STEP 1: UNIFY

Image courtesy of RCMP

Well, the literal hangover is hopefully over, and it's time to move forward. The first thing we need to do, while our new legislators are still acclimating, is organize behind a united front so as to allow us time to develop a unified strategy to present to government. We need a single group, with a single vision, representing as many of Canada’s two million gun owners as possible. Without that, we are a fractured entity pushing and pulling in any number of ways at one time, rather than a single force capable of exerting massive pressure in a single direction.

That front is the Canadian Shooting Sports Association. It literally cannot be made simpler than that eight word sentence. But why?

Because what we need, first and foremost, is a single group that has three attributes: A knowledge of legislative process and possessing a high level of legislative credibility, an infrastructure to manage membership and contributions responsibly, and the ability to develop a single cohesive strategy with which to engage government. The CSSA is the only group extant that possesses all of these attributes right now. And we need to rally behind one group right now. Every day that we do not is another day with which the anti-gun movements gets ahead of us.

We understand that other firearm-centric groups exist in Canada, and we respect them, their members and their efforts. As a business, we love anyone that puts effort into fighting for gun rights. But as much as each group serves a purpose, what we will need more than anything is a single group with a large membership, in order to sway legislators. This election saw the Liberals eke out a victory with a surprisingly small percentage of the actual ballots cast, which ensures that our success will ride upon the amount of voter support our organizational representatives can bring to the table… and that means we need at least one organization with as many members as we can muster. To put it in perspective, the difference between an overwhelming Liberal majority and the second-place CPC voter turnout was 1.5 million. There are over 2 million licensed gun owners in Canada. The sooner we can provide our lobbyists with membership numbers that better reflect our voting power, the sooner the issue of gun control stops being a matter for partisan politics.

Now, some may feel that we are incorrect in our endorsement of the CSSA. Some may feel the CSSA does not reflect their own individual beliefs as well as another group, or perhaps feel that they themselves need not be concerned with joining a group in an effort to prevent additional gun bans. But as we said yesterday evening, this is the time for gun owners to cast aside their differences, prejudices, or biases and recognize the power that comes from presenting a unified front by backing a single organization first and foremost. We recognize that may not be easy for some, but if we are to have any hope of weathering the storm, we all need to find the fortitude within ourselves to ignore those negative thoughts and simply forge ahead for the greater good. This we can guarantee: The alternative will be far harder to swallow than something as benign as a $45 annual membership bill.

And if you truly feel like the CSSA isn’t serving your best interests, join the CSSA, and whatever group you feel more comfortable with. Or, join the CSSA and get involved to try and make their organization better. Presenting legislators with a lobby group that we hope could come to represent 100,000 or more Canadians is a potent notion, and one that is made all the more potent if that lobby group is comprised of engaged, involved volunteers providing their time, skills, and varying viewpoints to the discussion. The genesis of a large organization is always an evolutionary one, and it is all but guaranteed that the CSSA of today would not be the 100,000+ member CSSA of tomorrow, as each new member has the ability to help shape and form the CSSA's policy and efforts to better suit and reflect its membership.

Trust us, this will only be the first step in what will probably end up feeling like a marathon, but it is an important one. We cannot let ourselves lapse into complacency, nor can we let ourselves continue to be divided by petty banter; we all need to start pulling in the same direction if we are to get out ahead of any potentially crippling legislation.

Please click here and get your membership today.

CKRT M16 AUTO-LAWKS

The CRKT M16 by Kit Carson has to be one of the longest-running tactical folders ever put into production. We’ve seen them around for decades but this was our first go at one with the new Auto-LAWKS safety on the closure, so we figured it was worth a try.

To be absolutely honest, we found the opening a little finicky - the flipper is a little small so with our banana fingers it would sometimes hang up partway through opening. It’s got a thumb stud so it’s not like you’re obligated to restrict yourself exclusively to using the flipper, but opening it does take some getting used to.

The Auto-LAWKS, on the other hand, is great. It also takes some getting used to - our editor stared at the open M16 like a monkey in front of a giant black obelisk, hooting excitedly and unable to conceive of a technology so advanced until someone explained the feature to him. But it makes the knife impossible to close without making a conscious decision to do so, and particularly on a liner-lock knife, that’s a terrific feature. If you’ve ever used a liner-lock to tip-drill and come close to amputating your index finger, or even if you haven’t, you’ll appreciate the Auto-LAWKS, intense capitalization notwithstanding.

2015 HONDA CB500X, CB500F, AND CBR500R TESTED

When it comes to small motorcycles, few manufacturers seem to be pounding out the various models like Honda. And who can blame them. After the unabashed success of the Honda Grom, Big Red seems keen to provide riders with the whole range of motorcycles they’ll need as they grow from new riders to novices to experienced two-wheeled enthusiasts. And the middle step in that process is clearly these: The CB500F, X and CBR500R.

Now, obviously these are three distinct motorcycles… at least, they’re distinct-ish. The F-model is intended for those that desire a standard, or naked sort of motorcycle experience with minimal fairings, a tiny windscreen, and a conventional handlebar mounted to the top triple tree. The R-model, as one would assume, is racier; with full sportbike fairings, low mounted signals, and clip-ons. And the X-model? Well, it’s the adventure-tourer in training, fitted with a taller handlebar, a fairing and windscreen that looks almost identical to that of the NC750X, and a single-piece seat.

But beyond those visual cues, much of the mechanicals between these Thai-built bikes are shared. The engine, a 470cc counterbalanced parallel twin that’s slightly oversquare but tuned to accentuate torque delivery and mileage over high-end horsepower, the frames, the suspension (sort of) and the gearbox are all unchanged from model to model. In fact, to give some indication of precisely how mechanically similar these bikes are, when it came time to turn the naked, F-model into the faired in R-model, Honda took the standard fork tubes from the F model and slipped them up in the triple trees to provide purchase for the clip-ons and lower the bike’s overall height. Pretty smart thinking that… especially when you’re discussing a triumvirate of motorcycles designed for newer and less experienced riders that may (unfortunately) come to appreciate the benefits of parts-sharing and the reduced costs that brings with it! Those with the X-model will need to get their fork tubes specifically from the X-model parts bin though; they’re 20mm longer for a bit more ride height and lazier steering geometry.

So how do they ride? Well, with so many shared bits, it’s no surprise that mechanically they feel pretty much identical. The engine is a wonderful little unit that actually feels quite similar to that of the NC750; glass-smooth for a twin and with gobs of torque all over the lower rev range, but still eager and quick to rev. Unlike the NC’s Fit-based lump though, the 470cc unit in these bikes all rev to a properly motorcycle-esque 8700 rpm… although we did find things got pretty buzzy at much over 6500. And the gearbox… well, it’s a Honda six speed and it feels pretty much like every Honda gearbox this side of the year 2000. It’s not as smooth as Suzuki’s great gearboxes usually are, but there’s a good amount of feedback and positive shift action, so CB500 riders will never wonder if they’ve changed gear.

Now, in terms of suspension and brakes, all the CB500 models seem a bit softly sprung and mildly underdamped. But that’s hardly a mark against the Honda; we can’t think of anything in the entry-level bike market that isn’t a little squidgy on the suspension side of things… and if there was such a bike, it’d be too expensive to be considered an entry-level bike. So you’re probably not going to be setting lap records or hucking big air with these. But you will enjoy a nice, cosseting ride that’s very comfortable, and some impressive braking performance. We were skeptical of the big single disc setup, but they can haul you down pretty good, and the inclusion of ABS is absolutely fantastic.

Which brings us to the differences between them. Surprisingly, even though these bikes share many of the same mechanics, the simple change in riding position makes for some very different experiences. We’ll start with the two that are most similar: The CB500X and CB500F. With a similar upright riding position and wide handlebar (the X-model is a bit more upright due to a bit more rise in the handlebar) these two bikes actually feel pretty similar if you ride them around town. The soft suspension feels a bit more at home on the X-model though, where the dirt-bike, ADV-styled look of the thing sort of makes it feel like it should be capable of just bounding over big potholes and irregularities. Likewise, the plucky nature of the engine’s low-end torque delivery seems to pair up better with the X, although both bikes feel great as the combination of easily-accessed low-end torque mates up well with the wide handlebar to make both bikes feel nimble and quick around town. Out on the highway though, it has to be the X that gets the nod, due entirely to the larger windscreen keeping a lot more air off your chest at speed.

Which brings us to the R-model. Now, sportbikes are specifically my bread and butter, and for too long new riders have been struggling to find a sportbike that fills the gap between the ever-popular 250cc and 300cc models and the proper 600cc sportbikes. In fact, if you were a budding track enthusiast, you had pretty much two options: The Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the Suzuki SV650S… and the Suzuki hasn’t been available for a good long while now. Furthermore, both are properly capable, properly large motorcycles with somewhere around 70 horsepower on tap. That can be a daunting amount to a new rider coming off a 25 horsepower 250 or 300. So the 45-horsepower CBR500R does a great job of filling that niche between brand-new-rider and just-experienced-enough-to-want-a-bit-more. And it’s still plenty of fun.

And finally, the price. The three models range in price from just around $6,000 to roughly $7,000, depending on dealer pricing, accessories and options. Generally speaking though the F-model is the cheapest and the X-model is the most expensive, with the faired-in R-model splitting the herd. That’s anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000 less than the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and ER6n, which are probably the closest things to competitors than the CB500F and CBR500R have. And the X-model? Well, it largely stands on its own in this market, and is a great way for people to dip their toe in the adv-touring scene without spending a pile of dough and if we’re honest we think it’s probably the one that has the most long-term promise. While most will migrate out of the CB500F and CB500R in favour of larger, more expressive motorcycles, there’s nothing stopping people from farkling their CB500X for off-road use, where its soft power delivery and light weight could be real boons. So if you’re looking to trade in your 250 or 300… take a look at these great little Hondas.

OH CANADA: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

It’s easy to tend towards the negative side of the discussion we now need to have. To discuss the merits of PVC pipe, or the rapidly growing collection of Mike in Canmore is quite simply too easy. And it’s not like those thought are springing unbidden from our subconscious: We, as gun owners, are gazing into the maw of a potentially crippling four years ahead. There can be no discounting that fact. It will be, in short, a difficult period.

And with many of our fellow gun owners still feeling the personal sting of a volunteer effort or campaign gone wrong, we can allow ourselves a brief moment of defeat, an evening to mourn what could have been. But nothing more. Because we’re going to have one hell of a fight on our hands eventually within this Liberal term, and we cannot spare any time to wallow in self-pity or indulge defeatist notions.

No, instead we should view these four years ahead as the crucible within which the gun community in Canada will finally be forged into the single cohesive entity it needs to be. We need to cast aside the petty issues and strife our community has fallen victim to in the past, recognize that we are far more powerful as an individual group than a group of individuals, and be prepared to invest in our collective future as gun owners to ensure that the Canada our children inherit is one we recognize. As Winston Churchill said, “An optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty, and a pessimist sees a difficulty in every opportunity,” and we need to make sure that we find absolutely every opportunity possible within the difficulty we now face.

You, as gun owners, have my solemn and personal promise that Calibre will strive to keep gun owners apprised of the situations we’re going to need to address. We will always work to ensure gun owners are getting the best information presented in the best way possible, because as the end of the day, ensuring we as a community are better-informed is the first step towards maintaining a pro-active stance on gun regulation in this country. We’ll help organizations, clubs, and groups direct member and public efforts to the best possible effect, and have plans already in place to concoct a few strategies of our own, all of which will require help from folks like yourselves. So if you haven’t already, add us to your bookmarks, check us out on Facebook and throw us a like or follow, and get this out to as many gun owners as you know. Because united we will stand.

Daniel Fritter
Publisher
Calibre

2015 CHEVROLET COLORADO

Let's be frank: The argument for the small truck is, or at least was, dwindling. With full size trucks being offered in more configurations than ever before, and benefiting from more powerful and more economical engines, small truck sales in North America waned. By doing a quick search into Wichita Chevrolet Traverse, you'll start to understand why a vehicle like this is quite popular within the auto industry.

This of course meant the highly-profitable full-size truck market grew larger, which meant more competition between the brands, with more investment required in the full-size lineups to remain competitive. And in and amongst all this, the small truck slowly withered, eventually dying off completely on some lots.

But Chevrolet hopes to change all that, with the first significantly revised small truck in recent memory; the second-generation Chevrolet Colorado. And when we say significantly, we mean it; this truck is like no small truck you've seen before. With attractive and thoroughly modern styling that mimics that of many of the Australian and European compact trucks, the Colorado's exterior finishing is easily matched by its pleasant and equally modern interior. Even in its most austere trim, the interior is well-laid out, easy to use and comfortable. That said, with fabric seats and a dearth of the luxury options we're used to seeing in modern trucks, our basic six-speed manual-transmission, four-cylinder-powered model felt decidedly "work trucky." Not that that was a bad thing, since the inclusion of a third pedal and a stick shift in a truck of any sort is something of a revelation, as far as we're concerned.

Unfortunately, however, the manual transmission can only be found in the more basic levels of the Colorado's trim packages; according to GM it is available only in rear-wheel drive, 2.5L four-cylinder and 3.6L, 306-horsepower V6-powered trucks. Opt for anything with four wheel drive and you'll have to settle for an automatic. But, as tested, we found little to complain about with regards to the basic little Colorado as the tiny four cylinder may not have broken any speed records but did reward with excellent fuel economy that averaged just 9L / 100 kilometers in our testing. As long as one remembers it's just a 2.5L four-cylinder producing 191 pound-feet of torque and 200 horsepower at relatively high RPMs, it can be made to motor along quite well, while the broad spectrum of ratios offered up by the six forward gears helps you maintain engine speed. In short, if you drive it like a four-cylinder car, it's fine. Drive it like a truck by leaning on low engine speeds and high torque outputs though, and you'll rapidly find yourself being left behind.

Under way is really where the Colorado shines. Few vehicles manage all environs as well as small pickup trucks typically do, and the Colorado is the best among them. On the highway, its longer wheelbase and softer suspension give it a supple and very smooth ride, while a sharp steering rack, small turning circle (12.6 metres to pull a u-turn!), and tall vantage point give it the nimble qualities of a much smaller vehicle in the city. Splitting our time in the Colorado between city and highway almost equally, we never found the truck to feel anything other than comfortable, in fact this is probably the most easy-driving truck we've ever driven. Even in Vancouver's bike-lane-infested streets and overcrowded parking lots, the Colorado was no more a handful than a mid-size sedan. On the highway where the quiet cabin and excellent seating position conspired with the great suspension and tall-sixth gear to make it almost luxurious, it was even better, and to be frank every opportunity to drive the diminutive pickup was enjoyed thoroughly.

And yes, that is bordering on hyperbolic praise, but it's not untrue nor are we alone in this assessment. In fact, the new Colorado has been such a big hit that Chevrolet themselves have been relatively caught out by the demand, and are currently running the plant that produces these trucks at maximum capacity in an attempt to meet demand. Note, we said attempt, because in many markets around North America these things are still selling within moments of touching their dealership lots. And why not? If the Ranger and S-10 were buoyed to the immortal popularity they were on the strength of their user-friendly nature and thrifty powertrains, the Colorado is destined for the same future. Because in and amongst the models, from the basic four cylinder to the upper models with their 7700-pound towing capacity, and an expected fuel economy average of somewhere around 6-7L / 100 km for the diesel, there's probably a Colorado that can do 99% of what most truck owners need their truck to do... and manage all the rest of its tasks with more grace, better economy and all the while saving a bit more of your driveway space.

So what will it cost to get one? Well, like all modern trucks, that varies... greatly. In its most basic form, a six-speed, four-cylinder base model, with no options, will set you back just $21,695. By the time you spec the V6-powered, range-topping Z71 package with its leather interior, fancy wheels, luxury features, and 4x4 off-road package you're looking down the barrel of a $31,745 bill. The diesel motor, which is a 2016 model-year addition, will add slightly to that bottom line and is expected to carry a premium of about $2,000. This vehicle is one of the more affordable options these days. Whilst $21,695 is still a lot of money, compared to other vehicles this is more reasonable. Although, that's not to say that everyone will be able to afford this vehicle. Some people might have to consider looking at financing options. This does depend on your credit score, however, your score can be improved with the help of a credit card. For any newcomers to the US, you may struggle to get a credit card without a Social Security Number. However, there is more info here for anyone struggling to get a credit card. Hopefully, this vehicle should be more accessible to everyone with a decent credit score.

Honestly, maybe we're just automotive extremists, but the two bookends of the Colorado lineup; the basic 2.5L model and the 2.8L turbodiesel Z71-spec truck seem to be the most widely appealing. On one hand you have essentially a compact car at a compact car price that just happens to be a truck. On the other, you have a fully loaded truck that still undercuts most fully loaded full-size trucks by half or more, but promises even more economy than the base Colorado and almost ½-ton capability. It's hard not to consider a truck that gets almost Prius mileage but can pull a 28-foot Airstream an unequivocal hit, and for that reason, we think the Colorado might just be one of the smartest buys on the market today.

SOLELY CANADIAN KYDEX HOLSTER REVIEW

When it comes to buying a Kydex holster, there is no shortage of choices. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least a dozen manufacturers which I have tried over the years and all of them offer a fairly solid product. There is, however, one unfortunate thing that they all have in common: they all come from south of the border. Not that I have anything against our American brethren (far from it), but I always thought it would be nice to have a quality, locally made alternative. Enter Solely Canadian to remedy the situation.

As their name suggests, they a re indeed Canadian. Based in Grand Forks, BC, Solely Canadian specialize in custom Kydex holsters and magazine carriers in both competition and concealment configurations. They cater for a wide variety of firearms, with or without lights. You can select left or right handed, straight draw or canted. They have an assortment of colours and camo choices including the venerable MultiCam and several funky Kryptek options. There are also many belt attachments to choose from including OWB loops, IWB clips, and MALICE clips.

I ordered a black OWB with a 10 degree forward cant for my Sig P320 with Surefire X300 Ultra, and a double mag carrier. This entire order ran for the very competitive price of $150 shipped. The business owner, Tim, was very friendly and responded to all of my emails promptly and always kept me up to date with his progress – he even sent me a couple of photos of the build! He had my holster made and ready to ship within ten days, which is about 100 days faster than many of his southern peers!

First impressions were excellent. Both the holster and mag carrier are solid and well made. The concealment option I selected is a pancake design made out of 0.093” thick Kydex firmly riveted together; it is very stiff and probably virtually indestructible. In fact, Solely Canadian is so confident in the quality of their products, they offer a “no questions asked” warranty which applies to all their products as long as you don’t blatantly abuse them.

Once on the range, I went through a series of drills which involved drawing and re-holstering several hundred times. The holster and mag carrier performed perfectly. My Sig fit like a glove. The level of retention is right in the sweet spot; firm enough to give me confidence that my pistol will never fall out by accident, but not so firm as to prevent me from drawing quickly and smoothly. Unlike the holster itself, the retention on the mag carrier is adjustable allowing you to select how tightly you want your mags to be gripped.

I wore the holster in the 2, 3, and 4 o’clock positions on my right hip and, even after four hours continuous wear, the holster remained stable on my belt and very comfortable despite my having slightly more love handle than I’d like!

Being of Kydex construction, the maintenance will be minimal and I expect to get many good years of use out of it. It is at least as good as every other holster in my inventory and has now become my go to rig whenever I’m training or instructing.

MOA EXPLAINED

We’ve all heard the term MOA bounded about the shooting community, but what does it actually mean and how does it relate to firearms?

MOA is an acronym for Minute Of Angle, also known as Minute Of Arc, and it is used in reference to firearm accuracy, types of scope reticle and scope adjustments.

A bullet never travels in a straight line; it is always affected by forces such as gravity, air resistance, and wind etc. Because of this, there will always be a difference between your Point of Aim (POA) and your Point of Impact (POI). This difference is an angle and we can measure this angle using MOA.

So, let’s begin with an example of the largest angle we can; a complete circle, consisting of 360 degrees. Although it may not seem like it, a degree is a fairly large measurement and does not provide much precision, so we need to divide those degrees into a smaller, finer unit of measurement called minutes.

A minute is just a fancy term for one sixtieth. Just like one minute of time is 1/60^th of an hour, one Minute Of Angle is 1/60^th of a degree.

The distance between the two sides of an angle increases the father away you get from the origin. The sides of an angle measuring 1 MOA are 1.047 inches apart at 100 yards away but, for the sake of practicality, we can round this to 1 inch. So, because we now know that 1 MOA = 1 inch at 100 yards, we also know that 1 MOA = 2 inches at 200 yards, 5 inches at 500 yards, 10 inches at 1000 yards, and so on.

“Sub-MOA” means less than 1 MOA, or less than 1 inch at 100 yards. So when you see a firearm that claims to be sub-MOA, this means that the firearm is capable of consistently shooting groups less than 1 inch apart at 100 yards.

Understanding MOA comes in handy when you want to zero your rifle. To “zero” a rifle means that you set the sights up so that the POI is exactly the same as your POA. E.g. if I was aiming at the bullseye of a target 100 yards away, and that is precisely where my bullet hit, then my rifle would be zeroed at 100 yards.

Most MOA scopes tend to adjust with ¼ MOA per click which means that 4 clicks would make an adjustment of 1 MOA. If your scope has 1/8 MOA adjustments, then 8 clicks will make a 1 MOA adjustment.

So, for example, let’s say that we have a scope with ¼ MOA adjustments and we are sighting in on a target 100 yards away. We know that at this distance 1 MOA = 1 inch. So if our bullet hits 2 inches low, we need to adjust our scope 2 MOA up and we do this by turning the elevation turret 8 clicks.

Here’s a slightly more detailed example: say we are sighting in at a target 200 yards away and our bullet impacts 6 inches low and 3 inches right. We know that at 200 yards 1 MOA = 2 inches. So 6 inches up = 3 MOA, so we need to adjust our elevation turret 12 clicks. And now we need to move our point of impact 3 inches left which = 1 ½ MOA so we adjust our windage turret 6 clicks.

(Remember to moderate your expectations based on the quality of your scope. It should go without saying that some scopes will be more accurate than others; a $2000 Swarovski will give you a very precise ¼ MOA per click adjustment, whereas a $40 Canadian Tire special probably won’t!)

You can also use this information to help you account for bullet drop over different distances. Bear in mind, though, that because each calibre, cartridge, and bullet have different ballistics and consequently behave differently in the air, it is very important to spend some time practicing with your rifle at different distances so you can determine how your particular firearm and ammo will perform.

For example, I have my Ruger .308 zeroed at 100 yards, but if I get a chance at a Whitetail 200 yards away, I’m not going to re-zero my rifle in the field. I know that the 150gr Federal Power-Shok which I launch from my Ruger, will drop about 4 inches at 200 yards. I know that 4 inches at 200 yards = 2 MOA, so I adjust my elevation turret 8 clicks. Of course, rather than adjusting your scope, you can just aim 4 inches high, but, unless you’re experienced, it can be very difficult to gauge how high 4 inches actually is when you’re looking at game through a scope – if you have any doubt about your ability to make a clean kill, don’t take the shot.

Having a good understanding of your ammunition’s ballistics, and becoming proficient with your rifle and sighting system, just may mean the difference between a freezer full of venison and a trip to the supermarket

ATA ARMS VENZA: TURKISH DELIGHT

Turkey is known for a great many things. If we’re blunt, the manufacturing of superlative shotguns is not among those things. Due to their combination of incredibly skilled but cheap labour and access to relatively good steel, Turkey may have a plethora of shotgun manufacturing plants, but the quality of gun produced has typically lagged behind that of both Italian- and American-based manufacturers and is considered by most shooters to be spotty at best. However, they are usually serviceable if not luxurious, and many firearms companies are beginning to grasp the notion that Turkish-made shotguns can provide a basically functional product at a good entry-level price point.
All of this flies in the face of what ATA Arms is accomplishing. A brand unto themselves, and one that’s never tried to hide their Turkish roots, they’ve been making high quality shotguns for themselves and various other brands for over 60 years. Perhaps their most famous product? The relatively successful line of shotguns produced in the ATA factory for none other than Weatherby. As of late, ATA has begun throwing more effort into creating a full-fledged line of their own, and has recently commenced Canadian distribution with Ontario-based O’Dell Engineering Limited. Their promise? To deliver Italian-grade guns at Turkish-level prices. We grabbed ATA’s flagship Venza model to find out if they’ve been successful.

The Venza

As one-time sporting clays addicts that burned through multiple flats of ammunition on a weekly basis, the Venza was the ATA shotgun we were most looking forward to. The company’s most sporting model and probably the most fetching (at least, of their semi-auto offerings), the Venza is made in six different flavours, two of which are slug-specific and come with either matte finished walnut or synthetic stocks. The remaining four versions are designed around conventional shotshell use, and can be had with either that same walnut or synthetic stock, a hydro-dipped coating atop a synthetic stock for the Camo model (in licensed RealTree camo), or what ATA calls a “Fonex” finished walnut stock; a finish that is applied to real wood but results in a far fancier finish with faux burl and additional grain. Interestingly as well, all the models fitted with either traditional or Fonex-finished walnut can be had in four different colours of anodizing on the receiver; bronze, green, black and grey. The gun pictured here is a Venza Walnut model with a bronze-coloured receiver.

The first impression one gets when handling a Venza is very good, and actually begins before you even lay your hands on the gun, as the Venza comes in one of the nicest gun cases we’ve ever seen. Now, we don’t talk about the boxes guns come in very frequently, but in the case of the Venza (no pun intended) we felt it necessary to make an exception, as the heavyweight suede case would be easily worth hundreds of dollars if purchased separately. The zipper pulls are heavy brass castings with the ATA logo on them, the handles are thick leather affairs, and the internal foam filling has been precisely excised to hold the gun, two barrels (obviously the gun only comes with one), a spare trigger (again, not included), and the included five chokes and case. It’s quite a nice setup and definitely puts the hardshell plastic cases of most other manufacturers to shame.

Removing the gun from the case and looking over it before assembly, were it not for the brand name on the side of the gun, one would be forgiven for thinking they were looking at the latest semi-auto from Beretta or Browning. The parts are all well-formed and well-fitted, with no machine marks or signs of corners having been cut. The brazing of the operating rod onto the collar around the magazine tube is clean and neat, and the parkerized finish of the steel components inside is consistent throughout. Even the molded polymer trigger assembly, easily the cheapest-looking part of the gun (if only because the rest looks decidedly upmarket), would look quite at home on any other shotgun from a more well-known reputable manufacturer. In fact, the fit between the wooden fore-end and the front of the receiver is better than we’ve seen on some Berettas! The only flaw? A slightly inconsistent blued finish atop the barrel, below the vent rib.

But if you’re staring at the pictures and thinking the Venza is a Beretta Xcel knock off, guess again; while it may boast some of the same colourful styling as the modern sporting guns out of Italy these days, it has an operating system that is plenty unique. Although remaining gas-operated at its core, the Venza uses an interesting system of gas metering that also involves a moving barrel, almost like a short recoil-operated gun. Under the fore-end is essentially two gas cylinders; one behind the barrel lug and one in front of it. When firing light loads with lower gas volumes, all the available gas is directed at the gas piston, which in turn pushes the operating rod and cycles the action. While firing heavier loads, such as 3” hunting loads (the Venza has a three inch chamber), the excess gas overcomes the pressure of a very robust spring in the front gas cylinder, and in doing so actually pushes the barrel rearward a short distance. This opens a valve in the front of the gas system and allows the excess pressure to be vented straight forward and out of the cap used to affix the barrel to the receiver.

So in theory this system works to quell recoil from heavy loads by essentially spreading the recoil impulse out over a slightly longer period of time, as the recoil is broken up between a myriad of forces pushing and pulling within the gun as well by the barrel’s movement. From our experience, it definitely does seem to work, as the Venza had slightly less snap to its recoil than other sporting semi-autos we’ve handled. Shooting standard 1-1/8th ounce target loads presented no discomfort and we could have easily shot it all day.

In terms of performance, the gun obviously follows the same fit factors as do most modern semi-automatics, so out of the box it fits the 90th percentile average male just fine if a little short in length of pull. However, the Venza comes with a series of straight and angled shims that can be fitted between the stock and the rear of the receiver to adjust both length of pull and cast. We had little trouble hitting what we were pointing at anyway and didn’t bother using them. Furthermore, the gun cycled everything down to one-ounce light trap loads with 100% reliability.

Loading and firing is, to be blunt, pretty much the same as any other shotgun although there are a couple noteworthy items. The first is that the magazine follower is not the standard plastic puck we’ve come to expect but rather a machined chunk of aluminium that’s been anodized red for high-visibility to let you know if your magazine is empty at a glance. The other is a slightly different carrier lock switch. Most semi-auto’s feature a carrier lock switch that’s positioned at the rear of the loading port, but the Venza features a carrier lock that hangs down by the trigger and is manipulated with either the thumb or the index finger. The safety is located aft of the trigger and is reversible for right- or left-handed operation.

Given how well executed the gun is, it’s no surprise that the Venza is an excellent shotgun. It comes up to the shoulder well, and with a slight drop on the comb and its relatively light weight, can be brought to bear with the speed of an upland bird or skeet shotgun. And thanks to the ribbed receiver top, serrated vent rib, and fiber optic bead, it’s easy to confirm that everything is properly aligned before taking the shot. In short, it handles like a Beretta A400 Xcel or another of our favourite shotguns, the Remington Versamax. And again, just as with the quality of its manufacture, if it weren’t for the markings on the side you could be utterly convinced you were shooting something from Italy or the USA. Of course, while we can’t speak too much to the gun’s reliability having only sampled it for a few hundred rounds, we know this particular gun is a demo piece and has seen plenty before falling into our hands.

Which brings us to the one aspect of the Venza we haven’t brought up, and the one aspect in which the Venza certainly distances itself from the various Berettas, Brownings and Remingtons of the world: The price. As pictured here, with the anodized receiver, the Turkish walnut, the suede case, and the five included chokes the Venza is retailing for right around $950. To put that in perspective, the guns we’ve compared it to, all of which are guns we genuinely feel it compares to, cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands more. In fact, we were so impressed with the Venza that we’ve already set about procuring additional ATA test guns, so look for a review of the CY semi-auto and Etro pump coming soon!

THIS WEEK IN GUN CULTURE: CRISCOGATE

Well, the panic over FIREClean is starting to die down but I’m guessing that on some level this is going to dog the manufacturers forever now. If you haven’t heard, a fairly well-known blogger had a small amount of testing done on a flavour of the month gun lube and came to the conclusion that it’s almost canola.

Interestingly, the same blogger pointed out that it worked quite well, but the damage was done. Videos refuting (and supporting) the claims were released, and analyzed to death, and argued about, and overall it was a pretty fun few days.

Of course we still don’t know what is added to FIREClean that makes it significantly better than plain canola; the owners of the company do have a patent on mixed vegetable oils for use as lubricant so it’s clearly not JUST canola. But in a sense none of this should have been a big surprise: it’s organic, it’s non-toxic, and it doesn’t smell like girls in bikinis so it’s not coconut oil. Options are starting to get limited for the base…

At any rate, here’s my take: if it works, it works, and I do keep hearing from guys who professionally run suppressed, full-auto ARs that it does work in their guns. The issue I foresee with vegetable oils is oxidization and that sounds like what some people have seen on FIREClean-lubed guns: if you leave them for a few months, they may gum up.

If you’re using them all the time, it’s probably fine. Maybe better than fine; it looks like it does pretty well on keeping carbon in suspension, and vegetable oils are still oils, so the gun’s lubed and it’ll probably tick away happily. It wipes guns clean as well as anything I can remember, anyway. I don’t think the performance is really in question.

That brings us to the cost issue: some people are very upset that Canola costs a couple of bucks a litre and FIREClean costs fifteen bucks an ounce, and they probably figure the owners are getting rich on it.

I’m sure they’re making money, although chances are the additives, whatever they are, cost something, and the packaging definitely costs something, and the distribution costs something, and the promotion costs something, and in the end the actual content is probably only 20% of the overhead.

So they probably aren’t buying canola by the truckload, marking it up a thousand percent, and selling it back to the truck driver while laughing in their sleeves. They’re likely making a good living from it, but that doesn’t bother me.

What I don’t personally support is buying weird gun lubes when grease and oil are dirt cheap. I use synthetic motor oil which, admittedly, has a bunch of additives that are designed to keep combustion-byproduct-water-compounds in suspension, and I don’t need that. But a litre of it lasts forever and it works about as well as any gun lube ever will.

If I’m feeling fancy, I’ve also got a bit of love for air tool oil, which happens to have some pretty appealing properties for a gun lube as well.

Depending on the application, I also use high pressure grease, which is just oil mixed with a soap to make it sticky. Again, a tube of fancy synthetic stuff costs about as much as the parking meter you have to plug if the Canadian Tire lot is full, and it will last nearly the rest of your life.

And these lubricants aren’t made by some guy who thinks he stumbled across a good combination of materials that should work well in a gun.

No, these are lubricants made by companies with dozens or hundreds of specialist chemical engineers and tribologists whose sole job is to research topics like “boundary lubrication in salt mine drilling equipment”. Think about that application for a moment.

So if you think a couple of enthusiasts in a workshop somewhere are going to hit on a super lubricant that the company who makes the oil that protects the bearings in salt mine drills hasn’t already considered, I think you have a remarkable amount of faith in enthusiasts.

Personally I’m not much in the habit of telling people how to spend their money, nor am I remotely opposed to anybody making money off the lubrication of guns. Honestly, so many guns are under-lubed that I’d rather see guns getting hosed with bad lube, than under-served with great stuff.

But as far as I’m concerned, even the way the West Texas Crude market is going these days, this is one area in which the smart money is still on big oil.