ABOUT POF
Frank DeSomma founded Patriot Ordnance Factory in 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona, using his experience as an aerospace engineer to solve problems connected to the AR-15 rifle. His regulated short-stroke piston stopped fouling from reaching the internal receiver and solved timing cycle jams associated with short-barreled AR-15 carbines.
Known for its AR-style offerings, POF takes its first departure from that realm with the Tombstone. My friend Chris Eger toured the POF factory earlier this year so you can see the quality manufacturing techniques used to build the Tombstone.
MY IMPRESSIONS
I love shooting and competing in silhouette matches with my lever guns. The Tombstone looks like it might make a dandy close-quarters 3-Gun match rifle. It is remarkably light, and I notice that it is much faster and easily pointed than a traditional lever gun.
The sight picture over the Picatinny rail is much like an AR-15, but that pistol grip reminds me strongly of a lever gun. The 20-round magazine will reload much faster than loading rounds into the cartridge gate magazine tube of a Model 92 Winchester. The beveled magazine well makes reloading much faster.
The profile of the Tombstone appears to be bent. It defies my mind’s view of conventional lever gun design. This is not bad; it is very practical. The forend includes two Picatinny rails near the muzzle and M-LOK slots along its length. They beg for tactical flashlights, lasers, and even a bipod. Look at that beautiful fluted free-floated barrel! It is bound to be accurate. The barrel ends with a ported muzzle brake that could be replaced with a 1/2x28 TPI threaded suppressor. Cool!
Despite its radical look, the receiver of the Tombstone is all business. It really fills my hand as I aim, and the pistol grip gives me the control I need for accurate shooting. The exterior is made from high-quality aircraft-grade aluminum, but the internal action and trigger parts are all steel. The trigger is a surprise – it breaks at a crisp single-stage 3.5 pounds.
MORE FEATURES
No need for custom gunsmithing here. The lever is an oversized rectangular shape that has a remarkably fast and short throw. This rifle is ready for competition out of the box.
Other modern features include a cross-bolt safety, half-cock hammer, and hammer extension. All are ambidextrous/reversible, making the gun quite versatile. Minimal sights are included that are a non-adjustable ghost ring rear peep and a white post front. Both align with my eye when shouldered and are highly visible.
Optics are unlimited on the Tombstone. Have you ever thought of mounting a scope on your 73 or 92 Winchester? Good luck with that idea. However, the 6-inch Picatinny rail over the receiver will accept a scope, or any optical sight. The extended hammer is a nice touch to allow cocking with a scope mounted.
Although not a semi-automatic firearm, the Tombstone action can be worked quickly while the gun is shouldered. This is important for follow-up shots and tracking moving targets. Fast shooting can warm up any barrel, but the fluted barrel will keep this lever gun cool, I think. Time to take the Tombstone to the Area 51 range for testing.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Caliber: 9mm
- Overall length: 36 inches
- Length of Pull: 14 inches
- Weight: 5.5 pounds
- Barrel: 16.5 inches, fluted ported muzzle brake
- Forearm: 10.5 inches modular receiver rail
- Picatinny rails: 6-inch rail on rear receiver and two 2-inch rails near muzzle
- Trigger: 3.5 pounds, flat-faced
- Magazine: 10 or 20-round capacity
- Stock: Magpul SGA
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MSRP: $1,962
RANGE TIME
Area 51 is hot as a firecracker today! This will be a good test of this Arizona-built rifle. I will be shooting Winchester 115-grain full metal jacket ammo today. There are diverse targets to engage ranging from steel plates to root beer jugs and pop cans. The 20-round magazine loads easily, and the action is smooth and quick to chamber a round.
Three or four shots on steel at 9 yards show good grouping but a bit low. The heavy steel “flapper” moves briskly at this distance, and it is exciting to see a 2-liter root beer bottle hit from lead fragments turning it into a spurter. Other 2-liter bottles and even smaller pop cans are easy prey for the Tombstone. All explode violently, proving the worth of a 9mm rifle at close quarters.
As I work the action, I notice how fast and smooth it is. I also notice how light the rifle is. Despite its 3-foot length, it is handy, making it easy to acquire each target rapidly. Shooting done at 20 yards proves to be equally accurate and my “milk bottle”-shaped steel target rings with each shot. The target-style straight, flat trigger is a joy to squeeze. Its pull of 3.5 pounds is amazing. Although no jams were encountered, three of the Winchester rounds failed to fire.
PROS & CONS
