Guns Magazine articles from March 2003

Guns Magazine archives from March 2003

Crossfire letters to guns.
March 1, 2003... Letter Of The Month I have always found your magazine to be very informative and especially helpful due to the fact that I have been handloading since 1973. As I was examining your January, 2003 issue, reading along in my usual serious...

Best three guns: with more than 50 new models to choose from the industry selects the best three guns.
March 1, 2003... A TRIO OF EXCELLENCE It's rare, indeed, to have an opportunity to own one of these three top choices of the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence. Judged by their peers, Rugers 77/17RM HMR rifle and Gold Label Side-By-Side shotgun and...

Loading down. (Handloader).
March 1, 2003... Along time ago, I owned a car that was capable of going a whole bunch faster than any speed limit. I really liked that car and couldn't help using all that power now and then. Sometimes I'd do so and get a real charge out of the speed, but a...

Insight Technology's M3. (Quartermaster).
March 1, 2003... Like the fashion world, the gun community is subject to fads--features or accessories that become common almost overnight. Some of these disappear as quickly as they arrived, being found lacking in usefulness. For example, in the '60s and early...

Lyman Classic Rifle Dies. (Quartermaster).
March 1, 2003... Those who shoot the various 19th century black powder rifle cartridges have a great friend in the Lyman Products Corporation. J.H. Barlow's innovative bullet casting and reloading tools, later sold under the Lyman Ideal label, have been...

Old West Reproductions. (Quartermaster).
March 1, 2003... We've pictured the outstanding leatherwork of Rick Bachman in GUNS Magazine several times in the past year. Perhaps better known as Old West Reproductions, Bachman makes cowboy leather gear of the first order. But his talents are not limited to...

The real ladies gun. (Handguns).
March 1, 2003... For too long, women were told that if they wanted to carry a sidearm they needed a "ladies' gun," usually a tiny .22 or .25 automatic with so little power it might or might not stop a charging gerbil. Then the trend moved toward the small .38...

Wild world of chokes--part two. (Shotgunner).
March 1, 2003... Who first invented the choke-bored shotgun barrel? We will never know for certain, but two men were more responsible than anyone for bringing the design into widespread use by the end of the 19th century. They were Fred Kimball of the...

What's new from "Big Green?".
March 1, 2003... Each fall, Remington, AKA "Big Green," invites writers and editors to visit them to learn about the products to be introduced in the coming year. We get to try out the newest releases, but even more importantly, we get to talk to the project...

Black powder for dummies: the secret is out. Tactical icon Clint Smith has a dark side.
March 1, 2003... "Black Powder is dirty, smelly, smoky and a mess to clean up." My response to that statement...Yes it is! It's also a part of history, accurate, effective and flat fun to shoot. After 30 years of smokeless powder, black nylon, and tactical...

Battle sight showdown: Trijicon's ACOG takes on Canada's ELCAN.
March 1, 2003... During the Great War, Imperial Germany fielded During Scarfshutzen (Sharpshooters) equipped with optically sighted rifles. These early and relatively crude optical gun sights gave German sharpshooters an edge in the trenches. This was due to...

Thoughts on the S&W 386PD.
March 1, 2003... Photographing firearms for GUNS and American Handgunner Magazines, I see a lot of truly fine guns in the course of a year. These days, the majority of them are semiauto pistols. I like autopistols, and shoot them regularly, but truthfully, I'm...

Minimum Magnum: if it were any lighter...you'd have to tie it down.
March 1, 2003... Fall mornings in the desert can be pretty crisp. I left the house early, enjoying the long drive in the darkness, but now, with only a faint glimmer along the horizon, I'm ready for the sunrise. A tiny fire of dead greasewood branches warms my...

Astonishing precision: Weatherby's Threat Response Rifle.
March 1, 2003... The new Weatherby TRR (Threat Response Rifle) has many excellent features, not least is the fact that Weatherby managed to avoid calling it a "tactical" rifle, In recent years "tactical" has become one of the most ubiquitous and misused terms...

Wonderful wadcutters: soft shooting, accurate... Just don't try to figure out why.
March 1, 2003... If you shoot a .38 Special and want the single most accurate load you can find, there is only one choice of bullet: The 148-grain, lead, hollow-base wadcutter. If you're a handloader, there are several powders that will shoot well, but that's...

Alaska tough Kimber: Kimber's genteel bolt gun faces the toughest terrain on the continent.
March 1, 2003... Gather a group of hunters around a campfire and ask them to list the best caliber for big game hunting and you're likely to get an earful of argument. Ask the same bunch to name North America's toughest hunting challenge and you'll find little...

Cimarron "Originals": return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.
March 1, 2003... Replicas are nothing new. It fact, during the 1870s and 1880s, European manufacturers were already replicating the sixguns of both Smith & Wesson and Colt. Spanish copies, poorly executed, appeared very quickly once the Colt SAA arrived. If you...

You can win this Savage Arms 12BVSS varmint package.
March 1, 2003... It's old news that Savage produces some of the most accurate, best value rifles in America. What's new is Savage has added a great refinement to its line of varmint and heavy-barreled precision rifles in the form of the AccuTrigger[TM] system....

Safari Kit. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Katz Knives The new versatile Safari Kit[TM] and Safari Accessory Combo[TM] from Katz Knives offers the hunter and sportsman a comprehensive cutting system in a compact field-ready package. The completely convertible system allows a...

Deluxe 1873 revolver. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Navy Arms The new Deluxe 1873 single-action revolver is the handgun component to the "Cowboy Combo" from Navy Arms. Completing the package is the new 1892 short rifle with case-hardened receiver and polished walnut stock. Both are...

New Model 1911 pistol. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson introduces its new Model SW 1911 version of the historic John Browning classic .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The SW1911 features stainless steel construction, a five-inch barrel, three-dot sights, a...

Aluminum grips for 1911s. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Alumagrips Alumagrips offers a line of new T-6 aircraft-grade aluminum grips for the full-size Colt Model 1911, 1911 Commander, Officers Model and similar .45 pistols from Kimber and Springfield Armory. Custom options include...

New "AccuTrigger". (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Savage Arms The new AccuTrigger from Savage Arms is infinitely adjustable between 1 1/2 lbs. and six lbs., without danger of accidental discharge and the release is crisp with no creep. The trigger is adjusted by removing the stock...

"Coach Rider" shotgun. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Gibbs Rifle Co. Gibbs Rifle Company's new 12-gauge, 22-inch barreled Coach Rider side-by-side and its little brother, the Bar Keep with a 20-inch barrel, are classic hammer shotguns with W.C. Scott-type top levers. Each feature modern...

New Highlander shotgun. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Franchi The new Franchi Highlander side-by-side shotgun is specifically designed for upland bird hunters. The Highlander is available in choice of 12, 20 or 28 gauge and features an A-grade polished English walnut stock, scalloped and...

Blackie Collins Bowie knife. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From MayerCo USA Famed designer Blackie Collins has created a new affordable Bowie knife for Meyerco USA. The new Bowie features sturdy 440 stainless construction in choice of 4, 6 1/2 or 9-inch blade lengths. The full tang ensures maximum...

Ultra Carry Damascus .45 pistol. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Uselton Arms Uselton Arms has added a stunning new titanium/Damascus finish to its high performance Ultra Carry .45 semi-automatic pistol. Other key features include U.S. Tactical sights, gray stain exotic rosewood grips, three-inch...

Bagmaster adds new colors. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Bagmasters popular line of Pro-Shooter Bags, Mini Range Bags, Rectangular Pistol Pouches and related carry bags and accessories are now available in red, brown and purple. Bagmasters products are also available in black, hunter green and navy...

New Long Gun Vault. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From GunVault GunVault introduces the new Long Gun Vault to its line of fine security products. The Long Gun Vault features the No Eyes" keypad that allows instant access in total darkness. When activated, the keypad triggers an...

New R1 auto loading rifle. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Benelli USA The new Model R1 is Benelli's first autoloading rifle. The R1 is gas-operated, has interchangeable barrels, a stainless steel upper receiver for secure scope mounting, cryogenically treated free-floating barrel and an...

New .17 HMR revolver. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... From Taurus Inter'al Taurus International has introduced its new eight-shot, small frame revolver chambered for the popular .17 HMR cartridge. Pictured is the matte stainless steel finish version with five-inch barrel, adjustable sights...

Anschutz 1717D HB. (Rifleman).
March 1, 2003... Anschutz is one of the great names in firearms. The name is synonymous with the highest quality of craftsmanship. Anschutz rifles have dominated international and Olympic smallbore and air rifle competition for decades. Anschutz is now...

Memories. (Campfire Tales).
March 1, 2003... It was morning. Charlie Holden opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling as he had done every day, all day, for the past three years. This had been his life since that terrible day when the unknown pain suddenly struck him. When he awoke, he...

Katz Kagemusha fixed blade hunter.
March 1, 2003... Every hunter and shooter appreciates a good blade, and the Katz Kagemusha is a good one. Constructed of tough XT80 stainless steel, the Kagemusha measures 8 1/4 inces overall, with a 3 1/2-inch blade. The blade features sufficient belly to...