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Western Sport

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Western Sport

Wilson Combat’s BULWARK: the 1911 company builds something new

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Wilson Combat built its name on the 1911, and for decades that’s mostly what the brand meant: external hammer, single stack, beautiful fit, painful price. So when they announced the BULWARK, their first pistol with an enclosed internal hammer, I paid attention. I’m Lance Rankin, gunsmith and owner at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas, and I’ve had enough 1911s and enough striker guns on my bench to appreciate what Wilson is attempting here.

What it is

The BULWARK is a double-stack 9mm midsize with a hammer you can’t see. The pitch is simple: keep the crisp, predictable trigger that hammer-fired guns are known for, and package it in the snag-free slick-slide profile that made striker guns the default for carry. Wilson says the 1911-style trigger breaks between 3.75 and 4.25 pounds.

That trigger spec is the whole reason this gun exists. Ask anyone who’s shot a tuned 1911 next to a factory striker pistol. The striker gun wins on simplicity and capacity; the 1911 wins on trigger, every time. An internal hammer is one honest way to get that break without the cocked-and-locked profile.

The details

Wilson stacked four independent safeties into it: a grip safety that disengages the sear and trigger, a firing pin block, and a trigger pad safety among them. The slide is optics-ready using Wilson’s Pin Technology mounting, and you get a Battlesight rear with a red fiber optic front, an accessory rail, and serrations front and rear. The black G10 grips wear Wilson’s BRICK texture, which in my experience hits a nice middle ground between grippy and cheese-grater.

The smartest decision on the spec sheet might be the least glamorous: it fits a wide range of Glock 19 holsters. Launching a new pistol into a world with no holsters for it kills more guns than bad triggers do. Riding the G19’s holster ecosystem from day one is the right call. If you’re wondering why that frame size is the reference point for everything, my Glock 19 vs 17 comparison gets into it.

The honest downsides

It ships with two 15-round magazines, and they’re proprietary, with spares at $55 apiece. That stings. Proprietary mags on a defensive pistol mean you’re buying five or six of them, and at $55 a copy that’s real money on top of a gun that’s already listing around $1,900 at online retailers (no official MSRP yet as of this writing).

And that price is the conversation. Nineteen hundred dollars buys three of the pistols in my home defense handguns under $600 roundup, with ammo left over. Wilson Combat has never competed on price and isn’t starting now. You’re paying for the trigger, the fitting, and the name, and for Wilson customers that math has always worked. Just go in with clear eyes about what problem you’re solving.

My take

I like seeing it. The double-stack 1911-adjacent market has been the most interesting corner of the handgun world for a few years, and Wilson bringing an internal-hammer design to it means the trigger argument is being taken seriously again. Whether the BULWARK earns a permanent spot depends on how it holds up once real round counts accumulate outside the press-demo circuit. I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve had one apart on my bench.

If you want one, I can order it. Western Sport handles special orders and FFL transfers out of Roanoke, just north of Fort Worth. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected] and I’ll track down availability and current pricing.

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Looking back: the Biden DOJ’s 67-page brief in the Rahimi case and what it tried to do to the Second Amendment

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This one’s a retrospective. The video above and the commentary below date from when the Biden administration’s Department of Justice filed its brief in the Rahimi case, United States v. Rahimi, the Supreme Court battle over 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), the federal law that disarms people subject to domestic violence restraining orders. The Court has since ruled, so read this as a look back at what the government argued and why it worried gun owners, then check the current state of the law before relying on any of it.

I’m Lance Rankin, a Texas FFL. Prohibited-person law isn’t abstract for me. Every transfer at my shop in Roanoke runs through a NICS check, and § 922(g) is the list of people that check exists to catch. So when the DOJ filed 67 pages arguing about who belongs on that list, I read the coverage carefully.

What the Rahimi case was about

The Rahimi case asked whether disarming someone under a domestic violence restraining order squares with the Second Amendment after Bruen. Nobody serious was defending Mr. Rahimi as a person. The fight was over the legal standard, because standards outlive the bad actors they’re written around.

The argument that raised eyebrows

The brief’s core claim was that the government may disarm people who are “not law-abiding and not responsible.” Read that phrase again. Law-abiding is at least measurable. “Responsible” is whatever a government lawyer says it is. Critics at the time pointed out that the DOJ was taking descriptive language from Heller and Bruen, where the Court had simply noted the plaintiffs were law-abiding citizens, and trying to convert it into a constitutional test for who gets rights at all. Push that logic far enough and a speeding habit starts to look like grounds for disarmament.

The historical case was shaky too. Bruen ties the analysis to the founding era, and the DOJ leaned heavily on 19th-century laws, which courts generally treat as secondary evidence at best.

The restraining order fine print

The statute itself has two prongs, and the difference matters. One requires a judicial finding that the person is a credible threat to a partner or child. Most people can live with that. The other triggers on orders that merely prohibit the use or threatened use of physical force, which is boilerplate language that describes conduct already illegal for everyone. Disarming someone based on the second prong means disarming him without any finding that he’s actually dangerous. That was the vagueness problem critics kept hammering.

The DOJ also argued that because many states have similar laws, the practice must be constitutional. Widespread doesn’t mean constitutional, and the Court has said so in other contexts.

How it turned out

As of this writing, the Supreme Court decided the Rahimi case in June 2024 and upheld § 922(g)(8) by an 8-1 vote, but on narrower reasoning than the DOJ’s brief asked for. The Court leaned on the credible-threat finding rather than blessing a general power to disarm the “irresponsible.” So the worst-case reading of this brief didn’t become law, though the fight over who counts as a prohibited person is far from over. Case law in this area keeps moving, so verify the current status before making decisions based on it.

From where I stand behind the counter, the lesson holds up: watch what the government asks for, not just what it gets. Briefs like the one in the Rahimi case are where the next decade’s arguments get planted. If you want to understand how the prohibited-person system works in practice, my explainer on what an FFL dealer actually does covers the background-check side of it.

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The Desert Tech Wolverine: a bullpup that finally gets it right

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I’ll say it up front: I’ve never been a bullpup guy. I’m Lance Rankin, and I’ve spent most of my career as a gunsmith building and tuning AR-15s at Western Sport here in Roanoke, Texas, so a rifle with the action behind the trigger has always felt like an answer to a question I wasn’t asking. The review above of the Desert Tech Wolverine Micron made me reconsider a little, and it’s worth your time before you read my take.

Full credit where it’s due: the testing here is theirs, not mine. The crew in the video put over 2,000 rounds through a Wolverine Micron that Desert Tech sent them for review. They’re open about that relationship, and they’ve been rough on Desert Tech’s earlier MDR and MDR-X rifles in the past, which makes their praise for this one carry more weight.

What they found

The short version: the Wolverine fixes most of what the MDR got wrong. The three chronic bullpup complaints are the trigger, the reloads, and the noise next to your face, and by their account Desert Tech addressed all of them. The trigger got the most praise, breaking clean at around 4.5 pounds with a short reset. For a factory bullpup trigger, that’s genuinely rare. Reloads were straightforward, with a usable bolt release and an ambidextrous mag release, though they found the release a bit stiff and wished the safety levers were longer.

On the clock, it held up. They ran Bill Drills well under 1.3 seconds, with one 1.05-second run. Out at distance, the 4150 CMV barrel with a 1:7 twist put 77-grain Sierra MatchKings on steel at 300 and 550 yards. And with the adjustable gas system, it ran suppressed without fuss, even with low-backpressure cans.

Why compact matters, and where I land

The whole argument for a bullpup is length. Move the action behind the trigger and you keep a full barrel in a package shorter than a G.I. carbine, shorter than an MCX Virtus, shorter even than an MP5 in their side-by-side. That’s real velocity from a rifle you can work around a vehicle or through a doorway.

Here’s my counterpoint as the guy who’d be working on it. The AR solves the same problem a different way: a 10.3-inch upper gives up some velocity but keeps the manual of arms, the parts supply, and the aftermarket that fifty years of AR production bought you. When a Wolverine needs a part, you’re calling Desert Tech. When an AR needs a part, I have it on the shelf. If compact is what you’re after, my MK18 buyer’s guide covers that route, and my AR pistol guide covers the no-tax-stamp version of it.

That said, I think their conclusion is fair. For vehicle work or genuinely tight quarters, the Wolverine is a legitimate answer rather than a novelty, and it sounds like the platform has finally matured. They called it a buy. Coming from reviewers who panned its predecessors, that means something.

The part everyone should take home

The video ends on the point I make at my counter every week: the platform matters less than the practice. A shooter who trains with a plain-Jane carbine will run circles around a guy with a safe queen exotic. Buy what fits your actual use, then go shoot it.

If you’re weighing a compact rifle build and want a second opinion, or you’ve got a bullpup that needs work, call me at 817-393-4000. I’ll give you a straight answer even if it costs me a sale.

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How to buy a gun in Texas: complete FFL transfer guide (2026)

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I’ve filled out more ATF Form 4473s than I can count, so let me save you some searching: buying a gun in Texas is straightforward once you know the steps. I’m Lance Rankin, owner of Western Sport, an FFL dealer and gunsmithing shop in Roanoke, just north of Fort Worth. My wife Donna handles our compliance paperwork, which means this process runs through our shop every single day. Here’s how it actually works.

Buying in a store: the simple version

Walk into a Texas gun shop, pick your gun, and the dealer hands you ATF Form 4473. You fill out your section, show a government-issued photo ID, and the dealer runs a background check through the FBI’s NICS system. If it comes back “proceed,” you pay and take the gun home the same day. Texas has no state waiting period and no purchase permit. Once the check clears, you’re done.

One useful wrinkle: if you hold a Texas License to Carry, the LTC can substitute for the NICS check on purchases. That’s one of several reasons the license still earns its keep even with constitutional carry on the books; I cover the rest in my Texas concealed carry guide.

Buying online: where the FFL transfer comes in

Federal law since the Gun Control Act of 1968 says a firearm shipped from out of state, or from any online retailer, can’t come to your door. It has to ship to a licensed dealer in your state, who logs it in, runs your background check, and transfers it to you. That dealer is the FFL, and if you’re fuzzy on what that means, my post on what an FFL dealer is explains the license itself.

The process looks like this:

  • Pick your receiving FFL first, before you buy. Ask their transfer fee and pickup policy up front.
  • Buy the gun online and give the seller your FFL’s information. Most sellers have dealers like us on file already.
  • The seller ships to the FFL, and the FFL logs the gun into their books and calls you.
  • You come in, fill out the 4473, pass the NICS check, pay the transfer fee, and take your gun home.

I wrote a full walkthrough of the online side in how to buy a gun online, including how to spot a good deal and what to check before you click buy.

The 4473 and the background check

The 4473 is a federal document and accuracy matters. The mistakes I see weekly: writing “USA” where the form wants your county, skipping one of the yes/no eligibility questions, and handwriting nobody can read. Every question needs an answer, and answering falsely is a federal crime, not a paperwork foul.

NICS returns one of three answers. “Proceed” means you’re done. “Denied” means the sale stops, and you can appeal if you think it’s an error. “Delayed” means the FBI wants more time; if they haven’t resolved it within three business days, the dealer may legally complete the transfer at their discretion. Most delays clear quickly, and most buyers never see one.

What transfers cost

Transfer fees aren’t set by the government; every dealer prices their own. Around DFW I’ve seen everything from $25 to $75 or more, sometimes with storage fees stacked on top if you’re slow to pick up. Here’s ours, in plain numbers: $40 per transfer plus $10 for the NICS check. No games, no weekly storage charges for reasonable pickup times. I broke down how fees work and what’s fair in my Texas FFL transfer fee guide. Whoever you use, get the fee in writing before the gun ships. Surprises at pickup sour the whole experience.

NFA items: suppressors, SBRs, and patience

Suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and other National Firearms Act items follow a different path. You need a dealer with a Special Occupational Tax status on top of their FFL; we’re a Type 07 FFL with SOT, so this is routine for us. The transfer runs on ATF Form 4 with fingerprints and photos, and then you wait for ATF approval, which takes months rather than days.

The money side changed recently. The $200 tax stamp that applied to suppressors and SBRs for decades was cut to $0 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The paperwork and wait remain, but the tax is gone as of this writing. NFA law is a moving target right now, so confirm the current rules before you plan a purchase, or just ask me.

Private sales

Texas allows private face-to-face sales between residents without a background check, as long as neither party is a dealer and you have no reason to believe the buyer is prohibited. Legal isn’t the same as smart, though. A bill of sale costs you nothing, and running a private sale through an FFL buys you a documented, checked transfer for the price of lunch.

Ready when you are

That’s the whole process. If you’re buying online and need a receiving dealer in the Fort Worth area, we’d be glad to be your FFL. Local pickup is by appointment at our gun store in Roanoke, TX. Email [email protected], call 817-393-4000, or browse the online store and we’ll handle the rest.

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The .222 Remington: why the triple deuce still matters

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Every so often a customer brings an old Remington 722 into my shop and asks if the .222 Remington is still worth shooting. Short answer: absolutely. The triple deuce got lapped by its own grandchild, the .223, but it never stopped being one of the most inherently accurate cartridges ever put in a case.

I’m Lance Rankin, gunsmith and owner at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas. Most of my bench time is AR-15s and AR-10s, which means I live in .223/5.56 world, and that’s exactly why I have a soft spot for the cartridge that started the family line.

An original design, which was rare

When Remington introduced the .222 in 1950, most new cartridges were wildcats or necked-down versions of something older. The .222 Remington was an original design from the ground up, developed by Mike Walker, essentially a scaled-down take on .30-06 proportions in a rimless case. It slotted into a real gap in the market, between the .218 Bee and the barn-burning .220 Swift, giving average shooters a high-velocity .22 centerfire that didn’t torch barrels or wallets.

It launched alongside the Remington Model 722 bolt gun and later showed up in the Model 760 pump. That 722 pairing is where its accuracy reputation started.

The benchrest cartridge

Through the 1970s, the .222 Remington flat-out owned benchrest competition. When the game is stacking five shots into one ragged hole, cartridge design flaws have nowhere to hide, and the .222 kept winning. That kind of record isn’t luck. The case geometry just wants to shoot, and reloaders figured that out early. Even today, when someone builds a walking varmint rifle around a .222, they’re rarely disappointed at the loading bench.

What it does in the field

As a varmint and small game round, the .222 Remington is honest to about 200 yards, with mild recoil and a mild report compared to the hotter .22 centerfires. The published data tells the story: a 35-grain V-Max over 22.0 grains of H4198 runs about 3,591 fps for roughly 1,000 ft-lbs, and a 55-grain soft point over 24.5 grains of H335 makes about 3,200 fps and 1,174 ft-lbs. Factory ammo holds up its end too, with Remington’s 50-grain hollow point at 3,140 fps and Lapua’s 55-grain FMJ at 2,887 fps. Lapua still loading for it tells you the accuracy crowd hasn’t moved on.

Can it take deer? Sort of, with caveats

With the right bullet, a .222 can take deer-sized game. Nosler’s 60-grain Partition and Swift’s 75-grain Scirocco are built for it, and you need impact velocity around 2,300 fps for reliable expansion, which limits your range. Here’s the gunsmith’s caveat, though: those longer, heavier bullets often won’t stabilize in the slow twist rates most factory .222 barrels came with. Getting there properly can mean a custom barrel with a faster twist. And before any of that, check your state’s regulations, because some states don’t allow .22 centerfires for big game at all. My honest take: the .222 is a superb varmint round that can be pressed into deer duty, not a deer round. Use enough gun.

Where the .222 Remington stands today

The .223 Remington won the war for shelf space, and if you want cheap, plentiful ammo in a modern platform, that’s the right choice; it’s the whole reason the AR-15 world I work in exists, and precision .223 guns like the DD MK12 carry the accuracy torch in semi-auto form. But if you reload, or you’ve inherited granddad’s 722, the .222 still delivers exactly what it always did: quiet, gentle, boringly consistent accuracy. Some cartridges deserve to fade away. This one just got outsold.

Got an old .222 that needs a going-over, or twist-rate questions before you order bullets? That’s my kind of problem. And if you’re hunting for your next bolt gun, take a look at the rifles I keep in stock. Email [email protected] or call 817-393-4000.

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