American Handgunner articles from July 2003

American Handgunner archives from July 2003

Speakout.
July 1, 2003... MAY/JUNE I just received my copy of the May/June issue of American Handgunner, along with my copy of your sister magazine, Guns. Double joy this month! As usual, American Handgunner was a winner, with great reading from cover to cover. ...

Getting personal with USPSA president Michael Voigt. (Combat Shooting).
July 1, 2003... The United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) has gone through challenging times and relations with the International Practical Shooting Association (IPSC) world body have been shaky. Several IPSC founders broke away to form the...

Run rabbit run. (Reality Check).
July 1, 2003... Conceptually we'll say there is a governmental agency teaching a technique that addresses a barricaded suspect whose location in the room is unknown. We select one of our braver, SWAT-type souls to assume the occupation of resident room-rabbit....

Close is deadly. (Reality Check).
July 1, 2003... The Uniform Crime Report issued by the Department of Justice documents incidents where police officers are killed in the line of duty. As a young firearms instructor I often asked my elders why our training was based on a response to an...

What? No re-boot? (Reality Check).
July 1, 2003... Computers are great devices and indeed, serve many purposes in our lives. They switch traffic lights, help to land airplanes and save people's lives in hospitals. But computer simulations do not represent gunfights. They may help in training --...

Powders for maximum loads. (Hand Loading).
July 1, 2003... Those of you who have read my columns probably know I am not a fan of maximum loads for everyday shooting. What's the benefit to be gained by generating more noise and recoil or -- unless you chronograph every shot -- getting five or ten...

Mythical, magical, musings. (Hand Loading).
July 1, 2003... Powder burning rates might best P be portrayed by a bunch of guys wearing robes and pointy hats sitting around a caldron because there's no way we can tell by looking -- and even the charts printed in some books can lead us astray. Different...

A primer about primers. (Hand Loading).
July 1, 2003... It might be logical to assume if we're loading magnum cartridges we would need magnum primers. That's not so. If we prepare identical loads with primers as the only variable we could find big differences or none at all. It is not unusual for...

Clothes make the man. (Handgun Leather).
July 1, 2003... Royal Robbins is to tactical apparel what Brooks Brothers is to business attire. Thoughtfully designed and impeccably executed, the Royal Robbins 5.11 Tactical Series of pants, shorts and new Tactical Vest compromise the ultimate wardrobe for...

The crew-served vest. (Handgun Leather).
July 1, 2003... Ever since Banana Republic went yuppie-chic on us, there hasn't been a good quality "photographer's vest" to hide a concealed handgun. Even at that, the once-ubiquitous Republic vest was really just a stylish covering garment to conceal a hip...

Magic sub-sonic ammo? (Handgun Hunting).
July 1, 2003... Let's clear the air first. Sub-sonic is a velocity below the speed of sound. Transonic is a velocity which can be above or below or crossing through the speed of sound. Sonic is a velocity above the speed of sound. Simple. The terminology...

Pie-r-square. (Handgun Hunting).
July 1, 2003... The speed of sound varies greatly due to temperature. According to my information, altitude under 40,000 feet has insignificant effect on it. I'm told this is the formula the USAF uses to determine the speed of sound, so break out the .99 cent...

Quiet... we're shooting. (Handgun Hunting).
July 1, 2003... Sub-sonic ammunition is necessary for silenced or suppressed firearms to keep the sound of discharge really quiet. The Whisper[R] series of cartridges were designed for sub-sonic use with very heavy bullets for the caliber. Firing a suppressed...

Dan Wesson patriot .45 ACP. (Taffin Tests).
July 1, 2003... Most shooters/readers who regularly follow my articles often think if it isn't a revolver, or as I prefer, a sixgun, I don't spend much time with it. My first book, Big Bore Sixguns, covered revolvers exclusively, and this, of course, has added...

Twice as fun. (Taffin Tests).
July 1, 2003... The new line of Patriot pistols is offered in two versions -- the adjustable sighted Expert and the Combat/Carry sighted Marksman. Both are available either with the stainless brush finish or chrome moly blue. The test gun happens to be the...

S&W DAOs in copland. (Cop Talk).
July 1, 2003... The gun that facilitated the police switch from revolver to auto remains an excellent choice for law enforcement use. While police gun enthusiasts with sympathetic chiefs and open departmental weapons policies have carried the single action .45...

Speed, power, accuracy-and security. (Cop Talk).
July 1, 2003... Jeff Cooper said a fighting handgun needed DVC. Diligencia, Vis, Celeritas -- accuracy, power, and speed. The standard format S&W auto can deliver on all counts. The ones I personally use most, the .45s, will shoot 2" to 2.5" at 25 yards....

Even if he was right, how would we know? (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... This one gets a first prize for "Stupidest Reason to Get Killed," and we've heard some really dumb ones. Let's start with four pals, capping off an evening of bar-hopping in Fort Worth, and winding down with a friendly conversation around a...

Oh, yeah, He's a real firearms expert. (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... Delanyo Appiah and his girlfriend were cruising I-95 on their way to a firing range near Prince William, Virginia, when she -- the side-seat rangemaster -- suggested to Delanyo that maybe, baby, just maybe his roscoe wasn't quite completely...

He gets extra points for greativity. (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... But then, you gotta deduct points for being stupid, and a drunk. Put this one in your "Idiots Don't Need Guns To Get In Trouble" file. Police in Greer, South Carolina, recently had to deal with a type of assault they don't get very often -- not...

Exotic gunsmithing: part two. (Pistol Smithing).
July 1, 2003... In the, "old days" exotic custom handgun work used to be accomplished more out of a necessity than it is today. If a customer wanted a longer sight radius for a finer sight picture, the pistolsmith created a 6" slide on a model 1911. The...

Cut and paste. (Pistol Smithing).
July 1, 2003... First, the frame is cut into two pieces and approximately one half inch is removed from the lower portion of the grip. The cutting is done in a wire EDM (Electric Discharge Machine) to assure straight clean cuts. The frame parts are then joined...

Uncle ed knows. (Better Shooting).
July 1, 2003... Around 1970, during my university days, I had a summer job on a survey crew. The small city where we were headquartered had a rather decent library. A librarian in the past must have been a hunting and shooting enthusiast, for among the books I...

Trigger finger focus. (Better Shooting).
July 1, 2003... A few years later, despite the negative associations, I bought a 1975 reprint of McGivern's book. (Copies seem readily available from dealers in used gun and outdoor books.) It isn't easy reading. McGivern was a great shooter but as a writer he...

So many pistols, so little time. (Tactical Advantage).
July 1, 2003... In the search for a good self defense handgun many makes and models are available. In the past couple of decades many more fine service-type pistols have also entered the market. Consequently, the semi auto pistol has arguably become the...

Affordable affability. (Tactical Advantage).
July 1, 2003... Overall, it's a good pistol, priced to be very competitive. In fact, they can be found at a price that one often expects to pay for a good used pistol. The only draw backs are pretty minor. Line-of-bore is higher than a Glock, so muzzle flip in...

XD assault. (Tactical Advantage).
July 1, 2003... Some handguns come and go without gaining much acceptance in the market-place, even if they are good handguns. In the USA the big sellers are Glock, S&W, Beretta, Sig and various clones of the 1911. H&K, Kahr and CZ have some success, but...

The gunifights of Jesse James. (The Ayoob Files).
July 1, 2003... Situation: A long and spectacular gunfighting career ends abruptly in a single moment; of complacency. Lesson: Carry backup. Suck up wounds and keep fighting. If you want to hit center, aim. Perhaps above all, when in danger remain both...

Skieeter's sixguns. (The Sixgunner).
July 1, 2003... When his first article appeared in the pages of Guns Magazine he was known as Charles A. Skelton. That did not last long as he soon began to use his nickname of "Skeeter." For nearly 30 years, Skeeter Skelton would captivate readers as no other...

Magnificent Magnum: Gary Reeder's custom King Kong equalizer. (500 Maximum).
July 1, 2003... You could never call me a movie buff. I very rarely, maybe once every five years, bother to go to one. It isn't necessary, as the best movies I've seen in the past 10 years can be counted on the fingers of one hand, all of them starring Tom...

Trace Rinaldi makes serious steel-for serious users. (Steel!).
July 1, 2003... Here at American Handgunner we like to spotlight an up-and-coming knifemaker from time to time for several reasons. First off, these are the guys who are bustin' their butts for their customers and trying harder to build a better blade....

Hell freezes over?! And they said it would never happen. (S&W Makes a .45 ACP 1911).
July 1, 2003... Quickly now. This is a quiz. What is the most successful handgun on the planet? Hint: We always have a few complaints when we put one on the cover. It has fought on every corner of the globe, in two World Wars and countless skirmishes. It...

Shoot, hide & shoot some more.
July 1, 2003... The International Defensive Pistol Association has grown in membership to about 10,000 in the past five years, after starting with some basic goals. IDPA is built upon the premise of using simple realistic guns and holsters in courses of fire...

Indoor safari: heart-stopping, pellet-pounding action!
July 1, 2003... Slowly, like the gray river mist climbs the banks, he thrust his head into the clearing. Even with his sinewy body concealed behind the dense cover, there's no mistaking that silhouette. Black eyes gleam like diamonds, his fine nose is lifted...

Grab 'yer sixguns pilgrim: Cowboy Shooting.
July 1, 2003... You caught a first glimpse of them just at dusk, although somehow you knew they'd been following all day. Even your horse had seemed a little nervous. Then, of course, there was Dog who kept looking back, seemingly to tell you to be wary. There...

Win this lightweight Custom Carry: by the springfield Armory Custom Shop. (Hot-Shot 9X23).
July 1, 2003... Springfield Armory has established a name for itself as a maker of serious pistols for serious business. Their factory models perform reliably in the target field, competition arena and as personal defense and police handguns. Now, Springfield...

What you love will be used against you. (Gun Rights).
July 1, 2003... In February 2002, responding to a tip, police in Swinton, England, investigated the home of Father Michael Daggett, an Anglican priest. When they found over 200 rounds of ammunition, they asked him if he had any handgun in his home, and Fr....

Or maybe even a really good can opener. (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... Ever wondered how Mikhail Kalashnikov feels about having invented the AK-47? Me too, and now we know. He'd rather have invented a nice lawnmower. Attending a convention in Berlin, the 82-year old mechanical designer told reporters, "I...

"The wedgie vigilante" just doesn't sound cool. (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... And for lots of good reasons, I wouldn't want the word "wedgie" included in any way in my prison nickname. But Daniel Strouss prob'ly won't have much choice in that, and he might get worse than a wedgie. Cops in Southampton, Pennsylvania,...

It's not just a figure of speech anymore. (The 10-Ring).
July 1, 2003... Yeah, you've heard cops talk about catching a crook with his pants down, but how many have actually done it? A couple of sharp, fleet-footed Greek cops can now claim that honor. These guys didn't pay attention in Basic Robbery School when...

Roy Fishpaw Custom Grips. (Gunnysack).
July 1, 2003... The most important element for really precise handgun accuracy is -- before we get to all that other gun stuff -- the grip. Stocks, if you prefer. Because before we can shoot well we must maintain a firm, reproducible grip. That doesn't mean we...

Brownells MULTI-VISE. (Gunnysack).
July 1, 2003... Everybody who works on guns needs one of these. Even a simple job like gun cleaning requires three hands sometimes and almost anything we try to do on a firearm can be done more easily if the gun is securely held for us. One of the problems...

Mitch Rosen FOFO. (Gunnysack).
July 1, 2003... There isn't much new to say about Mitch Rosen's holsters. They are lovely. But they're also a mite pricey because of all that neat hand work, so Rosen has created the "Express Line" that offers basically the same holster designs with less hand...

Zeiss spotting scope. (Gunnysack).
July 1, 2003... There is glass, and then there's Glass, but this stuff if GLASS! The Zeiss 85 mm Diascope spotting scope is so bright and crisp there is no doubt you're looking through premium optics. It's hard for the average shooter to objectively test...

The Superknife. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... SUPERKNIFE The Superknife is a hybrid of a convenient pocket knife and a utility knife. Great far anyone who needs a super sharp utility knife for opening boxes, cutting carpet, drywall lines, etc. The quality construction features...

Force-10 Cargo Pants. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... TAD GEAR, INC. The top selling Force-10 Cargo Pants from TAD Gear feature exclusive reinforced packets designed to accommodate all farms of gear that utilize packet clips. The pants also feature reinforced knees, double seat, true bellow...

The PAUL Pocket Knife. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... LONE WOLF KNIVES The new PAUL Pocket Knife is the first packer-sized PAUL knife ever manufactured. Designed by acclaimed custom knife maker Paul Poehlmann, this new knife is destined to become a classic. Lone Wolf knives has worked closely...

SP-21 Pistol. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... MAGNUM RESEARCH The new SP-21 Pistol meets the next generation Law Enforcement, Military, and self-defense needs. The polymer frame SP-21 has been designed, engineered, and manufactured by Israel Military Industries (IMI). This...

LRF 900 rangefinder. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... LEICA Leica upgrades its already popular line of rangefinders with the new LRF 900. This model is an improvement en the original LRF 800, with a couple of added features making it even more user friendly. The LRF 900 can measure out from...

S.S.S. Side Snap Scabbard. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... GALCO INTERNATIONAL Galco has combined the most desired features from three of their mast popular models to create the hybrid S.S.S. Side Snap Scabbard Holster. Like their "Royal Guards" the S.S.S. provides secure firearm retention and can...

GSI gunlock. (Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... GSI INTERNATIONAL GSI International has introduced a unique, tamperproof internal gunlock that renders a stared semiauto pistol totally inoperable by unauthorized persons. Unlike some other gun locks, the GSI Gunlock has no external...

Lawman Match. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... Lone star arms From deep in the heart of Texas comes the Lowman Match by Lone Star Armament, Inc. This 5" 45 auto comes in two variations -- Carbon Steel frame and slide or Carbon Steel frame and 55 slide. Standard features include: Nowlin...

Safari gun safes. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... SAFARI SAFE COMPANY Safari Safe Company introduces seven new "best quality" gun safes for 2003. Designed to offer the highest level of security, fire protection and peace of mind, the Safari safe delivers a benchmark of supreme security...

Modular OWB holster. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... SIDEARMOR New from Sidearmar is the Modular OWB for the Springfield XD 4" and 5" guns. These bolsters allow the user to adjust the carry angle 120 degrees and are available with three cut options in various colors. They securely retain and...

Woodsman style #97. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... DESANTIS HOLSTERS The new Woodsman #97 from DaSantis is available in two versions: soft black leather with a synthetic finish to prevent scratching, and the lined Premium Saddle Leather version. The adjustable thumb break will fit...

The 685 folder series. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... MASTERS OF DEFENSE The 685 series from M.O.D. allows the user to pick between three distinct blade shapes: an aggressively angular Tanto, a double ground Fighter, and a classic utility drop point Hooter. A blade thickness of 125" insures...

Reloading Manual. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... SIERRA BULLETS Sierra Bullets has come nut with the 5th Edition of its Manual of Rifle and Handgun Reloading Data. Retaining the popular three-ring binder format that allows for updates, the manual has been modernized with new cartridge...

SL1 Survival Light. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... TOOL LOGIC The new SL 1 Survival Light from Tool Logic combines three handy functions in a surprisingly compact, light-weight knife. It features a brilliant white LED flashlight plus a razor sharp blade that's 50/50 serrated for cutting...

25 years. (Spolight).
July 1, 2003... WILSON COMBAT/SCATTERGUN TECHNOLOGIES Please allow SPOTLIGHT to digress from pore product write-ups for moment. We take this opportunity to congratulate the folks at Wilson Combat/Scattergun Technologies an 25 years of phenomenal growth....

Big Bore bruisers.
July 1, 2003... John Taffin -- who, I might add, is one 0] the nicest fellows I know -- has written another hardcover book on handguns. Called simply Big-Bore Handguns it has to do with, you guessed it, big bore handguns -- which are near and dear to John's...

American Handgunner TV?
July 1, 2003... You bet! Just pretend, for a second, you could touch your finger on a page of American Handgunner and it would come to life. That you could smell the gunsmoke, hear the blams and feel the action cycle in your hand. I know that may be a scary...

Rumor control. (The Insider).
July 1, 2003... Let's get ugly for just a minute. Our industry is often rift with finger-pointing, back-stabbing, verbal baloney and general hooey about the businesses and players that make up our smallish family. Often, the potential demise -- or even...