Guns Magazine articles from May 2008

Guns Magazine archives from May 2008

Right tools.(CROSSFIRE LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Regarding the March '08 "Swift Response Pistol," Mas Ayoob doesn't own a Ransom Rest! They are for sale! I own one and I do not test guns for any magazine. It seems to me it is basic test equipment. Especially needed when testing a pistol...

Needed saying.(CROSSFIRE LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Duke's article, "Guns I'll Never Shoot Again!" is phenomenally honest. I guess that's why he's one of my favorite gun magazine authors. I, too, have a tender right elbow. I had mine repaired 9-years ago and still can't handle heavy loads. I...

Set goals, do them.(CROSSFIRE LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... Two thumbs up for Dave Anderson's article, "Set Goals, Do Them," in the March issue. My father taught me to hunt as a youngster. With college and the early years of marriage, I got away from hunting. When I finally started hunting again with my...

Expensive?(CROSSFIRE LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... What is it with all the whiney letters from readers taking you to task for featuring 'spensive guns? When I pick up a car magazine, the last thing I want to see is article after article on the latest Chevy/Kia/whatever econobox. Why would I...

Ah-h-h, for the warm days of spring: and varmint hunting.(RIFLEMAN)
May 1, 2008... It's "varmint," not "varmit." There's an "n." As in V-A-R-M-I-N-T. If we must use ye oulde Englishe term for vermin we could at least spell it correctly. And while we're at it, it's muzzlebrake, not muzzlebreak. You don't need a...

Squounds and Crak-Rs: you read right. Read on.(SHOTGUNNER)
May 1, 2008... Have you noticed the firearms industry is being driven by new calibers and improvements in ammunition? There's a new cartridge being introduced every month or so it seems. Same goes for shotgun pellets and slugs. "Bring it on," I say. Downrange...

Understanding and choosing optics Part II: how to weed out or accept the undesirable traits.(OPTICS)
May 1, 2008... In Part 1 of Understanding and Choosing Optics, we talked about resolution, contrast, the importance of exit pupil and the difference between Porro prism and roof prism binoculars. We also included a Zeiss test chart and showed you how to...

All for 231: and 231 for all.(HANDLOADING)
May 1, 2008... I never claim to be a reloader in a technical form as there are many people who almost or even do make a science of reloading metallic cartridges. The other end of the spectrum is the guy who blows the top strap off his revolver or splits the...

Who's a rifleman? It's more than just shooting.(MONTANA MUSINGS)
May 1, 2008... I like to think of myself as a rifleman, or perhaps better stated, a rifleman in the making. And what exactly is that? Well, it's certainly not a once a year hunter who has to take his rifle into the store with him so the clerk can tell him...

The .40 somethings: often compared to one another, the cruiserweight .41 Magnum and 10mm rounds aren't truly equal but have much in common.(HANDGUNS)
May 1, 2008... The .41 Magnum revolver cartridge and the 10mm Auto round are often compared as equals. They aren't, but when you start looking at them, it's downright eerie how much they have in common. I Each was originally intended for combat work, and...

All ammo is good ammo ... or is it?(RANGING SHOTS[TM])
May 1, 2008... I am often intrigued by the perceptions of life as compared to the reality. So as to not sound smarter than I really am, I am addressing things like what people's perceptions of things or products are compared to what the reality of the item...

Mauser 98 shotgun: an interesting Mauser collectible.(SURPLUS LOCKER[TM])
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the fascinating stories in the surplus arms trade is the conversion of surplus or obsolete arms into something more contemporary and useful. History is full of examples, both here and abroad. The most familiar...

Jawbone knives: as Samson said ...(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
May 1, 2008... Up front I admit I am not the most knowledgeable guy on the planet about knives. Even with my limited knowledge I still appreciate good steel as much as most and more than many. In my travels, I have dealt with the Salinas Police Department in...

Eye problems.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
May 1, 2008... Q: I have lived long enough to need reading glasses. I was wondering if you had any advice about prescription lenses and shooting. I love pistols with a red dot, but I also have open sight pistols and rifles. My bifocals even play havoc with...

Grips.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
May 1, 2008... Q: I have a pair of beautiful, original pearl grips made for a S&W revolver with a 5" barrel around 60 to 80 years ago or so. I don't know the model because the last time I saw the gun was when I was a boy. Could you please give me a ballpark...

Unserviceable.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
May 1, 2008... Q: I am a big fan of the Surplus Locker column by Mr. Bodinson. I recently acquired an Enfield No. 2 Mk 1* revolver. It has the walnut stocks with finger groove. It does not have the usual British proof marks but does have a stamping on the...

Still around.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
May 1, 2008... Q: Is the Colt Company, the company that made the Python revolver and the Detective Special revolver, among others, still in business? Nelson T. Hall Vauxhill, New Jersey A: Colt is indeed still in business, although the only...

Marlin in a Winchester?(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
May 1, 2008... Q: Is the .307 Winchester and .308 Marlin Express interchangeable in a Winchester 94AE? Jim Collins Austin, Texas A: Performance-wise, there isn't an animal in the world that could tell the difference, but they are definitely not...

Light and modern defined: the Kahr TP45 .45ACP.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a trigger pull like a fine double-action revolver, this flat 8-shot .45 auto may just out-Commander the legendary Colt. Going on 60-years ago, Colt introduced the first significant size and weight change in...

A superlative semiauto: the Sig Sauer 556 redefines reliable self loaders.(Cover story)
May 1, 2008... The Sig 556 is an interesting and impressive rifle. The two most successful military rifles since WWII, in numbers at least, have been the M16 and the AK-47. stretching a point a bit, it can be claimed the Sig 556 shares some of the virtues of...

The other Old West sixguns some were colts, some weren't.
May 1, 2008... If you gain your historical insight from watching movies and television, you're definitely going to have a skewed idea of what actually happened. And to pick just one factor out of all that to detail, if you got your firearms knowledge of the...

The venerable drop point: the hunter's most effective edge?
May 1, 2008... In their truest form, firearms and knives are tools used to achieve a means, but don't tell that to the dedicated user. In the real sense of the word we become attached to our guns and knives like a companion, not just an object to get from...

Wonderful 1 shot: Thompson/Center's G2 Contender.
May 1, 2008... When it comes to manufacturing firearms or pickup trucks or any mechanical devices two words guaranteed to send shivers up the spine are "new" and "improved." Usually these words actually translate into manufacturers finding a shortcut in...

The wrong questions.(RIGHTS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... "If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers."--Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow" It's not like the American Academy of Pediatrics is unbiased about guns in the home. "The best way to...

Not always IEDS.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Australian Defence Force has deployed to Timor-Leste at the request of the Government of Timor and the United Nations to bring stability, security and confidence to the Timorese to allow them to resolve their...

Still dangerous.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... UK Army Explosive and Ordnance Disposal experts conducted a controlled detonation of an unexploded 500-pound general purpose WWII RAF bomb close to the M62 motorway in East Yorkshire, England, last January 4, 2008. The device was discovered in...

NICS Improvement Act passed.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act of 2007 passed in the US Senate and House of Representatives last December. The legislation requires federal agencies to provide relevant data for use in the NICS...

Police help burned boy.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)(Medical condition overview)
May 1, 2008... For Yousef Kasim, living in the Five Farms area of Baghdad is a challenge. His family lives in a mud brick home, with no running water or electricity where, until recently, Al Qaeda terrorists roamed the area generating a swath of destruction....

A winner.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... The drawing for the Silver Screen Legend X, a gorgeous pair of Colt SAA .45 revolvers and beautiful Hollywood-style handcarved and silver mounted Hopalong Cassidy replica double holster rig was held last December 16, 2007. Mimi Rogers...

USM celebrates the 100th anniversary of Great White Fleet.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... More than 100 years ago on Dec. 16, 1907, the Great White Fleet departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, marking the first global naval voyage in America's young history. The US Navy is honoring the anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's Great White...

Teenage girl medevac'd from cruise ship.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
May 1, 2008... Sailors from USS Ronald Reagan, and the aircrew of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four (HS-4) rescued a 14 year-old girl from Albion, Illinois, last December 15 who suffered a ruptured appendix while aboard the cruise ship Dawn Princess....

Surefire X300 Handgun WeaponLight.(QUARTERMASTER)
May 1, 2008... SureFire reps have been having a lot of fun, hammering nails into pine boards with their X200 WeaponLights and then shining 'em into buyers' eyes. The X200 is an undeniably rugged and capable light, but with the introduction of the new X300...

GG&G solves Aimpoint T-1 mounting woes.(QUARTER MASTER)
May 1, 2008... I have been using the new Aimpoint T1 scope in a variety of uses for both handgun and rifle applications. The Aimpoint T-1 scope is pretty clever and very functional. Now, by adding to the T-1 a piece of gear that might be even cleverer (the...

17th annual historic artillery match: and mortars, too.(A GUNS MEDLEY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Last July 28 and 29, 2007, the Loomis' Battery of Michigan Light Artillery held their 17th annual long-range competition with historic ordnance. Approximately 20 Civil War and Spanish American War field guns and...

The tyrol pocket binocular.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... From Swarovski Optik This collector level item, the smallest of all Swarovski Optik's binoculars, is clothed in fine Italian leather. As with other pocket models the Pocket TYROL has a sophisticated lens system comprising a total of 16...

Double diamond polished carbon fiber grips.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... From Carbon Creations Carbon Creations produces patented Fiber 1911 & Officer Pistol Grips individually handcrafted to fit a wide range of handguns and firearms such as the Colt 1911, the 1911 Smith & Wesson, Kimber 1911 or Caspian 1911....

New .38-55 brass cases.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... From Starline Demand from competitive shooters has induced Starline Brass to produce new .38-55 regular and long rifle cases. The standard case is 2.08", while the long is 2.125". Diameter on both cases is the same and both cases are .002"...

Sublime folding knives.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... From Tichbourne Knives There are knives and there are knives/Some knives are purely utilitarian in their purpose and design. Other knives are sublime examples of superb craftsmanship inspired by an unerring aesthetic sense of balance and...

White Micarta handled Alamo Bowie Knife.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... From Katz Knives In the Old West, a Bowie Knife meant business. And, gentlemen of "the high water" carried knives crafted as much for elegance as for utility. So, Katz Knives' new "Alamo Bowie" should prove to be a popular item for Old...

New XD Lasergrips.(NEW PRODUCTS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From Crimson Trace Customer demand is also responsible for new Lasergrips designed to fit Springfield Armory's feature-packed XD pistol. Crimson Trace engineers have created an innovative design that secures the...

Streamlight Super Tac: way cool factor!(SPOTLIGHT)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I guess I'm on a flashlight kick. And why not, there are more terrific flashlights and weapon-mounted lights than you can shake a stick at. Editor Dave Douglas of American COP has this thing for flashlights and I...

You can win this free: DS arms TP9 pistol!
May 1, 2008... In fact, John Taffin wrote about this very pistol in the March issue and it comes with targets autographed by John hisself. The Swiss-made TP9 is a high-capacity 9mm selfloader and John found it a hoot to shoot. You can't win if you don't...

It's the little things ... forget the plasma rifle, keep a pair of sliver grippers handy.(ODD ANGRY SHOT)
May 1, 2008... It's a world-widely-known an' double-dip-documented fact I don't learn some things easily... Once I've learned 'em though, especially if it involves severe pain or debilitating illness, they tend to stay lurnt. I think my learning process is...

A tale of two classics.(CAMPFIRE TALES)
May 1, 2008... Just what is a classic? According to my Oxford Dictionary a classic is "of the first-class, of acknowledged excellence, remarkably typical, outstandingly important, having enduring worth, timeless." Not only do we have the term "classic,"...