American Handgunner articles from November 2004

American Handgunner archives from November 2004

September/October.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I'm disappointed you published the op-ed piece (Guncranks Diary "Gun Rich Zones" Sept/Oct 2004). It promotes an anti-gay attitude, assault and battery, and a wild west ethos we neither want nor need. I'm a member of Ohioans for Concealed Carry....

Springfield rocks.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... As a 30+-year law enforcement officer, I'd like to thank Springfield Armory for bringing out its Mil-Spec 1911-A1. This is a utilitarian sidearm that works with absolute reliability, in a caliber superior for the intended purpose. All done at a...

Plain vanilla.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Everywhere you look today, there's a plethora of pistols sporting all manner of accessory rails that have been molded, milled, bolted, riveted, forged, cast, nailed, hot glued or rubber-banded onto almost every major model of handgun on the...

Not an operator.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... After 20+ years of being around firearms, I still have a lot to learn. You folks prove that with every issue. For me its like this: I hunt, but I'm not a "hunter." I am not now nor have I ever been a LEO. I don't "operate," I don't do anything...

Knife knock-offs.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... You are right on the money ("Rip-Off" Sept/Oct 2004) about cheap knives. I sharpen and tend to most of the blades on my department. I've learned the knockoff lesson more than once in my life. I now carry a Gerber Applegate Fairbain small folder...

Knife knowledge.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Editor Huntington's article on cheap knives ("Rip-Off" Sept/Oct 2004) is a classic case of why I buy Handgunner. Not only will we never see an article like that in a dedicated knife magazine, but we'll certainly never see anything like that in...

Ninja-fied.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... John Conner is quite possibly the funniest gun writer I've ever read. Not since my childhood days reading Patrick McManus in Field & Stream have I laughed so hard. As for his article on "Ninja-fied" guns ("Gun Crank" July/Aug 2004), I couldn't...

Gun crank heart attack.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Where did you find this guy and what took you so long to get him?! I've been reading your magazine for a number of years and have really enjoyed it. But when my wile has to come running into the "library" because she thinks I'm going to have a...

Vote wasting.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Massad Ayoob's "Cop Talk" (July/Aug 2004) was right on the money. You can tell a lot about someone by his friends, and John Kerry's list of friends --Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton and of course Teddy Kennedy--reads like a...

Ban guns!(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I am a twenty-something Ivy League graduate and a registered Democrat; someone your writers might label a "liberal." I'm also a gun rights supporter, registered to carry concealed in two states. Jeff Snyder's column on Michael Moore and gun...

3X reader.(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I'm on my third reading/scanning of the last double-delivery received of my subscriptions to American Handgunner and GUNS. I'm now down to reading interesting articles on guns in which I have no personal interest, but are the tea sons these two...

Score: S&W 2!(Speak Out)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... John Taffin's article ("The Smith & Wesson Military & Police, Model 10" July / August 2004), brought back some memories. Korea, December 1951: I received a package from home marked "Fruit Cake." Under the brown wrapping paper was two layers of...

The new 6.8 Rem SPC: handgun hunting? Military? Or both?(Handgun hunting: tips, techniques and political-incorrectness)
November 1, 2004... This is a new cartridge developed by Remington and the U.S. Army 5th Group with Sgt. Steve Holland (who was the recipient of the 2004 Hathcock Award) ram-rodding the Army end of the project. It started life as a possible substitute cartridge...

Something different this way comes.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
November 1, 2004... Bill Laughridge, skilled custom gun-maker and proprietor of Cylinder & Slide, never seems to run out of ideas. The man with the trademark mustache believes in "Here's something different!" rather than "Me, too!" The "something different" this...

The equation.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
November 1, 2004... One criticism of the .17 HMR is the ammunition is expensive compared to .22 LR. For a while, ammunition was scarce and sometimes prices on the shelves seemed a bit daunting. Now has caught up with demand and prices are quite reasonable. Even...

Dave likes it.(Winning edge: solid advice to keep you ahead of the competition)
November 1, 2004... To convert back to .22 LR, simply remove the. 17-cal. barrel liner and cylinder and fit a .22-cal. liner and the original cylinder. Bill supplies the converted revolver with two liners, two cylinders, a little wrench for the barrel lock nut....

Cops & the 9mm.(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
November 1, 2004... The men and women of the San Diego Police Department got a much-appreciated Christmas present a while ago. In the beginning of 2003, they were limited to 9mm pistols firing 147-grain subsonic ammunition. By the beginning of 2004, it was a...

Example in microcosm.(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
November 1, 2004... The switch to larger calibers has changed the face of the U.S. law enforcement handgun arsenal dramatically in the last 10 or 15 years. Lets look at just one region: A decade ago, the state police of the six New England states all carried 9mms;...

9mm dead?(Cop talk: opinion and facts from the mean streets)
November 1, 2004... INS/Border Patrol reports great performance with the issue Beretta .40, which replaced .357 revolvers and 9mm auras. They issue a 155 grain JHP .40 at 1,150-1,200 fps. DEA has long since authorized .45s in lieu of the issue 9mm with subsonic...

Better shooting: Rob Leatham on trigger control.
November 1, 2004... Rob Leatham has been a dominant force in action shooting competition for more than two decades. His major match wins are far too numerous to list, but include four IPSC World Championships, 14 USPSA national titles, Bianchi Cup, Steel Challenge...

The hands have it: taking stock--and we don't mean on Wall Street.(Taffin tests: the sixgunner himself: guns, gear and more)
November 1, 2004... Our lives are made up of many experiences, many of which are lost in the passage of time. But, I'll never forget the first time I fired a centerfire, single action sixgun. I was 17 at the time, with a lot of experience shooting .22s, which can...

Gong-on right.(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
November 1, 2004... When I started shooting it a bit, one of my buddies chastised me for messing with a cartridge that, like the .44-40, was "so hard to load." I tried to explain that conventional wisdom isn't always right, but he'd have none of it. The fact my...

Loading those "dash" cartridges.(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
November 1, 2004... When the .40 S&W was new I wrote quite a bit about it and used the word "new" a time or two. Well, I got a really snotty letter from a reader who said, "It isn't new. It's been around forever, and they call it the .38-40." In one sense he was...

Two deadly sins.(Handloading: sage advice from the handloading guru)
November 1, 2004... I'm pretty sure the difficult to load comments stem from the, "If a little is good, more is better," philosophy surrounding American life. The true fact is case mouths for the whole family of cartridges really are thin. So, loading them becomes...

Glock pistol mods.(Pistolsmithing: the inside scoop on pistolsmithing techniques)
November 1, 2004... The Glock is used by more law enforcement personnel than any other handgun and has been widely accepted by hundreds of thousands of shooters, developing an almost cult-like following. For custom pistolsmiths, Glocks are not much of a challenge...

"Stab maniac": the Herald Square incident.(The Ayoob Files)
November 1, 2004... Situation: He has a knife... he's stabbing people with it... and he's closing on you fast. Lesson: You can't back up faster than he can move forward... there are times when hesitation means death... and the pelvic shot is sometimes the...

Kydeky-leather: Tucker's tough gun-toters.(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
November 1, 2004... Inside the waistband holsters (IWBs) have never held much appeal for me. For one thing, I have enough problems putting me inside my waistband let alone stuffing a gun-filled holster in there. But then, life is full of little surprises, isn't...

What's the question?(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
November 1, 2004... The Answer s a hybrid IWB holster. It combines leather with high-tech kydex. William T. Tucker, the owner and one-man band behind Tucker Gunleather, was looking for a way to improve his already successful Texas Heritage rig. His friend, Gregg...

Substantially fashionable.(Handgun leather: from classics to cutting-edge in carry methods)
November 1, 2004... After a few tries, Tucker came up with the HF-1. The HF-2, with an open bottom, came along later. The HF stands for Henry Fisher. Henry has left the range now, but his memory lives on in a darn fine holster he inspired. Tucker has a menu of...

Right or wrong?(Reality check: first-person thoughts on surviving the real world)
November 1, 2004... With each issue of currently published gun magazines there comes forth a new wave of the ultimate, optimum, most awesome, dream, custom, exotic, fightiest handguns to be introduced since Carter invented liver pills. Or are they? Are the...

Re-thinking this thing.(Reality check: first-person thoughts on surviving the real world)
November 1, 2004... Then again, maybe I could use a steel 1911 chambered for the .45 ACP, launching a large frontal area .452 projectile at 900 fps. It could be topped off with good day-and-night sights I could actually see, and finished with a clean-breaking...

Choices and ...(Reality check: first-person thoughts on surviving the real world)
November 1, 2004... You see, after my limited experience doing this carry-a-handgun-for-personal-protection-stuff for 30 years or so, I have, in fact, come to a conclusion. There is probably no right or wrong when you select a personal defense handgun. If that...

Hartford armory Remingtons: new world craftsmanship reigns supreme.(The Sixgunner)
November 1, 2004... Smith & Wesson had a lucrative contract to supply Model #3s chambered in .44 Russian to the Russian government; Remington, already supplying single-shot Rolling Blocks to the Egyptian government, had a large contract to deliver the Model 1875...

Letters from you loons.(Guncrank diaries: excuses alibis, pithy observations & general ephus)
November 1, 2004... I got three baskets on my desk. They're marked "IN," "OUT," and "WEIRD & WHATNOT." Some of your recent mail has kinda found a home in the W&W bin, you know? I see a chance for a triple here: Answer you guys, avoid finishing "All About...

Bowling for Columbine--Part III: displays, tricks and jackass stunts.(Gun Rights)
November 1, 2004... As promised last column, I'm going to discuss two of the techniques Michael Moore uses in Bowlingfor Columbine to portray gun owners as having certain character, or possibly moral defects. Despite the fact one of Moore's central claims is...

Can you say 'hoot'?(The Iver Johnson Hammerless safety 'Automatic' Revolver)
November 1, 2004... Smith and Wesson began producing its New Departure Hammerless revolver in 1886. It was a top-break, double action revolver featuring simultaneous ejection of spent cartridges, giving rise to the somewhat confusing term. "Automatic Revolver."...

Ahead of their time: the sad saga of Devel.
November 1, 2004... Full-powered, small-framed handguns save lives; they're small enough to pack instead of leave in a glovebox, and powerful enough to drop somebody. Little big guns are also a fairly recent invention: up until the late 70s, if you wanted a gun...

Taurus 24/7: improving the plastic pistol.
November 1, 2004... The long awaited, much delayed and mightily ballyhooed Taurus 24/7 is finally here. Taurus has joined the polymer frame pistol clan and, along the way, honed the plastic pistol concept to a new level. It would be hard to say the pistol breaks...

Just add guns & stir: huntin' accessories & optical thangys.
November 1, 2004... "You mean like unbreakable Lexan martooni glasses?" Man, that got a big blink. outta his Editorial Immenseness. Roy had just assigned me to write somethin' about hunting accessories, and I had to distract him before he could give me a buncha...

Enlightened edges: Bob Lum's tacticals merge east with west.
November 1, 2004... Bob Lum is probably the most famous tactical knifemaker you've never heard of. A quiet man of Asian descent, Bob's knives reflect his heritage in their clean, simple design. Such simplicity, however, shouldn't be taken lightly--especially if...

Huntington's hunting handguns: innovation is the order of the day.
November 1, 2004... As this is written it's July and 107 degrees here in the "cool" Northwest, and we still have August to endure. Having found only one purpose for each of these two months, I would happily trade both for one beautiful October. In July, my Star...

Resurrection: S&W's retro Thunder Ranch .44 special: Clint Smith and S&W team-up on this ultimate fighting sixgun!(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... They said it couldn't be done. "You're wasting your time, S&W will never listen to you, much less actually build the thing," said the nay-sayers. "A big-bore, fixed sight, blued-steel N-frame, much less in .44 Special? Are you crazy?" Clint...

The big tent.(The 2003 Steel Challenge)
November 1, 2004... Back in 1980 when Mike Fichman and I were at the IPSC Nationals, we were talking about the future of competition shooting. It was clear to us the use of humanoid targets would sharply limit main-stream media appeal. One of the first things we...

Thunder Ranch's big adventure: T/R's move to Oregon is about to happen--don't get left in the Texas dust!
November 1, 2004... With Thunder Ranch's relocation to their new facility in Oregon due in mid-December of 2004, students and the industry are curious about what to expect about the "new" Thunder Ranch. To answer these and other questions, we went to the source,...

The ins & outs of better shooting.(Sharp Shooter)(Advertisement)
November 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...

Brownells Hammer/Sear Pin Block Kit.(Gunnysack)
November 1, 2004... The most common reason for shooters to send a gun to a gunsmith is to have the trigger improved, but when UPS decided all handguns had to be shipped overnight, a normally simple job got to be costly--prohibitively expensive for smaller jobs....

Cylinder & Slide 1911 grips.(Gunnysack)
November 1, 2004... While there's absolutely no shortage of replacement grips for 1911-style pistols, real originals are scarce and dear. I know these things because I have a pretty decent U.S. Army issue gun made by Colt in 1918. It's not a super-rare collector's...

Bushnell Yardage Pro Legend.(Gunnysack)
November 1, 2004... Bushnell has been a leader in laser rangefinders from the very beginning and we've watched them continuously improve; from heavy and bulky down to weighing a few ounces and fitting into a shirt pocket. And along the way they've become even more...

Zeiss Z-point.(Gunnysack)
November 1, 2004... Sometimes it's a lot of trouble to have fun. Last year Zeiss introduced a compact red dot sight called the Z-point. Small, lightweight optical or red-dot sights have changed the face of shooting and make it possible for aging eyes to shoot lots...

American Handgunner: 2004 fall catalog showcase.
November 1, 2004... ADCO Adco of Woburn is pleased to introduce a new CZ-Strojirna handgun which is very lightweight and, under heavy loads, is more manageable and accurate It converts from 45 to 40 or even to 9mm in less than a minute with the optional...

Al Mar knives: don't leave home with this one!(Check It Out)
November 1, 2004... If you live in California like me, having a switchblade is a big no-no. There's some crazy law saying you can own them, but not carry them. But, that law didn't keep me from enjoying the ones from Al Mar. The Al Mar Eagle EBK-M2 Automatic...

Sky Cop holster.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... DeSantis Holsters The Sky Cop cross draw holster is designed to accommodate most of today's large frame semi autos. It features n trailing loop design which helps pull the butt close to the body. This holster accommodates belts up to 1 1/4...

FP-10 Lubricant Elite.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Shooter's Choice Gun Care Vent, Vidi, Ventco--the company known to you as Shooter's Choice introduces the FP-10 Lubricant Elite. The convenient 2 oz. Aerosol Spray FP-10 Elite is designed for today's high-tech firearms and will absolutely...

Longbow Micra Flashlight.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Bulldog Enterprises Every once in a while Spot is sitting in his office and Cool Stuff just falls lute his lap. Usually it's ice water but this time it's the Longbow Micra Flashlight from Bulldog Enterprises. This little 3.2" flashlight...

Wind River Binoculars.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Leupold OK, the technical name is Leupold Wind River Cascades Series Binoculars, but the "Spot" is a 50-year-old guy who has trouble with his own name let alone a long one. Featuring Advantage Timber pattern camouflage, these binoculars...

VB3 LED flashlight.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Pelican Products Pelican Products has released the new VB3 LED as the latest addition to their VersaBrite Family of Flashlights. This baby will outlast all other competitors at more than 100 hours of burn time, sports an intense 5.5 lumens...

The Quantum Holster.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Gould and Goodrich New from Gould and Goodrich comes the Quantum Holster Model 380. This new duty holster is easier to use than any grab-resistant holster on the market. No fancy moves are required to remove your weapon, just a smooth,...

Shooting gloves.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... GripSwell Gloves GripSwelll introduces the only built-in Palm Swell feature shooting glove on the market today and a Side x Side model glove with ultra flex insulation for the "hot barrel" hand. Target model gloves are all undyed leather...

Warthog .45 semi-auto.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Para-Ordnance Inc. The latest super-compact, high-capacity .45 with truly awesome firepower is the now Pore Warthog. There is no .45 ACP 10-round, semi-onto in the world smaller than the Warthog. This rugged little pistol is only 63 inches...

Tac II rotating target.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Elite Target Systems This is one of those items that a picture just does not do justice to. Spot saw one of these Bad Boys in action at the STI/American Handgunner Shoot and I can tell you they are tons of fun and a great training tool at...

XF7 waterproof grease.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... MD Tactical MD Tactical came up with a giant syringe as the best vehicle for getting their new XF7 Weapon Lubricant Grease in to the nooks and crannies of your weapon. XF7 is a truly water proof grease with extraordinary powers of...

1 Watt LED Headlamp.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Cyclops Cyclops, on industry leader in specialty lights, introduces their new 1 Watt LED Headlamp (model #CYC-1WA). Cyclops headlamps feature brighter, longer lasting bulbs, and are more durable and lightweight then ever before. This...

7676 Elite Tactical Holster.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Elite Survival Systems The new 7676 Tactical Holster from Elite Survival Systems accommodates a variety of handguns with or without under-barrel lights attached. This fully adjustable system has velcro adjustable straps for varying draw...

Tritium dual thumbstuds.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... T.A.D. Gear, Inc. T.A.D. Gear, Inc. will be the first Federally Approved Company to offer weapons grade Tritium in their dual thumbstuds used on folding knives. The "safe" radioactive glowing studs are designed for folding knives used by...

Wolf Performance Range Bag.(Spotlight)
November 1, 2004... Wolf Performance Gear Runnin' with the Big Dawgs is Wolf Performance Gear offered by Wolf Performance Ammunition. Performance is the key word for Wolf high quality, reliability and affordability. The Wolf Performance Gear collection...

Add it up.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... 6,750 MPH Speed of NASA's X-43A scramjet aircraft. 2,200 MPH Previous record for a jet. 10,800 Number of baby-boomers who turn 50 each day. 264,000 Metric tons of chicken feet exported to China last year. ...

Cops get national CCW.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... H.R. 218/S.253 has been signed into law by President Bush. This allows off-duty and retired officers (with certain restrictions) CCW reciprocity throughout the nation in order to help prevent crime in our communities. This will allow tens of...

Stellar steel.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... Hardly anything is as fun to shoot as steel, but good quality steel targets usually cost an arm and a leg. Tombstone Tactical now offers the "Auto Resetting" system that can handle pistol or rifle, is made from AR 500 steel (fancy stuff) with a...

Popular Mechanics pro-gun.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... Another Handgunner "Hat's Off" to Popular Mechanic s Editor-in-Chief Joe Oldham in response to a whiner who wrote complaining about a gun article in the mag. "... I can tell you categorically that no amount of irate letters or whining or...

Kahr .45?(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... Yes, if you can believe the rumors that seem to be fairly well-founded. The Insider did some "insider" nosing around and found that it looks like Kahr will introduce a .45 ACP version of their auto at the next SHOT Show. Stay tuned, and as the...

Test pistol.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... Our recent trip to the Springfield Armory National Museum uncovered too many cool things to mention at once, so I'll dribble 'em out one or two at a time. What you see here is something of note. It's a "Gauge" gun sent to Springfield Armory by...

Teeny tiny .45.(news from the front)
November 1, 2004... Para's new Warthog is the smallest 10-round .45 around. At only 6.5" in length and 4.5" in height, the 24 ounce package is decidedly compact, indeed. The grip has been carefully contoured so you can hang onto it and it comes with Para's cool,...

War God.(news from the front)
November 1, 2004... The THOR, from EAA, is a single shot .45-70 that looks sorta' like a space gun. Handgunner has managed to nail down the only one in the country and will be testing it asap. But, we thought you'd like to see the big bruiser sooner rather than...

Lit-up Kimber.(news from the front)
November 1, 2004... Saw this and thought you should know about it. It's a new-ish model from Kimber called the Stainless Pro TLE/RL II. It's basically a small 1911 with a light-rail, which is all the rage these days. It answers problems that some people (maybe...

Dirty low life bastards.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... This from Clint Smith: Sometime during the evening of June 27, 2004, seven Medals of Honor were stolen from the Medal of Honor display at Patriots Point Museum on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. If you surf...

Turnbull SA.(news from the front)
November 1, 2004... I have to tell you these are some of the nicest single actions I've ever seen. The photo does them some justice, but if you're familiar with Doug Turnbull's work, you can imagine what they look like in person. Based upon a U.S. Firearms...

Butcher Bob.(news from the front)
November 1, 2004... The Game Processor, from Outdoor Edge not only makes sense, but only costs around $80 or so. Hunting knives are always fun to buy, but when the flesh hits the dirt, somebody has a nasty job to do. Like any job, the right tools make it easier...

German signs.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... While attending the IWA Show in Germany (it's like our SHOT show only with more pretty gals and beer involved) I couldn't help but notice a couple of important signs. It seems in Germany not only are farts not allowed (note the sign) but they...

Huh? What?(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... American BioHealth Group LLC (ABG), A San Diego pharmaceutical company, in collaboration with the US Navy, has introduced the first pill proven in the lab to prevent and restore acute near-term, noise-induced hearing loss. That would...

Exercise your rights.(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... You may have noticed the "Buy A Gun For America" posters in this issue of Handgunner. Please don't ignore them. Cut them out (carefully...) and post them. Take them to work, take them to your local gun store and ask them to post them, make...

Bozone (n.).(The Insider)
November 1, 2004... The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.