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Recently the BBTI crew got together to shoot some historic rifles. I’m not going to go into a lot of the details about each rifle, since there is plenty of information available about each online. But I thought I would share a few pics, some video, and my thoughts about each gun.
The first is an original British .577 Snider-Enfield rifle. This is the “Mark III” model, and dates back to 1866.
The .577 Snider-Enfield is a single-shot, breech-loading rifle. The Mark III has a lock on the side latch which secures the breech block in place. A side-hammer strikes a diagonal sloping firing pin to ignite the primer on the metallic cartridge. The barrel is about 36″ long, and the overall length of the rifle is 54″.
Here’s the rifle as seen from above:
.577 Snider-Enfield
Operation is simple: draw the hammer to half cock and unlatch the breech block and flip it open. Drop a cartridge into the “slide”, then push it forward into the chamber. Close the breech block and latch it. When you’re ready to fire, cock the hammer the rest of the way (it has a very short throw, so going to full cock doesn’t take much). Aim, fire. Here, see for yourself:
Recoil is fairly mild. The cartridges use a modern black powder substitute, and have the typical black powder smooth impulse rather than the sharp impulse of modern gunpowder. It shoots a 480gr soft lead bullet at about 1200fps, for an energy of about 1500ft/lbs (about half of what a modern hunting rifle has). Here’s what the cartridge looks like:
.577 Snider-Enfield cartridge
Note that the fired cartridge case is more straight-walled than the unfired cartridge. The cases stuck in the chamber, and had to be knocked loose with a ramrod to be extracted. But you expect some minor issues like that with a gun that is more than 150 years old.
Overall, it’s really a very pleasant piece of history to shoot. If you get a chance, do so.
Jim Downey
This content originally appeared at text and was written by James Downey This content is syndicated and does not necessarily reflect the views or positions of The Liberal Gun Club
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M11a1 – SPINNER CHALLENGE
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The SMLE MKIII & SMLE MKIII*
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Navy SEAL Firearms
Missouri sheriffs say they would be breaking the law by allowing an FBI audit on concealed carry details. The file image is from a “USA Firearms Training” on December 19, 2015 in Provo, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has so far randomly audited 24 sheriff’s offices in Missouri in search of concealed carry weapon (CCW) details, but they all refused to comply, according to law enforcement authorities.
“None released anything pertaining to CCWs themselves, but some did partially comply by answering procedural questions on issuing CCWs,” said Moniteau County’s Sheriff Tony Wheatley.
“They answered two of those standard questions but nothing, as far as I know, was given from any sheriff pertaining to any CCW files.”
As previously reported in The Epoch Times, the FBI informed several Missouri County sheriffs that they would be showing up during August for onsite reviews of CCW permits.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, the FBI said the the auditing program is routine and has been in place for years.
“As part of the planned Missouri audit, a small sampling of system transactions is to be inspected for compliance and to ensure there is no misuse of CJIS systems,” the bureau said.
“At no point would auditors require access to lists such as state approved concealed carry holders, nor would the CJIS Division retain information beyond what is necessary to address a specific compliance concern. Missouri has been through this routine audit multiple times, most recently in 2018.”
Wheatley is among the sheriffs who received an email from Missouri’s Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office on Aug. 9 in which he reminded law enforcement officers not to comply.
“We’re the highest ranking freely elected law enforcement of the state and it’s up to us to stand up for the rights of Missouri citizens,” Wheatley told the Epoch Times.
“The federal government, they overstep some, and it’s our job to put them in check and stand up for what we know is right.”
Scotland County’s Sheriff Brian Whitney is also vowing to follow Schmitt’s direction in not complying with the FBI.
“We received a letter by email on Aug. 8 from general counsel in the attorney general’s office that advised us to not comply with any audit,” Whitney said. “I would be committing a crime if I complied.”
So far, neither the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office nor the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Office have been approached by the FBI about an audit.
“The audits are ongoing,” Wheatley added. “They could still knock on my door, but it won’t do them a whole lot of good.”
Schmitt’s email this week was a follow up to a July 13 letter in which he told FBI director Christopher Wray that obtaining information about CCW permit holders is illegal statewide.
Under the Revised Statues of Missouri Law 571.101.9(2), sharing protected information retained in the concealed carry permit system with the federal government is prohibited.
“Any person who violates the provisions of this subdivision by disclosing protected information shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor,” the subsection states.
Schmitt was a state Senator when the law was approved.
“I proudly voted for it,” he wrote to Wray. “In the Heartland, we elect our county sheriffs who are members of our communities. The same cannot be said for your out-of-touch FBI.
“You may wonder why there is such strong suspicion of federal agents here in the Show Me state. Simply put Missourians are hardworking, law-abiding citizens who don’t need a national nanny state keeping tabs on us.
“But more than that, over the last couple of years, we’ve seen story after story of incompetence and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI.
“Our trust in your agency is at an all-time low.”
But not all Missourians are in agreement with Schmitt’s position to directly oppose the FBI.
“It’s unfortunate that we, as a country, have become so divided that we can’t even get cooperation between local law enforcement and the FBI,” said John Wood, a former attorney for the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol.
“It’s also unfortunate that law enforcement issues have become politicized when they really shouldn’t, and we need to rise above politics and work together.”
Both Wood and Schmitt are gunning to replace U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt in the November mid-term elections. Wood is running as an Independent while Schmitt secured the Republican primary on Aug. 2.
“Federal law enforcement are rogue entities now,” said attorney Mark McCloskey, who was among the Republican Senate candidates that Schmitt defeated in the GOP primary.
“They are no different than the KGB or STASI. They’re just the political enforcement arm of the Democrat party and the powers that be.”
Schmitt’s email to sheriffs statewide was sent a day after the unprecedented search of former president Donald Trump’s Florida residence in Mar-a-Lago by FBI agents.
“What the federal government is attempting to do in Missouri with CCW audits is completely inappropriate, particularly in light of what the FBI and the DOJ did down in Mar-a-Lago this week,” McCloskey told The Epoch Times.
McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, were charged two years ago in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests for brandishing guns in front of their St. Louis home while Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched towards former Mayor Lyda Krewson’s home nearby.
The McCloskeys have been waiting since May 4 for 22nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge Joan Moriarty to rule on a motion to return their assault rifle and semi-automatic pistol.
“I think his [Schmitt] letter to the sheriffs is entirely appropriate,” McCloskey added.
In an Aug. 8 tweet, Schmitt said that if elected he would take a wrecking ball to ‘this overtly political DOJ and the administrative state.’
In response, Wood—who is a former United States attorney for the Western District of Missouri serving as the chief federal law enforcement official in Kansas City, St. Joseph, Columbia, Jefferson City, Springfield, and Joplin—accused Schmitt of political posturing.
“Schmitt claims to support law enforcement, but apparently his loyalty to Donald Trump is stronger than his commitment to law and order,” Wood said.
Juliette Fairley is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Born in Chateauroux, France, and raised outside of Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Juliette is a well-adjusted military brat who now lives in Manhattan. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TheStreet, Time magazine, Newsmax, and many other publications across the country. Send Juliette story ideas at JulietteFairley@gmail.com
So, what does a company do after winning the US military handgun contract with the M17/ M18, and garnering top spot for the #1 selling pistol in the country – SIG P365? Well, they endeavor to figure out how to give the handgun consumers “even more.” I own both the SIG P365 and the 365 XL, and I believe both are excellent pistols that changed the Micro Compact market. The P365 X-Macro Comp is just as groundbreaking as its predecessors.
SIG CEO, Ron Cohen tasked the 365 Product Team to give the shooters more, and they absolutely crushed their mission. The new X-Macro gives more in so many ways and redefines the market space that the P365 will compete in. The X-Macro’s upgrades should allow the 365 line to expand from the Micro Compact market into the sporting, medium framed handgun, and duty handgun markets.
To compete outside of the Micro Compact concealed handgun market, the 365 needed more capacity, so SIG developed a new magazine and slightly extended the grip of the Macro so that it now has a capacity of 17 + 1. The longer grip provides space for a full-handed grip while still retaining the 365’s comfort and ergonomics.
The good news for all 365 owners is that the new 17-round magazines will fit all previous 365 models. The new longer grip of the Macro increases the overall height of the pistol to 5.2,” which is less than a half inch taller than the 365 XL with its 12 +1 capacity. The amazing thing is the Macro remains a small pistol and is still a slim 1 inch thick.
The new grip fits naturally in the hand and adds more surface area and leverage to increase control while shooting. For shooters with larger hands the original 365 grip was probably a bit too small. To make the P365 X-Macro Comp more comfortable for those with larger hands SIG added a replaceable backstrap that comes in 3 sizes. The backstrap system is so seamless you can hardly tell where it mates to the grip .
The Macro’s slide still has the removable plate to support mounting a red dot optic while the iron sights remain installed, and the excellent SIG front and rear cocking serrations. However, the big change to the slide is the integrated 2 port compensator machined just in front of a 3.1-inch barrel. The overall length of the slide is the same as the standard 365 XL making it a fast handling yet still concealable pistol.
The obvious question is how much does a small 2 port compensator help on a 9mm with a 3.1” barrel? In my opinion, enough. SIG says that the reduction in muzzle flip is 20 – 25%. I don’t have a scientific way to put a concrete number to it, but the reduction in muzzle flip and recoil is definitely noticeable and significant enough to warrant having the compensator.
I’ve shot plenty of pistols with compensators over the years in USPSA competition, and many would blow a portion of the exiting gases back toward the shooter and/or the optic. The SIG Macro’s compensator didn’t exhibit these issues. The gases tended to move forward away from the shooter minimizing distraction while still being very effective at increasing control.
One of the concerns about compensated carry pistols is that from a retention position the comp may vent gases up into the shooters face. I shot over 50 rounds from close retention and never had any issues with the vented gas.
I slow-motion videoed the close-range shooting strings and it was clearly evident that the gases were venting out in front of me towards the target. The Macro proved to be very controllable while shooting one-handed from the retention position. The compensator allowed for some very fast close-range strings.
Specifications
Caliber 9mm
Capacity 17 + 1 rounds
Height 5.2 inches
Width 1 inch
Length 6.6 inches
Weight 21 3/8 ounces
Sights Sig XRay or Sig Romeo 0
Rail Picatinny 1913
Cost Should be available for ~ $799.99
Accuracy Testing
For a pistol that’s small enough to be a concealed carry gun and holds enough ammunition to be a duty gun, the SIG 365 X-Macro Comp demonstrated fantastic accuracy. The 3.1” barrel printed really well from the table at 15 yards. Most of the groups were shot with the red dot installed, but I did shoot a few with the iron sights and I was equally impressed.
I think the pictures speak for themselves, the Macro did great with everything I shot. Even the military ball ammunition grouped right at 2 inches, and the Speer Law Enforcement frangible was under 1.75. The best group was 5 shots with Hornady Custom 147 XTP.
The Macro comes with the usual 365 X straight trigger, this one broke at 5 lbs 4 oz on my trigger scale. Not a match trigger but certainly more than adequate for defensive shooting or shooting some great groups.
I knew that the Macro Comp was capable of shooting well from greater distances, so I backed out to 50 yards for a try. I had already removed the red dot, so I shot it with the iron sights. I figured if it could do 1 – 2” at 15 yards it should easily shoot 6 – 8” at 50 yards, perhaps better if I did my part.
I went prone and shot from the ground at 50 yards. I really like the SIG XRay sights for up close shooting, but the short sight radius and front sight width would require some focus to shoot the longer distance. However, the Macro did better than I had expected.
Four of the five shots grouped just under 2,” the other one was obviously my fault getting a little rushed on the trigger. The 5 shot group ended up measuring 6.25,” still excellent for such a compact pistol.
Speed Work
I was lucky enough to shoot several hundred rounds through the P365 X-Macro Comp at the SIG Academy and then over 500 more at my home range. It only took a few magazines to get the feel for the compensated Macro. The new grip fits so well that it feels like I’ve shot this pistol my whole life.
My first impression was that this gun cycles fast and the compensator really works. So, unless you are very focused on shooting fast and getting on the trigger, the Macro will definitely be waiting on the shooter to break the next shot. Even after you get a feel for the timing it’s all you can do to keep up.
Another upgrade on the Macro is that the accessory rail is now standard 1913 Picatinny instead of a SIG proprietary design. So now there are hundreds of lights and lasers that will fit the pistol. Unfortunately, this means that 365 XL holsters won’t fit the Macro; and this kept me from shooting it from the draw.
I did my range work from a variety of low-ready positions engaging my plate rack, dueling tree, and assorted steel silhouettes. I was very impressed at the speed I could run the dueling tree, and though I didn’t have a previous baseline time, I am certain I was hitting some new personal bests. Faster is better, right?
During all the media shooting at SIG, and the hundreds of rounds I fired at the house I never had or saw anyone have a single malfunction with the Macro. I know SIG does extensive reliability testing but with that much ammunition ranging from Hornady Critical Defense Light (100 grain reduced recoil) to 124 +P, and 147 grain full power it is impressive to have a firearm run 100%.
Summary
I am very impressed with the P365 X-Macro Comp, SIG did an amazing job on the new model. It’s still a relatively small pistol, much smaller than most 18-round duty guns, but extremely shootable. In addition, it’s very accurate, and stone-cold reliable.
With the same slide length as my XL and only .4 difference in grip length I often had to look twice to see which handgun I was picking up. A pistol this size is not expected to hold 18 rounds and shoot this well. The size and design of the 365’s grip and interchangeable backstraps is awesome and will undoubtedly be a great fit for many in law enforcement as well as civilians.
In my opinion, the greatest endorsement I can give a firearm is to carry it as my daily defensive pistol. I’ve carried the P365 XL since it came out, but as soon as the right holsters become available I will be transitioning to the P365 X-Macro Comp for its added capacity, ease in shooting, and accuracy.