Guns Magazine articles from November 2008

Guns Magazine archives from November 2008

Know nothings.(CROSSFIRE: LETTERS TO GUNS)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... It is amazing how little understanding so-called experts have about how firearms actually work. Take, for example, Glen Zediker's article on extractors in the June issue. The article indicates the extractor removes the spent case from the...

Remington's masterpiece: the venerable 870 shotgun.(RANGING SHOTS[TM])
November 1, 2008... The shotgun is deeply woven into American firearms traditions. It has often been used by civilians as a hunting and gathering device and, if required, it crossed over into a personal defense tool as well. No segment of our society has warmed up...

Sustaining revolver firepower Part II: the speedloader.(HANDGUNS)
November 1, 2008... When the fresh ammo has to get into the revolver's chambers right now, a speedloader is the ticket. The right gear is important, and the correct technique even more so. There have been lots and lots of speedloaders over the years--Colt...

New love? Or old love?(MONTANA MUSINGS)
November 1, 2008... Because I've been writing a number of articles in these pages concerning shooting World War II era firearms, a number of readers have written or e-mailed me wondering about my "new love." Many are concerned I've lost all feeling for the Colt...

The hawkeye borescope: what evil lurks in your barrel?(OPTICS)
November 1, 2008... Ask them what solvent, brush, or compound they use, and you might get just as many. Barrel prep is the new fad of the day. Compounds, solvents, patches, jags, and brushes are all advertised, assuring they do the best job. What is the truth of...

Shoot a doe: they're tasty too--and it's important.(RIFLEMAN)
November 1, 2008... Not all GUNS Magazine readers are hunters. Some are competition shooters, some are collectors, others just like owning, shooting and reading about guns. And that's great. We value and respect all of you. This message is for those who hunt,...

The GSG fun gun: a rimfire clone of the HK MP-5.(RIMFIRES)
November 1, 2008... One of the endearing qualities of .22 rimfire firearms is they can be fabricated into just about any form imaginable from miniature Gatling guns to fountain pens. At the head of my current "fun gun" list is German Sport Guns' MP-5 clone, the...

Cast bullets ... ... and great Sixguns.(HANDLOADING)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My first Colt Single Action .45 Colt was one of the first 7-1/2" 2nd Generations out of the factory. I bought a Lyman No. 310 Tool, a single cavity Lyman No. 454424 Keith bullet mold and I was in business. I cast...

The model 1911 Schmidt Rubin: the other Switzer.(SURPLUS LOCKER[TM])
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While we treasure the current crop of Swiss K31 Karabiners, don't ever pass up its progenitor, the equally watch-like, Model 1911 Schmidt-Ruben rifle. Slipping into the milsurp stream in the 1950s and early '60s, the...

A class act: Savage's New Mark II .22 LR offers affordable elegance and performance.(OUT OF THE BOX[TM])
November 1, 2008... What the world needs are more classy-looking .22 LR sporters. There have been a few great ones, but they seem to be getting fewer and farther between. The .22 of my youth was a Marlin Model 81C, bolt action, tubular magazine. It was a big...

Deer power.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: I recently bought a Mosin-Nagant rifle and wonder if the 7.62x54R is powerful enough for deer hunting? Also. what would the biggest game could it be used for? What would the range limit be for one? When I got it,...

1895 Colt.(QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS)
November 1, 2008... Q: I just bought a nice looking 1895 Colt double-action revolver. The barrel says Colt D.A. and either 23 or 28 and it has the original Colt grips. On the cylinder release is the number 342. The serial number listed is 122445. The price tag...

The Melvin rifle: new ultra light arms.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the early 1980s, a West Virginia high school shop teacher and part time gunsmith announced to his hunting buddies he was going to build a deer rifle weighing less than six pounds including scope. Laughter bounced...

Mighty mice guns: Ruger's two new defensive handgun concepts.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A lighter-kicking small frame revolver approaching .357 Mag ballistics holding six rounds instead of the usual five and an ultra-reliable, ultra-small .380 pocket auto. What's not to like? I can remember when....

The .510 Kodiak Express the 5,000 foot-pound Marlin.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The .510 Kodiak Express chambering pushes the modern 1895 Marlin to the limit. With top-end loads generating more than 5,000 ft-lbs of energy, this custom conversion certainly accomplishes the intended goal m...

Combat ready: Smith & Wesson's M&P .45 ACP.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The .45 ACP version of the Military & Police dubbed the M&P45 is available in all black or with a dark earth brown colored frame. The latter is the one I opted for, as I do prefer the combination of colors over all...

Uncle Sam's burp gun: M1 Thompson submachine gun.
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plant a seed, nurture it, and watch it grow. Farmers and gardeners do so all the time. And I guess it will work with gun'riters, too. In this case I planted the seed in my own fertile brain, and did so just as a...

Chi-Town's pell-mell gun laws.(RIGHTS WATCH)
November 1, 2008... "Alderman Richard Mell... is a former hunter with an arsenal of weapons that reportedly features shotguns, rifles and pistols, including a Walther PPK of James Bond fame," The Chicago Sun Times reported. So Chicago gun owners ought to...

Gunning in Iraq.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Packed off from the gun lines on the Contingency Operating Base (COB) in Basra, a team from D Battery, 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, deployed north to Tallil, Iraq. As well as delivering munitions back at the...

Hunters can't blame landowners.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... A state Supreme Court has ruled when Missouri landowners give people free access to their land, they are immune to any suits filed over injuries or deaths on the property, reports Red Orbit News. The Missouri Recreational Use Act was cited as...

UK apaches strike Taliban leadership.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... British troops using Apache attack helicopters killed a key Taliban leader and up to 10 members of his cell during an operation in Helmand Province last June 26 with an intelligence-led, precision missile strike carried out by members of 664...

The founders' view of the right to bear arms.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... Building on research and period documents that resulted in his landmark The Origin of the Second Amendment, author and historian David E. Young now gives us the history behind them. In his words, "The Founders' View traces only the most...

Digging in.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reconstruction Task Force 4 (RTF4) is Australias contribution to the Netherlands-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province. RTF4 is comprised of engineers, mechanised infantry and...

Kimber donates big to NRA.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... Kimber has made one of the largest donations in NRA Foundation history, some $600,000 of fine firearms to be utilized by both the NRA Foundation and Friends of NRA program. Given the enthusiasm with which NRA members support their organization,...

NYPD losing track of guns.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... According to a New York City audit released last week, and reported in the New York Times, nearly one out of three handguns and rifles turned into the New York City Police Department could not be accounted for. "Perhaps Mayor Bloomberg's time,...

Midway USA'S NRA round-up hits $4 million.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... MidwayUSA, a catalog and Internet retailer announced the NRA Round-Up program has passed the $4 Million milestone. At the Annual Meeting of the National Rifle Association in Louisville, KY, program co-founders Larry and Brenda Potterfield...

Keeping the ban.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... Following the recent Supreme Court decision ruling the Washington, DC, handgun ban unconstitutional, officials in the District of Columbia are attempting to circumvent the high court by outlawing semi-automatic pistols in reluctant acceptance...

Penn youth shoot doubles.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... In just one year, the number of youths competing at Pennsylvania's annual Scholastic Clay Target Program championship event doubled, reports The NewsItem. About 40 squads, or 200 young trapshooters--up from 20 squads last year--took part this...

NJ police kill bear near school.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... New Jersey government officials' refusal to allow a bear hunt in their state continues to come back to bite them as dangerous encounters with brazen bruins pop up around the Garden State. One of the latest incidents occurred when local police...

Duck population.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... US Fish & Wildlife Service reports the preliminary estimate of total ducks was just over 37 million, a nine percent decline from last year's estimate, but still 11 percent greater than the 1955-2007 average. In the US and Canadian prairies,...

Marine, navy team thwarts pirates.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, deployed aboard USS Peleliu (LHA 5) in the Gulf of Aden, helped prevent a pirate attack last August 8, providing aerial support and Explosive Ordnance Disposal. At...

ATF comments on Heller.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... ATF Acting Director Michael J. Sullivan released the following statement on the recent Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia et. al. v. Heller: "ATF is pleased with the Supreme Court's ruling recognizing that the Second Amendment...

Impact of Budweiser sale.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... The recent sale of the Anheuser-Busch Companies to Belgian conglomerate InBev has potential implications for the entire sports community. Budweiser and the other A-B brands have been major advertisers on televised sporting events--to the tune...

Nevada ACLU.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... The Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared its support for interpreting the Second Amendment as an individual right to keep and bear arms, a move putting them at odds with their national headquarters which is...

Gun, ammo sales up.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)(Financial report)
November 1, 2008... Sales by firearm and ammunition manufacturers were up 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2008, led by a 17.3 percent increase in ammunition sales, a 5 percent rise in handgun sales and a 6.7 percent increase in long gun sales. The...

ATK sales up.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)(Financial report)
November 1, 2008... First quarter, sales for Alliant Techsystems Armament Systems group rose 32 percent to $442 million, compared to $336 million in the prior-year quarter. The division of ATK produces commercial and military ammunition and gun systems,...

Industry career connection.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... Visit NSSF's Web site for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Post a job opening at www.nssf.org/jobs.--Courtesy NSSF

French engineers blowup ammo.(VIEWS, NEWS AND REVIEWS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The engineers' platoon of the French battalion, alongside an EOD team, destroyed ammunition in a secure area called "the Halo Trust destruction polygon" This ammunition was gathered by ISAF patrols or handed over by...

Bino pouch system.(QUARTER MASTER)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I first hunted with guide Jaret Owens when he had the sheep and pig concession on Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California and it was a well-run operation. Truly an exotic and beautiful venue from which to hunt....

Dominator 1.(QUARTER MASTER)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I recently went to a pretty big gun show while working in Texas. it has been some time since l went to one of these festive events and I must admit I was stunned at all the folks there selling AR-15 parts including...

Streamlight's sidewinder.(QUARTER MASTER)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Don't let the MILITARY stamp on the packaging deter you--one of the two versions of Streamlight's latest combat illuminator belongs in every hunter's field bag. Both varieties feature a 20-lumen white LED for...

G-tip gun cleaning swabs.(QUARTER MASTER)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chuck those fuzzy-wuzzy cotton swabs you've been using for years to get down there into the guts of your guns. You know, the ones immediately unravelling and leave wisps of cotton fibers here and there, usually in a...

On Safari: "minimum legal" alternatives.(A GUNS MEDLEY)
November 1, 2008... If dangerous game is on the venue, some serious consideration must be given to the choice of rifle and caliber. Entire books have been written on this subject, so we will stick with the minimum legal caliber for the Big Boys. Since...

The RAM 2R Real Action Marker.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Umarex [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The RAM (Real Action Marker) 2R is a 43-caliber training and gaming rifle. This semi-automatic rifle will fire either .43 caliber paintballs or rubberballs with amazing accuracy at speeds of more than...

New SERPA holster for the Taurus Judge.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From BLACKHAWK! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blackhawk's SERPA Technology allows a full firing grip for a fast and smooth draw while providing for immediate and effective retention upon re-holstering. There is no thumb break or awkward...

Winchester Xpert steel shot.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Winchester [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recognizing the need for an affordable. non-toxic alternative to lead, Winchester has added four new loads to the Xpert Game and Target Steel Shot line. The new Winchester Xpert loads include a...

New AR-15 cleaning brushes.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Iosso Products Cleaning an AR-15 has never been an easy task. There were no brushes that fit correctly for complete cleaning... until now. Wrapping a patch around a brush to make it fit and using tools to scrape away the fouling is...

Enfield Monte Carlo Stocks and Scope Mounts.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Advanced Technology Inc. Advanced Technology Inc. offers a stylish, comfortable stock at an affordable price for your Enfield .303 or .308. This matte black, glass-filled nylon stock will modernize your 75-plus-year-old Enfield into a...

New 3-9x40 AccuPoint Riflescope.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Trijicon [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Providing high transitional speed and pinpoint accuracy, with the ability to handle virtually any lighting situation, the Trijicon 3-9x40 AccuPoint Crosshair utilizes an advanced exclusive...

"The Man with No Name" Holster.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From Alfonso's of Hollywood Leather Co. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Clint Eastwood went to Spain to film A Fistful Of Dollars he knew the film was going to be a bare-bones budget affair. so he brought along his own particular holster....

Special Model 442 Commemorative Revolver.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From The Second Amendment Foundation and Smith & Wesson To commemorate the recent historical significance of the District of Columbia vs. Heller Supreme Court decision, the Second Amendment Foundation and Smith & Wesson have partnered to...

.308 Winchester UNI 180-Grain Ammo.(NEW PRODUCTS)
November 1, 2008... From RWS Distributed by Fiocchi of America [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With this cartridge, RWS has combined the two most sought-after qualities in a medium to large game hunting bullet a high penetration rate and a delayed shock effect....

You can win a free savage 50th anniversary commemorative model 110 classic with Leupold 3-9X scope!(YOU CAN WIN!)
November 1, 2008... Yessiree, Savage only made 1,000 of these and just one of you will be the proud owner of one of this .300 Savage chambered rifle. A fitting caliber on par with the .308, the .300 Savage was one of the more powerful levergun rounds available to...

Veterans Day--November 11TH: between the Stones lie the stories.(ODD ANGRY SHOT)
November 1, 2008... The mood on our "short bus" hauling a mixed bag of veterans around a military hospital was light with laughter and the inevitable silly stories of how we'd been whacked, dropped or crunched. The topic turned to places and times we'd served. The...

Don't mess with the old guy!(CAMPFIRE TALES)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Natural predators try to make grocery shopping as easy as possible by preying on the young, the sick, the injured and the old--especially the old. Society's predators are no different in that they are always looking...