In general, rifling twist rate determines the optimum weight of the bullet for a given caliber. It also determines the speed of the bullet by preventing any yaw or pitching. Rifling twist is measured in the number of revolutions  per inch of barrel. For instance a 1 in 9″ twist means that the bullet made one revolution while traveling 9″ down the barrel.

So, what is  the best twist rate? Well the answer nobody wanted is, “It Depends!” A good rule of thumb is that the more weight or longer the bullet is, the faster the twist rate has to be in order to stabilize the bullet. Also, in general, lighter/shorter bullets can usually be fired in barrels with faster twist rates, but heavier/longer bullets cannot be fired in barrels where the twist rate will be too slow. Let’s examine this in more deatail as it relates to AR-15’s.

The original M-16 started off with a 1 in 14″ twist rate which is good enough for bullets around 55gr. However, when temperatures dipped below freezing, the density of the air caused the bullets to lose their spin, resulting in much less accuracy. In order to solve this problem, the military adopted a twist rate of 1 in 12″. The SS109/M855, which is 62gr, required a 1 in 10″ rate to stabilize, but the military settled on a 1 in 7″ rate due to the need to fire the heavy and long tracer rounds.

What does this mean for the civilian AR-15 enthusiast? Well, considering most barrel manufacturers produce their barrels in both 1 in 9″ and 1 in 7″, choosing either will not hurt the performance of the rifle for the majority of shooters out there. If you think you will be shooting the heavier grain bullets or tracer rounds, then it is probably safer to pick a 1 in 7″ twist rate barrel.

I hope that this short article on AR-15 barrel twist rates helped clear up some information! Please feel free to leave us some comments or questions if you would like more information!

Prize #1 – Gunslick cleaning tool kit.
• .38 and .45 bronze brushes
• .38 and .45 brass jags
• .38 and .45 cloth mops
• .38 and .45 brass patch holders
• Plastic case

Prize #2 – Hoppe’s Quick Clean rust and lead removal
cloth.

Prize #3 – Hoppe’s Bore Snake in your choice of pistol
caliber. (Will be purchased after the match
is over and the winner chooses a caliber)

This months target is a bit different in that brings a lot of luck into the equation.  A preview of what you’ll be shooting at…

Remember, shoot often and shoot safely.

Rules and target may be downloaded HERE.

Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, was nominated for reelection to the NRA board of directors.  He is an experienced lobbyist and has done a lot for firearm owners in New York State.  See his website here.

Below is a list of Tom’s accomplishments taken from an email I received.

• Current NRA Board Member
• Re-nominated by the NRA Nominating Committee
• President of the NYS Rifle & Pistol Association
• Currently serving on four NRA Committees
• NRA Benefactor Member and Whittington Center Pathfinder
• Successfully lobbied for legislation allowing 14 – 21 year olds to compete and train with handguns
• Challenged Senator Schumer exposing his stealth campaign to portray himself as a “Friend of the 2^nd Amendment”.
• Planned NYS largest pro gun rally of 2,000+ gun owners who heard Wayne LaPierre call Albany “the belly of the beast”
• Organized and coordinated a NYS grassroots email alert system
• Fought and won the battle against Gov. George Pataki thereby reinstating the shooting sports in the Empire State Games
• Served as Vice President and General Manager of a multi-billion dollar company
• Served as President & CEO of a multi-million dollar company
• A life long big game hunter, reloader and competitive shooter participating in archery, black powder and rifle hunts through out the Northeast, Rockies and the Northern Plains as well as hunting waterfowl and upland game.

“To all retail customers:

On January 2010 American Tactical Imports Inc received official notification from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives that the original barrel shroud (aka: fake suppressor) supplied with your GSG 5 SD model must be replaced. It has been determined that this shroud is regulated under the National Firearms Act. American Tactical will provide a replacement shroud at no charge for each GSG 5 SD model sold or currently in inventory.

Consumers in possession of a GSG 5 SD model with the original shroud in place on the firearm are now in violation of the NFA. To avoid continued violation of the NFA, ATI asks that all persons in possession obtain a replacement shroud as soon as possible. We anticipate arrival of the new shrouds to begin by the middle of February 2010.

IMPORTANT: THE ORIGINAL SD MODEL SHROUD MUST BE RETURNED ACCOMPANIED BY THE FIREARM SERIAL NUMBER BEFORE A REPLACEMENT SHROUD IS ISSUED. THE DIAMETER OF THE SD SHROUD IS 1-9/16″. DO NOT RETURN THE SMALLER CARBINE SHROUD.

WHAT TO DO:
If possible return your old shroud to the dealer where purchased and show him this notice. The shroud will be returned to ATI along with a list of serial numbers from the guns that the shrouds were removed. ATI will send replacements to the dealer for pick up at your convenience; ATI will be sending replacements as fast as logistics allow. If your dealer is out of business or difficult to reach, or you purchased your gun used, from a consumer, return the shroud directly by US mail or UPS to American Tactical Imports Inc. 100 Airpark Drive Rochester, NY 14624.

PLEASE TRY NOT TO CALL US. We will provide comprehensive information on our web site or by e-mail to atiexchange@americantactical.us

REMEMBER, INCLUDE THE FIREARM SERIAL NUMBER WITH EACH SHROUD OR A REPLACEMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED.

This action IS NOT being instituted through any fault and is strictly due to NFA compliance. American Tactical will assume the responsibility to satisfy the requirements in an effort to minimize the impact on our customers and protect your investment.
We at American Tactical Imports Inc. sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this unfortunate situation.

Sincerely,
Anthony DiChario
President C.E.O.”

I first found this info here and a google search turned up the same info on many other site.  However, it does not appear on the ATI website so it’s probably best to contact ATI via email if you own one.

Several months ago I noticed a different holster design a student in a class was utilizing. Brofro is a member of a couple N.Y. based firearm forums and a good guy and shooter so I approached him and inquired about his holsters unique design and how much leather there was for the sweat guard. He told me the holster was the SuperTuck from Crossbreed Holsters out of Missouri and commented on how comfortable it was. In retrospect, I realized I had seen advertisements for Crossbreed in gun-rags such as S.W.A.T. and on a couple internet forums. The next day I got on the Crossbreed website and ordered one of the SuperTuck Deluxe inside the waistband holsters for my Glock 19 every day carry handgun.

Read the rest of the review here:

On January 30+31 MDTS had the good fortune to co-host a Combat Focus Shooting course from I.C.E. Training taught by Rob Pincus. Rob is the developer of the Combat Focus Shooting system. For those who don’t know who Rob is, he is former Military, former Law Enforcement and the former director of operations for Valhalla Shooting Center in Colorado. Rob is currently the host of the NRA’s Personal Firearm Defense DVD series, host of the “The Best Defense” and “SWAT Magazine TV” shows on the outdoor channel and current director of I.C.E. Training.

The Combat Focus Shooting course is the first of several training classes M.D.T.S., AR15.com and the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association have teamed up to bring to NY in 2010 and 2011. This “Tactical and Practical” training series is an effort to introduce New York state shooters to some of the best and most progressive training available on the market today at an affordable price.

Read the rest of the review here:

I wrote a blog about the lawsuit H&K filed against ATI a while ago where ATI was determined to be infringing on H&K’s design by importing their GSG-5 .22LR H&K clone.  Well, it looks like there is an alternative on the market and this time it’s licensed by H&K.  The Umarex rifles come in clones of the MP5, 416 and 416 pistol.  Umarex is the same company that makes the Colt .22LR tactical rifle.  See the Umarex website for more info.

H/T to the Gun Nuts Media blog where I saw this.

“Mastering the basics is the only way to shoot faster or more accurately, and this goal can be achieved only with proper instruction and critiques. This consolidated, easy-to-read handbook provides a base knowledge that offers laymen and/or professional operators the references to learn/maintain their skills with their pistol, thus raising their level of competence. Whether you carry a pistol for a living or for defense, this book will help you attain the level of training desired.”

The book address concepts like mindset, body mechanics, fundamentals, tactical reloading, and even shooting while wounded. There were many times where it made me go “Well, what if this happened to me??” Additionally it gives you some drills to work on your skills, and even includes a progress worksheet. Unfortunately for Jeff (darkvibe), the entire book is written for the right hand dominant shooter, but it does have a small chapter towards the end for some information on left hand shooting.

The book is concise and to the point, and it gives the feeling of being written by an author with years of real-world experience. Many shooting books and guides are very much like textbooks, and teach great theories but do not offer practical applications to the concepts taught. This is not the case with Lawrence’s book.

After finishing this book I feel I have a much better grasp of the concepts and something to work on at the Tuesday night defensive pistol shoots with Rochester Personal Defense. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who wants to refine their skills or learn some new ones.

Title: Tactical Pistol Shooting, 2nd Edition
Author: Erik Lawrence & Mike Pannone
Pages: 256
ISBN: 1-4402-0436-5
Price: US $24.99