American Handgunner articles from May 2004

American Handgunner archives from May 2004

March/April.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Just finished the March/April 2004 issue. I find it amusing what some people will write to you to bellyache about. They remind me of the weenies who do the same to National Geographic and the bare breast photos. In my life (before the PC...

Us? Sophisticated?(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Your magazine needs to rise above filthy advertisements (Cobra Gunskin ad, Jan/Feb 2004, pg. 75) and stop exhibiting this gender-biased advertisement. What gives your magazine the right to "select" this kind of cheesy filth? Just who do you...

Loves gunskin.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I'm reading the Ayoob Files and I get to pages 74 and 75 (Jan/Feb 2004) and find myself being distracted from Massad's fine article by the gratuitous model in the Cobra Gunskin ad! In the future, please encourage them to take out a full page ad...

Seekers-of-offense.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I know you probably don't get discouraged by the letters of complaint and/or reprimands by "those-who-miss-the-point," "liberals-who-can't-take-a-joke," "thin-skinned-whiners," "seekers-of-offense" and the ubiquitous...

Cylinder & slide tops.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I'll probably have my subscription cancelled for writing something about John Browning's "other" patent, the Browning HP. Some months ago, you had an article about Cylinder & Slide installing a beavertail on a Hi-Power. Being a person with a...

Gun crank diaries.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I don't have any idea where you found John Connor but please keep him even if you have to cage him or chain him up like a pet bear. That piece "All about gun writing" (March/April 2004) was the best I've read in many years. I've been reading...

Old fart red-neck.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... First, I have to tell you I'm considered an Oklahoma "Redneck" by some people and they tell me it's because of my limited sixth-grade education. Even though I don't have a "doctorate," I've learned one thing in life that Doctor Michael...

Pistol/rifle thingy.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I saw your article on the Mech-Tech CCU (Jan/Feb 2004) and bad to respond. I recently bought one in .45 ACP and couldn't be happier. Mine has fired over 600 rounds (mostly 230gr. RN handloads) with 100-percent reliability and is a joy to shoot....

More purty gals.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... It seems we've struck yet another chord with the compliment we gave to the young lady-shooter in a photo caption (Jan/Feb Pg. 47). We said she was "purty" which generated exactly two letters complaining of our overt sexist/demeaning attitude....

Hunting with CCW handguns?(Handgun hunting: tips, techniques and political-incorrectness)
May 1, 2004... The question: "Mr. Jones, I've become interested in hunting with a handgun and I'm wondering if my (insert anything you can think of here) would be suitable to get started with?"--has led to some, shall we say, interesting conversations? ...

Not created equal.(Handgun hunting: tips, techniques and political-incorrectness)
May 1, 2004... Realistically many of the "house-guns" are totally unsuited for any kind of hunting--or even of little value in recreational shooting. If the individual does not have any other gun or hunting experience, I would normally suggest purchasing a...

Shoot 'em right.(Handgun hunting: tips, techniques and political-incorrectness)
May 1, 2004... Your personal ability to study the anatomy of the animal and shoot it in the right place is more important than what brand of ammo you use. Expect to shoot from close-up, and keep shooting until the animal is down. Proficiency with the firearm...

Eating laser-flavored crow.(Tactical advantage: tips and training on tactics, guns and equipment)
May 1, 2004... I'm often asked what I think of laser sighting systems for handguns. For years I've said they are gimmicks and gadgets having little value on self defense sidearms. The fact is many of the laser sighting devices sold are of questionable...

Dot wobble don'ts.(Tactical advantage: tips and training on tactics, guns and equipment)
May 1, 2004... Sadly, few shooting ranges allow for low light shooting. If you don't shoot after dark, you can't really appreciate the skills needed to do well in low light. The odds of having to defend yourself in low or limited light are well in excess of...

Yikes ... a red bug!(Tactical advantage: tips and training on tactics, guns and equipment)
May 1, 2004... There has been much said about the intimidation factor of using a laser, causing some bad guys to give up when they see the laser dot on their chest. This might work, but if your adversary has made up his mind to fight or shoot it out, I don't...

.22 virtuosity.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
May 1, 2004... I suppose there are pistol shooters who reached a high level of skill without ever owning a .22 pistol. I don't know how they managed, or why they would want to. Trying to get along without at least one first-rate .22 is a thought too awful to...

Cheap but fun.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
May 1, 2004... Most handgun owners, unfortunately, have never experienced a really good trigger. Many factory triggers on centerfire autopistols are overly heavy, with creep and excess over-travel. Generally they can be improved by custom work, but in...

Be a convert.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
May 1, 2004... Shooters looking for a .22 should select one compatible with their centerfire autopistol. For me the important compatibility factor is the grip angle. At present we have, broadly speaking, two grip angle categories: the "1911 angle" and the...

On gun shows.(Guncrack diaries: excuses, alibis, pithy observations & general ephus)
May 1, 2004... For some men it's junk food. For others, it's power tools, jet-skis, four-wheelers, fine cognac, or whatever. For me it's... GUN SHOWS. God help me, I can't stay away from 'em. Oh, man, they say crack is addicting, but how many crackheads...

Catastrophic catastrophes.(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
May 1, 2004... Any handloader who tells you he hasn't had an "awshit" is either the luckiest so-and-so in the valley, hasn't loaded much or might be a tad guilty of fudging the truth a little. It's simply human nature to make mistakes now and then and we...

.45 Colt hand grenades.(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
May 1, 2004... The cylinder you see here came from a Colt New Service revolver in .45 Colt. I found it in a junk box, but there were no other parts. Most of the time when you see a blown revolver cylinder the charge holes on either side of the catastrophic...

Slicker than ...(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
May 1, 2004... I'm in the earliest stages of loading for the huge new 500 S&W Magnum. RCBS quickly made dies, but the sizing die is steel rather than Carbide. We handgunners are spoiled by carbide dies anyhow, but when I first sized some once-fired brass I...

Guns of police chiefs.(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
May 1, 2004... In his recent book "Three Weeks in October," former police chief Charles Moose tells the inside story of what it was like when he coordinated the hunt for the Maryland Sniper in 2002; leading to the capture of John Muhammad and Lee Malvo. They...

Upgrading firepower.(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
May 1, 2004... Bill Bratton is another famous police chief who has said things that make gun rights advocates grit their teeth, but always made sure his officers were well armed. When he took over the New York City Transit Authority Police, he defied city...

Pro-gun chiefs.(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
May 1, 2004... You'd think a chief smart enough to take care of his cops would be smart enough to see that the public needs the fight to self-defense too. The famous motto on the door of every marked LAPD patrol car reads, "To Protect and Serve." I can't look...

Near miss: the Andrew Patti incident.(The Ayoob Files)
May 1, 2004... Situation: A pair of thrill killers have measured you and your young son for coffins... and they're armed with high-tech fighting knives. Lesson: A weapon in the hand beats two that are sheathed--and it takes more than two mad dogs to...

When is a rifle a sixgun?(Taffin tests: the sixgunner himself: guns, gear and more)
May 1, 2004... Some recent concerns about a new buttstock for an 1886 I have led me to Jim Buchanan, who happened to have a large assortment of Winchester parts. In the course of our conversation, he related the fact he was going to introduce a Mare's Leg....

Combat sight sense.(Pistol smithing: the inside scoop on pistolsmithing techniques)
May 1, 2004... There seems to be a downturn in the need for $3,000+ pastel-colored guns with 3" compensators and red dot scope sights in IPSC and other games. Also, many shooters have searched and found less complicated games with which to entertain...

White, green, gold--or what?(Pistol smithing: the inside scoop on pistolsmithing techniques)
May 1, 2004... With thousands of sight choices and combinations, many shooters don't know what they need. The criteria me usually low mount, smooth surfaces and white dots for old eyes, fast acquisition and sleek appearance. Night sights are a popular...

Low mount highlights.(Pistol smithing: the inside scoop on pistolsmithing techniques)
May 1, 2004... For model 1911s, Browning High Powers, and other pistols having room to mill-in a low mount rear sight, I usually recommend several choices proven to work by police officers BB and others who use a handgun daily. These are the Novak fixed low...

Own up to it.(Better Shooting)
May 1, 2004... Let's begin with a definition. Mental discipline is the ability, to duplicate a successful performance. See, that's not so complicated. Most anyone, with decent coaching and a few weeks training, can learn to shoot an "'A zone" hit at 25 yards....

Rare breeds.(Better Shooting)
May 1, 2004... To illustrate by example: say an IPSC match required 20 weak-hand only shots, and we scored only 40 of a possible 100 points. We ended up placing 25th overall out of 30 competitors. To protect the ego we place the blame elsewhere: "What a...

Golfing your shots.(Better Shooting)
May 1, 2004... We spend a lot of time discussing the technical aspects of shooting: safe gunhandling, stance, grip, sight alignment and trigger control. And rightly so, these are important. But while good shooting isn't easy, neither is it complicated. All of...

The ins & outs of better shooting.(Sharp Shooter)(Advertisement)
May 1, 2004... English supplement improves vision and allows you to pick up, focus, and lock in on moving objects faster than you ever thought possible. Recently, I received this letter from Brian Howe of Richmond, VA. Sharpshooter: A couple of...

A PH.D. in holsters.(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
May 1, 2004... A while back I received word Jack Feldman, Professor of Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology, wanted to talk with me. I thought he must want me to donate my brain, hopefully upon my death, so he can study it to see just what...

Holsters as prosthetics.(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
May 1, 2004... George Wells, owner and operator of WellsMade Gunleather, has been in the holster business in the Atlanta area for about six years now. George is fairly well known in the area among state, federal and local cops as well as concealed carry...

No leather warts.(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
May 1, 2004... Remember back-a-ways how ugly orthopedic shoes looked? Who on earth would want some black plastic or leather wart like that on their belt? Not to worry with WellsMade. George's holsters are works of art. The hides and skins used are the very...

Ceecurets of shootin'.(Reality check: first-person thoughts in surviving in the real world)
May 1, 2004... In many years of teaching I've taken great pride in the fact the largest percentage of my instruction has not been discriminatory. Discriminatory in the sense of having only law enforcement or civilian participants in classes I teach. Mixing...

Freedom Arms Model 97.(The Sixgunner)
May 1, 2004... It was no easy decision for Freedom Aims to add a chambering other than the .454 Casull that had been their one and only offering since the very first five-shot, Premier Grade revolver left the Wyoming factory. That was 1983 and it was uphill...

The yin and yang of Mark Morris: something special this way comes ...
May 1, 2004... There are many people who make cars, and these cars are mostly for transportation. There are people in the service industry--from the lawn and garden man to the housekeeper who makes Lip your motel room--and these people are simply doing what...

What's the point? A look at tactical knives--calmly.
May 1, 2004... So which knife is more "tactical" than the others? What makes one "tactical" and one not, anyway? And, do we really care? I'd imagine when we can answer the question "'How high is high?"--then we can begin to figure out "How tactical is...

American Pistolsmiths Guild presents.(Gun of the Year 2004)
May 1, 2004... The prestigious American Pistolsmiths Guild has once again combined their collective talents into yet another remarkable example of the gun-making art. Bused upon a classic Browning Hi-Power, this "once in a lifetime" pistol displays the degree...

STI/American Handgunner World Shoot-Off: 2,000 rounds as fast as you can pull the trigger!
May 1, 2004... I've dragged my aged self to Montrose, Colorado twice now, just so I can shake hands and pound the backs of Handgunner readers at the World Shoot-Off. It's already a "must-do" for me, and I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new...

A league of extraordinary gentlemen: this impeccable retro-classic Caspian fools the eye, but not the heart.
May 1, 2004... This isn't so much a story about a pistol, as it is about a dream--as catalyst--bringing together a disparate group of passionate craftsmen. Their unification of deed, in one particular moment in time, exists now in the form of this...

Top 10 cleaning blunders: common sense and quality products = happy handguns.
May 1, 2004... You had a great time at the shooting range, right? Now it's time for the boring stuff--gun cleaning time. But you're hungry and tired, and the sofa beckons. We all do it--put the gun away dirty and tell ourselves we'll do a good ,job of...

Dynamic thrust! Mercworx makes tactical knives that soar.
May 1, 2004... There's a battle raging in the custom knife industry today among different factions who disagree as to just what the definition Of a "custom knife" should be. In the old days custom knives were made completely by hand, whereas there's a new...

The well-tempered triple lock: stately and effective, this classic still gets the job done. Just ask the boar ...
May 1, 2004... Back in 1982, needing money to buy a house or something equally frivolous, I sold most of my Smith & Wesson collection, including a really nice .44 Hand Ejector First Model revolver, otherwise known as the New Century or Triple Lock. I will...

Evolution gun works: where precision meets practical.
May 1, 2004... Evolution Gun Works is not so easy to find. You have to wind your way through the streets of Doyelstown, Pa., a town about 40 minutes north of Philadelphia. You have to find the manufacturing complex where the facility is located. And then you...

Win this Custom Arms Co. KAHR P9 personal defense package!
May 1, 2004... This duo is e custom-made answer to anyone's concealed carry situation. Custom Arms Company, famous for their superlative work on u wide-range of defensive and competition handguns, and Garrity Gunleather, equally noted for their innovative...

Freeman Folder--grizzly bear medicine.(Check It Out)
May 1, 2004... Leave it to Gerber to make a knife specifically for hunters. The new Freeman Folder was, well. "Designed by hunters for hunters." Honestly. The 3.25" blade is made from 440A stainless steel (I've been told it has a Rockwell hardness of 57), so...

Border patrol Colt.(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Gary Paul Johnston's article (Mar/April 2004) on the old Colt did a good job in bringing oat the history of these great guns. I have an old model (circa 1930s vintage) that displays exceptional accuracy. This could be attributed to the...

Not enough 1911s?(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... There are not enough articles about 1911s, or any other gun for that matter. If I wanted something different. I would buy something different, so keep up the great articles and photos. I understand advertising enough to know I am not compelled...

Haugen-handy.(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... The "Gunnysack'" article by Charles E. Petty concerning Haugen Handgun Leather. (Nov/Dec 2003) caught my eye. I had been looking for holsters for two revolvers and was unhappy with anything I'd seen in stores or online. Once I read the article...

Sparks is special.(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Your article on Milt Sparks Holsters (Jan/Feb 2004) was well-written and, in my opinion, long overdue. I've carried my Glock 30 in a Versa-Max 2 for the past several years and have no complaints. My favorite touch is the initials of the maker...

S & W tops.(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I recently called Smith & Wesson to inquire about some repairs to a revolver. No computer with menus answered, just a friendly person wanting to help. I told them I would like to send two revolvers, one for repair and an extra one so they could...

Lady student.(Speak out: your forum to pontificate, ponder and probe)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I recently attended a defensive handgun class at Thunder Ranch in Texas. My experience was so remarkable I felt compelled to send this to you so others can benefit from the Texas location, before Thunder Ranch is moved to Oregon. Clint and...

American Handgunner 2004 catalog showcase.
May 1, 2004... A.G. RUSSELL[TM] KNIVES The oldest mailorder knife company. A.G. Russell Knives has a tradition of offering the finest quality knives and accessories worldwide. Lines include Randall, Dozier, William Henry, Boker. Marble's, Ka-Bar, SOG,...

Stoney Ooint shooting & walking sticks.(Gunnysack)
May 1, 2004... Anyone who shoots in the hunting field is well served by some sort of supplementary device to help hold the gun steady. It doesn't matter whether it's a rifle or handgun, nobody shoots as well offhand as they can with some help. Stoney point...

Streamlight.(Gunnysack)
May 1, 2004... More years ago than I care to remember I was one of the first in my department to purchase a Streamlight SL-20. They were expensive back then, but it paid for itself the first night when a blinded storebreaker become easy prey to a set of...

Beckham moon clips.(Gunnysack)
May 1, 2004... I really like to shoot revolvers chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge but almost always do so with .45 Auto Rim brass because loading or unloading the steel full or half-moon clips usuall5 ends up drawing blood. Beckham product design has come...

Brownells leather range bag.(Gunnysack)
May 1, 2004... How I can go to the range in style. To me, good quality leather and guns go together best of all. Sure yon can have less expensive ways to carry gear, hut Brownell's new range bag now lends a certain class to my otherwise pedestrian kit. ...

Armorer's Kit: Sentry Solutions.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Sentry Solutions, the folks that brought you the Knife and Tool Care Kit, also make the "all in one" Amorer's Kit. It's the ultimate answer to gun and gear lubrication needs in one convenient kit. The Kit contains: Smooth-Kate self cleaning dry...

M6 LED flashlight: Pelican Products.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Pelican's new M6 LEO houses a one weft Luxonn LEO, which has a 10,000-hour lamp life and puts out 41 lumens of intense fight. The light is easily activated by clicking the rear button tail cop switch for on/off or momentary action. The tough M6...

Shoulder Harness System: Fobus USA.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... If you already own a Fobus Rata Holder and long for a shoulder harness for a different way to carry, then the Fobus SHR2 Shoulder Harness System is for you. The SHR2 has two attachment points that will allow the mounting of any two Roto design...

SFS Flashlight Mount: Cylinder and Slide.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... The great mustachioed Bill Laughridge at Cylinder and Slide has come out with The SFS Flashlight Mount. This injection molded polymer mount allows you to clamp any of the popular personal protection lights that have the push button tail cap...

Digital ITC: Walker's Game Ear.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Walker's Game Ear continues to set the standard in hearing protection with the new Digital ITC. This new device fits snugly inside the our canal, making it virtually invisible. State of the Art technology allows the user to hear more dearly....

Classic Grips: Nill Grips.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Nill Grips has re-created that timeless classic of the original coke bottle grip of yesteryear, flew collectors and enthusiasts will be able to restock their big-bores with a premium version of the most sought utter N-frame grip. Follow-up...

HD-7: Emerson Knives.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Now Emerson celebrates the 10-year landmark of the Emerson CQC-7 with the HD-7 and all titanium frame lock version of the knife that started it all. The HD-7 (stands for Heavy Duty) is not jest the standard CQC-7 in a frame lock, it's been...

PXT 1911: Pare Ordnance.(Spotlight)
May 1, 2004... Para Ordnance introduces the new PXT 1911 Power Extractor Pistol that brings the classic 1911 design in to the 21st Century. The first two Pare pistols with the new Power Extractor will be full sized--one with a 5 inch ramped barrel and with a...

Add it up.(Insider)
May 1, 2004... 9 Shots fired by a S3-year old Rancba Cordova lady at a burglar--she said she tried to avoid hitting her furniture. 12 Percentage of NICS gun buyers who are women. $1.41 MILLION Average awarded to 9/11 victim's families...

Green Glock.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... AccuSport, the giant distributor in our industry, is now offering a special run of two-tone Glocks. The new OD green frame is a new feature on certain models like the 17, 19, 21, 22, 23.27 and the new 37 in .45 GAP. Just don't lay it down on a...

9.3 % advantage.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... We wanted to gloat for a second. Our paper quality, photo quality and page count remains at the top of the heap in the "gunzine" arena--and it's for a reason. There seems to be a distressing trend toward smaller page sizes among many of our...

Old faithful lives.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... Check out this "hot off the presses" photo from the front lines. Notice the soldiers. Notice the WWII-era Colt 1911 .45 in a WWII-era Boyt-type leather shoulder holster. History repeats itself? Can't we just stop the nonsense, dig out all those...

Healthy insanity tips.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... * Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN." * At lunch time, sit in your parked car wearing sunglasses and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

Coke bottles are back!(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... Pistol Dynamics, that pre miere custom pistolsmithing company, sent me a set of honest-to-gosh S&W "Coke Bottle"-s0tyle grips for an N-frame, that are the best I've seen yet. And, if it looks like hand-cut checkering, it's because it is. Pistol...

Buck strider.(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... Tough is as tough does and this is tough. Strider knives are known for their rugged construction and practical design. Steve Tarani is known for being a sorta' rugged guy with his own practical design going for him. It seems the guys have...

Combat handgunnery.(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... Our own Mas Ayoob has finished yet another book. This one, the 5th edition of his popular Combat Handgunnery series, is full of goodies, training tips, CCW info, buying a used gun, bow to avoid mistakes and even how to "accessorize" your...

No reduced violence.(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) completed a sweeping review of the nations's gun-control laws (including waiting periods) and bans on certain kinds of firearms, and found no proof any of the measures reduced firearm...

Big bore Bowen.(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... That pistolsmith and all around gentleman Hamilton Bowen, of Bowen Classic Arms, has introduced a line of "Rough Country" all-steel mar sights for Rugers. These heavy-duty sights use tough, opposing-tension screws for adjustments rather than...

Pike lives!(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... You don't have a bit of warm blood in your body if you don't like this. It's one of the niftier things I've seen of late and makes me want to join the Texas Rangers or something. This genuine "Pike" rig has "Southwest" all over it, and any...

Mountain lion: 1.(Cool Things I've Found)
May 1, 2004... Once again, a hiker/bicyclist/ nature-type has been eaten by a California mountain lion. And, yet another bicyclist was rescued by passers-by as the lion tried to pull her away. The victim was in stable condition at press time. What caught our...

The pyramid puzzle.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... Darwin may have been right about at least some things. The idea of natural selection simply makes sense. If an animal fails to adapt to the environment, it will soon be eaten, or freeze, or starve or whatever. And, if it's a bad case of "fail...

Size does matter.(The Insider)
May 1, 2004... On a recent visit to Handgunner's new office to help us set up our photo studio, Ichiro Nagata, our "Photographer Extraordinaire," and Rich Stahlhut (FMG's in-house photographer and the inventor of the "Stahlhut" lighting technique) finally...