Guns Magazine articles from August 2006

Guns Magazine archives from August 2006

1903-A3 fan.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I share Mike Venturino's love of the 1903-A3 Springfields. But on page 17 of his recent article about them ("My Favorite Military Rifle," June 2006), he states that the Smith-Corona '03-A3 rifles with Hi-Standard barrels "were all cut with four...

Knife oopsie.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Thanks for the knife article in the May issue, but I would like to point out one small detail. Knife F, on page 59, is made by an all around great person and knife-maker, Tom Krein, not Kren, and his website is: www.kreinknives.net. You...

Old gun fan, no Connor.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... GUNS is a refreshing change from Shooting Times magazine, which has gone Tactical/Assault. I made the move with Mike Venturino, who I consider one of the finest, most interesting writers of today. You have a great format, and some very good...

We get 'em young.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I just wanted to send you a picture of my nephew Nikolas. While visiting my sister in Virginia, Nikolas took an interest in your April 2006 issue. If you're curious, he's on page 64 checking out Smith & Wesson's new 1911s. Nikolas had his eye...

New gun fan, more Connor.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... March was a great issue and my XD-9s are making the same positive impression on me the Carry Pro model made on Dave Anderson and friends. On its first outing to an IPSC match the 4" model was referred to as my "Open Class Production Gun" by the...

Old gun fan, too.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... I read the article on the Sniders and found it very good. It might be nice to see some more on other old guns that are the granddaddies of what we shoot today. George Kowalenko via e-mail

POW/MIA: lest we forget.(RANGING SHOTS[TM])
August 1, 2006... The act of war in and of itself is not all that great of a concept. It is generally designed and organized by knot-headed politicians who, somewhere in the mix, are looking for a personal gain at the expense of others, namely the poor souls who...

From this to this! The 10/22 is our most reasonably priced custom platform and Boyds' makes it easy.(RIMFIRES)
August 1, 2006... Do you have an old Ruger 10/22 gathering dust in the safe? Even if you don t, this bolt on, makeover kit from Boyds' might entice you to buy one. I guarantee it will put some real zoom and pizzazz into Miss Plain Jane Ruger. Boyds'...

Choosing hunting ammo: regular or premium?(AMMO)
August 1, 2006... I know this is the middle of the summer and hunting season is far away, but now really is the best time to decide what you will use for ammo in the coming season. After all, the serious hunter has probably already spent a bunch of money in...

Stock service revolver: the easiest and cheapest way to start IDPA competition.(HANDGUNS)
August 1, 2006... When the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) was formed a decade ago, the founders knew the service revolver was all but extinct in law enforcement, though it was still widely seen in security. However, they also knew a great many...

Peacemaker specialists: ultimate weapons.(MONTANA MUSINGS)
August 1, 2006... Eddie Janis, the fellow so many of us single-action revolver shooters know as The Peacemaker Specialist has devised a package for the Colt Single Action Army he says turns them into "the ultimate weapon." In fact that's what he has named them....

Feeding: the smooth, reliable way.(RIFLEMAN)
August 1, 2006... The majority of current centerfire sporting rifles feed from double-stack magazines. Compared to single-stack magazines, staggering the cartridges in two rows allows the same number of cartridges to be carried in a shorter column height. A...

The gun show blues: at the crossroad of avarice and desire.(THE SMITHY)
August 1, 2006... I'm sure many of you readers will sympathize with me on the topic of gun show "good deals." There's a saying, "Sometimes education is expensive," and hopefully a person learns by his mistakes. I doubt there's a dedicated gun nut who...

The splendid us Krags: long sold off as surplus, they still show up at gun shows and better gun stores.(SURPLUS LOCKER)
August 1, 2006... A fellow collector remarked as we left a recent show, "Did you notice how many Krag spotters were on the tables?" "You know, I hadn't really thought about it, but you're right," I said. "I saw at least a half dozen or so sporterized...

JB Custom Mare's Leg: Josh Randall would be proud.(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
August 1, 2006... Josh Randall had a better idea. Being a bounty hunter in the Old West was a dangerous profession and he needed an edge. Something no one else had ever thought of. His other saddle pals roaming the black and white TV screens of the 1950s had...

NAA boot guns: when first and second choices aren't practical.(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
August 1, 2006... For more than 10 years I carried a .22 Mini-Revolver on a daily basis. It slipped so easily into a shirt pocket and went everywhere with me except those few places where it was absolutely impossible to go armed. A 1911 makes a great first...

Snider woes.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... Holt Bodinson recommended Coyote (Mom's Old Guns) on page 18 of the March 2006 issue as a supplier of reloading supplies for Snider rifles. Coyote also claims to have reloading supplies for Martini rifles as well. I ordered some Martini...

Requiem for Winchester.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... On March 31, 2006, with very little notice, an American legend died and a big piece of Americana quietly faded into the dustbin of history. On that day, US Repeating Arms Co., maker of Winchester Rifles closed their New Haven, Conn. plant for...

What's so special?(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)
August 1, 2006... Q: I think John Taffin and I are about the same age. I like his little comments about life in general interspersed in his articles and his Western point-of-view, but I got a little gripe. John's recent article about shootin' those big ol'...

Cane gun.(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)
August 1, 2006... Q: While traveling overseas recently, I stayed with a fellow retired police officer. He brought out a cane, which he stated was a cane gun his grandfather had found in a railway station around 1910. The cane is of good quality, and when twisted...

Spegel grips.(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)
August 1, 2006... Q: I have recently purchased a Smith & Wesson Thunder Ranch Model 22 .45 ACP revolver. I am very pleased with my new wheel-gun, but I would prefer different grips. I believe the ones shown on page 26 of the May 2006 issue in Clint Smith's...

Pellet power.(QUESTIONS & ANSWERS)
August 1, 2006... Q: A friend told me you can use any rifle chambered for .17 Remington and shoot it like a pellet rifle for in-home basement shooting. I have not tried this but it sounds like fun. No powder and no reloading press is used. You take a fired...

Europe discovers the cartridge: the American Civil War spurs worldwide firearm development.
August 1, 2006... Every major European power sent promising young officers off to America as military observers. Many brought back the understanding breechloading rifles firing self-contained metallic cartridges were the wave of the future. Such weapons as...

21st century battle rifle: Springfield Armory's SOCOM-II moves the concept forward.(Cover story)
August 1, 2006... In 2004, Springfield Armory introduced the SOCOM-16 M1A. Its 16 1/4" barrel capped with the remarkably effective recoil compensator, developed in-house by Springfield's own Dale Rader, was an instant hit. Demand immediately eclipsed any of...

The in-lines: black powder never had it so good.
August 1, 2006... The odds of finding a $100 bill stuck to the bottom of your shoe are about the same as seeing an original or replica black-powder rifle in a modern hunting camp. The in-line has taken over. In spite of continued growth in the rendezvous,...

Smith & Wesson's 50th Anniversary Model 29: S&W set the bar for magnum handgun performance 50 years ago.
August 1, 2006... After he blew the topstrap and cylinder of an old .45 Colt SAA by grinding the black powder into finer granules and putting all he could into the .45 case, Elmer Keith "discovered" the .44 Special, which had been around for 20 years even though...

The buffalo hunters and their rifles: image polishing and myth busting.
August 1, 2006... Several stereotypes are commonly applied to the professional buffalo hunters of the 1870s. They are thought of as dirty, ragged, scoundrels too lazy to work and too stupid to steal. There is also the vision of them as remorseless killers who...

Terror havens or gun show pinholes?(RIGHTS WATCH)
August 1, 2006... GUN SHOWS: ARMS BAZAARS FOR TERRORISTS AND CRIMINALS, the Brady Campaign "Fact Sheet" title screams. "Every year there are more than 4,000 gun shows in every region of the country," the article warns. "These arms bazaars provide a haven...

S&W supports West Point cadets.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Smith & Wesson supports the Combat Weapons Team of the US Military Academy at West Point by donating pistols for competitive shooting events. The donation of 45 firearms to the cadets of the Combat Weapons Team consists of 10 custom Performance...

Canadian outdoor caucus.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... The Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and the Assembly of State Sportsmen s Caucuses have been extremely successful in representing sportsmen's rights in Congress and in state legislatures. Now, the concept has crossed the international border...

Mayor courts Brady Campaign.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has left no doubt about whom he is courting alliances with on gun issues. Brady Center lawyer Dennis Henigan refers to Bloomberg as "our hero" in the New York Times and the paper also reports the mayor...

Clinton quietly signs on to bill.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) quietly became a co-sponsor of a bill aimed at making traced gun data public, reports the New York Post. Clinton signed on to the bill last week after New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (D) had already...

Net gain in wetlands.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Approximately 191,000 acres of wetlands were gained over a yen-year span, the first net gain in America's agricultural and nonagricultural wetlands in 52 years. The encouraging statistics, from a US Fish & Wildlife Service report announced by...

Congressman fights gun confiscation.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) has introduced legislation to amend federal emergency statute laws to prevent local authorities from confiscating lawfully owned firearms during times of disaster. "Particularly during emergencies like those...

ATF abuses before Congress.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... A panel of witnesses testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on abuses suffered at the hands of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and of the need for reform....

Silver and Bronze Stars awarded marines: hall of heroes.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... The Marines of Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th R Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division and the Iraqi soldiers manning the Entry Control Point at the North bride of Ramadi by Hurricane Point had a tough morning May 3, 2005. The vans...

All-army small arms champs.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Besides the more than 100 trophies, plaques, medals and certificates awarded the Army's top combat shooters in the All-Army Small Arms Championships, each soldier left with something even more valuable--advanced marksmanship training. All the...

No handguns.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... Toronto Mayor David Miller last week blamed the USA for the flow of illegal guns into his city and said citizens should not be allowed to own handguns, reports the Toronto Sun. "There's two things that need to be done. The first thing is people...

New price guides.
August 1, 2006... New tools for the used gun buyer are available from KP Books. Ned Schwing's updated The 2006 Standard Catalog of Firearms, 16th Edition offers 1,504 pages with 110,000 prices covering 25,000 firearms models with 7,100 photos to aid in...

Criminals do the killing.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... While Mayor Bloomberg tried to build support for various anti-gun initiatives at a "gun summit" in New York City last week, the fact remains homicides in the city are at their lowest level in decades. In a story last Friday, The New York Times...

Cavalry Sarge wins bronze star: hall of heroes.(NEWS)
August 1, 2006... On the morning of 6 March 2006, Bandit Troop, 1st Squadron, 61st US Cavalry Regiment Platoon Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Luckie's platoon was maneuvering along a road adjacent to the Tigris River when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated...

Triple-lock rig.(QUARTERMASTER)
August 1, 2006... A short half-century ago I purchased my first centerfire handgun a Colt Single Action Army. After buying that 1st Generation .38-40, on time payments no less (I've had a running gun tab ever since!), I certainly did not have any money left for...

Roy's Custom Grips.(QUARTERMASTER)
August 1, 2006... Everyone and anyone who has any interest in grips whatsoever knows and recognizes Roy Fishpaw of Roy's Custom Grips as the absolute master in the maim of custom-crafting sixgun and semiautomatic stocks. When it comes to making gun grips,...

Smith & Wesson .44.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Talo Distributors The Smith & Wesson Custom Shop and Talo Distributors have combined to produce an impressive recreation of the original Model 1950 Military .44 Special revolver. Only 450 units have been built. The N-frame features a...

New single-action P220.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Sigarms The popular P220.45 ACP semiautomatic pistol is now available in single-action from Sigarms. The P220 is machined from stainless steel bar stock with a durable Nitron finish and features a crisp 5-pound SAO trigger,...

Mannlicher Pro Varmint rifle.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Steyr Arms The Steyr Mannlicher Pro Varmint rifle is specifically designed for hunting small game. marksmanship training and competitive shooting. Key features include a choice of either a chrome moly-coated 26" heavy, hammer-forged...

New AK fiberglass stock.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Advanced Technology Advanced technology has developed a new fiberglass stock for AK-style rifles. The Dragunov design features a textured matte black finish, built-in ambidextrous cheek rest, ventilated fore-end, dowel sling mount,...

50 cal. muzzleloader round.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Lightfield Lightfield has developed the new Alpha Gold 300, a 50-caliber, 300-grain saboted muzzleloader round that delivers increased accuracy and impressive knockdown power. It expands from .491" to .570" out of muzzleloading...

Model 1876 replica.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Chaparral Arms Chaparral Arms announces the arrival of its newest celebration of the Old West, a beautiful replica of the famed Winchester Model 1976 (pictured), 1873 and 1866 lever-action carbines. Also available is a replica of the...

Springfield XD sights.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From LaserMax The new Model LMS-3XD is a precision-engineered laser aiming device designed to fit inside the Springfield XD sub-compact pistol. The sighting system consists of a replacement guide rod/spring assembly and a modified takedown...

Elite Professional 1911.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Wilson Combat The new Elite Professional .45 ACP semi-automatic pistol from Wilson Combat features a shortened sight radius for faster target acquisition and a more comfortable concealed carry. The Elite professional delivers rapid...

Harsey tactical folder.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Lone Wolf Knives The Harsey Model T1 tactical folder is a pocket-sized knife with impressive balance and cutting power. The 3.2" blade is crafted from CPM-S30V stainless steel to deliver maximum performance and sharp edge retention....

DigitalHunter riflescope.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Elcan Optical Elcan Optical Technologies has developed the new DigitalHunter riflescope, which records the shot on the LCD mounted on the scope. An instant replay video of the shot may then be immediately viewed for diagnostic...

New exotic leather holsters.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Wilson Combat Wilson Combat has created a new line of exotic leather holsters for Model 1911-style semiautomatic pistols. These handmade custom holsters are also available n elephant hide, ostrich skin and sharkskin. Contact Wilson...

Hi-Point replacement stock.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Advanced Technology Advanced Technology has created Strikeforce, a replacement stock for the HiPoint 9mm rifle. The ergonomic thumbhole glass-filled synthetic Strikeforce stock has a matte black finish. Optional accessories include...

Mossy oak shotgun stocks.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Speedfeed Speedfeed now offers its synthetic shotgun stocks in the popular Mossy Oak breakup camouflage pattern. This pattern provides the serious hunter with the added edge of firearm concealment, while upgrading the quality of the...

Predator Pocket binoculars.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2006... From Steiner Steiner offers two new Predator Pro pocket binoculars for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Both the 8x22 and the 10x26 models feature strong aluminum housings with rugged armor coverings to ensure a firm grip. The larger...

Garmin Rino 520/530 GPS radio: the learning curve is steep, but short.(SPOTLIGHT)
August 1, 2006... The Rinos, while recent, are not Garmin's newest invention, but they may well be the coolest. The Rinos offer both a two-way radio and a GPS unit in one compact package. And the list of features goes on. I was convinced it would take me a...

You can win this free: Springfield Armory XD .45 ACP!
August 1, 2006... Destined to be a very popular addition to the XD line is this high-capacity .45 ACP version. Combining light weight with an extremely well designed grip, this XD will fit most hands quite comfortably. It is high capacity, too, and those of you...

The importance of "ERT".(ODD ANGRY SHOT)
August 1, 2006... I was just drifting along in this non-cognitive state I call "Zen Gun-Gazing"--unthinking, goggling at guns and gear; a condition marked by wide-open eyes, swiveling head, shallow mouth-breathing, and slow shuffling of my feet--when something...

Shooter honesty.(CAMPFIRE TALES[TM])
August 1, 2006... Arriving at the shooting range on a day closed to the general public, I unlocked the gate, drove in, and prepared to spend a relaxing working day shooting alone. I parked my Chevy 4x4, raised the locking cover over the bed, and started to...