Recently
Fiocchi USA announced that they are offering a line of
ammunition using the proven Hornady XTP bullets. Many
makers have used this bullet, and it isn’t well known but a
special military cartridge loaded by one of the BIG THREE uses
the 185 grain XTP. Smaller
ammunition companies such as Pro Load and Black Hills
often use bullets from our major suppliers and Cor Bon
uses special custom made bullets, some of their own design. But
when Fiocchi announced they would be using the XTP extensively,
I knew that we would have a winning combination.
Fiocchi
is a major force in ammunition in Europe and well known and
respected in the United States. I have used their ammunition
extensively. Part of the appeal is the fact that their loads are
a bit hotter than the competition in .25, .32 and .380 ACP. This
insures function in less than optimal small automatics. Most of
the .32s and such are made in Europe but the majority of
personal defense ammunition is produced in the Missouri plant.
This means it is easier to use an American bullet than to import
the bullets produced in Italy. And the truth, is the Hornady
bullet leaves nothing to be desired.
I
have fired thousands of rounds of Fiocchi handgun ammunition
with good results. Among these have been the specialty loads in
.30 Luger, 8mm Lebel, and 7.62 Nagant. There is simply no other
reliable source unless you wish to use corrosive military
ammunition. A very special revolver load near to my heart is the
target wadcutter load in .32 Smith and Wesson Long. I have used
this cartridge extensively for small game. The Fiocchi load hits
hard and delivers target grade accuracy. Recently I fired a ¾
inch 25 yard group on a perfect day with my Ruger Single
Six .32 H & R Magnum. This is unusually good even for the
tight Ruger and quality ammunition.
The
230 grain .45 ACP with full metal jacketed bullet is a good
choice when breaking in a new pistol. If a pistol does not feed
hardball, it is sick! The Fiocchi produce is loaded a little
hotter than most. The 230 grain JHP is an accurate round that
feeds well even in old military handguns such as the Argentine
Modelo 1927. This load is a bit hotter than most 230
grain JHPs, breaking about 870 fps from most 1911s with a five
inch barrel.
I
recently received a sample of the new EXT loads in both 115 and
147 grain weight. I elected to test them in a variety of 9mm
pistols. This includes a 1961 vintage Browning High
Power, a modern FM
Argentine High Power, the ArmaLite AR 24, a Kel
Tec PF 9 and the Heckler and Koch P 7. These
handguns really run the gamut of performance. The PF 9 has
considerable recoil while the AR 24 is practically as easy to
shoot well as a rimfire target pistol. The PF is a double action
only, the FM and the High Power single actions, the ArmaLite a
double action first shot pistol and the P 7 a unique squeeze
cocker. I ran combat drills and took the measure of targets from
five to fifty yards. In no case did any of the handguns fail to
feed, chamber, fire or eject. Naturally the military sights of
the High Power were a limiting factor and the PF 9 difficult to
shoot well past ten yards, but the pistols performed well.
As
for accuracy, here are the results from the two most accuracy
handguns. Five
shot groups, twenty five yards, Fiocchi ammunition.
|
AR 24 |
HK P7 |
115
grain JHP |
2.0 inches |
2.4 inches |
147 grain JHP |
2.5 inches |
2.6 inches |
The
115 grain XTP load runs at about 1180 fps in the P 7 while the
147 grain bullet just breaks 1000 fps. Depending upon your
philosophy, either will serve well.
I
have also used .22 caliber Fiocchi with excellent results. Be
certain to use the High Speed shells in your automatic pistols!
The target grade .22s have given excellent results in my
revolvers. Check Boar Hunter Magazine this month for a
review of the Ruger Hunter
and Fiocchi ammunition.
Finally
I have to comment on the single most accurate Fiocchi loading I
have tested.
The
new 165 grain JHP uses a wide mouth JHP and is nothing but
accurate in every .40 Smith and Wesson pistol I have tested. The
CZ 75 Compact gave a
1.25 inch twenty five yard group, edging out the SIG P
229’s 2.0 inch group. This was no fluke but a combination of
quality ammunition and a first class pistol.
Kimson
Grips
Recently
I have had the pleasure of using buffalo horn grips from Kimson.
Kimson is located in a very famous part of the world, Ho Chi Min
City, Vietnam. The fact is Kimson is a craftsman who offers a
good product at a very fair price. And where else will you find
Buffalo horn grips? These grips offer a good purchase and are
certainly eye catching. I fitted them to another product of the
Pacific rim, a Philippine produced Rock Island compact. I
most often carry this pistol in a Wilson Combat Summer
Companion, with the Wilson Combat eight round Officer’s Model
magazine. This a sweet set up.
Kim Son Handicrafts (www.handicraft-vn.com).
Alumi
Grips
We
have featured Alumi Grips in these pages before. But most
shooters do not realize that the grips are available for the
Browning High Power as well as the 1911.
I placed a set on a rather ordinary pistol, a FEG
9mm. The FEG is just OK, its performance is a few tiers below
that of the Argentine FM but then the FEG is inexpensive.
Internal parts are often roughly polished, making achieving
smoothness problematical. But I sometimes build pretty nice 9mms
using the FEG. It is a challenge! Among the latest was fitted
with the new Alumi Grip. The results are striking. While they
might look even better on a hard chrome High Power, the FEG and
Alumi grips look very nice.
Combat
Pen
Around
my house you have to be careful for you ask for. We do not wait
until Christmas to be nice to one another! My son recently
graduated from college (courtesy of Uncle Sam, the US Army, and
lots of hard work - not to mention a good southern raising and
his great grandmother praying a mantle over him). I looked for a
gift that would befit his new position. The Timbeline Combat
Pen was the end result. This is a wonderful writing
instrument, and as for other uses I will let you use your
imagination. The design is courtesy of Greg Lightfoot,
which means it is not pedestrian.
P
7 Grips, Karl Nill
The
Heckler and Koch P 7 illustrated is one of my favorite handguns.
It is a challenge to master, demanding the shooter learn to
isolate the trigger finger from the supporting grip more so than
any other handgun in my experience.
While the piece is impressive as issued I elected to add
a set of Karl Nill grips. Mac Tech Enterprises is
among the very few sources for these first class grips. Friends,
a lot of handwork in fitting and checkering goes into these
grips and in the end the ability of the shooter is greatly
enhanced. Plus, they are downright elegant. A fine addition to
an expensive but capable handgun. (www.mactech-militaryarms.net).
These
are some of the latest and most interesting items I have
encountered. Stay tuned to Gunblast.com for more to come.
Don’t change that dial!
R.K.
Campbell
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