http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/RSS.ashxAmerican Handgunner Sep/Oct 2010 PagesTue, 06 Jul 2010 16:02:36 +0200http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=1http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=1Ayoob:173-yArd Sixgun Shot! $5.95 OUTSIDE US $9.50 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 ® SIG SAUER’S 2 ERGONOMIC EXCELLENCE! .45 9MM Colt BuCk & Ball loads Ruger’s SR9c Compact Carry Option Hi-TecH Goodies foCuS: Duo Win A $1,800 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM . 45 StI’s Gunny Sack: HySkore PiStol reSt Better Shooting: timerS Carry options: leatHer VS. PlaStiC Handloading: BiG Bore Powder CCW KIt!2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=2http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=2Cowboy Up. .With the New PARA SASS Wild Bunch 1911 IPSC. IDPA. USPSA. COWBOY. Compete with www.para-usa.com/wildbunch 10620 Southern Loop Boulevard Pineville, NC 28134 • 704-930-76002010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=3http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=3LADIES’ HOME COMPANION. The ergonomic FN Five-seveN® offers the lowest recoil, largest capacity and highest velocity of any centerfire pistol. For home security, personal protection, sport and competition, nothing else comes close to matching the performance of the FN Five-seveN®. ® 100 YEARS OF DISTINCT ADVANTAGE. www.fnhusa.com/FIVESEVENhandgun2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=4http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=4Cover Photo: Chuck Pittman, Inc. Volume 34 • Number 5 • Issue 207 SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2010 FEATURES 42 bUCK AND bALL MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO .45Coltloads:Twoorthreehitswithoneshot?How’sthatagain? 46 58 HANDy HANDGUNNEr STUff JOHNCONNOR BitsandbanglesforweHandgunningheros! 48 46 STI’S Do-ALL DUo MIKECUMPSTON TheSentinelPremier.45ACPduo. 60 GoT pArTS? RANDyDEHAy Tipsoncreatingatake-alongsparepartskit. 48 HIGH-TECH for HArD — Gadgets,gizmosandwonder-widgets. AND HAppy — TImES 63 rUGEr’S Sr9C PATCASCIO Acompact,mid-framecarrypistolthatworks. JOHNCONNOR 50 THIS bUCK NEVEr STopS PATCOVERT Family-ownedmakesthedifference—BuckKnives. 69 ALmoSTS: THE SArDIUS SD9 J.B.WOOD Pocketpistolperfection—20yearsago! 52 SIG SAUEr’S p226/229E2 DAVEANDERSON Slimmer,trimmerandbetterthanever! 42 ExclusivE: Available online only at americanhandgunner.com! THE rISE of THE fULL mooN CLIp PETERT.TOMARAS • GETTING bACK To rELoADING MARKHAMPTON 4 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=5http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=5DEPARTMENTS 20 THE Ayoob fILES MASSADAyOOB TheLongShot—TheMacScottIncident. 38 bETTEr SHooTING DAVEANDERSON Tacklingtimersforcompetition. 70 THE SIXGUNNEr JOHNTAFFIN Theycalledhim“Fitz”—Colt’sLegendaryGun-Guy. 48 32 94 GUNNySACK ROyHUNTINGTON BrowningLEDLight,DarrelRalphKnives,HyskorePistol RestandPewter1911Grips. COLUMNS 8 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 40 72 106 SpEAK oUT pISToLSmITHING HANDLoADING ALEXHAMILTON JOHNTAFFIN JOHNCONNOR 50 26 70 GUNCrANK DIArIES SHooTING IroN WINNING EDGE rEALITy CHECK TAffIN TESTS Cop TALK MIKE“DUKE”VENTURINO DAVEANDERSON CLINTSMITH J.D.JONES 24 36 HANDGUN OF THE MONTH Check Out Web Blast For More Info, Videos And Pictures About Articles In Every Issue. HANDGUN HUNTING JOHNTAFFIN CArry opTIoNS THE INSIDEr SAMMyREESE MASSADAyOOB ROyHUNTINGTON RESOURCES 64 91 98 102 103 WEbSITE SHoWCASE CUSTom CorNEr SpoTLIGHT AD INDEX CLASSIfIEDS STEVEEVATT 66 Win A Personal Safety Package! WIN! JUSTCLICKONTHEWEBBLASTICON! GOTO:www.amerICanhandgunner.Com/ ProduCtIndex FORCOMPLETEPRODUCTINFO ANDARTICLEANDMANUFACTURER’SLINKS! AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM AMERICAN HANDGUNNER®(ISSN0145-4250)ispublishedbi-monthlybyPublishers’DevelopmentCorp.,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128.PeriodicalpostagepaidatSan Diego,CA92128,andatadditionalmailingoffices.Subscriptions:Oneyear(sixissues)$19.75.Singlecopies$5.95(inCanada$9.50).Changeofaddress:fourweeksnoticerequiredonall changes.Sendoldaddressaswellasnew.Contributorssubmittingmanuscripts,photographsordrawingsdosoattheirownrisk.Materialcannotbereturnedunlessaccompaniedbysufficient postage.Paymentisforallworldrightsforthematerial.Theactofmailingamanuscriptconstitutestheauthor’scertificationoforiginalityofmaterial.Opinionsexpressedarethoseofthebylined authorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresentthoseofthemagazineorit’sadvertisers.Advertisingratesfurnishedonrequest.Reproductionoruseofanyportionofthismagazineinanymanner, withoutwrittenpermission,isprohibited.EntirecontentsCopyright©2010Publishers’DevelopmentCorp.Allrightsreserved.Titletothispublicationpassestosubscriberonlyondeliverytohis address.SUBSCRIPTIONPROBLEMS:Forimmediateaction,writeSubscriptionDept.,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128. POSTMASTER: SendaddresschangestoAMERICAN HANDGUNNER®,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA 92128.WARNING: Firearms are dangerous if used improperly, and may cause serious injury or death. Due to the inherent variables in the reloading of metallic cartridges, verify all published loads with manufacturer’s data. Consult a professional gunsmith when modifying any firearm. Be a safe shooter! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 52010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=6http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=6board of directors Thomas von Rosen, CEO; Thomas Hollander; Randy Moldé; Marjorie Young PUblisher & editor Roy Huntington Managing Editorial Assistant Stephanie Jarrell 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 Mark Hampton Mike “Duke” Venturino John Taffin Sammy Reese, BCP Massad Ayoob Dave Anderson Mark Hanten Dave Douglas Randy DeHay 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 CuStoMEr SErviCE ProDuCED iN tHE u.S.A. 6 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=7http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=72010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=8http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=8SPEAKOUT YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE HYPE-LESS I’mnewtohandgunnerandgunS.Iwantedtotellyou,you’vespokenmorehonestlyaboutthingsinthe pastfewissuesthanmostallotherpublicationsI’velookedattogether.I’veneverlikedhype,soyoudon’t knowhowrefreshingIfindwhatyouandyourwritersaresaying. KarlaVanHorne AKA“PurdyGearCustomLeatherGoods” www.purdygear.com School-Guns after Christmas teachers taught nonWhen I saw the picture of the grease traditional classes in the hope of getting gun that went along with the article on students excited about school and to gun cleaning (“Ten Commandments see teachers in roles of being “human” of Gun Cleaning,” July/Aug 2010), it rather than simply teachers. I taught brought some images to mind of a class a muzzleloading class where the stuI used to teach. The high school where dents made and shot kit muzzleloaders. I teach used to have what we called toAMsay, there’s a lot I could be PACT_postxmas_09_fixed.pdf 12/16/08 Suffice 9:04:18 the winter intensive. The first week writing about but I will reserve it to the grease gun connection. High school students are an impatient bunch and many times when we went to the range they wouldn’t clean often enough. They would try to ram a ball down a dirty (and usually cold) barrel. Many times they stuck the ball so solidly the screw on the puller would pull out of the soft lead. I made a gadget 8 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=9http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=9Ruger SR9c Pistol 9mm Luger ® ™ sr9c tHe comPAct ™ “The SR9c obstinately refused to malfunction.” Patrick Sweeney, Guns & Ammo www.ruger.com/sr9c Ruger LCP Pistol .380 Auto ® ™ LcP tHe uLtrALigHt AnD comPAct ™ “The LCP seems right on target for today’s personal protection needs.” Dennis Adler, Combat Handguns Magazine www.ruger.com/LcP 2008 Handgun of the Year Ruger ® LCR™ .38 SPL+P Lcr tHe reVoLutionArY ™ “Rewrites the small-frame revolver book.” Roy Huntington, American Handgunner Magazine 2009 Handgun of the Year www.ruger.com/Lcr Now available in .357 Magnum! 2010 American Rifleman Handgun of the Year 2010 Shooting Illustrated Handgun of the Year www.ruger.com Visit ©2010 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 051910 w w w . r u g e r. c o m / s A F e t Y For L c P™ r e c A L L inFormAtion2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=10http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=10SPEAKOUT where a nipple is welded on one end of a black-pipe nipple and a zerk fitting on the other. When all else failed to get the stuck ball removed, I brought out the grease gun and had the student “start pumping.” It became a big joke on all those students who didn’t follow procedure and stuck a ball. They ended up having to clean half a .50 caliber barrel full of grease. The grease gun usually shot the stuck ball across the shop when it became unstuck. It was a mess, but a lesson learned. I could write a whole article on that class. I taught it for about 10 years and always had a class of at least 25 students building muzzleloaders. Funny thing, when you give teenagers a chance to be responsible they usually are responsible. And, if they know improper behavior can cause something they like to be taken away, they will almost always police themselves. Steven E. Wheatley Franklin Community High School Franklin, Indiana Frank, I couldn’t agree with you more about most kids self-policing like that. And your idea of building muzzle loaders is simply marvelous. With the demise of shop classes in today’s high schools, something like that would be sure to generate interest, and teach a wide range of tool-skills. I’ll bet the classes would be sold out. If only administrators today would understand it would be an opportunity to teach responsibility, gun safety, realworld skills and history. We’re less of a nation because of the short-sightedness of many who govern our schools. I’ve often said too-many of today’s youth feel really good about themselves, but don’t really know anything, and can’t do anything constructive in the real world. RH Guild Guns I just received my American Handgunner issue which has the Guild’s raffle guns illustrated in it (July/Aug 2010). I want to thank American Handgunner for featuring them, and Robbie Barrkman, of Robar, for the stunning pictures. I have enjoyed John Taffin’s writing for years and it is pleasing for me to have one that I was connected 10 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=11http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=112010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=12http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=12SPEAKOUT with this time. And, enough cannot be said about Handgunner’s continued support of the Guild and all its members Neil Keller American Pistolsmiths Guild the original letter, expresses a common point of view. In fact in Arizona there are a number of ladies-only firearms classes. Seth R. Nadel Well Seth, I went right to Suzi with your note, so here’s what she says: Nothing like getting misquoted by your own husband. Roy didn’t quite get it right when he said I hate womenonly classes of any sort. I actually have enjoyed several women-only classes over the years, most notably at Thunder Ranch where I’m able to pair up with my dear friend Heidi Smith (when she and I are in a class together, no one is safe), and at Gunsite where Smith & Wesson has hosted several classes. But, I prefer to take classes with men because they push me. In fact, I can get a little cranky if an instructor starts treating me differently (kinder, gentler) than the male students. Women are most likely to get in a life-threatening confrontation with a man, so they should train around — and with — men. They shouldn’t expect to be treated any differently, and shouldn’t present themselves as weaker or less capable students. If they really want to step up to the plate and be proactive about their safety, then they should take a whole step and not a half step. It’s not necessary for women to I have to disagree with Suzi’s comments about women-only classes (Speak Out, May/June 2010). I have been through two “Train the Trainer” classes, and like it or not, women learn differently than men. The professional educators who taught the classes stated that women think differently, and often benefit from classes taught by female instructors. This is why I always had a female instructor on the line when teaching firearms at our law enforcement academy. In the same vein, my wife (a former state trooper and federal agent) teaches a “Ladies-Only” introduction to handguns, to rave reviews. The absence of men allows the ladies to express their feelings with more depth than they would if men, particularly men related to them, were present. Of course, Suzi may be the exception, but Linda McKinney, who wrote Women Only Club only be instructed by other women. Women don’t speak any differently than men. We don’t speak a foreign language. Certainly, women should seek training from someone other than their husbands or boyfriends because I’ve seen it all too often; he takes her to a range, she’s never touched a gun and he hands her his Desert Eagle .44 Magnum and tries to show her how to shoot. Not only is this stupid and dangerous, but it instantly makes the experience no fun . for any novice shooter, regardless of sex. To say you always had a woman instructor on the line for other women tells me your male instructors were doing something wrong. If men can’t (consistently) teach women, then I suspect there’s an ego or superiority problem. Women can learn from other women, and they should enjoy the shooting sports with other women. But they shouldn’t pigeonhole themselves into the Girls Tree House where no men are allowed. Suzi Huntington Ruger/Kimber Rock I have to tell you about the excellent customer service I recently received from Ruger. Ruger’s website has a method to send an email to the CEO (“Tell the CEO”). I sent an email stating proven here. INTERNATIONAL SHOOTING CHAMPION DOUG KOENIG depends on Leupold’s DeltaPoint Reflex Sight for the accuracy he needs to bring home the hardware. ©2010 Leupold & Stevens, Inc. 12 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=13http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=13I was unhappy with the sharp slide serrations on the SR9 and really did not want to sell the gun at a loss or have to pay a gunsmith to take the sharp edges off. Within two days I received an email from Ruger with a prepaid shipping label attached. I boxed the gun up, sent it back, and two weeks later I had the gun back with the sharp edges of the serrations taken care of free of charge. Not too long ago I wanted to take my Kimber Pro Carry II .40 S&W to a shooting school but the slide was not locking back reliably. I sent it back to Kimber and the gun was fixed at no charge. I took it to the gun class and it worked great. I think we sometimes fail to appreciate the great customer service the gun industry provides to its customers. They need to hear it from us. Rick Wolters Via e-mail these guns once a month any more, let alone twice. I will not pay good money for this. Why are we reading about Tommy guns and M1 carbines over and over in a magazine called American Handgunner? If I’m still reading about these same guns every month when my subscription expires, it is going to do just that. “Rick” Via e-mail Got this response from Mike: Roy, this guy’s letter makes me think. Maybe we should be more like our competitor’s magazines. Instead of printing factual, experience-based articles such as Mas and Clint do, or humor like Connor, or ones where Taffin and I are actually having some fun? I could do “Make Mine a Revolver!” Then the next month it could be “Make Mine a Big Bore Revolver!” That could be followed up with “Make Mine a Big Bore, SingleAction Revolver!” Then we could do a “Make Mine a Really, Really Big Bore Single-Action Revolver.” We could also do things like, “Sighting Techniques for your .25 ACP” or “Hammering Hippos With Hipshots!” Or what about “Custom 1911 Options For The New Century.” Instead of my article comparing .30 Carbine revolvers and pistols to the M1 Carbine perhaps a better idea would be something really practical like “5,000 Round Torture Testing The .30 Carbine Blackhawk.” Actually, a more interesting idea would be “How Much Hearing Did You Have Left After Torture Testing The .30 Carbine Blackhawk?” Let’s not forget the “9mm Vs .45” stuff or “Is the .30-‘06 Dead?” articles. And here all this time I thought we were exploring history, older technology, telling heroic stories of past well-fought wars and generally enjoying the legacy of many modern gun designs. Silly me. Or we could just stay busy responding to every nay-sayer with a personal agenda who writes us? Mike V. One Ragged Hole WWII Guns Please give us a break with the World War II gun articles by Mike Venturino. We have been reading about these same guns over and over for two years. I decided to let my subscription to GUNS Magazine expire when I had to read a repackaged copy of same-caliber combos. I don’t even want to see I don’t understand why everyone is always whining about trying to get their shots into “one ragged hole.” I have only been shooting for about seven years now. I consistently shoot 10 shot groups from anywhere from 25' to 50' using a 3" Kimber in .45 ACP. I have always been able to get my shots into one ragged hole. No big deal. If your “experts” are having trouble doing this, perhaps they should get into a different line of work. But I do have two questions. What can I do to improve my shooting so that I might be able to use a trusted here. The all-new Deltapoint. Faster target acquisition so you can protect what's yours. TM 26mm Trophies. Property. Family. No matter what’s at stake, count on Leupold‘s DeltaPoint Reflex Sight for quick, always-on-the-mark TM accuracy. From the company that pioneered red dot technology comes a 22% larger field of view, two reticle options, and the edge-to-edge clarity of an exclusive aspheric lens. For versatility, the DeltaPoint kit provides 11 mounts that fit most popular handguns, as well as Weaver/Picatinny rails and bases. DeltaPoint: built better in every way, so you can depend on it ev2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=14http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=14SPEAKOUT hole that is smaller than 36" in diameter, and would it be better to use a pair of scissors rather than tearing the holes? That way the hole wouldn’t be ragged! After all, neatness does count. Larry Rose Phoenix, Arizona Aw Larry, you’re onto our secret. But your idea of using scissors is a good one. And here, all along, we’ve been putting up with ragged holes when we could be saying, “All our rounds went into one neatly cut hole.” Who’d a thought it’d be that simple? RH The Whinery Kitty Killer J.D. Jones should be stricken from your list of writers! In his warped mind he took the life of a domestic cat who was only looking for a next meal (Handgun Hunting, July/Aug 2010). People who “dump” these poor, now lonely and hungry animals, out in the “boonies” should be the ones to be reckoned with. I lived in an area where much of this kind of “dumping” occurred, and we all would recognize a stranger in our midst, and would take care of them with love and food accordingly, not with murderous intents of shooting of them. Most would become thankful furry friends, and would assist in returning a love that was terminated by someone who should be taken to a “no-where” location and left there to see how all that works. If we found the likes of a “J.D. Jones” in the area, they suddenly had a long streak of very “bad luck.” If this killer continues in this magazine, I will delight in taking a marker and dispatching the page. I find it unusual J.D. was stupid enough to put this into print, and the editor vacant in duty to allow it, knowing that animal lovers would reply accordingly. D.K. NRA Patron Member Via e-mail Well then . I was waiting for this letter, and frankly, expected more, but alas, only D.K. felt it necessary to waste our time with his tree-hugging, unrealistic, myopic impression of how life really is in the real world. Besides, D.K. this happened about 50 years ago! But nonetheless, J.D’s point is even more valid today. I live in the country, outside of Joplin, MO. Here, feral cats are 12/9/09 10:58:15 AM the primary pest (yes, pest) responsible for eradicating the local quail population, among other small woodland-type 14 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=15http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=15TOLL FREE : 877-268-4867 or WWW.NIGHTHAWKCUSTOM.COM2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=16http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=16A 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. SPEAKOUT creatures. The Audubon Society’s studies have put the free-ranging feral cat population in the US at about 40 million. Yes, 40 million! They have single-handedly wiped out the small-bird and smallmammal populations in many areas. According to government and regional studies, when the stomach contents of feral cats are examined, their diet is made up of approximately 60 percent small animals, 35 percent birds and 5 percent insects and carrion. I don’t mind cats, and we own two domestic cats. They are spayed, de-clawed and kept indoors. If people choose to be irresponsible with their pets, the pets may pay the penalty — and so does the smallanimal population. J.D. Jones will continue to write for us. RH 1941 Heath Parkway, Suite 1, Fort Collins, CO 80524 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. Knocking Knives I’m a subscriber to the magazine, and have been for a couple of years. For the most part I find it interesting. However, why such the interest in knives? If I wanted info on knives or to read about them, I’d buy a magazine devoted to all the different and new kinds of knives. While I do have a small collection of knives, that’s not where my interest lies. No, when I subscribed to American Handgunner my interest was — and is — with firearms. As of late, my thoughts are that if you continue to waste umpteen pages to knives and such about them, then I will probably discontinue my subscription. And since I am very vocal about my interests to others, especially within the fire district in my area, I won’t be recommending American Handgunner to them any time soon. Michael J.D.R. Wilson Via e-mail Michael, if you don’t want to subscribe, then don’t, but please don’t threaten us. I mean, honestly, do you really think we would change our editorial line-up, advertising schedule, trade show attendance and disappoint tens of thousands of readers who enjoy reading about knives, just so you won’t tell a few buds you hate reading about knives? It’s always better to be nice, then to threaten. You’ll get more cooperation, trust me. But just so you know, and to put things into perspective, we devote exactly two pages to a knife feature in each issue, out of generally about 108 pages in an average issue. Once a year, we have a “focus” article (one to two pages), a sort of “what’s new” in knives our readers might be interested 16 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=17http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=17in. (I’ll bet you have a pocket knife in your pocket right now.) Other than that, there might be a periodic small review (a half-pager) or a mention in a caption if the knife is in the picture. We also help out new makers or small companies who can’t afford to advertise yet, by showcasing their new products to give them a boost. So, honestly, out of some 650 (or usually a bit more) pages a year, there’s about 18 pages (a bit less than 3 percent) with knife-related articles. Hardly egregious, I’d think? And the interesting thing is, knife advertisers say they get a much bigger response from Handgunner than they do from the dedicated knife magazines. To us, that shows readers are interested. I’d say, if you don’t want to read about any knives, turn the page? What a concept. RH 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 More Knives? Wanted to tell you all that I just love the way you focus on a wide-range of topics. It’s not all gun tests, or the same drivel we see in the other magazines. You guys have class and a sense of humor and you don’t take yourselves too seriously. If those other guys would get off their high horses long enough to listen to some readers, I’ll bet they’d change their ways. I love all kinds of guns, especially handguns, and you’ve really helped me to learn more about knives too. I now own a Benchmade, three Spydercos, a CRKT folder, two Bucks and am planning on buying a PUMA I read about in your magazine. Thanks for a great read, every time! Conrad Wright Roanoke, Virgina I’ve been getting GUNS Magazine for a while and decided to try their sister magazine, American Handgunner. I just received my first issue, and wow! Your magazine has some great articles and outstanding writers, and I am well pleased with it, especially since most of my guns are handguns and I don’t hunt much any more. The articles are great and I really liked the article about the (“Ten Commandments of Gun Cleaning,” July/Aug 2010). Semper Fi, Bernie Widdis Sr. Doesn’t Hate Us 7 4 1 O N S L A U G H T™ Roaring Mouseguns a thing of beauty Roy, I read your article on FNH’s 5.7x28 (“Minature Macho,” July/Aug 2010) where you mentioned the .22 Magnum in comparison, and it brought to mind meeting an old-timer when I was a 20-something kid. In the 1960s here in Washington State the timber companies hired trappers to control bear C O N TO U R E D G1 0 H A N D LE A X I S® LO CK WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 172010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=18http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=18SPEAKOUT populations. The bears damaged trees and were a cost. I met such a trapper, he introduced himself as Billy. I had heard of “Billy the Bear.” Billy was a bear trapper and I saw he carried a pistol and asked what caliber. Billy said it was a Colt Scout in .22 Magnum. I asked what did he carry for bears? He said the little Colt was all he carried. The bears would be in a snare or a leg-hold trap, often hurt and angry. The pistol was to finish them off. Billy said the .22 Mag. worked just fine. He would stand in front of them and shoot into the chest at a white spot that was usually on the throat. One shot was enough. He used hollow points, he didn’t trust solids. I asked if he had ever used the .22 LR cylinder, and he said no. He didn’t think it work. Old Billy had killed hundreds of bears in his many years of work and his experience was to be respected. I still respect the .22 Mag. Not a chargestopper, but no toy either. Mike Iyall Via e-mail GENTLEMAN’S TACTICAL FOLDER • Featherweight 6AL4V titanium frame lock build with flipper opening action. • Friction-free IKBS internal ball-bearing pivot system. • Premium Acuto+ stainless steel blade. • CNC-machined and bead-blast finish. • Custom removable clip. • Available in two sizes. Land Guns 0 2 01 THE WOR ® Imported fe Of The Year Kni ® LD'S IF #1 KN BL E PU ICAT ION I read your article about “Rural Protection and Tool Sense” with great interest (“Land Guns,” 2010 Personal Defense Special Edition). Like you, after 30 years living in South Florida we have started the move towards a more isolated and secluded lifestyle in the mountains of Virginia. I used to love living in South Florida in the ’70s, ’80s and early ’90s, but that Florida is now long dead and gone. Today the orange groves, horses and cattle have all been replaced by four million more people, radical cultural and demographic shifts, concrete and urban cancer. So we just bought 125 acres of land in the Shenanadoah Valley (where we are both originally from) to pursue a life much like you described in your article. Mike Spitzer Via e-mail We have observed, with concern, the introduction of super-lightweight and/ or super-short-barreled 44 Magnum revolvers. This parallels the ammunition industry’s continual movement towards more power and heavier bullets, especially in .44 Magnum, and is creating performance limitations that need to be understood by .44 Magnum handgunners. Of greatest concern to us are the new lightweight guns with exceptionally short barrels, such as the S&W .44 Magnum Night Guard. The Night Guard is very lightweight and, as a consequence, offers greatly increased recoil. This extra recoil WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 K455TXP Garrett .44 Loads www.crkt.com 18 Columbia River Knife & Tool2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=19http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=19presents a considerable obstacle for the handgunner to overcome in order to be proficient with this firearm, if it’s to be reasonably carried for defensive use in grizzly country. Also, the extremely short barrel of the Night Guard (and handguns of the type) significantly reduces the velocity produced by high performance ammo, when compared to guns of conventional barrel lengths, and this reduces the impact performance of the ammo. When one combines greatly increased recoil, which always slows recovery time if follow-up shots are required, with reduced velocity, one has taken a definite step down in overall revolver performance which could, under critical circumstances, lead to a failure to perform with adequate lethality. Also of concern to us is the Ruger Alaskan .44 Magnum revolver. Although very strong, this revolver has an extremely short barrel, which produces greatly reduced velocity with high performance ammo, and also produces tremendous muzzle flash and recoil. Given the Alaskan’s considerable strength, possessing the same frame and cylinder as its longer-barreled brethren, it is clearly “strong enough” to easily handle our most potent .44 Magnum Ammo and other .44 Magnum cartridges loaded to similar power levels, but to do so is to subject the shooter to a level of recoil the majority of shooters will find impossible — or extremely difficult — to control. The only answer to the problems presented by super-lightweight revolvers and/or super-short-barreled revolvers seems to be firing reduced-power loads, which may not, when fired from extremely short barrels (less than 4"), provide the performance one expects, or requires, from the .44 Magnum revolver when used as a defensive weapon in the deep woods. Randy M. Garrett Garrett Cartridges, Inc. www.GarrettCartridges.com At Randy’s request, I put some of his 310 gr. hardcast .44 Mag loads through my S&W Night Guard. The 310, listed at 1,020 fps from a 4" revolver delivered an average of 910 fps from the Night Guard’s 2.5" barrel. Recoil was ugly and even with gel shooting gloves stung. An experienced handgunner could manage it, but it’s no fun. The 310, rated at 1,325 fps from a 4" revolver felt like someone hit my bare palm with a hardwood paddle, even with gloves on. Velocity was 1,095 fps, which was higher than I thought would happen. The gun was essentially out of control during the recoil, and there was no hope of any kind of fast follow-up shot. I’m not sure I could hold onto it with one hand. I forced myself to fire a second shot, but in all honesty, it hurt so bad I quit. Lighter bullet weights WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 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 “OPTIMUM”. THE WORLD’S BEST MAGAZINES Continued on page 80 192010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=20http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=20Massad ayoob Long Shot: the Mac Scott IncIdent Situation: Lessons: You’veidentifiedthehomeinvasionsuspectyou’re chasing,andyou’veseenaguninhishand.He’s runningtowardawomanhecantakehostage. Doyoufire? Astimesandplaceschange,somayrulesof engagement…whateveryourdecision,you’ll havetojustifyyouractions…andahighlevel ofskillwithyourhandgunwillalwaysgiveyou morelife-savingoptions. AtthetimethemassmurderwentdownatFortHood,Texaslastyear,the American Handgunnerissue,thenonthestands,carriedthestoryofAndyBrown.HewasthecourageousAirForceSecurityPoliceofficerwhoengagedtheAK-armedkillerwithhisissue Beretta service pistol. Brown ended the mass murder by putting a 9mm-pistol bullet betweenthemonster’seyes,fromadocumenteddistanceofsome70yards. Recently,editor,RoyHuntington,contactedmetosayoneofourbrothersinthefirearms industry once dropped a violent felon with his service sidearm at an even longer range.Webringyouthatdocumentedstorynow. the good guy Long before he became famous as a master pistolsmith at the Scott, McDougall & Associates firm, Andrew MacGregor “Mac” Scott was a street cop. In 1977, with about 10 years behind the badge, he was a 31 year old Detective Sergeant with the Sonoma County, California Sheriff’s Department. His skill with firearms also made him the departmentrangemaster.IntheearlyafternoonhoursofDecember27thatyear,hewas intheofficereviewingcasereportswhenhereceivedamessagethataparticularlydangerouscriminalofhisacquaintancehadbeenspottedinthecityofSantaRosa,gassing upataservicestationinanoldFordstationwagonsomeoneelsewasdriving.Grabbing hissuitcoat,Scottsprintedoutoftheofficeandtowardhisunmarkedunit.Hisdepartmentwantedthisfugitivebadly…thechasewason. the Bad guy GaryWilliams,28,wasaviolentcriminalwhothusfarledacharmedlife.Inarecent clash with Sonoma County deputies, he survived the ramming of his getaway car by a patrolunit,andshotsfiredathim,byadeputy,missed.Hewasshotintheshoulderin a violent encounter with Oakland police, and an unconfirmed story described him also survivinggunshotwoundsafterashootoutwithpoliceinFlorida.Williams,thedetective knew,hadescalatedhiscrimesfromburglariestoarmedrobberiestoparticularlyviolent home invasions. And, Mac Scott also knew, Williams had publicly sworn that he would neverbetakenalive. the gun The weapon Mac carried that day was a Smith & Wesson .357 Combat Magnum, the stainlessModel66,withserialnumber4K62447.Hecarriedaprivatelyowned,department Continued on page 86 20 20 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=21http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=212010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=22http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=22PISTOLSMITHING Alex Hamilton THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES Ground-Breaking Tripp K-1 Sight Simple is always best, and Tripp’s K-1 does away with springs! he two most important words in advertising are “New” and “Improved.” The firearms industry ain’t much fond of the “improved” word because it kinda says, “There was something wrong with the bloomin’ thing in the first place, and Lord knows we sure couldn’t admit that.” However, the word “new” is splattered around like paint on some scary piece of modern art. If you don’t believe me just go to the lobby at SHOT Show and look at everything on the “new products” table. Most are labeled new but have nothing newer than a polished hammer or some other barely detectable mark, yet there they are for the entire world to see. “Hey, this year you can get it in blue!” Now enters one of the firearms industry’s greatest inventors and most talented men, Virgil Tripp, inventor of the world renowned STI polymer handle, steel rail 2011 pistol and Cobra magazine. Virgil, president of Tripp Research in the beautiful little west Texas town of Alpine, has come up with a “new” patent pending adjustable rear sight quickly to become an industry gold standard. Virgil’s innovative rear sight is designated “K-1” and is truly unique in every aspect of its design. enough, but for the most part the sight will fit right into the low mount BoMar cut with no alteration. To correct this infrequent problem, the rear slot will have to be milled about .040" forward with a ¼" mill cutter. The rear blade is beautifully serrated with sharp 40 LPI serrations designed to give you a nice, non-glare black sight picture. The front sight used with the Tripp sight mounted in the low position should have a height of between .185" and .200" to keep the elevation adjustment in the proper range. Tripp Research’s new K-1 has rocked the boat when it comes to innovation in sighting systems. T irst of all, the Tripp Research rear sight has no springs, yet has positive click adjustments for both, and self-contained windage and elevation screws. Yep, that concept is hard to imagine, but you heard right! There are no springs to jump out of place to be lost forever if the elevation screw is raised so high it loses its grip. Gunsmith note: There is no “confounded” spring-loaded detent for click No SpriNgS! F elevation adjustment such as in the Bo-Mar and Bo-Mar clones. Another feature you will notice immediately in the exploded drawing is the base. The dovetail base is stationary, with the rear blade assembly moving vertically on a dovetail. The entire assembly is a masterwork of the inventor’s mind. An additional appealing attribute of the Tripp rear sight is the fact it will fit into most Bo-Mar low mount cuts. I have run into a couple of exceptions when the deep cut made for the rear of the sight body is not cut forward Future Fun O verall design is a strikingly thin body, straight line angular one that sits flat and blends well into the rear of the 1911 slide. It’s the perfect complement to today’s modern 1911 pistols. For now the sight is only offered with a flat serrated square notch rear blade, but future blades such as white dot, fiber optic or possibly Tritium will be presented. Virgil Tripp is the international guru of the model 1911 so this sight is designed specifically for that pistol. However, it could be made to work on others. If you like what you see here and would like to buy a K-1 for $118 please contact Virgil at Tripp Research. And by the way, if you think the K-1 is out of this world, wait ‘til you see what the great mind of Virgil Tripp has on the drawing table for you later! * For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex 22 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=23http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=23BODYGUARD 380 ® BODYGUARD 38 ® NEW BODYGUARD S ® LIGHTWEIGHT • COMPACT • CONCEALABLE INSIGHT is a registered ® trademark of INSIGHT TECHNOLOGY. PERSONAL PROTECTION WITH INTEGRATED LASERS. Smith & Wesson’s newest concealed carry handguns are the most advanced available today. In your choice of .380 Auto or .38 S&W Special +P, both lightweight, innovative designs feature an integrated INSIGHT® laser to enhance accuracy and performance. Choose the BODYGUARD 380 and BODYGUARD 38 to carry more comfortably, walk more confidently. NASDAQ:SWHC smith-wesson.com ENGINEERED AND BUILT IN THE USA2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=24http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=24John Taffin HANDLOADING Trail Boss is a natural for easier shooting loads in this Mag-Na-Port .480 Ruger. SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURUS Trail Bossin’ The Really B Big BORes y my definition sixguns are divided into four categories. The .22s and .32s are small bores, the .38 Special and .357 Magnum are medium bores, the .41s, .44s and .45s are classified as big bores — anything above .45 becomes a really big bore. These latter .48 and .50 caliber cartridges feature heavy bullets from 300 to 400-plus grains, magnum-style muzzle velocities, and the necessary attendant heavy recoil. Heavy enough, in fact, to make the .44 Magnum seem like a .38 Special. They are all special-purpose cartridges designed for one thing: big game hunting. When Cowboy Action Shooting started in my area more than 25 years ago, we mostly shot black powder .45 Colt loads or smokeless powder loads at the same level. All was right and everyone was happy. But then what was fun turned into something more serious as more and more shooters began trying to get lighter and lighter loads out of the .45 Colt. Hodgdon/IMR spent five years coming up with the proper powder, which would allow light loads using cast bullets to be assembled safely. That powder is Trail Boss, and it’s unlike anything else out there. At least once a week someone posts on the Internet they have been loading Trail Boss and they “can’t get any velocity out of it!” That’s the whole point of this powder. It’s not made for high velocity loads, just the opposite. The purpose of Trail Boss is to be able to load relatively light loads, with no danger of an overload. Test-Fire: hodgdon’s Trail Boss Firearm Bullet/ Charge MV (fps) group (inches) .500 lineBaugh LinebaughCustomBisley51/2" 300WFN/13.8gr. LinebaughCustomBisley51/2" 400WFN/10.8gr. 830 805 818 830 15/8 15/8 5/8 11/2 .500 s&W MagnuM S&WX-Frame.5004" S&WX-Frame.5004" OT370GC/14.0gr. 400Keith/14.0gr. .500 s&W speCial S&WX-Frame.5004" FreedomArmsM8343/4" *Four shots at 20 yards. 370OTGC/9.5gr. 776 2 * .475 lineBaugh Hornady325XTP/9.4gr. 754 .480 RugeR RugerSuperRedhawk4.8" SpeerGD275/9.4gr. FreedomArmsM8343/4" SpeerGD275/9.4gr. RugerSuperRedhawk4.8" OT355GC/8.5gr. FreedomArmsM8343/4" OT355GC/8.5gr *Four shots at 20 yards; redhawk five shots at 20 yards. 795 830 804 822 * * * * IdIot Proof B ack in the 1920s Elmer Keith recommended black powder to beginning reloaders, as it was idiot-proof … well almost. Never underestimate the ingenuity of an idiot. Keith said all one had to do was fill the case with powder, seat the bullet and shoot. Trail Boss is almost that simple. A maximum load is found by filling the case to the base of the bullet without compression; a minimum load is 70 percent of that charge. For my use, I measure the distance from the base of the bullet to the crimping groove and then load cases with powder below this distance from the edge of the case mouth. So for me, Trail Boss is the perfect solution for the really big bores. I load them to the maximum load as outlined above, which results in muzzle velocities mostly in the 750850 fps range. This may Perfect Trail Boss fodder: not sound like much .500 Linebaugh with until one realizes we are 300 WFN, 350 WFN, shooting 350-400-grain 365 RN and 400 WFN. bullets at .45 ACP hardball muzzle velocities; that definitely takes them out of what some might 24 Trail Boss and the .500 S&W Magnum equates to easyshooting accuracy. choose to call a wimp category. The chart shows a few loads to give you an idea of what Trail Boss can do for you. I still keep a few rounds of each of the really big bores loaded to the hilt, however the vast majority of my reloads have now been Trail Bossed. Sixgunning really big bores is enjoyable once again. * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=25http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=252010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=26http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=26John Connor GUNCRANKDIARIES TM EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS “Full Of It”? Take THIS! Shameless Plugs For Selected Pistols D id you guys see that letter to me in the May/June issue (Speak Out, “The Whinery”) on page 16? This diplomat starts off with “Connor, you’re full of it!” and goes on to accuse me — and the rest of the Handgunner crew, apparently — of bein’ suck-up sycophants for gun manufacturers; pimps for the pistol-makers. He named my Jan/Feb 2010 column specifically, where I tootled about the triggers on Ruger’s LCR and the SIG P250 Compact. Yeah, that one. Here’s how I know (a) he’s not a regular reader — not of this column, dozen-plus years ago, the answer woulda been simple: My plainJane 4" stainless Ruger GP-100, in .38 Spl/.357 Mag. It’s super-strong, Doomsday-durable, and ammo for it was abundant everywhere. It’s not my favorite carry-piece or favorite shooter, but a very intelligent “one-gun” choice. I’ll never let it go. Since then though, .38/.357 has dwindled in popularity and supply, the survivability of newer pistols has escalated, and … That “balloon goes up” scenario can take many forms, and venue would be important. Are we talkin’ about food riots, the only music is distant sirens, blue suits on the streets in riot gear, and radio messages urging people to “let the ’thorties restore order”? Am I at home base in the High Lonely, stranded in a whistle-stop town on the plains, or stuck in a concrete metro-jungle? Hmmm … I’ve got a Kimber Pro TLE/RL II — a present from The Memsaab Helena — which might just be the best-handling, most agile steel-frame 1911 I’ve ever touched. It’s a “Commander-size” piece with a 4" bushingless barrel, Meprolight night sights, checkered rubber grips (done right!) and a dust-cover rail. The action is silky slick, and its precision is palpable. For perhaps purely personal reasons, the balance and “pointability” are perfect for me. Okay; maybe for you, too. It’s a great gun for The Big 26 anyway — and (b) what he’s full of. In seven years writin’ this diary, I think I’ve mentioned maybe a half-dozen specific handguns. That must make me the poorest pistolpimp on the boulevard, wouldn’t ya think? I bet you can guess why I said what I did about ’em … cause it’s true, and it’s good! If you tried those triggers, what did you think? Whether either of those guns fit your needs or not, did you get the same kind of impressions I did? Just curious … Now, to achieve two goals — first, to stick it up The Whiner’s snoot, and SIG P220 Combat, after bein’ sandwiched between rocks and crushed by tractor treads. The rocks broke — the Doomsday gun didn’t. ‘Nuff said? second, to answer a question readers have asked many times in different forms, essentially this: “The balloon goes up, Connor, and you must reach into your heap o’ handguns and grab just one. Which one would it be?” Stand by to get pimped-to-the-max, folks! After all, I’m just a suck-up sycophant. Ummm … Good Question! A Crapshoot — played for your life. As a general rule, I don’t care for DA/SA actions, but another top contender is my SIG P220 Combat, also in .45 ACP. The P220 already had a legend-level reputation for survivability under harsh conditions, and with the friction-reducing and enhanced corrosion-resistance upgrades built into the 220 Combat for the SOCOM trials, it truly earned it’s “To Hell and Back Reliability” tag. I was present at Firepower TV’s proving grounds in 2006 when those madmen heaped two days of horrific abuse on the first five specimens off the production line. Nobody, including the SIG rep, expected any to survive. They all did, firing and functioning superbly. That’s when I realized, DA/SA or not, I had to have one — just in case. But under a rising black balloon, I might just reach over and grab my Smith & Wesson M&P45. Light, extremely accurate, tank-tough and featuring an optional manual safety, which exactly matches the arc of my thumb, it points on-target as naturally for me a2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=27http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=27New 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.com2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=28http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=28The F Gun’Riter’s Mike “Duke” Venturino SHOOTINGIRON “ TM THUMB BUSTIN’ MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE If you’re not laughing at this, there’s something wrong with you! Photos: Yvonne Venturino or this column I am sharing this note sent to me via my gunsmith buddy, Tom Sargis. Spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors belong to the writer, not me. Oh, and I withheld his name since I have some kindness left in me, in spite of what he has to say! Burde N rothers and sisters, this is a prime example of what I call “The Gun’riters’ burden.” About the only thing this yo-yo got right is that it’s a “free country.” I can write pretty much about anything I chose. If readers like it then that great eminence in Missouri, Editor Roy, will keep printing it. If not, well then I’m history. Several things in this fellow’s note can only cause other gun’riters to smile. Here’s a few, “ … made all his money.” What money? If someone finds a bag of money labeled “Duke” please get it to me quickly. If a gun’riter has a pile of money he didn’t make it writing for gun magazines! “He did become famous.” If I’m famous where are all my paparazzi? I can move about the world freely without being stopped by autograph seekers. “He is selling books and making a killing.” That one is just great. I wish! My “killing” on those books every year is just about enough to finance my attending a season’s worth of BPCR Silhouette matches — precisely the thing Mr. Dimwit Perhaps Duke did says I’ve turned my back on. And turn his back on single if I turned my back on it, how did actions. After all, this I finish seventh overall at the 2009 one is jammed into NRA BPCR Silhouette National a hip pocket. heaVy WeighT B while I have you on the line I looked on Mike Venturino’s site, as I had somethi ng I wanted to let him know. I have sold all of his books that I bought, I am no longer a fan of his, as I think many others feel the same way. It has to do with his abandoning his cowboy stuff, which he made all his money on, and built his fan base on, and taking up the dress and armaments of our enemies, past or present. I am a veteran, and can’t help but feel betrayed when I see him with a full auto mp40, with a german helmet on, or with some russian sub gun. I kno w it is a free country, and he has a right to morph into what ever he likes but he did become famous, and make a lot of money writing articles about big bore single shots, lever guns, colt saa’s, and all the othe r ‘guns of the old west’ he is still selling books and making a killing, but has dropped all that stuff. One read er in a magazine a while back made the comment that when he saw Mike wearing that krout helmet, he was shocked, and said that he thought Mike was on our side! My sentiments exactly. He conveniently has no link to contact him on his own site. I don’t mea n to drag you into this, Tom, I am not mad at you at all, really. It is just that you are the point of contact for Mike. Tell him how I feel. That is why I sold all of his books because that is the way I feel about wha t he is doing. I won’t read another article of his, or buy another book he writes, either. That’s too bad, too, as he was originally a big reason that I got into the old west guns in the first place. Times change, and I gue ss people do, too. Just my thoughts.” — Name with held Championship? Heck, that was my best ever finish. Perhaps the most absurd complaint in that note is about that photo of me wearing a too small German helmet while cradling a World War II vintage German MP40 submachine gun. And I might add, while also wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Wake up, Ding-Dong! It was a clown photo. It was meant for laughs. If you didn’t laugh at that one, you’ve got your buttocks pinched way too tight, and there’s gotta’ be something wrong with you. Recently, I had a serious, life threatening health problem, which hospitalized me for many days. (That bag of money labeled “Duke” would really come in handy right now, by the way). To the doctor i2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=29http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=292010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=30http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=30WINNINGEDGE Dave Anderson SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION This Shockey pistol was built on a military surplus 1911A1 made by Remington Rand (note initials FJA for inspector Frank J. Atwood). Trigger pull breaks at a clean 3 lbs 6 oz. s a rule, custom 1911-style pistols of today are the best ever. In terms of quality of materials, workmanship, attention to detail, indeed, in every aspect of performance, current 1911s are so good as to be nearly incredible. It didn’t just happen though. Progress in any field comes from building on the work of others. Isaac Newton once wrote, “If I see a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” The post WWII era saw a dramatic increase in hunting and shooting activities. Competition handgun shooting meant bull’seye shooting, and a demand for highly accurate 1911 .45s. In the early 1950s several pistolsmiths began developing ways to meet the demand. The “Giants” of the era included such names as Bob Brown, F. Bob Chow, Jim Clark, Alton Dinan, George Elliason, John Giles and Frank Pachmayr. These men built remarkably accurate pistols. And they did it without the high quality, precision components we take for granted today. Need a hard-fit match barrel today? The pistolsmith simply orders one of the many high quality, slightly oversized barrels available and fits it to the pistol. Back then no such barrels existed. The pistolsmith would take a standard barrel, build up the bottom lugs and barrel hood by welding, and then hand fit the barrel. Even good base guns were hard to come by. Colt was producing commercial pistols again, but for years after the war supply could not keep up with demand. Military surplus 1911s and 1911A1s were available, but many were wartime production with “soft slides” (heat treated only at high wear points to speed production) and needed a lot of fitting and tightening. A ShowiNg The wAy This is the Deluxe Custom pistol built by Richard L. Shockey. Features include tightening of slide/frame fit, barrel fitting, thick barrel bushing, Bo Mar adjustable rear sight, sight rib with extended front sight, frame-mounted weight, frontstrap stippling, and a quality trigger pull. Pistols were guaranteed to provide groups of 1¼" at 25 yards. The Merit optical device (attaches to shooting glasses to increase sharpness of the sight picture) was popular with target shooters in the 1950s and still is today. Left: Takedown is conventional except the recoil spring plug must be removed from the rear of its tunnel in the slide, rather than the front. The spring-powered roller on the plug presses against the bottom of the barrel. richArd L. Shockey o ne of the most respected pistolsmiths was Richard L. Shockey. From a Gil Hebard catalog: Shockey apprenticed as a machinist in Pennsylvania from 1928-1932, then worked as a tool and die maker to 1940. During the war, and to 1948, he was tool room foreman at the York, PA Naval Ordnance Plant. From 1948 to 1953 he worked for the Department of Justice, setting up a machine shop at a federal prison at El Reno, Okla. Shockey had been a bull’s-eye competitor for many years, before resigning his employment and setting up a custom pistolsmith operation. He offered several custom competition packages. The pistol shown here is the Deluxe Custom .45 auto package. In a circa 1960 Gil Hebard catalog the price for this package was $192.50, which included a new commercial Colt Government model as the base gun. The pistol pictured was most likely made in the late 1950s or early 1960s (about the time BoMar sights were becoming popular), and I’d guess the military surplus Remington Rand 1911A1 was provided by the customer. 30 Shockey and his compatriots learned to fit slides to frames, to build up and hard-fit barrels, and to tune triggers. The trigger on this gun breaks cleanly at 3 lbs 6 oz. The frame weight shifted weight forward to improve steadiness and balance. Incidentally, back at the 1985 IPSC US Nationals I noticed Bil2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=31http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=31From The Beginning, Les Baer Custom Has Been The Performance Leader! Still #1! Baer 1911 Premier II©, 5” or 6” Les Baer’s Premier II© is still the industry standard to which all other 1911s are compared. The 5” long Government Model (pictured here) is the best single stack duty, defense or competition pistol you’ll find in America – the best quality, the best value and the bgest performance. It’s the flagship of our line of custom 1911 pistols and includes more special features as standard equipment than other pistols at twice the price. Guaranteed to shoot 3” groups at 50 yards! Nothing Like It! Baer 1911 Monolith Patent No: US 6,345, 463 Baer Custom’s MONOLITH is a real monument in steel and truly one of a kind. The steel frame has an extra long dust cover (the only 1911 in the business) that matches the length of the slide. That gives the five-inch slide an awesome look plus some extra heft on the front end which helps reduce muzzle flip. Two MONOLITH models and three calibers available. 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It’s Everything. 1804 Iowa Drive • LeClaire, Iowa 52753 Ph: 563-289-2126 • Fx: 563-289-2132 Email: info@lesbaer.com Office Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time www.lesbaer.com2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=32http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=32Clint Smith REALITYCHECK TM FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD PRACTICE ODD STUFF O ver the last 40 years I’ve seen some odd stuff. Often, shooting positions for actual field use are “different” from the range positions we practice. These odd shooting positions fall in step with the concept of “What we think the fight will be, versus what the reality of the fight turns out to be.” Perceptions — training or otherwise — of what fights will be and the realities of what fights actually are, can change places when they are applied in the real world. During the 1960s through the early 1980s, we shot the PPC Practical (it wasn’t) Pistol (we mostly shot revolvers) Course. It was presumed to be good because we shot, and all shooting is good? Then again it showed us not all range practices are good, and some training and shooting didn’t always work when applied on the street. With no disrespect intended, there are issues duly noted and recorded at places like Newhall, Calif., where officers had empty brass in their pockets and loaded with their heads down, allowing suspects to get close. Salient points like the applied “roll over rifle prone” by the cops who took out the final suspect at North Hollywood, and the Miami FBI shooting “lost eye glasses, hit placement” issues have shown us how simple things can affect how the fight winds up in the end. I didn’t bring these up as good or bad, so much as they were simply the way things happened. Like all things in life, whether or not they are good or bad in the final analysis is based on whether we learn from them — or not. o as to not be caught unaware, you should practice odd stuff. Like shooting under cars, fences, furniture or a wall using representations of these kinds of things. Shooting, using both hands, one hand, right hand, left hand while standing, kneeling or lying down would all be helpful skills. Shooting over stuff, like the hood of your car, or over the bedroom dresser should be tempered with the faxt getting shot back at and hit in the head is a bad thing. Maybe shooting around cover or concealment would be better as it makes you less of a good target. Subtle thoughts might ring in your ears as you train. People shoot you because they see you, so don’t let them see you. You have the rest of your life to solve this current problem — how long your life lasts depends on how well you solve it. If you can shoot on a live fire range I think the buddy system is a good way to go. Everyone remembers the buddy system of going swimming with a partner so if something goes wrong, help is at hand. Not to be a pessimist, but if you actually train and work some of this odd stuff there is always a possibility something could go wrong. Don’t do it alone. I think speed is one of the biggest enemies of learning, so I recommend going slow and looking and talking to your partner about drawing strokes, arc of the muzzle during the draw and being damn careful putting the gun back in the holster during repetition drills. Recording and reviewing a video of you doing what you do is also a good way to learn. The bottom line here is, go slow, be careful and watch what’s going on. The big expert-shooting world today is speed, speed and speed. I got it. But don’t worry about the speed fairy, just shoot good. The “shoot-fast-speed-fairy” will show up to your real gunfight on her own accord. The “hit-the-target-fairy” and you will be responsible for what you shoot, so you’ll need to bring her with you to your fight. PracticE s a Good idEa M any of you reading this either do not have a facility that will allow shooting of this nature. A good solution would be to buy a “blue-gun” like a Ring’s from Brownells that represents the same type of weapon you carry. This “plastic gun” will let you practice drawing, rolling, falling, crawling one hand, two hands, strong or opposite side shooting all without blowing a hole through yourself or the house. This of course sounds condescending or stupid unl2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=33http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=332010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=34http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=34J.D. Jones HANDGUNHUNTING A beautiful Hangai Argali, as opposed to the swarthy Mr. Jackson posing with it! TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICALINCORRECTNESS T The Bombardier In The lead B-25 . Hell Yes! But Only If I Could Be WOuld I GO BaCk TO MOnGOlIa? here are hunts, good hunts, great hunts and disasters. I’ve had my share of them all. When you read articles in hunting magazines everything is wonderful. Everyone on the hunt, from 91-year-old grandma to the four-year-old great grandchild, each shot the #1 of the species with a one-shot kill at 500 yards —or 15' in a life or death situation. Doesn’t always happen that way, though. Generally, if you select an outfitter or professional hunter, you can expect Altai Ibex taken by a decent hunt, with a few problems thrown in for good measure. Don’t let a Mark Jackson. few minor problems ruin your attitude. A “hunt” may be simply a walk in the woods with little or no game in the area. A great hunt may be a hunt where everything from weather, food, vehicles, guide and game goes perfectly. Cherish those if one ever happens for you. Occasionally, when the hunter gets to the proper airport, no one is there to greet him. That’s the old “get the deposits and skip” plan. Solid heavy rain can turn a high dollar hunt into a disaster. So can leaving your gun on the horse just before it decides to roll, bite, kick or buck. From my experiences with horses (and I rode some mean ones on purpose when I was a kid) I’d rather shoot them than ride them. Sometimes they beat hell out of walking though. What Were We Thinking? M ongolia — now that was a high dollar disaster, even though I became the first (maybe the only?) to take a Gobi Argali sheep with a handgun. Mark Jackson recently took a Hangai Argali with a handgun, though. Think of the hunt as either a new Caddy, or the hunt. Landing at Ulan Bator in a worn out Soviet plane piloted by a suicidal pilot who dropped it on the ice-covered runway on the third try, stopping sideways, with the wing on my side overhanging the end of the runway was a good start. Next, no one was there to meet us. Sign language and US dollars got us through the arrival hassle and transportation to the hotel. Dinner was water with orange concentrate and a can of Vienna sausages. Good thing Kelly and I agreed this was to be an adventure, because things got worse. The helicopter we paid for didn’t have fuel … think of a WWII Chinese refugee train, that’s what we got. Although we had only one fight on the train to keep our gear from being stolen. We were dumped at some mile marker in the desert around 3 a.m. — no one there to meet us, either. We spent ten hours in a Russian jeep the next morning to get to a camp, where no one had ever hunted before, and the interpreter/guide was constantly stone drunk. Thank goodness the driver was always sober — when driving. The cook moved between drunk and not drunk. At night, there were motorcycle headlights in the hills and shots heard, where no one had hunted before? There was almost no game in the area, and our Jeep broke down. Kelly got zero but I got a great Argali after threatening to shoot my guides, driver and interpreter, so we could drive out of the area into a spot they first refused to go. We got in another fight in a village on the way back to the train stop in the desert. Next the stag hunt got bad — an aphrodisiac operation trapped and cut the rack off the bulls. The Ulan Bator airport was in sight; once there, our hosts were very hostile. Our soup was what comes from boiling out the skull of a stag, but the bread was very handy for sweeping the floating grease off the top of the tea. Don’t Fly Tourist ack at the hotel in Ulan Bator someone broke into my room during the night, and I chased him down the hall with a six-cell flashlight in my hand and murder in my heart. Then I cornered him in the end of a hall and realized how hilarious the situation was. Several other major incidents were left out, but it would take half a dozen 2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=35http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=352010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=36http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=36TAFFINTESTS John Taffin THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE Long Range Rugers Was a Lot of Money … $150 A Ruger .357 Maximum as shown at the top was used by Ben Forkin to do 6-shot .445 SuperMag conversion. Ruger’s 10" Flat-Top .44 Magnum with the excellent Al Goerg shoulder holster. I t had been a long hot summer, in fact the last of three painful summers. Summers are meant for shooting, camping, hiking, outdoor activities with the family. However, my last three had been spent sitting in a graduate school classroom at the University of Montana working on my Master’s Degree. Now it was finally over. I had survived and received my degree. I deserved a reward. A stop at the Gunhaus revealed the appropriate specimen so my wife graciously presented with me with my first Long Range Ruger. At the time, 1971, I felt $150 was a lot of money to spend for a single action Ruger sixgun, however it was unlike any Ruger .44 Magnum I had ever seen, and the stocks, although factory, were made of beautifully grained fancy walnut. What made this Ruger .44 A comparison of the .44 Magnum and the longer .445 SuperMag. Flat-Top different is the fact it was one of the very rare 10" sixguns made in the early 1960s. My wife insisted we could afford it and she has proven to be far more perceptive than I am, as that Flat-Top Ruger is now worth at least six times what we paid for it even though it still remains in the Not-ForSale category. For hunting, that Ruger was matched up with one of the Al Goerg shoulder holsters of the time. I would hate to have to retrace all the miles the Ruger, shoulder holster, and I made together. When Ruger dropped the Flat-Top Model in favor of the Old Models in 1963, the longest barrel offered was the 71/2" version Super Blackhawk, and with the debut of the New Model Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum in 1973, the barrel length stayed at 71/2". As a mate to my 10" Ruger Flat-Top .357 Magnum with heavy bull barrel installed ready for refinishing. Flat-Top, I had Trapper Gun build me a custom New Model .44 Magnum with a 10" barrel and a satin nickel finish. That sixgun is marked “Trapper Long Range” on the left side of the barrel and has also been used for many hunting trips both with iron sights and a scope for more than 30 years. But Wait, There’s More T 36 hat could have been the end of Long Range Rugers except for the rise of silhouetting. My wife and I both were early participants and eventually settled on a pair of Long Range Rugers as our sixguns for Revolver Category. Ruger finally brought out 101/2" .44 Magnum Super Blackhawks for the silhouette shooters and they were fine. Both of those sixguns were magnificently accurate, however even they are runner-ups to Ruger’s next longrange sixgun, the 101/2" stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk. With the addition of the stainless version, and our subsequent retirement from long-range silhouetting, both of the blued Super Blackhawks went the custom route. Both Continued on page 82 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=37http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=37Khaki 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 Khaki2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=38http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=38BETTERSHOOTING Dave Anderson Tackling Timers F or handgunners, training without a timer is like training without a target. A target provides a way of measuring accuracy. A timer, of course, measures speed. There seems to be a belief timers are only for competitions and for training use by competitive shooters. The fact is any handgun owner who wants to do more with his handguns than just collect and look at them needs both target and timer to measure progress. Shot-activated timers were a dream come true for competitors when they first appeared back in the mid-1980s. They were so useful they justified their relatively high cost. I paid around $200 for a very simple, basic timer back when income levels were a lot less than they are now. Currently timers have become so inexpensive any shooter seriously interested in improving can easily afford one. The Pocket Pro II illustrated here costs (relative to increasing income levels) about a third what I paid 25 years ago, for about ten times the performance. My old timer would give a start beep, and record the time of the last shot fired. Pretty amazing for that time, considering we had been previously been using whistles and hand-held stopwatches. The Pocket Pro II gives instant or random delay starts, stores and plays back the times (and splits between shots) for up to 99 shots, gives par times (i.e, a start and stop beep for a preset time), shows rate of fire in rounds per minute, battery condition, and date/time. In the old days, we soon found timers didn’t always work well on indoor ranges, as echoes would give false readings. I recall shooters boasting of their incredible 0.06 splits between shots when shooting on indoor ranges. Somehow the best they could do on outdoor ranges was more like 0.15–0.20 splits. The Pocket Pro II has a sensitivity-setting feature to eliminate echo readings. The Pocket Pro II is made by Competition Electronics, one of the pioneers in the field of shot timers. PACT, another pioneer, also makes a fine compact timer called the Club Timer III. Another very capable timer from an industry leader is the CED7000 from Competitive Edge Dynamics. Foreground, an early competition timer. It had an instant or delay start and would give a start beep and, after a preset interval, a stop beep. That’s all it did. Behind it is an early Oehler chronograph. In the early 1980s this was advanced stuff. Left is a PACT Mk. IV timer/chronograph, which does both jobs, and does them far better. Electronic timers aren’t just for competitive shooters. To develop skill with your carry gun you need to monitor both speed and accuracy. Pocket Pro II, from Competition Electronics, is moderately priced, light, compact and packed with features. Carry gun is a Springfield Armory EMP 9mm in a Sparks Summer Special hoslter, knife by CRKT. he first thing we do with a timer is play around with it, measure our times for the draw, for reloads, for splits between shots. Mostly we find we’re not as fast as we thought. Back before timer terms like “quarter second draws” and “one-second reloads” were tossed around as casually as we once tossed away fired brass. Just as inexpensive chronographs made handloaders honest, timers have made handgunners honest. Once the novelty wears off, you can begin real training. The timer should be used along with a shooting log. Frankly if you aren’t keeping a record to chart and monitor performance you’re not getting much value for the time and ammunition cost invested. Establish some basic shooting drills. For example, using a USPSA target you might try 10 repetitions of these drills: from 7 yards draw and fire one shot. Draw and fire one, reload, fire one. Draw and fire two, reload, fire two. Draw and fire one, transfer pistol to weak hand, fire one. Repeat firing two shots with each hand. Repeat all drills at 15 and 25 yards. These are just a few examples, I am sure you can think of many others. In these drills you should be shooting all, or mostly all, A-zone 2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=39http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=392010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=40http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=40CARRYOPTIONS Sammy Reese FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS Leather Vs. PLastic Fightin’ It Out O BLACKHAWK! (left) and Ryan Grizzle (right). hen I took it over, the name of this column was Handgun Leather. I approached His Editorial Eminence with a request to change the name to Carry Options. He wrote this column for years, when I was still in high school, so I wasn’t sure how he would take this. He glared at me over his reading glasses, as he pushed himself back from his computer. I quickly added leather will always be special, but there are other materials being used for holsters and accessories. I thought we were missing out on some great opportunities. Um, er … uh. After what felt like an hour of him staring at me (Yes, you can break out in sweat in two seconds …), he spoke. “Sounds good to me — now get out. I’m hacking at Connor’s column, which was supposed to be 700 words and he sent 3,500. I swear I can hear him laugh every time I cut a paragraph.” The boss liked my idea for a change, and was annoyed at Connor — which is a good thing, believe me. W the Winner is … n websites and gun ranges, all across the world, the battle over which is better (leather or kydex) continues. It’s a debate almost as beat to death as the 9mm vs .45 forever-dispute. Of course I have several opinions on both arguments, but for now I’ll keep the latter to myself. I have a friend, who considers it blasphemy to carry a handgun in anything but hand-tooled leather. In some respects I agree with him, but the practical side of me believes in using the best tool for the job. My day-to-day carry holster I use most often is made of leather. Carrying a large handgun isn’t the most comfortable thing ever. Ask Clint, he’ll tell you it’s about the comfort of being well armed — and trained. I most often use leather because for concealed carry, leather holsters simply feel best to me. When properly broken in, leather holsters conform to me as much as my pistol conforms to the holster. Leather is quiet when I bump into something, and when you get right Milt Sparks down to it, it’s a personal choice. I choose leather — most of the time. lOsT his MinD Blade-Tech Sidearmor (left) and 5 Shot Leather (right). ou’re probably now thinking to yourself, Sammy has lost his mind, he’s standing on the fence and doesn’t want to commit to which he likes best. Hear me out, I do favor leather holsters for my guns, when carrying concealed, but prefer to use kydex for my mag pouches. When teaching on the range all day or spending quality time practicing, I use a kydex holster resembling the leather one I mainly use. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, I take the KISS principle to heart (Keep It Simple Sammy). The more basic things are, the less chance of Mr. Murphy jumping on my back. Kydex gear can take a beating and then some, yet it keeps coming back for more. The quality of holsters made today is astounding. There are color-options galore. Also, I’m willing to bet there’s one designed similar to your favorite leather holster, at a price tag less than the custom rig you wear every day. This means you can practice as much as you want, and not worry about wearing out your leather holster. But don’t leave that plastic rig on your dash in the middle of summer. It will melt, or at least soften and lose shape. Leather will always be my first love; I won’t deny it. There are some amazing holster makers, creating works of art from leather. I am, however, learning to be more practical and open minded and have accepted “plastic” holsters as a respectable member of the family. It’s good gear that makes sense. Imagine that. y * 40 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=41http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=41Our patented No -Eyes Keypad and Bio pad offer immediate access to your firearm. Lightning quick access even in the dark. SAFE. QUICK. STRONG. SMART. www.gunvault.com2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=42http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=42For some reason, yet unknown, some handguns print the double-ball loads vertically. FOR .45 COLT HANDGUNS Duke shown shooting the Colt .45 SAA with handload holding two balls. One shot equals a double tap! Is Duke shooting in his front yard? Yep, it’s one of the joys of living in the country in Montana! Mike “Duke”Venturino Photos:Yvonne Venturino This target shows the results of two shots with a .45 Colt SAA at 50' using doubleball handloads. Two or three holes with one shot! n these pages I’ve previously made it clear I am not the .45 Colt’s greatest fan. That said, there is one area where it shines above all other revolver cartridges. That is for “novelty” handloading such as shot loads or my newest brainstorm, “buck & ball” cartridges. That old term stems from smoothbore musket times when military paper cartridges often held three buckshot with one large round ball. The idea was the more projectiles put into the air with each shot the more likelihood one 42 might connect with an enemy soldier. So far, I haven’t figured out how to get three buckshot in a revolver cartridge along with a ball but I do have loads with three buckshot, or one buckshot and a ball, or two balls. They’re easy to make, although it helps to have a variety of reloading dies on your bench. They’re perfectly safe to shoot if you use common sense in their preparation. Two Balls? Let’s start first with double-ball loads. It may surprise some handgun shooters that ordinary round lead balls as sold for muzzleloaders can make fine revolver projectiles. And I figure them the same as I do donuts — if one is good then two is better. For .45 Colt they come ready made in sizes of .451", .454" and .457". Being pure lead all of those are usable for .45 Colt. Here is one factor absolutely necessary, whether you’re loading one round ball or two, they must be lubricated. Firing raw lead down a revolver barrel will foul it terribly. Again the solution is simple. Just buy a tube of Lee’s Liquid WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=43http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=43As Duke says, it helps to have a reloading bench with a good variety of equipment. To seat the first .45 caliber round ball deep in the case, Duke used the expander plug from a set of .40-65 dies (left). Then to seat the second ball, Duke used the expander plug from a regular set of .45 Colt dies (right). Here’s all you need to make your own buck & ball revolver handloads. Pure lead round balls require some sort of lubrication before being shot. Duke puts a squirt of Lee Liquid Alox in a plastic box with a few dozen balls and shakes it for a few seconds. They are ready for loading after the lube dries. Alox bullet lubricant. To apply, put a squirt of it in an empty plastic bullet box; dump in several dozen of your chosen pure lead round balls, and shake for a few seconds. When the box is opened every one of those lead projectiles will be covered with liquid Alox. It will soon dry and provide more than enough lubrication. Here’s how I load two-round balls in a .45 Colt cartridge case. First off, weigh the balls because their combined weight will be beyond the weight of a single bullet. I had some .457" Speer balls on hand. They weighed 145 grains each. Some home cast .454" ones weighed 142 grains each. Lyman’s newest manual says maximum .45 Colt load for a 255 grain bullet is 8.5 grains of Unique. So I reduced powder charge to 6.0 grains of Unique for two balls weighing 284 to 290 grains. Once the powder charge is in the case, I eyeball its level carefully and then using the case mouth expanding plug from smaller caliber reloading die set I push the first round ball close to the powder but not on it or compressing it. For .45 Colt, I seat the first round ball with a .40-65 case mouth-expanding WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM plug but most any size smaller than .45 will work. Here’s a tip: Flare the case mouth a bit excessively so as to not scrape lubricant from the round ball as it’s going in. Next I press the second round ball on top of the first, this time using the regular .45 Colt case mouth expander plug. It should seat For buck & ball .45 Colt handloads, Duke uses these three sizes of pure-lead round balls. deep enough so the coming crimp will roll over its curve. The accompanying photo shows that better than words will describe it. All this is a bit extra effort at the reloading bench and as said it helps to have a good variety of equipment. You’re certainly not going to get it done 432010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=44http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=44At 50', three .31 caliber buckshot spread about 7" when fired from a .45 Colt revolver by means of a Speer plastic shot capsule. Duke says when handloading the .457" round balls into .45 Colt cases the case mouth needs an exaggerated flare like the one at left. Otherwise the lubricant will get scraped off the ball during seating. Round at right has two balls seated and proper crimp placed over the curve of the topmost ball. This photo shows the .45 Colt Speer plastic shot capsules. At left is one holding three .31 caliber buckshot. Middle one holds two .375" round balls but does not have the felt wad buffer in front. At right is capsule loaded with shot as they were originally intended for use. These two holes were made by .375" balls loaded in .45 Colt by means of a Speer plastic shot capsule. Note that they separate further at 50' than do the .45 caliber round balls. These cartridges are examples of Duke’s buck & ball .45 Colt handloads. At left is round with three .31 caliber buckshot in a Speer plastic capsule. Middle shows .45 Colt round with two .375” round balls in a Speer plastic capsule. Front of capsule has a felt wad to buffer it so the balls don’t break it during recoil. Round at right is .45 Colt loaded with two .457" round balls. just by pumping the handle of a progressive press. Once you have the hang of it and get a sort of assembly line going it’s not to difficult to put together 50 or 100 double-ball loads in an hour or so. The reward is the look on your shooting buddies’ faces when you pull the trigger once and two bullet holes appear like magic in the target. It’s a double tap with one pull of the trigger. Here’s an odd thing I have noticed about double ball loads. Some handguns print the two balls laterally. Others print them vertically. Of course in both instances their points of impact diverge more as range increases. At 50' with my 7½"-barreled Colt SAA the two balls impact about 1½" from each other. almost get two .310" round balls and one .375" one in the .45 Colt capsule but the bottom cap was just a hair from snapping in place completely. At this point we can pretty much forget two things. One is lubrication, because the revolver’s barrel is protected from lead smears by the walls of the plastic capsule. The other is fretting over whether or not you have reduced powder charge sufficiently. There’s no way you can get enough weight in the form of round lead balls in the shot capsules to weigh as much as a standard .45 Colt bullet. For instance, three of the .310" balls weigh a mere 135 grains (excluding the capHere’s the .310", .375", and .457" round balls alongside a regular 255-grain .45 Colt bullet. sule’s weight) and two .375" balls only weigh 160 grains (excluding capsule’s weight). So I raised the Unique powder charge to 7.0 grains with both sets of round balls. Now here are a couple of interesting points. At first with two 80-grain .375" round balls rattling loose in the .45 Colt shot capsule, recoil of a preceding round caused remaining ones to break through and fall out the front of the revolver’s cylinder. Being the bright light I am, I then placed a felt .36-caliber Ox-Yoke Wonder Wad in the front of the shot capsule. The problem disappeared. That felt wad cushioned the Continued on page 85 Less Work Now to contradict myself, here’s a way to avoid lubing balls and the shenanigans that go with seating two round balls in cartridge cases. The keys are the plastic capsules sold for loading your own revolver shot loads. For many years Speer only made them for .38/.357 and .44 but now also have them for .45 Colt. In the .45 Colt capsules you can get three .310" round balls or two .375 caliber ones or one of each size. I could 44 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=45http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=452010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=46http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=46STi’S The SenTinel This “soft ball” load landed in a 1.3" spread from the 25 yard bench. It’s a commercial cast 230grain round nose over 5.5 grains of Unique. The Sentinel Premier is a full-featured, match-ready 1911 suitable for general use. Premier The Sentinel Premier field stripped. The chamber is fully supported for +P loads. Keeno Worley in the small parts shop at STI. He’s in charge of the EDM machinery and the lockwork of 1911 and 2011 pistols. he STI shop at Georgetown, Texas introduced the Sentinel Premier in order to field a full-featured 1911 equivalent in performance to the best of the small shop custom offerings — at a considerable cost savings to the consumer. This seems a feasible set of goals, as the company is heavily invested in precision, automated machine tools, capable of running multiple production lines and assuring the greatest possible degree of repeatability of minimum tolerance components. All of the stock superlatives such as T mike CumPSTon “Seems to Float on a Cushion of Air, etc” apply when describing the close mating of slide to frame on the Sentinel Premier and other handguns from the company. All action components are produced by Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) and require minimal, though skilled, final fitting. Skilled gunsmiths oversee final assembly and hand fitting of the parts as necessary. An added boon to the consumer is a shorter wait time than might be expected with the made-toorder custom pistols. In fact, STI handguns are frequently in-stock items with their associated distributors. The Dawson/Precision /STI Perfect Impact Sight. Dave Dawson is a preeminent custom pistol maker and a former STI shop manager. A Lotta’ Pistol The Sentinel Premier is a competition-ready pistol also deemed suitable for general use. The single available caliber is .45 ACP and options are limited to industrial hard chrome finishing and an ambidextrous safety. Basic features are those found across the board with current high-end 1911 type pistols. For instance, the balance, placement of fire controls, 30 lpi checkering and 46 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=47http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=47Do-All Duo SPeCS Bench group with Sellier and Bellot ball ammunition. It produced good accuracy from both pistols. This is a 1.9" 25-yard group. Caliber: .45 ACP Capacity: Wilson Combat Elite Eight Round Magazine Frame: STI forged full-size 1911 frame. 30 line per inch checkering Grips: STI Logo Checkered black Cristobal panels Slide: 5" classic flat topped with linear grooves, front and rear serration Trigger: STI Long, curved aluminum. Over-travel adjustment. Finish: Blue with slide polished on the sides Barrel: STI fully supported 5" ramped match barrel. Match fitted bushing. Barrel fully crowned flush with bushing Safeties: STI blue, high rise beavertail grip safety and single sided thumb safety. True half-cock notch. Guide Rod: STI Recoil Master Sights: Adjustable Dawson Precision/STI “Perfect Impact” rear with tritium inserts. Ramped tritium front. Overall Length: 8.5" Weight: 36.7 oz Approved: IPSC/USPSA competition Options: Hard Chrome finish, $300. Ambidextrous safety. MSRP: $1,943.00 high rise grip safety/beaver tail, and trigger reach are the same as a custom pistol from another shop I have, and both frames fit in the same outline. The profoundly checkered “Black Cristobal” grips provide the same grip frame circumference as my standard Colt Gold Cup. The night sights are a combination of a ramped front presenting a white donut with black center and the rugged Adjustable Dawson Precision/STI “Perfect Impact” rear. The donut front insert is easy to pick up, while the tritium inserts put off a suitably eerie, green glow in low light. The barrel is match grade, ramped and chamber-supported with a match fitted bushing. There was a bushing wrench included, though not necessary with either of our sample pistols. Underlining the seriousness of the Sentinel Premier concept, the magazine is the Wilson Combat Elite designed specifically for the eight-round capacity, and made of the best available components. This was my first experience with the Elite Magazine and I found it much easier to load the final round than is the case with the earlier magazines WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM with bodies of standard length retrofitted for eight rounds. I usually load those earlier magazines with seven rounds to avoid over-working the spring, but I would not hesitate to top off the Combat Elite for a full nine-round capacity. Elegant Trigger The Sentinel Premier and accessories. The pistols arrive with a Wilson Combat Elite magazine, a bushing wrench, a Recoil Master take down spacer and an allen wrench for trigger over-travel. The hard chrome sample arrived with a 3 lbs 2 oz trigger pull, while the blue version tripped at 3 lbs 6 oz. These are bull’s-eye match trigger pulls and at least a pound lighter than most out-the-door triggers. In the general course of events, when I attempt “NRA” style one-handed slow fire with a 1911 with a “street” trigger, my trigger control will go to blazes and spasticate at least two rounds out of the main group before emptying the magazine. Heartened by the good trigger on the first example, I put a single-effort eight round string into 3.8" at 25 yards. At that point, knowing full well I was out-shooting my personal capabilities, I stopped. This was with Sellier and Bellot generic ball ammo, which also amazed me with a 1.9" 25-yard bench group. With both pistols, I had no trouble keeping multiple eight round strings of that 230-grain ball ammo within the scoring rings of the B27 at 50 yards shooting from the isoseles stance. This is a good thing as that particular load is one of the few reaching retail outlets in the current buying frenzy. Most of my bench groups with both pistols ran from 2.1" to 2.3" regardless of ammo type. Getting a better bench Continued on page 101 472010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=48http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=48Bushnell’sBackTrackis “GPSmadeeasy” — adigitalcompassand ’way-backmachine. Punchabuttontolog yourstartingpointand uptotwochangesof direction,anydistance. Punchanother,andit givesyouareturncompass heading,Northreference, andthedistancebetween points—See?Easy! Badwatersickensandkills,anditcanhappeninBangladesh, theGreatBasin,orthebesthotelinBaltimore.UsingUV— ultravioletlight—SteriPeneffectivelyneutralizes 99.9999-percentofbacteria,99.99-percent ofviruses,and 99.9-percent ofprotozoain water(including cryptoandgiardia), light,cheapand fast.Worth yourlife? Oh,yeah. High-Tech for Hard– and Happy–Times Below:youdon’thavetobeadeerhuntertouseand appreciateBushnell’scompactTrophyCamdigitalnightvision camera—justsomeonewhowantstoknowandphotographwhat orwhoisprowlingthenight…Triggeredbymovementandlitup by24IRnightvisionLED’s,the5-megapixelcameratakes stillsorvideo,withawholemenuoffunctionmodes. Whenyoucan’tbethere,theTrophyCamcan! Performancelike90-secondcharging timeand2-hourruntime,with270 lumensofpowerisprettyimpressive, right?Now,how`boutthefactit’s donewithnobatteriesandnoparts toreplace,ever?Advancedcapacitors andcomputercircuitrymake5.11 Tactical’sUC3.400LightforLife flashlighthigh-techandhardy, goodforadailycharge/discharge cyclefor135years! Gunparts—high-tech?No,but theFailZeroEXOTechnology coatingon’emis. Harder thanthesteel underit,EXOcreatesagreaseless permanentlubricitysoslickitneverneedsoilor grease,andwillnotruboff,thinout,spall,gallor pickupcrud—ever!High-tech?MorelikeStarWars! 48 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=49http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=49or about half my time spent as a “contracted representative of US and Western interests,” my specialty was what I called Cave-Tech, or, “Low-Tech Solutions to High-Tech Problems.” While industrialized troops were learning to operate GPS and laser rangefinders, I was instructing illiterate ex-goat-ropers how to use pace-counting beads and make maps using sketched natural symbols. It was interesting and challenging, teaching “primitives” things like, You don’t have to fight and stop a column of Soviet tanks. If you got the right terrain, angle, rocks, levers and gravity, you can easily stop the first one — and tail-endIvan. Then drop the mountains on ’em. Insteada armored war-pigs, you got tin cans — crunched! Yeah; stuff like that. But meantime, a lot of technology development whizzed past me. I’m catching up, and so can you — and you should! Our Pluperfect Publishing Potentate, Roy-Boy, told me to select items which are both cool toys and tactical necessities; widgets to enhance your happy times, and gizmos to save your bacon in bad times. Easy, says I. Are they worth your time and money? All the guns and ammo in the world won’t help you overcome killer-diarrhea from contaminated water; tell you where you are or how to get back when you’re lost in The Big Lonely; call for help when you’re lying leg-busted on a nameless mountainside — or warn you there’s a nasty storm sneakin’ in when the skies are blue dotted with cottontail clouds … These widgets will, and I want all of you around for Christmas — of 2025, at least. F Interestedinnightvisionbutdon’thave$5Klayin’around?The NightCougarNVGbinocular-gogglecombobyATNgivesgood performanceforaboutone-tenthof that.Simpletolearnanduse, anonboardIRilluminator makesitatruesee-inpitch-darkdevice. John Connor Gadgets, Gizmos, and Wonder-Widgets Ifyou’rereadyforfull-onGPS,whyshouldn’tit includeapowerfultwo-wayradioaswell?The Rino530HCxgivesyoucutting-edgeglobal positioning,maps,communications,andtheabilitytoeasily transmityourprecisepositionto otherRinousers.Cool,huh? * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex Thesizeofafatcellphone,theSPOTSatelliteMessengercan, withapressofabutton,recordyourpositionvirtuallyanywhere onearth,letyoutrackandplotwaypointsonGooglemaps,and sendmessagessaying,“I’mokayandI’mrighthere!”to callsforemergencyrescue—evenwherecellphones won’twork.Don’tgetouttaDodgewithoutit… youneedaruggedtimepiece too,andtheSuuntoX-Lander givesalltheusualoptions, chrono-metersand timers,plusanaltimeter,barometer, anddigitalcompass. Justknowingthe barometer’sdropping cansaveyourlife— andtheX-Landereven givesyouafour-day barometricrecord! 49 Thislittlediskmaynotlooktootechno,butitis,andyouneed it!DaubriteVCI(VaporCorrosionInhibitor)EmittersbyKPR AdcorInc.veryeffectivelyfillairspacewithrust-preventing fumes—withoutstrongodororcombustibilityproblems. Perfectforstoringweaponsandammo! WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=50http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=50112 Ranger 110 Folding Hunter ErgoHunter Small Game-Pro Left to right: PakLite Guthook, ErgoHunter-Pro, Folding ErgoHunter-Pro 50 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=51http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=51TOPS/Buck CSAR-T Over 100 Years Strong, Buck Knives Still Has A Growing Following. he only constant in the cutlery world over the last decade has been change. Design innovation and new technologies have supercharged the industry, with new upstart companies pushing older companies to keep pace. As a consequence, some of the old traditional names have fallen by the wayside. Not so the case with Buck Knives. Since 1902, when Hoyt Heath Buck made his first knife, Buck has not only hung onto their tradition but proven to be highly competitive in the arena of hi-tech cutlery as well. Always a family business, Buck Knives became a formalized company in 1946 under the father and son team of Hoyt Heath and Alfred Buck under the banner of H.H. Buck and Son, Lifetime Knives. The company sold their own handmade knives with the brash offer of a lifetime guarantee; brash because people used their knives a whole lot more and for much longer periods of time back then. The elder Buck passed away in 1949, but Al kept plugging away and in April of 1961 they hired on 12 employees, switched their focus to selling their knives through a dealer network and incorporated under a new name. Buck Knives, Inc. was born. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 110 EcoLite T Photos: Chuck Pittman, Inc. Pat Covert 112 EcoLite A scant three years later, Buck Knives introduced the Model #110 Folding Hunter, a knife that literally changed the outdoor cutlery market. According to fourth generation President CJ Buck, “Since my grandfather released the #110 in 1964, it has earned the reputation for being the most generally useful knife ever developed. For the first 15 years we could not keep these knives in stock, and we were established as the most cherished brand name in sporting knives. The #110’s non-specialization is its greatest attribute, as it has been a trusted tool from law enforcement and construction contractors to farmers, hunters and fisherman.” If you need any evidence of the #110’s success consider these facts. Over 16,000,000 (yep, that’s millions) have been sold, the factory still pro- duces approximately 1,000 units a day, and it is the most copied knife in other manufacturer’s lines today! Changing Times The venerable Buck #110, with its classic wood scales and brass bolsters, has spurred many variations over time, most notably the smaller Model #112 Ranger. Both models have received their share of various handle and bolster treatments over the years, but the newest iterations, the Buck EcoLites, may be the most poignant for our times. CJ states, “With the EcoLites, we have taken that same trusted lockback-folder design and blade performance and meshed those attributes with lightweight and abuse-deflecting handles that happen Continued on page 74 512010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=52http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=52Sig Sauer’S 52 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=53http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=53P226 S WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM E a Stunning Slim-Down IG SAUER has new versions of the very popular P226 and P229 pistols. The new models are called E2 for “Enhanced Ergonomics.” The purpose is to make these high-capacity pistols a better fit for shooters with average-sized and smaller hands. The most notable feature of the new models is a slimmer grip frame. This is achieved with no sacrifice in magazine capacity. In fact the E2 pistols use the same magazines as their standard counterparts. The alloy grip frame is slimmer, with textured grip panels slipping over the frame rather than being secured by grip screws. Another feature is a “reduced-reach” trigger. 53 P229 DAvE AnDERSOn • PHOTOS: CHUCk PITTMAn, InC. 22010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=54http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=54P229 P226 E Sig Sauer’S 22010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=55http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=552010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=56http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=56E 56 2 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=57http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=57Compared to a standard 226 I borrowed from a police officer friend, the trigger reach (measured from the center of the trigger to the closest part of the backstrap) is 3/16" shorter; 3" on the standard 226/229, 213/16" on the E2s. In circumference the new models measured 55/16" at the narrowest part of the grip, just beneath the trigger guard. Sig Sauer P226e2 anD P229e 2 specifications CALIBER: 9MM LEnGTH OvERALL: 7.70" 7.10" HEIGHT: 5.5" 5.4" BARREL LEnGTH: 4.4 3.9" WIDTH: 1.5" MAGAzInE CAPACITy: 15 ROUnDS WEIGHT (EMPTy, WITH MAGAzInE ) : 34.0 Oz. 32.0 Oz. SIGHTS: FIxED, SIGLITE nIGHT SIGHTS GRIPS: BLACk TExTURED POLyMER FInISH, FRAME: BLACk AnODIzED FInISH, SLIDE: nITROn OTHER FEATURES: ACCESSORy FRAME RAIL, REDUCED REACH TRIGGER, SHORT RESET TRIGGER MSRP: $1,149 Left target: Best 5-shot group at 25 yards was this one shot with the P226. Ten ring (almost X-ring) accuracy is exceptional for a service style pistol. Pistol shot slightly left for me, easily correctible by moving the rear sight in its dovetail cut. Right target: A typical 5-shot group at 25 yards, in the 2" range, hand-held from a rest with the P226 pistol. Groups with the P229 were about 1" larger. The standard 226 measured 53/4" at the same point, or 7/16" larger (it did have aftermarket Hogue grips, slightly larger than the originals). Much Better These figures don’t really tell the story. I had a number of people handle and compare the standard 226 and its newer counterpart. From 5' 4" women to 6'+ men, every one preferred the feel of the E2 grip. Rather than saying the new models are for those with small hands, I’d say the new models are better suited to the majority of shooters, while standard models are better for those with large hands. To me the new models felt much like the (very slightly slimmer) Browning Hi-Power. SIG SAUER probably won’t appreciate the comparison, but I consider it high praise. Chances are, unless your hands are really oversized you’re Continued on page 76 57 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=58http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=58Alongdaypoundin’outbigroundscandomorethan bruiseyourhands—itcandopermanentdamage. GripSwellErgonomicShootingGlovesaren’tjustgloves withpadsadded.Memoryfoaminsertsintheir GS-3PLsarestrategicallyplacedtoprotectvital nerves,fillanatomicalvoids,andthefine leather?Hey;justenjoytreatingyourself tocomfortwithclass… gesvirtually mButlerCreekchar ,for ro rf de oa eL zin ga lPistolMa uble-stack TheUpLULAUniversa m,.40and.45magazines,singleordo eet! sw 0m nd ,1 ’a SIG vin 7 .Space-sa all9mm,.35 outspacersorinserts ith w l— sto pi ny almosta y d n a H gunner Hand f f u t S tin’, o o h s r e t GetabucketfulofGlockmags,an gh dyoucould y For strai t stuf fapillowwiththegrit,lint,thre e F a s , ads g n ni dust-bunniesinside—andtheyw , and a e l C r ere e i s ea disassembleandclean.“Were,”b apainto … t r ecausetheGTUL o F m o makesiteasy.Thecompressible C r e e ora h ngeframe r o s providesasecurehold,thepunch and John Conn safelyremoves Fast,precise,lightandtough,theJPointMicroElectronicReflexSightwillfitmostfighting hether you’re a raceautopistols,andfityoureyesperfectly.It gun competitor, cop, willevenfitmostholsters concealed-carry citwithoutmodification. izen or pure handgun hunter; whether your Halfanounceof weightyields small-arms arsenal is sorta “fixed” or tenpoundsof ever-expanding, an ancient Greek verity advantage! applies: You gotta have STUFF! Okay; maybe it ain’t so ancient, and it’s more geek than Greek — but it’s still true. If you’ve got guns, you need paraphernalia, accessories, stuff, ephus. Stuff to put ‘em on, and put on ‘em; hold ‘em up and hold ‘em down with; make ‘em run better, shoot straighter, fit your hand more smoothly, and of course, to put your W thefloorplate,andthebrush?W ell, duh… own iconic and kinda metaphysical chop on ‘em. It could be the one thing which truly distinguishes man — Neanderthals like me and modern homo sapiens sapiens like you — from all other animals, and has been so throughout our written, cave-wall painted and unrecorded history: the desire to personalize, safeguard, couch and cherish that sharpened stick, the stone-headed club, the flaked-obsidian blade and the custom pocket pistol — because it’s ours, and therefore different. I’ve seen it all over the world — the bejeweled Syrian kard, with its elegant Damascus blade and carved ivory 58 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=59http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=59This…is…hot.ViridianGreenLaser’sX5Listhesmallestgreenlaser/tacticallightpackageavailable. TheLEDwhitelightis100lumenson“constant”and140instrobemode,andthegreenlaserisdaylightvisible! Don’tworryaboutfindingaholstertofit,either,becausetheyofferthreechoices–allgood.TheX5L weighsjust2.9ounces,andyou’veheardaboutthat“ounceof prevention”?Here’sthreeouncesof“cure.” Conventionalsightswith abuilt-inlasersight? yup;theRearSightLaser (RSL)fromLaserLyte deliverstwosight functionsinasingle, compactunit—now availableforGlocks, Smith&WessonM&Ps, SpringfieldXDs,Ruger SRsandprob’lymore beforeyoureadthis! Ifsweepingthethumbsafetyonyour1911is more“IF”than“DONE,”oryou can’t“ridethesafety”without givingupafirmgrip,trythis Gunsite-designed1911Low-Mount ThumbSafetyfromBrownells— it’llputthatpaddle whereyouneedit! Iftheaggressivetextureofapolymer-framepistolis tearin’yourhideoffandshreddingyourjacketliner, wrapitwithAgripfromBrooksTactical.TheadhesivebackedAgripgivesalightsharkskintexturewithout addingsignificantmassorweight—andstaysput! handle, wrapped in an oil-stained, frayed piece of linen tied with ratty string; the plain, peasantmade Mongolian knife and two-tined fork swaddled in the finest tooled leather pouch sewn with silver wire; honored simply because someone said, “This is mine; a piece of me.” And so it goes with our guns … All that psycho-babble bein’ said, here’s some … stuff. Hope you find something interesting and useful — Connor. Withitsbig,brightorangeflag stickin’outtathechamber,the M-TChambertellsyouand others“Thisgunissafe!”Ikinda likeseeing’emasIhobble downrange…Andincreasingly, rangesarerequiringdeviceslike thisforallbenchedweapons.Get safetythatshouts! TheVersatileGunRackis’zactlythat:versatile.Fromsinglesto ten-gunmodels,use’emontherangebench,forcleaning,on shelvesandinsafes—they’restackabletoo!Strongconstruction,andcoatedforanon-marringcannon-cradle. Nothingbeats agenuineleathermatfor workingonhandguns,anda goodonejustgetsbetterwithage. Brownell’sthick,suede-bottomed mathasasmooth,sealed For more info: www.americanhandgunner. surfaceandterrifictexture: cowhidewithclass! com/productindex * WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 592010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=60http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=601911s and Glocks are some of the most prolific handguns. Have parts to keep yours running! Although extreme, if your weapons are being used in this kind of environment, you better have spare parts. lot of thought has been given to secondary guns, those “somethings” to keep you in the fight should your primary weapon go down. How about considering a simple spare parts kit to keep all your guns running should you snap a trigger spring or break an extractor? I don’t mean changing these parts out as an immediate action drill in a fight, but who hasn’t broken a gun at the range or in training that would have been a simple fix if the correct part was in your range bag? Having a little foresight to take advantage of something like Brownells or Midway could turn a potentially frustrating situation into a nothing-at-all issue. Poo On Me! Late one night while serving in Iraq, my team moved on a house of some bad men to conduct a raid. All the members of the team felt confident about this operation, we had good intelligence on the house and we had operated in the general area before. What we didn’t know was an open sewer the size of a small river was running across the yard at the front of the house. Some things you learn the hard way, I guess. When the gun truck came to a screeching halt I bailed out at a dead run to take up a position by the door to 60 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=61http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=61The top half is sort of clean but the bottom part is really bad. Randy’s visit to the poo-ditch was even harder on his weapons — they rusted before he even got himself clean. Be glad we don’t have “smell-a-vision” in Handgunner! gain entry. I took two steps and heard a giant splash. Uh, oh. My gear and I had just fallen into an Iraqi cesspool. Panicked, I swam my way out. I don’t know how deep it was, but my feet never touched the bottom. The stench was so horrid the guys in my gun truck threatened to kick me out of the vehicle and make me walk back to our base. As soon as we got back to the firebase I walked right into the shower, got some antibiotics from my medic, trashed my uniform, and realized I didn’t recognize my 1911 pistol. The water I fell in was so corrosive it had completely rusted my pistol in less than 45 minutes! I had to fully disassemble and scrub every piece with oil and steel wool, and I do mean everything on the pistol. Randy completed one combat tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division as a Scout Sniper, two combat tours to Afghanistan and one to Iraq with 7th Special Forces Group (Green Berets) as a Special Forces Weapons SGT. Randy was appointed the Operations Manager at Thunder Ranch in 2009. We like to call him our in-house, real-life Commando. No smoke and mirrors here ladies and gentlemen. Rusty Springs You can over-engineer this if you’re not careful, but just basic parts that get the majority of the stress and wear in your gun will do. If you have a 1911 you need to have a spare firing pin stop, safety/trigger flat spring, sear set, hammer spring, recoil spring and extractor, otherwise you’re working without a safety net. Spare parts for John The Expert Browning’s pistol can be a bit tricky My first thought when writing this with the amount of 1911 clones and was I know what I would carry for custom jobs on the market and the variaspare parts, but what would a expert tions in parts. While buying drop-in parts gunsmith recommend? In order to get is possible, having them pre-fitted by a competent gunsmith is a sound idea, Having parts available can keep your guns up and insuring a proper running without a visit to the gunsmith. fit when needed. The Glock is not too much of a trouble-maker, with parts being almost modular in nature. It would be good practice to keep a recoil spring, trigger/sear group, extractor and spare sights if you have the factory rubber-like ones on your gun. Those sights can WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM For the most part it cleaned up pretty good, with the only things that couldn’t be saved being the recoil spring, flat mainspring and the magazine springs. With resources always hard to find in a war zone this could have had my sidearm out of the fight for days. But it was really cool to simply open up my parts kit I carried and swap out springs. I was back in business in ten minutes. A little preparation and a handful of simple parts saved me a big headache in an already bad — and smelly — situation. an expert’s opinion, and because I am not one, I called Jason Burton. Jason is a custom gunsmith with Heirloom Precision based in Tempe, Ariz. Not only can he tell you more than you will ever want to know about the intimate workings of a handgun, he can build some of the most elegant and functional pistols I’ve ever seen. Although he specializes in 1911s, he has extensive knowledge of a wide variety of handguns. After talking with Jason for the better part of an hour, he helped me formulate this list of parts based on what he’s seen in his experience. Parts spring off a Glock pistol like fleas jumping off an old dog. With the Springfield XD the same principals can apply. Having a recoil spring, extractor, slide stop, trigger return spring, and spare magazine spring will help to stop Murphymode from giving you grief . With Smith & Wesson K-N-L-J revolvers, as an example, I recently lost a thumb-piece and nut off my J-frame while it was being carried in an ankle rig. Having2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=62http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=622010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=63http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=631911-style ambi-safety is standard and clicks on and off with authority. Pat Cascio T A BIG HIT For A Little Gun SR9 c during my testing, and that says a lot to my way of thinking. I put several types of 9mm through my sample, including: Winchester’s USA white box FMJ 115-gr generic and the new Winchester 124-gr JHP +P Bonded Personal Protection load to start. And, from Black Hills, their 124-gr JHP and 115-gr JHP blue box (reloaded) stuff. I like the BHA 124-gr JHP standard velocity load because it’s an absolute solid performer in every 9mm pistol I’ve put it through. Given a choice of what to use on the street in any 9mm, I’d be hard-pressed to pick between the Winchester 124-gr JHP +P Bonded Personal Protection load, and the BHA 124-gr JHP load. I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice. The little SR9c has plenty accuracy too. From 25 yds, over a rest, I placed most shots in about 3.5", with all the loads I tested. This little 9mm didn’t seem to have a real preference for one type of ammo or bullet weight over another — it gobbled everything up I fed it, and put the bullets where I aimed ’em. What more can you ask for? The MSRP for the Ruger SR9c is listed by Ruger at $525 but they seem to go for less at retail stores. A solid, small, personal-defense gun with all the features of the big brother, but in a handier platform. RUGER’S aking after its big brother, the new smaller version offers the quality and reliability of the parent model, with some added features. The little Ruger SR9c (“c” for compact) has a 3.50" bbl, and a 1.27" grip width. It also has an accessory rail for lights and lasers. And, like it’s bigger brother, the SR9, it has a loaded chamber indicator, as well as ambidextrous 1911style thumb safeties, and the safety inside the trigger itself. There is also the reversible, albeit abbreviated back strap, that can be easily switched from flat to the curved side. The front serrations on the slide are new, and I like ’em. The little SR9c weighs in at only 23.40 oz making it a light-weight you can pack all day. What sets the SR9c apart from the rest of the field? First off, there’s the fully adjustable rear sight you can adjust for windage and elevation. Most compact pistols have rear sights adjustable for windage only. The SR9c comes with two magazines; one is the 10-rd mag you’ll want to carry in the gun, and the spare is a 17-rd mag, fitted with a sleeve, so it gives you the full-length grip of the full-sized SR9. The 10-rd mag comes with a flat base plate on it. However, Ruger wisely included an extended base plate, with a “pinky catcher” on it, so your pinky doesn’t dangle in the air, or you curve it under the flat base plate. Personally, I think the extended base plate should be standard on the SR9c. In any event, you can configure the 10-rd mag with either base plate to suit your needs. I usually like a flat back strap on my pistols when possible. I left the curved side of the rubber back strap on the SR9C and never looked back, it just felt perfect to me and the students who tested my sample. This little 9mm pistol just seems to fit my hand, well, perfectly. It feels good, and that, my friends, is half the battle. It doesn’t matter how good a pistol might shoot, if it doesn’t fit your hand properly, you’re going into the battle handicapped. Solid Little Shooter It’s a Ruger! Reliability is there, period! There were no malfunctions The SR9c disassembles easily, and without any tools. * SR9c with flat base plate installed — Pat didn’t like this set up much. With the pinky base plate installed, the whole feel of the gun is changed for the better. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 632010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=64http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=6464 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=65http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=65WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 652010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=66http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=66WiN! A Stunning PAckAge HaNdGuN oF tHE MoNtH PerSonAl SAfety includeS ASAP Sentinel SurvivAl PAck the intermediate-level aSaP Sentinel starter pack is the perfect choice for people looking to prepare for both minor emergencies and the possibility of a major disaster. Stocked with tools and supplies for managing emergencies, including food, water, medical supplies, communications and shelter. the Sentinel also includes an emergency solar-powered radio with noaa weather bands, a Leatherman multi-tool, and more. the Sentinel pack is ideally suited to those who experience extended power outages due to weather, regularly travel in rural areas, or have larger families. the aSaP Sentinel is designed to support up to two people for 48 hours. grAymAn SB WeSt nile WArrior knife the graYman SB west nile warrior is a balanced single-edge fighter/utility knife with a dramatic recurved bolo design for optimum chopping and slashing performance. It comes with working choil and exposed pounding butt. each knife is 100-percent made in the united States from tough 1095 1/4" high Carbon thick steel. 66 66 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=67http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=67ENtEr oNliNE at aMEricaNHaNdGuNNEr.coM! includeS the discreet elite Four gun Pistol Pack was designed with two main compartments, one on each side. Both compartments hold two handguns with fully-adjustable straps and loops for magazines. Both compartments have a separate accessory compartment, with padded divider. accessory compartments have elastic loops and velcro pouches for magazines, ammo and accessories — as well as a mesh pouch for cleaning supplies, paperwork, etc. the case has a molded rubber comfort handle and heavy-duty zippers and hardware. this case holds as much gear as other bags three times its size. It measures 5x11x15". galco has supplied a true, custom holster for the FmK auto, using their proven paddle-based belt system. Based the PLe model (Professional Law enforcement) Paddle holster, it’s lightweight and provides the wearer exceptional comfort for all day use. the thumb break retention strap satisfies departmental safety regulations and allows a swift draw when necessary. It also features galco’s patented belt-lock copolymer injection-molded paddle. Like all galco paddle holsters, the PLe Paddle can be easily attached or removed without taking off your belt. Constructed of premium saddle leather, the PLe Paddle fits belts up to 13/4". gAlco cuStom PAddle HolSter ometimesitallcomestogetherandthisis one of those times. This issue’s giveaway package covers all the bases. From the cutting-edge,newFMK9mmtothecomprehensive accessories to go with it, the winner will be well-prepared to protect theirfamily—andsurviveadisasterorcivilunrest. FMK is a new name in the firearms field and their California-basedcompanyhasdevelopedanew,affordable,9mm semiautowithsomeuniquefeatures.Asidefromthemechanical marvels of this new gun, what’s really key is the company charter. Let me quote them: “Our charter is two-fold: Provide a high-quality firearm to all Americans at the most competitiveprice.EncourageAmericansonajourneytoembraceand understandAmericanhistoryandourFounder’sintentinsetting downintolawthephilosophiesandprincipleswhichmakethe UnitedStatesofAmericathegreatestnationonearth.” ThenewFMK91C’sslideisactuallyetchedwithimportant linesfromtheBillofRights.So ifyou haveanydoubtabout whattheseimportantwordssay,theyarerightthere! elite four gun PiStol PAck S CUSTOM FEATURES • Polymerframe • Lightweightdesign • DoubleAction • Mag-OutSafety • Californiaapproved • BBllength4" • Loadedchamberindicator • Three-dotsights • Triggersafety • 8interchangeablesights fmk Please read the captions to learn more about the rest of this incredible package! model 91 c 9 mm Auto REadER SuRvEy QuESTiONS: 1) Have you ever considered buying a crossbow? yES or NO 2) Have you ever shot a crossbow? yES or NO OVER $1,800! Photos: Joe Novelozo TOTAL VALUE: FORMOREINFO: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex TO ENTER CONTEST: Use a postcard (no envelopes, please) and follow the sample shown. Send to amerICan handgunner,Dept.H3,P.O.Box501377,SanDiego,CA92150-1377.EntriesmustbereceivedbeforeOctober31,2010. HOM SEPT/OCT 2010 3) do you own an airSoft Rifle or Pistol? yES or N0 4) would you like to learn more about airSoft and airguns? yES or NO Name ___________________________________ Address_____________City,State,Zip____________ EmailAddress_______________________ CiRCLE aNSwERS TO REadER SuRvEy: SAMPLE Question#3: yESorNO Question#4:yESorNO Question#1:yESorNO Question#2:yESorNO Limit 1 entry per household. ThiscontestisopentoindividualswhoareresidentsoftheUnitedStatesanditsterritories only.AgentsandemployeesofPublishersDevelopmentCorporationandtheirfamiliesareexcludedfromentering.Contest voidwhereprohibitedorrestrictedbylaw.Winnersmustmeetalllocallawsandregulations.Taxesandcompliancewithfirearmsregulationswillbetheresponsibilityofthewinners.WinnerswillbenotifiedbyCERTIFIEDMAILonofficialletterhead. ATTENTIONDEPLOyEDMILITARy:USESTATESIDEADDRESS!Nopurchasenecessarytoenter. IfIwin,pleaseshipmyprizethrough: Dealer___________________________________ Address2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=68http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=682010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=69http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=69Almosts: For the time, the SD9 was cutting edge, but alas … it was too soon, too “weird” and too expensive! Sardius N The ehemia Sirkis has done several good autopistol designs for several manufacturers, but often he does not get the credit he deserves. For J.B. Wood designers, this is often the case, unless your name happens to be John Moses Browning. Even so, around 1986 one of his designs had his name on it: a 9mm compact pistol selling briefly in the US. Made in Ramat-Gan, Israel, it was marketed as the Sirkis SD9 and also as the Sardius SD9. The US importer was Armscorp USA, Inc. of Baltimore, Md., and the time period was indeed brief, from 1989 to 1990. I don’t have any exact numbers, but the quantity could not have been large. The SD9 had a frame and slide of formed sheet steel, with the barrel and breech block nicely machined from bar stock. The trigger system was double-action-only, and it was a true hammerless, strikerfired design. It was definitely compact, just 6" by 4.3" and the basic width was only 1.2". A polymer grip with good ergonomics enclosed the frame. A manual safety, at the left rear, directly blocked the striker. At the top rear of the slide, there was a loaded chamber indicator. There was no locking system involved, the power of the 9mm was controlled by the weight of the slide and dual concentric recoil springs. The SD9 I fired worked perfectly, but the recoil could be described as “substantial.” This may have contributed to its lack of acceptance in the market of that time, along with a retail price of around $350. And back then, those were real dollars! Another factor was the takedown for cleaning. It was not difficult, but it was decidedly weird and might strain the capabilities of the average shooter. Still, the formedsteel concept and a “full-nine” in this size were innovations at the time. It was, frankly, a neat little pistol. SD9 * The SD9 was a simply-constructed blow-back 9mm of DA-only configuration — but with a strange take-down procedure, which may have put buyers off. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 692010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=70http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=70THE SIXGUNNER Fitz (in front, stretched out) relaxes with a group of shooters at Camp Perry. John Taffin They CAlled s with all boys from time immemorial, the young lad was curious while at the same time somewhat bored with nothing to do. Going into his father’s office he started looking through drawers in the Fitz hard at work big desk finding nothing smoothing out a Colt. of interest. Then he came across a small cardboard box and opening it, found an engraved, silver-plated, ivory-stocked .22 revolver. He was only 10, however he knew what it was and also how to shoot it, at least point it, and pull the trigger. Just before stumbling on the .22 he found a box of cigars, and I well remember when I was his age how fascinating cigars were, for a very short time. He left the cigars where they were and put the .22 into his pants pocket and began the hunt for cartridges. When he found a box of .22 shorts he was ready to shoot; or at least he thought so. He left his father’s business office and went looking for a suitable target quickly finding a tin can; he then hiked four miles to get away from any houses. He was smart enough to start up close placing the can on a stump and backing up 15'. He carefully looked the revolver over, loaded it, and pointed it in the direction of the can. At the first shot there was a howl as another boy came out of the bushes beside the stump with a .22 hole in his big toe. Needless to say, the young guy was in for a lot of trouble when he got home, where he was disarmed and sent to bed. The gun was hidden, however he did find it after several months, saved up enough money to buy ammunition and convinced his father We showed it in our last issue, but it’s too good not to look at again . Fitz’s special long-range .38 Colt Single Action Army featured a rifle style rear sight . a bottle of genuine and an 1860 “Fitz” gun oil! And grip frame. that’s a clean 1903 .380 hiding behind it. Colt’s legendary gun-guy ” “ him FiTz A This Fitz Special was made by Fitz for Col. Rex Applegate. he now knew how to be careful and was able to keep the gun. This took place in 1886, and John Henry Fitzgerald learned his lessons well; it was his first and only firearms accident from that time until he died in 1945. The Beginning He soon bought a better .22, a single-shot pistol, shooting it close to the target until he could hit consistently at 15'. Once this was accomplished he gradually moved backward extending the distance to 15 yards. By then he decided he needed a better pistol and bought two heavier .22s with 10" barrels. From that time forward he always purchased his pistols in pairs so he could shoot with both right and left hands simultaneously. As John Henry grew older, he learned to be more proficient on bull’s-eye targets and added quick draw and rapid fire work to his regular target practice. By now he had gone beyond .22s and reloaded for 15 different cartridges. Being somewhat mechanically inclined he started taking both pistols and revolvers apart to see how they worked and before long he was correcting trigger pulls and smoothing interior parts. He was well on his way to become the man who would soon be known throughout the shooting world as Fitz. From 1918 until 1944 Fitz was the face of Colt, their goodwill ambassador, and expert at tuning Colt revolvers and semiauto pistols. There are many classic books from the 1930s, however Fitz came first. His monumental work Shooting, was published in 1930. Fitz’s book is certainly dated, being over 80 years old, as are the others too. However, guns and cartridges may change, but basics remain the same. When reading through Fitz’s book, especially the sections concerning quick draw, self-defense, and police techniques I thought I saw a Continued on page 92 Taffin’s Fitz Special was made by Andy Horvath. 70 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=71http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=71Experience 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 921502010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=72http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=72COPTALK Massad Ayoob At belly-to-belly distance, you don’t need much illumination … but you may need something else a gun-mounted flashlight provides. OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS A Gun Light Plus-Factor T Then: SureFire light Standoff capability created by Streamlight TLR-1 on issue Glock 22 may well have saved he rise of the on Jarvis the life of the officer mentioned in column. Beretta flashlight9mm. equipped service pistol began many years ago, with special reaction teams, Gun notably LAPD SWAT. mounted lights, then It proved it could be and now. a lifesaver searching darkened buildings for dangerous suspects. K9 was the next arm of law enforcement to pick up on the value of Now: Springfield Armory combined white light XD45 with SureFire X200. and handgun. With one hand often being required to hold a big dog’s leash, the canine handler was down to a single hand to manipulate both gun and flashlight (often outdoors on moonless nights or in the same dark buildings et’s compare two starkly similar police encounters involving deadly where SWAT had first proven the value of force. St. Paul, Minn.: An officer is losing a fight with a much bigger, the concept). stronger attacker who got him down and is trying to kill him. In desperaFinally, administrators realized patrol tion, the officer draws his pistol, presses it to the would-be cop-killer’s body, division street cops found themselves and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. The pressure forced the muzzle out of searching pitch-black buildings and dark battery, and the gun will not fire. Jacksonville, Fla.: The suspect drew a .45 alleys, performing midnight manhunts auto, shot the cop in the face then shot him six more times. The officer returns in the woods too, and authorized or fire, wounding the suspect several times. The armed gunman falls atop the even issued light-mounted pistols to the supine officer, who press-contacts his .40 against the man’s skull and shoots rank and file. Synthetic holsters proved him three times in the head, ending the fight. themselves adaptable to the bulkier Both departments issue the Glock Model 22. What’s the outline of pistols with lights, and difference? The Jacksonville cop posessed a Streamlight the tactical illumination tool TLR-1 flashlight mounted on his Glock .40. Because industry sped the process by the head of most such flashlights protrude beyond the introducing ever more commuzzle, it keeps the barrel/slide assembly from being pact white light units compatshoved out of battery, allowing the gun to function! ible with handgun mounting. Today, it’s routine to see “the cop on the street” wearing a holstered pistol with flashThe latest and light attached. We will never smallest from know how many tragedies have he great majority of auto pistols won’t fire if InSight shown been prevented due to the bright pressed hard at the muzzle against an oppoat 2010 SHOT Show. white light. It allows the officer nent’s body. The Springfield Armory XD to see a suspect is holding keys or a Service Model is a notable exception. The 1911 can be made cell phone instead of a gun, just in time to to work this way for one shot by holding the trigger back and keep him from pulling the trigger. We’ll then releasing the manual safety, but that’s a pretty tricky sleight of hand for never know how many police lives have someone fighting to the death at contact distance. Having a flashlight already been saved because the gun-mounted light on the gun when it’s drawn creates “standoff capability” keeping the gun in blinded the armed suspect and either intimbattery in these critical situations. It’s simply one more reason why it makes idated him into surrendering, or put him far sense for today’s police officer to carry a gun with a mounted light. enough behind the curve the officer could Make sure you run a couple hundred rounds in test-fire to assure relifire the first accurate shot and prevail. ability. There have been documented reports of otherwise2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=73http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=73Bust ’em! Barnes Busters™ drop bears, boars, Cape buffalo and other big, tough game—right there, right now! We can’t begin to show all of our cool knives and tools here, so just log on to our expanded web site to browse and get a free 92-page catalog. TOO MUCH TO SHOW HERE. 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. www.crkt.com Columbia River Knife & Tool Web 1/6 page Vertical Ad, 2.125 x 4.625” CMYK Version D Revised 4/2/10 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!2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=74http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=74NEvER STOPS Continued from page 51 m illu ina tio n l N EW op of ith s en . W m ak Lu bre 0 r 16 ut o o ® s ith -1 ED w burn R t TL 4® L on’ C at w th tim um pe rip he ra (( R ST O BE )) to be of totally recycled materials. “Paperstone, the material in the handles, is made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled paper and a proprietary petroleum-free resin. It caught our attention as a durable cutting board and countertop material, being resistant to heat and moisture and an all around tough material, it allows for support of eco-friendly with no sacrifice whatsoever in performance.” N EW 1s RTL . he ing s t aim a es te ur ra at ccu e f at r a re t fo g ®s e gh -2 sam er si R TL ll the a las A ith w ith W ((S T RO BE )) The company sold their own hand-made knives with the brash offer of a lifetime guarantee. Though the #110 is Buck’s all-time favorite, the company can’t be accused of baking bread when it comes to new designs. Their new ErgoHunter fixedblade series has proven to be a smash hit among outdoorsmen of all types — be it those who hunt furry critters big and small, things that fly and those that swim. CJ tells Handgunner: “One of our strategic goals was to demonstrate leadership and innovation in a new line of hunting products. We looked at what functionality we wanted to deliver and settled on the merger of our legendary blade/edge performance with a new ergonomically designed handle. When skinning big game, hand fatigue is related to the potential for injury in a fairly unsavory environment and often far from medical attention, while still having a job to do. We felt a knife that is easier to hold onto is a great advantage that hunters would desire.” Aided by an effective 4.75" recurved blade and handle with a nicely sculpted palm swell, the ErgoHunter Skinner is a handful of knife that can do everything from process large game to perform heavy-duty field chores. This knife is available in three model grades: 3:37:20 PM Select, Avid, and Pro (good, better, best). The latter is also offered with a gut hook on the backside of the blade. The more compact ErgoHunter Small Game is a versatile knife with a 2.5" Wharncliffe blade that can skin medium to small game and serve as a “bird and trout” knife as well. CJ adds, “We have taken that logic from the Skinner into a small game series and a new folding version for 2010 that I am truly proud of. I skinned out a mule deer in Montana last year and the knife worked like a charm.” Like its larger sibling, the ErgoHunter Small Game New models TLR-1®s and TLR-2®s provide brighter light and strobe when you need it. FREE ® LITHIUM BATTERIES with the purchase of any TLR. Visit streamlight.com/freebatteries for details. O er valid June 1 - September 30, 2010. 30 Eagleville Road, Eagleville, PA 19403 • 800.523.7488 • www.streamlight.com 10-SML-031 TLR Family Ad_Half AH.indd 1 6/3/10 74 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 ©2010 Streamlight, Inc. t ye . t, oz h 2 ® ig ns 3 ly br ly 2.3 dgu the R e n n n TL tens hs o re haght o sub ize. In eig o y li om ll s w its m an – fr fu F an et t to ls th ark pac de m m mo e. co P bl US aila av2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=75http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=75has a sumptuous handle built for comfort and comes in three price ranges. Select, Avid and Pro. And the success of the ErgoHunter line has been so strong that Buck recently released a folder version of the knife. Buck wasn’t late for the tactical revolution either. Their newest entry into the law enforcement/military arena is a collaboration with TOPS Knives that has also proven to be a consumer hit. According to CJ, “TOPS is a fabulous fellow Idaho company who found itself struggling to keep up with the demand of their innovative products. Mike Fuller, the owner of and creative genius behind TOPS, draws upon vast personal military and special ops experience to deliver the design integrity of his heavy duty tactical products. Buck has long been recognized as the most consistent knife manufacturer and heat-treater in the business, so when Mike was looking for some additional volume for some of his designs he approached Buck.” The CSAR-T is a factory rendition of Buck’s popular Bravo model handle combined with one of TOPS’ popular blade styles. This heavy-duty folder is a beefy, aggressive tactical folder with a bullish 3.5" modified tanto blade, hell bent for maximum damage on anything that dares get in its way. Featuring top shelf Tactically Speaking Paul Bos heat-treated ATS-34 stainless steel, the blade also has lefty-friendly dual thumb studs and a notch thumb ramp for added purchase. The 5.0" “Mountain-Tread” grooved G-10 synthetic handle has a deep finger groove for superb grip, an adjustable pocket clip for multiple carry options, and a unique hex-shaped hole which can take a bit/socket attachment. When not wreaking havoc, the CSAR-T can be retired to its MOLLE compatible ballistic nylon sheath. Old Meets New Buck not only manufactures hunting and tactical knives, but a wide range of everyday carry knives and multi-tools. The wide range in designs once again reflects the company’s respect for history, juxtaposed to their zeal for hitech. In their model line-up you’ll find the old traditional pocket knife patterns and several traditional hunting knives as well as envelope-pushing springassisted tactical folders. Very few companies out there can rival such a broad selection and, best of all, Buck manufactures the overwhelming majority of their products right here in the good ole USA, which was not always the case. CJ Buck elaborates on how the company shifted manufacturing back to the homeland: “In December 2001, following the 9/11 twin towers tragedy, Buck had some hard decisions to make. Our business was doubly impacted because, like the entire nation, we felt the economic slowdown, but also because knives (boxcutters) played a role, real or imagined, they became illegal to travel with. “We were in San Diego, where we had been located since the mid-1940s. Our ability to manufacture competitively was being challenged by the non-business friendly environment in California. We broke ground on a new facility in Post Falls, Idaho in June 2004 and made our first knife there in February 2005. “Part of our marketplace is in offering price point products that are priced too low for us to manufacture in the US. We import about 20 percent of our products, those opening price points, and have focused our new product development for the last two years to bringing some products back from China, while creating other US new products that will fill the gaps created as imports run their lifecycles.” And so it is with Buck Knives, who has been consistently marching forward answering industry changes with new innovative products, at the same time never forgetting their past. * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 752010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=76http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=76SIG SAUER Continued from page 57 going to like the feel and handling of these new models. Ergonomic advantages aside, the new models performed as I’ve come to expect from SIG SAUER pistols, which is to say superbly. Back in the late 1980s I helped a bit with an interesting reliability test. This was the era when police departments were making the shift from revolvers to high-cap autos. My friend Tony who was (still is) an armorer for a large police agency was doing some preliminary testing of the P226. He had put 1,000 rounds through the test pistol with no malfunctions. His supervisor wanted 10,000 rounds fired and time was short, so he asked a few of us to help out at our club range. Gosh, a day spent shooting free ammunition. Not a hard decision. Tony brought the pistol, two extra barrels, ten 15-round magazines, and 9,000 rounds of Federal JHPs. There were five shooters in all. The extra barrels were so we wouldn’t have to spend time waiting for the barrel to cool. We started with ten loaded magazines. While one shooter rapidly fired all 10 (150 rounds) the rest of us reloaded the empty mags. After 150 rounds Tony would gingerly disassemble the pistol, drop out the blistering hot barrel, replace it with one which had been cooling, and reassemble. By then we’d have the 10 mags loaded and the next shooter would take a turn. To make the test more severe Tony insisted we fire each magazine to slide lock, rather than reloading “IPSC style” with a round in the chamber. After we’d each had a turn (i.e., after 750 rounds) we’d pick brass. Meanwhile Tony would let the pistol cool a bit, disassemble it and wipe off the accumulated powder crud so he could carefully examine components for any signs of unusual wear or damage. Then he’d add a bit of lube during reassembly and we’d start the process again. Total malfunctions? Zero. Not a bobble, not a misfire, no broken or cracked components, not a problem of any kind. The experience left me with a very high regard for Sig Sauer pistols. Reliable A US Company The basic design and operating features of the pistols go back to the early 1970s when SIG of Switzerland designed the P220 with its single-stack magazine. SIG formed a partnership with Sauer of Germany to produce the pistol. For a brief time it was marketed in the US by Browning as the Browning BDA in 9mm, .38 Super and .45 ACP. 76 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=77http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=77In slightly revised form the P220 in .45 ACP is still made today, and is still very popular. The P226 with its double stack magazine appeared in 1983, with production in Germany. Initially, Sigarms in the US, formed in 1985, was primarily a distributor for German-made pistols. As the pistols earned a sterling reputation and demand from both police agencies and private citizens skyrocketed, production began shifting to the United States. A modern facility using the most upto-date and high quality manufacturing processes was built at Exeter, NH. The first model produced was the P229 in 1992, with other models quickly being added. Incidentally on October 1, 2007 Sigarms changed its name to SIG SAUER. And, the company has recently added dozens of CNC machines and now produce all SIG SAUER pistols in the United States! In addition, their fine 556 rifle, the hot new 516 AR-type are also built right in New Hampshire. So while the pistols have their roots in the “Old Country” (as my immigrant grandparents called it), by now they are they are thoroughly Americanized. The factory in New Hampshire currently employs some 380 American workers. Every day, thousands of law enforcement officers and private citizens depend on SIG SAUER pistols for personal-defense. Heck, the Texas Rangers (can’t get more American than that!) are issued P226 pistols. US Peace Silver Dollars Only $1995 Silver is the smart way to protect your assets during the financial crisis. The Peace Silver Dollar was struck between 19211935 and contains almost a full ounce of pure silver. Many where destroyed during the the great silver melt of 1980 when silver reached $50. These remaining coins are unsorted and grade a pleasing Very Good and better. For the best selection we recommend that you phone our precious metals trading desk at 1-888-712-0012 to lock in your order, or visit www.uscoins.com and go to “Advertised Specials”. 30 Day Unconditional Guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with your coins, return for a full refund. Prices subject to change without 5 coins + $7 P&H . . . . $106.75 notice. All credit 10 coins + $9 P&H . . . $208.50 cards accepted. 20 coins + $12 P&H . . $411.00 50 coins + 25 P&H . . $1022.50 Offer Expires Sep. 30th 2010 Finest Quality Handcra ed Firearms Ted Yost, Jason Burton & Steve Bailey E 1 S C IN 98 4 www.heirloomprecision.com 2118 E. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281 480 804 1911 PRECISION C U ST OM A G U NM Proven Designs K E R The operating system of the P220 series has been well proven since it was first designed over 35 years ago. As the cliché goes, it’s a safe pistol — without a safety. The key is the hammer-drop lever on the left side of the grip frame. With this design the trigger serves one purpose only — to fire the pistol. It is not used to lower the hammer, either on a live round or an empty chamber. There is no need for the operator to ever touch the trigger except to intentionally fire the gun. One change — for the better — has been the way in which slides are manufactured. Originally the slide was made from a steel stamping, folded and welded into shape, with a hardened steel breechblock inserted. Little machining was needed. The process made technological sense at a time when precision machining took considerable time and skilled handwork. There’s nothing wrong with this process. I have one of the original Browning BDAs made this way, and a very nice pistol it is. Then came the CNC revolution, in which computer-controlled tools could carry out extremely precise and complicated machining operations. The plant at Exeter adopted the new technology from the start. Instead of using NCE 198 4 SI Finest Quality Handcra ed Firearms Ted Yost, Jason Burton & Steve Bailey C U www.heirloomprecision.com 2118 E. 5th Street Tempe, AZ 85281 E ST AK OM GU NM R 480 804 1911 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 772010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=78http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=78Tactical Laser Illuminator stamped/folded construction, the slides are machined from solid blocks of steel. While the earlier stamped/folded system worked, I believe the current machined steel slides are stronger, more durable and superior in every way. A few year ago I had an opportunity to tour the facility at Exeter. Several impressions stand out from the factory tour. One is the brightness and cleanliness of the facility. Except for the noise of CNC machines in operation you’d think they were making computers or some high-tech product. • 40+ Lumens • Class 3A Visible Red Laser • Constant or Momentary Operation • Universal Sub-Compact Rail Mount • Limited Lifetime Warranty To find a dealer call or log-on: Rather than saying the new models are for those with small hands, I’d say the new models are better suited to the majority of shooters. Another surprise was the amount of skilled hand-work involved. Though the parts emerge from the CNC tools machined to very precise tolerances, skilled workers take each component and chamfer pin holes, remove sharp edges and generally smooth up parts before they go to the assemblers. At several stations there are big industrial-size vibrating tumblers containing various polishing media (picture a really big cartridge case tumbler). Here components are polished and edges smoothed up. The time and effort going into quality control was truly impressive. The Exeter plant has earned the manufacturing industries prestigious ISO9001 certification, a rating not easily achieved. It’s not a case of someone taking a slide, for example, looking it over and taking a measurement or two. I watched slides fresh from the CNC machines being clamped in fixtures, then extremely delicate and precise computer-controlled measuring devices check and record every dimension. Quality control is intensive, rigorous and continuous. Toll Free: 866-509-2040 InsightTechnology.com Shooters Glaser Safety Slug ® has been around since 1974! It’s distinctive design provides smooth feeding, limited penetration and reduced ricochet where over penetration is a major concern. Glaser Safety Slug has often been imitated but never equaled. –––––– ALL BULLETS CREATED ARE NOT EQUAL –––––– 605.347.4544 corbon.com 800.626.7266 The 300 rounds I ran through each pistol is hardly a reliability or endurance test but I can say both performed flawlessly, as expected. Trigger pulls on the P226 measured 9 lbs 12 oz double action and 3 lbs 14 oz single action. The P229 trigger was a bit heavier at 11 lbs 7 oz DA and 4 lbs 2 oz SA. Trigger quality on both was good. The double-action pulls were smooth and consistent, single-action pulls had some smooth creep but no “steps.” Trigger 78 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=79http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=79reset was short and quick. The P226 (in fact the entire P220 series) are renowned for their accuracy, no doubt a result of the precision with which they are made. I mentioned borrowing a standard P226 from a law enforcement friend. His department requires officers to purchase their12/16/08 CrossBreed4c_outline.pdf own duty sidearm, selected from an approved list. This officer is a competitive shooter with a PPC Grand Master rating. He uses his P226 for Production competition. He tried several 9mm service pistols of various makes and models and selected the P226 for its exceptional accuracy. The P226 I had on loan produced five shot, 25-yard groups of around 2" with a best group not much over an inch. This last group likely had a bit of luck involved, at least I couldn’t do it again. For an out-of-the-box service pistol this is outstanding. I’ve seen custom pistols costing two and three times as much which won’t do any better. Groups from the P229 average about an inch larger. Possibly with the heavier trigger and shorter sight radius I just couldn’t shoot it as well. For my ego’s sake I prefer to reject this theory. While the P226 was a regular production model the P229 consigned was a prototype, currently one of the few available. I found this out when I suggested purchasing it from SIG SAUER and was advised they needed it back as other magazines wanted it for testing. Both pistols grouped slightly to the left for me, indicating whoever sighted them in sees the sights a bit different than I do — hence incorrectly. There is an alternative theory, but is one I refuse to entertain. Sights are mounted in dovetail cuts so windage is easily adjustable by the owner. Sights carry tritium night sight inserts. Both pistols, of course, have accessory frame rails neatly incorporated. These rails allow white lights or laser aiming devices to be installed and have become virtually standard on current service pistols. High capacity doesn’t hurt either in the event you need to move without having time to pick up spare magazines. Incidentally SIG SAUER offers an accessory 20-round 9mm magazine which fits either pistol. Like a Mercedes Benz, SIG SAUER guns are appreciated by anyone who enjoys well-engineered, high performance pieces of steel and alloys. Any of these would feel right at home in the truck of an E500 en-route to the range! 8:47:20 AM 1595 Carr St. Lakewood, CO 80214 Phone: 303-888-4904 Fax: 303-232-7318 www.volkmanncustom.com “One Masterpiece at a time” * For more info: www.americanhandgunner. Volkmann_copper_alt1b.indd 1 com/productindex Also, check out Web Blast for more info. CLICK ON THE “WEB BLAST” LINK WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 792010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=80http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=80SPEAK OUT Continued from page 19 (240s, 225s, etc.) delivered velocities from 1,093 (CorBon’s 225 gr. copper round) to a high of 1,205 (Hornday’s 225 gr. Leverloution), but I wouldn’t consider any of the lighter bullets to be adequate for a big bear back-up gun. When I was finished shooting (around 35 different loads total) my hands were trembling pretty badly and took about three hours to settle down. My right palm was tender the next day. So, I’d take Randy’s advice and stick with a 4" barrel if you elect to use a heavily-loaded .44 Mag (or any other like-round) as a serious back-up gun. I think that light S&W is best used with a hard-cast 240 at maybe 950 from that short barrel. It’s not a great back-up gun for bear, but if you insist on using it, it may work if you shoot them until “they think they’re dead” as Connor would say. Or, practice — and get used to stinging hands. sad in regard to how some things have changed. When I was a kid in the 1970s you could go into just about any Sears, Kmart, G.C.Murphy, Grants or Woolworth’s and buy handguns, long guns, archery gear and just about any hunting or fishing supplies you needed. My how times have changed. I’ve been a Police Officer for 22 years now and I serve as a High Liability Instructor for my department so I really appreciate the insight that you, Clint Smith, Massad Ayoob, Sammy Reese, Dave Anderson and the other officers and former police officers on your staff provide. Thanks for a great magazine. The articles and photography in American Handgunner is tops in your industry and you should be proud. Bill Lammie Via e-mail Bill, when I spotted those old boxes on my ammo shelf I knew there were other semi-old guys who would appreciate seeing them again. In the late 1970s or early 1980s, I went into the Woolworth’s in the big Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego and looked over a slew of surplus M-1 Garands they had for sale. I bought the best one, and walked out of the store with it. Nowadays, that mall is full of trendy clothing stores and expensive eateries, and people would go into apoplectic shock if they saw someone carrying a rifle case strolling down the walk. Like you, I spent hours looking longingly at the Ted Williams-branded guns and Buck Knives in various Sears stores as a kid. Ditto for Montgomery Wards, Western Auto and JCPenny. They were good old days in many respects, that’s for sure. I’ll see what else I can dig out to get us back down memory lane again. RH Old .22 Boxes It was with great fondness I read the section entitled “Good Old Days” (Insider, July/Aug 2010). That small section brought back some great memories. My first gun ever was a Sears Ted Williams .22 caliber rifle with a small 4x scope with simple cross hairs. My dad got it for me at a Sears in a mall just outside Pittsburgh when I was 16 years old. It holds 16 rounds of .22 long rifle and with or without the scope it took care of a mess of squirrels, rabbits, rats (remember this is Pittsburgh) and more cans than I can think of. I got that rifle in 1976 and I still have it and it still shoots pretty darn well. When I turned 18 I went to the local Kmart and bought my first deer rifle, a .30-30 Marlin 336 C, and if memory serves me right I paid about $130.00 for it. At the same Kmart I was able to buy boxes of ammo, a sling, cleaning kit and targets. I still have that rifle as well. It’s .22 Wonderfulness I would draw your attention to Mr. Dave Anderson’s aricle (“.22 Nirvana,” Better Shooting, May/June 2010). I found myself nodding in agreement at the beginning, middle — but not at the end. Mr. Anderson states: “The Ruger .22 80 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=81http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=81autos are a ‘best buy’ as they have been since 1949 — accurate, well made, stone reliable and virtually impossible to wear out.” I would like to mention this is fictitious! I just wore out my Ruger standard I went in halves with my dad on my 11th birthday. It grieves me to no end I will have to turn to the Ruger Mk II I have kept new and in the box for the last 10 years to fill my Standard’s shoes. Ammo being hard to come by, and expensive, has left me with only being able to shoot one or two cylinders from my carry weapon and train more exclusively with the .22. I know my standard bore the brunt of my childhood shooting, and every bit of my small allowance was spent at the Ace Hardware and Small Engine repair shop on .22 ammo (36 cents a box of 50). I know it had over 700,000 rounds through it and will be sent in to be rebuilt, but to claim it cannot wear out is just not true. After 28 years of loyal service it deserves to feel like new and I can’t wait to get it back. Jon Hardin Via e-mail Gads Jon, only 700,000 rounds? I’d demand your money back! I’ll tell Dave he was wrong … you can wear out a Ruger Standard Auto, if you live long enough! RH “ and true to the claim, we could not get it to fail.’’ ~ Shari LeGate, American Handgunner Kit includes: • Caspian slide with Novak style, low-mount front and rear site cuts Build a 1911-style .45 with parts featuring our patented EXO coating.and experience permanent lubrication, extreme durability, utter reliability, and remarkable ease of cleaning. Visit www.FailZero.com to see what experts have to say about Fail Zero’s revolutionary products. See FailZero users in action! Search YouTube for “FailZero.” • Caspian frame with integral plunger tube, cut for Wilson Combat Beavertail • Precision trigger, hammer, disconnector 1-866-214-6926 • www.FailZero.com UCT Coatings, Stuart FL Correction In our article by Dave Anderson (“Shooter Ready?” May/June 2010), the caption on page 46 mis-identified a competition timer. The one on the right is by Competitive Edge Dynamics (www.CEDhk.com). Competitive Edge has been a significant player in the timer market for many years, and a comprehensive sponsor of many matches. We apologize for any confusion our mistake may have caused. RH 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. Our Newest 1911 Catalog includes just what you need for building, maintaining and shooting the most popular pistol in history. No rifle, shotgun, or “other pistol” stuff. Packed with barrels, frames, slides, safeties, triggers, springs, grips, and more, plus all the tools you need to install them. The highest quality products from today’s most respected, custom 1911 suppliers. And, all the sights and scope mounts you’ll need for these fine pistols and the gear you need when you head to the range or field. 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Everything we sell is 100% GUARANTEED - Period. 800-741-0015 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 231.27125 Amer Handgun SeptOct 2010.indd 1 brownells.com Source Code: CJL 81 4/23/10 10:14 AM2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=82http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=82TAFFIN TESTS Continued from page 36 AR Uppers & Lowers Custom Revolver Cylinders Hi-Power and 1911A-1 Frames & Slides High Quality OEM Supplier 41 Lake Morton Drive Suite 25 Lakeland, FL 33801 ph: 863.602.1515 fax: 863.815.7287 jim@floridaarms.com www.floridaarms.com are outfitted with Bisley Model grip frames, hammers, and triggers, with one remaining a .44 Magnum with a 51/2" barrel, and the other being a 51/2" 5-shot, full custom .45 Colt by Jim Stroh. The three remaining .44 Magnums could have been the sum total of my Long Range Rugers except for a hunting trip and a gun show. I had been hunting on the Penn Baggett Ranch outside of Ozona Texas. It was the last afternoon of the last day and I had not yet connected on a whitetail buck. Since I was still flying in those days, and since I also trusted UPS more than the airlines with my firearms, we made the trip into town to ship my sixguns home. That left me with one evening of hunting without a personal sixgun, so Penn lent me one of his very special sixguns. It proved to be the charm, and just before dark I took a beautiful 10-point buck. Penn’s revolver was a custom Ruger, a Long Range Ruger, by Ben Forkin. Forkin had started with a Ruger .357 Maximum, re-chambered it to .445 SuperMag, fitted it with a 10" bull barrel, as well as Bisley Model parts, grip frame, hammer, and trigger. Ruger’s .357 Maximum had originally been aimed at the silhouetting crowd using a longer frame and cylinder to house the 1.600" .357 Maximum case as compared to the original .357 Magnum at 1.300". I put the Forkin .445 on paper that afternoon using Penn’s handloads with 265 grain Hornady Flat-Points and was well satisfied with the accuracy of the load. Three hours later the potency of the load was demonstrated as my whitetail buck dropped in its tracks. Need Or Want? I don’t know that I needed a .445 Ruger but I certainly wanted one. A .357 Maximum was found, shipped off to Ben with the orders to make me a sixgun just like Penn’s. As expected, Forkin performed all the action niceties such as action and trigger job, total tightening, post front sight mated up with a Bowen rear sight, and a beautiful deep blue finish. Whether shooting jacketed or cast bullets it performs to my highest expectations and is able to do with 300 grain bullets what my other three .44 caliber Long Range Rugers provide with 250 grain bullets. Unlike the other 1.600" long cartridges, the .475 and .500 Maximum, the .445 is not known for brutal recoil. The 101/2" .357 Maximum bull barrel was placed in my parts box, waiting for who knows what future project. At the time I did not really foresee any possible use for a long, heavy, .38 caliber barrel. Then came the gun show. Two hours into the show, I found something 82 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=83http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=83I could not believe had been missed by everyone else. There on the table was a Ruger .357 Magnum Flat-Top Blackhawk for less than $200! Yes, the finish was worn, yes, someone had made a mess of the front sight by trying to install a plastic insert that had long ago disappeared, however, it would make a perfect project gun and at a most reasonable purchase price. Usually the Three-Screw .357 Blackhawk sixguns are used for easy Packin’ Pistol conversions to .44 Special or .41 Special. Over the years I’ve had several such conversions performed on both Flat-Top and Old Model .357 Magnum Blackhawks. They are preferred over the New Models as they were built on the same size frame as the Colt Single Action resulting in a very trim, lightweight sixgun conversion. Now that I had the Flat-Top I had to decide what to do with it. The action was sound, however it was not really shootable because of the front sight. The thought came to me it would make a perfect choice to match up with the 101/2" .357 Maximum barrel to come up with an easy shooting Long Range Ruger in .357 Magnum. With that in mind, I took the old Ruger, the Maximum barrel, a long ejector rod housing, and as a special touch, a pair of original Ruger stag grips, all to Mike Rainey, then resident gunsmith at Shapel’s. 187-Gr. Performance Rainey fitted the bull barrel to the little Ruger and also matched the stag grips to the Ruger frame. This was to be a one-load sixgun, but only if my load of choice would work. I wanted to shoot only heavyweight cast bullets expecting the bull barrel to dampen recoil and place this custom .357 into the pleasant shooting category. My load consisted of the Cast Performance Bullet Co. 187grain hard cast gas check bullet over 13.0 gr. of either WW296 or H110. Muzzle velocity was just a shade under 1,300 fps, recoil was mild, and accuracy was excellent. It was now time to refinish the .357 Magnum Long Range Ruger. Gary Reeder is known for excellent refinishing so my newest Long Range Ruger was sent off to Flagstaff to be high polish blued and fancied up a mite. Reeder polished the aluminum grip frame bright, put gold bands around the cylinder, and embellished the left side of the barrel with “John Taffin The Shootists” placing it in the Not-ForSale category to be saved for the third John Taffin, my eldest grandson. By the time he inherits it, it will hopefully have seen thousands of 187-grain Cast Performance Bullet Co. bullets run down the barrel and should still be in excellent shape. In the meantime, I’ve come up with another Long Range Ruger, however, that’s another story for another time. All BIG-BORES, All SUPER-BORES, All BARREL LENGTHS - Only One Choice. ost The MHolster ™ us Famo e World! In Th 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! Fitted To Your Exact Gun Holster is 100% Heavy Bridle Leather - Fully Suede-Lined Harness is all Top-Grain Leather. 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For the Fiocchi dealer near you, Call 417.449.1043 / visit www.fiocchiusa.com2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=85http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=85BUCK & BALL Continued from page 44 tM $ Products that Protect round balls enough so that after five full power .45 Colt loads were fired first, the capsules held together. Here is a second interesting point. Three .310" balls dispersed far more widely than two .375" ones. From my Colt SAA’s 7½" barrel .45 Colt, the three balls were 7" to 8" apart. With two .375" round balls points of impact were about 3" or so apart. As a grand finale to this project I envisioned loading up six of the three buckshot/.45 Colt loads and in fast firing put 18 holes in a target. It would make an impressive photograph. But alas, I was having so much fun playing with this “buck & ball” concept that not enough .45 Colt shot capsules were left at the end. 8.49 Plus S/H 2 Pack For QuickStrips Fit More Calibers On Orders of 3 Packs Or More tM FREE Shipping Available in Orange or Black New 5 Round .38 & .44 Cal. .17HMR .22 Rim Fire .223 .30.06 .30-30 .308 .32/.327 .38/.357 S&W .40 .41 Magnum .410 Shot Gun .44/.45/.460 .45 Auto Rim .45 ACP .475 Linebaugh .480 Ruger .500 Linebaugh .500 S&W 9mm $12.49 Power Questions 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 AT LAST. NOW YOU CAN ADD PIZZAZZ TO YOUR RUGER BLACKHAWK, SUPER BLACKHAWK, OLD VAQUERO AND SINGLE SIX PISTOLS TOO! SEE NEW IMAGES FOR YOUR GOV’T 1911, TAURUS PT AND BOBTAIL 1911 PISTOLS QUALITY MADE IN THE U.S.A. www.riograndecustomgrips.com 303-330-2812 Cylinder Base Pins Ruger, Colt, and Replicas Phone & Fax 1-406-388-1396 NEW! Big Game “PUNCH” Bullets P Belt Mtn. Enterprises, Inc. www.beltmountain.com T 59714 In the past I’ve written about using .45 caliber gas checks as over powder QuickStripTM Pouch and over shot wads in .45 Colt cases in Wraps around belts up to 1 3/4”and is making shot loads for rattlesnake control designed for use with around my home. Once Speer brought one or two QuickStrips™. out the .45 Colt plastic shot capsules that Available in 4 sizes to fit made the gas check method obsolete. $ your QuickStrips™. 19.99 Still considering myself a “bright light” Plus s/H Black or Coyote Brown gas checks were tried in .45 Colt cases Order Online: www.tuffproducts.com in an effort to get more buckshot inside. Or Call: 877-883-3776 My lights got dimmed dramatically 10-AmericanHandgunAd: 2/1/10 1060 Colorado Ave. Ste A. Chula Vista, CA 91911 with that method. There isn’t enough resistance offered by the gas checks and loose buckshot to make smokeless Tuff 2.5 x 5 ad B and W.indd 1 5/26/10 10:49 PM powder burn well. Those loads went off with a sort of “poo” sound and the buckshot bounced off a piece of 1/8" plywood. Bad idea, that one. How powerful are the double ball loads and the buck and ball ones in plastic shot capsules? Here’s what my “I could feel a difference . . . chronograph told me. Two .457" round balls powered by 6.0 grains of Unique I know it helps . . . I’ve seen the results.” gave 807 fps. Two .375" round balls held —Robert Vogel, Police Officer & 7-time National Champion Shooter USPSA/IDPA by a plastic capsule chronographed 855 fps. Three .310" round balls, again inside a plastic capsule clocked at 939 fps. In a future issue I’ll tell you how to make them for several other revolver calibers for which ready-made pure lead round balls are not readily available. But at this point I must confess one thing: for the life of me I can’t figure out a really practical use for “buck & ball” handgun loads. I don’t give advice about home and self-defense guns or ammunition so I’m not recomCaptains of Crush® mending them for those purposes. PerThe gold sta2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=86http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=86AYOOB FILES Continued from page 20 approved S&W Model 29 with 6.5" barrel, using variously 180 grain Super Vel and 240-grain Remington .44 Magnum semi-jacketed hollow points, until a California court decision mandated departments to issue handguns. SCSD at that time decided everyone would carry the same service revolver, and it fell to Mac, as department armorer, to choose which. He picked the 66, with 4" barrel standard for patrol, and 2.5" round butt configuration optional for plainclothes personnel. Though working plainclothes himself, he chose a 4" for his personal use. The first-generation 66s had suffered well-publicized problems (see Industry Insider columns in the archives of this magazine back in the mid- and lateseventies, online at www.americanhandgunner.com). The first batch of SCSD’s guns experienced several failures with Magnum ammo, and the department bought updated 66s. Scott smoothed the action of his, fitted all-black rear sight from one of the later guns (the first generation wore silvery stainless sights front and rear), and dovetailed his front sight to accept a bright yellow insert. Preferring a two-hand hold with the index finger at the front of the trigger guard — a technique more popular then than now — he also stippled his 66 there. Finally, he replaced the wooden target-style stocks with an early pair of Hogue Monogrips, stippling the exposed backstrap of the grip frame for added hand traction. He made a point of practicing with it at least monthly, and often weekly. He was intimately familiar with that particular revolver, a fact that stood him in good stead on December 27, 1977. The Chase Untitled-1 1 As police converged on the scene where Williams had been spotted, the first to pick up the now-mobile Ford wagon was SCSD Deputy Bud Washburn, in a marked unit. Scott fell in behind him, driving his unmarked medium-sized Chevrolet. Police lights flashing, they followed the station wagon for half a mile, into the countryside that then surrounded that part of Santa Rosa. Suddenly, the station wagon veered into a rural home’s driveway. The marked unit pulled in behind to block it in, as Scott brought his unmarked car to a halt at the left. Things were happening quickly. Williams had a reputation for being amazingly fleet of foot, and before they could exit their vehicles Scott and Washburn saw Williams bail from the still-moving Ford, and hit the ground running. Scott, who had dealt with Williams before, identified the WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 862010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=87http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=87Whispers ® .302 ® .338 .375 .416 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 felony suspect positively by sight. And he positively saw something else — a blue steel handgun in Williams’ fist. As he came out of the unmarked Chevelle, Mac Scott’s own hand flashed to the Model 66 in the pancake holster, custom built for him by ace California gunleather maker Gordon Davis. He Designed by Ichiro Nagata saw Williams run around the right side of the house that hosted the driveway; Scott ran around the left side. Williams came back into his view, running through a pasture behind the house. Fits More Mags Still shouting, “Sheriff’s Deputies! available in: Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, ACU Digital Stop!” to no avail. Tearing his suit coat Camo or Black Nylon as he clambered over a barbed wire • 5 In Line $49.99 fence (the fast-moving Williams cleared Fits single/Double stacks Mags. (9mm/.40/.45aCP/ar15) it with ease) the sergeant realized that • 8 In Line $49.99 a distance of a football field or more Fits single stack Magazines (.45aCP/1911/P220) opened between him and his quarry, • 8 In Line $59.99 with the uniformed deputy even furFits Double stack Magazines (9mm/.40./45aCP/ar15) ther behind them both. On the other • Shoulder Strap Kit $9.99 side of the pasture was a house; Scott Belt or M.O.L.L.E. Compatible / Individual Pockets saw a woman emerge. She was well Removable Flap / Nylon Heavy Duty Webbing out of his line of fire if he needed to Double Layered 1000 Denier Nylon (magazines Not included) engage the fleeing felon, but the fugitive could reach her quicker than the detecFREE Shipping U.S.A. ORDERS ONLY tive could. The game — and the stakes — now suddenly changed for the worse. Mac Scott would later recall, “I feared he might gain access to the house, grab the woman and we’d have a hostage situPRODUCTS THAT PROTECT ation on our hands. It was also readily Order Online: www.tuffproducts.com apparent there was no way I could overOr Call: 877-883-3776 take the suspect on foot, in that field. I 1060 Colorado Ave Chula Vista CA 91911 also noted, directly behind the suspect, was a large patch of bushes and blackberry vines; no houses or other dwellings Tuff_8 in line.indd 1 4/15/10 1:37 PM were in my line of fire. It was at that precise moment I decided to exercise the use of deadly force on Williams.” 8 IN LINE Do you need A Gun Belt? The Shot Mac Scott came to a stop and took a PRODUCTS THAT PROTECT deliberate Weaver stance. He had dashed more than a hundred yards, but didn’t feel winded — the big deputy stayed in shape playing sports. Even so, he took a calming breath as he raised his gun. For the first time during the incident, things If you carry a gun, YOU DO! seemed to be going in slow motion. He couldn’t tell the exact distance, but knew it had to be over a hundred yards. He thumb-cocked the hammer to single HAND MADE BELTS ARE TWO LAYERS action and took a sight picture. OF TOP QUALITY BULL HIDE (NOT COW “Knowing I’d have to lead him to HIDE) FOR FIRMNESS AND DURABILITY, make the shot, and considering he was AND WILL EASILY SUPPORT THE WEIGHT quartering away from me running from OF A FULL SIZE FIREARM AND ACCESSOright to left, I placed the top of my front RIES. SUITABLE FOR CONEALED CARRY, sight on his left shoulder, lowered the COMPETITION, OR DRESS WEAR, OPTIONS rear sight slightly to allow for trajectory, INCLUDE: VELCRO LINING, TAPERING, then began to lightly press the trigger as STIFFENERS, BUCKLE SELECTION ETC. I maintained the sight picture and folAVAILABLE IN THREE WIDTHS, FOUR COLlowed through,” Scott would remember ORS, AND EDGED TO PERFEC2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=88http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=88ered by olff Power ed b y Wolf f! 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 been true, and slightly lowered my muzzle as to watch the suspect’s reaction. His gait almost immediately faltered and he went down to his knees then to prone. 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SS/BL $36.95 “E-Z Fit Hi Grip”® Safety .250 radius-Series 70 & 80 .220 radius S70 for Springfields “PalmSwel”/Standard (jig available) Moments after the shot, Scott saw Williams get back to his feet unsteadily, and then begin to hobble, bent over, toward the house. No longer seeing a weapon, Scott didn’t fire again. Instead, he sprinted forward to close the gap. As he ran, he opened his cylinder with a much-practiced movement and lightly touched the ejector rod, leaving the spent case up where his fingertips could pluck it out. The fired casing went into his trouser pocket. There were two speedloaders in his suit coat pocket, but to reload the single chamber he plucked one cartridge from the six-round loop set on his belt, inserted it, and closed the cylinder. The tactical reload left him fully charged with department issue 158-grain Remington .357 Magnum semi-jacketed hollow points. Williams disappeared somewhere in the little house. Scott saw a blood trail leading into an open carport. Cautiously “pie-ing” the corners, he saw the blood spots ending at a rolled up carpet. Covering it with his .357, Scott used his Wellington boot to unroll it, revealing a bloody Gary Williams, who stretched his hands out meekly in surrender. Washburn and the other deputies quickly arrived and covered him as Scott searched and cuffed Williams. As they called for an ambulance, they discovered Williams was no longer armed. Unknown to the officers, he ditched his gun shortly after leaping from the car. Investigators carefully measured the distance between where Mac Scott stood when he fired his single shot, and where Gary Williams fell wounded. The distance was 173 yards. Gary Williams survived to go to court, and thence to prison, for his many violent crimes. His amazing good fortune in shooting incidents with police had continued. The bullet struck him in the lower right back, passing below the kidney but above the pelvis, and had exited his abdomen. No vital structures were hit. He recovered from the wound uneventfully. Ironically, Williams might have owed his life to the vicissitudes of police department ammunition procurement. Scott had tried to get the fabulously successful Remington 125-grain .357 load for his department, but its excellent reputation created high demand and resultant low supply. He accepted the 158grain hollow point by the same maker as Prices starting at $17.50 S & A Custom 1911 Grips Exotic Woods & Micarta Standard & Slim Line DD, FC & Smooth Aftermath available 2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=89http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=89a second choice. Remington 158-grain .357 Magnum drops about 8" more than Remington 125-grain Magnum at 175 yards, according to ballistics tables. A 125-grain load, traveling more than 200 foot-seconds faster than the 158 grain, would have reached its moving target sooner. That would have put a 125 grain bullet traveling left to right, back to front, at a point mid-torso that probably would have gone through spleen and liver, and perhaps even the bottom of the heart. It would have changed Gary Williams streak of good luck profoundly. In 1977, the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision on the use of deadly force against fleeing felons in Garner vs. Tennessee was still several years in the future, but even under the subsequent, more restrictive Garner standard, this was a clean shoot. Scott positively identified Williams, known to him as the perpetrator of violent armed robberies and home invasions, and had observed a gun in Williams’ hand. All other means of stopping Williams’ flight were attempted and proven impossible. At the time Mac Scott shot him, Gary Williams was running towards a woman he would have likely taken hostage and harmed. Thus, Williams’ continued freedom presented a clear and present danger to innocent life and limb. Bottom line: Mac Scott was totally justified in shooting him. The department concurred, and Scott received a commendation for affecting the capture. However, the investigation of the shooting had some quicksand in it. Always remember most who judge you after a shooting will not have been in shootings themselves, and people at average police qualification levels of marksmanship skill do not realize just how much a highly competent shooter such as Scott can do with a handgun. During all this I heard a sound so familiar to deer hunters around the world: the unmistakable ‘thwock’ of a high-velocity bullet striking flesh. It became apparent to Scott early in the post-shooting interviews that some of the investigators thought the 173yard hit with a revolver had been a “lucky shot.” Now, let’s think about that for a moment. If you were lucky to get the hit, it means a hit was unlikely. Taking a shot anywhere outside a firing range when you think it’s unlikely you’ll hit what you’re aiming at means by your own lights, you thought you’d hit something other than the target, and there is now an implication that taking the shot was irresponsible. Mac Scott saw this coming, and short-stopped it decisively. He knew his lead, he knew about the necessity of follow-through. He knew to elevate his front sight slightly vis-à-vis the rear sight to allow for the bullet’s trajectory. A year before his incident, the International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IHMSA) was formed, a sport in which people used .357 Magnum revolvers and similar handguns to shoot steel rams from 200 paces. Scott’s high level of shooting skill was well documented within the department, and easily provable. That line of questioning was dropped, and the shooting was ruled justifiable. The lesson is one of the eternal ones: be able to predict where the attack will come, and have a proven counterattack strategy already in place. Scott did, and it worked. Lessons Of The Long Shot No one can explain how Mac made the shot, more than the knowledgeable WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 892010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=90http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=90and articulate Scott, himself. He says, “Some 33 years after this event took place, a few thoughts still run through my now somewhat old, crippled-up and feeble mind. Randomly stated, they are: 1. Practice, practice, practice. I’ve had a firearm since age five; handguns (.38 and .45 ACP) since age 12. I’ve shot them, and all the guns in my possession regularly and repeatedly. There’s no such thing as too much practice. 2. Know your abilities. If you’re presented with a critical shot, near or far, be confident, fall back on your training and, if it feels right, take the shot … be it a long-distance one or a closeup headshot on a partially concealed hostage taker. As Lucky McDaniel said many years ago: ‘If it’s in range, if you can see it, you can hit it.’ I read those words as a teenager, never forgot them, and have always tried to adhere to them. 3. Don’t back down. You are the only one who knows whether the shot you took was valid at the moment or not. You took the shot, so you were confident of its success at that very moment. 4. Did I mention ‘practice’? At all distances, great and small. Never pass on an opportunity to try some longrange handgun shooting, be it at your gun club, out in the desert or points in-between. You might just be surprised what you and your pistol can do.” Epilog A traffic accident in 1984 resulted in permanent injuries and ended Mac Scott’s distinguished career in law enforcement. Working with Doug McDougall at SMA, he gained fame as a pistolsmith, setting high water marks for customized pocket autos in particular. McDougall’s death in 2004 ended the partnership, and Mac is now enjoying retirement in the Pacific Northwest. After Gary Williams recuperated from his gunshot wound and went to prison, Mac lost track of him. However, he never heard of any further depredations by the career criminal. He did learn Williams once admitted to someone that he deserved to get shot. Perhaps the well-aimed .357 bullet was Gary Williams’ wakeup call, when it could so easily have been his death knell. The best summary of the events of the day came from the man who took the bullet. After clearing the scene, Mac Scott drove to the hospital to check on the status of the prisoner, and to retrieve his handcuffs. He found Gary Williams on a hospital gurney, drugged, and looking up at him blearily. The detective questioned, “How you feeling, Gary?” The wounded prisoner asked, “Did you shoot me, Sergeant Scott?” Mac answered, “Yeah, Gary, I shot you.” Gary Williams paused for a moment, and then simply said, “Nice shot.” FREE "How-To " * Gunsmithing DVD Video! 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 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: AH0910 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 Mem2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=91http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=91Custom CORNER Powder River Precision, Inc. www.powderriverprecision.com Custom Cornerfeaturespaidlistingsbytheidentifiedpistolsmiths.ManyaremembersoftheAmericanPistolsmiths GuildandtheAmericanHandgunnerClub100.Advertisinginformationisavailablefrom:amerICan handgunner,Adv.Dept.,12345WorldTradeDrive,SanDiego,CA92128;(858)605-0218. WWW.DLSPORTS.COM Custom AR15’s, 1911’s, Precision Rifles, Accessories, Training, ITRC Competition Extreme Duty AR15 Magazines Now Available! Quality and timely pistolsmithing Specialized in: Springfield XD/XDM, 1911’s, Glocks and the Browning Hi-Power. 307.686.4008 D&L Sports, Inc. PO Box 651 Gillette, WY 82717 (541) 403-2998 (541) 403-2999 PISTOLSMITHS www.tusseycustom.com e-mail: ttussey45@aol.com 775-246-1533 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 6/16/09 7:27:17 AM 912010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=92http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=92SIXGUNNER Continued from page 70 lot of Clint Smith and Mas Ayoob in those old pages. Perhaps I have it backwards and instead see a lot of Fitz in their writings. Everybody who had anything to do with handguns knew Fitz. In his excellent book The Secrets of Double-Action Shooting Bob Nichols paid eloquent tribute to Fitz who had passed on five years earlier. “I knew the late John Henry Fitzgerald well. He was the fastest man on the draw in the world. Here was the famous Fitz of Colt’s. A rattlesnake could be first to the strike, but I never saw anything on two legs who could do the same … In his book, Fitz came as close as he dared to telling the truth about double action shooting. Fitz knew the deadly accuracy and speed of double action shooting; make no mistake about this. His great concern was Colt’s just did not make the best American double action revolver, that’s all; and Fitz knew this, too … Fitz was the most colorful personality, the greatest showman and the greatest salesman Colt’s ever had after the death of Col. Sam Colt. Fitz was Mr. Colt for the 27 years preceding his death. He was immensely popular with, and respected by, law enforcement officers the country over; and even in Canada.” It’s most interesting to me to read Nichols’ statement about Fitz knowing the Colt was second-best compared to Smith & Wesson but Fitz was loyal to Colt and both quick and accurate with his .45 Colt New Service sixguns. Those sixguns were a pair of specially altered .45 Colt New Services, which were carried in his front trouser pockets. These were not ordinary New Services, which are large double action THE ULTIMATE CONCEALMENT FIREARM sixguns by anyone’s definition. Barrels were cut back to 2", the grip frame was rohrbaughfirearms.com | 1•800 •803•2233 or 631•242•3175 shortened, the hammer was bobbed so it would not catch on clothing, however enough was left so an expert at double action shooting could start the hammer back with the trigger action and then 9833_ROHRBAUGH_AMERICAN_HANDGUNNER_AD_FINAL.indd 1 6/9/10 3:36:48 use PM the thumb to cock it for deliberate single action fire. The final touch is something shooters have been arguing about ever since the first Fitz Special was created. For quick access to the trigger, Fitz cut out the front of the trigger guard. Ed McGivern did not agree with this and instead enlarged trigger guards for quicker and easier access to the trigger while Bill Jordan slimmed the front of the trigger guard on his double action sixguns to about half their normal width so he could more quickly get his big finger on the trigger. One man who DA Shooting ROHRBAUGH R9 92 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=93http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=93completely agreed with Fitz was Col. Charles Askins and modified a couple of his personal guns to be his own versions of Fitz Specials. In my early days of shooting I certainly heard of the almost mythical Fitz Special but had never actually seen an original one. That changed when I visited Col. Rex Applegate at his home in the mid-1990s. I, along with Bill Jordan, had presented him with the Outstanding American Handgunner Awards Foundation bronze, and we became very good friends. When I entered the front door of Col. Applegate’s personal museum his two most prized possessions were the first thing I saw. One was his bronze trophy signifying his lifelong contributions to handgunners; leaning against his trophy was his original, ivorystocked .45 Colt Fitz Special which was engraved “To Rex From Fitz.” By 1890 Fitz, though still a teenager, became fascinated with ballistics going so far as to actually examine the rifling marks on bullets. In the future he would be known as a expert witness in forensic tests testifying in hundreds of trials as well as being a consultant in over a thousand cases. He considered himself to be “half-cop” instructing and lecturing to police departments all around the country and was actually affiliated Two-Handed with several law enforcement organizations. Just as his friend Col. Rex Applegate would later do, Fitz not only instructed in the use of firearms but also techniques to use when unarmed. He had been a prizefighter in his youth so was well qualified for the latter. He was a firm believer and proponent of double action shooting. As Colt’s Ambassador he was always in the Colt tent at the Camp Perry National Matches ready to share with other shooters as well as tune their Colt pistols and revolvers. All serious handgun shooters today know of and also use some form of Jack Weaver’s Weaver Stance. In modern times it was championed by Weaver in the 1960s and promoted by Jeff Cooper. I’ve always maintained the Weaver Stance or some form thereof goes back at least as early as 1847 when the first Texas Ranger tried to shoot a 41/2 pound Walker Colt. Fitz did a lot of double action work shooting two sixguns simultaneously, but he also believed in being able to hit at longer ranges. To this end he was using two hands for shooting one gun nearly a half-century before Cooper and Weaver. More than 50 years before they arrived, Fitz looked to improving the big .45. Soon after the Colt 1911 .45 was adopted, stories began of its inaccuracy and difficulty in shooting. One year after Fitz went to work for Colt he turned his talents to the 1911: “A few shots from a properly sighted .45 automatic will convince the most skeptical that it is a wonderful arm and very accurate, extremely so if fitted with the .45 Colt Match Barrel. These barrels were first used in 1919 and after months of experimenting at the Colt factory. I took 40 of these match barrels to the national shoot that year and the records made at this shoot convinced the most doubting that the .45 automatic equaled any of the large caliber sidearms in existence.” Just as the writings of all the old masters of the handgun, Fitz’s work is dated in many ways but it is also as modern as today. Elmer Keith, Ed McGivern, Charlie Askins, Rex Applegate, Jeff Cooper, and most assuredly John Henry Fitzgerald all have much to teach us still. We will never see their like again. Predicting The Future * Not only do we find Clint Smith and Mas Ayoob in Fitz’s book, we also find such master builders of the .45 auto as Bill Wilson, Les Baer and Ed Brown. Fitzgerald’s book Shooting can be found in its 1930 version quite often at www.abebooks.com. In the early 1990s it was reprinted by Wolfe and is currently cataloged by Paladin Press. Courtesy The National WWII Museum www.nationalww2museum.org Made with Pride in the U.S.A. “Walnut Stock” Model: AOM130 (shipped with 15 rd mag) Model: AOM140 (shipped with 10 rd mag) “Paratrooper Folding Stock” Model: AOM150 (shipped with 15 2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=94http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=94GUNNYSACK BROWNING HI-POWER LED LIGHT Roy Huntington know, I know … another flashlight. But this one is part of the trend toward going to AA batteries, and it’s a trend I like. You can find AAs anywhere, they’re proven technology, they don’t melt-down in your light or in your pocket, and with today’s LED technology, you get more run-time and higher lumens than you can imagine. This latest from Browning called the Hi Power (As in Hi-Power pistol, get it?) comes in this handsome silver anodized body or a black body, complete with an inlaid bit of genuine walnut as used in Browning stocks. And, they do something all-too many lights fail to do today — they work simply. No brain-drain here folks. The side button pushes once for on (bright), hit it again and within a second or so and it goes to a dimmer mode, hit it again and it goes off. Simply turn it on, it goes to bright, and after a second or two, if you push it again it simply, well … turns off. So you have on (bright), dim or off. So I when you’re hands are cold, your brain is fried and you need a light right now, you, um, uh … push the button to turn it on. Who’d a thought? On high the Cree XPE LED delivers 145 Lumens and about 1.5 hours of run-time. And that, boys and girls, is as good as many of the “combat” lights today using CR123 Lithium batteries. On low it will run for up to 4.5 hours at 60 Lumens of light, enough to realistically handle just about any chore or survival situation. And with a few AAs in your pocket, you can easily get scads of burn time if you need it. The end-cap will un-screw a few turns to make sure the light won’t turn on accidentally in your luggage, and at about $75, this is alotta’ light for the money. The AA thing makes it even sweeter. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex 94 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=95http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=95GUNNYSACK I Roy Huntington DARREL RALPH DESIGNS f you’re a gun-guy, then you’re a knife-guy too, even if it’s just your ancient pocket folder you’ve got stashed in your overalls. That’s why we like knives, here at Handgunner. Guess you’d call us gun-knife-guys? Okay, and gals. Darrel Ralph is one of those “young lions” in the design world. Part of the younger crowd who is steamrolling across the industry, Darryl brings innovative design and solid value to the custom, “mid-tech” and collaboration world. His Gun Hammer Bowie (note the opener-flipper shape) is a “Mid-Tech” model, a combination of hand-made and machine-made. It’s still a custom knife, but with the accuracy only a CNC can manage. It’s got CPM S30V steel, 3D machined ergonomic handle with grip grooves (a very cool feeling grip), hardened wear parts and a military “Type II” hard coated aircraft aluminum frame. Available with assisted or manual opening blade. From $259.95 to $299.95 depending on the exact model, and it’s made in America. The 18-XRAYII Tanto is a military automatic knife developed to ensure soldiers and cops can deploy their knife faster and safer than a conventional safety-style switchblade. Unlike most other autos, the 18-XRAYII’s safety and opening system is combined into a single button allowing blade opening, closing and a set safety position all in one motion. You sort of push it forward and down. Works great and keeps it from opening in your pocket. That’ll get your attention. The 18-XRAYII is 100 percent American-Made, in collaboration with Meyerco, well known in the cutlery world. It’s got a DLC coated 3.6" 154CM high carbon stainless steel blade hardened to 58-60 RC, Military spec “Type II” hard coated aircraft aluminum frame, and offers either tip up or tip down carry. Priced at $349.95 plus $10.00 if you want serrations. For more info: www.americanhandgunner. com/productindex 3 No 8 0 w A A u v t a o il & ab 4 l 5 e C in o l t Stop The ThreatTM Winchester® Bonded PDX1™ is engineered to maximize terminal ballistics as defined by the demanding FBI test protocol, which simulate real-world threats. Now available in a full line of popular handgun calibers – including 380 Auto and 45 Colt. Bottom line … this same bullet design chosen by the FBI protects our homeland, and now it protects your home. Bonded Lead Core. Preprogrammed Jacket. 1.5 Times The Expansion. ©2010 Winchester Ammunition www.winchester.com WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM halfpagepdx1_handgunner.indd 1 6/1/10 11:39:45 AM 952010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=96http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=96GUNNYSACK I Roy Huntington HYSKORE PISTOL REST love stuff that actually works and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Hyskore’s products are always affordable, and the big boss there, Ted Werner, is full of innovation and good ideas. A good pistol rest is an important part of what we do here at Handgunner, and I’m always on the look-out for a better one. While it’s nice to use a Ransom Rest, sometimes, especially with some polymer guns or odd guns, you can’t find grip inserts and they take time to set-up. I know a solid wrist rest is reliable, but you’ll be surprised at how well you can do with a good pistol rest. Hyskore’s Pivot Pistol Rest is very nicely made, complete with a genuine bearing for the main platform to rotate on. You can even take it apart to clean and lube it if needed. To say the rest is over-built is understating things here. Brawny bolts, thick steel and good quality parts are in evidence. And I especially like the fact it’s simple. You can adjust the height of the barrel rest, use two adjustment knobs on either side to level it (using the supplied magneticbase level), and rotate as you need to be comfy. You can also lock the main platform so it won’t rotate. There’s a nifty carrying handle at the top, and when you tote it, nothing falls off. This is a great “grab it and go” to the range tool. I leave mine set-up near my back-door and when I need to shoot grab it and toss it on a table outside. And, you can also use it as a rest for your rifle, simply by adapting a rear sand bag for the butt area of your rifle. It’s very versatile, light, easy to set up and actually works. Imagine that. And at $89.99, a real steal! For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex 96 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=97http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=97GUNNYSACK T Roy Huntington PEWTER 1911 GRIPS he father and son team of Adams & Adams Engraving is famous for their stunning, heirloom quality engraving. With over 2,500 guns engraved, this father/ son team are, without a doubt, among the rarified top world-class engravers out there. Mr. Adams Sr., did work for Colt and Ruger, among others. Make sure you check out their website to see this stunning art. But this is about another kind of art. They are also involved with creating and casting pewter figures and useful goodies. Among those useful goodies are a series of grips for different handguns. John Adams, Sr. was kind enough to send me a sample of their latest offerings. These happen to be for 1911s, but others fit single actions. Pewter is an interesting grip material. Being heavier than aluminum, they lend a certain “heft” when on a handgun. If you’re shooting an all-steel 1911, these increase the weight by a few ounces, which although it seems modest, can go a long way toward softening recoil if you’re sensitive to such things. Plus, there’s a certain elegance to figured metal, whether it be an iconic emblem like the Marine Corps. shield, or simply deep relief carving and engraving. Mr. Adams says minor final fitting might be needed due to variances in guns, but if you’re deft with a couple of small hand tools, and take your time, it’s no sweat. Most I’ve seen seem to screw right on though. The really surprising thing is the price. If you think “around $50” you’d be close, mostly, but Mr. Adams asked I tell you to contact them directly to get exact quotes, as metal costs change and different models vary. A very simple, stylish way to make sure your 1911 is well-turnedout for public appearances, if you ask me. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex Get all six Special Editions and Save $14.70! Individually they’d cost you $59.70. You can get them all through this offer for only $45.00! A LOOK INSIDE: • Less Lethal Options • Mossberg’s 590A1 • Blade Geometry 101 • Protecting your Family • Concealed Carry Options • Cowboy Guns for Home • Handgun Retention American Handgunner 2010 Personal Defense Annual A LOOK INSIDE: • The Kahr P45 • Practice for the Fight • Laser Lights • Guncrafter Industries • Wilson Combat Style • Personal Defense Strategies for Airline Travel American Handgunner 2010 Tactical Annual A LOOK INSIDE: • S&W Pro Series 1911 • Becoming a Gun Writer • Handgun Not Enough? • Bullet Casting • A Hunter’s Must-Have • Reloading • Packin’ Pocket Pistols American Handgunner 2010 Special Edition Annual A LOOK INSIDE: •Armalite AR-30: .338 Envy •Combative Rifle Hunting • PPSH41 vs The M2 Carbine • Magpul Moe Frankengun • What’s in your Survival Kit? • Combat Shotguns • Reality Based Cane Tactics Guns Magazine 2010 Combat Special Edition Annual A LOOK INSIDE: • Stance Nonsense • Rejuvenate Your AR • Personal Protection for Spouses • The Tactics of Light • A Bunker Mentality • The Immortal Remington 870 • The Right Tool for the Job American Cop 2010 Special Edition Annual A LOOK INSIDE: • African Big Bore Rifles • The DPMS RAPTR • Lil’ Lever Guns • All 1911 All The Time! • T/C Encore Pro Hunter • S&W I-Bolt • Kit Up - Cool New Gear Guns Magazine 2011 Special Edition Annual (outside U.S. $85.00) WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM Complete Your Collection. GET ALL SIX FOR ONLY $45.00! You will find something in each of these issues to use at home or in the field. Visit us at www.americanhandgunner.com PO Box 502610 • San Diego, CA 92150-2610 or www.gunsmagazine.com 97 Order your copies today while supplies last. 9 a.m. Call toll-free 888.732.2299 Mon-Fri 3 p.m. PST2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=98http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=98: SPOTLIGHT WOODLAND WHISPER AltusBrands MGRIPS EMATactical Beingabletohear whatisgoingonin yourenvironment isvitalforthe hunter,photographer, videographer.Theoriginal WoodlandWhisperisacomfortable BehindtheEar(BTE)electronichearingamplificationunitthatincreaseshearingrangeupto100’.It’s lightweight,andfitseitherearofferingfivelevelsof volumecontrol.Theunitcomeswiththreeearplugs,batteriesandacarrycase.Formoreinfo:(800)891-3660or www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex. 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EXPANDABLE PISTOL RACK Hyskore TheHyskoreExpandable PistolRackisconstructed fromsemi-rigidclosed cellfoamthatresistsoil andwaterandprotects yourguns.Combining additionalrackswitha3/16"threadedrodcaneasily expandtherack.Eachrackmeasures8¼x7½x6".For moreinfo:(631)673-5975orwww.americanhandgunner. com/productindex. URSA MAJOR WilsonTactical RAzOR HOLSTER SERIES Blade-Tech Asthemarket foracomfortable,secure concealedcarry holsterevolves, Blade-Techturned toitscustomers forinputregarding featurestheywantedtoseemostinanewlineofKydex holsters.TheresultisthenewRazorSeriesofinsidethe-waistbandholsters.TheRazorSeriesishandmade withasmoothlycontoured,full-lengthseatguardonthe bodysidetoeliminatehotspotsandhelpprovideamore comfortablefit.Formoreinfo:(253)655-8059orwww. americanhandgunner.com/productindex. 98 NewfromtheWilsonTacticalCustom allianceistheDavidBroadwell handcraftedUrsaMajorknife.Latin forbigbear,theUrsaMajorpays homagetooneofthegreatestknife designsofalltime.ThesteelisCPM154,withan8"bladelengthanda 13"overalllength.Weighinginat 10.4oz,TheUrsaMajorretailsfor $1,295.Formoreinfo:(800)9554856orwww.americanhandgunner. com/productindex. BeunnoticedandsafewithSibari’s ConcealedWeaponbeltbags.The bagfeaturesafastopeningcompartmentsystemdesignedtocarrythe weaponsandbelongingscomfortably. TheCWbagismadeof900Dpolyester and1680Dnylonwaterproofandwater repellentfabricswithapaddedholsterand apaddedback.Comesinassortedcolors. Formoreinfo:(954)636-8555or www. americanhandgunner.com/productindex. CONCEALED WEAPON BAG SibariGear WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=99http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=99For more information on seeing your product featured in Spotlight contact, Steve Evatt (800) 533-7988. 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COPPER-CORE CT2 ROUND ExtremeShock ExtremeShockhastakentheinitiativetoproduceamorecostefficientself-defenseround.Byenhancingthe coredesign,engineershavebeenabletodesign thebullettofragmentasexpansivelyasthe tungstencoremunitions.TheCT2Roundisideal forapersonwhowishestoprotecthislifeandthe livesofhisfamily.Formoreinfo:(276)926-6772 or www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex. WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER20102010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=101http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=101DO-ALL DUO Continued from page 47 INESCAPABLY BRILLIANT rest shooter or some dude with a Ransom Rest would inevitably produce better groups from these and any other pistols, but given my limitations, the accuracy demonstrated is really quite good. The Blackhills 185-grain JHP and its vociferous, field-worthy +P alternate were amazing consistent with multiple five-round 25-yard groups measuring 2.1" and 2.2". Best group from the hard chrome gun came in at 1.7" with the Speer Gold Dot short barrel bullet loaded over 5.5 Unique. The hard chrome sample hated my standard 230grain lead RN hand load though, with groups ranging from 2.5" to 3.5" but the blue Sentinel Premier turned in consecutive groups of 1.9" and 1.3" with it. It is kind of heartening, though, to see even pistols emerging from a highly sophisticated, automated environment still show some individuality. Both pistols functioned perfectly with all the loads tried. The only glitch of any sort occurred when the magazine well on the chrome gun loosened from recoil. A drop of blue locktite on the screw threads would fix that. I couldn’t really tell if the Recoil-Master captured, two spring guide rod affected recoil impulse or not, but it did make the slide easier to retract than with a short guide rod and 18-pound spring. Some shooters like the Recoil Master for perceived recoil control and extended spring life. Others ignore it because it is pretty ubiquitous in the STI line while others rush to replace it with a full-length guide rod and standard spring. I find that RM pistols are pretty easy to dismount. I like it better than some full-length systems. C5 thE nEw SERIES thE woRld’S only SubCompaCt gREEn laSER SIght Well? From a utilitarian perspective, based on these two samples, the Sentinel Premier can at least match the performance expected from the top-end small shop custom 1911s. Likewise the raw materials are of the highest quality, as are the mating of major substructures and the integrity of the patent STI action. The overall cosmetic package is quite pleasing. While the pistol does offer substantial savings compared to most small shop custom pistols, it’s still adequately expensive to evoke the warmfuzzy sense of well-being and pride of ownership posited by Thorstein Veblen in his “Theory of the Leisure Class.” Performance, profile and appearance combined, and not dismissing the aura of Conspicuous Consumption, I find the Sentinel Premier is my favorite STI offering to date. The tiny C5 Series tucks neatly between trigger guard and muzzle, with no overhang to impede your subcompact and no compromise in performance. Brilliant visibility, enhanced deterrence and wicked accuracy. nEw! 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MAGAZINE TV SECOND SEASON AIRING NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL! MAGAZINE A one-year, 12-issue subscription to S.W.A.T. Magazine is only $34.95 — save 42% off the cover price. Subscribe now! SUBSCRIBE ONLINE AT SWATMAG.COM OR CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-673-4595 WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 1022010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=103http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=103AMERICAN HANDGUNNER APPAREL THE BELTMANmakessturdy,topquality,DUAL LAYER,BullHidebeltsfordresswear,concealed carry,orcompetition.Optionsinclude:Horse, Shark,Elephant,Velcro,tapering,stiffeners,etc. Handmadeinthreewidths,andfivecolorsfrom $69.95,anylength!Catalogue-$3.00(refundable) POBox1302,Apex,NC27502.919-387-1997. www.thebeltman.net. 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Numberofillegalaliensmexico says liveintheUS. 18 Million 125,603 505,007 10,904 16,800 level. If you can see the gun, even with peripheral vision, you’re indexing on it. And that’s called aiming whether you want to believe it or not. All this is based on my personal experience in the real world, as a decent shooter, a street cop with no small amount of experience in interesting situations, and as someone who has remained in touch with training trends. And, I might be completely wrong. But I’ve found most top-quality trainers today, people without egos and with plenty of accountable experience, acknowledge this basic premise of modified sight pictures. However, there are still some who insist the only way to shoot is with a clearly in-focus front sight. And I won’t argue the point — if you’re able to do it. But the rest of we mere mortals simply can’t in certain situations — our brains simply won’t allow it. That old self-preservation thing. I welcome your comments. PeoplewhohavereadtheJanuary throughJuneissuesof gunS magazine digitaleditiononline. Combinedon-linereadershipofall29 digitaleditionissuesofamerican COP sinceAugust2008whenit wentliveonline. UniquevisitorswhoreadtheJuly/August 2010digitaleditionissueofhandgunner online—thefirstweekofpublication. ince I’ve moved to the country, I’ve lost about a half-dozen knives of various kinds. I know where they are, they’re right there someplace, but I’ll be damn if I can see them. Cammo is cool, tactical black is, well, tactical, and brown is traditional, but they all blend in perfectly with leaves and dirt. So I lay them down and can’t find ’em. I saw these two recently and snatched ’em up from Benchmade. They’d both be good as “dive” or water knives, but work just fine on land. The fixed blade (Model 110H20) is light, handy, comes with a rugged sheath and has a serrated edge and handy chisel/pry point with strap cutter. The folder (Model 111H20) offers the kind of blunted, drop-point blade I love for hard work. They both offer aggressive handle treatment, virtually rust-proof blades and that “screaming yellow zonkers” color (also black) I can’t lose. Think about it, ’cause it makes sense. Plus, nobody will steal your knife. Bless you Benchmade! For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex common Sense S Sane Shooting he other day Randy Garrett asked a favor. “Hey Roy, mind shooting a bunch of heavy recoiling .44 Magnum loads in your Scandium, short-barreled S&W .44, that Night Guard you have?” He was researching bullets jumping the crimp in lightweight guns. “Um, uh … well Increaseinjobscreatedin theoutdoorindustrysince2008. T NumberofWal-Martemployees. 1.6 Million AmountAmericansspendatWal-Mart everyhourofeveryday. $36,000,000 1.57 Billion Hourshomeownersspendmowing theirlawnsyearly. 800 Million Gasguzzledbylawnmowersannually. 104 … um, okay,” I found myself saying. Then I remembered my new GripSwell GS-33 Dual Palm Swell gloves I had just gotten for testing. I can’t/won’t fire those sorts of loads in light guns, but I put on the gloves and, as they say, gave it a shot. With the more moderate of the heavy loads (an oxymoron?) I found I could actually control the gun and didn’t receive the nastiness they normally dish out. The full-bore 310s at about 1,095 fps were still ugly, but I survived. These darn gloves work. The palm swell really does cushion, yet I found I could still control the functions of the revolver. They in my shooting bag as we speak. At about $54 a pair at MSRP, they do the job they say they do. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/productindex Gallons I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. -Clarence Darrow WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2010 “ Handgunner Says: ”2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=105http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=105o, did you hear the one about the Texas Governor who used his Ruger LCP, complete with Crimson Trace Lasergrip, to dispatch a coyote that threatened he and his dog while they were out jogging? No, really, it happened just outside of Austin. Governor Perry said the laser helped him make a quick, clean kill. “It was not in a lot of pain,” said the Gov. “It pretty much went down at that particular juncture. He became mulch.” Good thing the Gov had his gun. I’ll bet you won’t read about anything like that in California, eh? Perry is a real “Governator”! S Coyote MulCh COOl Cutters O C&S 1911 Class Remington up, they did it. I saw one at the NRA show and it looks just like a 1911. I’d consider this a basic, sort of “mil-spec” 1911. Workmanship was clean and nice, finish was good and the double-diamond grips retro. Looks like a dead-nuts stock 1911A1 with nice sights though, with a dovetail front. And it’s American made right at their plant in Ilion, New York. With an MSRP of $699 it puts it right in the affordable category. And, having Remington on a 1911 is perfectly fine, as they made a slew of ‘em in WWII. We’ll be taking a hard look at one soonest. It seems to be a nice gun, well made, by a reliable company and fairly priced. I don’t see a thing wrong with any of that. For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/ productindex WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM Y 1911 he USSOCOM Program Executive Office-SOF Warrior (PEO-SW) sent notice to FNH that the SCAR Acquisition Decision Memorandum was approved on April 14, 2010, moving the program into the Milestone C phase. That means FNH will produce SCAR rifles and the Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (EGLM) MK13 for deployment to the military. The SCAR is the first new assault rifle procured by the military through full and open competition since the M16 trials were held in the mid-1960s. Congrats, FNH! FnH sCaR Wins T tarted in 2008 after founder and President, Marty Hayes graduated from law school, the Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network has grown to over 1,900 members nationwide, with over 100 affiliated instructors and attorneys in over half the states of the union. It’s a self-funded program where members join forces to help one-another should a member be involved in a defensive shooting. Recently, network leadership voted to increase funding the non-profit legal defense fund, funneling 25 percent of all member dues, ($85 per year) and 100 percent of corporate donations to the legal defense fund. The Network will also now immediately offer a $5,000 fee deposit to the member’s attorney so they can have legal representation when interacting with police, prosecutors, the grand jury and even the media if it’s a high profile case. Marty said other goals include developing the Network Affiliated Attorney list to include attorneys in every state, reaching 10,000 members and $500,000 in the legal-defense fund. ArMed Good-GuyS S * 105 For more info: www.armedcitizensnetwork.org insider W e actually did it. Bill brought his “How to build a custom 1911” class to my garage and four daring readers attended. Ms. Suzi, my wife and editor of our American COP title, took a slot, and everyone had a pretty intense four days. Suzi had never done anything remotely like this before, but they all took Springfield Armory basic 1911s in-hand, Bill supplied match parts and lots of expert teaching and patience (!) and by class-end, I saw great jobs by all-concerned. We test fired them in my “backyard” on our land and they all ran like tops. Suzi (and everyone) was thrilled with the experience and we thoroughly enjoyed hosting everyone at our home. Bill said he’d love to do it again, and so would we. If you’d like to attend, he’s thinking around October of 2010. Get in touch with John (who handles booking) at john@cylinder-slide.com and let them know. Later, Suzi tested her gun with Black Hills 230 ball from a rest and it shot almost exactly .5" at 25 yards. Who’d a thought? Well done gang! ld bud Dr. David Darom h2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=106http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=106THE Roy Huntington INSIDER Time TM sight sense? m uch ado is made of sight pictures. But I remain convinced many don’t actually know what’s being bandied-about. We chatted about trigger control (“Tangling With The Trigger,” Insider, May/June) and frankly, I’m convinced trigger control is more important than sight picture. Basically, what I (and many others say) is you can have a perfect sight picture and then mess it up with a miserable trigger pull. An adequate sight picture — of some kind — is usually enough to get you by if you press the trigger marvelously. But what is a sight picture? I think it’s many things. The classic perception is one where the front sight is in sharp focus, centered neatly between the rear’s up-rights, with the target at some degree of focus, depending upon your eye’s ability to sort all that out. And yes, if you have time, if you have the eyesight to handle it, it is a perfect sight picture. But what if you don’t have time — say a bad guy is aiming back? That’s a question causing many trainers to get into name-calling fights on Internet forums. During my own police career, I pointed my gun at bad guys countless times. Working in a big city, there were lots of bad guys, and situations warranting the pulling-out of guns. Keep in mind I had spent many years shooting PPC matches (aimed fire, lots of time, out to 50 yards), so I was very proficient at careful, aimed fire with a handgun. Yet, during my encounters, I noticed my sight picture changed according to the situation and environment. In those early days, we had very little decent training on our agency, so most (all?) of what I picked up I learned the hard way. It really wasn’t until the late 1980s that training became at least decent on-duty. sight sense? sight sense? Here’s a pretty good sight picture. Front sight is sharp, target is discernable and the rear is there to help index the front. Nice, if you have the time, but when the second hand is spinning, something faster is in order. Sometimes, I had the luxury of enough time to take careful aim when the gun came out. I once used a car bumper as a rest and took very, very, very careful aim at a miscreant, right between the eyes, at about 20 yards. He held a child hostage at knifepoint. No time for SWAT to respond. Other officers were What many (most?) of us do in an emergency. negotiating with him, but they The target becomes more in focus as we, um, knew I could take the shot if focus on it; and the sights blur slightly but are it went bad, so I was ready. still used to index the muzzle. Our brain wants There was no doubt in my to see the target and won’t usually allow mind I could hit him, and my things to get in the way. This method, usually with both eyes open to keep your depth sights were in sharp focus and perception alive, is still very accurate out to my trigger press was mostly surprising ranges. It’s not “instinct” shooting, done. He gave up. it’s still aiming, just not as precisely. Other times, when the second hand was running at warp speed, my sight picture changed dramatically. I recall Great, perfect, and I wish we could all often bringing the gun up to barely do that — but many of us can’t. below my eyes, so my “sight picInstinct? ture” was across the tops of them, or almost “through” them, with the threat I most definitely have never “instincclearly in focus and both eyes open. tively pointed” my gun at anyone. Your mind is a silly thing and often “Instinct” shooting is perhaps better won’t allow you anything but the called guess-shooting. You’re pointing best view of a threat. “I’m not going the gun in the general direction of the to allow you to block my vision with target, usually well below eye level, those sight-things,” it seems to say guessing it’s aligned well enough. in an emergency. Yet, in practice, I Yet, if you index on the target using found I could hit well out to surprising the sights, just above the sights or with distances. The need to see the threat, the s2010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=107http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=1072010-07-06T16:02:36+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=108http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/AmericanHandgunner/AHSO10/?Page=108Unequaled performance. Uncompromising quality. Super Carry .45 ACP pistols from the Kimber Custom Shop ™ are an extraordinary blend of function, power & elegance. The Super Carry Pro ™ has a 4-inch barrel. Super Carry pistols have specialized features like night sights with cocking shoulder, round heel frame and unidirectional serrations. Super Carry Ultra™ .45 ACP weighs just 25 ounces, and a 3-inch barrel makes it easy to conceal. Magazine capacity is 7 rounds. Super Carry Custom™ .45 ACP has a 5-inch barrel but weighs just 31 ounces. 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