http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/RSS.ashxAmerican Handgunner Jan/Feb 2010 PagesWed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:58 +0100http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=1http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=170 YD. HANDGUN SHOOT-0UT! 9 $5.95 OUTSIDE US $9.50 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 ® KIMBER’S RAPTOR .45 ACP BLADES BIRDS OF PREY II PARA’S EXPERT GI MILITARY HI-POWERS WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM HOLLYWOOD BALLISTICS? BLACKHAWK! HEIRLOOM COLT SAA2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=2http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=2Is it Sacrilege or Smart Money …to chamber a classic 1911 LTC in 9mm? www.para-usa.com/smart2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=3http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=3What’s the secret to making the finest custom 1911’s in the world? There are two of them, really. First, we start with the very best parts machined from the finest materials, from the all-important foundation components including frames, slides and barrels to the smaller parts that ensure unmatched accuracy and perfect function such as sights, safeties, hammers and triggers. 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Several sporting and law enforcement models available, all guaranteed to shoot 1/2" MOA. www.lesbaer.com2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=4http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=4Cover Photo: Chuck Pittman, Inc. Volume 34 • Number 1 • Issue 203 2010 JANUARY • FEBRUARY 64 48 ANOTHER TAKE ON THE BROWNING P35MM MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO Duketakesahardlookatthebattle-provenHi-Power. 67 MANSON REAMERS FORCING CONE TOOLS HAMILTON S.BOWEN Danger:Scientificcontenthere—readatyourownrisk. FEATURES 52 HOLLYWOOD BALLISTICS JOHNBARSNESS Painted-onmustachesand60-shotColts. 68 PARA’S EXPERT GI DAVEDOUGLAS 1,000yardhandgunning—andthat’snotypo. Evenbetterthantheoriginal:Para’sWWIIcelebritygunimpersonator! 54 CLAWS OF THE JUGGERNAUT PATCOVERT BLACKHAWK!’sburlyblades! 70 THE ROAD TO HUMBLE MARKHAMILTON 75 SHOOTING THE OLD STUFF J.B.WOOD TheSteyr-HahnModel1911—oldschooltechnology. 56 KIMBER’S RAPTOR II SERIES DAVEANDERSON Raptor=BirdofPrey=Kimber’scompellingpair. 62 COOL CARRY OPTIONS JOHNCONNOR Totingyourroscoejustgoteasier. 101 LTW: WIN A SPRINGFIELD CUSTOM JASONBURTON LTW’srafflegunbenefitstheNavalSpecialWarfareFoundation. 64 AN HEIRLOOM COLT ROYHUNTINGTON PeacemakerSpecialists’“No-Limits”Colt. 70 68 52 ExclusivE: Available online only at americanhandgunner.com! Handgunner READER CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE! • ANNUAL GRUNT GIFT GUIDE FOR YOUR FAvORITE SOLDIER! 4 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=5http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=546 DEPARTMENTS 34 THE AYOOB FILES MASSADAYOOB 70yardshoot-out! 26 BETTER SHOOTING DAVEANDERSON Fiberopticsightmagic. 46 THE SIXGUNNER JOHNTAFFIN DearHandgunner:June12,1957. 102 GUNNYSACK ROYHUNTINGTON PumaKnives,CTCLaserforegrip,ProlixLube,andHandmadeGrips. COLUMNS 8 SPEAK OUT 42 20 GUNCRANK DIARIES JOHNCONNOR 22 REALITY CHECK CLINTSMITH 24 SHOOTING IRON MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO 28 COP TALK MASSADAYOOB 30 TAFFIN TESTS JOHNTAFFIN 36 HANDGUN HUNTING J.D.JONES 38 HANDLOADING JOHNTAFFIN 40 PISTOLSMITHING ALEXHAMILTON 42 CARRY OPTIONS SAMMYREESE 44 WINNING EDGE DAVEANDERSON 114 THE INSIDER ROYHUNTINGTON 28 36 42 54 HANDGUN OF THE MONTH RESOURCES 98 CUSTOM CORNER 106 SPOTLIGHT STEVEEVATT 110 AD INDEX 111 CLASSIFIEDS WIN! Check Out Web Blast For More Info, Videos And Pictures About A Special American Handgunner Edition! Articles In Every Issue. JUSTCLICKONTHEWEBBLASTICON! 72 Win this Reeder .44 Special El Diablo! AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM AMERICAN HANDGUNNER®(ISSN0145-4250)ispublishedbi-monthlybyPublishers’DevelopmentCorp.,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128.PeriodicalpostagepaidatSan Diego,CA92128,andatadditionalmailingoffices.Subscriptions:Oneyear(sixissues)$19.75.Singlecopies$5.95(inCanada$9.50).Changeofaddress:fourweeksnoticerequiredonall changes.Sendoldaddressaswellasnew.Contributorssubmittingmanuscripts,photographsordrawingsdosoattheirownrisk.Materialcannotbereturnedunlessaccompaniedbysufficient postage.Paymentisforallworldrightsforthematerial.Theactofmailingamanuscriptconstitutestheauthor’scertificationoforiginalityofmaterial.Opinionsexpressedarethoseofthebylined authorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresentthoseofthemagazineorit’sadvertisers.Advertisingratesfurnishedonrequest.Reproductionoruseofanyportionofthismagazineinanymanner, withoutwrittenpermission,isprohibited.EntirecontentsCopyright©2009Publishers’DevelopmentCorp.Allrightsreserved.Titletothispublicationpassestosubscriberonlyondeliverytohis address.SUBSCRIPTIONPROBLEMS:Forimmediateaction,writeSubscriptionDept.,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128. POSTMASTER: SendaddresschangestoAMERICAN HANDGUNNER®,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA 92128.WARNING: Firearms are dangerous if used improperly, and may cause serious injury or death. Due to the inherent variables in the reloading of metallic cartridges, verify all published loads with manufacturer’s data. Consult a professional gunsmith when modifying any firearm. Be a safe shooter! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 52009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=6http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=6board of directors Thomas von Rosen, CEO; Thomas Hollander; Randy Moldé; Marjorie Young PUblisher & editor Roy Huntington Managing Editorial Assistant Stephanie Jarrell Editorial Assistant Kerin Van Hoosear Design Director Lisa Stahlhut Production Manager Kevin Lewis Web Site Manager Lorinda Massey Promotions Coordinator Elizabeth O’Neill Advertising Sales Director Anita Carson Advertising Sales Assistant Dana Hatfield Staff Photographer Joe Novelozo John Morrison Jeremy Clough Mike “Duke” Venturino John Taffin Sammy Reese, BCP Massad Ayoob Dave Anderson Mark Hanten Dave Douglas Clint Smith J.D. Jones Patrick Covert Alex Hamilton field editors contribUting editors fmg PUblications americanhandgunner.com Publisher & Editor: Roy Huntington Advertising: Steve Evatt, (800) 533-7988 e-mail: steve@americanhandgunner.com americancopmagazine.com Editor: Suzi Huntington Advertising: Denny Fallon, (800) 426-4470 e-mail: denny@americancopmagazine.com Delano Amaguin, (888) 732-6461 e-mail: delano@americancopmagazine.com gunsmagazine.com Editor: Jeff John Advertising: Andrew Oram, (866) 903-1199 e-mail: andrew@gunsmagazine.com shootingindustry.com Publisher & Editor: Russ Thurman Advertising: Anita Carson, (866) 972-4545 e-mail: anita@shootingindustry.com Special editionS fmgpublications.com Editor: Sammy Reese Advertising: Scott McGregor, (800) 553-7780 e-mail: scott@americanhandgunner.com oNLiNE ADvErtiSiNG MANAGEr: Tracy Moore, (888) 651-7566; Fax: (858) 605-0205; tracy@fmgpublications.com CLASSifiED ADvErtiSiNG: Lori Robbins, (800) 633-8001, Fax: (858) 605-0247, classads@fmgpublications.com fMG EASt CoASt SALES: Sig Buchmayr, Buchmayr & Associates 28 Great Hill Rd., Darien, CT 06820; (203) 662-9740, sigbuch@optonllin.net. NAtioNAL ADvErtiSiNG: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA, 92128; (866) 972-4545; Fax: (858) 605-0211; anita@shootingindustry.com www.americanhandgunner.com SuBSCriPtioN SErviCES: . (858) 605-0253 Express Service: www.americanhandgunner.com and click “contacts” EDitoriAL: . (858) 605-0243 e-mail: . editor@americanhandgunner.com ProDuCtioN: . (858) 605-0219 e-mail: . production@americanhandgunner.com BooKS/MErCHANDiSE: . (888) 732-2299 e-mail: . rachelle@fmgpublications.com General Counsel/Legal Affairs: . Steele N. Gillaspey e-mail: . sng@g-glaw.com CuStoMEr SErviCE ProDuCED iN tHE u.S.A. 6 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=7http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=72009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=8http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=8SPEAKOUT YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? Kudosto American Handgunnerforkeepingthefeedbackandcommunicationslinkswiththeirreadership open.Seemslikemoreandmoremagazinesandwritershaveretreatedbehindelectronicfortressesand arehard(impossible?)toreach,butnotyouguys! GerardL.Field Annapolis,MD Poor Josh states) means being able to do whatever In response to “Smoke A Joint they choose, like riding a motorcycle Joshua” (Speak Out, Nov/Dec 2009) I across the state doing double the speed offer the following. Being a proud red- limit. Huh? That’s a freedom? Only blooded American liberal just seems someone who smokes a joint in public so, well, oxymoronic to me. As I began would think it’s a freedom to break the reading Josh’s letter I had doubts as to law. What these people don’t underif he truly understands what freedom stand is freedom is a two-sided coin. really is. As I read further, his writing The other side being responsibility. You removed all doubt. Freedom to too can’t have freedom without responsiPACT_postxmas_09_fixed.pdf 12/16/08bility 9:04:18 AM many people (as Josh so ignorantly — you’ll lose it every time, and I could write a whole article on that one. And by the way Josh, the gun laws in California aren’t restrictive as you put it. To those who truly understand what freedom means, a better description would be oppressive. One thing we do agree on Josh, and that is no American president could ever get rid of guns in this country, however, we probably disagree as to why. The sad fact is no American president will need to 8 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=9http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=92009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=10http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=10SPEAKOUT if your fellow liberal Democrats keep chipping away at our freedoms. Ever notice nearly every single gun control law is sponsored by a Democrat? To the rest of America, please don’t judge all Californians by the likes of Josh. You would be surprised how many Californians are very conservative. Find a “county by county” map of the last few presidential elections and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Tom Curato Via e-mail Another Escapee EQUAL Reliable Feeding Reduced Penetration Excellent for Close Quarter Security Perfect For Civilian Use Are Not Created ALL BULLETS I just read the whinery letter from Joshua Stern from California. I really liked his typical hypocritical attitude about breaking the law. It’s okay for him to go twice the speed limit and walk around in public smoking a joint, but not our past president’s policy of warrantless wire taps and supposedly breaking the Geneva Convention. I hate to break the news to him but our new president voted for warrant-less wire taps when it came up for a vote, and still administers warrant-less wire tips. As for torture, Stern should take some of his buddies, head for northern Pakistan and talk to the Taliban and Al Queda about beheading Americans. He probably thinks water boarding is worse than beheadings. Maybe Stern should quit smoking dope for a while and see what’s really going on with California. Read an objective newspaper — oh wait, are there any in California? My wife and me were both born, raised and worked in San Diego all but the last two years of our lives. Before we moved out-of-state, my wife made a comment about how neat it was growing up there, but like I pointed out to her — it was neat. People like Stern, California’s pro-criminal gun laws and 10 million illegal aliens were some of the main reasons we moved out-ofstate. And we were California natives, not born again country-fried Okies. 10/14/09 7:35:28 AM No insult intended Mr. Huntington, in regards to your move to Missouri! Hudson Bandosz Sierra Vista, AZ Chew Toys Premier Products from 605.347.4544 • 800.626.7266 corbon.com Scott, McDougall and Associates’ old Web site had a photo of their shop dog Ginger using what appears to be a Glock frame as a chew toy. Going back even further, I remember one of my first encounters with the Glock 17 back in the mid-1980s. A gunshop clerk was showing off his new pistol, and I noticed the tang of the frame was partially chewed away on the left side. He sheepishly explained he had been carrying 10 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=11http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=112009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=12http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=12SPEAKOUT it the woods and lost it from his “one size fits none” holster. He wasn’t able to recover it until the next day. In the meantime, a squirrel or some other rodent had decided to take a taste. Another set of friends had ferrets that loved the taste of Hogue HandAll grip sleeves. Daniel Watters Contributing Author at “The Gun Zone” www.thegunzone.com While other magazines are getting skinnier and losing track of what readers really want to read about, you guys put out a fat, beautiful issue (Nov/ Dec 2009) with stunning photos! Why can’t they? Gary Smith Via e-mail Jenny Craig Paper Diet Keith .45 Magnum? I saw a rebuttal (Taffin’s “The .44 Special Is Still Special,” Nov/Dec 2009) to Mike Venturino’s article (“The .44 Special Ain’t,” July/Aug 2009) coming as soon as I read it. As you mentioned, stir the pot now and then, and see what comes out. Charlie Askins used to do this with his “Let’s scrap these pistol calibers” articles. He was always trying to eliminate one of my old time favorites, the .38-40. Well I’ve outlived him, so I won’t have to put up with those articles anymore. I bought my first pistol in 1959, a Colt Scout .22 SA. The next one was a Colt SAA .45, and I’ve never owned a pistol that gave me more pleasure. Along the way, I’ve owned many of the same pistols that John and Mike have, I just was never able to hold on to anywhere near as many of them. As to .44 Specials, I’ve only owned a paltry six, five of which I still have. In their articles, I feel Mike and John have both missed the point of what the .44 Special was all about. Elmer wanted a more powerful round than the factory blackpowder .45 Colt. When he tried to heavy-load the .45 with smokeless, he found it was easy to bulge the bolt cuts, or even blow out the cylinder wall of a Colt SAA. The .44 Special, with its thicker chamber walls, allowed him to achieve his famous load of a 250 grain bullet at 1,200 fps. Mike’s article deals with the practical side of loading, up to around 1,000 fps. John’s is purely emotional. Elmer was, in my opinion, purely practical. If he could have achieved 1,200 or more with the .45 Colt in the SAA, he might never have bothered to do any work with the .44 Special, and it would have been as dead as the 12 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=13http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=132009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=14http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=14SPEAKOUT dodo today. I don’t think even cowboy action shooting would have saved it, as it wasn’t an old west caliber. If Elmer could have gotten his hands on a Freedom Arms SA, he might have been responsible for the .45 Magnum. Jim Bellaire NRA Patron Life, SASS Life Buffalo, NY BULL HIDE GUN BELTS After reading the two current issues of both GUNS and American Handgunner, I was going to write to add a complaint about the “Whinery” feature in the letters section. Sadly, however, I realized the irony of complaining about the “Whinery.” Good things, however often go together, and while watching the CBS television series NCIS Los Angeles, I noticed a copy of GUNS Magazine on a table in the apartment of a character being investigated. Product placement? Shrewd business? Only your editor knows for sure. I have also wanted to write many times, but I always end up going off topic, so I decided to follow a rule I learned by reading these two great magazines — Keep It Simple Stupid. So here goes: I think you guys do a great job, I love the magazines. Keep up the good work, and the good fight. Harry A. Nelson Omaha, NE I am a US Marine and general all around gun nut, currently deployed to Afghanistan, and have just been introduced to your magazine by a thoughtful reader who sent us his old issues. I just read an excellent article by Sammy Reese (Carry Options, “Doing Our Part,” Sept/Oct 2008) that was the catalyst in making me write you. I found myself smiling from ear to ear while reading about him introducing the young lady in the article to something new. It reminded me of dating my wife several years ago and introducing her to handguns. The impact that one good gun ambassador can have may be all the difference in changing someone’s perspective for a lifetime. In Mr. Reese’s case he may very well have opened the door for Untitled-1 1 that young lady to enjoy a whole new world, or at least to think the next time an anti gun law comes up for vote. In my case my young lady married me and we have still have dates at the gun range. Either way being a gun ambassador is good for all parties involved. Please tell Mr. Reese thank you for being an excellent example for us all. Keep up the good work in your magazine, and look for my subscription 14 Oh, The Irony Of It MADE BY: THE BELTMAN Our hand made belts are two layers of top quality bull hide (not cow hide) for firmness and durability, and will easily support the weight of a full size firearm and accessories. Suitable for concealed carry, competition, or dress wear. Options include: Velcro lining, tapering, stiff eners, buckle selection etc. Available in three widths, four colors, and edged to perfection from $59.95. Also offered in horse hide, shark, and genuine elephant. (919) 387-1997 Order online at: www.thebeltman.net Creating A Shooter WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=15http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=15upon my return to the States — and a reliable mailing address! GySgt Eric D. Smith CLR-2, Communications Operations Chief Gunny, thanks for your kind words. But more importantly, thanks for all you and our other GIs do to keep the rest of us safe here at home. And hurry back, safely! Until then, spread the word: you can read the complete issues of Handgunner, GUNS, American COP and Shooting Industry using our very cool digital online editions. Just go to their respective Web sites (ours is www.americanhandgunner.com), click on the digital edition and once it loads you can turn the pages, click on ads and hot-links and enjoy your favorite gunzines until you get home to friends and family. As my dad used to tell me when I was a cop: “Shoot back first.” RH And … How I do love it when John and Mike go at it like this. I’ve followed Mike’s writing for more years than I care to admit to. I’ve never had the pleasure of talking with him but I’d sure like to sit over a cup of coffee and visit with him. Years ago I had the pleasure to exchange a couple of letters with John and can say he’s a real gentleman. Bottom line I have the highest respect for both of them. I’ve got to side with John on this one, though. The 44 Special is special. Back in the 1980s I managed to pick up all three barrel lengths when S&W reintroduced the Model 24s. The 3" version was the only less than satisfying one, but the 4" and 61/2" were real gems. I’ll never forgive myself for letting that 4" go in a weak moment. With Skeeter Skelton’s load I’ve never had a .44 Special that wasn’t an outstanding shooter. Now days my .44 Special shooting is handled with a flat top .44 Ruger. The same Skelton load shoots just as accurate as always and is pleasant to boot. I’m sure John would agree there are few things that just seem as right as a walk through the countryside with a single action on your hip chambered in .44 Special. Rick Holbert Baton Rouge, LA Caliber Confusion I’m 62 years old, a college graduate, served as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam conflict and operated a successful business for most of my adult life. I say this not to blow my own horn but to give you an indication I have at least some brains. I started carrying a handgun about five years ago. For all intents and purposes, I’m a novice when it comes to the shooting arts and sciences, but I’ve never been able to find any articles or explanations regarding 15 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=16http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=16SPEAKOUT caliber selection, other than a few clichés such as “Any handgun is good for self defense as long as the caliber starts with 4.” I don’t ridicule this statement — nor do I truly understand it. I carry a .38, a 9mm semiauto, a .45 ACP and a Taurus Judge. I have them strictly for the fun of it, as I enjoy shooting them all at the local range. I’m not so naïve to not understand a larger bullet has more stopping power than a smaller one, but what I need help with is why is a .357 made more powerful than a .38, or why is a .40 S&W so much better than a 9mm? How how a .32 be so much better than my .38? Or is it, or are they? Why were so many different calibers created, and are they necessary today? Joel Marcus Via e-mail Joel, most of the calibers today are simply the result of good (and bad) marketing my ammunition firms and cartridge makers. Give my Insider column a read in the Nov/Dec 2009 issue (“Perfect Self-Defense Ammo?”) and I’ll bet most of your questions will be at least addressed at some level. It may drive you to seek more info on your own, and one of the best ways is, um, uh … well … keep reading Handgunner! RH Dennis The Menace Well you finally did it, your political bent and constant adolescent comments concerning YOUR current president have driven me to “have the last word.” As Mr. Joshua Stern (Speak Out, Nov/Dec 2009) said, “. you need to wake up and realize that a government provides us with many freedoms. One of which is the freedom from the tyranny of born-again, country-fried Oakies (fools) like you and the one we just got out of office.” My “last word” is this, rather than subscribe to your politically naive rag, I am sending a check to the DNC for the amount I would have normally sent to you: How’s that for freedom and the “last word?” Adios MF! Dennis Bachlet Pecos, NM 87552 Too bad you’re leaving, Dennis. But I’ll give you credit for a solid dose of vintage liberal name-calling and personal attacks, nonetheless. I’ve generally found people who make personal 9/14/09 1:15:36 PM attacks (on either side) do so because they have nothing else to base their comments upon. I just wish people like The Whinery mygtul .com Disassemble and Clean 9MM/40S&W Glock Magazines $19.95 Plus S&H www. Now le Availab Disassemble and Clean 10MM/45ACP Glock Magazines GTUL LLC 6275 University Dr, Ste 37 Box 316, Huntsville, AL 35806 • (757)-647-0805 16 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=17http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=17you would stay and join the fray, engage with facts, parry and riposte, rather than get mad, make personal attacks, flip me the bird, slam the door and stomp off — harrumph. You showed me, eh? If you stayed and argued it out, we might learn more about each other. I read your note several times and you never offered a single rebuttal, fact or genuine liberal counter-point (Liberal: “ . open to new behavior or opinions …” and “… concerned mainly with broadening a person’s general knowledge and experience …”). Think about it. Best of luck in whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. And just so you know — this may come as a surprise to you — the government doesn’t provide a single freedom. Not a one. Their job is to ensure our natural freedoms are not oppressed; something they seem to forget regularly I fear, regardless of the party affiliation. And as for my president? I wrote in my Insider (March/April, 2009) I would not stand in Obama’s way and indeed, would support his efforts to make our country stronger and financially healthy (unlike the constant barrage of hatemongering the liberal media and Democratic party, as a whole, did to Bush). But I confess I did warn The President not to mess with our gun rights — we’re watching. And those constant adolescent comments you mentioned? Okay, maybe in this issue’s Insider . RH I’m in the NY area and as you probably know Federal law does not prohibit individuals from transporting firearms across state lines as long as they have a valid permit from the state in which they reside and are destined to a state that recognizes their permit. Non-residents may also enter or pass through the state with handguns if they are competing in a legitimate NRA, collegiate or Olympic event in NY. Of course a letter proving the participation is necessary, and in both scenarios the gun must be unloaded and locked away from the ammunition. What I experience often is when non-residents of NY State cross into Canada and have no idea their pistol permit from Texas, as one example, is not applicable in another country, or perhaps several states they have crossed to get into NY. Worst case scenario is the individual from Texas does not declare the weapon going into Canada, and Canadian Customs finds it with confiscation and jail time inevitable. If they declare the weapon at Canadian Customs and are bounced back to the US, without confiscation or jail time, they face additional trouble from local and state police for transporting a weapon through NY State. US citizens can travel into Canada to WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 17 Guns Across Borders2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=18http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=18SPEAKOUT hunt or attend pistol sporting events but they must follow Canadian law. The following Web site offers information on prohibited, restricted and non-restricted firearms into Canada. I also need to mention that if any US citizen leaves the US to enter Canada with a firearm they need to stop at US Customs to fill out a Certificate Of Registration (Form 4457). Word to the wise when stopping at US Customs. Do not get out of your vehicle with gun(s) in hand until an officer specifically asks you to retrieve your weapons for verification purposes. Things could get ugly. www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/information/visit/index-eng.htm I enjoy my job protecting US citizens from terrorism, illegal drugs and illegals trying to enter the US, however it disturbs me so many people having valid pistol permits from their respective states truly believe they can travel across state lines, or even into Canada, without knowing the repercussions. I am hoping I can make a difference and reach as many people as possible so they can avoid the trouble I have seen. Please do your homework before crossing any border with your weapon, whether it be a state or international border. Michael Berg Michael is a federal officer, responsible for keeping our northern borders safe. I asked him to elaborate on a note to Handgunner he wrote on the topic. Thanks Michael, and stay safe “out there.” RH pdf 12/16/08 8:47:20 AM Linotype Thanks for publishing the best gun magazines ever written. I’ve been a shooter and reading gun magazines for 55 years and recently retired after 41½ years in criminal justice (police officer and maximum security prison). Never has there been a better source of information then what can be found in your magazine. You do have the best writing staff in the world. I just read Duke’s great article (“I’ve Always Shot Cast Bullets,” Sept/Oct 2009) on casting bullets, and while I have been loading my own ammunition for about 15 years I have never cast the bullets. I am now researching which equipment I should purchase. Duke mentioned in his article he “scrounged lead.” I’ve been offered lead by a printer who is going out of business. The printer indicated he didn’t know the tin content in the lead. Is that critical? I know bullets can be too soft, but can they also be too hard? I certainly don’t want to damage any of my guns. The 18 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=19http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=19lead offered is “type” that was hand-set and used mostly on small printers to produce business cards and stationary. BN Via e-mail From Duke: “I use straight linotype for all semiauto handgun bullets. It is hard and slides up feed ramps easily and shoots good. Many semiauto barrels have relatively shallow rifling because they are meant to be used with jacketed bullets. Hence the harder lead alloy bullets shoot better from them. Because of its hardness however, I don’t use linotype for revolver bullets. They need to swell to fill the cylinder chamber mouths and the barrel’s forcing cone at firing. Linotype has a Brinnell hardness number (BHN) of about 22. For light to medium revolver loads I use an alloy with a BHN of about 10, which is 1-20 tin to lead. For magnum revolver loads I’ll stiffen it up to about BHN 15, which would be say one pound of linotype to two pounds of pure lead. In other words, linotype does no harm for all bullets, but is needlessly expensive for some types.” And this from John Taffin: That linotype works fine for general shooting, but can shatter if it hits metal targets or heavy muscle/bone. I use it a lot but prefer to cut it an equal amount of pure lead.” now! In five years he’s never gotten onpaper at 25 yards. At five yards, he put two holes about 4" below the bull (our of five rounds). Would four clicks to raise the rear sight be advisable? Would .44 Special rounds hit below or above those from the magnum rounds? I recently extended my subscription to GUNS, mostly because you’ve been kind enough to take the time to answer my questions in the past. Ray Zukor Middletown, NY I sometimes get these carefully worded post-cards, from Ray, often asking basic but solid questions. Ray never includes a phone number and doesn’t have e-mail so I always take a moment and write him back. I’d hate to think of him waiting for an answer and never getting Live: 7" My nephew ignored my advice to buy a .357, and do not buy a .44 Magnum. He has the Ruger 7.5" Redhawk and complains his wrist hurts Continued on page 109 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 19 Live: 7" .44 Too Much2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=20http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=20John Connor GUNCRANKDIARIES TM EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS The Big Gun Guy Goes “Lite” New Year, New Dude, New Needs I just had my biannual “friendly chat” with His Most DeLuxe Self, Roy-Boy the Publishing Potentate. That’s his new title, y’know, though you can still address him as “His Illuminating Immenseness.” For about 50 minutes HII glibly gabbed about neat an’ nifty new stuff he likes — and it was actually interesting! Occasionally I enjoy learning what potentates possess. A lot of it is like the stuff we have, except it’s handmade, 24-K gold plated, Renaissanceengraved, microchip-driven and custom-something. Then it was my turn. Fifteen seconds later he busted in with, “Yeah; cool. Why don’t cha write this up in GunCrank and I’ll print it. Maybe.” A Tale of Two Triggers: SIG SAUER P250 (L) and Ruger LCR. ig, big on guns, big on big guns. As a neo-Neanderthal, I’ve customarily packed multiple guns of the hefty-howitzer sort in just about every role of my life, personal and professional. Like, it made perfect sense to me, if my primary piece was a full-size 1911, my backup boomer should be “Commander”-sized, y’know? If my right-hand Roscoe was a Glock 17, easy; just carry two of ’em, plus a Model 26, okay? No problem — back then. Ain’t it funny how all it takes is a measly half-dozen fractured vertebrae, numerous dings an’ dents and a monster dose of nerve damage to change your carry-gun tastes? Envision a crippled semi-shaved ape, held precariously upright by a four-toed walker-cane. Shaky at best, he can be blown over by a stiff breeze, is limited to free use of one clutching hand, and the addition of a coupla pounds of unsprung weight causes severe pain. Got that? It seems moving to lighter guns is the only smart move. But hey, since I’m outta the business of runnin’ to cover, dodgin’ bullets, an’ swingin’ through the jungle on a dangly vine, I’ll have more time to take sharp aim, right? Faced with this situation, having an eclectic collection of weirdos, wizards, Spartans an’ Amazons amongst your family and friends can help — and they did! On a recent blue-sky day, the Hoplite Hoard trucked my busted bod out to the Rat Canyon Range an’ commenced covering all horizontal surfaces with featherweight firearms, knives and sundry accessories. Since hospitals take a dim view of patients shooting down their hallways, my experience with recently introduced handguns had suffered. I took the cure, enthusiastically. Lots of rounds were launched from lotsa tubes that day, but there were two absolutely delightful surprises I wanta share with you — despite the fact they’ve already been bathed in printer’s ink by real GunWriterGuys: Ruger’s sweet little LCR and the SIG SAUER P250 Compact 9mm. B I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG GUN GUY: gunsmith; more caveman than connoisseur, then let’s talk, okay? First, the LCR weighed only 13.4 ounces on my postal scale; less than the cardboard box, lock, brochure and little zippered rug it came with. Loaded with 147-grain rounds, it still weighed less than a pound, at 15.8 ounces. I’ve shot many small-frame revolvers, and stingin’ recoil and nasty muzzle flip has always been the trade-off for light weight and a short barrel. Not so with the LCR. The unique cam-operated trigger is smooth, consistent through the stroke and feels far lighter than others with comparable pull weights. It’s a star on its own, but the greater story lies in how, with the combined effects of that trigger, the rubber grip and angle geometry, and the composite frame, you can rapidly pump five shots into a pie plate at fighting distance with one hand. We shot the LCR plenty; strong hand and weak, mostly with 147-grain Winchester .38 Special + P JHPs until we suddenly realized — wait a minute! This is pleasant! This is one superb dump-in-your-pocket backup, or carry-gun. I’m anxious to see if the optional Crimson Trace Lasergrip preserves the recoil-absorbing qualities of the factory grip. I’ll let you know, oka2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=21http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=212009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=22http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=22Clint Smith REALITYCHECK TM FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD Who? The light rail, aggressive grip area and clean, nononsense lines proves form really does follow function in a good designer’s hands. T find the outline of the 1911 pistol pleasing — as well as functional. The 1911 design, although archaic in some contexts, is in a constant state of flux. The basic design is built and modified, and built again, better and more improved with each passing year. One of the more joyful things about my association with Handgunner is I get to shoot lots of different guns over the course of the year. I think the gun builders like the exposure for their products, you have an opportunity to be exposed to “what’s new,” and I get to write about guns I actually shoot. As a point of interest, over the years there have been guns I chose not to write about, most often because I simply do not like them or because they do not hold up to the claims of their builders. This is not personal, but it is One of Clint’s favorite features is truthful. This is also not to imply just because the integral lanyard hole. A nifty I never wrote about a particular model it’s but practical design feature. not a good gun. There’s simply only so much time — and room — so we’re very particular. Mr. Roy, the editor, puts up with all of us, and always backs our plays. If we say it’s a no-go, then it doesn’t go in. But this time it’s a definite “go.” And bluntly — this was a good one. I just finished shooting a very strong pistol sent to me by Alex Zimmermann from Guncrafter Industries, based in Arkansas. A full-sized 5" 1911 called the American Model is unique in that it combines two very important things in a defensive handgun — it looks good, and functions even better. Although I am at a bit of a loss for descriptive words, the pistol is really “stout” and the appearances give it sort of a Russian T34 tank look but more refined. Yet, it works like a slick Swiss watch, to overThe use the obvious. It’s one of the very few cases where whoever did their marketing pronouncement — for a change — got it correct. “The Heine Slant Pro American. A rock solid 1911, built for hard use.” And they are right. sight, night i AmericAn model GuncrAfter’s he Guncrafter name might throw you because they are often referred to by the “GI” name. These are the same people who make the popular .50 caliber GI 1911 pistols in two versions, the Model 1 standard type frame, and Model 2 light rail type frame. The specifications on the American 1911 are impressive. The .45 caliber pistol has a 5" barrel and integral light rail that mated up to my SureFire X300 with no hitch. The frame, slide and barrel are forged, while the hammer, sear and dis-connector are machined from tool steel. An alwayscritical part on the 1911 is the slide stop, and this one is machined from bar stock. The forged match-grade stainless steel barrel is mated to an extra thick-flanged barrel bushing, another critical and breakable part often due to the flange being too thin, but not here. You’d think this Alex Zimmermann guy shot one of these guns before and knows what breaks? I think so. The American wears an ambidextrous safety and it’s not overly big so it’s not in the way for the right-sided people part of the planet. The one-piece mag well has an integral lanyard loop ring, which is cool, as I like tying the pistol to me while in the outback-mode. I like the American’s solid trigger too, as the holey kind often just gather dust as far as I’m concerned. The front strap and mainspring housing are made with 15 LPI checkering and, used in conjunction with the heavy-cut shredder grips, the grasping area looks damn dangerous at first glance. In reality it’s one of the better hang-on-and-shoot systems I’ve used. The gun does not, no, nada, move in your hand while firing. The brochure states the grip “increases recoil control” and to that I would have to say, you bet! he pistol is set up with Heine ledge-type2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=23http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=232009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=24http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=24Mike “Duke” Venturino SHOOTINGIRON TM THUMB BUSTIN’ MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE t his column doesn’t concern handguns. It’s about one three-year old girl and hundreds of decent, gun owning, human beings. Our leftist news media loves to portray we “gun people” — as I prefer to call us — as nut cases. At best we’re considered louts who go around shooting up road signs while swigging beer. At worse, the public in general is told we’re dangerous brutes just looking to shoot somebody. Let me give you an example of what real “gun people” are like. A company familiar with all Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) shooters is Montana Vintage Arms. They are manufacturers of high quality sights and telescopes used on such rifles. An employee there, Lars Waldeisen, has a beautiful daughter named Lucy. During her three-year checkup Lucy was found to have a rare form of cancer. Treatment for Lucy’s ailment has required traveling from Montana to places as distant as New York City. Of course that means considerable expense for the entire family. In the spring of 2009, Montana Vintage Arms, together with Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing organized a benefit raffle. The prize consisted of one of Shiloh’s beautiful recreations of a Sharps Model 1874 .45-70 rifle fitted with both Montana Vintage Arms’ target grade metallic sights and one of their telescopes. Along with it came a custom wooden box for the telescope by Kansas woodworker Harold Forcum and a bullet mould by Montana custom maker Steve Brooks. The most modest prize was a hardbound copy of my book Shooting Buffalo Rifles. Retail value of the prizes was put at $4,500. Gun Brutes And Louts: not! Lucy affle tickets were priced at $50 each, which in today’s economy is not an inconsiderable sum. As match director of the Montana Regional BPCR Silhouette Championship in June 2009 I took 20 of those tickets to the event. I had fears about being able to sell many, again due to the state of the economy which our wonderful news media never tires of harping about. Those 20 tickets didn’t last the first day. Then we had to take people’s money and addresses with a promise to mail their ticket stubs to them. Be aware that my match was a small one. We could only accommodate 64 shooters total. Other BPCR matches did the same and word was spread about the raffle. Checks for tickets came from far and wide, even from other countries. Drawing for the raffle was set for July 16th during the awards ceremony for the BPCR Silhouette and BPCR Target National Championships. That was at the NRA’s Whittington Center outside of Raton, New Mexico. Ticket buyers did not have to be present to win. Now get this part. Several other people and I traveled to the “nationals” with many ticket stubs belonging to other people. One and all those people had given these instructions to us. “If I win, then I want you to go up on the stage and auction the prizes to the highest bidder with all the money also going to Lucy.” That was the sentiment of all these “gun crazy louts and brutes.” R Doing The Good This was the prize, although we think Lucy is the real prize! A Sharps Model 1874 .45-70 rifle fitted with both Montana Vintage Arms’ target grade metallic sights and one of their telescopes went to the lucky winner. MOIST EYES A nd I want you to soak up this part too. When Jim Gier, president of Montana Vintage Arms took the microphone at the time of the raffle drawing, he informed us that 500 of those $50 tickets had been sold. That figures to $25,000 with every single penny of it going to the Waldeisen family. The cheer raised from the crowd was enormous and looking around I saw many grizzled looking middle aged and older shooting competitors with glistening eyes. Keep in mind too the BPCR crowd is a relatively small one compared to the numbers participating in other shooting sports. I don’t know the fellow who won the raffle, nor even where he came from. What I do know is that we “gun nuts, brutes and louts” as a group are honorable, decent 2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=25http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=25Taurus800SERIES Introducing the next evolution in semi-autos. The new Taurus® 800 Series matches an incredible rate of fire with the exclusive Taurus “Strike Two” trigger system for industry leading reliability that gives you a potentially life saving second chance at striking a faulty round. The extreme-duty, next generation handgun, created for Special Operations Personnel, incorporates only the highest quality materials, craftsmanship and manufacturing tolerance for remarkable accuracy and ruggedness. New features include unique take down levers for quick field stripping, a lanyard loop and an external hammer as requested by our valued customers. • External Hammer • Ambidextrous 3-Position Safety and Decocker • Picatinny Accessory Rail • Modular Grip Backstraps for a Custom Fit of Various Hand Sizes • Aggressive Checkered Grip • Black Tennifer Finish • Available in 9mm, .40 Caliber and .45 ACP. TaurusUSA.com FREE one-year NRA membership with the purchase of any new Taurus firearm.2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=26http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=26BETTERSHOOTING Dave Anderson The CZ Custom Shop can provide fiber optic front sights, shown here on a CZ SP-101. E valuating changes in sights can be a bit tricky. Sometimes any change will result in a temporary improvement. It’s a variation of the “Hawthorne Effect” recognized in production studies. In one experiment, researchers established a base line of production by a group of workers, then tried increasing light levels to improve visibility. Production increased at first, then returned to previous levels. Researchers speculated the increase in production was not necessarily a result of better lighting. One theory was any change makes people more conscious of what they are doing and hence more efficient, at least until they get used to the change and revert to previous habits. I’ve known competitors to make use of this phenomenon by making some minor change in equipment a week or two before a big match. A top action shooter, long since retired from competition, once told me this was an old trapshooters’ trick. He didn’t use the term Hawthorne Effect, his description was somewhat pithier. “It’s like getting a new girlfriend after being married for 10 or 15 years. You start paying attention to technique again.” Ricardo Fiber Optic Sight Magic No More Long Range urrently the emphasis is on short/medium range speed shooting. For such shots a big, bright, front sight is easy to pick up and easy to track while engaging multiple targets at high speed. The fiber optic rod is fitted in a metal (often square-edged) housing. For the rare precision shot the top edges of the housing can be used to refine the sight picture. I’ve seen a quite a few fiber optic rods broken in practice sessions and at matches, and toughness varies with the type of housing. An “open” housing lets the fiber rod gather more light but leaves it more susceptible to impact damage. Other housings recess the fiber rod to protect it from impact. TruGlo makes an interesting sight combining fiber optics and a tritium insert, the T.F.O. Brite Site. Dawson Precision, suppliers of many high quality shooting accessories, offers a fiber optic front sight popular with many competitive shooters. The current Brownell’s catalog lists fiber optic sights from TruGlo, SDM, Novak, HiViz, Marble, Brazos Custom, Williams and EGW. Midway USA also distributes a wide array of F/O sights. A sight for sore eyes? The Edge? C urrently I see many USPSA competitors using fiber optic front sights, at all levels from D-class to Grand Master. A key element of precision shooting is a sharp focus on the front sight. Many shooters think they are focusing on the front sight when in fact they are not. I can’t see through other peoples’ eyes, but judging from results on target I suspect their focus wanders from front sight to target, or out in no-mans-land somewhere in between. I know of shooters who tried fiber optic front sights and marveled about how their shooting improved. Then when scores returned to previous levels they would revert to a black post front sight, and miraculously scores would temporarily improve again. In such cases there’s nothing wrong with their eyes or the sights, just a need to improve concentration and focus. The best way to do that is by shooting groups (25 yards at least, 50 if possible) with the pistol held over a sandbag rest to take out gun movement. Hawthorne Effect aside, fiber optic sights definitely suit the needs of many shooters. Grand Master level shooters such as Mike Seeklander, Kay Miculek and Rob Leatham are currently using fiber optics on their iron-sighted match pistols. Shooters at this skill level don’t need any tricks to maintain front sight focus. Many (by no means all) of those I see using fiber optics are veteran competitors. In some cases these brighter sights may compensate for the gradual loss of focusing ability (both range and speed of focus) which often occurs in middle age. I think shooters who have had good vision all their lives are most 2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=27http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=272009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=28http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=28COPTALK Massad Ayoob Manual thumb safety, working like a 1911’s, is an option on service and compact M&Ps in all calibers. OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS &W revolvers had ruled U.S. police handgun sales until the sea-change to semiautos pistols began in earnest in the 1980s. S&W took a while to recognize polymer police pistols were here to stay, and they were not particularly quick to catch up. In 1993, S&W introduced Kevin Foley’s design, the Sigma. Some departments adopted it, but it never really caught on in LE, instead finding its niche as a low-price, entrylevel consumer pistol. A few years later, the company Americanized the Walther The Rise of the S&W MiliTaRy & Police S P99 into the SW99. A few cops liked them and still carry them today, but the SW99 didn’t really catch on, either. In-house, Joe Bergeron — a brilliant engineer who had begun his career in Gun Valley “down the road” at Colt’s — was put in charge of a design team tasked with creating an all-new S&W handgun for this market. The result was the first semiauto pistol in decades to bear a name instead of a model number. That name was a hallowed one in the halls of S&W: “Military & Police.” Ambi slidelock/slide release lever; integral light rail; tapered slide for easier holstering; extended tang; and ambi-safeties are available. www.smith-wesson.com Quick Acceptance est sample M&Ps started going out to writers and select police departments in 2005, and the pistols were in mainstream commerce by early 2006. The .40 S&W came first, followed in order by 9mm, .45 ACP and .357 SIG. Early on, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio adopted the M&P, in 9mm and .40 respectively, and Iowa State Patrol became the first state law enforcement agency to adopt the M&P, choosing the .40. Early brush fires were quickly extinguished. It became apparent from the beginning the ambidextrous slide stop lever was too small to function effectively as a slide release lever; Bergeron T and company acted quickly to rectify that. A few early feed problems, such as malfunctioning due to limp wristing, were cleared up with careful tweaks. In the few short years since, acceptance has grown greatly. Iowa State Patrol was followed by five other state police agencies in adopting the M&P. These include Colorado (.40 S&W), New Mexico (.357 SIG), New Hampshire (.45 ACP), and most recently, the North Carolina Highway Patrol (.357 SIG) and Washington State Patrol (.40), according to Ian O’Donnell of S&W’s law enforcement sales division. Major municipal police agencies have been adopting the Military & Police, as well. Detroit, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin recently announced adoption of the M&P in .40, in both cases for department-wide adoption. Tampa, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia have also adopted the .40 caliber Military & Police pistol as standard issue; ditto RaleighDurham, North Carolina. Hartford, Connecticut issues the M&P in .45. New Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis has indicated he wants all 13,000 or so CPD officers to carry the same uniform pistol, and if should come to pass, it’s a contract I’m sure S&W will go after with alacrity. At this writing, the NYPD is testing the M&P for possible approval as an optional 9mm for its estimated 35,000 officers, who also buy their own duty weapons from an approved list. disconnector, it’s an option on all M&Ps. According to S&W’s Ian O’Donnell, some 40-percent are going out the door in that configuration. I know of one state police agency and one city department that mandated this on their M&Ps because it had already saved their officers’ lives in earlier struggles for guns, when the embattled cop deliberately pressed the magazine button as he felt the attacker gaining control of his weapon. M&P round count equals Glocks in three of the four calibers offered, when comparing service size pistols. That’s 17+1 in 9mm, and 15+1 in .40 S&W and .357 SIG. It does come up short in .45 ACP, with 10+1 in the standard magazine M&P45 versus 13+1 in 2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=29http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=292009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=30http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=30TAFFINTESTS John Taffin THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE DOUBLESTAR’S .45 ACP 1911-A1 Taffin’s grandson, 16-year old Brian Panzella, shoots the DoubleStar .45 1911-A1 using the Iron Maiden. Future gun’riter? Factory loads from Black Hills, CCI, and Cor-Bon were used in testing the .45 ACP DoubleStar 1911. The DoubleStar 1911 comes in this zippered padded pistol bag and is loaded with features normally found on a high-end custom gun. QUALITY AND I n the old days when newspapers actually reported the news a well-known axiom was a dog biting a man was not news, however a man biting a dog was a different story. For something to be worthy of reporting it had to be unusual. Unusual things also happen in the firearms industry, things definitely worthy of being noticed. When a longtime manufacturer of rifles enters the handgun scene it certainly catches my attention very quickly. The company we are talking about is DoubleStar, long known for making quality government and law enforcement rifles, even to the point of being known as “The Black Rifle Specialists.” DoubleStar has specialized in M16/ AR15 platforms giving military and law enforcement officers the choice of semiauto, full-auto, or burst fire configurations, as well as M-4 sniper carbines producing 1/2" MOA groups at 100 yards. For the civilian population DoubleStar offers some of the best quality ARs in both .223 and 6.8 SPC. Now DoubleStar is offering a 1911 with the same qualities of workmanship, accuracy and reliability VALUE GALORE found in their line of ARs. Jack Starnes of DoubleStar, like most shooters, has a long time appreciation for the Colt 1911 and for the past four years he has been working toward offering a premium .45 ACP under the DoubleStar label. He says, “What we set out to do is produce a high quality 1911 that delivers match gun performance at a production price. We accomplished that and more.” Now that could just be hype but as old Gabby Hayes used to say, “No brag, just fact.” It’s not hype if it delivers and the DoubleStar 1911-A1 definitely delivers. Trial Run A question I am frequently asked is how do you break in a gun? My answer is always the same, just shoot it. I just don’t have the patience or the inclination to clean the barrel of a brand new gun, shoot a round, clean the barrel, shoot a round and all the rest. Maybe it’s necessary for someone trying to get the best possible accuracy in a 500 yard BPCR or a 1,000 yard long-range bolt action rifle, however I’ve never found it necessary for handguns, most of which already shoot better than I can. I take it out of the box, make sure it’s all there with no barrel obstruction, load it, and shoot. For the trial run of the DoubleStar .45 I loaded six rounds in the magazine, took a good solid rest on the Iron Maiden, my name for the heavy-duty pistol rest a good friend made for me, and watched a one ragged hole group form at 20 yards. You definitely gotta love it when a plan comes together! For my entire life, and long before that, shooters and engineers have argued the merits of forged versus castings for producing firearms. Bill Ruger turned casting into a high art, however before World War II Continued on page 95 The DoubleStar .45 ACP handled factory and reloaded jacketed ammunition as well as cast bullets well. The DoubleStar 1911 features a Greider trigger and Ed Brown Memory Grip Safety. These four Sierra Bullets, 185, 200, 230 JHPs and 230 FMJ, were loaded in Starline brass and used in testing. 30 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=31http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=312009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=32http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=3210-22® Hammer & Sear Pack - Adjustable or non Adjustable pretravel Hammer & Sear pack. Reduce your trigger pull to a smooth 2 3/4 lbs. with these EDM’d Carbon Steel heat treated parts. Price10-22 Accessories: 10-22® Titanium Ext. Auto Bolt Release.$16.95 10-22® A-2 or Titanium Extractor.$10.99 10-22® Grandmaster Action Kit.$198.81 10-22® Majestic Arms Barrel.$169.95 .$14.95 10-22® Weaver Style Scope Base Receiver Black or Silver ® 10-22 Weaver Style Scope Base Black or Silver Barrel/Receiver Mount.$45.25 10-22® Tuned Bolt (correct head space .043” to .044”). . $80.00 ® 10-22 Hogue OverMolded Stock.$80.00 10-22® Buffer.$10.99 10-22® Whistle Pig Octagon Barrel.$209.99 10-22® Whistle Pig Barrels.$169.99 10-22® H&S .$59.99 10-22® Petravel Adjustable H&S.$72.99 10-22® Titanium Firing Pin.$30.00 10-22® Titanium Ext. Mag. Release .$46.66 10-22® Titanium Trigger with Overtravel Adj. Screw.$53.34 10-22® Titanium Ext. Mag. Release .$53.58 Ruger Single Action Accessories Half Cock Hammer & Trigger Kit. Allows your trigger pull to be around 2 3/4 lbs for the New Model Large and Smaller Framed Vaqueros, Blackhawks, and Super Black Hawks. Makes the RSA feel more like a Colt Single Action. When on Halfcock, open the loading gate- chambers line up with the loading gate for easy of operation, spin the cylinder and hear the pawl sing. On Hammer draw you can hear and feel 3 positive clicks. Kit includes Wolff Spring kit and detailed instructions. Blued Kit. $159.95 S/S Kit. $179.95 Bisley Style Blue . $179.95 Bisley Style S/S. $199.95 Free Spin Pawl. $37.99 .22 Free Spin Pawl.$37.99 .32 Free Spin Pawl.$37.99 Oversize Cylinder Latch. $24.95 Wolff Spring Kit . $18.95 Oversize Cylinder Bushing. $34.95 Belt Mountain Base Pin. $21.95 Blued or S/S Sheriff’s Model Blued orS/S. $24.95 Ruger or Colt Single Action Screw Driver Kit.$34.50 Websites: www.powercustom.com, www.powercustom.net, www.redstararms.com, www.10-22power.com, www.ruger10-22.com, www.freespinpawl.com, www.ak47trigger.com, & www.ak-47trigger.com2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=33http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=33Custom Gunsmithing Services Custom Trigger Jobs for your Ruger 10-22® , Ruger Single Action, or AK-47’s. Quality, Dependable, and Excellence are what we strive for at GrandMasters L.L.C. D.B.A. Power Custom. Let us bring our craftsmanship home to you by customizing one of your Ruger 10/22®’s, Ruger Single Action Vaqueros, or AK-47’s. (This excludes 10-22® Magnum Rifles) Installation Charges for the 10-22®: (plus the price of the parts) Installation Charges on the Ruger Single Action: (plus the price of the parts) Thorough Cleaning . $30.00 Grandmaster Kit . $50.00 Hammer and Sear Adj. or Non Adj . $50.00 Titanium Ext. Auto Bolt Release. . $10.00 Install Bolt Buffer. $10.00 A-2 or Titanium Extractor . $20.00 Install Stock or Barrel . $25.00 Custom Paint Black or Silver. $150.00 Additional Colors add . $35.00 Return Shipping (Trigger Guard). $25.00 Return Shipping (Complete Rifle) . $35.00 Hammer & Trigger Kit. $100.00 Free Spin Pawl. $75.00 Oversized Cylinder Latch. $65.00 Wolff Spring Kit . $30.00 Oversize Cylinder Bushing. $50.00 Loading Gate Spring. $30.00 Belt Mountain Base Pin. $30.00 Engine Turned Hammer and Trigger . $150.00 Return Shipping . $35.00 Installation charges on AK-47 (plus the price of the parts) AK-47 Accessories Trigger .$75.00 Thorough Cleaning .$35.00 Install Retainer Plate .$10.00 Return Shipping.$35.00 Install Sight .$20.00 AK-47 Gas Piston.$19.99 AK-47 Aperture Peep Sight .$46.99 AK-47 Micro Click Sight.$69.99 AK-47 Trigger. $84.99 AK-47 Retainer Plate. $12.99 AK-47 Black Jack Buffer . $9.99 AK-47 Buffer Technologies Buffer . $14.95 Please call in advance prior to shipping your firearm. You can send your firearm with a note which includes your daytime & nighttime phone #, return address, e-mail address, & the alterations you desire. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks turn around time (time subject to change due to work load). Prices subject to change at anytime. GrandMasters L.L.C. D.B.A. Power Custom 29739 Hwy J Dept. C Gravois Mills , MO 65037 Ph# 1-573-372-5684 • Fax# 1-573-372-5799 • E-mail: email@powercustom.com -Dealers InquireManufacture of Tools, Fixtures, Accessories of Advanced Design for the Professional Gunsmith & Series Competitor. GrandMaster and Free Spin Pawl is a registered trademark of Power Custom. Registration # 1,179,035 & 2,464,742. Free Spin Pawl is patented by Power Custom, Patent #6,385,888. Ruger 1022 and Vaquero is a registered trademark of Sturm, Ruger and Company. Store Hours 9:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. CST. We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover Cards, Cashiers Checks, & Money Orders. (FOR THE DO-IT-YOURSELF-ER YOU CAN ORDER ALLYOUR ACCESSORIES ONLINE AT WWW.POWERCUSTOM.COM 24 HRS 7 DA YS A WEEK). Websites: www.powercustom.com, www.powercustom.net, www.redstararms.com, www.10-22power.com, www.ruger10-22.com, www.freespinpawl.com, www.ak47trigger.com, & www.ak-47trigger.com2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=34http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=34massad Ayoob Pistol versus rifle-Armed mAss murderer — At 70 YArds! the AndY Brown incident situation: An “active mass murderer” is killing people with an AK clone … you’re 70 yards away, with only a pistol … and you have the courage to interdict. Who is going to win the death duel? lessons: The winner will be the one who follows his training, who has the cool courage to protect the flock in the face of almost certain death, and who focuses on the tasks that must be performed to achieve the life-saving goal. As gunfights so often happen, it began as a day like any other day for Andrew Brown, a USAF Security Policeman at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington. It was June 20, 1994, and he had gone on duty at 1400 hours, or 2:00 PM Pacific Time. Andy was working bicycle patrol on base, carrying the standard sidearm the United States Air Force got before the rest of the armed services: the Beretta Model 92F, designated by the military as the M9 service pistol. It was loaded with standard issue NATO military ammunition, a 124 grain full metal jacket bullet at slightly greater than +P+ pressure. The Beretta M9 was not new to him. This particular specimen was, though. His usual duty gun had been tagged for “routine maintenance” and had gone into the armorers’ system. His issue gun this day was an identical M9, but one he had never fired before. He trusted the Beretta system to function, but was aware he had not sighted in this particular weapon now hanging at his side, and did not know where it would actually hit, point of aim vis-à-vis point of impact. He didn’t spend much time worrying about it. After all, he had never had to fire his weapon in the line of duty in the five years he had served as an SP. He had taken his responsibilities seriously, and had shot Expert nearly every time he had qualified with the M9. Unable to take the issue weapon home, he had bought the closest clone gun he could afford, the similar Taurus PT-92, to practice with. But there was no reason to believe he would need to make a precision shot with the newly issued M9 he had never fired. Not today … the situation Unknown to Brown or anyone else, a human cancer had been growing that was about to metastasize suddenly and violently. The malignant tumor was named Dean Mellberg. He was 20 years old. He had slipped in under the radar of USAF recruiting. Diagnosed as having mental problems in Basic and in USAF Tech School, he had for some reason not been discharged despite some serious problems with a roommate. Mellberg tended to watch TV in the dorm room while standing at attention, and at last, after masturbating in front of others, was diagnosed by psychologists at Fairchild as needing a discharge. Before he left, Mellberg had managed to access his medical records and expunge them, Brown would learn later. Continued on page 87 34 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=35http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=35Grip Gloves Ad Springfield 7/15/09 10:34 AM Page 1 “America’s Finest Handgun Grips” Slip-On Grips That Fit Like a Glove. NEW! Custom Shaped for Each Model Pachmayr A Lyman Brand ® Now Available for Springfield XD! Contoured Finger Grooves Ventilated Side Panels Flexible Ultra-Soft Rubber Technology TACTICAL Made to Fit Your Gun Call 800-423-9704 or www.pachmayr.com GRIP GLOVES TM Pachmayr has applied the technology of their Decelerator® material to the world of Slip-On Grips. Tactical Grip Gloves deliver unmatched recoil reduction and enhanced control. The material’s flexibility makes installation “a snap” – no trimming, tearing or hard work - just a perfect fit. The distinctive ventilated side panels and finger grooves offer a professional appearance and more instinctive gun orientation than “one-size-fits-most” band models. Welcome to the future of slip-on grips. Also Available for: S&W Sigma SIG P220, 226, 228, 229 CZ 75/85 Glock 17,20,21,22,31,34,35,37 Beretta: 96 FS/D/G, 92 FS/D/G/SB/F ® No More “One-Size-Fits-All” Lyman 475 Smith St., Middletown, CT 06457 Dept 3048 Who says fine art has to be unaffordable? tled-1 1 9/29/09 7:36:252009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=36http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=36J.D. Jones HANDGUNHUNTING TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICALINCORRECTNESS Those pesky soda can varmints didn’t live to tell the tale. And before anyone gets excited, Ben wore shooting glasses when shooting. BEN GOES E SHOOTING very day I look down at the grass instead of up at it is a good day. Some are better than others. I had a really good one a few weeks ago. My neighbor has a grandson, Benjaman, who is now 10 years old. About six years ago when visiting granddad they made wooden rifles and Ben did some highly entertaining playing. He has been just about everything in his imagination from a German Sniper to everything in the video games. His annual visits to the SSK shop and my collection always resulted in a pocketful of souvenirs in the way of empty cartridges, spent bullets and whatever else struck his fancy and wasn’t dangerous. This year he was full of questions about all the guns in the video games and got to see a lot of them. The Barrett .50 was a big hit, and I was particularly impressed with his questions about the various guns he recognized. His parents are not gun owners, nor are they anti-gun. I’m not a big proponent of trying to teach kids to shoot at too early an age as I see far too much of that with kids not ready for it either mentally or physically. Actual age has something to do with it, sure, but a mom or dad’s age and experience is just as important as the child’s. After a few days of Ben’s annual visit I felt he was ready for the experience he has looked forward to for several years.His Granddad agreed, and Ben lit up like a Christmas tree when asked if he would like to actually shoot a real gun. He thought it would be a .22. Ben and his grandpa show off a bit. Nice shooting Ben! A NAturAl W e proceeded to the Jefferson Sportsman range and set up with sandbags on the bench and targets set up 15 yards downrange. Standing behind the bench and leaning into it was a good fit to his height and allowed him to move around and get comfortable with a very steady rest. Then I put the silenced T/C Contender .45 ACP carbine equipped with an Eo Tech dot sight in front of him and went through the motions of explaining how the gun worked and how the sight worked. I would do the loading and cocking when he was lined up on the target. Ben listened and did exactly what he was told — no more, no less; proving his mental readiness. The gun sounds something like a cross between a BB gun and pellet gun. Ill-fitting ear protection wasn’t necessary or distracting and there was no problems with him misunderstanding me or his grandfather either. After a couple dry fire drills his first shot was an almost dead center shot. After 25 or so practices shots he put five in one hole. Target examinations were pretty exciting. Then the water jugs were put out at about 25 yards. The HV Cor Bon .45s blew them in a spectacular fashion. Full cans of pop were set endwise and simply vaporized at impact. Target damage “look-over” was really satisfying. Plastic lids from the water jugs were The Cor-Bon high performance gathered and set up edgewise to shooter and .45 loads from J.D. suppressed disposed of in short order with few misses. Contender made short work of the soda can enemies. A grapefruit-sized rock in the 110-yard berm was an outstanding target and I showed Ben how high to hold the dot over it with my hands. First shot skidded past it at two o’clock. Next shot and a lot of succeeding ones were hits with few misses. A bowling ballsized rock at 200 took about five shots for the first hit. We quit while it was still exciting and fun. ven target clean up was a lot of fun. No doubt Ben is hooked and his other grandpa has him enrolled in a shooting school for kids. Knowledge is safety for kids — and adults. Ben and his grandpa had a wonderful day — but I had more fun than anyone. I’m thinking … I have a .30 cal watercooled Browning tripod mounted MG needing the dust blown out of it. Ben is probably ready for that too. Take a kid shooting — a2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=37http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=372009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=38http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=38Real.44 Cowboy loads John Taffin The .44 Family: .44 American, .44 Colt, .44 Russian, .44-40, .44 Special and .44 Magnum. Taffin’s most used bullets for assembling .44 Real Cowboy Loads are Oregon Trails RNFP and SWC and the original 429421 Keith bullet. HANDLOADING SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURUS Unique, Power Pistol and Universal are excellent powders for Real Cowboy Loads in the Ruger or any .44 Magnum. T he last place to learn safe gun handling is at the movies or the TV screen and it’s a rare film that ever depicts recoil in any shape or fashion. Forty-four caliber sixguns and leverguns recoil. When cowboy action shooting started almost everyone used .45 and .44 sixguns with the same level loads used on the frontier. It wasn’t long before some discovered it was a lot easier to shoot fast first using .38 Specials, then light-loaded .38 Specials and now even .32s. At one time a minimum velocity of 650 fps was suggested for revolvers, however that idea did not go very far, even though real cowboy loads from the last quarter of the 19th century were at this level or above. Smith & Wesson introduced the first big-bore cartridgefiring sixgun in late 1869 with the .44 S&W American. All the .44s following close on its hells started life as black powder cartridges and any sixgun made prior to 1900 should only be used with black powder or black powder substitute loads. If one wants to really be part of the spirit of the old West black powder can still be used not only in the old guns but any of the currently produced sixguns as well. Army and it was soon available in several other revolvers. The “40” in .44-40 stands for 40 gr. of black powder. Modern .44-40 brass will not hold this much powder, however I have been fortunate to come up with some original balloon head brass which will. Loading a full 40 gr. of FFg black powder under an Oregon Trails 200 grain RNFP cast bullet gives a muzzle velocity of right at 1,000 fps in a 71/2" sixgun and right at 1,300 fps from a Winchester levergun. Using modern .44-40 brass, 35 gr. of black powder or black powder substitute will give from 850 to 1,000 fps from a 71/2" sixgun depending on the granulation used, with FFFg giving the highest muzzle velocity. I load up thousands of .44-40 loads every year using Oregon Trails 200 gr. RNFP bullet. My lightest loads use 5.5 gr. of Red Dot or 5.0 gr. of Bullseye for about 775 fps, and 5.5 gr. of Nitro-100 or 6.0 gr. of TiteGroup increases the muzzle velocity to around 825 fps. My most used load is the same as I use for .45 Colt and .38-40, namely 8.0 gr. of Unique for right at 900 fps. .44 Special: When the .44 Special was introduced in late 1907, even though the brass was longer than the .44 Russian and the Triple-Lock sixgun was certainly stronger than the S&W TopBreaks, for some strange reason it was Some realist loads .44 Colt: Colt was caught flatfooted when Smith & Wesson brought out the .44 American and while they were waiting for the legal time when they could produce sixguns bored through cylinders they did the next best thing which was convert already in use 1860 Army percussion revolvers to fire a new cartridge, the .44 Colt. Originally the .44 Colt used the same style heeled bullet as the .44 S&W American, however currently produced replicas have been modernized to accept standard .44 bullets loaded in .44 Colt brass now made by Starline. Lengthwise the .44 Colt is in between the .44 Russian and .44 Special and uses the same bullets both these cartridges do. Reproductions patterned after the 1860 Army percussion revolver do not have a top strap so one should be very careful as to what loads are used. To duplicate the original I use 25 gr. of FFg under a 200 gr. cast bullet for around 775 fps. Switching to smokeless powder and the same bullet, 4.0 gr. of Red Dot or WW231 is a very pleasant shooting 660 fps while 4.0 gr. of TiteGroup gets us up to 700 fps. .44 Russian: The Russians liked the S&W Model #3 American but they did not like2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=39http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=39Shotshell Hunting Line The Fiocchi Tundra Tungsten compound is the breakthrough innovation in waterfowl hunting. Deforms like Lead, can be used with ALL chokes AND is non toxic. Available in 9.5 g./cc (superior weight to Bismuth) and 12.5 g./cc (superior weight to lead). For the Fiocchi dealer near you, Call 417.449.1043 / visit www.fiocchiusa.com2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=40http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=40PISTOLSMITHING Alex Hamilton Hi-Power he Browning High Power is the number two pistol I see most often in my gunsmith shop, second only to the 1911. Smith and Wesson revolvers are at the top of the general “most seen” stack, with Ruger single actions running a tight tie. Right now I would like to talk about something new for the most well designed pistol of all time — the Browning High Power. Quality parts for the Browning HP have always been in short supply and only available from a couple of vendors. Most aftermarket parts have been marginal at best and are in need of considerable improvement, but none have been forthcoming, until now. The great American pistolsmith, Jim Garthwaite, in Watsontown, Penn. has come up with some high quality High Power parts and tools that will make all others obsolete — or surely a distant second. Jim Garthwaite, one of the finest men I have ever known and a gunsmith second to none, has emerged as a Browning High Power aficionado. He and Sue, Jim’s wife of 30 years, and I get together about once a year, usually at the Shot Show to “shoot the bull” about guns in general and the Browning High Power specifically. Our discussion usually ends up talking about the poor quality of custom after-market parts with which we must deal and how much extra work they create. Jim is one of those guys who takes a look at something and says “I can do it better” and sets himself to doing just that. That was the case two or three years ago in Las Vegas. This year in Orlando Jim showed up with his brand new, shiny High Power hammer, trigger and armorer’s tool kit. They are all superb and what we Browning guys have been wanting/ begging for many years! A High Power with Jim’s hammer and trigger installed. You can see the slightly straighter trigger to make shooting more comfortable and efficient. THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES Goodies T im’s beautifully designed hammer is EDM/CNC machined from S7 tool steel and heat treated to a Rockwell “C” scale hardness of 48 to 52. No rough, warped, cheap castings for Jim Garthwaite. He accepts nothing but the best. The hammer spur is small and designed to eliminate or at least cut down on hammer bite for which the High Power is famous. This beautifully engineered hammer sells for $69.95 and may be purchased directly from Jim. A word about Rockwell hardness here for those of you who are not familiar with that old industry standard. The hardness number is a relative number based on the maximum known hardness of a diamond with a hardness of 92C. The “C” stands for the hardness as shown on the “C” scale. The other scale is the “B” or Brinell scale which is used to determine the hardness of materials softer than heat-treated tool steel such as brass, aluminum and other softer materials. The firearms industry deals mostly with tool steels, heat-treated to a hardness of from 38C to 42C, but high quality high stress parts such as hammers and sears are treated to hardness of 42C up to 52C. For your general information a Nickelson file is treated to a hardness of 65C, an old Colt match slide or new Kimber slide clocks in around 42C and a match pistol barrel will register around 38C. Proper heat treatment is what cheap firearms lack and is the subject of many thick Above: Jim’s Browning books. This is a tiny peek into that basic industrial standard. High Power gunsmith tool kit has been a long-awaited addition to gunsmith’s toolkits. hammer hardness J Trigger happy J You can easily see how Jim’s trigger is straighter when compared to a factory model. im’s wide trigger is also a beautifully machined piece cut from solid 4140 tool steel. It has a straight extension, which better accommodates a small or gloved hand. Another advantage of a straighter trigger lever is the finger pressure point is better centered or slightly lower than center for better leverage. Sharply curved triggers force the shooters finger down on the trigger so you are pushing down and well as back on the p2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=41http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=41What’s in a name? History. John Taliaferro Thompson founded the Auto-Ordnance Corporation in 1916 with John Blish and Thomas Fortune Ryan to design and develop a hand held machine gun. The product of this collaboration was the world famous “Tommy Gun.” Since its inception, the “Tommy Gun” has become an American icon. Carried by G-men and colorful characters like Al Capone and John Dillinger in the 1920’s and 30’s and trusted by our soldiers in WWII. The Thompson was the coveted weapon among specialized troops such as Rangers, Marine Raiders, armored and parachute units. The “Tommy Gun” went on to see service in Korea and Vietnam. At Auto-Ordnance we take great pride in continuing General Thompson’s legacy by producing finely crafted semi-automatic versions of the historic Thompson submachine gun. Put a piece of history in your hands. Own a Thompson! ® Courtesy The National WWII Museum www.nationalww2museum.org Made with Pride in the U.S.A. ® KAHR ARMS: 130 Goddard Memorial Drive, Worcester, MA 01603 Sales Support & Service: 508-795-3919 Websites: www.tommygun.com / www.tommygunshop.com2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=42http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=42CARRYOPTIONS Sammy Reese Ro y Hu nti ng ton FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS The Guide’s Choice from Diamond D Leather can be had to fit just about any field handgun. Quality is absolutely top-notch and they proved to be comfortable to wear in the field. Definitely my favorite field holsters! ince Sammy is out goofing off on the company’s dime this month, I get column duties. Consider me a guest columnist then, and remind Connor this is what actual work looks like. I was at the great Tulsa Gun Show some time ago and spotted some absolutely top quality leather gear on a table. Mixed in were several “chest” rigs that really caught my eye. Since moving to the Great Mid-West, I’ve had a need for a good quality, practical chest holster for a big bore handgun. We’ve seen some feral dogs on our property a couple of times and there are wild boar creeping into the area (“Shoot on sight!” says Missouri Fish and Game). Plus, being in the country, although the odds are remote, there are still miscreants around. So these obviously well-designed rigs really got my attention. I introduced myself to the maker, David Johnston, who hails from Chugiak, Alaska. He and his clients actually need rigs like this for bear country, and his “Guide’s Choice” model is the final result of his efforts. “This stuff gets tested in the real world all the time,” said Dave, “and we get solid feed-back from users. We’ve listened, and what you see here is the result of literally years of use in the field by hunters, guides and outdoorsmen all over. The toughest testing ground is the Alaskan wilderness, and the Guide’s Choice is just that, what they choose themselves.” And I believe it. S A Guide’s Choice My Back yard D ave sent me two rigs, one for a 4" N-frame S&W and one for a full-sized 5" 1911. I have a very nifty Model 25 S&W in .45 Colt I often carry on the tractor, and when working on the ATV. I generally keep three CCI Blazer shot cartridges up-front, followed by three standard loads. We have some field rats and other creatures needing managed at times, and the shot loads are handy. I’ve found in the past a .38 shot load often simply doesn’t have the moxy to stop what needs stopping around here, but those .45 Colt loads knock ‘em dead. A Les Baer lightweight frame 5" 1911 is also at hand, both as a nice change, and in case I’m more inter- ested in personal protection than varmint eradication. The CCI .45 ACP shot rounds will shoot one from the chamber but most usually won’t cycle the action, so the .45 Colt is generally the working gun. The two Guide’s Choice rigs turned out to be everything Dave promised, and more. He equipped both with spare ammo holders too. The N-frame rig gets cartridge loops and the auto rig gets a mag pouch. Both are options and cost a bit extra, so make sure you order them too if needed. Dave said he can make these for just about any gun, and they start at $155 and that’s a screaming deal if you ask me. If the barrel length is longer than 7" call Dave for a quote. let go with a couple of big .45s into the ground nearby to get their attention and invite them to leave. Call me firstperson on this if you will, but I’ll bet you all know exactly what I’m talking about. Steal my truck? Not here and not today, thank you very much, and you may go now — now. The Guide’s Choice is easily adjustable and you can get it to hang pretty much however fits you best. The leather and workmanship are absolutely topnotch and they even smell the way leather ought too. I’m looking forward to seeing these get a nice patina from wear over the years. Thanks Dave, you deserve a HandYou can see how handily the rig fits, getting the weight off your hip and putting your field handgun easily within reach to ward off any errant evils you meet on the trail — or in the back 40. A very practical design from Diamond D. haven’t had them very long yet, but so far they’ve both been very comfortable, even when bouncing along on the ATV. On the tractor, the 2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=43http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=43Experience Counts. Issue 1 • January 1955 Issue 649 • January 2010 GUNS Magazine Celebrates 55 Years Early retirement — not an option Get One Full Year (12 issues) GUNS has been a part of young, budding shooters’ lives for 55 years. Through the years, GUNS Magazine has remained the“go-to”shooting sports publication for first-timers as well as seasoned gun enthusiasts. That’s not about to change. A team of writers that includes Dave Anderson, Clint Smith, John Taffin and Mike Venturino make sure the new content in each issue appeals to all ages and skill levels. They’ve spent a lifetime moving from grip to trigger, to bring you maximum enjoyment every month. Hopefully you’ll enjoy time with your favorite writers for a long time to come too. The year ahead will include features you’ve been waiting for. Subscribe today so you won’t miss an issue. FREE 2009 Digital Edition CD with your paid order BONUS! ONLY $24.95 Call toll-free (888) 732-2299 M-F 8am-3pm PST ($64.95 outside U.S.) Visit: www.gunsmagazine.com P.O. Box 509094, San Diego, CA 921502009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=44http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=44WINNINGEDGE Dave Anderson The Galco Miami Classic. SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION Bianchi Pocket Change Pocket Softy from Mitch Rosen. ’m not as prepared for emergencies as I should be, and there was a time I wanted to be ready for anything. Not just defense against lethal attacks, but situations such as a heart attack, anaphylactic shock, high-rise office fires, legal and medical questions, people needing directions, kids with skinned knees — everything. It just got to be too much trouble. I’d be going to the mall to browse the magazine racks and I’d have to kit up with three guns, four flashlights, five knives, defibrillator, epi pen, rope, carabiners, medicinal brandy, Black’s Legal Directory, Physician’s Desk Reference, city and state maps, matches, bandages, fighting boots — I was always forgetting something. Now I just stay home and read magazines online. If I must leave the fortress, I mean condo, to walk 50 yards to the mailbox I live dangerously by wearing just one knife and one gun, usually an S&W J-frame. How do I carry the revolver? Most often in a pants pocket, but I do use a holster. Otherwise I end up with lint in the gun barrel and holes in the pocket. A good pocket holster makes carry more comfortable, protects gun and clothes, flattens the gun’s profile to make it virtually undetectable, keeps it in position, and remains behind when the gun is drawn. At the moment I have two (for those two-gun days). i PocKeT PiSTol PRePaReDneSS The Serpa belt holster by BLACKHAWK! ’m ambivalent about shoulder holsters. There is a flavor of movie/ TV imitation about them, a James Bond, Sonny Crockett, unserious, game-playing, macho man posturing. All good things, of course, but there are disadvantages as well. They can be hot and constricting, and with snubbies it seems odd to have a holster heavier than the gun it carries. They make sense in some circumstances. Wearing evening dress, for example (which I never do) or while wearing a parka (which, in North Dakota, I do half the year). I have sev44 I Shoulder Silliness ne holster, by Bianchi, is made of some tough synthetic with a pebble-grain surface to keep it in place. It works like a charm and is well made, durable, and moderately priced. The Mitch Rosen Pocket Softy, on the other hand, is a work of art. It’s beautifully made of leather, with a suede outer surface to help keep it in place and a tab on top to catch the pocket as the gun is being drawn. Quality of work and materials is unsurpassed. It makes you want to take the holster out and show people, “Hey, you want to see the most beautiful pocket holster ever made?” Kind of defeats the purpose. Another Mitch Rosen masterpiece, which conceals well under just a shirt, is the Workma holster. The shirt tucks between the holster and the snap which secures it to the belt. To access the gun just yank up the shirt with one hand and draw with the other. I especially like it in warm weather and for carrying steel-frame snubbies. I like Airweights for pocket carry, though. I often carry a J-frame while big game hunting, the reason being it’s something I like to do. I have a Safariland paddle holster which is well made, secure and very comfortable. Another favorite is a SERPA belt holster by BLACKHAWK! I particularly like the integral trigger-guard lock of the SERPA. I don’t have to worry about backtracking across the prairie to find a lost gun. sitting in a car, when it is pretty handy. Among the FMG crew I notice Roy, Sammy and Mas speak highly of ankle holsters. Since those three have a combined total of about a century of law enforcement and gun-toting experience, their opinions carry a lot of weight with me. Someday I’ll give them a fair try. Handy Pals o eral by Bianchi, Galco and Safariland; all very well made products. I even have a couple of two-gun shoulder holsters. Why carry two revolvers holding a total of ten or twelve rounds when a single Glock 19 weighs less and holds 16 rounds? Well, if I go in2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=45http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=45New from North American Arms, Inc. ® The NAA PUG! The name “PUG” may have derived from the Latin Pugnus, meaning Fist. With this in mind, the NAA PUG can be characterized as multum in parvo (“much in little”) in reference to the small and convenient size. Squat and sturdy like its namesake dog, The NAA PUG is chambered in 22 Magnum and sports a 1” heavy barrel. You can count on this stocky companion to deliver a bite even worse than his bark. Slightly oversized pebble-textured rubber grips enable the handler to keep a firm “leash” on this pocket-sized puppy. The XS sighting system provides a quick sight picture and will enable the handler to direct the bite. The pedigree is pure North American Arms. North American Arms 2150 S. 950 E., Provo, UT 84606-6285 1.800.821.5783 www.NorthAmericanArms.com Specifications: Weight: 6.4 oz. Barrel Length: 1”• Overall Length: 4 1/2” Overall Height: 2 3/4”• Overall Width: 7/8” Model Number: NAA-PUG-T (Tritium) NAA-PUG-D (White-Dot) MSRP $319 $299 Convenient. Reliable. Effective!2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=46http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=46THE SIXGUNNER June 12, 1957 Roy Huntington, Editor American Handgunner Magazine John Taffin Dear Roy: W ell, the new .44 Magnum is now arriving regularly at local dealers both in the original S&W .44 Magnum and the Ruger Blackhawk. T hanks to my teenage grandson I purchased my first .44 Magnum last summer. He came running in one day all excited about the new sixgun he had just fired down at Shell’s Gun Shop. Shell has a large shooting range on the property and instead of selling that first .44 he rented it out. My grandson and his three friends all took their turn firing six shots through a 4" Smith & Wesson. “Grandpa it was really awful! My hand still hurts. But all the guys said it wasn’t bad so I just went along with them. Grandpa it wasn’t bad; it was terrible!” ow I’ve been around a lot longer than my grandson and figured even at my “advanced” age I could certainly handle one of the new .44 Magnums. Guess what? I got the same feeling my grandson did when I touched off that first round. Oh, I did fire the whole cylinderful, but instead of buying a S&W .44 Magnum I thought I would be more clever and go with the Ruger Blackhawk. That turned out to be a not very smart decision. Everyone knows the Colt SAA grip frame which Bill Ruger duplicated on his Single-Six and .357 Blackhawk is known for easily handling recoil. Maybe so, but when coupled with the .44 Magnum load that original theory flies out the door. Oh, the Blackhawk .44 doesn’t slam into the palm of the hand like the S&W .44 — it’s much worse. When I touched that first round off the Blackhawk grip frame rolled in my hand and didn’t stop until the hammer spur dug into the area of the back of my hand between the thumb and trigger finger. I’ve drawn a lot of blood in my day shooting sixguns at critters, but this was the first time I ever drew my own. You can bet I did not tell my grandson what happened! Roy, I first knew of the arrival of the S&W .44 Magnum back in December of 1955. Smith & Wesson had called Elmer Keith to tell him his dream had come true and he immediately called me. We have been friends now for 30 years going all the way back to the time he actually started working with the .44 Special and I was so happy for him. Others may claim they were responsible for the .44 Magnum, however, Elmer did not invent it but he certainly is the number one man in urging its development. He got even more than he had N P “ P Charlie Askins, always the old rascal, took him to task and asked if he wore lace panties! We can always count on Charlie to stir the pot. asked for. I have shot his heavy .44 Special loads in both his Colt SAAs and S&W double action sixguns as well as mine and believe me there is no comparison as to recoil. It would be good to back up here and look at the real story of the .44 Magnum as told to me by Elmer. By 1950, the .44 Special chambered in a S&W sixgun reached its climax with the superb 1950 Target Model. Since 1907 S&W, and later Colt, provided the .44 Special sixguns but it remained for men like the members of the .44 Associates to bring out the best of the .44 Special cartridge. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Associate members, most notably Elmer Keith, called for a “Real .44 Special” load. He especially called for a “.44 Special Magnum” with a 250 grain hard cast bullet at 1,200 feet per second. His pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. Ammunition companies were afraid of heavy-loaded .44 Specials taking old sixguns apart. He then asked for a new cartridge 1/10" longer than the .44 Special to preclude its being used in any old sixguns, and also a new sixgun chambered for the new cartridge. Again, the plea was ignored. Unbeknownst to him S&W started to listen in the 1950s. Working in tandem with Remington, who would supply the new .44 Magnum ammunition, S&W engineers went to work on the new sixgun. In 1954, Remington gave S&W the dimensions of a new cartridge that was 1/8" longer than the .44 Special. Smith & Wesson ” 46 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=47http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=47then chambered four specially heat treated 1950 Target .44 Special sixguns for the new “.44 Magnum.” The guns performed well but at the 39-ounce weight of the 1950 Target, recoil was brutal. Elmer had asked for a new .44 with a 250 grain bullet at 1,200 fps, and his .44 Special load generates heavy recoil in the Model 1950 Target .44 Special. Remington delivered a 240 grain bullet at 1,500 fps which was originally fired in the same 39 ounce Model 1950 Target. After my first experience with the .44 Magnum load in a 4" S&W .44 Magnum I don’t want to even contemplate that! Weight had to be added, so the cylinder was lengthened to fill in the cylinder window and the 61/2" slim barrel was changed to a heavy weight full bull barrel style as found on the 1955 Target .45 ACP, resulting in a weight of 48 ounces. The new sixgun, as the .357 Magnum introduced back in 1935, is simply and fittingly named by its chambering and called “The .44 Magnum.” Elmer thought he had received the first .44 Magnum from S&W, as well he should have, but the first one went to Remington, the second went to Major Hatcher at the NRA and he got the third one. He told me he was not happy with the first loads, as the bullet was too soft which affected accuracy and raised pressures significantly. He quickly developed a standard loading for the new .44 Magnum consisting of the same 250 hard cast bullet he used in his .44 Special loads and 22.0 grains of #2400. This loading is over 1,400 feet per second and Keith has written of his experiences and it will be out in The Gun Digest later this summer. Elmer told me he urged Smith & Wesson to also bring forth the .44 Magnum with a 4" barrel for defensive and peace officer. While waiting for this, he had a .44 Magnum cut to 41/2" and engraved and ivory stocked by the Gun Re-Blue Company. He prefers the steer head carved ivory grip as it fills in his hand perfectly and helps control recoil. As mentioned, Major Hatcher of the NRA Staff received the second .44 Magnum S&W and told me in no uncertain terms about its recoil: “In shooting the .44 Magnum, we found it advisable to use gloves, as the recoil can only be described as severe. Without gloves, the checkering hurts the hand, and the sharp edges of the cylinder latch are almost certain to shave off bits of skin. After firing many heavy handloads in the .44 Special, we expected heavy recoil with this ultra-powerful new cartridge. At the first shot the gun rose up a bit, and the first reaction was that it was not as bad as we had expected. Just about this time, however, we suddenly experienced a sharp stinging sensation over the entire hand, as though we were hitting a fast baseball with a cracked bat. I fired quite a few shots with this gun, but I must honestly confess it is not an unmixed pleasure.” Charlie Askins, always the old rascal, took him to task and asked if he wore lace panties! We can always count on Charlie to stir the pot. Elmer wrote to me about Hatcher’s remarks and took the opposite side of the debate: “The big gun is, I would say, pleasant to shoot, as it does not jar the hand as much as do my heavy .44 Special loads from the much lighter 4" barreled .44 Special S&W guns. It’s definitely not a ladies gun but I have known women who would enjoy shooting it. The recoil has not bothered me in the slightest, nor have several old sixgun men Continued on page 83 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 472009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=48http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=48Whether Inglis or FN made, the World War II era Browning P35s can have these two types of front sight. At left is dovetailed one on an Inglis and at right is a staked one on an FN. ANOTHER TAKE P35 BROWNING 9mm This is another photo of Duke’s FN made Browning P35 9mm shown with facsimile of German issue holster. ON THE 48 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=49http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=49When the Germans invaded Belgium in 1940 they told the FN factory to keep right on making guns including the Browning designed P35 9mm. Then they issued them to the Wehrmacht. mIKE “DuKE” VENTuRINO PHOTOs: YVONNE VENTuRINO hen his magnificence, our beloved editorship, wrote a piece recently in Handgunner about the Browning Hi-Power (“Hi-Power Perfection,” March/April 2009) I read it avidly because at that time my very first P35 (aka Hi-Power) was in transit to me. I prefer the name P35 because Hi-Power sounds like some advertising weenie’s hype. But as usual for me I was walking my own path. Instead of wanting a modern, custom one with lots of doodads my P35 was historical. And never doubt the Browning Hi-Power, P35 or whatever you chose to call it is a very historical handgun. In fact, to the best of my knowledge the Browning P35 was the only handgun in World War II issued to both sides. We’ll get to a few details of how that came about shortly. Back to my P35s. I put that in plural tense now because in my usual fashion I didn’t just stick my toe in the water. That means after the first P35 arrived and I shot it a little I hot-footed it back to the Internet firearms auction sites and gun shows so I now have WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM Duke’s FN made Browning P35 9mm fired this group at 50 feet from a standing, two-handed position. He has since drifted the rear sight to the right so it hits to point of aim. W three historical P35 9mms. More on them shortly too. As with most of the firearms John Browning designed in the latter half of his amazing career, the P35 was intended for military application. In those days when “real money” was to be made in firearms it came from military contracts. Hence the P35 was envisioned as a full size holster type pistol with 4.875" barrel chambered for, arguably, the most used military handgun cartridge ever — the 9mm Parabellum. Also, at a time when most military handguns chambered from six to eight rounds the P35 Duke’s Chinese contract Inglis/Browning P35 hits point of aim at 50 feet from standing two-handed position. The Inglis/Browning P35s made for the Canadian contract had this distinctive hump at the rear of the slide for the rear sight. 492009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=50http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=50Duke’s Browning P35 9mms. From left Inglis/ Browning made for the Canadian contract, Inglis/Browning made for the Chinese contract and FN/Browning made for the Germans. This is Duke Inglis/Browning P35 made for the Canadian contract with original Canadian issue holster. The Inglis/Browning P35s made for the Chinese contract had tangent type rear sights graduated all the way to 500 meters. For a 9mm with 115 gr. bullet? Ridiculous! had the amazing magazine capacity of 13. And indeed, the Browning P35 may have been issued to more military organizations in its history than any other handgun design. I don’t know them all but they ranged around the planet from China to Germany to England to Canada. Again without actually knowing I’d bet some are being carried in Iraq or Afghanistan right now. IT DOEs sTEADY YOu uP A BIT BuT I cAN’T “ sAY IT mAKEs A TAcKDRIVER OuT Of A PIsTOl. THE ‘cOOl’ fAcTOR Is REAllY HIGH, THOuGH.” History Mysteries Also something not clear is whether John Browning actually put the finishing touches on his last handgun design. I say that because he died in 1926 but as the P35 moniker indicates, the Fabrique Nationale factory in Belgium didn’t get the pistol into production for another nine years. Here’s an interesting fact gleaned from a small booklet titled The Inglis Browning Hi-Power Pistol by R. Blake Stevens: Browning was actually designing this new pistol at the behest of the French Government. Since the French have never been known for their fine military firearms having John Browning design them a 9mm pistol seems an amazingly farsighted move. But they regressed anyway and adopted their Model 1935A, which was chambered for the odd little 7.65mm French Long cartridge. Such was the very first handgun I ever owned. Someone gave one to my father who felt safe passing it on to a 12-year-old because ammunition was totally unavailable at that time. Anyway, the FN plant had only made P35s for five years when the Nazi steamroller passed over Belgium. They told FN to keep right on making firearms, which were then issued to their own forces. Therefore, P35s became a “substitute standard” for the Wehrmacht. Nowhere have I been able to pin down how many P35s were made by FN between 1940 and 1944 when the Allies shoved the Nazis back out of Belgium. It must have been a considerable number. Across the Atlantic in Canada there 50 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=51http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=51Duke has been firing these loads through his P35 9mms. From left: NATO 115 gr. FMJ military surplus, 120 gr. cast roundnose from Lyman mould #356242 and loaded round, 125 gr. cast roundnose from Oregon Trail and loaded round, and Hornady 115 gr. FMJ with loaded round. All Duke’s handloads, cast or jacketed, are loaded with 4.4 grains of Hodgdon’s HP38. existed a manufacturing firm named John Inglis Company, Ltd. With the war going they were already involved in making full auto BREN guns for England and Canada. They were approached about also making Browning P35s for the Canadian, Chinese and British Governments. This was not done “under license.” According to Blake’s above mentioned booklet the Inglis Company obtained six FN samples from China and (using modern terminology) they reverse engineered their own brand of Browning P35s. Also according to that booklet these P35s were made to have parts interchangeability with the FN P35s except that screws were made with American threads instead of metric types. The Inglis Company was a fairly slow starter. They didn’t begin production of P35s until February 1944 and wound it up in September 1945. In that time they produced about 151,000 pistols. Duke’s Chinese contract Inglis/ Browning P35 with the wooden holster/shoulder stock attached. Two Kinds The Inglis factory in Canada was also making Browningdesigned P35s during World War II. This one was made as part of the Chinese contract complete with wooden holster doubling as a shoulder stock. At this stage in its development there were two basic forms of Browning P35 being made by both factories. One had a tangent type rear sight graduated to the ridiculously optimistic distance of 500 meters. Remember, this is for a handgun chambered for 9mm with a 115-grain bullet. Those uniformly had a slot in the pistol’s backstrap for a wooden shoulder stock doing double duty as a holster. Also because that tangent sight couldn’t be moved for windage, the front sight used with them was dovetailed to the front of the slide. At least it is with the Inglis version. I’ve not seen an FN tangent sighted model in person but photos of them appear to have a dovetailed front sight. The other form of P35 had a normal fixed sight dovetailed at rear of the slide and they were sighted for a much more realistic 50 meters. On my Nazi marked, FN made P-35 the front sight is simply staked to the slide as was done with Colt Model 1911s. However, the Inglis P35 with normal rear sight differs a bit. On those there is a distinctive appearing “hump” at the rear of the slide into which the rear sight blade is dovetailed. And too, Inglis retained the dovetailed front sight on this version. According to what I’ve read, the Chinese contracts had both types of Inglis P35s, while the British and Canadian Continued on page 82 These are the markings on the side of Duke’s FN/Browning P35 as issued to the German Wehrmacht. These are the markings on the side of Duke’s Chinese contract Inglis/ Browning P35. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 512009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=52http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=52Hollywood 60-Shot Colts ike most Baby Boomers, I acquired my first understanding of handgun ballistics from watching television in the 1950s and 60s, the same place I learned about foreign languages and physics. How sad kids today are apparently unaware that skunks speak French, or that a cast-iron frying pan is handy for reshaping heads. The first thing the TV taught me about handguns is a Colt single-action Proof John had revolver isn’t very powerful. This was “the affliction” demonstrated both during the act of bad. Note the firing, and by the results. Apparently carefully applied cowboy-era bullets had a hard time mustache and suitably soulful making it out of the barrel, because cowboy eyes. all the really good shootists flung their Colts forcefully toward the target as they pulled the trigger, to help speed the bullets on their way. This evidence was supported by the fact no bad guys (black cowboy hats with bandanas tied across their faces) ever developed a bullet hole, even when shot across a poker table. Instead they just jerked slightly, as if tapped by an invisible frying pan, then placed their hands over their chests and died. Note one of the earliest examples of gangsta’ gun holding. Here, a revoluThese two pieces of evitionary war hero blasts a bad guy using dence were corroborated by a side-ways hold we’re all familiar with saloon gunfights. Shortly today. And we thought we invented it? Ha! after the fight started, somebody would turn a poker table on its side and hide behind it, occasionally poking their eyes and sixgun over the top to shoot. Meanwhile the other guys would shoot at the table, but their bullets wouldn’t penetrate the wood. Apparently saloon-keepers bought really good poker tables in those days, but cheaped-out on chairs, since the chairs broke into kindling when bashed over a black cowboy hat. l Experience John’s wife was not amused when he up-turned the dining room table. “But Roy said to do it.” I wonder if he found out if it was bullet proof? As I grew more sophisticated, say around age eight, I noticed this ballistic law was reversed when shooting through the back of the table. This happened occasionally when somebody seated at a poker table shot upward through the table. These bullets always blew on through, even when shot from a derringer, with plenty of power left to kill a bad guy. Maybe in those days a special varnish was applied to poker tables, that could only be penetrated from the back side. Things changed along about the late 1960s, a time of social and Hollywood upheaval. First, bullets started making holes in people, and not just in bad guys — partly because bad guys quit wearing black hats, so they weren’t quite so easily identified. Also, revolvers apparently became more powerful. Instead of the shooter having to push the muzzle forward during firing, revolvers started jerking backwards at the shot. This tendency grew until Dirty Harry’s shooting hand went flying backwards as if he’d just touched a hot frying pan. In addition to acquiring bullet holes — and actually bleeding sometimes — the victims of these newlyempowered revolvers often went flying as well, sometimes over vehicles and sometimes through walls. After all, as Harry stated, the .44 Magnum was the world’s most powerful handgun. Eventually, of course, technology marched on and firepower overtook sheer power. There had always been some tendency in this direction even in cowboy days, when 6-shooters often shot 60 times without reloading. But after Hollywood discovered the highcapacity autoloader lead really flew. Apparently shooting so much faster resulted in a tendency for the handgun to torque in the shooter’s hand. This was compensated for by holding the gun sideways. A little-known fact, at least in America where knowledge of Down-Under movies is limited to Breaker Morant and Crocodile Dundee, is that Australian-screen gangbangers have to hold their autos tilted the other way to compensate for the Coriolis effect i2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=53http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=53Ballistics And Ray Guns because they send off a spray of sparks I figured out how New York Giants every time they hit something other wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot than a bad/good guy. This can be a car himself in the leg in a New York body, a crate in a customs warehouse, nightclub. Agent J (Will Smith) often or a swimming pool. Only rarely, sticks his ray-gun in the waistband of however, do these sparks set anything his pants, just like Plaxico did with on fire, probably because they were his .40. You’d think a movie star designed by personal-injury lawyers, or would know better, especially after perhaps a Democratic sub-committee. his senior partner Agent K (Tommy Sparking bullets would seem to Lee Jones) has already warned one be a great aid to shooting. In the old space alien: “I’m gonna shoot you days a bullet didn’t even leave a mark, where it don’t grow back .” either on a bad guy or a poker table, In Men In Black recoil becomes so there was no way for the shooter to even more violent than in Dirty correct his hold. As that noted Amer- Harry, proving the basic principles of ican handgunner Elmer Keith once physics can be taught without frying noted, “To hit is history, to miss is pans. Like all young guys Agent J mystery.” But a good guy whanging wants a really big gun, but instead away with spark-bullets at a Russian Agent K issues him the “Noisy drug smuggler or Islamic terrorist Cricket,” about the size of a needleshould be able to see how he’s missing, and Something must be work things out. wrong with today’s guns. The Lone Ranger’s However, skill with held upward of 60 shots, firearms has declined today’s only allow six. considerably since the Hey, what gives? days when a white hat could knock an Indian off a horse at 100 yards just by poking his Colt single-action forcefully in the Indian’s direction. Today it takes several highcapacity magazines, each holding 600 rounds, to hit one bad guy, who then must be choked to death. Apparently ceramic-magnesium bul- barrel derringer. When the Cricket lets don’t kill all that well, another goes off, J is blown across the room indication liberals will eventually by the kick, and Cricket-rays blow neutralize the Second Amendment by away various vehicles and buildings. wimpifying ammunition. The really big technological advance in Men In Black, however, is Ray Guns nobody ever has to reload. That’s good, The handguns I want, though, because the line between the good guys are the models used by the Men In and bad guys has grown even more Black, though after watching the first confusing than it was in the late 1960s. movie again to pick up some pointers Sometimes the bad guys aren’t even John Barsness “Stick ‘em up!” And yes, John’s fingers are indeed on the triggers of his sixguns. But please, don’t write me any letters about it — even if you are a certified NRA firearms instructor . A box of genuine Sparking Bullets, proof they are made for the movies. Don’t try to deny it, Remington! “ guys. During Agent J’s testing, he and other MIB applicants shoot at a big screen full of evil-lookers. Instead of shooting a monster or a mobster, however, he blows away a little girl with pigtails, and then proves his reasons for shooting were correct. In a world like that we need handguns that can continue to shoot even longer than a Colt single-action in the hands of a cowboy in a white hat. * Australian-screen gangbangers have to hold their autos tilted the other way to compensate for the Coriolis effect in the southern hemisphere. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM ” 532009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=54http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=54BLaCkhaWk! knives PaT COverT PhOTOs: ChuCk PiTTman, inC. Claws 54 Juggernaut Of The WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=55http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=55O ver the past five years BLACKHAWK! Products Group has become a giant in the tactical gear industry for both law enforcement and the military, so it’s no coincidence this fast-growing juggernaut has a complete division devoted to knives. What is particularly interesting is how BLACKHAWK!’s cutlery division was established and how they have quickly become a major player in the tactical knife arena. Rather than start from scratch BLACKHAWK! CEO Mike Noell purchased a company that had already established itself as a leader in the tactical cutlery trade. That company was Masters of Defense, commonly known as MOD. BLACKHAWK! not only purchased the company but hired founder Jim Ray as brand manager for a smooth transition. Ray’s journey with MOD was one of innovation and diversity. He wisely sought out some of the best combat and tactical experts — including Dwayne Deiter, Massad Ayoob and Graciela CasillasBoog — to design a group of knives; and added innovative touches (such as Wingwalk inserts for improved grip) to launch his line. The results were astounding and it took MOD little time to gain a foothold in the cutlery industry. Another member of the MOD design team was a highly talented martial arts instructor named Michael Janich. Not only was Janich one of the country’s most recognized experts in edged weapons combat, he had written six books and numerous articles on the subject, and had 11 instructional videos to his name as well. When Jim Ray retired in 2006 Michael Janich was wisely moved to fill the position of brand manager for BLACKHAWK! Knives until leaving the company recently. Top Priorities The MOD line continued to expand with Janich at the helm of BLACKHAWK! Knives. According to Michael, Continued on page 92 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 552009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=56http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=56Kimber’s Stainless 56 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=57http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=57Raptor II Series Dave Anderson Photos: Chuck Pittman, Inc. Small And smaller! K imber makes more 1911s, in more different packages, than any other maker. The Custom II, Kimber ’s lowest-priced model, is hardly a “basic” pistol. It has most of the features 1911 fans used to pay a gunsmith to install: high visibility sights, beavertail grip safety, long trigger, lowered/beveled ejection port, extended thumb safety. For those with specific needs, whether police, military, competitive shooters, collectors, or those who just want something a bit different, Kimber offers a staggering array of welldesigned packages. You really have to study the Web site or a catalog to appreciate what a choice there is. Perhaps the most visually striking models are the Raptor II series, from the Kimber Custom Shop. Initially offered in blued carbon steel, they are now also available in stainless steel as well. Instead of the typical grooved cocking serrations, the Raptors have a scaled pattern. The theme is followed on the top surface of the slide, the frontstrap, and the grip panels. The photographs of the mid-size Pro and subcompact Ultra Raptor IIs show the appearance better than I can describe. I’ll talk about performance later, which proved very good indeed. In particular, the little Ultra version has made me revise my views on subcompact .45s. The original 1911 and 1911A1 pistols adopted by the US military had 5" barrels and corresponding slide lengths. 57 Downsizing WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=58http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=5858 Kimber’s Raptor II Series WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=59http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=59WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 592009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=60http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=60Following WWII there was talk of the military adopting a lighter pistol. Colt developed the alloy-framed Commander model with 4.25" barrel. Why this particular length was chosen I can only speculate. One criterion for a new military pistol, according to an article from the 1950s by Charles Askins, was a weight of 26 ounces, which just happens to be what an empty Commander weighs. Maybe Colt found a 4.25" barrel and corresponding slide length gave exactly the weight they wanted. Shortened 1911s from various manufacturers are often referred to as “Commander” length pistols, though strictly speaking the name applies only to pistols made by Colt. Kimber has its own naming system. For Kimber, full-size pistols (5" barrel) are called Custom, or the name of the series (e.g. Grand Raptor). “Pro” refers to a 4" barrel and corresponding slide on a full-size grip frame; “Ultra” means a shortened frame and 3" barrel/ slide. There is one model, the Compact CDP II with the shorter grip frame and 4" barrel/slide. If I owned just one 1911 pistol it would be a full-size model, for its longer sight radius and recoilabsorbing weight. For all-around use — personal and home defense, competition, police and military duty — the full size, steel-frame gun meets the most needs. I also like the mid-size models with 4" and 4.25" barrels and 60 steel frames. I like the balance and handling, and they just seem to look right. When the first subcompact .45s with 3" barrels appeared, I can’t say the shorter barrel/slide really interested me. Carried in an inside-waistband holster, the style I prefer, the difference in concealability of a slightly shorter slide doesn’t matter much. What did interest me was the shorter grip frame. The harder part to conceal is the grip frame, which tends to “print” through the covering garment if you bend down to tie a shoelace, or clunk against the back of a chair when you sit down. I was concerned the 3" models with their lighter slides and shorter recoil springs might not feed as reliably as longer guns. I do have subcompacts in 9mm and .40 S&W which have been totally reliable, but the .45 ACP is a longer cartridge. And although the .45 ACP with its big bullet and moderate powder charge adapts well to short barrels, there was bound to be some velocity loss. Giving Up? The Ultra Raptor II has me rethinking my prejudices. I shot it considerably more than the Pro model (around 250 rounds through the Pro, closer to 500 through the Ultra). There were zero malfunctions with either pistol. Awhile back I was watching Tiger Woods in the process of winning another golf tournament. Two of the WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=61http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=61Specs: broadcasters started talking about Tiger’s play on the last couple of holes. “He’s put away the driver and is hitting 2-iron off the tee,” said one. “Smart strategy,” said the second, “Give up some distance and hit it straight, keep the ball in play.” Then the third commentator broke in. “Guys, he hit that 2-iron over 300 yards. Just what exactly is he giving up?” The accompanying chart shows chronographed velocities of various loads. I was especially impressed by the 800+ fps velocities with 230-gr. JHP loads in the Ultra. The .45 ACP earned its stellar reputation with 230 gr. bullets at a about 850 fps. Some current +P loads are a bit faster, but the performance of the big bullet at 800+ hardly needs embellishing. Obviously a subcompact with alloy frame is going to have a bit more recoil than a full-size steel-frame pistol weighing 13 ounces more. And in a match gun the longer sight radius can provide an edge. But in practice I found the recoil of the Ultra II easily managed, and accuracy proved to be excellent. With bullet velocities only marginally less than those of full-size guns, just what exactly are you giving up? It turns out, not a lot. Although slide length makes little difference when the gun is worn inside the waistband, it does make a difference in a belt holster under a vest or medium-length jacket. The shorter gun Continued on page 80 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM KImbeR StAInleSS PRo RAPtoR II Caliber: .45 ACP • Materials: Stainless steel slide/frame • Magazine: 8 rounds • Barrel length: 4" Height: 5.25" • Width: 1.28" • OAL: 7.7" • Weight (empty, with magazine): 35 ounces • MSRP: $1,359 Kimber Stainless Ultra Pro Raptor II Caliber: .45 ACP • Materials: Stainless steel slide, alloy frame • Magazine: 7 rounds • Barrel length: 3" Height: 4.75" • Width: 1.28" • OAL: 6.8" • Weight (empty, with magazine): 25 ounces • MSRP: $1,359 Chart : Load Black Hills 200 SWC Black Hills 230 JHP+P Federal 230 Hydra-Shok Federal Am. Eagle 230 FMJ Speer 185 Gold Dot Winchester 185 Silvertip Velocity (5") 875 950 900 890 1,050 1,000 Pro Raptor II (4") 801 862 817 765 945 915 Ultra Raptor II (3") 766 797 806 715 899 882 612009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=62http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=62Comp-Tac’s C-Tac “Shirt Tucker” offers multiple heights and angles, concealability and speed. Behind the wheel, the Bond Arms Ranger holster rides comfy and compact, though you’ll need a Bond Arms Ranger derringer to go in it. Not many problems can pop up at your window that two rounds of .45 Colt or .410 buckshot won’t fix. Cool CarrY options “Shirt-tucker” holsters are becoming very popular. i f you haven’t heard enough of these stories, I’ll let you borrow some of mine, like the retired deputy working private investigations, his pistol snug in a high-ride hip holster as he sat behind the wheel of his car doing surveillance on a cheating husband. Surprised in that position, he died reaching for his inaccessible gun — and not quite making it. Other stories involve carjackings of victims who possessed handguns — they just didn’t have ‘em where they could speedily get them into play. There was the detective whose backup gun — a small revolver in his pants pocket — suddenly burst through weak stitching, fell down his leg to the floor and became Harry Hairball’s primary weapon; the robbery victim who was shot simply because his pocket rocket “printed” through the material at the wrong moment and the stickup man panicked. There are dozens more, some funny, many sad and some truly tragic. I prefer the happy tales of guns that seemingly came outta nowhere, surprisin’ scumbags who just weren’t ready for a “victim” who’d done their holster-homework. I can’t cover all the bases for you, but I’ll try first to present you with some options you may not have seen or noticed before, and second, to get you thinkin’ where you might wanta park that second pistol, or how best you can keep that howitzer handy while driving to GreatAunt Emily’s place — okay? Here we go. * Filling Your Hand From JoHn a Few diFFerent angles Connor The SuperTuck (left) by CrossBreed and the Ultimate Shirt Tucker (right) from Hoffner’s all offer adjustability. TAG Shellback Tactical Seat Caddy gets you set up on-duty with pockets for about anything, even mags. In a pinch you could toss it over your neck and have an active-shooter’s bag. 62 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=63http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=63New High Security Cases from Safe Direction look like “bank bags,” but they’re tougher, stronger, and of course they contain SD’s accidental discharge-defeating Ballistic Containment System. DeSantis offers a synthetic pocket rig said to stick like flypaper — no, not to your gun, to your pocket! Ankle-anchors don’t have to be clunky clankers. Galco’s Ankle Glove uses calf-height suspension to hold your handgun in place. For those who carry cannons: Didja ever wonder who designed the Original Dirty Harry Shoulder Holster? Lawman Leather Goods — and they still produce it, but thanks to some high-tech hoopla, they now make it for virtually any handgun ever made, including those .460 and .500 Smith & Wesson monsters. A long-time favorite of undercover cops, slick and simple inside-thepants holsters from Law Concealment Systems are comfortable, flexible — and fast! Lots of vests conceal guns, but the Concealment Vest from Bluestone Safety is made specifically to pack two handguns plus lots of magazines and edged novelties without “printing.” For more info: www.bluestonesafety.com; www.bondarms.com; www.clipdraw.com; www.comp-tac.com; www.crossbreedholsters.com; www.desantisholster.com; www.elitesurvival.com; www.gunvault.com; www.handgunconcealment.com; www.haugenhandgunleather.com; www.highnoonholsters.com; www.hoffners.com; www.kramerleather.com; www.lawmanleathergoods.com; www.safedirection.com; www.unclemikesle.com; www.usgalco.com; www.tacticalassaultgearstore.com. Check out even more gear from this article at www.americanhandgunner.com and click on Web Blast! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 632009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=64http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=641 An Heirloom Colt he elements of style can be mystifying. Just as there are billions of people in the world, we might safely say there are billions of ideas of what “style” might be. What makes a certain hemline suddenly out, when it was de riguer only six months earlier? Why is the avocado green shag carpet, which seemed so cutting-edge in 1968, appallingly out of place today? What gives style legs, makes it T cross-over boundaries, cause people to take notice and, in short — last? Books have been written about this and I’m still not sure anyone knows for sure. Frank Lloyd Wright seems to have nailed something in his designs that is almost universally appealing. The uncluttered, simple but often complicated lines of his work seem to restore a sense of calm and peace. Tiffany is renowned for their design excellence and again, they too seem to have often captured a sense of time- 64 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=65http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=65140-Year Old Style Roy Huntington Photos: Ron Bez 1 1 form and function of the early revolvers and the embodiment of his style, if you will, has to be the 1873 revolver. Many have attempted to copy it in the form of highly functional revolvers (think: Remington patterns, or a host of others), yet, what remains today is the originator, the elegant namesake to everything single action today. And again — but why? I think, you only have to look to know. And, perhaps I’m tasked with the impossible here, to put into words what we all know in our guts, what we all feel inside, what we know is, but can’t quite exactly describe. But we are saved, as there is one fellow who knows exactly what we’re talking about and can Continued on page 76 65 lessness. So what gives? Why can’t we make up a list and say do this, or that and it will be stylish? Nonetheless, some people do get it and oddly enough, Colonel Colt was one of them. How’s that, you say? From the first design that saw the light of day, Colt’s single action revolvers have basically owned the title of the revolver. While there have certainly been copies over the decades, to many, unless it is a Colt, it … um … isn’t. The Colonel struck a chord with the WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=66http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=662009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=67http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=67ForCiNG CoNe TooLs HAMiLToN s. BoweN MANsoN reAMers Forcing cone and chamfering reamers and the spot facing cutter, all with removable pilots, make revolver barrel work easy. wheel Gun wonders e very now and again, a tool comes along that will revolutionize a process, however obscure or seemingly unimportant. While great forcing cone reaming tools are not essential to life on the planet, those that work well are a great comfort to those who use them even casually, let alone on a daily basis. Dave Manson of Manson Precision Reamers has brought professional pistolsmiths and hobbyist alike a set of tools which represent a quantum leap forward. Revolver barrels have a bevel at their mouth, just forward of the cylinder muzzle, commonly called a “forcing cone.” The object of this modest conical cut is to conduct the bullet into the rifling with minimal shaving and deformation and often spells the difference between an accurate revolver and a “Wanted” poster tack hammer. Vintage revolvers often had nothing more than a 45- to 60-degree chamfer which didn’t help much. Then, a bulb glimmered in some sharp lad’s mind and he saw that a longer, gentler bevel angle to get bullets into the barrel with less damage would be much better. Over time, most revolver manufacturers settled on an angle of about 11-degrees, and all was right with the world. From time to time, gunsmiths and revolver builders will need to cut, or re-cut, forcing cones. Relic revolvers with forcing bevels need the treatment to get them to behave. Later guns may have steeper cone angles and can be improved upon. Heavily used guns may have burned or otherwise damaged cones which need to be renewed. Newly installed barrels often need to have the existing proper forcing cone deepened to the correct diameter. Custommade barrels just need a cone, period. Until now, this exercise was often fraught with frustration due to existing tool design. The traditional forcing cone cutter was threaded to accept a T-handle driving tool. Pilot bushings, such as they were, went on the driving tool shaft. Fit to the shaft was sloppy with the bushing OD a one-size-fitsnothing-well diameter. Often as not, the cutter and driving tool threads weren’t coaxial. Tooling was often too sloppy to true up a crooked, eccentric forcing cone as the cutter just Closely fitted pilot bushings help minimize chatter and make for a smooth cut. Below: The T-handle driving shaft has a spring-loaded centering guide and pre-load collar to help keep the cutters in line. Very nifty. But Why? followed the loopy existing cut. Poor bushing-to-barrel fit caused chattering in the cutting which resulted in a rough, chewy finish that caused leading and unkind commentary. Dogs And Cats? The Manson Precision Reamers tool solves all of these problems at a stroke with its proprietary design. Not only is the pilot bushing on the cutter itself — for perfect alignment between cutter and bushing — the bushings themselves are Continued on page 78 67 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=68http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=68Para’s ExPErt GI ost any US veteran sporting grey or missing hair and the aches and pains of age associated with service prior to the introduction of the Beretta M9 is intimately familiar with the M1911. I know I am as I sport all of the above. During basic training, my first day on the range started off with being issued my first M1911A1. After the drill staff finished with horror stories of mishandling and threats associated with safety violations, my squad steeped to the firing line for our volley. The command, “Fire one round and one round only at the target. Do you understand?” was quickly answered by M Para’s new GI Expert may look like a no-frills WWII gun, in reality it’s full of features and performance that belie its humble exterior. Yes, the trigger is a plastic composite but is crisp, smooth and adds a great deal to the shootability of the GI. Looking like a WWIIera gun, note the lack of recoil spring guide-rod and good quality fit and finish. The safety is slightly enlarged for just a bit more feel. 68 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=69http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=69A HUMBLE LOOK, WITH HIDDEN PERFORMANCE a crisp, “Yes, Drill Sergeant.” Next, we all heard bellowed, “Ready on the left, ready on the right, ready on the firing line — FIRE.” Sights aligned, stance just as instructed, the push pull tension of the modified Weaver accomplished and squeeze the trigger. But horror of all horrors — the single report and nudge of recoil was replaced by an extended purrrrrrrrrap and my solid but slightly relaxed arm position rose for the heavens. The seconds following were in slow motion. What happened? That wasn’t anything like they told us. My thoughts of, crap — I screwed the pooch, were almost instantly reinforced by a riding crop making solid contact with the top of my steel pot helmet closely followed by the DI grabbing my weapon and the words, “Private Douglas, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” screamed less than half an inch from my right ear. After unloading the weapon the DI instructed me to take it to the rear and tell the armorer I had a run-a-way. I did, starting off at double-time only to be rebuked again for running on the range. So went my introduction to John Browning’s “perfect pistol.” In this day of throw-back NFL WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM DAVE DOUGLAS jerseys, worship of muscle cars and almost anything else “nostalgic,” the trend of 1911 manufacturers to market “GI” or entry-level 1911s is certainly understandable. It’s good marketing. But even good marketing can’t be effective for long unless the product is good. Para’s new GI Expert fits that bill. It’s a good, solid, entry-level pistol with some well thought out updates. Some Particulars Take a look at the grip safety and notice I didn’t say beaver tail grip safety, because it’s not. The grip safety on the GI Expert is more reminiscent of the original 1911. But, in this case, it’s been slightly extended to prevent the hammer bite often realized by the original. It’s also very similar to the original Para P14 wide body grip safety. Combined with the rounded and skeletonized commander style hammer rather than the spur type, they’ve done a nice job of preventing that little owie in the web of your hand. Para’s firing pin safety is another update. My introduction to the 1911 could have been very different with the inclusion of a firing pin safety. The broken sear causing my 1911 run-a-way Continued on page 79 The grip safety has been slightly enlarged to stop nipping at the web of the hand. Note the high visibility, good quality sights and skeletonized hammer. 692009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=70http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=701,000 YARDS WITH The MOA Maximum is a falling block design chambered in a variety of calibers. This one is a 6X47 using Lapua brass. The scope is a Burris set on 20 power. The rig is sitting on a Rock-Solid Pistol Rest by Shotsgunsmithing. MARK HAMILTON L ast year I received a phone call from Richard Mertz, the guru behind MOA handguns, inviting me to a long-range specialty pistol shoot. Luckily for me, I had vacation time tied up in a dall sheep hunt and a valid reason to decline. This year when the invitation came, I had an extra week free and no other excuses so I reluctantly accepted. Deep down, I didn’t want to embarrass myself shooting in front of a crowd. The event was dubbed “Cold Turkey Shoot” and included shooting paper targets at 500, 750 and 1,000 yards in a timed format. That’s correct, ten football fields with a handgun. I had never shot anything at these ranges and if nothing else, it would certainly be a new experience and hopefully, I would learn something. Richard was kind enough to loan me one of his MOAs in 6X47. This single-shot, falling block design handgun was wearing a Burris 6X-24X rifle scope. Another first, as I have never shot a rifle scope on a handgun. Later I would learn all the THE ROAD TO HUMBLE A good spotter played an important role advising the shooter where to make adjustments from bullet impact. Dad was spotter and coach for young Becky Auer. You could tell this young lady had experience shooting her MOA. 70 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=71http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=71competitors were using rifle scopes. There were two classifications of handguns; light division being anything with a 15" barrel or less, not including the muzzle brake, and heavy division with any barrel length longer than 15". All of the handguns I saw wore some form of muzzle brake. The range was a vast piece of Wyoming real estate. Beside the bank of targets were 24x36" steel plates. Shooters had ten minutes to shoot one, five-shot group on the paper target. During this time, you could shoot the steel as many times as necessary to determine bullet impact and make any scope adjustments if necessary. Competitors shot a total of three, five-shot groups with the final score determined by the aggregate of the groups. A HANDGUN? Fifteen year old Becky Auer with her 500 yard group she accomplished with an MOA in 243 AI. Um, Uh, But … Before it was my turn to shoot I was already thinking up some excuses. After all, I was shooting a borrowed gun; never used a rifle scope on a handgun before, and of course the wind is always gusting on the plains. Those were just a few that came to mind. When the range officer yelled “your shooting time begins now,” I was shocked my first round actually hit the steel plate at 500 yards. I made a few minor adjustments to the scope and sent the second round down range and I’ll be darn if it didn’t slam steel. One more slight adjustment and I’d be ready to put five shots on paper. Earlier I had been told the scope adjustments were 1/8 increments but in reality they were 1/4 MOA. Well, that could be another excuse if need be. When my third shot never touched the steel plate and landed somewhere in noman’s land, I knew trouble lurked. I had turned the adjustment twice as much as needed. Before I could get things straightened out, time expired and my paper target was still like brand new. What a showing! When I finally got things figured out, with considerable help from those feeling sorry for me, the paper target actually got punched on the second and third relay. You couldn’t really call the holes in my target a group, more like a pattern. Indeed, a humbling first experience. My dismal shooting had nothing to do with equipment, just pilot error. I was shooting a 6X47 with a 95-gr. Sierra bullet. The rifle scope took a little getting accustomed to but you can definitely see better with Gary Morris from Ohio took the 500 and 750 yard honors in the Light Division. Fifteen year old Erik Bishop beat out the competition in the 1,000 yard Heavy Division. He was shooting a custom XP-100 in 6.5X284. Ernie Bishop and his first place rock he earned in the 750 yard Heavy Division. Fifteen year old Becky Auer took first place in the 1,000 yard Light Division with her MOA in 243 AI. higher magnification than a handgun scope will allow. The winner of the 500 yard competition in the light division was Gary Morris with a group average of 71/16". Gary was using an MOA in .243 AI with a Leupold scope. Ernie Bishop won the Heavy Division with an impressive group of 35/8" using a custom Remington XP-100 in 6X284. After a short break, shooters took to the 750 yard targets. I actually had some bullet holes on my paper after the first volley. The previous winners in the 500 relay also took top honors in this stage with an 8" group from both divisions. That’s not too bad of group size from any type of handgun from 750 yards. 1,000 Yards? The following day we tackled the 1,000 yard range. This was going to be Continued on page 99 71 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=72http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=72Win! HAndGun OF THE MOnTH A Special American Handgunner Edition! EL DIABLO .44 Special Sixgun 72 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY2010 Custom Gary Reeder2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=73http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=73EnTER OnlinE AT AMERicAnHAndGunnER.cOM! ou simply never know what’s going to come out of theshopofGaryReederCustomGuns.Fromthebiggest bores in rifles to the biggest bores in handguns and just about everything in-between, Gary delivers eye-catching,innovativedesignsandstylesinenough varietytopleaseanyone.Gary’sahard-corehandgun huntertoo,sohisfield-gradegunsalwaysperformasexpected sincehe’susedthemallovertheworldonthebiggestgame. Ifyouhappentohaveanoldmodel3-screwRugerBlackhawk,anewmodelBlackhawk,SuperblackhawkorBisleyand havewonderedwhatyoucoulddowithit,Garyhascomeupwith theELDIABLO.Ourcustomgive-awaygunthismonthisonebuilt byGaryandcouldbeyours!TheReedershopbuildsanentirely newcylinderin.44special,thenbuildsaspecial3.5".44barrelto match.AddingatouchofgoldandengravingtoaccenttheBlack Chromexfinish,thepackageisrounded-outwiththeinstallation ofasetof“ivory”CoriangripsonaReederall-steelgripframe inthe“GunfighterGrip”style.Andnotethe“American Handgunner”nameonthebarrel! Agoldbeadfrontsightwiththe“V”-rearisstandard.Or,if you’reunluckyanddon’twinthisoneandaresupplyingyour ownguntoGary’sshoptogetone,youcanhavethestandard blade front and white outline rear. Reeder’s interchangeable bladefrontsightsystemallowsyoutochangeyourfrontsight asoftenasyoulike.Forcloseshots(achargingsquirrelinyour back yard?) the blade sight will do fine. For the long shots, likewhenyoumissthatsquirrelandhemakesarunforitand pausestogloatandsneeratyou—thenthegoldbeadworks fineforamorepreciseshot.Gotcha’. Garydoesasuperslickactionjobthatmakesthebiggunrun butterysmooth.Ifyou’resendingyourowngun,theycandoa smallamountoftraditionalengravingonitandengraveyour nameonittoo,atnoextracharge.Whetheryoucarrythisslick gunforselfdefense,playcowboysandIndianswithit,orjusthave itaroundforafungun,you’llbeproudtoowntheELDIABLO. Y total value over $1,500! CUSTOM FEATURES • Custom3.5".44barrel • Custom.44Specialcylinder • Corian“Ivory”grips • Actionjob Photos: Joe Novelozo • Goldaccentsandengraving • BlackChromexfinish • Goldbeadfrontsight • Reederall-steelgripframe Gary Reeder Custom Guns, (928) 527-4100, www.reedercustomguns.com TO ENTER CONTEST: Use a postcard (no envelopes, please) and follow the sample shown. Send to AMERICAN HANDGUNNER, Dept. H1, P.O. Box 501377, San Diego, CA 92150-1377.EntriesmustbereceivedbeforeFebruary28,2010. HOM JAN/FEB 2010 REadER SuRvEy QuESTiONS: 1. do you Carry Concealed? a) yes, all the time B) Sometimes C) Never, but wish i could 2. what's your favorite handgun caliber? a) .22 LR B) 9mm/.38/.357/380 aCP C) .40 S&w d) .45 aCP E) Big bores: .44 Mag, .454, .500 S&w 3. distance you drive to your shooting location a) i shoot on my own land B) Less than 10 miles C) Less than 25 miles d) More than 25 miles E) i can't shoot anywhere nearby 4. Have you ever used electronic earmuffs? a) yes B) No 5. How do you read American Handgunner? a) yearly Subscription or Newsstand B) Online at www.americanhandgunner.com C) Online and Print Editions d) Friend’s copy Name ___________________________________ Address_____________City,State,Zip____________ EmailAddress_______________________ CiRCLE aNSwERS TO REadER SuRvEy: SAMPLE Question#1: (A) (B) (C) Question#2: (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) Question#3: (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) Question#4: (A) (B) Question#5: (A) (B) (C) (D) IfIwin,pleaseshipmyprizethrough: Dealer___________________________________ Address_____________City,State,Zip____________ Phone( )____-________ Storehours__am__pm Limit 1 entry per household. ThiscontestisopentoindividualswhoareresidentsoftheUnitedStatesanditsterritoriesonly.AgentsandemployeesofPublishers DevelopmentCorporationandtheirfamiliesareexcludedfromentering.Contestvoidwhereprohibitedorrestrictedbylaw.Winnersmustmeetalllocallawsandregulations.Taxesandcompliancewithfirearmsregulationswillbetheresponsibilityofthewinners.WinnerswillbenotifiedbyCERTIFIEDMAILonofficialletterhead.ATTENTIONDEPLOYEDMILITARY:USESTATESIDEADDRESS!Nopurchasenecessarytoenter. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 732009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=74http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=742009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=75http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=75The Steyr-Hahn loads from the top using hard-to-find stripper clips. While it looks like a standard 9x19mm, the Steyr-Hahn is actually a 9x23 — but NOT the hot, competition version of the round! Shooting thE old Stuff t he S teyr- h ahn The 9mm Steyr-Hahn. This is the Romanian contract version and while they look dated by today’s standards, J.B. found his test gun shot astoundingly well. E arly in the last century, Elbert Searle (in America) and Karel Krnka (in Austria) came up with the same idea — a turning barrel locking system for pistols. Krnka used it first in the Roth-Steyr of 1907, which you may remember as the one looking like a Buck Rogers ray gun. In 1911, another Krnka turning barrel arrived, the Steyr-Hahn, a much better design. Notably, it had an external hammer and it was then possible to cock the pistol (“hahn” means “cock” in German). The pistol was adopted as military standard by Austria in 1911 and in the next year by Romania and Chile. Collectors will note the Romanian and Chilean contract versions are scarce, especially the ones with the national crest intact. During WWII, the Germans altered a number of SteyrHahn pistols to chamber the 9mm Luger round, and marked those “P.08” on the slide. The proper original cartridge is the longer 9mm Steyr, which is 9x23mm. Writing those figures reminds Model 1911 me there is a high-performance competition load by Winchester called the 9x23 which would chamber in the Steyr-Hahn. But don’t even think about it! This hot number would likely cause a fine old pistol to self-destruct with possible corresponding injuries. The only other cartridge I have fired in a Steyr-Hahn is the 9mm Bergmann-Bayard (9mm Largo). I will quickly note in some loadings, the case length is a tiny bit more, about .01" or so. Over-all, it’s always best to stay with original 9mm Steyr rounds. Fortunately, ammo is still available. For a long time at gun shows, the yellow “Marca Avion” ammunition box was a familiar sight and modestly priced. I still have a few boxes of this load with the RWS headstamp. They are dated 1935 and still work fine! I also have some more recent loads by Hirtenberger, also excellent. In current manufacture, there is a superb 9mm Steyr load made by Hornady and marketed by Graf & J.B. Wood Sons. And of course, you can always depend on Fiocchi for these and other obsolete loads. Not as readily available as the cartridges are the 8-round stripper clips for the top-loading Steyr-Hahn. They’re in the Numrich catalogue, but it’s a “starred” item meaning they are not always available. So, watch for them at the next gun show. For a military pistol, the Steyr-Hahn is amazingly accurate. With a two-hand hold 3" and 4" groups at 25 yards are not unusual, and the felt-recoil is mild. If you carry it with a loaded chamber (but why?) remember some versions have an inertia firing pin, while others have a full-reach, non-inertia firing pin, so use the manual safety to block the hammer. For more info: Graf & Sons, (800) 531-2666, www.grafs.com; Fiocchi, www.fiocchiusa.com, (702) 293-6174; Numrich Arms, www.gunpartscorp.com, (845) 679-2417 * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 752009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=76http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=76HEIRLOOM COLT Continued from page 65 make it happen, virtually at will. Well, with a little help from Colt too. Eddie Janis, who, as his card says, is “Proprietor” of Peacemaker Specialists, is that man. I’ve known Eddie for more than a decade, and his ready smile and soft-spoken confidence bespeaks of his work. In his hands (which frustratingly look the same as yours or mine … ) a Colt in need of magic gets just that. Eddie is one of those rare people who we in the gun business seem to get to meet regularly if we keep our eyes open. He has a talent for creating beauty out of wood, steel and ivory. There’s no CNC work in Eddie’s shop, just one man at his bench. I asked him to tell me about a stunning example of his art he had completed recently. Eddie enjoys taking a customer’s “fixer” and turning it into a family heirloom. The Third Generation Colt in our pictures (while not a “fixer”) has been the recipient of some of Peacemaker Specialists’ most demanding custom work. Yet, the original is still there, still calls out, and the heart of the Colt still beats there. The task is to enhance and capture the soul of a SAA — without losing anything in the process. A tough job at best, and all-tooman, lose the original in the process. Eddie said it’s always important to make sure the gun “runs” like it should before any further work is performed. “I did our Gunslinger Action Job on this gun before we moved forward with restoration and final finish work,” explained Eddie. “I make sure to maintain 100-percent reliability, but the action runs like it’s on ball-bearings and all the springs are hand-made. I guarantee the action for the life of the original owner or I fix it for free.” I have a Colt with Eddie’s action job. Whenever I hand it to someone who knows Colts they cock it — and think it’s broken. “That’s how it is? It’s that light and smooth? It actually works? Honest?” are all questions I get regularly. And yes, it actually works. Before things got further along, preban ivory one-piece stocks were carefully fitted and formed to match the fit and feel of pre-war Colt walnut stocks. They were then scrimshawed with the client’s initials and his ranch’s cattle brand. The magic started. “The 1880s Cowboy Shooter’s Package for 3 rd Generation guns includes both cosmetic and ergonomic enhancements,” said Eddie. “The cylinder gets re-fluted and beveled along with the ejector tube, which both looks better and removes sharp edges that can cut a leather holster. Beveling the heel 76 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY2010 Customizing Colts The Project2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=77http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=77and toe of the grip dehorns the handle of the Colt, allowing more comfort during long shooting sessions. And, it looks more like early frontier Colts.” And he’s right. About all of it. To optimize the accuracy of this .44 Special, Eddie re-fitted the cylinder tightly to eliminate end-shake, while still maintaining smooth rotation. He then re-cut the forcing cone to 11-degrees to improve accuracy and to help with lead bullets. This eases the bullet’s transition into the rifling. Yet, the original is still there, still calls out, and the heart of the Colt still beats there. Eddie can also re-mark the top barrel address with a two-line address as on the pre-war guns, adding the “45 Colt” moniker to the left side of the barrel, if the caliber on the customer’s gun is appropriate. Not necessary on this .44 Special though. At this point, the client’s gun was send to master engraver John Adams who applied turn-of-the-century correct “Helfright-style” engraving. It was then silver-plated for that elegant, warm look only genuine silver can bestow on a gun. The crowning touch? I think it’s the installation of the fire-blued screws and appointments, such as the base pin, base pin latch and trigger. As near perfection in a SAA as a human hand can create perhaps? Shoot It? Absolutely. The last step in this agreeable transformation is to sight the gun in using the exact load the client will be shooting. Eddie personally test fires the gun and regulates the load to hit where the sights look. How convenient is that, having a gun actually shoot where you aim it? In this age of polymer frames and stamped-out clones, at times it’s good to simply sit back and enjoy something that’s … well … not one of those. Just as we gaze longingly at 1936 Packard V-12s in the pages of our favorite car magazine, so we gaze just as longingly at this equivalent delight. But the key difference is you just might have a tired old Colt sitting in a drawer, while not many of us have a tired old Packard in the garage waiting to be restored. Think about it. It can happen. Oh, and say hi to Eddie from us, if you would? * For more info: (805) 238-9100, www.peacemakerspecialists.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 772009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=78http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=78MANSON Continued from page 67 removable and available in a variety of diameters in .0005" increments. In addition to the piloted cutter, the driving handle has a nylon centering cone held in place at the muzzle by a spring. The sliding pre-load collar makes accommodating different barrel lengths and setting centering tension to your liking a snap. With perfect cutter alignment and bushing fit, the results are startling. Smooth, concentric forcing cones are child’s play. Even dogs and cats could use this tool. Okay, even dogs could, I can’t promise about the cat part. In addition to the basic 11-degree cone cutter, Manson can supply a 45-degree chamfering cutter to break the inside edge of the newly cut cone, which will keep this edge from burning away under the high heat and pressure. The available 90-degree facing tool is helpful in cutting away the final few thousandths of an inch when installing barrels or opening up barrel-to-cylinder gaps. The two 11-degree cone and two 45-degree bevel cutters will handle calibers from .357 to .50. The four 90-degree facing cutters will cover virtually all known revolver barrelshank diameters. Within each caliber, there are several bushings to get the best barrel fit. A set of pin gages in .0005" increments through the usual range of bore diameters will be helpful in ordering the right one. Just bear in mind to check at the breech end of the barrels since many barrels are set hard and have a slight constriction. Individual cutter prices start at $48 and bushings are $12 each. The cutter handle with centering guide is $24. Forcing cones should be cut within a fairly narrow range of mouth diameters. The general rule of thumb is guns that range well probably should have shorter, smaller cones since unnecessarily long cones afford more opportunity for propellant gases to devour bullet lube and soften the exposed sides of bullets better to solder-up your bore. If the gun ranges well, a shorter cone will work. Check with Brownells or Midway for range rods and cone gauges. After using this tool the first time, I can now tackle this simple every day job without fear and trepidation. The real test is whether or not the elves will use it if we leave it out on the workbench overnight. Cross your fingers. * For more info: Manson Precision Reamers, www.mansonreamers.com, (810) 953-0732,; Brownells, (800) 7410015, www.brownells.com; Midway USA, (800) 243-3220, www.midwayusa.com 78 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=79http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=79GI EXPERT Continued from page 69 Although the first thing I’d do is black out the rear white dots. But, that comes down to personal preference. could have been mitigated simply by letting off the trigger. Frankly, I don’t remember if I let off the trigger back then or not. But it was a great lesson, even if reinforced by a riding crop to the steel pot — never get too comfortable with your equipment. The trigger on the GI Expert is a significant improvement. Rather than the 7.5 lb lawyer- or private-proof trigger of years ago, the sample I tested had a 4.5 lb pull. The trigger is of medium length and made from reinforced polymer. Some worshipers will snivel and gripe about the adulteration of “Mr. Browning’s masterpiece” being defiled by the addition of plastic — get over it. It makes the trigger lighter and thus easier to work with. It this case, it had the best trigger pull of any entry level, out of the box 1911 I’ve ever shot. There was hardly any take-up and an extremely crisp and consistent break. The reset was about an eighth of an inch, with an audible and tactile “snick.” Para improved the old pistol sights by replacing them with a modern three-dot system. They also improved the staked front sight with an easily replaceable dovetailed sight. They’re even easy for “old guy eyes” to use. Some Other Stuff The parkerized finish of yesteryear, even as good as it was, has been replaced with a matte black finish or what Para calls “Covert Black Para Kote.” The baked-on finish is quite handsome and very durable and straight edges have been softened. By no means is it a “melt job” but it won’t cut you during handling and malfunction drills as some entrylevel guns have a tendency to do. I had it in and out of leather many times with not a hit of marring. But, the impressive thing about the finish was the 200 draw cycles from a kydex rig with no observable wear. The barrel is one-piece stainless steel and unlike on many of Para’s guns, it’s not ramped. The barrel and ramp are separate as in the traditional gun. Thank goodness, the guide rod is the standard original system as well — not the one-piece or two-piece fulllength system favored by some today. It makes disassembly and re-assembly easy and familiar. The gun is tight but not too tight. This is unlike my first 1911. You could hear that thing rattle in the holster like a Yugo doing 70 down a dirt mountain road. The standard barrel bushing is finger tight and can easily be removed and reinstalled by hand without having to use a cheater bar on your bushing wrench. The thumb safety and slide stop are just slightly oversized from original specs — hardly noticeable visually, but just about right from a tactile standpoint. The bevel of the magazine well is done very nicely with function in mind, as is the lowered and ever so slightly flared ejection port. It Shoots If my first 1911 could hold a 6" group at 15 yards I’d be surprised. Para’s GI Expert was great to shoot, and held 1.5" at 15 yards with Federal’s American Eagle 230 gr. ball. At 25 yards it was slightly less than 2" with 230 gr. Federal Hydra-Shok. After initially lubricating the gun with some Militech-1, a couple friends and I shot the GI Expert for about four hours without a single malfunction. No, really. It was steady as a rock, never letting down the expectation of reliability associated with the 1911’s reputation. With that kind of reliability and all that inch-stuff aside, I’m confident the gun would get you through a really bad day. And after all, that’s what really counts, doesn’t it? * For more info: (704) 930-7600, www.paraord.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 792009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=80http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=80RAPTOR II SERIES Continued from page 61 also conceals better in a horizontal shoulder holster such as the Galco Miami Classic. I mentioned both Raptors were 100-percent reliable. With any new (or new-to-me) pistol my first step is to fieldstrip the gun, clean it of any packing grease or oil and examine fit and finish. The Raptors are from Kimber’s Custom Shop and are very nicely fitted, with all manufacturing marks polished out and all sharp edges relieved. Trigger pulls on both are crisp and consistent, with no irritating steps or creep. Pulls are 4¾ pounds for the Pro Model and 5¼ pounds on the Ultra. Barrels are bull-barrel style, with the muzzle enlarged to fit the front of the slide without a barrel bushing. Both pistols use recoil spring guide rods (the Ultra with double-wound recoil springs) and an extended, ambidextrous thumb safety. Sights are a low profile, snag free rear sight and ramped post front sight, both with tritium night sight inserts. Sights are mounted in dovetail cuts in the slide. As with all Kimber “II” series 1911s, these Raptors have a positive firing pin lock. Unlike many autopistols in which rearward movement of the trigger releases the firing pin lock, the lock is released by depressing the grip safety. In practice it functioned perfectly and without any conscious effort, just by gripping the pistol normally. I don’t believe guns are meant to run dry, any more than automobile engines are. The fact some will doesn’t mean it is good for them. I lubed the guns while reassembling, using “Slide Glide,” a product I like very much. It stays where you put it, doesn’t grease up clothes and seems to last a long time. I didn’t clean or oil the guns again until it came time to pack them away. A defensive autopistol has to run reliably with hollow-point ammunition or it’s not much use to me. At the same time I recommend running 50 or 100 rounds of ball ammunition (full metal jacket, round nose bullet) through a new autopistol. Freshly machined metal is likely to have microscopic burrs. Shooting the gun is the quickest way to smooth up operation. Even hand cycling would smooth up slide/frame fit, but shooting the gun gets operating components under load (barrel locking lugs and their recesses in the slide, for example) and smoothes the gun up more quickly. I used 230-gr. ball, American Eagle from Federal, and Winchester’s USA brand. These brands are reasonably priced and though I wouldn’t choose FMJ bullets for defense they are Reliable Tools 3 New Grip Styles Prices per set range from $43.00 to $105.00 Para P-14 Caspian High Cap Springfield EMP 80 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=81http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=81fine for plinking and target shooting. Other types used included 185 gr. JHPs from Speer and Winchester; 200 gr. lead semiwadcutters from Black Hills and 230 gr. JHPS from Black Hills, Federal and Winchester. Every type functioned perfectly in both guns. The Black Hills 200 gr. lead bullet appears identical to the H&G 68 cast bullet which was virtually the standard back in the days when the .45 ruled practical shooting competition. This long SWC was famous for its accuracy and notorious for being hard to feed. Both of these Kimbers use barrels with integral feed ramps, and Kimber’s well made and reliable magazines. They gobbled up the SWCs like good eating and asked for more. Likewise, the short 185 JHPs proved completely reliable. I like 230 JHPs in my .45s, but many knowledgeable .45 fans like the lighter, faster bullet. If those are your preferred loads these Kimbers will handle them. Shoots Good Too Accuracy proved very good, as tested with 5-shot groups fired at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. The Pro shot slightly better, possibly attributable to its greater weight, sight radius and lighter trigger. Groups typically ran 2.5" to 3", with the better groups nudging the 2" mark. Groups from the Ultra typically were around .5" larger. Both guns shot their best with the 230 gr. JHP loads from Black Hills and Federal, though the margin was small. The single best group was with the Federal Hydra-Shok loads, and came from the little Ultra; a 5-shot “ragged hole” group measuring under 1" center to center. It was probably a fluke as I couldn’t get under 2" with any other group from the little gun. Nonetheless when an alloy-frame subcompact 1911 puts five shots into an inch at 25 yards, even once, the world should know about it. Most of the shooting was done on IPSC-style targets at ranges from 5-15 yards, mainly two-shot pairs from the holster plus some multiple target strings with reloads. Both pistols were a pleasure to shoot. I also wore the Ultra model as my CCW for a couple of weeks, in either the Kimber “Avenger” belt holster or a Galco Miami Classic shoulder holster. These are very practical 1911s, and with their striking appearance drew a lot of admiring comments at the range. In fit, finish, appearance, detailing, accuracy, reliability and overall quality the Raptor IIs are a lot closer to fullhouse custom guns from top gunmakers than to off-the-shelf, standard 1911s. At $1,359 retail they are a lot closer to standard guns in price. Quality and value from a respected name makes a combination hard to beat. * Just in time for Christmas, our “Big Fifty Loader” for the Browning .50 BMG cartridge joins Dillon’s line of The World’s Finest Loading Equipment. Visit our website Have Another Dillon-Blue Christmas! ah.dillonprecision.com for a free catalog. For more info: www.kimberamerica. com; Slide Glide, www.brianenos.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 812009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=82http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=82bROWNING P35 Continued from page 51 ones were only for the latter type. The Germans took all the FN P35s they could get of either version. My “Nazi” P35 must have been made fairly late in the war, as its finish is obviously not up to that exquisite FN pre-war commercial standard. Still it is blued steel with checkered wooden grips. The Inglis P35s were given a Parkerized finish and checkered grips of some synthetic material. I can’t tell if it’s plastic, Bakelite, hard rubber, or something else from the early 1940s. My first Inglis P35 was part of the Chinese contract with tangent sight and wooden shoulder stock. My second one was part of the Canadian contract with ordinary sights and not fitted with slot for shoulder stock. Blake’s booklet says the “CH” in the serial number of the former and the “T” in the serial number of the latter cinches their origins. Of my three P35s the Canadian contract one shows far more use and wear than the other two. It actually rattles when shaken. But it also shoots more accurately, so go figure. And here’s an interesting observation from me. In the last six months I’ve fired several hundred rounds of 9mm from these three P35s, plus a 1938 vintage German P08 Luger and 1943 vintage German P38. Never have the P35s jammed even once with assorted modern factory loads, NATO military surplus loads made by Federal in 1988 and cast and jacketed bullet handloads. The P38 will fail to eject cases occasionally, and the Luger absolutely refuses to feed even a single round of the NATO stuff from magazine to chamber. I’ve not really tried shooting my P35s from sandbag rest for accuracy. What would be the point? I’ve fired them from two-handed, standing position and then moved their sights as needed to be zeroed. After that I’ve just shot them at “things” such as steel plates, dueling trees and targets of opportunity, as it were. Of course anyone who buys a handgun with accompanying wooden shoulder stock/holster has to give it a try. It does steady you up a bit but I can’t say it makes a tackdriver out of a pistol. The “cool” factor is really high, though. Prior to buying these three “Brownings” I had fired precisely one other in my life and that was back in 1971. I’ve been missing out. They are good shooting, easy handling handguns. They may not be of the same breed as today’s pistols with synthetic frames but they’re not overly heavy and both Inglis and FN ones are finely made. Issued to both sides in World War II, I’d have to say they were well ahead of their time. Duke’s Guns * 82 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=83http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=83SIXGUNNER Continued from page 47 TM complained who have fired it extensively, including Hank Benson and Don Martin. The recoil is not as severe as that of a 2" Airweight Chief’s Special with high speed .38 Specials. With .44 Special factory loads it is just as pleasant to shoot as a K-22 and with the .44 Magnum loads, which give the heaviest recoil, it will not bother a seasoned sixgun man at all. Recoil with my heaviest loads of 22.0 grains of 2400 and the Keith 250 grain bullet is much less than that of the factory load. The factory load, fired with one hand, flips the barrel up almost vertical.” Now Roy here I am stuck in the middle of these two fine gentlemen. Who is telling the truth? Both were, as I don’t believe either is capable of lying. Elmer has convinced himself the .44 Magnum is pleasant to shoot. But there is Elmer Keith and there are us mere mortals. Most of us cannot do this. Roy, I don’t know if you ever met John LaChuk from California. John owns a custom body shop, however his first love is sixguns and he has spent much time shooting not only .44 Special loads but also his .44 Lancer. John and I started regularly corresponding in the late 1940s and I certainly have learned much from him over the past eight years or so. John is a tall good looking fellow and only has use of one hand, his left hand. He never really told me what happened to his other hand. I just point this out to show all of his shooting of heavy loaded sixguns has been with that one hand. I certainly admire him and his endeavors. I went down to California last summer to visit John and when I got to his shop I almost forgot the original reason for the visit, which was sixguns. He was working on the most gorgeous 1949 Ford Coupe I have ever seen. You know how I feel about custom Fords so it took real dedication on my part not to be distracted! John said he started out with heavy-loaded .38 Specials in the 1940s, switched to the .44-40 and then when he read Elmer Keith’s Sixgun Cartridges & Loads he found Keith favored the .44 Special because of the thicker cylinder walls compared to the .45 Colt and .44-40, and he swapped his .44-40 cylinder for a .44 Special cylinder for his Colt. John said he shot that 51/2" Colt so much he eventually had to set the barrel back one full turn. John joined the .44 Associates which had compiled more than 1,000 .44 Special loads, all submitted by members, and had printed 200 copies. Now that LaChuk had discovered the .44 Special he did a lot of experimenting with the Colt SAA. 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Black or Coyote Brown Or Call: 877-883-3776 1031 Bay Blvd, Ste V, Chula Vista, CA 91911 Order Online: www.tuffproducts.com 832009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=84http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=84World’s Finest Magazines MEC-GAR is proud to offer “Optimum” - our new and unique series of high capacity flush-fit pistol magazines. The new design of the magazine housing and interlinked magazine components, together with a special Anti-Friction Coating offer far superior performance even in difficult operational environments. The increased firepower of MEC-GAR “Optimum” magazines can be further raised by an optional “Plus Two” adapter. “Plus Two” is a new set of hollow butt-plate and inner base to raise the capacity of the MEC-GAR “Optimum” magazine by 2-rounds and stick out only 5/8” from the butt of the pistol! 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P.O.Box 458, Dept. 381, Newtown Square, PA 19073 Toll-Free at 800-545-0077 or 610-359-9600 www .gunsprings .com www.gunsprings .gunsprings.com 84 Isn’t it time to make sure your gun is Powered by Wolff! “During World War II, components were hard to come by, building up a great thirst among shooters. When ammo became available again after the war, I bought a case of primed Remington .44 Special brass and about half a case of factory ammo. All of it was balloonhead. A favorite subject among .44 fans of the day was getting the factories to make solid-head cases in the belief they would be stronger. My correspondence with Remington and Winchester indicated they had no plans to revise the .44 Special. They considered the cartridge to be a poor seller, not worthy of updating. Searching for stronger brass, I mic’d a number of rifle rounds and discovered that just ahead of the rim, straightsided .405 Winchester and .30-40 Krag cases were the same diameter as the .44 Special. So I was making my own solid-head .44 Special brass. It became at once apparent that case capacity was severely reduced with the solid head and thick case walls. The obvious answer was to lengthen the case as long as possible without having Ray Thompson’s 240-grain gas check bullets protrude from the front of my Frontier Colt’s cylinder . I had to trim down the rims of both rifle cases to .44 Special dimensions and cut them to approximate length with a tube cutter . I bought three brand new .38 Special Frontier cylinders and re-chambered them . The resulting .44 cylinders, installed in three different Frontiers, two 71/2" and one 51/2", resulted in the same high accuracy as the standard .44 Special cartridge . In 1949, I submitted a manuscript about my wildcat .44 Magnum, along with some sample cartridges and cases, to the American Rifleman. I received a polite letter of rejection . I wrote to Hercules, and they replied that they could pressure test .44 Special cartridges, but had no test chamber to accept my longer case. The cost of the new test barrel was prohibitive. I wrote Colt Firearms, attempting to interest them in chambering the Frontier for my round. No dice. My friend Bill Wilson, founder of Great Western Arms Corp., was planning to offer his single-action Colt clones in my new caliber, but financial problems shelved the project.” Roy, what is extremely interesting about LaChuk’s wildcat “.44 Lancer” is the fact it is a near dead-ringer for the .44 Magnum with cases 1.280" in length and he used 22.5 grains of #2400 under the Thompson bullet. Muzzle velocities had to be in the 1,2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=85http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=85friends on the border patrol back in 1950 I ran into a young new recruit by the name of Charles Skelton. I was quite impressed with this young man who not only has an excellent sense of humor but he could also really tell stories about his friend Dobe Grant and also his growing up years with his friend Joe. He told me to call him by his nickname of Skeeter and we have been corresponding ever since that visit. His letters are absolute gems and I have no doubt he will someday be a gun writer of great influence. Skeeter is now sheriff of Deaf Smith County, Texas and he has a different take than Elmer as to the use of the .44 Magnum in law enforcement work. He wrote to me: “I’ve always been a great fan of the .44 Special, however when the .44 Magnum arrived I swapped off my 5" 1950 Target .44 Special and took up the 4" .44 Magnum. However, with full loads the muzzle blast and recoil of the 4" .44 Magnum, while not as fierce as sometimes described, brought me to the conclusion that the .44 Magnum was not the optimum choice as a lawenforcement gun. While it is certainly true that one well-placed shot from it will anchor any man, there are other considerations . For law-enforcement use I returned a favored 1950 Target .44 Special with a 4" barrel to my holster. After reflecting on my experiences with the .44 Magnum, I even loaded the .44 Special down to a manageable 250-grain 900 fps rate that gave me good DA control and retained more than adequate stopping power. If you’re thinking that I quit the S&W .44 Magnum, you’re wrong. It simply switched roles in my cast of handgun characters. The .44 Magnum, in my mind, became an outdoorsman’s gun, perhaps the finest ever made for the handgun hunter. I soon learned that the 61/2" and 83/8" models performed better than the 4" gun.” Roy, Skeeter is right on the money here! The .44 Magnum is definitely a hunter’s sixgun. I’m not about to give up my easy packin’, easy shootin’ .44 Specials for every day use, but I will reach for the .44 Magnum for serious handgun hunting chores. I now have both the 61/2" .44 Magnum Smith and the .44 Blackhawk and am working hard to learn to handle both of them. My heavy load is the 250 grain Keith bullet over 10.0 grains of Unique, which just about duplicates Elmer’s Heavy .44 Special load. I intend to work my way up very slowly. The S&W balances and shoots very well, however I wish Ruger would offer a longer 71/2" barrel as well as add some weight to their sixgun. Changing the aluminum alloy grip frame to an all steel frame would certainly help and I also believe the old 1860 Colt Army would handle recoil better than the Colt SAA grip frame they are now using. The S&W .44 Magnum is without a doubt the finest sixgun they have ever offered. The Bright Blue finish is applied over an impeccably smooth polished surface, the wide hammer and trigger aid in both cocking and shooting, and the white outline fully adjustable rear sight matched up with the red insert front sight is just about the finest sights ever offered on a sixgun. In a word this is a superb sixgun and well worth the $140 price tag. You will remember there was a time I said I could not envision anyone wanting more power in a sixgun than was being offered by the .38/44 Heavy Duty and the .44 Special heavy loaded. I was wrong! Shortly after I made that statement the .357 Magnum arrived. I guess I am a slow learner as I then made the same statement about the .357 Magnum and I was wrong again. I am really tempted to say with the .44 Magnum we have absolutely reached the peak of pistol power. My good sense tells me this is so. However, I just received a letter this week from a young gunsmith out of Utah named Dick Casull who is working with what he calls his .45 Magnum using a custom built five-shot revolver. I think I better not make any more predictions. And with that I say, Good Shootin’ and God Bless, John. * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 852009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=86http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=86HANDLOADING Continued from page 38 loaded to the same level as the .44 Russian; they simply increased the black powder charge from 23 to 26 grains. With the Oregon Trail 240 SWC over 26 gr. of black powder, muzzle velocity is from 750 fps to 810 fps, again depending upon granulation used and barrel length. This same bullet over 6.0 gr. of Unique is one of my standard loads at around 800 fps, however my most used .44 Special load is the 260 grain Keith bullet over 7.5 gr. of Unique for around 950 fps. .44 Magnum: By no stretch of the imagination can the .44 Magnum be considered a cowboy load in the same way the others have, however today’s cowboy, or at least someone who has a pair of boots and a hat, is most likely to choose a .44 Magnum sixgun over any of the others. The .44 Magnum, even though overshadowed by several more powerful cartridges, still has more power than most of us will ever need in an everyday working sixgun. We are fortunate to have a wide array of Perfect Packin’ Pistols to choose from chambered in .44 Magnum and you’re sure to find one meeting your needs. All of these are capable of shooting 240-260 grain bullets at 1,300-1,400 fps, but honestly how often do we need these loads? The same 8.0 gr. of Unique I use in the .44-40 also works just fine in the short-barrel .44 Magnums giving a muzzle velocity right at 900 fps, and Hodgdon’s Universal can be used in place of Unique or go to 8.5 gr. of Alliant’s Power Pistol. If a true Keith bullet is used, more powder space is afforded so simply increase any of the above charges about one-half grain for the same results. These loads are very pleasant shooting in any short-barrel .44 Magnum, and in a pinch, and at close range, will certainly handle anything the vast majority of us are ever going to run into at least in the lower 48 states. 231.26092 Brownells JAN-FEB10 AH.pdf 1 8/31/09 2:42 PM Power Factor? Right … 1911#5 CATALOG Our Newest 1911 Catalog includes just what you need for building, maintaining and shooting the most popular pistol in history. No rifle, shotgun, or “ other pistol” stuff. Packed with barrels, frames, slides, safeties, triggers, springs, grips, and more, plus all the tools you need to install them. The highest quality products from today’s most respected, custom 1911 suppliers. And, all the sights and scope mounts you’ll need for these fine pistols and the gear you need when you head to the range or field. The Brands you know and trust: Ajax, Briley, Ed Brown, Brownells, Caspian, Clark, Cylinder & Slide, EGW, Essex Arms, Heinie, Hi-Viz, Kart, Les Baer, McCormick, Navidrex, Nighthawk Custom, Novak, Nowlin, MGW, Millett, Milt Sparks, Pachmayr, Rescomp, Safariland, Schuemann, Smith & Alexander, STI, Storm Lake, Trijicon, Truglo, Weigand, Wilson Combat, Wolff, XS and lots more. ! EE Everything 1911 R F I understand the powers-that-be in cowboy shooting have adopted a power factor (bullet weight times muzzle velocity divided by 1,000) of “60” as mininum. To put this in perspective a 200 gr. .44-40 bullet would only have to travel 300 fps to make “power.” The cowboys of old (and even those living today in the real world) would not be caught shooting a big bore sixgun with a powder-puff load like that — it’s embarrassing. * FREE to all 1911 enthusiasts. Discount pricing available. Everything we sell is 100% GUARANTEED - Period. To see more pictures from this article, got to www.americanhandgunner.com and click on the Web Blast link! 800-741-0015 86 brownells.com Source Code: CE3 CLICK ON THE “WEB BLAST” LINK WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=87http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=87AYOOb FILES Continued from page 34 Leaving the service, Mellberg emptied his $6,000 savings account and bought a semiautomatic MAK-90 clone of an AK47 rifle and a 75-round drum magazine, and returned to Spokane. He hired a taxi to drive him to the Air Force hospital complex, which was located just barely off base. The toxicology screen that accompanied his autopsy later would show that Mellberg was not under the influence of either drugs or alcohol — only madness. He entered the hospital annex with the weapon in a styrofoam case, loaded it in a men’s room and then came out shooting. The first to fall was a psychologist. He moved through the annex and the parking lot to the main building, firing as he went. Before it was over, Mellberg would shoot 27 people, killing five. The Alert On bike patrol for just an hour, Andy Brown was at the Gate Shack when the call came in: shots fired, “man with a gun” at the Emergency Room. As he got on the bicycle and began to pedal as rapidly as his legs would carry him, Brown thought for an instant that it might be just a drill. But in moments, he realized the drivers of cars streaming past him in the opposite direction as he rode toward “the sound of the guns” were shouting desperately at him. They passed each other so fast he couldn’t make out the words, but he caught the gist of the message. As he got closer to the hospital annex, he saw people running away on foot. They weren’t going by so fast that he couldn’t hear. They were pointing behind them and screaming, “man with a gun,” and about then, Andy Brown could hear the shots. And now, as his bike brings him to the front of the hospital annex building, he sees a man in the street holding a rifle, firing from the hip, left-handed. He appears to be shooting at the houses on one side of the street, and the hospital on the other. Brown can see a woman lying motionless on the ground behind the gunman. As he comes to a stop, dumps the bike, and draws the M9 pistol he has never actually fired, everything begins to go into slow motion for Air Policeman Andrew Brown. The Death Battle As the bicycle clatters to the ground, Brown — caught in the open, with no cover, not even concealment — drops into a kneeling position as he raises his gun. He takes the position as the USAF Marksmanship Training Unit has taught him, a “marksman’s kneeling,” the pistol in his right hand supported by his left, and his left elbow resting just forward of his flexed left knee. He yells in command voice, “Police! Drop it! Put it down!” The words are to no avail. The man is coming toward him. He is firing the rifle at Brown. Andy is cognizant of this, but for now, his training takes over, and he aims his newly issued Beretta, takes a sight picture, and focuses on the front sight. He draws the trigger back double action for the first shot, exactly as he has been taught. The pistol discharges. But the murderer is still moving toward him, firing. The witnesses will see it, but Andy is only dimly aware of it, because he is focusing on his task: to put a bullet into this man that will stop the danger. Still focused on the front sight, he presses the trigger again, but still there is no effect visible downrange: the man with the gun continues to come at him, shooting. Brown presses the trigger a third time. Again, no reaction: the killer is still moving forward with his high-powered rifle, at a distance that appears to be 30 or so yards. Now, doubt begins to creep into Andy Brown’s mind: “Am I missing? Are my bullets not doing anything to him?” -Doug Koenig WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 872009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=88http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=88But the training overrides the doubts, and even as those thoughts go through Andy Brown’s head, his right index finger presses the Beretta’s trigger smoothly to the rear a fourth time as his eyes focus on the front sight. Like the other shots he has already fired, this fourth one is almost inaudible to him. But at the moment of this last discharge of the Beretta, he sees a dramatic reaction downrange. The man spins violently away from Andy’s gunfire, his feet going visibly up in the air, and he falls to the ground on his back. The gunman is no longer active. Intensive personalized training in all aspects of practical shooting. Each course is designed to accommodate all levels; beginners, intermediate or advanced shooters wishing to increase their skill speed shooting. Each course will be taught by World Class Grand Master Shooting Instructors. The academy is located in the heart of central Florida near Walt Disney World. Courses limited to eight students per class. Classes available all year: Web site: www.universalshootingacademy.com He appears to be shooting at the houses on one side of the street, and the hospital on the other. Andy Brown stops shooting. Carefully keeping his gun on target he stands, and moves to cover — a phone pole and a big metal transformer he hasn’t seen as he pulled in. He will later want to kick himself for being so tunneled on the threat he didn’t spot that cover, that close, to hide behind when he could have used it. As his vision widens, he can see a truck giving him a better piece of tactical cover with better visual perspective, and he quickly moves to there. Brown is processing all this at the moment, thinking “tunnel vision,” and realizes he hasn’t checked for any additional adversaries. He does so now. His scan reveals no further threats. Only now, reasonably certain the immediate deadly danger is over, does Brown lower his Beretta. He decocks the weapon, as he has been taught. Who Else Wants To Be A And Make An Extra $ 2,000 - $3,000 Per Month Gunsmithing Part-Time! FREE* DVD ! 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Call us today! 1-800-797-0867 AH0110 The man with the MAK-90 was down and done, but there was no way Andy Brown or the other cops there could know that. They still had to check for other armed murderers, and they still had to try to help the vict2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=89http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=89chamber with, no “top-off” of round count provided for. Brown was ordered back to secure an outside perimeter, but there weren’t enough armed personnel to search and stabilize the hospital area, so he was brought back in to the shooting scene. Beretta in hand, he moved through the scene, and experienced a moment that has haunted him ever since. Coming through the cafeteria/kitchen area of the hospital, his foot slid into a large pool of slippery blood. It was the blood of an eight-year-old girl who had been murdered by the man Andy had shot down minutes before. Shooting Reconstruction As he fired the shots that stopped the murders, Andy Brown perceived his opponent to be perhaps 30 yards away from him. At the same time, hardfocused on his front sight, he was aware that his human target seemed incongruously tiny. The investigating authority was the Spokane County, Washington Sheriff’s department. Their investigation showed conclusively that USAF Security Policeman Andrew Brown had been between 69 and 71 yards away from Dean Mellberg when Brown fired the fourth and final shot, stopping the mass murder. Investigators and newsmen alike split the difference and called it 70 yards. Unquestionably, it was the last 9mm bullet fired by Brown that ended Mellberg’s killing spree. However, it was not his only hit. Though Mellberg had shown no reaction to it, he had been hit before then by one of Brown’s first three shots. Typical of full metal jacket, pointy-nose 9mm ball ammunition, the hit had created what pathologists sometimes call an “adynamic wound.” That is, a wound that did not stop activity, and did not contribute to cause of death. This first bullet, according to the autopsy, hit Mellberg’s left shoulder just above the armpit and simply went in and out. The autopsy report described it as “track of the missile through skin, subcutaneous fat, deltoid muscle, subcutaneous fat, to exit.” It is not surprising that Brown, on the shooting end of that, saw no reaction from his opponent. The shot that stopped the killing was proof of the long-standing conviction that shot placement is more important than anything else in terms of “stopping” a homicidal aggressor. The bullet Andy Brown fired that ended the murder spree entered just to the right of Mellberg’s nose, almost dead center “between the eyes,” and tracked down to exit the upper neck at the juncture of the rear curvature of the skull. It appears the wound track missed the deep brain, the pons and the medulla oblongata, but tore through the 89 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=90http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=90upper brain. As Brown’s shot exited, it sucked out with it in its vapor-wake any cognitive thought the depraved murderer might have had, and along with it any ability to harm innocent people. As is common with profound injuries to the upper brain, it apparently triggered what neurologists colloquially call “an electrical storm in the nervous system,” causing muscles to “fire” and activate violently. This is associated with frequent reports of men shot in the upper brain who appear to “stiffen up and topple over like a tree”: the anti-gravity muscles in the legs are stronger than the flexor muscles of the legs, causing this effect. At the moment Andy Brown fired the shot killing Dean Mellberg, the latter’s forward-moving posture would be consistent with bent legs. The sudden, involuntary straightening of those bent legs at the moment Brown’s bullet tore through his murderous brain would be consistent with the “electrical storm in the central nervous system” effect, accounting for the witnesses including Brown seeing the killer appear to jump up in the air and spin before he fell to the ground, motionless. Long Term Aftermath People who say “There’s no such thing as post shooting trauma” usually haven’t been in a shooting in the United States, and experienced the aftermath that includes influence of the press and of a public clueless about what really happens in gunfights. At the scene, Brown felt he had not done enough. It was as if he hadn’t gotten there in time. Cognitively, he knew then and knows now there was no way he could have gotten there sooner to interdict the threat, and no one could have stopped it faster than he did under the circumstances. What haunts him most is the memory of those he was unable to protect: those who died, and who were shot and wounded, before he could get there. What haunts him most is stepping in the blood of the eightyear-old child who died before he could arrive to stop her killer. Appropriately, Brown received awards for his courageous actions. He accepted them modestly. What bothered him was something that police psychologist Walter Gorski had long before termed “Mark of Cain Syndrome”: the sense of your identity as the good guy, the good cop, the good whatever, has been consumed by your new identity splattered all over the newspapers as “He Who Killed.” Brown remembers, “I had young cops come up to me and say they wished they had been the ones to do it, it was a great thing.” He discovered he was being described to other people to whom he hadn’t yet been introduced as, “The guy who killed the killer.” Says Brown, “The USAF encouraged me to relocate. I spent three years in Hawaii as a USAF criminal investigator, then a year in New Mexico.” By then, he had decided to get out. He relocated in the Pacific Northwest, and now serves in the law enforcement realm as a dispatcher. There came a time, after the shooting, when he felt badly enough about not having been able to be there in time to stop all the killing, he thought it would be a good idea to take his government employer up on the offer to speak to a psychologist. As soon as he did, he was relieved of his fully empowered status and disarmed of his issued weapon. And, yes, that left a very bitter taste in his mouth. Even after getting a “clean bill of health” and being reinstated and re-armed, Andy Brown came to realize those he served did not care about him, as much as he had cared about those he had sworn an oath to serve and protect, on pain of his very life. In the end, that’s why he chose to leave the street side and go to another side of law enforcement, where he serves with distinction today. Says Andy now, “I got out when after five years and two new assignments, I was still known as ‘The guy from Fairchild that shot that dude.’ The everyday stress of law enforcement was getting harder to handle. The adrenaline of a traffic stop would make my voice quake and my hands tremble, like a rookie. Suspects lying to me in interviews would 2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=91http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=91less innocent people are under fire and you have sworn an oath to protect them — “minimum” training and practice is not enough. Andy Brown had taken his oath so seriously he bought the closest gun he could afford to the relatively expensive Government-issue Beretta, simply to practice with on his own time, at his own expense. Anyone who doubts this dedication on the part of this individual member of the United States Air Force to serve those within the mantle of protection went above and beyond the call of duty, is probably too clueless to enter a discussion of the matter. Even the staunchest advocates of unaimed “point shooting” agree at longer distances, the sights must be used if you expect to deliver a fight-stopping hit with a handgun. Andy Brown did so, and proved the validity of “focus on your front sight” as the tactic that will win such a fight. Andy’s experience highlights a fundamental principle of surviving any life-threatening experience: focus on the task, not the goal. Seeing a deadly, well-armed killer shooting at him 70 yards away, a distance he perceived as half that or even closer, Andy didn’t think “Oh, my God, I gotta somehow survive!” No, he thought about focusing on his front sight and carefully pressed his trigger straight back, and he hit his opponent with two out of four shots at a distance many would consider “out of range” … and he killed the killer and stopped the mass murders. Starting with a 75-round magazine in his rifle, Mellberg had already shot 27 people at the time Andy Brown stopped him with a bullet literally between the eyes. Andy remembers now, “There were 19 rounds left in his gun at the time he went down. It made me feel good I stopped him before he took any more victims.” You can hear Andy Brown talk about it himself on Episode 033 of the ProArms Podcast, downloadable from iTunes, Zune, or http://proarms.podbean.com. He graciously allowed us to tape and broadcast it when he took an LFI-I class (where he shot damn well, by the way). Andy is licensed of course to carry a gun, and does so. A tall man with long fingers, he finds a SIG P226 9mm to conceal adequately for him, and to fit his hand better than the M9 he used in the service. You might find it useful to hear him speak of that day in his own words. I for one consider Andy Brown to be a genuine American hero. So, I suspect, will you after you hear his story. All of us fantasize about being a genuine American hero. But only someone like Andy Brown can tell you how much it might cost. Bottom Line * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 912009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=92http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=92JUGGERNAUT Continued from page 55 “I continued the MOD trend and recruited designers like Canadian special operations veteran and knife maker Brent Beshara, who developed the “Besh Wedge” triple-edged blade design and the XSF-1 combat dagger. I also worked closely with Allen Elishewitz, who is an extremely talented martial artist as well as one of the best custom knife makers of our generation. His Nightwing and Nightedge combat knives are an extraordinary blend of function and ergonomics.” Once MOD became part of BLACKHAWK!, they found their core customers — largely law enforcement and military professionals. Janich also brought in close friend and fellow martial arts wizard Kelly McCann to become involved in the design process. “Kelly is by far the most talented instructor with whom I’ve worked,” said Michael, “and a true expert in everything from individual unarmed combatives up through organizational-level security operations. When we worked together, Kelly showed me a fixed-blade knife design he had commissioned from a custom maker. He also explained his goal was to render that design as both a fixed blade and an ergonomically identical folding knife. That way regardless of your mission profile, you could carry a knife or knives openly or concealed and have the same balance, ergonomics, and performance.” BLACKHAWK! ended up with a production of McCann’s fixedblade named the Crucible I and followed with a folder version of the knife called the Crucible II. The MOD line sold well for BLACKHAWK! but the knives themselves were priced in the upper end of the production knife spectrum and outside the affordability range of many law enforcement and military users. To rectify the problem BLACKHAWK! chose to re-design the best selling models in the MOD line to be more affordable. MOD had always attracted a large number of hard-core users and armed professionals, but there was also a substantial collector’s element to the MOD customer base. Once MOD became part of BLACKHAWK!, they found their core customers — largely FREE GIFT with this product The Self-Defense Guideline Card Unlike other shoulder rigs that make you wear a suit or jacket, The steps you must take to keep from going to you wear the DeepConcealment under your regular shirt! gun in self-defense Allows you to carry, completely concealed, a wide variety of handguns with different barrel lengths “What a discovery! .I carry a Fully adjustable. Distributes the weight of your gun to your Taurus 24/7 in full concealment shoulders and across your back for a more comfortable carry comfortably for 12 hour days and NO ONE has any idea that Extra padding protects your gun from perspiration and for I am carrying! ” J.C.P. comfort. Comes with a retention strap Pocket on opposite side will hold two extra magazines Chest Sizes Medium 33"-38" Made of long-lasting elastic and Velcro for all day wear Large 39"-44" Right or left hand and black or white models available XLarge 45"-50" Fits most small to medium frame revolvers and semi-autos Custom sizes available. up to 7" overall length. Order right now online for faster service: prison if you use your FREE Shipping! 92 Only $3999 www.ActiveProGear.com/10 1-800-479-8056 Ext 10 Active Pro Gear Inc, PO Box 771835, Miami, FL 33177 Visit us online to view our entire line of unique concealment holsters! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=93http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=93law enforcement and military professionals — loved the MOD designs and the design concepts behind them, but in many cased could not afford the premium prices MOD commanded. To respond to that need, they started changing gears with their BLACKHAWK! Blades brand and decided to adapt some of the proven MOD designs to more affordable versions. By taking advantage of the manufacturing efficiencies available in Taiwan’s cutlery industry, which is by far one of the best in the world, they were able to render extremely functional MOD designs selling for half the price of the original MOD versions. In the process, they were also able to incorporate design improvements like four-position clothing clips, making the new knives even more functional and versatile than the originals. These designs have been very well received by BLACKHAWK!’s core customers. Paste using Command-F BLACKHAWK! Rising to place in the same position. Utilize “paste remembers layers” to maint the layer names. The BLACKHAWK! line has become extremely diversified. Both fixed blades and folders grace the line with designs ranging from graceful to downright wicked. The UK-SFK (United Kingdom Special Forces Knife) dagger is as nicely rendered a fixedblade as you’ll find, blending traditional military dagger styling with modern styling cues. Brent Beshara’s designs were used for inspiration and the UK-SFK got a nice dose. The handle of the knife is based on the handle of Brent Beshara’s XSF-1 dagger. Brent is a former member of the Canadian unit that traces its lineage back to the Devil’s Brigade, and it has a powerful military lineage. The blade design was inspired by the Applegate-Fairbairn dagger, and BLACKHAWK! fused these two together into the UK-SFK design. In addition to the full-size XSF-1 dagger, BLACKHAWK! worked with Brent Beshara to make his extraordinary Besh Wedge blade designs available in knives designed for everyday carry and personal defense. This resulted in the XSF Micro and XSF Punch Dagger neck knives, which have been extremely well received, especially among law enforcement officers looking for reliable handgun retention and backup weapons. The latest contribution to the BLACKHAWK! line is the BeWharned tactical folder. The Wharncliffe blade style is appropriate for combat and BLACKHAWK!’s experiments with the blade make a good case for the straight-edged blade style. Wharncliffes cut more aggressively than other blade styles and penetrate well. The Wharncliffe is a good working blade capable of handling a variety of field chores. Overall this is a very versatile folder. W ith Shoot•N•C ® Targets, bullet holes explode in bright, easy-to-see chartreuse rings providing you with instant feedback and eliminating the need to use binoculars or walk downrange. This revolutionary technology has made Shoot•N•C® the #1 reactive target worldwide! • ADHESIVE BACKING makes targets easy to put up • REPAIR PASTERS cover bullet holes extending target life • USE INDOORS OR OUT • AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY OF DESIGNS TARGETS For a free sample and catalog visit birchwoodcasey.com or call: 800-328-6156 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 932009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=94http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=94The Model BHB30, Garra II and Point Man tactical folders demonstrate the diverse range of styles in the BLACKHAWK! stable. The BHB30 is a sleek assisted-opener with a sculpted “tiger stripe” handle for enhanced grip. The Garra II, designed by Janich, has an aggressive hawkbill style blade smacking of a Velocirapter claw made modern. The Point Man could serve as the poster child for Merriam-Webster’s definition of what a tactical folder should be. Such diversity makes for great a selection for the discriminating consumer-user who likes to tailor their knife to their needs. CQG-Mark I The hottest seller in the re-modeled MOD series is the updated and economically downsized version of original CQG-Mark I folder. The CQD Mark I Type E is a faithful rendering of the award-winning CQD Mark I folding knife designed by close-combat trainer Duane Dieter. The original Mark I was the first folding “rescue” knife to include a glass breaker and seat belt cutter. The Type E retains all the performance of the original, but at a retail price less than one-third that of the MOD version. Tactical and rescue tools have also found their way into the BLACKHAWK! line with great success. The Small Pry breaching knife is a cleverlydesigned prying tool that makes easy work of making door hinges work when the guy on the other side doesn’t want them to. The HawkHook pocket rescue tool is a compact tool box the featuring a folding blade with a recessed cutting edge for cutting cut seat belt webbing and paracord, a straight serrated cutting edge for knife work, a glass breaker, a flat screwdriver with a prying tip, a bottle cap opener, and a wire stripper. With an overall length of only 3.25", the HawkHook is a little dynamo everyone can use. It’s not surprising the HawkHook won the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence Safety Product of the Year Award in 2008, an event hosted by Handgunner’s sister magazine, Shooting Industry. In the whole scheme of things BLACKHAWK! Knives has come a long way in a short period of time. According to BLACKHAWK!, they are now focusing on knives as a product category and moving away from the concept of knife brands. Based on the overwhelming success of the Mark I Type E and similar products, they will AM continue to adapt 4/24/09 MOD8:41:10 design innovations to more affordable, accessible products. Get Slashing * For more info: BLACKHAWK!, (757) 436-3101, www.blackhawk.com 94 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=95http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=95TAFFIN TESTS Continued from page 30 Colt took special pains to advertise all their frames were forged not cast. DoubleStar’s frames are all forged. Their reasoning is forging produces a stronger frame by aligning the grain structure of the steel whereas the annealing and heat treating of casting may leave hard and soft spots in the metal. The DoubleStar .45 ACP is patterned after a standard 1911 with many of the custom touches desired by discriminating shooters. I remember my first 1911 purchased more than 50 years ago. The slide was loose and rattled and if I still had it today, even with my poor hearing, I could probably hear it rattle. There is no looseness with the DoubleStar; the slide is custom fit very tightly to the frame while at the same time being so smooth as to allow easy working of the slide. The slide itself is the typical roundtop 1911 style with slanted grooves cut on both sides at the front and back for easy manipulation of the slide. The sights are excellent being square, big and bold Novak three-dot style with the rear sight melted nicely into the frame. Both sights are in a dovetail and the rear sight can be drifted for windage and locked in place. Just as it came from the factory, the DoubleStar .45 was right on the money for me, my eyes, and my hold as to elevation, and just slightly to the right for windage. There is no doubt in my mind the excellent sights had a lot to do with the superb performance turned in by this .45. Features The DoubleStar 1911-A1 has a Parkerized, mil-spec finish with a rail under the frame in front of the trigger guard for attaching a laser or light. The barrel is the standard 5" length and is match grade stainless steel. Safeties consist of an Ed Brown Memory Grip beavertail type safety and a 1911 thumb safety; the extended magazine release button is on the left side. Operation of the magazine release button is very easy and the magazine releases with just a touch of the button. Easy insertion of the magazine is also aided by the beveled magazine well. The DoubleStar comes with an 8-round Novak magazine and it’s all packed in a quality zippered and padded range bag. The hammer is skeletonized and the trigger is from Greider with three holes drilled through it. The fine line checkering of the front strap and closely spaced serrations of the backstrap provide a very positive gripping surface, which is also enhanced by synthetic grips with a sharp fish scale-looking pattern. No matter what 95 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=96http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=96CALL 1(800)SA2-1911 “the MAG GUIDE people”™ when only the BEST will do! ORDER DIRECT and SAVE! $78.95 Government Model/ Officers’ Model Mag Guide Available: Flat/Arched SS/BL 20 LPI NEW: Flat now available in Smooth Also Available: Grizzly Flat-SS/BL $89.95 AL $36.95 Mainspring Housing Available in: Gov’t Model, Officers’ Model, all Para-Ordnance. 20 LPI Flat/Arched-SS/BL (P10/P12 flat only) (flat smooth available for all of the above) AL $95.95 Full Para Mag Guide (For P14/P16 only) Available in: Flat/Arched-SS/BL 20 LPI AL the load this gun is not going to twist in the hand. With its standard 5" barrel the loaded weight is 38 ounces. The excellent trigger pull measures just a hair over 5 lbs. on the RCBS Trigger Pull Scale, however it is smooth and creep free and feels lighter to me. Along with the excellent sights this very good trigger pull is also a large factor in obtaining good groups. In testing the DoubleStar 1911-A1, 19 different loads, factory and handloads, cast bullets and jacketed bullets, hollowpoints and full metal jackets were tried. The earlier load mentioned which got a nice ragged hole was the CCI Blazer 200 Combat Match which clocked out at just under 870 fps. In extensive testing I always allow one throwaway stress relieving round so all groups are the measuring of five shots out of six shots fired. In some cases I didn’t need to discard a round as the groups were so tight. One does not need exceptionally small groups in a self-defense pistol, however I find it very comforting. If an aimed shot at a very small target must be taken the capability is there (Editor’s note: Read this issue’s Ayoob Files about a 70-yard handgun shot taking out a mass murderer!). Other important factors are sights, which are easy to see and shoot to point of aim, both attributes of this .45. The most important factor, however, is reliability. This DoubleStar .45 ACP 1911-A1 proved to be totally 100-percent reliable with all loads tested. It was not at all difficult to find factory loads designed for self defense which would group right at 1" for five shots at 20 yards. This includes Buffalo Bore’s 200 JHP at 1,056 fps and 230 FMJ at 966 fps; CCI Blazer 230 FMJ, 805 fps; Black Hills 230 JHP, 790 fps; and Cor-Bon’s 200 +P JHP at 1,049 fps. Switching to my handloads, the same 1" groups were obtained with Oregon Trail’s 200 SWC over 7.0 grains of Power Pistol for 932 fps; Sierra’s 230 FMJ with 6.8 grains of Power Pistol for 784 fps, and Sierra’s 200 FPJ with 7.2 grains of Power Pistol for 853 fps. I use a lot of Sierra bullets and have been using a lot of Alliant’s Power Pistol for both semiauto and sixgun loads and have found it to be an excellent powder; and the bullets and powder make a grand combination. The suggested retail price for the DoubleStar .45 ACP 1911-A1 is $1,349 MSRP, making it an excellent bargain in today’s market. It will be most interesting to see what they come up with next. Accurate? $99.00 Ambidextrous Magazine Release Gov’t Model, Officers’ Model & Para-Ordnance. SS/BL $36.95 “E-Z Fit Hi Grip”® Safety .250 radius-Series 70 & 80 .220 radius S70 for Springfields “PalmSwel”/Standard (jig available) Prices starting at $17.50 S & A Custom 1911 Grips Exotic Woods & Micarta Standard & Slim Line DD, FC & Smooth available in Aluminum Color Catalog Available Same Day Shipping Appropriate shipping charges Dealers Welcome 100% Customer Satisfaction L A NEW–Slim Line Mag Guides & Grips w/screws & bushings available with Lanyard Loop add $10 P.O. Box 299 • Copeville, Texas USA 75121 (800) SA2-1911 • Fax (972) 853-0526 www.smithandalexander.com Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm CST * For more info: DoubleStar Corp., (859) 745-1757, www.star15.com 96 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=97http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=972009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=98http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=98Custom CORNER JRJ CUSTOM PISTOLS Specializing in M1911-A1 James R. Jimenez - Pistolsmith Custom Cornerfeaturespaidlistingsbytheidentified pistolsmiths.ManyaremembersoftheAmerican PistolsmithsGuildandtheAmericanHandgunner Club100.Advertisinginformationisavailablefrom: AMERICAN HANDGUNNER,Adv.Dept.,12345World TradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128;(858)605-0218. La Verne, CA. 626.422.0721 james@jrjcustompistols.com www.jrjcustompistols.com WWW.DLSPORTS.COM Custom AR15’s, 1911’s, Precision Rifles, Accessories, Training, ITRC Competition Extreme Duty AR15 Magazines Now Available! 307.686.4008 D&L Sports, Inc. PO Box 651 Gillette, WY 82717 J.B. Custom, Inc. Custom Manufactured Firearms Mare’s Leg Lever Action Pistols, 1894 Winchester Lever Action Rifles and Parts, 1911 Pistols, 1873 Single Action Revolvers and More! See our Web Site www.jbcustom.com Phone: 260-338-1894 Fax: 260-338-1585 E-mail: jabjim@comcast.net 16335 Lima Rd. #5, Huntertown, IN 46748 PISTOLSMITHS www.tusseycustom.com e-mail: ttussey45@aol.com 775-246-1533 98 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=99http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=99HUMbLE Continued from page 71 Powder River Precision, Inc. www.powderriverprecision.com Quality and timely pistolsmithing Specialized in: Springfield XD/XDM, 1911’s, Glocks and the Browning Hi-Power. (541) 403-2998 (541) 403-2999 fun, as a direct crosswind was gusting over 20 miles per hour. It seemed like everyone had a wind meter so yes, the exact wind speed was known. I learned one thing quick — wind is not your friend. The wind flag by the targets was flapping straight out, howling from right to left. After making all the adjustments the scope could bear, I still had to hold over the target. My trusty spotter then gave me the bad news about windage. The wind can really move a bullet substantially from that distance. I had switched to a heavier, 105 grain Berger bullet. Even so, after moving the scope setting as far as possible to the right, it still wasn’t enough. I had to find an aiming point off the target completely. When that was accomplished, thanks to a good spotter, I was shocked to be even hitting the paper target. It was somewhat gratifying even though my groups were pathetic. When the smoked settled, two 15-year old teenagers took top honors in both divisions. Becky Auer won the light division with her MOA in .243 AI. A teenage girl beat all the adult men. How cool is that? Erik Bishop won the day in the heavy division with his impressive 83/8" group. Eric was shooting a custom XP in 6.5X284. Everyone there was thrilled these young shooters took first place in their respective division. may be directed behind or to the side of the barrel, hearing protection should always be mandatory regardless. Bullets of high ballistic coefficient were used by most competitors. Sierra, Berger and Hornady A-Max bullets were the ones I saw the most. I shot both the Sierra and Berger varieties during the long range shooting. Before the shooting match, I had to warm up on the local prairie dog population and shot Berger and Hornady A-Max bullets. All of these bullets performed well from not only my gun, but the borrowed MOA as well. Barrels were designed with a twist rate to accommodate, or stabilize these heavy for caliber bullets. The main cartridges I observed from the shoot included 6X47, .243 AI, 6X284, and 6.5X284. In all except the .243 AI, Lapua brass was seen frequently. Lapua produces quality, uniform brass with many reloadings possible. While the number of participants was not large, all the shooters there were very helpful and willing to assist any way possible. Typical of our “gunculture” as Mike Venturino might say. Like me, I think everyone there would enjoy seeing more handgun enthusiast experience this type of event. It was challenging, but still fun. I learned a lot from the shoot and look forward to next year when I will hopefully have my own gun set up for this type of shooting. I realize some of my excuses will be void. Spendy What’d I Learn? Symbol of honest, competent, quality workmanship “LOOK FOR IT!” Member list $2.00 1449 Blue Crest Ln. San Antionio, TX 78232 Shooting a riflescope on a handgun was educational. You can definitely see your target better with higher magnification. When you get your eye close to the scope in order to see a full field of view, you better have a light recoiling gun or the most effective muzzle brake possible, or both. If not, you are in a position to get your eye socket re-arranged. This was primarily the reason every shooter had a muzzle brake on their gun. Most shooters would acquire a full field of view first, then back away from the scope somewhat, so a full field of view was not possible, nor necessary. After shooting this way several times, it became much easier. I enjoy shooting handgun scopes but they simply do not offer the magnification necessary for precision shooting at long range. The scopes I saw during the shoot included Leupold, Burris, Nikon, Nightforce and Sightron. Today’s modern muzzle brakes are extremely efficient, taking most, if not all of the muzzle ris2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=100http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=100Order Your Copy While Supplies Last! (outside U.S. $17.95) Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST A LOOK INSIDE: ONLY $9.95 • Personal Protection for Spouses • The Tactics of Light • To Sight or not to Sight? Order at www.americancopmagazine.com P.O. Box 502610 • San Diego, CA 92150-2610 888.732.2299 Call Toll-Free2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=101http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=101he artisans at Louder Than Words have again collaborated on a magnificent pistol package you have a chance to win, while helping a very worthy cause. The LTW organization is composed of some of the country’s finest custom pistolsmiths and holster makers who each year donate their time and skills, collaborating on a custom pistol. The result of their efforts represents the best craftsmanship the industry has to offer. These collaborations represent a rare opportunity to win a distinctive and exclusive pistol from the collective LTW workbench — and do a good thing at the same time! This years beneficiary is the Naval Special Warfare Foundation (www. nswfoundation.org), a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity incorporated in 2000 and established to honor those who served in the sea commando services. The NSWF’s focus is to provide educational and motivational support, promote health and welfare programs for the Naval Special Warfare Community and perpetuate the history, values, traditions and heritage of the U.S. Naval Commandos. The fit between the LTW group and the NSWF was a natural, and the opportunity to work with the NSWF was a “no-brainer” for the LTW Board of Directors. Like previous LTW collaborations, this pistol is something extraordinary. This project’s pool of knowledge, skill and craftsmanship was provided by the following gunsmiths: Steve Bailey of Heirloom Precision, Stan Chen of Legacy Custom, Ned Christiansen of Michiguns LTD., CT Brian of CT Brian Custom and Don Williams of The Action Works. The frame and slide were donated to the foundation by Springfield Armory and serial numbered to denote the year of completion, LTW 2009. Most of the parts were donated by the foremost friend to the gunsmithing trade and staple of the firearms industry, Brownells. Both Brownells and Springfield Armory, along with other companies, have been steadfast supporters of LTW from the beginning. With the parts in hand and the project’s direction defined, Stan Chen began by machining the front strap and mainspring housing for his “Progressive Traction“ checkering, after which Don Williams fit the frame and slide, barrel and bushing, and installed the ejector and extractor along with performing the reliability work. Steve Bailey fit the beavertail and thumb safety followed by CT Brian who ball-cut and bordered the slide, performed a trigger job, crowned the barrel, flush-cut and countersunk the slide stop/slide stop pin hole and de-horned the gun. Finally Ned Christiansen installed a Dawson light rail, fit a dovetailed front sight, modified the slide to accept his “Shield Driver” rear sight as well as doing the final zeroing and detailing of the gun. A holster set was custom made by Josh Bulman of Bulman Gunleather. Josh’s work looks as much like fine art as it does functional leather and for this project Josh made his SDS holster, QDMP magazine carrier and QLC flashlight carrier all finished in an exquisite twotone honey and mahogany finish. With the work complete all that’s left to do is for one lucky person to win the raffle! To purchase tickets or for more info contact: Laura Ruland, C/O The Villages, 1020 Lake Sumter, The Villages, Fl. 32162, e-mail: Laura.ruland@ thevillages.com, (353) 753-6739 For more info: Louder Than Words, www.louderthanwords.us * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 1012009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=102http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=102GUNNYSACK PUMA KNIVES Roy Huntington he catalog said, “1769” and I re-read it again. That’s the first year PUMA knives were made. Since then, their tradition of craftsmanship and high quality steel has been carried on and it still represents one of the classic knife makers of the world. When you do something for that long, you get pretty good at it. When I was a working cop a million years ago, there was one officer, a dear friend, Bob Rhode, who always loved things of quality. Bob always had the best watch, best guns, best gear, loved good wine, good food, fine autos and anything else that took a discerning eye to understand. I was a knife guy and one day asked Bob what he carried as a knife on duty. He smiled and pulled a PUMA “Duke” out of the flapped sheath on his duty belt. “It’s the best money can buy,” he said, smiling at me. “See the little ‘dot’ on the blade, that’s where they test it for correct hardness and heat-treatment. You won’t find that on any other blade.” That stuck in my brain ever since. PUMA is back in a big way now, with strong representa- T tion in the states with the PUMA Knife Company USA. They are the official distributors of this fine line of European knives and I’m pleased to be able to re-introduce them to you. Like many things European, they often have lines not-quite familiar to our American-ized eyes, but nonetheless, like fine European autos, there are usually reasons for those design ideas. The classic White Hunter is one I dreamed about as a kid and for some reason have let slip through my fingers ever since. Once I got the loaner knife in hand though, I realized I should have spent my money all those years ago. The Prince mirrors the knife Bob owned and is also a classic PUMA design. The Wolf is a handy fixed-blade hunter model and the stag on all three add to the allure. The Pretec is more modern, but doesn’t give up anything, and the blade/saw combo make sense in the field. These will be difficult to send back. Check ‘em all out and do what your heart tells you to do! (913) 888-5524, www.pumaknifecompanyusa.com Order Your Copy While Supplies Last! ONLY $9.95 (outside U.S. $17.95) Order at www.americanhandgunner.com 888.732.2299 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST Call Toll-Free A LOOK INSIDE: • Improvised Weapons for Self Defense • Using Cover Properly • Non-Lethal Protection • Common-Sense Concealed Carry • Gunsite Basics • Plus Much More P.O. Box 502610 • San Diego, CA 92150-2610 102AH_1/2HZ_PersDef09.indd 1 3/18/09 8:37:58 AM WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=103http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=103rimson Trace, of Lasergrip fame, has just introduced a Modular Vertical Foregrip with integral light and laser that mounts on anything with a picatinny rail. Called the MVF-515, this “combo” pack helps to keep things tidy, with no need for clamping a light in one spot, a laser in the other and then a foregrip in the third. You only have only one hand “up-front” and I swear sometimes I’ve felt like the Wizard of Oz behind that curtain, pulling levers and pushing buttons to keep things going. The two bigger side pads activate the laser with a single push for on and another for off. The smaller pad (above the bigger one) is for the built-in bright, white light, and works the same way. You can activate the laser, the light or both with one hand, using the pressure sensitive switches. It’s ambidextrous and with the built-in textured surfaces and neatly designed ergonomic grip, it’s not only comfortable, but rugged and easy to grasp. By simply squeezing you can easily activate the different features and in no time at all you can be putting on a light show looking like the Mother Ship from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. One of the best things, if you ask me, is the fact it uses AA batteries, but maybe that’s because I’m a cheapskate. There’s also other features, like ways to set the light or laser on strobe. The light is rated at about 200 lumens with a 4 hour run-time, with a 150 lumen mode too (turn the bezel to change modes) and a corresponding longer run-time. You could run the laser for about 48 continuous hours if you really wanted to. I mean, just how long can you play “chase the laser” with your cat? This is a well-built, excellently engineered product made for hard military or police use, so you know it’d stand up to the kind of abuse Sam and Suzi Homemaker could toss at it. At around $499 at full-boat retail, it ain’t a cheap Chinese knock-off that will fail when you need it most. (800) 442-2406, www.crimsontrace.com CTC FOREGRIP C GUNNYSACK Roy Huntington WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 1032009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=104http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=104GUNNYSACK T Roy Huntington PROLIX LUBRICANT/CLEANER hese are always some of the toughest things to write about. New miracle lubes and cleaners come out all the time, but this time it’s a bit easier. Prolix has been around for over 22 years and I’ve actually used the stuff. Right off the bat, there’s a few things I like about it, not the least is the fact it’s made entirely in the USA. The other is you an actually wash a part in it with your bare hands. Nothing in it is listed on the EPA’s “bad” list and you can use it with aplomb, knowing the Green Peace assault vehicle will not come storming into your garage, which might be a really bad idea for them anyway, I’d suspect. Basically, Prolix is a cleaner and lubricant since when it dries it leaves a slippery stuff behind. It’s good for wood (cleans and makes it shiny), and you can even leave nickel plated parts in it with no ill-effects other than they get clean. Imagine that. It’s based on citrus-cleaning technology so it’s biodegradable and ozone safe. I remember when we used to think nothing about squirting all kinds of petroleum-based goo on our guns, hands and often into our eyes, all the while breathing in the wonderful smells of the various solvents involved. I wonder how we lived to get old? Maybe it affected our memories, but I haven’t noticed it. Or at least I can’t remember noticing it. None of those worries with Prolix though. I tried it on some guns and even some other gear. Since moving to the wilds of Missouri onto some land, I have two tractors, an ATV and no end of assorted yard-gear like mowers, brush hogs and the like to maintain. During a brainstorm, I sprayed my tractor motor with Prolix, let it sit a spell, and power-washed it spick and span clean. I watched the water drain away knowing the animals were happy I was being all green and stuff. Worked great. Ditto for my Model 25 S&W with gobs of lead in the bore due to shooting CCI shot loads through it. A wet swab (actually, about four wet swabs) a very minor bit of scrubbing and presto-cleano. I like this stuff and keep the spray bottle on my workbench. The lube seems to work like a good lube too so it lives on the bench too. I’d try it if I were you. (800) 248-5823, www.Prolixlubricant.com A LOOK INSIDE: Order Your Copy While Supplies Last! ONLY $9.95 (outside U.S. $17.95) Order at www.americanhandgunner.com 888.732.2299 104 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY2010 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST Call Toll-Free2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=105http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=105GUNNYSACK HANDMADE GRIPS Roy Huntington kay, I got it … you’re either going to think I’ve gone insane, or else think I’ve gone to a new level of good taste and design savvy. Either way, I’m going to come right out and say I actually like these. I admit this is one of those “love it or hate it” things, but if you keep your mind open for a minute, let me explain. I got an e-mail out of the blue from Mr. Cenk Gültekin, who turned out to be the marketing guy, from “Handmade Grips” based in, of all places, Istanbul, Turkey. Okay, I’m open-minded so I heard him out. Basically, they use the same skills developed over hundreds of years making fancy swords and other goodies for Sultans and such people, and now create hand-made, custom grips for all sorts of handguns. Cenk volunteered to send me a couple of sets for a Browning Hi-Power and a 1911 so I could see for myself. Made of walnut, the inlays are of “nacre” which, according to Cenk, comes from the inner layers of a fresh water oyster where, as he says, “the pearls come to birth.” The scrolls can be brass, silver, gold or other metals as you O may wish, and since each one is literally hand-made, you can have one made to any design you can dream-up. Cenk calls these grips “Handembroidered” which is a description I like since it is, indeed, what they are. They can do flags, hearts, logos or anything you’d like. They are carefully made, and being done completely by hand, you can see the hand of the artist in each one. It’s not a CNCmachined piece of steel or wood, but something a lone craftsman put their heart into. As Cenk says, “The flowers and scrolls come to life as they are artistically applied to the grip.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. I’ve had many e-mails to and from them and they appear to be honest, hard-working people doing something they love. Cenk assures me any orders will be well-taken care of, and they even offer PayPal if you’d be more comfortable buying that way. Tell Cenk we sent you, and don’t talk about me behind my back now. International Phone: (90) 216 306 33 92, www.handmadegrips.com, sales@handmadegrips.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 1052009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=106http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=106: SPOTLIGHT PYA WITH NRA LOGO GouldandGoodrich GouldandGoodrichhas partneredwiththeNRAto makeitsfamousPYApancake holsterembossedwiththeNRA logo.ThePYAismadeofthefinest topgrainvegetabletannedcowhide andisrichlymoldedtoensureaprecise fitforyourweaponandwillaccommodatebeltsupto1¾" wide.Givethemacallat(910)893-2071orseethem onlineat www.gouldusa.com or www.nrastore.com. THE CCT ThreeSistersForge COMFORT BRIDGE BINOCULARS Minox Minoxhascreatedbinocularsfor useinextendedperiodsoftime. Minoxdesignengineershave combinedsleek,distinctivestyling withthepracticalergonomicadvantages ofenhancedcomfortandsecurehandling,plusanincreased fieldofview,creatinganewstandardforopen-bridge binoculars.Thenew modelsaretheBL 8x44andtheBL 10x44.Tolearnmore, callMinoxat(866) 469-3080orvisit themontheWebat www.minox.com. ThreeSistersForgeisproudtointroducetheCCTCreditCardTactical:acredit cardsized2.95ozknifethatisperfectfordailycarry.It’ssmall,lightandstill pullsapotent440C2"Blade.ThreeSistersusesthehighestqualitystainless hardwarefortheclipandincludesbrassbushings.Thisisatough,tactical personalbladethatdoublesasagreatlittlemoneyclip.Needtoseemore? VisitthemontheWebatwww.threesistersforge.com. HX 150 TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT InsightTech-Gear ThenewHX150fromInsightTech-Gearisaprogrammable,multi-function handheldtacticalLEDflashlightthatprovidestheoperatorwithdynamicflexibility inlowlightsituations.Aggressivelyknurledtoresistslippingandcrownedwitha tacticalcrenulatedbezel,theHX150bodyisconstructedfromruggedaerospacegradealuminumandhardcoatedanodizedfordurability.Find outmorewithacalltoInsight at(877)744-4802oronlineat www.insighttechgear.com. STAG PATHFINDER PumaKnifeCompanyUSA LINVILLE 1911 GRIPS LinvilleKnifeandToolCompany LinvilleKnifeandToolhasbeenmakinginnovative1911 gripsfromMicartaandG-10inFloridaandNorthCarolina since2002.Theircustomerlistreadslikea“Who’sWho”of AmericanHandguns.ManyStyles andsizesareavailable,fromultra compacttofull size,bobtail,ambi safety,magwellor bevelbottoms.Call TimBrittontolearn moreat(336)923-2062orvisitthemonlineat www.linvilleknifeandtool.com. 106 Pumahasbeenmakingsomeoftheworld’sbestknivessince1769andthenew PumaPathfindercontinuesthetradition.HandcraftedbyGermanartisans,inthe traditionalearl-Bowiestyle,thisisthesameastheBoyScoutmodelsoldbyPuma inthe1960s.Thisistheknifetoconsiderwhetheryouareatraditionalistorjust wanttoownagreatknife.AllPumaknivesarebackedbyalifetimelimitedwarrantyandbearthefamousRockwellHardnessProofMark.Learnmorebycalling (913)888-5524orvisitthemonlineatwww.pumaknifecompanyusa.com. CHAMBER BLOCKERS Ammo-Safe,Inc Ammo-Safe,Inc.introducingfirearmsafetydevices thatarecolor-codedandcaliberspecificforhandguns,subguns,longguns,andshotguns.Theseplastic “ChamberBlockers”renderfirearmssafewhileallowing fullcycling,dryfiring,andholsteringofyourweapon. Abrightflexiblestripextendsoutofthebarreltogivethe immediatevisualindicationofsafety.Ammo-Safeiseasyto see,andeasytousewithnoalterationstoyourfirearm.For moreinformation,pleasecall(401)467-9723orvisitthemon theWebatwww.ammosafe.com. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=107http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=107For more information on seeing your product featured in Spotlight contact, Steve Evatt (858) 605-0218. RAINGUARD HD Bushnell TheBushnellRainGuardtechnologyhasproventobeaninvaluableadditionto theirqualityopticsline.NowBushnellraisesthebarwiththenewRainGuard HD.RainGuardisapermanenthydrophobic,oleophobiclenscoatingthat causesmoisturefromrain,snow,sleetandevenyourbreathtobeadupinto smallerdropletsandscatter.FormoreinformationcallBushnellProductsat (800)423-3537orvisitthemontheWebatwww.bushnell.com. SIDERLOCK SAFETY Siderlock THE FIGHTER McCannIndustries BLAzE MT BOOTS BogsBoots TheFighterisaculminationofyears ofinteractionwithmembersofthe specialopscommunityandlearning whatisreallyimportantinaTactical Fightingknife.TheBladehasa Tantostylepointbutwithastraight edgeandslightdownwarddraft tothetangthatmakesareverse, saberorhammergripverycomfortable.Withanintegralhilt,noparts areriveted,solderedorepoxiedto loosenordegradestrength.Find outmoreaboutTheFighterat www.mccannindustries.com. IntroducingtheNewModel52115 BlazeMTmen’stallrubberboot withMossyoakcamo.Watercan’t getin,butperspirationcangetout. AccordingtoBillCombsthePresident ofBogs“It’stheonlyrubberboot thatbreathes.” MTstandsfor MoistureTransfer whichisthekey tothisunmatched performance. Togetallofthe details,visitwww. bogsfootwear.com. SiderlockisanadditionalsafetytriggerdesignedforGlock Pistolswhichreplacetheoriginaltriggertoofferasafer moresecureblockadeofthefiringactionwithoutaltering theperformanceoftheweapon.Withapushofthesafety pinaslidingpinactstoblockthemovementofthecentral pivotofthetrigger,therebyavoidinganaccidentaldischargewhentheslideisintheblockposition.Itcomeswith thetoolsandinstructionsforlefthandedshooterstoo.Learn moreontheWebatwww.siderlock.com. OFF TRAIL BINOCULARS Tasco CHOCOLATE AMMO Aeonmeridian Tasco’snewOffTrail8x25 binocularsarethe perfectaccessory forwildlife observation andtakingin theview,whetheryou’re camping,hiking,orbackpacking.TheOffTrailsarecompact andlightweight,andwilleasilyfitintoabackpack, daypackorpocket.Thesleeknewopenbridgedesign makesthebinocularsnotonlyfunctional,butgoodlookingaswell.Tolearnmorecall(800)423-3537or visitthemonlineatwww.tasco.com. Bitethebullet,literally!Takinggunsand ammunitiontoatastynewlevel,Aeonmeridianspecializesinmakingthehighest qualitychocolateammoandchocolatenovelty productsfortheoutdoorsman.Thechocolateammocomes initsownlockable,stackable,andreusablecollectortin.Tolearnmore,call (877)858-2366orvisitthemontheWebatwww.aeonmeridian.com. NORTHFIELD #735109ECL GreatEasternCutlery ThisGreatEasternCutlerymodelhasGenuineBurntStag handlesandnickelpinnedUN-X-LDShield.Theknife sportstraditional1095HighCarbonsteelandwhilethe bolstersandlinerlockarealsomadeofNickelSilver thelinersandpinningismadeofbrass.Thisisagreat companywithsomeverycoolknives.Checkthemoutat www.greateasterncutlery.com. 107 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=108http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=108: BuckKnives SPOTLIGHT LIzARD PATTERN FIELD JACKET EOTAC BUCK ERGO HUNTERS Buckunveilstheirfirst foldingErgoHunter Pro.Thehandleis handsomeRosewood Dymondwood inlaidintoblack rubberforacomfortable, suregrip.Itfeaturesright-handed ergonomiccontouringformaximumcomfort andreducedhandfatigue.Thebladeisa3" skinningblade,madeofthefinestS30V stainlesssteelforultimatesharpness, superioredgeretention,toughnessand corrosion-resistance.Tohearmorecall BuckKnivesat(800)326-2825andto seemore,visitBuckontheWebat www.buckknives.com. EOTACisnowmakingtheFieldJacketavailablein classicLizardPatternCammo.ThepopularLizardPatternwasoriginallyusedontheuniformsoftheFrench ForeignLegionParatroopersduringtheAlgerianWar. Afterreceivingnumerousinquiries,thefolksatEOTAC introducedtheLizardPatternontheFieldJacketand theFieldVest.Formoreinformation,callEOTACat(803) 744-9930orseethemonlineat www.eotac.com. PARA GRIPS AlumaGrips NEW APPAREL LINE SOGKnives TRAVEL CLEANING KIT M-Pro7 M-Pro7 announcesthe TravelCleaning Kitdevelopedfortravelinglawenforcementand militarypersonnel.Thiscompact kitisdesignedtomeetallTSAregulations.Thekitcontainsalltheessentialsfor maintainingyourweaponintravelready sizes.Packagedinaruggedtravelpouch withVelcroclosure,theM-Pro7Travel CleaningKitisperfectfororganizinga rangebagorluggage.Findoutmorewith avisitto www.mpro7.com. NewParaAluma Gripsofferthe samestabilityas allAlumaGrips. Theseareasthinastheycanbe withoutlosinganystructuralintegrity whileofferingasmuchcheckering depthaspossible.TheParaGrips comeinsmoothandcheckeredas wellastwodifferentgripsforlaser engraving.Thesegripsareoffered in3colors:black,olivegrayand mattesilver.ThenewParaGripsare designedtofittheP14,P16,and P18.Tolearnmore,call(602)6905459orvisitwww.alumagrips.com. Nomatterhowyouchooseto expressyourself,whetherit’sa t-shirt,hoodedsweatshirt,orhat, SOGhasyoucovered!Theirnew selectionofouterwearhasthatbold distinctSOGStyle…perfectfor livingontheedge.Seetheentire SOGlineatwww.sogknives.com. TAURUS JUDGE HOLSTER OldWestReproductions THE ROGUE KNIGHT WilsonCombat Wilsonisraisingthebarbyofferingalimitedamountof handmadeknivesbysomeoftoday’spremierknifemakers withoutthelongwaittypicallyassociatedwithspecial orderingacustom masterpiece.First intheseriesis theRogueKnight, aBowieFighter fromthebenchof acclaimedMaster BladesmithJason KnightofHarleyville,SC.ActFast.TheRogueKnightis limitedto10serialnumberedpiecescompletewithleather concealmentSheathbythemaker.Seethemat www.wilsoncombat.com. 108 ThenewModelNumber155WorkingMan’sCrossDrawwith bordertoolingwasmadetoorderfortheTaurusJudge.Perfect forwearinginthefieldonabeltoreasycarryinabackpack. OldWestReproductionsalsomakesashoulderholsterdesign andbothareavailableforalloftheTaurusJudgebarreland cylinderlengths.Learnmorewithacallto(406)273-2615or seethemontheWebatwww.oldwestreproductions.com. SUENAMI 5 GraymanKnives GraymanKniveshasjustreleaseda“SuenamionSteroids.”TheGraymanSuenami 5isabeefierversionofthepopularGraymanSuenami,witha5x2"bladeand overalllengthof10.5".Whetheryouaresplittingwood,makingtentstakes, openingammocrates,slicingsteakandpotatoes,cuttingsectionsofrope,or anythingyoucanthinkofinbetween,theSuenami5isthemid-sizebladethat performsbig.Whetherstabbing,slashing,choppingorprying,Graymanknivesare ruggedanddependable.CheckthemoutontheWebatwww.graymanknives.com. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=109http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=109SPEAK OUT Continued from page 19 one. I took the liberty of adding Ray’s last note and my answer to him to share with all of you. Ray, your nephew should indeed have taken your advice. He would now be able to enjoy shooting mildmannered .38 Specials in his .357 Magnum revolver and learning how to better manage the sights and trigger squeeze. I fear the substantial recoil of the .44 Magnum will cause a flinch difficult to overcome. At this point, I wouldn’t bother with adjusting the sights since I doubt he’s actually shooting well enough to be able to target the gun adequately to find out exactly where the loads are hitting. He has several choices. First, sell the .44 and buy a good quality .38 or .357 double action revolver. If he’s not inclined to do that, and if finances allow, buy a used, clean .38 revolver or .22 revolver and learn sight picture and trigger squeeze. Another option is to simply borrow a .38 or .22 and practice with it, hopefully under the guidance of someone who can shoot — and teach. There is always the opportunity to learn to reload. While the .44 Special would indeed have lower recoil than a fully loaded .44 Magnum, they are nonetheless still a bit pricy to shoot. Investing in a Lee Precision basic reloading kit (about $100), a pound of appropriate powder, some primers and lead bullets would not only be much cheaper in the short/long run, but allow him to tailor the loads so the recoil isn’t so punishing. Plus … it’s fun to reload! While the .44 Magnum Redhawk is indeed a highly accurate revolver, it takes an experienced hand to make it work well. I recommend he start to shoot with a smaller caliber (.22 might be best) and work his way up. If he has any questions, please tell him he can e-mail me at Editor@americanhandgunner.com. I can’t always find the time to answer everyone lately (you guys are writing like crazy) but if it’s important or someone really needs an answer, I’ll find the time. If you want to contact a writer, I always forward your note to them. And I do read everyone’s letters personally. RH magazine) to see the hammer fall and hear absolutely nothing. My immediate reaction was I had a bad primer since I didn’t think the round had fired. After holding the pistol pointed at the target for a full 60 seconds in case of a hangfire, I dropped the magazine and tried to eject the bad round, but it was stuck and very difficult to eject, confusing me. When I did get it ejected it was an empty case. But I didn’t hear anything? Obviously the case was difficult to eject because the case expanded during the primer firing. I quickly broke the 1911 down and, you guessed it, a round was stuck in the barrel, but still, I didn’t even hear the primer go off let alone any powder. Of course there were other shooters on the line shooting, I had good quality electronic hearing protection on, and I can’t hear worth a darn anymore anyway. One or all of these factors caused me to not hear the primer go off and immediately realize the seriousness of the situation. Fortunately I didn’t just chamber a new round without checking the barrel for an obstruction. I suppose the round did not have any powder in it, but that’s not my point, my point here is to never assume you had a bad primer when you don’t hear anything when the hammer falls — you might have had a “squib-round” and the barrel could be obstructed. A confession here, and this gives me chills. I’ve had some bad experiences with a .38 Special revolver of mine. Whether my problems were caused by hard primers, or my pistol, isn’t important here. I admit I got used to one out of 20 or 30 rounds not firing. I would then wait to be sure it wasn’t a hang-fire then just rotate to the next chamber and continue shooting. I’ll never do that again. Any time a round fails to fire I will follow hang-fire procedure, eject the round, then check the barrel for an obstruction, even if I didn’t hear a thing. Fortunately I was shooting my 1911 and not a revolver when that bad ro2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=110http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=110INDEX OF ADVERTISERS AGI A.T.CustomGunworks ATK/EagleIndustries ActiveProGearInc. AlMarKnives AlumaGrips AmericanCOPSubscription AmericanHandgunnerSubscription AmericanTacticalImports ArntzenCorporation ArredondoAccessoriesInc. Bar-StoPrecisionMachine TheBeltman BeltMtn.EnterprisesInc. BenchmadeKnifeCompany Berry’sManufacturing BirchwoodCasey BLACKHAWK! BlackHillsAmmunitionInc. BowenCustomClassics Brownells CaspianArmsLtd. ChipMcCormickCustomLLC CompetitiveEdgeDynamics CorBon/Glaser CrawfordKnives,LLC CrimsonTraceCorp. 88 98 27 92 78 80 74 66 12 88 83 14 14 88 14 18 93 41 87 98 86 76 31 103 10 83 19 CrossBreedHolstersLLC 18 Cylinder&SlideInc. 105 D&LSports 98 DeSantisHolster 92 DillonPrecision 81 ElPasoSaddleryCo. 80 EliteSportsExpress 76 EliteSurvivalSystems 89 EuropeanAmericanArmory 11 FailZero 78 FiocchiAmmunition 39 FMGSpecialEditions 100,102,104 FobusUSA 39 GalcoGunleather 17 GaryReederCustoms 98,99 GhostInc. 83 37 GLOCKInc. GrandMasters/PowerCustom 32,33 GSIInternationalInc. 16 GTUL 16 Gungrips.net 86 43 GUNSMagazineSubscription HogueInc. 77 HornadyManufacturingInc. 13 InsightTech-Gear 10 Ironmind 93 J.B.Custom,Inc. 98 JRJCustomPistols KahrArms KimberMfg.Inc. LambertKnives LaserMax LawmanLeatherGoods LeePrecisionInc. LesBaerCustomInc. LinvilleKnife&Tool LightfootKnives LockSAF LymanProducts Mag-na-portInternationalInc. MEC-GAR MTMMoldedProductsCo. NorthAmericanArms OneStopKnifeShop.com PactInc. ParaUSA Para-Cord PearceGrip PowderRiverPrecision ProMagIndustries Pro-TechKnives RickHindererKnives RioGrandeCustomGrips S.W.A.T. 98 41,91 116 80 77 91 85 3 109 96 93 35 88 84 45 45 90 8 2 94 96 99 15 95 12 88 110 SIGSAUER SingletaryCustoms Smith&AlexanderInc. Smith&Wesson SpartanBlades SpringfieldInc. SSKIndustries STIInternationalInc. SureFireLLC TaurusInternational Technoframes TenRingPrecision ThunderRanchTrainingDVDs TOPSKNIVES TrauschGrips TuffProductsBrand TusseyCustom UniversalShootingAcademy ViridianGreenLaser VolkmannCustomInc. W.C.WolffCompany WaltherUSA WilsonCombat XSSightSystems 79 98 96 21 86 7,29 91 35 23 25 6 98,99 97 31 94 83 98 88 15 94 84 9 89,115 76 110 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY20102009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=111http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=111CLASSIFIED Classifiedads$2.00per-wordperinsertion.($1.50per-wordperinsertionfor3ormore)includingname,addressandphonenumber(20wordminimum). Minimumcharge$40.00.Bold words add $1.00 per word.CopyandrerunordersmustbeaccompaniedbyPayMENT iN advaNCE. NO aGENCy OR CaSH diSCOuNTS ON LiSTiNG OR diSPLay CLaSSiFiEd advERTiSiNG.AlladsmustbereceivedwithadvancepaymentBY NOLATERTHANTHE1stofeachmonth.Adsreceivedafterclosingwillappearinthefollowingissue.Pleasetypeorprintclearly.PLEaSE NOTE*** NO PROOFS wiLL BE FuRNiSHEd.Includename,address,postoffice,city,stateandzipcodeascountedwords.Abbreviationscountasonewordeach. MailtoAMERICAN HANDGUNNERCLASSIFIEDS,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,California92128.NOTE: wE NOw HavE diSPLay CLaSSiFiEd adS iN BOTH gunS mAgAZine aNd AmericAn HAndgunner. aSK FOR OuR NEw RaTE CaRd, Or call (858) 605-0235. AMERICAN HANDGUNNER APPAREL THE BELTMANmakessturdy,topquality,DUAL LAYER,BullHidebeltsfordresswear,concealed carry,orcompetition.Optionsinclude:Horse, Shark,Elephant,Velcro,tapering,stiffeners,etc. Handmadeinthreewidths,andfivecolorsfrom $69.95,anylength!Catalogue-$3.00(refundable) POBox1302,Apex,NC27502.919-387-1997. www.thebeltman.net. fOR SALE InSTRUCTIOn LEATHERCRAfT ACCESSORIES ACCESSORIES bleed 2/25/08 7:16 AM Page 1 MILITARIA www.GunBooks.netTheSocialNetworkforpeople wholoveguns.CreateyourFREEprofiletoday. Uploadpicturesandvideos.Makefriendswith peoplewhoshareyourinterest. MISCELLAnEOUS WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 1112009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=112http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=112insider ADD IT UP 18.5 Million HuntersintheUS. NRAcertifiedinstructors. the insider Continued from page 114 aGeleSS coMPeTence 51,000 2,000 Lawenforcementinstructors trainedbyNRAannually. n the “Don’t mess with grandma” category, Nila Elsasser, 74 years young, is a contender. A genuine Brinks guard, she stands watch over millions of dollars in cash at a facility that delivers green-backs to banks and such. And trust me, this Mid-West Warrior I met (she stopped by to visit and brought her S&W M&P .40 to show me) can handle it. I saw her last qualification target and there were enough ten-ring hits to clang anybody’s bell. Bad guys beware — just because they look like a kindly, elderly lady, it may prove it ain’t necessarily so, and fast! Go get ’em Nila! I $100 Million Spentonsafetyandeducation programsbyNRAinpast10years. NumberofAmericanswhoareobese. 1/3 FNH Five-SeveN O Offer ChildreninMississippiwhoareobese 44.4% 63% OfUSconsumersplayedavideo gameinthelastsixmonths. (Editor’s Note: Tell me it ain’t so …) F AmericansoldiersburiedinEurope whodiedinWWIandII. 104,368 NH is now shipping their interesting 5.7x28mm handgun in matte black and olive drab finish, with US-made three-dot fixed sights. I have one for testing and will be doing something in an upcoming issue. Look for textured polymer frames with checkered panels, reversible mag releases, hard chromelined barrels and ten or 20-round mags (three!). MSRP is around $1,316 but I’ll bet you can find ‘em cheaper at retail if you shop around some. I’ll let you know how it goes with our test pistol later. I have a feeling those pesky ground squirrels in our walnut grove have met their fate now . www.fnusa.com ld bud Mike Fuller, head guru at TOPS KNIVES, cornered me at the Blade Show in Hot-Lanta this year. He showed me a new idea when it comes to “tactical” pens. His “SOP-3D” concept is tough, rugged and uses “Space Pen” technology so it writes on car fenders, rain-soaked hands or the side of your combat boots — hey, you never know. All hand-made in the USA, the bodies are either carbon fiber or G-10 and I’ll bet you can find a color suiting you. Once again, TOPS comes through with the “Russian T-34 Tank” award for toughness. Oh yeah, 10-percent of the sales will go directly to the Wounded Warriors Foundation. Way to go, Mike! www.topsknives.com PEn-TASTIC See Through classic uddy Ed Kohorst, CEO of Value Works, sent me this compelling casting of a 1911. I’ve seen just about everything having to do with a 1911 but this one caught me off-guard. I’ve had it on my desk for a couple of weeks now and have to say it’s hard not to handle it and just, well, look at it. When the sunlight catches it just right, it glows as if it’s lit from the inside. It’d make a great trophy (with engraving on the base) or a nifty gift for a gunner of any sort. You won’t find one of these at the local gun store, trust me! Ed says there are more models coming down the road (an AR!), so give them a shout to see what’s up and get your own Crystal Pistol. About $195. Well done, you guys. edkohorst@ crystalpistols.com, (214) 766-4948 112 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY2010 B2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=113http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=113Klunker Guns kay, it had to happen. SIG SAUER recently announced they will pay you $200 for your “klunker” handgun if you send your old “klunker” pistol or revolver, with a copy of the form 4473 and proof of purchase of a new SIG P220, P226, P229, 1911, SIG556 pistol or SIG556 rifle from dealer inventory from Sept. 7th through November 30th 2009. Get your klunker to SIG no later than December 4th, 2009. O I know this is a late notice for you in our pages (thanks to production timing) but you still have time! To qualify as a klunker your handgun can be from any manufacturer but has to be operational and free from cracks in the frame or other key components. It must also be a semiauto, 9mm or larger, or a revolver of .38 caliber or larger. All transactions are subject to federal, state and local firearms regulations. www.sigsauer.com ith a lot of research, a positive result of the “Cash for Clunkers” W program has been found. Although it cost the US taxpayer (that would be us, don’t forget) $3 Billion, and netted about $320,000 Speaking of clunkers Blade-Tech Modular hunTing VesT-Pack rust world-wide hunter Tim Wegner, founder of Blade-Tech (the Kydex holster company) to come up with a practical idea for the field. This vest/pack/hydration/ gun-toting system is versatile and functional. Using a classic field “vest” as the harness to hold a back pack, the Vest-Pack also offers a hidden hydration bladder pouch. The backpack portion is removable and can function on its own. So, you can have a field vest, a vest with hydration bladder, all three or just a backpack. When traveling overseas this “all-in-one” system would be invaluable. Why pack three things when you can pack one? When he showed it to me I immediately bought one in Ultra Stalk Cammo. Available in orange or Ultra Stalk Cammo. Tell Tim we sent you. (877) 331-5793, www.blade-tech.com T kay, I hate what I call “bad acting” in self-defense videos and generally hate self-defense videos to begin with. Most are hosted by egotistical self-proclaimed “experts” and feature a bewildering array of holds, strikes and more you simply can’t retain. Plus, most of the hosts can’t talk their way out of a wet paper bag. Can you say boring? How about embarrassingly boring? Michael Janich is something different. An old friend (and for a good reason — he’s the real thing, and a genuine gentleman), I’ve always respected him because his methods are simple, make perfect sense in the actual, real world we all live in, and are easy to understand and learn. If you met this softspoken man you’d never think he is the deadly weapon he actually is. Like most people who are the real thing, he’s understated, quiet and on the humble side. But I promise you, don’t do anything stupid — because he’ll win. And so will you if you check out his two-video set called Practical Unarmed Combatives. We all can’t carry a gun all the time, and if you’re surprised at your car door, at work, or filling your gas tank, Michael’s methods will more than likely allow you to stop the threat and make a timely escape or retreat. I don’t recommend this sort of thing lightly, but it’s easy with Michael. No egos here, just solid info, delivered quietly, seriously and understandably. Stay Safe Media, www.staysafemedia.com, (866) 937-2339 ’ve got a bit of a thing for tomahawks and admit it shamelessly. Not long ago, Suzi and I were at a local gunshow here in Joplin and I started to see people carrying serious-looking hawks they had bought. I finally stopped one and asked where they got their hawk, finding out it was a table with a “kid” behind it. I bee-lined over and found young Devin Price standing quietly behind a table full of very serious-looking hawks, knives and other designs. Check out the picture and you’ll see I bought two. From about $100 to $200 or more for custom models, this is an amazing value for a hand-forged, hand-made tool. The quality is simply o Practical self defense Hawkish I Kid marvelous and the attention t2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=114http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=114THE Roy Huntington Roy’s Remington Model 514 is his “First, best gun” and he still has it — and shoots it — some 45 years later. The 1966 Gun Digest is well thumbed from his 11-year old fingers. Yes, he still has it too. INSIDER TM FirSt, BeSt GuNS W e’ve talked in the past about how the gift of a “first gun” to a child can be a lifechanging experience. That gift, with the right training to go with it, can instill a lifetime of responsibility, concern for wildlife, target shooting, collecting, reloading and teaching others the many joys of gun ownership. When I was about five, we lived in Navy housing in Bainbridge, Maryland, and my dad was a dirtpoor enlisted sailor, with a wife, one kid (me) and another on the way. I remember we went to a “fire” sale at an old hardware store. Remember fire sales? I spotted a BB gun with a plastic buttstock bent into a gentle “C” by the heat. The price was $1.50 and may as well have been $100. We had no money and I remember my mom nodding “no” after I asked my dad and stood waiting for the family talk — and ultimate decision. It was a black day for that little kid. We left, and once in the car there was a quick exchange between my parents in the front seat and my dad dashed back into the store. When he returned, he had the BB gun in his hand, and I remember watching the white price tag flicking in the wind as he ran back to the car through the snow. Once home there was much discussion about gun safety, never handling the gun unless my dad was there and yes, we would shoot it soon. A few days later, my dad bundled me up in a snowsuit and we went to a nearby woodlot. There, he stuck a rusty coffee can into a snow bank about ten feet away, the bottom toward us, but angled a bit. After going over the sights once again, he cocked it (it was too hard for me to do), helped me shoulder that funny, bent stock and then talked me through that first-ever shot. “Ting …” the BB hit straight and true, leaving a tiny shiny dot on the can bottom. My dad took the little rifle out of my hands and stuck his hand out. “Great shot, my son!” As I shook it I realized something big had happened but I wasn’t quite sure what. But something had indeed changed, nonetheless, both in the eyes of my father and in my own five-year old life. About six years later, a .22 appeared at Christmas, courtesy of my grandparents. After carrying it unloaded for weeks, shooting it under my dad’s supervision at targets and some small game, I was anxious to carry it loaded and be a “real” hunter. After arriving at our hunting area, my dad told me to load up. I did, thinking we were going to plink a bit prior to hunting the rabbits that were so plentiful in 1960s Australia where he was stationed at the time. After loading, I waited but watched my dad turn and start to walk down a trail. I didn’t know what to do as I had never been allowed to walk with a loaded rifle. He stopped, turning toward me, “Well, sling it and let’s go. Remember to be safe.” Then he turned and continued walking. My head swam as I slung that rifle and took the first step after my dad. That step was my first step toward manhood and after that, I knew I wasn’t a kid anymore. My dad trusted me with a loaded rifle behind him as we walked down that trail, and that trust was something I could never possibly violate. As the years passed, that trust in me extended to other important areas too, and I felt the same about doing my best never to let him down and mostly kept my part of the bargain. And you don’t get that with a skateboard or a video game. We’re talking about this now because I was visiting with some gun-owning friends not long ago. The subject of “first guns” came up, and I noticed something. All of these 50-plus year old gents lit-up like kids. Suddenly, stories of Daisy BB guns, single shot .22s and first hunts with fathers filled the air. The smiles were genuine, and we were all anxious to tell our own stories. And, maybe not surprisingly, the stories were alm2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=115http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=1152009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=116http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHJF10/?Page=116Ultra CDP II™ pistols in .45 ACP & 9mm have 3-inch barrels & weigh just 25 ounces. The Best Defense. The Custom Defense Package–CDP–from Kimber. The Pro CDP II™ .45 ACP has a 4-inch barrel and full-length grip. At just 28 ounces, it is easy to carry & conceal. CDP pistols are powerful, accurate and absolutely dependable. Built in the , they feature night sights and 30 lines-per-inch Kimber® Custom Shop™ checkering on the frontstrap and under the trigger guard for a positive grip. , Slides are machined from stainless steel and aluminum frames wear KimPro II™ a premium finish that is self-lubricating and extremely resistant to the elements. All have a match grade barrel, chamber and trigger. Adding these features during production reduces their price by over $500, giving them incredible value. See them in action at www.kimberamerica.com. Carry the best. Carry a Kimber. The Custom CDP II™.45 ACP has a 5-inch barrel and weighs only 31 ounces. It is the nest full-size 1911 carry pistol available today. CDP pistols feature match grade barrels, night sights and a Carry Melt treatment that rounds & blends edges to prevent snagging on clothing or holsters. The Choice of America’s Best. www.kimberamerica.com For information on products and dealer locations please send $2 to: Kimber, Dept. 259 One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705 Information is also available at (800) 880-2418 ©2009 Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Kimber names, logos and other trademarks may not be used without permission. Names of other companies, products and services may be the property of their respective owners. Kimber firearms are shipped with an instructional manual and California-approved cable lock. Copy of instruction manual available by request.2009-11-04T16:30:58+01:00