Shown here are four autoloading pistols chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. Three are incarnations of the 1911, and bottom right is one alternative I consider superior to that design: The Sig P220 (this one a “Combat” edition with an extra $150 of anti-corrosion coatings). On the left are Sig Sauer’s $1200 Nightmare and Nightmare Carry variants of the 1911. Top right is the Springfield TRP, a near custom-grade 1911 that costs almost $1800.

John Browning’s 1911 pistol is a historic firearm, made even more remarkable by the fact that the century-old design is still considered competitive with the most modern handguns on the market. It is not uncommon to see custom-tuned 1911s selling for $2000-$3000. The high end of the custom 1911 market exceeds $5000. I will admit that a hand-finished 1911 can be a beautiful machine: a reliable, durable, precise pleasure to shoot.

But I find a few drawbacks to the 1911. The first is that you have to really pay up to get a 1911 that equals the fit and finish of the $1000 P220 I show for comparison. (See my praise of the Sig Sauer P22x series here.) Even these more expensive Sig Nightmares exhibited out-of-the-box stickiness in trigger pull and operation that left me feeling like they needed to be cleaned and polished, or maybe more broken in. The Springfield TRP, on the other hand, provided the slick, transparent handling I have only briefly experienced with other (even more expensive) custom 1911s.
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My top choice for autoloading pistols are Glocks. However when money is not a dominant factor I have become enamored of Sig Sauer pistols. (With night sights they start around $1000, vs $600 for Glocks.)

Shown here are four classic DA/SA pistols chambered in 9mm (but also available in .357 SIG and .40 S&W). On the left are the full-sized P226 German and P226 Scorpion, with standard 9mm magazine capacities of 15 rounds. On the right are the mid-sized P229 Elite Dark and M11-A1, with 9mm magazine capacities of 13 rounds. All have SIGLITE night sights.

Top Left: The P226 German is hard to find here since Sig has been making pistols for the U.S. market at its Exeter, New Hampshire facility for years. Apparently the German plant uses some different methods to manufacture the slide. Practically I can’t see any differences with a standard P226. This specimen also features Hogue anodized aluminum grips, which are my personal favorite.

Top Right: The P229 Elite Dark adds a beavertail frame, SRT trigger, Hogue aluminum grips, and front cocking serrations to a regular P229.

Bottom Left: The P226 Scorpion is a P226 Elite finished in Flat Dark Earth. Grips are Hogue G10.

Bottom Right: The M11-A1 is a P229 built for the military. It features the Sig Anti-Snag (SAS) frame and phosphate-coated internal parts to increase corrosion resistance.

The common attractions of this line of pistols are the following:

• They are available with Sig’s Short Reset Trigger (SRT), the best factory pistol trigger I have ever tried.
• Their metal frames and slides fit and run like a fine watch. Trigger aside, there’s something sublime about the feel and finish that sets them in a class above guns with polymer frames and triggers.
• They have no manual safety, which I consider an unnecessary complication in a defensive pistol.
• Reliability is top-notch, as their numerous contracts with the most demanding government buyers attest.

I went into the DA/SA trigger system in detail in my recent post on the Sig P239. To summarize: The pistol is carried loaded and decocked. The first trigger pull is a long but smooth ten-pound double-action that first cocks and then releases the hammer. The DA trigger pull is the pistol’s “manual safety,” which can also be “disengaged” by manually cocking the hammer. From that point until the pistol is manually decocked the trigger has a precise 4-pound break with minimal overtravel and reset.

The P239 is the sub-compact variant of Sig Sauer’s classic full-power autoloading pistol, making it a great deep concealment or backup gun.

On the right is a ten-year-old standard P239. On the left is a recent “Tactical” variant, which includes front serrations on the slide and Sig’s Short-Reset Trigger (SRT). This one also has an extended barrel threaded for a suppressor, which increases the barrel length from 3.5″ to 4″. Both pistols are equipped with SIGLITE night sights. (Illuminated sights are essential for any pistol that might need to be used in low-light conditions, as defensive arms so often are.)

Calibers

The P239 is available in 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W. The left pistol is chambered in 9mm, allowing it to carry 8+1 rounds vs 7+1 in the pistol on the right, which is shown in .357 SIG. Switching calibers is only a matter of changing the barrel and recoil spring, and putting in the correct magazine.

.357 SIG, though not as popular as the other two calibers, is uniquely appealing. A typical defensive load for the 9mm is a 125gr bullet. Loaded to +P specifications it will leave a 3.5″ barrel at about 1200fps. The .357 SIG fires the same bullet at 1400fps. A typical .40 load is either a 150gr bullet that reaches 1200fps or a 180gr that attains 1000fps.

Many of the arguments over defensive calibers are anecdotal, and in that domain people who have to shoot a lot of animals consider the .357 SIG to be a more reliable stopper than the slower alternatives here. Higher velocity also seems to offer some resistance to deflection and assistance to barrier penetration, though the nuances vary largely with the bullets and materials being shot. Nevertheless, there are two objective metrics that everyone agrees on: (1) Kinetic Energy, which determines the maximum amount of damage a bullet can do, and (2) Momentum, which is proportional to recoil, which determines how difficult it is for a shooter to control the gun and make accurate follow-up shots. While Energy continues to be quoted in foot-pounds, the shooting industry has adopted a measure of momentum called “Power Factor,” which we will use here:

The .357 SIG is a clear standout for a short-barreled pistol like the P239: Of the available calibers it offers the highest velocity and energy without exceptional recoil. However, it is not as widely available as the other two calibers. Also, 9mm is significantly cheaper and can squeeze one more round into each magazine. If I were on a budget and wanted to do a lot of practice I would probably use 9mm at the range and switch the gun back to .357 SIG for protection.

Triggers

Sigs are fine pistols. The examples here cost about $1000 each. The fit, finish, operation, and reliability of these guns are superb.

The classic Sig Double-Action/Single-Action (DA/SA) trigger system offers some unique features. These pistols are designed to be carried with the hammer down. In that condition the first pull of the trigger is a long and heavy (about ten pounds) double-action that serves to cock and then release the hammer. After the first shot the hammer is cocked and the trigger performs the single action of releasing the hammer (with just over four pounds of pressure). When the shooting is over the decocking lever (second on the left side) lowers the hammer, rendering the gun safe to holster. I.e., the gun’s “manual safety” is the double-action trigger pull. That “safety” can also be disengaged by manually cocking the hammer when the gun is first drawn.

The single-action trigger pull and reset are superb. The standard trigger takes about half an inch to reset. From there it is slack until pulled back to the sear release point, where it breaks and stops crisply. The SRT, standard on the Tactical and an easy $50 upgrade on any other model, takes the trigger to a level I previously thought existed only on custom-tuned 1911s: The SRT resets in little more than an eighth of an inch, and there is no discernible slack after the reset. This allows a shooter with a properly disciplined trigger finger (i.e., one that doesn’t unnecessarily release or jerk the trigger) to fire shot strings with only minimal finger movement.

Not long ago if you wanted to carry more firepower than a pistol, but you wanted something more wieldy than a rifle, you would carry a sub-machine gun. Typically equipped with folding or collapsing stocks and extended magazines, these could put more rounds on a target more quickly and accurately than a handgun. But sub-machine guns shoot handgun rounds, not rifle rounds, and even before the ubiquity of body armor the ability of the former to penetrate barriers and stop bad guys was a known shortcoming.

Today sub-machine guns are tactical relics, replaced by a smorgasbord of rifles with short barrels, folding stocks, and (my favorite) bull-pup configurations like the Kel-Tec RFB shown here. These are almost as easy to carry and maneuver in close quarters as sub-machine guns, but they shoot the full-power rifle rounds you’d much rather send towards a bad guy or vehicle when your life depends on it.

When I tested the Kel-Tec RFB I mounted one of my high-power scopes so that I could wring out its full potential for accuracy. Since it shoots the mid-range .308 round it wouldn’t be unreasonable to equip it that way, but since it is also proportioned for close-quarters battle I wanted to test some CQB-appropriate optics.
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After spending some time with this SCAR 17S I have a few salient observations. If you’re looking for a complete review start here or here.

Overall the FN SCAR 17S is an overpriced but good 4th-generation “heavy” tactical rifle. SCAR stands for Spec-ops Combat Assault Rifle, a procurement project developed by US SOCOM almost a decade ago that ultimately resulted in a production contract for FNH. The 17S is a semi-automatic version of the reliable SCAR-H being produced for the military. “Heavy” refers to the rifle’s caliber, not its weight: At 8 pounds it’s actually quite light for an auto-loader that shoots the mid-power 7.62x51mm NATO round.

Typically this combination of a light gun shooting heavy rounds is a recipe for jarring recoil that makes fast follow-up shots impossible. But the SCAR 17S does a remarkable job taming recoil: In addition to a very effective muzzle brake its massive reciprocating action has been tuned to dampen the recoil impulse to such a degree that it can be fired accurately as fast as a 5.56mm carbine.

Like most 4th-gen tactical rifles the SCAR has a piston action, monolithic upper, folding stock, short-throw safety, and ambidextrous controls (except, strangely, for the bolt catch). It can be field-stripped without tools. Barrels can be changed out with a torque wrench.

Many of my complaints about this gun are based on its price: Almost $3000. This puts it in the realm of custom-tuned AR-10 rifles which, though heavier and lacking in 4th-generation features, are capable of far greater accuracy. Out of the box the SCAR 17S comes with a trigger that is absolutely awful. In fact we abandoned our first range trip to test its accuracy after realizing the trigger was too sticky and heavy to approach 1 MOA. After upgrading to a Timney drop-in trigger we were able to shoot about 1 MOA with match-grade ammo.

The SCAR stock and lower are made almost entirely of polymers. For the price one would expect a decent grip, but it ships with a bottom-of-the-barrel A2-style plastic grip. Compounding this annoyance is the fact that it does not quite fit standard AR grips. We tried an ERGO grip sized specifically for the SCAR, but that had too much flex to positively control the rifle. So we resorted to what many SCAR owners apparently do: filing and Dremeling a true AR grip to fit. (In this case a Magpul MIAD.)

Another annoyance is the fact that it does not work with standard AR-10 or FAL magazines, but rather requires magazines that only fit the SCAR 17S.

For me a potential deal-breaker is the fact that the 17S has a reciprocating charging handle. In principle I don’t think a reciprocating handle belongs on unmounted guns. There are plenty of support positions that can interfere with the movement of that handle during firing. For example, the first time I raised the gun to shoot offhand, with the magazine well tucked into the web of my support hand, the charging handle hit my thumb. Fortunately the recoil impulse is slow enough that it doesn’t seem likely to break anything, but if I want to use that stance I would have to switch the handle to the other side and operate the action with my trigger hand.

Desert Tactical Arms currently makes the only bolt-action bullpup rifle available in the U.S. Given my love of the bullpup style I was excited to find them, until I saw that their prices start at over $4000. I said, “No way; I’ll wait until someone does it cheaper.” A year went by with no signs of anyone moving to compete in this niche. I did some more research, found a dealer selling them at a 20% discount to retail and, as you can see, finally convinced both myself and a friend to pull the trigger. Pictured here is my SRS Covert (the shorter one) in Olive-Drab Green and my friend’s full-length SRS in Flat Dark Earth.

(Of course once you spend $4000 on a rifle you don’t want to cut corners on the scope: Mine carries a $1700 IOR Valdada 6-24x56mm FFP. The other wears a $2200 NightForce 3.5-15×50 FFP.)

The Covert chassis is the bare minimum 26″ in overall length, and is equipped here with a 16″ barrel chambered in .308 with a 1:8 twist — optimal for running subsonic loads as well as the heaviest .308 bullets. The standard SRS has an extended fore-end that pushes it to 32″ long, and is shown here with a 22″ .308 barrel, 1:11 twist.

These rifles are supposed to compete not only in price but also in performance with the finest precision bolt guns on the market: Accuracy International, G.A. Precision, Sako, Surgeon, and higher-end custom sniper rifles.

The DTA SRS has some remarkable features (in addition to the bullpup configuration I love for its compactness):

1. Quick-change caliber conversion: Using a single torque wrench a barrel can be swapped out in under a minute and replaced without losing zero.  The chassis accommodates conversion bolts and magazines to cover calibers from .243 Win up to .338 Lapua Magnum.
2. The trigger is the finest I have ever pulled.  It is a single-stage design and is adjustable for creep and weight.  I have mine turned down to 1.5 pounds.  (Granted, I don’t have trigger time on the competition, and many shooters who do claim that Sako and AI triggers are better.  Many also lament the lack of a second stage and adjustable stop.)
3. All DTA barrels are match-grade Lothar-Walthers.  The rifles have developed a reputation for world-class long-range precision.
4. Quick-Detach sling mounting points are included everywhere you might want them.

There are some fundamental shortcomings:

1. The bolt assembly — essentially the only mechanism on the gun that has to move — has a matte finish.  It should have a high-lubricity coating.  I paid ROBAR $65 to coat mine in NP3.
2. The single-stack magazines are made to very loose tolerances and, given their construction, are absurdly expensive.  DTA charges over $100 for a part that it appears they haven’t spent more than $15 to make.
3. The butt is hard, and there is no means of adjusting the comb.

Another drawback is that the company is still immature.  I wouldn’t expect sloppiness like the following given the price they are charging:

1. My barrel arrived with copper fouling.  (Hopefully only “tested,” not “used.” DTA claimed that after test-firing barrels they don’t clean them in case customers want to run the break-in rituals that high-end barrel makers eschew.) [Update: I actually couldn’t get it to shoot under 1.5MOA, and after several range sessions to eliminate any other sources of error returned it. It took them a month, but they finally sent me a new barrel that shoots .5MOA with factory match ammo.]
2. To date they have included a “test target” with every gun that is just a photocopy of one shot earlier in the year on a different gun and in a different caliber.
3. They have a few good service agents, but also some very incompetent ones.