American Handgunner articles from January 2009

American Handgunner archives from January 2009

Germanic Duke?(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I generally enjoy Mike Venturino's columns but I am somewhat taken aback by those pictures of him in that coal shuttle helmet (Nov/Dec). Good grief, I thought he was on our side. Brian Christenson Richwood,...

Haunted Handguns.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... Duke's latest ("They Were Great Handguns But They Weren't That Great," Sept/Oct) reminds me of something. You know how Mas Ayoob has stated if a thumb safety goes on by itself, you don't need a high hand hold or a gunsmith, but an exorcist?...

.44 fun.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... A question for Mr. Taffin. I have one of Hamilton Bowen's conversions of the .357 Magnum 50th anniversary Blackhawk to .44 special (the Kenai). Truthfully, I am frustrated with the factory loadings available and their cost. I have been...

.40 cal wife.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I have been a subscriber to American Handunner for a little over a year, and don't change anything inside that magazine, including the young women who sell the firearms in the ads! As a man of 70 years, and an NRA pistol instructor, I need...

Novak atta' boy.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I would like to share with all of you the recent experience I had with Novak Gunsight Company. After many years of saving my money to have custom 1911 work preformed by Novak's, I was finally able to send my gun off to realize my dream. When...

Shock and awe.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... As a regular reader of your magazine, I don't believe I've ever seen an article addressing the problem of the physical effects of firing a powerful pistol in a small room. Most of us have never fired a handgun without ear protection. What's...

.44 Special bears.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I live in Eastern Washington, and do a lot of Cutthroat trout fishing up in the Colville National Forest. There are signs all over the place warning of black bear and cougar in the mountains. Recently in the news there have been reports of a...

10mm confusion.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... Always love anything by John Taffin, and your mag is top notch. In John's .45 Gap article (Taffin Tests, Sept/Oct), it seems he, and the editorial staff as well, are a little behind the times when John says Glock is the last of the 10mms...

Case life.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I've been reloading for more years than I care to remember, and have always been a bit puzzled about the number of times a case may be reused. Several authorities suggest a pistol case is good for five or six reloads, yet I have GI .45 ACP...

The whinery.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I had to address the letter by "Chris" (Speak Out, Nov/Dec). Change your panties, pick up your purse and leave. Perhaps you'd be happier reading Oprah's magazine? Sgt. M. Cummings Via e-mail

Dillon's deeds.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... After loading countless thousands of .38s and .45s a rubber grommet in the primer feed of my 25-year old (and long discontinued) Dillon RL 450 press disintegrated. I called Dillon to order a new grommet and was told they no longer support that...

Swatologists.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I just finished reading "The Not-So-Swat Entry" (Nov/Dec). I laughed so hard my sides still ache. I sincerely hope you will feature more articles by Bud Johnson in future editions. Larry Montrose, Colorado Yup, we will. The next...

Another liberal.(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... First of all, I'd like to thank everybody at Handgunner for a great magazine. I particularly appreciate the wit and wisdom of Massad Ayoob, John Connor and Clint Smith (I love my wheelguns, too!). As an NRA member as and registered Democrat, I...

Barrel break-in?(SPEAK OUT)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I've read articles on rifle barrel break-in procedures, but I've never seen an article on handgun barrel break-in. Is there such a thing? Daniel R. Friemoth Via e-mail Only if you're really bored. Frankly, most handguns are simply...

Good outcomes.(The Ayoob Files)
January 1, 2009... Situation: Cops are forced to shoot bad guys... and are spared unmeritorious lawsuits. Lesson: Bogus legal actions aren't necessarily guaranteed in the wake of justifiable homicides... but they are normally at least considered by the...

Ron power's inventions.(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2009... Gunsmiths are some of the worlds most skilled craftsmen, who have talents requiring expert knowledge of metal and wood. They must also invent special tools and techniques used to do special one-of-a-kind jobs for special men and women who...

More goodies.(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2009... Cowboy action shooting exploded into a full blown national experience in the 1990s and then-Power Custom was right there making products the pseudo cowboys with minimal gunsmithing talent could install in their sixguns. Fabulous products such...

The fabric duty rig revolution.(COP TALK: OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS)
January 1, 2009... I've been a fairly active part-time sworn officer for some 35 years now. When I came on in the early 1970s, many departments got by with a holstered revolver, a little pouch with 12 spare rounds of ammunition and a single pair of handcuffs in a...

Obsolete=ineffective?(SHOOTING IRON[TM]: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONs OMITTED] My tattered, old desk dictionary defines obsolescence as "growing out of use." Just above it the definition roof obsolete is "no longer in use." Something that often amazes me is how often some shooters confuse...

Oldie but goodie.(SHOOTING IRON[TM]: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
January 1, 2009... Back in 2004 a couple of young Marine friends just home from the Iraq invasion came by to visit and spend an afternoon shooting with me. After looking over some of my handguns they asked if they could shoot a few revolvers. That request was...

With the in-crowd?(SHOOTING IRON[TM]: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the years I've had many local people ask me what kind of "automatic" they should buy for home defense. My question is. "'Why do you need an automatic?" To which they usually reply, "Well. they're the thing now....

The little ones.(HANDGUN HUNTING: TIPS TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Okay, I've neglected the small game hunters and cartridges long enough. Only the .17 Mach II and .17 HMR have recently been introduced to fit this category. The .17 HMR is simply a necked down .22 Magnum and sales...

Freedom arms.(HANDGUN HUNTING: TIPS TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
January 1, 2009... That leads us to Bob Baker's (President of Freedom Arms) new .224.32 revolver. Bob has necked down the .327 to take standard .224" bullets and put it in the M97 single action revolver. The 40-grainers are running an honest 2,250 fps from the...

Quick change.(HANDGUN HUNTING: TIPS TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Freedom also has a quick, barrel-change prototype single shot pistol that will handle the .224-.32 as well as a few hundred other cartridges. probably including the belted magnums, I recently shot it in 6.5 JDJ which...

Springfield's EMP 40.(WINNING EDGE: SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Springfield's little EMP (Enhanced Micro Pistol) in 9mm has proven extremely popular. Even finding one for sale can be a challenge. Compact, lightweight, slim and concealable, accurate, reliable, with excellent...

Take your pick.(WINNING EDGE: SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION)
January 1, 2009... For those unfamiliar with the EMP, no, there won't be a .45 ACP version. The whole idea of the EMP is its compact grip frame, slightly shorter front to back than a standard 1911. Magazines and grip frame are ideally sized for the 9mm and .40...

Imagination in practice.(REALITY CHECK[TM]: FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] We should all understand more often than not we do not know what type of fight we may someday encounter--if ever. This knowledge should embolden handgun carriers to work on diversified techniques. Diversity in...

.327 Fed: charter arms patriot.(TAFFIN TESTS: THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was not too long, in fact only one year, after the arrival of the magnificent #4 1/2. .44 Walker, that it became obvious another choice was needed. A smaller, easy to carry, .31 pocket pistol arrived from Colt in...

The whole package.(TAFFIN TESTS: THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS GEAR AND MORE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The .32 Magnum was a definite improvement over the first two .32s and the .327 Federal Magnum turns the .32 into a real powerhouse even when chambered in a short-barreled, small-framed, self-defense revolver. Charter...

Practical police what?(BETTER SHOOTING)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PPC competition doesn't get a whole lot of coverage in general interest gun magazines. I've read PPC stands for Practical Police Course, Police Pistol Course, Police Pistol Combat; I can't find a definitive answer...

PPC skills.(BETTER SHOOTING)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My shooting buddy Steve Kukowski is a veteran police officer, currently a captain with his department, a PPC Grand Master and member of the 1490 club (out of 1500). He has won many state championships and that skill...

Rafter L leather.(CARRY OPTIONS: FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS)
January 1, 2009... The former name of this column was Handgun Leather and for good reason. Leather was the dominant material used to make holsters, belts, accessories and magazine pouches ever since there's been a need to go heeled. With the advent of Kydex...

Part 1: autos: the .45 ACP.(HANDLOADING: SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURUS)
January 1, 2009... Old myths die hard and especially those connected with .45s. When I started shooting it was a known "fact" the only .45 rounds which could be counted on to feed and function through a 1911 were standard FMJ hardball. Many gunwriters not only...

Signs of a good life.(GUN CRANK DIARIES[TM]: EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS)
January 1, 2009... If your pain is bad enough and the painkillers strong enough, struggling up to consciousness is like swimming desperately for the surface in a sea of thick gravy. It also has a definite effect on your thinking if you're awakened by a telephone....

Big hurtz: I don't mess around.(GUN CRANK DIARIES[TM]: EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS)
January 1, 2009... As some of you know--and I don't know how you knew--I recently Zigged when I shoulda Zagged and almost got Tagged & Bagged. Bad, like lots of pain and virtual immobility. The deal is: extended recovery, semi-good prognosis, and I'm home with...

And the hits keep on rollin'.(GUN CRANK DIARIES[TM]: EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three e-mails from Handgunner readers--guys I've never met personally--who offered to be at my door in 48 hours, stand guard duty, fetch and carry, run errands and help me walk, all on their own dimes. Wow. Thanks,...

Classic great leather.(THE SIXGUNNER)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the 1950s, a young Hollywood fast draw coach by the name of Arvo Ojala totally changed the leather used by the stars to the extent that his creation became known as the Hollywood Fast Draw Holster. Ojala took the...

The S&W .357 magnum: history repeats itself.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In its heyday, S&W's ".357 Magnum" was considered the ultimate fighting and hunting handgun. At its introduction it outshined even the famous Colt Peacemaker and left the fabled S&W "triplelock" in its dust. It cost...

Why I finally bought a gun safe: and you should too: "my guns are safe!".
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How many times my friends and I said those words. Yeah, our guns are safe. We are serious gun people. For some of us, guns are a vital part of our work lives, as military and law enforcement professionals or firearms...

Robar's alloy extreme: it's 'notta Glock'.(Cover story)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I remember the first time I held a Glock. It was 1986, and the strangest part was my dad was the guy who handed it to me. Pop was a dyed-in-the-wool 1911 guy and here he was talking about what a great gun this...

Security in the Niche: one man's trail gun.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An Alaska bear hunter friend says, "Revolver protection begins with a number. That number is 44." If a dark episode having to do with a bear--who was once within feet of me feeding--happened today, I would have seven...

The Mantis strikes! Young blood in the knife biz.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Sometimes the road isn't just about how you get there, but what you do when you get there. Such is the story of Mantis Knives and company founder Jared West's unusual but highly effective way of building a knife...

Security & speed for your household howitzers.
January 1, 2009... Did you hear about the guy who woke and heard intruders coming up the stairs, but all his guns were safely locked away in a vault--downstairs? How 'bout the guy who left pistols lying about in several places throughout his house, but a burglar...

Protection for your peepers and your auditory assets too.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It's true; I admit it: I'm a fanatic about eye and ear protection. But if you're gonna be a zealot about something, protecting your peepers and preserving your auditory assets ain't a bad obsession. For me, one...

Puttin' the "ho-ho": in a happy handgunner Christmas.
January 1, 2009... That's right, folks--it's that time again! Yeah, we know--seems like last Thursday it was Thanksgiving, right? Wrong. So grab a pad and pencil, scribble some names on a gift list, and prepare to engage in some serious monetary mayhem! Of...

The 2008 Grunt's gift guide: gear for out troops at the tip of the spear.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether you have friends, family members or loved ones "deployed forward" in the global war against terror, or you're simply a true-blue American who respects our warriors out there at the tip of the spear, you share...

My teacher's gun: one man's trust in a young man.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's always a sad thing to hear of a school student getting arrested and/or expelled for bringing a firearm to school. I always question their motivation. But in all honesty, within ten seconds a smile begins to...

Kolibri mini-mouse gun.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma claims the largest privately held collection of firearms in the world, Many of these firearms hold very important places in the history our country and...

Win this stunning CCW package and support our GI snipers overseas.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At Louder Than Words the idea has always been "giving something back, and this year's campaign is no exception. In early 2008 we embarked on a project for AmericanSnipers.org which turned out to be our most...

European American armory: witness elite match .45 ACP!(HANDGUN OF THE MONTH)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The EAA Elite Match has earned a reputation for being an affordable giant killer on the match circuit. Produced in the Tanfoglio custom shop, the Match incorporates many features of Tanfoglio's competition guns but...

Bowen rough country sights.(GUNNYSACK)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you know anything about Bowen Classic Arms you know the first this is "First Class" when it comes to anything Hamilton Bowen and his shop puts their minds too. From "Best Grade" rifles and handguns to parts and...

Friction defense gun oil.(GUNNYSACK)
January 1, 2009... It's always hard to judge gun oils, and we get lots of them sent here. I generally take them home and put them to use during one of my marathon gun-cleaning sessions I attack now and again. I have a very scientific test series I put them...

Hideaway knife.(GUNNYSACK)
January 1, 2009... I first became aware of HAK (Hide Away Knives, get it?) about four years ago when they came to my attention and I was so impressed we went ahead and had Pat Covert do a feature on them. At the time, the concept of a tiny, hideaway-type knife...

Spot satellite personal tracker.(GUNNYSACK)
January 1, 2009... It takes a lot of value-per-ounce to convince me to add anything to my "traveling load-out"--especially if I'll be humpin' that addition on my achin' back in my crunched-full pack. In the case of SPOT, even if I didn't wanta hump it, the...

GunVault Bio 1000.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... GunVault Makers of the popular GunVault Bio 2000, now offer the Bio 1000, a more compact version of the popular safe. This one features biometric fingerprint recognition technology for the quickest, most intelligent personal gun safe ever....

The SureFire Pen.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SureFire Now here's a pen which belongs in the streets, on the battlefield, or in the boardroom. The SureFire Pen is made both for the common man and the celebrated leader. Produced by SureFire's Edged Weapon...

Secret Storage book.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... Secretstoragebook.com Secret Storage books are the greatest thing since the invention of the false bottomed can. These are handy, well made Boxes made from real hard cover books. The pages ore hardened with glue, then hollowed out to...

The Stoplite tactical light.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sig Sauer Designed as a stand-alone flashlight, the Sig Sauer Stoplite can be attached to an accessory rail allowing it to double as a vertical grip. A rotary switch operates steady, strobe, or accessory...

The Woodsman.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... Greg Lightfoot Meet the Woodsman, another beautiful yet functional creation by knifemaker Greg Lightfoot. Shown here, the blade length is 4 1/8" with on overall length of 9". For this one, Greg used Duratech 20V on the blade and the handle...

Custom Grips.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rio Grande Custom Grips Rio Grande Custom Grips is introducing a new line of custom grips for the full size 1911 pistol. These high quality grips are made in the USA and crafted with exuding dimensions for a...

The Archangel.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... ProMag The Archangel 5.56 Ruger 10-22 carbine slack package is both exciting and new from ProMag. The standard Archangel package includes: o dual picantinny rail free float forearm, a barrel accessory with rail and bayonet log, upper and...

The SnapSlide holster.(SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CrossBreed Holsters New from CrossBreed Holsters is the innovative SnapSlide holster. 4 The SnapSlide offers excellent weight distribution for comfortable carry without the gun sagging away from the body. The...

Add it up.(INSIDER)
January 1, 2009... 6,542,806 FBI's NICS background checks, first seven months of 2008. 563,291 Increase over same period in 2007. 52.74% Hunters saying high gas prices would affect their hunting. 2 OUT OF 3 Americans think the 2nd. Amendment grants...

On-line editions.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... Through the miracle of modern day science and no small amount of just plain magic, we've got sister publications Shooting Industry and American COP on-line. The format is very nifty, and you can actually "turn" the pages like a real magazine....

S&W teams with second amendment foundation.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Check out this new Model 442 honoring the Heller case win. The really nice part of this special run is that a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Second Amendment Foundation. This model is available, so...

Brass fetcher.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Trust me on this one. Go to www.brassfetcher.com and spend some time. A young fellow, John Ervin, has shot a bunch of loads through ballistic gel and has great pics of the results on his Web site. Even if you don't...

Angela shoots too.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... In Handgunner's on-going attempt to offend a certain percentage of our readers, we are here with yet another picture of an attractive woman who not only can hold her own in the "easy-on-the-eye" department, but can make a S&W Model 29 run just...

Rock River backs off.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... As of Sept. 17. 2008. Rock River Arms has announced it is "... temporarily suspending the acceptance of new orders for RRA 1911 pistols. The growing backlog of existing orders coupled with our inability to maintain a constant supply of the high...

Ruger revision.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Our buds at Pro Mag, famous for magazines and AR accessories, snuck by our office the other day and let us take this photo. They are the first two prototypes of their new "Archangel" accessory kits for, of all...

Cool book.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... Well. we scored on a supply of Old Guns and Whispering Ghosts by Jesse L. Hardin and wanted to send the savings on to you. This is a very cool book, chock full of old gun pies and stories of the old west. Jesse knows his stuff and this is one...

Honoring the vets.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Volunteers from the American Society of Military History Museum participated in the City of Sierra Madre's, Fourth of July Parade--in full military regalia. They honored soldiers from WWII to the present, American,...

What, another one?(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yup. Here smiles Kim Cahalan, just back from Africa where she showed those pesky zebras just who was the boss. But what's this? Another competent lady-shooter? How's that again? Is this a trend'. Let's hope so,...

Amateurs and experts.(THE INSIDER[TM])
January 1, 2009... Apparently, the word, "amateur" has its roots in the Latin word "amare," which means "to love." I know I speak for you when I say, yes indeed, we love to shoot. An amateur does something simply because they love to do it. An expert is a...