Guns Magazine articles from August 2008

Guns Magazine archives from August 2008

Backyard fun?(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... I am curious to just how knowledgeable some of your authors are? I am referring to the June Out of the Box article on True Backyard Fun. I totally understand the fun of shooting an air rifle but, where is Mr. Galan's backyard? Every...

Remington Army.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... My wife wanted to get me a new gun for Christmas but I had no idea what I wanted as I have enough guns now. However I never turn down another new gun. I decided to wait until after the holidays to get the gun and I'm glad I did. When I got...

Who needs one?(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... John Taffin's Campfire Tales in the June issue on who needs an assault rifle is a world-class masterpiece! I'm making copies and passing them out everywhere. Not even Ann Coulter could have topped John's skill in showing a politician for what...

Watch those story ideas.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2008... Anyone working for a gun magazine should never write in an article that he has enough guns and is willing to settle for what he has especially in a magazine my wife may pick up and scan. Surely some suitable punishment could be worked out such...

What's hot: and what's hotter.(RIFLEMAN)
August 1, 2008... The first Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show I attended was in Dallas in 1989. It was a big show then and has only gotten bigger. Frankly it verges on being too big. It has gone from three days to four, and even so I have to plan...

Lugers: an iconic arm.(MONTANA MUSINGS)
August 1, 2008... One of the prerogatives of being a freelance gun'riter is I'm not tied into one area of interest. With some gun magazines whose writers are contracted, their editors actually resist letting them step away from a pre-set "persona." GUNS Magazine...

Reloading 101 Part I: the all-important manual comes first.(HANDLOADING)
August 1, 2008... You've made up your mind. After several years of buying factory ammo and shooting your bolt-action .30-06 rifle and .44 Magnum sixgun you've piled up hundreds of rounds of empty brass for each and have finally decided to start reloading and...

21st century super slugs: deer hunting is changing.(SHOTGUNNER)
August 1, 2008... When "engineering samples" of a new slug load arrived, it was time to dust off the Savage slug gun and see just where shotshell technology is taking us. There were also several boxes of new slug loads I hadn't run over the chronograph or broken...

The business of practice ... meets the business of ammunition.(RANGING SHOTS[TM])
August 1, 2008... With the current costs of ammunition it is often hard to justify casual shooting or sometimes even defensive practice in addition to the overall general cost of just day-to-day living. Ammunition costs went up a nominal 11 percent in January...

Saving $$$ .22s for practice.(HANDGUNS)
August 1, 2008... With ammo prices going so suddenly and steeply upward, .22 caliber "understudy" practice guns make more sense than ever. Jan Stevenson, my predecessor as handgun editor for this magazine, once wrote a great article on .22 caliber "understudy...

Extraction and ejection: what goes in must come out, or should.(UP on ARs)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As said last time, an extractor is supposed to pull a spent case out of the chamber and the ejector is supposed to set it up to get tossed out the ejection port. Extractors got attention last time, so now it's...

The Nagant sporter: an odd, but effective target revolver.(SURPLUS LOCKER[TM])
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] If a prize was being awarded to the most bizarre, but successful, service revolver issued in quantity, I would unhesitatingly cast my vote for the Russian Nagant. How this handful of complex, moving parts was...

At last, a true innovation: Friction Forged knives from DiamondBlade hold their edge.(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
August 1, 2008... A short while back, I was invited to the Tejon Ranch in California to do a bit of wild pig hunting and the stars of this show were the DiamondBlade knives. For once, I found something truly new and innovative, not to mention an improvement on...

Taurus Thunderbolt: the levergun alternative.(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I've often written the first firearm I ever shot was a top-break .22 pistol on my uncle's farm. However, as I have been thinking about it lately I have come to realize that's probably not true. Like many young boys...

Handgun shot loads.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Has GUNS ever covered the loading of shot cartridges for handguns, specifically .38 Special, .44 Magnum and .45 Colt? Roger Shoemake Fishers, Indiana A: We haven't covered loading shot charges in...

Civil war bullet?(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
August 1, 2008... Q: I found the enclosed spent bullet in the state forestland near Chautauqua, New York, and I've never seen anything like it. I've shot benchrest, varmints, big game, wing and small game, so I am reasonably informed. Using a metal...

Hot Pursuit: Traditions XLT Extreme.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are any number of break, open, inline muzzleloaders on the market, but no model is as updated or incorporates as many useful features as Traditions' latest offering, the Pursuit XLT Extreme. The Pursuit is not...

Fit for an emperor: the Steyr Mannlicher classic.(Cover story)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The chamois herd grazed lazily on the side of the mountain a little more than 200 yards away. Guide Kefer Hubert and I sat quietly in the blind watching them through binoculars. As we watched, a fly buzzed inside my...

Semiauto surprise: the Kel-Tec PLR-16 .223 is a dandy hunting gun and doubles as a "Walter Mitty" fun gun.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the great things about working for this mag is the fact assignments are always given on an "if I care to do so" basis. That means an awful lot to me and also makes me want to go the extra mile in doing...

The guns of empire: 18th century martial muskets.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The period from roughly 1689 to 1815 was often called "The 2nd 100 Years War," because of a constant state of belligerency between England and France. It eventually involved the major European nations in a worldwide...

Used guns: such a deal.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If it wasn't for used guns, I would hardly have any guns at all. It's funny though, some people avoid used guns like I do rattlesnakes. A friend recently related an incident he experienced at a little party. The host...

Rights watch: to plant a seed.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
August 1, 2008... "Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow."--Stevens Point Daily Journal, August 1897. "Who's a Rifleman?" Mike "Duke" Venturino asks in his May 2008 "Montana Musings" column. "No one ever became a rifleman by shooting a few dozen cartridges a year."...

"It's a game of cat and mouse".(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
August 1, 2008... Forward Operating Base (FOB) Keenan, which lies in the village of Zumbelay, about 15km from Gereshk, Afghanistan, was captured by The Mercian Regiment last year. The mud and stone walls of the former farmer's compound bear the scars of erratic...

Helmand drugs factory destroyed.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Royal Marines from 40 Commando have destroyed a drugs factory in the Upper Sangin Valley along with 1.5 tonnes of morphine base--the precursor of heroin. The Commandos from Bravo Company discovered compounds in...

Aussies fight off Taliban.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
August 1, 2008... Australian Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) soldiers in southern Afghanistan have fought off a number of Taliban attacks on a new construction project over the last few days of February, 2008. The attacks occurred approximately 15km from...

Rescue at sea.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
August 1, 2008... At approximately 6:10 a.m., USS John S. McCain's bridge watch team observed a fire on a ship on the horizon and, in response, maneuvered towards the burning vessel. Upon observing a life raft with 11 people on board drifting in the vicinity of...

Gun slick cleaning rods.(Quarter master)
August 1, 2008... Gun Slick's one-piece carbon fiber shaft is strong but amazingly light, solidly set in brass at the handle and the handle spins freely due to double ball bearings. The tip is fitted with a female brass insert into which brass male jags are...

Kart EZ-Fit barrel.(Quarter master)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] As a guy marginally useful with tools, I'll often tackle do-it-yourself projects with some expectation of success. I'm fairly adept at wood shaping and metal polishing, but have no formal training as a gunsmith. So...

The MEU (SOC).45: the 1911 soldiers on.(A GUNS MEDLEY)
August 1, 2008... As most of you who follow the shooting sports know, the military replaced the aging M1911A1 with the then exotic-looking Beretta 92S (subsequently dubbed the M9) in 1985. Equally well known was the angst this caused in the shooting community at...

The "Bison Bull".(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Super Six Classic The "Bison Bull" is a .45-70 Gov't six-shot, single-action revolver proudly made in the U.S.A. This hearty fistful harkens back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when great herds of American Bison freely roamed...

DCM digiscoping system.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From MINOX MINOX has opened a whole new world for hunters and outdoorsmen with the introduction of the all new DCM digiscoping system--a digital camera, video, monitor and eyepiece all combined in one compact unit. Fitted to a quality...

The Stryker Assault gloves.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Command Arms Accessories These CAA gloves have been developed by a team of weapon professionals to specifically meet the needs of Military and SWAT operations. Offering superior hand protection for thermal, cut, impact and abrasion...

The new UGB25 Xcel shotgun.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Beretta [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This new Beretta shotgun features an innovative locking system with break-open action that allows operation in complete safety during competitions. The second round is not hidden inside the magazine...

New Tactical Handbag.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Blackhawk! Blackhawk!'s new Tactical Handbag has features which lend themselves perfectly to the everyday woman's battle through life's hectic moments. Built with an adjustable shoulder strap and a small, non-slip pad to aid in...

John Wayne centennial holster set.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From DeSantis This DeSantis Gunhide exclusive package is a fitting tribute to one of the film industry's most beloved icons. In five decades of Hollywood classics, John Wayne mastered the role of Western hero like no other actor in cinema...

The new Taurus 800 Semiauto pistol series.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Taurus Derived from the company's popular "Taurus OSS" model designed for US Armed Forces, this series boats many new customer requested features including an added external hammer. The 800 Series, available in .45 ACP, .40 S&W and...

Pink and Green: Sabre Camo pepper spray.(NEW PRODUCTS)
August 1, 2008... From Security Equipment Traditionally, many pepper sprays have had a more industrial, bland and unattractive look. The end result was that many consumers found these products to be too unattractive to carry regularly. Now, Security...

No moss: but many moments.(ODD ANGRY SHOT)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A rolling stone may gather no moss, but it does attain a certain state of polish." My Dad came up with that one. It was understood "moss" meant things like fat bank accounts, cars and homes on shady streets--sorta...

Who are you saving them for? Have some fun already.(CAMPFIRE TALES)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever meet someone who saves money, anxiously looking forward to buying a gun, and then never quite consummates a deal for whatever reason? Several months ago I really got to thinking about this when my friend Steve...