Tag Archives: handgun

Research

Sometimes, mag catches break

Leave a comment

IMG_1337.JPG

Rating high in the “realm of things I’ve never seen before”, my police surplus BUL Storm Compact came to my FFL with a broken mag catch. Ordinarily, I would not consider this to be a big deal, but since I needed to submit it to the Maryland Handgun Roster Board for approval in a working state, this was less than ideal, as the gun was punted back from the board for fixes… meaning another 4-5 month round trip for approval The magazine would fall out if any real pressure was put on it from the top… such as stripping a round from the magazine.

I wound up using a new EAA Witness mag catch from the Ben Stoeger Pro Shop. He shipped it the same day I ordered, and it came very quickly. This was the newer-style (post-2004) magazine catch, so it’s also a bit of an upgrade. Installing it wasn’t hard, but did require three hands.

Industry News

CAA MIC-RONI

1 Comment

mic-roni.jpegBesides their foray into the AK market, CAA’s SHOT 2016 booth also revealed a new Glock chassis called the “MIC-RONI”. I think you are supposed to pronounce this “Microni”, like “Macaroni”, but they also call it the “Micro RONI” on their site, so… your guess is as good as mine.

While I am something of a skeptic of the first RONI, I really like what I’m seeing with the MIC-RONI. It folds up to 13.7″, and only weighs about 3.1lbs with a Glock 17 in it. That makes it lighter AND smaller than the FAB Defense KPOS G2 (albeit the Microni is made of polymer vs the KPOS’s aluminum). Some other advantages I’m noticing:

  1. The trigger-blocking safety looks much more manageable – doesn’t look like there’s a button to deploy it.
  2. it has storage for an extra mag in the fixed VFG.
  3. The stock is high enough to support AR optics properly.
  4. Integrated flashlight holder (albeit I don’t know what it’s compatible with, or how you control it).

Downside is that it doesn’t look like you’ve got enough clearance to run a suppressor. That’s not a deal-breaker for me, but could be for other people.

Research

3D Printing a Magazine Sleeve

5 Comments

IMG_1290

As you’ll recall from my review of the BUL Impact, I loved the pistol, but bemoaned the lack of a way to get a nice flush fit with the full length BUL M5 9mm magazines. There was a product image showing a sleeve adapter, but I had never seen one in the wild.

Well, if you can’t buy it… you build it. Or in my case, you 3D print it.

Continue reading 3D Printing a Magazine Sleeve →

Research

BUL Cherokee Mini

2 Comments

mini.jpg

For the longest time, I was convinced that the BUL Cherokee Mini (which is to say, the Cherokee variant that has a smaller frame ala the Storm Compact) was never put into production, either as generation 1 or generation 2.

Imagine my surprise when someone at BUL corrected me, told me it was in current production, and sent me a picture! You can see it above. The interesting thing about the Cherokee Mini is that it’s chambered in .380ACP. I’m guessing that it might be selling well with the current events in Israel.

I also have a picture of a gen 1 Cherokee Mini (9mm), but I don’t know if that ever made it out the door.

BUL Cherokee Mini_small.jpg

Research

The difference between BUL Impact and BUL M-5 Ultra magazines

Leave a comment

IMG_1274

One mystery that consistently driven me a bit crazy is the subject of whether BUL M-5 Ultra magazines are compatible with the BUL Impact, and vica versa. I finally have an answer. As you can see in the above picture, the difference between the two magazines is the follower. The Impact magazines (seen on the right) have a slightly different follower with a higher left hand side to push up the Impact’s slide stop. The M-5 magazines (on the left) have a “normal” profile follower without the raised edge. You can use either magazine type in either gun, but the M-5 magazines won’t actuate the slide stop on the Impact, and the Impact magazines will require more force to release the M-5’s slide on an empty magazine.

Given that proper Ultra-X magazines appear to be going for astronomical ($100+) prices these days, being able to use DDA mags should be very financially helpful to owners of the Charles Daly M-5 Ultra-X and the Kimber Ten II Ultra.

Industry News

Galil ACE 3X pistols in US; shipping soon

Leave a comment

According to the IWI-US’s Facebook page, the Galil ACE 7.62×39 pistols have arrived and are awaiting final assembly.

 

Here’s another “better late than never”. The first Galil ACE pistols have finally arrived in our warehouse. We are…

Posted by IWI US onĀ Tuesday, November 3, 2015

I am eagerly awaiting reviews, albeit I know what they’re going to say: “great pistol, but where’s the SBR kit?”

Research, Reviews

Upgrading the BUL M-5

4 Comments

IMG_1237

I recently reviewed a gen 1 BUL M5 in 9mm, and suffice it to say, I think it’s one of the best double-stack 1911 options on the market if you can find magazines for it (which I did, finally).

But, mine was a stock gun, and I’ve never really owned a proper race gun. So, I decided that I could take a chance on a handgun I paid $400 for (not to mention it being a bit of a mutt with a Springfield-marked frame), and decided to do some modifications to it to bring it up to competition standards. It was an adventure, and I have some tips to share.

Continue reading Upgrading the BUL M-5 →

Research

BUL M-5 Mags and Parts Source

6 Comments

A recurrent “theme” (read: whine) I’ve had about BUL handguns is that the magazine and parts situation is somewhat dire, especially on the 9mm side. On a tip, I did find someone who stocks BUL M-5 magazines and parts. Ask for Lou at All America Sales (870-544-2809). He was able to source some stuff for me that I had a lot of difficulty finding otherwise, and his prices were quite reasonable (to the point where I was wondering if he wasn’t getting out of sourcing these parts to begin with).

I am in the process of upgrading my M-5 using those parts, and should have an article on that process soon.

Research

IMI 945 Compact / “Black Horse”

5 Comments

Just to be clear: all images in this post are from Modern Gun magazine, August1994. I use them without permission, and will remove the images if requested by the rightful copyright holder.

945 compact

There are many mysterious Israeli handguns out there, but besides the semi-infamous 9mm IMI revolver, another difficult one to track down is the “Black Horse”. There’s a grand total of one reference to it online, and a somewhat grainy picture that seems to have been taken from a visit to the IDF History Museum in Tel Aviv. (My need for a trip to Israel grows and grows…)

But, thanks to a tip from a helpful commenter, Daniel Watters at TheGunZone, I’ve finally hunted up some more information on the gun, and it’s not what I was expecting…

Continue reading IMI 945 Compact / “Black Horse” →