http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/RSS.ashxGUNS Magazine July 2010 PagesFri, 30 Apr 2010 17:10:10 +0200http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=1http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=1WI Enter To WILSON N COMBAT CQB .45 ACP AND GALCO HOLSTER $4.95 $4.95 OUTSIDE OUTSIDE U.S. U.S. $7.95 $7.95 JULY XXXX 2010 2010 PM9 9MM DEEP COVER MAGNUM NAA .22 WMR & LaserLyte Laser At 92 15+1 9MM AMERICAN TACTICAL 75 YEARS YOUNG HUNTING STEEL Choose The Perfect Knife SxS or O/U? ACCURACY DEFINED Nighthawk Tactical .308 Winchester .357 S&W Magnum TWIN BARREL MYTHS2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=2http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=2I am the DD M4 Carbine. I must defend you. I must always shoot straight. I must always function flawlessly. I must always be ready. You can depend on me. 101 Warfighter Way Black Creek, GA 31308 USA | DanielDefense.com | 866-554-4867 | CAGE Code: 3E3E22010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=3http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=3THE MOST ADVANCED GUN CARE SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD! ® OTIS TECHNOLOGY TRS!-THE MOST ACCURATE RAIL SYSTEM EVER MADE In this age of modern warfare with the advances in lasers, illuminators and night vision, the need for the retention of absolute point of aim on rail systems has never been greater. Otis has developed the world's most accurate AR15/M4 carbine Picatinny rail system. It achieves this level of accuracy by a manufacturing system so unique a patent is pending on it. TRSTM stands for Turned Rail System. All of the critical alignment surfaces for aiming are machined on a single rotating axis so all four mounting surfaces hold their required tolerance. Conventional milling requires adjustments for re-fixturing, tool wear, and tolerance build-up. Otis's TRS eliminates these and holds to the mil-spec tolerance where others fail. Consequently, no matter where an aiming device is affixed, it will be accurately aligned on any of the four rail surfaces. Compare it with any system you know and see for yourself! USA MADE IN THE • Machined on a single axes for 100% concentricity and alignment of aiming surfaces. • TRS holds the Picatinny mil-spec standard which means greater repeatability in your mounted accessories. • The World's most accurate rail design; interchange lasers & illuminators on all 4 quadrants. • Free Floating Design-Convert conventional two point hand guards to free float! • TRS unified design provides a more stable platform than 2 piece systems. • Concentric rotational lock attachment reduces chance it can vibrate loose or change zero. • 100% Machined, not extruded on all mounting surfaces. • High quality T6061 aluminum, carries a Lifetime Warranty! • Fits all AR-15 carbine modern sporting rifles with a removable front sight, including the M4. • Large ventilation ports allow for greater heat dissipation. • Milspec Hard Coat Type III anodized. • Integrates with virtually every rail affixed attachment on the market today! • Accepts Picatinny/Weaver compatible accessories. Otis Technology 6987 Laura St. Lyons Falls, NY 13368 (800) OTIS-GUN WWW.OTISTEC.COM © Pyramont GMC 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=4http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=4Vol. 56, Number 7, 656th Issue 6 8 POCKET PISTOL PERFECTION Kahr PM9 & Crimson Trace Laserguard. STORY: John Taffin PHOTOS: Joseph R. Novelozo JULY 2010 CROSSFIRE Letters to the Editor RIMFIRES MaSSad aYOOb CLINT SMITH 14 ON THE COVER 14 RANGING SHOTS™ 16 MONTANA MUSINGS MIKE “duKE” VENTuRINO daVE aNdERSON JOHN baRSNESS HOLT bOdINSON GLEN ZEdIKER 20 RIFLEMAN COLUMNS 22 HANDLOADING 24 HANDGUNS 26 UP ON ARs 64 VIEWS, NEWS & REVIEWS RIGHTS WATCH: daVId COdREa 78 ODD ANGRY SHOT JOHN CONNOR JOHN TaFFIN Volkmann adds value. 8 GUNS Magazine (ISSN 1044-6257) is published monthly by Publishers’ Development Corporation, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Diego, CA and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (12) issues $24.95. Single monthly copies, $4.95. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Eight weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS: For immediate action write GUNS Magazine, Attention: Circulation Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128 or call (858) 605-0250. CONTRIBUTORS submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanied by sufficient postage. PAYMENT will be made at rates current at time of publication and will cover reproduction in any or all GUNS Magazine editions. ADVERTISING RATES furnished on request. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine in any manner, without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved. Title to this publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to his address. The opinions and recommendations expressed by individual authors within this magazine are not necessarily those of Publishers’ Development Corporation. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GUNS Magazine®, ATTN: Circulation Dept., 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, CA 92128. Copyright © 2010 by Publishers’ Development Corporation. 82 CAMPFIRE TALES 28 SURPLUS LOCKER™ HOLT bOdINSON The .22s of appleseed. DEPARTMENTS 30 35 OUT OF THE BOX™ •AT929mmpg30 •NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM.308pg32 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS JEFF JOHN 24 71 QUARTERMASTER FeATUrINGGUNSAllSTArS! THISMONTH: • MIKE CuMPSTON • CLINT SMITH deep cover magnums. 28 72 72 74 76 GUNS CLASSIFIEDS CUSTOM CORNER NEW PRODUCTS GUN OF THE MONTH WIlSONCOMBAT1911CQB& CUSTOM GALCO HOLSTER 80 ADVERTISER INDEX The “Patchett” 9mm SMG. 4 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=5http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=576 PHOTO: JOSEPH R. NOVELOZO GUNS MaGaziNe GUN OF THe MONTH Wilson Combat .45 aCP 1911 CQb & Custom Galco alligator-Hide Holster. 36 40 48 52 58 HUNTING STEEL PAT COVERT How to choose the perfect knife for the hunt. 40 POCKET PISTOL PERFECTION Kahr PM9 & Crimson Trace Laserguard. JOHN TAFFIN OLDIES REBORN Clones, Copies & Reproductions. MIKE “DUKE” VENTURINO 75 YEARS YOUNG JOHN TAFFIN Happy Diamond Jubilee .357 Magnum. TWIN BARREL MYTHS JOHN BARSNESS 58 Side-by-side vs. over-under. NeWONlINeeXTrASONlY AT WWW.GUNSMAGAZINe.COM! FEATURE: USFASIXGUNS BY MIKE “DUKE” VENTURINO Go to: www.gunsmagazine.com/productindex for complete product info and manufacturer’s links for products featured in FMG magazines! WARNING: Firearms are dangerous and iF used improperly may cause serious injury or death. due to the inherent variables in the reloading oF ammunition, be sure to veriFy any published loads with manuFacturer’s data. products mentioned or advertised may not be legal in all states or jurisdictions. obey all Firearms laws. always consult a proFessional gunsmith when modiFying any Firearm. be a saFe shooter! WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 52010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=6http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=6THE FINEST IN THE FIREARMS FIELD SINCE 1955 CROSSFIRE GUNS MAGAZINE MAY 2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thomas von Rosen, CEO; Thomas Hollander, Randy Moldé, Marjorie Young Editor Jeff John Managing Editorial Assistant Stephanie Jarrell Editorial Assistant Amberly Dressler Art Director/Staff Photographer Joseph R. Novelozo Art Assistant Jennifer Lewis Advertising Sales Director Anita Carson Advertising Sales Assistant Dana Hatfield Production Manager Linda Peterson Web Site Manager Lorinda Massey Promotions Coordinator Elizabeth O’Neill PUBLISHER Roy Huntington LETTERS TO GUNS GUNS Magazine® welcomes letters to the editor. We reserve the right to edit all published letters for clarity and length. Due to the volume of mail, we are unable to individually answer your letters or e-mail. In sending a letter to GUNS Magazine, you agree to provide Publisher’s Development Corp. such copyright as is required for publishing and redistributing the contents of your letter in any format. Send your letters to Crossfire, GUNS Magazine, 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128; www.gunsmagazine.com; e-mail: ed@gunsmagazine.com I will admit that .300 Win Mag ammo is available everywhere, but it seems Mr. Barness should do a little more research before he calls a .308 Norma owner a loonie as he did in his May column. I will take my .308 Norma Mag or my .30-338 and duplicate or exceed the .300 Win Mag with approximately 8 or 9 percent less powder. In fact I can almost duplicate .300 Weatherby ballistics in either being only 100 fps slower with the heavy bullets and use 12 percent less powder. Hotrodding either round is not necessary because of the efficiency of the Norma and the .30-338. To duplicate their ballistics with a .300 Win Mag you have to hotrod the rifle and even then you end up short. Winchester was still sitting when Norma brought out the .308 Norma Mag. The .300 Win Mag is a great cartridge, but will never be as good as the .308 Norma Mag or the .30-338. I personally use 7mm necked up to .30 in my .30-338, so I guess it should be called a .30-7mm Mag. I don’t have the neck thickness problem associated with the necked down .338, but the brass is basically identical. Winchester should have adopted the .30-338 cartridge instead of the .300 Win Mag. Mr. Barness, you owe us .308 Norma and .30-338 owners an apology. Phil Beckwith Riverton, Wyoming No Loonies Here sounds like the very people that would take away our 2nd Amendment rights. Now, to me, that just doesn’t make sense. Keep the magazine just as it is, and I just love the “Odd Angry Shot” by John Conner and the military coverage. Jim Howe Owego, New York CONTRIBUTING EDITORS FIELD EDITORS John Taffin, Holt Bodinson, Dave Anderson, Clint Smith, Massad Ayoob, Mike “Duke” Venturino Sam Fadala, David Codrea, John Morrison, Glen Zediker, John Sheehan, Jacob Gottfredson, Mike Cumpston, John Barsness, Dave Douglas FMG PUBLICATIONS shootingindustry.com Publisher & Editor: Russ Thurman Advertising: Delano Amaguin, 888.732.6461 email: delano@shootingindustry.com americancopmagazine.com Editor: Suzi Huntington Advertising: Denny Fallon, 800.426.4470 email: denny@americancopmagazine.com americanhandgunner.com Publisher & Editor: Roy Huntington Advertising: Steve Evatt, 800.533.7988 email: steve@americanhandgunner.com gunsmagazine.com Editor: Jeff John Advertising: Andrew Oram, 866.903.1199 email: andrew@gunsmagazine.com fmgpublications.com Editor: Sammy Reese Advertising: Scott McGregor, 800.553.7780 email: scott@gunsmagazine.com TEL: 888.651.7566, FAX 858.605.0205 tracy@fmgpublications.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING: 12345 World Trade Dr., San Diego, CA 92128, TEL: 866.972.4545, FAX 858.605.0211, anita@shootingindustry.com Special Editions I just have to comment on Mr. Houser’s letter in the May issue concerning David Codrea’s “Right’s Watch” column. He suggest the column should be written by a constitutional scholar rather than a political activist. I certainly hope he doesn’t mean one like our curren2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=7http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=7SR9c Ruger SR9c Pistol 9mm Luger ® ™ THE COMPACT ™ “The SR9c obstinately refused to malfunction.” Patrick Sweeney, Guns & Ammo Ruger LCP Pistol .380 Auto ® ™ LCP LCR THE REVOLUTIONARY THE ULTRALIGHT AND COMPACT ™ “The LCP seems right on target for today’s personal protection needs.” 2008 Handgun of the Year Dennis Adler, Combat Handguns Magazine Ruger ® LCR™ .38 SPL+P ™ 2009 Handgun of the Year “Rewrites the small-frame revolver book.” Roy Huntington, American Handgunner Magazine WWW.RUGER.COM/COMPACTS ©2010 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. VISIT 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 INFORMATION 022610 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 72010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=8http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=8Based on military rifle qualification, the entry-level event is dominated by the Ruger 10/22. had been hearing a lot about the Appleseed Project, which runs I weekend courses around the country providing history lectures and rifle marksmanship training, and finally got the chance to take one. This particular shoot was at the Hernando Sportsman’s Club in central Florida. Inclement weather cut attendance to a couple dozen, about half of the usual turnout. The course of fire focuses on a 40shot Army Qualification Test (AQT), done at 25 meters with reduced-size targets intended to duplicate Army bobbers at 100, 200, 300 and 400 yards. Rifles on the line included the AR15, M1 Garand, M1A, Kalashnikov, Simonov and even Mosin-Nagant—but, by far, the most common choice was the humble .22 Long Rifle. Appleseed wants to bring its message to all of American society, including kids, new shooters and the physically challenged. For all those demographics, the mild recoil and report of the .22 Long Rifle make the experience less intimidating, and allow the student to focus on the fundamental marksmanship principles emphasized at Appleseed. In a time when ammunition is both hard to find and more expensive than ever, the 400-round requirement for an Appleseed weekend is easier and more affordable to meet with a brick of .22 LR. Though the AQT has its roots in a time when the bolt-action Springfield ’03 was still in common use, and THE .22 LONG RIFLES OF APPLESEED Why 10/22? Appleseed lore is the record score on the course, which was set by a septuagenarian Master competitor in NRA Smallbore using an iron sight, bolt-action .22, the simple fact is the semiautomatic gives the shooter more time to concentrate on trigger squeeze. When you have less than a minute to drop from standing into the designated shooting position, load, fire two and reload eight (an homage to the honored M1 Garand and its 8-round en bloc clip), and do it all in less than a minute, a “time and motion study” favors the autoloader. Starting with action open, and no great rush to eject the last casing, the bolt gunner will have to perform some 36 movements of the bolt, where the auto shooter requires only two. Counting the reload, the auto shooter needs to remove his finger from the trigger only twice, while the bolt action user will need 10 separate acquisitions of the trigger. The Ruger 10/22 dominates this type of shooting, and not just because it’s so hugely popular. The Marlin Model 60 actually has been produced in millions more than the 10/22, and its trigger and Therifleman’sPatchisthegrailofAppleseed shooters,earnedontheArmyQualificationTest. inherent accuracy are perfectly sufficient. It is generally encountered though, with a tubular magazine much slower to reload under time constraints than the 10-round rotary box magazine of the 10/22. This is why at Appleseeds, the most popular Marlin, is actually the Model 795, due to its box magazine. However, the good little 795 is still a distant second to the 10/22 in popularity. One reason for the 10/22’s dominance is its famous reliability reduces distracting, time-devouring malfunctions. Another is the 10/22 lends itself to modular reconfiguration: more accessories are available for it than for any other .22 rifle. This includes various shorter stocks for smaller shooters and Sights Acoach-and-pupil,ball-and-dummydrillatAppleseed.rifleisruger10/22.TheeventtookplaceattheHernandoSportsman’sClubinFloridalastFebruary. 8 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=9http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=9WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 92010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=10http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=10Holding10Mini-Magsinoneholesmallerthan adimeat25meters(above),Maswashappy withtheaccuracyoftheClarkCustom10/22at Appleseed. MasusedthisClarkCustom10/22 withDouglasbarrel,Brownellsstock,Tasco scope.ShootingmatbyBlACKHAWK!(below) doublesasriflecarrybag. higher comb stocks particularly useful in offhand and prone applications. (Half of an AQT is fired from prone.) The rear leaf sight standard on most 10/22s is not optimal. You’re welcome to go optical, or replace the irons with the high post front and drum-like rear aperture from Tech-Sight. A Tech-Sight, plus a cheap cotton GI loop sling, equals an LTR, or Liberty Training Rifle, the quasi-official .22 of Appleseed. I shot the event with my Clark Custom 10/22 Squirrel Rifle, with a great trigger job by Kay Clark-Miculek and fitted by her with a 16.25" heavy, fluted Douglas barrel. Set in an action shooting stock from Brownells and mounting an inexpensive Tasco 3-9X scope set at 8X magnification, it gave me all the performance I could ask for, and won for me the coveted Appleseed Rifleman’s Patch. That said, though, the Patch has been won many times over with bone-stock 10/22s. My personal look at the Appleseed experience can be found in my blog, at the entries from 2/1/10 through 2/6/10, at www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ massadayoob. It’s more important, though, to get an overview of the organization from the Appleseed Web site. Pay particular attention to the “what to bring” section. A lawn chair for the lectures, a cooler full of water, a Blackhawk combination gun bag and a shooting mat all proved hugely useful, as did an ample supply of spare magazines. Be sure you’re sighted in precisely at 25 meters before you get there. Some of the targets are tiny. If you get involved in Appleseed, you can find yourself shooting high-power rifles at 500 yards and more, but the twoday intro program is, no pun intended, the core of Appleseed. Bring kids. They attend for free, as do females and serving members of the military. I enjoyed the heck out of it. Frankly, I appreciated the passionate, “human detail focused” lectures on the events of April 19, 1775, RIMFIRES 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. www.crkt.com 10 Columbia River Knife & Tool 2010 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY Web 1/6 page Vertical Ad, 2.125 x 4.625” CMYK2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=11http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=11Model 8400 Patrol WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM The new Kimber® Model 8400 Patrol™ .308 Win. blends dependability and extreme accuracy into a shorter, lighter platform that is ideal for fast deployment. A 20-inch fluted match grade barrel, extended bolt handle with enlarged knob and tough laminated wood stock are standard. Contact Kimber or see a Kimber dealer for complete information on all 5 Kimber tactical rifles. (800)880-2418 • kimberamerica.com • kimberlawenforcement.com 112010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=12http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=12I N T R O D U C I N G a m m u n i t i o n the new standard by which all ammunition will be judged. IT IS FAST: 100 – 200 fps FASTER than ANY conventional ammunition IT IS ACCURATE: Uncompromising accuracy with no increase in felt recoil IT IS CONSISTENT: Unfailing performance in any temperature IT IS VERSATILE: This new breed of ammunition is available in 243 to 458, and is safe for use in ALL firearm types including semi-autos, lever guns and pump actions It IS.rocket science! 1-308-382-1390 12 PO Box 1848 Grand Island, NE 68802 For the rest of the story go to hornady.com WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=13http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=13“Lightweight, tough, reliable and dead-on accurate. The Coyote Carbine is the only AR I will hunt with . PERIOD.” —Fred Eichler RIMFIRES Anextendedmagazinerelease,Tech-Sights andcottonloopsling(above)turnthis10/22 intoa“libertyTrainingrifle.”Chamberflags wererequiredforsafetywheneverarifle was“grounded.”Aruger10/22withTasco 3-9Xshotfineforoneattendee(below).TiebreakerV-ringsofthetargetsarethesizeof bottlecapfor“100yards,”dimefor“200,” 9mmdiameterfor“300”andpencileraserfor “400-yard”duplicator. Host of Predator Nation Outfitter and Outdoor Writer Now Available 6.8 SPC Rock river Arms / COYOTE CARBINE even more than the excellent refresher on riflery. The Appleseeders want to bring back the time when America was “The Nation of Riflemen.” It is a worthy objective. REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION P.O. BOx 756 RAMSEUR, NC 27316 WWW.APPLESEEDINFO.ORG BROWNELLS 200 S. FRONT STREET MONTEzUMA, IA 50171 (800) 741-0015 WWW.BROWNELLS.COM CLARK CUSTOM GUNS, INC. 336 SHOOTOUT LANE PRINCETON, LA 71067 (888) 458-4126 WWW.CLARKCUSTOMGUNS.COM HERNANDO SPORTSMAN’S CLUB P.O. BOx 10754 BROOKSVILLE, FL 34603 (352) 597-9931 WWW.HERNANDOSPORTSMANSCLUB.COM STURM, RUGER & CO. 200 RUGER ROAD PRESCOTT, Az 86301 (928) 778-6555 WWW.RUGER.COM TECH-SIGHTS 904 DEER RUN DRIVE HARTSVILLE, SC 29550 (843) 332-8222, WWW.TECH-SIGHTS.COM .223 CAL. or 6.8mm SPC / Chrome moly hbar barrel / hogue rubber grip / rra two stage match trigger / RRA Operator a2 stock / HOGUE FREE float handguard / winter trigger guard MSRP: $1190 LE Home Hunt Target FIND YOUR GO-TO GUN at www.rockriverarms.com WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 132010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=14http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=14• CLINT SMITH • V’S BOx Volkmann adds value. art of today’s marketing is to send out the firearm in a cool box. P As a matter of fact, oftentimes just the box the gun came in sells for more money than the original gun did, as is often the case with COMBATANT CARRY MAKER: VOLKMANN CUSTOM 1595 CARR STREET LAKEWOOD, CO 80214 (303) 888-4904 WWW.VOLKMANNCUSTOM.COM ACTION TYPE: Locked breech semi-auto CALIBER: .45 ACP CAPACITY: 7+1 BARREL LENGTH: 4-1/4" OVERALL LENGTH: 7-3/4" WEIGHT: 35 ounces FINISH: NP3 (+$250) SIGHTS: Fixed night sights GRIPS: Exotic wood PRICE: $2,495 GREEN BERET MAKER: CHRIS REEVE KNIVES 2949 S. VICTORY VIEW WAY BOISE, ID 83709 (208) 375-0367 WWW.CHRISREEVE.COM BLADE LENGTH: 5-1/2" OVERALL LENGTH: 10-7/8" BLADE MATERIAL: CPM S30V BLADE HARDNESS: 55-57 RC WEIGHT: 11.8 ounces SCALES: Black canvas micarta FINISH: KG Gun-Kote PRICE: $289 Smith & Wesson revolvers. A big draw to some collectors is to confirm the gun they are buying today has the correct box it came in when the gun was sold 50 years ago. The memorabilia interest is a big deal to some and comes in all forms, from guns to boxes to even having the correct sight adjustment tool in its proper place in the box. Then, there are other people who could care less saying, “It’s a gun. Take it out, throw the box away and shoot the gun.” As in most things, there is a balance between the two opinions. I look forward to seeing the works of steel from progressive and bold craftsman who are still youngsters, like Burton, Chen, Yost and Volkmann. Always thinking, these guys also create peripheral cool stuff like Volkmann’s Box Special. The Vbox is just a box— but then Luke Volkmann takes the box a step further, plants his feet and does a gun box correctly. In the vein of James Bond’s famous “Q”-issuing-gear-mode, the Volkmann Box is a pretty solid, complete package. The box is a very high-quality, pressure-seal-lockable, double-latch case with a carrying handle resembling a submarine hatch handle—and it is also about that durable. The outside is black and embossed with the Volkmann nameplate. The black, solid foam interior is broken into five compartments. The TheVolkmannCombatantCarrypistolcomeswithitssteelcounterpart—aChrisreeveGreenBeret Knife.NotetheoptionaledBrown“Bobtail”mainspringhousingontheVolkmann1911. 14 large opening accommodates a pistol, most often a Combat Carry 1911. The second large opening holds a Chris Reeve knife. Reeve needs no introduction from me to the knife educated, and Volkmann has chosen wisely by selecting Reeve’s steel. The knife is a 5.5" fixed-blade version of Reeve’s famous Green Beret product line. Options in pistol and knife selection for the box are available; a folder-type knife, as might be required by you, is also available. The third compartment is one of my favorites as it holds four magazines, which is the way pistols should be sold and shipped. The “sell ’em and ship with two mags” people should pick up on this point. After all, what good is a fighting pistol with two magazines? Volkmann’s WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=15http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=15own name-brand magazines are mated up to his guns, and my personal Volkmann 1911 is one of the few guns I like to carry using only Volkmann magazines in and around it. So there is no misunderstanding, Volkmann’s guns work with all high-quality magazines such as Wilson, Baer, etc.; I just like using Volkmann mags with a Volkmann gun. In the last but not least department, the small compartments hold a LED SureFire light, lubricant and a maintenance cloth. As a note of interest to the owner of a Volkmann gun—and there are many—the Vbox is available as an upgrade option to fit the gun you already have. Just contact the shop. In the end, it is mostly about the gun in the box, and the Volkmann product line offers several options. My personal preference is the 5" pistol. Considered old fashioned as it approaches its 100th birthday, the 1911 is, to many, still a standout icon of personal defense tools. The wise know no handgun is good for fighting, but many consider the 1911 to be as good as it gets. The playground chatter blog crowd berates the 1911 but it has served well the people who take the time to learn to shoot it with skill, well. Ultimately, the 1911 is no better or worse, because The Pistol In The Box ThecompleteVolkmannBoxsystem,with1911CombatantCarry, reeveGreenBeretknife,SureFire lightandthreeextramagazines,inoneheckofastoutbox. any handgun used for defense needs a competent person behind it. That out of the way, Volkmann builds his renditions to or above industry standards in regard to barrel length, sights, finishing and all of the other “stuff” done to the 1911 pistol. I have shot both the full-size and Commander-size Volkmann models, and both far exceed the accuracy requirements needed for any defense applications. Both of my “shoot ’em” models were finished in NP3 and there is probably no tougher finish, at least that I know of. As appropriate to a handgun of this quality, fit and finish were as I expected, and I opted for small thumb safeties and pretty basic formats. Excellent checkering paired with rough texture stocks make for a sure and positive firing grip. So, in the end, the Vbox is just a box, but the guns inside are more than special. Should you need a gun that really works and just happens to come in a good box, you now have a place to look.2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=16http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=16BE THE MASTER OF YOUR BULLET SUPPLY In a leaden sort of way. ecently I searched the gun stores in this region of Montana, R plus a couple of gun shows, in search of a box of jacketed .32 Auto bullets. In normal times, they weren’t abundant. In the “Great Component Shortage of 2009/2010,” they just didn’t exist. The great shortage affected all components: powder, primers, bullets and brass. There’s not a lot the ordinary fellow can do about powder and primers except keep stocked up. (Modestly, not hoarding!) Used brass can usually be found and in a true pinch many cartridges can be formed from others. As for bullets, there’s really no excuse for anyone being completely out. You can be the master of your own bullet supply—well, at least for about 90 percent of rifle bullets and certainly for all handgun bullets—if you’re willing to cast them yourself. Some consider bullet casting an obnoxious chore. It certainly can be in the heat of summer, or when moulds are being recalcitrant. The solutions are: don’t cast in the heat of summer unless your casting area is air conditioned, and learn enough about casting to overcome mould problems. (We’ll troubleshoot some of those mould problems in future columns.) Personally, I’ve turned bullet casting into quality time by listening to verbatim readings of books on cassette tapes or CDs. When engrossed in a good book, I find myself looking for an excuse to pour more bullets. In fact, I keep four electric lead furnaces on hand. Three are dedicated to specific alloys and the fourth is kept empty in case one of the others quits on me. The smallest handgun bullets I currently cast are 75-grain .32s to take the place of the jacketed bullets I couldn’t find, and the largest are 265-grain .455 Webleys. For rifles, I currently cast 6.5mm on the small side, up to .58 caliber Minié balls for a replica Civil War rifle musket. My heaviest rifle bullets are .45s weighing 560 grains for BPCR Silhouette competition. The shelves above my casting table hold about 120 moulds among those parameters. Already I can hear some readers’ thoughts: “Sure you can cast bullets for all those old and obsolete oddball cartridges you love so much, but I’m into modern stuff like the 9mm in pistols, varmint shooting with my .223 Remington and elk hunting with my .300 Weatherby Magnum. I have to buy jacketed bullets.” Duke’sextremesincastbulletsinhandgunsrun fromthe75-grain.32Autobullet(farleft)tothe 265-grain.455Webleybullet(2ndfromleft).In rifles,hiscurrentsmallestis140-grain6.5mm (3rdfromleft)andlargestisthe58-caliber MiniéBall(2ndfromright).Hisheaviestrifle bulletisthe.45caliber560-grainCreedmoor style(farright). Bycastinghisownrifleandhandgunbullets, Dukeconsidershimselfthemasterofhisown bulletsupply.Notetheshelvesfullofbullet moulds. 16 Of course, you’re not going to be able to (easily) drive homemade lead alloy bullets to the 3,000+ fps speeds of .22 centerfires and .30 magnums. That doesn’t mean you can’t shoot cast bullets from them. In prior days, I had You Do And You Don’t great luck with 22-caliber cast bullets in .22 centerfires. From bolt-action .22 centerfires (even a .220 Swift) I’ve gotten accuracy of 1.5 minute of angle at 100 yards at about 1,800 to 2,000 fps. In times of severe bullet shortages, that could keep someone plinking small varmints out to 150 and perhaps even 200 yards. As for the big boomers, back in the 1970s I gave a handful of .30 caliber cast bullets to a Montana friend whose primary hunting rifle was a .300 Weatherby Magnum. He wanted them to pot the occasional grouse he encountered. One morning he hadn’t walked into what he considered “elk country” yet, so he had one of the cast loads chambered in his rifle. To his surprise, he stumbled upon what turned out to be a trophy book mule deer at less than 100 yards. Going through the antics of unchambering the cast load and getting a jacketed one ready would have spooked the deer into the next county. So he dropped it with one cast bullet shot. 2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=17http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=172010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=18http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=18MONTANA MUSINGS cast loads for the autoloaders—my M1 Garand .30-06, German K43 8mm or Soviet SVT40 7.62x54mm. I will someday as time permits. Conversely, with those same calibers in bolt-action rifles, I’ve had extremely good cast bullet shooting results. In fact, sometimes the 100-yard groups with my homemade bullets equal or surpass those made with jacketed bullet handloads. And those loads at about 1,800 to 2,000 fps don’t pound my already abused right shoulder much. In 2009, I started doing considerable shooting with a variety of WWII vintage 9mm pistols. And like so many of you, the shortage caught me with a limited 9mm jacketed bullet supply. I’ve happily been shooting my home-cast 9mm bullets with nary a problem. Poured of linotype, sized to a rather large diameter (for that caliber) of .357", the 120-grain roundnoses from Lyman mould 356242 have run through FN (Belgium) and Inglis (Canadian) Browning Hi Powers and a German P38 and a P08 Luger without a hitch. Of course, the .45 ACP goes with lead alloy bullets like beer with peanuts, but I also just added a 1944 vintage Japanese Nambu 8mm to my WWII collection. Along with the RCBS reloading dyes one of their special order 110-grain roundnose 8mm Nambu moulds was ordered, too. The point I’m trying to make is that we shooters can be the masters of our Pistol Use DukeregularlyshootshisremingtonUSModel1903A3.30-06withcastbulletsandtheriflehas provenveryaccuratewiththem(inset).Onaverage,therifleshootscastbulletswithaboutasmuch precisionasitdeliverswithjacketedbullets. own bullet supply. Rifle shooters can put away a box or two of their favored jacketed hunting bullets, or perhaps a bulk box of varmint bullets. Keep them stashed for the next shortage; they certainly won’t go bad with age. Then for fun or practice, rely on cast bullets. This would certainly beat not being able to shoot at all. To do this requires an outlay in basic equipment and it requires time. If you’re reading this magazine, I feel you can probably afford the basic equipment. Time shortage is something I understand but we all have the same 24 hours in our day. For me, having enough bullets to always shoot takes priority over some other endeavors. I consider bullet casting a fascinating and rewarding adjunct to the handloading facet of our shooting hobby. I wouldn’t feel complete without it.2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=19http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=19THe THe New New savage savage eDge eDge Best-in-Class Best-in-Class Entry-Level Entry-Level Rifle Rifle • All • New All New Modern Modern Design Design • Silky • Silky Smooth Smooth Bolt Bolt Action Action • Detachable • Detachable BoxBox Magazine Magazine • Starting • Starting at $329 at $329 MSRP MSRP www.savagearms.com www.savagearms.com www.savageaccur www.savageaccur acy.com acy.com geT THe eDge WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 192010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=20http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=20SWIFT SCOPES Value and quality combined. can get as moony as anyone about vintage Colts, Marlins, I Savages, Smith & Wessons and Winchesters. When the boys are sitting around crying in their beer about the good old days, I sob with the best of them. Sometimes I remind the crew we have mighty fine guns these days: Better steel alloys, improved heat treatments, and incredibly precise CNC tooling make for outstanding quality and more consistent accuracy, at prices (relative to incomes) providing tremendous value. All true, but about then one of the boys opens a gun case and shows off a gorgeous pre-war Savage 99, or a ’50s era S&W with its beautiful polish and bright blue finish, or a pre-’64 Winchester 70 with just the right amount of wear from 50 years of careful use, and I’m plotting how to trade him out of it. But optics… that’s a different story. We are living in the golden age of optics. Never before has such quality been available. Never before have your hardearned dollars bought so much quality. In the early 1960s, the best buy in scopes was the Weaver K4 at around $45. Fixed 4X scopes from Bausch & Lomb, Leupold, Lyman and Redfield were around $60. Relative to wages, comparable prices today would be around $450 to $600. Today, for a third of the money, you can buy a scope with more precisely ground optical glass, far superior lens coatings, better low-light performance, more precise and repeatable adjustments, superior and much more durable moisture seals. The Swift Premier 3.5-10x44mm scope shown here is a perfect example. When I began buying and using scopes 45+ years ago, scopes offering this level of performance were not available at any price. Today we take such performance for granted. The Premier (with 1" main tube) and Premier 30mm are Swift’s top of the line scopes and are certainly comparable 3.5-10x44 MAKER: SWIFT SPORT OPTICS 12105 W. CEDAR DRIVE LAKEWOOD, CO 80229 (877) 697-9438 WWW.SWIFT-SPORTOPTICS.COM OBjECTIVE: 44mm MAIN TUBE: 1" EYE RELIEF: 3.5" (3.5X), 3.2" (10X) OVERALL LENGTH: 12.8" WEIGHT: 13.5 ounces ADjUSTMENTS: 1/4 MOA RETICLE: Quadraplex RETAIL: $279.95 in quality to other makes and models in a similar price range. The sample on consignment is an attractive, wellmade scope which provided excellent performance. I especially like the long (5.75") main tube, which allows the scope to fit most popular short and long action rifles without the need for extension rings. After initial examination I submerged the scope in warm water (with lens and turret adjustment caps removed) for the better part of an hour, then left it in the freezer overnight. There was no moisture leakage or fogging. Eyepiece focusing is the quick-adjust type. It turns with enough firmness it’s not going to go out of adjustment by accident, but there’s no locking feature so keep it out of the hands of fidgety friends. On the other hand, if someone does fiddle with it, resetting to suit takes just seconds. Swift uses BaK7 Schott glass for the optics, fully coated with what they call Light Amplifying Optics Coating. Low-light performance was very good, certainly far more than needed for legal hunting hours. To check adjustment tracking, I fitted the scope to my Ruger 77/22 target model in .22 Magnum. Turrets are easily finger adjustable, no need to dig around for a coin. The target I used Torture Test Tracking SwiftPremierseries3.5-10Xisaquality,wellmaderiflescope.Thelongmaintubemakesiteasy tomountoneithershortactionssuchasthisruger77Compactoronalongaction.Theadjustment ringrotatessmoothlyandpositivelyandeyepiecefocusisthequickadjusttype. 20 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=21http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=21had four aiming points spaced in an 8" square. One minute of angle is slightly over an inch (it rounds off to 1.047" at 100 yards). After sighting in at 100 yards, I dialed in 30 clicks right windage which should have moved point of impact 7.85". Actual distance between group centers was 7.75". Thirty clicks down likewise moved point of impact down 7.75". Thirty clicks back left gave 7.5" movement. Maybe it was my shooting, as 30 clicks back up put the shots right in the original group. Pretty good tracking! Next, I fitted the scope on a little Ruger 77 Compact in .308 Win. The .308 isn’t a recoil beast but it’s no toy either, and in this light rifle, recoil is fast. Sixty rounds with no shift in point of impact isn’t a test of long-term durability, but at least it shows there are no fundamental flaws. Suggested retail on the 3.5-10x44mm is $279.95 but if you look around, you might find one on sale. The scope comes with lens caps and a 2" long sunshade. It’s a lot of scope for the money. The Ruger 77/22 in .22 Magnum is a rifle I really like. I use it to test scope tracking because it is accurate, doesn’t kick and shoots sub-MOA groups at 100 yards for a lot less cost than shooting factory centerfire ammunition. It shoots well with most types of ammunition, but it absolutely dotes on Winchester Supreme ammunition loaded with 30-grain bullets. I especially like this cartridge for ground squirrel shooting. They are fairly quiet, less likely to annoy country folk than centerfire .22s. Recoil is virtually nonexistent and barrel wear isn’t a concern even on those 500-round days. Accuracy is excellent and trajectory flat enough for 150 yard shots—and you can WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Theruger77MkIICompact .308(above)was testedwiththeSwiftPremier3.5-10x44mmWA (wideangle)scope.Thescopecomeswithlens capsandremovablesunshade.KnifeisbyCold Steel.Dave’sfavorite.22Magnumrifleisthis ruger77/22Mtargetmodel(below).TheSwift Premier3.5-10x44scopeisagoodmatchfor thisaccuraterifle.Sharpopticsshouldmakefor easyaimingon150-to200-yardgroundsquirrel shots—oncethesnowfinallygoesaway. More Recoil stretch that to 200 yards if wind isn’t a concern. Ammunition is considerably more expensive than .22 LR, but much less than factory centerfire loads. Of course, reloaders can assemble centerfire reloads for similar or even less cost, but if your time is valuable it may not be worth it. Assembling 1,500 or 2,000 rounds for a ground squirrel shoot isn’t quite the same as putting together 40 rounds for a mule deer hunt. On prairie dog or ground squirrel shoots I generally have a .204 Ruger or .223 Rem for longer shots, and the .22 Mag to take care of short and mediumrange shots while the centerfire’s barrel is cooling. That’s the plan at least, but in fields where the ground crawls with squirrels by the thousand, the centerfire doesn’t get much use! 212010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=22http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=22• John Barsness • CHEAP HANDGUN BULLETS! Of the cast variety. hile looking at the used firearms in a local sporting goods W store, I ran into a friend who’s equally addicted. We started talking and the subject of reloading component prices came up. He said he used to shoot cast bullets in his handguns, but they leaded the barrels so much he now just buys jacketed bullets. I thought about trying to explain what he obviously doesn’t know about cast bullets, but he’d worked himself into such a snit I decided to do it here instead. Maybe he’ll read this after he calms down! Casting your own handgun bullets is a great way to fight the component price rises of the past couple of years. It’s also not as complicated as many shooters believe, and doesn’t require nearly as much equipment. Despite my friend’s opinion, it’s also relatively easy to find a bullet recipe to keep bores lead free. There are three reasons cast bullets lead bores: The bullet is too fast, too soft or doesn’t carry enough lubricant. Luckily, bullets don’t have to be pushed very fast to work well in handguns, an adequately hard lead alloy is easy to find Leaded Bore Begone and lubing is cheap and easy to do. All you really need to cast adequate handgun bullets is a bullet mold, a pot for melting lead and a ladle to pour the liquid lead into the mold. Any more equipment, whether an electric casting furnace or an expensive lubricator sizer, isn’t really necessary for making adequate handgun bullets. This doesn’t mean the extra equipment might not help, it just isn’t necessary. Let’s start with the alloy itself. Most bullet casters use wheelweight metal, partly because wheelweights are relatively cheap. Tire stores used to give old wheelweights away, but today Itdoesn’ttakealotofmoneyorequipmentto getstartedcastingbullets. most places require some payment. I’ve never paid more than a $1 a pound for wheelweight metal, about 1/4 of the price listed for casting lead in the most recent MidwayUSA catalog. At $1 a pound, I can cast 150-grain bullets for a .357 Magnum for a little over 2¢ apiece. The cheapest price I could find for cast 150-grain bullets in the same MidwayUSA catalog was about 10¢ apiece. At a savings of about 8¢ a shot, it doesn’t take long to pay for some basic casting equipment. These days you can buy the least expensive electric Lee melting furnace for less than $35 from Midway USA, about the same price as a pot and ladle. A 2-cavity mold will run anywhere from $20 to $100, depending on the brand. I’ve used about all brands, and they all can produce good bullets. One my own favorite rifle molds, for instance, is a Lee costing $20 or so, for 405-grain .4570 bullets. It will cast bullets accurate enough to group into 1" at 100 yards— from an iron-sighted rifle. Cast bullets must be lubed. The easiest way to do this is to dump 100 into a used margarine tub, then squirt a dab of Lee Alox Liquid Lube into the tub. Snap on the plastic tub cover, roll the tub gently back and forth in your hand for a minute, and the bullets will be perfectly lubricated. Actual diameter and weight of any cast bullet varies with the alloy used, Lee Furnace Thislookslikeamiserabledayattherange,butitwasactuallyquitepleasantforMontanain February.GunisanHKUSP.40S&W. 22 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=23http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=23C M Y CM MY CY CMY SMITH & WESSON MODEL 66, 4" BULLET POWDER CHARGE VELOCITY GROUP SIzE (CALIBER, BRAND, BULLET WEIGHT, TYPE) (BRAND) (GRAINS WEIGHT) (FPS) (INCHES) .38 SPECIAL LYMAN 149 SWC Unique 5.0 967 1.91 .357 MAG LYMAN 149 SWC 2400 12.0 1,050 1.56 HECKLER & KOCH USP, 4" BULLET POWDER CHARGE VELOCITY GROUP SIzE (CALIBER, BRAND, BULLET WEIGHT, TYPE) (BRAND) (GRAINS WEIGHT) (FPS) (INCHES) .40 S&W SAECO 153 SWC True Blue 6.5 997 2.17 .40 S&W SAECO 153 SWC Blue Dot 10.0 1,103 1.91 Note: Accuracy is the product of 5-shot groups fired at 25 yards. SR747 Jumbo Tumbler but most handgun molds are designed for use with wheelweight metal. Wheelweight bullets come out of my old Lyman 358156 mold at .358" in diameter, .001" larger than the nominal bore diameter of a .38 Special or .357 Magnum, and .40 S&W bullets cast in my SAECO 040 mold average .401". Many shooters consider 1/1000" over bore diameter ideal for cast bullets, so no, these bullets don’t need to be sized. Roll them around in the margarine tub with a little Lee lube (about $5 a tube, which lasts a long, long time), and they’re ready to shoot. Wheelweight bullets can be driven up to 1,000 fps or a little more without leading most bores. The loads listed were shot with unsized bullets lubed with Lee Alox Liquid. The accuracy is right in there with jacketed bullets from the same guns, so no, you don’t have to invest several hundred dollars to get started in casting good handgun bullets. With MidwayUSA’s latest prices, the cost for tooling and lube runs from about $60 to $130, depending on the cost of the mold. At 8¢ a bullet in savings, this means the casting equipment will be amortized in 750 to 1,600 rounds. All that’s required is some cheap lead and the time spent casting. With everything set up and me cranking away with a twobullet mold, I can cast 400 to 500 bullets an hour, so 2 or 3 hours of casting time will pay for the equipment. That’s with $1-a-pound lead. I sometimes still buy wheelweights from tire shops, but these days I find most of my lead at gun shows and through Internet advertisements. The most recent score was 65 pounds of Linotype metal (harder than wheelweights) for $65, shipped across the country from a guy in the East in a single Priority Mail flatrate box. (I also pick up every escaped wheelweight found lying on the street.) If you buy unknown lead, another eventual tool investment is a hardness tester. Mine is a SAECO. These indicate the hardness of the alloy, so they provide a precise idea of how fast the bullets can be pushed. While it’s relatively WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Speeds easy to harden bullets made of softer alloys (especially wheelweight metal) by knocking hot bullets out of the mold into cold water, even a single droplet of water can cause a pot of molten lead to erupt like liquid lava. Even if we put a can of water several feet away from the casting station, I get very nervous when there’s any water nearby. Plus, heattreated bullets tend to soften somewhat over time. Since harder Lintoype can be purchased just as cheaply, if not quite as readily, I tend to use it when harder bullets are required. This brings up casting safety. First, molten lead gives off fumes that are bad for us, so casting should only be done in a well-ventilated room, preferably with a fan moving the air past our casting pot and away from our nostrils. Second, we should wear clothes that cover our arms and legs, sturdy footwear, and leather gloves and protective glasses. Molten lead is hot. Still, I have been casting bullets for several decades now and remain unscarred. Done correctly, casting is no more dangerous than crossing the street—as long as we look both ways— and saves a lot of money. LEE PRECISION 4275 HIGHWAY U HARTFORD, WI 53027 (262) 673-3075 WWW.LEEPRECISION.COM LYMAN PRODUCTS CORP. 475 SMITH STREET MIDDLETOWN, CT 06457 (800) 225-9626 WWW.LYMANPRODUCTS.COM MIDWAYUSA 5875 W VANHORN TAVERN ROAD COLUMBIA, MO 65203 (800) 243-3220 WWW.MIDWAYUSA.COM SAECO RED2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=24http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=24• HOLT BODINSON • The NAA .22 WMR Mini Revolver and LaserLyte Mini Laser create a serious self-defense gun. ost of the CCW stuff I read is great for off-duty cops and M wannabes, but pretty irrelevant for us working stiffs. It just doesn’t apply to the real world of the average man or woman. Belt holsters and shoulder holsters? Forget it! The minute your coat is off, all is revealed. In fact, the minute you put both hands on your hips, reach for your wallet or push your jacket accidentally aside, all is revealed. In my part of the country, we don’t wear jackets in the summer anyway. Ankle holsters? Get real! They don’t go with skirts. They don’t go on or come off easily. Cross your legs when seated or pump the accelerator or brake with a client in the front seat, all is exposed. Fanny packs? Only when you’re in a jogging suit or hiking the trails, and even then, everyone assumes you’re “packing.” Special gun purses? “Sorry,” says my lady. “Absolutely no style and the wrong color or material if it does have style.” Holster bras, holster undershirts, holster underwear? Maybe if the temperatures are moderate and you are of modest size. But if stuffed with anything larger than a very small handgun, they still reveal big bulges in the wrong places and are slow to access. Service-sized 1911s, Wondernines, .40 S&Ws and their worthy compact clones? Too big and too heavy. Why all the self-defense schools and combat competitions design their courses around this type of handgun, or even lightweight versions thereof, continues to confound me. Nope, for real world CCW work, make mine a North American Arms (NAA) mini-revolver in .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) with a 1-1/8" barrel. It may not be the biggest ballistic bull on the street, but it will be there when I need it and not resting peacefully at home. And now, LaserLyte has even given us a miniature laser sight for the little critter. The first petite .22 WMR revolver I ever fired was the Freedom Arms (now discontinued) 1" barreled model carried fully exposed clamped in the middle of a handsome Freedom Arms trophy belt buckle. I remember the first shot out of that runt as if it were yesterday. Aiming it at a tin can on the ground, I focused intently on the fuzzy sight picture and slowly pressed the trigger. It was the mouse that roared. “Wham!” The noise was deafening, but even more impressive were the gyrations of the little gun itself. It flew out of my grip, turned a complete somersault and returned to my hand as I reached out and caught it in thin air. I couldn’t do that again if I tried a thousand times. Lesson one: The 1" barreled .22 WMR revolver makes a lot of noise (which is good since it’s so small), and you have to remember to grip it firmly. My introduction to NAA’s .22 WMR was the result of a casual conversation I had with Jerry Anderson, a retired highway patrolman living in Tucson, Arizona. We were discussing CCW, and I asked Jerry what he carried. It was an DEEP COVER MAGNUMS North American Mini Biggunsareoftendifficulttomanageintheheat ofSouthernArizonasoHoltoften“packssmall” (above).Carriedinapantsorshirtpocket,the mini-revolverisunnoticeable.TheNAA.22WMr (below)issmallerthan“handsize”andthe laserlyteunitaddslittletoitsmass. 24 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=25http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=25Arizona summer and both of us were wearing shorts. Jerry reached into his pocket and pulled out a NAA .22 WMR. That was a long time ago. Since then, I have carried a 1-1/8" barreled NAA .22 WMR more than any other handgun I own. It’s a remarkable CCW gun and its intriguing lineage and history can be found on the North American Arms’ Web site. The NAA mini-revolver is a blend of something old and something new. Let’s see, single action, spur trigger, bird’s-head-style grip, .22 rimfire. Hmm, sounds and looks suspiciously like an 1857 Smith & Wesson No. 1 in .22 Short, which was so popular during the Civil War as a concealed handgun. And new? Well, the NAA is made from 17-4 Ph stainless steel and chambered for the modern .22 WMR cartridge, plus it’s a bit smaller and more compact than a S&W No. 1. In fact, with a 1-1/8" barrel, the NAA mini-revolver is only 4-3/4" long, 7/8" thick over the cylinder and weighs a mere 5.9 ounces. Stuffed in a pocket, it doesn’t print, and dropped into a handbag, it simply disappears. The NAA mini-revolver is very simple in design and operation, which adds to its rugged reliability. The cylinder accepts five magnum cartridges. .22 WMR MINI-REVOLVER MAKER: NORTH AMERICAN ARMS, INC. 2150 SOUTH 950 EAST PROVO, UT 84606 (800) 821-5783 WWW.NORTHAMERICANARMS.COM ACTION TYPE: Single-action revolver CALIBER: .22 WMR CAPACITY: 5 BARREL LENGTH: 1-1/8" OVERALL LENGTH: 4-3/4" WIDTH: 7/8" WEIGHT: 5.9 ounces FINISH: Stainless SIGHTS: Fixed GRIPS: Laminated wood PRICE: $214 NORTH AMERICAN LASER MAKER: LASERLYTE 101 AIRPARK RD, SUITE C COTTONWOOD, Az 86326 (928) 649-3201 WWW.LASERLYTE.COM LENGTH: 1-5/8" WEIGHT: .4 ounces BATTERY: 3x392 BATTERY LIFE: 1.5 hours ACTIVATION: Toggle switch MOUNTING: Top strap clamp FITS: NAA .22 LR & .22 WMR PRICE: $99.95 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Loading To load them, you place the hammer at half-cock, pull the cylinder pin out and remove the cylinder from the frame. If there are spent cases in the cylinder, you eject them by tapping them out with the cylinder pin. Once loaded, the cylinder is returned to the frame and locked in place with the cylinder pin. Next comes the important safety drill. Between the chambers are safety slots that accept the nose of the hammer. The hammer is lowered into one of the safety slots, locking the hammer and the cylinder in place and ensuring the nose of the hammer is not in contact with a cartridge rim. That’s the safe “carry mode” for the little gun, and it permits you to carry all five chambers loaded. The system reminds me of the safety slots in the cylinder of most Civil War cap-and-ball revolvers. NAA recommends CCI and Winchester ammunition, and I concur, although you have to test various loadings by both companies for accuracy and stability. Even with its 1-1/8" barrel, the mini-revolver is surprisingly fast, averaging 1,082 fps with CCI Maxi-Mag +V, which turned in 1-1/4" 3-shot groups at 15' over open sights. CCI Maxi-Mag Gold Dot was equal in accuracy, but a bit slower, averaging 808 fps over the PACT Professional chronograph. NAA offers a complete catalog of mini-revolver accessories, but the neatest accessory of all is LaserLyte’s new clamp-on laser sight. Only 1-5/8" long and weighing .4 ounces, LaserLyte’s fully adjustable NAA-1 laser sight is a study in miniaturization, and provides the shooter with the smallest laser and handgun combination in the world. It also brings out all the potential accuracy and range a NAA mini-revolver has to AsyoucocktheNAA’shammer(above),your thumbcontactsthetoggleswitch,turningon thelaser.Oneofthefirstsuccessfulrevolvers firingacartridgelaunchedthefirmofS&Win 1857.TheS&WNo.1(below,bottom)andaNAA miniareverysimilarindesign. Laser Accuracy offer while not compromising the minirevolver’s qualities as a CCW. Outside in full sunlight against a neutral-colored object, I can clearly see the red LaserLyte dot at 25'. If the same object is in open shade, the dot is visible at 50'. Inside a house or at night, the dot is2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=26http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=26BARREL BASICS It all starts here. things never change. Some Here’s one. The barrel is truly the make-orbreak component in any rifle, and I’m talking about accuracy. Of course, other elements have to be correct and fully functioning to see small groups on target (and of these, the nut holding the stock factors mightily), but the difference between a rifle that shoots well and one that shoots outstandingly well is in the barrel. The standard for “shoot well” is ultimately subjective. I expect my across-the-course rifles to group no bigger than 4" at 600 yards, and that’s a 10-shot group fired prone with a scope. There’s little doubt the use a rifle is put to and the distance the bullet covers helps each shooter set his own standards for accuracy. There’s also little doubt hold quality factors heavily. A High Master class competitor is going to think his barrel has gone bad sooner than a Marksman will. In years past I’ve taken an admittedly snobbish stance on barrel quality, saying you really do get what you pay for in a match-grade barrel. One reason is there’s not really a definitive standard for “match-grade,” beyond those established by the barrelmaker. I say a match barrel Thisisasgoodasitgets,Glensays.OrderedfromKrieger,thisbarrelarrivedreadytoinstall.Gas portholedrilled,chambered,extensioninstalledandevenagasmanifoldtofit.Glenchosethe length,contourandtwistrate.Thisisn’tcheap,butit’swortheverypennytohimbecausehehas yettogetabadone. Snob? is one that wins matches. Experienced competitive shooters become aware of this because we will go through several barrels, and, therefore, see a performance pattern develop barrel to barrel. We want that pattern to be a flat line. Admittedly, it’s also been hard to continually tell people to spend $500 on one (turned, fitted, chambered and installed). Guess what? It still stands. If you are building an AR-15 for competitive use, regardless of the venue, and you want to see it shoot just as well as it can, you dramatically swing the odds in your favor by purchasing a Krieger, Lilja, Obermeyer, Schneider or other similar barrel. Those barrels, as is true with many from custom barrelmakers, aren’t graded. There’s only one standard: sell or trash. The next tier of barrels are those graded, after manufacture, and segregated by their quality. Again, different standards apply and none are universally followed, but dimensional consistency, correctness and straightness are the leading indicators. Pac-Nor, Shilen and Douglas come to mind. The best of those are frequently as good as custom barrels, but the safe route is to go with those known as good. As I said, distance really shows the differences in barrels. Take a rifle with a decent barrel and one with a great barrel to the firing line, and then keep moving farther and farther from the target. There will be less notable difference in these barrels at 100 yards. There will be more at 200. More still at 300. Way more at 600. And night and day at 1,000. I’ve seen this too many times to respect it with a “maybe.” It is also, therefore, Measuring Quality Thereisanincreasinglyavailablesupplyof ready-to-gobarrelsoftrulymatchquality. Here’sonefromSaternCustom.It’sacut-rifled, stainlesssteelNrAServiceriflebarrel,and shipswithaboltfornoheadspaceworriesanda frontsighthousingmodifiedtoprovidewindage adjustment.lotsoftwistratechoicesanda “Wylde”chamber.Ithammered. 26 Stainlesssteeldoesn’tnecessarilyshootany betterthanchromemoly,butusuallyshoots itsbestforalongertime.Chromemoly, though,willshootout-and-outlongerafter bothhavepassedtheirpeakduetothenature ofthroaterosion.Glenrecommendsstainless becauseafterabarrelispulledfromanAr15,there’snothingmoreyoucandowithit. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=27http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=27why many people may be entirely happy—and for good reason—with a less expensive barrel. There are differences in barrel manufacture methods, and the leading is how the lands and grooves are formed. Most rifling is done via a button pulled through the drilled blank. It’s a swaging process. Another style is cut rifling, a machining operation whereby a singlepoint cutter is driven through the drilled blank, cutting one groove at a time. There will always be arguments about which is best, and I like cut rifling. Done to its limits, cut rifled barrels should exhibit uniform twist rate and also undergo a little less stress. As with any metal working, though, finished quality ultimately comes down to tool precision and operator standards. Other perks in a custom barrel usually (and certainly should) include hand lapping and stress relieving. The lapping smoothes the interior surface and improves dimensional consistency. The stress relieving helps ensure the barrel “looks” in the same direction after it gets hot. That, by the way, is how we can get a barrel with a smaller diameter to shoot as well as one that looks like a Red Bull can. Material? Go with stainless steel. Stainless will not shoot one bit better than chrome moly, but will shoot its best for a little longer. That’s usually to the tune of another 10- or 15-percent longer gilt-edge accuracy. The reason is in how the steel “wears” as throat erosion progresses. Chrome moly tends to get rough (like sandpaper) whereas stainless steel tends to form cracks with stillsmooth areas between them (like a dry lake bed). If, however, we were going to shoot each barrel beyond the point of its best accuracy, chrome moly will probably shoot best past either’s prime. While stainless groups tend to open up abruptly, chrome moly group sizes cone outward more slowly. How long a barrel lasts has to do with the load you shoot the most. If we plot out propellant gas pressure DO THE TWIST T he correct twist rate (expressed as how many inches it takes for a bullet to make a full rotation, or “turn,” as it travels through the barrel) matters, and especially when bigger bullets are in your plans. Bullet length, not weight, determines the twist rate needed for reliable stability. A longer bullet needs a faster twist. The most popular twist today is 1:9". I think the best “all around” twist is 1:8". That works with anything up to and including a Sierra 80-grain MatchKing. It will also work for a Sierra 77 MatchKing, Hornady 75 Match or other similar heavier bullet designed to be loaded to magazine-box length. If you won’t use anything over 70 grains, then 1:9" is fine. If you won’t use anything over 55 grains, then 1:12" is not only fine, but wise. Looking for an “ultimate” small group with a particular bullet does mean compromise with another, very different bullet, but there is no getting a longer bullet to shoot through a tooslow twist. Here’sanextreme,but extremesarepervasive in.224"bullets.Onthe leftisa35grain,onthe rightisa90.Theittybittyonecanfunction perfectlywellthrough a1:14"twist,butthe bigbadboywillhitthe targetsidewaysunless it’slaunchedfroma tubewitha1:6.5"twist. Stainless Or Chrome Moly? levels against the progression of bullet movement through the bore, we get a “pressure-time curve.” Pressure levels are associated with respective levels of flame cutting in the chamber throat area. A steep p-t curve (slower-moving bullet) means more cutting, or at least it’s more concentrated. Clearly, lighter bullets will do less damage than heavier bullets, even though the lighter bullet loads contain more propellant. A steady diet of 77-grain bullets, for instance, will shorten barrel life compared to using mostly 55-grain bullets. Fortunately, .223 Remington is one of the kindest-tobarrel-steel rounds in use in competition. I expect about 4,000 good rounds from a good barrel (about the same as .308 Winchester). In contrast, something like .243 Winchester provides about 1,200 rounds of X-ring accurac2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=28http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=28• HOLT BODINSON • THE “PATCHETT” 9MM SMG Century’s remarkable Type II Sterling. t was called the “Pachett.” In the hands of Britain’s 6th Airborne I Division, 100 or so “trial” Pachetts saw action at Normandy and Arnhem. The troops liked it, but with the close of WWII, there were so many Stens in the supply chain, there was little immediate demand or interest in underwriting the development of a new submachine gun. Yet, in 1944, the British General Staff had published a set of standards for the design of a new submachine gun. It was to chamber the 9mm Parabellum; weigh no more than 6 pounds; have a cyclic rate of no more than 500 rounds per minute and be capable of placing five rounds consistently within one square foot at 100 yards. Century’sSterlingismostlymadeoforiginal partslikethismagazinehousing(above). Pachett’simprovedrollermagazinefollower (below)isingeniousandslickworking. Working at the Sterling Engineering Company in Dagenham, Essex, England, George William Pachett wasn’t about to let a good submachine gun design end up in the dustbin of history. He knew he had a more accurate and reliable design than the Sten, which had indeed acquired some derogatory aliases during the war such as “Stench Gun” and “Woolworth Gun.” The Sterling Engineering Company was a good place to work. In 1941, another engineer there, George Herbert Lanchester, patented the Lanchester submachine gun, which was essentially an improved version of the German Schmeisser MP-28. The Lanchester Mk I featured a side feeding, 50-round magazine, a perforated barrel jacket and was produced during the war by Sterling Engineering exclusively for the British Navy. So, with the support of Sterling, G.W. Pachett continued to refine his design and kept submitting improved models to the trials committees of the late 1940s and early 1950s. One of the key features that kept bringing the Pachett to the head of the line in design was its self-cleaning action. The bolt body was machined with four sharp-sided, curved ribs along its circumference. As the bolt reciprocated, the angled ribs sheared away and cleared any fouling, dirt, dust, sand or mud that might have entered the tubular receiver. The early designs of the Pachett used either the 50-round Lanchester or the 32-round Sten magazine. There is no question the side-feeding magazine system has proved reliable and handy when hosing down the enemy. Pachett wasn’t satisfied with existing magazine designs though, so he came up with an improved one of his own. Pachett’s 34-round, staggered box The“Patchett”sawlimiteduseinWWIIand wentontobecomeoneofthemostwidelyused SMGsworldwidepostwar. Self Cleaning magazine dispensed with the common sheet metal, fixed follower. In its place, Pachett substituted two robust, steel rollers, much like the rollers on a motorcycle chain. The rollers reduced friction and provided a more positive feeding system. Pachett also incorporated pressed-in grooves along the body of the magazine that functioned as spaces where dirt could collect and not contribute to a jam. It’s a tough, heavywalled magazine and weighs just shy of 3/4 pounds on my Sunbeam scale, and it’s a joy to thumb 9mm rounds into. Pachett’s persistence and Sterling’s support paid off. In 1953, the design was officially adopted by Britain and most of the British Commonwealth. Ironically, the design from WWII to 1952, through all the trials, had always been officially referred to as the “Pachett,” but once it was adopted as the model L1A1, it was from that day forward called the “Sterling.” The Sterling was made by the Sterling Engineering Company, the Royal Ordnance Factory at Fazakerly, and manufactured under license by the Canadian Arsenals, Ltd. The standard military model was adopted by Britain, Canada, India and New Zealand, sold to 28 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=29http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=2940 or 50 other countries, and was widely marketed to Kenyan farmers during the Mau-Mau conflict. The Sterling was not a cheap gun to make. It was finely machined and finished. Tolerances were held to a minimum. For its intended purposes, some were to say it was too finely made. Looking at its components, the Sterling was a combination of machined steel forgings and sheet metal stampings. Century International Arms has done an exceptionally fine job of blending original Sterling parts kits with newly machined barrels and receivers to give us a semi-automatic version of the last model in the line of classic military Sterlings, the Model L2A3. Over its lifetime, the Sterling was offered in a variety of configurations and as a selective-fire weapon as well as semiautomatic only. The standard Sterling military submachine gun evolved through a series of minor modifications known as the L1A1, L2A1, L2A2 and L2A3 models. There were two very effective suppressed models with the designations L34A1 (selective fire) and Police Carbine Mark 5 (semi-auto). Closely resembling Century’s L2A3 was a semi-automatic with a 16" barrel called the Mark 6 Carbine, and a closed bolt version of the same design labeled the Single Shot Mark 8. Like the Uzi, they finally squeezed the Sterling down into a family of 4"- and 8"-barreled pistol configurations known as the Mark 7 Para Pistol series. DISASSEMBLY/REASSEMBLY irst, remove the magazine, clear the chamber and fold the stock. Depress the end cap lock, push in the end cap, turn it counterclockwise and remove it slowly since it’s under pressure from the mainspring. Remove the springs and entrapped parts. Remove the operating handle by pulling it out fully to the rear. Remove the bolt. Remove the firing pin from the bolt. The gun is now fieldstripped. Reassemble in reverse order. Not Cheap F The9mmSterlingturnedinasterling performanceontherange. By necessity, Century International Arms’ L2A3 is a bit longer and heavier than the original. The original Sterling had a barrel only 7.8" long, fully encased in its perforated barrel shroud and fired from an open bolt. By law, the Century configuration calls for a barrel with a minimum length of 16", so Century produces two 16-1/4"-barreled models with closed bolt firing systems: a Type I with a short handguard receiver and a crinkle-type finish, and a Type II with a perforated receiver/handguard extending all the way to the muzzle and a Parkerized finish. Both models are fitted with the Sterling’s exceptionally rigid, under-folding metal stock. Century’s Sterling incorporates original surplus Sterling parts as well as newly manufactured components, namely the perforated receiver and barrel. The fire control system has been altered, of course, from selective fire to semi-automatic fire, but the original incorporated trigger housing still carries the letters “S” for safe, “R” for repeat or semi-auto fire and “A” for fully automatic fire. The selector switch on the Century moves only between “S” and “R” though. The sighting system consists of a “L-type,” flip-over rear aperture calibrated for 100 and 200 meters. The front sight consists of a threaded blade adjustable up and down for elevation, and a dovetailed base driftable right or left for windage. The long, 23-1/2" sight radius of the Type II design, in particular, provides a clean, crisp sight picture and certainly helps to extract all the accuracy the Sterling has to offer, which is considerable. Century’s Sterling is a fun gun that demands to be fed copious amounts of 9mm. Knowing that, I headed for the range with a 250-round box of Remington’s UMC brand 115-grain FMJ and went to work. At 25 yards, STERLING TYPE II SUBMACHINE GUN MAKER: CENTURY INTERNATIONAL ARMS 430 S. CONGRESS AVE., STE. 1 DELRAY BEACH, FL 33445 (800) 527-1252 WWW.CENTURYARMS.COM ACTION TYPE: Semi-automatic, blowback CALIBER: 9mm Parabellum CAPACITY: 34 BARREL LENGTH: 16-1/4" OVERALL LENGTH: 27" folded, 37-1/4" extended WEIGHT: 9.15 poun2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=30http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=30• MIKE CUMPSTON • AMERICAN TACTICAL AT 92 COMPACT This Turkish copy of the Beretta 92 is affordable and accurate. n November 2009, American Tactical Imports announced the I availability of a compact version of their AT 92, which is a close copy of the Beretta 92 FS. Overall dimensions are the same as the full-sized pistol, except the barrel and overall length are about 6/10" shorter. Except for very minor design changes stipulated by ATI, it is the MKE Yavuz 16 Compact manufactured by Girsan Industries for the Turkish state arms company, Mechanical and Chemical Industries (MKEK). According to the Girsan concern, the pistol is manufactured on state-ofthe-art CNC machinery and subject to NATO specific testing and evaluation. Among other criteria, the pistol must survive 8,000 rounds with no failures and exhibit accuracy not exceeding 8cm mean radius for 10 rounds at 25 meters. Girsan data indicates the (fullsized) pistol made it through the various hostile environment tests, the extended firing component and produced groups of 6cm mean radius—or about 4.7" diameter by Western count. The Yavuz is used by some elements of the Turkish military. American Tactical advises potential buyers to have local dealers canvass distributors and warns it is the nature of imports that availability may be sporadic. My “sample” AT 92 came from Ellet Brothers Distributors by way of Hewitt Gun Shop in Hewitt, Texas. My request for a T&E sample from ATI had disappeared in the maze of a new and complicated media relations system. I obtained it through ordinary consumer channels, which is something I like to do fairly often. It serves to confound and confuse the geniuses who insist we gunwriters receive special treatment and above-standard samples in return for positive reviews. I would rather spend a little money every now and then if it will help me avoid the label of “Industry Ho.” It also demonstrates ATI did not announce the pistol before it was actually available, and has gotten busy and placed the Compact with domestic distributors. TheAmericanTacticalImportsAT92isanearexactcopyoftheBerettaFS/M9pistolmade inTurkeyfordomesticmilitaryapplications. TheCompactmodelis6/10"shorterthanthe standardpistol.Bothretaintheoriginalsteel guiderodsandtotalsteel,plastic-freetriggers. Disassemblyisthesameandjustassimpleas aBeretta92.Shooterswhohavefumbledwith thenew-techplasticguiderods,causingthem tosnapintwo,willappreciatetheTurkish/ATI decisiontorejectthetrendtowardplastication ofloadbearingparts.Theguiderodissteel. Casualbenchrestshootingat25yardsproducedgroupsinthe3"range.Thebestfourroundsfrom eachgroupaveragedaconsistent2". 30 Upon examination, the AT 92 Compact does exhibit unimpeachable standards of construction and finish inside and out. There are no shortfalls or shortcuts in construction and, as advertised, the AT retains the original steel, rather than plastic, guide rod. Likewise, the trigger is all steel with no plastic constituent. Like many imports, the slide, barrel and frame are literatureheavy with American Tactical and Turkish provenance prominent on all surfaces. Since this is a “reverse engineered” copy of a Beretta, the implication is Beretta parts will work in the import. The AT 92 is completely compatible with Beretta Magazines but the gunsmiths at ATI have not yet determined if other parts are interchangeable. The locking WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=31http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=31FEATURES MANUFACTURER: GIRSAN INDUSTRIES FOR MKEK, TURKEY IMPORTER: AMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS 100 AIR PARK DRIVE ROCHESTER, NY 14624 (800) 290-0065 WWW.AMERICANTACTICAL.US CALIBER: 9x19mm CAPACITY: 15+1 ACTION: Traditional double action OVERALL LENGTH: 7.89" BARREL LENGTH: 4.33" WEIGHT: 32.6 ounces SIGHTS: Fixed 3-dot FINISH: Blue PRICE: $549.95 block in the AT resembles the first generation part rather than subsequent variations intended to extend service life of the part. The operational smoothness of the AT, combined with the straightforward Beretta feed sequence, creates the expectation of perfect functioning. The Beretta design is right at the top of the short list of pistols likely to function right out of the box without a “breakin” period or extra attention from the owner or a gunsmith. The AT 92 does, in fact, demonstrate complete reliability regardless of bullet shape. The sights are very visible—an important consideration during my primary shooting session as it took place during a flash flood and in twilight conditions. My casual 25-yard bench groups tended to validate the results reported by the Girsan. My first and largest group was 3.9" fired with Independence ball. I settled down and shot another that came in at 2.9". Single 5-shot groups with Speer 124-grain Gold Dot and Remington 124-grain Golden Saber measured 2.8" and 3.4". All three of Mikefiredthese15roundssingleactionrapidlyat25yards.TheATlendsitselftofasttarget acquisition.Thegroupis6x6-1/4".Mikefired25roundsatthistargetfrom50'beginningeachfive roundstringfromdoubleaction.rateoffirewasabouttworoundspersecondforthesingle-action shots.TheAT92,liketheBerettaisaveryeasypistoltouseinitsintendedroleasamilitaryand self-defensearm. 9MM FACTORY AMMO PERFORMANCE LOAD VELOCITY (BRAND, BULLET WEIGHT, TYPE) (FPS) INDEPENDENCE 115 FMj 1,123 REMINGTON GOLDEN SABER jHP 124 1,125 SPEER GOLD DOT 124 jHP 1,164 GROUP SIzE (INCHES) 2.9 3.4 2.8 Theowner’smanualisquiteeasytounderstand, althoughthetranslationproducessome interestingspellingandsyntax.Thisdoesserve toholdthereader’sattentionandfostergreater comprehension. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM these groups placed the best four rounds in 1.9" to 2.1". My bench groups were centered as to elevation and about 2" right of point of aim. Overall, the level of accuracy and the four in, one out syndrome resembles results I have gotten with the full-length Beretta FS. The double-action trigger pull is long and stacks toward the end—more like the old Walther P38 than some of the newer DA pistols. My early tendency was to place the initial double action round lower on target than subsequent singleaction releases. Practice moderated this to some extent. I did my 25-yard free standing shooting single action, isosceles firing upon reacquisition of the front sight. Estimated interval between shots was about 1 second, perhaps a bit more. This produced 15 solid center mass hits in a 6" group. I fired 25 rounds from 50' in 5-round installments shooting double action for the initial shots and delivering the single-action shots at about 2 per second. Twenty-three rounds clustered center-right in a 5-1/2" spread with the two outlying shots expanding the group to 7". The overall size of the 92 Compact, the visible sights and the very moderate recoil of the 9x19 cartridges make this a very easy pistol to use in its intended role as an arm for service applications or self-defense. 312010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=32http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=32• JACOB GOTTFREDSON • NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM TACTICAL RIFLES It’s hard to imagine a .308 getting any better than this. ometimes you’re good and sometimes you’re just plain lucky. S Terry Cross exemplifies what it means to be good. His record proves it; he wins many of the sniper matches he attends. Recently, he won the Sniper’s Bash at Rifles Only. His 1st place prize was a Nighthawk Custom Tactical .308 Rifle and Nightforce scope, all in an expensive case. Great shooting! I, on the other hand, exemplified plain luck. I won, by way of a raffle, a Sako TRG 42, .338 Lapua Magnum courtesy of Euro Optics. Terry was kind enough to loan me the Nighthawk rifle for this article. Long-range tactical rifles typically have several things in common. Nighthawk has included most of them in this beautiful, rugged and functional rifle. While opinions differ on how this is accomplished, advances in technology and new field requirements have flushed out some of what works best. For short-, mid- and long-range targets in a rich field of fire, whether on the battlefield or assaulting a prairie dog town, the rifle should be stable enough to allow the shooter to see splash, make corrections and do so quickly. The action, barrel and bedding should be crafted well enough to deliver effective and productive accuracy. The trigger should be positive with no creep or over travel, light enough for accurate shooting, yet heavy enough for safety. The stock should be stiff, bedded properly and the correct and ergonomic shape to enhance accurate, fast fire. The scope has to be top quality with a functional reticle. A detachable magazine capable of holding 10 rounds Typicaloftacticalrifles,Nighthawkusesan extendedbolthandlewithalargeknurledknob attheend.Italsousesaleverattheleading edgeofthetriggerguardforquickmagazine release. A20MOAPicatinnyrailwassuppliedwiththe rifle.Notetheboltreleaseontherearofthe actiononoftheleftside. for longer sustained fire should also be available. The bolt should allow quick access, efficient, leveraged function and work like glass. Nighthawk has spared nothing to accomplish these requirements. Starting with a new and rather innovative action, Nighthawk attached a .308 Broughton 5C, 1:12" twist, match-grade barrel. This was married to a Manners MCS-T4A stock with adjustable cheekpiece. A Jewell trigger was used on the bottom and a Nightforce scope on the top. The stock was coated in a desert camo pattern and the metal coated with Perma Kote. Badger bottom metal was coupled with an Accuracy International magazine. Nighthawk is a custom shop and will build a chamber to your specs. For a few extra dollars they will also build the rifle around a Surgeon action. The tactical rifles come with a 20 MOA Picatinny rail and the firm offers a lifetime warranty on the action. I had several different brands of TheNighthawkincorporatesaMannersMCST4Astockwithanadjustablecheekpieceand AccuracyInternationalmagazine.Theboltis spiralfluted. TheNighthawkCustomTacticalriflecombinesaMannersstock,Jewelltrigger,customactionand Broughton5Cbarrel.Therifleshootswithextraordinaryaccuracy,withacoldorhotbarrel.The magazineisa5-roundfromAccuracyInternational. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 2010 322010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=33http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=33™ LED Flashlight Six100-yard,5-shotgroups(above)include(top row,lefttoright)Federal168-grainmatch,an oldreloadfromanotherrifle,Federal175-grain matchand(bottomrow,lefttoright)Federal 168-grainmatch,Samson168-grainmatch andremington168-grainmatch.Itastonished Jacobthatfivedifferentloads,usingthesame identicalaimingpoint,wouldnotonlyshootso small,butalsohitalmostthesameplace.The six5-roundgroupswerefiredquicklytotest therifleandbolt’sability.Theexercisebegan onacold,cleanbarrelandendedwithahot barrel.Nobreakwastakentocool.Groupsare .450",.441",.516",.428",.281"and.281"for anaggregateof.3995".extraordinaryforfive differentmanufacturers’factoryammo,plus anoff-the-wallreloadtunedforanotherrifle. Jacob’shandloadingefforts(below)found43 grainsofH4895shotwell.(Theinitial43-grain loadistapedtothetargetatleft.)loading10 roundswith43grainsandreturningtotherange severaldayslater,Jacobshotthetwogroupson themiddleandright.Theymeasure.071",.166" and.168"foranaggregateof.135".Velocityis rightat2,715fpswithavelocityspreadof38 fpsandastandarddeviationof11,whichmight causeabitofverticalstringingat600yards. The175-grainSierraMatchKingbullet(group tapedatbottomright)respondedto41grains ofH4895. 150 Lumens Programmable Rechargeable Limited Lifetime Warranty To find a dealer call or log-on: Toll Free: 866-509-2040 InsightTechnology.com GUNS MAGAzINE ONLINE! www.gunsmagazine.com match .308 ammo on hand and began running them through the rifle at 100 yards. I was astonished. I shot seven brands of ammo. Each shot well—less than .5" well—for 5-round groups. What was even more amazing is each shot to nearly the same point of impact. I was shooting at 60' elevation, 29.93 barometric pressure and 65 degrees F in a mild wind switching from 9 to 12 o’clock. The first target of six groups, fired with five different brands of factory ammo and one handload developed for another rifle, gave an overall aggregate of .39". I held the same point of aim for all 30 rounds. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 332010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=34http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=34Prior to this, I had shot 5 groups as fast a possible. Each group was fired in about 15 seconds. I wanted to see how the bolt reacted when trying to shoot quickly, as well as whether the rifle would allow me to see splash and continue to shoot through either a cold or hot barrel. The results were the same with groups running about .4". I began with a cold, clean barrel and finished with a hot barrel. The rifle gave me the same result, cold or hot. All this got my heart rate going, wondering what a tuned reload would do. I’ve had great luck in the past with Vithavori N150, Federal brass and Federal 210M primers, which I used for the short course in competition. However, N150 powder does not give me the velocity I was after for an acrossthe-course load. I had many Black Hills cases in the garage I’d loaded more then once for a different rifle. I am anal about prepping cases, but since the factory stuff was doing so well, I decided to simply run 20 of those cases through a Redding body die and use as is (was?). I loaded 168- and 175-grain Sierra MatchKings to magazine length. That was the lazy reloader’s method I will admit, but hey, it consumed little effort. I was eager to see the results anyway. I loaded 42 through 45 grains of H4895 just because I had a lot of it staring me in the face saying, “Try me!” There are other possibly better powders for the .308, but 4895 meters well, and in this rifle, like everything I’ve tried, it shot extremely well, velocity being from about 2,650 to 2,800 fps. I was shooting again at 60' elevation, 95 percent humidity, and about 43 degrees F. I settled on 43 grains because I was confident it would not crater the brass here in the south in August with temperatures hovering around 100. The above was gave me a velocity spread of 38 fps and a standard deviation of 11. Yet the Black Hills factory ammo resulted in a spread of only 13 fps and a standard deviation of just 6. Go figure. Unless I can find another powder that will give results like BH, what do you think I’m going to shoot? Then again, all the factory ammo I tried was shooting groups in the .3 to .4" range. I’m not talking one or two groups, more like 30 groups. I shot one group at 600 yards using Federal’s 168-grain match ammo and the 5-round group was 2.47" in the bull. That’s F-Class material. In any case, after seeing how 43 grains of H4895 seemed to be the best load between 42 and 45 grains, I loaded 10 rounds with 43 grains and went to the range. They gave me groups of .168" and .166". The best group I got was .071", which made me think 43 grains was CUSTOM MAKER: NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM 1306 W. TRIMBLE BERRYVILLE, AR 72616 (877) 268-4867 WWW.NIGHTHAWKCUSTOM.COM ACTION: Push feed, bolt action CALIBER: .308 Winchester OVERALL LENGTH: 47-3/4" BARREL: 24" Broughton 5C match grade, 1:12" twist WEIGHT: 16.3 pounds STOCK: Manners MCS-T4A SIGHTS: None, 20 MOA Picatinny rail provided TRIGGER: Jewell FINISH: Perma Kote metal, desert camo stock RETAIL: $3,650 NxS 5.5-22x50MM MAKER: NIGHTFORCE SCOPES (LIGHTFORCE USA) 1040 HAzEN LANE OROFINO, ID 83544 (800) 732-9824 WWW.NIGHTFORCEOPTICS.COM OBjECTIVE DIAMETER: 50mm MAGNIFICATION: 5.5X to 22X EYE RELIEF: 3.7" CLICK VALUE: 1/4 MOA TUBE DIAMETER: 30mm WEIGHT: 31 ounces OVERALL LENGTH: 15.1" RETAIL: $1,810 OUT OF THE BOX GENTLEMAN’S TACTICAL FOLDER • Stainless steel frame lock build. • Fast flipper opening action. • IKBS internal ball-bearing pivot system. • Titanium nitride black or blue coating. • Acuto+ stainless steel blade. • Available in two sizes. Long-Range Accuracy 34 Columbia River Knife & Tool Ripple 1/3 page Vertical Ad, 2.125 x 9.5” CMYK K405BXP www.crkt.com best and gave me an aggregate group of .135". That is Benchrest quality. I think I might just take the rifle to the next 100/200 yard Benchrest match and leave my fancy 6mm PPC Benchrest rifle at the house, and use the bipod I have been shooting from to boot. Of course, at 16 + pounds, it is too heavy, but hey…. Groups with the 175-grain 2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=35http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=35• Jeff John • $358 ($374 for the takedown and both are sometimes on sale) and an average original Favorite with little finish runs in the $250-$350 range, I’d say don’t do it. You don’t say what condition your Favorite is in, but Favorites are collectibles and someone will want yours as it is; or keep yours and buy the Savage. Maybe someone will import .32 RF again. The Savage Service Dept. notes none of the new parts will fit the old Favorites and emphatically say no to fitting one of their barrels to an original—no matter what the original caliber. BROWNELLS 200 S. FRONT STREET, MONTEzUMA, IA 50171 (800) 741-0015, WWW.BROWNELLS.COM SAVAGE ARMS 100 SPRINGDALE ROAD, WESTFIELD, MA 01085 (413) 568-7001, WWW.SAVAGEARMS.COM TRACK OF THE WOLF, INC. 18308 jOPLIN STREET N. W. ELK RIVER, MN 55330 (763) 633-2500, WWW.TRACKOFTHEWOLF.COM Fiocchiloadsstandardpressure9x19mminboth FMJandHPloadswiththesamebulletweight andvelocity.Bothloadsshouldshoottothe samepointofimpact,makingpracticecheaper. SincetheJA-Nineisnotwarrantedtofeed hollowpointammo,besurethegunfeedswell withJHPsbeforebettingyourlifeonit. Q: I have enjoyed shooting a J. Stevens Favorite in .32 Long Rimfire Stevens Favorite for many years. However, I’m having difficulty finding ammo, and when I do it is very expensive. Therefore, is it possible to sleeve the barrel to .22 Long Rifle? Is there an alternative method or something better? Edward Byrne Tynsboro, Massachusetts While sleeving a .22 barrel with a .22 liner is a fairly straightforward job for most gunsmiths, because your rifle is a .32 RF, more work, perhaps too much, is necessary. Brownells’ .22 rimfire barrel liners sell for less than $35, but they have an outside diameter of 5/16"—smaller than the .318" case head of the .32 RF—so the liner is small at the chamber end. That’s not the best place for the liner to be too small, even if it’s “only a .22.” Track of the Wolf offers a 7/16" .22 liner, but the cost is $4.49 per inch, so the liner is now more than $100 and it’s not installed yet. Plus, you still have to modify or make a new extractor and the firing pin needs to be moved to hit the much smaller head of the .22 LR. Considering the good shooting, Savage Model 30 .22 LR retails for A: Institute, and Fiocchi 9mm is loaded to the Institute’s established cartridge pressure specifications when made in the USA. The good news is Fiocchi is able to squeeze a little more speed out of the 9mm at standard pressures in both FMJ and JHP loads. The firm offers +P ammo, so be sure you buy the standard stuff. Faced with a threat, the last thing you need to obsess over is expansion. Today’s jacketed hollowpoints work very well, so make sure the load you choose feeds reliably and you can put your shots on target. I’ve fired only 1,150 rounds through my Jennings Nine pistol in the 11 years I’ve owned it. Although I’ve never had any problems, I’d like to know what springs to replace to prevent problems. I only keep 10 rounds loaded in each of the 12-round magazines it came with. At a price of $145, it has been a good gun for me, since I’m retired and on a fixed income. Byers O. Servic New York Sadly, Jennings went into bankruptcy in 2004. Jimenez Arms bought Jennings and can still do some service on the old Nine. Contact them for pricing. The Jimenez service department said if your Jennings works well, then leave it alone, but added keeping the magazines loaded all the time might cause the mag springs to take a set. Those springs, you may want to replace. FIOCCHI 6930 N. FREMONT ROAD, OzARK, MO 65721 (417) 725-4118, WWW.FIOCCHIUSA.COM jIMENEz ARMS INC 5550 REFERENCE ST., LAS VEGAS, NV 89122 (702) 566-5937, WWW.jIMENEzARMSINC.COM Fiocchi’s ad in April’s issue prompts my question. Is their 9mm 115-grain JHP rated at 1,250 fps from a 4" barrel at standard pressure, and is this as effective as a +P round for selfdefense? I’m aware I might not get as much velocity from the 3.625" barrel of my Jimenez JA-Nine and my JA-Nine is not rated fo2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=36http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=36How to choose the perfect knife for the hunt. ith the overwhelming majority of press focused on tactical knives in the past decade, you’d think knives for outdoorsmen had crawled up in a cave somewhere and died. Fortunately, this is not the case. Truth is, there are plenty of hunting and sporting knives to be had—and the same technology infused into the tactical knife arena is there for the outdoorsman’s taking. Making your selection even more bountiful, some of the tactical knives available crossover nicely into the outdoor field. Some offer the same characteristics you would look for in a hunting knife. The key is to know what your personal needs are. Selection varies according to the type of hunting you do and which other outdoor sports you participate in, such as camping, fishing and hiking. The two biggest factors in choosing a knife are picking the right blade style and length to best suit your needs. These two elements will affect your ability to perform the chores you do the most. Once you choose the right blade, selecting the other traits you want in a knife will be the icing on the cake. To keep it simple, we’ll look at fixed-blade knives here, but the same applications apply to folding knives as well. Keep in mind folders aren’t available in the large sizes available in fixed-blade knives. The blade is the heart of the knife from which everything else revolves. Get the blade right and you’re halfway home. Two blade styles proven to be great choices for the hunter are the drop point and clip point. The reason is two-fold. First off, these are good all-around time-proven working blades and can handle multiple field chores. Secondly, both are effective at skinning because when turned upside down they glide under the flesh without snagging internal organs that can contaminate meat. A knife with a turned up tip, typically call a trailing point or “Persian” style, points downward when skinning, increasing the chances of piercing organs. These blades can be used to skin game, but it requires pinching the flesh and pulling it upward during cutting to clear the blade of the viscera below. The length of a blade determines its ability to perform various field chores. If you want an average-size knife for executing a wide variety of field chores and dressing game, a blade in the 4" range is an excellent choice. A blade this size can be used to prepare medium-size game, like whitetail deer, and though it may not be your preference, can also be used to skin larger and smaller game as well. Many hunters prefer a shorter blade for skinning, but the shorter the blade, the less versatility it will offer for doing other duties around the camp. This is where you need to adjust the length of the blade to suit your particular situation. If you are hunting out of a comfortable camp setting and most of your efforts will be cleaning game, you may only need a 3" or 3.5" blade. If you are camping in the wild you’ll need a 4" blade or longer to WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 2010 W Pat Covert Blades for the hunter are diverse in both style and length, and good choices include (above, from left to right) the Bob Dozier Pro Guide, the DiamondBlade Knives Pinnacle I and Benchmade Knives’ small Activator. This pair of large and small Benchmade Activators (below) can pull double duty as both hunting knives and practical tacticals. Start With The Blade 362010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=37http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=372010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=38http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=38perform a wider range of duties. A 2-1/2" to 3" blade is all you need for skinning small furry critters like squirrel, plus a blade this size can also serve extra duty as a bird and trout knife. On the other end of the spectrum you’ll want something much larger in the 6" to 8" range for skinning and butchering large game like elk and moose. Because the preparation of large game often requires a combination of both heavy-duty chores and delicate work, especially if a trophy is in the offing, many hunters carry two knives—one large and one small—to suit the task at hand. Noted California knifemaker Bob Loveless is credited for popularizing the drop point blade among hunters back during the 1970s, and his design is most likely the most copied by other knifemakers of all time. Loveless also designed a blade called the “semi-skinner,” a drop point with a humped tip, worthy of note in its own right. While his wasn’t the first knife to have such a tip, Loveless refined it for the hunter. This lesser known design has also proven to be popular. The semi-skinner works exceptionally well because it lifts flesh as it cuts, which makes for easier slicing. Other skinner designs work the same way and are not necessarily relegated to the droppoint blade design. Another advantage the semi-skinner has is it retains all the common traits necessary to perform well as a field knife. Many hunters prefer small skinning knives because they are easier to manipulate when preparing game. Blades for these knives average in the 3" range and are typically added to the hunter’s arsenal, in addition to a larger field knife. Smaller yet are blades made especially for caping when precision cutting is needed article to review all of these, but they are all solid performers worthy of your consideration. Finally, never underestimate the benefits of a comfortable handle, especially if you do a lot of cutting. This is where visiting a retail store or gun and knife show can really make a difference because you can handle knives first-hand to get a feel for how they fit your hand. Comfort is an esoteric thing, and the shape of a handle is important, as well as the material used in its construction. Today, many synthetic materials such as Micarta, G10 and carbon fiber are tough enough to last a lifetime. For the traditionalist, there are a wide range of organic materials like stag, bone and wood to choose from, and these may not have the sheer endurance of a synthetic, but have all served knife users well over long periods of time. Specialty Blades Dozier Arkansas Made Knives covers the bases with the large Pro Guide clip point hunter (above, top knife), and the Personal drop point model (above, bottom knife). Buck Knives’ ErgoHunter line has been a smash among hunters. Shown here are the larger ErgoHunter Select (below, top knife) and the Small Game Pro Select (below, bottom knife). nce you have determined what blade style and length suit you best, there are other considerations. There are two basic types of blade grinds on knives, the “hollow grind” and the “flat grind,” which is also referred to as a “V-grind.” A hollow-ground blade is, the most common type used on modern hunting knives. It has a concave cutting surface, which gives it a superior slicing advantage over its flat-ground brethren simply because the concave surface makes it thinner. The so-called doubleedged sword to this equation is that by virtue of being thinner the blade loses its edge faster and requires more frequent sharpening. A flat ground blade is beefier, so can 38 O The “grind” and sTeels handle tougher field chores for a more extended period of time. If you do more fieldwork and less game processing, this could be a prime consideration in your choice of blade grind. An excellent blade steel adds to the effectiveness of a knife, and the good news here is there are plenty of choices for all budgets. One of the most common is 440C. This time-proven stainless steel will do just about anything 2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=39http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=39Every hunter deserves a little luxury now and then. This Boker Arbolito Salida Fuerte set (above) includes a multi-use stag handled drop point hunter with a matching full-size fork. Looking for flexibility? Gerber’s Freeman Exchange-A-Blade (below) is a sturdy fixed blade with swappable options: A drop point main blade, a gut hook and a bone saw. for doing detail work on trophy game. Capers can have any length handle, but blade sizes are generally 2.5" in length and scalpel-like in blade design. Some knives are offered with an angled gut hook on the backside of the blade for zipping up flesh. More recently, tools with the sole purpose of opening up game have hit the market. A knife with a gut hook is a useful edged tool. But if you’re doing a lot of fieldwork, other than dressing game, you should be aware WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM the slicing détente might take away the effective use of a portion of the blade’s cutting surface. It can also be snag prone when used to perform other chores, so it’s wise to consider these factors in your choice. Bottom line? A little education goes a long way for helping the hunter make a wise decision on purchasing a knife tailored to their needs, and a little hands on experience to get a tactile feel for a knife never hurts, either. 392010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=40http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=40Kahr PM9 & Crimson Trace Laserguard. ightweight and good stopping power has L arrived in the Kahr PM9. While it is the same basic pistol as the earlier all-steel K9, the PM9 John Taffin PhoTos: JosePh r. noVeloZo is better suited for comfortable pocket carry as it is 40-percent lighter and 1/2" shorter, and the grip frame is 1/4" slimmer, and 1/2" shorter. To arrive at the much smaller grip frame it was necessary to cut the flush-fitting magazine by one round, however the PM9 comes with a second magazine with a grip extension and also with an additional 1-round capacity. Carrying the standard magazine for ultimate concealment with the Sights for the PM9 consist of drift adjustable front with white dot and extended magazine stashed on the body gives you square notch rear with a white bar at 6 o’clock. 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition carried in a most Let’s take a closer look at the Kahr PM9. Life is full of comfortable fashion. trade-offs. Scientifically speaking, this equates to, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” This is certainly true when coming up with the best pocket pistol. Slimming and shortening the grip frame to arrive at the PM9 results in a much different feel than the larger grip frame of the original K9. I also expected the reduction in weight to result in much more felt recoil. The question in my mind was, how would increasing the portability and concealability affect performance? To satisfy my curiosity the newer PM9 was run side-by-side with the older K9. Despite dealing with 10 ounces less weight and a shorter sight radius, I could discern little if any significant difference in felt recoil or accuracy. The double-action-only pistols are both relatively easy to shoot as their double action pulls—6-1/2 pounds for the PM9 and 8-1/4 pounds for the K9—rival most double action revolvers. My latest S&W .44 Special, an old classic 1950 4" Military, has an exceptionally The PM9 And K9 The Kahr PM9 is fitted with Crimson Trace Laserguard sights, which are easily attached around the triggerguard. By the time you read this, Kahr will be offering the PM9 factory-fitted with the Laserguard unit. Life used to be so simple. Whether it was as a backup gun for law enforcement, an easy to carry gun for plainclothes use, or for civilian concealed carry, the choice usually came down to a .38 Special. From Smith & Wesson there was the 5-shot Chief’s Special while Colt offered the Detective Special, which held one more round. As time passed, both companies offered lightweight versions and, in the case of S&W, concealed hammers. For those who preferred semi-automatics, about the only thing available was the Walther PPK, if one could be found. I lusted over Skeeter The original K9 40 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=41http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=41The Kahr PM9 fitted with Crimson Trace Laserguards is an excellent candidate for the title “Perfect Pocket Pistol,” according to John. The Kahr Custom Shop offers a variety of upgrades including the “Black Rose” (far right) available exclusively from the distributor Camfour Inc. The knife is a 5.11 Scout Folder with 3-3/4" blade, liner lock and G10 handle. Skelton’s Walther in those days and never, ever saw one for sale. Fifteen years ago Justin Moon, of the then newly founded Kahr Arms, began offering pocket pistols with a punch. Instead of just a .38 Special revolver or a .380 semi-automatic, Moon stepped the concept up to 9mm. The first Kahr I had experience with, which I believe was their first product, was the all-steel Kahr K9. I’m not sure why that model designation was chosen; perhaps it was because this little puppy has a serious bite. Weighing in at 25 ounces, the K9 was a little heavier and larger than the S&W Chief’s Special. However, its 8-round capacity made it especially appealing. In advertising, Colt once claimed an advantage of their Detective Special was it held one more round than the S&W Chief’s Special. But Kahr now had a pocket pistol that exceeded the Chief’s by three rounds and the Colt by two. The 9mm may not be as effective as the .45 ACP, however it was—and is—just as effective, possibly more so, than the .38 Special. With its 3-1/2" barrel and closed breech the Kahr’s 9mm generates higher muzzle velocities than the .38 Special from a 2" revolver. In fact with 9mm 115-grain bullets, the muzzle velocity is slightly less than 1,150 fps from the Kahr. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 412010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=42http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=4242 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=43http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=43WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 432010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=44http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=44PM9 MaKer: Kahr arMs 130 goddard MeMorial driVe WorCesTer, Ma 01603 (508) 795-3919, WWW.KahrarMs.CoM aCTion TyPe: Semi-auto, double-action-only Caliber: 9mm Luger CaPaCiTy: 6+1 or 7+1 barrel lengTh: 3" oVerall lengTh: 5.3" WeighT: 14 ounces finish: Black polymer frame, stainless steel slide sighTs: White dot griPs: Textured black polymer PriCe: $786 ($991 with Crimson Trace Laserguard) The Kahr PM9 with Crimson Trace Laserguard sights still has a triggerguard generous enough for use with gloved hands. The use of the laser allows accurate aiming without using a traditional stance. 44 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=45http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=45smooth double action trigger pull and it measures 10 pounds. Considering this, the Kahrs appear truly exceptional. To shave 40 percent of the weight from the original allsteel pistol, Kahr has combined a stainless steel slide with a polymer frame. The polymer frame not only allows a significant reduction in weight, but it also provides a much slimmer profile. The front and back of the grip frame are not serrated in typical fashion. Instead, very small raised rectangles are used to provide a secure gripping surface. This is also carried out by the pebble grain surface on both sides of the grip. The triggerguard is also generous. It allows the largest finger to fit comfortably and also accommodates a gloved hand. The trigger itself is smooth-faced and very easy to reach. This is a double-action-only pistol and, if for some reason it should fail to fire, pulling the trigger a second time accomplishes nothing. The trigger must be reset, by working the slide at least halfway backward. The stainless steel slide has large positive grooves in the area behind the extractor to behind the rear sight, which allows for easy manipulation of the slide to chamber a round. There are no sharp edges anywhere on the slide or grip frame. The slide is in fact “melted” on both sides of the top, as well as behind the rear sight and in front of the front sight. The only place on this pistol, which even resembles a sharp edge, is the top of the slanted post front sight and the notch in the rear sight. The sights are excellent providing a large square sight picture with a white dot embedded in the back of the front sight and a white square below the rear notch. They are very easy to pick up and are part of the overall package that make this pistol shoot so well. Both sights are set in a dovetail for ease of windage correction. The sights are pretty much dead on with my eyes and hold with most ammunition selected for testing. There are no external safeties on the Kahr; in fact, the only controls on the exterior are the slide stop lever and magazine release, both found on the left side. (Other models are available with a thumb safety and/or Tritium night sights.) The slide stop automatically engages when the last round is fired and the magazine releases easily when the button is pushed in. When a loaded magazine is inserted, the slide is pulled back and released to chamber a round; the striker is automatically held under partial tension and is fully secured by a passive striker block until the trigger is fully depressed. As the trigger is pulled, the striker block is released as a protrusion on the cocking cam lifts the striker block so it no longer blocks the striker from moving forward. 9MM faCTory aMMo PerforManCe load VeloCiTy grouP siZe (brand, bulleT WeighT, TyPe) (fPs) (inChes) blaCK hills 115 JhP 1,074 7/8 blaCK hills 147 JhP* 873 1 CCi blaZer 124 JsP 990 7/8 CCi blaZer 124 TMJ 977 1-1/8 federal 115 hi-shoK JhP 1,054 7/8 federal 124 fMJ 973 7/8 hornady 90 XTP-JhP 1,195 1-3/8 hornady 115 XTP-JhP 1,012 1 hornady 115 CriTiCal defense 1,001 1 hornady 124 XTP-JhP 1,017 7/8 reMingTon 147 JhP 895 1-1/8 sPeer 147 gold doT JhP 846 7/8 WinChesTer 147 silVerTiP hP 795 1-1/2 Notes: Groups the product of 5 Shots at 7 yards. Chronograph screens set at 10' from muzzle. *Also shot at 25 yards with 5 shots in 2". WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM H ornady offers a new line of self-defense ammunition known as Critical Defense. Two boxes of 115-grain 9mms arrived just in time for me to use with the new Kahr PM9. This little pocket pistol clocks out at 1,001 fps and puts five shots in 1" at 7 yards. I also ran it through the older Kahr K9, Ruger’s new SRC9C Compact and a Browning Hi-Power. It performed flawlessly in all four 9mms and also shot in 1" or less at 7 yards. hornady’s CriTiCal defense 9MM aMMuniTion Easy To Handle Groups with Hornady’s 115-grain Critical Defense 9mm at 7 yards were shot with (from above, top left clockwise) Kahr PM9, Kahr K9, Ruger SR9C, and Browning H2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=46http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=46The Crimson Trace Laserguard is activated by a small button on the front of the triggerguard (above). The compact unit does not add much to the weight or the bulk of the PM9. Taffin’s grandson Brian Panzella (above), age 17, likes the fit and feel of the Kahr PM9, here “dry-firing” in John’s study. John fired these groups (below) at the more traditional selfdefense distance of 7 yards with the Kahr PM9 using the iron sights. The Kahr PM9 was test-fired with 13 different versions of factory 9mm ammunition in weights from 90 to 147 grains and in both full metal jacket and hollowpoint forms. The PM9 preformed flawlessly with no hesitation, no stutter and no failure to feed or eject with any of the ammunition tested. Loads were chronographed with the temperature at 35 degrees and then moved indoors for more comfortable shooting. Groups were fired at an “across the room” distance of 7 yards using the iron sights. Results were most gratifying and are found in the accompanying table. I am a big fan of Crimson Trace. Several of my carry guns are equipped including the lightweight .38 Special always in my jacket pocket. My test gun came with a set of Crimson Trace Laserguard sights which attach around and in front of the triggerguard on the Kahr PM9. This two-piece laser snaps over the triggerguard and attaches together with two small screws. Both installation and sight-in are very easy. After my initial testing at 7 yards, the Crimson Trace Laserguard was installed for shooting at 25 yards. Using the red light, I was able to keep Black Hills 115-grain JHPs in a 2" group centered in the X- and 10-Ring of a reduced size silhouette target, which is excellent performance from a pocket pistol. Simply put, the Kahr PM9 is Pocket Pistol Perfection. By the time this goes to press, the factory will offer Crimson Trace Laserguard sights installed on the PM9. To satisfy ATF rules, Kahr will move the serial number to a new location on the frame. Those who already own a PM9, can self-install Crimson Trace Grips without worry. laserguard: CriMson TraCe 9780 sW freeMan dr. WilsonVille, or 97070 (800) 442-2406 WWW.CriMsonTraCe.CoM The PM9 blaCK rose MaKer: Kahr arMs CusToM shoP eXClusiVe disTribuTor: CaMfour inC. 65 WesTfield indusTrial ParK road WesTfield, Ma 01085 (800) 347-3276 WWW.CaMfour.CoM Crimson Trace Laserguard 46 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=47http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=472010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=48http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=48Clones, Copies & Reproductions. The Uberti/Cimarron Model 1876 lever gun is a replica Duke once predicted would never happen. That’s not the only time he has been wrong about such things. f any of you gun guys or gals are 60-years old or I younger, then you have grown up in the firearms era I call “clones, copies and reproductions.” Mike “duke” Venturino Photos: yvonne Venturino That alone should say something about the American gun industry—namely many of us want the firearms available 50 years—and more—ago. First, let’s look more closely at those terms “clones, copies and reproductions.” By my standards, a firearm clone is a precise copy of one produced before—meaning all parts will interchange right down to the screws. That is probably the rarest of the three types. For examples pro and con, let’s look towards Colt. Their current Single Action Army is not a clone of the original SAAs of the late 1800s. Why? The barrel’s threads are different in current ones as opposed to those made before 1974. The same is true with the hand revolving the cylinder and its mating ratchet at the rear of the cylinder. Otherwise, the parts do interchange. Conversely, those Colt 1873-1973 Peacemaker Centennials were indeed clones because all parts could be used in original Colt SAAs. Again, by my standards, copies are just that. They resemble the originals but are made differently, parts don’t interchange, and they may not even function in the same manner as the originals. In my book, the word “replica” could be interchanged with “copy” in regards to firearms. I would Duke considers the Colt Model 1911A1 (left) made early in this century as a perfect clone of the original ones (right) made during WWII. use Ruger Vaqueros as examples here. They are intended to look like a Colt SAA but, other than resembling them, they are totally different revolvers. A good rifle example would be the current Marlin Model 1895s. They are no where close to original Marlin Model 1895s except both rifles were lever actuated big bores. The new Marlin Model 1895s are actually remodeled Model 336s. As for reproductions, I say such guns are close to the originals but not exact. They function in the same manner, are mostly reproduced in the same calibers and their parts may even interchange to a degree with the originals. A good example here would be the new classics coming from Smith & Wesson. In the last few years S&W has redone many of their WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 2010 482010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=49http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=49Colt is now making a copy of its own CAR-15 .223 (top) and a licensed copy of a Colt M4 in .22 Long Rifle (bottom) is made by Walther. early revolver models such as the Models 21, 22, 24, 27, 29 and even the Model 1917. Their internal parts are not “dropin” replaceable to the originals of those Model numbers, nor are the grips, and, of course, things like lawyer mandated locks are ever present. If one person can be credited with starting the era of “clones, copies and reproductions,” it would be the late Val Forgett who founded Navy Arms Company in the late 1950s. Forgett was a Civil War history buff. With the centennial of that great conflict coming up, starting in 1961, Forgett began trying to get various American gun companies to reproduce the black powder type rifle-muskets and handguns standard to both the Northern and Southern armies of 1861 to 1865, and he failed. American companies saw no profit in such an endeavor. Forgett then went to the Italian gun industry located in the north. They did see a profit potential. Thus, the replica firearms industry was born. And, it spread. Anyone reading gun magazines back in the early ’60s will remember advertisements for an Ohio outfit named Replica Arms. They too got their guns from Italy. I also remember one called Centennial Arms importing a nice reproduction Colt Model 1860 Army percussion revolver from Belgium. That was the good news. The bad news was many of the replicas coming over from Europe were sub-standard. I learned that the hard way with a brass frame, Spanish-made .36 caliber cap-and-ball revolver given to me by my folks on my 18th birthday. I shot it avidly for a few months and in doing so the brass frame stretched to the point of uselessness. Today, the quality control of replicas coming from abroad is much better, but still not perfect. In the last decade or so I’ve received test samples of foreign-made replica handguns with no rifling in the barrel or the front sight departed with the first shot. Conversely, my Pedersoli Sharps Model 1874 .45-70 is darn near a minute of angle rifle with my home-made black powder handloads, and I count myself a great fan of the Uberti-made Model 1873 lever guns. They will often outshoot the original Winchesters upon which they are based. Although the “clone, copy and reproduction” era was born in Europe, during the last few decades it has spread to Asia. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Japan has produced a great many of John Browning’s lever gun designs, even his Model 1885 Single Shot. This movement began with the Browning Arms Company but since US Repeating Arms and Browning are affiliated, these Japanese firearms can be stamped with the Winchester name, because US Repeating Arms is able to use it under license. Hence in recent years there have been new “Winchester” Models 1885, 1886, 1892 and 1895. Even better is the fact “clones, copies and reproductions” are now commonly made here in the United States. In my opinion, one such company deserving special mention is US Firearms Company of Hartford, Connecticut. They began back in the 1990s by importing single-action revolver parts from Italian companies and then assembling them here. A good start, but evidently not enough to satisfy company president Doug Donnelly. Shortly after the turn of the century, USFA (as most of us refer to the company) built their own new factory American Made Up To Par? While these two single-action revolvers look the same, they are not. At left is a Colt and at right is a USFA copy. 492010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=50http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=50and began turning out guns right here in the USA. To this point, they have focused on making new versions of guns Colt put out in previous times. They started with the good old Single Action Army, and they have copied it in many versions. Note I used “copied” and not “cloned or reproduced.” USFA’s single action parts do not interchange with Colt SAAs—neither early ones nor modern ones. Their cylinders are a bit wider and internals, such as hands and bolts, differ dimensionally. That said, the USFA single actions are exquisite. Their fit and finish are nigh on perfect, and the color case coloring is so beautiful, it can be recognized from across a room. Also, the critical dimensions such as barrel groove diameters and cylinder chamber mouths are dead nuts on in regards to good shooting, as are the handguns’ timing and cylinder lock up. I have bought myself two USFA .44-40s and one for Yvonne. Uniformly, the barrels on these three .44-40s measure .427" in the grooves and the cylinder chamber mouths match perfectly at .428". My two .44s group very nicely but Yvonne’s will often produce those mostly fabled one-hole groups—and that’s for 10 shots not a measly five. Not satisfied to rest on their singleaction laurels, USFA has also recreated Colt 1911 semi-auto handguns in both .45 ACP and .38 Super. And also, after some detailed developmental work, they got their copies of pump action Colt Lightning rifles and carbines on the market. I had the very first carbine .4440 they shipped out, but let a friend talk me out of it. Speaking of 1911 semi-auto pistols, that model has to be the most copied, cloned, recreated and reproduced handgun in the world. It is absolutely amazing how many different 1911s exist now. In no particular order, I can list them being made by Colt, Kimber, Springfield Armory, Smith & Wesson, Para Ordnance, Taurus, Les Baer, USFA, Wilson, STI, Nighthawk, Dan Wesson and I’m sure several other outfits of which I’m not aware. They have been, and are being, made in normal lengths, extra long lengths, short lengths and extra short lengths. I’ve never counted myself among the 1911 fanatics of the gun world, but even so, I have Colt, S&W, Kimber, Les Baer and USFA samples here. For someone with a lifelong fascination with the old Sharps “buffalo rifles,” I’m very fortunate to live only a half-hour’s drive from two companies making reproductions of them right here in Montana. They are Shiloh Rifle Manufacturing and C. Sharps Arms Company, both located on Centennial Drive in Big Timber. Their rifles are OLDIES REBORN The Sharps One of the newest reproductions to hit the market is the Gibbs Rifle Company’s US Model 1903A4 (above, bottom gun) shown with an original US Model 1903A4 (above, top gun). Not only firearms are being copied, cloned and reproduced. The scopes on these rifles are (below, top gun) a Leatherwood copy of the Lyman 5A on a US Model 1903 Springfield and (below, bottom gun) a Numrich Arms copy of the German Zf41 on a Mauser K98k. 50 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=51http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=51The new USFA replica of the Colt Lightning pump action carbine (bottom) compares favorably with an original Colt Lighting carbine (top). different, but the same. The same in that they are both based on the historical Sharps Model 1874, but different in that they are both produced in their own factories. While their barrel’s threads are the same, few if any of their internal parts interchange. But get this, both company’s parts, with some work and knowledge can be used to rebuild original Sharps Model 1874s. And, both companies not only chamber their rifles for virtually all the original cartridges offered by the original Sharps Rifle Company of the 1870s, but each also sees fit to add a few “newer” calibers like .30-40 Krag, .38-55 and .40-65. Do those reproductions of the legendary Sharps shoot well? In 23 years of trying at the NRA’s BPCR Silhouette national championships, I’ve only made it into the top-10 scorers on two occasions. First was with a Shiloh .45-70, and the second time was with a C. Sharps .45-70. In the pages of this magazine these last few years, I’ve made no secret I’m building a collection of good, shootable World War II firearms. You might think with the vast number of those guns produced in the past there would be no market for “clones, copies and reproductions.” Not so! For example more than 6 million M1 Carbines were made between 1941 and 1945, yet there has been a passel of M1 Carbine reproducers over the last 40 years, and Auto-Ordnance is making them right now—even to the point of copying the M1A1 “paratrooper” model with its folding stock. Although most of my WWII firearms collection consists of original weapons, a few “clones, copies and reproductions” sit in my racks. My clone is the Colt US Model 1911A1 Colt put out after the beginning of this current century. It is a dead nuts ringer for the WWII Model 1911A1s, right down to the cardboard box it is shipped with. Another copy is my US Model 1903 equipped with a 3X Leatherwood scope. In 1942, the US Marine Corps built up 40 ’03 Springfields WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM WWII mounted with Lyman 5A scopes, pictures of which are shown in Peter Senich’s book US Marine Corps Scout Snipers In World War II And Korea. I also have two military rifles I consider “reproductions.” They are the Gibbs Rifle Company’s US Model 1903A4 sniper rifle I wrote up in April’s issue, and an Ohio Ordnance Works US Model 1918A3 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Here’s the deal. I do have an original US Model 1903A4 sniper rifle. It is not overly accurate and its scope is becoming a little dim. When the “test rifle” from Gibbs arrived I was delighted to find its Chinese-made scope was bright and clear and the rifle itself was finely accurate. So I bought it and retired my original from service. As for the BAR, after buying six original WWII submachine guns, I simply had no more money to buy an original US Model 1918A2 BAR. The only difference between the original WWII BARs and the Ohio Ordnance Works reproduction is the latter are semi-auto only. So, the OOW version fills the gap in my WWII collection. One copy firearm I’ve been having plenty of inexpensive fun with, is the Colt M4 .22 Long Rifle. It is built to closely resemble the US military’s M4, right down to the collapsible buttstock. It has a 16-1/4" barrel and detachable carrying handle containing a peep sight. Available magazines come holding 10 or 30 rounds. My advice is to buy many extra mags because shooting that little carbine is so much fun you’ll otherwise spend more time loading magazines than shooting. I have one friend who staunchly refuses to enter the world of “clones, copies and reproductions.” He will only shoot original, historical firearms. I don’t fault him. After all, I do plenty of shooting with originals too. But when I see an opportunity to put the wear and tear on a clone, copy or reproduction, I just don’t see how I’m cheating myself. And for that reason, I’m happy my entire shooting career has been duri2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=52http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=52Taffin shooting his longbarreled Smith & Wesson 8-3/8" .357 Magnum. Happy Diamond Jubilee .357 Magnum o come up with a better revolver for city, county and state police officers, Smith & Wesson took their 3rd Model Hand Ejector .44 Special and chambered it for .38 Special in 1930. This was no ordinary .38. It was loaded heavier and renamed the .38/44 with a muzzle velocity of around 300 fps more than the standard .38 Special. Smith & Wesson offered two basic models of the .38/44, the fix-sighted Heavy Duty for law enforcement use and the adjustable-sighted Outdoorsman for hunters and target shooters. It wasn’t long before experimenters came up with even heavier loads for the .38/44. In 1932, Ed McGivern had high praise for both the revolvers and the new cartridge. He spoke of shooting the Outdoorsman out to 500 yards and called it the finest gun ever turned out by anybody at any time. The .38/44 Heavy Duty was considered “… the finest, strongest, all around general-purpose gun, coming from all angles, that has ever been given to the shooting public.” Experimenters like Elmer Keith and Phil Sharpe came up with much heavier loads and Keith’s .38/44 load is still a standard today among sixgunners. The S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman made the .357 Magnum possible and the latter really started in the hunting fields. Sharpe, in his monumental work, Complete Guide To Handloading, published in 1937, said, “The .357 Magnum cartridge was born in the mind of the author several years ago. On a hunting trip with Col. D.B. Wesson, Vice-President of Smith & Wesson, a 52 T John Taffin The Beginning pair of heavy framed Outdoorsman revolvers was used with a large assortment of handloads developed and previously tested by the author. In the field they proved entirely practical, but Col. Wesson was not content to attempt the development of a Magnum .38 Special cartridge for ordinary revolvers, and set to work on a new gun planned in the field.” In 1935 their work with the .38/44, as well as, by ammunition companies, resulted in a new cartridge. The .38 Special case was lengthened and a new name was needed. Wesson, of Smith & Wesson, used the diameter of the bullet, .357" and the French word for a large bottle of champagne, Magnum, and the .357 Magnum arrived. The original load was 15.4 grains of Hercules 2400 under a 158-grain lead bullet and ignited by a large—not small—primer. The first Magnum sixgun, known appropriately as “The .357 Magnum” was born. The .357 Magnum sixguns were more than simply production guns. Each of the new .357s were specially fitted and finished, and given a registration number in addition to a serial number. In 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, the new sixgun and cartridge were so popular Smith & Wesson soon dropped the special registration, as they could not keep up with the demand. Back then, $60 was a lot of money, but many shooters were more than willing to pay it to get the finest revolver ever made up to that point. Remember, 1935 was long before the age of instant communication or even gun magazines, except the American Rifleman. Elmer Keith wrote up the .357 for the latter, but opined the barrel was too long and he still preferred the .44 Special. Wesson promoted the new gun and cartridge using both a 6-1/2" and 8-3/4" .357 Magnum-taking elk, antelope and black bear. He even went to Alaska with the hopes of taking a brown bear, but was unable to find one. After contemplation, he felt it was a good thing he had not done so. In later years both of WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=53http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=53Bill Jordan checks out the trigger pull on his “Peace Officer’s Dream Gun,” the Smith & Wesson .357 Combat Magnum. Jordan was instrumental in its development. these early .357 Magnum, revolvers were owned by Col. Rex Applegate, and it was my privilege to be able to handle them. After his death they were sold, so they now belong to a Smith & Wesson collector somewhere. Keith’s .38/44 load used his 173-grain 358429 hardcast bullet, which proved too long for use in the .357 Magnum cartridge due to the length of the Smith & Wesson cylinder. Sharpe designed a 158-grain bullet with a shorter nose and less bearing surface for use in the new cartridge, and published extensive reloading data while warning reloaders not to take this cartridge for granted. In the early 1950s it was left to Ray Thompson to come up with the ideal bullet for the .357 Magnum with his gas-checked 358156. Leading was always a problem with both factory and reloads for the .357 Magnum until Thompson solved the issue. I have never been able to get really good accuracy using plain-based bullets in full-house .357 Magnum loads, but the Thompson gas-checked bullet works perfectly. I consider it the number one bullet for standard weight loads in the .357 Magnum. Smith & Wesson advertised the .357 Magnum as the most powerful revolver ever made, far above any .44 or .45 available. It was not only promoted by Col. Wesson, but Smith & Wesson was also wise enough to present one of the first production 8-3/4" .357 Magnums to the then head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover. That barrel length was, of course, too long for law enforcement use, however, 4" and 3-1/2" .357 Magnums soon became very popular with FBI agents. Soon-to-be General George Patton purchased a 3-1/2" .357 Magnum in Hawaii in 1935 and carried it in tandem with his Colt Single Action .45 during World War I. He called the Smith & Wesson .357 his “killing gun.” Even though both his Colt and Smith & Wesson wore ivory grips, contrary to popular belief, they were not finished the same. The Colt was engraved and nickel-plated, while the Smith & Wesson was plain high-polish blue. Those early .357 Magnums may very well be the finest revolvers to ever come from the Smith & Wesson factory. From 1935 to 1939 approximately 5,200 “Registered Magnums” were manufactured. These guns were basically handfitted, beautifully polished and, in addition to a serial number, had a second number, a registration number, placed on the yoke cuts. Patton’s .357 Magnum carried registration No. 506. Registration No. 1 went to Hoover and No. 2 to Sharpe. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM The FBI Gun Gen. Patton and his .357 Smith & Wesson were featured on the cover of the December 1986 issue. Patton purchased this Smith & Wesson 3-1/2" Registered Magnum .357 in Hawaii in 1935 and referred to it as his “killing gun.” The ivory grips had his initials on the right grip panel. 532010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=54http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=54Early advertising by Smith & Wesson about the .357 Magnum proclaimed it to be the most powerful revolver ever offered. The first factory .357 loads were assembled with Hercules 2400 powder and 75 years later it is still a favorite propellant. Custom stocks are by Keith Brown. Barrel lengths in order of preference were 6-1/2", 5", 6", 8-3/4", 3-1/2" and 4". In 1939 Smith & Wesson dropped the registration procedure and barrel lengths were standardized at 3-1/2", 5", 6", 6-1/2" and 8-3/8", not necessarily in order of preference. All of these guns had a beautiful high bright-blue finish (nickel was an extra option) with a fine-line checkering on the barrel rib, top strap and rear sight assembly. Both the backstrap and the frontstrap were serrated and the first grips/stocks were the small old-style found on all N-frames since late 1907. The .357 Magnum was the first Smith & Wesson to be fitted with Magna stocks, which were soon offered as an option. These filled in on both sides of the grip frame to the top of the backstrap. Of course, production of the .357 Magnum and all other firearms stopped at the beginning of WWII as machinery was geared up for wartime production. After the war, it would be December of 1946 before another .357 Magnum would be produced, and only 142 were manufactured through 1949. One of these went to President Harry Truman. Obviously, .357 Magnums were hard to find. In 1950 the long action of the .357 Magnum was changed to the current short action, which allowed a shorter distance for the hammer to travel. Skeeter Skelton often remarked how hard it was to find a .357 Magnum in the 1950s. When I started really getting interested in gunshops in 1956, I don’t recall ever seeing any. In fact, I saw the .44 Magnum first. In 1956, the upper sideplate screw was deleted and the “5-screw” .357 Magnum became a “4-screw” with three screws in the sideplate and one in the front of the triggerguard. One year later, this magnificent revolver, which had been known only as the .357 Magnum since its inception, now became a number instead of a name: the Model 27. Four years later, the screw in the front of the triggerguard was eliminated and the Model 27 became a “3-screw” sixgun. In 1994 the unbelievable happened, and the .357 Magnum, the Model 27, was dropped from production. However, it was not forgotten and just before the end of the 20th century a new Model 27 appeared. This Performance Center gun bears little resemblance to the original with an 8-shot cylinder and a heavy tapered underlugged barrel. It is a good sixgun, but simply not the same. Just recently, in their Classic Series, Smith & Wesson reintroduced the Model 27 in time for its Diamond Anniversary. The .357 Magnum, as mentioned, was a beautifully finished revolver, so beautiful in fact, some were reluctant to 75 YEARS YOUNG Taffin is a firm believer in the philosophy of a “Pair and a Spare” as exhibited by these 5" Model 27s. The 5" is one of the handiest barrel lengths. Custom stocks are by BearHug and BluMagnum. Before 1957 Smith & Wessons were known simply as the “.357 Magnum” and these two from the early 1950s are pre-27s. Custom stocks are by Keith Brown. 54 Debut Of The Short Action WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=55http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=552010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=56http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=5619! In 1963 a 6" version was introduced for the Model 19, followed by a 2-1/2" in 1966. In 1970, the Model 19 was produced in stainless steel with the same barrel lengths, and was called the Model 66. In 1999, the Model 19 was dropped, and the Model 66 received the same fate in 2005. Long before they disappeared, they had basically been replaced by the stronger L-Frame, heavy under lugged–barreled Models 586 and 686. Prior to World War II, Colt chambered their New Service, Shooting Master and Single Action Army in .357 Magnum. Production ceased in 1940. However, in 1954 Colt introduced their .357 Magnum followed by the Python, their Cadillac of revolvers, in 1955, and in 1956, the Colt Single Action Army returned in .357 Magnum. Ruger’s first centerfire sixgun was the .357 Blackhawk in 1955. This was a true outdoorsman’s sixgun with adjustable sights, a heavy top strap and a Colt-sized grip frame. Since that time, both companies have introduced several other .357 Magnums, including the underrated Ruger GP100 and Colt King Cobra, and we have also seen .357s from manufacturers such as Freedom Arms, Dan Wesson and Taurus. The .357 Magnum remains extremely popular and is probably the most powerful revolver most shooters can handle really well. We have a long list of revolvers chambered in the original Magnum available today. However, my heart still belongs to the old classics, and especially to the original .357 Magnum. With the Lyman/Thompson 158-grain gas-checked bullet over 14 to 15 grains of 2400 loaded in any of the above, life is quite pleasurable. Happy 75th anniversary to the Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum. sMiTh & Wesson 2100 rooseVelT aVenue sPringfield, Ma 01104 (800) 331-0852, WWW.sMiTh-Wesson.CoM bluMagnuM 2605 easT WillaMeTTe aVenue Colorado sPrings, Co 80909 (719) 632-9417, WWW.blu-MagnuM.CoM herreTT’s sToCKs P.o. boX 741, TWin falls, id 83303 (208) 733-1498, WWW.herreTT-sToCKs.CoM. KeiTh broWn griPs 3586 Crab orChard aVenue beaVerCreeK, oh 45430 (937) 426-4147 WWW.ClassiCCarVedgriPs.CoM (bearhug is no More and roy fishPaW is noT TaKing any neW CusToMers.) In the beginning, the .357 Magnum was considered the ultimate big-game revolver. Here, Col. Doug Wesson of S&W and the moose he took with his .357 Magnum in 1935. carry it as a duty gun. In 1954, to answer this “problem,” Smith & Wesson brought out a special version of the .357 Magnum known as the Highway Patrolman. This was a basic no-frills .357. No high polish here as the finish was a matte blue, and also gone was the fine checkering on the top strap. Barrel length was 4" or 6" and Magna stocks were standard. The first new Smith & Wesson I ever purchased was a 4" Highway Patrolman. In 1957 the Highway Patrolman became the Model 28. Now we had a less fancy .357 Magnum for duty and outdoor use. What’s next? Bill Jordan began petitioning Smith & Wesson to produce a lighter weight 56 .357 Magnum using the Military & Police .38 as the basic platform. In 1955 Smith & Wesson unveiled the .357 Combat Magnum. Using the K-frame .38, a full-length .357 Magnum cylinder was installed matched up with a 4" bull barrel. The result was a revolver Bill Jordan called “The Peace Officers Dream.” Weighing a full 1/2-pound less than its older brother and with a smaller cylinder diameter, the Combat Magnum was much easier to carry all day. In 1957 the Combat Magnum became the Model 19. Somehow, .357 Magnum, Highway Patrolman and Combat Magnum stir the sixgunning soul a whole lot more than 27, 28 and 75 YEARS YOUNG WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=57http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=57Experience 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 921502010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=58http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=58The Browning Citori is one of the most popular over-unders ever made. This little 28-gauge was nice to carry in the hills of western Idaho after huns and chukars. et’s get the irrational part over quickly, by repeating the cliché, “A side-by-side shotgun is ‘better’ because our eyes are side-by-side, not one on top of the other.” Innocent shotgunners will giggle when they hear that one, while serious side-by-side snobs will look impossibly wise and start nodding their head. I just roll my eyes— while tilting my head so one eye is on top of the other. L TWin barrel John Barsness was the supposed ideal for most upland bird hunting and the odd round of skeet, while a heavier, longer barreled 12 (also with 3" chambers) was better for waterfowling, a practice round of trap and when pheasants flushed in from North Dakota while you were hunting in South Dakota. Exactly why an over-under was so superior was never explicitly stated, but the real reason was a Browning Superposed cost half as much as a Winchester Model 21. Also unsaid (but implied), was the notion side-by-sides were grandpa’s technology. They might have been OK when the Model A Ford was everyman’s automobile, but by the late 1960s every man was driving a Ford Mustang, if only in his mind. However, some serious shotgunners have proposed serious reasons why the over-under took over—aside from eyeorientation, that is. The most common involves the increased precision of the single sighting plane of the over-under. “Sighting plane” is an interesting choice of phrase, considering a shotgun is pointed, not aimed. When we shoot a shotgun we’re not supposed to look at the barrel, but of course most of us see it as a fuzzy blob somewhere near the target. And many shotgunners do shoot better when using an over- side-by-side Vs. ov 58 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 2010 Before World War II the side-by-side shotgun predominated both in hunting and in competition, and not just in Great Britain and Europe, but the United States. All the top American-made shotguns were side-by-sides: Fox, Ithaca, L.C. Smith, Lefever, Parker, Winchester Model 21, etcetera. After the war the over-under took over. By the 1960s, when baby boomer kids became teenagers, and had the typical yearning to conform to a peer group, over-unders were the shotgun to own. A short-barreled 20-gauge with 3" chambers2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=59http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=59pre-mounted gun—even (sadly) a lot of Sporting Clays. So the muzzle is either haphazardly inserted into our field of view, or already there, waiting for the target to appear when we call “pull.” The broader muzzles of a side-by-side are much more visible, hence distracting, to our eyes, especially if they start moving faster than the target. This is one reason Gil and Vicki emphasize mounting a shotgun slowly, so the muzzles don’t pull our eyes away from the target. This is exactly the opposite of what many shotgunners do, especially when they start missing. A couple of years ago a friend and I were doing some informal clay shooting on his country place. He missed a couple of targets, not typical of him because he shoots a lot. Instead of slowing down, he tried to speed up. He whipped his shotgun to his shoulder on the next target, long before he was going to pull the trigger, and naturally missed. On his next shot he tried to be even faster—and missed again. After half a dozen misses he was getting madder and madder, with no clue why he was missing. I wasn’t going to suggest anything, but luckily he finally decided he was having a bad day, and quit. Here the broad muzzles of his fine side-by-side probably were a handicap. On the flip side, if we practice our mount enough to have it grooved, and slow down when we start missing, good work can be done with either a side-by-side or an over-under. I shoot 16-yard trap every summer as a tune-up for hunting season. A couple of summers ago, I took both a Beretta Onyx overunder and an old Fox Sterlingworth side-by-side to the range. I used the Beretta during the first 25-shot round, and broke 25 straight. This isn’t usual for me, but isn’t abnormal either. Then, I picked up the Fox and did it again. Obviously I was having a good day, but part of the reason for the good day was both shotguns, while pre-mounted on my shoulder, were held slightly below my line of sight just before saying pull. When the clay appeared the trigger was pulled A Good Day MyThs er-under. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM under (or a single-barrel shotgun) than a side-by-side. My theory involves the way we perceive moving objects, a subject close to the hearts and minds of the noted shotgunning instructing team, Gil and Vicki Ash. One basic point of the Ash’s teachings is the human eye is naturally attracted to the fastest-moving object in sight. This is why they teach their students to start the shotgun low, below the line of sight, and to start moving the muzzle along the target’s line of flight as the shotgun is mounted: Our eyes are focused on the moving target, and the blurred muzzle of the shotgun enters our view only at the last moment, just before we pull the trigger. This accomplishes two good things: The muzzle is never moving faster than the target, thus pulling our eyes away from the target, and it doesn’t appear so early we attempt to finetune our pointing, thus slowing our swing. Here, I believe, is where the broad, twin muzzles of a sideby-side can “confuse” some shooters. Most shotgunners don’t shoot as often as they’d like to, and most don’t have a real understanding of perception and shotgun mounting. Thus, our mount is either erratic or accomplished before the target even appears, because most clay-bird shooting is now done with a Some shotgunners say they prefer the “superior balance” of a side-byside for quick shooting in thick cover, but over-unders can be made to balance just as nicely. 592010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=60http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=60One supposed advantage of an over-under like this Browning Cynergy, is it aligns the shooter’s hands with the barrels. while the muzzles swept up and past the rising bird, and the clays all broke. It didn’t matter whether the barrels were oriented “OO” or “8” because they never appeared near the target until it was too late to make any difference. A week later I shot another 25 straight with a German drilling, also a side-by-side. (Are drillings designed for shooters with three eyes?) My theory of the distraction of the broad muzzles of a side-by-side is backed up by a couple “observed phenomena.” First, many shotgunners, who claim they can’t shoot a side-by-side, do pretty well with small-gauge side-by-sides such as a 28-gauge, possibly because the muzzles are so much smaller. Second, shotgunners who don’t shoot clay birds very well with a side-by-side often do well on wild birds, possibly because they mount their shotgun more instinctively, hence naturally, than when shooting skeet or trap. The noted British shotgun writer Gough Thomas suggested one reason why a few shotgunners can’t shoot an over-under as well as a side-byside. Perhaps, Thomas suggested, the left eye of some shotgunners is drawn to the broad side of an over-under’s barrels, rather than the muzzle of the upper barrel. This makes some sense, particularly if the shooter doesn’t have a strong dominant eye. Weak eyedominance, or true cross-dominance, 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.2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=61http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=61is a real problem for some shotgunners, and an over-under might make it worse. Another difference between overunders and side-by-sides involves the relative position of our hands. Theoretically, if the level of both our trigger and fore-end hands are parallel to the barrels of our shotguns, it’s easier to point the shotgun at some flying object. Supposedly, the deeper fore-end of an over-under allows this alignment, while the shallow fore-end of a side-by-side doesn’t. Hmm. It has always seemed to me pointing anything held in our hands is more a result of repetitive practice than a fraction of an inch in “hand height.” A less nebulous difference involves recoil, and is probably the major reason over-unders are so frequently seen in any kind of serious target competition, while side-by-sides have almost completely disappeared. Both barrels of an over-under cause the shotgun to recoil along its vertical centerline, while the barrels of a side-by-side cause the shotgun to recoil a little to each side of the centerline. Thus, when shooting the barrel on the near side (the left barrel for a right-hand shooter), a side-by-side tends to recoil into our face. I noticed this after shooting that round of trap with the Fox, because the Recoil This Franchi 28-gauge is built on a 20-gauge frame, a minor crime according to some shotgun loonies—but it still only weighs 6 pounds. entire round was shot with its tighterchoked left barrel. After 25 shots with 1-1/8-ounce trap loads my right cheek was sore, due to the shotgun recoiling into my face. Now, competition guns tend to be heavier than that 7-pound Fox, but multiply the effect over hundreds of shots rather than just 25 and it’s easy to see why today’s competitive shotgunners prefer the over-under—or a gas-operated semi-auto. One difference between over-unders and side-by-sides doesn’t really involve the orientation of the barrels, but still affects our choice. One theoretical advantage of hunting with a doublebarreled shotgun is the instant choice of two different chokes, and two triggers are the fastest way to choose one barrel over the other. Yet, it’s almost impossible to find a two-trigger over-under anymore, so anybody who actually prefers two triggers is pretty much limited to a sideby-side. Exactly why is a mystery, but there it is. Yes, modern single-trigger shotguns usually feature some sort of barrelselection device, most often located in the safety, but darn few of these actually allow the shooter to switch barrels easily and consistently. Most hunters tend to use a single-trigger shotgun as a twoshot semi-auto, almost never changing the barrel selector. 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 everywhere. To learn more, visit your Leupold® dealer or www.leupold.com. DELTAPOINT (Shown actual size) 1-800-LEUPOLD » www.leupold.com2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=62http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=62SHEFFIELD STYLE BOWIE http://www.tichbourneknives.com (905) 670-0200 7035 Maxwell Rd. #5, Mississauga, Ontario L5S 1R5 CANADA Many also claim they simply can’t get used to two triggers. This has always seemed weird to me, perhaps because I grew up with my grandfather’s twotrigger double. It’s also relatively easy to get used to two triggers. My wife Eileen, for example, didn’t even start shooting shotguns until her 30s. She also suffers somewhat from dyslexia, the perceptual cross-wiring that normally manifests itself in reading difficulties but often affects other things as well. Eileen doesn’t have any trouble reading (and is in fact a professional writer) but occasionally has difficulty in certain small physical tasks. Yet her favorite shotgun is a 28-gauge side-by-side with two triggers. She mastered the triggers during a few rounds of Sporting Clays shooting. I also like two triggers because they’re simpler and more foolproof than single triggers. Despite the reliability of many single triggers (the trigger on my Beretta Onyx has never failed me in thousands of rounds), some still go whacky. I used to own a nice little Italian 28-gauge over-under, which fit me so perfectly I shot it extremely well, both on clays and wild birds. But its single trigger every once in a while refused to fire the second shot, despite gunsmithing both by the factory and a very knowledgeable shotgun smith. I work hard for shots at wild birds, whether Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse or pheasants, that when a shotgun goes “click” instead of “bang” it upsets me some, even if it happens only once or twice a hunting season. Eventually I got to so upset at my nifty little 28, it went down the road. OLDIES REBORN 62 Many woodcock hunters like a small-bore side-by-side for its quick handling and broad, visible muzzles in dim light. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=63http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=63Paste using Command-F Left-handed shooters, however, are often better off with a single-trigger over-under, both because twin triggers are set up for a right-handed shooter and because more side-by-sides are set-up with cast-off buttstocks for righthanders. Some over-unders can be found with straight stocks, or the cast can be modified. (By the way, it’s a myth a straight grip’s main purpose to allow the trigger hand to shift back and forth between two triggers. Both triggers can easily be reached by the average shooter without any major hand-shift.) Really far-gone side-by-side loonies sometimes point out it’s easier to load a side-by-side, because a side-by-side doesn’t need to be opened as widely. Supposedly this can really make a difference in a tight duck blind. A few years ago I went on a duck hunt in the Mississippi Delta with several friends, and we all agreed to use “classic” shotguns. I took my Fox, and one morning a buddy and I were sitting in a box-blind in a flooded rice field while bunches of mallards poured into the decoys. The blind was narrow and had a roof, and the shooting was done through a foot-tall slit in front of our faces. I found if I kept the muzzles of the Fox poked through the slit while reloading, any shells inserted into the chambers slid back out, due to the muzzles being up-tilted. The only way to reload my “easily reloaded” sideby-side was to bring the muzzles back into the blind and point the barrels at the floor while reloading. Then I had to reverse the process to get the muzzles pointed through the shooting-slit again. I can’t imagine an over-under being more of a pain to reload. (Meanwhile, my buddy was shooting an old Model 97 Winchester pump, and simply had to slide more shells into the loading port— the reason a repeater is the real solution to a tight duck blind.) These days the side-by-side is making WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Aside from being simpler and more reliable, two triggers allow an instant choice of barrel and choke (above). The broadness of a side-byside’s muzzles (below) bothers some shooters, but people with eye-dominance issues can have trouble shooting an over-under. to place in the same position. Utilize “paste remembers layers” to ma the layer names. W ith Shoot•N•C ® Targets, bullet holes explode in bright, easy-to-see chartreuse rings providing you with instant feedback and eliminating the need to use binoculars or walk downrange. This revolutionary technology has made Shoot•N•C® the #1 reactive target worldwide! a comeback. Whether this is due to its practical advantages for some hunting, or because more people are turning into shotgun snobs who believe in the “superior esthetics” of the “OO” gun, I don’t know. Personally, I own and hunt with both types of double gun, though more often with side-by-sides because those guns provide an instant choice in chokes, something handy both in the grouse thickets and on the pheasant prairies. • ADHESIVE BACKING makes targets easy to put up • REPAIR PASTERS cover bullet holes extending target life • USE INDOORS OR OUT • AVAILABLE IN A VARIETY OF DESIGNS bereTTa usa CorP 17601 bereTTa driVe, aCCoKeeK, Md 20607 (800) 237-3882, WWW.bereTTausa.CoM broWning one broWning PlaCe, Morgan, uT 84050 (800) 333-3288, WWW.broWning.CoM MerKel usa 7661 CoMMerCe lane, TrussVille, al 35173 (800) 821-3021, WWW.MerKel-usa.CoM TARGETS For a free sample and catalog visit birchwoodcasey.com or call: 800-328-6156 632010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=64http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=64RIGHTS WATCH • DAVID CODREA • cDonald v. Chicago (see “Chicago Gun Ban Heads to Supreme Court” in the Feb. 2010 issue), challenging the Windy City’s handgun ban, is being considered by the US Supreme Court. Oral arguments were heard on March 2, and a decision is expected sometime in June. The case has not been without controversy, and not just from antigunners. The National Rifle Association, which had been promoting a parallel case, was granted time to address the high court in oral arguments, a request and decision that did not please lead attorney Alan Gura. It’s not the first time the two have clashed over competing cases and approaches. NRA had previously been rebuffed in the District of Columbia v. Heller case (see “The Heller High Watermark”: Oct. 2008). At issue is determining if, and how, the Second Amendment should be applied to the states, that is, via the 14th Amendment’s “privileges and immunities” clause or using the “due process” clause that the court has applied in the past. The first would require overturning “settled law” from the Slaughterhouse Cases—an approach favored by some and feared by others due to what other edicts might fall. In the end, based on the oral argument transcripts, the justices appeared to offer fewer challenges to NRA counsel and former Solicitor General Paul Clement’s due process arguments. The general consensus? SCOTUSBlog, the go-to resource on Supreme Court activities, noted, “[A] number of news sources reported that the justices’ questions suggested that the Court would extend Second Amendment protection to individuals subject to state and local gun-control ordinances. [They] all report that the Court seems ready to expand the Second Amendment’s reach significantly.” 64 M Due Process for seconD AmenDment? This did not sit well with Chicago’s mayor and notorious anti-gunner Richard M. Daley. In what can only be described as a media tantrum documented by the Chicago Sun-Times, city hall reporter Fran Spielman wrote, “In fact, he’s ridiculing the high court for affirming the Second Amendment right to bear arms while sitting in a protective bubble.” Like Daley should talk, with his retinue of armed police bodyguards giving him a taxpayer-funded protective bubble of his own, all the while demanding “ordinary” citizens are disarmed. Still, it’s appropriate to ask just what will change if the court rules as anticipated. “McDonald v. City of Chicago ruling may prove a hollow victory for gun lobby,” wrote the Brady Center’s Dennis A. Henigan in “Hotline Buzz,” a University of Pittsburgh School of Law blog. “[C]omments by members of the Heller majority appear to embrace the position argued in the amicus brief filed by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and several national police groups that, regardless of whether the Second Amendment applies to the states, it should be read to allow for reasonable gun regulations.” As much as we might hate to admit it, he may have a point. The justices spent much time talking about just what might be considered “reasonable.” And the concept “shall not be infringed” did not even receive a passing mention. Visit David Codrea’s online journal “The War on Guns” at waronguns.blogspot.com or visit DavidCodrea.com to read his Examiner column. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=65http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=65see It All The GUNS Magazine Product Index links you automatically to every company advertising or written about in GUNS, American Handgunner, American COP and Shooting Industry. It’s a simple, convenient way to find the goodies even if it was in an older issue! Go to www.gunsmagazine.com and click on Product Index. www. “Gun Fit” PresIDent GeorGe W. Bush receIves BerettA shotGun It’s NOT something she does after missing a target. Choosing the right gun and making sure it fits a lady is important. Shari can help. Dott. Franco Gussalli Beretta (middle) presents President George W. Bush with a Beretta SO10 EELL shotgun. They are joined on stage by Peter Horn VP of Beretta’s US Retail Corporation. B WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM eretta presented President George W. Bush with a custommade SO10 EELL Shotgun before a crowd of nearly 3,000 at the final dinner for the 38th Annual Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Nevada. Dott. Franco Gussalli Beretta whose family owns the nearly 500-year-old company—Beretta, presented this very special 20-gauge over-and-under to President George W. Bush in appreciation for his leadership during his time in office as Commander in Chief and for his unflagging support of Americans’ rights to keep and bear arms. “My family and I are very proud to be able to present President Bush with this Beretta shotgun,” Dott. Franco Gussalli Beretta said. “Several years ago my father gave a shotgun to President Bush’s father at the Safari Club Convention—now I am honored to have the privilege to present this shotgun to the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.” Shooting champion Shari LeGate provides all the information needed for any lady to get started in shotgun sports through her new DVD, Women’s Guide To Shotgunning. Order Today! (800) 628-9818 (M-F 8am-3pm PST) www.gunsmagazine.com/ fmgvideo.html rice: Special P $24.95! 65 Only2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=66http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=66THE #1 CHOICE FOR SELF DEFENSE • Reliable Feeding • Medium Penetration • Reduced Recoil • High Velocity Proven Products from Imitated But Never Equaled Exclusive master craftsmen at the Beretta firearms factory in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy, made the shotgun. It is inlaid with 24-carat gold and features traditional quail hunting scenes on both sideplates. The top lever is adorned with the number “43” and the bottom of the receiver shows the Presidential Seal. Bush’s initials and an image of his dog are also engraved on the gun. More than 500 hours went into engraving the shotgun. The stock and fore-end are carved from the finest walnut. Along with the shotgun presented by Dott. Beretta, a custom Italian leather gun case with handmade gun accessories, and a Damascus steel knife with engraving and wood matching the gun, were presented to Bush by Peter Horn, Vice President of Beretta’s US retail sales corporation. For additional information, contact Beretta USA, 17601 Beretta Drive, Accokeek, MD 20607, (800) 237-3882, www.berettausa.com.— Courtesy Eveland & Partners VIEWS NEW AND REVIEWS 605.347.4544 • 800.626.7266 • corbon.com $5 mIllIon mIlestone Brenda and Larry Potterfield, owners of MidwayUSA, started the NRA Round-Up donation program back in 1992. Since then, more than $5 million has been raised to support the NRA-ILA’s fight for Second Amendment rights. C reated by MidwayUSA founders Larry and Brenda Potterfield in 1992, NRA’s “Round-Up” program asks customers to “round up” their order amount to the next highest dollar. The proceeds are sent to the NRA-ILA’s National Endowment for the Protection of the Second Amendment. Since then, MidwayUSA has collected more than $5 million through the NRA “Round-Up” program, bringing the company’s total giving to more than $8 million. 66 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=67http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=67“We’re proud the Round-Up Program has been so successful,” Mr. Potterfield said. “It’s an easy way to offer customers the opportunity to make a big difference in the future of hunting and shooting.” Each week, MidwayUSA sends a check to the NRA which is then deposited in the Endowment for the Protection of the Second Amendment. To ensure the fund continues to grow, no donations are spent. Instead, NRA-ILA utilizes the interest from the account for fighting anti-gun legislation across the United States. Charter members of the NRA Golden Ring of Freedom, the Potterfields have been active patrons of the NRA for years and supported programs such as “Round-Up,” the Bianchi Cup, Friends of NRA, the Keystone Endowment and The NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, to name a few. Their leadership in this field is testimony to their devotion to freedom to and the protection of our Second Amendment rights under the US Constitution. MidwayUSA offers a huge selection of shooting, reloading, gunsmithing, hunting and outdoor products to customers worldwide. Contact: MidwayUSA, 5875 W. Van Horn Tavern Road, Columbia, MO 65203, (800) 243-3220, www. midwayusa.com. To learn more about making a gift to benefit NRA programs, contact Nicole Capossela, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, NRA Office of Advancement, (703) 267-1122, www.nragive.com. “Shopping?” Want to get her to the range? Tell her there’s shopping involved. Getting involved in the shooting sports can be a great new shopping experience for ladies. Shari can help. Shooting champion Shari LeGate provides all the information needed for any lady to get started in shotgun sports through her new DVD, Women’s Guide To Shotgunning. BrItIsh solDIers tAke out tAlIBAn BomBers n experienced Taliban improvised explosive devicelaying team was destroyed last March by a Royal Artillery strike after being discovered by soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS) on a routine patrol. One of the men killed in the strike, the unit’s commander and IED-facilitator, has been linked to a number of attacks on ISAF troops and Afghan nationals in the Wishtan area of east Sangin, Helmand province. They were discovered when a ground patrol from 6 Platoon, B Company, 1 SCOTS, based at WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM Order Today! (800) 628-9818 (M-F 8am-3pm PST) www.gunsmagazine.com/ fmgvideo.html A rice: Special P $24.95! 67 Only2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=68http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=682010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=69http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=69VIEWS NEW AND REVIEWS Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wishtan, near Sangin, searched an outhouse in a derelict compound. Inside was an IED pressure plate, along with a gas bottle and magazine boxes for a PKM Soviet machine gun. While extracting the cache, the British soldiers were aware they were being closely observed by suspected Taliban informants, but they returned to FOB Wishtan without incident. “Try This.” British soldiers (above) use a ladder to scale a compound wall during a joint patrol with the Afghan National Army near Sangin, Helmand, Afghanistan. Insurgents, watching the patrol, would later try and set an IED at this point. Photo: Sergeant Keith Cotton, Crown Copyright 2010. An image from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, below) shows the successful strike on the insurgent IED-laying team. Photo: Crown Copyright 2010 Just because you can shoot, doesn’t mean she’ll want to learn from you. Getting involved in the shooting sports can be really scary for a lady. Shari can help. Shooting champion Shari LeGate provides all the information needed for any lady to get started in shotgun sports through her new DVD, Women’s Guide To Shotgunning. Order Today! (800) 628-9818 The British soldiers kept the compound and outhouse under surveillance, though, and within two hours a man was seen entering the compound and making his way to the outhouse from which the IED-making equipment had been removed. The suspected bomber was soon joined by another three men, completing the 4-man team typical of the IED-laying units, which traditionally operate in the Wishtan area. From Patrol Base Chakaw, 1 kilometer to the east, soldiers from B Company, 1 SCOTS, were able to watch as the suspected insurgents began digging at the base of a compound wall. “While the object of our presence WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM (M-F 8am-3pm PST) www.gunsmagazine.com/ fmgvideo.html rice: Special P $24.95! 69 Only2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=70http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=70New Long Adapter Works For Air Rifles Universal mounts enabling scopes to be interchanged easily onto a variety of receivers. Satin smooth finish available in brite black, silver, and black matte, all at the same price. Sets the standard for looks in the industry. If you can’t find our bases at your favorite distributor or dealer, contact KWIK-SITE and we’ll make SURE you get them. here is not solely to kill insurgents, we should not underestimate the positive influence a strike like this can have on the local population,” Maj. Graeme Wearmouth said. “They are the victims of a cruel oppression and the insurgent killed by this precision strike was confirmed as an IED-facilitator and commander, and he was certainly responsible for previous attacks in the Wishtan area, likely including the deaths of a bride and two children since Christmas, as well as attacks on ISAF and ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces). One of the techniques used by 1 SCOTS to avoid the IEDs littering Wishtan’s narrow streets and alleyways is “Grand Nationaling,” which involves the soldiers using ladders to get up and over the high compound walls. The suspected insurgents were digging where the patrol’s ladders had been placed when crossing into the compound that morning. An obvious trail of soldiers’ boot prints had marked out the exact entry point, and the bomb-layers were setting a trap for a future patrol, hoping they used the same route again. After another two hours of careful observation, to ensure the area around the compound was free of civilians, and the men within were indeed laying a device, the soldiers called in indirect fire. The resulting precision strike, launched from a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System by a Royal Artillery unit 48 kilometres away, successfully neutralized the insurgents. Intelligence reports afterwards confirmed one of the men killed in the strike was an IED-facilitator and unit commander responsible for attacks on FOB Wishtan and other ISAF IED-inflicted casualties in the area.—Courtesy MoD VIEWS NEW AND REVIEWS How-To Gunsmithing DVD '' '' V ID E O FREE Watch this exciting DVD and see video clips from over 71 different courses! AGI ©Copyright AGI 2010. 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. FREE DVD Discover gunsmithing secrets and get access to the information and knowledge you need! AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE Serial #0310VIDSAM VERSION 2.0 FREE Sampler DVD and Catalog Of: Firearm Disassembly & Reassembly, Gun Repair, Accurizing, Customizing, Tuning, Refinishing, Bluing, Shooting Techniques, Trigger Jobs, Lathe and Mill Operation, Welding, and so much more . . . www.agigunsv.com/a07 or call us today at For Your FREE DVD go to: 1-800-797-0867 AGI AMERICAN GUNSMITHING INSTITUTE us ImPorts uP SSF’s research department reports US imports of sporting arms and ammunition were up 31 percent in 2009 to $1.28 billion, compared to $974 million the previous year. Imports of handguns were up 53 percent, while imports of ammunition increased 40 percent during 2009. In the fourth quarter, imports of all sporting arms and ammunition increased 22.3 percent compared to the same period in 2008.—Courtesy NSSF N 70 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=71http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=71lAnsky folDInG rAt tAIl DIAmonD knIfe shArPener Mike Cumpston folding sharpening tool retailing for $14.99. Lansky is the big frog in the tool sharpening pond and is well-known for producing elaborate and somewhat labor-intensive blade-honing systems. In welcome contrast, the diamond stick is simplicity itself. It consists of a fine diamond–impregnated tapered rod folded within two plastic handles. Use is completely straightforward: Address the strong side of the blade pushing the rod into the broad and narrow serrations until no longer amused. Actually, just a few strokes are sufficient to establish and/or restore the edge. Then flip the knife over and use the rod to remove the wire edge. For my first project, I attacked a serrated kitchen knife with the Lansky. This is part of a set etched with the slogan: “Never Needs Sharpening.” As with its companion knives, it started out dull and became much duller with use. I then applied the diamond rod to the hurt-yourself blade of my Gerber Multi Tool. In short order, I had both operating at optimum sharpness. lAnsky P.o. Box 50830 henDerson, nv 89016 usA (800) 825-2675 WWW.lAnskyshArPeners.com high risk civilian contracting—Working in a War torn World offers good advice on how overseas contracting works. The tapered 3.5" diamond-impregnated rod is a good fit to the large and small serrations on this blade. mAnuAl: HIGH RISK CIVILIAN CONTRACTING Clint Smith errated knife blades are quite popular. First responders find them I have been told by some in the useful for cutting through synthetic gun industry James Yeager material used in seat belts is controversial and that may and shoulder harness. They well be the case, but in my are well-suited for slicing contact with him, he has been cuts—particularly on tough well-spoken, knowledgeable material such as rope— of his subject, gentlemanly and do the job effectively and—an all-endearing quality even when they are not in my opinion—courteous. particularly sharp. Their That said, I was intrigued proclivity to slice through to read his manual High Risk tendon and bone as well as Civilian Contracting. I am ordinary, everyday flesh senior enough I can’t—or leads me to think of them won’t—travel outside the USA as “hurt-yourself” blades. (As in, “You are going to for work, but I am interested hurt yourself really bad with in the work conditions for that!”) those who do. The manual is The serrated blade is a a nominal 100 pages and welltwo-edged sword of sorts. written for the likes of me, as it On one hand, it requires bluntly cuts to the chase on the sharpening less frequently whole contracting gig. than the standard knife blade. If you want to do this work, Conversely, when it does the manual serves as a good need sharpening, it does not The Lansky folding foundation. It also serves as respond well to the various Diamond Sharpening a good foundation for anyone traditional rectangular Rod is an effective and looking for any kind of job sharpening systems in economical tool for here. Yeager has done this common use. Enter the sharpening serrated work and, more importantly, he Lansky Rat Tail Diamond knife blades. remembered and documented WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM S what he did. Contracting can be financially viable, but along with the wheelbarrow of money you’ll make, Yeager points out subtle nuances like retention of passports, medical aid in case of injury and the fact not everyone in the contracting business has scruples… funny, just like other jobs in life. The entire manual is good, but what was most interesting to me were two points. One, the manual serves as a good guideline to enforce that magic is not the reason for success in life, fighting, training and gun stuff. Hard work and the application of fundamentals in gun handling, training and fighting are the keys to success. Two, the last section, “Run and Gun,” has quite a bit of common sense stuff. It was interesting to read the comparisons between what the contractors do now, and how 2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=72http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=72JULY 2010 Classified ads $2.00 per-word insertion. ($1.50 per-word insertion for 3 or more) including name, address and phone number (20 word minimum). Minimum charge $40.00. BolD WorDs add $1.00 per word. Copy and rerun orders must be accompanied by PAyment In ADvAnce. no AGency or cAsh DIscounts on lIstInG or DIsPlAy clAssIfIeD ADvertIsInG. All ads must be received with advance payment BY NO LATER THAN THE 1st OF each month. exAmPle: Closing for DEC. 2008 issue (on sale NOV. 5th) is SEPT 1st, 2008. Ads received after closing will appear in the following issue. Please type or print clearly. no Proofs WIll Be furnIsheD. Include name, address, post office, city, state and zip code as counted words. Abbreviations count as one word each. Mail to GUNS MAGAZINE CLASSIFIEDS, 12345 World Trade Drive, San Diego, California 92128. note: We noW hAve DIsPlAy clAssIfIeDs In Both Guns mAGAZIne AnD AmerIcAn hAnDGunner. Ask for our neW rAte cArD. (858) 605-0235. CUSTOM CORNER AccessorIes three widths, and five colors from $69.95, any length! Catalogue $3.00 (refundable) PO Box 1302, Apex, NC 27502. 919-387-1997. www.thebeltman.net. GunsmIthInG GUNSMITHING INSTRUCTION AT PCC. Two-year hands-on program; excellent facilities; financial aid available; VA approved. Piedmont Community College, P.O. Box 1197, Roxboro, NC 27573 (336)5991181; www.piedmontcc.edu InstructIon PISTOLSMITHS www.tusseycustom.com e-mail: ttussey45@aol.com 775-246-1533 UTAH FIREARMS + TACTICAL TRAINING. INFO @ WWW.COMBAT-TERROR.COM knIves & sWorDs FREE POCKET KNIVES. Collectibles, Bowies, Swords, Tacticals, And Much More. For More Information Visit Our Web Site And Click On The Featured Product For The Week. www.dovadistributors.com leAthercrAft Custom Rifles, Pistols, ARs, Barrels, JDJs, Whispers®, Supressors, Wild Wildcats 400 Calibers .AND More! 590 Woodvue, Wintersville, OH 43953 Custom SSK INDUSTRIES sskindustries.com 760-264-0176 AmmunItIon APPArel HELLO LEATHERWORKERS: Presenting The Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal. Instructions, sources. 1 year 6 BIG issues, $32 US, $36 Canadian, $46 Other Countries. www.leathercraftersjournal. com. Subscribe toll free 888-2896409. (715-362-5393). ca-gm mIlItArIA mIlItAry surPlus mIscellAneous oPtIcs PolIce eQuIPment THE BELTMAN makes sturdy, top quality, DUAL LAYER, Bull Hide belts for dress wear, concealed carry, or competition. Options include: Horse, Shark, Elephant, Velcro, tapering, stiffeners, etc. Handmade in 72 HARFORD ENGRAVING SERVICE Engraved AR-15 lowers and Accessories Custom AR selectors,graphics, SBR, and SBS services available www.HarEngSer.com WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=73http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=732010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=74http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=74SGL31 FROM ARSENAL INC. The battle-tested and battle-proven design of the AK-74 becomes the battle rifle of the future in the form of the SGL31. Combining with Arsenalexclusive features, there are different stock lengths and colors available. The SGL31 sets the standard as the most reliable and accurate battle rifle ever. Retail: Starting at $799.00. Arsenal Inc., 3300 S. Decatur Blvd. #10632, Las Vegas, NV 89102, (702) 643-2220, www.arsenalinc.com. COUNTDOWN MAGAZINE FROM EMA TACTICAL This unique magazine provides a visual indicator, which shows the operator the amount of remaining rounds in the magazine without having to move his head from the rifle cheekpiece. It’s available in .223 caliber and features a non-tilting follower and a corrosion resistant stainless steel spring. EMA Tactical, 1208 Branagan Dr., Tullytown, PA 19007, (215) 949-9944, www.ematactical.com. DETUNE FROM ELVEX Elvex’s newest electronic earmuff, DeTune-Com-640, improves communication in noisy environments. Elvex DeTune allows the user to selectively filter out high and low frequencies in order to improve the understanding of speech in loud settings. The battery operated DeTune is also equipped with usercontrolled filters, an external audio jack and volume control. Elvex Corporation, 13 Trowbridge Dr., Bethel, CT 06804, (800) 888-6582, www. elvex.com. 1911S FROM VOLKMANN CUSTOM Volkmann Custom now offers their handmade custom 1911s in a highgrade stainless steel. These pistols are superbly crafted with meticulous attention to detail and function. Volkmann Custom, Inc., 1595 Carr St., Lakewood, CO 80214, (303) 888-4904, www.volkmanncustom.com. PNT X.A. FROM KITANICA Kitanica’s new heavy-duty tactical/utility pants have been tested and refined for maximum fit, durability and function. Constructed of poly cotton with Ripstop and 500 denier Cordura double re-enforced knees. Outfitted with 12 pockets, there is nothing on the market like them. Retail: $160. Kitanica, P.O. Box 99095, Emeryville, CA 94662, (510) 923-0503, www.kitanica.net. APEX HANDGUARD FROM APEX MACHINING CO., INC. The Apex Handguard System is the ultimate modular free-floating handguard for your AR-15. The trim profile, non-slip GatorGrip pattern and lightweight aluminum construction maximizes comfort and control. Apex’s unique design allows versatile rail configurations for target, hunting, law enforcement and military needs. Available in carbine, mid and rifle lengths. Apex Machining Co., Inc. P.O. Box 2576, White City, OR 97503, (541) 8263713, www.apexmachineshop.com. 24/7 G2 SERIES FROM TAURUS Combining the best features from the Taurus 800 Series, 24/7 Series and 24/7 OSS, the new 24/7 G2 semi-auto pistol series offers true next-generation performance. It’s available in 9mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP, with choice of Taurus’ advanced DA/SA trigger system, double-action or single action only trigger. Features include “Strike Two” capability for incredible reliability, a new trigger safety, balanced spring pressure for extraordinarily fast shooting, ambidextrous magazine release and much more. Taurus, 16175 NW 49 Ave., Miami, FL 33014, (305) 6241115, www.taurususa.com. 74 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=75http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=75For more New Products visit us online at www.gunsmagazine.com GMX COMPONENT BULLETS FROM HORNADY GMX’s popular line of Gilding Metal eXpanding component bullets now includes four brand new calibers. Gilding metal reduces the pressure and fouling often associated with “all copper” bullets. The streamlined design also offers ultra-flat trajectories. Hornady Manufacturing, 3625 West Old Potash Hwy, Grand Island, NE 68802, (800) 338-3220, www.hornady.com. GUARDIAN PISTOLS FROM NORTH AMERICAN ARMS, INC. North American Arms has reintroduced Guardian pistols designed to chamber NAA’s proprietary bottlenecked cartridges, the .32 NAA (.380 ACP case) and the .25 NAA (.32 ACP case). As an example of their high-performance handgun ballistics, the .32 NAA cartridge pushes a 60-grain Hornady bullet in excess of 1,200 fps from the 2.5" Guardian barrel, generating almost 200 ft-lbs of energy. North American Arms, Inc., 215 S. 950 East, Provo, UT 84606, (800) 821-5783, www.naaminis.com. LENSPEN FROM PARKSIDE OPTICAL INC. The LensPen is a necessity, not an accessory. The pocked-sized product keeps all kinds of optics ready for maximum performance. LensPen has two working ends. Just slide out the brush end first and use it to effectively remove all loose dust and dirt from the lens or eyepiece. The rectractable brush, made with natural goat hair, is so gentle it can do no damage to the optics, yet it’s so hardworking the dust vanishes. Retail: $14.95. Parkside Optical Inc., 650-375 Water St, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 5C6, (877) 608-0868, www.lenspen.com. LYMAN CASE PREP TOOLS FROM LYMAN PRODUCTS Lyman has added three new items to their respected line of case prep tools. All three feature Lyman’s fatigue fighting, “SureGrip” handle design. The new “Universal Case Prep Tool Set” ($69.95) delivers quality case preparation in one deluxe set. The new “Outside Chamfer Tool” ($12) removes burrs and sharp edges from the outside of the mouth of trimmed cases. Lyman’s new “Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller” ($21.50) safely strips bullets and powder from loaded rounds in seconds with no damage to bullet or case. Lyman Products, 475 Smith St., Middletown, CT 06457, (860) 632-2020, www.lymanproducts.com. MONOVAULT FROM POLY FARM, LLC Poly Farm, LLC presents the super tough MonoVault gun storage dry box. Light enough to carry, tough enough to bury. Lengths from 7" to 52" in two diameters with wide mouth O-ring sealed spin-on lids. Accessories include carry handles, shoulder straps, humidity indicators and pressure relief valves. Poly Farm, LLC, 3506 W. Patel Ct., Meridian, ID 83646, (208) 8879764, www. monovault. com. DEAD EYE FROM HYSKORE The Dead Eye absorbs rapidfire recoil, allowing the shooter to maintain perfect eye relief, cheek weld and sight picture—shot after shot. It elevates and swivels, so the shooter can accurately engage multiple targets with high volume fire. It’s the perfect varmint and tactical rest for bolt, semi-auto and AR-15 type weapons. Hyskore, 193 West Hills Rd., Huntington Station, NY 11746, (631) 673-5975, www. hyskore.com. WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 752010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=76http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=76hen it comes to self-defense, a finely crafted 1911 is high on many folks’ list and few guns define “Custom Production” like Wilson Combat. The Wilson CQB is a masterpiece of a defensive handgun and has the features most would order built right in. Nice touches include 30 LPI checkering on the frontstrap and on the flat mainspring housing, high ride beavertail grip safety, ultralight, crisp 3-1/2- to 3-3/4-pound trigger pull, handfit and contoured magazine well, the feed ramp of the barrel is polished and throated, it is de-horned for carry and comes with two 8-round magazines. You’ll need a holster of the same high quality as this pistol and what could be better than a Custom Exotic Concealable Galco holster made of alligator lined with horsehide? You can’t win if you don’t enter, so send those postcards in pronto or take the survey and enter online at www. gunsmagazine.com. W WIlson comBAt cQB 1911 AND GALCO HOLSTER! PHOTO: JOSEPH R. NOVELOZO This contest is open to individuals who are residents of the United States and its territories only. Agents and employees of Publishers Development Corporation and their families are excluded from entering. Contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. Winners must meet all local laws and regulations. Taxes and compliance with firearms regulations will be the responsibility of the winners. Winners will be notified by CERTIFIED MAIL on official letterhead. ATTENTION DEPLOYED MILITARY: USE STATESIDE ADDRESS! No purchase necessary to enter. 76 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=77http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=77cQB mAker: WIlson comBAt 2234 cr 719 BerryvIlle, Ar 72616 (870) 545-3618, WWW.WIlsoncomBAt.com ActIon tyPe: Locked breech, semi-auto cAlIBer: .45 ACP cAPAcIty: 8+1 BArrel lenGth: 5" overAll lenGth: 8.7" WeIGht: 38.1 ounces fInIsh: Armor Tuff sIGhts: Tactical Combat Pyramid GrIPs: Diamond wood vAlue: $2,550 vAlue of PAckAGe: $3,025 custom exotIc conceAlABle mAker: GAlco Int. 2019 West QuAIl Avenue PhoenIx, AZ 85027 (800) 874-2526, WWW.usGAlco.com mAterIAl: Premium alligator hide, lined with horsehide vAlue: $475 to enter contest: use your oWn postcard (no envelopes, please) Follow sample card to right. Mail postcard to: GUNS Magazine, Gom July P.O. BOX 502795, San Diego, CA 92150-2795. Entries must be received before AuGust 1, 2010. Limit one entry per household. QuestIon of the month: What would you like to see us give away for the next Gun Of The Month? (A) hunting package (rifle, scope, knife set) (B) marksman package (pistol in 9mm .40 or .45, holster and target assortment) (c) tactical package (Ar, Acr, scar or other .223/5.56 scope, rails, mount) (D) self-defense package (shotgun, fiber optic front sight, fore-end weapon light) Name Address City, State, Zip Email Address cIrcle AnsWer(s) to QuestIon of the month July 2010: (A) (B) (c) (D) If I WIn, shIP my PrIZe throuGh: FFL Dealer Address City, State, Zip Phone # ( ) Store Hours: ___________ ___a.m. thru ______________p.m. Attention Deployed Military: USE STATESIDE ADDRESS! sAmPle only WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM 772010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=78http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=78fAr more thAn WorDs Best bets for summer reading. was just a kid, camped with a coupla pals on a little island off the I tip of our “home” atoll. It was just far enough away by outrigger canoe we could pretend we were marooned there after a shipwreck. Unlike the other fried-coral lumps in that chain, this one hosted a wild, tangly mass of spooky-dark jungle—a perfect place for a boy to read Robert Leckie’s Pacific-combat classic Helmet For My Pillow. I remember waking one morning to realize I had used Helmet For My Pillow as a pillow…. on American colonists was so profound, some scholars believe our Revolution may not have occurred without it—or, the French Revolution, without their Rights of Man. My copy, from Forgotten Books contains both. If there is a modern Paine, it might be Mark Levin, author of Liberty and Tyranny. No less a scholar than Paine, Levin’s writings bring into sharp focus the erosion of rights won with blood and sacrifice, and illustrate how freedom can not only be lost, it can be stolen or casually thrown away— perhaps never to be regained. No hot air; no volatile but empty rhetoric; it’s more Plato’s Republic than a campaign bumper sticker. The biggest difficulty with this book may be an overwhelming compulsion to get sidetracked by his extensive sources, references and footnotes. Try reading it through once, then go back with highlighter and notepad. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin reveals, in his own modest words, how an unlettered indentured boy rose to become one of the most influential men of his time—worldwide—not just in his own country. Scientist, linguist, inventor, writer and revolutionary, his enormous impact and enduring wisdom has been sadly minimized in modern times. Simply put, the “towering figures” of our national scene today couldn’t bench-press Ben’s brain, or even lift his massive moral compass, much less carry it as a shield of honor, as he did. Please read it. Throughout my life I’ve observed, studied and researched people’s reactions to the challenges of combat and other lethal-threat stress situations. Extensive academic work on the subject requires a background in both stress psychology and stress physiology, and manages to give something visceral and intriguing the appeal of kibbled yak dung. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When In combat, a decade later, I reprised edge of darkness a couple of times when that act with the same book, and perhaps I wondered if I would ever see my reda decade after that, a third time, halfway headed angel again, outside of heaven. ’round the world. On that occasion I You can’t ask much more from an object used a borrowed copy, found in a pile of of pulp, glue and ink, can you? moldering paperbacks in a sandbagged Over the past two years they’ve bunker. I did it knowingly, maybe just served again, as painkillers, postto honor my personal “pillow history” surgical soothers, boredom-busters and with that book. I had, and have used, “recovery stimulants.” Several of ’em many other books for pillows, before were sent or recommended by you folks. and since. So, let me return the favor and spread In fact, I can’t remember a single time the wealth, OK? I’ve ever “deployed forward” without a History, Past & Future book stuffed in my ruck or carried in a cargo pocket, and virtually all of them Common Sense by Thomas Paine have done pillow-duty. Believe me, was without doubt the most influential the worst of ’em beat the heck out of literature written, justifying the sleepin’ on a helmet. The best, I think, American Revolution. It did not urge was a collection of Kipling—comfy! war or violence, but rather, thought and None have ever stopped a bullet for courage. Paine’s examination of the me, but they’ve cooled my mind and sources of power and their validity—or shaded my head in sun-hammered heat, lack of validity—is as timely today as it diverted my thoughts from creepin’ was in the 1700s. The galvanizing effect frostbite and sharp rocks in the it had g2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=79http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=79Our Caps Will NOT Scratch Your Scope Or Rust has taken Weaver® style rings to new heights and new lengths KWIK-SITE Disaster Strikes—and Why, by Amanda Ripley, is eminently readable, and possibly the best study ever published about people who froze, failed, fled and fought in a myriad of do-or-die situations; people just like you and I—under circumstances any of us might face tomorrow. Just as the actions—or inactions—of individuals determine their fate “under fire,” whole societies in effect choose to succeed or fail, and with failure often comes virtual extinction. Dr. Jared Diamond is one of our few living scientist-philosophers, and thankfully, one who can weave together historical geography, climatology and sociology and present it clearly, as he does in Collapse—How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Dr. Diamond examines both ancient and modern collapsed and collapsing societies, finding they rarely fail due to sudden natural catastrophes, but frequently, via simple denial of clear warning signs, dangerous sociopolitical fads, and one-upmanship—even without violent struggle—between egotistical rulers. I guarantee you’ll find some startling surprises. Death by Government is not fun to read—but fascinating, and something everyone who thinks of themselves as a free, thinking citizen should read. Author R. J. Rummel, again, a scholar rather than a rhetorician, coined the term “democide” to define genocideby-government, and lays out the dirty secrets all governments—including democracies—would rather keep hidden from you. The only reason his book hasn’t been widely condemned is because his facts can’t be refuted. You’ll never think of our “fellow members” of the United Nations the same way again. Finally, here’s a hefty box o’ braincandy: In What If?—Eminent Historians Imagine What Might Have Been, essays by Stephen Ambrose, Caleb Carr, John Lukacs and others (edited by Robert Crowley) answer questions like, what if Alexander the Great had not died at 32, but lived—and conquered—to an old age? What if the Persians had beaten Greece at Salamis, and strangled democracy in its cradle? If the Franks had not turned back the undefeated Muslim armies at Poitiers? What if Operation Overlord had failed on the beaches of Normandy? This one’s gonna make your head spin with your own what ifs?—and, it’s absolutely delightful reading. So make a selection, grab some iced tea and head for the hammock! That’s why God gave us shady summer Sunday afternoons, ain’t it? Connor OUT! 79 Now For A Snack! Leading U.S. Manufacturer of Scope Mounts Since 1967 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=80http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=80ADvertIser PAGe ADvertIser PAGe JULY 2010 ADVERTISER’S INDEX The companies listed have featured advertisements in this issue. Look to them first when you are ready to make a purchase. ADvertIser PAGe American COP Subscription . . . . . . . . . . .68 American Gunsmithing Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 American Handgunner Subscription . . . . . . . . . . .73 ArmaLite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Benchmade Knife Company . . . . . . . . .21 Birchwood Casey . . . . . . . . .63 Bond Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Burger Knives . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Columbia River Knife & Tool . . . . . . . .10, 39 Conetrol Scope Mounts . . . .62 CorBon/Glaser. . . . . . . . . . . .66 Daniel Defense . . . . . . . . . . .C2 DeSantis Holster . . . . . . . . . .66 FMG Special Editions . . . . . .80 Front Sight Firearms Training Institute . . . . . . . .C3 GUNS Subscription . . . . . . . .57 Harford Engraving Service . .72 Helvetica Trading LLC . . . . . .23 Hornady Manufacturing Inc. . . . . . .12 Insight Technology Inc. . . . .33 Jantz Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Kimber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Kirkpatrick Leather Company . . . . . . .65 Kwik-Site Co. . . . . . .64, 70, 79 Law Concealment Systems Inc. . . . . . . . . . . .62 Leupold & Stevens . . . . . 60-61 Mag-na-port International . . .13 MTM Case-Gard . . . . . . . . . .15 Otis Technology Inc. . . . . . . . .3 ProMag Industries . . . . . . . .34 Rock River Arms. . . . . . . . . .13 S & K ScopeMounts . . . . . . .65 Savage Arms. . . . . . . . . . . . .19 SOG Specialty Knives . . . . . .51 Springfield Inc. . . . . . . . . .9, 17 SSK Industries . . . . . . . . . . .72 STI International Inc. . . . . . .10 Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc. . . . . .7 Tactical Rifle . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Taurus International . . . . . . .C4 Thunder Ranch Training DVDs . . . . . . .37, 57 Tichbourne Knives . . . . . . . .62 TOPS KNIVES . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Tussey Custom . . . . . . . . . . .72 Zanotti Armor Safes . . . . . . .65 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: • Kimber Crimson Carry • Hamilton Bowen Style • Pistol or Rifle? • .44 Magnum • Convertible Hand Canons • Radically Different Defensive Ammo American Handgunner 2009 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: • Sig’s New 226 • The Return of the Galil • Desert Tactical Arms SRS • Lever Action PH Rifle: A First • Rifle Trifecta: Gotta Have Kit • Taffin Tiptoes into the 21st Century • Knives for Gun Guys Guns Magazine 2010 Special Edition Annual (outside U.S. $85.00) 80 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 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 2010 Order your copies today while supplies last. 9 a.m. Call toll-free 888.732.2299 Mon-Fri 3 p.m. PST2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=81http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=81continued from page 82 up at Boyle’s Gun Shop. Boyle’s was a wonderful place. Every Saturday, three of us got off work at noon and my ’49 Ford Club Coupe headed to the combination gunshop/shooting range, with a stop on the way at the local pizzeria. Boyle’s was a mom-and-pop operation, although mom-and-pop in this case were not very old with three young kids, and my teenage heart was somewhat smitten with the mom side of the operation. There was no such thing as credit cards in 1956 and who would give a credit card to a teenager if they did exist? My, how times have changed! Credit was available at Boyle’s and we all had an ongoing charge account. That 7-1/2" Colt .45 added $125 to my account. Fast Draw soon arrived, and I ordered an Arvo Ojala Hollywood Fast Draw rig finished in black basket weave. The first date I had with the blond teenager now known as Diamond Dot was in November 1958 as we went to Boyle’s Gun Shop to pick up my new Ojala leather. Both are still around, and in fact, that belt and holster is hanging in the room she uses for woodcarving. I wish I could say I still had that .3840, but dumb teenager that I was, I let it get away. I also wish I had the first Colt .45, however, it also got away, but at least for a more noble cause. By 1963 I was in college and Dot was a stay-athome mom with three young babies to take care of. The Colt .45 went for tuition and groceries. I knew if I dropped out of school it would be awfully hard to get back, so the .45 had to go. I did graduate in 1965, started a teaching career lasting 31 years and took an early retirement to write full-time. By 1968 I was on the road to spending much of my life with Colt Single Actions. The first of my new batch of Colts was a 4-3/4" .44 Special. To this day, it is hard to choose between a .44 Special or .45 Colt when it comes to Single Actions. Over the years I added examples of both .45 Colt and .44 Special Colt Single Actions from all three generations, as well as both 2nd and 3rd Generation New Frontiers. I carried them, plinked with them, fast drawed with them, hunted with them, wrote about them, reloaded for them, and enjoyed countless hours just holding and appreciating them. When I first started reloading for both the .45 Colt and .44 Special, I was not very smart. I thought everything had to be loaded heavy, so the .45 Colt was loaded with 260-grain Keith 454424 bullets over 10.0 grains of Unique or 18.5 grains of 2400, while for the .44 Special I used Keith’s 429421 over 17.0 grains WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM “We are living in a time of many problems, but coming up with an excellent traditional single action is not one of them.” Traditional single actions do not come any finer that USFA’s Single Action and Flat-Top Target .44 Specials. The custom ram’s horn and walnut stocks are by Roy Fishpaw. Colt’s Return of 2400. All of these loads are heavier than needed for normal everyday use, and I have wised up to the point of using 8.0 to 8.5 grains of Unique or Universal in the .45 Colt and 7.5 grains of the same two powders with the .44 Special; loads are in the 850 to 900 fps range. Great Western was the first to replicate the Colt. They were totally American built, however, they could not compete with the resurrected Colt Single Action and disappeared in the early 1960s. Over the years I have managed to pick up several Great Westerns, especially in .44 Special and .45 Colt, though I made a major mistake: I wrote too much about them and now the price has gone up to where what used to be $125 a few years ago is now closer to $500. After Great Western disappeared, we started seeing Italian replicas. Many of the earlier ones were not just bad, they were very bad. The steel was too soft, the actions were rough, the bluing was poorly done, and the less said about case colors, the better. Then to complete a poor package, the grip frames were brass. Colt Single Actions did not come with brass grip frames. That has all changed now, with a lot of the cr2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=82http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=82A hAlf-century WIth sIxGuns Traditional single actions. ecember 1954. The Senate censures Senator Joe McCarthy; D Bing Crosby is starring in White Christmas; Davy Crockett is fighting Indians on Disneyland; RCA introduces a 21" color TV; and Actions. They instead turned out to be two relatively new single actions from Great Western, a new company that had just started production in Los Angeles, Calif., turning out replicas of the Colt Single Action. From that day forward I had to have a Single Action Army. Being a highschool junior and paperboy from a nongun family, that wasn’t likely to happen very quickly. However, by December 1956 I had graduated from school, gone to work and had my first Colt Single Action. It was a 4-3/4" 1900s-era .38-40 in excellent condition with faded case colors, thin bluing and worn gutta percha stocks. It was gorgeous! Fifty years after seeing that first cover, I was awarded the privilege of shooting those same two .45 Great Westerns for the 50th anniversary of this magazine. You can bet a lot of personal single-action history happened in between those two events. Great Western had started producing replicas of original Colts in 1954. (They actually used pictures of genuine Colt Single Actions in their advertising.) When Colt ceased production of the Single Action Army on the eve of WWII, they said they would never produce it again. Not only was the machinery worn, but sales had been going down steadily as shooters discovered Smith & Wesson .357 Magnums and Colt 1911s. Great Western had received a letter from Colt in the early 1950s reiterating their plan to never resurrect the Colt Single Action Army, and Great Western even bought some parts from Colt. Never say never, as by 1956 Colt was back in the Single Action business. By 1956 the .38-40 was basically a dead cartridge, so perhaps that’s why I was able to pick up my first Colt at reasonable price. A few months after finding my first Single Action, a brandnew 7-1/2" .45 Colt now known as a 2nd Generation Single Action showed continued on page 81 Great Westerns I am 15 and a junior in high school. I had a paper route with 103 customers and collected 35¢ from each one on Friday evenings. I had to ride the bus downtown within the next three days to pay my bill. Every weekly trip would also see me visiting two large newsstands looking for anything about guns. There were no gunspecific magazines being published yet—or so I thought. However, companies like Fawcett regularly published gun-related 6x9" paperbacks selling for 75¢ (which I still have a large stack of), and I was looking for the latest edition. This trip would prove to be different than any other. I made my way past the lunch counter to the back of the store to see what I could find. Suddenly, something catches my eye; I see the word GUNS on the top left corner of a magazine. Could it actually be a new magazine? My heart rate increased considerably as I reached up and retrieved the first issue, dated January 1955, of this magazine. No way could I know what an effect this publication would have on my life. The first cover was what I thought to be a cased set of a pair of 4-3/4" Colt Single It all started with that first January 1955 issue of Guns. Taffin’s first two Colts are long gone, but they have been replaced by this 7-1/2" 2nd Generation .45 and 4-3/4" pre-War .38-40. 82 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • JULY 20102010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=83http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=83America’s Millionaire Patriot Wants YOU Armed and Trained! He’s Giving You a Free Springfield Armory XD Pistol When You Attend Professional Training! Front Sight Firearms Training Institute’s Founder and Director Dr. Ignatius Piazza Commits His Own Money to Help YOU Secure Front Sight’s Four Day Defensive Handgun, and One Day 30 State Concealed Weapon Permit Course! FREE GUNS ALMOST GONE! RESPOND TODAY TO GET YOURS… AmericA’s millionAire PAtriot Dr. IgnatIus PIazza FIVE DAYS OF TRAINING for Pennies-on-the-Dollar! PLUS (for those who act fast) America’s Millionaire Patriot Has Reserved a Brand New, FREE Springfield Armory XD Tactical Pistol in Your Choice of 9mm, .40SW or .45ACP. That’s Right! The Gun is FREE! So Don’t Hesitate on This Amazing Opportunity for GUNS Readers. Go to https://www.frontsight.com/free-gungm.asp for all the details to get your FREE Gun. Dr. Piazza Has Also Set Aside a FREE Holster, Magazine Pouches, Surefire Flashlight, SWAT Belt, Logo’d Stainless Steel Folding Knife, Armorer’s Mat, Front Sight Hat, Front Sight Shirt and the Entire Set of 7 Front Sight Dry Practice Training Manuals ALL FREE OF CHARGE If You Can Simply Act Fast and Go To: https://www.frontsight.com/free-gungm.asp All Totaled, You Get Over $4,000 in Amazing Value. It Can ALL Be Yours for Literally Pennies-on-the-Dollar. It’s Easy to Get! Go to: https://www.frontsight.com/free-gungm.asp TODAY! Grab YOUR FREE GUN Before It’s Gone! For your convenience, registration and delivery of your new Springfield XD pistol will be handled through the Local Federal Firearms Dealer of your choice. So make sure you take advantage of the Millionaire Patriot’s generosity before all the guns are spoken for! Time is Running Out! Thousands Are Already Securing the Professional Training Front Sight Offers and arranging for their FREE Gun to Be Shipped to Them! Find Out WHY America’s Millionaire Patriot is Willing to Train YOU for Pennies-on-the-Dollar and Give YOU a FREE Springfield Armory XD Tactical Pistol… (I’ll give you a hint WHY… It’s because he can! He leads the US firearms training industry by leaps and bounds and knows that once you attend a course at Front Sight, you will want to come back for more and will tell all your family and friends to come with you!) What are you waiting for? It’s Easy… Just Go To: https://www.frontsight.com/free-gungm.asp (Even America’s Millionaire Patriot has a limit to his generosity so don’t wait on this or you will miss the best course, gun and gear deal ever offered! Grab it before it is gone…) Don’t have time to take the 5 Day Handgun Course and get your Free Gun? Subscribe to Front Sight’s Free, e-mailed Gun Training Reports at www.FrontSight.com2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=84http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0710/?Page=84Shotguns aren’t supposed to be small. And small revolvers aren’t supposed to deliver devastating firepower. The new Taurus Judge Public Defender combines the best of both worlds with .410 GA 2.5” shotshells or .45 Colt ammunition in a scaled down version of the popular Taurus Judge that can travel with you. 5 Rounds. Your Choice. Load any combination of .410 GA 2.5” shotshells or .45 Colt for versatile personal protection. www.TaurusUSA.com FREE one-year NRA membership with the purchase of any new Taurus firearm.2010-04-30T17:10:10+02:00