http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/RSS.ashxAmerican Handgunner May/June 2010 PagesFri, 11 Feb 2011 20:14:34 +0100http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=1http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=1Ayoob: 2 Dead What Went Wrong? — $5.95 OUTSIDE US $9.50 MAY/JUNE 2010 ® ! E V I S U L C Ex s&W A Fletc custom her 19 PAckAge11 Worth o ver $3,00 0! Win J Frame! Springfield’S Updates the ClassiC The .38 IS Special TOTE IT! XD SerieS polymer powerhouses! Taffin: Make Mine A Custom! Focus Carry Options: DeSantis Handloading: Garret .44 Mag Reality Check: Home Defense Gunny Sack: ICC Ammo, Viridian Laser Packs & Bags Competition gear Update WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=2http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=2Stay in the fight longer 14•45 Limited • 14+1 capacity • 25 lpi front strap • Match barrel • Fiber optic front sight • .45 ACP The Original 1911 Hi-Cap 10620 Southern Loop Blvd., Pineville, NC 28134 • Phone: (704) 930-7600 www.para-usa.com/fight2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=3http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=3REACH FOR THE WORLD’S FINEST FIREARMS. ® BUILT FOR AMERICA’S FORCES. BUILT FOR YOU. www.fnhusa.com/finestfirearms2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=4http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=4Cover Photo: Chuck Pittman, Inc. Volume 34 • Number 3 • Issue 205 2010 MAY • JUNE Photo: Roy Huntington 42 i gotta be me FEATURES JOHNTAffIN 64 Johnsays:“Makemineacustomhandgun!” 46 shooter ready? DAVEANDERsON Competitiongearupdate. 48 raging bulls! PATCOVERT JimBurke’srobustblades. 42 ExclusivE: lessons from the backup gun championship of the world — and the known galaxy .22 conversion units ROYHUNTINGTON 50 j! s&w’s most popular handgun MAssADAYOOB smith’sclassicJ-framegetsanimportantfacelift. 48 Available online only at americanhandgunner.com! 58 a special that is special! MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO Dukerediscoversthe.38special—No,really! 63 where’s the grease? failZero’sinnovativemetaltreatment. sHARI lEGATE Backupgunsincompetition:TheBUGmatch! MAssADAYOOB Quick,easyandaccurate:.22sfor1911s JOHNTAffIN 64 springfield’s xd series rocks on sub-CompactstothehotnewXD(m)3.8. 66 pack it in & load it up Packs,bagsandmore—canyouhavetoomany? JOHNCONNOR usfa sixguns Elegantandeffective,checkout thiseye-catchingline-up! MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 42011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=5http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=558 DEPARTMENTS 22 the ayoob files MAssADAYOOB TheOkaloosaCountyCop-Killings. 30 the sixgunner JOHNTAffIN Reloadingwitholdpowders. 38 better shooting DAVEANDERsON finding.22Nirvana. 94 gunnysack ROYHUNTINGTON BachmanHolster;ICCAmmo;Viridianlaser; Woodman’sPal. COLUMNS 8 speak out 24 34 20 pistolsmithing AlEXHAMIlTON 24 handgun hunting J.D.JONEs 26 winning edge DAVEANDERsON 28 reality check ClINTsMITH 32 guncrank diaries JOHNCONNOR 34 taffin tests JOHNTAffIN 36 carry options sAMMYREEsE 40 shooting iron MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO 68 cop talk MAssADAYOOB 70 handloading JOHNTAffIN 106 the insider ROYHUNTINGTON 66 63 28 HANDGUN OF THE MONTH RESOURCES 77 catalog showcase 98 custom corner 100 spotlight sTEVEEVATT 102 ad index 103 classifieds WIN! 72 Win a Fletcher Custom 1911, UZI Knife and First Strike Holster! Total value over $3,000! Check Out Web Blast For More Info, Videos And Pictures About Articles In Every Issue. JUsTClICKONTHEWEBBlAsTICON! GOTO:www.amerICanhandgunner.Com/ ProduCtIndex.html fORCOMPlETEPRODUCT INfOANDARTIClEANDMANUfACTURER’slINKs! AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM AMERICAN HANDGUNNER® (ISSN 0145-4250) is published bi-monthly by Publishers’ Development Corp., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodical postage paid at San Diego, CA 92128, and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: One year (six issues) $19.75. Single copies $5.95 (in Canada $9.50). Change of address: four weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. Contributors submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. Payment is for all world rights for the material. The act of mailing a manuscript constitutes the author’s certification of originality of material. Opinions expressed are those of the bylined authors and do not necessarily represent those of the magazine or it’s advertisers. Advertising rates furnished on request. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine in any manner, without written permission, is prohibited. Entire contents Copyright© 2010 Publishers’ Development Corp. All rights reserved. Title to this publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to his address. SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS: For immediate action, write Subscription Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AMERICAN HANDGUNNER®, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, 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 52011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=6http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?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 John Connor 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 gunsmagazine.com Editor: Jeff John Advertising: Andrew Oram, (866) 903-1199 e-mail: andrew@gunsmagazine.com shootingindustry.com Publisher & Editor: Russ Thurman Advertising: Delano Amaguin, (888) 732-6461 e-mail: delano@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 12/9/09 10:58:15 AM CuStoMEr SErviCE ProDuCED iN tHE u.S.A. 6 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=7http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=72011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=8http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=8SPEAKOUT YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE DRUNKEN SAILORS ItakeexceptiontofolkssayingthatObamaandPelosiarespendinglikedrunkensailors.WhenI wasadrunkensailor,IquitspendingwhenIranoutofmoney. DonTracy Viae-mail Musical Secrets The staff of American Handgunner have been keeping a secret for one of the gun magazine industry’s best writers and you should all be ashamed of yourselves for trying to deceive the American public this whole time. Such shameful and secretive behavior should not be tolerated in our society. I 12/16/08 had Or9:04:18 is Charlie Daniels really John PACT_postxmas_09_fixed.pdf AM suspected this for a long time but could Taffin? RH not call you out on it until comparing the photo of John Taffin on page 53 of the March/April 2010 issue with a recent Geico commercial. John Taffin is really Charlie Daniels! Emilio Sanzano Huson, Mont. Up Close & Personal Just read Roy Huntington’s article (“On Accuracy,” The Insider, March/ April 2010). It’s one of the most commonsense articles about the use of defensive handguns I’ve seen in a long time. Defensive handgun work is just what Roy says — up close and personal. Too bad so many people are spending their dollars on high speed 8 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=9http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=92011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=10http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=10SPEAKOUT handguns not appropriate for what they need. And it’s pretty common to see people who know nothing about handguns being sold semiautos when they want to carry the weapon in their jacket pocket. Most autos will not fire many, if any rounds, out of a jacket pocket without binding in clothing. I prefer a 1911 .45, but I carry my S&W 640-1 Centennial because of the concealed hammer. Simple and dependable will do the job. Good article. C.M. Via e-mail And … A sight for almost every handgun HiViz is excited to announce the newest member of our family… the LCR2010. This unique sight fits the new Ruger LCR and features a square sight picture, a steel base and exclusive clear overmold characteristic of the high quality and engineering that goes into every HiViz sight. I would like to comment on using a heavy barrel S&W M&P .38 special revolver to illustrate your recent column on accuracy. Many years ago I was a highly undistinguished NRA bullseye pistol shooter. Since I had neither a branch of the military nor a police department to support my efforts, I was always looking for the most accurate pistol a poor shooter could afford. To that end, I machinerested many pistol and ammunition combinations. I found no center-fire handgun was more accurate than a good Colt or S&W .38 Special or .357 revolver with factory mid-range wadcutters. Second place went to the same guns with the factory 158-gr. RNL ammunition. Target models with adjustable sights were easier to sight in, but not noticeably more accurate than the run-of-the-mill police models. I agree with everything Roy says, and if I were given a heavy barrel M&P with a decent holster and a couple of speed loaders, I not only would be well armed for general police work, but I opine I also would have a very accurate gun. The pickup truck would be okay, too. Marshall Williams Via e-mail www.HIVIZSIGHTS.com 800-589-4315 LCR2010 in red or green Take it from one of the leaders in the industry… “HiViz is one of my best kept shooting secrets! If you see me in competition I’ll always have a HiViz sight because it gives you a great contrast between the target and the front sight.” – Jerry Miculek, HiViz Pro Staff, Multi-time 3-Gun, IDPA, and Sportsman’s Team Challenge National Champion, 17-time IRC Champion, among others. Roy Huntington’s The Insider sure nailed a pet-peeve of mine. Finally, someone with knowledge, expertise and gonads said what I’ve been thinking for years. What’s going on with all this ridiculous, obsessive need for “accuracy”? My two personal carry guns are a Colt Gold Cup National Match .45 or my Colt Officer’s ACP .45, both fitted with Meprolite night sights. I choose the one I can hide the best based on clothing and particular needs that day. I have had a few people say “Why do you carry those things?” I usually say because when I pull the trigger they always go bang . ’til they’re empty. Then they say, “But WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 And … 102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=11http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=11THE MOST ADVANCED GUN CARE SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD! ® OTIS TECHNOLOGY The Otis Breech-to-MuzzleTM cleaning system has revolutionized weapons cleaning! It is the system issued to the U.S. Armed Services and the choice of Champion Marksmen and Hunters worldwide! See the entire line at a dealer near you, or www.otistec.com THE CLEANING KIT OF YOUNGER SHOOTERS AND FUTURE CHAMPIONS! If they're old enough to shoot they are old enough to clean! At last, there is a cleaning system optimized for the smaller calibers typically used by younger shooters. Make no mistake, The OTIS Lil' ProTM system is a complete Breech-to-MuzzleTM cleaning system based on Otis' award winning gun care technology. The Lil' Pro Cleaning System contains all the gear necessary to clean .17 .25 caliber, and 410 & 20 gauge firearms. This includes .177 caliber BB and pellet guns, as well as .22 caliber pellet and rim-fire guns. It includes 3 aircraft Memory-Flex® cleaning rods, and brushes and patches to cover these calibers, including a MongooseTM speed wipe dual action brush and a fiber optic bore light and flag safety. With bore obstruction removers, bore solvent, patches, and all needed adapters, your younger shooters will have all they need on the hunt or at the range, as they become the future champion marksmen and hunters. Best of all it includes detailed instructions on video, a cleaning lesson won’t take you away from your football game. For more information see your Otis Dealer! USA MADE IN THE Call Today for a free Catalog! © Pyramont GMC 2010 Otis Technology 6987 Laura St. Lyons Falls, NY 13368 (800) OTIS-GUN WWW.OTISTEC.COM2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=12http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=12SPEAKOUT they’re not accurate like a Gee-Wizz 90 from Custom Accuracy 1000!” And I usually just look at them and wonder how they became that stupid. It’s a shame how the “yuppies” with too much money have ruined everything they get into — old cars, old planes, old boats, most collectible things in general, and they have been trying to do it for years now with handguns. There is a ridiculous and almost obsessive need for gadgets, gizmos and capabilities that are unnecessary, and they are willing to pay any price for their wants. This drives up the cost of everything for us normal folk out here. Finally someone said the truth about all this silliness. Roy said what I’ve been thinking for years. How refreshing! Bet Connor is ticked he didn’t think of it to write about before Roy did! I’m quite certain he agrees whole-heartedly, though. Mark Matuszak Pittsburgh, Penn. And Even More … EQUAL Reliable Feeding Reduced Penetration Excellent for Close Quarter Security Perfect For Civilian Use Are Not Created ALL BULLETS Thank you for your article regarding practical vs. bullseye accuracy from a handgun. For years I’ve been saying the same thing. I see many shooters at my club trying to shoot 1" groups at anywhere from 25 feet to 25 yards. When they can’t, they want to either sell, or send their guns out to some gunsmith and have the thing completely rebuilt with every gadget you can think of stapled onto it. They cry that Joe Doakes from “Windblaster” magazine gets 1" groups from every gun he shoots. I have taken their guns and shot 2" groups at 50 feet and they can’t believe it was the same gun. I then tell them the same thing you said — simply put up a paper plate, set it at 25 feet and keep their shots within the plate. That’s good enough for defense work. A long time ago Jack O’Connor told me, “You don’t need 1" groups for a deer rifle if your average shot is 50 yards.” Jim Raymond Via e-mail Premier Products from 605.347.4544 • 800.626.7266 corbon.com I loved your The Insider and your old Dodge truck is spectacular. I have a cherished 4" S&W model 10 that simply generates electricity when you handle it. Its action is so smooth, it’s scary! Finally, I enjoyed seeing the smile on your dad’s face after he shot your old Remington 514 rifle. But I’m curious to know just how did your father get to be younger than you? My first “real” gun was a Remington 514, also, but I unfortunately let it get away. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 A Final One … 122011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=13http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=13P226 USP SA P226 U ainl A St SPS ess World Champion Speed Shooter, Max Michel, knows performance and a perfectly balanced winner when he handles one. With our USPSA limited edition, 9mm P226s, you’ll shoot like a true competitor every time you hit the range. You’ll also be supporting the valuable programs of the USPSA with your purchase. The limited edition, 9mm P226s from SIG SAUER are here. ® Reliability. FiRst time, eveRy time.tm | www.sigsauer.com 18 industrial Drive, exeter, NH 03833 • (603) 772-2302 An ISO 9001: 2000 Certified Company. Manufacturing in Exeter, New Hampshire2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=14http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=14SPEAKOUT All is not lost though, now I have five of them to choose from. The look on your dad’s face says it says it all. Bob Johnson (The Oldtimer) Old Guy Guns? launches a powerful, less-lethal inf lammatory agent at 90 MPH that instantly stops an assailant. See it in action at www.pepperblaster.com PepperBlaster™ Clint and Connor have to be my favorite sections of your magazines. But I still find Clint calling the 1911 and wheel guns “Old Guy Guns” disheartening. As a 27-year old, while “magic plastic” has it’s time and place, the reliability and love you feel when holding steel shows you who the makers are who truly value craftsmanship in their firearms. Scott Thomason Via e-mail fits most brands of 1911 pistols. Installation takes one minute without tools. Adjustable sight is included. .22 LR Conversion Kit What Is This? Roy, I’ve been stymied by this gun and would like to know if any of your readers can help me out. As far as I can tell, here are the details. It’s chambered for the .45 ACP, has a 30-rd. magazine, has “PGW” on the mag housing and some think it means Portland Gun Works of Powers, Oregon. Seems to have about a 4" barrel and may have been available in several sizes of barrel and stock length. Someone said they might have been issued to the military or some secret operations group. Any insight your readers may have would be very much appreciated. It’s not my gun, but I’m trying to help someone who is not internet-savvy track down the info. Your readers can e-mail me at mcannon92@q. com if they have any ideas. Thanks an awful lot. You guys are the best. Skip Via e-mail offers premium 1911 night sights, magazines, grips, performance parts and refinishing in the high-tech KimPro II ® process. The Kimber Custom Shop™ KimPro® Tac-Mag® The ultimate .45 ACP magazine for any brand of mil-spec full size or compact 1911. Three quick-change bases. Stainless steel with Teflon-coated follower. For more information on Kimber products, please send $2 to: Kimber, Dept. 236 One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705, call (800) 880-2418 or visit www.kimberamerica.com PepperBlaster products not to be sold to minors or where prohibited by law. ©2008 Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Military Shootings Thank you for covering Fairchild AFB 1994 shooting (Ayoob Files, Jan/ Feb 2010). I was an Air Force security policeman from 1987 to 1993 and saw firsthand the results of a stateside shooting when I was stationed at Eglin AFB, Florida. In 1992 a civilian spouse, WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 142011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=15http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=15A LASER THIS SMALL IS HUGE. upset over the pending divorce from his military wife, took his young son to the base hospital where his wife worked. He began shooting with his rifle and ended up outside the emergency room. Security Police units arrived and began taking fire, as well as the people who happened to be outside at the time. The ranking SP officer took one shot with his Beretta and hit the man in the chest. He died from his wound in the hospital, and thankfully no one else was hurt. The military’s somewhat strange attitude to stateside shootings is the only negative memory I have from my service time. Thank you for telling Andrew Brown’s story. Steven Woerner Via e-mail USA PROUD ©2010 0 B E N C H MA D E KN I F E CO. C O. OR E GON C I TY, T Y, OR , US A . B E N C H MA D E . C O M Roy’s Backyard Love the Web Blast section of your Web site. I know you enjoy life in God’s country there in Missouri and am looking forward to how you handle the “Attack Mellons” later on. Maybe you can have R. Lee Ermey come over and give you some pointers? Leonard Baize Via e-mail the new C5: world’s only subcompact green laser THE ASTOUNDING C5 SERIES IS SO TINY, IT FITS SUBCOMPACT WEAPONS. YET SO ADVANCED, IT DELIVERS A DAYTIMEVISIBLE GREEN LASER, UP TO 50 TIMES BRIGHTER THAN RED. AVAILABLE WITH 100 LUMEN TAC LIGHT. Find Fellow Shooters My name is Michial, from San Diego. I’ve been an avid shooter for years but really just a backyard plinker, so to speak. Well, as backyard as one can be in California. But I noticed recently I can outshoot my buddy and his expensive custom .45 with my run of the mill 9mm. This doesn’t mean anything really, but it got me thinking it would make sense to shoot with others more often. I would really like to find out how somebody finds their way into basic competition shooting. I know competition shooting is a great way to learn about a subject. Safety is pushed really hard at competitions, as well as technique, and it’s a great place to make friends. At least that’s what I think competition shooting means. Since I live in San Diego, could someone guide me to other folks who know where, when and who? That would help me a great deal in my life-long pursuit to become a better shooter. Thanks for the great magazine, by the way. I let all my buddies read it and I have yet to come across someone who has anything but good reactions to your publication. Mike Cebe Via e-mail Mike, your letter brought up a few good points. A good way to improve is to challenge yourself by shooting with more experienced shooters, and indeed, competition is one of the very best ways to do it. It’s also a great way to meet new friends, learn new techniques, gun safety, learn about new products and to get advice from senior shooters to help 7 4 1 O N S L A U G H T™ a thing of beauty inescapably brilliant VIRIDIANGREENLASER.COM 800-990-9390 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM C O N TO U R E D G1 0 H A N D L E A X I S® LO CK 152011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=16http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=16SPEAKOUT you to buy new equipment. I recommend you go online to do some research and to reach out to local gun stores to find active shooting clubs and organizations in your area. As a former San Diego native, I know there are some good gun stores who keep local match info posted regularly. Check out www.uspsa.org and www.idpa.com to learn more about action pistol shooting (USPSA) and the more self-defense oriented matches hosted by IDPA clubs. But mostly, just do it! RH The Whinery Dominate the Darkness Tactical Illuminator Reference the Guncrank Diaries column (Jan/Feb 2010) — Connor, you’re full of it! The articles in the magazines are more “Promotional Ads” for your sponsors than pure tech content. It’s so obvious, it’s a joke, and your magazines are more catalogs than not. Not counting the suckers who buy your magazines, exactly what is your profit margin from the advertisers alone? As if you’d say! Gus Vladovich Via e-mail Gus … Gus … Gus … where do I even begin? While we do try to get facts correct, we’ve never (not once) said we were anything but entertainment; never, as you call it, a “technical” journal. How boring would that be? Who reads technical journals for fun, anyway? Oh, sorry, maybe you do? And as far as us being in our advertiser’s pockets, please, tell that to our accounting department who are grey (at least what little hair left on their heads is), because of their tugging it out after a select few advertisers have pulled ads at times — simply because we told the truth about their products. Imagine that. A rare few advertisers simply don’t understand if we don’t have credibility, when readers see their products in our pages — their products have no credibility. When we lose some tens of thousands of dollars of ad revenue because we’re trying to be honest, we simply have to take it on the chin. It happens — albeit rarely — but it happens. Generally if there’s a significant problem, we send the item in question back and sort things out with the maker. Then, once things are running right, we cover it. To simply bash a product does no one any good, and can kill the future of what will often turn out to be a very good product. But you do have me on one point. Indeed, we do cover new products, WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 Catalogs? Advertorials? ® 125+ Lumens Ambidextrous Rocker Switch Constant or Momentary Operation Shock Suppression System InsightTechnology.com Toll Free: 866-509-2040 162011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=17http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=17write about them, test them, shoot them, figure them out, wring them out and help readers sort through the maze to help them make buying decisions. Guilty as charged. It’s exactly the reason people buy our magazines. Well that, and to look at our remarkably handsome faces. But it is hard to talk about products (even those from nonadvertisers, by the way) without actually featuring them on our pages. And our “rules of engagement” as it were? I just returned from the S.H.O.T. Show and had meetings with countless manufacturers in our industry. And the common word by our staff to all of them? “If it does your company good to advertise in our magazines, then you should. If it doesn’t do your company any good, then you shouldn’t. But we’ll still cover your products.” And that’s a fact. And as far as what our profit margin might be? I can only counter with: “Profit? What’s that?” We’ve read about it, and often wonder how to find it. I’ll bet it’s just a fairytale people like you make up to taunt us. Besides, if you had to pay the expenses for all these famous, prima-donna writers who grace our pages you wouldn’t have any of that, um, what did you call it again? Oh yeah, profit. Gus … lighten up, relax and enjoy life. You may blow a gasket otherwise. In the meantime, I’ll spend all that profit we make on buying a new corporate jet, redoing my 72nd floor corner office, exchanging my latest Rolls for a newer one (company lease, you know) and going to London to have my new double rifle properly fitted. Yeah, right … RH Well, after reading the letter in the “Whinery” column (Speak Out, Jan/ Feb 2010) I just had to respond. First, on behalf of all of the liberals I know, I apologize for the adolescent behavior of this (name-call restrained) from New Mexico. And to also say I am embarrassed by his remarks and the abusive tone of his letter. I can assure you he does not speak for me nor any of my friends who are gun enthusiasts and who may have a different take on things than our conservative neighbors. Your response was gracious, gentlemanly and classy, befitting your status as editor and publisher of this fine magazine. I doubt that this (name-call restrained) is able to see the difference. I can only hope he tries to steal your truck. Ed Kohorst Via e-mail Ed, we’ve gotten a slew of very supportive, positive letters from a wide cross-section of readers (conservatives, liberals, libertarians, you-name-its) about the way we address these rants WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 17 A Liberal Riposte2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=18http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=18SPEAKOUT at times. We welcome anyone who is willing to engage civilly and with an honest attempt at being open to hearing from all sides. To “agree to disagree” is paramount in a civilized society and without it we have chaos. One only has to look at the total shut-down of communication in the middle-east to see it in action. Many (even the more liberal factions) who write to me say the ironic thing is the fact the classic definition of “liberal” is decidedly not what is commonly thought today. Terms like “openminded” and “welcoming differences of opinion” define the classic liberal. What we have today is certainly not in the spirit of the original. Hell, Teddy Roosevelt was a liberal, and how do you think that’d set today? We’ll continue to publish letters from people who seem “out there” — mostly to remind us all they are a part of what we have to consider. That and … well … um, uh … we can have some fun with ’em at times since another part of that syndrome is a general lack of any sense of humor! RH Off His Duff Was just sitting in my recliner reading the print copy of the Nov/Dec 2009 issue of American Handgunner, and, as it said in your editorial, I got off my duff and went to www.americanhandgunner.com and watched Web Blast. Just finished the one with you in your backyard talking about the Springfield Armory pistols. The guns are gorgeous — you, not so much — but enjoy your articles and look forward to seeing more of you on Web Blasts. Keep up the good work, and a great magazine. Farrell G. Fabre’ Greenwell Springs, Louis. Self-Tout Kudos to one of your own. Recently, I sent a pistol slide to Alex Hamilton of Ten-Ring Precision in San Antonio, to have some work done. Alex writes the Pistolsmithing column in Handgunner, so I was familiar with him. To say he was professional, talented and offered a good turn-around time, would be an understatement! I can recommend him highly to your readers, and thanks for a great magazine as well. Mark Russellville, Ark. Oh geez … now he’ll want a raise. “No, not on your life. And don’t let your increasingly grey head get bigger over this.” Musta been an accident Alex was in a good mood when Mark called him, Continued on page 80 18 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=19http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=19Since 1986.The Standard For Reliability McCormick 1911 Mags A Big “PLUS” In Performance For Serious 1911 Pistol Shooters! $32.95 $34.95 8rd-.45 10rd-.45 0 1 0 2 TM TM O P TM R E W TM New Follower* Design 100% Aluminum Frame Safe o A M + S G TM New 10rd Base Has 60 Angle For Mag Wells 100% Made in USA Heavy Duty Construction for Extra Heavy Duty Usage New POWER+ Follower* TM Magazine Size, Reliability, & Service Life All Depend On FOLLOWER DESIGN! * POWER MAGS+ are lean and sleek. 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Offer only applies for purchases from CMC or participating dealers.2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=20http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=20PISTOLSMITHING Alex Hamilton THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES Keeping Yourself ATF-Legal e are all aware of what is happening in the firearms industry. Manufacturers are operating at peak capacity, middlemen cannot keep up with orders, retailers’ shelves are empty, and gunsmiths are being hammered from every angle. Both you the customer and you the gunsmith must be aware of everything you do at the point of the sale, whether it be something as simple as picking up a gun that was in for repair, doing a transfer on a gun purchased from an Internet site or buying a new or used gun from other sources. When a compliance officer from ATF knocks on your door and flashes that gold badge you’d better be prepared. The first thing he looks for upon entering your shop is the “Youth Handgun Safety Act” poster. If you do not have it posted that will be your first citation. Next, he will look for your license to see if it is prominently posted along with your sales tax license. If not displayed that will be citation number two. Finally he will search for the required, displayed gun lock for sale. If you don’t have a lock to offer a customer, citation number three will be your undoing and he has not even opened your A/D books. Some ATF agents will cut you a little slack and give you a chance to correct these areas of neglect, but most will not so just get the job done. Above all, don’t cheat just to save a customer a $10 bill. ATF agents have heard and seen it all and there ain’t nothin’ you can get away with — so don’t try. W Customers hen you fill out the 4473 form look at every word and answer every question honestly and accurately. Some of the questions seem silly at first glance, but have a definite purpose in building a Federal case against such a person who has lied on the Federal form. Question number 11.a. is also a real doozie, asking if you are the actual buyer of the firearm. If you are knowingly buying a firearm for another person and and both you and the dealer are aware you are buying for another person the dealer cannot allow the transaction to go through. This is a “straw man” purchase and ATF holds this at the top of their list of prohibited sales. I have made multiple handgun transfers to four customers since the first of this year and every one of them has been paid a visit from an out of state 20 W ATF agent requesting to see the guns purchased due to our being within 250 miles of the Mexican border. The ATF are investigating guns “going” south from the US, which, of course, aren’t going South. They are merely a figment of a politician’s imagination. One of my very prominent local customers who collects and buys nothing but antique Colt Bisley single actions, which any agent can plainly see are not the type of gun used by Mexican gangsters, had a visit by an agent while he was away on a business trip. His wife was terrified as to what was going on, but she told the agent she would not let him in and would meet with the ATF at her attorney’s office after a written explanation as to why the agent needed to see the guns. It was resolved easily within a few days. Since that event, as with the three others, these men have quit buying guns altogether, which hurts my business and takes away one of the greatest pleasures and investment opportunities in their lives. can tell you from 40 years of experience in the firearms business if the dealer or buyer tries to circumvent the law, cheat on your Federal books, lie on the 4473 form, make a straw purchase or pull off a borderline shady gun deal for a friend you will get caught. You will get prosecuted and all that macho talk about taking a stand and standing on principle will fall silent when you stand before the judge. If you wanna fight unjust firearms laws do it by putting pressure on your local and state Senator and Representative. Standing alone against the Federal government is foolish. Finally, the dealer has his neck stuck out like a man waiting for the guilloti2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=21http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=21Power ed b y Wolf f! ered by olff For over 50 years Wolff has been the name you trust for precision gunsprings - Recoil Springs - Magazine Springs - Hammer Springs - Firing Pin Springs - Other Springs - Performance Kits For hundreds of Semi-Auto Pistols, Revolvers, Rifles and Shotguns. Like oil in your car, springs need to be changed from time to time. 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 Isn’t it time to make sure your gun is Powered by Wolff!2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=22http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=22Massad ayoob The OkalOOsa COunTy COp-killings: The inside sTOry situation: Twoveteranofficersconfrontawife-beater,not realizinghe’sreadyto“gooutinablazeofglory.” lessons: AfailingGuardsmancanbealethalopponent. Copsmustalwaysbepreparedtoinstantlyescalate todeadlyforce. Saturday,April 25, 2009, mid-day. In Okaloosa County in the coastal panhandle section of Florida,sheriff’sdeputiesaresearchingforaburlymaleCaucasiannamedJoshuaCartwright. Heiswantedforbeatinghiswifeearlierthesameday,soviciouslysherequiredhospitalcare. Thebatteredwifehaswarnedthemhehasguns:herTaurus9mmcompactandhisownpistol, and probably at least one rifle and one shotgun. She tells the police he’s driving a Toyota Tundra, and is planning on a day of recreational shooting at the Shoal River Sporting Clays rangeoutsidethetownofCrestview. The deputies know this could be a high-risk arrest, and they take it seriously. Their new sheriff, Ed Spooner, used to be a top competitive shooter, and the department emphasizes officersafetyandsurvivaltraining,allthemoresosinceOCSODeputyAnthonyForgionewas murderedduringaSWATraidthepreviousJuly. Onegroupoffourdeputiesgoestothecouple’sapartment,anddeterminesheisnothome. Astheyleave,oneofthoseofficersisthinkingit’sprobablyjustaswell:theapproachtothe apartmentisanarrowhallwaythatwouldcanalizetheofficersinanenfiladedkillingground withnocoveragainstabarricadedmanwitharifleorshotgun.Theyarekeenlyawarethatin previousweeks,murdersofmultiplepoliceofficershaveoccurredinOakland,Californiaand Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Barricaded gunmen equipped with long arms perpetrated both of thosemultiple-copkillings. Three deputies go to the range looking for the suspect. But there is no Toyota Tundra on the property, no “Joshua Cartwright” on the sign-in sheet, and no one there knows anyone bythatname.Thesearchcontinues.WhattheSheriff’sDepartmentdoesnotknowyetisthat thecomplainantwife,forwhateverreason,hasgiventhemthewrongvehicledescription.Her husband’svehicleisamaroonChevytruck,andhehassignedafalsenametothelogatthe ShoalRiverrange. The First Confrontation Whiledeputiessearchforhimelsewhere,the28-year-oldCartwrightisontherangefiring with ordinary citizens. If he seems moody, it’s because he’s a National Guardsman whose supervisors are aware of his tendencies toward domestic violence, and have warned him a convictionwillendhisbelovedmilitarycareer.HeletsanothershootertryhisSKS,andthen cracksoffafewroundswithhiswife’s9mmTaurusMillennium.Whenthepistoljams,heis unabletoclearit,andahelpfulshooteronthefiringlineshowshimhowtofixthestoppage. CartwrightisalsowearingaRugerP95withanextendedmagazineinatacticalthighholster, butnooneremembershimfiringit. Whatpeopledonoticeisafreshtattooonhisarmthatreads,“Don’tTreadonMe!Liberty or Death.” (A range staffer will later remember this man talking favorably of radical militia groupsonanearlieroccasion.)Thetatissonewhehasapapertowelonitattimestoabsorb bloodseepage.Eventually,heheadstohistruck,andbeginsputtinghisgearawayatthepassengerdoor.Thevehicleisparkednose-out. Two deputies roll into the parking lot of the Shoal River range to check for Cartwright again. Burt Lopez and Warren “Skip”York, both 45, are considered two of the best among the almost 300 sworn deputies who patrol the 999 square miles of Okaloosa County. Both are retired from complete and honorable careers in the US Air Force Security Police at nearby Eglin Air Force Base. Their supervisors say these mature deputies are so good at Continued on page 84 theirjobstheyalmostneveractuallyneedsupervision. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2009 222011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=23http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=23Ruger ® SR9c™ Pistol-Brushed Stainless 9mm Luger Ruger ® SR9c™ Pistol - Blackened Alloy 9mm Luger Perfectly sized to be comfortable and controllable, the SR9c ™ compact pistol is slim at 1.27'' wide, light at just 23.4 oz.* (when empty), and is only 6.85'' in overall length. Never has the word When you think compact, the words “small” and “undersized” may come to mind. At Ruger, we think perfectly balanced and feature packed, with 10+1-rounds of ® meant so much. 9mm and 17-rounds on the reload, we know that COMPACT MEANS A LOT! WWW.RUGER.COM/SR9 C ©2010 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 0113102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=24http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=24J.D. Jones HANDGUNHUNTING TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICALINCORRECTNESS Bison Big Boys A hat’s sort of what I got caught up in during the mid 1970s and don’t regret it one bit. Every bit of it was true. Lee Jurras was making the custom LEJ Auto Mags, and anyone who was seriously into handgun hunting either had at least one or just knew he had to get one. Lee and I had been friends for about 15 years and one fine sunny winter day we met at Custer State Park with two bison permits in hand. One was for me and the other for my buddy Doc Porter, who in 1942 was one of the guys in the first wave of Marines to invade a little island called Betio in the atoll of Tarawa. Lee brought one of his Auto Mags chambered for the .44 AMP loaded with 265-gr. Hornady soft points and equipped with a Leupold 2x — and some really good camera equipment. The whole point of this: 2,000 pounds The Park personnel expected us and of thundering hooves and pissed-off bulls! suggested we take a tour and try to locate fter having watched an exciting hunting video or having read a some of the bulls that were necessary to magazine article about hunting the big animals of the world have harvest, while providing a special hunt for you dreamed of doing it yourself? In your mind you are there, a limited number of hunters. No problem excited, near trembling, looking over the sights at a 2,000 pounder finding them in 70,000 acres of beautiful at 25 yards — and ready to pull the trigger! The moment of truth. Then snow covered hills. Doc was first to hunt and reality kicks in. “Naw” you complain, “I’ll never have the bucks or the time about noon the next day the Ranger pointed to do it.” Wimp. out a huge bull and said, “Take him.” Doc One of those 2,000-pounders might just have your name on him. Drive planted the 170-gr. .270 exactly where he your clunker another year and put the payments in the bank to buy groceries wanted it and after photos the work began. — namely 2,000 pounds of meat on the hoof. Yep, you can do it. Buffalo, or My bull turned out to be somewhat more correctly Bison, which is a separate and distinct species from buffalo. pissed. He had been in a fight, lost, was Big? You bet. Tough? Absolutely. Huge kicked out of the herd and had a hole in his head for the wall? Like you’ve never side I could stick my fist in. He wanted to J.D.’s AutoMag in full recoil after seen. A fun hunt? What do you think? run from us but really wanted to fight the popping the big Bison. He followed Half a ton of really delicious meat? pickup Doc and Lee were in. A few miles up with three more shots — just Hide to make a rug out of? Do I have to to make sure. later he sort of joined a small herd of bulls spell it out? Affordable? Would we be and I sneaked over the edge of a drop-off talking otherwise? Hun-tum with a big and found a bull I didn’t want about 20 pistol? That’s why you’re reading about feet from me. I’ve always been good at it here. Do it now? Duh … do I have to retreating. Later I stuck my butt in the snow spell it out for you? for a good solid sitting shot and plugged him. He bolted, I got up and popped him three more times for good measure. Later we J.D. poses with some found all four shots could be covered with of the best eating meat my hand. One of the 265s was found inside around! Can you say his heart. I brought the hide, head and about “Dinner for the next two years?” 900 pounds of meat home. Big bastard! T J.D.’s Hunt Get Off Your Butt Y ou can do it too. Right now at Custer you can do that for about $1,500. Custer still has limited hunts and is the best choice, if you can get drawn, which may take a couple years depending on which hunt you want. Two ranches I can recommend are the Triple U and the Durham ranch. You will need to call or E-mail for detailed hunt information. While in the area don’t forget to see Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands and many other attractions. Search South Dakota Tourism. But mostly — do it. * 24 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM •2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=25http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=25The Team Match II™ is chambered in both .45 ACP & 9mm. Slide & frame are machined from stainless steel to exacting dimensions. Heavy Medal Kimber. The Choice of the USA Shooting Team. Team Match II pistols feature an adjustable sight with positive steel-on-steel clicks for match-winning accuracy, ambidextrous thumb safety & Premium Aluminum Trigger™ that breaks clean at 4-5 pounds. USA Shooting Team logo grips, 30 lines-per-inch front strap checkering, beavertail grip safety & extended magazine well have a striking appearance and speed operation. www.kimberamerica.com For information on products and dealer locations please send $2 to: Kimber, Dept. 278 One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705 Information is also available at (800) 880-2418 The Choice of America’s Best. ©2010 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.2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=26http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=26WINNINGEDGE Dave Anderson SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION Here’s the magic, and it’s easy to see. Red dot on target — and squeeze. Sight window is a coated acrylic, very strong and light. ? HuH t? WH a Red Dot S Concealed Carry Glock 22 with JPoint sight is perfectly practical for concealed carry. Holster is an inside-the-waistband model from the Leather Arsenal. hooting a handgun well requires learning two basic skills, and then coordinating the two. The two skills are trigger control and sight alignment. Generally it takes thousands of repetitions to learn a physical skill. In the case of trigger control I’d say it takes hundreds of thousands of repetitions to get really good. Fortunately it can be done by dry-fire which costs nothing but time. Other than a good quality, consistent trigger there really isn’t any technology at present to replace hard work and repetition in learning trigger control. Sight alignment in some ways can be more difficult to learn, especially when we are trying to balance speed and accuracy. The sight picture for a five-yard shot is very different from the sight picture for a precision 50-yard shot. We need to learn to recognize an acceptable sight picture, which varies constantly as the difficulty of the shot changes. It’s human nature to look for tools and technology to make things easier. But there are tools to make the difficult task of “sight picture” easier. Years of competition — and now, years of practical experience — have conclusively shown the superiority of red dot sights over iron sights. I’m not saying a good shooter using iron sights can’t beat an average shooter using dot sights. Certainly he can, and once in a while he can even beat a shooter of equal skill. But dot sights are better and faster. yards the first time he ever fired a gun with a dot sight. There’s no mystery why this is so. With dot sights there’s no need to align three objects (rear sight, front sight and target) all at different ranges. Just place the dot on target and make the good trigger break you’ve worked so hard to develop. There are red dot sights available which are compact, reliable and tough enough for personal defense handguns. Actually they have been available for quite some time. In the Sept/Oct 2000 Handgunner I wrote about a police officer friend, Steve Kukowski, who had fitted a Tasco Optima sight on his Glock 26 and was using it as his duty gun. Steve is still carrying the same gun and sight to this day. During a decade of use the sight has never given a minute’s trouble. He tries to remember to change batteries annually but forgot once, and had the same battery installed for over two years. It still worked fine. Incidentally, if the battery should go dead, the sight window can serve as a “ghost ring” sight. With my sight I can still see the top of the front sight. t the USPSA Nationals, where top shooters can sometimes compete in both iron sight and open divisions, scores with dot sights are invariably higher, usually by a significant amount. That’s for top shooters. Among novice and average shooters the difference is even greater. Usually the difference is dramatic. I recall a friend, not a particularly skilled handgunner, consistently hitting 8" plates at 40 PrOOf A JPoinT SighT T 26 not in use to minimize battery drain. Windage and elevation are set with Allen head screws. I thought I would run out of elevation adjustment before getting sighted, but fortunately there was just he Optima was discontinued long ago. enough. If more elevation adjustment Fortunately today we have the excelis needed, JP offers thin plastic shims The JPoint sight adds almost no lent JPoint sight, from JP Enterprises, tapered at a one-degree angle to fit weight and only moderate bulk to makers of fine custom AR rifles and between sight and base. the Glock 22 on right. Pistol on left accessories. I fitted the JPoint on my Glock Dot size is 8-MOA and is very bright, is an earlier model 22. 22 using a JP ba2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=27http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=272011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=28http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=28Double Trouble T Clint Smith REALITYCHECK TM FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD The X300 SureFire light easily attaches to the Double Defense, and a Sparks side-saddle carrier is a good add-on. A Shotgun Y he handgun is a tool mostly of comfortable convenience rather than a tool of dynamic drop-dead effectiveness. The police use handguns to respond to the often-unexpected immediate threats usually generated at short range. For the military, a handgun in the hands of trained personnel may be used to stop personal threats regardless of whether the soldier, sailor, airman or Marine was stateside or overseas. The oddity here is the current establishment doesn’t trust a 20-year old soldier on base with a pistol at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, but the same government will let him call in a danger-close air strike in Afghanistan. But then what do I know? The handgun can be used for home defense. The handgun might not drop the target in its tracks, and might fling a projectile through at lot more interior walls than the average person may imagine. The handgun also requires some degree of perishable skills. Perishable skills need to be practiced no matter what shooting technique and high capacity pistol or gun is being used. Most of all what you don’t want to do is shoot a hole in your house or one of your kids by accident. eah, I know this is American Handgunner, but Roy said I could write this because most of you are concerned about personal safety. And, most people reading this probably didn’t fall down a diamond mine or win the lotto. Due to the price of handgun ammunition, most shooters are practicing less. Many readers have other family members who do not shoot handguns at all, or at least as much as they should to maintain basic skills. Remember the ultimate goal is to protect your family. If I do have to protect my family by gunfire I would like to fire the least number of rounds inside my house as possible. Bluntly? I would prefer a shooting to a gunfight. A shooting is: I shoot the target, it leaves or goes down. A gunfight is: I shoot, they shoot, we all shoot, creating direct and indirect fire and all the accompanying fragmentation. This unfortunately will not be like a video game. All of this simply brings up one of the master tools of home defense — the shotgun. Most folks like autoloaders or pumps, with my personal lean toward pump guns. But I also like double barrel shotguns around the home. The short frame and short barrels make for a handy tool inside the house. It only has two shots, but tendencies seem to indicate a very limited number of rounds are fired in most home defense situations. Besides, I know how to load the gun. I think a much bigger consideration is the tight size of the pattern the shotgun will deliver at toe-to-toe distances. And, something to ponder, for years, I’ve set a flashlight below and between the barrels creating a powerful fightchanging tool with illumination for target confirmation. The making of a best-tool for a bad world? Stoeger Double Defense S toeger has brought the double barrel defense gun to a new level with their introduction of the Double Defense. It’s an affordable and simplistic tool for home defense. The Double Defense is a good idea (we thought of it years ago and have written about it in our pages) and yet a couple subtle points would make a good gun better in Stoeger’s case. If designed for true fighting, a two trigger format is called for. A strong point of the side by side is the ability to select a barrel by selecting a trigger. The selected charge could be a light skeet load, a heavy buckshot load or a rifled slug. I do not say you should shoot one type over another, especially the rifled slug, but at least with two triggers I have the option do to so if I need to. The recoil reduction holes in the Stoeger barrels simply blow flash into the line of sight when firing. Probably a questionable idea for a fighting gun. The green tube-style front sight things I hav2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=29http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=29New Loads for 2010! A stunning breakthrough in personal defense ammunition design. • The patented FTX® bullet will expand reliably EVERY SINGLE TIME! • Optimized propellants burn quickly, reduce recoil and limit muzzle flash to protect night vision. • Shiny nickel cases resist tarnish and greatly enhance low-light chamber checks. Concealed carry and personal defense ammunition is redefined with the introduction of Hornady Critical Defense ammunition. You may have never thought about the effects of fabric and clothing on the performance of personal defense ammo. But clothing — especially heavy clothing — has a lot to do with how the bullet expands upon impact. Conventional hollow point bullets clog with fibers and fabric as they pass through clothing which diminishes expansion and causes unreliable bullet performance. Hornady Critical Defense ammunition eliminates clogging with the use of their patented Flex Tip® bullet. Upon entering soft tissue, the tip swells and imparts equal pressure across the entire circumference of the bullet cavity. The result is UNRIVALED bullet expansion and performance EVERY SINGLE TIME! Flex Tip ® technology guarantees 100% reliable performance in every situation. Hornady Critical Defense ammunition is available in these calibers: • 380 Auto • 38 Special • 38 Special +P • 9mm Luger Conventional hollow point bullets perform unreliably when encountering heavy fabric or layers of clothing. ! NEW For 2010 • 357 Mag • 12 ga 00 Buckshot • 40 S&W • 45 Auto PO Box 1848 Grand Island, NE 68802 308-382-1390 www.hornady.com2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=30http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=30THE SIXGUNNER hen I became deeply interested in sixguns, I wanted to know the experiences of earlier shooters. I had often read of the use of #80 powder for heavy sixgun loads before the advent of #2400, however I had never even seen a can of the stuff until now. Friend and custom gunsmith Gary Reeder found a batch of very old powder. Two of the cans were DuPont Sporting Rifle Powder #80 and DuPont Pistol Powder #6 and surely date back to before World War II. He had never heard of these powders and when he asked me John Taffin Blast PFrom The Past W about them the light went on and I saw a chance to step back into history. I have been collecting information of interest to me when it comes to sixguns for over 50 years, giving me a bookcase full of loose-leaf binders and old reloading manuals and books. I also have nearly 700 rounds of the old style balloon-head brass in .44 Special and .45 Colt. For the past 60 years or so all sixgun brass has been of the solid head construction, however before that time the primer pocket looked like a “balloon” in the middle of the base without any supporting brass P VEl(fPs)51/2" 71/2" P lOAD lOAD Ancient powders and modern Rugers proved the old powders and loads could deliver the goods. around it. This brass had a higher case capacity but was also weaker. With heavy loads it would often swell out just above the rim to the point of not being able to enter the shell holder for resizing. This is particularly true of the old-style .45 Colt brass, especially so with Western brass and is probably where the idea came from that .45 Colt brass is weak. If it was, this all changed in the early 1950s with the advent of solid head brass. TEST-FiRE: .44 Special Keith 250-260 Gr. Cast Bullet 9.5GR.#80 12.0GR.#80 13.0GR.#80 6.0GR.#6 812 953 1,059 815 51/2" GROUP/INCH* 817 986 1,098 835 71/2" 2 11/2 11/2 21/4 GROUP/INCH* LOADS FOR BALLOON HEAD BRASS ONLY TEST-FiRE: .45 Colt Keith 250-260 Gr. Cast Bullet DuPont Powders and data from Phil Sharpe and Elmer Keith all predate WWII. John tested them in modern Rugers. 12.0GR.#80 15.0GR.#80 7.0GR.#6 855 936 765 888 998 813 11/4 ½! 17/8 AllloadsuseWinchesterlPPrimers.Temperature:35degrees.*Groupsarefiveofsix shotsat20yardswith71/2"barrel Sectioned .45 Colt brass shows the difference in construction of balloon head (L) and modern solid head brass. Myth Or Magic? y primary interest was to see what could be done with #80 using the old loads in the old-style brass. Opening the can revealed no deterioration, however I was very curious about the color until I found Phil Sharpe’s description of it as buff-colored. It was introduced in 1913 and removed from production in 1939; that means the can I have is at least as old as I am. I also found several warnings about its use. Sharpe said: “My good friend Elmer Keith, in experimenting with #80 in his .38 Special and .44 Special heavy loads, has wrecked several revolvers.” The editor of the American Rifleman in the 1920s was a crusty old fellow by the name of Chauncey Thomas. In 1926, writing about a brand-new .44 Special SAA that was blown up he said: “What blew up that gun was a high-power rifle primer used with a pistol charge of No. 80 powder. But I have always protested against No. 80 in any revolver.” Later Keith would say: “For a good many years DuPont #80 powder was our best bet for heavy revolver loads, in spite of criticisms by many handloaders. Properly loaded, it will give very fine accuracy at comparatively high velocity. I do not like it as well as Unique for many loads, mainly on account of its being affected by moisture or extremes in temperature . Cartridges loaded with #80 and stored in a hot and dry climate may in a short time so increase in pressure that they are decidedly unsafe . This fact . makes it an unsafe powder for revolvers under all conditions of loading . I consider it now obsolete.” 30 M o here I am with an old can of #80 and Ideal #32 plus data and warnings from Keith, Sharpe and Thomas. Yes I a2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=31http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=312011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=32http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=32John Connor GUNCRANKDIARIES TM EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS Tale of A Roamin’ Pony A gunfighter’s grail: A Tussey Custom Colt, ‘smithed 30 years ago — now reborn. The Man, T The Missions Two little Ts — the mark that cracked the Great Stone Face. From Roy’s and Terry’s hands, back to where it belonged. I The ColT ThAT CAme home t was late 1980 or early ’81 when a stone-faced man in a dark suit stepped into the shop of up-and-coming gunsmith Terry Tussey. Stoneface surveyed the room with scorched-earth eyes, and then closed the door. Terry quickly spotted the bulges under Stoneface’s arms, and felt a little relief when his coat parted to reveal a gold badge clipped to his belt. Though decades younger then, Terry already knew serious armed thugs had occasionally hit gunsmiths’ shops. After all, that’s where the good guns were. And this guy looked nothin’ but serious. Sure didn’t look much like “Officer Friendly” though. He wasn’t. Stoneface laid a blue box and an envelope on the counter. The box contained a spanky-new Colt Mark IV Series 80 Government Model 1911A1 pistol. The envelope held a sheet listing operations to be performed on it. Most were reliability mods, like lowering and flaring the ejection port; throating the barrel and polishing the ramp; tuning the extractor and smoothing the trigger; combat sights and more, finished off with a frosted matte industrial hard chrome job. Terry spontaneously started to ask a routine question. “So, the primary purpose of …” and Stoneface cut him off. “Gunfighting,” he said, and tapped the list. “You may shave a little accuracy for absolute reliability, but she’s got to shoot into eye sockets at 15 and fists at 50 — with government hardball.” He dropped his card on the counter and turned to leave. “Fists?” The man silently laid a big fist over the center of his chest. Terry nodded; he understood. “I’ve heard you’re good,” Stoneface said. “Show me.” Terry looked at the card, made a coupla phone calls, muttered “Hmm …” a few times, and then — Oh, boy, did Terry show HIM! When his two descending Ts in an oval were finally stamped on that Colt it was a gunfighter’s grail, brutal and beautiful at once; elegant and ominous; a pure bullet-launcher and deadly serious, like the man it was made for. hat stonefaced man was my Uncle John, then commanding officer of one of the nation’s largest and most active SWAT units. He had risen through the ranks of SWAT the same way he’d earned combat promotions as a Marine: by single-minded ferocious dedication to the mission, whatever it was, at whatever risk. He was at his best — even his most comfortable — when playing the game “You Bet Your Life” with dangerous men. He didn’t do so well with what he called “politics, platitudes and patty-cake.” He may tell his own story someday, but I’ll tell you this one to sorta illustrate the man: When unit commanders were ordered to generate yet another piece of PC feel-good fluff — a “C.O.’s Statement on Race and Color” — he gathered his SWAT cops and said, “This is our policy on race and color: We have two races — the 440 and the mile, run quarterly. We have one color: camouflage. Dismissed!” He got thunderous cheers from the troops, and a thorough reaming from the brass. He didn’t care. Only the mission counted. The damages of duty caught up with him a decade later, and he found himself disabled, retired and financially strained. Some guns had to go, and the one he could get the highest return for was that Tussey Custom Colt. It stung him worse than shrapnel and he grieved to let it go, but the stone face never slipped or sagged. He sold it and never looked back. The Colt wound up in the hands of a young officer who loved Terry Tussey’s work, and equally loved guns which could murmur stories in the night; tales of standoffs and shootouts; face-downs with felony Continued on page 83 32 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=33http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=33FMG AmericanHG.ai 10/7/08 8:51:25 AM The Future of Pepper Defense PepperBlaster™ is better than ordinary pepper sprays. With a revolutionary delivery system, PepperBlaster fires two powerful blasts of penetrating pepper solution. Effective range is 13 feet and PepperBlaster incapacitates an assailant – human or animal – for up to 45 minutes. PepperBlaster is ideal for college students, joggers, commuters, pet owners and anyone who refuses to be a victim. Faster • Easier • Safer See it in action at www.pepperblaster.com Kimber, Dept. 229. One Lawton Street Yonkers, NY 10705 (800) 880-2418 Caution: Strong irritant. Keep out of reach of children. May be unlawful to own or possess in some states or jurisdictions. Use for any purpose except lawful self defense may be punishable by imprisonment, fines or both. Guardian Angel protected by U.S. Pat. 6,951,070B2. Copyright ©2008, Kimber, Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved.2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=34http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=34TAFFINTESTS was the same age as my youngest grandson is now when I first started hooting the 1911 using a $15 military surplus .45 that was loose as the proverbial goose. We’ve come a long way from the belief military .45s couldn’t hit the proverbial barn from the inside, which of course was always nonsense. Today’s .45s are precise instruments, especially those turned out by Luke Volkmann — I know they can outshoot me. The Volkmann Commander-sized Combatant Carry 1911 is designed to make it the fighting handgun. Today we have many chopped and channeled 1911s with barrels as short as 3". I have a couple from two different manufacturers which have always been reliable; however there seems to be some that are not, and many argue the 41/4" barrel is the shortest possible for total reliability. The little guns may be easier to conceal — but not at the price of reliability. In addition to the Commander-sized shorter barrel, the Combatant Carry features the Bobtail mainspring housing pioneered by Ed Brown. I’ve often seen pictures of 1911s with this feature and thought it looked rather strange. I realized it made concealment easier as it eliminated any sharp edges which could print on a shirt or light jacket; what I did not realize was how comfortable it would feel in my hand. Whether a 1911 is equipped with an arched or flat mainspring housing, I can always feel a sharp edge in the bottom of my palm. With the Bobcat grip frame this is hardly noticeable. The Volkmann Custom Signature The Volkmann Combatant Carry and the Signature Series proved to be exceptionally accurate. Series 1911 is a full-sized 1911 offering custom craftsmanship and performance. Luke Volkmann I The 1911s of John Taffin THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE Fit and finish are peerless on the Volkmann Custom Signature Series 1911. Classy workmanship! Good leather by Elmer McEvoy of the Leather Arsenal. Luke Volkmann offers this custom hard case to fit any 1911. Fit is customizable. FixeD a 34 s I think back to the first 1911 I ever had I remember three things: a heavy trigger pull, getting bit by the hammer and sights which were hard to see with even my then young eyes. All of these problems are addressed with FoibleS Volkmann Custom 1911s. I can live with a heavy trigger pull, however good sights are absolutely mandatory and the sights on the Combatant Carry are excellent. On the Combatant Carry both front and rear sights are set in dovetail slots making them adjustable for windage. They are also very easy to see, consisting of a square notch rear sight with two Trijicon white dots matched up with a square post front sight which also contains a Trijicon white dot. The white dots literally glow in the dark, and I have also discovered recently the white dots show up for me much clearer in bright sunlight than plain black sights. Any self defense pistol must be totally reliable and the Combatant Carry proved to be 100-percent, probably aided by the fact the ejection port has been lowered and flared and matched up with a hardened and tuned extractor. The Combatant Carry features a thumb safety with an extended Continued on page 99 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=35http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=35Khaki Digital Foliage Camo Khaki Main compartment and hydration compartment can accept CCW accessories #0431 SITKATM GEARSLINGERTM NEW Main compartment and hydration compartment can accept CCW accessories #0432 KODIAKTM GEARSLINGERTM NEW Khaki Foliage Green Digital Foliage Camo Foliage Green Black #MX0413 S-TYPE JUMBOTM #MX0412 JUMBOTM Better for left-side carry Better for right-side carry Khaki2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=36http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=36CARRYOPTIONS Sammy Reese FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS DeSantiS Duke used to keep a .45-70 in the loops to let him know when he only had a few rounds left. But you have to admit, that lineup of .45 Colt loads is impressive. Thanks Corie (Mrs. Sammy), we’d rather you model than Sammy anyday! CentennIal holster set f you are a frequent reader of my column, you already know my passion for holsters and guns started long before I ever shot my first real gun. I wrote previously about how my brother and I modified our holsters into shoulder rigs. What I didn’t cover was the holsters were from our cap gun western holster setups. We went through literally hundreds of single action cap guns and holsters over the years. Truth is I’m a frustrated cowboy. I say frustrated because I don’t live on my dream ranch — yet. Luckily my daughter Hannah loves horses and I get to spend time with her at the ranch where she rides. You should have seen her smile when I surprised her and rode into the arena during one of her lessons. Mini-Reese Ms. Hannah, “Dad, I didn’t know you could really ride — shows off DeSantis’ rig that’s so cool.” honoring John Wayne. “But it doesn’t fit, dad!” John Wayne toting iRon I Wheel Gun Jones T he last few years I’ve broadened my expertise to include wheel guns. It took some prodding from Roy and Clint to open my eyes to that world. Now that they’re open, I’m a full blown wheel gun junkie — I can’t get enough. It started with double action revolvers which lead to single actions. Adding single action revolvers to my arsenal meant I needed a SA rig. My search yielded some astounding holster makers who make some amazing rigs. The one that caught my eye was made by DeSantis — The John Wayne Centennial Holster Set. My dad was a huge fan of the “Duke,” so much so his nickname for my brother was Duke. I still call him Duke and my wife calls him brother Duke and my kids even call him Uncle Duke. @ he John Wayne Centennial Holster Set arrived in a not so standard cardboard box. The presentation box is embossed with the photo of the Duke as many of us remember him — on horseback. The belt and holster were wrapped in tissue paper like they were fine china. As I carefully unwrapped the holster and belt, I found myself at a loss for words. For those of you who know me, you know it’s a very rare occasion I’m speechless. You will also be shocked at the not so cowboyish choice of word I chose to describe the belt and holster — exquisite. Yes, I said exquisite. The buckle was as shiny as the bumper on a Silver Wraith Rolls Royce, and the leather was perfect, like the face of a newborn baby. The stitching was covered and aligned like the silent drill team at 8th and I — perfect in every detail. A platoon of Marine Drill Instructors couldn’t find a flaw if they had all day to inspect it. The folks at DeSantis made this set even more unique in that the belts are serialized from 0001 to 3500 and come with a certificate of registration. The holster has John Wayne’s signature as well as the 100th anniversary logo embossed on it. The first time I put the belt and holster on, I could hear the spurs jingling in my ears as I walked to the barn to head out for a ride. I thought of the times my brother and I headed out to ride the range — on our bikes — complete with sixguns in western rigs. If you own a SA revolver it deserves to be toted around in a rig like this. I look forward to taking my first ride on my someday-ranch, wearing this rig carrying my favorite .45 Colt. Happy trails. t * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 362011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=37http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=37What’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. Each and every one of those fifty-three parts is produced on the finest CNC machining centers available to guarantee absolute precision, consistency and superior quality. Then there’s the other half of the equation: Hand fitting and assembly by skilled artisans. Each of our master gunsmiths carefully files, hones, fits and finishes with his own two hands all fifty-three of those parts into a perfectly fit, exquisitely built and tuned custom 1911 that fulfills our promise of delivering the most breathtaking out-of-thebox accuracy and the most reliable operation in the world. 1804 Iowa Drive • LeClaire, Iowa 52753 Ph: 563-289-2126 • Fx: 563-289-2132 Office Hours: 9am-5pm Central Time Email: info@lesbaer.com Looking for a superior semi-auto rifle on a par with our 1911 pistols? Prepare to be amazed by Les Baer Ultimate AR Rifles in .223, .204 Ruger and new .264 - LBC-AR . Several sporting and law enforcement models available, all guaranteed to shoot 1/2" MOA. www.lesbaer.com2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=38http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=38BETTERSHOOTING Dave Anderson . 22 NirvaNa W hen I started shooting handguns, which was not the day before yesterday, it was taken for granted a new shooter started with a .22. These days it seems many new shooters start out with something like a 9mm/.38 Spl./.40 S&W or even a .45 ACP. I know people who have done so and became very competent shooters, so I know it’s technically possible to get along without a .22 handgun. The question is, why the heck would you? Improvement at any skill comes fastest when it’s fun, and if you enjoy shooting at all, nothing is more fun than a good .22. In the Speak Out column in Handgunner a couple of issues back there was one about a young fellow whose first gun was a .44 Magnum. Apparently after owning the gun five years he I know of no better training tool for a new handgunner than a quality .22 revolver. Clockwise from top right: pre-war Colt Officers Model Target, S&W 51 .22 Magnum, S&W 34, 1948-era S&W K-22. still could not get on paper at 25 yards. I must say the letter about broke my heart. If I had a young enthusiast who wanted to try handgun shooting, and my goal was to discourage improvement and destroy enthusiasm, I can think of no better way than by starting with too much gun. Which brings up a pet peeve: people who think it’s hilarious to hand a new shooter (often a woman) some kind of monster .454-.500 Magnum. Then they video them firing a shot, and post the video on the Internet. I wonder how many potential new handgunners we’re losing because of these cackling idiots? the Whys or a new shooter I know of nothing better than a high quality, medium frame .22 revolver. They don’t kick; they are extremely accurate; the cocked trigger pull is usually outstanding and they balance and handle beautifully. A quality autopistol is excellent as well, and my reasons for preferring a revolver are rather minor. To get a really good trigger on an autopistol you generally have to go to a top-line target model. Such guns are both expensive and heavy. New shooters often find loading autopistol magazines difficult compared to loading a revolver. Finally there is a psychological angle. Autopistols are ready to go again after every shot. I often see a tendency to shoot a string of F shots, rather than treat each shot as a separate event. My personal favorite is the S&W K-22, though I also like Colt medium frame revolvers very much. I bought my first K-22 around 35 years ago, and it taught me more about shooting a handgun accurately than any other. My current K-22 was made in 1948, long before the designation “Model 17” was introduced. I bought it secondhand of course, but in excellent condition. Another advantage of .22s is the fact given sensible care they are about impossible to wear out. My current Colt is a pre-war Officer’s Target model with the front sight adjustable for elevation. For shooters with small hands the little S&W “Kit guns” on the J-frame are an excellent choice. I also like Colt .22s on the Police Positive frame, especially the Colt Diamondback,. Colt also made some alloyframed Cobras in .22 with 3" barrels. This S&W 34 Kit Gun feels small in my hands, but for my wife Simone’s small hands it fits just right. Happily S&W still makes a full line of .22 revolvers. Recently they brought back the K-22 in their “Classic” line, and it is a beauty, virtually identical to my 1948 model. They also offer the Model 17 with full-length ejector rod housing and ten-shot cylinder, a bit heavy for my tastes but a superb revolver. Smith & Wesson also offers several .22 and .22 Magnum models on the smaller J-frame. For a shooter with small hands the best choice is the steelframe model 63 with 5" barrel. There are some models with 2" barrels which make great trainers for the multitude of shooters who own J-fame .38 snubbies. The Browning Buckmark is another great .22 auto, made in variations to suit almost any .22 need, from hunting to plinking to formal target shooting. The Buckmark is also offered 2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=39http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=392011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=40http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=40Mike “Duke” Venturino SHOOTINGIRON TM Photos: Yvonne Venturino THUMB BUSTIN’ MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE GROUPING After a handgun is made to shoot like this, meaning it is sighted in and shoots tight groups, then more group-shooting is superfluous. After that it’s time to build marksmanship skills. AmAzIng PrecIsIon? I GROUPIES roup shooting in and of itself is meaningless. It has taken me over three decades to fully realize that fact. The purpose of a handgun is not to shoot groups, and in fact nobody ever shot anything with a group. The sole purpose of a handgun is to direct a bullet to a specific point, whether it is a paper target, a tin can or flesh. Each shot is an individual act. So how did groups become the be-all and end-all in some people’s minds? It happened because groups are shot to determine the level and consistency of a handgun’s precision. But group shooting is fraught with the possibility for errors. Most all of us avid handgunners have a group or two taped to our gun room walls. But there is one indisputable fact. A single group is only a record of what that handgun did with those five, 10 or however many shots in that specific instance. Consider the following. A superb 5-shot group can be, and often is, a fluke. A superb 10-shot group is less of a fluke, and a superb 25- or 50-shot group actually begins to give an indication of what that specific load delivers from that specific handgun. Four or five groups of five shots are a better indication of a handgun’s precision, just as four or five 10-shot groups or four or five 25-shot groups are “more better.” But who in the world has the time or gumption to do that? So, most “gun tests” use the lazy man’s five shot groups. And then there is the shooter-factor to consider. By shooter-factor I mean how well the trigger was pulled and the sights aligned, with the understanding that muscle and eyesight fatigue are related factors. Obviously a shooter is going to be capable of firing a better group at the beginning of a session than he will after an hour or two of constant shooting. G recognized that fact early on in my career and began using machine rests. Those devices minimize shooter fatigue. The flip side of that coin is they give no indication of the “shootability” of a handgun. In other words, a handgun which delivers amazing precision from a machine rest may be completely incapable of hitting anything when put in a human’s hands. Again let me explain. Perhaps the two greatest drawbacks to shooting a handgun with precision — meaning we are attempting to direct a single bullet to a specific target — are the visibility of the sights and the quality of the trigger. There’s also the factor of where the handgun sends the bullets in relation to where its sights are pointed. A handgun with a 10- or 12-pound trigger pull will shoot groups from a machine rest just as tight as a similar model with a two- or three-pound trigger. Likewise, a revolver with modern high profile sights will be easier to hit with than one with the old fashioned half moon front and a small groove down the topstrap for a rear sight. However, both revolvers might shoot groups just as small when mounted in a machine rest. And since a handgun mounted in a machine rest is not only anchored to that heavy apparatus of table and rest, rounds fired give absolutely no indication of where they will impact when the same handgun and ammo are fired handheld. In other words, machine rest groups give no indication of a handgun’s “shootability.” They only indicate mechanical accuracy. While his 1917 revolver and 1911 both shoot great groups from a machine rest, Duke can only actually hit the target reliably with his 1911 due to ergonomics. For the best results in shooting groups, Duke has relied on pistol machine rests (like this Ransom) for over 30 years. N ow consider this. I own two Colt .45 ACP handguns from the World War I era. One is a 1911 and the other is a Model 1917 revolver. The former has a 5-pound trigge2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=41http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=41MEPROLIGHT. The right sight in any light. Meprolight night sight systems are 20% brighter than other brands and backed by the strongest warranty in the business. Fixed and adjustable sets are available tactical shotguns. Different color combinations are offered for some are minor. A complete selection of Meprolight night ® sights and optical sights are available from Kimber. Meprolight. If you can see the target, you can see your sights. Available from Kimber, Dept. 275 One Lawton Street, Yonkers, NY 10705 (800) 880-2418 www.kimberamerica.com Kimber and Kimber of America are registered trademarks of Kimber Mfg., Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. © 2010 Kimber Mfg., Inc. ® Lightning quick access even in the dark. Our patented N o - Ey e s K e y p a d a n d Bio pad offer immediate access to your firearm. SAFE • QUICK • STRONG • SMART www.gunvault.com2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=42http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=42I Gotta Be Make Mine Custom! A much younger Taffin shooting a Mag-na-port Stalker. I 42 n the 1950s I discovered Elmer Keith and his writings, which often covered customized sixguns. He had about a half-dozen highly customized .44 Special Single Action Colts and I was mesmerized by the beauty, combined with practical function of those sixguns. Fifty years later I found myself placing those same sixguns in the Elmer Keith Museum. In between those two happenings I set about to make most of my sixguns me. I know this article is going to tweak my friend Mike Venturino. We really are friends, and in many ways we think alike — however there are also many ways we take divergent paths. I had my first article published in 1967. It was written as I spent the summer in the Payette National Forest. Mike’s first feature appeared in the early 1970s and was written as a college assignment. Over the years we have followed each other’s works, and certainly noticed how each of us has changed in several ways. I’ve especially noticed how Mike has gone astray in his view of custom sixguns. In those early years he had two .44 Magnums which he personalized to his specifications; a Ruger Super Blackhawk which he cut back to 51/2" and a S&W which was also trimmed to 5". Both of these were distinctly his, and then he got bored or lazy or something and I have never seen another sixgun of his that was changed, except for occasionally adding aftermarket grips. Mike, you were on the trail of the Perfect Packin’ Pistol and somehow took a fork in the road. A New Duke? If you’ve noticed the photos of Mike recently he’s getting smaller and smaller, and in his newfound skinny-ness perhaps he now has enough energy to get back to work customizing or personalizing some of his sixguns. Mike, readers are waiting to see what we do; waiting for us to lead. I know this is true by how many have been customizing Ruger Blackhawks since I started writing about them nearly 30 years ago. I did not start the trend; that honor belongs to Skeeter Skelton. I’ve just tried to carry the torch. When it comes to customizing the sixgun, or semiauto for that matter, I’m a firm believer in “Don’t fix what ain’t broke!” Nor do I believe in adding a lot of doodads to a self-defense gun. Thanks to the influence of customizers, most factory semiautos come already “customized” with features custom makers were adding back in the 1950s and 1960s. About all any of the modern semis need is a good trigger job. When it comes to sixguns we are living in a time when we have our choice of the best revolvers ever made. They are stronger, held to tighter tolerances, most often shoot better than their 50-year-old counterparts. And relatively speaking, WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=43http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=43Me John Taffin This .454 Freedom Arms has been customized by Mag-naport with the installation of an SSK T’SOB scope mount, Magna-Brake and sling swivel studs. they are less expensive than they were 50 years ago. About all any of them need is a trigger job and custom stocks. However, there are also a lot of gaps that can only be filled by going the custom route, and we are also blessed to have many custom stockmakers turning out some truly beautiful and functional grips. Most of today’s factory revolver grips, are, well atrocious. Smith & Wesson’s Classic Series revolvers become a whole lot more classic with the addition of custom stocks from makers such as BluMagnum, Eagle Grips, Herrett’s, Keith Brown or Hogue. I try hard not to be judgmental realizing what you see is not always what you get. But I have to admit I immediately form an opinion about a sixgunner by the type of grips I see on the sixgun he is using. At my age now I imagine this will never change. Two custom Ruger .44 Specials by David Clements, a Number Five and a dual cylindered .44 Special/44.40 using a New Frontier barrel. Limitless Choices There are many ways to personalize Top gun is a personalized Ruger stainless steel Super Blackhawk with stocks by BluMagnum; bottom is a pre-stainless steel short barreled Super Blackhawk by Mag-na-port. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 432011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=44http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=44Using a Colt New Frontier barrel and a Ruger Old Model .357 David Clements built this dualcylindered .44 Special/.44-40. Taffin’s friend Bob Baer likes handy little guns with short-barrels and lanyard rings. Smith & Wesson did a special run of 500 5" .44 Magnums in 1958. They are now prized collectors items. These two were built by Jim Stroh by cutting down an 83/8" barrel and by the installation of a factory 5" barrel by the Smith & Wesson Custom Shop. . These custom Bisley Models were built by Jim Stroh; notice the special front sights. or customize a sixgun. To my mind personalizing is something as simple as adding custom grips or changing the sights; customizing goes deeper and usually, again at least to my way of thinking, is a caliber conversion. That is, using the custom route to come up with a sixgun chambered in a cartridge not available in that model. Some folks can be perfectly happy with the large array of factory offerings we now have — I can’t. Apparently Elmer Keith was satisfied with factory sixguns until he ran into a fellow by the name of Harold Croft. In the mid-1920s Croft took the train all the way from Philadelphia to Oregon where Keith had a little ranch outside of Durkee. Croft brought a “whole suitcase of sixguns” as Elmer says. They were all highly customized light weight .45 Colt Single Actions and Bisley Models. Keith was definitely influenced, and the result was what is probably the most famous custom sixgun of all times, his Number Five .44 Special. As I stared over and over at Keith’s custom sixguns in his book Sixguns, I dreamed the impossible dream; there was no way I could ever afford such beautiful works of art. Then came Skeeter Skelton who kept the fires of my sixgunning heart burning when I was first a college student with a wife and three young kids to support, and then a beginning teacher making one-third less money than I did while working in a factory. There certainly was no money for many sixguns, let alone customizing them. However, time has a wonderful way of changing things. By the time the three kids were out of high school we finally had some expendable dollars. Just this week my local gunsmiths, Mike Rainey and Tom Cripe, at Buckhorn, finished my “Keith Gun.” Starting with a 51/2" .45 Colt Texican they fitted an S&W rear sight and carved a barrel band front sight from a block of steel. This turned out wonderfully well and I’m now convinced they can do anything! Again as I see it there are two main reasons for customizing a sixgun. One is to make it a one-of-a-kind Personal Pistol; start with an existing revolver and make the changes that appeal personally. Pay no attention to what anyone else says; this is a personal decision. The second is to come up with something that doesn’t exist as a factory offering. Cars And Guns Going back to the 1950s many of the custom features placed on cars, especially those in California, eventually wound up as part of the design of factory automobiles. We have seen the same thing happen with custom sixguns. When Ruger introduced the .357 Blackhawk in 1955, the .44 Special was supposed to be soon to follow. However, one year later You can’t find L’il Guns such as these .22 and .32 Single-Sixes, built by Andy Horvath, at your local dealer. Two custom .44 Special Old Model Ruger Blackhawks by Hamilton Bowen and the late Bill Grover. 44 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=45http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=45the .44 Magnum arrived and instead of offering the .357 Blackhawk platform in .44 Special a larger framed model was offered as the .44 Magnum Blackhawk. For many decades sixgunners asked Ruger to produce a standard sized .44 Special, but to no avail. The only choice we had was to take the custom route and convert three-screw .357 Blackhawks, both Flat-Tops from 1955-1962 and Old Models from 1963-1972, to .44 Special. These were chosen as the basis for the .44 Special since they were Colt Single Action sized, while the New Model .357 Ruger was built on the larger .44 Magnum frame. All during this time we continued to petition Ruger to build a medium-frame .44 Special. At the 2005 SHOT Show I talked to the then-Ruger president about this and while he made no promises, he didn’t say no. However, no .44 Specials seemed to be forthcoming. Then in late 2008, 53 years after the .357 Blackhawk was first introduced, I received a call from Jason Cloessner of Lipsey’s Distributors. I felt just like Elmer Keith when he received the .44 Magnum call from Smith & Wesson in December 1956. My dream had been realized and Lipsey’s was offering a special run of .44 Specials built on the 50th Anniversary .357 Blackhawk frame; the same size as used on the original Blackhawk. This was to be a special run of only 2,000. That is the bad news. The great good news is the sixguns have sold so well and so fast Ruger has decided to make them a standard catalog item offered with both 45/8" and 51/2" barrels. Had it not been for sixgunners who customized and converted Rugers for the past 30 plus years this never would have happened. Hamilton Bowen was one of the first to realize the usefulness of the .327 Federal chambering it in these two custom Rugers. Cutting Edges John Linebaugh is a true pioneer when it comes to sixgun cartridges as witness his fully custom .500 and .475 Linebaughs and .500 and .475 Linebaugh Longs. The .475 Linebaugh is now a standard chambering by Freedom Arms and his .500 Linebaugh Long looks a whole lot like the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum. Another mildly popular custom conversion is the .41 Continued on page 82 A pair of Ruger .44 Specials by Andy Horvath. John Gallagher created these short-barreled .44 Specials on a 50th Anniversary and an Old Model .357 Blackhawk. Big bore conversions on Ruger medium-framed sixguns include a .44-40 by Brian Cosby, .44 Special by Ben Forkin and .45 Colt by Jim Stroh. The top one uses a Smith & Wesson ribbed .44 Magna barrel. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 452011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=46http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=46UsPsAProductionclassopenedpractical shootingcompetitiontoanyonewitha qualityduty-stylepistolandpractical holster.Anyofthesewouldworkgreat. Clockwisefromtopleft:springfieldXD inasafarilandpaddleholster; Beretta92DinaBlACKHAWK! serpaholster;Glock22inan UncleMike’spaddleholster;sIG 220inaBlACKHAWK!holster andaPara-Ordnance1911in aBladeTechholster.Timersareby CompetitionElectronics. Competition Gear UpDate Dave anderson ompetition in any arena makes things better. It’s the way of the world. Competition among shooters makes for better shooters and competition among manufacturers makes better products. I don’t know what percentage of handgun owners ever fires a shot in competition, but the number cannot be very high. Cost may be one factor, which is why I am so enthusiastic about IDPA and USPSA Production division. It’s perfectly possible to compete and win, even at a national level, with equipment no fancier than what many handgunners carry every day. Some handgunners may be nervous or reluctant to try competition, worried about being embarrassed. To those I say stop worrying and give it a try. Organizations such as IDPA and USPSA want you as a member and are very knowledgeable about helping new shooters get started. With the classification system, regardless of skill level, you compete with others of similar skill level. C S hooter r eady? 46 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=47http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=47WiththeInfinitytriggersystem,shootershaveanarrayoftriggerlengthandstylechoices.Ithasanovertraveladjustmentstop,andisavailablebothforsingle-stack1911sandwithawidebowforhigh-caps. Interchangeableinsertslettheshooterchoosethetriggerlengthandstyleforbestfit. ManyGlockshooterspreferamatch-gradebarrelwithconventionalriflingandatighterdimensionchamberthanthestandardGlock.40.Apopularexampleisthisstainlesssteelmatchbarrel fromKKMPrecision,whichwasadrop-infitonthisGlock22. BladeTechholstersareverypopularinUsPsAProductionDivision.Theycanbeorderedasa packagewithbothbeltloopattachmentandpaddleattachmentandadoublemagazinecarrier. Clockwisefromright:Techwellmagazinewellandgripfor1911-stylesingle-stackpistols;sVI/ Infinitytriggersystemwithinterchangeableinserts;sTIRecoilMasterrecoilspringsystem.In centerisanAfteccompetitionextractorpoweredbycoilsprings. TheMeritOpticalAttachmenthasbeenpopularwithprecisionshootersforalongtime, andstillworksaswellasever.Itattachestotheshootingglasseswithasuctioncup, positionedsotheshootingeyelooksthroughanadjustableiris.Increasingdepthoffield makesthesightsappearsharperandcrisper.Itworksfordotsightstoo.Notintendedfor highspeedshooting,butgreatforsightinginandtestinggunsandloads. Iusedmyolds&WModel19toillustratetheCRspeedrevolverholster.speedholstersaremade forrevolversaswellasautos.Gunislockedintheholsteratthetriggerguardbutreleasesinstantly onthedraw.Theleverontheholsterfrontcanbepushedforwardforadditionalsecuritywhennot activelyshooting.GripsareJerryMiculekdesignfromBangInc.,CompIIIspeedloadersandcarriers bysafariland. Whether participants or not, competition shooting has made better equipment available to all of us. Factory guns come far better equipped than they did 30 years ago, when shipping a new 1911 immediately off to a pistolsmith was standard procedure. Now, there’s so many aftermarket parts and accessories available it would take a big catalog to list them. A few items are shown here just to give an idea. Personally I’m old enough I still like to hold an actual catalog and flip through the pages while relaxing by the fire, so I love the Brownells catalog. Young people, of course, do everything WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM on the Internet these days. Practical shooting competition gets the most attention these days, but I started out shooting bullseye long ago. This demanding sport has many proponents, so I’ve included a couple of items of interest to bullseye shooters. Hopefully, this all will push you over the edge and one day soon you’ll find yourself standing ready at the buzzer! * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex and the Handgunner homepage for Web Blast for even more products! PACTandCompetitionElectronicswerethetimerinnovatorslongago, andarestillleaderstoday.Thelatestversionofthecompacttimerby PACT,theClubTimerIII,hasaveryloudbuzzer,afeaturemuchappreciatedatmatcheswherethere’softenalotofbackgroundnoise.Ofcourse PACTmayalsobeconcernedaboutusolder(anddeafer)shooters. 472011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=48http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=48RAGING BULLS! PAT COVERT T 48 he bulls not only run in Pamplona, Spain, they run in Clinton, Mississippi in the shop of custom knifemaker Jim Burke. Instead of horns they have relentless blades, instead of legs they have titanium grips. Once they leave their corral, Burke’s knives roam all parts of the world, trampling anything getting in their way. Keeping it simple, Burke’s knives are rock-solid, over-built cutters with an attitude. In a very real way, they are a reflection of the knifemaker himself. Before becoming a full-time knifemaker Jim spent a good bit of time paying his dues. “I worked as a full time law enforcement officer for 10-plus years,” Jim tells us. “During that time, I was a member of SWAT and the Fugitive Apprehension Team. I also trained personnel in the art of pressure point control tactics, knife fighting and defense. I continue to work in the fields of personal protection, asset protection and recovery. I firmly believe my background and training has positively influenced my knife designs and their overall function. I strive to make a knife that is not only visually WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=49http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=49BURkeS ON A BUdGeT here’s good news for those who wouldliketoownaJimBurkeknife but can’t quite afford the custom pricetag.Bothmid-techandproduction versions of Jim’s designs are available. Mid-techs are knives that have many of the features of a custom, such as hand-ground blades, but often with automated production steps and materials substituted to allow a lowerendcostfortheconsumer. CNC specialist lee Nottingham Jr. runs Burke Production Knives in partnership with Jim.In2008theyproducedtheirfirstmodel, the Rockstar, and last year released their secondmodel,theflippinBallistic.Thesemidtechs feature top-flight materials, including titaniumframesand154CMbladesteel,and havetherock-solidbuildofaBurkecustom. IfyouwantthelookandfeelofoneofJim’s kniveswithoutthecustompricetag(themidtechs run approximately half the price) you cangothisroute. Boker Knives has teamed up with Jim Burke to produce an affordable factory version of the knifemaker’s Mini-Resurrection model. At 8.75" overall (5" in the handle, 3.75" in the blade) Boker’s production version is a truckload of knife just like Burke’s original. The factory Mini-Resurrection featurestexturedslip-proofG-10handlesandall theotheraccouterments,suchasthickblade steel and ample pocket clip, found on the Burke namesake. Better yet, a suggestedretailisonly$89.95. T JIm BURke mAkeS kNIveS appealing, but can, without a doubt, do the job when put to the test.” Another similarity, Burke himself is an imposing figure, over six feet tall, muscled-up and broad shouldered like a tank. Not the kind of guy you want to say bad things to about his mother. Despite Burke’s rigorous past, he is a humble fellow with even more humble beginnings. He grew up in sleepy, conservative central Mississippi and remembers getting his first knife when he was around six years old. His father started making straight knives back in the mid1980s and Jim jumped in line, making his first fixed-blade in 1987. The bug bit and the fix was in from that day forward. Aside from his father’s early influence most of Jim’s knifemaking skills came from self-schooling and the drive within. Jim imparts an interesting story about how he came to make his first folding knife. “I made my first folder in 1998. I found a folder I liked, took it apart, and went from there duplicating parts and adding my own touches.” For Burke, the learning curve is short, it’s the constant drive for perfection that pushes him every day. wITh AN ATTITUde Bred For Battle Burke spares no time or expense in making his knives. They are built tough with titanium handles and a built in frame-lock mechanism, widely regarded and one of the strongest blade locking designs today. His base of customers is made up of both serious users and collectors, but they’re all built to take extreme duress regardless of how fancy he makes them. “My customers are from all over the world and range from high end collectors to police and military personnel,” states Jim. “I have several repeat customers and have developed some great friendships with them. I often hear they not only like my knife designs, but appreciate the fit and finish as well.” Handle one of Burke’s folders and you’ll understand why his knives are so popular. They may be tough, but the attention to detail and final finishing have all the style and grace you could ask for. Jim offers his customers a variety of blade steels, from hard-working 154CPM to more exotic fare. According to Jim, “Blade steels range from tool steels to carbon-free Stellite. The most popular steel among my customers is satin finished 154-CPM stainless. I personally like the custom stainless Damascus made by Chad Nichols. It grinds nice and there are so many crazy patterns to choose from.” Budget Burkes include the Boker Burke’s standard models Mini-Resurrection (top) and will either have plain the Burke Production scales or designs and Knives mid-tech patterns milled into the (bottom). surface to enhance the grip of the knife. Fancier versi2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=50http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=5050 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=51http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=51he mighty X-frame revolvers and the gorgeous handguns of their Performance Center notwithstanding, the single most popular handgun Smith & Wesson makes today is the J-frame revolver. Now in its 60 th year, it’s probably our most ubiquitous “everyday” handgun. While the classic service revolver has largely been relegated to the police museum, the J-frame outnumbers even baby Glocks in the backup holsters of America’s police. Many concealed carry instructors find it the most common gun for newbie students to bring to class. When American Handgunner polled its staff writers on their carry guns a couple of years ago, the one most constant factor was one or another permutation of the J-frame in almost everyone’s “carry rotation.” They’re handy, they’re simple, and they’re dead-nuts reliable. Their slim barrels and rounded butts make concealment easier in pocket holsters, ankle holsters, belly bands and even inside the waistband holsters. You can get S&W’S moSt popular handgun getS a facelift T them as light as 10.5 ounces (the Model 317 Titanium 8-shot .22 LR) and 12 ounces (the Model 340 PD Scandium .357 Magnum 5-shot); and with barrel lengths from 17/8" (nominally 2", and still the most popular), to 5" (the Model 60 .357 variant introduced in 2005). Calibers over the years have included .22 LR, .22 Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327, .38 S&W, .38 Special, .357 Mag, 9mm and even the short-lived .356 TSW. Of them all, though — from the first Chief Special of 60 years ago, to the single best-seller today, the Model 642 — their most enduring and most popular format has been that of a 5-shot, snub-nosed .38 Special. A Brief History The year was 1949. Carl Hellstrom had taken over as CEO of S&W, and didn’t like the fact that arch-rival Colt had possessed a monopoly on small frame, short barrel .38 Special revolvers since introducing the Detective Special circa 1927. He ordered his engineers to beef up the small I-frame revolver, hitherto the core of S&W’s .22 Kit Gun and small .32 and .38 S&W pocket revolvers, so it could be manufactured in .38 Special. This required length- ening the frame and the cylinder. The new revolver was introduced at the 1950 national conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Colorado Springs, and was dubbed the Chief Special. (Or “Chiefs Special” according to S&W historian Roy Jinks, or “Chief’s Special” according to the authoritative Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson by Jim Supica and Richard Nahas). The little revolver was an instant hit, and the die was cast. The new paradigm of the hideout revolver would, forever after, be a 5-shot .38 Special on a stretched .32-size frame. There are three primary configurations of J-frame, and that was set in stone within the first five years of the line’s existence. In 1952, at the request of the already famous Col. Rex Applegate, Hellstrom blended the Chiefs Special platform with the enclosed hammer and grip safety features of the top-break New Departure Safety Hammerless, an 1880s design. Because 1952 marked S&W’s hundredth year in business, they called the new “hammerless” the Centennial. Then, 1955 would see a third option. Reacting to Colt’s introduction of an optional bolt-on hammer shroud for their small frame revolvers maSSad ayoob photos: chuck pittman, inc. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 512011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=52http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=52The 2.5" barrel affords much longer ejection stroke, seen here with a Pro-Ported Chief. Katherine Rutledge shows the effectiveness of the new Pro Series Model 60. Group was fired all double action from ten yards. Photo: Gail Pepin Photo: Gail Pepin the J-frame Would be a teSt bed for S&W innovation. circa 1950, S&W designers created a Chief with a built-in hammer shroud and dubbed it the Bodyguard. The tip of its specially-shaped hammer created a “cocking button” that allowed easytrigger single action firing, but retained the snag-free nature of the Centennial. The J-frame would be a test bed for S&W innovation. In 1952, the first aluminum-framed Airweight to leave the production line was a Chief’s Special, a variant that would later become known as the Model 37 when S&W went to numerical designations in 1957. So was the first all stainless steel revolver by S&W (or anyone else), the Model 60, introduced in 1965. The first Titanium Smith & Wesson was yet another J-frame, the .22 caliber Model 317 of 1997. When Scandium first made its way into Smith & Wessons at the turn of the 21st Century, those were J-frames, too. Shooting paradigms change, and tastes of shooters change with them. The Chief and the Bodyguard have been in continuous production in one form or another since their introduction. The Chief, of course, is a traditional look double/single action revolver with exposed, spurred hammer, though it has been produced for NYPD and others with the hammer “bobbed.” The Bodyguard looked different enough that some purists thought it ugly, and from the beginning Smith fans nicknamed it “the humpback,” a term you’ll see at the excellent S&W Forum (www.smithwessonforum.com) to this day. The Centennial was a different kettle of fish, and quickly found itself on the hind teat of J-frame sales. In the mid20th Century, many shooters preferred to cock their wheel-guns to single action, and considered double action shooting 52 Picking Your Format to be something they would do only in a rare, fast-breaking emergency. The gripsafety put them off, too. The Bodyguard was just as snag-proof coming out of a pocket or shoulder holster, so what the heck was the point of the Centennial? Circa 1974, S&W put the Centennial out of its sales misery and out of the catalog. Somewhere in the background, one could almost hear the choir singing, “You don’t know what you got, ‘til it’s gone.” By the mid-70s, people were growing savvy to the fact that if you were carrying the gun for those “rare, fast-breaking emergencies,” that’s what you should be practicing for by shooting it that way all the time, so who needed single action? Suddenly, demand for Centennials on the used gun market skyrocketed, and so did their prices. Along about then, folks were figuring out that because the “horn” on the backstrap rose higher on the frame of a Centennial than other J-frames, the shooter could get the firing hand higher on the gun, lowering the bore axis and significantly reducing muzzle rise. A clamor arose for the reintroduction of the Centennial. Circa 1988, I was at a conclave of writers hosted at the S&W factory by then-CEO Steve Melvin. He told us he wanted to reintroduce the Centennial, this time without the superfluous grip safety. We endorsed it heartily, to a man, and the “hammerless” was soon back in the line as the Model 640 — a stainless .38 Special in all steel in its first iteration, with traditional 17/8" barrel, sans grip safety, and marked +P+ on the frame. It sold like the proverbial hotcakes. Fifteen years after its discontinuance, the Centennial’s time had finally come in the marketplace. Today, S&W’s head of revolver production, Jim Unger, says the Centen- nial is the strongest seller in the entire line. The Chief Special with traditional spurred hammer, is second. He tells me the Bodyguard is experiencing something of a resurgence in popularity and biting close at the heels of the Chief for second place honors. The single bestselling handgun in2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=53http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=53old-style stocks (or too weak a grasp) allow the gun to roll up in the shooter’s hand. In rapid fire, that can quickly allow the spurred hammer to contact the web of the hand, which will block its motion and prevent the gun from firing. The hammer spur, even the reduced profile on the currently produced models, is still “shaped like a fish hook” as NYPD Inspector and firearms authority Paul B. Weston used to say, and can snag on something and stall your draw in an emergency. If fired through a coat pocket, it is possible for a fold of pocket lining to get caught between the face of the hammer WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM and the frame, jamming the gun and preventing firing. Bodyguard Good news: That ugly hump of the hammer shroud acts as a “catch point” against the web of the hand to make it much less likely that the gun will roll upward in your grasp upon recoil sufficiently to impair your ability to fire the gun. It is totally snag free. You can thumb the hammer back for an easy single action pull for a “precision shot” if need be. You can safely perform cylinder rotation checks, as with a Chief. Bad news: Dust collects inside the hammer shroud, and you’ll need to take a pipe cleaner or Q-tip to it regularly, particularly if you carry in the pocket. With just the tiny stub of the cocking button to work with, uncocking the hammer can become a nightmare, and that problem increases exponentially when you have to do so with hands that are covered with sweat, shaking from adrenaline, and numb from fight-or-flight-induced vasoconstriction, or from winter cold. Centennial Good news: It has the best control in a J-frame because you can get your 532011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=54http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=54S&W’S J-Frame2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=55http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=552011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=56http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=56hand so high and the bore axis so low. Even with the super-light .357 Mags, which come back into the hand brutally, you can keep all shots on target fast because the muzzle doesn’t rise as much. You will stop hurting when you stop shooting. This won’t be true for the bad guy on the other side of your gunfire. You have absolute freedom from snag in any kind of draw. Bad news: There is no safe way to do a cylinder rotation check on the fully loaded Centennial, because the trigger will have to be pulled slightly back 56 for the bolt to release. We’ve tried all sorts of “stick another finger behind the trigger” and all that, and it’s just too awkward. With the Centennial, you have to have your double action trigger pull skills down pat, and you have to know the chambers are clean and won’t keep a fresh cartridge from seating fully, and you have to inspect and know your carry rounds have no high primers. Shooting The J-Frame By the time your J-frame reaches .38 Special caliber, the recoil starts get- ting mean with serious ammunition. By the time it hits .357 Magnum with full power loads in the 12-ounce variation, it turns into something close to a torture device. It wants to move in your hand, and your hand just wants it to move away. A few tips from an adult lifetime of teaching folks to shoot these things might be in order about now. Hold the gun hard. Whomever it was that said “hold your gun with 40-percent strength in your dominant hand, and 60-percent strength in your support hand, and above all, just relax” had never fired a light J-frame with +P or, God help us, full-power .357 Magnum. The harder you hold it, the less it will move upon recoil. The harder you hold it, the less it can come back and whack the web of your hand with the upper part of its backstrap, or your middle finger with the back of its trigger guard. And the harder you hold it, the less the ten-ounce gun can move off point of aim as you exert a ten-pound trigger pull upon it, suddenly and swiftly. Unless you have extra-long stocks, which kinda get in the way of the whole hideout gun concept in the first place, curl your little finger tightly under the butt. This makes the other fingers sympathetically stronger, and also creates a block against the gun rolling backward and muzzle upward/butt downward in your grasp upon recoil. S&W has equipped these guns with at least four different cylinder latch configurations over the years. The one least likely to slice your thumb firing right-handed, and will still allow you to open the cylinder quickly, is the current production version, which is sort of a checkered semi-oval shape. From the beginning, these guns were cursed with tiny .10" wide front sights, with correspondingly tight rear sight notches, which were almost useless under less than perfect conditions. They’ve gotten better. The replacement fixed sights from Bill Laughridge at Cylinder & Slide Shop are so good that S&W put them on their larger framed Night Guard snubbies. Dave Lauck at D&L Sports came out with a great retrofit that I have on my 11-ounce Model 342 Titanium Centennial, and just love. Hamilton Bowen of Bowen Classic Arms also does a sterling job with his sights. At Smith, the humongous Tritium XS 24/7 sight with correspondingly large rear U-notch gives a superb combination of speed and accuracy. It’s found only on the Model 340 M&P .357 at this time, and is the primary reason I bought that gun and carry it most of the time as a backup. Consider Crimson Trace LaserGrips. I have them on multiple J-frames. Particularly on the older models with lessWWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=57http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=57perfect sights, they make huge sense. They’re now available as S&W factory options on many J-frame models. One shortcoming of the J-frame snub has always been incomplete ejection. Between the 17/8" barrel and the traditional ejector rod lug, the ejector rod became necessarily stubby and just didn’t have enough stroke. That has been changed of late, and you can thank American Handgunner editor Roy Huntington, a long-time J-frame fan. Roy explains, “After a comprehensive shoot at Gunsite with S&W’s Paul Pluff and about 30 J-frames of all flavors, I came away with the firm conviction a slightly longer barrel and ejector rod would be more efficient. I chatted at length with Jim Unger at S&W, and he was very open to improvement ideas. Some months later during a meeting at a trade show, Jim said, ‘Wait until you see what we have out later. I’m sure you’ll like what you see!’ It turns out the newest offering in the J-frame line-up does indeed have slightly longer barrels and ejector rods. I’m impressed Jim listened to what we learned at the shoot at Gunsite. The guns should offer more reliable ejection and a bit more sight radius to make hitting easier. On a side note, I was not surprised to see many of us regularly hitting 100 yard steel silhouettes, even with the 2" guns. These guns are indeed accurate in the right hands, solidifying my trust in the J-frame.” Having shot several of the new 2.5" J-frames, I can tell you Roy’s predictions have come true. The 5/8" difference in sight radius becomes significant in a gun as short overall as the J-frame snub, and probably most important, ejection of spent casings is much more positive. Plucking partially ejected brass out of the chambers does not make for a “speed reload,” it makes for a “slow reload.” This longer rod definitely helps. Barrel profile is dramatically changed, of course, but Jim Unger tells me that DeSantis and Galco are already on line with holsters to fit the new-length “J,” with more to come from other makers. The 21/2" guns are available in Airweight Chief Model 637, Airweight Bodyguard 638 and Airweight Centennial 642 configurations. All weigh 16 ounces with the slight added barrel heft, and all carry a suggested retail of $640 with standard “rubber” grips, and $924 with Crimson Trace LaserGrips. Also available from the list are J-frames with an integral recoil reduction port ahead of the muzzle. These are in the Pro Series, S&W’s line of upscaled handguns designed and engineered in Continued on page 76 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 57 Latest Developments2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=58http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=58A Special That Mike “Duke” Venturino Photos: Yvonne Venturino These are Duke’s current .38 Special revolvers, out of the dozens he’s owned in the past 40 years. Left to right: S&W Model 442, S&W Military & Police (aka Model 10), and S&W Outdoorsman (aka Model 23). A 58 few issues back I wrote a piece in these pages titled “The .44 Special Ain’t So Special” (July/Aug 2009). Some might be surprised I received as many “atta-boys” for that piece as I did death threats! Now I want to tell you I think the .38 Special is indeed special. It does exhibit the inherent accuracy often mistakenly attributed to the .44 Special. It can be loaded hot in suitable handguns, and it can be loaded very light for paper target shooting. It’s equally adaptable to tiny snub nosed 5-shooters or large frame 6-shooters. It’s even been chambered in at least one auto pistol, the S&W Model 52. Factory ammo comes in so many styles, types and weights it’s impossible to keep track of them all. It’s also a handloader’s delight: easy to load and with a vast amount of suitable components available. First off, let’s look at some dimensions. Of course, most of you know the The Redoubtable .38 S&W Special .38 Special isn’t a .38 caliber. It’s actually a .35 caliber, with the bullet diameter being .357". It was preceded by the .38 Long Colt which had a case length of 1.03". Then the .38 Special came out with a 1.16" case. It was succeeded by the .357 Magnum with a 1.29" case. All .38 Special revolvers can safely fire .38 Long Colt cartridges. All .357 Magnum revolvers can safely fire both .38 Long Colt and .38 Special cartridges. Just so you know. Just about anybody can be taught to shoot a .38 Special with enough proficiency to defend themselves. In fact when someone asks me what would be a good home defense handgun, yet they don’t show signs of becoming avid shooters, I tell them to get a mid-size frame, 4"-barreled, .38 Special revolver. There are plenty of them still being made today, and there have been millions made in the 110 years of .38 Special history. Does that 110 surprise you? The following information comes from U.S. Cartridges And Their Handguns 17951975 by Charles R. Suydam. The Union Metallic Cartridge Company made the first .38 Specials early in 1899 to go with S&W’s brand new First Model Hand Ejector revolver. Original loads held 18 grs. of black powder with 158 gr. roundnose bullets. In June of 1899 the powder charge was increased to 21.5 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 110 Years?2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=59http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=59IS Special grains with the same bullets. Smokeless powder loads came about in September 1899. Suydam says initial smokeless powder loads were “probably” with 3.6 grains of Bullseye. And here’s another little tidbit from Suydam’s book. The official name is .38 Smith & Wesson Special, not just .38 Special. Anyway, if the .38 Special has had an albatross hung around its neck in its history it was that 158 grain roundnose bullet. It was a notoriously poor manstopper. I’ve actually made solid hits on tiny ground squirrels at no more than 10 feet with that bullet and had them run off to their holes. Now swallow this: I’ve done the same thing with 255 The evolution of .38s: (left to right) .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 S&W Special and .357 S&W Magnum. Duke figures just about any lead alloy .357/.358" bullet with a flat nose is fine for .38 Special reloading. From left to right: Oregon Trail 158-gr. SWC, Lyman 158gr. gas check SWC (mould #358156), RCBS 158-gr. RN/FP (mould #38-158CM) and Lyman 158-gr. RN/FP (mould #358665). Above: With only a little in the way of load development, Duke’s S&W Outdoorsman (aka Model 23) .38-44 began shooting groups like this. S&W came out with this scandium Model 360 a few years back chambered as a .357 Magnum. What they really had without knowing it was a fine .38 Special — and a miserable .357 Magnum. grain roundnose .45 Colt bullets and likewise the ground squirrels ran off to their holes. That the ammunition factories stubbornly clung to roundnose revolver bullets for virtually all calibers decade after decade has to be one of the great mysteries of the gun world. By the time somebody shook them up enough to start loading semiwadcutter bullets and even hollowpoints, the .38 Special’s reputation was tarnished almost beyond salvation. Sometimes It Worked Here’s one time it did not fail, however. In the book The Lions Of Iwo Jima by Major General Fred Haynes (USMCretired) and James A. Warren, Hayes relates a happening on the morning of March 3, 1945 on Iwo’s hill 362A. He and another officer were observing the terrain ahead when a Japanese soldier charged from a cave with a bayoneted rifle. The other officer’s runner, Wenton Yates drew his non-issue .38 revolver from a shoulder holster and dropped the attacker with one shot. Although the .38 Special’s greatest reputation was as America’s predominant police cartridge for at least a half century, it did serve America’s military in an official capacity during World War II. Model 1911 .45 autos were in short supply so naval and marine aviators were often issued Smith & Wesson “Victory” model revolvers. Those were Parkerized K-frames with either 4" or 5" barrels. They were also issued .38 Special tracer rounds so they could signal search and rescue planes if they were in life rafts at sea. Also the US Government bought a number of Colt Commando .38 Special This photo shows the large and small of .38 Special cylinders. At left is the 5-shot J-frame S&W Model 442. At right is the 6-shot cylinder of the large N-frame S&W Outdoorsman (aka Model 23). WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 592011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=60http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=60Duke figures his S&W Model 442 .38 Special makes a fine hip pocket revolver. This is the .38-44 cartridge introduced circa 1930 as a forerunner of the .357 Magnum. It looked just like any other .38 Special factory load but was too high pressure for any revolver but those built on a large frame. Duke has lived happily for over 40 years reloading his .38 Specials with these three smokeless propellants. Some of the many different types of .38 Special factory loads past and present. From left: 158-gr. RN, 148-gr. WC, 200-gr, RN “Super Police” 130-gr. RN tracer (military load) 158-gr. SWC-HP +P (Blazer with aluminum case), 125-gr. JHP +P and 158-gr. RN/FP (cowboy load). revolvers to arm homeland defense industry guards. Beginner Loading My handloading career — and I’d bet the handloading careers of many of you — started with the .38 Special. Mine began in December of 1966 and I cast my own bullets from the very first day. My .38 Special handloading was for an S&W K-38 target revolver, and I loaded and fired thousand upon thousand of cartridges for that handgun. As would be natural for any 17/18 year old I yearned instead for a .357 Magnum. When I got one in 1968 it only took a few shots with those ear splitting .357s to convince me shooting .38 Specials was more my game. That .357 was a 45/8" Ruger Blackhawk. I’ve owned dozens more .357 Magnum revolvers is the 40 years since that first and likewise have fired far more specials in them than magnums. Let’s back up to 1967 though. As a senior in high school the only friend I During World War II the US government bought thousands of Colt Commando .38 Special revolvers. Mostly they were issued to defense industry guards. had with the slightest interest in firearms was named Mike Bucci. (Pronounced Butch). His father coincidentally was our town’s chief of police. So that his son could go shooting with me, he gave him one of his spare revolvers. When first showing me his .38 Special Butch felt a bit slighted because it had fixed sights compared to my K38’s target sights. When he handed me that massive revolver for the first time my jaw dropped. It was an S&W Heavy Duty .38-44 with 5" barrel. I had seen photos of them but that was the first one I’d ever encountered. Butch perked up when I told him his .38 would handle far hotter loads than my .38 because it was built on S&W’s large N-frame and mine was on the medium-sized K-frame. In short order I handloaded him some .38-44 velocity rounds. At the range I set Right: Despite the fact S&W intended their Heavy Duty (aka Model 20) as a vehicle for the hot .38-44 loads, it was still stamped simply “.38 S&W Special.” 60 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=61http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=61These three large-frame revolvers were perfectly adequate for the hot .38-44 loads. From left: S&W Outdoorsman (aka Model 23), Colt SAA and S&W Heavy Duty (aka Model 20). up a brick at about 20 yards and popped it with my standard .38 Special loads. It just fell over. Then I told Butch to whack it with one of his .38-44s. It shattered to pieces and Butch loved that old handgun from then on. Sadly, my friend Butch died of cancer at age 21. More Fun The .38-44 was the precursor of the .357 Magnum. Smith & Wesson brought it out in 1930 to give cops something more powerful with which to fight gangsters of that violent time. It was probably not the best ammunition idea to come down the pike. Factory loads had those same old roundnose 158 grain bullets but they moved at 1,150 fps compared to 850 fps for normal .38 Specials. No way those .38-44s should ever find their way into an ancient K-frame Hand Ejector, and heaven forbid that someone stick them in a tiny J-frame 5-shooter. Speaking of those J-frame revolvers, I’ve owned a bunch of them, such as the Model 36 Chief’s Special and similar variations. They are great for sticking in a hip pocket. A few years back I acquired an aluminum frame, “hammerless” Model 442 that goes almost everywhere here in Montana. A couple years ago some bright light at Smith & Wesson conceived the idea of making a small frame, 5-shot .357 Magnum, and to make it even more punishing they decided it had to be a scandium frame to boot. That made it weigh a mere 12 ounces. They named it the Model 360. I love mine. But if you actually consider it a .357 Magnum you’re nuts! It only took one .357 Magnum full bore factory load from it to convince me its really a .38 Special. On the other end of the spectrum from those hot .38-44 loads are light .38 wadcutters. As factory ammunition they have 148 gr. bullets popping out at about 700 fps. Given a good handgun, they can be exquisitely accurate. I once did some extensive machine rest testing with Remington 148 gr. .38 Special wadcutter loads from my old 1940s vintage S&W Military & Police revolver with 5" barrel. After a couple dozen 5-shot groups were fired at 25 yards, the average was not much over 1". A Weighty Choice In between heavy .38-44s and light wadcutter loads there have been scores of various .38 Special factory loads. They have lead alloy or jacketed bullets and can be of normal pressures or +P types. There are even “cowboy” .38 Specials for that action shooting sport. Bullet weights have ranged from 95 to 200 grains, and that can present a problem for many .38 Special revolvers. Most of them, past and present have fixed sights; mostly that’s a groove down the frame’s topstrap and some sort of blade type front sight. And most of them are factory sighted for bullets weighing 150-160 grains. Fire 95 gr. bullets in them and point of impact is way low from point of aim. Fire 200 gr. bullets in them and they hit way high. How to cope with that? Simply stick with the bullet weights that hit on for your sights, which will likely be 150 to 160 gr. ones. Early on in my love affair with the .38 Special I hit upon three handloads suiting all my purposes. The main one used for all recreational shooting is 3.0 grains of Bullseye under any lead alloy 150 to 160 gr. bullet. My opinion is that any with a flat nose are best. Next is the load I keep in a .38 Special if it’s kept around for defensive purposes. That’s 4.5 grains of Unique and ditto for the bullets. And lastly is the load I only use in large frame revolvers such as my S&W Model 23 Outdoorsman, which was built for the .38-44 loading described above, or in Colt SAA .38 Specials. That’s 11.0 grains of 2400 and again ditto for the bullets. In the same order and from 4" to 5" barrels and depending on exact bullet weight, those loads will give about 750 fps, 900 fps and 1,150 fps. Turn your nose up at the old .38 Special if you want — I don’t. There are hotter, newer, flashier and much bigger handgun cartridges ab2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=62http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=622011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=63http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=63Where’s the shari leGate Grease? Shari did a bit of dry-firing with the test gun and found the trigger pull was crisp and reliable. Note how neat and clean the gun is before firing. If you choose to just get the 1911 Upgrade Kit, it includes the frame, slide, hammer, trigger and disconnector. FailZero’s innovative treatment This is the same gun after firing hundreds of rounds, according to Shari. A quick wipe with a dry rag on the outside to get the powder dust off, and the innards were left alone. Looks pretty clean to us. don’t normally write product reviews. I usually leave that to the “experts,” but I came across something that seemed so wrong I had to look into it. When I started shooting, one of the first things I learned was the proper care and handling of firearms. Keep it clean, wipe it down, oil after use and be sure to lubricate before firing. Dry parts rubbing against each other are a bad thing. So, being told to not lubricate my gun was so against my grain it stopped me cold. I’m familiar with coatings for firearms, and those aren’t new, whether Teflon or other types of strong finishes. They all can limit corrosion, stop galling and improve performance. But now FailZero, a brand of UCT Arms, has a coating that does all that — and then they tell you “Do not grease your gun at all, period!” I was skeptical, so I read all the collateral material claiming their upgrade kit for AR-15 tactical rifles, and now the 1911, would make malfunctions and stoppage a thing of the past. Then, I twisted their arms until they sent me a Colt 1911 which had been coated with their EXO technology. But instead of just testing it myself, I brought in some real experts, members of the military, law enforcement and a professional shooter, to help with the “test.” I in almost three hours and true to the claim, we could not get it to fail — and I had to find out why. The EXO coating creates a permanent lubricated surface, harder than the original surface. The coating is 40-percent harder than hard chrome, eliminating the need for grease, oil or any wet lubrication for the life of the gun. Unlike other films, conventional coatings or applied lubricants, it never rubs off, never flakes off and never builds up dirt. I know that for a fact. I slipped my pinky finger inside the slide wiping for residue after we shot thousands of rounds and there was little to none. All I had to do was wipe it down with a dry rag, and I really didn’t even have to do that, but old habits die hard. EXO upgrade kits are available for the AR-15 and 1911. The AR-15 Basic Kit includes bolt, carrier and hammer. The AR-15 Extreme Duty Kit includes the upper receiver and charging handle in addition to bolt, carrier and hammer. For the 1911, the kit includes slide, receiver, trigger assembly, hammer and disconnector. All FailZero parts are mil-spec quality and will fit AR-rifles and 1911 pistols made my most manufacturers. and would be perfect for a Remington 1100, notorious for slowing down and eventually malfunctioning as it gets cruddy. Upgrading the parts to EXO would eliminate that problem. EXO is also being incorporated on OEM products from a cross-section of manufacturers. Cleaning and lubricating my guns has long been a part of my life and shooting routine. Now that FailZero is offering the greaseless upgrade on individual guns, changing a mindset might take some time. So, I had to write this review, because once in a while, something “so wrong” can sometimes be “so right.” Shari’s name may be new to you, but she’s a 12-year USA Shooting Team member, is a three time National Champion, a World Champion and has won many medals. She is a consultant and spokesperson to the shooting industry and was named “2001 Shooting Industry Person of the Year” by the Academy of Excellence. Shari is a staff writer with FMG. For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex * How-To Did It Work? We all met at the range and I brought an assortment of ammunition — a lot of ammo. I 2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=64http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=64Springfield’S xd SerieS een living under a rock? Don’t know anything about the XD series from Springfield Armory? Climb out from under that rock and pay attention. Without dredging up too much history, suffice to say when Springfield introduced the XD they did it right. From engineering improvements over the years (which continue today) to strong marketing, dealer support and customer service, the XD has risen to become a significant player in the consumer polymer pistol market. And, it’s making growing inroads into the LE duty gun arena too. The old adage about making a better mousetrap remains true, and Springfield has indeed made a better mousetrap. I thought another look at the ruggedly reliable XD platform was due, both to visit the hot sub-compact guns and to explore their latest — the new XD(m) 3.8. The 3.8 hones the XD(m) line, mostly by offering a new, shorter barrel and modified slide serrations that not only look great, but offer a more aggressive grip. B From Sub-Compact and 4" Service model to the XD(m) 3.8, the XD line continues to improve, grow and offer a wide range of possibilities. The Subs As years passed, the original “fullsized” XD shrank, eventually finding a nifty home in a sub-compact version with a 3" barrel, available in 9mm and .40. The 9mm has a 13+1 capacity, with the .40 running 9+1 (but both have higher cap mags included, 16 in 9mm and 12 in the .40), all in a package you can tuck away just about anywhere. Any dealer will tell you how popular small Lock the slide back, turn the take-down lever up and the slide comes off forward without having to pull the trigger on the 3.8. Galco supplied basic holsters for the Sub-Compacts and they worked just fine Note the double recoil spring and 19-round mag. The XD(m) 3.8 comes in a high quality case with holster, mag pouch, loader, two 10-round mags and replaceable back-strap panels to adjust grip-fit. 64 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=65http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=65rockS on SuB-compactS to tHe 3.8 xd(m) roy Huntington Above: The Sub-Compact .40 (top) wears the ultra-lightweight and uber-small X2L light/laser combo from Insight. Below: The Sub-Compact .40 and the new 3.8. A fun test was to see just how loosely matched in size a J-frame S&W and the SubCompacts were. Surprised? I was. guns are, and Springfield took what they learned in the full-sized guns and applied it to something a bit more concealable. And they are both winners. These guns are all anyone would want in a “carry it all the time” concealment gun, plain-clothes cop gun, backup gun to a full-sized XD, or even as your primary self-defense gun in any guise. It feels “big gun” in your hand, but with a simple holster (like the two from Galco we show here), conceal readily, and at about 26 to 27 ounces empty, are light on the hip, pocket or even your ankle. The light rail on these cool guns is virtually custom-made for the Insight WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM X2L laser/light combo. While not a power-house light at 40 lumens, the less than two ounce weight, laser/light option and focusable light beam gives it a lot of versatility. And, like most things, the light you have will be more useful than one in a drawer and the X2L fits the sub-compacts perfectly. I like the concept. Concealability While I’m a strong fan of the small-frame revolver and have one around constantly, check out the picture of the sub-compact XD and J-frame. Continued on page 90 652011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=66http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=66GotalottaGlocksora scadofsmith&Wessons? ThisfourGunPistolPack fromElitesurvivalsystems isplentyroomy butperfectly compactand professionally puttogether. fortheladies, Galco’sPandoraHolsterHandbagissimply drop-deadgorgeous(that’swhattheMemsaab says),andcraftedofthefinestfull-grainglove-tanned leather.Asideentryguncompartmentholdssmalltolargedefensivehandgunsand secureswithalockingzipper–abagforbothfairweatherandfoul,youmightsay… Pack It In Packs & Bags — Some new, Some classic, all Good2Go! John connor I ’ve just about had it with these packs-an’-bags folks. I finally get to the point where (almost) all of my strategic stuff, tactical toys, and just-for-grinz gear is (almost) packed into the best, most appropriate packs an’ bags possible — and then, before I can even pause to savor my semi-success, they not only improve many of my favorites, but cruelly and callously confront me with all-new ever-cooler, ever-handier designs which I know I woulda thought of myself if I’d only had a little more time … Okay, I guess it’s a good thing for those of you who are still looking for just the right ruck or the perfect pack for some esoteric load you gotta lug somewhere. But how ’bout for guys like me, who can’t bear to part with WhogaveBlACKHAWK!permissiontoEnhancemy trustyoldBattleBag,huh?ThinkI’mgonnabuyonejust becauseit’s…somuchbetternow?Uhhh…okay.My sonneedsmyoldone,Iguess. 66 RememberwaybacktothatAlICEpackyou humpedamule’sloadinfromfortBenningto Bamboola&Beyond?It’sstillagreatdesign, andAtlancostillmakesit,plustheframe andallaccessories.Notjustnostalgia,butan honoredworkhorse! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=67http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=67There’samotleymessof“messengerbags”out there,butMaxpedition’sputtheirownunique features,stylingandstoriedstrengthintotheirnew Gleneagle—includingaconcealed-carryposition foryourpethand-cannon,ofcourse. Justwhatyou’dexpectfrom arangebagwithBrownellssignatureseriesonit: finesuedeleatherwithwrap-aroundheftystraphandles,and muchmore;lotsafeaturesandrange-tablebraggin’rightstoo! Load It UP! time-tested true-blue bags, but can’t live without some of the new ones? I might have to sell some of my stuff to buy some new packs and bags to put it in, only then, uhhh … Well, somebody smarter than me can figure out that problem. I’ll ask her … In the meantime, if you’ve got the gear, these folks have the gear-buckets for your every need. And don’t miss Web Blast! Each of the makers featured have another set of goodies waiting for your review on the net. Just go to www. americanhandgunner.com, click on Web Blast, and check ’em out. Now, enjoy these treats! Justunzipandunfoldthemorphing,modularWingman from5.11Tactical,hangitoveryourpassengerseatback, andyou’vegotaperfectpartnerridingshotgun!Thisisone ofthecoolestdesignsI’veseeninyears! * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex Thissmallbutessential pack’salreadypacked foryou,byexperts: TheBattlelabTraumaInterventionKitfrom DiamondbackTacticalisthebest-stocked,handiest kitofitskindI’vefound.Betyourlifeonit! BoytHarnessCompanyhasbeenbuildingbest-qualitybags,guncasesandgearsince1901, andtheirclassic—andclassy—collectionofsportsman’sDuffelscontinuesinthatproud tradition.Theirstrengthmeansalifetimeofservice;theirlooksmakeitservicewithstyle. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 672011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=68http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=68COPTALK Massad Ayoob OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS MORE LESSONS FROM OKALOOSA COUNTY When cops die in the line of duty, their martyrdom is wasted if those they left behind don’t learn survival lessons from their deaths. T his month’s Ayoob Files covered both a double cop-killing and the takedown of the cop-killer, so two shootouts that had to be described instead of the usual one in that space. Moreover, the press and the Internet had built up an unusual number of false impressions of the incident, which took more space to dispel. Let’s look a little deeper into some of the lessons from that tragic occurrence. It might help to read the Ayoob Files segment first, for details. Cop-killer (arrow) lies dead beside his truck as WCSO deputies move in. Photo taken by passing motorist, from WCSO case file. I devoted this column to the same incident shortly after it occured. We talked about the importance of the Contact and Cover principle, developed years ago in San Diego under our own John Morrison and others. It turns out that Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office does teach that, and the two deputies were using it at the outset of the encounter with the killer, with Skip York in the Cover role and Burt Lopez as Contact. When it came time to subdue him, however, Lopez activated the TASER, and TASER training assigns the second officer to handcuffing. Witnesses saw York with hand variously on pistol and handcuffs. This created a crossover effect, which may have left Lopez holding the TASER and York reaching for handcuffs when the prostrate suspect unexpectedly drew his concealed pistol and put them both behind the curve. This is an issue that may be worthy of further consideration between TASER instructors, tactics instructors, and policy-makers. Conflicts Of Multi-Tasking importance oF Backup Guns i n the opening moments of the gunfight, bullets wrecked both of York’s arms and one of Lopez’s. This left York unable to deploy his only gun, the duty pistol, and some investigators believe the severe arm injury caused him to drop the gun at that point. Lopez was seen by the witnesses firing two-handed despite a serious wound of the non-dominantside shoulder. Might the wounded arm have been in spasm from the injury, negatively affecting his hit potential? We’ll never know. Lopez apparently managed to wound the killer, but didn’t neutralize him. Would one-handed shooting with the uninjured arm have worked better? We’ll never know that, either. We do know at the moment he was killed, he was helpless, trying to reload the only gun he had, the empty duty pistol. It was found beside his body at slide-lock, the empty mag already ejected, the fresh mag apparently out of his pouch and in hand as he attempted a “wounded officer reload.” OKSO deputies had been shown how to do that, but under the best of circumstances, it’s slower one-handed than simply snatching a second loaded gun. OKSO authorized backup, but neither deputy was carrying a second gun that day. It’s a lesson their peer deputies have already internalized. There are a lot more little Glock 27 backup guns discreetly concealed among the working deputies there now. he ran, they couldn’t shoot him — and if he ran only a few steps and then turned, shooters on the firing line at the range where it happened would have been in their line of fire. The approach the two slain deputies took was, under the circumstances, the most logical alternative open to them at the moment. It afforded the best opportunity for containment. Two good, brave men died that day. They will live in the hearts and the memories of their families, and law enforcement officers everywhere. May their memories live in the teaching of officer safety and survival tactics, as well. Distance Favors Good Guys I n the first confrontation, the Okaloosa County deputies were away from cover, so close to the suspect the distance might as well have been measured in inches. They had to be that close, to take him into physical custod2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=69http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=692011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=70http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=70John Taffin HANDLOADING The Garrett 310 grain Super Hard Cast Hammerhead. SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURUS Randy also loads for the .45-70. His 420 at 1,850 can handle just about anything that walks the earth! Great news for the non-handloader. A quartet of .44 Magnum Perfect Packin’ Pistols; all prime candidates for the Garrett 310 Defender. Handloads For Non-Handloaders I have no idea who was the first to begin using heavy-forcaliber bullets in big bore sixguns. The oldest reference I have found comes from Chauncey Thomas, editor of the American Rifleman, in 1926: “Several years ago I warned Keith against this very thing. At the time he was shooting oversized .45-90 Winchester bullets in the Peacemaker diameter .457" and weight 300 grains. He came near killing himself then. If he does not reform he will get sooner or later a permanent case of lead poisoning, or his searching friends will pick him up with a blotting pad.” At about the same time Keith asked if anyone knew where he could find a .454" sizer; this was after he blew up a .45 Colt using oversized bullets. He had the right idea, that is, using heavy bullets, he just went about it the wrong way. big anD Heavy Garrett to the rescue F r ast-forward to the early 1970s and the introduction of Ruger’s .45 Colt Blackhawk. For the first time we had a .45 Colt sixgun strong enough to take advantage of the relatively large case capacity of .45 Colt brass. Shooters were soon shooting 250-260 gr. .45s at .44 Magnum velocities, however many of us took a different path, that is using 300 gr. bullets at reasonable muzzle velocities in the Blackhawk. My knowledge of the past and Keith’s disaster with a .45 Colt stood me in good stead and I sized .45-70 bullets, mainly the Lyman 300 grain #457191, down to .452" and loaded it to 1,200 fps. The only drawback for many shooters in using such a bullet is they have to not only reload but also cast their own bullets. For non-handloaders, we now have handloaded .44 Magnum ammunition using heavyweight bullets Garrett Cartridges. Garrett does not try to be all things to all people as he offers only two calibers with his custom handloads,.44 Magnum and .45-70. There is no finer ammunition available anywhere. Garrett keeps it simple and does it right with two superb big bore offerings. In the 1950s I fell into the trap of believing all .44 Magnum loads had to be loaded fullbore, and my standard load was Keith’s 250-gr. cast bullet over 22 grains of #2400; it was a powerful load then and still is. It also provided enough recoil back in my early days to slow down my learning curve when it came to shooting big bore sixguns. As I, and likewise my early .44 Magnum Smith & Wessons and Ruger Flat-Tops got older, I looked for a less stressful load. Using 10-gr. of Unique and either a 260 or 295 grain hard cast bullet I came up with a much easier shooting but still powerful loading at approximately 1,050-1,100 fps depending upon barrel length. At that time I thought someone should offer this type of load over the counter for non-handloaders. That someone is Randy Garrett. andy offers three levels of .44 Magnum loads all assembled with his own bullet design he calls the Hammerhead. Ammunition for the .44 Magnum is normally loaded to an overall length as specified by SAAMI to fit all cylinders and rifle actions. This wastes the advantage of long cylindered revolvers. Randy designed his bullets to take full advantage of the available space. His bullets are characterized by long noses with a very broad .320" meplat or a flat nose. Randy also uses an alloy with a minimum amount of antimony to give a very hard bullet but one that will not shatter on impact. The 310-gr. Super Hard Cast Defender Hammerhead is rated at 1,020 fps from a 4" barrel, 1,100 fps+ from long-barreled .44s, and is an excellent choice in such sixguns as the S&W 329PD. For those who wander away from the beaten path this is an excellent choice for self-defense against predators no mat2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=71http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=712011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=72http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=72WiN! Win ThiS HANDGuN oF tHE MoNtH Terrific ! Trio 3 UZi TacTical Fixed Blade FighTer 72 2 FirsT sTrike gUNleaTher scaBBard UZI Fixed Blade Fighter. First Strike Gunleather Thunder Model. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=73http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=73ENtEr oNliNE At AMEricANHANDGuNNEr.coM! Actual 25 yard target from this Fletcher Custom pistol! FleTcher cUsTom 1 ccW ichard fletcher is someone you might not have heard about before,butyou’llbehearingmorenow.Herunsaone-man shop,specializingin1911s,Hi-Powersands&Wrevolvers.Ashe says,bylimitinghimselftothosethreehehasbecomeintimately familiarwiththeirindividualfoibles—andknowshowtomake themeven better. Our sublimely modest-looking customgun offeredishisconceptofa“bestquality”concealedcarrygun,havingan Officer’sACPframeandaCommanderslide.Asolidconcept,masterfully executedbyRichard.RichardusedaCaspianframeandslide(solidreliabilitythere),AhrendsGripsandawide-selectionofonlythebestcustom parts—handfitted—suppliedbyouroldfriendsatBrownells.Trulya marvelousblendofcraftsmanshipandqualitycomponents! from the Kart match .45 ACP barrel, GunKote finish, smith & Alexandermagguide,NovakTritiumsightsandEGWbarrelbushing/ sear to the Wilson 7-round Officer’s mag and Wolff springs (and more!)thisisacompellingpackage. Old friend Jessica Hall from Hallmark Cutlery was gracious enoughtosupplythisstoutUZIHeavyDutyTacticalfixedBladecutter. It’s got a black finish on the 6.75" 8Cr14 stainless blade, micarta scalesonafulltang,awirebreakingnotchandanylonbeltsheath. Andat12.25"longisarealbruiser! ThefirststrikeGunleatherofferstheirThunderModel,ahandmade, strong-side scabbard, perfect for concealed carry or range work.Madeofpremiumvegetable-tannedcowhide,it’shand-boned, burnished,thenfinishedwithaproprietarysealant.It’stheirfirsttime inHandgunnersowewelcomethem! r CUSTOM FEATURES • 30lpihandcutcheckering • 404.25poundtrigger • RansomResttested at25yards • Cornerslidechamfers 1911 • flushcutslidestop • De-horningbyabrasive papertoretainlines • Magguidehandcontoured • Greidermatchtrigger thanks to: Fletcher Custom Pistols, First Strike gunleather, hallmark Cutlery, Brownells, Caspian arms limited, ahrends grips OVER $3,000! fORMOREINfO: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex TOTAL VALUE: TO ENTER CONTEST: Use a postcard (no envelopes, please) and follow the sample shown. send to amerICan handgunner, Dept. H5, P.O. Box 501377, san Diego, CA 92150-1377.EntriesmustbereceivedbeforeJune30,2010. HOM MAY/JUNE 2010 REadER SuRvEy QuESTiONS: 1. do you own a “polymer pistol”? a) yes B) No 2. Brand of your polymer pistol? a) Glock B) Spingfield armory C) S&w d) SiG E) Other 3. do you have plans to reload in 2010? a) yes B) No 4. do you have a full-service gun store in your area? a) yes B) No Name ___________________________________ Address_____________City,state,Zip____________ EmailAddress_______________________ CiRCLE aNSwERS TO REadER SuRvEy: SAMPLE Question#1: (A) (B) Question#3: (A) (B) Question#2: (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) Question#4: (A) (B) IfIwin,pleaseshipmyprizethrough: Dealer___________________________________ Address_____________City,state,Zip____________ Phone( )____-________ storehours__am__pm Photos: Roy Huntington Limit 1 entry per household. ThiscontestisopentoindividualswhoareresidentsoftheUnitedstatesanditsterritoriesonly.AgentsandemployeesofPublishers DevelopmentCorporationandtheirfamiliesareexcludedfromentering.Contestvoidwhereprohibitedorrestrictedbylaw.Winnersmustmeetalllocallawsandregulations.Taxesandcompliancewithfirearmsregulationswillbetheresponsibilityofthewinners.WinnerswillbenotifiedbyCERTIfIEDMAIlonofficialletterhead.ATTENTIONDEPlOYEDMIlITARY:UsEsTATEsIDEADDREss!Nopurchasenecessarytoenter. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 732011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=74http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=74RAGING bULLS Continued from page 49 steel inserts matching the blade steel, and even all Damascus or Japanese Mokume Gane handles. The choices for an upscale model are endless, limited only to the imagination and budget. The knifemaker ’s most popular model is the Mini-Resurrection, but don’t take the “Mini” part too seriously. This is a handful of folder with a wide yet curvaceous handle complimented by a blade with equal flair. The MiniResurrection is a one-man wrecking crew, hitting the door at 8.75" fully opened. The 3.75" re-curved blade, backed up by .20" thick blade steel, offers loads of slice and at just over 5" in length, the handle will accommodate even the biggest mitts. To live up to its name, Burke’s Villain model foregoes graceful curves for wicked ones. The Villain’s 5.125" handle is angled to fit the palm, with dual finger grooves to offer even greater purchase. The standard model does its business with Burke’s typical re-curved drop point blade, but you can kick up the heat a few notches with the optional Japanese tanto. The Villain checks in at 9" fully opened with a 4" blade. Pugnacious best describes the knifemaker’s POA (Point Of Attack) model. At 7" fully employed, this is a bulldog looking like it got up on the wrong side of the bed. Burke adds a flipper to this knife to make accessing the blade a snap. Measuring 4" closed with a 3.75" blade, the POA conceals easily but extends a vicious bite. If there’s a softer side to Jim Burke you can see it in his World Angler fisherman’s knife. The Angler is a slick 7.5" fixed blade that can fillet fish in the grandest of style. Jim does the World Angler up in a 154-CPM hand rubbed satin blade and carbon fiber handle slabs, and to keep it from slashing your tackle box to shreds he delivers it in a Kydex sheath. All of Burke’s folding knives can be had in basic titanium handles and standard 154-CPM blade steel with prices starting at around $575.00. Fixed blades like the World Angler start at around $350.00. From there you can go as wild as your budget allows by adding fancier handle materials and blade steels. Regardless of choice, you can rest assured behind each one there’s a corralled bull inside just waiting to get out. And the fact Jim’s a genuine Southern gentleman just SSKIndustries2010.indd 1 makes it all the better. Whispers ® .302 ® .338 .375 .416 Villainous Whispers are developments of SSK Industries, which operate at sub-sonic and medium velocity modes. 22 through 50 caliber. Custom barrels for Contenders, Encores, bolt guns, semi-autos and the cans to keep them quiet are available. Over 400 calibers. Custom and production AR barrels, uppers and complete guns. Convert your guns or ours. SSK Industries 590 Woodvue Lane Wintersville, OH 43953 Tel: 740-264-0176 www.sskindustries.com * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex 74 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=75http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=75Experience 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 921502011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=76http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=76S&W J-FRAME Continued from page 57 the Performance Center but built in main-line mass production to reduce cost to the buying public. Upward jets of expanding gases at the instant of the shot do indeed help keep the muzzle down, but they also pose a danger of burning powder debris striking the shooter’s eyes and face if fired from a close-to-the-body retention position. Tailor your choice to your particular defensive manual of arms. My own favorite in the crop is the Pro Series Model 60 .357 with flat-sided 3" barrel. And More To Come By the time you read this, S&W will have introduced their 2010 new products list, in which the J-frame line is richly represented. We will see the return of the all-steel .22 Kit Gun, the stainless Model 63, now in a 3" barrel/8-shot cylinder format. And, speaking of .22 Kit Guns, remember the Model 43 Airweight Kit Gun in .22 LR, and the Model 51 Kit Gun in .22 Magnum? Well, 2010 will see the Models 43C and 351C. The “C” stands for Centennial, and we’re talking about eleven-ounce “hammerless” .22s to duplicate the feel of today’s most popular pocket revolver. The 43C will hold eight .22 Long Rifles, and the 351C, seven .22 Magnum rounds. Sights will resemble the excellent high-visibility models seen on the M&P 340 in .357. The J-frame Smith & Wesson’s 60 year history encompasses both evolution and revolution — and that history is far from over. For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex * CLICK ON THE “WEB BLAST” LINK 76 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=77http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=77A.G. RUSSELL™ KNIVES Since 1964, A.G. Russell™ Knives has supplied the knife needs of customers worldwide. The A.G. Russell name means quality, dependability and knowledge. Catalogs and web site includes most quality production brands and many handmade knives, some available only from A.G. Russell. 479-571-6161. www.agrussell.com. FREE Dept GB0510C A.G. Russell Knives 2900 S. 26th St. Rogers, AR 72758 CATALOG INQUIRY #10 AMERICAN COP MAGAZINE A Magazine By Cops, For Cops. Cops need information they can trust. That’s why FMG Publications is bringing the “tell-it-like-it-is” reputation of American Handgunner into the police publication world. American COP will offer solutions to real-world problems YOU deal with every day. $19.95 US and $39.95 Foreign includes six bi-monthly issues. Plus FREE Tool Logic Magnetic Light with your paid subscription. Visit us online at: www.americancopmagazine.com CATALOG INQUIRY #11 Imagine a magazine with such detailed information that each issue makes you feel like you’ve fired the guns featured. Every issue provides the latest news on handguns and accessories in a “tell-it-like-it-is” style you won’t find anywhere else. Nothing prepares you for handgunning like American Handgunner. 1 year subscription $19.75 (outside the U.S. $39.75). www.americanhandgunner.com CATALOG INQUIRY #12 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAGAZINE Our catalog display allows AMERICAN HANDGUNNER readers to select literature on a wide variety of shooting product s. HOW TO ORDER Please check the boxes of the literature you’d like to receive on the attached order form. Enclose (in the envelope provided) a check or money order payable to AMERICAN HANDGUNNER for the total literature fees plus $2.50 handling charge. If paying by credit card, please include all information needed. OR: Send a list of the catalogs you want to request, listing the name and catalog inquiry number of each, with your check or VISA/MC/Discover # for the total catalog fees plus $2.50 handling charge. Mail to: AMERICAN HANDGUNNER, P.O. Box 509093, San Diego, CA 92150-9093 . Catalogs will be mailed directly to you by the companies making the offer. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. AMERICAN HANDGUNNER and Publishers’ Development Corporation are not responsible for unprocessed orders. Companies participating in this section have accepted full responsibility for filling reader requests. You can also download an order form online at www.americanhandgunner.com ANNUAL SPECIAL EDITIONS Order our 2008 Special Editions individually for $8.95 US/$16.95 Foreign, or our 2009 & 2010 Special Editions individually for $9.95 US/$17.95 Foreign or combinations of four, six or eight special editions at reduced rates.Visit us online and see how easy it is to have our FMG publications delivered to your door. www.gunsmagazine.com www.americanhandgunner.com www.americancopmagazine.com CATALOG INQUIRY #13-31 BLACK HILLS AMMUNITION Black Hills Ammunition specializes in .223 and .308 ammunition. It’s the choice of the US Army, USMC, USAF and the US Navy Rifle Teams. We also have 14 different calibers in our Cowboy Ammunition Line, 10 calibers - 29 different loadings in our Black Hills Gold™ Hunting Line and superb but economical remanufactured ammunition in many calibers. $2.00. CATALOG INQUIRY #32 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 772011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=78http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=78BROWNELLS INC. FREE! Brownells 1911 Catalog #5 includes more great products to build, maintain and shoot the most popular pistol in history. Nothing for rifles, shotguns or “other” pistols. Just the best 1911 goodies ever! Everything 100% Guaranteed! 1-800-741-0015 or order online at brownells.com. Dept. #CJJ JONATHAN ARTHUR CIENER Preeminent Designer/Manufacturer of .22LR Conversion Units in the World. These allow the use of inexpensive .22LR ammo in your firearm. 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We are an apparel company with a clear and precise focus - to design, manufacture, and offer you the highest quality, most functional tactical and discreet clothing in the Industry. Check out our new catalog and see for yourself what we offer or visit us on the web at: www.eotac.com. FREE. GALCO GUNLEATHER 2010 Catalog Building upon over four decades of experience, Galco continues to design and produce innovative products shown full color, in our 2010 catalog. These cutting-edge products will help Galco remain your number one gunleather choice now and into the future! Galco as always - “For those who demand the best.and know the difference.” FREE. Galco Gunleather 800-874-2526 • GalcoGunleather.com GALLERYOFGUNS.COM GalleryofGuns.com is the ultimate online catalog that features a state-of-the-art consumer firearm purchasing tool called Gun Genie. 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Known for its 1911’s that can be customized to the customer’s specifications, the company now offers custom rifles and tactical shotguns as well. $4.00 Contact Toll Free: 877-268-4867 or www.nighthawkcustom.com CATALOG INQUIRY #45 PEARCE GRIP Pearce Grip offers rubber grips and magazine mounted grip extensions for a variety of firearms. Check out our fine products on the web or send for your free product information. www.pearcegrip.com CATALOG INQUIRY #46 SPORTSMAN’S GUIDE The LOWEST Prices, the BEST Quality, GUARANTEED! Name-brand ammo, shooting and hunting gear and clothing at low discount prices for 33 years. Big savings on names you trust.Winchester,® Remington,® Browning,® Steiner,® Federal® and more. Fast shipping and 100% satisfaction guaranteed! FREE. Toll-free 1-888-622-4365 www.sportsmansguide.com CATALOG INQUIRY #47 page 217 page 18 page 230 THANK YOU for choosing Streicher’s. Putting your faith in the equipment solutions we provide means a lot to us. For 2010, we intend to continue honoring your support of Streicher’s by offering the finest customer service experience in the industry, premium products, and unbeatable prices. For 2010, you’ll find products never conceived even two or three years ago. We constantly review our product offerings to ensure everything we sell makes your job safer, easier, and more comfortable. You’ll notice better prices on the items you use every day and our continued commitment to you by standing behind them with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Order your catalog today, visit our stores, or check us out online at the allnew POLICEHQ.COM. 800-367-3763 $3.95 STREICHER’S WILSON COMBAT The 2010 Wilson Combat Gun Catalog is 40 pages of high quality photos of the World Finest Custom Firearms. From the time proven Close Quarters Battle, to the new Ultra Light Carry, the entire Wilson Combat Firearm line is represented with specifications and features listed to help you choose your next custom firearm. Please contact our customer service department at 1-800-955-4856, or visit wilsoncombat.com to get your copy today. FREE. CATALOG INQUIRY #49 WOLF PERFORMANCE AMMUNITION WOLF has a great selection for the sports shooters. High volume shooters can still rely on WOLF Polymer coated cartridges like the: 7.62x39, .223 Rem (.55, .62 and .75 GR) as well as pistol rounds such as: 40 S&W, .45 AUTO, 9MM, and .357, Magnum. WOLF Gold Brass line includes: 33-250 Rem, .223 Rem, .75 GR Match HP, 30-30 Win, 308 Win and 6.5 Grendel (120 & 123 GR). All boxer primed and reloadable. WOLF .22 Match Target and Match Extra are excellent competitive rounds. WOLF Primers are making their place known among reloaders nationwide. 100% Performance Guaranteed on all WOLF Ammunition! FREE. www.wolfammo.com 888-757-2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=80http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=80SPEAK OUT World’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! Available For: Beretta 92FS 9mm 18rd / 20rd Beretta 96FS .40S&W 13rd / 15rd Para-Ordnance P14 .45ACP 14rd SIG P226 9mm 18rd / 20rd SIG P226 .40S&W 13rd / 15rd Springfield XD 9mm 18rd Springfield XD .40S&W 13rd Taurus PT92 9mm 18rd / 20rd Taurus PT100 .40S&W 13rd / 15rd Mec-Gar USA, Inc., 905 Middle Street, Middletown, CT 06457 Tel: (800) 632-4271 Fax: (860) 635-1712 www.mec-gar.com Continued from page 18 “OPTIMUM”. THE WORLD’S BEST MAGAZINES and someone else must have taken pity on Mark and finished the work to send it back on time. Word of this gets out too much and pretty soon people will think we actually care. Gads … that’d be awful. RH Being a bit older than Mr. Barsness I got more than a few chuckles reading his article (“Hollywood Ballistics,” Jan/ Feb 2010). I well remember the Saturday matinees with two westerns, a serial, five cartoons, previews and a newsreel all for 12¢. Told you I was older. What Mr. Barsness failed to mention was after firing those 60 or so shots from a 6-shooter the villain got the good guy dead in his sights and only then ran out of ammo. At which point the only logical thing to do — after missing 60 times from point blank range — was to throw his now-empty Colt at the hero, wherein said hero would duck and a fistfight would ensue. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore. Now blood must spurt from everywhere or it’s not a box office hit. A bit too much realism for these old eyes that have already seen much in their time. Again, great article and a great magazine. Keep up the good work. Bob from Kentucky Via e-mail AmericAn HAndgunner ®welcomesletterstotheeditor.We reservetherighttoeditallpublishedlettersforclarityandlength. Duetothevolumeofmail,weareunabletoindividuallyansweryour lettersore-mail.Insendingalettertohandgunner,youagreeto providePublishersDevelopmentCorp.suchcopyrightasisrequired forpublishingandredistributingthecontentsofyourletterinanyformat.sendyourletterstoSpeak out, american handgunner,12345 WorldTradeDr.,sanDiego,CA92128;www.americanhandgunner. com;e-mail:ed@americanhandgunner.com. Tossing Colts 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 80 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=81http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=81Made with Pride in the U.S.A. What’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! ® ® KAHR ARMS: 130 Goddard Memorial Drive, Worcester, MA 01603 Sales Support & Service: 508-795-3919 Websites: www.tommygun.com / www.tommygunshop.com Courtesy The National WWII Museum www.nationalww2museum.org Split more seconds. Shave even more time off your scores by reloading with new AutoComp™ BALL POWDER® propellant from Winchester.® Formulated with the ideal burn rate for auto pistol calibers, AutoComp allows greater gas flow to your gun’s compensator for faster shooting. 6231 Robinson • Shawnee Mission, KS 66202 • Phone 913-362-9455 • www.wwpowder.com Winchester is a registered trademark of Olin Corporation and is used with permission. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 812011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=82http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=82I GOTTA bE ME Continued from page 45 Special. Hamilton Bowen has built .41 Specials for me on a Ruger Blackhawk, a Colt Single Action and even a Smith & Wesson Model 586. We finally have victory with the .44 Special but I doubt this will ever happen with the .41. A few years back Federal brought out a grand little cartridge, the .327 Federal Magnum. Offered as a self-defense cartridge in small guns, I felt it should also be marketed as a varmint pistol. It didn’t take custom sixgunsmiths long to start using the Ruger platform to build custom .327s, and then Freedom Arms offered it as a standard catalog item. Customizers came through once again. We haven’t even touched on revolvers chambered for wildcat cartridges such as those offered by Gary Reeder which include the .356 GNR, a .41 Magnum necked down to .357 or the .410 GNR which is a .41 on a necked down .454 case. Gary is on the cuttingedge of custom sixgun cartridges. Mag-na-port has been offering custom sixguns for well over 30 years, including such as the Larry Kelly designed 83/8" Stalker for handgun hunters and built on the Ruger Super Blackhawk, Freedom Arms Model 83, or Smith & Wesson Model 629. And don’t forget the L’il Guns of Andy Horvath. Mike, I can be your Harold Croft. Come on down for a visit, a couple steak dinners, and looking over some custom sixguns and then Mike let’s see what ideas you can come up with! And no, removing the Cosmaline from a World War II relic does not count as customizing, and somehow you have to get away from the idea that a matte blue rusty old Nagant is really something to get excited about. Do we really need to customize, or could we get along quite well with factory offerings? Actually, we could probably get along quite well with the factory offerings of 1873, namely a single shot Trap-Door .45-70, a Winchester .44 WCF levergun and the .45 Colt Single Action, let alone all those since. HowBeltman_MA10.indd 1 ever, this is America and hopefully will remain so in spite of politicians trying to destroy us. An America where we are not controlled by need, but instead are in the wonderful position of being both able and free to satisfy our wants. May it ever be so. Do you need A Gun Belt? THE BELTMAN’S 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 CONEALED CARRY, COMPETITION, OR DRESS WEAR, OPTIONS INCLUDE: VELCRO LINING, TAPERING, STIFFENERS, BUCKLE SELECTION ETC. AVAILABLE IN THREE WIDTHS, FOUR COLORS, AND EDGED TO PERFECTION FROM $69.95. ALSO OFFERED IN HORSE HIDE, SHARK, AND GENUINE ELEPHANT. If you carry a gun, YOU DO! (919) 387-1997 www.thebeLtman.net Rusty Nagants * Go to www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex for contact information and Handgunner’s homepage for Web blast with more pics! WWW.americanhanDGunner.com 82 CLICK ON THE “WEB BLAST” LINK WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=83http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=83GUNCRANK Continued from page 32 fugitives; SWAT missions and stakeouts; drug lab raids and cornered killers; horrors, hostages and heroism. He got both with the Tussey Colt. That young officer was our own Roy-Boy, now the Publishing Potentate, long before he was even His Illuminated Editorial Immenseness. Who’d a thought? I know Roy shot it a lot, punishing, polishing and praising it. Ultimately it became his Bedside Boomer; his Bumpin-the-Night Gun. Rivers ran, fortunes changed, years passed, paths crossed and recrossed. Terry and Roy became friends, as did Roy and Uncle John. I fit in there somewhere. Uncle John rarely spoke of that gun, and only when he was delivering his patented parable about letting things go. No matter how much you value something, he said, when letting go is the right thing to do, you walk away and never look back; Shut Up, Get Over It, and Move On. Rat-Bite Times Two When Terry learned Roy had that Colt, it sorta bothered him. He built guns for individuals, and he’d built that particular gun for a very particular man. He filed it under Other People’s Busi- ness and tried to forget it. But like a lone rat in a vast ship’s hold, it nibbled at him on a thousand nights, and finally, it bit. He didn’t know his rat had a cousin in another ship’s hold a thousand miles away, and it bit — hard — on the same night. When Terry called Roy the next morning, he was prepared to be forceful; his sense of righteousness was simmering. “Roy,” he began sternly, “About John’s Colt — where is it right now? It’s his gun, Roy, and he should have it!” Roy was stunned. That Colt was on his desk, lying under his hand; removed from his nightstand in the gray dawn. He had already dug out a shipping box for it. “Ummm …” he muttered, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stiffen and rise. “Uhh … Last night, I, umm … I was gonna send it, umm … today, you know … to John … Holy smokes, Terry! What’s goin’ on?” They talked. Terry asked Roy to send the Colt to him, first. Once it was in his skilled hands, Terry lit it up, tore it down to the last pin, and commenced … magic. It was not reworked; it was reborn; not face-lifted so much as forged anew. Our conspirators enlisted an accomplice … Neither Terry nor Roy could be there when Aunt C handed Uncle John a plain cardboard box and said simply, “Open it” — but I was. He lifted out what looked like a spanky-new Colt Mark IV Series 80 Government Model 1911A1 pistol; new, but far from “stock.” Realization began to dawn as Stoneface read the port side of the slide and, and even the Duty Dummy — me — could see clouds breaking over the Man With a Mission’s face. He slowly turned the pistol to its starboard side, and his eyes fell on those twin Ts in an immaculate oval — Terry’s earliest logo. It was several minutes before he could even rack the slide and gently, reverently pull the trigger. I can’t do the moment justice. Perhaps no one can. It was like seeing an old samurai presented with the lost sword of his ronin years; watching as spirits rise from the steel in wisps of smoke, whispering tales of ancient battles. After 30 years, the roamin’ pony returned. The Tussey Colt came home. Terry Tussey’s hands twice made it superior; gave it excellence. It is now in the hands of the man who made it memorable; gave it history. Why tell this story? First, because it warms and gladdens me, and I can. Second, because some of us, all of us, now and then need reassurance that among good and honorable men, sometimes what goes around comes around, and that can be a good thing. Thanks for reading. Connor OUT. * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 832011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=84http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=84AYOOb FILES Continued from page 22 Bust ’em! Barnes Busters™ drop bears, boars, Cape buffalo and other big, tough game—right there, right now! Featuring a thick copper jacket and heavy lead core, this premium hunting bullet delivers bone-crushing power combined with maximum penetration. These cannelured, heavy-for-caliber bullets remain intact with no jacket-core separation, even through dense muscle and bone. Available for .44, .45, and .500 magnum revolvers and .45-70 lever rifles. Bone-crushing power combined with maximum penetration. 49 AM Page 1 Unfailing. Unbeatable. Unstoppable. ™ www.barnesbullets.com • 1-800-574-9200 Contact Barnes Bullets for a free product catalog. Mention this magazine ad to get a free Barnes Bullets DVD! GET YOUR GUNS GEAR! Team GUNS Collector Pin It’s colorful, it looks expensive, but any cheapskate can afford it and someday it might be worth what you paid for it. (Actual sixe: 3/4” x 5/8”) $3.50 each (Price includes shipping) ORDER TODAY! Call Toll-Free 800-628-9818 Order at www.gunsmagazine.com 84 Each is readily identifiable and in full uniform, the sheriff’s department dark green that is all but standard in Florida. Lopez’s duty gear is the standard issue worn by about 80-percent of the uniformed deputies on OCSO, dark nylon Uncle Mike’s with a level III holster containing an issue Glock 22 loaded with Federal Classic .40 S&W jacketed hollow point. York, an enthusiastic recreational shooter on his own time, is one of the 20 percent who takes advantage of the department’s broad policy allowing privately owned double action sidearms in various calibers. He wears a Para-Ordnance LDA, a popular optional gun on the department. His is a Carry 12, worn on a traditional leather Sam Browne belt in a custom made Kirkpatrick thumbbreak holster, carried off-safe and loaded with Federal HST 230 grain +P .45 ACP. Each deputy is carrying two spare magazines and an issue X26 TASER. Scanning the lot, Lopez is the first to recognize the heavy-set man standing by the truck. Cartwright’s driver’s license picture is displayed on the screen of his mobile data terminal. He radios in. He and York park their Ford SUV patrol vehicles and step out to confront the man they have orders to arrest. Backup is already heading in their direction. The 5' 10", 285-pound suspect is not visibly armed. The two officers approach and flank him, York on Cartwright’s left and Lopez on his right. Lopez, famous on the department for his ability to negotiate with agitated suspects and calmly “talk them down,” begins the contact as York covers him. Inside the range office and gun shop a short distance away, Shoal River employees notice the encounter beginning. No one can hear the exact words, but it is clear that Cartwright is becoming angry, shouting and making hostile gestures. Lopez radios in the suspect is not cooperating. Their sergeant, Kenny West, is already racing to the scene. He radios back and tells them they should do whatever they have to do. West has a bad feeling about where this is going. Lopez, whose TASER is already drawn, shouts “TASER! TASER! TASER!” and deploys the darts. The 50,000 volts drop the big man almost instantly. He falls on his back, head toward his truck, writhing and yelling. As he rides out the electric charge, one witness sees York with his pistol drawn, another perceives York’s hand to be on the holstered Para, and a third will describe him as holding handcuffs. Then, the five-second TASER run is complete. Instantly, the supine Cartwright’s right hand flashes to his right side. Watching from Cartwright’s left, at the clubhouse window, a young staff member sees the large man’s hand come WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=85http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=852011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=86http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=86Untitled-1 1 up and instantly recognizes a Taurus Millennium pistol. Immediately, Joshua Cartwright is shooting. The first fast shots are directed at Deputy Lopez, standing at Cartwright’s feet. The witness sees Lopez spin, dropping the TASER and moving rapidly to his left as if to get out of the line of fire. Then — still on his back — Cartwright twists and fires over his left shoulder at York. The witnesses see York turn away and move quickly toward the rear of Cartwright’s pickup truck, as if seeking cover. The witnesses inside the clubhouse, unarmed, now logically run for cover themselves. Shooters on the firing line are downhill, 40 to 50 yards behind the parking lot. The range master has yelled for them to get down, and they can see little. The parking lot is in plain view of passing traffic on Route 90, but motorists flashing past can only get glimpses of the action. From here on, the witnesses will be seeing “snippets” of what happens, which investigators will have to painstakingly piece together later. Deputy Lopez makes his last radio transmission. “I’ve been hit in the shoulder,” he gasps intensely. “He’s running west!” A person driving past sees Lopez at the back of one patrol car, firing two-handed from a cover position even though he has been seriously wounded in the left shoulder, and Cartwright is firing at him right hand only, Order Your Copy While Supplies Last! the pistol extended. Deputy York has been hit five times in Cartwright’s sudden initial volley, (outside U.S. $17.95) and his arms have been rendered useless. 9mm bullets have struck him in the Call Toll-Free upper right arm, in the right shoulder Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. PST breaking the collarbone, and in the left forearm smashing both radius and ulna. Two other 9mm slugs have hit him, in the left side and in the back near the shoulder blade as he turned, both stopOrder at ping on his body armor but still leaving www.americanhandgunner.com massive bruises. York is now effectively unable to return fire. The two deputies have one working arm between them. A LOOK INSIDE: One witness sees York attempting • Improvised Weapons for Self Defense • Using Cover Properly • Non-Lethal Protection to enter the suspect’s truck through the • Common-Sense Concealed Carry • Gunsite Basics • Plus Much More right door. There is gunfire. York falls P.O. Box 502610 • San Diego, CA 92150-2610 to the ground. Another witness sees Cartwright circling the police SUV Lopez is using for cover, firing as he goes. Lopez falls to the ground behind 3/18/09 9:02:44 AM the patrol vehicle. Cartwright stands over Lopez, firing a pistol. The gunfire stops. People look up. Al Mar Knives Someone sees Cartwright remove a Our Sere Operator knives are handmade shotgun from his truck, then turn toward the firing range, as if contemplating to exacting standards, assuring shooting people there. He seems to the highest quality in reconsider, throws the shotgun into the the industry. truck, slams the right front door shut, then gets behind the wheel and drives out of the parking lot, turning left and heading East on Route 90. He departs just ahead of the responding Okaloosa SERE Operator ™ 5” Blade Mini SERE Operator™ 4” Blade County backup deputies. l e a r n m o r e @ w w w . a l m a r k n i v e s . c o m Behind him in the parking lot, Skip ONLY $9.95 888.732.2299 Excellence 86 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=87http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=87York lies dying from an execution shot to the head, fired from the Taurus pistol that lies near him in the dirt of the parking lot, its slide locked back open and empty. Behind the patrol car, Burt Lopez is also down and motionless, shot execution-style with York’s Para-Ordnance .45, which the cop-killer has taken with him. Next to the dying deputy are Lopez’s lockedback Glock 22, shot empty, and its ejected empty magazine, and a full spare magazine Lopez was apparently trying to reload with when Cartwright shot him twice at close range. One +P .45 round has hit his vest and deflected, but the other has struck him in the right side of the skull, creating an un-survivable wound. While the majority of the responding deputies are trying to give aid to their downed brothers at the scene and calling for a LifeFlight helicopter, Okaloosa Deputy Matt Christmas leads the pursuit of the fleeing killer. Dispatch immediately informs neighboring Walton County that he’s headed their way, going directly toward the small city of DeFuniak Springs. The Walton County sheriff reportedly gives the order, “He will not enter DeFuniak Springs.” WCSO deputies and city police race to Route 90 to interdict him. Spike strips are arrayed across the highway. Cartwright, at speeds up to 80 miles an hour, adroitly veers off the road and avoids them. He has been hit by at least one of Lopez’s bullets: Cartwright has left tell-tale blood on a vehicle parked next to his own at the gun club, and blood is collecting and coagulating on the seat belt of his Chevy Silverado. Near the DeFuniak Springs city limit, municipal officer John Pettis lays out a spike strip near the intersection of Highway 331. Cartwright sees him, steers past the strip, and tries to run down the officer at an estimated 70 miles an hour. Barely avoiding the vehicle like a bullfighter, Officer Pettis fires a single shot from his Glock .40 at Cartwright as he goes past. Walton County Sergeant Keith Parsons, driving the pursuit car closest to the fugitive vehicle, now rams the fugitive vehicle in a PIT maneuver, and the Pursuit Immobilization Technique works. The speeding Silverado spins off the right side of the road at the edge of a ditch and goes airborne, crashing down atop the patrol car of Walton County Deputy Jason Hall. A deputy radios for EMS (Emergency Medical Services) for the driver. But the driver is apparently not planning to be taken alive. No sooner does the overturned truck come to rest than Cartwright is out of the car — his butt on the ground, because his legs have been broken in the crash — and firing at the officers. In his hand is the Ruger P95 pistol with extended magazine. His WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 87 The Second Confrontation2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=88http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=8810-AmericanHandgunAd: 2/1/10 Federal 9mm rounds punch into Deputy Hall’s vehicle. Hall, no more than five yards away from the cop-killer at the opening of this second gunfight, takes Carry Spare Ammo effective cover and is not hit. Another of Cartwright’s shots hits the vehicle of a passing motorist, causing no injury. But this time, the killer does not have the element of surprise. He is not facing men with empty guns, or with their arms shot away. This time, his intended victims are ready to fight back. They are as far as 15 yards away, and they have auto bodies to shield them, too. Deputy Hall fires all 16 180-gr. Hydra-Shoks in his issue Glock 22, and FREE reloads. Deputy Dustin Burlison empShipping $ ties a 20-round magazine from his Stag On Orders of 2 Arms AR-15 and also reloads. Sgt. ParHolsters or More Plus S/H U.S.A. OrderS Only sons squeezes off half a dozen .40 rounds FiTS: from his Glock 22. Where the vehicles Beretta 21, 25 Auto, Bersa 380 have come to rest, Cartwright has both Colt Pony, KAHr, P380, MK9/40 the truck and Hall’s patrol car as cover, KelTeC, P32, 3AT, ruger lCP, but the officers are able to lace some of lCP with lASer, lCr, Smith & Weson 340 Pd, J Frame revolvers their bullets through openings and into their intended target, and now it’s CartMade from Tuff™ Tack Laminate Sticks to Your Pockets wright’s turn to be torn apart by gunfire. Bullets smash into his legs, torso, and scrotum. He has been hit 15 times. Cartwright brings his Ruger to his head, pulls the trigger — and misses. The bullet merely grazes his ear as burning gunPRODUCTS THAT PROTECT Dillon 1-6 American Handgunner Ad 2/5/09 2:58 PM Page 1 powder stipples adjacent scalp tissue. He Order Online: www.tuffproducts.com puts the muzzle to his ear and fires one last Or Call: 877-883-3776 shot, which roars through his brain and out 1060 Colorado Ave Chula Vista CA 91911 the left side of his skull, splashing blood back into the gun muzzle. Already sitting, Cartwright falls backward, the cocked Tuff_Pocket _Roo_AD.indd 1 2/4/10 1:13 AM pistol dropping from his dead right hand and landing on his right shoulder. Some 14 spent Federal Cartridge casings ejected from the Ruger surround his corpse. And it’s all over. None of the patrol PRODUCTS THAT PROTECT car dash-cams are angled to capture the shootout in its entirety, but they record the sound of the gunfire. From Cartwright’s first shot to the last round fired, only 11 seconds have elapsed. Pocket-Roo TM TM Better Recoil Control “I could feel a difference . . . I know it helps . . . I’ve seen the results.” —Robert Vogel, Police Officer & 7-time National Champion Shooter USPSA/IDPA 24.99 Captains of Crush® The gold standard of grippers: build and benchmark your grip strength. STRONGER MINDS, STRONGER BODIES™ www.ironmind.com Special offer! Complimentary grip program for shooters: enter AH-RA10 in key code box when placing an order. IRONMIND - AMERICAN HANDGUN 2.25 X 5 May/June 2010 There was much confusion and misunderstanding in the wake of this tragic incident. Some critics called the armed citizens at the Shoal River range cowards for not helping the officers. In fact, 43 or more yards downhill from the shooting scene, none would have had an angle to even see — let alone shoot — Cartwright during his first decisive volley. Thereafter, he would have either been behind cover, or at an angle where rescuing gunfire would have endangered the officers. The rumor spread that the deputies had been killed because bullets pierced defective vests. Untrue: two 9mm bullets struck York’s vest and a .45 slug hit Lopez, and all three projectiles were either contained or deflected by the armor. Some said the TASER failed. Untrue: it kept him immobile for the entire five seconds the current ran. However, as soon as a TASER completes its five-second “ride,” the recipient 88 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 Questions2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=89http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=89Gunsmithing DVD Video! "How-To " Being A Certified Gunsmith Professional Gunsmithing Course Introductory Lesson Robert Dunlap - Instructor, Master Gunsmith V I D E O Become A Certified Gunsmith In As Little As 3 Months - GUARANTEED! This DVD Covers: Feed Ramp Design Headspace Gas Systems Cartridge Stop Timing Trigger Repairs Ranging Revolvers Trouble Shooting Techniques BONUS FEATURES: Introduction To Machine Shop Course Student Interviews AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE ©Copyright American Gunsmithing Institute 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this video may be copied, reproduced or transmitted for any reason without the written permission of the copyright holder. Puts Freedom & Control In Your Life! Serial #03091004 DVD #1004 8 IN LINE 49.99 Get Started In Professional Gunsmithing You will learn how you can get Certified as a Gunsmith in as little as 90 days through AGI’s Exclusive Professional Gunsmithing Home Study Course taught step-by-step by Master Gunsmiths on DVD video. It’s the ONLY Professional Gunsmithing Course using this upto-date and proven method. *The information package & 1 hour DVD are FREE, you pay just $3.97 for the priority mail shipping, which is FULLY REFUNDABLE! Ad Code: AH0510 Make Money Part-time, Full-time, Or As A Retirement Income Doing What You Love! Call Today! AGI AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE 1-800-797-0867 ADDED BONUS! You will automatically receive a Two Month FREE Trial Membership in the Gun Club Of America which includes the GCA monthly newsletter and GUNTECH monthly VIDEO MAGAZINE on DVD! An additional $60 value! - yours FREE with option to continue membership at only $29.95 per month. Call us today! * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 89 photo by Ichiro Nagata FREE * is no longer impaired. Cartwright, whom investigators later learned had bragged he believed he could withstand a “stun gun,” apparently knew this beforehand and took advantage of it. Critics said the deputies were idiots for accosting a man believed to be armed, at a shooting range. Crime scene photos of Cartwright dead beside his vehicle show no thigh holster, and no Designed by Ichiro Nagata one saw him so equipped at the truck. He had apparently stowed his rifle (the SKS was found later in the truck), and the Ruger in the thigh rig, before the depuFits More Mags ties approached him. It is false “magical thinking” to believe that the deputies FREE could have somehow arranged an “ideal” $ ShIppINg arrest location. The arresting officers On Orders of 2 or More Plus S/H must take the suspect as they find him. U.S.A. OrderS Only Corporal Mark Raiche of OCSO said • Available in Coyote Brown or Black Nylon it best when he told me, “‘A plan’ was • 8 In Line Fits Single Stack Magazines (1911/P220) not in the cards. Deputies Lopez and • 5 In Line Fits Double Stacks Magazines (9mm/.40/.45) York stood up to Cartwright on behalf of a female victim who could not stand Belt or M.O.L.L.E. Compatible / Individual Pockets Removable Flap / Nylon Heavy Duty Webbing up for herself, and they did their duty, Double Layered 1000 Denier Nylon as their duty found them.” (magazines NOT included) Original official reports stated York was shot after Lopez, trying to grapple with the escaping suspect barehanded in the truck. However, further investigation showed it is at least equally likely Cartwright, moving back and forth between PRODUCTS THAT PROTECT cover points himself, executed York with Order Online: www.tuffproducts.com the last round in his wife’s Taurus 9mm, Or Call: 877-883-3776 dropped the empty gun there, then took 1060 Colorado Ave Chula Vista CA 91911 York’s .45 with which he subsequently executed Lopez, whose gun was empty as the deputy attempted to reload. York’s .45 Tuff_8 in line.indd 1 2/3/10 11:54 PM was recovered from inside the wrecked truck at the DeFuniak Springs site. Original official reports had Cartwright killed by police gunfire, and not until the autopsy was made public the PRODUCTS THAT PROTECT following October did it b2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=90http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=90XD SERIES Continued from page 65 All BIG-BORES, All SUPER-BORES, All BARREL LENGTHS - Only One Choice. ost The MHolster ™ us Famo e World! In Th I’ve visited that idea before and this solidifies it. At about the same size, the sub-compact 9mm (with slightly extended mag) gives you more than three times the fire-power of a 5-shot wheelgun. And a reload is certainly easier. While the XD is a bit more angular, it does offer some interesting options to a small-frame revolver. And in most cases, I’ll bet you could tote a sub-compact XD as easily as you could a J-frame or similar. I’m trying it out now and finding there are times (summertime, lightweight hiking shorts) when a Scandium J-frame is hard to beat in a pocket. With an overall length of 6.25" and a height of 4.75" with standard mag and 5.5" with extended mag (for each caliber), the XD Sub-Compact guns are among the smallest of the small “fullcaliber” guns around. This was the fun and interesting part. I’ll tell you, I’ve tried some “sub-compact” guns in the past (call them cutdowns from full-sized guns) and found many of them awkward and bulky. They left me feeling like someone had taken a hacksaw to a full-sized gun, with little thought to ergonomics or operability and comfort. I found the Springfield Sub-Compacts smooth operators, with the controls remaining well-placed for the smaller size. Also, the addition of the remarkable magazine extension (which, at first glance might make you want to insert it backwards!) really gives this little gun a bigger-feel, without compromising what it’s all about — concealability. The almost full-firing grip you get allows you to run the little guns like their biggun counterparts, and they felt confident in my hands, with no fumbling or awkward manipulations needed. And that’s what it’s all about. If you’re going to rely on a sub-compact model of a parent gun, they need to feel/run/act at least similarly so you can make a transition easily. And in this case, both the 9mm and the .40 behaved well, with no surprises or nipped fingers. And recoil, even in the .40 with some snappier loads, was very easy to manage. Actually, a non-issue. Lawman_2-9-10.indd 1 from Lawman Leather Goods 6 1/2” barrels or under: $239.95+ $18.00 S&Ins. (longer barrels slightly higher) Now Made For ALL Handguns ANY Caliber, ANY Barrel Length Lifetime Warranty! Shooting The Subs Fitted To Your Exact Gun Holster is 100% Heavy Bridle Leather - Fully Suede-Lined Harness is all Top-Grain Leather. For Information Call: (702) 227- 0072 ORDERS Call Toll Free: (877) 44 LAWMAN For Color Brochure Send $4.00 to: Lawman Leather Goods P.O. Box 30115, Dept. AH, Las Vegas, NV 89173 www.LawmanLeatherGoods.com “Beware of Imitations” ™ Phone & Fax 1-406-388-1396 NEW! Big Game “PUNCH” Bullets P Belt Mtn. Enterprises, Inc. www.beltmountain.com Cylinder Base Pins Ruger, Colt, and Replicas T 59714 Accuracy I targeted the 9mm and the .40 at 15 yards, and was tempted to only make it seven or eight yards, but suspected I’d get complaints. They’re not hunting guns, and have no need for better than modest accuracy, but nonetheless, I shot them from a wrist-rest to see what they’d do, and to stop the complaints from rolling in. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE2010 902011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=91http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=91And — I didn’t learn a thing. What I saw was exactly what I expected. The XD line seems to be inherently, predictably, accurate, regardless of the platform, and these little guns were no different. The 9mm had a slight edge, but then again, the trigger pull was just a tad better on it than the .40, and it’s all about the trigger pull. But at about 1.35" to 1.5" for both at 15, carefully aimed shots even at 25 to 50 yards are certainly possible. Hey, maybe they are hunting guns after all? I liked these guns an awful lot, and wrote ‘em a check for the .40. Would have bought both, but one has to know his checkbook’s limitations. I’ll learn more about these little guns, and the .40 in particular, and let you know later. XD(m) 3.8 I covered a pair of Springfield Custom Shop XD(m)s before (“A Custom XD(m) Duo,” July/Aug 2009), but this was my first go-around with a “stock” XD(m). The new “3.8” is called that for its 3.8" barrel and offers a tidier package than the 4.5" standard XD(m). From what I can make out, the only other change to the feature package is the addition of the more aggressive slide serrations. They look good and feel great, allowing a ready-grip for working the slide or doing a press-check. Other features of the XD(m), which differ it from the XD, are: recontoured frame with what they call “MegaLock” texturing, recontoured slide (slimming and tapering), match-grade barrel, minimal reset trigger, no need to pull trigger when disassembling, recontoured mag release buttons, higher ammo capacities (20 rounds for the 9mm!), better sights, an interchangeable back-strap system and a very nifty carrying case with swivel handle. The 3.8 also comes with an injection molded paddle holster, double mag pouch and mag loading tool. In my earlier article, I used the analogy of Ford and Lincoln to explain the differences. The XD is a Ford — business-like, reliable, solidly constructed and expected to deliver longterm service with minimal expense. The XD(m) is more Lincoln-like — it costs a bit more, but delivers more style, features and perhaps even pride of ownership. While both can be relied-upon to protect you and your family and give you countless hours of enjoyment at the range or in competition, the XD(m) does it with a bit more flair and useability. Looking for a hard-use working gun for the ranch or duty holster? Something going to get plenty of knocks, maybe left in the bass boat, your backpack or garage? Look no further than an XD of any flavor. Want something for yourself? A personal statement of your good taste? Looking for a bit 91 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=92http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=92more? Better sights, better ergonomics and touches here and there to make shooting even more fun? The XD(m) (and the 3.8 in particular) may be the gun for you. Indeed, it is that. To keep some of you happy, I shot it at 25 from a rest, with good quality 9mm ammo. All of the polymer pistols suffer a bit from what I call “polymer pistol trigger mush,” but the XD(m)’s is crisper than most. Taking my time, I was able to see satisfying groups hovering around the 2" to 2.5" size regularly. I think with the addition of a trigger kit from Powder River Precision (which really sharpens up the pull on any XD), you could get even better groups. Do you need it? Nope. But for those of you who like to do such things, there you go. I even worked with the paddle holster in the kit. It was comfy and fast, and the paddle had just enough “give” and taper to be comfortable, but still support the gun well. Unlike many “factory-supplied” accessory goodies, the ones with the Springfield guns are of good quality and work as-specified. If the evil over-lord suddenly put me back into a uniform working a beat car, I would absolutely carry this 9mm XD(m) 3.8 in my holster. With two spare mags, you have 58 rounds at-hand! While accuracy is important, so is the ability to not have to reload as often — while you shoot accurately, by the way. If you’re looking for “one gun” to do many things, the XD(m) 3.8 is a viable candidate. John Taffin is constantly searching for his “Perfect Packin’ Pistol” and has yet to find it. Well John, you’d better add one to your list of applicants. A Shooter CALL 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 $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 For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex P.O. Box 299 • Copeville, Texas USA 75121 (800) SA2-1911 • Fax (972) 853-0526 www.smithandalexander.com Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm CST www.riograndecustomgrips.com Our Testimonials Say It All! SHOW YOUR SPIRIT Add PIZZAZZ to your GOVERNMENT 1911 TAURUS PT 1911 and BOBTAIL 1911 pistols too! 303-330-2812 92 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=93http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=932011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=94http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=94GUNNYSACK I Roy Huntington VIRIDIAN X5L LASER/LIGHT was one of the first to endorse lasers as accessory sighting systems more than ten years ago. I’ve been scared in the field as a cop, had tired eyes on graveyard trying to see my sights at 0-Dark-Thirty while some miscreant did a “Do I have a gun” dance next to his hot-stopped car. I’ve tried clearing businesses, abandoned shacks and dark cars on traffic stops in the dark. I know, personally, what it’s like — and it’s not good. When I saw the options a laser sight can offer, I was on board. Those who wrang their hands, told us we’d all be killed, and threw rocks at the concept have been proven soundly wrong. Since then it’s been fun to watch all the naysayers slowly come aboard and admit, “Hey, okay, maybe there is some merit to the concept.” Duh. For one, I’m always glad to see new technology in this field, and one of the latest is the concept of green lasers. They cost more, but do seem to offer a higher level of visibility in some situations. Do you need a laser in daylight? I doubt it, but then again, what if you’ve got blood in your eyes, your hands are slippery, numb from blood loss and you have to take a shot at 25 yards — in the daylight? See … it’s the options thing again. Viridian’s product lineup is, simply put, first-class. Very high quality, well-engineered and put together with obvious engineering experience. Initially, their lineup offered products to fit specific guns. As they explained, it was to ensure an exact fit to the rails on specific models. Since then, the hue and cry for a more “general” fit model led to the introduction of the X5 and related models. Our test sample was solidly constructed, elegantly packaged and came with support materials, spare CR2 batteries and acessories to make it fit most rail-mounts. Operation options include several modes for the green laser (steady-on, pulse, rapid pulse, etc.) and for the light (high, low, lower and strobe), all controlled by two on/off buttons. They can be changed right to left by merely pressing a button for two seconds. For more specs, I’d recommend you go to their comprehensive and interesting Web site. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex 94 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=95http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=95GUNNYSACK ICC AMMO T Roy Huntington oday’s environmentalists are striking out in all directions, and the shooting sports are victim of their often ill-thought-out campaigns. While the move to lower airborne lead on indoor ranges makes sense (it’s a wonder we old guys aren’t dead), extending bans on lead-based projectiles and mercury-based priming compounds to hunting and even carry ammo is happening now. International Cartridge Corporation (or ICC) has been leading the way in frangible, lead-free ammo. Their line of “Green Elite” ammunition crosses all the borders to include rifle and even shotgun ammo. From lead-free practice ammunition for commercial use, to sophisticated specialty lead-free ammo for police training, SWAT team use and now, even duty carry, ICC knows its stuff. The ICC Green Elite HP Duty ammo offers a cross-section of common calibers, all loaded with their line of frangible, leadfree bullets, but in hollowpoint designs. The frangible bullet means less chance of damage or injury from ricochets, and after impact, the bullets break up, making multiple wound channels, according to ICC specifications. The .40 S&W is a 125-gr. HP at 1,250 fps at the muzzle. The 9mm load is a 100-gr. HP also at 1,250 fps. There’s nothing wrong with those specs, and when combined with the frangible bullet, may offer some interesting options to agencies looking for new duty ammo. Check out ICC’s wide range of interesting ammunition options including .223, .308 and 7.62x39 lead-free and frangible rifle rounds. I’ve used their ammo at two classes at Thunder Ranch and it performed flawlessly. Felt recoil in my .45 ACP 1911 was normal, and reliability was 100-percent. Plus, at the end of the day I felt as if Mother Nature smiled at me. Okay, maybe not smiled, but at least didn’t glower like she usually does. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex Lee CLassiC TurreT Press THE FINEST TURRET PRESS EVER MADE! Still the finest Turret Press made. Even if you already own a press— you’ll want a Lee Classic Turret. Your first stroke of the hardwood gripped lever will convince you this is one solid, silky smooth press. Instant change turret allows die change in seconds. Exclusive auto index feature is standard and automatically advances the dies. This feature can be instantly turned off when batch loading long rifle cases. Long stroke and powerful mechanical advantage allow it to size any case with ease. The huge 1 1/8” diameter ram is supported by over 12 square inches of cast iron and is drilled completely through to dispose of primers in an attached, clear PVC tube. Every primer is caught—guaranteed! Priming on the press is a delight with the Lee Lever Prime System [ LPS ]. Add the Lee Safety Prime and never touch the primers from box to shell. Primers are dispensed with push button convenience. Make your dreams come true with the Lee Classic Turret. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 952011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=96http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=96GUNNYSACK wOODMAN’S pAL I Roy Huntington know you’ve seen their ads, probably ever since you can remember — and it’s for a good reason. The original was designed in 1941 to be the end-all tool for chopping, hacking, cutting and generally taking care of business in the outdoors. It was even military issue in WWII and has remained so even in today’s military. There are Woodman’s Pals serving overseas as we speak. When an opportunity to test one came up recently, I grabbed at the chance. After moving onto our wooded property here in Missouri, Suzi and I find a great deal of our time is spent cleaning up brush, clearing, ladder-cutting smaller trees and a zillion other chores a good chopper comes in handy for. And sure enough, the Pal can trim, chop, split, clear and otherwise do more work than you can imagine for its compact size. The hardwood handle gives you plenty of “thwacking” power in a swing, and the spring steel blade, at a Rockwell 47, holds an edge well, yet is sharpened easily. At about 24 ounces, it’s light enough to swing for an hour, but heavy enough to offer some “heft” to do the work. While I have lots of other cutting tools like handsaws, shears, axes, hatchets and chainsaws, I find myself reaching for the Woodman’s Pal more than any of them. The “hook” bill will cut brush with a pulling motion, and that blade can work its way though a 3" limb in a cut or two if you do your part. It’s old-school technology, made in America virtually the same way it was done 70 years ago when it was invented. Like they say, why change something if it works? If you have a bit of land, or lots of cutting chores to do, you can do lots worse than a Woodman’s Pal. This model costs around $107 with the sheath. For more info: www. americanhandgunner.com/productindex 96 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=97http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=97BACHMAN SLIDE GUNNYSACK Roy Huntington ometimes the old and new collide and it’s not always a bad thing. Old bud and leathermaker-extraordinaire Rick Bachman is one of those rare gents who seems to live in the past and the present at the same time. He’s a genuine student of the old west and has a life-long passion for everything original about that ostensibly glamorous time in our history. Rick has many original, authentic pieces of old west memorabilia, from leather and related gear to books and more. He calls upon this to help keep his line of authentically styled leather period-correct. It’s so correct, I once had a dealer at a big, national gun show try to sell me a worn Bachman money belt and Mexican loop holster as being “original” cowboy-era. I pointed out it was marked “Bachman” and I knew Rick and knew his leather, and the guy said, “You can’t know him, that’s one of the old time makers.” It was a lost cause, so I smiled and strolled off. I called Rick and we both laughed about it. S Rick reached out to me years ago to help him with a line of more modern holsters. I told him what I thought would work, be simple to make and work well with his historical designs and tooling. Rick took what I chatted with him about and ran with it, coming up with several very cool ideas. This #101 Bachman Slide has graced our pages in the past, but it’s such a nifty rig, I wanted to remind you about it. It’s simple and light, but holds a 1911 neatly and comfortably. Plus, it manages old-time tooling well and allows you to sort of cross-over into oldschool if you have a hankering to. The mag pouch has a leather backing covering the entire body of the mag, so it keeps those sharp corners away from tender spots, too boot. This is an elegantly sublime rig and goes well with a barbecue gun, if you get my drift. And there’s more big news — Rick is now making very cool holsters for the tough-to-fit Taurus “Judge” line of .410/.45 Colt revolvers. Say Hi from us when you call! For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex Shotshell 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.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 972011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=98http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?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! 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 307.686.4008 D&L Sports, Inc. PO Box 651 Gillette, WY 82717 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 Untitled-1 1 PISTOLSMITHS www.tusseycustom.com e-mail: ttussey45@aol.com 775-246-1533 98 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=99http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=99TAFFIN TESTS Continued from page 34 lever, an ambidextrous version is also available, and there is no problem with getting bit by the hammer as it’s also outfitted with a high grip beavertail safety. Every Commander-sized 1911 must have the mandatory Commander Hammer, and in this case the beavertail safety rides higher than normal as it has a groove to accept the back of the hammer. Many shooters prefer very light triggers on target, self defense, and hunting handguns. I’m okay with the former but I do not like very light triggers on serious situation guns. This one is set at a creep-free 41/4 pounds. Finishing Notes Volkmann Custom offers several finishes on their Combatant Carry, such as Rockote, which Luke Volkmann describes as a thermoset polymer coating designed for military applications. The standard coating is a matte black, however it is also available in OD green, Titanium blue or Desert tan all matched up with Gator Back grip panels providing a very secure grip. My test gun came with the optional Hard Chrome finish matched up with checkered double diamond grips of rosewood. Since building this pistol, Luke has now started furnishing the Combatant Carry in stainless steel. Some shooters look at a pistol as a tool while others see it as a work of art. The Combatant Carry is a highly efficient, serious fighting tool which is also exceptionally eye pleasing. Fourteen different loads, 12 of which were factory, were used in testing the Combatant Carry; all of these were also used in addition to three more handloads when testing the Signature Series .45. Total results are in the accompanying chart. Cor-Bon offers several self-defense loads, and I was especially impressed by the accuracy of the 185+P DPX at 1,040 fps and the 165 Pow’RBall at more than 1,200 fps. Both shot to point of aim for me with fiveshot groups of 7/8" and 1". Under stress in a combat situation target accuracy is not required, however this .45 is going to put the rounds where the shooter intends them to go. This brings us to the standard-size 1911 from Volkmann known as the Custom Signature Series 1911 .45 ACP. When it comes to total reliability this one also matches the performance of the Combatant Carry, however groups were a little tighter for me as an extra 1/4" of sight radius on the longer slide certainly aids my shooting. The most accurate loads through the Signature Series .45 were the Buffalo Bore 230 FMJ +P at 950 fps (3/4") and the Black Hills 230 JHP +P at the same velocity with five rounds in 7/8". The Signature Series 1911 also has Trijicon combat sights with the same sight picture and Tritium white dots as found on the Combatant Carry, however in this case the rear sight is fully adjustable. Both of these .45s also feature the Volkmann Monogram Bushing Plug Set with a flush-fitted barrel. We also find the same style thumb safety, grip safety, and Commander-style hammer as found on the Combatant Carry, however in this case we have a lightweight trigger which is set at 31/4 pounds. Standard on both is 25 lpi checkering on the mainspring housing and front strap, and the mainspring housing on the Signature Series is the style I prefer being the older flat profile found on the original 1911. The top of the slide of both guns is finished in fulllength striations, while the sides of the Signature Series slide are finished in a deep high polish blue. Standard grips are Tru-Ivory, and a Hard Chrome finish is available at extra cost. To my eye for the best looking handguns, be they double action or single action sixguns, or a 1911, it’s hard to beat the look of blue steel matched up with ivory. Diamond Dot says it best: “I may not be the best shot but at least I can look good doing it.” Paste using Command-F to place in the same position. Utilize “paste remembers layers” to maint the layer names. ith Shoot•N•C Targets, W bullet holes explode in bright, easy-to-see chartreuse rings providing ® Carry It Full-Sized Any handgun has to be carried some wa2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=100http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=100: SPOTLIGHT EL 42 BINOCULARS swarovskiOptik THE EDGE surefire ThenewEl42 swarovskiBinocularswerespecially developedforgreater viewingcomfort, especiallyforeyeglass wearers.Usingafieldflattener lens,whichhelpstocreateatrueimage,itispossibleto producediamond-brightimageresolutionrightuptothe veryedgeofthefieldof viewensuringthe finestdetailwithout edgedistortion. formoreinfo:www. americanhandgunner.com/ productindex surefireintroducesTheEdge,an ergonomicfoldingknifethat’stough, practical,andboastssuperbbalance.Thespear-pointbladeismade of154CMstainlesssteelthat’sdurableandholdsanedge.Theintegral fingerguardonthebladealsoservesasaflip-openlever,sotheEdgeisalways ready.formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex P250 2SUM sIGsAUER COUNTDOWN MAGAZINE EMATactical NewfromEMATactical istheunique30round polymermagazinefeaturing visualindicatorsoftherounds remaininginthemagazine.Thewindowinthebackof themagazineiscolor-codedanddisplaysthenumberof remainingrounds.Thebottomwindowdisplaysthecolorto aidinchoosingthefullestmagazinefromthepouch.for moreinfo:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex sIGhasputtherevolutionarymodularityofthesIGsAUERP250into oneconvenientpackage.TheP250 2sUMcomeswithafull-size,Nitronfinished,9mmP250,idealforduty, homedefense,orsportandallthe componentstoquicklyconvertitto theP2509mmsubcompact,aperfectconcealcarrygun.Onepackage makestwosIGguns!formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex HANDGUN HUNTING DVD Hunterseyevideo.com Everyhunter, noviceto experienced, needsthis videointheircollection,regardless oftheweaponused.Threevideos rolledintoone,GreggRichter (holderofWorldRecordHandgun MuleDeer,huntingoutfitter/guide, outdoorwriter)takesyouontwelve successfulstalkswithincrediblekill scenes,allwithhandguns.Thevideo alsocovershowGregghaschanged huntinglawsinColorado,typesof handgunsused,andachapterwith someamazingwildlifescenes.for moreinfo:www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex FLIP UP FRONT SIGHT GG&G GG&Ghascomeupwithaspring ActuatedflipUpfrontsightfor Tacticalforearms.Thesightis designedtoprovidecorrectsight heightwhenmountedonatactical forearm,andcanalsobeinstalled ongasblocksthatarethesame heightastheupperreceiver. Withjustapushofabutton, thefrontflipupsightcan bequicklydeployedon target.formoreinfo:www. americanhandgunner.com/ productindex 100 THE TACTICAL FIVE 5.11Tactical 5.11Tactical’sfivenew“must-have” knivesarecomfortable,durableandwell balanced.Eachengineeredbyrenowned knifedesignerMikeVellekampofBladeTechandfoxKnivesUsA.Everyknifein 5.11’snewcollectionoffersergonomic designandfunctionalityandismadeof premiummaterials.Allfiveincludenonreflectivebladeswithasubdued,black oxidefinishthatresistscorrosion.for moreinfo:www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=101http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=101For more information on seeing your product featured in Spotlight contact, Steve Evatt (858) 605-0218. PLAIN/BASKETWEAVE DUTY GEAR BlACKHAWK! BlACKHAWK!announcestwonewlinesofDutyGearmadefromNytekand availableinbothplainandbasketweavepatterns.Thenewitemsincludedouble magazinepouches,handcuffpouch,Gladiuslightpouch,latexglovepouch, radio,chemicalagentpouch,BunchIIcanisterpouches,silentkeyholdersand moldedexpandablebatonpouches.formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex THE LOW RIDE PLATE TheMakoGroup ThelowRidePlateprovides5heightleveloptions, anywherefrombeltheighttoamid-rideheighttoalow rideposition.Thisallowstheholstertobepositionedat themostcomfortableheightforeachperson.Thelowride platealsocontainsan“I-rail”whichallowstheholstertobe adjustedverticallyoronanangleandeitherbackwardor forward.formoreinfo:www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex PM9/PM40 KahrArms C5 SUBCOMPACT GREEN LASER SIGHT ViridianGreenlasers KahrArmstrotsouttwonewmodels inthepopularPMseries.ThePM9 andPM40arenowavailablewith CrimsonTracelaserguardsdirectly fromthefactory.ThePM9hasa3" barrelwithlotharWalthermatch gradepolygonalriflinga1-10right handtwist.ThePM40isalso3" buthas1-16righthandtwist.Both modelshaveanMsRPof$991.for moreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex Viridian’sC5seriesistheworld’s onlysubcompactweaponmountable greenlaser.It’ssotinyittucksneatly betweentriggerguardandmuzzle, withnooverhang,andwillwork withvirtuallyanyrailedgun.Carry optimumvisibility,maximumdeterrenceandtotaleffectivenessintoany situation.ViridianC5lalsoavailable with100lumentaclight.Manyholster options.formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex BlACKHAWK! THE PRY-MATE BokerUsA BokerUsAhasteamedupwithDanishKnifeMakerJeper VoxnaestobringyouthePry-Mate.Withabladethickness ofnearly7mm,thisknifeknowsnolimits.ThePry-Mate hasmilledMicartahandlesanddeepthumbnotchesthat providetheultimategripforanytask.Thebladelength is33/8"andtheoveralllengthis61/2".IncludesaKydex sheath.TheMsRPis$299.formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex WARRIOR WEAR SHIRT NewintimeforsummertheBlACKHAWK! 1700shirtisthecasualmen’sshirtdesigned foreverydaywear,whetheryouarean outdoorenthusiastoraweapon-carrying professional.The1700shirt’sgoodlooks andeasycarefabricseffortlesslygofrom therangetowork,toaneveningout.Available inasmallplaidflatweaveinbrownorgray oramediumplaidweaveinblueorgreen,in men’ssizessmallto3Xl.formoreinfo: www. americanhandgunner.com/productindex WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM EZ CARRY PISTOL EAA EAAhasintroducedaportedcarryversionofthepopular EZPistol.TheEZCarryPistolhasa33/4"barrelforeasy concealmentandisroundedforaneasydraw.Theports reduce“felt”recoil.Thisonecomesina2-tonefinishwith ablackframeandmattestainlessslide.formoreinfo: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex 1012011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=102http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=102INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 888Professional A.T.CustomGunworks AlMarKnives AmericanCOPsubscription AmericanGunsmithingInstitute AmericanHandgunnersubscription ArntzenCorporation ArredondoAccessoriesInc. BarnesBulletsInc. Bar-stoPrecisionMachine TheBeltman BeltMtn.EnterprisesInc. BenchmadeKnifeCompany Berry’sManufacturing BirchwoodCasey BlACKHAWK! CaspianArmsltd. ChipMcCormickCustomllC. CorBon/Glaser CrawfordKnives,llC CrossBreedHolstersllC Cylinder&slideInc. D&lsports DesantisHolster DillonPrecision 80 98 86 85 89 31 76 89 84 82 82 90 15 76 99 69 82 19 12 89 12 83 98 71 88 DoublestarCorp. ElitesportsExpress Elitesurvivalsystems EuropeanAmericanArmory failZero fiocchiAmmunition fNHUsA fobusUsA GalcoGunleather GaryReederCustoms GhostInc. GraymanKnives GsIInternationalInc. GunVault GUNsMagazinesubscription HiVizsightsystems HKsProductsInc. HodgdonPowderCompany HogueInc. HornadyManufacturingInc. InsightTech-Gear Ironmind J.B.Custom,Inc. JRJCustomPistols KahrArms 87 6 21 10 87 97 3 94 17 98 90 88 6 41 75 10 14 81 76 29 16 88 98 98 74,81 Kimber/UsAshootingTeam 25 KimberMfg.Inc. 14,33,108 KnifeMart 21 lambertKnives 91 laserMax 71 lawConcealmentsystemsInc. 92 lawmanleatherGoods 90 leePrecisionInc. 95 lesBaerCustomInc 37 lightfootKnives 87 locksAf 74 MaxpeditionHard-UseGear 35 Mec-GarUsAInc. 80 Meprolight 41 MTMCase-Gard 33 27 NighthawkCustom OtisTechnologyInc. 11 PactInc. 8 ParaUsA 2 Para-Cord 91 PearceGrip 91 98 PowderRiverPrecision ProEars 18 ProforcelawEnforcement 69 ProMagIndustries 71 RioGrandeCustomGrips s.W.A.T. sIGsAUER singletaryCustoms smith&AlexanderInc. sOGspecialtyKnives spartanBlades springfieldInc. ssKIndustries sTIInternationalInc. sturmRuger&Co.Inc. surefirellC TenRingPrecision ThunderRanchTrainingDVDs TOPsKNIVEs TuffProductsBrand TusseyCustom UniversalshootingAcademy ViridianGreenlaser VolkmannCustomInc. W.C.WolffCompany WilsonCombat Xssightsystems 92 102 13 98 92 18 92 9,107 74 96 23 39 98 62,93 90 88,89 98 80 15 16 21 7 86 102 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=103http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=103AMERICAN HANDGUNNER AMMUNITION APPAREL THE BELTMAN makes sturdy, top quality, DUAL LAYER, Bull Hide belts for dress wear, concealed carry, or competition. Options include: Horse, Shark, Elephant, Velcro, tapering, stiffeners, etc. Handmade in three widths, and five colors from $69.95, any length! Catalogue - $3.00 (refundable) PO Box 1302, Apex, NC 27502. 919-387-1997. www. thebeltman.net. CLASSIFIED bleed Classifiedads$2.00per-wordperinsertion.($1.50per-wordperinsertionfor3ormore)includingname,addressandphonenumber(20 wordminimum).Minimumcharge$40.00.Bold words add $1.00 per word.CopyandrerunordersmustbeaccompaniedbyPayMENT iN advaNCE. NO aGENCy OR CaSH diSCOuNTS ON LiSTiNG OR diSPLay CLaSSiFiEd advERTiSiNG.Alladsmust bereceivedwithadvancepaymentBYNOlATERTHANTHE1stofeachmonth.Adsreceivedafterclosingwillappearinthefollowingissue. Pleasetypeorprintclearly.PLEaSE NOTE*** NO PROOFS wiLL BE FuRNiSHEd.Includename,address,postoffice,city,stateand zipcodeascountedwords.Abbreviationscountasonewordeach.MailtoamerICan handgunnerClAssIfIEDs,12345WorldTradeDrive, sanDiego,California92128.NOTE: wE NOw HavE diSPLay CLaSSiFiEd adS iN BOTH gunS mAgAZine aNd AmericAn 2/25/08 7:16 AM Page 1 HAndgunner. aSK FOR OuR NEw RaTE CaRd, Or call (858) 605-0235. FOR SALE MacKENZIE VALLEY TIMBERWOLVES 1/2 wolf-1/2 shep. cubs bred for protection, or 3/4 and up cubs. Have a true friend. own a wolf-shepherd. Brochure with 20 photos-$5.00 CHARLES DYSART, JR. BOX 597 Henrietta, NC 28076 (828) 657-6220 or Cell: 828-429-0053 Wolf-Shepherd Male, 160 lbs. ACCESSORIES GUNS FOR SALE GUNSMITHING “Idiot Scratch” Prevention Tool (ISPT) 1911-ISPT. com. Don’t let an idiot scratch detract from your 1911’s beauty (or value!). The ISPT is precision diecut to protect your 1911’s finish during disassembly and reassembly. Several models available. Visit us on the web at 1911-ISPT.com. LEATHERCRAFT ACCESSORIES English Fitted Pistol Presentation Cases. Luger, Colt, SAA, NAMBU, Python, Hi Power, and more. website: www.premierpistol.com email: sales@ premierpistol.com Dysarts.indd 1 MISCELLANEOUS WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 1032011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=104http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=104insider ADD IT Up Percentageofgoldin14Kgold. the insider Continued from page 106 58.5 Percentageofgoldin22Kgold. 91.75 $109.8 Million federalexcisetaxespaidby gun/ammomakersin1stQtr.2009. Increaseoversameperiodin2008. 43% 94% IncreasedsalesforRugerin2ndQtr.2009. the beginnings of an understanding about trigger control by your student. I once had Ed Stock, lead instructor at Gunsite, show me a remarkable, but simple drill. While I held an auto in a firing grip, he stood next to me, facing away from the target, reached over and began to move the gun in small, erratic motions, forcing the sights to move around the point I was aiming at. He said, “When you feel the sights are aligned, press the trigger.” So, whenever I thought the sights were at least roughly aligned with the dot, I pressed the trigger carefully. You can be fast and careful at the same time. After five or six shots he stopped, looked at the target and simply said, “See?” I had a decent group hovering around and on the dot. Point taken. Keep in mind, the gun was moving the entire time, and the only control I had was with the trigger. Because I was able to manipulate the trigger effectively, I was able to keep the bullets on-target, even though the gun was moving — a great deal. Careful aiming is important and you should, as Clint says, “Always train to be magnificent, because you’ll be mediocre (at best?) in a gunfight — and mediocre can win.” But, we submit you need to train to be utterly, staggeringly sensational when it comes to trigger control. The trigger-press is the last thing you do affecting the bullet’s travel. So, you need to do it, um, uh … sensationally. Hunters miss broadside shots on deer at 100 yards every year while using $800 scopes and $600 rifles. “But I had the cross-hairs right on him!” they exclaim. And from what I’ve seen from my own legendary misses in the field, they probably did have those cross hairs aligned within a gnat’s-ass of perfection. A perfect sight picture, no doubt. But then, alas, they jerked the trigger, and off bounded the deer. So … like they say — “Don’t be a jerk.” My thanks to all those smarter than me who helped me learn this simple, but near magical concept. Try it and let me know how it works. Because it does — work. DonatedtoNssf’sfirstshotsProgramby fMG’s Shooting Industry master’s event. $25,000 $245,000 Nssf’sgrantstorangesto attractnewshooters. TotaldonationstoUsAshootingbyRuger. $300,000 kay, I was confused too. To me, a Bodyguard is a funny, humpy-backed J-frame, but not always it seems. At S.H.O.T. S&W introduced a pair of new Bodyguards. One is a polymer-framed .380 auto and the other is — drum-roll please — a polymer-framed J-frame. Both are equipped with built-in (on?) lasers from the factory and have other nifty features, too many to go into here. Frankly, the smartest feature in my opinion is the sort of “top” cylinder release on the revolver. It’s just behind the top-strap and can be operated by either hand surely and quickly. I’ll bet it begins to appear on other J-frames later. www. americanhandgunner.com/productindex o S&W boDyguarDS !“ W Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. ” Will rogers Benchmade Honored ell, our old buds at Benchmade (knife-makers extraordinaire) have been tidily recognized by the Portland Business Journal as being one of the “Top 10 Most Admired Manufacturing Companies in the State.” Surveys were sent out to over 1,800 CEOs in Oregon and SW Washington who returned their votes on the companies they most admire. So there you go. Why are we not surprised! Well done Les de Asis and staffers! 104 Quick strips N att Stevens has done it again, and the latest offerings from Tuff Products are colored strips so you can color-code your loads — lesslethal for shotgun, for instance. It also makes it easier to find ’em in the bottom of your ditty bag. Tuff Products offers 5- and 7-shot versions of the strips for many calibers, and quality and value re2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=105http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=105Lightweight HP re-Do I Polymer Judge? f you missed the last batch, Bill Laughridge of Cylinder & Slide phoned and said he got one more (lastest-for-sure) batch of lightweight Hi-Powers from Europe. He’ll be offering them as a Grade A for $2,200 and a Grade B for $2,850. They are on his Web site under “Handguns for immediate sale.” www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex Chuck Pittman, Inc. t the recent S.H.O.T. Show, Taurus picked up the ball and ran with it, showing a polymer-framed version of their show-stopping “Judge” series of .410/.45 Colt revolvers. Light and comfy, the short-barreled versions feel good in the hand. And they also teased us with a carbine using the steel Judge platform, called the “Circuit Judge.” Clever. Think of the old Colt revolving rifles and you’ll understand, but much cooler and with a guard to protect your delicate fingers from cylinder blow-by. Called the “Public Defender Poly,” the new Judge revolverlator MSRPs at about $570. We’ll be reviewing both later. www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex A Kimber Donates Fine FieLd HoLsTer ichael Kole sent me a handM some trio, showcasing his work. I’m particularly taken with the “Field Holster” (the one with the strap). I sometimes carry a Tussey Officer’s ACP (in the pic) around our property here and this makes it convenient and safe. It would also work for concealed carry under a coat. The “Concealed Carry” holster is also for the Officer’s and the mag pouch has a leather backing to keep the corners from poking you. Very nicely made stuff, with excellent finish and attention to detail. Heartily recommended, especially if you need a comfortable “drop” field holster. www. americanhandgunner. com/productindex 1911 maG-thinGy o i, SnipeR friend to shooters everywhere, Stephen Hunter writes books we all love because not only is he a shooter — he gets the gun stuff right in his books. From his early work through a slew of pulse-pounding fiction and non-fiction work, Stephen nails it. His latest, I, Sniper, brings Bob Lee Swagger back in rare form to hunt ave Lauck of D&L sports has done up a very nice 1911 to give to that old rascal R. Lee Ermey. There’s a simply wonderful set of military-leather holsters that goes with it, handcrafted by Jerry Evans of Haugen Handgun Leather. Dave and company will present the gun to the Gunny at a later date. And, I’ll bet Dave would build one for you too if you asked him! Oou-rah! www. americanhandgunner.com/productindex D kay, this is kinda cool. Scott Beckham has come up with a can’t-miss orange goodie that’s both a heavy-duty bushing wrench and a safety/practice mag. While the only real safety is between your ears, when you have this widget in the mag well of your favorite 1911 you at least know there ain’t a real mag there. It locks in like a regular magazine. Called the “Ultimate Bushing Wrench” it’s only about $8 (cheap) and works. www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex down the bad guys. And if you’re a precision rifle shooter, Stephen’s plot-rendering and spot-on gun-play makes you want to get out to the range and get to work! Look for a candid interview with Stephen in a future issue of Handgunner, and I’m sure it’ll be great fun. Hey, he even mentions some of your favorite gun’riters and editors in his latest, so you’ll have to read it to see who’s famous now. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Steve’s won a Pulitzer Prize. So there. A tuRnbull gun tHeFt K WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM eep your eye out for a slew of Turnbull Restoration guns stolen while they were exhibiting at the Dallas Safari Club show. If you stumble across one matching the description I’d touch base with them before you buy — just in case. Their phone number is: (585) 567-6338 and the list consists of a 1902 Colt, a couple of 1911s, a .44 Special Ruger Vaguero and Turnbull Open Range revolvers in 5.5" and 4.75" barrel lengths. Help old bud Doug out, would you? * 105 insider S ince 1907, when records were first kept, 195 Los Angeles police of2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=106http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=106THE Roy Huntington INSIDER A Few Things TM ’m no gun expert. I know a bit more than some shooters, a bit less than others and a whole lot less than actual experts. But, because I’ve blundered my way into being the editor of Handguner, I can pick up a phone and call just about anybody in our business, and they’ll take my call. Well … mostly anybody will take my call. So, I’ve been able to weasel my way into some very nifty training, chatted with legions of top-end shooters, design engineers, manufacturers and plenty of people who know a great deal about guns, shooting, training and hitting the target. Most of these same people also fear I’ll show pictures of them taken in 1982 at matches, wearing beards, knee socks and foamy-baseball caps, so tangling WitH tHe tRiggeR i WHiCH iS MoRe iMpoRtant? they act nice when I’m around. And all during this time, I’ve kept the wax out of my ears so I could listen to them all very carefully. And I’ve actually learned a few things. had some specific training about trigger control. And every single time, I’ve realized it’s all about trigger control — and the sight picture is secondary. You do have to keep the sights aligned as best you can. But — and think about this now — if you have the most marvelous sight picture in the world, and people would be in awe of you if they could see it, and you fail to press the trigger just as marvelously — you’ll miss. Sometimes by a margin leaving you cross-eyed and flabbergasted. If you ask a shooter what’s most important about shooting; what does it take to actually hit the target, they’ll likely say, “Sight picture and trigger squeeze.” But they’re wrong. How’s that again? Over the years I’ve noticed some people could really hit the target, even while moving, even with an awkward grip, sand in their eyes, while slipping and sliding on the range and other such things not generally conducive to hitting One way to help a new shooter understand trigger press is by actually doing it “for” them by placing your trigger finger over theirs, while “they” align the sights. They can then feel you press the trigger. Can This Be So? the target. But I couldn’t get a handle on why. A couple of years ago, in casual conversation with our own Clint Smith, he looked up at me, raised one eyebrow and said, “You know, it’s all about trigger control. Sight picture ain’t that important.” And he was exactly right. Since then I’ve looked into it a great deal. I’ve asked shooting legends, watched countless people on public ranges, taught newbies about shooting, listened to experienced shooters, and 106 One thing I’ve learned by teaching, is often new shooters can get “perfect” sight pictures, then are stymied by the fact their round goes awry. Watching them it’s easy to see why — they jerk, slap, grab or otherwise abuse the trigger. When you tell them, they often insist it’s not so. A short video can usually prove your case. “Oh,” they say after watching the gun jump in their hands from their assault on the trigger. A good way to prove your point is to stand next to them and face away from the target. Have them place their trigger finger on the trigger in a normal grip, while you reach over and get a sort of “sideways” firing grip on their gun with them, placing your finger on top of theirs. Then simply say, “Okay, you aim the gun, I’ll press the trigger.” And invariably, a wondrous thing occurs — bullet holes begin to appear right where they belong. This is usually accompanied by startled looks (on both your parts) and the insider Continues on page 104 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • MAY/JUNE20102011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=107http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=1072011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=108http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHMJ10/?Page=108Ultra 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.2011-02-11T20:14:34+01:00