The concept of a lightweight blowback-operated pistol-caliber centerfire carbine for use in survival situations isn’t new. Feather Industries and Kel-Tec cracked that nut a long time ago. In 2012, TNW Firearms of Oregon released its own version: the 5.5 lb. Aero-Survival Rifle (“ASR”).
Overview
The TNW ASR is notable for its removable barrel and easily convertible caliber changes. It takes the basic design concept of a German MP-18 or the British Sten (i.e. a tubular receiver, blowback-operated pistol-caliber carbine) and modernizes it to include quick change barrels, multi-caliber options, Picatinny rails, and AR collapsible stocks.
In a smart move, the ASR uses readily available and utterly reliable GLOCK magazines. Unlike the military submachine gun designs on which it’s based, the ASR’s upper and lower receivers are made out of aircraft aluminum for reduced weight. Unlike its military forefathers, the ASR fires from the closed bolt. So equipped, it’s intended for home defense, remote-country travel/backpacking, boating and back-country flying.
Unlike an AR, the ASR’s “upper” is the serial numbered “receiver,” which is the regulated firearm. Conversely, the “lower” is merely a “trigger housing.” Pistol versions (i.e., no buttstock, 8-inch barrel) are also available. With its removable barrel, the ASR is a great candidate for SBR treatment.
The ASR can be ordered two sizes. The 9x19mm version is the most common version. It can be converted to shoot .40 S&W and .357 SIG. It uses GLOCK 17 magazines (The other version will shoot 10mm, and .45 ACP). You can buy barrels in all different calibers, as well as their corresponding bolt heads and magazines, to ensure the ultimate in ammo flexibility.
TNW is currently developing conversion kits for .22 LR, .22 MAG, and .17 HMR. Our two test samples were chambered in 9x19mm — my first choice of the available calibers. The impressive 10mm offering is my second favored option. With its 16-inch barrel, the ASR reportedly pushes 180-grain Buffalo Bore ammo out at an impressive 1,725 fps.
There are different schools of thought on the best caliber for survival rifles. Shotguns can be a great option due to ammunition flexibility, including signal rounds such as Dragon’s Breath. They’re also useful on waterfowl and other avian species, which can be some of the most available survival food available. Unfortunately, truly compact lightweight shotguns are difficult to find and usually require a tax stamp.
Conversely, takedown .22LR rifles are common, lightweight and will dispatch most of the smaller game one might pursue in a survival situation, firing ammo that’s both lightweight and (until recently) ubiquitous. On the other hand, .22LR does not serve well in a self-defense role against larger predators, esp. those of the bipedal variety.
Larger pistol calibers serve better in a self-defense role. They can also be used for hunting. Case in point: TNW’s CEO used an ASR in .40 S&W to take a cougar. Pistol-caliber JHPs are not ideal against small game, however, because they can damage too much meat. That said, 9mm FMJ could be used in situations where meat damage is a concern (small mammals, etc).
A multi-caliber platform that allows you to alternate between 9mm and .22LR provides flexibility; just the ticket to bridge the gap. The ASR fits that bill quite nicely.
Exterior Finish
The TNW ASR is available in a standard hard black anodized finish, OD green, tan and two variegated finishes (pink and green). Based on these colors and patterns, it’s clear that TNW expects a fair number of these guns will simply be used as range plinkers. The tricked-out colors actually look pretty rad, IMHO.
Overall, the quality of the machining is first class. Tool marks on the aluminum exterior are nonexistent, and the finish is smooth and even.
Operator Controls
The operator controls on the ASR are small simple and utilitarian in nature. Given that this is a survival rifle, not a 3-Gun rifle, you should not expect to see oversized controls and tacticool stuff like Magpul Bad Levers. In fact, quite the opposite.
Light weight and compactness are the most important attributes for this type of rifle; if the weapon is bulky and not discreetly packable it will be left behind. Ideally the weapon should be weatherproof so you can leave it in your boat, your rig or your bug-out bag.
The magazine release is a rounded circular button located on the left side of the mag well. It’s not intuitive for those of us with AR muscle memory, but it works well once you get used to its location. Similarly, the safety is a simple cross-bolt design that’s not difficult to locate or operate.
The charging handle is well designed and comfortable. The bolt doesn’t lock open when the last shot in a magazine is fired. Nonetheless, like an HK MP5 or Sten, the bolt handle can be pulled back and tipped up into a notch in the receiver to lock the bolt in the open position.
Newer versions of the ASR come equipped with an integral child safety lock located on the right side above the trigger. An Allen key is required to engage and disengage the lock. Turning the screw counter clockwise three turns will result in the trigger being blocked.
Barrel Attachment
The barrel screws into the receiver, held in place by a ratchet. It features a groove to ensure that it indexes consistently with the receiver. It works, but I found the retention system to be a bit “light” for my liking. When Chris first test-fired the carbine, he reported that the barrel nut was too loose. If we’d read the manual (who does that?) we would have discovered that there’s a small allen screw that can be used to adjust the ratchet’s tension. Derp. Pro tip: It works!
A detachable barrel that has true “return to zero” capability is an absolute “must have” requirement for any true multi-caliber survival rifle, and the ASR performs well in this regard. This type of rifle will usually be packed away in luggage or a bug-out bag; the ability to pack this carbine away discretely is of the utmost importance.
Upper Receiver and Trigger Housing Interface.
The way that the upper receiver interfaces with the trigger housing is also innovative. In the photo above, notice two male pins protruding out of the bottom of the upper. These pins align with and insert into the lower, where they are held in place with two crosspins.
The male pins can be screwed up and down in order to adjust the tension with the cross pins. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the hang of how it works, but once you understand the physics of the system, you can adjust how tightly the upper and lower match up.
The Trigger
I guess I’d call the ASR’s trigger a two-stage trigger. It has a long creepy uneven stage, and then it hits a slight wall. Pulling through the wall breaks the shot. According to my Lyman gauge, the pull weight was around 10 lbs. It’s a lawyer trigger for sure. In short, the factory sear really needs some gunsmith work.
Fortunately, it’s easy to take apart and work on. A few minutes with a Dremel tool and you can vastly improve the trigger. If you happen to screw it up, a new sear will cost you a couple of bucks. I took mine over to the factory (I’m local) and they got mine down to 4 lbs. in only five minutes. It’s not Geisselle good, but its good enough that it’s not a problem.
If you’re in a survival situation, you may only get one opportunity to take down whatever game happens to enter your kill zone. The difference between a meal or going hungry for days on end could very well depend on how well you squeeze that trigger. So a crappy trigger is a no go.
Having said that, if you are just thinking about this gun as a range plinker, the factory trigger is probably good enough. I had no trouble hitting the paddles of a dueling tree at 25 yards even with the standard trigger.
The trigger is cut from a sheet by a CNC machine and is not rounded at all. It’s set back about a ½ inch too far than my liking; it’s difficult to get proper thumb placement on the trigger. The removable polymer pistol grip is of the AR-15 variety. But replacing it with a thicker Magpul MAIG grip might help mitigate the problem.
I had a “Rite-pull” device laying around. With a little bit of bubba-Dremel action, I was able to make it fit. I like it a lot better now. Even so, I still managed to shoot pretty well with the ASR even without my bubby-mod. Again, I think the design is intended to place compactness over ergonomics, and I agree that the former should be paramount in this type of rifle.
Disassembly
Disassembly is simple. After making sure the carbine is unloaded, you first remove the magazine. Unscrew the barrel and remove it from the receiver. Next, remove the lower receiver by tapping out two non-captured retaining pins. Move the bolt carrier to the index point so that the charging handle can be removed.
The bolt then slides out the front of the receiver. The bolt cab be disassembled by removing the pin located on the other side of the bolt charging handle and the bolt, firing pin and retaining spring come apart from the bolt carrier. No further disassembly is required.
In the photo below, you can see how the ejector can be moved from the left to the right, in order to change the direction for shell ejection. The carbine is set up at the factory to eject to the right. You change it to left-handed ejection by removing two roll pins in the lower receiver. Basically, you’re just swapping out the location of the ejector and the bolt stop.
In the photo above, you can also see where the sides of the hammer have been peened a bit. This happened because I pulled the trigger without the upper in place. Pro-tip: Don’t do that!
Sights/Scope
The ASR I tested came equipped with a Chinese-made 4×32 compact scope by AIM Sport. Not to sound like a scope snob, but I found the scope to be completely worthless. In one case, it wouldn’t even index to the point of impact: The scope was dialed all the way to the left and was still aimed a foot to the right of the bullet strike at 100 yards.
When I turned the scope’s adjustment to the right, bullet strike was three to four feet to the left of the scope’s crosshairs. I tried to wrench on it a bit and ended up breaking the scope. We replaced it with an inexpensive Bushnell TRS-25 red dot and didn’t look back.
Thankfully, TNW decided to drop the scope as an accessory. TNW now ships the ASR without any sights or a scope. Any AR-15 sights with a Picatinny interface will work.
Accuracy
In a true survival situation, a carbine will likely be used on smaller deer species, Rodentia (rats, beaver, squirrels, nutria, capybara, etc.), Lagomorpha (rabbits, pika, etc), Suids (pigs, javalina, etc) avian species (seagulls, boobies, upland birds, turkey, ducks, herons, etc.), or small reptiles (lizards, snakes, caiman, etc.).
In my experience, typical engagement ranges are under 50 yards, and often 20-30 yards. Shots up to 100 yards are theoretically possible, but bullet drop makes these longer shots more difficult with pistol-calibers. A 9mm will have a good 9 to 10 inches of drop 100 yards. Ideally, a survival carbine needs to be able to shoot consistent 2-3 MOA groups or better.
The TNW ASR easily meets that requirement.
With typical cheap “target/plinking” grade ammo, accuracy was typically in the 2-3 MOA range at 50 yards, and 3-4 MOA at 100 yards. As expected, groups tightened up a bit when I used more expensive defense-grade hollowpoints such as Hornady Critical Duty, Federal Hydro-shok or Remington Golden Saber 147 grain.
A “typical” 50-yard group is shown above. Like many 9mm carbines, the TNW ASR does have its preferences. Not surprisingly, it preferred more expensive ammo with higher velocities. In fact, my best 3-shot, 50-yard group came courtesy of Cor-Bon 115 Grain +P:
Make no mistake: I don’t think that type of “cloverleaf” accuracy is typical for the ASR. You do need to get the trigger upgrade to get close to this level of performance. Nonetheless, with the trigger upgrade and some careful ammo selection, you can get 1 MOA performance at 50 yards.
Testing the return-to-zero capability of the rifle I was pleasantly surprised with the results. POI shift was about a half-inch or so at 50 yards after a barrel change. As you might expect, changes in ammunition had a much greater effect on accuracy, and in many cases, the rifle’s zero needed to be adjusted.
In addition to the guns I tested during our factory tour, I tested two samples. The green T&E sample shown in the photos started out a bit rough. My buddy (and former TTAG writer) Chris Dumm is a big fan of all things cheap, so he shoots lots of cheap-ass Russian steel case stuff such as Tula. So Chris fired 200+ rounds of Tula through the ASR and experienced frequent jams. Having a low tolerance for malfunctions, he soured on it pretty quickly.
I tend to take a longer view. Over the next five months, I took it to the range on five occasions. On my first two outings, I was mainly just plinking at rocks, in a “get to know you” fashion, as opposed to serious accuracy work. I mainly wanted to see if the barrel nut would stay tight, the gun functioned reliably, and maintained zero. I was also hopeful that the trigger might smooth out a bit with time.
I shot roughly 500 rounds, mostly a mix of factory brass ammo and gun-show reloads. I experienced an occasional jam during this phase of my testing. However, to my delight, the jams decreased as the gun broke in.
On my fifth and last range trip, I loaded up eight 32-round GLOCK mags with UMC 115-grain Ball and proceeded to empty them in over a period of about 10 minutes in fairly rapid fashion. I experienced no hiccups. Since then, I’ve fired another 2,000 rounds through this carbine with only one jam. I even ran 150 rounds of steel-case Winchester through it with good results. I’ve heard other guys tell me that their ASRs worked perfectly right out of the box. So my takeaway is that you may get one that needs a 500-round break-in period. And while in an ideal world it would right out of the box every time, but I’m gonna break in any gun before I rely on it for a hunt or a “save my life” situation anyway. I do know that TNW test fires each sample before it leaves the factory.
TNW ASR Pack
If you’re going to get a TNW Aero Survival Rifle, it makes sense to get the kit that includes the matching backpack. This pack is intended to be used both as a survival pack and the transport bag for the ASR. The bag is designed with separate compartments to hold three 16-inch ASR barrels as well as separate bolt heads for the various calibers supported by your system. The bag retails for $99, and I think it’s a well worth the extra Benjamin.
In the photo below, you can see how the disassembled rifle is stored in the backpack, along with room for three extra barrels:
Bolt heads supporting caliber conversions and extra magazines are stored in the outside pouch.
The backpack is designed to allow the rifle to be carried with the barrel installed. So employed, the barrel pokes out the bottom of the backpack via a hole for that purpose. There are pros and cons to this arrangement, but if you decide to carry the carbine in this manner, it is important to keep some sort of cap on the muzzle to prevent snow or dirt from getting lodged in the barrel. A Velcro flap closes off the hole when not in use.
When testing this set up, I added some of the equipment I normally keep in a bug-out bag, including a tarp, bivy sack, hatchet, bush craft knife, sharpener, flashlight, saw compass, first aid kit, aluminum foil, contractor grade garbage bags, Lifestraw, two small Pelican 100 boxes filled with items for fire-starting, water purification, signaling and a few snivel items. Overall, the pack works well for this purpose.
Conclusion
When I first test-fired the TNW shop foreman’s privately-owned ASR samples in December of 2014 (see photo above), I really liked these handy little carbines and pistols. Of course, those guns were tuned and ready to go. When we got our T&E samples for the review, things were not as perfect, and it took us a while to warm up to them.
The long trigger initially led to lackluster accuracy. Frequent jams in one of the two samples – combined with the other sample’s scope debacle – initially lowered my confidence in the platform. However, rather than give up on the gun we soldiered on, tinkered with the barrel racket adjustment screw and scopes, and eventually got them both running pretty well.
Now that I have the kinks worked out and have accessorized the carbine, I’m really digging the ASR. The genius in the design: its simplicity and flexibility. Chief designer (and TNW owner) Tim Bero has serious talent as a gun designer. Whether you’re looking for a fun plinker that shoots cheap ball 9mm or a serious hunting rig in 10mm, the ASR has you covered.
The ASR’s take-down capability makes it a winner for its intended role as a “truck gun” or aircraft survival carbine. The ASR has earned a spot in my bug-out bag for that wilderness survival situation that I hope never happens.
SPECIFICATIONS (TNW Firearms Aero Survival Rifle U.S Models):
Barrel: 16.25 inches, 1:10 twist in 9mm, 40 S&W, .357 Sig; 1:16 twist for 10mm, .45 ACP
Overall length: 29.5 inches
Barrel length: 16.25 inches
Breakdown dimensions with barrel removed: 17.25 inches
Available calibers: 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, 10mm, or .45 ACP
Magazine configuration: GLOCK pistol style
Ejection: User adjustable to left or right handed
Weight: 5.5 lbs
Coating: Hard Anodizing
Action: Semi-automatic, direct blow back
Safety: Sliding safety and integrated child trigger lock
Available colors: Aero Gray, Black, Dark Earth, OD Green
Includes: One Korean “KBI” Brand GLOCK-compatible 17-round magazine, upper and lower rail sections.
MSRP: $799, $675 at Brownells
RATINGS (Out of Five Stars):
Accuracy: * * *
Decent but not best in class: the ASR tends to be a picky date when it comes to the ammo it prefers.
Ergonomics * * *
Ergonomics suffer a bit due to the fact that the design goal is to keep the carbine small and light.
Reliability * * *
Now that I’ve worked out the parts compatibility issues and other kinks, the ASR is reliable. Both of our T&E samples needed a bit of a break-in period.
Cost * * *
The competition will be guns like the Beretta Cx4 Storm, the CZ Scorpion, Kel-Tec Sub-2000, and the Hi Point 995. The Hi-Point doesn’t support high-cap mags, and the Beretta and CZ cost more and aren’t as portable. The Kel-Tec does not have switch-barrel flexibility. Given the extra versatility the ASR provides, it’s a good value.
Overall * * *
A very solid effort, given its price point.
More from the Truth About Guns:
Gun Review: Ruger PC Carbine w/ Aluminum Handguard
Smith & Wesson Now Shipping California Compliant M&P15 Sport II AR-15 Rifles
New Pistol Caliber Carbine: Aero Survival Rifle
This would be a good rifle for military aircrew who bail out or crash land in enemy territory and are likely to have to defend themselves. For civilians, an AR-7 would be better. It’s two pounds lighter and .22 is a better caliber for hunting small game. Their need for self defense is small even in bear country.
I’m surprised it doesn’t seem to have the barrel threaded, as a suppressor is very much an option one would like to have in a survival situation…
TNW will thread barrels as an “upgrade” / extra charge.
If you wanted a threaded barrel, TNW would have sent you one. I considered a threaded barrel, but my years of experience, military, LEO, and other steered me away from that. You’ll have to carry extra mags loaded for suppressor use or you could have feeding problems with subsonic rounds. You can download your rounds to the point; they will still feed and even with heavier bullets, will be a lot louder than what you desire. If you get a suppressor, make sure you can take it apart and clean it; because it gets very dirty as does you rifle action. Because of that, I usually leave the can at home when I shot my Z5 (semi-auto MP5) Limit your mags to 15 rounds (they load easier and longer mags are a @#*@, shooting of the bench or in the prone position. I selected a 10mm, which I load 180 grain bullets toward the upper end as I’m more concerned with two legged bears, even in bear country
Things start to get interesting when you chamber guns like this in 10mm and .357 sig. Not so many competitors in those calibers. I am thinking for its chief purpose a set of solid iron sights is a must.
You can’t beat the Trijicon ACOG in 3.5 power
Both my Kel-Tec Su16C and Sub2000 are more compact than that.
I’m surprised there wasn’t any comparison to the Kel Tec Sub2000, which is VERY similar. The Kel Tec Sub2K doesn’t feature easily changed calibers, but it folds into a smaller, more efficient package. Price is similar, and also takes Glock mags.
“The Kel Tec Sub2K doesn’t feature easily changed calibers …”
Actually, you could just about purchase two SUB-2000s (one in 9mm and one in .40 S&W) for the price of one complete Aero survival rifle in one caliber and a barrel in another caliber.
Sub2k, though, kinda sucks for bigger/teller folks; at least it did for me; I could not get a sight picture on its irons because it just wasn’t tall enough. Perhaps with a bit of aftermarket that could be alleviated (for example by getting one of those rotating foregrips and either a long eye relief or red-dot sight), but stock I’d take a crappy trigger (which the Sub2K has as well) over a gun I couldn’t even get a sight picture with. I was also shocked by how snappy firing the Sub2k felt, but that may have been because I was holding the barest bottom part of the butt to the very topmost bit of my should in desperate hope of getting something like a sight picture.
I would like to see a test and review of this rifle, please.
The 10mm is quite attractive.
I have the ASR in 10mm. I work in L.E. and carry it instead of an AR…..I put an EOTech sight on mine and hit 2-3 inch groups at 125 yards…..I have fired around 500 – 600 rounds so far…It is my favorite “patrol” carbine. It is MILES ahead of the sub2000 in craftsmanship and performance (I have on in 9mm). The trigger does need an upgrade and I am going to work on that next.
i Had my 10mm aero shipped with the match trigger installed. there’s no creep or over travel – just lay your finger and it goes off at 2 lbs & 15 ounces. It’s better than my Z5 and better than the M16/203 I carried.
I didn’t know they made it in 10mm. I’m going to have to look again.
You can also get it in .460 Rowland which could be a handful in a 5.5 lb. rifle?
What tinkering did you do to get it running reliably? I have an older model I bought used that doesn’t usually get through a mag without a jam.
Just more lube and putting rounds downrange until she broke in. I could make an analogy but I will leave it at that. The tinkering was mainly a reference to adjusting the allen screw that adds tension to the barrel ratchet.
Also, install the match trigger, polish the feed ramp and the other parts that move against each other, use one type of bullet and weight, adjust the buffer spring and make sure the charging handle does not does not hit the end of it’s channel ( put a bit of modeling clay in the rear of the charging channel and fire the rifle – it will tell you if the charging handle is bottoming out.
There isn’t a whole lot that can go wrong on a blowback carbine, once it is broken in (500 rounds est.). Obviously start with a clean, well lubed gun. Clean the chamber especially well. Swapping out ammo would be the next thing to try – alternate between hotter loads and mild pressure loads to see if the gun prefers one over the other. After that, the next culprit is typically magazines. Besides damaged feed lips, there is sometimes an issue of how the mag presents the round to the gun: If it is too low or not at the right angle, feeding problems can occur. Magazine springs are also a common source of problems. After that, I would start looking at extractor and spring replacement.
Excellent advice!
Totally disassemble the rifle, clean everything with break cleaner, polish the feed ramps and inside of the barrel, clean the firing pin channel. 600 grit on the buffer and bolt, then buff it and just about everything else, Keramik coat the bolt & buffer, inside the barrel & feed ramps, but not the chamber, adjust the buffer tube to insure proper buffer travel and coat the bolt and buffer with slide glide. Make up some dummy rounds to get the best OAL and install the TNW match trigger.
awesome review.
I ordered an ASR about six months ago and still haven’t got it… The only times I get an update is when I ask my LGS guy to call them and ask, and the update is invariably “we’re working on it”.
So, definitely wouldn’t recommend ordering from this company (sad to say) but if you can find one in stock somewhere it’s probably good to go.
I ordered mine from the TNW factory.
I received mine in about two weeks with 10% military discount.
Can I get it with a gooseneck, thordsen or monte carlo style stock so I can legally own it in New York?
Any conventional AR15 stock will fit. I’m not sure about the commie-state compliant stocks. Sorry.
Move out of New York!
I was incredibly excited about this platform until I saw the price. And at that price point, it should have a decent trigger.
It would also be nice if they could eliminate 16 ounces.
Some sort of option for iron sights would also be nice in a survival rifle.
On a strictly personal level, I hate, HATE picatinny side rails. If I purchased one of those, I would immediately remove the picatinny side and bottom rails … which would also help reduce the weight.
Yeah, the factory trigger is not great. Its a lawyer trigger. But you can get the upgraded sear for pretty cheap, or take 10 minutes with your Dremel if you know what you are doing.
As for iron sights, I agree with you. Fortunately, the ASR will work with any off the shelf AR iron sights designed for picatinny rails.
As for the side pic rails. I again tend to agree with you on this issue as well. They might be useful for a flashlight or laser. But the rail sections are easy to remove so you are not locked in to having them on the carbine.
I’m thinking of adding 16 or more ounces with a barrel weight or on the picatinny rail.
The match trigger came with a 2 lb&15 oz. pull weight
Bought one a few years ago and like mentioned experienced less than 100% reliability, wasn’t terrible but wasn’t great. My wife is most comfortable with a PCC and the reliability just didn’t fit the bill of my wife’s bedroom safe firearm, sold it and got a CZ Scorpion…
I am a huge fan-boy of pistol caliber carbines for home-defense, urban survival (social unrest and terrorist attacks), and even wilderness survival. Needless to say, I love the concept of this carbine.
How does this carbine compare to other possible solutions?
What about the Kel-Tec SUB-2000 carbine which also uses popular factory handgun magazines? The SUB-2000 is only 2/3rd the price, weighs at least a pound less, has integral “iron” sights, and folds/unfolds for basically instantaneous storage or deployment. And it is available in 9mm and .40 S&W.
How about a lever-action carbine in .357 Magnum? Of course you have the significant down side of lever-action and no ability to break it down for storage. On the plus side, you have a HUGE energy increase over 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP.
Then there are the carbine conversion kits for Glock handguns.
For me, the big appeal of this TNW Firearms Aero Survival Rifle is the offering in 10 mm for home defense and woods defense. Hot 10 mm ammunition launching bullets out of a 16 inch barrel should get a BIG increase in velocity and energy that would be well suited for promptly stopping any man or beast in North America. (Seriously angry moose or brown bears might require multiple bullets … which should be reasonably “easy” in this semi-automatic platform.)
the 10mm rounds, loaded with hot loads and ARX bullets gives about 3,000 fps. Maybe good for up close, but if I had to face a mad bear, I’d want 180 gn. FMF bullets to provide deeper penetration
Pretty cool but it appears the need for “discrete” transport and I aren’t the best of friends. This is a niche I don’t feel the need to fill I guess.
When it comes to being out in the woods, even lost, I personally prefer a .30-30 lever gun. Failing that a .243 or .308 bolt gun. Home defense I feel I already have covered in the best possible way(s) for my current living situation.
I’d be interested if the reliability was 100%. The 10mm would make a nice well-rounded truck gun.
As I get older the pistol caliber carbine becomes more appealing as a home defense weapon.
But as a wilderness survival rifle my concern is feeding the camp pot. For that I want a rimfire barrel over a shotgun barrel. Preferably in a folding, all metal configuration with a compartment on board for ammo stowage. Back that up with a large bore revolver and you got that whole woods survival thing down pat.
I have the TNW ASP (pistol variant) in .45 ACP. I already had a Sub2K Gen 2 in 9mm. The ASP is very handy, accurate, and soft shooting. The Sub2k is likewise. I think their respective chamberings suit the guns perfectly. I don’t think a 9mm ASP would be as useful and the extra weight would be overkill, and if KelTec were to make a .45 Sub2K I suspect it would have to be beefier and would lose some utility in the translation as well.
Are truly compact shotguns difficult to find? Most sporting shotguns are “takedown” weapons designed to be easily disassembled. Lightweight and compact double guns are ubiquitous. My Mossberg 500 with the open sight slug barrely weighs just over 5.5lbs and packs down to a 24″ oal–and that’s an off-the-shelf $350 weapon.
Whether they excel this carbine as an aircrew survival weapon is another question…but most of us have an inexpensive and lightweight shotgun kicking around.
Excuse me, my Mossberg 500 packs down to an OAL of 36″ and my Stoeger Coach Gun packs down to less than 24″ (but weighs a little more than 6 lbs).
The second picture makes me think ” who dropped a gun in my fish tank “
There are at least three different types of handgrips displayed here. All are different than the one that came on my ASR, which I absolutely hate. One grip even looks like it is installed with some type of adapter in place. Does anyone have any insight into this ? Nothing on TNW’s website about it.
I could be mistaken, but I believe it uses a standard AR-15 pistol grip; the bolt holding it on would be accessible through the bottom of the grip and would use either a flat head screwdriver or (less often) a hex key. Obviously replacements are readily available in all kinds of styles.
The one that appears to use an adapter; I’m guessing it is something along these lines: http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/grip-parts/pistol-grip-accessories/ar-15-rite-pull-adapter-prod7378.aspx
ASR
I purchased a multi caliber ASR in late summer of 2014. The criteria for my choice at the time of purchase was a 40 S&W carbine that would be a companion to my Glock 23. The Kel-Tec Sub2000 was a contender but finding a G23 compatible one was few and far between. The G22 compatible models were plentiful. The Just Right carbine was another consideration, but the ASR’s ability to do multiple calibers edged out the JRC. On the subject of magazines, I like that the ASR accepts the baby Glock mags as well. I’ve noticed that this is a subject that gets overlooked in every review I’ve read. I don’t know of another carbine that accepts them.
I got my ASR configured
As for accuracy, I am very pleased with how it shoots. 9, 40 and 10 hit close enough together that I can swap calibers without worrying about point of impact. The 45 barrel likes to hit low and right to the point that it needs it’s own sight.
The triggers on both lowers are long, scratchy and not what you would expect for the money spent. They are the focus of my next efforts.
I have set my ASR up to be what it was intended to be. I put an Armson OEG sight and a MFT Minimalist stock on the rifle getting it down to 5.2 lbs.
This carbine has become more of a project than I anticipated, but I’m slowly getting it to where I need it to be.
Try Wolff mag springs.
and experienced frequent jams. The Aero pistol TNW sent me also has frequent jams. You do not stress enough that these Aero guns are unreliable. Does truth aboutguns get paid by TNW. My previous posts of the frequent jams have been removed and truth aboutguns seems to taut these ASP POS a lot. The pistol they sold me weighs 6 lbs.and feels very heavy. I don’t see how the rifle can weigh 5.5. Oh sales puffery?
Try cutting off the spring 1/4” at a time until the weapon works. The problem is the same spring is used for 9m, 10m, 40 cal ect.. If you use a really hot load would most likely work flawlessly. Also when it starts working you would most likely have to stick with the same ammo all the time unless you got a new spring and went through the same process with different ammo.
Own both. The Sub2k is far superior and much lighter and far less money. The TNW ASP jams consistently. The ability of TNW to get these websites to push their unreliable guns is much greater than their ability to produce a reliable gun in my experience and opinion . Buyer beware.
Try cutting off the spring 1/4” at a time until the weapon works. The problem is the same spring is used for 9m, 10m, 40 cal ect.. If you use a really hot load would most likely work flawlessly. Also when it starts working you would most likely have to stick with the same ammo all the time unless you got a new spring and went through the same process with different ammo.
same here this gun just fails to eject empty cartridges one after the other very unreliable
it is not a survival gun that is for sure a survival gun MUST be reliable.
Try cutting off the spring 1/4” at a time until the weapon works. The problem is the same spring is used for 9m, 10m, 40 cal ect.. If you use a really hot load would most likely work flawlessly. Also when it starts working you would most likely have to stick with the same ammo all the time unless you got a new spring and went through the same process with different ammo.
All those problems can easily fixed. If you can’t, find a gunsmith who can.
I have two of these in 9mm, I have replaced the triggers, the company offers on their website. Mine runs 9mm through without any jams, doesn’t matter what brand I use.
I also run cast 115 and 124 grain reloads with no problems. Pay attention to the clips you buy, they cause the most problems. I love both rifles, they work flawless.
Have you thought of making a model that will accept standard 1911 Magazines? A whole market that is usually ignored these days is waiting to be tapped.
Until these pistol-carbines begin to have better reputations, I will hold off buying one. I am considering buying a 10 mm next. The 10 mm has so much more power (terminal knock-down-impact) than the 9 mm that in the future I will use only 9 mm firearms as back-ups only. I just recently became aware of TNW firearms as a gun manufactuer & will now begin following their sucesses. I originally wanted to purchase a Ruger 10 mm carbine, but there is no such animal. It will be a while before I make a decision on what to buy; hopefully, TNW’s reputation will improve.
I have looked and looked at these things over the years. I have learned one basic given truth. Unless you are willing to spend over $1300 or so, the quality and reliability just isn’t going to be there. I have built a great 6.5 Grendel pistol with a 13 inch barrel, and an AR rifle in an 18 inch barrel . I had a few good well made lowers, uppers, and triggers, so it cost me $950 for two high quality semi auto’s that shoot 1 MOA and less and are very reliable. I can load the 6.5G down or up to a 800 yard steel plate ringer with the 18 inch. I shoot both and load for both. Just can’t see using a 10mm when I can use a super accurate 6.5G with more energy. I guess the ammo costs more than a 10mm, but I can get really close and weapon specific with hand loading. Another greatgun is a 357 magnum levergun. It actually beats the 10mm out of a rifle. Just my opinion.
Is the aero survival rifle in rowland 460 dependable–consistent-reliable?Has anyone upgraded to their match grade trigger with better -satisfactory- results?Has the company –tim bero-improved quality control issues ?Will they substitute a holsun green dot instead of some Chinese scope? Is price point justified by their 2020 inventory?
I Also have a 9mm ASR that just does not run reliably. I tried emailing TNW multiple times just to ask for advise and if I could purchase the 9mm specific buffer spring one of their tech videos shows as mine is the heavy version made for the multi calibers. Never even got a response….. that’s the most frustrating part.
The TNW Aero I own is a crap gun and TNW is a crap company did not repair the constant FTF every magazine. The trigger is an atrocity. I cannot believe the owner has any integrity to continually market such junk.
Gear up as your favorite Delsin Rowe Vest. Slim Fit Leather Jackets brings this iconic jacket from animation to reality, especially for all the fans of this video game. Delsin Rowe is the main protagonist and playable character, a young Native-American man who later realizes he’s a Conduit with special powers.
So, it has been mentioned that you can improve the trigger with a Dremmel tool but you never say how or what to do. Can someone please be more specific? Or direct me to a url? Thanks
Comments are closed.