Underwood Ammo 380 +P Ballistics Gel Test And Review

Like a lot of you, I carry a 380 pocket gun sometimes because it's convient and conceals well in most outfits. And like many of you, I view the 380ACP round as relatively underpowered but still much better than nothing. So, the search for a 380 round with relatively good performance has led me to the 90gr Speer Gold Dot rounds and I've trusted them for many years now. Well, theres a new round out from Underwood Ammo that uses the tested bonded Gold Dot bullet but loads it to a higher pressure (22,900 cup) producing a 43% increase in energy out of my test gun (Bodyguard 380) and that's nothing to sneeze at.   In the calibrated ballistics gel (with 4 layers of denim) used in the video below it got 11'' of penetration, expanded to .48 inches, and had a retained weight of 89.5 grains (5.8g=89.5 grains). Here's a video and some disscussion documenting the performance mentioned above I realize there's no SAMMI spec for "+p" 380ACP but this is certainly a hot round. With that said, be sure you have a firearm that can handle the chamber pressures caused by using this round––-if not, you may damage your firearm (and hand). Underwood uses a 3.5'' PPK barrel for their advertised velocity but since most people who carry 380s use a pocket gun, I tested it in a 2.75'' barrel. Here's the chrono numbers: Speer Gold Dot 90gr JHPs: 964fps, 186 ft/lbs energy Underwood Gold Dot 90gr JHPs: 1154fps, 266 ft/lbs energy

Magpul MagLink Review

I've tried a few mag couplers over the years and my favorite to date is the Magpul MagLink.   Here's what I've found while using it over the last few months:

Pros:
-Durable.   This mag coupler has held up to banging around in my range bag, swapping mags many times, and all the shooting I can dish out to it without missing a beat.
-USA made
-For those living in states that don't respect The Constitution with their magazine capacity limits, it gives you a way to have an extra mag at the ready.
-Works with both the MOE Pmag and the GEN M3 Pmags
-Easy to put together
-Can be configured in a couple ways so it doesn't interfere with manipulating the controls of the AR for both right and left handed ARs
-Very lightweight
-Cost.  I picked it up for $14.95 shipped


Cons:
-Weight.  Having 60 rounds hanging from your rifle increases the weight; not getting around that.
-Some people that have used it think changing mags is awkward.  I haven't found that but your mileage may vary....

Here's a video with some shooting, mag changes, and a discussion of the products hits and misses:

Arsenal SGL 31 Review (hint---it's great)

The Arsenal SGL 31 is about as close as we US citizens can get to having the Russian service rifle; the AK-74M.   It comes in with polymer furniture designed to replicate the AK-74M and the barrels are identical.  It'll feel just like the original in your hands, just minus the fun switch.

Pros:

-Reliable.  The AK operating system coupled with the case taper of the 5.45 round make for a rifle that can be depended on to work in the harshest environments.

-Accurate.  I've gotten 2'' groups from the bench with 7N6 ammo out of this rifle.

-Durable.   The chrome lined, cold hammer forged barrel is on par with any barrel made today in terms of long term durability.

-Simple.  The AK has 5 primary moving parts: The bolt carrier, bolt, trigger, safety, and mag release (6 if you count the rear sight I suppose).

-Light recoil impulse

-Comes with 2 sling attachment points.

-Cheap ammo.  The 7N6 is excellent ammo in terms of accuracy, reliability, ease of storing, and terminal performance.

-Ease of maintenance.  (aside from the corrosive ammo aspect) Field stripping the gun, cleaning, and lubricating is caveman simple.  There's a reason the AK is used by illiterate 6 year olds around the world...

-Comes with a side rail for mounting optics should you be inclined to do so

-2 stage trigger.  Some don't like the Arsenal trigger but when it works properly (more on that in the video) I like it.

Cons:

-The finish.  It sucks; in fact it's not really a finish--it's paint.   It can come off with use of many solvents out there so I recommend using CLP if you pick one of these up.   All that said, the finish is accurate to the AK-74M.

-It comes with a 10 or 5 round mag (depending on when/where you buy it).   For the money these rifles cost it should come with AT LEAST 1 quality magazine

-Cost.  These rifles have gone up a good bit in the last few years.   Not long ago they were available for under $700 but these days $850-950 may be a more common street price.

-Customer service.   I've dealt with Arsenal's "customer service" and they suck.   They don't stand behind their product.   That said, they make good products generally speaking so you'll likely not have to deal with them.

Here's a review with some shooting at HD distances, steel plate banging at 100m, a demonstration of disassembly/assembly of the rifle, a demonstration of how the 2-stage trigger works, pros and cons of the gun, and a chrono test with the ammo the gun was designed to use--the 7N6.

In summary, it's a great reliable rifle at a decent price.   If you can do a proper conversion yourself, it may not be worth it but for those that don't have that option the SGL 31's a great AK rifle that'll allow you to shoot a lot of cheap/effective ammo through it for a long, long time.

Chrono Data:

7N6: 2936fps, 996 ft/lbs energy

Magpul PMag Gen M3 Overview

Well I'm still testing these mags (so far, so good) but here's a quick overview:

Things that are different:
-New polymer material for increased strength & durability.  I can't feel a difference but Magpul says it's different
-Modified external/internal geometry so they can be used in multiple platforms to include the HK416, MR556A1, SA-80, SCAR 16/16s, M27 IAR, and possibly others
-The bolt catch cutout has been re-designed for use in the weapons above
-The slide has an overtravel stop to ensure it can't go to far into the magwell which can cause issues with the bolts on non-AR rifles
-Floorplate is slimmer to allow a better fit in dual mag pouches
-Still made in the USA

Things that are the same:
-The proven stainless spring is the same
-The anti-tilt follower and curvature of the mag is the same.  The follower is marked differently (see video) but is shaped the same
-Disassembly is the same; no tools required
-Still includes the dust/impact cover and it works on both the 'old' and new Gen M3

Here's a video with some close ups and demonstrations of what I was talking about above:

Gen 2 Glock 23 Review

The Gen2 17, 19, 22, and 23 are the guns Glock built its' reputation on.  They're utterly reliable, lightweight, soft shooting, more accurate than 99% of the people that shoot them, and extremely simple in design and function.   In the last few years, these Gen2 guns have been flooding the surplus market as departments upgrade their guns to the newer Gen4 guns.   The good news for the public is that while most of these guns were carried a lot and show some wear, many  were shot very little over their lifetime and have plenty of life left in them.

Pros: 
-Reliable.  The gun has had 0 malfunctions
-Accurate (more accurate than I am) 
-Durable.   There are several of these guns with documented round counts over 25k that have only had simple spring replacements in that time
-Easy to maintain 
-TONS of aftermarket support 
-Accepts 13, 15, and 22 round factory magazines 
-Small and light enough to carry but holds 13+1 
-Glock's customer service is second to none 
-Durable finish
-Cheap replacement parts, should you ever need them 
-Low Bore Axis resulting in a relatively soft shooting gun
-Easily modified to fit the shooters' preferences
-Requires very little cleaning/lubrication to run reliably 
-Many people prefer the Gen2 grip without the finger grooves present on the Gen3/4 guns
-No MIM parts on these older guns so those who worry about the ejection issues with the current guns can be confident buying these Gen2s


Cons: 
-I'm not a fan of the Glock factory plastic sights
-Comes with a serrated trigger due to import rules (easy swap)
-When I first inspected the gun, I noticed the slide stop lever had almost no spring tension and replaced it.  What I'm getting at there is that you'll certainly want to inspect the guns because some departments out there do very little armoror work (if any at all) on their guns.

Here's a video with some shooting from the 12m line,  a table top review and discussion, a size comparison with other Glocks and the SIG P229 and a chronograph test with some popular defensive loads

Chrono numbers:

Winchester Ranger 135gr JHP: 1160fps, 403 ft/lbs energy

Speer Gold Dot 180gr JHP: 1016fps, 413 ft/lbs energy

Remington 870 Police Magnum Review

The Remington 870s have been around since the 1940s and over 10 million have been sold since for a reason----they work.   I picked up the police trade in gun reviewed today about a year ago for under $300 (should have bought 5 at that price!); it's the 20'' 7+1 model with rifle sights.   It was beat up on the outside but looked like it had been shot very, very little.   I put on a set of my favorite furniture (Magpul), polished up the chamber with some steel wool, and got to running rounds through it.  Quick summary of the pros and cons below:

Pros:
-100% reliable with all loads I've put through it from low brass Walmart ammo to full power 3'' slugs/buckshot
-Parkerized finish
-Tons of aftermarket support
-I'm a fan of the rifle sights
-Combat proven shotgun
-Comes with the forged extractor and heavy carrier dog spring that many Express model users end up installing anyway
-7+1 capacity on this model
-Handles & points very well
-Spare parts are available at pretty much every gun shop in the country should you ever need them

Cons:
-14'' factory LOP.   I'm 6'0'' and I prefer a shorter (around 12'') LOP.  Most people I know do as well
-The rear sight is somewhat odd.  The notch is a little tight and a peep sight would likely be both faster and more accurate.  I know they have models with Wilson rings on the receiver but just replacing the rear sight with a peep would still help out with quick acquisition

Here's a review video with some shooting and a discussion of the gun's properties:

Streamlight TLR-1 Weapon Light Review

I've had multiple handgun lights over the years from the $25 Protac's to the Surefire X400s of the world but I keep coming back to the Streamlight TLR series.   They're just great lights for the money.  The TLR-1 can be purchased for $90-100 and used for $75-80.   Tough to beat that for a C4 LED, 135 lumen light that's durable and instinctive to use.  Here are some hits and misses for the TLR-1:

Pros:
-Durable.  I have one of these lights that was smashed pretty hard into the ground during some training and it still works as good as new (evidence of that in the video below).  I've also used it on 12ga shotguns, AKs, and ARs without issue
-Bright enough to disorient someone if shined in their face (135 lumen)
-2.5 hour constant on battery life
-Uses 2 CR123 batteries (pretty common these days)
-Temporary activation switch as well as a constant on mode
-Easily actuated controls
-Includes keys for Glock-style, Picatinny, Beretta 90two, S&W 99 and S&W TSW

-Comes with a 2 year warranty

-Cost.   For the quality/performance of this light it's tough to beat at its' price point

-Ambidextrous control set

Cons:

-Weight.   It weighs 4.2oz.   (this could be a pro or con as it does help reduce muzzle flip when mounted on a handgun)

Here's a video running the light on a few guns, some daylight shooting using only the laser on a white background, a demonstration/comparison of the light's luminosity at night time, and some discussion of the pros and cons of the light: