It seems that not all the powers-that-be in San Francisco are sure how to move forward with the Board of Supervisors’ widely-publicized “declaration” that the NRA is a “domestic terrorist organization.”

It’s well-known that the shooting sports offer many positive experiences for people. But what if you suffer from a physical disability? How do you actually hunt afield, compete with other shooters in various events or even just access your local range for much-needed practice?

Some things in the prepping world are pretty obvious. You have to just go do them. If you want to not go to bed at 6pm every night in the winter, it might be a good idea to think about some lights. Food? Some people (idiots), think they can live off the land. Water? Eh, […]

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Former Vice President Joe Biden has a plan for gun control. It certainly isn't the most radical plan out there. He wants to expand the list of crimes for which convicts can be deprived of their gun rights to include misdemeanor hate crimes.

Each year brings a new record increase in the number of concealed handgun permits. The rate of growth in permits among women and minorities has far outpaced growth among white men. The data paint a picture of incredibly law-abiding permit holders, the vast majority living outside America’s insular media capitals.

In a shameless effort to exploit the tragedies in El Paso, Midland, and Odessa, gun control advocates have demanded restrictive measures that would eliminate private firearm transfers, ban commonly-owned firearms and magazines and impose so-called "red flag" gun confiscation laws.

The rifling in a Glock 19 S3f barrel. (Photo Credit: Christopher Orth)

When selecting a firearm, the term “rifling” often comes into play and sometimes gets caught up in a blanket statement about twist rate. Though twist rates are created by rifling, it’s important to understand the process behind rifling to grasp its importance in the world of shooting.

Rifling History

What makes up rifling — in short, lands and grooves. Lands are the raised, uncut areas of metal while grooves are the lower, depressed portion of rifling. Groove depth varies between .005-inches and .010-inches and is chosen based on what best suits the type of bullet the gun will use. For instance, muzzleloaders require deeper grooves than a bolt-action 6.5 Creedmoor.

Rifling of an AR (Photo Credit: David Werner)

The first instance of well-done rifling can be traced back to 1498 and is credited to the Germans. At that point in history, cutting rifling grooves was far more difficult than it is today; grooves were cut by hand, one by one, slowly and skillfully by gunsmiths to ensure even, smooth results. It took nearly half a century for rifling to transform from a rare art form to today’s where it can be easily mass-produced – though, hand-made barrels still remain superior. The advent of modern technology and mass production has benefited shooters who now can pick up barrels for their firearms at more reasonable prices.

Types of Rifling

The method used to create rifling matters too. Different methodology creates either more consistent or less consistent tolerances which in turn means more or less stability for the bullet. If you want a precision rifle you need a precisely made barrel.

There are a few means to cut these grooves into a barrel to create rifling. The first method is called broached Rifling. A broach is a hardened steel rod with blades staged in a spiral around it. The rod is made so each blade cuts a little bit deeper than the one ahead of it.

A mandrel, responsible for the chamber and rifling, is inserted into the bore during the Hammer Forging process creating lands and grooves. The above is shown in the center in a cutaway factory process from Daniel Defense, which performs Cold Hammer Forging on 4150 CMV steel blanks. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

This gives barrel makers the ability to cut grooves in a cold barrel in one pass; though sometimes broaches are used in progressively larger sizes to cut a barrel until the groove depth is where the maker wants it. Broaching is fantastic for mass-production, does not put undue stress on the barrel and can be made to decent tolerances.

Another means of rifling is through button rifling. This type of rifling is achieved by using a somewhat bullet-shaped piece of tungsten carbide – a “button” or “plug” — to cut grooves. The button can be either pushed or pulled through the barrel depending on the maker’s preference. This is another solid method for mass-produced barrels and results in a beautiful finish. Tolerances of these rifles tend to be quite good.

The rifling of a 30mm cannon being made by Proof Research for the US Army. Photo Credit: Proof Research)

The oldest method in the gun world for cutting grooves, cut rifling involves the use of a single-bladed cutter. The cutter is usually pulled through a cold barrel with a single groove being created with each pass. Using this method doesn’t put much stress on the barrel and allows for tight tolerances. It is, of course, not well-suited to mass-production due to the lengthy process.

A newer technology, Electrolytic Cationic Machining, uses a wet-etching method that uses reverse-electroplating to remove from inside the barrel rather than add to it. These machines utilize electrodes shaped as plastic cylinders with reverse-imaged metal strips encircling them. To create the desired twist rate, the cylinder is pushed through the barrel while the barrel is immersed in chemicals like sodium nitrate and methodically rotated. Although this is an expensive method of rifling, it results in precise rifling.

What is Twist Rate and How Does It Relate

Rifling culminates to twist rate — a term seen most often when checking out the specs of guns. Twist rate is a figure that explains how many times a bullet spins as it travels through the barrel. For example, 1:7 twist rate means the bullet will rotate once every 7-inches. Twist rate is created by rifling and, yes, your twist rate does have an impact on precision. You shouldn’t expect amazing precision from an AR-15 with a 1:12 twist rate; however, an AR-15 with a 1:7 twist rate is another story. A slower twist rate tends to give the bullet more opportunities to yaw, which leads to tumbling and ultimately, larger and less reliable groups.
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Bottom Line

There is a difference between twist rates of rifle and handgun barrels. The standard AR-15 might have a 1:7 twist rate but an M1911 chambered in .45 ACP could have a 1:16 twist rate. That doesn’t mean there’s a problem with the .45 ACP barrel, they are two varying cartridges and bullets with different requirements. Twist rate matters but there’s also a wide variety out there and for good reason, as there’s a variety of firearms, calibers, and purposes for shooting.

At the end of the day, if you’re after precision rifle shooting and beautifully tight groups a precisely-made barrel with a certain rifling is a necessity; however, if you’re looking for a plinking or duty gun a high-end or hand-cut rifled barrel isn’t needed.

To check out our inventory of plinking guns and precision firearms, head over to Guns.com to see more.

The post What Is Barrel Rifling and How Does It Relate to Twist Rate? appeared first on Guns.com.

Gunmakers have been eager to cater to the country’s growing population of concealed carriers with offerings such as the Sig Sauer P365 (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

A new report into the number of concealed carry permit holders announced this week found the numbers at an all-time high even as 16 states recognize permitless or constitutional carry.

The 62-page report, compiled by the Crime Prevention Research Center, shows that 1.4 million more permits and carry licenses were issued in the last year, bringing the number of active holders to some 18.66 million. This represents an 8 percent growth from 2018’s figures and a serious 304 percent increase since 2007.

Percent of adults with concealed handgun permits by states. (Photo: Crime Prevention Research Center)

Fully 7.3 percent of American adults have permits at this point. The report details that 13 states have more than 10 percent of their adult population with permits with Alabama and Indiana taking the lead in that category. Florida alone has more than 2 million permits in circulation while Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas have over a million each. In each case, the gun owners in these states enjoy a fairly relaxed “shall-issue” permitting process.

On the other side of the spectrum, at least nine states– California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island– have restrictive “may-issue” permitting practices when it comes to concealed carry licensing.

The post All Time High: Now Over 18.6 Million Concealed Carry Permit Holders appeared first on Guns.com.

September 2019 saw a 10 percent bump in the number of firearm background checks performed in September 2018. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

September 2019 saw a significant increase in the number of firearm background checks performed over the same month during the previous year.

The unadjusted figures of 2,189,028 checks conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System last month is a nearly 15.5 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 1,895,841 in September 2018.

When adjusted — subtracting out gun permit checks and rechecks by numerous states who use NICS for that purpose — the latest figure remains a stout 1,011,636, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry trade organization. This number is a significant 10 percent higher when compared to the September 2018 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 919,979.

The figure is the third-highest for the month of September in the past 20 years, only narrowly bested by the numbers from 2016 and 2017. When compared to the data from 15 years before, last month’s figure was a mouth-dropping 51 percent higher.

September 2019 is also the fifth month in a row that the number of adjusted checks was higher than the previous year’s data. As such, the third quarter 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 2,955,750 reflects an increase of 9.1 percent compared to the 2,708,048 figure for the third quarter of 2018.

The NICS numbers do not include private gun sales in most states or cases where a concealed carry permit is used as alternatives to the background check requirements of the 1994 Brady law which allows the transfer of a firearm over the counter by a federal firearms license holder without first performing a NICS check. Some 24 states accept personal concealed carry permits or licenses as Brady exemptions.

The post NICS Background Checks on Guns Jump 10 Percent in September appeared first on Guns.com.

The Illinois state Joint Committee on Administrative Rules is in the process of imposing an additional, onerous layer of state licensing on federally licensed firearm dealers (Senate Bill 337). The proposed rules could potentially strangle your local gun stores with government red tape. Public comments against such oppression are due by October 7th. 

There are many reasons to own a surplus military rifle: they’re usually inexpensive, rugged, accurate, fire cheap ammunition, and are important pieces of history that will only grow in value with the passage of time. The surplus military rifles that we are about to take a look at were once the standard issue infantry rifles […]

The post The Top 5 Best Military Surplus Rifles appeared first on Gun News Daily.

Walther Arms is now offering a long slide conversion kit for existing PPQ owners. At the same time Walther is announcing an updated version of the PPQ.

The post Walther PPQ Match Conversion Kits Incoming, Coyote Tan Pistols Too appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

Prepping appropriately means knowing how to defend yourself. That means using lethal force, if necessary. After all, your goal as a prepper is to remain safe and protect yourself and your property. But stocking up on ammo and guns isn’t enough. You need to know how to shoot and shoot well under stress. If the […]

The post Defensive Shooting Drills: Training How You Fight appeared first on Gun News Daily.

Four people are dead following a knife attack Thursday at the police headquarters in Paris, France.

The post Knife Attack At Police Headquarters in Paris Leaves 4 Dead appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

n Wednesday, October 9, 2019 SIG SAUER Academy will host Colion Noir at the SIG SAUER Academy Pro Shop at 233 Exeter Road in Epping New Hampshire from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.

The post SIG SAUER Academy to Host Meet & Greet Event with Colion Noir appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

A GunsAmerica investigation has found that O’Rourke misrepresented and, in some cases, totally fabricated the exchanges he had at the Conway Gun Show on August 17. We spoke with the two men quoted in ABC’s original coverage of the event, and they both take issue with the way their comments have been used and distorted by the O’Rourke campaign.

The post Exclusive: Beto O’Rourke Lied, Exaggerated about His Conversations with Gun Show Attendees appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

Through 2016, there have been over 16 million modern sporting rifles in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Meanwhile, violent crime is declining.

The post NSSF: Violent Crime Down, AR Ownership Up! appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

America saw a significant decrease in the number of homicides involving rifles, a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation released on Monday shows. All methods of murder dropped by 7 percent in 2018, and gun murders fell by 6.7 percent, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. But murders committed specifically with rifles fell by an even greater 23.8 percent.

Now is your chance to earn up to a $200 rebate on a Vudu precision rifle scope from EOTECH! Offer ends Oct. 31, 2019.

The post Earn a $200 Rebate on A EOTECH Vudu Precision Rifle Scope! appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.

“This will give individuals who now possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines two options: sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act.”

The post Biden Wants to Give Black Rifles NFA Treatment Under New Plan appeared first on GunsAmerica Digest.