So I’m at the local grocery store.  I hardly ever buy gun magazines anymore because all they want to talk about is some new 1911 pistol.  It seems anything Tacticool is just too taboo for a magazine.  But every time I pass the magazine rack I look anyway, for that chance I might see an AR-15 on the cover.

ELLO LUV!  What’s this?  Smith & Wesson M&P15 Exclusive Sneak Peek!?
fuckin’ A cool!

Get home and get all cozy on the couch.  Cool drink next to me, I’m ready.  As an Armchair commando of an elite unit DELTA I expect some good things from this sneak peak.  I especially want to hear about metal grades and “special” enhancements.  Well I get a mixed bag in the article.  What I found most interesting was the lesson on barrel twist.  I know, I know, AGNTSA, but how can we end it when I still read this stuff?

Quote: “The current military and M16A2 and M4 carbines, have a much faster twist rate-1:7-in order to stabilize the M586 tracer bullet, but it is too fast a twist for some of the lighter bullets (40 to 50 grains)”

Too fast eh?  What does that mean?  I may run the risk of over-stabilizing the bullet?  Or better yet the myth about SHRAPNEL flying out of the barrel?  Maybe it’s just me.

Moving on I was hoping to hear what makes the S&W so much more “reliable” as the article seemed to promise me.  Alas the article didn’t say shit.  Damn shame too because it looks like their tactical model is a Middy.  I can’t say for sure but that would have been worth mentioning if it turns out to be true.  7071 aluminum was interesting.  No mention of barrel steel, and also no mention of extractor enhancements or anything else really.  So I’m still curious what “Our intention is to produce the absolute most reliable and duty-ready AR-15 you can find, right out of the box, with the best features and accessories already in the package.”  Well thank you Mr. Steve Skrubis for all the details regarding that lofty statement.  God I love the Marketing Department!

Lastly, while I was on the shit’r, I read the Sig 229 article.  Quote: “The hammer-drop bar testifies to the traditional SA/DA operating system.”  The hammer-drop bar …………………………………… is that like a DE-DOCKING LEVER?

ROFL, I always love a good read.

-Moco

Using actual writers would go against G&A's policy of reprinting press releases.  To keep costs down and provide you with more "bang for the buck" (tm) they just have college interns re-organize the what the PR department from the manufacturer sends them.

How else could they afford in-depth analysis and 100 round "torture tests" I ask you?

G

Gun writers (and most gun rag readers) ran out of interesting information lonnnnnnnnnnnng ago.

Quoted: So I’m at the local grocery store.  I hardly ever buy gun magazines anymore because all they want to talk about is some new 1911 pistol.

Whats wrong with 1911's.


I agree Guns & Ammo aint what it used to be.

Quoted: Moving on I was hoping to hear what makes the S&W so much more “reliable” as the article seemed to promise me.  Alas the article didn’t say shit.

From pg. 45

Suffice it to say that after nearly 4500 rounds of mixed commercial ammunition of every grade and every bullet weight you'd want to put through an AR, there had been exactly zero stoppages of any kind.

I read G&A as a teenager and it got me started onto the road of "the" addiction.

It is sad to see how bad they really are (were) at pimpin' the latest ad.

Think what you will about S&W, but it's nice to see them get into the black rifle market finally. They  may not a have a huge variety of firearms to choose from but they make a quality firearm. I  think there AR's will be no different.

[rant on]
As for G&A, well they have gone downhill but no more so than all the other gun rags. Many of the great gunwriters are either retired or dead, 98% of gun stuff has already been written and rehashed dozens of times already. There is not enough new or interesting stuff coming out that can fill a magazine 12 times a year. If the gun makers could actually come up with something new and original, maybe the gun rags might be more interesting.
Instead we have whole magazines dedicated to the ultra short magnum cartridge which shaves a whole 1/4 of an inch off the original cartridge with basically the same ballistics, not to mention the rifles made for these super duper new cartridges weigh 6 ounces less and only cost $800 more than the original.  Whoopeefrickindoo.
[/rant off]

Boy, they really hooked me with that 1100 shotgun I bought. What a piece of crap!! The smith told me I had a problem when I brought it in for repair. I asked, "What problem". he said, "it is a Smith and Wesson. "

It's a decent read.  Worth the $3.99 I paid for it.  Just wish there was more content.  I think this is the 1st I read about the Equinox in any magazine.  I love a 1911 as much as the next guy but they go OVERBOARD over one new 1911 that comes out.  SigArms has been going ape shit brigning out all kinds of Guns of the Month and I don't hear shit.

Also Taurus, has all kinds of stuff and I don't hear shit about them either.  I saw a nice ad for CZ 452 and 453 rifles but no review.  YARG!

Is this SWAT magazine any good?

Yes, SWAT magazine is good.

The S&W AR looked like it had an MRP with Troy sights. They made sure that everything on the rifle had Smith and Wesson engraved on it.

has anyone posted or seen a pic of the rifle online?

It seems these magazines and shot gun news are just getting smaller ( pages) and the price stays the same or goes up.

I'm a sucker for 1911 porn.

I dont think GUNS magazine is all that bad nor is HANDGUNNER. The one SWAT mag that I bought was good, I think It had had San Salvador Antigang Unit or something....

But I have never liked Guns and Ammo. Im looking into getting a subscription to SAR.

Quoted:  I hardly ever buy gun magazines anymore because all they want to talk about is some new 1911 pistol.

+1 zillion.

Do we really need a March cover article about the new 4" barrel Kimber and a May cover article about the new 3.75" barrel Kimber?

If you notice, Kimber, Springfield, and Para-Ord always have some big full page ads in the same mags.

The law enforcement and military based mags are the only ones I ever buy anymore.

You think that's bad?....go get the Feb 06, 2006 Shotgun News.
They used up 5 whole pages on an article on how to tweak your AirSoft....

Can't wait till next month...."How to Upgrade that Bang from that JohnnyEagle Cap Gun"

I only read GUNS and AMERICAN HANDGUNNER, for the John Taffin articles.They must sell their advertising cheap, half the mag is advertising. Combat Handguns and SWAT are the ones I read mostly.

I dropped G&A after two years because its writing was on par with a 10 year old, IMO. Were it not for the Jeff Cooper section, it wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on, IMO.

My .02

Quoted: I dropped G&A after two years because its writing was on par with a 10 year old, IMO. Were it not for the Jeff Cooper section, it wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on, IMO. My .02

I dropped it more like 5 years ago but the rest is the same. And unfortunately even the Cooper articles just aren't what they used to be (but he's an old timer and I still love his articles from the 80s...)

These days I only buy SWAT and Shotgun News, and the occasional "book of the 1911" or AR or the SureFire mags.

Quoted: Quoted: Moving on I was hoping to hear what makes the S&W so much more “reliable” as the article seemed to promise me.  Alas the article didn’t say shit. From pg. 45 Suffice it to say that after nearly 4500 rounds of mixed commercial ammunition of every grade and every bullet weight you'd want to put through an AR, there had been exactly zero stoppages of any kind.

Big fucking deal.  I've done this much through my parts puppy.

I stopped reading gun magazines years ago as well. The only rag I know of that is worth buying is Gun Tests. If something doesn't live up to their expectations, the GT writers make it known. Unfortunately it is a rather spartan publication, and the people who write for it are obviously not professional writers.

Quoted: I dropped G&A after two years because its writing was on par with a 10 year old, IMO. Were it not for the Jeff Cooper section, it wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on, IMO. My .02

just go HERE Cooper writes a ton of stuff that never makes it to GA
I think he maybe getting a bit senile though

Quoted: just go HERE Cooper writes a ton of stuff that never makes it to GA I think he maybe getting a bit senile though

Fer christsakes, the man is 900 years old!!!!!!  Give him a break!!!!

Wow, they enter the market with a AR, not only that an expensive one too retail of $1200

The one in seven twist rate ensures that the earths rotation does not change.

Quoted: Using actual writers would go against G&A's policy of reprinting press releases.  To keep costs down and provide you with more "bang for the buck" (tm) they just have college interns re-organize the what the PR department from the manufacturer sends them. How else could they afford in-depth analysis and 100 round "torture tests" I ask you? G

Yep, I love the recent issue (not sure if it was G&A, Special Weapons maybe) with the 2 articles on the SCAR-L and the HK416.  The first half of each article was identical, copied and pasted from the other