Category: All About Guns
The Burnt Bronze Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro combines flawless reliability, surgical accuracy, and staggering good looks all in a package you can easily and comfortably conceal underneath a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
Cramming everything that is righteous and wholesome about the Hellcat Pro into an exceptionally alluring, color-coordinated chassis, this is the gun that keeps you safe and looks cool doing it. If you’re the sort who wants to stay frosty while projecting an air of refinement, daring, and elan, this is your iron.
The Gun
The defensive handgun market is cluttered these days. Fully half the states in our Great Republic offer some form of permitless carry. Additionally, a glance at the news any given day shows that folks aren’t getting any nicer to each other the deeper we get into the Information Age. As a result, capitalism offers an unprecedented selection of optimized concealed carry handguns. Ensconced firmly atop that rarefied heap is the Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro.
I’ll spare you the technical details. They’re on the website. Suffice to say, the Hellcat Pro is almost unnaturally compact while remaining surprisingly accurate and monotonously reliable. So long as the sun comes up in the east, Springfield Armory defensive pistols will continue to shoot every single time you squeeze the trigger. The Hellcat Pro offers you 15+1 onboard and a superlative striker-fired trigger all in a package that can conceivably ride in the front pocket of a pair of 5.11’s. Shooters of yesteryear could not have imagined such rarefied capabilities in such a compact package. (Editor’s Note: Be sure to read Massad Ayoob’s Hellcat Pro review.)
Keeping Up Appearances
Launched in September of 2019, that original Springfield Armory Hellcat raised the bar on high-capacity micro carry guns. While those first Hellcats offered performance and capabilities unimagined just a few years earlier, they came in basic black or nothing at all. Nowadays — right, wrong, or otherwise — we all like to color coordinate our weaponry.
This is a curiously modern phenomenon. My gut feeling is that it all started with the Global War on Terror. We saw the way real operators heading downrange were spray-painting their rifles and began gazing lustfully at the Krylon every time we strolled past the hardware section at our local Walmart. Nowadays with the extensive array of durable finishes available to both manufacturers and hobbyists alike, the capacity for customization is legitimately unprecedented.
The new Burnt Bronze Hellcat Pro is the perfect example. Offered exclusively through the distributor Lipsey’s, this is the standard black frame from a Hellcat Pro mated to a slide finished out in burnt bronze Cerakote. Cerakote is used throughout the firearms industry these days. It has been proven to be a rugged, durable, and effective all-weather gun finish.
Trigger Time
The Hellcat Pro includes the expected superlative striker-fired trigger with a safety tab in the trigger face along with a standard Picatinny rail up front for accessories. The billet-cut slide comes from the factory ready for your favorite micro red dot sight. The front sight sports a tritium insert, while the rear is a white semi-circle. Nothing is faster.
At typical across-the room defensive ranges the Hellcat Pro is a precision instrument. Unlike most micro compact pistols, the Hellcat Pro is also fun to shoot. Recoil is not unpleasant, and the controls are perfect. So long as you do your part, you can shoot the buttons off a shirt with this thing at across-the-room ranges.
Empty magazines leap out of the frame when the mag catch is hit. Give the slide a little manual tug or hit the slide release to drop it over a fresh box as the spirit leads. The adaptive grip texture represents the perfect interface between frame and hand. There are also nifty little parking pads on the sides to give your trigger finger a place to hang out when you’re not actively throwing lead downrange.
If you need to reach out to football field or more, this is not your iron (Editor’s Note: To see GunSpot prove the good Dr. Dabbs wrong, click here). Springfield Armory has other products that will perform that mission swimmingly. However, if you need a gun you can comfortably pack that will reliably secure your person and your family in the face of life’s many manifest ills, then look no further. The addition of the burnt bronze slide lets you stay safe while looking sharp.
Measure of Performance
| Ammunition | Group Size | Velocity |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hills 100-gr +P HoneyBadger | 0.25″ | 1,190 fps |
| Remington Golden Saber 124-gr Bonded JHP | 0.20″ | 1,123 fps |
| Winchester Defender 147-gr JHP | 0.10″ | 936 fps |
Denouement
I say we should just own it. I want my defensive handgun to be effective, comfortable, accurate and dead nuts reliable. However, I also wouldn’t mind if it looked cool to boot. The new Springfield Armory Burnt Bronze Hellcat Pro from Lipsey’s checks all those blocks and then some. While I may not be much to look at myself, my new defensive pistol is absolutely gorgeous.
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1858 Remington 3″ Checkered
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Can’t you smell it?
Joe “Hoser” “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa, was a living legend flying fire tankers for Cal Fire, as well as in the fighter community as a formidable F-14 Tomcat, and F-8 Crusader pilot.
Ever since he was a child, Hoser had a true love for guns, and after he earned his wings, he had a choice to be assigned to the F-4, or the F-8. “No guns? What kind of aircraft is this with no guns?” and he immediately chose the “Last Of The Gunfighters” as the Crusader was called at the time by aircrews.
According to the “Satrapa legend” Hoser had earned his call sign one day over the gunnery range. Also known as “Da-hose”, or “D-hose” was flying in trail position in a 4 ship formation of F-8 Crusaders flying over the desert sands.
As the formation was approaching the gunnery range target, Joe jumped out of trail position, cutting off the lead, and began to fire off from two thousand feet up, and one and a half miles out…”hosing” off all his bullets in a single pass.
His flight leader J.P. O’ Neill told him to return to the airfield at El Centro and the same night O’ Neill had the final say on the incident when he nailed Satrapa: “Lieutenant junior grade Satrapa, for hosing off all his bullets in one pass, will hence forth be known as Hoser. That’ ll be five bucks.”
During the Viet Nam war, “Hoser” earned a reputation as a fearless Crusader pilot. He also became known for his preference to carry over 40 pounds of ordinance with him during his missions. A few hand grenades, and some small automatics in the event he ever had to leave his aircraft over enemy territory.
Another event occurred during the Viet Nam war when “Hoser” was flying his Crusader with another F-8 when his wingman was hit by enemy fire. As his wingman bailed out of his burning Crusader, the aircraft continued flying straight and level while leaving a black smoking trail. “Hoser” brought his Crusader back around and set his sights on the pilotless Crusader and blew it out of the sky. All “Hoser” had to say about that was “A kill is a kill!”
Sometime in the Eighties; Hoser managed to modify a 20MM barrel from the F-14 Gatling gun, by attaching a breach thereby fashioning a formidable homemade weapon. Unfortunately for Hoser, the breach blew up, taking his index finger and right thumb with it. “Hoser” had the doctors remove his right big toe and attach it to his right hand.
Hoser now used his three fingers and big toe to demonstrate he still had the dexterity to operate the trim button on the F-14’s stick. Hoser returned to flight status…but now ordained with the new call sign, “Toeser”
After leaving the Navy, Hoser began a new direction flying Fire Tankers for Cal Fire. It did not take long for Joe to earn a reputation as one hell of a fire attack pilot who cared far more about superior airmanship, than he did about paperwork.. and became known as Joe “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa
Sadly, on March 17th 2019…Joe “Hoser” “In the smoke ’till I croak” Satrapa, a true aviation legend….flew West
Following is an excerpt is taken from “Top Gun – The Navy’s Fighter Weapons School” by George Hall
“No dissertation on present-day section tactics, or on naval aviation in general, could be considered complete without a brace of “Hoser” stories.
In the micro world of perhaps 400 Tomcat pilots, a few legendary gonzo maniacs are going to bubble to the surface. Joe “Hoser” Satrapa was already famous in Vietnam as a young and utterly fearless F-8 pilot who regularly carried a good forty pounds of lethal ordnance- leaning toward small automatic weapons and hand grenades- in case he was suddenly compelled to leave his aircraft and carry the battle directly to the little bad guys in the jungle.
Guns were Hoser’s game in the air; he flew the four-gun Crusader – which many Navy pilots still regard as the [deleted] machine of all time- in Southeast Asia, and he’d never been forced to rely totally on missiles like his Navy Phantom cohorts.
After negotiations that would shame the pro football draft, Hoser was dragooned back into the Tomcat front seat as a RAG guns instructor. This, after personal entreaties from the highest levels up and including Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, himself a Reserve naval aviator.
Many active pilots and RIOs well remember Hoser’s delivery of manic harangues to fuzzy-cheeked newcomers from the RAG.
In his patented Yosemite Sam voice he would whip the lads, and invariably himself, into a lethal frenzy: “Pull on the pole till the rivets pop and the RIO pukes! No kill like a guns kill! A Lima up the tailpipe is too good for any Gomer! Close with the miserable Commie [deleted] and put a few rounds of twenty-twenty-mike-mike through his canopy!
If he hits the silk, gun his ass while he swings!” Hoser would then pace the corridor, bumping into hapless petty officers, muttering oaths, trying to re-align his internal INS.
Hoser also knew a thing or two about the element of surprise. During the much-maligned AIMVAL-ACEVAL fighter trials of a decade ago, Hoser was put in a 1 V 1 against a Navy Aggressor flying an F-5.
As the two combatants sat side-by-side on the Nellis runway, awaiting tower clearance for a second takeoff, Hoser looked over at his opponent, reached his hand up over the control panel, and mimicked the cocking of machine guns in a World War I Spad.
A thumbs up came from the other cockpit- guns it would be, the proverbial knife fight in a phone booth, forget the missiles. Both jets blasted off.
In the area, the fighters set up twenty miles apart for a head-on intercept under ground control.
Seven miles from the merge, with closure well over 1000 knots, Hoser called “Fox One” – Sparrow missile away, no chance of a miss. As they flashed past each other, the furious F-5 driver radioed, “What the hell was that all about?” “Sorry.” said Hoser, “lost my head. Let’s set up again. Guns only, I promise.”
Remember Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the football? Again the two fighters streaked towards the pass, again at seven miles Hoser called “Fox One.” The Aggressor was apoplectic; he was also coming up on bingo fuel state, a common situation in the short-legged F-5.
Hoser was first back to the club bar, nursing an end-of-the-day cold one as the flushed Aggressor stomped in. “Hoser, what the hell happened to credibility?” fumed the F-5 jock. Said Hoser, with accompanying thumb gestures, “Credibility is DOWN, kill ratio is UP!”
It’s a popular Top Gun story, and it’s moral isn’t lost on students or teachers. From 1 V 1 to forty-plane furball, expect anything. But never expect your enemy to be a sweet guy.”
– George Hall
Finnish-made Mosin Nagant M39s are considered by many experts to be the best of the type. Of them, those produced by Sako are arguably the best of the best.
Several years ago I reviewed a Valmet-made M39 here in “The Shootist.” It performed superbly, and I was rather sure I’d never find a Mosin Nagant I liked more.
Then I found the Sako version reported on here. It is without doubt the nicest Mosin Nagant I’ve had the pleasure of handling, at least in terms of build quality and retained condition.
Engineered by the Finnish Civil Guard and adopted by the Finnish Army on 14 April, 1939, the M39 is a much-improved derivative of the Russian-designed M1891.
Importantly, every M39 is built using an M91 action. According to Brent Snodgrass and Vic Thomas’s excellent article “The Claws Of The Lion: The Model 1939 Rifle,” “The bolt, magazine assembly and portions of the trigger were [also] retained….” However, the barrel, stock, and hardware, including sling connections, sights, nose cap, and so forth were all replaced.
Changes to the stock include the use of a pistol grip, a heavier profile in areas of the M91 prone to breakage, and the use of warp-resistant Arctic birch. Two different types of sling attachment points were incorporated and made the M39 equally suited to use by infantry or mounted troops.
Interestingly, earlier Finnish adaptions of the Mosin Nagant utilized a bore diameter of 0.3082 inch. To make the M39 compatible with captured Russian ammo, barrels were reamed to 0.310 inch. Twist rate was also changed, to 1 turn in 10 inches rather than 1:9.5.
Because wartime demand delayed retooling, M39 production was slow, and the first Sako-made M39s were fielded in the spring of 1941. One source suggests that Sako delivered about 66,500 M39s to the Finnish Army between 1941 and ’45 and about 10,500 to the Civil Guard. Total wartime production of M39s, from all makers, tallied 96,800 rifles.
Mechanicals
Operation of the Mosin Nagant is in general very familiar to shooters, so I won’t go into detail here. In short, the design features a rotating push-feed bolt with dual, opposing locking lugs; a single-stack, non-detachable magazine with an interrupter to prevent double-feeds; and a short, straight bolt handle.
The ladder-type rear sight is quite sophisticated, enabling fine adjustments to 800 meters and coarse “volley fire” elevation to 2,000 yards. As for the front sight, it’s stout and provides fine windage adjustment courtesy of dual side screws.
Provenance
Unlike many vintage war-surplus rifles, it’s no struggle to date this rifle. While there’s no telling when the original octagon receiver came out of Russia, the date the rebuilt rifle left Sako is plainly stamped: 1944. Judging by its condition, it never made it into combat. I found it while prowling the used-gun treasures in the Brownells retail shop. Because of its excellent condition, I didn’t haggle over the price. The cartouches, proof stamps, and other marks are all present, clean, and correct. I’d say this rifle was quite a find.
Rangetime
As much as I love the history and superb craftsmanship behind these Finnish battle rifles, like Col. Townsend Whelen I find accurate rifles to be the most interesting. My Valmet-made M39 is a real shooter, and I was intensely curious whether the Sako version would measure up. So I gathered a stack of noncorrosive 7.62x54R ammo made by Barnaul and Lapua and headed to the range. My eyes aren’t what they once were, so I pasted six-inch black Birchwood Casey bullseyes on big white backgrounds and sprayed the rifle’s iron sights with Birchwood Casey sight black to eliminate glare. Then, I bore down on the sandbags and did my best.
Since Finnish 7.62x54R ammo utilized a 200-grain projectile at about 700 meters per second (roughly 2,300 fps), which is slower than most of the Russian loads, most M39s hit high at 100 yards. The Sako is no exception. My first Lapua 185-grain MEGA bullet clocked over 2,500 fps and impacted about 9.5 inches high. Maintaining my six o’clock hold on the black bull, I fired again, then a third time.
To my astonishment, the three bullets made a cloverleaf that measured 0.48 inch, center to center. The next three-shot group measured 0.98 inch. Although hot barrels and full-length wood stocks with constrictive metal barrel bands don’t play well together, I fired a third group without allowing the barrel to cool because I was curious to know whether point of impact would shift and groups would open up.
My third group—with the barrel quite hot—measured 1.71 inches, indicating that either accuracy does indeed deteriorate as the barrel heats or my eyes were getting tired—or both.
Lest you think it was an anomaly, that 0.48-inch cluster wasn’t even the best group of the day. A bit later, Lapua’s 123-grain FMJ load posted a 0.35-inch three-shot group.
Both Barnaul loads I tested averaged just less than two MOA. One, a 203-grain softpoint load at about 2,200 fps, impacted precisely on point of aim.
Of the many Mosin Nagant rifles I’ve fired, my Sako is the easiest to shoot accurately.Finnish rifles are known for smooth, reliable function, and the Sako M39 is no exception. It fed and fired everything I ran through it comfortably and without hiccup.
Sako M39 Mosin Nagant
- Type: Bolt-action repeater
- Caliber: 7.62x54R
- Magazine Capacity: 5 rounds
- Barrel: 27 in.
- Overall Length: 46.75 in.
- Weight: 9.75 lbs.
- Stock: Arctic birch
- Finish: Blued barrel and action, oil-finished stock
- Length of Pull: 13.25 in.
- Sights: Ladder-type rear, windage-adjustable winged blade front
- Trigger: 5.3-lb. pull (as tested)
- Safety: Rotating cocking piece
- Manufacturer: Sako, sako.fi
By Virgil Caldwell
For most of my life I have owned a number of reliable, effective and useful handguns. I have obtained the best I could afford and they have served me well. I have also always kept on hand a good rifle for emergency use. This is quite different from a hunting rifle although some of the pieces were useful for hunting.
I kept a Winchester Model 94 .30-30 on the front line for many years. The shorter barrel versions are best for all-around carry and the longer barrel classic version is best for hunting. I also have used the SKS rifle and the AR-15.
A type of rifle I’ve owned and used for some time, though, is the lever action rifle chambered in a pistol caliber. I used a Marlin .44 Magnum for boar hunting and have owned several Winchester clones for recreational use. But like a lot of gun owners, I wanted a real Winchester and I am glad I finally found one.
While those clones are OK and may be improved with some careful gunsmithing, the Winchester originals offer excellent performance and more than a little pride of ownership.
Sure, a good centerfire bolt action rifle with a scope is generally a better hunting firearm. But I wanted a compact, fast handling rifle to do most anything I needed including riding behind the seat of the Silverado.
I was lucky to find a pre owned – perhaps even unfired – Winchester Model 1892 Short Rifle in .45 Colt.
The Winchester 1892 is a joy to carry and shoot. With its pistol caliber chambering and short throw lever action, cycling is better and quicker than with the Winchester ’94 .30-30. The locking lugs are plenty strong and the rifles often exhibits fine intrinsic and practical accuracy.
The Winchester Model 1892 features a 20-inch glossy blued barrel with an oiled black walnut stock and forend. The straight grip and crescent-shaped buttplate make for quick mounting and fast shooting.
Since I already own a Colt Single Action Army in .45 Colt — a near perfect match for this lever gun — it wasn’t any problem to test the rifle with a variety of loads.
I had on hand plenty of hard cast SWC handloads using the Hornady 250 grain XTP bullet, and a number of factory loads from Remington, SIG SAUER, and Fiocchi.
My handloads proved reliable and clean burning. Stand out loads for accuracy were the Remington 230 grain JHP and the SIG SAUER V Crown hollow point.
The Hornady 225 grain LeveRevolution load is a hard hitter worth your time and testing. At 25 yards the rifle’s iron sights were easily regulated. With the ten-round magazine capacity, the Winchester 1892 has much potential for both personal defense and short range hunting.
It was awfully easy to punch the bullseye at 25 yards. I was pretty happy. The loads don’t gain a whole lot of velocity in a rifle barrel in the manner that .357 Magnum does, but the gain is still useful.
The primary advantage of the 1892 is the potential for accurate shot placement well past handgun ranges. But then I moved to fifty yards.
At that range my best efforts resulted in vertical stringing and lateral dispersion, even from a solid bench rest firing position. Then two bullets from my handloads went into the same hole at fifty yards. The next three opened the group to six inches. That’s twice what I expected. My only conclusion: my eyes are no longer any good!
I can read without glasses but buckhorn sights and over-sixty eyes aren’t the best combination. I hung my head and sulked back to the truck. I hadn’t shot the carbine much better than my pistol at that range.
Next on the agenda, I ordered a set of XS peep sights. Now we were talking. They aren’t traditional but I’m a shooter not a collector. The peep or aperture sight better leads the eye to center on the front sight.
The express type front sight offers greater clarity for aging eyes and greater speed for just about anyone. There’s simply little comparison between the original buckhorn and bead sights and the XS replacement sights, at least out to the 100 yards or so distance that’s the mission profile of this rifle.
After a bit of familiarization with the XS sights I re-tested the rifle as far as 100 yards.
With careful application of the trigger the SIG SAUERf V Crown load turned in several 2 to 2.5 inch groups at 50 yards.
I am very happy with that. There are lots of heavy loads that are very useful in the carbine that you would not wish to fire in a revolver. The Winchester 1892 handles them easily and even a relatively modest load, say 300 grains at 1,000 fps, offers real power for game shooting inside of 100 yards.
The Winchester 1892 .45 Colt makes the grade for my all of my uses.
Velocity testing, .45 Colt loads, Winchester 1892
| Colt 4.5″ Barrel | 1892 20″ Barrel | |
| Remington 230gr JHP | 930 fps | 1132 fps |
| SIG SAUER 230gr JHP | 760 fps | 1050 fps |
Specifications: Winchester Model 1892 Short Rifle
Caliber: .45 Colt (also available in .44 Rem Mag and .357 Mag)
Action: Short Throw Lever Action
Weight: 6.0 lbs
Barrel Length: 20 inches
Sights: Buckhorn rear
Length of pull: 12.75 inches
Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
Finish: Blued steel
Stocks: Dark Walnut
MSRP: $1070 (about $925 retail)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style, Fit and Finish: * * * *
The blue finish is excellent. The walnut stock and forend are well fitted, but rather ordinary in appearance…if a cut above the modern average.
Reliability: * * * * *
No issues, with about six hundred cartridges fed, fired, and ejected.
Ergonomics: * * * * *
On the lever gun scale this is the top of the list. It’s fast to shoulder, quick on target and easy to shoot.
Accuracy: * * * *
She gets four stars. It’s not bad at all and great for hunting at the distances you’ll use a lever gun. A .357 Magnum lever action rifle may be more accurate, but I wanted one in .45 Colt.
Overall: * * * *
There are more powerful and more accurate rifles, but the classic Winchester Model 1892 is fast and extremely effective in the 100-yard-or-so range at which I use a lever action carbine.