A .22 conversion kit for your SIG SAUER pistol is a great way to get range time in at a fraction of the cost associated with centerfire ammunition.
For a time, SIG offered a .22 conversion kit for the classic pistols: the P220, P226, P228 and P229.
However, the company discontinued these kits and they are now only available as used kits that often sell for triple the original MSRP.
If you shoot the 5mm rimfire, Aguila Ammunition has good news: the 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum (RFM or sometimes RRM) is back in production. Additionally, the company is offering two loads now.
It seems like every firearms company is solidly in the striker-fired camp. Beretta is one of the few that continues to find value in the hammer-fired pistol world.
Case in point: the Px4 Storm Subcompact. Introduced more than a decade ago, the handgun continues to be a staple in the Beretta catalog.
Why? Well, some of the reasons are obvious while others are a bit more subtle. So, let’s take a look at the Px4 Subcompact and review the features this gun offers.
Released in 2008, the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol is a polymer-framed, hammer-fired handgun that has earned a very good reputation in the self-defense and law enforcement communities.
Any shooter familiar with the larger pistols in the Px4 Storm line will recognize this pistol’s styling and operation.
However, there is a significant difference between the subcompact and larger Px4 pistols. Beretta designed the Px4 with a rotary barrel lock up. Due to the compact size of the Px4 Subcompact, this model uses a til barrel lockup common to other pistols like the Glock 43 and Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.
Originally, the Px4 Storm could be had with one of four different trigger types, designated by Beretta as F, G, D and C trigger options. Currently, the company trimmed the options down to one: the F.
This trigger option is the traditional double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pull with a slide-mounted de-cocker. The de-cocker can also serve as a manual safety and is ambidextrous.
The following video from Beretta reviews the subcompact pistol along with the other models in the Px4 line:
The pistol was designed to be friendly to left-handed shooters. In addition to the ambidextrous safety, the gun has a reversible magazine release button.
Since the day it was introduced, the Px4 sub-compact pistol is available in both 9mm and .40 S&W versions. Although a pistol chambered in 45 ACP has been rumored, none have ever been offered by Beretta.
The Px4 comes with three different sized backstraps. A shooter can easily swap them out to find the best sized for his or her hand.
Also to help fit the shooter’s hand is a unique magazine baseplate feature that Beretta calls the Snap-Grip. As with many sub-compact pistols, the gun’s grip is relatively short. However, the front portion of the magazine base plate can be snapped down, giving the shooter additional gripping surface.
When not shooting, the extension can be snapped back up, providing for a smaller profile for concealed carry.
A short Picatinny rail is molded into the underside of the pistol’s frame. This allows the shooter to add a white light or laser to the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol.
Here are the specs on the Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact:
| SKU | JXS4F20 | JXS9F21 |
| Caliber | .40 S&W | 9mm |
| Standard Magazine Capacity | 10 | 13 |
| Action | DA/SA | DA/SA |
| Barrel Length | 3.0″ | 3.0″ |
| Overall Length | 6.22″ | 6.22″ |
| Width | 1.42″ | 1.42″ |
| Weight (unloaded) | 26.1 oz | 26.1 oz |
| MSRP (2008) | $575 | $575 |
| MSRP (2021) | $650 | $650 |
Last update: June 3, 2021
The AR-15 platform has become extremely popular in the past two decades. With it, the .223 Rem rose to one of the most popular rifle cartridges of all time.
In the hunting realm, the .223 has been very popular with varmint hunters. However, many people have felt the .223 cartridge is too small for hunting deer-sized game.
Remington is trying to change people’s minds.
To help influence the debate, Remington introduced a .223 cartridge in their Core Lokt Ultra Bonded line of hunting ammunition.
According to Remington, the Core Lokt Bonded bullet “…offers the unique combination of excellent accuracy, superb weight retention, and expansion with overall superior terminal results.”
Remington says the bullets retain up to 95% of their original bullet weight, and by using a progressively tapered jacket, the bullets expand reliably at “all practical” velocities. Expansion of up to twice the original bullet diameter is typical with this bullet design.
The obvious goal is improved penetration with the relatively light bullet. A bonded bullet enables the projectile to hold itself together when hitting bone and other tissue.
Whether deer hunters will embrace this round remains to be seen. However, Remington’s introduction of their Core Lokt Ultra Bonded bullet in a .223 loading expands the possibilities with this already versatile rifle cartridge.
| Caliber | .223 Rem |
| Bullet Weight | 62 grains |
| Bullet Type | Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded |
| Muzzle Velocity | 3,100 fps |
| Muzzle Energy | 1,323 ft-lbs |
| Ballistic Coefficient | .234 |
| MSRP (2021) | $38.99/box of 20 |
The Core Lokt Ultra Bonded line is fairly extensive and covers many of the other popular calibers in both short- and long-action.
Additionally, the company offers these bullets loaded in the 6.8 SPC cartridge, which is another caliber that is very popular with AR-15 shooters. For deer-sized game, I would much rather have the 6.8 SPC cartridge than the .223. It definitely gives the hunter a lot more power for anchoring an animal.
While you could hunt whitetail with a .22 LR, I still believe in clean, humane kills. Bigger bullets tend to improve the likelihood of this happening.
Another excellent hunting cartridge for the AR-15 platform is the more recent 300 BLK (aka the 300 AAC BLACKOUT) cartridge. This uses a .30 caliber bullet in the same size envelope as a 5.56 cartridge. They even use the same magazines and can be had in subsonic versions for suppressor use. I’ve seen these used on hogs and they are very effective.
Do you hunt deer with the .223? If so, what ammo are you running? Anyone want to offer their review of the Core Lokt ammo in .223?
Last update: June 3, 2021
In 2008, CZ-USA started importation of the semi-automatic SA Vz 58 rifle. While the gun’s appearance gives it a look similar to the AK-47, the gun is not a clone of the famous Kalashnikov rifle.
Let’s take a look at what the VZ 58 is and the CZ-USA variant.