TM 2020 PERSONAL DEFENSE ISSUE WILSON COMBAT EDC X9S 4 The best of several worlds; sub-compact size, single-action accuracy, double- stack capacity and superb ergonomics. 12 Dave Bahde 14 ULTIMATE .30-CAL. TRUCK GUNS 12 7 compact heavy-hitters to stow before you go, including: • IWI Galil ACE .308 Win. • SIG Canbrake .300 BLK • CZ Bren 2 MS Pistol 7.62x39mm • Springfield SOCOM 16 .308 Win. • POF Revolution DI Pistol .308 Win. • Robinson Armament XCR-M SBR .308 Win. 32 • Wilson Combat Protector Pistol .300 HAM’R 36 OT Staff TRUCK GUN AcceSSORIES 36 8 of our top picks in retention, storage, illumination, suppression, ammo and concealment accessories for your everyday truck gun. Chris Mudgett TAURUS 692 TRACKER 46 Taurus’ .357-Mag./.38 Spl./9mm multi-caliber revolver has a ton of performance to back up its versatility. Bill Battles MOSSBERG RETROGRADE SHOTGUNS 54 Two classic-looking 12-gauge scattergun’s, but with modern performance. Bill Battles 40 GUN & GEAR GIVEAWAY CONTEST 1 64 Enter to win an IWI Zion-15 Carbine, Riton X3 TACTIX 1-8x optic and an Elevated Silence Evolution Suppressor worth $2,600. gun & gear giveaway OT Staff contest 1 GUN & GEAR GIVEAWAY CONTEST 2 66 Enter to win an Auto Ordnance Liberty 1911, Elite Survival holster/range bag combo and PepperBall non-lethal LifeLite Launcher worth $1,700. OT Staff 64 On Our Cover: 66 IWI’s Galil Ace .308 Win Pistol wearing a SureFire M600DF Scout Light Pro, Blue Force Gear Padded gun & gear Vickers Sling, Magpul giveaway D50 Drum, Midwest contest 2 Industries Pistol Length Handguard and Yankee Hill Machine Resonator K suppressor. Photo by Ben Battles. 2 ontargetmagazine.com 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] Ryan Palmer [email protected] Chris Mudgett [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 ©2020 by Phoenix Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 ontargetmagazine.com 5 >>The best of several worlds; sub-compact size, single-action accuracy, double-stack capacity and superb ergonomics<< DAVE BAHDE STEVE WOODS & DAVE BAHDE 6 ontargetmagazine.com ontargetmagazine.com 7 >> Wilson Combat EDC X9S SPECIFICATIONS ILSON COMBAT’S EDC X9 IS custom, quality versions—are CALIBER: 9MM W arguably one of the best con- not for everyone, but everyone BARREL LENGTH: 3.25 INCHES cealed carry firearms on the market that’s tested or used an EDC OAL: 6.75 INCHES today. Purpose built for every day X9 comments on how well WIDTH: 1.25 INCHES carry, it incorporates decades of it fits their hands, its accura- WEIGHT: 25.2 OUNCES experience building and using pistols cy, lack of recoil and ease of CAPACITY: 10+1 (15+1 AVAILABLE) from Bill Wilson and the engineers carry. With the EDC X9 line, MSRP : $2,695. at Wilson Combat. Single Wilson took all of the features action pistols—especially single-action 1911 shooters love and tested in most every condition prior appreciate and incorporated them to and since its introduction a couple into a high-capacity 9mm platform. years ago. The EDC X9 remains model with all the features carry Designed to be carried for a life- incredibly popular, and the recent users have come to enjoy, but with time, it has been introduction of the EDC X9L 5-inch greater capacity and a longer sight thoroughly provided a duty or competition radius. It was only a matter of time before Wilson went in the opposite direction and introduced a sub-com- pact model, and the EDC X9S seen 1—THE NEW OPTIMIZED-FOR-CON- a 3.25” barrel, including frame CEALMENT “S” MODEL REPRESENts before you—the smallest of the line rails enhanced for reliability. THE CHOPPED-DOWN VARIANT IN THE to date—is everything you’ve come Sub-compacts are often designed EDC X9 LINE, FIttED WITH A 3.25- to expect from Wilson Combat. for ease of carry with operation INCH STAINLESS-STEEL BARREL IN PLACE being a secondary consideration; OF THE 4-INCH OF THE STANDARD Wilson Combat EDC X9S this pistol was built for ease of AND THE 5-INCH OF THE LONGSLIDE Sub-compact 9mm concealment with nothing sacrificed “L” MODEL. THE BUSHINGLESS, THE EDC X9S IS NOT JUST A SHORT in function or reliability. The slide CROWNED BARREL GEts THE SAME FLUTING TREATMENT AS THE OTHERS TO HELP X9. It maintains the same basic maintains the same basic shape, with ENSURE RELIABLE RUNNING AND THAT DIRT, GRIME OR FOULING features but the frame, grip, and slide no front serrations and the same 1 HAS A PLACE TO GO SHOULD THINGS START TO GET DIRTY. are all purpose built to function with hand-fit, bushingless barrel using a 8 ontargetmagazine.com ontargetmagazine.com 9 >> Wilson Combat EDC X9S 1—THE X-TAC SERRATION TREATMENT CONTINUES ONTO THE FRONT AND REAR stRAP AS WELL AS THE PIstOL’S 1 INTEGRAL GRIPPING PANELS ON THE ALUMINUM FRAME— THE LAttER OF WHICH CREATES AN ULTRA-THIN, CONCEAL- MENT-FRIENDLY-WIDTH DIMENSION TO THE FRAME TO DRAstICAL- LY REDUCE PRINTING. THE ULTRA-CRISP 3-1/2 TO 4-1/2 POUND TRIGGER GEts A MEDIUM LENGTH SERRATED/VENTILATED LIGHTWEIGHT PAD. 2—THE OUTWARD DIMENSIONS OF THE CONCEALMENT PROOF SLIDE stOP, SINGLE-SIDED THUMB SAFETY AND MAGAZINE-RELEASE BUttON ARE ALL OPTIMIZED FOR SNAG-FREE DEEP CONCEALMENT. THE SIGHTING SYstEM CONSIsts OF A BRIGHT-RED FIBER-OPTIC FRONT AND DRIFT-AD- JUstABLE, LEDGED U-NOTCH REAR, WITH SERRATIONS RUN- NING ALONG THE TOP OF THE SLIDE TO REDUCE GLARE. SIGNATURE X-TAC COCKING SERRATIONS ARE A REAR-ONLY TREATMENT ON THE S MODEL, AS IS THE MACHINED CHAMFER ON THE FRONT OF THE SLIDE. 2 flush cut reverse the X9S, what was missing was crown. The front the recoil. Shooting Hornady’s sight is fiber optic, the 135-gr. +P, it was downright rear is a non-adjust- comfortable. Same for Barnes able carry style using a 115-gr. TAC-XPD, two of ledge for unconventional my favorite carry loads. reloads. Its stainless barrel You notice a difference is enhanced for solid lock- compared to the X9 and up and reliable operation, and X9L, but not as much includes fluting to disperse dirt and as one might think. grime to help keep the pistol running Control was simply not in adverse conditions. The pistol’s an issue, nor was accuracy. large external extractor ensures proper My best group at 15 yards from a ejection. The frame uses a flatter grip rest was clustered at about an inch shape for against-the-body comfort total using the Hornady 115-gr. given its short length, and the signa- FTX. Nothing was outside 1.5 ture X-TAC checkering treatment inches at that range. My guess is it remains along the front strap and slide, but an optional railed dust cover will hold that at 25 yards, but I’m mainspring housing, along with a high works with compact lights and lasers not sure I could. Using the hood cut trigger guard. Standard magazines with one notch locking them in place. of a car and a bag as a rest I rang hold 10 rounds and fit flush to the The trigger is medium length, and the 6-inch plate 10 for 10 shots at frame, however, 15-round X9 maga- measured 3.6 pounds pull weight over 25 yards . all you’ll ever need for zines and an extended flush-to-frame 10 strokes. The magazine and slide practical application. baseplate when an extra payload is release are slightly extended. Operation was what I’ve come to in order. Each pistol will ship with expect from a Wilson Combat hand- one 10 and one 15-round magazine. Range Time gun: flawless. Everything ejected Cuts in the side of the grip allow you SMALL PISTOLS AND I DON’T GET ALONG properly in a nice little pile. There to grab the magazine from the sides. all that well given the size of my hands. were no failures to extract, eject, or The hammer is Wilson’s Conceal- Most grips leave my little finger sitting go into battery with both FMJ and ment Bullet Proof model, while the under the grip, not ideal for control. self-defense ammunition. Practice single side thumb safety is standard. A Hotter loads can be a real handful. ammo was downright pleasant to standard dust cover is matched to the While the grip was this way for me on shoot, and I could easily take this 10 ontargetmagazine.com 11 >> Wilson Combat EDC X9S 2 3—PART OF WHAT YOU’RE PAYING FOR WHEN YOU INVEst IN A WILSON COMBAT FIREARM IS A HIGH LEVEL OF DOWNRANGE PRECISION, AND IN THIS DEPARTMENT, THE SMALLEst MEMBER OF THE EDC X9 FAMILY DID NOT DISAPPOINT. 2—CAPACITY OF THE FLUSH-FIT EDC X9S MAGAZINES IS 10 ROUNDS, AND THE ExtENDED MAGAZINE WITH THE EX- TENDED FLUSH-TO-FRAME BASEPLATE, 15 ROUNDS. BOTH ARE INCLUDED WITH THE EDC X9S AND BOTH ARE TOP-QUALITY MEC-GAR MADE. PERFORMANCE VELOCITY GROUP SIZE 1—RELIABILITY FROM THE BARNES 115 GRAIN TAC-XPD 1,115 F.P.S.