American Handgunner articles from September 2003

American Handgunner archives from September 2003

Speak out.
September 1, 2003... JULY/AUGUST Yer'alls feature on the S&W .45 ACP 1911 was well done -- 'xcept for one minor bit of trivia I feel y'all ought to know about: "Hell Freezes Over?!" (July/August 2003). Well, just so you know, in Norway, just south of the...

Fiber optic fun. (Winning Edge).
September 1, 2003... Focus on the front sight. How many times have you heard that one? Some front sights, though, are easier to see than others. Under the right conditions it's hard to beat a plain, black, vertical post for precise sight alignment. The right...

Fuddy sights. (Winning Edge).
September 1, 2003... On the matter of sights, I'm a hopeless old fud. I got used to a vertical, black front sight back when I was shooting bullseye (and that, my friend, was not yesterday). Those sights weren't just black, but dead-flat black, using the old carbide...

Presidential choice. (Winning Edge).
September 1, 2003... Michael Voigt is the current USPSA president and an IPSC Standard class world champion. From my perspective, Mike is a youngster in his early 40s. Like me, he's become aware of the fuzzy sight conspiracy, but unlike me he decided to do...

CCW sell-out. (Cop Talk).
September 1, 2003... Once again, the initiative to allow currently serving and honorably retired police officers to carry guns off duty wherever they go in the country is returning to Capitol Hill. Will it pass this time? Not if certain police bosses have anything...

Public safety issue. (Cop Talk).
September 1, 2003... Contrast that with the collective voice of the rank and file, as expressed by Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) national president Chuck Canterbury, and reported in the 3/03 edition of American Police Beat. "It's an officer safety issue," he says...

Opportunity for tradegy? (Cop Talk).
September 1, 2003... Out of town cops carrying guns in other communities "dramatically elevates opportunities for tragedy" according to IACP analyst Gene Voegtlin. This is bogus on its face. In case the spokesman doesn't know, in virtually every jurisdiction in the...

Black hawk down combat mission. (Advertisement).
September 1, 2003... Screw Hollywood...Here's The Jaw-Dropping, Super-Deadly Combat Secrets Of A Veteran D-Boy Who Had To Fight His Way Out Of a REAL... Dear Friend, Let's get right down to the nitty-gritty, okay? Hollywood doesn't know it's ass from a...

Gun stuff. (Handgun Hunting).
September 1, 2003... Always take an extra gun and an extra scope. Cycle all ammunition through the firearm prior to leaving. A good idea with factory ammo -- essential with handloads. Don't load to absolute max -- reliable functioning is more important then that...

Forget the kitchen sink. (Handgun Hunting).
September 1, 2003... I guess just this once I can write about what the boss wants me to write about, instead of some fire-breathing-monster-controversial-blood-letting (usually what he wants). Okay, I admit it, he is right in that not everyone has the...

The essentials. (Handgun Hunting).
September 1, 2003... Prior to my first trip to never-never-land I have personal medical sources who research the area for any particular prevalent diseases and prescribe appropriate medication to take along. In many areas of Africa, tick fever is prevalent. It's...

A real saturday night special great Western's classic 'Colt'. (Taffin Tests).
September 1, 2003... I had only been in the gun show for a few minutes when I spotted it. There on the first table, in the second aisle, was the first sixgun to really catch my eye. It was a 7.5" Single Action replica, however it was not of Italian lineage, but...

That '70s show. (Handgun Leather).
September 1, 2003... Looking back on the '70s, we find the holster industry was stuck in a wagon rut, rolling along smoothly but unable to make a turn. Everything was conventional, staid, safe. Stagnant times like these provide ideal conditions for innovators...

A short stack of blueberry holsters. (Handgun Leather).
September 1, 2003... Del Fatti's main fare consists of concealment rigs, most of which are pancake styles for autos and revolvers. "The pancake is still a good all-around holster," Del Fatti says. The model Del Fatti calls his LP is a classic pancake featuring...

The budget-minded cop. (Handgun Leather).
September 1, 2003... If the '70s were the right time for change in the holster business, the police locker room was the place. John Bianchi was a cop who took to making holsters for his compadres, mostly because he worked out of his garage and his holsters were...

Shooting tips from Tom Campbell. (Better Shooting).
September 1, 2003... Tom Campbell is one of the outstanding competitive shooters of the last quarter century, consistently among the top shooters at major matches, including IPSC world shoots, USPSA nationals, the Bianchi Cup and the Steel Challenge. After a long...

Cut, burned and shot? (Reality Check).
September 1, 2003... In reality, firearms safety is probably an oxymoron when one discusses those everyday events called life. Firearms are, in fact, designed to do two things. One, to stop someone from attacking my family, my partner or myself. Two, to hunt or...

Fire & knives. (Reality Check).
September 1, 2003... Fire is taken for granted in today's high-tech world, yet, it's hard to find anything on earth held more highly in regard. Don't think much of fire? Here's an image for you: We are sitting together, I take a stick match, strike it, and as the...

Guns. (Reality Check).
September 1, 2003... I venture to say, without much reservation, at least once in every class I teach I see someone cover themselves -- or someone else -- with the muzzle of a firearm. As you call them to task on it the often-heard reply is "Oh don't worry, it's...

The sixguns of Elmer Keith hell, he was there! (The Sixgunner).
September 1, 2003... It's difficult to believe Elmer has been gone for nearly 20 years now. This probably means many of the newer readers, unless they are willing to go back and do some research, don't even know who he was. He was born in 1899 in Missouri, moved to...

1911 = Harley Davidson. (Tactical Advantage).
September 1, 2003... From time to time, readers of American Handgunner complain about the excessive coverage the 1911 pistol receives in our pages. It's always interesting to read about different handguns, but the fact is the 1911 pistol is much like the Harley...

Cheap shall not mean good. (Tactical Advantage).
September 1, 2003... With my fondness for the 1911 pistol, I often add another to my pile when opportunity permits. Recently, a couple pistols have come my way worth telling about. First, is a superb custom 1911 .45 ACP built by Scott Mulkerin of 5DM Fabricating....

Can't have too many. (Tactical Advantage).
September 1, 2003... When I am asked about the utility of owning a 1911 pistol as a self defense sidearm I always make the point that owning one requires the owner be properly trained and skilled with the manual of arms for a cocked and locked carry mode. If you...

They're trying really hard to look stern. (The 10-Ring).
September 1, 2003... Police investigators in Tallahassee, Florida, told Katrese Forbes that she should never, ever try to hit an armed robber "because of the potential for a violent reaction." She's wondering if they shouldn't warn armed robbers not to mess with...

Bone-dumb stupid, or just miserably incompetent? (The 10-Ring).
September 1, 2003... Well, there's also the choice of "Really, Really Bad Luck." For 61- year old bank robber Edward Blame Norton, strike one was called when he fled from committing an armed robbery of the Union Bank & Trust north of Richmond, Va. Having failed to...

Gang warefare at its worst. (The 10-Ring).
September 1, 2003... Or maybe just its smelliest. In the northeastern part of Turkey, national police are handing out free ammunition and asking citizens to help fight back against gangs of looting and pillaging fiends. Instructions are to shoot to kill, without...

He hadn't gotten to "thou shalt not steal" yet. (The 10-Ring).
September 1, 2003... In October 2002, in Bridgeport, Conn., 34-year old Roger Chimney pled guilty to armed robberies of two convenience stores. Police had pretty good ID evidence on him anyway, but the case was kinda clinched by a personal possession Roger...

Squeezing makes it bigger. (Hand Loading).
September 1, 2003... We got an e-mail from a reader who had noticed the length of his brass changed with firing and sizing. He was concerned about trimming the cases and what to do about the problem. Of course the answer is he doesn't have a problem at all....

Bogus headspace baloney. (Hand Loading).
September 1, 2003... Another writer took me to task over my statement from a previous column that the .45 ACP can't headspace on the case mouth because of the relative lengths of case and chamber. Much as I hate being wrong -- I was. In the industry standards...

Wrong weapon: the Der/Kifer incident. (The Ayoob Files).
September 1, 2003... Situation: The intruder snarls, "I'm going to kill you." Believing you and your partner are going to be shot, you perform the indicated response. Next thing you know, you're on trial for Murder. Lesson: It's the reasonable perception that...

Walther PPKS: American style; S&W's Version "1" of this distinguished design fixes some previous faults and raises the bar for Walther.
September 1, 2003... Historically, the Walther PP was the first commercially successful double-action semiautomatic pistol. Since its introduction in 1929, the basic Walther design has been produced in Germany, France, the U.S.A. and copied in a number of other...

To scope or not to scope: even if your nickname is "Hawkeye," you still might enjoy a bit of optical enhancement on your shooting iron.
September 1, 2003... I had been hunting in a drizzle for two days without finding the hog I wanted. The rain had stopped but the sky was gray and heavy. Half an hour after I climbed into my stand, pigs started filtering into the lane in front of me. First a couple...

Silent force: sharp steel from Crawford knives.
September 1, 2003... Pat Crawford has been on a mission for over 30 years - to create and build some of the finest tactical knives in the world. Mission accomplished. Custom knifemaker Pat Crawford of West Memphis, Ark., is a quiet guy. Maybe it's because he...

Traveling companion: Tussey's stealth comp is "just right".
September 1, 2003... It's mid-night-thirty and dark like the second line of the Bible. I've got the GT Pony car stretched out across the lonesome high desert at a (classified) ground speed. I'm headed home. There's enough gas in the car and enough coffee in me to...

Full length guide rods - myth or magic?
September 1, 2003... It brought joy to my heart to see Alex Hamilton's pistolsmithing column not long ago read, "Full-length guide rods float inside the frame of your semiautomatic -- just sit there taking up space -- and can cause malfunctions..." My only...

The best gun I never owned; a 1911 article ... with a twist: Carter's masterful work.
September 1, 2003... "Yesterday's wine yesterday's wine aging with time like yesterday's wine..." Willie Nelson Miracles, as Willie Nelson has observed, occur in the strangest of places. But before we can talk about the miracle, we've got to talk about the...

Savage striker: this .300 WSM powerhouse can really change your channel!
September 1, 2003... I'm sure you all have a private list of, "the world's greatest lies." You know, like, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Most of the others can't be printed here, but one on my list is, "It doesn't kick much." Anytime somebody...

Light 'em up: blackpowder fire and brimstone from a 2" taurus!
September 1, 2003... It's common to see the contemporary gun press review old guns and reproductions of old guns. Taking it a step further, they then develop data and endless lists of smokeless loads for firearms originally intended to be shot with black powder...

Correction.
September 1, 2003... In 'Combat Shooting" (July/Aug 2003), we list Bill Wilson, Walt Rauch and John Sayle as founding members of IPSC. While all three were heavily involved in USPSA/IPSC in the past, they were not founding members. Two gentlemen who are both...

Remooner. (Gunnysack).
September 1, 2003... The Brownells catalog is the modern equivalent of the Sears book of a century ago -- at least as far as shooters are concerned. Early each year a new one arrives and it's mandatory to spend some time checking out new stuff. That's where I found...

1911 ball bearing trigger. (Gunnysack).
September 1, 2003... Frankly I probably wouldn't have noticed this item had it not been for the tribulations a good friend had just gone through trying to install a better trigger in his 1911 clone. It required extensive filing and that is a skill that should not...

Tool Logic knife/light. (Gunnysack).
September 1, 2003... What are two things we're likely to need and not have? How about a pocketknife and a flashlight? Tool Logic has a good idea in their "SL Survival Series" of combination tools. This is the kind of thing that should be in the survival kit of...

Meacham custom grips. (Gunnysack).
September 1, 2003... Lately, I have fallen badly under the influence of single-action revolvers. I have always been a fan of great craftsmanship. So, let me show you some of Jerry Meacham's work. His specialty is ivory grips for single-action revolvers. Most of his...

C21B Yaqui style holster. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... Fobus USA Fohus USA introduces the (21 B which revolutionizes their Yaqui style by incorporating a tension screw to allow use of the holster with the Gov't 1911 style frames. This new hoister combines a well known style with the Fobus...

Tactical Super Grade Compact. (Spotlight).
September 1, 2003... WILSON COMBAT Wilson Combat announces the new Tactical Super Grade Compact handgun. Made to the same exacting standards that have made the Super Grade line famous, the new Compact has all the features one would expect from Wilson Combat's...

Executive Protection Waistband Holster. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... SHOOTING SYSTEMS GROUP New for 2003 is the Executive Protection Waistband Holster. Built to meet the needs of the U.S. Secret Service, it was designed for use while running or other active duty. The holster provides a comfortable, secure...

Shoot-N-C Variety pack target. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... BIRCHWOOD CASEY The new Shoot-N-C Variety pack from Birchwood Casey offers a wide range of targets to choose from. Each pock contains five 8" hells-eyes, five 5.5" hulls-eyes, ten 3 hulls-eyes, thirty 2" hulls-eyes, and fifty 1" posters....

Thumb Buddy. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... BAY AREA SHOOTERS sum You're Nobody Thumb Buddy Loves You! Bay Area Shooters Supply now carries the Thumb Buddy with reversed bushing wrench for the 1911. Shooters familiar with the Gov't Model 1911 pistol with the full length guide rod...

Digital Powder System. (Spolt Light).
September 1, 2003... LYMAN PRODUCTS Lyman's revolutionary 1200 DPS (Digital Powder System) combines a precision electronic Powder Scale and an automatic Powder Dispenser into one nosy to use unit. The DPS remembers up to 20 of your favorite loads and you can...

Shooting glasses. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... HANSEN'S EAGLE EYE New Rifle and Combot Pistol Model shooting glosses are now available from Hansen's Eagle Eye to help those who need corrective eyewear while shooting or hunting with scope or iron sights. The patented design enables the...

Trueshot .480 355-grain bullet. (Spot Light).
September 1, 2003... OREGON TRAIL BULLET COMPANY If you're the owner of the new Roger 480 revolver you hove undoubtedly been frustroted by the lock of projectiles available to custom lend that hod boy to it's foil potential. Oregon Trail Bullet Company is;...

On responsibility: Ginger's legacy -- a true story. (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... The old dog was slowing as the years crept ahead. Days spent running in the sun, fighting with water sprinklers and playing with the kid were becoming hazy memories. These days, the old gal enjoyed sleeping in that special spot of sunshine by...

Feds choose glock for pilots.
September 1, 2003... We were able to glean some info on the arming of commercial pilots from an Insider source. The first graduating class from FLETC, on April 19th, 2003-44 from a class of 48 pilots who started training -- will be armed with Glock Model 22s in .40...

S&W Model 500 honored.
September 1, 2003... Smith & Wesson's massive X-Frame Model 500 revolver was honored as the Handgun of the Year by the Shooting industry Academy of Excellence. The award, which is voted on by 460 industry executives, dealers and writers, was presented in April...

"Bowling" facing recall. (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... Michael Moore's self-serving, Bowling For Columbine bull-filled flick is now the target of an online effort seeking to have his Oscar revoked. Moore's film is a work of fiction, masquerading as a documentary, with virtually nothing even...

Springfield action pistol challenge. (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... Part of the fun at the NRA show in Orlando this year, was the Springfield pistol match hosted by Springfield Armory at the Central Florida Rifle & Pistol Club, in the Orlando area. The match pitted shooters of all kinds against the clock, with...

There are no American handgunners in Baghdad! (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... Well, it seems as if that isn't the case, eh? Courtesy of "Jeff" -- 5th Special Forces Group, from, as Jeff said in his note to us, "A rooftop in Baghdad," we find the real truth. Or, as one pundit commented: "There's only one weapon of mass...

Norinco bites the big one. (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... Since it was formed in 1980, China's Norinco has had about $25 billion of import and export business. It seems Norinco sold missiles and other such nasty things to Iran when they weren't supposed to be doing that. Bad, bad, bad... So, the...

The .07" difference. (The Insider).
September 1, 2003... I was fortunate enough to fire the new Glock 37 in April under much "hush-hush" and hiding of guns from on-lookers. We even had to gather every empty in case the state secret got out. Made to fire the proprietary .45 Glock round, the 37 is...