American Handgunner articles from May 2002

American Handgunner archives from May 2002

Speak out: Mail call.
May 1, 2002... The Lays 1911 Is it possible there are so many versions of the 1911 that they dominate every issue? I am a retired (disabled) U.S. Navy officer and have owned countless 1911s over my years. There is nothing like them, and once owned-like...

Handgun retrospective. (Combat Shooting).
May 1, 2002... Of the handguns available in 1976 when American Handgunner first appeared, some are still in production, many are gone, and many more have been introduced. In the '70s, Colt and the .45 automatic were virtually synonymous. The 1972 Gun...

Ruggedly Ruger. (Combat Shooting).
May 1, 2002... Ruger's Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk, were tough, durable, accurate workhorses in 1976 and still are today. They show up now and then at cowboy matches, usually in the hands of someone who already owns one and wants to give the game a try...

The king of handguns. (Combat Shooting).
May 1, 2002... The S&W Model 10, or Military & Police as it was previously known, has the distinction of being in continuous production longer than any other handgun. With minor changes in design it has been produced since the beginning of the 20th century....

Snubnose supreme. (Combat Shooting).
May 1, 2002... Snunbose revolvers don't get any more classic than the S&W J-frame .38 Specials that started with the Chief's Special about 1950. This basic five-shot revolver has been made in several variations including the Bodyguard and Centennial, and from...

The name is Walther, Carl Walther. (Combat Shooting).
May 1, 2002... The Walther PP has had an excellent reputation since it was introduced PPK, was blocked from importation about 1929, Its compact version, the by GCA '68, resulting in the introduction of the PPK/S, mating the longer grip frame of the PP with...

Old Paint vs. Elsie. (Handgun Leather).
May 1, 2002... The battle rages, the advertising dollars flow, fingers point and both sides settle in to do battle. It makes the "Jane, you ignorant slut" parry and reposte from Saturday Night Live look like an old ladies luncheon at the church. "Cowhide is...

The laundry test. (Handgun Leather).
May 1, 2002... When you put a wet cowhide holster in a plastic bag for about a week, it can get moldy. So can horsehide, but not as much. The washing machine test revealed the cowhide holster lost some of its tight fit but once dried out, was still...

The winner by a nose. (Handgun Leather).
May 1, 2002... Horsehide is stiffer to work with, doesn't detail-mold as well or as easily as cowhide, but is rugged as all get-out and definitely more water-repellant. It takes about 10 times as long to wet unfinished horsehide as it does to dampen cowhide...

Fire and Iceland. (Handgun Hunting).
May 1, 2002... Very few foreigners ever have the opportunity to hunt Iceland. Thanks to Handgun Hunters International member Palli Reynissan, I was afforded that rare opportunity. A simple hunt rapidly developed into a full-blown trip around the island with...

Hunting santa's mules. (Handgun Hunting).
May 1, 2002... A large part of the island is covered in glacier. The mountains are not very high but are very barren--trees just don't exist. At first glance it appears reindeer and other smaller animals must digest rock, however, food for them is actually...

Burning rates and conventional wisdom. (Hand Loading).
May 1, 2002... Gunpowder is really pretty simple stuff--nitrocellulose with some additives to help control burning rate, muzzle flash and flow properties. If we get only a little more complicated we have a double-base powder that adds a little nitroglycerine...

Twilight zone powders. (Hand Loading).
May 1, 2002... For the last couple of years I've been looking at powders that are a bit outside the norm for various cartridges and have found that there are cases where accuracy can be better with them. For example, in the .45 ACP, where Bullseye and WW231...

Inside the pressure cooker. (Hand Loading).
May 1, 2002... We are all familiar with the principles of chamber pressure and often see a maximum chamber pressure published for a cartridge, but what we don't see is something that defines a term called, "time to peak." This is something that can only be...

Condition three jitters. (Tactical Advantage).
May 1, 2002... Carl Walther of Germany marketed the first double-action pistols for self-defense and police use in the PP and PPK models in the early 1930s. What was most remarkable about these auto loaders was the fact that they offered the same trigger...

According to experts. (Tactical Advantage).
May 1, 2002... Many times I hear "experts" claim that DA auto pistols are really no problem to shoot well. And of course we have Col. Jeff Cooper's comment that the DA auto pistol is of little virtue, an answer in search of a question. The truth is the DA...

Let's play favorites. (Tactical Advantage).
May 1, 2002... My favorite DA autos and the ones I use most often are a couple of S&W Performance Center pistols put up by Tom Gordon. My favorite is a PC Model 5906 in 9mm and a Model 4506 CQB. I have and use SIG P226 and P228 pistols that give very nice...

Hidey-holes and the Rolodex. (Pistol Smithing).
May 1, 2002... The most important item in the gunsmith's office is his Rolodex file. His Rolodex, if the gunsmith has been in business for more than 10 years, is a valuable source of information containing names of people who carry parts and supplies for new,...

Wait-and-see gun parts. (Pistol Smithing).
May 1, 2002... If Jack First does not have the part, the gunsmith will start to feel a little panic begin to set in, but there is another source, Gun Parts Corporation, (845-679-4867) the next important source for parts for new and obsolete firearms. Gun...

Good ole Brownells. (Pistol Smithing).
May 1, 2002... The third and top notch source for parts is good ole Brownells (641-623-4000). If you need a new part for a late-model Benelli, Browning, Colt, Dan Wesson, EAA, H&R, High Standard, Ithaca, Marlin Mossberg, Para Ordnance, Remington, Ruger,...

The last hope. (Pistol Smithing).
May 1, 2002... Valuable and well-organized, The Gun List (800-258-0929) is a huge, final source for finding parts. This newsprint tabloid of used guns and parts has sections on "Gun Parts" and "Gunsmith Services and Supplies," but when the search gets to that...

The importance of flexibility. (Strategic Solutions).
May 1, 2002... Two previous columns dealing with Corning addressed mindset issues as well as the practical aspects of proper distancing. Now it's time to move on to vertical displacement. Once you are committed to a specific corner, it's time to continue...

How to get small. (Strategic Solutions).
May 1, 2002... Start in a stance that addresses the corner, the tips of your toes just back of the imaginary line that travels along the floor to the edge of the corner. The only thing that should be visible to any potential adversary is a small portion of...

The glass wall. (Strategic Solutions).
May 1, 2002... Throughout the position changes, you must not break the imaginary glass plane that forms from ground to sky, the corner to your anchor points with any lower body parts. This plane should always be shattered with the weapon and eye first, by...

Count your chads for the .357 SIG. (Cop Talk).
May 1, 2002... Introduced to be an autopistol round with the wound ballistics of the top-ranked manstopping 125 gr. .357 Magnum revolver load, the .357 SIG took the law enforcement world by storm. Enough feedback from the street now exists to determine...

Bad guys dropping. (Cop Talk).
May 1, 2002... Richmond, Va. PD's range-master Jim Keefer says, "In seven shootings, almost every suspect our people have shot with the .357 SIG has been an instant incapacitation. At first, there was some concern that the 16 inches of gelatin penetration by...

Velocity race. (Cop Talk).
May 1, 2002... Three years ago, the Richmond, Va. Police Department adopted the SIG Pro with the 125 gr. Speer Gold Dot as a duty load and the same company's Lawman 125 gr. TMJ round for training. Says Richmond rangemaster Jim Keefer, "We've put a million and...

Only one problem with this heroic rescue. (The 10-Ring).
May 1, 2002... The day began normally in the financial district of downtown Buenos Aires. People had been a little tense since several highly-publicized hostage incidents in the high-rise offices, but most businesses were taking steps to increase security,...

There's something about flaming red hair. (The 10-Ring).
May 1, 2002... It can look really good on a lady, but if said lady's going into the armed robbery business, she might want to consider one word: Clairol. That was the downfall of 24-year-old Elizabeth McDonald, who knocked over the VFW hall in Medina, Ohio....

The "Other Lawman's" great holster design. (The Six Gunner).
May 1, 2002... The most famous holster in history dates back to 1920, the #600 Plainclothes series developed by S.D. Myers. The rig came with a number of different finishes; #614 was fully floral carved, for example. The same design was also made by the...

In search of the revolverist's magic wand.
May 1, 2002... Sometimes, there is a synergy born of alchemy--the whole becomes something more than the sum of all the parts. In the world of the handgunner, this phenomena is realized when the lucky shooter finds a belt gun capable of fine accuracy with a...

Range war: At the Tin Star Ranch.
May 1, 2002... Dodge City, November 8, 1881. The sun was just coming up over the rimrock as I stepped from my room at the Longhorn Palace Saloon and Hotel onto the upstairs balcony. Front Street was deserted this early and it looked quite peaceful as the...

The legend of big red: Ruger's Super Redhawk is awesomely powerful and exceptionally strong. Here is the story of how the biggest production revolver came into existence.
May 1, 2002... Sadness permeates this writing, even though it is a celebration. We are here to praise excellence, the perfection of the big-bore revolver. But we are doing so in the knowledge that the creator of the perfect big-bore revolver, the Ruger Super...

The Plaxco principles. (Better Shooting).
May 1, 2002... Twentysome years ago I took two training seminars with J. Michael Plaxco, winner of the 1982 IPSC Nationals and Steel Challenge. Plaxco felt that there were certain principles of practical shooting. I can still hear him repeating them over and...

The pleasures of consistency. (Better Shooting).
May 1, 2002... Consistency has to improve as well. Where a good shooter might average 1.4 second reloads with occasional one-second flawless reloads as well as occasional two-second flubs, a top shooter will do 10 in a row between one and 1.25 seconds....

The natural point-of-aim stance. (Better Shooting).
May 1, 2002... In practical shooting competition, the only opportunity you have to carefully and leisurely set up for a shot is before the start buzzer. Don't waste the opportunity. Whenever possible, set up for the most difficult shot. Awhile back I was...

Texas steel: Texan Brad Duncan's tactical folders are as sharp in design as their edges.
May 1, 2002... There are three ways you can become a successful knife-maker in the tactical world. Fast, slow, or somewhere in between. In just two years, Texas custom knifemaker Brad Duncan chose to forego the slow route, rocket past the followers and scare...

Taurus today: The bull is loose! With a whole new center of semiautomatics, the "revolver company" from Barzil has quietly reinvented itself with a new focus on self-defense pistols loaded with features and quality.
May 1, 2002... If there is any truth to the old adage, "Variety is the spice of life," Forjas Taurus of Brazil--"Taurus Forge" in Portuguese--is serving up some pretty spicy firearms salsa. One has only to glance over the company's catalog to see an almost...

The Ayoob files: When airline pilots draw guns.
May 1, 2002... Situation: In two cases, airline pilots are threatened by hijackers. And reach for their own guns. Lesson: Commercial pilots have proven themselves competent to handle the accompanying responsibilities...including armed defense of the...

Upgrading replica sixguns with replica stocks. (Taffin Tests).
May 1, 2002... Watching part of a spaghetti Western last night--I can only take these things in small portions--I was once again reminded of how far replica single-actions have advanced. Thirty years ago, the "Colts" had brass grip frames, poorly case colored...

Massad Ayoob vs. the machine.
May 1, 2002... Our Law Enforcement Editor Says That He Can Shoot Nearly As Well As A Ransom Rest. Our Shooting Editor Said Nonsense. We Did What Neutral Observers Are Supposed To Do - Egg On The Fight. BY MASSAD AYOOB There's no question about it....

Nikon Sporter I 10x36 binoculars. (Gunny Sack).
May 1, 2002... Every time I use an optical product from Nikon, I know it's going to work and do whatever its supposed to. And it seems as if there is a never ending supply of neat stuff to try. Latest in that line are two binoculars with the "Sporter" label....

Benchmade Griptilian folder. (Gunny Sack).
May 1, 2002... The number one criteria for choosing a combat folder is that it can be operated with one hand. That means both opening and closing. At first everyone viewed the combat folder as a defensive tool or backup for the handgun and that's surely true,...

McCormick "drop in" rear sight. (Gunny Sack).
May 1, 2002... Chip McCormick continues to expand his line of user-friendly parts for the 1911 Government Model. The latest of these is a drop-in rear sight that can be installed without the need for milling or refinishing. The sight gives the shooter a low...

Lyman digital trigger pull gauge. (Gunny Sack).
May 1, 2002... Not too long ago I was browsing through the Sinclair International catalog and came across a very neat looking digital trigger pull scale from Lyman. Everybody wants to know how much their trigger pull weighs so this is a very handy gadget. ...

Add it up. (Insider).
May 1, 2002... 34 Handgun manufacturing companies that have come into existence since American Handgunner was first published in 1976. 24 Handgun manufacturing companies that have gone kaput in the same time 864,038 NICS background...

I'd walk a mile to smoke a camel. (Industry Insider).
May 1, 2002... Prompted by a complaint from an anti-gun group, the national media got itself in a lather recently over Ithaca naming a shotgun the "Homeland Security Model." The news mogols accused Ithaca of exploiting the 9-11 attack for profit. ...

1911 news. (Insider).
May 1, 2002... Exciting new things are happening in the handgunner's world. The Insider uncovered a few of the more interesting developments from the major 1911 producers. Colt's Mfg. Co. appears to be dipping its toe back into the commercial handgun market,...

Lights, camera, action. (Industry Insider).
May 1, 2002... The hot news in service handguns is the fast-expanding number of new models featuring rails for weapons-mounted lights. Beretta is out with a new version of the M92 called the Vertec that comes with a thick dustcover cut with slots specifically...

It's concealed, but it ain't very concealable. (The 10-Ring).
May 1, 2002... Talk about a concealed weapon-- and a heck of an accidental discharge-- how would you like it if a 20mm Vulcan cannon went off in your pocket? That's probably what it seemed like to guests at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, Korea, when their...

And they say kids today don't have ambition. (The 10-Ring).
May 1, 2002... If you know of any younger bank robbery suspects, just let us know, okay? Right now, the cops in Baldwin Park, Pa., think they've got the record. Several of the lads-in-blue were stunned when they responded to an alarm at a Baldwin bank and...

It's the civilized thing to do, you know. (The 10-Ring).
May 1, 2002... Those lucky people in Lagos, Nigeria: their crooks are so polite that they deliver written notices of their upcoming robberies, so folks can properly prepare for the occasion. The practice has become common recently in that city of 13...