American Handgunner articles from November 2000

American Handgunner archives from November 2000

SPEAKOUT.
November 1, 2000... The "Rights" Of UPS In a letter titled "Red Neck Extremists" (Sept/Oct '00), Gerald W. Valusek takes Ed Brown to task for his use of "extremist language" in comparing UPS to the Nazis. He says, "UPS is an independent business, and they can...

The Crucible Of Competition.
November 1, 2000... There is no direct correlation between qualification scores and gunfight survival results, but there is a stark and direct correlation for those officers who shoot competition with handguns. Jim Cirillo of NYPD Stakeout Team noticed it, Border...

A Voyeuristic Approach.
November 1, 2000... Watching another person perform a survival shooting drill lets you pick up good things and bad things you might not spot in yourself. When you're focused on what you're doing, it's hard to get beyond the jumping gunsights to see the forest for...

DO-IT-YOURSELF TRAINING.
November 1, 2000... A full-time SWAT team spends a huge allotment of its work hours in relevant firearms training. Sadly, this is not true of rank and file members of Patrol, Traffic and Investigations divisions. Ironically, though, street cops get into more...

If It Functions Properly, Refrain From Repairs.
November 1, 2000... If it ain't broke don't fix it. Some of us have to learn that over a lifetime. In my case it only took about two-thirds of a lifetime and only after a big sign was hung on the shop wall to remind me of it daily. The frame ramp on an...

FIXING THE "LAST ROUND JAM" PROBLEM.
November 1, 2000... While we're talking magazines, there are a couple of other things that will help your old Colt or Springfield to feed. If you have one of these older magazines designed to feed standard 230 gr. hardball and you're having problems feeding the...

LIPS OF STEEL.
November 1, 2000... Colt's historically poor magazines are lipped to feed 230 gr. ball ammunition, not our modern 185 gr. and 200 gr. bullets. The original magazines have lips that release the cartridge way too late for short ammunition, creating a situation where...

HOW TO TUNE A MAGAZINE.
November 1, 2000... (We Prefer A-Flat Major) You can tune the magazine that comes with your new pistol by buying a special lip forming tool from Brownells. It costs around $63. For around $7, you can replace the follower with a round-top follower for good...

THE ONE-HAND-TIED-BEHIND-MY-BACK RULES OF GUNFIGHTING.
November 1, 2000... Keep most of your one-hand training at less than 10 yards, with heavy doses of 5 to 7 yard shooting. Most life-and-death handgun encounters take place at 5 yards or less. At this distance, one-hand shooting is the rule because of surprise, and...

Three Tactical Trends.
November 1, 2000... Small arms tactical trainers have noted certain trends in self-defense shooting requirements in recent years. The most obvious issue is the fact that real-life self-defense shootings rarely require a high degree of precision marksmanship. Being...

Welcome To The World Of Frustration.
November 1, 2000... Participation in varminting at long range with rifles and Participation single shot pistols has taken a great leap in the last few years. As in any sport, it takes a few years of development to increase the level of hardware effectiveness and...

GAUGING THAT 'OL NORTHER.
November 1, 2000... Personally, I can't judge distance worth a hoot over 200 yards and I consistently judge wind velocity at around two to three times what it actually is. A rangefinder solves the former problem, at least out to 400 yards where most of them peter...

A GOOD READ.
November 1, 2000... Hornady's new two-volume loading manual has a great deal of new information for the reloader. There is extensive information on several of the JDJ cartridges and numerous other wildcats, including the .300 Whisper I developed. Even more...

POWER PLUS SPEED EQUALS POWERSPEED.
November 1, 2000... Practical shooting competitors don't ask much of a holster. All they require is that it be fast. And secure. With lots of adjustments. Comfort is always good. Adapt ability to a variety of handguns is nice. A moderate price is always a plus....

The Kandy-Colored Tangerine-Flake Streamlined Holster.
November 1, 2000... The CR Speed design is deceptively simple. It consists of two main parts: the belt loop, which locks securely to the belt with Allen-head screws, and the holster body, which is simply a synthetic spin that secures the handgun at muzzle and...

A LOOK AT FOUR TOP GRIP MAKERS FOR SINGLE-ACTION REVOLVERS.
November 1, 2000... The two questions I find myself encountering the most from readers of this magazine as well as on my website (www.sixguns.com) concern pistol grips, or stocks as some people call them, and bullets for various purposes. These are followed by...

Little guns rule.
November 1, 2000... In my on-going quest for the easiest, most comfortable, most inconspicuous way to carry a concealed handgun, I may have stumbled onto something of note. It seems, right under my own nose, someone whom I've mentioned here before, has quietly...

BONING UP ON HOLSTERS.
November 1, 2000... It struck me the other day as I was looking at some holsters that times sure have changed in the leather holster business. I examined a small rig by Thad Rybka for a J-frame and couldn't help admiring the classic looks. There was just a touch...

The Fixed-Adjustable Sight.
November 1, 2000... Semi-adjustable rear sights from McCormick, Wilson, Novak, Heinie, Brown, Nowlin, Clark and King's provide the same quality sight picture as the best adjustables. They are simple, tough, fool-proof (or at least fool-resistant) and their clean,...

THE ONE BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ.
November 1, 2000... Every gun enthusiast should have Brownells catalog of gunsmithing parts and tools. Adjustable sights for handguns are listed and pictured, allowing easy comparison of features and price. You'll be amazed at the variety available and the myriad...

FIXATED ON SIGHTS.
November 1, 2000... Sights on guns such as the S&W Model 10 or Colt Single Action Army revolvers really are fixed. But even then you have some options. Point-of-impact can be raised by filing down the front sight. I've read that Colt SAAs were intentionally made...

THE TRUE PATH TO LOADING THE .44-40.
November 1, 2000... Loading the .44-40 isn't really as hard as some make it out to be but it isn't like loading any other .44, either. The first thing to look into is the bullet size. Most .44-40 revolvers made after World War II are intended for use with bullets...

Let's Pour Some Titegroup In Those Cases!
November 1, 2000... We are warned that loading the .44-40 can be challenging. I did not find that to be true. With all the components in hand, a review of several manuals showed all the usual suspect powders, but a couple listed Hodgdon Titegroup. I have developed...

DASH-CARTRIDGES.
November 1, 2000... Winchester gets the credit for the dash-cartridges: .32-20, .44-40, .38-40, et cetera. All should properly hove WCF-- Winchester Center Fire-- appended to their numbers. Time and common usage have deleted the WCF on the assumption everyone...

HE DIDN'T HAVE A PISTOL, BUT HE'S GOT A GOOD PARROT.
November 1, 2000... When a homeowner in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, returned home one day, he found a scene that confused the cops as much as it did him. His more valuable and easily-fenced goodies had been pulled out of their niches and drawers, stacked neatly by the...

A Really Good Shot, And Really Poor Planning.
November 1, 2000... If you know the increasing value of salvage copper, and you know how much copper can be stripped from high-voltage power lines, and if you're stupid, the only question left seems to be how you're going to bring those lines down? Just like...

HOT NEW LOADS FOR HUNTERS AND COWBOY SHOOTERS.
November 1, 2000... I've been around long enough to remember when McDonald's offered only three items: hamburgers, cheeseburgers and french fries. They were good and they were quick. Then the Golden Arches diversified and all other fast food chains did the same,...

PARA--ORDNANCE LDA.
November 1, 2000... THE NEW "LIGHT DOUBLE ACTION" IS A SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION OF THE 1911 TO DAO. I braced the Para-Ordnance A5 on the weathered table and squeezed off five rounds, slow fire. The double-action trigger seemed to roll hack effortlessly each...

HALLWAY FIREFIGHT: THE AMADOU DIALLO SHOOTING.
November 1, 2000... Situation: A furtive movement triggers a barrage of gunfire that puts four cops on trial for murder. Lesson: A few shots with powerful ammo are more easily explained than many shots with "feeb loads." It was a tragedy that gripped a...

NIKON FIELD IMAGE SYSTEM.
November 1, 2000... This is just about the coolest accessory ever. It is Nikon's Field Image System that couples a tiny TV camera and a little 3.25"x2.5" color LCD display to one of their outstanding spotting scopes. Spotting scopes are high on the Necessary List...

LEUPOLD-GILMORE LG-35 SCOPE.
November 1, 2000... Red dot sights have metamorphosed from a barely useful curiosity to a near necessity in handgun shooting. Today they are mounted on all sorts of guns and used in some military applications as well. The improvements that have led to the...

MPRO7 DELUXE CLEANING KIT.
November 1, 2000... One gripe I've always had about most cleaning kits is that while they usually contain Needed Stuff, the quantities are so small that often they are little more than sample size. The new MPro7 Deluxe Cleaning Kit has full size bottles of bore...

REMINGTON COMBO KNIFE.
November 1, 2000... Remington's line of utilitarian knives just keeps growing and growing. Every year they bring out a few more styles and one of this year's is a good candidate for Everyman's Survival Kit. While it falls in the general family of...

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER.
November 1, 2000... WE SET OUT TO PROVE THAT SHORT BARRELED .45s, WITH THEIR LOWER MUZZLE VELOCITIES, SACRIFICE TERMINAL BALLISTICS. WE PROVED OURSELVES WRONG. We are in something of an arms race to see who can market the smallest, lightest pistol. We've seen...

HS 2000.
November 1, 2000... AN UPSTART CROATIAN GUN COMPANY OUT-GLOCKS THE GLOCK WITH ITS RADICAL NEW HS 2000 PISTOL. It is clear that plastics in the gun industry are here to stay. Be it the predominantly plastic rifles and carbines recently released by Heckler &...

The MODERN ISOCELES.
November 1, 2000... The Weaver stance is -- don't be shocked -- obsolete. none of the top competitive shooters use it and police departments no longer train with Cooper's outmoded technique. The real hot ticket now is... There is a great deal of controversy...

MID-CENTURY TARGET REVOLVERS: A TRIO OF AMERICAN CLASSICS.
November 1, 2000... ONCE UPON A TIME, IN AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT WORLD, THE DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVER DOMINATED COMPETITIVE SHOOTING. BULLSEYE SHOOTING, THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, WAS DESIGNED AROUND THE CAPABILITIES OF THE DA REVOLVER. SINCE EARLY IN THIS CENTURY, BOTH...

THE ULTIMATE OUTDOORSMAN.
November 1, 2000... The Smith & Wesson .38-44 Outdoorsman Was A .38 Special On The Big N-Frame. Hamilton Bowen Took This Magnificent Classic And Rechambered It To .45 Colt. Few things in life are just right. Not "almost right" or "pretty close" or "well, I'd...

IS A .38 SNUB ENOUGH.
November 1, 2000... A student asked me recently, "If you tell us we can get by with a .38 Special snubby as a minimum carry gun, how come you're always carrying a full-size service pistol on your hip and just use the .38 for backup?" He had a point. I was due...

REVISITING RUGER'S REVOLVERS.
November 1, 2000... RUGGED YET ELEGANT, RUGER'S DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVERS WERE--AND ARE--THE FINEST EVER MADE. With the introduction of the Security Six line in 1971, Bill Ruger reinvented the double-action revolver and made an aggressive foray into the world...

SPRINGFIELD VS. SPRINGFIELD.
November 1, 2000... Springfield Armory offers a wide range of 1911 pistols, from the basic Milspec to the top-of-the-line Trophy Match. What is the difference in performance, exactly, between a $500 pistol and a $1,000 pistol from the same maker? We find out. ...

OUR RIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTE, BUT NOT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
November 1, 2000... The statement of rights in the Bill of Rights is categorical, and contains no exceptions other than the use of the word "reasonable" in the Fourth Amendment. This unequivocal form suggests that the rights do not vary to suit the circumstance...

SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL SHOOTER.
November 1, 2000... By Ron Avery A Visionary Alliance Group production 60-minutes $29.95 plus $4 S&H Grandmaster IPSC shooter and former lawman Ron Avery reveals the "secrets" of how professionals shoot so fast and so accurately with a handgun...

Dom Winchester.
November 1, 2000... How do these things happen? How do perfectly normal, intelligent, progressive companies come up with ideas like Winchester Champagne? I refer to a new licensing venture between the historic gunmaker and a marketeer named Celebration Cellars....

Les Baer Custom.
November 1, 2000... * Les Baer Custom is on track to begin shipping its state-of-the-art Ultra-AR rifle in the next 60 days. Baer single-handedly redefined the word "quality" as it applies to the 1911 pistol and, by all accounts, he will do the same to the AR. He...

Olympic Arms.
November 1, 2000... * A fire raged through the Olympic Arms factory, burning quite a bit of the assembly area. Some inventory was destroyed in the blaze, but nothing that couldn't be easily replaced. The maker of AR-style rifles should be up and running again...

Jonathan Arthur Ciener.
November 1, 2000... * Jonathan Arthur Ciener is now shipping its newest .22 conversion kit, this one for the Glock. It will fit Models 17, 22, 19 and 23. The kit consists of a new slide, barrel and magazine; suggested retail is $249.

Brownells.
November 1, 2000... * The new catalog from Brownells is out, No. 53. This is hands-down the best guide to accessories of all sorts for every type of firearm under the sun. Don't even hesitate--order yours right away. For a sneak preview, check out...

Emerson Knives.
November 1, 2000... * Emerson Knives has won a contract to produce a specially designed knife for NASA astronauts. Emerson also won a Navy contract to make a search-and-rescue folder. Called the SARK (Search And Rescue Knife), Emerson's new design features a dull...

Sinclair International.
November 1, 2000... * As long as you're ordering catalogs, Sinclair International is to reloading what Brownells is to gunsmithing. Geared for the serious hand-loader, Sinclair offers many of the precision tools used by benchresters and serious accuracy...

Famously Irrelevant.
November 1, 2000... A thought occurred to me, as thoughts occasionally do, that both the most famous handgun in the world and the most famous knife in the world are primarily known not for excellence of design or performance in battle, but for misguided fantasies...

AN ARMED SOCIETY.
November 1, 2000... Change the nickname of Vermont to "The Polite State" if State Representative Fred Maslack's proposed legislation goes through. Rep. Maslack's bill would require any resident who doesn't own a gun to register with the state and pay a $500 fee...

NEVER MIND THE COLD, DEAD FINGERS, WE'RE ALIVE AND WELL.
November 1, 2000... In the wake of shutting down virtually all of its handgun production, losing a major military contract to produce the M16, selling its only subsidiary and firing most of its executive staff, Colt is doing just fine, according to a recent press...

World's Best Gun Cleaner.
November 1, 2000... Lubricants, oils, bore cleaners, solvents--there must be dozens of different brands of stuff to clean your guns, all of which claim to do it better and faster than the others. One even claims to be made from reprocessed horse manure. ...

JUST IGNORE THOSE STUPID RUMORS, PART II.
November 1, 2000... Among the handguns Colt recently discontinued was the line of small .380s, including the Mustang, Pocket Lite and Government .380. Colt was producing almost 30,000 units in the .380 line, according to the latest ATF report, prior to abruptly...