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The AR-15 is without question the single most popular sporting rifle in the United States today. It stands head and shoulders above any other weapon. In addition to being one of the most prolific weapons in the world, throw a stone at a gun store and odds are whoever it hits will have one. Throw a hundred stones and you’ll hit 95 people that own at least one AR-15 weapon platform. And while I don’t recommend throwing stones at people, I do recommend every gun owner have one. This popularity is spurred on by a few different factors, the modularity means you’re unlikely to see two people with identical rifles, it’s a bit like an adult erector set. The design also puts the recoil of the action directly in line with the bore, making it silly easy to stay on target. And with the US military employing the AR pattern since the Vietnam war, there is no shortage of parts, magazines or ammunition…..when there’s not a global pandemic raging of course. Today It’s easier to list the companies that don’t make an AR15 pattern rifle than those that do. So, in this flood of components and complete weapons, you really have to do something unique to stand out among the crowd. Bear Creak Arsenal has cranked it up a notch with their new GPX upper receiver.
Bear Creek Arsenal makes a selection of AR components that rivals other major manufacturers in terms of variety. One of these products stands almost unchallenged in the vast sea of the AR15. Bear Creek is one of the only companies that produces a Side Charging AR15 upper receiver. Which does away with the brass deflector, forward assist, and rear charging handle, all replaced by a charging handle attached directly to the bolt carrier. This design is highly intuitive, and certainly bears a resemblance to the mighty Kalashnikov in terms of user operation. The GPX adds another AK like feature to its list of accolades, Adjustable Piston Operation. The GPX is the first piston driven side-charging AR15 upper to come to market.
So, why is this anything to shout about? The intuitive nature of having one control for three functions is a good start. Aside from the obvious simplicity of operation, it also shaves weight off of the upper, which offsets the added weight of the gas piston system. That piston system also helps the rifle to run much cleaner than typical direct impingement systems, as well as cooler, as the hot gas no longer directly enters the receiver in order to make the thing function. Piston AR’s normally trade heavier weight for cleaner and more efficient operation. But in the case of the GPX, the extra weight isn’t there. Our upper is chambered in .223 Wylde, with a 16” barrel using a 1:8 twist meaning it should do well with both 55gr and 62gr 5.56mm loadings as well as most common .223 loads. Moving forward, the gas piston system is adjustable, making it a perfect candidate to run suppressed. It also comes with a 15” MLOK handguard with 7 sides for attachment, 4 QD sling mount points, and a shaved top section to ditch even more precious ounces. Even when we threw some gear we had in the office on the rifle and loaded it up with a full magazine, we had to keep reminding ourselves that this is a piston upper and not a DI gun, it really is that light.
Now that we’ve got all of the mechanical and aesthetic accolades covered, lets get to the meat of the subject. With all of these accolades going for it, do they all come together to make a good shooter? We added some MBUS irons, a Holosun AEMS optic, a handstop, and an Olight for good measure and headed to the range.
Admittedly, this would be the first time I’ve shot more than 10 rounds through a rifle since the Governor of our wonderful state said stay in your house for two weeks. Between the ammo prices and availability, it just wasn’t there for me. However, the rifle did perform with exceptional accuracy for the price point. The rounds went where I put them with our 1x test optic, and the reason a target isn’t posted is due to my own need to shake the rust off at 100yds. However, do not let the lack of target posted dissuade you from this upper. We fed it a mix of 55 and 62gr and it did produce as near as makes no difference equal groups with both loadings. But, what really surprised us was the utter reliability. Once we were done with accuracy testing, we decided to see just how well it would run. So, we fed it a diet of about 300 rounds of 55gr Wolf steel case ammo just to stack the odds against it. Wouldn’t you know it ate every single round, burped, and asked for more. And this is not post break in period, this is directly out of the box. No cleaning, no babying, nothing. We sighted it in, tested for accuracy, and tossed it out of the frying pan and into the fire. What we got was a 100% reliable result, which left us without any further words to think of. This thing will take the beating right out of the box.
What we have here in our hands is perhaps a game changer. It’s the first of its kind, it’s much more accurate than I am, it eats whatever is on the menu, and it’s posed to be more than affordable. What is not to like? Well if we were forced, there are two things. The first is that the adjustable gas system is not easy to access. I’d need a screwdriver over 12” long to switch the gas setting, or I’d have to remove the handguard. Given how well it comes adjusted from the factory, I wasn’t terribly worried about it. Secondly, in our testing the bolt did not lock back on the last round when using our Thermold 20 round magazine. We are chalking this up to the magazine as it locked open with every other magazine we tried, making it really a moot point.
The Bear Creek Arsenal GPX upper is one hell of a product. It has so many accolades to it that I’m not sure I can think of a reason not to have one. It shoots soft, it’s accurate, it’s dead reliable, it’s light, and it’s easy to kit out however you prefer to have it. The gas system being not the easiest to adjust is not something we lost any sleep over, and it did not affect our testing in any way. We will definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an upper that’s a bit different, and you can find yours at https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/
By BYOBooyah
PENTAGON – On the heels of long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, neither of which involved enemy sea power, the U.S. Navy is on the hunt for a new adversary. Multiple sources within the Department of Defense indicate that American warships may soon be setting their sights on the world’s dolphin population.
Though American forces rarely target animal species specifically, naval officers are trying to combat boredom within the ranks while they wait for China to attack Australia. They view dolphins as smart, fast, capable of adapting on the fly, and a species they would definitely consider starting some shit with just to see where it goes.
Despite these facts, dolphins were not the first choice for a potential adversary. The Navy’s original plan was to target giant squid, a traditional foe of sailors throughout history. However, they were unable to find any in the depths of the ocean. Marine Biologists say that is probably because giant squid populations are already very low and that the massive Kraken the Navy kept asking about is likely a myth.
“Without giant squid, the next logical target was definitely sharks,” stated Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Michael Gilday. “However, we all eventually agreed that sharks are honestly pretty fuckin’ sick so we focused on dolphins instead.”
The term “Dolphin” itself incorporates 40 extant species globally, predominantly concentrated in warmer climates. While none of these species has been openly hostile to US interests, they do give off very shifty vibes.
“They just seem super smug,” stated Adm. Sam Paparo, Commander of the Pacific Fleet. “Like, sure they can jump out of the water super high but if you’re so advanced why don’t you have thumbs?”
Officials did clarify however that this potential dolphin conflict does not include Orcas, referencing several Tik Tok videos about the species and stating that the Navy “don’t want that smoke.”
Marine biologists consider dolphins one of the most intelligent non-human species on the planet and one that would be difficult to target with conventional munitions. Experts, therefore, warn that if US forces remain intent on antagonizing dolphins they run a substantial risk of both fucking around and finding out.
Responding to rumors of growing inter-species animosity, PETA has come out strongly against dolphin violence. The typically rational organization has gone so far as to say they hope dolphins (which are one of the few species that have sex for pleasure) rape all humans.
At press time, tensions have reached a fever pitch as the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy has taken significant damage and is listing from an underwater attack which dolphin leadership is claiming was the work of a rogue manatee and not a cause for war.
Both 1917s feature 5.5″ barrels. Colt’s New Service platform (bottom)
is about a quarter pound heavier than the Smith 2nd Model Hand Ejector
(top), thanks in part to the Colt’s beefier barrel.
When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, much of the weaponry desperately required was in short supply, most specifically some of the more advanced items. This included Browning’s groundbreaking Model 1911 pistol.
So, to fill the gap, the government contracted with Colt and Smith & Wesson to supply roughly 300,00 large-frame double-action revolvers with a cylinder shortened for the 1911’s .45 ACP service cartridge. Both featured a 5.5″ barrel.
Our smaller-handed shooters preferred the S&W M1917 (top) but Colt purists
are always gonna love a Hartford product (bottom), no matter what!
Colt purists are always gonna love a Hartford product, no matter what!
Hartford vs. Springfield
Colt’s contribution was essentially a Model 1909 New Service with a weight of 2.5 lbs. Smith & Wesson’s entry was essentially a 2nd Model Hand Ejector weighing 4 oz. less than the Colt.
For this story we managed to luck into one of each, courtesy of our shooting buddies Nils Grevillius (S&W) and John Wightman (Colt). Both specimens have had — through the years — more than one owner since production ceased in 1920. And, not surprisingly, there had been some minor alterations to the original guns.
The Smith’s original front sight had been replaced and our Colt had seen its original issue wooden stocks replaced by black hard rubber panels. Other than this, both guns were dead stock, right down to the “Property of United States Government” stamp on the underside of the barrel.
The triggers on both guns were in keeping with the usual Colt/Smith results from the era. The single-action pull on the Colt was a fairly manageable 4-¾ lbs., while the double-action pull stacked horrendously to the break point at a little over 17 lbs.
The Smith’s single-action pull broke at 2 ¾ lbs. while the double-action pull was an infinitely smoother — in comparison to the “stagier” Colt — 12 lbs. So, in terms of trigger manageability in either mode, the Smith was the clear winner. But in all fairness, neither gun as issued would pass muster for a modern DA revolver competition.
Our Colt shot 180-grain MagTech JHP a touch high but fairly tight
considering our “small sight/old eyeballs” situation.
At 25 yards, our Smith 1917 shot high with vintage .45 ACP 230-grain hardball.
But the Buffalo Bore “spicier” 225-grain .45 Auto Rim WC,
pretty much “shot to the sights.”
Vive La Difference!
Our smaller handed shooters preferred the Smith. Cosmetically, the Smith had a nicer finish. Although not critical on a military arm, it did give the S&W a leg up in terms of civilian appeal after the horrors of the Western Front became just a bad memory.
Other Smith vs. Colt signature operational features were what you’d expect from guns of the era: Left to right cylinder rotation on the Colt, a naked ejector rod and a pull-to-open cylinder latch. For the Smith, of course, you have right-to-left cylinder rotation, semi-shrouded ejector rod and a push-to-open cylinder latch.
Both guns featured the obligatory threaded lanyard ring on the butt. For a military handgun, lanyards were most definitely not a mere affectation, particularly if you were on horseback.
Of course, we shot ’em both using some vintage GI issue .45 ACP 230-grain hardball, along with some Magtech 180-grain JHPs and — once we got tired of moon-clipping — some Buffalo Bore .45 Auto Rim stuff.
Three at a time: Stuffing a 1917 cylinder with .45 ACP with
half-moon clips is quick, but full moon clips are quicker.
For total “functionality,” moon clips — usually full (6) or half (3)
— are required to run a 1917 with .45 ACP.
One way around this is to use .45 Auto Rim ammo. Photo: Roy Huntington
Shoot ’em If You Got ’em
The small sights on both guns made shooting good groups at 25 yards something of a challenge, but the top performers were the Magtech 180-grain JHPs from the Colt and Buffalo Bore’s 225-grain .45 Auto Rim wadcutters from the Smith.
It’s worth noting everything we shot seemed to generate more felt recoil than we’ve ever noticed from a 1911 auto. This appeared to be as much a function of the narrower backstrap and grip angle of the M1917 revolvers as much as anything.
Okay, from a combat-desirability aspect — not to mention carryability — both the Smith & Colt 1917s were “round guns,” bulkier and heavier than the 39-oz. Model 1911 auto, a classic “flat gun.” But they were critical additions to the sidearm shortage of WWI and I am gonna guess any soldier in desperate need of a handgun would most likely have been grateful as heck for a 1917.
Of course, revolvers still played a role in WWII — most specifically the Smith .38 Victory Model and the Colt Commando, while Smith’s J-Frame lightweight aluminum-framed Aircrewman put in a limited appearance in the early days of the Cold War.
Truth be told, handguns — aside from serving as badges of rank — were fairly low on the list of essential weaponry. But as Jeff Cooper once said: “Handguns don’t win wars, but they do save the lives of men who fight them.”
(I would rather have either one of these then a lot of the so called “Black Pistols” out there in a real fight- Grumpy)
