just 37.5-inches overall while hitting the scales at 7.5-pounds.

Produced in .17 HMR, .22LR and .22 WMR, we recently picked up a nice selection of .22LR guns with CF barrels. Note the Pic rail and threaded muzzle with a knurled cap.

While MSRP is a whopping $400+ on these, you wouldn’t believe our current price on the mint condition Xocets in stock.

SEE WEBLEY & SCOTT XOCET FROM $219.99

The post Bargain CF Bolt-Action 22 Rifle: The Webley & Scott Xocet appeared first on Guns.com.