American Handgunner articles from July 2007

American Handgunner archives from July 2007

Ayoob files tops.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I subscribe to and religiously read both Handgunner and GUNS. I always save Connor and Ayoob for last--dessert, if you will! Ayoob's "OK Corral Shootout" (Ayoob Files, May/June 2007) is one of his best. Well done Joe Walker Topsham,...

And ...(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I've found the OK Corral shootout a fascinating subject and read everything I find relating to it. Ditto the Custer fight on the Little Bighorn. Can't get enough of either. An interesting sidebar would be: Who killed Johnny Ringo? The sixgun...

DVD heaven.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Hats off to Clint and the FMG staff on the recent release of the Thunder Ranch DVD training series. Great information, and no BS. Now put together the DVDs for revolver, shotgun and bolt-gun. Then just a DVD of Clint listing what is stupid in...

Wants arrested.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Compared to the FMG magazines, the rest of the gunzines are minor league--great job. Read the letter from Jennifer Dodge (Speak Out, May/June 2007) complaining about Clint being racist and such in his article on the XD in the Jan/Feb 2007...

Lee Jurras.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Terrific piece on Lee Jurras (May/June 2007). My compliments to author Jeremy Clough, and to Handgunner for giving space to something not "advertiser-driven." It's the very story I've wanted to do for 16 years, but was discouraged from making...

Non-offended.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I have to tell you I'm very angry at your magazine. It seems everyone has a bone to pick with you and your staff, but I find myself curiously non-offended. I don't care about women in ads, J.D. Jones shooting destructive seals in Elbonia, the...

Battlewagons.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... Your editorial about battleships (Insider, Apr/May 2007) did a heavy deja vu on me. In Sept of 1950 my outfit (the 5th Comm. Group) landed at Inchon behind the 1st Marine Division. I was in the Air Force, and we provided communications of all...

Pistolsmith or $ wiz?(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... After reading Alex Hamilton's column (Pistolsmithing, March/April 2007) several times I was still unable to find anything that vaguely resembled pistolsmithing techniques. I did however discover Mr. Alex Hamilton considers himself an expert on...

Airport security.(SPEAK OUT: YOUR FORUM TO PONTIFICATE, PONDER AND PROBE)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2007... I'm a loyal Handgunner subscriber and very much look forward to reading each new issue from cover to cover the day it arrives. I have to strongly disagree, however, with the usually astute Clint Smith's take on airport security (Reality Check,...

It's a bullet thing.(HAND GUN HUNTING: TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
July 1, 2007... A Jacketed, lightweight, high velocity bullet is best. A big bore, slow, heavy cast bullet is the best. "Ya can't beat a heavy, high velocity bullet. Well, yes and no to all of the above. In a particular situation any of the above...

Failed lightning?(HAND GUN HUNTING: TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
July 1, 2007... The light, high velocity bullet often kills like lightning--and sometimes fails. I witnessed a cow elk droll instantly from a 55-grain .22-250 at about 200 yards from a center lung hit. This same load is extremely useful and deadly to a...

Big and fast.(HAND GUN HUNTING: TIPS, TECHNIQUES AND POLITICAL-INCORRECTNESS)
July 1, 2007... That "bigger bullet at high velocity" may well be the best, quickest killer of all. But only if you can handle the recoil and shoot it accurately with a bullet designed for the type of hunting you're doing. I assure you the really big, fast...

The devil's in the digit ... and the Gremlin's in the grip.(GUN CRANK DIARIES: EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS)
July 1, 2007... I have created a monster--a "serial saga"' which I'm now obligated to complete. A bunch of you wanted to know which School of Shootery I subscribe to, or the Temple of Tactical Technique in which I kneel. A wise parable says. "Never miss an...

Dancing with the devil.(GUN CRANK DIARIES: EXCUSES, ALIBIS, PITHY OBSERVATIONS & GENERAL EPHUS)
July 1, 2007... One of the first things I learned about shooting was I'm not a naturally-gifted shooter. I've known some, and I'm not one of 'em. Nevertheless, I've always shot "Expert" in military qualifications, and taken some gongs and trinkets in...

What was I thinking?(SHOOTING IRON[TM]: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
July 1, 2007... It's commonly known in the gun'riting business when a columnist wakes up some . morning near deadline time without a clue as to what to write about, he'll do a "Guns I wish I'd never sold" piece. How about I switch that around and tell you...

Still stupid.(SHOOTING IRON: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
July 1, 2007... Of all the hundreds of handguns I've owned in my 40-plus years of buying them, the single type of which I've owned the most has been Colt SAAs. Gener ally they're pretty good guns regardless of exact caliber or generation. However, there can be...

Wobbly Webley.(SHOOTING IRON: THUMB BUSTIN' MUSINGS FROM THE DUKE)
July 1, 2007... New interests can also lead you into the unknown. These last few years I've been putting together a collection of World War II firearms, so I grabbed the very first Webley Mark VI I came across at a gun show. But I had totally spaced out the...

Perfectly portable and powerful.(TAFFIN TESTS: THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE)
July 1, 2007... One or both of these new double action Ruger .44 Magnums are sure to find favor with those who wander off the beaten path; or even those who simply like to spend a pleasant Saturday afternoon shooting. It took nearly 30 years, however Ruger is...

A stronger .44.(TAFFIN TESTS: THE SIXGUNNER HIMSELF: GUNS, GEAR AND MORE)
July 1, 2007... With the arrival of Clint Eastwood's silver screen portrayal of Dirty Harry in the early 1970s, everything went cock-eyed in the world of double action .44 Magnums. Tile demand instituted by this imaginary character created a situation which...

Psychics.(HAND LOADING: SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURU)
July 1, 2007... When someone asks me to chronograph their load I usually give them a hard time before I do it. I'm sure there's an excuse I haven't heard but I always ask the supplicant why he doesn't have one of his own. The litany runs: "too expensive, too...

Chrono excuses.(HAND LOADING: SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURU)
July 1, 2007... You wouldn't believe the number of people who have told me I was wrong because the velocity of their load I just measured was 200 fps less than their intuition or a manual told them. I wish I could understand the fascination velocity holds...

IR reasons.(HAND LOADING: SAGE ADVICE FROM THE HANDLOADING GURU)
July 1, 2007... On a more technical note I've got a new set of infrared skyscreens from PACT I'm using with my Professional Chronograph. Most chronographs will work pretty well indoors with an incandescent bulb, but if there's a fluorescent tube nearby the...

Learning from a cop-killer: the lessons of "Baby Face" Nelson.(The Ayoob Files)
July 1, 2007... Situation: Struggling to be the "alpha" in a gang of cop-killers, this one particularly enjoys it. Lesson: The gunman who killed more FBI agents than any single criminal in history did so with six "S-es": Stealth, Surprise, Sophisticated...

A high nooner.(CARRY OPTIONS: FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS)
July 1, 2007... My usually sour-faced training officer when I was a cop trainee once growled at me: "The gun you have on you when you need a gun is better than all the guns you have home in your safe. So carry a gun." The key words are on you. If you really...

Comfy is as comfy does.(CARRY OPTIONS: FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS)
July 1, 2007... I spent the better part of a day with the holster against my skin and found the "slide guard" worked as advertised. Not having the slide and 1911 controls rubbing on my skin left me sans-hammer bites and other such things I'd have to explain to...

Un-offended.(CARRY OPTIONS: FROM CLASSICS TO CUTTING EDGE IN CARRY METHODS)
July 1, 2007... The folks from High Noon Holsters are making outstanding holsters at a price that won't offend. The last few weeks I've been wearing two High Noon belt slide holsters for my daily carry: the Sky High and Slide Guard. The Sky High was designed...

Custom on a budget.(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2007... Who would ever thought we'd be paying more for some custom .45s than we paid for a pickup truck in the 1950s. But it's now a fact that makes my brain and wallet hurt. Just to see what we could do about it, Neil Keller of Kustom Ballistics and I...

Neil gets involved.(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2007... Next, Neil Keller checkered the front strap 25 lines per inch using the checkering fixture he invented and used by the majority of the custom handgun industry. The perfectly executed diamonds give the Springfield a nice custom look. Cost of...

The Build.(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2007... The first job I did on the pistol was something few modern gunsmiths do. I welded the barrel lugs and hood and recut them to match specs. Today we have Kart and Bar-Sto match barrels, but to keep costs down I chose to do it the old fashioned...

Final thoughts?(PISTOL SMITHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES)
July 1, 2007... Building a pistol or revolver on a budget is easy to do if you pick and choose what you need for the job your pistol will be doing. The work mentioned above is simply stuff Neil and I picked out of thin air, but you might require other custom...

Hung by the lanyard until dead.(REALITY CHECK[TM]: FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD)
July 1, 2007... Illumination tools are better than they've ever been, and the future looks even brighter--sorry, couldn't resist. Having been present for the transition from the Eveready plastic light to the high tech lights of today, it's interesting to see...

The hanging.(REALITY CHECK[TM]: FIRST-PERSON THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING IN THE REAL WORLD)
July 1, 2007... I average 120+ tactical runs per month during teaching. Easily two thirds of these are in low-light environments. Often, the uneducated student will wrap the lanyard around their wrists and fingers. Then "Murphy" generally shows-up during...

How catching is "contagious fire?".(COP TALK: OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS)
July 1, 2007... A shooting in late 2006 in New York City seemed to rivet the nation. A handful of undercover officers were staking out a nightclub where there had been continuing issues of guns and violence. As a clutch of men were leaving in the wee hours,...

Contagious BS.(COP TALK: OPINION AND FACTS FROM THE MEAN STREETS)
July 1, 2007... When someone is trying to hurt or kill you, you fight. When someone is trying to hurt or kill your brother, you fight harder. When you have an NYPD 16-shot 9mm in your hand, "fighting harder" means shooting more times, faster. Did any of the...

Cheap fun.(WINNING EDGE: SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION)
July 1, 2007... Long before IPSC or IDPA or metallic silhouette there was bullseye competition. Bullseye competition is about accuracy. Action shooters who fire 12 rounds in four seconds, including a reload, laugh at what bullseye calls "rapid fire"--five...

Four favorites.(WINNING EDGE: SOLID ADVICE TO KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION)
July 1, 2007... All High Standard target .22s are good guns, and the Victor is my favorite. Originally made with a "slant grip", later models had a military grip matching the 1911 grip angle. My gun has the military grip and was made in Hamden, Conn,...

Sig's George Harris.(BETTER SHOOTING)
July 1, 2007... One of the first articles I wrote for Handgunner back in 1988 listed the qualities of an ideal shooting coach. (1) Shooting ability. (2) A logical, analytical and inquisitive mind. (3) Adaptability, constantly looking for better ways to shoot...

Happy holstering.(BETTER SHOOTING)
July 1, 2007... Placing a gun in a holster seems simple enough. Nonetheless people have managed to shoot themselves by having the trigger finger or some other obstruction on the trigger while holstering. Some pistols (cocked and locked 1911s, for example)...

Meet the wall.(BETTER SHOOTING)
July 1, 2007... In order to achieve a consistent high degree of accuracy with iron sights it's necessary to maintain a sharp focus on the sights. Simple to explain, not easy to achieve. George found a major obstacle is human curiosity. "It's natural to...

The sixguns of John Wayne.(THE SIXGUNNER)
July 1, 2007... "I mean to kill you or see you hang in Judge Parker's court." "That's mighty big talk for a one-eyed fat man!" "Fill your hand you sunnovabitch!" And with those words Rooster Cogburn, with the reins in his teeth, twirling his Winchester in his...

Violence and nonviolence.(GUN RIGHTS)
July 1, 2007... A little over a year ago, I began investigating the philosophy of civil disobedience and nonviolence. The purpose is to find out what we might learn about the countervailing philosophy that lies behind the Second Amendment--the idea that an...

Barrel making: magic & machine work.
July 1, 2007... If you look back at the history of firearms all the way back to the 12th or 13th century when it all started, you won't find too many Eureka! moments. Instead you'll see a process of gentle evolution where one discovery leads to another. ...

Para Ordnance 9mm Tac-Five: a dozen and a half in-hand.
July 1, 2007... I'm convinced the 1911 will outlive us all and even when you think that every conceivable variation has already been done, a new one comes along. It is my sad lot in Life to have to shoot them. When the Para Ordnance Tac-Five appeared on my...

Carpe diem: then sieze the grip.
July 1, 2007... Right now, this very minute, make a decision. You've been thinking about it--I know you have-because we all do. It's just... well, er, um... we rarely get around to actually doing something about it. "What's he talking about, Margaret? I...

The do-all death-ray: SDM's custom .44 Magnum.
July 1, 2007... It's no secret I like .44 caliber handguns for work and play. At the top of the list is the Smith & Wesson Model 29s followed by Model 21s, new and old, as well as the older Smith & Wesson Hand Ejectors. My wallet--and placement in...

Black Lightning: a Vincent 'motorcycle' pistol.
July 1, 2007... I often wonder, "How do they think of such things?" Just when I'm beginning to believe we've seen it all, done the deeds, run out of colors and are ready for repeats, something like tiffs turns up--and you can rely on Paul Liebenberg to do it....

Springfield Armory EMP 9mm pocket power.
July 1, 2007... A century ago suits must have had big pockets. I've tried some of the automatic pistols touted back then as pocket models, such as the Colt Pocket Automatic and FN 1910. By modern standards they are not particularly light, nor are they...

Big man's concealed carry.
July 1, 2007... The news media is full of stories about how badly overweight Americans are. They needn't bother me with it, I've been that way all my life. Take my word for it. Bearing extra weight makes no end of things more difficult, and carrying a handgun...

BlackHawk CQC holster: a nifty handgun holder.
July 1, 2007... When out hunting, fishing, or camping I like to have a handgun along when I can. Often it's a little stainless steel S&W Jframe. Once, on a hunting trip, I had a Bodyguard Airweight in a jacket pocket. Somehow it slipped out. I knew about where...

Tactical triumph! Benchmade: from ground breaking to earth shaking!
July 1, 2007... Benchmade Knife Company is a commercial knife manufacturer who has been making some of the finest tactical folders on the market for over 15 years, well before the boom began. But to say the company just happened to be in the right place at the...

Wild West Guns Shadow Lite .45s.
July 1, 2007... Word association time. When I say "Colt Sixgun" what's the first image in your mind? If you're like most shooters that first reaction will be the Single Action Army simply because they have received the most exposure over the past 125 years or...

A one stop shop: shooter's choice.
July 1, 2007... Now and again we try to focus on one product or maker in a field we usually paint with a broad brush--and this is one of those times. Joe Ventimiglia, president of Shooter's Choice, is an old friend and someone I've grown to trust over the...

Bianchi model 120 covert option.(GUNNYSACK)
July 1, 2007... When I held this holster up in the office and asked "Who made this?"--nobody was sure. A couple of people named custom makers, but mostly there was a general scratching of heads. "Bianchi," I said, and was met with stares and people going...

Caspian Pocketsmith II.(GUNNYSACK)
July 1, 2007... This just might be the ultimate 1911 pocket tool. Caspian introduced the original Pocketsmith a year or two ago, and this latest rendition offers a bolder, bigger profile, some color in the grips and all the tools you'd need. The bushing wrench...

Monsoon GearSlinger: Maxpedition hard-use gear.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... New for 2007 and available in Digital Foliage, Camo, the Monsoon GearSlinger (#410) is Maxpedition's large size single shoulder pack with over 1,600 cu. in. of total capacity. The quick release padded nonslip shoulder strap has two separate...

Hi-Power AlumaGrips: AlumaGrips.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... AlumaGrips has just come out with the latest addition to their quality line of precision pistol grips. What better way In dress up your Hi-Power, and at the same time, add the secure feel AlumaGrips has provided to the 1911 users for the past...

Dimension Plus series: Pro-Ears.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... Pro-Ears is introducing a new series of electronic hearing protection, the Dimension Plus series. The Plus series offers ProForm Leather ear seals and ProTen padded headbands for a perfect and comfortable fit, even over glasses. Other features...

Grip model TJ101: Trausch Grips.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... Trausch Grips introduces the TJ101 designed specifically for the Roger SP101. This special formula rubber grip stays firmly in place with no sliding but great handling for better shooting. Check out the entire line of Trausch Grips at:...

G4003G Gunsmith's Lathe: Grizzly industrial.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... If you've often thought that you'd make a pretty darn good Gunsmith if you only had the right tools, well wonder no more. Take that $2,700 you got back from Uncle Sam on this year's taxes and take home the Grizzly G4003G Gunsmith's Lathe. The...

Handgun Hunting book: Gary Reader custom guns.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... Top ranked handgun hunter and custom gun builder Gary Reader has spent over 40 years hunting with a handgun and he's finally written a book about it. Handgun Hunting and Hunting Handguns is 32 chapters of action on everything concerning hunting...

Wilson Combat DVD: Wilson Combat.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... Wilson Combat recently produced Welcome to Wilson Combat, an informative DVD co-produced with Matt Burkett Productions. This DVD is packed with historical information, a tour of Wilson Combat and the Rogers Shooting school, action shooting...

D&L signature 1911: D&L Sports.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... All Dave Lauck signature 1911s come with tanto extractors end extreme duty ejectors, and a host of other features to assure field reliability. Low profile, high performance "sleeper" pistols are a specialty. D&L Sports Gear is highly regarded...

West Nile Warrior: Grayman Knives.(SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2007... They'll be wishing they just had the virus when they're on the business end of this bad boy. Grayman hand crafted knives are now available in both premium S30V and tough 1095 steel. This super sized primitive survival blade, The West Nile...

Add it up.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... 24 Average age of motorcycle rider in 1980. 41 Average age of motorcycle rider in 2006. 600,000 Felons released from prison in 2005. 50% Recidivism rate for released felons. 1/100th Fraction of a second officially...

Baer dumps Illinois.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... "I've had enough of this state," Les Baer told me on the phone recently. "We're pulling up stakes and moving, lock, stock and 1911 s to business-friendly Iowa," he growled. "They actually like guns in that state and besides, our good friends at...

Shameless endorsement department.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... It's not often a fellow's dad writes a book, but mine did and since I believe in helping family, small businesses and readers anytime I can, what follows is a shameless plug for it. Dad's book is one of those "been writing it for 20 years"...

Newstand numbers.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... Just so you know, three out of every four audited handgun magazines sold on the newsstand is an American Handgunner. Cool, huh?

"The Legend Lives On" Cooper match.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... September 1st and 2nd, 2007 at the Ben Avery Shooting Range, in Phoenix, will be the first, "The Legend Lives On" Memorial Jeff Cooper match--complete with two pistol and two rifle stages in the Col. Cooper tradition. There will be fun side...

Old West read.(INSIDER)
July 1, 2007... If you like tales of the west, you'll have a good sit-down with Jesse L. "Wolf" Hardin's book, Old Guns and Whispering Ghosts. The history, spirit and guns come to life, and Jesse proves he's a great story teller. It's 267 pages, with lots of...

Desert agua.(INSIDER)
July 1, 2007... Recently one of our staffers was enjoying a few days in the California desert east of San Diego when they stumbled on the thing in the picture. It's a plastic barrel filled with gallon jugs of water, lighted on top with a solar light. Further...

It's alive!(INSIDER)
July 1, 2007... If you ever wanted your magazines to come to life, your wishes have been granted. Starting with this issue, all FMG magazines will be augmenting printed articles with live video on their respective Web sites. Which means, if you see the "Web...

Why we're really there.(INSIDER)
July 1, 2007... The guy with the M4 is Karl Slaughenhaupt LTC, IN, US Army, and the guy making the peace sign is his interpreter, Mustafa, a great guy according to Karl. The rest are Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers of 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 205th...

Hire a hero.(INSIDER)
July 1, 2007... Go here (http://www.nssf.org/HireHero.cfm) and hire a hero. It's as simple as that. The NSSF has set up a Web site so you can find returning soldiers and give them jobs. If you're in the market for a hard worker who has defended your rights the...

Gun-ban forces fire first round.(THE INSIDER[TM])
July 1, 2007... With no fanfare and little media attention, Congressional anti-gun forces have fired the first round in the War Against The Industry: 2007. On Feb. 13, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 1022: "To reauthorize the assault weapons...