Combat Magnum's Smith & Wesson
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TM 2018 SHOT Show Issue SIG Sauer SIG716 DMR FDE 6 Including a two-pound weight loss, SIG’s latest rendering of their piston-drive, 7.62 NATO 716 platform represents across-the-board improvements. Dave Bahde 6 S&W Mo. 66 and 69 Combat Magnum Revolvers 16 32 Protection in the backwoods or on the streets, we test a pair of compact and powerful .357 and .44 Magnum fighting revolvers from Smith and Wesson. Massad Ayoob Henry Long Ranger Rifle 24 Looking for a different way to push the distance- envelope? With precision in mind, Henry opens up a new frontier for the old frontier rifle. Frank Melloni SHOT Show 2018 Best New Products 32-53 Bear & Son Mini Auto’s Vertx Tactical Gloves Mossberg 590M Shotgun Nighthawk Agent 2 1911 34 Springfield Armory 911 Nikon Black FX1000 6-24x50 Scope 42 Rock River Select Target Rifle MTM Tactical Pistol Cases Meopta Collapsible Spotter Starline 6.5 Grendel Brass SIG Sauer P365 Pistol SIG Sauer ASP20 Air Rifle Wilson Combat EDC X9 Pistol Walther PPQ M2 SC Pistol Bushnell Impulse Trail Cam Streamlight TLR 7/8 Weaponlights Howa KRG Bravo Rifle Doublestar Strongarm Pistol Brace LWRCi DI Competition Rifle Kimber Advanced Tactical SRC II Rifle Ruger Security-9 Pistol Velocity MPC Drop-In AR Trigger Hornady .300 BLK Subsonic Nightforce ATACR Scope Blackhawk Premium Holsters Les Baer Premier II 5” 10mm 1911 Savage Mo. 110 Wolverine Federal .224 Valkyrie Loads Dan Wesson Vigil 1911’s Zeiss Conquest V4 Riflescopes 48 CZ Scorpion Micro TruGlo TFX Pro Night Sights 52 S&W M&P380 Shield EZ Tacstar Carbon-Fiber AR Handguards New Black Hills Honeybadger loads Silent Legion .450 Suppressor Aero Precision M4E1 Receiver Set POF Glock Slides Real Avid AR Master Bench Block Vortex Strike Eagle Scopes Boyd’s At-One Adjustable Stock AR500 UHMWPE Body Armor S&W M&P10 PC 6.5 Creedmoor 54 Looking for a sub-half-M.O.A., semi-auto launch platform for the 6.5 Creedmoor? The Smith & Wesson Performance Center has you covered. Bill Battles Gun Giveaway Contest 62 Enter to win a Wilson Combat 5.56mm NATO Ranger 53 AR-15, a SureFire M322V compact white-light/infrared 54 LED Scout Light and 200-rounds of Hornady’s 73-gr. FTX Critical Defense .223 Rem. ammunition. Combined retail: $3,159! OT Staff Howa HCR Chassis Rifle 64 After nearly 40-years in production, the new crop of chassis-rifles represent the highest evolution of the proven Howa M-1500 Action. Dave Bahde On Our Cover: The new-for-2018 Walther PPQ M2 Sub- Compact 9mm pistol wearing the new Streamlight TLR-8 white light/laser weaponlight. Photo by Ben Battles. 3 EDITOR Ben Battles Tel.: (603) 356-9762 [email protected] ART DIRECTOR Mackenzie Battles [email protected] DIRECTOR OF ONLINE CONTENT Charles Anderson [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Massad Ayoob, David Bahde, Guy Coursey, Frank Melloni, Tatiana Whitlock, Wayne Van Zwoll, Mike Dickerson, Bill Battles 2XTREME ADVERTISING SALES Byers Media, LLC Tel.: (989) 826-3296 Fax.: (989) 826-6926 Ken Byers [email protected] Autumn Ifland [email protected] Neil Henry [email protected] CIRCULATION Angela Battles Tel.: (603) 356-9762 [email protected] PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS www.ontargetmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTION CUSTOMER SERVICE [email protected] On Target is a trademark of Phoenix Publishing, Inc. Entire contents copyright ©2018 by Phoenix Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 5 INCLUDING A Two-pound WEIGHT LOSS, THE LATEST RENDERING OF SIG’S 716 RIFLE REPRESENTS Across-the-boARD IMPROVEMENTS DAVE BAHDE BEN BATTLES, DAVE BAHDE SIG SAUER’S 716 WAS ONE OF THE FIRST a couple of different models, almost there was no loss in accuracy, stacking my original article on the G1 and it is down to 16 inches, about perfect located lower on the rail on each side truly accurate, short-stroke, pis- unheard of at the time, but it remained shots at 200 yards. So, when Editor weighed in at 11 pounds. A much for this caliber, and threaded at 5/8” x and on the bottom for lights, lasers or ton-driven ARs chambered in .308. heavy. Roughly a year later, the 716 Ben Battles asked me to test their latest lighter hand guard is where most of 24 TPI to accept suppressors or other other accessories. Controls include an I tested the 716 Patrol in 2011, and DMR production model arrived for 16-inch .308 716 G2 FDE DMR I the weight savings came from, but muzzle devices. Unlike similar rifles, ambidextrous magazine release, safety, it was a great start. Accurate, reliable, testing with even more improvements jumped on it. they have worked hard to get this rifle the top rail is continuous and integral, and charging handle. The stock is a and a bit heavy, but most of them were to include some minor weight savings. into the 9-pound range out of the box. including 20 MOA of elevation. It Magpul CTR, the grip is Sig Sauer. back then. A few years later (2013), the Each iteration has been more accurate, SIG SAUER 716 DMR FDE An improved two-position gas system allows you to mount your scope and It’s all coated in a very well done FDE DMR version was in its final proto- more reliable, lighter and more versa- The first thing that caught my atten- helps with suppressor use and increased other night-vision devices without that Cerakote. type stage, and I was able to test that tile. Running the newest DMR version tion was how light this new DMR accuracy. The two-stage match trigger annoying connection point—it’s all Testing was completed using the rifle at the Sig Sauer Academy in New at Sig Sauer’s media event prior to the G2 is—almost two pounds lighter is a huge improvement, along with an one rail. Fully supported at the receiv- Sig Sauer Electro-Optics Tango6 Hampshire. Accuracy was impres- 2018 SHOT show piqued my interest than the DMR I tested in 2014. I was excellent Sig Sauer designed muzzle er, adding a clip-on night-vision scope 34mm 3-18x 44mm scope using their sive and it worked suppressed using again. It seemed quite a bit lighter, and not certain at first, but I dragged out brake. The cold hammer forged barrel does not stress the receiver. Keymod is MRAD DEV-L reticle. This reticle 6 7 1—Right SIDE CONTROLS CONSIST OF AN 1 OVERSIZED MAgazine-RELEASE BUTTON, FORWARD ASSIST AND AN AMBIDEXTROUS SAFETY SELECTOR. THE INTEGRAL, EN- LARGED TRIGGER GUARD HOUSES A FACTO- Ry-equipPED TWo-stAGE MATCH TRIGGER GROUP. AMBI QD SLING MOUNTS ARE MILLED INTO THE REAR OF THE LOWER RECEIVER, WHILE THE UPPER RECEIVER FEATURES A UNIQUE TWo-pIECE CASE DEFLECTOR WITH A STEEL INSERT TAKING THE HITS. 2—ON THE LEFT SIDE SIG GIVES YOU A BOLt- CATCH WITH AN ENLARGED LOWER PADDLE, AMBIDEXTROUS MAGAZINE RELEASE BUTTON AND SAFETY SELECTOR IN ITS NORMALLY FOUND POSITION. MAGWELL IS MODERATELY FLARED AND RECEIVERS AND HANDGUARD ARE ALL COATED IN A FLAt-dARk-eaRTH CERAKOTE IF YOU OPT FOR THE FDE MODEL. THE ALSO AVAILABLE BLACK HARd-cOAt-anodized VER- SION WILL SAVE YOU A LITTLE DOUGH IF THAT’S WHAT THE BUDGET DICTATES. 2 includes numerous holds, including any position. Each is graduated in .10 was attached using their Taperlock remains very accurate at range with a “tree” at the bottom for windage mils with 12 MRADS per turn for flash hider attachment. Construct- RANGE TIME limited pass through concerns. Velocity at range. It allows for quick ranging elevation. Rated IPX-7, it’s waterproof ed of 718 Inconel, it is super strong ACCURACY WAS AS EXPECTED—excel- is impressive at 2,650 f.p.s. out of the and operation with any caliber. Sig for total immersion to 1 meter and fog yet light at only 17 ounces. Rated to lent—especially when suppressed. 16-inch barrel. Black Hills’ load using Optics HDX lens treatment pro- proof. It includes a sunshade and lens .300 Win. Mag., it is perfect for the Turning the gas down, it was very soft the Hornady 178-gr. ELDX was equal- vides excellent light gathering and covers. It was mounted in a Spuhr 16-inch barrel, and the 7.62 NATO to shoot, improving my ability to be ly impressive. About as accurate at 100 clarity. Level-Plex provides a digital ISMS mount, one designed for these cartridge. Dueck Defense offset back- accurate. The best group was accom- yards, it shined at 730 and 1,200 yards level that can be activated at .5 or 1.0 smaller objective scopes. Mounted up iron sights were used for close in plished using Doubletap’s 155-gr. where its high BC (Ballistic Coeffi- degrees of cant. MOTAC (Motion low, it provides for a solid cheek work, and a Modular Evolu- TMK Colt Competition load. Ballistic cient) kicks in. Slow by comparison at Activated Elevation) powers up with weld without need for a riser. Sig tions EVO bi-pod for support. testing with the Sierra TMK (Tipped 2,470 f.p.s., it still held the wind better movement, and turns off when still. Sauer’s SRD762-QD suppressor Match King) has been impressive, and remained the most consistent at Turrets include the Lockdown Zero making it a perfect police or self-de- the longest ranges. Overall accuracy at system, a zero stop, adjustable zero, fense load. It expands quickly, leaving 300 yards was well under 1 MOA. and lift-and-turn knobs that lock in a devastating wound channel, yet Reliability was excellent, with no SIG SAUER SIG716 DMR FDE CALIBER: .308 WiN / 7.62 NATO BARREL: 16 INCHES OA LENGTH: 37 INCHES EXTENDED WEIGHT: 9 POUNDS SIGHTS: FLAT TOP RAIL (20 MOA ELEVATIon) STOCK/GRIPS: MAGPUL CTR STOCK, SIG SAUER GRIP ACTION: ROTATING BOLT, SHORT STROKE GAS PISTON SIG SAUER FINISH: FDE CERAKOTE SIG716 DMR FDE CAPACITY: SR25 COMPATIBLE PRICE: $3,244 88 9 SIG SAUER SIG716 DMR FDE 1 malfunctions occurring throughout a broad range of ammunition ranging from 125 to 178 grains.