The MAC 9 DS is a double-stack 1911 platform that features a polymer grip module attached to a 7075-aluminum frame. This competition-style feature supports a generous magazine will, molded checkering and a square triggerguard with high-grip undercut. The extended beavertail protects the hands from hammer bite while complementing the triggerguard's undercut, enabling a high grip to better manage recoil and keep the slide level when shooting quickly. The iron sights are entirely functional, but the slide also accepts most red-dot optics. The MAC 9 DS is available in 9mm and feeds from 17-round magazines. The price makes the MAC 9 DS an affordable alternative to more expensive options, welcoming everyone to the firing line.

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Reticlescope

There are lots of micro-compact semiauto 9mms on the market, but the FN reflex is a standout. Rich and Brad examine what makes the Reflex the right concealed carry pistol for you.

SureFire XC3 reflects demand for an ultra-compact and powerful light for concealed carry pistols. Even for its dimensions, the XC3 projects 500 lumens/7,500 candela with a hybrid beam pattern providing a useful hotspot and spill across the target area. Also impressive are the bilateral switches, which are intuitive to press for momentary and constant-on activation, and the battery access through the bezel that doesn't require removing the unit from the rail.

iCoat anti-reflective coatings are formulated using unique and proprietary chemical compositions, combined with a premium bonding layer for powerful adhesion to the lens substrates. Icoat AR coatings address various optical lens related complaints such as distracting glare and halo effects, cleanability and scratch resistance. All iCoat anti-reflective coatings combine ion-impacted static-neutral coating technology with ultra tough chemical layers that are virtually impervious to wear and tear. All anti-reflective coating processes takes place in a cutting edge vacuum chamber that ensures precise control of all parameters of the coating layers. The result is a dense and smooth lens surface with glare-free properties, making your lenses impermeable to static, scratches, solvents and chemicals.With iCoats anti-reflective coatings your lenses appear thinner and your eyes look more natural.

I’ll try to revisit this subject in the coming issues of Guns & Ammo to expand on some of the principles laid out in this column. If you want to try something more exciting than a Duplex reticle, get a SFP reticle that subtends to .2 mil or 1 MOA on the horizontal crosshair and put it in a scope with an exposed elevation turret meant for dialing. This is the first step to becoming proficient at hitting targets reliably and repeatably past 300 yards.

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With the ever-increasing supply of rifles and scopes has come a seemingly endless number of reticles. In place of the duplex reticle are both better and worse options. Let’s take a look at the principles of reticle selection without nerding out too hard on the subject.

These reticles sound good and brief well, but are usually a let-down. BDC reticles are designed to zero at 100 yards and then have hold-over points on the reticle for 200-, 300- and 400-yards (or something similar). The problem is BDC reticles only really work for the military because they intimately know their rifle, optic mount and ammunition used with their optic. There is no way to tell where a BDC reticle will actually match up with an individual’s rifle and ammunition without knowing the bullet’s muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient (BC), and the optic’s height above the bore. Good BDC reticles will state where the BDC marks subtend so the customer can check them against a ballistic calculator to get accurate distances. But there are easier and more elegant solutions, too.

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Reticlerifle scope

A key aspect to keep in mind when debating between a traditional crosshair reticle and a tree-style reticle is that the tree is most useful when shooting at more than one target quickly. Crosshair reticles versus tree reticles is really a question of precision versus speed. Dialing each shot for elevation and holding off for wind is where the crosshair reticle shines. This is the most precise use of a riflescope available today. Tree reticles work well when, for example, I want to dial elevation for my first shot and then just hold over for the second target because I need to get hits as quickly as possible. Holding over for the second shot will be faster than dialing, although not quite as precise. Tree reticles are also advantageous when shooting past 1,000 yards because they allow for precise correction of both elevation and windage instead of just precise windage correction as with a crosshair-style reticle.

Smith & Wesson offers something for every shooter in this year's G&A Holiday Showcase. There's a new Model 1854 lever-action chambered in .45 Colt, and those who want a deep-cover pistol will love the Bodyguard 2.0 chambered in .380. Rich and Brad also check out the new Performance center M&P9 M2.0 Full-Size Carry Comp, a flat-shooting 9mm that's great for target shooting, competition, or personal defense.

Streamlight's TLR-1 is one of the most trusted lights for shooters, and this year the company is offering the new TLR-1 HL-X. Rich and Brad Discuss some of the features that make this weapon light a standout including front-loading batteries and an option to use either Streamlight's rechargeable SL-B9 batteries or standard CR123A lithium batteries.

There are lots of travel gun cases on the market, but none protect your firearm quite as well as Magpul cases with the DAKA Grid System. Now Magpul is offering their Grid System to fit a variety of popular hard-sided firearm cases so your can rest assured that your equipment will arrive in good condition regardless of rough handling by the airlines.

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Silencer Central revolutionized suppressor purchases, and the company is now offering an outstanding holiday BOGO. When you buy one suppressor over $695 you'll get a second Banish 22 V2 suppressor at no cost besides your tax stamp. That's a $500 value, so if you've ever considered purchasing a suppressor there's no better time than right now! Silencer Central makes the process fast and easy, so what are you waiting for?

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Kahr brands Magnum Research and Auto Ordnance have expanded their 1911 catalog to include several exciting new models. One of these is a collaboration between Auto Ordnance and Outlaw Ordnance that celebrates the Black Sheep Squadron as part of their Air Aces series Rich also takes a look at Magnum Research's outstanding MR1911GSS, a modern, versatile 1911 available in both .45 and 9mm

These are some of the most popular FFP reticles today, and there are a couple good reasons why. So-called “Christmas tree” reticles place the start of the tree at the center crosshair and then have various amounts of aiming points descending down and away from the center crosshair. Some tree reticles, such as the Tremor3, offer a lot of reference points and sophisticated features such as wind hold points established in miles per hour. The Tremor3 reticle has a lot going on in the field of view and, if it suits the shooter’s needs, it’s a fantastic reticle. The Tremor3 is issued by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and it’s just about perfect for military sniping because it works well with relatively large targets and multiple target engagements.

Chambered in .380, the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 goes above and beyond expectations. Sporting up to 12+1 round capacity in a micro frame, improved ergonomics and an aggressive slide, the performance of this handgun punches far above its weight class. Fun to shoot, easily controllable, and accurate, the Bodyguard 2.0 makes for an excellent CCW or backup handgun.

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Of all the good and bad things to come from the reticle revolution, these reticles, combined with exposed elevation turrets designed for dialing elevation corrections are the most useful in both SFP and FFP scopes. For those not inclined to use anything but the center of the crosshair, these reticles work just as any duplex model. For those looking for accurate wind holds or elevation holdovers, these types of reticles work well for that. No other reticle type has a simpler appearance while still offering lots of flexibility for holdoffs and holdovers. If I were a die-hard duplex-reticle guy and wanted to branch out into reticles that presented more options to the shooter, this would be the first place I’d start. Some examples of these reticles are the PR-1 and TMR reticles from Leupold. The best choice for a transition scope to get a shooter to explore more sophisticated options than a simple duplex crosshair is Leupold’s VX-3HD 4.5-14x40mm with Wind-Plex reticle. With just a bit of research from home, a shooter could send their load data to Leupold and receive a custom elevation turret based on the distance to the target. Slap that turret on this scope and the shooter can range a target with a laser rangefinder, dial the elevation turret to the distance that the rangefinder indicates, and hit with confidence out to 600 or 700 yards. I used Leupold’s Custom Dial System (CDS) to take an Alaskan grizzly at 421 yards. The CDS works as advertised. When combined with the Wind-Plex reticle that shows wind holds in 1-MOA increments, the combination is effective in the toughest shooting conditions. It’s also a reasonably inexpensive option, selling in gunshops for about $600.

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Second-focal-plane reticles are the best choice if the scope will see a third or more use in the lower half of the magnification range. SFP reticles stay the same size regardless of magnification level, so they are always easy to see. This is one of the key features that makes it so attractive and useful. Shooters best served by SFP reticles include law enforcement snipers, hunters and anyone with seasoned eyesight. A SFP reticle doesn’t get enough attention these days because it has been around for a while, but it is far more useful than many believe. The biggest complaint about an SFP reticle is that it only subtends accurately at one magnification, usually the scope’s maximum magnification. However, a simple rule to remember for SFP reticles is, “Cut the magnification in half, cut the hold in half.” This means a shooter using a 4-mil hold at maximum magnification on a 4-16X scope could use a 2-mil hold at 8X and get the same result. Those unafraid of fractions can apply this rule to any magnification level, but the fast, simple, and memorable rule of halves has many applications and obviates the old argument that SFP reticles have limited use.

Winchester is one of the oldest names in American firearms and they offer a wide range of branded products that make perfect holiday gifts. Brad and Rich check out Winchester branded safes, knives, apparel and more in this segment.

However, these reticles can cover up a lot of the field of view and make it hard to spot the impacts of rounds hitting near the target. This is the Tremor3’s biggest problem for the masses. A less cluttered reticle such as Leupold’s PR-2 is probably a better choice for all-around use.

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First-focal-plane (FFP) reticles get bigger or smaller as magnification changes because the reticle is always the same size relative to the target. This allows FFP reticles to show accurate subtension, i.e., the reticle measurement of objects in the field of view using milradian (mils) or minute-of-angle (MOA) marks on the reticle at all magnification levels. FFP reticles are enjoying peak popularity today, but many shooters are ill-served by them.

Eric R. Poole, Editor-in-Chief of Guns & Ammo, visits Kimber's manufacturing facility in Troy, Alabama, where he builds a one-of-a-kind Rapide 1911 pistol under the guidance of Pedi Gega, Kimber's director of assembly for 18 years. Poole's custom Rapide 1911, built according to Kimber's guidelines in assembling, fitment, finishing, and test fire, receives a stamp of approval from the quality control department. During the process, Poole learns about Kimber's support for the Boot Campaign, a veterans' nonprofit, through sales of its Hero Custom model. Poole's Rapide 1911 will be sold at auction on Gunbroker.com, with proceeds benefiting the Boot Campaign. The pistol features a stainless steel construction, an accessory rail, two-tone KimPro II finish, distinctive lightening cuts, Stiplex texture, a Rose Copper-colored barrel in 9mm, and a Holosun HE507C-GR X2 reflex sight with green-dot reticle.

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The trick to knowing when to select FFP or Second Focal Plane (SFP) is to assess where in the magnification range the scope will spend its time. If the scope will be used almost exclusively in the top half of its magnification range, FFP would be my first choice. Shooters that spend most of their time in this magnification range are military snipers, competitive shooters and some recreational target shooters. The reason FFP reticles are a poor choice for scopes frequently used in the lower half of the magnification range is because the reticle becomes so small that it is hard to see and use accurately.

It's rare that a new gun company's first firearm is a major success, but the Rost Martin is an exception. This striker-fired, polymer-frame 9mm pistol jumps near the head of its class, and Rich and Brad show us why.